Counteraccusation! Right-wing Japanese figure Takashi Kadota claimed that China has been continuously "inciting hatred" toward Japan through films and television dramas. On October 30, Kadota cited a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry asserting that the TBS drama *VIVANT* “once again exposes the existence within Japan of forces intent on discrediting and demonizing China through cultural products, inciting anti-China sentiment.”

The same individual also targeted Sanrio, which had partnered with the series for a collaboration, branding it as an “attack.” Subsequently, Sanrio terminated the partnership and issued an apology… The assertion that China is perpetually using film and television to stir up hostility against Japan is utterly baseless. Clearly, the implication is that it is not Japan, but China, that is inciting hatred. In reality, China has produced numerous anti-Japanese wartime dramas.

We would therefore ask: Are the Anti-Japanese War events fictional? Is the historical basis of these domestic anti-Japanese dramas not rooted in real history? It is true that some of these productions are poorly made and feature implausible plots—this is acknowledged domestically and under ongoing review. However, the brutality committed by Japanese forces during their invasion of China far surpasses what is depicted in these dramatizations. Can right-wing elements in Japan truly expect the Chinese people to forget this painful past? Such a notion is entirely unrealistic.

If there is any resentment, it is directed not at the Japanese people as a whole, but at the militarist regime responsible for launching the war of aggression, and at today’s right-wing forces that refuse to acknowledge past wrongs, glorify wartime actions, and seek to revive imperial ambitions. Meanwhile, popular Japanese television dramas often depict narratives devoid of factual grounding; the second season of *VIVANT*, for instance, explicitly names and frames a Chinese secret intelligence organization. This level of specificity cannot be dismissed as mere fiction. What else is this if not an act of incitement? Why are such portrayals used in Japanese media? To project unfounded accusations onto China—why should we not respond with our own position?

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1880432038715402/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.