4 Comments

1. 

   Angelique Wu

   August 16, 2022 at 12:28 pm

   I don’t think you fairly represented the opinions of the Chinese people, nor did you fairly report the our side’s concerns.
   In my opinion, choosing to wear Japanese traditional clothing is your own freedom.
   The main issue is that the date she chose is far too sensitive.
   Is the date of Japan’s unconditional surrender really the best day to do it? Is she really just unaware of the history? Or is she one of those people who, because she likes Japan’s anime and manga, will make out Japan’s historical crimes as less serious than they are? There’s already a major issue in China where people 崇洋内外 (you claim to be a “Sinologist”, you should know this), and that just piles on more shit to this pile of crap.
   Does she feel no guilt for our compatriots who were brutally killed, the ancestors of our people who suffered so much, and the family members of the victims?
   Many Chinese, especially Chinese people of that police uncle’s age, personally knew victims of the Japanese. If the police uncle had a grandfather who had his entire family murdered and raped by the Japanese, if the police uncle had a grandmother who survived through the Nanjing Massacre as a small child but had her entire family killed and became deaf because a Japanese soldier hit her on the head (real story by the way), don’t you think it’s understandable that he reacted the way he did?
   All Chinese have heard of the terrible stories that happened to their family, and they’ve heard of other ones too. A family of 100+ people, with only 2 small children surviving. An entire generation in Nanjing, basically wiped out. Mass enslavement of Northeasterners, who were literally worked to death like cattle. Horrendous rapes, human experiments, and torture methods.
   Especially since at the time, one of Japan’s goals was to annihilate Chinese cultural identity by murdering, enslaving, and torturing people. They wanted to turn us into Japanese people. Our ancestors used their blood and blood to help us block that knife, and now, disregarding their sacrifice, that girl is willingly wearing Japanese traditional clothing.
   Personally, I would never, but as I said before, I do think it’s her own choice. However, the date is far too sensitive, and the history is still too alive for many people. Just like how a Jewish person who survived the Holocaust would understandably subconsciously tremble when hearing the German language due to trauma, so too do the Chinese have similar reactions towards Japanese things.
   Sure, she can choose to wear Japanese clothing, that’s her freedom; but likewise, she should understand that the repercussions of her actions are also other people’s freedom.
   Just like how people can say and do whatever evil shit they like to others, but they shouldn’t be surprised if they get punched.
   I’ve talked to multiple Chinese people, even those in the 2D community, and they all agreed with me. Liking anime is not an excuse to excuse and forget the murder, torture, and rape of your ancestors and compatriots.

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2. 

   Xyz

   August 16, 2022 at 2:42 pm

   This is shameful. Even behaving like that with a woman just for cosplaying.

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3. 

   Hector Pritt

   August 19, 2022 at 7:03 am

   She was wearing a cosplay from a comic book for crying out loud, not a Japanese military uniform. The terrible history of Japan in China happened pre-WW2. The young generation of today of both countries are not in any way responsible for that event. Your sentiment is borderline racist against the Japanese. Being offended by these little things because they relate to another country that committed atrocities last century and holding grudges is not the path to healing. Unless the woman was purposefully trying to be offensive, which is highly doubtful, that still doesn’t excuse the kind of racist behavior the policeman exhibited towards fashion he didn’t like. If we want to talk about atrocities, there are more recent and current ones committed by the Chinese government.

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4. 

   J Huang

   November 1, 2023 at 4:24 am

   @Angelique Wu “don’t you think it’s understandable he reacted the way he did?” No I think it’s 1) not understandable and 2) extremely unreasonable for him to act the way he did. He’s a police officer, this is blatant abuse of power. He needs to have better self-control or not be a police officer. Do you think anyone else visiting a street famed for it’s Japanese restaurants and culture give a shit? The officer is a petty thuggish bully. “she should understand that the repercussions of her actions are also other people’s freedom” And you are a victim blamer. Is it other people’s freedom to manhandle her and grab her and take her away for detainment because they are offended? If the answer is no, then why is it OK for the police officer to abuse his power to manhandle and detain her because he is offended? She is NOT doing anything ILLEGAL, only morally distasteful. Police must enforce the law, not their personal morals. As persons with the authority of the State invested in him, police must act with highest moral character and strict adherence to law and duty. He is disgraceful and so are you for defending him.

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