Aichi Prefecture, Japan - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Enkoji Temple
2. Various of Daito Satoshi seeing pictures, historical materials
3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Daito Satoshi, abbot, Enkoji Temple:
"My high school teacher taught us 'mass grave' committed by Japanese soldiers in China from the time of World War II. Upon learning this, I wondered—could such things be real? That question haunted me. Since I loved history, I began investigating."
4. Albums, historical materials
5. Various of Daito using computer
6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Daito Satoshi, abbot, Enkoji Temple:
"In 1985, I stayed in northeast China for a month. I didn't speak Chinese, yet I saw 'mass grave' and visited the Exhibition Hall of Crime Evidence of Japanese Army Unit 731. Decades later, witnessing piles of skeletons firsthand struck me far deeper than written accounts ever could."
7. Various of Daito presenting pictures, materials
8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Daito Satoshi, abbot, Enkoji Temple:
"One evidence was a private album of a Japanese pilot containing photos of Chinese soldiers' bodies in Nanjing. As I said, seeing these brought agony. Over 10 such photos are now preserved at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. These must never be forgotten."
9. Daito presenting pictures, written materials
10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Daito Satoshi, abbot, Enkoji Temple:
"These materials need to be saved forever. The memory of the Nanjing Massacre belongs not only to China and Japan but to the world, for the sake of our future."

FILE: Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, east China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Exterior of Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders
12. Various of "mass grave" inside memorial hall, visitors
13. Various of visitors in memorial hall; exhibits

Daito Satoshi, abbot of Japan's Enkoji Temple in Japan, has been collecting and donating historical materials of the Nanjing Massacre for nearly two decades, stating that historical records are crucial to uncovering the truth and represent a first step toward peace.

Daito was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1965 and graduated from the History Department, Faculty of Letters of Nara University.

Recently, he plans to donate the historical materials he collected across Japan to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

The reason of his mission can trace back to a history class he had during his high school years.

"My high school teacher told us of the 'mass grave' committed by Japanese soldiers in China from the time of World War II. Upon learning this, I wondered—could such things be real? That question haunted me. Since I loved history, I began investigating," said Daito.

After learning more of the history of wars of aggression launched by Japanese militarists, Daito decided to visit China.

In 1985, He went to northeast China for a one-month investigation at the age of 20, during which he was shocked by the crimes of the Japanese troops and the misleading stories he has been told.

"In 1985, I stayed in northeast China for a month. I didn't speak Chinese, yet I saw 'mass grave' and visited the Exhibition Hall of Crime Evidence of Japanese Army Unit 731. Decades later, witnessing piles of skeletons firsthand struck me far deeper than written accounts ever could," said Daito.

Thereafter, Daito frequently traveled to China for peace initiatives. In 2005, he began collecting evidence of the Nanjing Massacre for the memorial hall. Twenty years on, he recalls the shame and anger he felt upon discovering these historical materials.

"One evidence was a private album of a Japanese pilot containing photos of Chinese soldiers' bodies in Nanjing. As I said, seeing these brought agony. Over 10 such photos are now preserved at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. These must never be forgotten," said Daito.

Over 20 years, Daito has donated over 4,600 historical materials to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

"These materials need to be saved forever. The memory of the Nanjing Massacre belongs not only to China and Japan but to the world, for the sake of our future," said Daito.

The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the city on Dec. 13, 1937. In six weeks, they killed more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.