Pop Culture Drawn Into Rising Japan–China Tensions (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Why is Japanese manga getting dragged into Japan-China relations? It all started with Pokemon cards. This weekend, a kids' Pokemon card event was set to take place at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's war dead, including war criminals, are honored. Beijing says the shrine glorifies Japan's military past, and when it learned of the Pokemon card event, it denounced the franchise, saying companies must, quote, take social responsibility and not tree history like entertainment. The Pokemon company has since apologized for advertising the event on its official website, though the event was organized by a third party. Now another major Japanese title, Detective Konan, is facing criticism on social media after its collaboration with a separate manga, often seen as anti-China. Its Chinese distributor said in a statement that no offense was intended. Japan-China relations have soured significantly in the last few months, ever since Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takahashi, said a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response. China responded with economic pressure, and now Pokemon and manga are stuck in the crossfire.