On April 26, 1947, Hisao Tani, the principal perpetrator of the Nanjing Massacre, was executed by firing squad in Nanjing. That day, the citizens of Nanjing were filled with indignation, and the area around the execution site was packed with people, many of whom witnessed the final moments of this butcher with their own eyes.

"Confess and Atone to the People of Nanjing"

On that day, the truck driver, Tang Zeqi, drove Hisao Tani to the execution site. Tang Zeqi later recalled: "On the day of the execution, military police escorted Hisao Tani onto the open-top truck I was driving, heading to the execution site. The route was lined with a massive crowd. The execution site was a small hollow on a hillside. He was not tied up, nor were there any signposts. He was escorted off the truck by two military police on either side. Hisao Tani was positioned facing the northern slope toward the urban area of Nanjing. I surmise that this was meant as an act of atonement to the people of Nanjing. The execution was carried out with a handgun, a single shot to the back of the head. After the shot was fired, the crowd erupted in cheers, shouting, 'Revenge! Revenge!'"

Tang Zeqi is in the upper right corner of the photo.

The Ruthless Killer Went Limp, Killed with One Shot

Veteran Zhang Tao (original name: Zhang Chengyuan) was one of the military police who escorted Hisao Tani to the execution site. During the 60th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he recalled the events of escorting Hisao Tani to the execution to a reporter from his hometown newspaper, the Guangzhou Daily: "The entire hillside was packed with people who had come to witness the execution, denouncing this devil who was about to meet his end. As soon as the vehicle stopped, another military policeman and I dragged Hisao Tani off the truck. He was so terrified that his whole body had gone limp, and he couldn't stand on his own, so we had to support him on either side to keep him upright. When Hisao Tani was executed, he was neither tied up nor had any sign posted on him. Squad Leader Hong raised his Mauser pistol behind Hisao Tani and fired a shot into the back of his head. The bullet entered diagonally through the top of his skull. It exited through his mouth, knocking out two of his front teeth. He died on the spot. My companion and I laid Hisao Tani on the ground with his face up. At that moment, the crowd on the hillside erupted in cheers and applause. Even so, it felt as though we had been too lenient with him by shooting him in this manner."

The war criminal Hisao Tani is being escorted to the execution ground, with the military police officer on the left being Zhang Tao.

Hisao Tani, with his legs weakened, is being carried to the execution ground.

It Was a Relief for the Common People

Nanjing Massacre survivor Yu Changxiang witnessed the execution of Hisao Tani in Nanjing. According to his recollection before he passed away: "He was shot near the top of a slope. The car was moving very slowly at that time, and we ran behind it to watch. After Hisao Tani was executed, the people of Nanjing cheered, saying, 'Even the Japanese have this day,' and it felt like a weight had been lifted off the common folks' hearts. There were so many people watching that day, running after the car. The streets were full of life. After Hisao Tani was killed, the local constables, who were in charge of collecting bodies, tied his legs and arms, put him on a bamboo pole, and carried him away to be buried. The local people had already dug a pit in advance; that area used to be vegetable fields."

In 2012, Yu Changxiang went to Nagasaki, Japan, to tell the local people about his family's tragic experience during the Nanjing Massacre.

Nanjing Massacre survivor Pu Yeliang also went to witness the execution of Hisao Tani that day. According to his recollection before he passed away: "That Japanese man looked quite old when he was brought up. A crowd had formed a circle around him. Before he had barely taken a few steps or entered the square, someone from behind shot him dead, and then they dragged him away."

Pu Yeliang

The cruel executioner received his just punishment. Looking back at history, it is essential to confront it and preserve the memories that must never be forgotten.