以下は、2001年6月18日の産経新聞の記事を参考にした。
The following is based on an article in the Sankei Shimbun on June 18, 2001.
東京日日新聞などの記事では、野田少尉と向井少尉が戦場で「百人斬り競争」を始め、その途中経過を記者らに逐次伝えたことになっている。
しかし、野田が戦後残した手記によると、二人は1937年秋に無錫で東京日日新聞の記者から「ドウデス無錫カラ南京マデ何人斬レルモノカ競争シテミタラ。記事ノ特種ヲ探シテヰルンデスガ」と持ちかけられ、向井が冗談のつもりで応じると、記者は「百人斬競争ノ武勇伝ガ記事ニ出タラ花嫁サンガ殺到シマスゾ」「記事ハ一切記者ニ任セテ下サイ」と述べた。
2少尉と記者は無錫で別れ、野田少尉によれば、件の記者と再会した時には、既に「百人斬り競争」の記事が日本で話題になっていたという。
Articles in the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun and other newspapers state that Second Lieutenant Noda and Second Lieutenant Mukai began a "100-man slaying contest" on the battlefield, and reported the progress to reporters as it progressed.
However, according to notes left by Noda after the war, in the fall of 1937, the two were approached by a reporter from the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun in Wuxi, who asked, "How about a contest to see how many people you can slay from Wuxi to Nanjing? I'm looking for something special to write an article about." as Mukai jokingly agreed, the reporter "If the heroic tales of the 100-man slaying contest appear in an article, brides will flock to you," and "Leave the article entirely to the reporter."
The two Second Lieutenants and the reporter parted ways in Wuxi, and according to Second Lieutenant Noda, when he reunited with the reporter, the article about the "100-man slaying contest" had already become a hot topic in Japan.
