NO TO KIMONO

A woman posing for photos in a Japanese yukata robe on Suzhou’s Huaihai Street, a Kyoto-themed commercial district, was detained by police for “provoking quarrels,” with videos showing the officer shouting, “Aren’t you Chinese?” before taking her away. The woman tells Beijing Youth Daily that at the station, the officer deleted her photos and took away her garments including shoes and socks, citing them as “tools of crime.”

Some netizens applauded the policeman for his “patriotism,” while others condemned his narrowmindedness and overstepping of legal bounds. In recent months, various artworks and people have faced public condemnation for supposedly lacking patriotism or hurting national integrity. In early August, Beijing’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art closed an exhibition after netizens complained that a painting by artist Li Songsong resembled a portrait of Japanese kamikaze pilots. In June, illustrations in elementary school math textbooks were reported for being sexually suggestive, “uglifying Chinese people,” and containing “stars and stripes” elements resembling the American flag.