As China prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of its victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the case of Chinese anchorman Hu Yue has surfaced once again. Hu worked for Japanese public broadcasting service NHK for 22 years, until Aug. 19, 2024. That day, during a live broadcast covering a graffiti incident at Yasukuni Shrine – which honors Japanese citizens who died in wars – he protested NHK’s decision to downplay the graffiti as merely “indecent” and skip the fact that it includes the word “militarism.” Departing from the script for 22 seconds, he declared, “Never forget the Nanjing Massacre! Never forget the comfort women!” He was subsequently dismissed by NHK and taken to court.
Dahe Daily reported that on Sept. 1, 2025, the Tokyo District Court ruled that Hu’s remarks “obstructed broadcasting operations and damaged NHK’s credibility,” ordering him to pay NHK 11 million yen (about $74,222) in compensation.
Many netizens have expressed sympathy for Hu and voiced strong dissatisfaction with the ruling. They believe Hu’s statement was not only an act of personal conscience, but also a reflection of the unhealed wounds left by Japan’s wartime aggression and atrocities across East Asia. A post from renowned media commentator Tan Tian, garnering more than 39,000 likes and over 3,300 comments, stated that Japan has not only failed to reflect on the immense suffering caused by crimes it committed against East Asian countries during World War II, but has also recently lobbied leaders in Europe and Asia not to attend China’s Victory Day Parade. This, Tan argued, is a blatant attempt by the instigator of World War II to now portray itself as a victim, an alarming sign of resurgent militaristic thinking.