Satoru Mizushima (水島 総, Mizushima Satoru, born June 18, 1949 in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese filmmaker.[1][2][3] He graduated from Waseda University majoring in German literature. He can often be seen and heard during nationalist rallies in Tokyo, especially during anti-Chinese protests. He denies Japan's destructive role in World War II.
He is the main host of the right-wing Japanese media organization, Channel Sakura, which maintains an active YouTube broadcasting account "SakuraSoTV". The Japan Times has said Channel Sakura "is widely known for its glorification of Japan’s role in World War II and for airing shows that deny the Japanese military forced Korean women into sexual slavery."[4]
In 1988, he released his first film, The Story of the Panda, about a Japanese woman who helps Chinese people raise a panda. In 1992, he released his second film, Goodbye Heiji, about a blind girl and her seeing-eye dog.
Historical negationism edit
In 2007, he released The Truth about Nanjing, a Japanese film that denies the occurrence of the Nanjing Massacre.[5][6] The film was based on the work of Shūdō Higashinakano.[7] Mizushima has said it is an "indisputable fact" that no massacre occurred[7] and he is "certain there was no bloodshed and rapes of civilians".[8] He dismissed evidence of the massacre, calling it "faked" and "Chinese Communist propaganda".[9] He described several Western witnesses who were in Nanjing at the time as communist spies.[10] Estimates for the death toll vary but serious historians do not doubt that the massacre occurred.[11] He alleged that there were no illegal deaths, whereas historians have put the number between 20,000 and 300,000 deaths.[12]
In 2010 he was one of the founders of Ganbare Nippon,[13] a nationalist group.[14]
Mizushima has said The Asahi Shimbun, a liberal newspaper, has "fabricated history and transmitted lies" and called for the newspaper to stop publishing.[15]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Langfitt, Frank (14 December 2012). "Nationalist Rhetoric High As Japanese Head To Polls". NPR. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Hayashi, Yuka (14 August 2012). "Japan's Nationalist Movement Strengthens". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "Japanese filmmaker to deny Nanjing massacre". The Wall Street Journal. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Mitchell, Jon (February 16, 2015). "In appearance on far-right TV, U.S. official calls Okinawa base protests 'hate speech'". The Japan Times.
- ^ Hongo, Jun (2007-01-25). "Filmmaker to paint Nanjing slaughter as just myth". The Japan Times.
- ^ "revisionist nanking film now playing". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Isabel (December 14, 2007). "Japanese filmmaker says "Nanjing never happened"". Reuters.
- ^ "Japan Nanking". AP Archive.
- ^ McNeill, David; Coonan, Clifford (December 5, 2007). "Propaganda war is declared in cinemas over Nanking massacre". The Independent.
- ^ Fabre, Olivier (November 26, 2007). "Japan Nanjing film says war criminals were martyrs". Reuters.
- ^ Masters, Coco (December 13, 2007). "Reevaluating the Rape of Nanjing". Time.
- ^ David McNeill (December 2007). "Look Back in Anger. Filming the Nanjing Massacre" (PDF). The Journal of Asian Studies. 5 (12). Association for Asian Studies.
- ^ "Japan's Nationalist Movement Strengthens". The Wall Street Journal. August 14, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Nationalist Rhetoric High As Japanese Head To Polls". NPR. December 14, 2012.
- ^ Penn, Michael (September 25, 2014). "Japanese right targets liberal media". Al Jazeera.