Japanese manga vulgarly depicting Chinggis Khaan causes stir

The Mongolian Embassy in Japan lodged an official diplomatic complaint with Japan on February 23 in connection to a comic book drawing of Chinggis Khaan depicting a male genitalia on his forehead published on a children’s comic book.

CoroCoro Comic, a Japanese children’s monthly comic book, published an issue on February 15 that featured a photo of Chinggis Khaan with a crudely drawn male genitalia on his forehead. The picture caused an immediate flood of outrage on social media with many Mongolians expressing their discontentment with the depiction of the founder and father of the Mongol Empire.

This eventually led to the Mongolian Embassy in Japan to lodge a formal diplomatic complaint with the Japanese Foreign Ministry in regards to the comic. The embassy said that the cartoon “lacks respect for the Mongolian people.”

Yasuyuki Sagami, the director of the Comic Department, and Editor-in-Chief Makoto Wada of Shogakukan Inc, the publisher of the comic, sent an apology let- ter to the Mongolian Embassy on Friday.

“On behalf of Shogakukan Inc., we extend our sincerest apologies for the use of inappropriate expressions concerning Genghis Khan in the comic. We recognize that the expression regarding the founder of the Mongol Empire were disrespectful and offensive to the people of Mongolia and all who love and respect the Great Khan,” the letter read.

The letter added that the company was grateful that the issue was brought to their attention and asked for forgiveness.

“In the future, we will further our knowledge of history and the culture of your country and make our utmost efforts to prevent the recurrence of such improper expressions,” the letter said.

Revered sumo wrestler and 69th Yokozuna M.Davaajargal, better known as Hakuho Sho, also expressed his displeasure on Twitter. Hakuho tweeted a photo of the comic on Friday, saying, “That’s a shame, children will see…” also writing in Mongolian, “As a Mongolian cultural envoy, it is an uneasy situation.”

The embassy said that the cartoon “lacks respect for the Mongolian

people”...