The Pokémon Company canceled and removed a listing for a children’s Pokémon card event at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine after backlash from Chinese state media and social media users. The company apologized in Japanese and Chinese, saying the gathering was privately organized and was posted on its site by mistake. Yasukuni honors about 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including convicted war criminals, and remains a sensitive diplomatic issue. The episode comes amid heightened Japan–China tensions following remarks by Japan’s prime minister about potential involvement if China acted against Taiwan.
Pokémon Card Event At Yasukuni Shrine Canceled After China Backlash; Company Apologizes
FILE -People wait in queue before reaching to the front to pray at the main hall at Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 15, 2024, as the country marks the 79th anniversary of its defeat in the World War II. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Pokémon Company has canceled a Pokémon trading-card event that had been listed for the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo and issued an apology after the posting provoked a strong reaction from Chinese state media and social media users.
What Happened
The event — described by the company as a children’s card game privately organized by a certified Pokémon card player — was published on The Pokémon Company’s official website in error. The company said the listing was shared "by mistake because of the lack of our understanding," removed the notice, and formally canceled the gathering.
Why It Sparked Outrage
The Yasukuni Shrine honors roughly 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including some individuals who were convicted as war criminals after World War II. Visits and public activities at the shrine are viewed by many in China and the Koreas as symbols of insufficient remorse for Japan’s wartime actions, making the site politically sensitive.
FILE- In this Sept. 8, 1999 file photo, a selection of Pokemon trading cards are displayed in Scituate, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, file)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“Brands that disregard history and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will ultimately be abandoned by the market,” the People’s Daily wrote on its Weibo account, urging businesses to take social responsibility and not treat historical wounds lightly in the name of entertainment.
Company Response
The Pokémon Company, an affiliate of Japanese game maker Nintendo, apologized in both Japanese and Chinese and said it will be more considerate in the future while citing its motto of "connecting the world with Pokémon." It emphasized the event was privately organized, and reiterated that the online listing had been posted in error and removed.
Broader Context
The incident comes amid growing tensions between Japan and China following remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November suggesting Japan could be drawn in if China used force against Taiwan. Beijing has reacted strongly to those comments with economic and diplomatic measures. Takaichi has been a past visitor to Yasukuni, though she has not visited the shrine since taking office in October.
AP Writer Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report.
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