Manga Kenkanryu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

, translated in English as Hating the Korean Wave or Hate Korea: A Comic is a controversial Japanese manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

written by Sharin Yamano

Sharin Yamano

is the pen name for a Japanese manga artist known for his writing Manga Kenkanryu . He is regarded as being a representative anti-Korean....

with the theme of Korean-Japanese disputes

Korean-Japanese disputes

There have been disputes between Japan and Korea on many issues over the years. The two nations have a complex history of cultural exchange, trade, and war, underlying their relations today...

and anti-Korean sentiment

Anti-Korean sentiment

Anti-Korean sentiment involves hatred or dislike for Korean people, culture or either of the two states on the Korean peninsula.- Origins :...

in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The manga started as a webcomic

Webcomic

Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....

on the author's website entitled CHOSEN
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, and after being refused publication for two years, it was published by Shinyusha and released in Japan on 2005-07-26, after which it triggered a Japanese internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

movement.

The book was released in the midst of the recent "Korean Wave

Korean wave

The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...

" pop culture boom in Japan, which was contributed to by imports of Korean TV dramas

Korean drama

Korean drama refers to televised dramas, in a miniseries format, produced in the Korean language. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave, known as "Hallyu", and also "Drama Fever" in some countries...

and other pop culture imports. This has led to increased positive awareness of Korea; it has also triggered a phenomenon known as the "Hate Korea Wave" (after which the book is named), due to increased awareness of various Korean-Japanese disputes

Korean-Japanese disputes

There have been disputes between Japan and Korea on many issues over the years. The two nations have a complex history of cultural exchange, trade, and war, underlying their relations today...

and the fanning of previously existing anti-Korean sentiment in Japan. The book's tagline says "There is one more Korean Wave that the media is hiding—the Hate Korea Wave!" The book is controversial both in and outside of Japan because of opinions expressed in the book concerning major historical disputes and ongoing issues between Korea and Japan.

Plot

The main character of story, Okiayu Kaname, a Japanese high school senior, learns about alleged game-fixing scandal that kept winning streak of South Korean soccer team during 2002 FIFA World Cup

2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

and ugly behavior by their supporters.
Okiayu becomes a college freshman, and he and his female classmate Aramaki Izumi joins “Far East Asia Investigation Committee” (極東アジア調査會), an extracurricular group led by Sueyuki Ryuhei (a junior) and Soeuchi Tae (a sophomore). The group is mainly devoted to the study of historical issues between Japan and Korea and very critical on Korea. Okiayu and Aramaki learn many ugly sides of Koreans. The group participates in debates with a pro-Korean study group and a visiting students group from South Korea – both ignorant with historical knowledge and unable to make logical arguments – and completely rebuts their pro-Korean opinions, humiliating them.

The main topics of book includes alleged 2002 FIFA World Cup

2002 FIFA World Cup

game scandal, Japanese compensation to Korea for colonial rules, Opposition to Zainichi Koreans suffrage, Korean plagiarism of Japanese culture, criticism of pro-Korean mass media in Japan, criticism of Hangul

Hangul

Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...

(Korean alphabet), Japan–Korea Annexation, Liancourt Rocks dispute

Liancourt Rocks dispute

The Liancourt Rocks dispute is a territorial dispute between the Republic of Korea and Japan.Currently both the Republic of Korea and Japan claim sovereignty over Liancourt Rocks, a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan...

, and criticism of Korean Wave

Korean wave

in Japan.

Reception

The book was created with the aim of spreading the "detestable reality of South Korea", and encouraging identification of South Korea with these negative aspects, with the idea that by asserting this through the medium of manga, the ideas would “make as much of a hit as the Gōmanism Manifesto
Gomanism
is a social/political commentary manga series by Japanese author Yoshinori Kobayashi.It first appeared in a weekly Japanese magazine SPA! in 1992. After the conflict over editorial style of the magazine during the Aum Shinrikyo affair, the manga moved to the biweekly political magazine SAPIO...

did” (said by the author himself, according to the Kenkanryu Official Guidebook). Readers with previous anti-Korean sentiments have accepted the author's viewpoint ("correct understanding of South Korea") wholeheartedly.

Well-known revisionist writers have contributed four written articles to the book, however: Kanji Nishio (honorary chairman of the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform

Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform

is a group founded in December 1996 to promote a revisionist view of Japanese history. The group was responsible for authoring a history textbook published from Fusōsha , which was heavily criticised by China, South Korea, and many Western historians for not including full accounts of or...

) on the Korean people, Kohyu Nishimura (described as a "publicist") on the South Korean media, Takahiro Ōtsuki (a professor who was a member of the Society when it was formed) on the "Hate Korea Trolls" , and Masao Shimojō on the Liancourt Rocks dispute. The book also shows marked influence from the "liberal historical viewpoint" held by the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, and the book holds a historical viewpoint common to that of Yoshinori Kobayashi

Yoshinori Kobayashi

Yoshinori Kobayashi is a bestselling Japanese author and manga artist...

's Gōmanism Manifesto
Gomanism
is a social/political commentary manga series by Japanese author Yoshinori Kobayashi.It first appeared in a weekly Japanese magazine SPA! in 1992. After the conflict over editorial style of the magazine during the Aum Shinrikyo affair, the manga moved to the biweekly political magazine SAPIO...

series (the fact that his name is given on the section about the ongoing debate over comfort women is also seen as a sign of his influence [Kenkanryu 1/Official Guidebook]).

