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Japanese residents in Beijing batten down ahead of parade

40 Comments
By Ben Blanchard

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I think it's an utter disgrace that the Japanese people in China feel like they can't -- and likely should not -- go out on a specific day or certain days of the year because they might be harmed. If China wants to flout its successes and wave them over Japan, past and present, then fine, though it's often childish. But there should be no encouragement of violence of any kind, and these people protected (as well as any one else). Let's hope there are no instances of violence, vandalism, etc.

21 ( +26 / -5 )

...people who live along the parade route warned not to even look out their windows on the day...

What? Seriously??

“I’ll be staying home and will be telling my kids to not speak Japanese on taxis or in public,” said Nakamura, a 45-year-old mother of two who has been in Shanghai for nine years.

Jews in Germany in the 1930s comes instantly to mind... no-one should live in fear like this in the 21st century, especially not in the 2nd biggest economy.

23 ( +25 / -2 )

I have some Chinese (naturalized Japanese) friends in Tokyo who tell me that they change to speaking Japanese or don't speak at all when they walk by police officers on the street because they tire of being harassed about their residency status. And these are just normal days.

1 ( +12 / -11 )

President Xi Jinping will be joined on the podium by leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

Looks like the villain parade plus friends is complete!

The parade is not aimed at any particular country, is not aimed at today’s Japan, and is certainly not aimed at the Japanese people

Hypocrisy at it's finest! The parade is not publicly aimed at Japanese but everyone knows that one of its biggest unofficial intents is anti-Japanese propaganda to stir up the fire of patriotism in China.

The sh*t will hit the fan in China when it comes to patriotic fanatism. Let's see how many Japanese company windows CCP underdogs can thrown in this time.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Jingoism raising its ugly head is unwelcome anywhere.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

I often feel nervous during the month of August in Japan. I am not in fear of violence but the odd comment thrown at me is not uncommon and I have had to remind a few folk that I am not actually from the USA. Its to be expected given it is relatively recent and there are still folk alive who remember the dark years of WWII Wanted to see the movie " Nihon no ichiban nagai hi " but bottled out of that for fear of bumping into some nationalists.

I'm sure the Japanese living in China will be ok. The Chinese know that any incidents will reflect negatively on them.

-11 ( +5 / -16 )

Its strange when we talk about our enemies they always ramp up the popuganda.... The Americans however never use popuganda? CNN and much of the mainstream American world news is popuganda....

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

@ TheTiger

Its true, I mean no country, no media outlet, no organization's public relations endeavours are clear of biases, and biased reporting - pieces of information that persuade the reader/viewer to adopt the same opinion as the reporting party - is propaganda.

I mean, people like Bernays (Austrian-American, nephew of Feud) pretty much symbolizes the notion of propaganda (public relations, to use a euphemism), post Goebbles.

Having said that I think the term propaganda is too heavily loaded with negative connotations, sure its more often than not used for "bad things", but I personally feel that the term itself should be left neutral and not automatically associated with notions like "enemy" or "evil".

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I often feel nervous during the month of August in Japan. I am not in fear of violence but the odd comment thrown at me

Sorry, but the odd comment being thrown at you does not compare to physical violence, which is a real concern. And, after 25 years in Japan, I can say that the worst thing August in Japan has thrown at me is some horribly humid weather. I'm sure you will be OK in Japan in August, as long as you don't stay out in the sun too long. I can't guarantee the same for Japanese in Beijing during the upcoming military parade. Neither can you.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Tiger... who are your enemies? Are you at war?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Sorry, but the odd comment being thrown at you does not compare to physical violence, which is a real concern.

Never said it did dude.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

I can't guarantee the same for Japanese in Beijing during the upcoming military parade. Neither can you.

Guarantee, no. But the odds of anything happening are pretty limited. They have a HUGE police presence on the streets when they do these military parades. A police presence like nothing I've ever seen anywhere else, for anything else.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

clueless: "Its to be expected given it is relatively recent and there are still folk alive who remember the dark years of WWII Wanted to see the movie " Nihon no ichiban nagai hi " but bottled out of that for fear of bumping into some nationalists."

