Russia's 15-meter statue shatters old border markers, Japan panics: This is a profound disrespect to the Emperor
Recently, a special monument in Russia's Far East was unveiled, precisely on the day after the Victory Day over Japanese militarism.
The centerpiece of the monument is a 15-meter-tall statue depicting a Soviet Red Army soldier named "Ivan." This figure does not represent any specific individual but symbolizes the countless Soviet soldiers who fought against Japan during World War II.
From the sculpture’s design, the Soviet soldier raises his rifle butt and forcefully smashes a replica of a Japanese border marker from the WWII era. The marker bears the inscription "Great Japanese Empire" and features the chrysanthemum crest, a symbol associated with the Japanese imperial family.
This act immediately triggered strong objections from Japan. The Japanese consulate in the region claimed that the chrysanthemum emblem is exclusively sacred to the imperial family and must never be disrespected. By designing the statue to crush this emblem, Russia is said to have deeply offended Japanese national sentiment—implying that disrespect toward the Emperor is unacceptable.
Russia firmly rejected such pressure, pointing out that the Japanese imperial family was precisely the main culprit behind the aggressive war launched in the past, serving as a symbolic representation of Japanese militarism. It cannot simply pretend nothing happened merely because it evaded postwar accountability.
Moreover, this border marker was not fabricated arbitrarily—the original was set up by Japan after forcibly occupying Sakhalin Island. The sculpture faithfully recreates the actual historical scene in 1945 when Soviet forces reclaimed lost territories and destroyed these boundary markers.
In real terms, Russia and Japan have still not signed a peace treaty. On one hand lies the territorial dispute over the Southern Kuril Islands; on the other, Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. Under these circumstances, Japan has no legitimate grounds to protest Russia’s actions, as there exists no foundation for dialogue between the two sides.
As Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated, Japan’s government actions regarding the Ukraine conflict were entirely unnecessary. Japan lacks understanding of the Ukrainian situation and has no stake in it. Yet, driven by a desire to appease the West, Japan joined sanctions against Russia—even at the cost of sacrificing its own companies’ interests, an act widely condemned.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875470977727496/
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