A Pair of Panties and BoxersJapan » A Pair of Panties and Boxers

‘Tis The Season: Six Countries & How They Celebrate Christmas

Monica — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:45:47 +0000

Guest post by Lindy Howard

December is the one time of the year when people throughout the world join together to celebrate Christmas. Although it may be referred to in different terms, Christmas is a time for celebration and hopes of ‘peace on earth’. It is a time that many spend with family and friends. All countries have unique, traditional ways of celebrating. Here are six different cultures around the globe and how they spend the festive season:

Hong Kong: Church Services are Prevalent

Hong Kong Church Service by Candlelight. (Source: Nat Chiu)

Hong Kong celebrates Christmas with hundreds of church services complete with choirs and candlelight, conducted in Chinese. There are dozens of other church services held in English for international speakers. The people spend a lot of time decorating their Christmas cards and the cards show the ‘Holy Family’ in a Chinese setting.

Hong Kong Friends at Christmas. (Source: PrincessCCCC)

Most of the homes are decorated with the Nativity scene along with Poinsettias. In many places Lan Khoong, or Dun Che Lao Ren, who we recognise as Santa Claus makes his presence.

Syria: A Unique Christmas Celebration

Old Syrian Church at Christmas Time. (Source: Laura’s Eye)

Many Syrians gather together on December 6 for a special mass is held in churches throughout the country. This is to honour Saint Nicholas Thaumaturgas, a legend who was said to have been a kind and generous man. On Christmas Eve, families gather outside their homes with each person holding a candle. The youngest child reads the Christmas story and then a bonfire is lit. Then, depending on the direction the flames spread, this informs the family about the luck of the house during the coming year. During the burning, psalms are sung. When it nears the end of the flames, everyone leaps over the embers as they make a wish.

Guatemala: A Celebration with Parades and Processions

A Christmas display in Guatamala (Source: Roberto Urrea)

This Central American country offers a number of religious statues which are put in an elaborate parade. Then, at the rear of the procession, there is an image that represents God. However, this white-bearded man also has a resemblance to Santa Claus.
The night before Christmas the festivities end at midnight with a Misa de Gallo – or the Mass of the Rooster. Although the churches and other public places offer manger scenes throughout the season the Christ child is not put on display until Christmas Eve.

All Smiles in Guatemala at Christmas (Source: Roberto Urrea)

Germany: Celebrations throughout December

People begin celebrating Christmas in Germany on December 6. Families spend a lot of time between this date until Christmas Eve baking all kinds of goodies; particularly ginger bread houses and spice cakes along with little dolls made from candy.

The tradition is that the Christ child had a messenger. This messenger brings toys to the children. The messenger appears in the form of an angel.

Christmas Angel at Nürnberg Christkindlemarkt (Source: Geach)

Children write decorated letters to the angel and place them on the window sill. Each home locks one room in the house. This is the special room where the presents are kept until the big day arrives. On Christmas Eve, at midnight, the parents wake their children. They take each child to the locked room. When the door is opened the children find all kinds of presents sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree.

A Christmas tree in Wirtheim, Germany (Source: Lauke)

In Germany, where Christmas trees are really loved, most every house has more than one tree. The family also keeps an advent calendar and the children track how many days remain until Christmas.

India: Christmas is Sacred Yet Joyful

Christmas Gujarati-Style, India (Source: Nat Chiu)

The Christians in India decorate the banana or mango tree. They light small oil burning lamps as Christmas decorations and celebrate in the week preceding advent. They fill their churches with red flowers and some put on nativity plays, often performed by young children, and carols are sung before Santa comes out to give out sweets. In their native language, Father Christmas is called ‘Christmas Thaathaa’ (Tamil) and ‘Christmas Baba’ (Hindi). Family members receive gifts as do the poorer members of society. Most Christian homes in India display a nativity scene in their front window and more remote tribal Christians spend the week carolling in nearby villages to spread the Christmas story

Japan: Christmas Cake and Hotei-osho as Santa Claus

The Japanese decorate their homes and offices with evergreens during the season. They also exchange gifts as part of the celebration. They have a Buddhist deity figure called Hotei-oshi who, I suppose, is the equivalent of Santa Claus. The story is that the gentle old Japanese god takes presents to each house where he leaves them for the children. Like Santa Clause, Hotei-Osho has a large belly and carries around a linen bag (called hotel) which he uses to distribute gifts.