Actually, the movie makers and actors have a lot more to fear from the nationalists than any movie-goer does. It's been in the past a HUGE faux pas to depict the emperor on screen without very strict standards, and some people were worried (critical) about how he would be portrayed, and needless to say how Japan is portrayed on the whole. Evidently the director did a good enough job that there haven't been any incidents this time around about death threats to actors, or screen cuttings, etc. But audience members? Nah, not for this movie at any rate.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I do not believe a racial conflict is an issue, the press loves to kick up dirts indeed!

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

The Americans however never use popuganda? CNN and much of the mainstream American world news is popuganda....

wow! Already a couple of thumbs down. Just shows how many can not comprehend that only 6 corporations in the US control 90% of what we read, listen to, or watch.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The city is taking extraordinary measures to ensure nothing goes awry

It really is. I was there last week and was patted down & had to walk through a metal detector just to enter a shopping mall, while just boarding a Beijing-bound train right now requires you to have your bags searched by hand (in addition to the metal detectors and bag scanners which are standard in Chinese train stations), and most of the main historical sites and parks in central Beijing have been closed for last couple of weeks. (I was also on a bus which was stopped and boarded by police who checked everyone's ID, though this wasn't in Beijing so was probably not parade-related - just more evidence of the rather upleasant approach the CCP takes towards its own citizens)

My friends in Beijing are all very happy about the extra day off and the 'parade blue' skies though! (And the air was really good for my visit last week, unlike most of the time when I lived there previously)

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The CCP fans the flames of racism. Lackies hoot and howl.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It's just a parade but it's also a chance for the Chinese government to hype up the propaganda and divert its citizens' attention away from the real problems at home such as its slowing economy and growing discontent among the populace.

No way they'd miss to take advantage of this opportunity.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

So. china inviting Iran, Russia, Sudan, Venezuela?. Same villians as always.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

It's really becoming easy to dislike China.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

yoshitsune:

(I was also on a bus which was stopped and boarded by police who checked everyone's ID, though this wasn't in Beijing so was probably not parade-related - just more evidence of the rather upleasant approach the CCP takes towards its own citizens)

This is less to do with CCP and more to do with taking preventive measures against activities by 'freedom fighters struggling for independence' (or what is called terrorism when it happens in western countries). You do realize how many bombs have gone off and random knife attacks has happened recently?

Anyway, the Japanese living in China shouldn't have to live in fear. Why should they have to endure what the Koreans have had to put up with in Shin-Ōkubo?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Here I am in Hong Kong- many Japanese on the plane over here. Lots of Japanese goods in the shops.really hard to believe hat Japanese really have to fear for their safety?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

President Xi Jinping will be joined on the podium by leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

So Russia is the only one of the few Allied countries that did the actual winning during WWII to send a dignitary to the parade?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Pukey2

should they have to endure what the Koreans have had to put up with in Shin-Ōkubo?

Ha ha. I don't remember tens of billions of yen damage being done in Shin-Ōkubo!

I only remember one school girl mouthing off.

Does one Japanese school girl equals 10,000 of state coordinated Chinese protestors with police support?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Hi Pukey,

This is less to do with CCP and more to do with taking preventive measures against activities by 'freedom fighters struggling for independence' (or what is called terrorism when it happens in western countries). You do realize how many bombs have gone off and random knife attacks has happened recently?

Yes I am aware of the many random attacks in China. The motivation for many - rather, most - of them is the policies of the CCP - and we're not just talking about freedom fighters / terrorists, we're also talking about alienated Han Chinese e.g. disgruntled farmers turfed off their land for factory construction and the like. Just last week a guy killed a young woman with a sword in central Beijing apparently simply because she was with a foreign guy (a Frenchman) - perhaps if the CCP didn't push such a nationalist agenda, that wouldn't have happened. Speculation of course. Regarding the bus I was on, it was in Dongbei (Manchuria) near Dandong on the North Korean border so it may be that they were trying to catch North Korean escapees. Again, this is speculation. But if that was the case, it's deeply unpleasant for China to deport North Korean escapees back to severe punishment in North Korea rather than to actually give a hoot about that inconvenience we call human rights.

