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https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/15/china/china-anime-fan-kimono-police-mic-intl-hnk/index.html>
"Hong Kong (CNN) — A Chinese anime fan says she was detained and interrogated
by police after she wore traditional Japanese dress to pose for photos in the
eastern city of Suzhou, sparking heated debate on China's social media over
what some see as over-the-top nationalism.
Wearing a white kimono decorated with images of red flowers and green leaves,
the young woman said she was waiting in line for a snack on Wednesday evening
in Huaihai street, a lively food strip popular for its Japanese bars and
restaurants, when she and her photographer were suddenly surrounded by police.
The woman, who goes by the handle "Is Shadow Not Self," posted details of the
encounter on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, on Sunday, where a related
hashtag had been viewed more than 90 million times before it was censored on
Monday.
According to her post, police objected to her kimono, which she had paired with
a long blond wig as cosplay of a main character in the Japanese manga series
"Summer Time Rendering."
Wearing a kimono in public in China has become increasingly controversial in
recent years amid a rise in nationalism and anti-Japanese sentiment. Rooted in
Japan's brutal invasion of China during World War II, Chinese public sentiment
against Japan has waxed and waned — often tied to China's domestic politics
and the state of bilateral ties.
But as Chinese nationalism turns more aggressive and intolerant under the
leadership of Xi Jinping, fans of Japanese culture — which had previously been
popular among China's youth — have faced growing criticism and suspicion."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
