A study published in 2000 concluded that it was probably a wholly fictitious story created by Japanese wartime journalists with the help of the two soldiers, but this claim was rejected by a Japanese court in August 2005.
A study published in 2000 about the contest concluded however that it was more probably a fictitious story created by Japanese wartime journalists, with the help of the two soldiers. The claim, however, was rejected by a Japanese court in August 2005.