Pokémon card event at controversial Japanese war dead shrine canceled after Chinese protests

Pokemon card game event planned for Saturday at a controversial shrine Japan‘s Battle Dead has been cancelled, with The Pokemon Company apologizing after facing backlash for posting event notices on its website Chinaas tensions between the two sides escalate.

Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan’s 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals. target country Japanese Invaders, especially China and North Korea, view visits to the Yasukuni Shrine as evidence of Japan’s lack of remorse for its wartime history.

The event prompted a strong reaction from Chinese state media, with editorials citing angry comments popular on social media. China’s social media environment is highly censored, and the government plays a large role in what topics are allowed to trend.

“Brands that ignore history and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will eventually be abandoned by the market,” the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party, said on its Weibo. “Relevant companies must shoulder their social responsibilities accordingly and cannot underestimate the weight of history in the name of entertainment.”

The Pokemon Company, a subsidiary of the Japanese game maker Nintendoissued an apology in Japanese and Chinese, saying that the event was privately planned by certified children’s Pokemon Solitaire players, but that its information had been shared on the company’s official website.

“This was an event that should never have taken place in the first place,” the company said, adding that the notice was posted on its website “in error due to our lack of understanding.” The event has been canceled and its information has been removed from the website, the statement said.

With the motto “Connecting the World with Pokemon,” the company promises to think about everyone.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a speech last November that Japan may intervene if China takes military action against the self-governing island of Taiwan, causing Japan to face an escalation in tensions with China. Beijing Claim it as your own. An angry China retaliated economically and diplomatically.

Takaichi used to be a frequent visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine, but she has not visited the shrine since taking office last October.

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Associated Press writer Wu Huizhong in Bangkok contributed to this report.