Written by Aleksandrs Gross.
Image credit: kazkaz.official/ Threads.
After the Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi stated that Japan could intervene militarily if China used force against Taiwan, Beijing moved to impose a blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports and advised Chinese tourists to strongly reconsider visiting Japan. Such sanctions are already affecting Japanese department stores, carriers and tourist attractions. Takaichi has refused to retract her comments, and the issue continues to escalate tensions between the two countries.
Rising tensions between China and Japan have seen Taiwan stepping in to offset some of the damage to Japanʼs economy. William Lai, the president of Taiwan, has shared a post of himself having sushi for lunch to encourage Taiwanese to buy more Japanese seafood. Many Taiwanese politicians and businesses likewise are promoting Japanese products.
Such a show of support echoes an earlier incident where Japan gave Taiwan support when facing pressure from China. In 2021, Beijing banned imports of Taiwanese pineapples. Abe Shinzo, the Japanese PM of the time, promoted Taiwanese pineapples on social media; Japan ended up ordering a record number of Taiwanese pineapples.
Other examples of support demonstrating close ties between the two countries include Taiwanʼs significant financial and humanitarian support following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and Tsunami, Japanʼs donation of over a million vaccines and vocal support for Taiwanʼs participation in the WHO during COVID-19, and Japanese parliamentary and official visits to Taiwan, despite Chinese protests. Also notable is how solemnly the former Japanese PM Abe Shinzoʼs death was commemorated in Taiwan – with thousands of Taiwanese attending Japanese representative offices in Taiwan, flags on public institutions raised in half mast, and expressions of solidarity by the Taiwanese president and vice president of the time.
Such high-level support between Taipei and Tokyo easily dominates international headlines but fails to capture how widespread and deep such support is on a grassroots people-to-people level in both countries.
Japanese Clearly Distinguish Taiwanese from Chinese
While Beijing seeks to promote a view of Taiwan as part of China, the majority of the Japanese do not hold such a view. Recent polls reveal that as many as 70% of Japanese see Taiwan as an independent country and support diplomatic relations. Such a sentiment goes beyond recognition: 77% of Japanese report feeling close to Taiwan. Taiwan ranks as the second most popular travel destination for Japanese tourists, only surpassed by South Korea.
The pro-Japan sentiment in Taiwan is even stronger: around 76% of Taiwanese pick Japan as their favourite country, and 86% report feelings of closeness to Japan. For Taiwanese tourists, Japan is the most popular travel destination, and compared with tourists from other countries, Taiwanese tourists are the highest spenders.
While warm feelings between Taiwan and Japan are growing, they are only declining between Japan and China. A stunning 88% of Chinese report negative views towards Japan, with such negative perceptions only increasing. Likewise, according to some surveys, 92% of the Japanese have a bad impression of China.
Tourism patterns and survey responses indicate reciprocal appreciation and how clearly Japanese people distinguish Taiwan from China. The current tensions show that Taiwan-Japan solidarity goes beyond tourism and survey responses.
A Mutual Grassroots Show of Support
To get a sense of how Japanese and especially Taiwanese people are expressing their support for each other, I surveyed some of the most trending posts on Threads – one of the most widely used social media apps in Taiwan.
Unfortunately, threadsʼ algorithms may limit the breadth of the search results by creating an echo-chamber. The statements below, therefore, must be taken with a grain of salt and may be more indicative of pro-Japanese sentiment in Taiwan.
Both Taiwan and Japan have been using design, producing cute characters and posters, to express support for each other. The most popular designer during the recalls, 台派寶寶, also known as Bb, produced little characters depicting Japanese pineapple and Taiwanese sushi diplomacy. These designs feature the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and the current Taiwanese president William Lai.
Pictures 1 & 2: On the left, Japanese PM Abe Shinzo promoting Taiwanese pineapples, Source: bb._.bbin/Threads. On the right, Taiwanese President William Lai is promoting Japanese seafood. Source: bb._.bbin/Threads.
A Taiwanese artist has also produced stickers to put on oneʼs baggage and badges. Some Japanese artists have created online caricatures to express solidarity between Taiwan and Japan. China has also been featured as the mutual opponent of the two countries.
Pictures 3 & 4: Top and bottom, different designs promoting Taiwan-Japan friendship. Source: Lienjianzhu/Threads.
Pictures 5 & 6: Top, two bears representing Taiwan and Japan beating up China. Source: hatto0112/Threads. Bottom, two cute animals holding hands representing the friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Source: artisanstar1212/Threads.
