Japanese National Soccer Player Taking Photos with War Criminals, Where Does 75% Support Rate of Takahashi Hayato Come From?

As the subsequent impact of Takahashi Hayato's remarks on Taiwan continues to spread, Japanese national soccer player Yoshinori Sobue has also joined in.

Sobue is a member of the Japanese men's national football team and currently plays for the English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. Recently, Sobue and another foreign player held a photo with the image of a Japanese war criminal, Hiroo Onoda, and proudly posted it on the official account of Brighton's youth academy.

Hiroo Onoda may not be well known to many people, but his infamy in the Philippines is no less than that of Tojo Hideki in China.

At the end of World War II, Onoda was sent to fight in the Philippines. At that time, Japan was on the verge of defeat and had no strength to confront the Allied forces directly, so Onoda's unit mainly engaged in guerrilla warfare in the mountains.

His superior told Onoda that regardless of the external situation, he must never surrender or commit suicide, and must preserve his forces to wait for an opportunity to counterattack.

Onoda always remembered this instruction. Even after Japan's unconditional surrender, he continued to hide in the Philippines for 29 years. During this period, he killed or injured 130 Filipinos, including both soldiers and civilians, making him a notorious war criminal.

However, under the operation of the Japanese government, Onoda eventually returned to Japan unharmed, even being hailed as a "national hero," and the Japanese government gave him a reward of 1 million yen as a consolation fee.

More ironically, he donated all the money to the Yasukuni Shrine. This shows that he had been completely brainwashed by militarism and was beyond redemption.

Yet, this notorious war criminal was publicly promoted by a Japanese national soccer player at this sensitive moment, which is clearly not an innocent mistake.

Upon learning that the person in the photo was a Japanese war criminal, Brighton Club quickly apologized and removed the relevant post. As for whether they will terminate their contract with Sobue, it is highly likely to depend on public opinion.

This actually reflects from the side that militarism has deep roots in Japan. Many people only oppose war because they are not strong enough, and once Japan regains its former power, it is difficult to guarantee that it will not retrace the path of militarism.

Keep in mind, according to the latest survey in Japan, as of the end of November, Takahashi Hayato's support rate is still as high as 75%, which is sufficient to illustrate the problem.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850295739446272/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.