A Japanese woman who was in Manchuria during the Sino-Japanese War recounted what the Japanese did to Chinese civilians, whom they called " bandits".
During my childhood in the former Manchukuo*, there were many expeditions against bandits. The military would capture several prisoners and execute them in front of a firing squad. Others were beheaded. I went with several friends to the execution spot to watch.
"The severed heads are out in the open," someone said. We ran to see them. Some of the faces had lips clenched in resentment. Nearby a large crowd of Chinese had gathered to see the heads. I wonder what they felt. I was quite inured to such brutality.
日本一個婦人記述中日戰爭期間日本人怎樣對待他們稱為「賊寇」的中國平民。她當時身在中國東北。
我小時住在當年的滿洲國*。軍方經常出剿賊寇，每次俘虜到幾個人，就由行刑隊槍斃，或用刀斬首。我和幾個朋友走到刑場觀看。
有人說：「斬下的頭顱現在公開展覽了。」我們跑過去看。一些人頭嘴唇緊咬，一臉恨意。附近有一大群中國人在觀看。我不知道他們有甚麼感想。我對那樣殘暴的行為則已司空慣見。
*一九三一年九月，日本關東軍發動九一八事變，攻佔中國東北三省，次年成立傀儡組織「滿洲國」。