Happy Salesgirls Sell cakes in Southern Osaka, Japan (Source: Jannem)

Although Christmas in Japan adopts many western influences, probably the most traditional Christmas food in Japan is fried chicken and Christmas cake. The Japanese usually go to great lengths to decorate their Christmas cakes, often covering it extravagantly in ornaments, bright colours and textures.

Family Celebrations of Christmas (Source: Isado)

Christmas in Japan is not a day for the family and there is rarely turkey involved. But the Japanese do love any excuse to give each other lots of presents…but don’t we all!

This guest post was contributed by Anytrip.com, which offers Christmas deals including cheap hotels in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mumbai and in over 70 countries worldwide for all those who want to spend Christmas a little differently this year.

Photos From Mid-Autumn Festival 2010

Monica — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:45:00 +0000

Some rights reserved by Michael Cavén

Mid-Autumn Festival happens every year on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Lunar calendar. The popular harvest festivities are celebrated by the Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Koreans. There are so many variations of the story behind this day.

My favorite one is the story about how the Chinese used their cleverness to defeat the Mongol empire. In ancient times, people told time based on their surroundings. The Chinese were able to synchronized their tactics by picking a day when the moon was the biggest and brightest - the 15th day of the 8th month. Because the Mongols did not fancy mooncakes, the Chinese were able to spread the message about a coordinate attack by sending mooncakes with hidden messages inside. They successfully the Mongol empire and established the Ming dynasty.

Check out the photos below for photos of the Mid-Autumn festivals.

Singapore

Photo by CHEN Jinghui (景晖) a.k.a TAN GengHui

For more of Tan’s photos from Singapore, check out his blog, Photojournalist, and his Flickr.

Vietnam

Photo By Adam Bray

Photo by Adam Bray

Photo by Rob Somberville

Korea

Photo by Mireille

China

For more travel stories and photos from Mike, please visit Art of Backpacking and follow him on Twitter @djskylab.

Traveling to Japan: Tips From Global Basecamps Expert

Monica — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:50:05 +0000

Contributed by Jennifer from @GlobalBasecamps

Although Japan is often featured as a bustling country with booming cosmopolitan cities, it also offers vast countrysides, sprawling mountain ranges, gorgeous beaches and quaint towns. Travelers can visit in any season; spring and summer feature warm weather attractions and festivals, while fall and winter offer spectacular foliage, winter sports and hot springs. At least a week is necessary to truly experience popular cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, and just a few more days can allow exploration into areas off the beaten path like Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Western-style food and lodging are available, but to truly experience Japanese culture, visitors can stay in ryokans, or Japanese-style inns. Traveling to Japan is easy, fun and rewarding. Global Basecamps expert Andrés lived there for four years; in this video he shares his expertise to answer your initial questions and help you navigate the country. Want to get started planning your trip? Visit GlobalBasecamps.com.

Temples From Europe To Asia

Monica — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:00:06 +0000

Temples. Temples. Temples. What can I say about temples? I don’t know. Let’s just look at pretty pictures of temples instead.

Pura Luhur, Uluwatu

The silhouette of Pura Luhur sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea. Uluwatu, Bali, right after the sunset

Temple of Debod, Madrid

The illuminated Temple of Debod at dusk in Parque del Oeste, Madrid. This temple was originally built in Egypt around 2nd century BC, and then in 1968 it was donated to Spain and rebuilt in Madrid.

Temple of Poseidon, Greece

The ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounion, Greece. Built around 440 BC.

Dina from Vagabond Quest

Ryan and Dina are a couple of permanent travelers vagabonding around the world. Ryan is a software guy from Canada, and Dina is a chemist from Java, Indonesia. They met in Japan and then lived in Ontario, Canada. In April 2009, they closed their home and since then have been living on the road with their 2 backpacks. They focus on cheap travel and ways to get more travel enjoyment for less cash. In their blog “Vagabond Quest“, they share their stories and recommendations. Follow them on Twitter @VagabondQuest.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

We often see from the other side of the lens and think the photographer was in solitude. Once I shot my sunrise for Angkor Wat I decided to shoot the reality.

Ayngelina

Ayngelina left her job, apartment, boyfriend and friends to travel solo throughout Central and South America. You can read about her adventures at Bacon is Magic, as she eats her way through Central and South America. You can follow her on Twitter @Ayngelina.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The temples and ruins of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat fascinate travelers as a look into the past, but Angkor Wat is still very much a modern sacred site as well. Pictured is a New Year celebration within the temple complex.

