In October 2015, the Nanjing Massacre archives were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. This article interprets the significance of that inscription for preserving wartime evidence and countering denial.
I. The inscription: In October 2015, UNESCO inscribed the Archives of the Nanjing Massacre submitted by China on the Memory of the World Register. The archives include original documents, photographs, and newspapers formed during the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, as well as testimonies of victims and witnesses. (Sources: UNESCO public information; State Council Information Office 2015-10)
II. From archives to memory: The effort to nominate "comfort women" archives to the Memory of the World Register echoes the Nanjing Massacre inscription. Together, these archival initiatives constitute a continuing attempt at archival-level historical testimony, ensuring that wartime evidence is preserved for future generations.
(Sources: UNESCO; State Council Information Office 2015-10. Data date: 2015-10.)