"Too Scared to Go Outside": School Closures Ordered in China Amid Rising Tensions

On the First Anniversary of the Fatal Attack on a Japanese Elementary Student
Film on Atrocities of Unit 731 Released
200 Million Viewers on Opening Day... Intensifying Anti-Japanese Sentiment
Japan Issues Warning to Its Nationals... Japanese Schools Closed

As a film depicting the atrocities committed by the Japanese military during World War II opened in China, anti-Japanese sentiment has intensified, coinciding with the first anniversary of the fatal attack on a Japanese elementary school student. As a result, Japanese schools in China have either issued closure orders or strengthened security, heightening the sense of tension.

Movie '731' Draws 200 Million Viewers Within Half a Day of Release

Chinese audiences are wiping away tears in the screening room of the movie '731'. Photo by Guizhou Daily

According to the China Youth Daily and other sources on September 18, the film '731' premiered on the anniversary of the Mukden Incident (also known as the September 18 Incident) and has received an explosive response. Within just half a day, ticket sales revenue surpassed 200 million yuan (approximately 39 billion won), and the number of advance reservations on the first day exceeded 200 million. The movie achieved a box office share of 98%, overtaking the Hollywood blockbuster Avengers: Endgame to claim the top spot.

Directed by Zhao Linsan, the film exposes the bacteriological warfare and human experimentation carried out by the Japanese Army’s Unit 731 in Northeast China during World War II. It portrays the tragedy in which thousands of Chinese, Koreans, and Russians lost their lives, and is reported to have been produced based on extensive historical research.

Many Chinese cinemas began their first screenings at 9:18 a.m. on this day, symbolizing September 18, accompanied by an 'alarm' event. On September 18, 1931, the Japanese military bombed the South Manchuria Railway in Shenyang, claimed it was the work of Chinese warlord Zhang Xueliang, and launched an attack on Manchuria. China considers the anti-Japanese war to have lasted from this date until September 3, 1945, when the Japanese military surrendered to the People's Liberation Army.

Japanese Community on High Alert... School Closures and Enhanced Security

Movie poster for '731'. Guizhou Daily

As the film's popularity has fueled anti-Japanese sentiment, the Japanese community in China has raised its alert level. Plainclothes police have been deployed at some theaters screening '731', and security guards in bulletproof vests are stationed around the Japanese School in Beijing.

The sense of unease has grown even stronger as this coincides with the first anniversary of the fatal attack on a Japanese elementary school student last year. According to Hong Kong Sing Tao Daily and HK01, the Japanese School in Shenzhen decided to close for the day, the Japanese School in Shanghai switched to online classes, and the Japanese School in Beijing significantly increased its security measures.

On September 18 last year, a 10-year-old student attending the Japanese School in Shenzhen was stabbed near the school gate on the way to school and died during treatment. The incident occurred on the 93rd anniversary of the Mukden Incident (September 18 Incident) of 1931, when Japan launched its invasion of Manchuria, raising suspicions of a hate crime. However, the specific motive for the crime was not revealed. The perpetrator was sentenced to death and the sentence was carried out, with Chinese authorities notifying the Japanese Embassy in China of this fact in April. This incident shocked Japanese society, as it occurred just three months after a knife attack on a Japanese school bus.

Japanese Government Demands Safety for Its Nationals

The Japanese government has repeatedly demanded that China ensure the safety of its nationals residing there in connection with this situation. In particular, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the anti-Japanese war, there is a heightened vigilance regarding the spread of anti-Japanese sentiment. On September 11, the Japanese Embassy in China urged local Japanese residents to "be mindful of rising anti-Japanese sentiment and take special precautions when going out with children."