This photograph appeared in the December 4, 1997 issue of Newsweek, together with a feature article about The Rape of Nanking. Americans seem to view beheading by the sword as a very sensational concept. Subsequently, similar articles appeared in newspapers, accompanied by this same photograph, which bears the following caption: "In Nanking the Japanese turned murder into sport. Note the smiles on the Japanese in the background (Revolutionary Documents, Taipei)."

But even if this fake photograph is believed true by Americans, it does not pass to Japanese who know even beginning of Japanese fencing at all.

In order that the man having a sword in a photograph, cut down the neck of the man sitting, must swing a sword from the right top to the left bottom. For this purpose the man must hold the right foot forward. It is a natural principle on the dynamics. It has nothing to do with the right-handed or the left-handed. However, he opens both legs sideways. He cannot swing down a sword in this way. When you feel doubt, please try demonstration. This problem is the basic posture not limited to Japanese fencing, swordplay, archery, judo, and other martial arts.

Moreover, The man posing with the sword appears to be wearing a padded, sleeveless jacket, but no one in the Japanese army, regardless of rank, would ever wear such attire. In short, this is a Chinese soldier.This fake photograph is the badly made one that a performer is taking a pause.

Moreover, this is a composite photograph is obvious from merely glancing at the directions taken by the shadow of the soldier posing with the Japanese sword and that of soldier to his right. One realizes this with the simple observation that the two people's shadows point in different directions. In other words, it is a photograph that has been deliberately made up for propaganda purposes.

Upon realizing this and scrutinizing the photograph, it is clearly a faked incident and not at all a true photograph. It is time for reflection by an American journalism which could make such easy use of so obviously faked photographs as "evidence" to the undoubted barbarity of the Japanese Army.