A Pokemon card game event scheduled to take place at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine has been cancelled following backlash from China. The Pokemon Company apologised for promoting the event on its website, acknowledging it 'should not have been held'.
Yasukuni Shrine honours Japan's 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals. It is viewed by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism and lack of remorse for wartime atrocities. The planned event drew sharp criticism from Chinese state media, with the People's Daily warning that brands disregarding history would be 'abandoned by the market'.
The Pokemon Company, a subsidiary of Nintendo, issued a bilingual apology in Japanese and Chinese. It stated that the event was privately organised by a certified Pokemon card player for children, but its notice was posted on the official site 'by mistake because of the lack of our understanding'. The company pledged to be more considerate, citing its motto of 'connecting the world with Pokemon'.
The cancellation comes amid heightened tensions between Japan and China. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a former regular visitor to Yasukuni, recently suggested Japan could become involved if China takes military action against Taiwan. Beijing has responded with economic and diplomatic measures.
