Responses to Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in December were pretty predictable: rage from China and Korea, support from Japanese ultra-nationalists, concern from the United States and curiosity from the rest of the world. There is one reaction you probably wouldn’t have guessed though.
Lui Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom recently wrote an article for The Telegraph where he decided to show off his appreciation for J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter series by describing Japan as the evil wizard Voldemort and Yasukuni Shrine as Voldemorts’ dark weapon, the horcrux. According to him, “if militarism is like the haunting Voldemort of Japan, the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is a kind of horcrux, representing the darkest parts of that nation’s soul” (from The Telegraph).
Though Lui’s opinions made the rounds of the English media a few days ago, the story has just broken in Japan. A translation of The Telegraph’s commentary of Lui’s interview was posted on Xinhua Japan and found its way to 2ch.net a few hours later. Here’s what Japanese netizens have to say….
Comments from 2ch.net:
名無しさん:
Major lols at the maniac comparison
名無しさん:
Is he looking at a mirror?
名無しさん:
Does he think he is saying something clever?
名無しさん:
From now, please don’t call us Japan, call us “you-know-where”
名無しさん:
He’s pretty hard to understand www
Is he just trying to avoid making a historic criticism people will have trouble understanding? w
名無しさん:
If that’s so, then
Harry = Jinping
Ron = Jong-un
Hermione = Park
MEGALOLS
名無しさん:
Ooo isn’t he the strongest character? w
And is he REALLY trying to say that China is Harry?
名無しさん:
Yeah he’s like the last boss [in a video game] with incredible power w
名無しさん:
Why is he not ashamed? [Beth: not sure….]
名無しさん:
Is Japan an obedient country like a hamster?
名無しさん:
China just really needs to die.
I was so angry when I saw this.
名無しさん:
The only thing to say is “so childish”
名無しさん:
Compare this to North Korea and I just can’t stop laughing (lol) Try harder!
名無しさん:
Is it okay for someone as high-ranking as an ambassador to say something like this?
名無しさん:
So why are you burning to use your aircraft carriers?
Try and say something cleverer next time!
名無しさん:
Does all the Chinese ambassador’s crying about in Britain actually make Japan a horrible country?
This is Park Geun Hye-style tattletale diplomacy w
名無しさん:
I’ve never seen Harry Potter so I can’t understand his comparison
名無しさん:
Aren’t those guys who says stuff like that more violent?
It’s weird that the people being told this should have to make themselves smaller and obedient.
名無しさん:
That’s because China used to a British puppet state www
[N.B. Britain had a number of enclaves in China before WWII]
名無しさん:
China’s the one doing tattletale diplomacy now
名無しさん:
China’s regression knows no bounds
名無しさん:
China: “I’m Harry Potter”
忍法帖【Lv=27,xxxPT】さん:
The ambassador to Britain eh?
It’s just like China to try an earn [international praise] while completely ignoring Tibet w
名無しさん:
[to忍法帖] You’re wrong. w This is a Chinese person who forgot the Opium War and is tattletaling to Britain.
名無しさん:
Isn’t that Putin
What? Someone came.
名無しさん:
From Tibet’s point of view, Xi Jinping himself is Voldemort
No one can mention his name…
This is a real joke.
名無しさん:
If it’s Voldemort you’re talking about, don’t worry dear Mr. China, Japan is not that strong.
名無しさん:
Does Japan really give off such a terrifying impression?
名無しさん:
Well it seems at least people call [Japan’s] name quite a lot.
名無しさん:
Well that’s an overstatement.
This is a story which will end in us telling the People’s Republic of China “you said it”.
