Nordstrom hoodie showing massacre scene of Japanese killing Chinese in WWII spurs outrage

Nordstrom Rack, a subsidiary of the American retailer giant Nordstrom, drew criticisms and anger after selling a hoodie showing Japanese soldiers killing Chinese people during the Nanjing Massacre in World War Two.

The Andrea Hoodie, produced by the Happiness clothing company, prompted huge outrage online and was removed from sale later.

Writing on Nordstrom’s Facebook page, many customers called for a boycott of the chain and the brand, while others called the hoodie “horrifying.”

Chinese netizens were particularly furious after seeing the product put on sale on the Internet. One netizen said, “Can you explain this? A picture of Nanjing Massacre on the back?” 

Floods of angry comments followed.“When did Nordstrom hire a Nazi designer?” One netizen commented.“As a Chinese, I feel deeply insulted by Norstrom and the designer. Please share and boycott Nordstrom for selling such an outrageous design based on the Rape of Nanjing,” another netizen complained.

The Nanjing Massacre was an episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Japanese invaders against the residents of Nanjing in December 1937. Over 300,000 Chinese people were killed in the Massacre.

The hoodie design shows a scene taken from the film City of Life and Death, which told the story of the massacre. The eyes of the soldiers and civilians are scrawled out in red. Superimposed on top is an image of a woman on a bench, looking away, and at the top, in scratchy red writing, are the words “Why indifference?”