In an apparent attempt to distract from the mess that is the ((not quite) scheduled) upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party, China is egging on nationalist protests against Japan, using the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute (which, for all its apparent faults, the iPhone 5 much-maligned Maps-app, neatly resolves) as a pathetic excuse -- and that now extends to ... bookstore shelves.
Yes, as the Asahi Shimbun reports, Japan-related books disappear in Beijing; Chinese demand pay hikes from Japanese employers.
So, for example:
So, for example:
At Wangfujing, a well-known bookstore in central Beijing, copies of 1Q84 were removed from a shelf displaying best-sellers on Sept. 21, along with all other books by Japanese authors. An internationally renowned novelist, Murakami has long enjoyed a strong following in China.Well, at least they aren't burning them ... yet.
Another large bookstore in Beijing has followed suit. All publications related to Japan or written by Japanese authors were yanked from the shelves and carted away.