This is one of those stupid responses that Japanese apologists and certain far right-wing groups use to deny the Nanking Massacre. First off, ignoring the entire "Genocide Olympics" argument, while the city proper may have had anywhere from 200,000-250,000 people (as reported by John Rabe, a German (Nazi) industrialist in Nanking) that does not include the immediate surrounding area of Nanking, nor does it include areas that would basically be considered "suburbs." Secondly, this also does not count the massive wave of refugees and Chinese troops that flooded the area in the wake of the Japanese advance. This area could have had anywhere from 650,000 to over a million people.

Regardless, even if only 200,000 people or 100,000 people died instead of 300,000, does that really change the impact of the Rape of Nanking? Is it suddenly okay since less people died? The Imperial Japanese military was fully aware just how badly they had fucked up, as the local commander, General Mitsui, decried the "deplorable acts" committed in the course of the occupation of Nanking, and the Japanese field manual was revised afterwards to include more encouragement to show mercy to those that had surrendered. Even the militarists admitted they fucked up.