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Authors:
Yuwu Song, Chinese Reference Specialist, Asian Division
Cameron Penwell, Japanese Reference Specialist, Asian Division
Created: February 28, 2023
Last Updated: March 8, 2023
This guide provides an overview of materials related to the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 in different languages and formats held across several reading rooms at the Library of Congress. There is a particular focus on books, newspapers, periodicals, and special collections from the Chinese collection and Japanese collection that are accessible in the Asian Reading Room. Other relevant materials are located in the Library's over 20 reading rooms and research centers that provide space and guidance for users to interact with additional items based on subject (e.g., law) or format (e.g., maps, photographs, motion pictures). For specific questions or assistance using the Library's resources, use the Ask a Librarian service to contact a reference librarian.
The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) was one of the most destructive conflicts of World War II. It began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7, 1937, and ended with Japan's surrender on September 2, 1945. This war marked the culmination of growing Japanese aggression toward China since an earlier Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). With half of China ruined, 20 million Chinese (military and non-military) dead, and 480,000 Japanese soldiers killed on Chinese soil, the eight-year conflict was one of the bloodiest in world history.
In addition to this guide, interested readers can learn more about specific materials related to the war on the Library's 4 Corners of the World Blog:
The Asian Reading Room provides public access to more than 4 million items in approximately 200 languages and dialects from across Asia, including Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai, Tibetan, Urdu, Vietnamese, and many others. In the reading room, researchers can use the Asian Division’s collections of printed materials, microform, and databases and confer with reference librarians to answer research questions about the countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia.