After State Media Spotlight: Tomokazu Harimoto and Kaoru Mitoma Face Public Backlash—Remember National Humiliation, Strengthen Ourselves

An article published by Study Times (Xuexi Shibao) has sparked widespread discussion after it explicitly criticized Japanese table tennis player Tomokazu Harimoto and Japan national team footballer Kaoru Mitoma. With a media outlet of this stature weighing in, many observers argue that the two athletes’ public image in China has taken a serious hit.

It’s important to understand that Study Times is not an ordinary newspaper. It is sponsored by the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China and is primarily aimed at officials at various levels and the broader community of intellectuals. Its positioning in the public-opinion ecosystem means its articles often serve as reference material—helping provide a unified framework of understanding and an argumentative structure for cadres and readers concerned with policy and ideology.

The article argues that Japan’s far-right forces have been leveraging the mass appeal and emotional bonds created through sports and cultural activities to embed political intentions into everyday life. Whether through athletes’ conduct on and off the field, or through symbolic “placements” in anime and video games, the common thread, it says, is an effort to obscure the brutality and aggressive nature of militarist history—repackaging it into cultural symbols that can be consumed, admired, or even romanticized through nostalgia.

According to the piece, this approach is designed to bypass rational historical critique and instead appeal directly to the public—especially young people—by targeting emotional identification and group belonging. In doing so, it warns, distorted historical narratives can seep into social consciousness under the guise of being “non-political.”

The article further describes a gradual, step-by-step communication strategy that expands from domestic messaging to the international arena. On the global stage, it says, neutral platforms such as sports and cultural exchanges are used to incrementally introduce certain symbols and narratives, testing the limits of international reaction. The ultimate aim, the article contends, is to export domestically manufactured historical distortions into broader international discourse—seeking, in effect, to “redefine” the history of aggression and pursue a de facto revision of established facts.

A key focus of this strategy, the article states, is the youth demographic. By targeting teenagers and young adults—the groups most frequently exposed to sports idols, anime, and games—it seeks to shape intergenerational cognition. Through formats young audiences enjoy, it claims, embellished and fictionalized versions of history can be planted, ultimately disrupting the transmission of truthful historical memory across generations.

In the article’s view, the deeper risk is long-term: cultivating a social foundation in which a new generation lacks the critical capacity to evaluate militarist history—or even develops favorable feelings toward it—thereby laying ideological groundwork for the revival of extreme nationalism over time.

Against this backdrop, the commentary concludes that once a highly authoritative central-level outlet has taken a clear stance, Harimoto and Mitoma’s reputation among Chinese audiences could face lasting consequences. The closing message emphasizes a firm posture on historical memory and national dignity—calling for vigilance, self-strengthening, and the view that national interests and dignity must remain paramount.