Love and hate for Japan (China)

Anyone who is following China knows about the love-hate relationship between China and Japan. An interesting story from Chengdu.

The Japanese superstore Ito-Yokado was opening a branch in Chengdu. By coincidence, it was September, the month in 1931 when Japan attacked China. Most people did not notice it. But the competition — a local superstore in a bid to dampen the sales at Ito-Yokado went around the town putting up posters featuring Japanese wartime atrocities. The poster urged people to protest outside the store.

On the appointed day, a small group gathered outside the Ito-Yokado store shouting slogans. People passing by joined the protest. After a short while the group dispersed. Some protesters forgot their anti-Japan feeling and went shopping at Ito-Yokado.

Ito-Yokado, to counter the protest, had announced a tempting discount sale.

Couple of years back, I met a young student on a train in Hunan. She was studying in Japan and heading back hometown for a break. She was very vocal about her dislike for Japan, which I found interesting, given that I always believed that once you have had first hand experience of people or culture you will be more willing to let the past go. Later as we conversed more, I felt it was more because of certain encounters she had with certain people.  She did have a drink bottle which was endorsed by a Japanese pop star. When I pointed that out, she laughed and said “Of course, I love Ayumi”.

In the same train an older gent was more circumspect. He felt that as the girl grows older she will understand that people are people and there are good and bad people everywhere. This is also something interesting to me that many older Chinese who may have more immediate recollection of the wartime (same generation, or have heard about the time from their parents) are more forgiving of Japan.