"The Diary of John Rabe", a Sino-German co-production aimed at entering the cinema circuits of China, Germany, and Japan, has recently revealed that it might abandon the Japanese market. This "Chinese version of Schindler's List" has been comprehensively banned in Japan because it positively represents the historical event of the Nanjing Massacre from an international perspective. Several well-known international distributors in Japan have already refused to screen the film.
In "The Diary of John Rabe," the renowned Japanese actor Teruyuki Kagawa, who plays the war criminal Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, has faced domestic public scrutiny and criticism. In response to the pressure, he stated: "Although this role may lead to much criticism, experiencing such an event with my life is meaningful." Regarding the resistance in Japan, Teruyuki Kagawa expressed: "In Japan, films on the Nanjing theme cannot be released, and the Japanese will not produce such films either. But I hope this movie can alleviate some of the pain for Chinese people. This is something the Japanese cannot prevent."
"We always thought that something we believed did not exist actually happened"
In "The Diary of John Rabe," the atrocities committed by the Japanese army in Nanjing are portrayed for the first time from the perspective of an international witness, making the film a "taboo secret" in the Japanese film industry from the start of its production. Industry insiders revealed that Japan uniformly bans all films related to the "Nanjing" theme. The character Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was Emperor Hirohito's uncle at the time and bore significant responsibility for the Nanjing Massacre but escaped trial due to his royal status after the war. Such a highly sensitive role being played by a top Japanese star like Teruyuki Kagawa has displeased many Japanese right-wing individuals. As early as during the Berlin Film Festival, Teruyuki Kagawa mentioned that the premiere in Berlin would be his last chance to watch the movie on the big screen because "it must be seen, but once back in Japan, it will be impossible to see."
Since "The Diary of John Rabe" has already set release dates in Germany and China (April 2nd and April 28th respectively), Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and other European countries have also scheduled releases within the year. Therefore, entering the Japanese cinema circuit and making the audience face history has become urgent. However, due to the silence or refusal from the Japanese side regarding the film, "The Diary of John Rabe" has had to formally abandon the Japanese market.
Regarding this, Teruyuki Kagawa stated: "The word 'Nanjing' is very special. Phrases like ceasefire and Shanghai are acceptable battle terms, but the Japanese alone cannot accept the term 'Nanjing.' Denying this event (the Nanjing Massacre) is something very hard for the Japanese to accept. Because previously, we always thought that something we believed did not exist actually occurred."
"The Diary of John Rabe must have Japanese actors"
Teruyuki Kagawa, who has starred in Chinese films such as "Warm" and "Devils on the Doorstep," is one of the most familiar Japanese actors to Chinese audiences and is a top-tier star in Japan. Last year, his leading role in "Tokyo Sonata" won numerous awards both domestically and internationally. However, after "The Diary of John Rabe" received widespread international acclaim, critical and opposing voices began to emerge domestically in Japan, with many actors directly asking, "Why did you act in this movie?" In response, Teruyuki Kagawa openly admitted to feeling "extremely pressured." "While watching this movie, you realize that the Japanese really did many brutal things. It is indeed very difficult to accept. Although it's hard to accept, it's still necessary to tell this history to modern people. In this sense, I do have a particular fondness for movies of this genre."
It was revealed that when director Florian Gallenberger selected actors for the role of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, he approached several Japanese stars, but they all directly refused. In the end, only Teruyuki Kagawa accepted the role. "After reading the script, I felt I should play 'The Diary of John Rabe' because its international perspective can make modern audiences reflect. Many people may say that as a Japanese person, how can I portray the Japanese like this? Japanese audiences are very self-centered, but personally, I believe that this role must be played by a Japanese person."