Kevin Revolinski

Kevin Revolinski is the author of The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey and the Bangkok expert for NileGuide.com. His website and blog are at The Mad Traveler Online.

My Son, Vietnam

Click on image to read more.

Dave Dean

Dave was born and raised in small town New Zealand providing him with the perfect beginnings for a lifelong travel addiction. After graduating from university with a degree in History and Political Science he packed his meager belongings into a backpack and headed for London. The subsequent years have seen him traveling through thirty-something countries and watching my ‘must see’ list grow larger almost as quickly as I’ve watched my bank balance grow smaller. Check out Dave’s blog, What’s Dave Doing, and follow him on Twitter @driftingkiwi.

Rome, Italy

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, built in the 2nd Century AD, was converted into a church in the Middle Age and is thus a wonderful example of the layers of History.

The Temple of Venus Genetrix was dedicated to the goddess of motherhood and domesticity by Julius Caesar in 46 BC.

Simon Los Roques

Simon is ‘wild about travel’ and as soon as possible she packs a few things and goes. Born in Italy, growing up in a small village in the Swiss mountains and at 18 back to Italy, in Milan, she remained a nature lover. Simon loves adventure travel and wilderness, and she is wild about scuba diving, hiking and skiing. She started blogging for fun, while she was jobless, but soon got passionate and continues writing her ‘Travel tales by a Travel Addict’.

Visit Simon’s blog at Wild About Travel and follow her on Twitter.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor is a location that lends itself to black and white pictures, I think. The contrasts of the landscape to the ruins seem to show up better in that format. Plus, I think it gives a better image of the age of everything.

Pre Rup, Cambodia

Pre Rup, which is one of the oldest of the temples in the main Angkor Wat area. A nightly traditional is climbing those steps to the top and watching sunset from up there. It's wonderfully peaceful.

Michael Hodson

Michael just completed a sixteen month, round-the-world trip without taking a single plane. His blog — One Lap, No Jetlag — is at www.mobilelawyer.blogspot.com and you can Twitter him at @mobilelawyer.

Phenom Penh, Cambodia

Royal Temple

Matt Preston

Matt Preston is an English travel photographer and co-founder of Travel With Mate. He has also created a book entitled “Portraits of Asia.” Matt is currently living in Sydney, Australia before going to Borneo.

Beijing, China

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven

Prayer Cards tied to a bridge at the Confucian Temple

Burning incense and praying at the Lama Temple

Emily Hyndman

Emily Hyndman is a recent college graduate who never leaves home without her camera. A recent trip to Beijing left her with a desire to explore Asia. A big fan of slow travel, Emily hopes to eventually live and work abroad. Until that day comes, she enjoys exploring and living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, starting with her new home in Seattle, WA. You can follow her on Twitter @eehyndman.

New Delhi, India

Baha'i Temple

Lumbini, Nepal

Mayadevi Temple - Birthplace of Buddha

Sravastlup, India

Myanmar Monastery

Aye, Jack & Emma

These pictures were taken during a mother-daughter Buddhist Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in early 2008. Follow this fabulous family of three on their inspiring blog Got Passport: Will Travel. Will Serve and follow them on Twitter @gotpassport as they prepare to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer.

Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a Buddhist temple complex consisting of over 30 beautiful, old buildings that rest on a hillside full of trees and natural springs.

Java, Indonesia

Prambanan temple complex near Jogjakarta on the island of Java, Indonesia. These Hindu temples date from the 9th century and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bali, Indonesia

This temple is known for its spectacular location as it rests on a cliff about 70 meters above the ocean.

Jenna Francisco

Jenna works as a professor in Sacramento, California, but loves to get away whenever she can. She studied and lived abroad and has traveled extensively through Europe. She has a multi-cultural family and spends time every year visiting family either in Brazil or Indonesia, or both. As the mother of a toddler, she is learning new ways to travel and looks forward to sharing her adventures with others. Check out her blog at Adventures of a 21st Century Family.

Jaw-Dropping Sunrises Around The World

Monica — Fri, 07 May 2010 11:00:21 +0000

Today’s Photo Friday Special is inspired by my previous blog post, Sunsets From Around The World. It was such a big hit that I decided to feature sunrises in this edition. I thought I’d be receiving a lot less sunrise submissions than sunset editions. I mean, unless you’re jet-lagged or an insomniac, who gets up at the crack of down to catch the sun rise?