Anyway, the Japanese living in China shouldn't have to live in fear. Why should they have to endure what the Koreans have had to put up with in Shin-Ōkubo?

They shouldn't and I didn't say they should, and I don't appreciate the slur. In fact I'm baffled that you even aimed it at me to be honest. I posted earlier over on the 'China's leadership fans antipathy to Japan' thread about how I once almost took a beating from a group of lads in Beijing on the grounds that I was overheard uttering a few words in Japanese; utterly ridiculous behaviour, only somewhat mitigated by the fact they were all kinds of drunk! If they'd go for a white bloke for speaking Japanese, then I can understand why Japanese feel uncomfortable in China and it is deplorable that this is the case.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I've worked with a lot of Japanese people with relatives working in China. Never heard a bad word about the place; they love it.

A bit beside the point, but relevant, I think: last month I asked a Korean student if he could tell me the difference between "garbage" and "trash". Immediate answer : "Japan is garbage, China is trash."

I seriously doubt he's going to make it in the dimplomatic corps.... ; )

0 ( +3 / -3 )

It's President Xi Jinping's another propaganda war against Japan for his own benefit. President Xi Jinping is trying to consolidate his power and centralizing his governing power. China is no friendly nation for Japanese peoples under President Xi Jinping. Japanese Companies and Japanese peoples should leave Communist China. There are other many friendly countries to Japan in Asia.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

And to think that this parade entices some sort of violence against Japanese civilians living in China is nonsense. That would literally ruin the "party".

Let's see how many Japanese company windows CCP underdogs can thrown in this time.

Well, based on recent Japanese exports data, I'm guessing not that much.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Chop Chop, you cannot ignore your next door neighbor that is 1/5 of mankind and culturally linked for thousands of years. They will never go away and is always your neighbor. It is only smart to figure out why there is so much historical grievance between the two sides instead of just demonizing the other side. History can repeat and maybe worse than what he Americans did to Japan if it is not handled properly.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@overchan"Same villains as always".

Villains ? You are duped by silly American propaganda. Neither Venezuela nor Russia bombed Japan by firebombs or nuclear weapon.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I was at the Nanjing memorial just the other day. There's an awful lot of evidence on display, including human skeletons in the mass graves where they were excavated. Even nutters like Ishihara admit that something happened there, even though he claims it was 'only' ten thousand that were killed - still a massacre by any standards

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The communist variant of Chinese nationalism is pretty unbearable but Japan would do well for itself if it just owned up to its atrocities without the whitewashing, backpeddling, undermining, and the like. Look at the comments even in this section and you wonder why this bad blood persists.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

What could happen is an incident in which some Chinese attack Japanese in China which somehow goes out of control. It could happen as the Japanese would be attacked in lieu of the Communist Party. Oh please do not be afraid of the black van nuts in Japan. I think most are too drunk to stand and could not attack anyone.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro."

That's quite a rogue's gallery...birds of a feather like to flock together.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Military parade for peace purpose. Hmm...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I've worked with a lot of Japanese people with relatives working in China. Never heard a bad word about the place; they love it.

Some Japanese love it, some don't. Keep in mind that the typical Japanese salaryman in China is far away from his hectoring boss in Tokyo, makes enough to live like a king and eat daily in the best restaurants, can sleep with beautiful women regularly, may well have a full-time driver, housekeeper and cook. Compared to the daily drudgery of their life in Tokyo, China is paradise.

But there are things that wear on them after a while - the anti-Japanese nationalism being one of them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

where is the Love

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@melonbarmonster

Japan has owned up to, apologized and compensation for the past.

Why do you persist in promote such mislead and hate filled propaganda?

I commented on another post that I saw an almost identical series of comments from you going back as far as 2006. They may go back even further.

Friend, that's 9 years or more of obsessing about the past in such a manner. It's not healthy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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