U.S. fashion retailer Nordstrom has come under fire after a hoodie with a scene of the Nanjing Massacre was placed for sale on its website.

Seen in a similar light to the Nazi Holocaust, the Nanjing Massacre refers to the mass murder and rape by Japanese troops after the Chinese city of Nanjing fell in 1937. The hoodie, ironically named "Happiness", features an image of Japanese soldiers about to behead victims, and a woman in the foreground gazing into the distance.

The hoddie has sold out, with outraged Chinese netizens posting their criticism and disappointment on Nordstrom's Facebook page. Reacting to the backlash, Nordstrom quickly removed the hoodie from its online store and made an apology.

The designer of the hoodie, Andrea Marcaccini, also responded to the outrage and said that the picture is against war and indifference. 

"I was very unhappy about it, this kind of photo is not suitable to be printed and displayed on clothing. You can choose some other photos to show your anti-war ideas, but definitely not this kind, which makes us very uncomfortable."

"They may not know much about China's history. They should be sensitive enough when doing this type of marketing. It could be hurtful to many if it is not well handled. Even from a business perspective, it is not recommended. "

"Advertising should have boundaries. They made use of our painful history as a way of advertising, and this is not acceptable."

"There are many brands that are eager to draw public attention. What they did was simply search and find a picture online and use it without knowing what lies behind the image. I think it was an accident, but still, it cannot be forgiven."