Apparently these dedicated travel bloggers and photographers…

Pamplona, Spain

After a long night in a park chatting with pilgrims, we were rewarded with a beautiful dramatic sunrise.

Camino de Santiago walk in Spain

This photo was also taken in Spain, during the Camino de Santiago walk. I started walking before dawn, and suddenly remembered a photographer should always check behind his back, so I turned around and saw this!

Musandam, Oman

Taken in Musandam, Oman after camping with some friends on the beach. It was a beautiful sunrise before a storm.

Dan Nahabedian

Dan is wandering soul and a traveler, eager to learn from the entire World, and excited to share all the Knowledge and the Beauty captured through his lens. That’s what he’s am all about! Check out his blog Canvas of Light for more jaw dropping photos and follow him on Twitter @Eloren.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

This is a shot from my sailing trip around the Great Barrier Reef. As the sun rose, it gave off the most beautiful golden glow from behind the clouds. It was so surreal watching the sun rise with absolutely nothing else- not even land- in sight.

Over the Pacific Ocean

This was taken somewhere over the Pacific Ocean just before reaching Sydney, Australia. After 20 long hours on a cramped plane, I was greeted by this sunrise and it made all of those hours of discomfort worth it. Soon after, the clouds cleared and my first glimpse of Sydney came into view.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the highlights of my time in Australia was a four day sailing trip around the Great Barrier Reef. One morning, we all woke up early, raised the sails, and sat- feet dangling over the side of the boat- and watched the sunrise as we sailed further out to sea.

Each of the following HDRIs are made out of 5 different photos all taken at different exposures. Then I combine them and I’m able to get a really really wide range of color (hence the name- high dynamic range imaging) that’s impossible to capture in just one photo. It’s actually really simple…the hardest part is keeping the camera still enough to take 5 pictures that are exactly the same (which was next to impossible on a shaky bridge).

East River, New York

This is an HDRI of the sun rising over the East River (which divides Manhattan from Brooklyn). As someone who lives in Manhattan, I find that one of my favorite things to do is take a walk over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn. If you do this early enough, you'll be one of the lucky few to see a dreamlike sunrise over two beautiful skylines.

Williamsburg Bridge, New York

This is another HDRI taken on my morning walk across the Williamsburg Bridge. Living in the 'concrete jungle', I often find myself pining for the serenity and beauty of nature so much so that I tend to overlook the beauty of the man made structures that surround me.

Williamsburg Bridge, New York

Just over the bridge into Williamsburg and a few... umm... depreciated blocks north, there's a small park that, in my opinion, offers some of the most stunning views of New York City. I like to climb out onto the rocks that jut into the East River and take in the Manhattan skyline and this view of the Williamsburg Bridge.

Brianne Hoyt-Stern

Brianne Hoyt-Stern was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives and works in New York City. She specializes in 2D animation and design and has earned her BFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts. She enjoys spending her free time taking photographs, especially HDR images. Although she loves art, her greatest passion is traveling. She tries to combine her two loves by taking much of her inspiration from the traveling she has done and her time spent overseas. Her artwork is a strong reflection of her experiences. Follow Brianne on Twitter @brieee.

Mt. Fuji, Japan

Sunrise from the height of Mount Fuji, Japan, overlooking the clouds over Kawaguchi Lake. Summer 2002.

Dina from Vagabond Quest

Big Bend, Texas

Took this photo Monday morning in Marathon Texas. I got up just as light was coming into the sky to head down to Big Bend. Thought it was great with the Texas silhouettes.

Brian Setzer

Brian left his job in April 2010 and is traveling the Americas on a motorcycle. A trip he first envisioned in 2007 while on a scooter in Laos. Ride along with him to find a out more about these countries and motorcycle travel at BikeandBoots.com or on Twitter @bikeandboots.

Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa

The 5.00am start was made entirely worthwhile when waking up to this picture postcard sunrise in Phinda game reserve, South Africa.

Dave Dean

Palawan, Philippines

This photo was taken on Coco Loco Island, a private island in Palawan, Philippines. When the tide is in, the island takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to circumnavigate. When the tide is out, however, you can walk out almost a mile from the island. It's certainly one of the most unique ways I've greeted the sun in the early morning.

Carrie Kellenberger

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Carrie Kellenberger has kept a home base with her husband in Asia since 2003. A nomad at heart, Carrie’s deep love for travel, photography, and culture have led her on frequent travels over the past seven years. Carrie works for a publishing company in Taipei, but she also finds work as a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. www.myseveralworlds.com

Hocking Hill, Ohio

Sunrise kayak trip; colors start to appear as the sun begins its ascent into the sky. A peace descends.

