‘History war’: Japan’s far-right slams Chinese and South Korean films ahead of WWII event

As Asia-Pacific prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, conservatives in Japan warn that the nation faces a “history war” in 2025 as regional rivals release films and television dramas that highlight the heroism of their citizens and the brutality of Japanese military rulers.

They claim that films such as 731, which was first screened in China last year and is due for worldwide release this summer, and Harbin, which is a box office hit in South Korea, are revisionist propaganda designed to encourage animosity towards Japan.

“It was obvious that some nations would use the anniversary of the end of the war to promote their interpretations of history, and we know that films have the power to be very influential,” said Yoichi Shimada, a former academic who won a seat in the October general election for the far-right Conservative Party.

“That is even more pronounced among younger generations and in countries where generations of people have grown up watching similar films, have been taught the same things in school and hear an anti-Japanese message every day from their state-run media,” he told This Week in Asia.

“We only have to look back at how the Soviet Union tried to control Hollywood in the 1950s to communicate its message and influence public opinion in the US,” he said.

“This kind of ‘cultural war’ has always been a tool for fascist countries to try to influence the minds of people in the free world, so it is no surprise to see this happening again now.”