Japan hotelier's Nanjing massacre denial angers China

A Japanese hotel chain has come under fire for its owner's claims that a World War Two massacre in the Chinese city of Nanjing did not take place.

日本旅店连锁店因其老板宣称二战期间南京大屠杀事件并未发生而遭到抨击。

A book by Toshio Motoya, who owns APA Hotels, was found this week to be widely distributed in his outlets.

It has prompted a rebuke from the Chinese government as well as a boycott by Chinese hotel booking websites.

But the chain has refused to withdraw the book and Mr Motoya, an outspoken revisionist, has stood by his views.

The book is said to be available in every guest room and for sale in hotel gift shops.

这周,APA旅馆的老板Toshio Motoya所著的书在他的店里广泛传布。这件事情导致了中国政府的指责及中国酒店订购网站的抵制活动。但是连锁店方面拒接撤回这本书,Motoya先生是一位公开的修正的社会主义者,并且坚持他的观点。据说这本书提供给每一间客房,并且在酒店的礼品店出售。

Why is it such a big controversy?

The Nanjing massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanjing, is a hugely sensitive issue in China and a contentious subject in Japan.

In December 1937 Japanese troops invaded the eastern city of Nanjing. China says 300,000 of its civilians were massacred, but some historians have disputed this figure while some Japanese nationalists deny any killings took place.

The dispute is one reason why Beijing continues to accuse Tokyo of failing to properly apologise or atone for its wartime past.

In China, which introduced anannual state commemorationin 2014, the massacre has become a symbol of nationalism.

为什么这本书引起这么大的纷争?

南京大屠杀,又称为南京强奸案,在中国是一个极为敏感的事件,在日本是一个富有争论的事件。

1937年12月,日军侵占南京的东部。中国宣称300,000的居民被屠杀,历史学家认为这一数字有待确认;同时一些日本民族主义者否认屠杀的发生。

这种争端是中国至今仍然谴责日本不能真诚道歉或者正视其战争历史的过去的原因

2014年,中国为南京大屠杀设立国家公祭日,使之成为民族主义的象征。

What is in the book?

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionChina marked the Nanjing massacre anniversary in December

The book, titled "The Real History of Japan: Theoretical Modern History II", is a compilation of Mr Motoya's columns written for the hotel's newsletter.

Mr Motoya casts doubt on historical evidence of the massacre and claims it "was fabricated by the Chinese side and did not actually happen".

In another section, he also denies that Japanese soldiers forced women to become their sex slaves.

The issue of "comfort women" is another sensitive subject in China as well as South Korea, where it currently is thesubject of a row with Japan.

书中写了什么?

这本书的标题是“真实的日本历史:理论近代史 II”,是Motoya先生为酒店内部通讯所写的专栏文章的集结。

Motoya先生无视大屠杀的历史证据,宣称是由中国方面伪造的,实际上并未发生。

另一方面,他同样否认日本军人强迫女人成为性奴。

慰安妇的问题是中国及韩国的另一敏感话题,最近成为与日本争论的主题。

How has China reacted?

China's foreign ministryhas said Mr Motoya's book "once again shows that some forces in Japan are still reluctant to look squarely at history, and even try to deny and distort history".

APA, one of Japan's largest hospitality chains with more than 400 hotels, is popular with Chinese tour groups.

But Chinese and Japanese media reports said that popular Chinese hotel booking portals such as Ctrip have pulled APA's listings from their sites.

目前中国是如何回应的?

中国外交部指出Motoya的书又一次显示日本的一些势力仍然不能正视历史,甚至试图否认,歪曲历史。

APA拥有超过400家旅店,是日本最大的服务链之一,在中国的旅游团体中很受欢迎。

但是中国和日本的媒体报道说中国受欢迎的旅店预定门户网站如携程网已经将APA旗下的旅馆拉黑。

And what did APA say?

The chain saidin a statement that it would not withdraw the book even though it had received "floods of opinions" and enquiries.

The book was a "fact-based true interpretation of modern history", it said.

"Although we acknowledge that historic interpretation and education vary among nations, please clearly understand that the book is not aimed to criticize any specific state or nation."

Mr Motoya told Japanese newspaper Nikkei on Wednesday that he "wrote what I believe is the truth".

The Japanese government has said both countries should look to the future "rather than paying excessive attention to our unfortunate history".

APA的说辞?

连锁店发表声明,即使收到了非常多的建议和问询,也将不会撤回这本书。

并表示,这本书是对现代历史的基于事实的一项正确解读。

“尽管我们认识到各国对历史的理解和教育是不同的,但请理解本书的目的并不是批评任何特定的观点或者国家。”

周三,Motoya先生告诉日本报纸Nikkei,“我写下我认为的事实”

日本政府发言我们应该更多地看向未来“而不是过多地纠结在我们不幸的历史上。”

How did the uproar happen?

It's not clear how long the book has been available in APA hotels, but its existence was highlighted in a video posted on Chinese microblog site Weibo on Sunday by a couple who call themselves KatAndSid.

The couple, an American woman and a Chinese man studying in New York University, said they had noticed the book while staying travelling in Japan and staying in an APA hotel.

这场骚动是怎么发生的?

这本书出现在APA系列旅店里多长时间并不清楚,但是自称为KatAndSid的一对夫妻在中国的新浪微博上发布了一个视频,视频中强调了这本书的存在。

这对夫妻一个是美国女人,一个是中国男人,他们目前一起在纽约大学学习。他们在日本旅行期间入住了一家APA旗下的旅店,注意到了这本书。

Image copyrightWEIBO / KATANDSIDImage captionThe book was highlighted in a video posted by Weibo blogger couple KatAndSid on Sunday

They added they wanted to raise awareness of the book so that guests, including Chinese nationals, would be better informed.

Their video has been shared more than 703,000 times.

他们补充道,他们想要提高人们对这本书的意识,以便于包括中国国民在内的客人更好地了解。

他们的视频被分享超过703000次。

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