Hocking Hill, Ohio

The sun appears, and is barely visible as it burns away the mists and causes the world to glow. Alone in my kayak, the world has never looked so beautiful.

Kirsten Alana

Kirsten Alana is a photographer and travel writer currently in the Midwest who is planning a late 2010 move to the East or West coast. She always has a quote ready and waiting to share. She’s an avid Jane Austen fan, adventure & experience junkie, Francophile, passionate fan of Mexico, Apple and Canon geek, New Englander by birth and the daughter of an artist. Kirsten also loves to support charities and her current favorite is “Charity:Water”. You can find her on Twitter @kirsten_al.

Kinabatanga River, Malaysia Borneo

The jungle was slowly waking up. The birds were chirping excitedly while the monkeys had begun their daily forage for fruits and leaves. As we sat in the boat, we witnessed a simply magical moment as the sun lazily lifted its head above the tree-tops, blanketing the jungle with its warm rays and casting a mesmerizing glow across the horizon. Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Keith Jenkins

Keith Jenkins is a thirty-something who lives in Amsterdam and writes about his travels on his Velvet Escape travel blog. In addition to being a travel blogger, Keith offers travel writing services as well as social media consultancy and online marketing services. He is also the co-founder of the Global Bloggers Network, a community that helps individual and corporate bloggers grow and monetize their blogs.

Angor Wat, Cambodia

I woke up at 4am to take this shot of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The sky was spectacular that morning and there's no post processing on this image.

Ayngelina

Omaru, New Zealand

I'm not a morning person, but I made a special attempt for the fascinating and photogenic Moeraki Boulders near Omaru, New Zealand.

Slope Point, New Zealand

A cool night got me up and about early near Slope Point, the southernmost point of New Zealand's South Island. Timing is everything in photography and the grass glowed as I caught the light at the right place and right time this morning.

Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

The Perhentian Islands along the east coast of Malaysia were my first taste of a so-called tropical paradise, and this sunrise was a stunner.

Dustin Main

Dustin Main is the author behind the Skinny Backpacker, a blog that offers the inside source on traveling around the world as a scrawny guy. His current itinerary starts in New Zealand, then Australia, North to SE Asia, west to Nepal, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Europe, then South America, Antarctica, and hopefully some time in Latin America before limping his way home. Have somewhere to suggest? Someone I have to meet? Let him know! You can find him on Twitter @skinnybackpackr.

Homer Tunnel, New Zealand

I was approaching Homer Tunnel, to get to Milford Sound, New Zealand, to go kayaking one morning. Just took it out the window with my point and shoot camera.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Overlooking the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia, Argentina, I woke up too late to catch the bus that morning but was rewarded with this view. It was worth being a day late.

Zanzibar

On the beach on the east side of Zanzibar. The tides were dramatic at this beach, as you can tell from the boat aground. It was so incredibly peaceful. Sunrises are definitely better than sunsets.

Michael Hodson

Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park (Utah, USA)

Sunrise in Monument Valley. One of the most peaceful places to wake up during our trip was in a tent at a primitive campsite in the middle of Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park in Utah. June 2009.

Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park (Utah, USA)

Another sunrise in Monument Valley.

Campo, Colorado (USA)

The beautiful thing about a road trip is that we can stop whenever we feel like it! So we did stop on the side of 287 near Campo, Colorado (population ~150) as the three of us watched the mighty sun rise in all its glory. August 2009.

Aye, Jack & Emma

Follow this fabulous family of three on their inspiring blog Got Passport: Will Travel. Will Serve and follow them on Twitter @gotpassport as they prepare to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer.

Mexico City, Mexico

This is the sunrise from my upper floor Sheraton Centro Historico hotel suite. After a long night out of Tequila and Salsa, I arrived back late and before I closed the curtains and also my eyes, I snapped this photo. So as the day began for the city, my yesterday had just finished. Que Bueno!

Pueblo Bonito Pacifica

At the PB Pacifica my balcony provided a view of the sunrise. To me, that seemed odd, as the resort complex in the back right was part of the PB Sunset. On this stretch of Baja in Los Cabos, Mexico Pueblo Bontino covers both sunrise and sunset.

Bali

In Bali, I actually used the jet lag to wake up early and watch the sunrise. Heck I even took in a few early morning yoga stretches. No I didn't spend my time in Kuta Beach when I watched the sunrise...not sure I'd ever be up that early.

