Chinese translation of Tokyo war trial records fill ‘critical gap’: state media
The 40-volume project marks the first time that the complete court records from the tribunal have been published in Chinese
The translation, which spans 40 volumes, took a team of hundreds more than a decade to produce. It filled “a critical gap in domestic historical records”, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East – also known as the Tokyo Trial – lasted from May 3, 1946, to November 12, 1948. Judges and prosecutors from 11 countries attended the trial, producing almost 50,000 pages of trial transcripts, witness testimonies, exhibit lists, prosecution and defence records, and judgment documents, Xinhua reported.
Until the new volumes’ publication on April 30, the records were only available in English and Japanese, the report said.
“Relying on the complete Chinese translation, readers can clearly trace the step-by-step progression of the aggression plans, comprehend the interlocking chain of evidence behind the Nanking massacre, and witness the protracted struggle between the forces of justice and the war criminals’ attempts to deny their crimes,” he said