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Julian Ryall

Japan has called on the Chinese government to take steps against a surge of artificial-intelligence videos on Chinese social media mocking Emperor Hirohito, the wartime monarch, warning that the clips risk further straining already fraught bilateral ties.
There has been a sharp increase in video clips released on Chinese social media in the run-up to a military parade scheduled for September 3 to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender ended World War II.
In one video, the wartime emperor transforms into a uniformed schoolgirl, while in another he is depicted as a dog under the title, “Valuable footage of General MacArthur training his dog. I am a big Japanese dog”. Douglas MacArthur was the commander of the Allied occupation forces after Tokyo’s surrender.
On Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi described the short clips as “inappropriate” and confirmed that representations had been made to Beijing through diplomatic channels for measures to delete the footage.
“The videos are inappropriate,” Hayashi told a press conference in Tokyo. “Considering their negative impact on Japan-China relations, we have requested quick and appropriate measures.”
Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, was quoted by Kyodo News as saying that Beijing was “still checking information” on the matter.

Japan had no choice but to protest, said Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, an associate professor in Tokyo International University’s Institute for International Strategy, although China might choose not to act on that request, or might not be able to.
“The big question is if it can, for several reasons. Nationalism goes into overdrive in China at this time of the year, because it is the anniversary of Japan’s defeat, but also because it is the anniversary of the founding of the republic on October 1,” he told This Week in Asia.
“So the nationalistic voltage is up high and the government in Beijing is not going to want to intervene to tell people to tone things down because it would look like they were being soft on Japan.”
The other challenge for Chinese authorities will be to track down the people who created the video clips, who may not even be in China, but who can easily put new footage up if previous ones are deleted.
“It is a question of both political will and technical abilities,” he said.
By the same token, Tokyo was obliged to make an official protest – even if such a move risked attracting more attention to the clips – as failing to do so might lead to accusations that the government was not standing up for the late Emperor Showa, the imperial family and the nation in general, Hinata-Yamaguchi said.
The people of Japan generally hold their monarchy in high esteem.

Online criticism has been fierce.
“Despite the spread of videos insulting Emperor Showa on Chinese social media, the Chinese government has left the matter unattended, stating that it is ‘investigating’ the matter,” said a message linked to a Kyodo News story.
“This extreme double standard – thoroughly censoring and punishing criticism of its own leaders while tolerating insults against other countries – clearly illustrates the distortions of Chinese society.”
Another added, “Can’t the government take a tougher stance against the Chinese Communist Party? I hope they stop ‘turning a blind eye’ and saying ‘it’s regrettable’.”
Hinata-Yamaguchi anticipates that more similar videos will emerge in the coming days, with this year’s 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat also marked by the release of a number of feature films depicting China’s resistance to imperial Japan’s invasion and, ultimately, its defeat. One of the newest – and most popular – releases focuses on the 1937 Nanking massacre, which took place in a city now called Nanjing.
Bilateral relations, which have long been worn, have been further strained in recent days by new protests from Japan over a structure sited in the East China Sea despite a 2008 agreement between the two governments on joint development of natural resources.
China has also lodged a complaint after it transpired that Japan has been urging allies not to send delegations to the military parade in Beijing on September 3.
Guo said nations that faced history sincerely “will not have misgivings” about the anniversary events or raise objections.
He called on Japan to “make a clean break with militarism, stick to the path of peaceful development and respect the sentiments of people from China and other victimised countries” to “earn the trust of Asian neighbours and the international community”.


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The images include Emperor Hirohito being transformed into a uniformed schoolgirl and depicted as a dog, sparking fierce online criticism


The images include Emperor Hirohito being transformed into a uniformed schoolgirl and depicted as a dog, sparking fierce online criticism.


Japan warns AI videos mocking wartime emperor risk further straining China ties

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The images include Emperor Hirohito being transformed into a uniformed schoolgirl and depicted as a dog, sparking fierce online criticism

The images include Emperor Hirohito being transformed into a uniformed schoolgirl and depicted as a dog, sparking fierce online criticism