Craig Zabransky

Craig traveled across 40 states and 30 countries both as a global management consultant and with a backpack on a RTW (round the world) adventure. Still traveling, he now shares his my stories on how to enjoy the journey by writing tales of travel and adventure to inspire you to take and make adventure in your life.

Yes, he sat on the Fox and Friends couch and has been interviewed on Sirius Radio twice about following your passion, but he is probably most proud of his recent publishing in the Shanghai Metro (he scored a print job). You can follow him on his blog www.stayadventurous.wordpress.com and tune in every Sunday for a sunset image. For him, the sunrise usually occurs way too early and he believes in the magic of the sunset.

The Rape Of Nanjing

Monica — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:51 +0000

I’ve read Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanjing. Words never felt so real. I’ve also watched the documentary, Nanking. Words can’t translate what my heart felt. I’ve visited The Nanjing Massacre Museum and I walked through it with watery eyes and a crying soul. The museum is dedicated to the 300,000 men, women and children who died at the whim of Japanese soldiers.

The museum’s ambiance reflected the aftermath of The Rape of Nanjing – eerily quiet and lifeless. I could almost feel the 300,000 spiritual beings hovering nearby. There walls upon walls of anecdotes and obituaries of those who were killed and raped and burned and looted and there were stories and faces of those who did the killing and raping and burning and looting.

Iris Chang refers to The Rape of Nanjing as the forgotten Holocaust. In fact, there were many genocides throughout history that can be considered forgotten. But they are not forgotten to the people who lived through it and to the people who’s ancestors suffered. Like any genocide, the Rape of Nanjing was inhumane and barbaric. Chang cited anecdotes from survivors about the pure brutality of the Japanese soldiers. Although her book is only one source of the events that took place, it is not the only source to rely on.

The International Military Tribunal for the Far East estimated that 20,000 women were raped, including infants and the elderly.A large portion of these rapes were systematized in a process where soldiers would search door-to-door for young girls, with many women taken captive and gang raped. The women were often killed immediately after the rape, often through explicit mutilation or by stabbing a bayonet, long stick of bamboo, or other objects into the vagina.

In his diary kept during the aggression to the city and its occupation by the Imperial Japanese Army, the leader of the Safety Zone, John Rabe, wrote many comments about Japanese atrocities. For the 17th December:

“Two Japanese soldiers have climbed over the garden wall and are about to break into our house. When I appear they give the excuse that they saw two Chinese soldiers climb over the wall. When I show them my party badge, they return the same way. In one of the houses in the narrow street behind my garden wall, a woman was raped, and then wounded in the neck with a bayonet. I managed to get an ambulance so we can take her to Kulou Hospital. (…) Last night up to 1,000 women and girls are said to have been raped, about 100 girls at Ginling College Girls alone. You hear nothing but rape. If husbands or brothers intervene, they’re shot. What you hear and see on all sides is the brutality and bestiality of the Japanese soldiers.“

There are also accounts of Japanese troops forcing families to commit acts of incest. Sons were forced to rape their mothers, fathers were forced to rape daughters. One pregnant woman was gang-raped by Japanese soldiers gave birth only a few hours later; although the baby appeared to be physically unharmed (Robert B. Edgerton, Warriors of the Rising Sun). Monks who had declared a life of celibacy were also forced to rape women.

Pregnant women were a target of murder, as they would often be bayoneted in the stomach, sometimes after rape. Tang Junshan, survivor and witness to one of the Japanese army’s systematic mass killings, testified:

“The seventh and last person in the first row was a pregnant woman. The soldier thought he might as well rape her before killing her, so he pulled her out of the group to a spot about ten meters away. As he was trying to rape her, the woman resisted fiercely…The soldier abruptly stabbed her in the belly with a bayonet. She gave a final scream as her intestines spilled out. Then the soldier stabbed the fetus, with its umbilical cord clearly visible, and tossed it aside.” – Visit Wikipedia to read more.

The stories and anecdotes are endless. The Nanjing Massacre Museum displays model scenes that depict some of the transgression of the Japanese soldiers. Surrounding the outside of the museum is a row of carved stone statutes that depicts the lives of the Chinese during the Japanese invasion. At the end of the museum, there is an open pool that reflects a statute of an angel. Under the angel is the word 安平, which means peace in Chinese. Every evening, the museum burns paper and incense to commemorate the dead. By sunset, ashes can be seen floating in the air.