A former Japanese soldier determined to tell the truth about the war crimes committed by Japanese troops in Nanjing in 1937 Sunday won strong support from a crowd of experts who have researched the tragedy.

Local historians, teachers, legal professionals, and some survivors of the massacre held a symposium Sunday to express support for Azuma Shiro, who published his wartime diary to reveal the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during the slaughter in Nanjing.

However, the Japanese Supreme Court has denied Shiro's appeal in which he sought to acknowledge the history of the invasion of China.

"The astonishing results (of the trial) have taught us that we must never relax our vigilance against Japan's militarism," said Gao Xingzu, an expert on the massacre, in which about 300,000 innocent Chinese were murdered.

The Memorial Hall to Victims of the Nanjing Massacre and a Japan-based committee to support Azuma Shiro will co-publish a three-volume set of the full text of the diary, along with photos and articles denouncing Japanese right-wing activists who attempt to deny the massacre occurred, it was announced at the symposium.

The hall also received some copies of an Osaka newspaper, which covered the massacre from December, 1937, to January, 1938.

The 88-year-old former soldier left Nanjing for Beijing at night to continue his tour of China, his sixth since 1987. He told the symposium audience he will fight against Japan's right-wing forces until he wins.