Shortly after Japan-China tensions erupted, a display of Daruma dolls arranged into patterns such as “TW,ˮ “I❤YOU,ˮ and the shape of Taiwanʼs main island appeared at Katsuo-ji Templein Japan. The spontaneous installation was damaged by Chinese tourists, but was later restored.
Picture 7: Daruma dolls arranged in the shape of Taiwan at Katsuo-ji temple in Japan. Source: cwsocool_/Threads
Taiwanese visiting Japan have also reported seeing Japanese people waving the ROC flag to express support. Likewise, Japanese businesses have been putting in extra effort to welcome Taiwanese, by, for example, putting up the ROC flag and promoting Taiwanese independence.
Pictures 8 & 9: Left, an ROC flag displayed at a Japanese fruit store. Source: kay.chang.0301/Threads. Right, a Japanese man waving the ROC flag. Source yuwaywen11/Threads.
Many Japanese and Taiwanese have also taken to threads and other social media to express their support for Taiwanese independence. Several such posts have received tens of thousands of likes.
From Japanese:
Hello to all my friends in Taiwan, Iʼm Japanese. As a Japaneseperson, I am currently standing up against the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and also supporting Taiwan. I admire how many Taiwanese people bravely stand firm against Chinaʼs disregard for others—this is something we should learn from you. If anyone sees my post, please feel free to leave me a message. Thank you for reading my post. Stay strong, Taiwan 🇹🇼(See original here)
I am Japanese.Iʼve believed that since I was little. Taiwan is Taiwan—it is not Chinese territory. Taiwan is Japanʼs best friend, and China is Japanʼs enemy. Thatʼs obvious. Long live Taiwan-Japan friendship. (See original here)
Taiwan doesnʼt belong to anyone else—Taiwan belongs to the people of Taiwan! 🇹🇼We will continue supporting Taiwan in the future as well! (See original here)
From Taiwanese:
(..)At noon, President Lai Ching-te picked up sushi with a smile, standing firmly with Japan — as if responding, “Now itʼs ourturn. Wewill stand by your side.ˮ (..) So now, I will walk through the storm with you, too. Taiwan and Japan are friends who have shared tears and weathered hardships together. (..) Itʼs not a slogan — itʼs a bond that has warmth, a hand that has truly been held. May this friendship… forever stay like the photos — with smiles, with tenderness, together resisting the forces that wish to isolate us. (See original here)
Besides an online show of support, Taiwanese have been putting up an effort to support the Japanese economy by shopping at Japanese grocery stores in Taiwan, frequenting sushi restaurants, and buying more Japanese products in general. Some Taiwanese businesses have also added pro-Japan slogans and designs – Yimei has added the Japanese PMʼs portrait on some chocolates, and Japanese scallops sport the ‘Taiwan-Japan friendshipʼ label (台⽇友好).
Pictures 10 & 11: Top, Yimei chocolate with the Japanese PM on the packaging/ Source: huangjie_official/Threads. Bottom, scallops with a ‘Taiwan-Japan friendship’ sticker at a Japanese supermarket in Taiwan. Source:japanesewife_home/Threads.
Conclusion
If China keeps applying pressure on Japan, such a grassroots show of solidarity between Taiwan and Japan can only be expected to keep growing. The degree to which pro-Taiwan sentiment in Japan is being openly expressed is especially notable, given how averse the Japanese have become to protesting, and how, according to the most recent poll, pro-Taiwanese sentiment has marginally declined – however, this poll was taken before tensions rose between Japan and China; noting the trends above, it is very likely that support has since grown.
Chinese pressure reinforcing Taiwan-Japan solidarity works for Taiwanʼs benefit and puts China in a tricky situation – if it remains silent when Japanese politicians express their support for Taiwan, then it may be perceived as, if not tacitly tolerating, then at least not openly opposing such forms of support. On the other hand, if China voices its opposition, this may further energise the existing grassroots support for Taiwan in Japan and vice versa.
To the degree that pro-Japan and pro-Taiwan sentiment in each country rises in response to Chinese pressure, such a trend signals how protecting shared democratic values in response to increasing authoritarian pressure can trump national interests.
Aleksandrs Gross is a freelance journalist focusing on the grassroots development of Taiwanese identity. He is particularly interested in the development of Taiwanese civic society, especially social movements, and how younger generations of Taiwanese respond to the unique political, identity-related and economic challenges of Taiwan. Find more of his writing on New Bloom and his Substack Identity Island.
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