From the The Committee to Examine Mayor Kawamura’ Takashi’s Statements about the Nanking Massacre:
We believe that we must not let Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura’s statement fall through the cracks, the statement that, “the Nanking Massacre never took place.” As citizens of Nagoya, we believe that we must face up to the facts of the wars and invasions of Asian countries carried out by Japan in the past.
We will hold an emergency gathering of citizens in order to hear about the experiences of people actually involved in the Nanking Massacre, to critically examine the statements of Mayor Kawamura, and to ascertain the true state of affairs in solidarity with many others.
In doing so, we will convey our views to the citizens of Nanking, the sister city with whom exchanges have been discontinued, and promote international friendship and exchange between Nanking and Nagoya.