Tomomi Inada's remarks are outrageous, said the Chinese Defense Ministry in a statement.
Inada said Thursday that she doubted that whether any killing contest took place during the Nanjing Massacre.
Japanese Defense Minister's public denial of the fact was aimed at whitewashing Japan's atrocities and disturbing the post-war order, said Chinese Defense Ministry.
There is no future if Japan denies history, said the Defense Ministry.
The Japanese army occupied Nanjing, then capital of China, in late 1937, and in over 40 days more than 300,000 Chinese were killed.
During that time two Japanese officers, Toshiaki Mukai and Tsuyoshi Noda, had a contest to kill 100 Chinese people using a sword. Mukai beheaded 106 and Noda 105.
The two officers were convicted of atrocities and executed in January 1948.
