Rare photos of Japanese invasion go on display for the first time

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime in Changchun, Jilin province, launched a photo exhibition of Japan's invasion of China on Wednesday.

A research team from the museum spent five years compiling and verifying Japan's secret photos of the invasion of China. The exhibition selected 29 historical photos and 19 sets of 30 artifacts, showcasing the core content of "seizure, destruction, and economic plunder".

The exhibition has been divided into two sections — "Devastating War" and "Occupation of My Homeland" — to fully present the destruction and plunder by the Japanese army in China.

The selected photos were all taken by Japanese photographers during the Japanese invasion of China from 1931 to 1945.

The Japanese military strictly controlled wartime publicity. All photos had to undergo multiple layers of scrutiny before being allowed for public release or publication.

The exhibition includes a category of photos stamped with a red mark of "Not Permitted", which are extremely rare in China.

These photos provide detailed records of the specific times, places, and events during Japan's invasion of China, revealing how Japan concealed key information to hide war atrocities, control public opinion, and protect military secrets.

Furthermore, to reflect the historical facts of World War II and in response to the national call to strengthen the protection of war relics, the museum has collaborated with the State Historical Museum of Russia to introduce precious historical photos of China's wartime period, which the Russian museum collected.

These photos are exhibited to the public for the first time.