A groomsman at a wedding in central China has angered mainland social media by wearing a Japanese military uniform from World War II, invoking painful memories of the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers when it invaded the country.
A video from the wedding procession held on May 7, in Xiangyang, Hubei province, was posted online and showed a man walking on a street in front of a group of other groomsmen while wearing the uniform of an Imperial Japanese Army soldier, The Paper reported.
He also held a fake rifle with a bayonet attached to it and the Japanese national flag hanging from the gun’s barrel.
Meanwhile, the other groomsmen wore make-up and dressed in various costumes, such as Zhu Bajie, a character from the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West.
A community official in the city said groomsmen often wore outlandish outfits as part of a local tradition that encourages lighthearted fun at weddings.
“It is a local folk custom that people want to create a funny and lively atmosphere at the wedding event,” the unnamed official said.
“They rented some cosplay clothes. I don’t think the groomsman intended to wear the Japanese soldier’s uniform to challenge the public’s feelings. But, of course, it’s definitely inappropriate to wear that uniform. He will be reprimanded and we will educate him.”
The video caused public outcry online, with many saying the groomsman was insensitive by ignoring war crimes committed against the Chinese during World War II.
“Even if they wanted to have fun, wearing those clothes was not appropriate. It deeply hurt Chinese people’s feelings and possibly created conflict,” one person said on Douyin.
“I propose to the authorities to legislate and ban anyone wearing Japanese military uniforms, except during performances, and offenders should be punished,” another observer commented.
It was not the first time a Japanese outfit became a source of controversy in mainland China.
In February last year, a Chinese woman wearing a kimono was refused entry to a tourist area in southwestern China by a security guard who denounced her for “forgetting” that Japanese military soldiers had killed many Chinese people when they invaded the country.In August of the same year, a Chinese woman wearing a kimono while cosplaying as a manga character on a Japanese-themed street in eastern Jiangsu province was questioned at a police station over her garment after one officer felt it was offensive.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51ku6bD0minnqegobJur9Slq66qlWTBs7HNnaCnn12Ytaq6wGiYq6yZmLmme5JraWltaGh8q63PmqWeq5VixLC%2By51ksJmiYraqecyio6KskafGbsHNop2oqp1isbC6zZ6bZp%2BipLyuv8yapWacpae2r7OMsJydnJmjtG680aianqujnryvedGuqZqkXZi1qrrAZqqtoaKo