Popularity in Japan

The book had been refused publication for two years, and some Japanese newspapers refused to advertise the book.
When Amazon.co.jp started selling preorders of the book, it quickly rose to the #1 bestselling ranking.
According to the Shinyusha official website, the number of copies printed (as of September 2005) is 300,000.
While the book reached the shelves of bookstores according to schedule on the release date, there was a general shortage of copies and the book immediately following the release date became difficult to find. It is thought that bookstores which did not carry it were few, however. The publisher quickly reprinted the book to meet demand.
The book was so successful (450,000 copies sold) that a sequel, Manga Kenkanryu 2 was released on 2006-02-22

Media responses from Japan

In the 30 September evening issue of the Yomiuri Shimbun, a review appeared criticizing the book as follows: "Is this not an example of the manipulation of the reader's impression through beautifying those who support you and portraying those who oppose you otherwise, which we have criticized China and Korea for doing?" This sentence also refers to outspoken right-wing social critic Yoshinori Kobayashi
Yoshinori Kobayashi
Yoshinori Kobayashi is a bestselling Japanese author and manga artist...

’s practice of glorifying himself and demonizing opponents such as Hachirō Taku and Satoshi Uesugi, which is frequently criticized.
A positive comment about the book was written in the Chunichi Shimbun
Chunichi Shimbun
The is a Japanese daily "broadsheet" newspaper published in mostly Aichi Prefecture and neighboring regions by . It is the owner of the Chunichi Dragons baseball team, and is also known as the main organizer of a famous international gymnastics event, the Chunichi Cup...

evening edition’s Ōnami Sazanami column supporting the book's stance on the Liancourt Rocks
Liancourt Rocks
The Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...

dispute.
On the 28 October 2003 TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....

Sunday Morning news program, Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...

was shown at a rally in support of Japanese who had been abducted to North Korea, during which he remarked on camera, "It is not my intention to justify the history of Japan's annexation of Korea 100 percent", but a technician erroneously superimposed a subtitle that read, “It is my intention…” The book covers the subject of Ishihara suing TBS for libel. The book does not mention that four concerned persons sent documents to the prosecutor, or that the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office dropped Ishihara's case on the grounds that there was "no malicious intent on the part of TBS".
The 2005-07-26 issue of Tokyo Sports
Tokyo Sports
is a Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1958.- See also :*Tokyo Sports Film Award*Yellow journalism*Supermarket tabloid*Junk food news- External links :* http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp Official Website...

reported that the major newspapers Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...

, Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...

and Sankei Shimbun
Sankei Shimbun
is a daily newspaper in Japan published by the . It has the sixth highest circulation for a newspaper in Japan, and is considered as one of the five "national" newspapers...

had refused to advertise the book. Other sports newspapers, including Evening Fuji (also published by Sankei Shimbun), however, advertised the book.
In the Amazon.co.jp Japanese Books Top Sales Rankings printed in the Asahi Shimbun from 11 July-17, there was the explanatory message that “*Comics are not included in the rankings” , and the Amazon rankings in other newspapers also showed this message. This message had not been shown before when the books were deleted from the Asahi rankings for 4 July-10. This was contradicted, however, when the 1 August-7 rankings showed the controversial manga Neo Gomanism
Gomanism
is a social/political commentary manga series by Japanese author Yoshinori Kobayashi.It first appeared in a weekly Japanese magazine SPA! in 1992. After the conflict over editorial style of the magazine during the Aum Shinrikyo affair, the manga moved to the biweekly political magazine SAPIO...

Manifesto Special: On Yasukuni
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...

.
On the 15 August-21 rankings, the “*Message From Amazon.co.jp: The manga titles removed until now from the rankings, Manga—The Hate Korea Wave and Manga—An Introduction to China: A Study of Our Bothersome Neighbors, will be included in the rankings from now on.” was shown, and the two books then occupied the #1 and 2 rankings respectively.

Response from New York Times

The 19 November 2005 New York Times article "Ugly Images of Asian Rivals Become Best Sellers in Japan" by controversial Japan critic Norimitsu Onishi

Norimitsu Onishi

is a Japanese Canadian journalist. He currently heads the Southeast Asia bureau of the New York Times.-Career:Onishi was born in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. At the age of four, Onishi and his family immigrated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada...

describes Kenkanryu and another manga, Introduction to China as "portraying Chinese and Koreans as base peoples and advocating confrontation with them". The article also discusses how the book reveals some of the sentiments underlying Japan's current worsening relations with the rest of Asia, as well as the country's longstanding unease with its own sense of identity. It claims that the book is influenced by how much of Japan's history in the last century and a half has been guided by the goal of becoming more like the West and less like Asia and how the book perhaps inadvertently betrays Japan's conflicted identity of a longstanding feelings of similarities toward the West and superiority toward the rest of Asia.

Responses from Internet communities

After the release, arguments both against and for the book became the focus of many blogs and message boards.
Immediately following the announcement of the decision to release the book, it became an active topic in personal blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...

s, 2channel
2channel
is a Japanese textboard. In 2007 there were 2.5 million posts made every day. Launched in 1999, it has gained significant influence in Japanese society, comparable to that of traditional mass media such as television, radio, and magazines. As of 2008, the site generates revenue upwards of ¥100...

and other message boards, and movements calling for the preordering or purchase of the book developed.
The book has been widely promoted on websites, blogs and message boards such as 2channel
2channel
is a Japanese textboard. In 2007 there were 2.5 million posts made every day. Launched in 1999, it has gained significant influence in Japanese society, comparable to that of traditional mass media such as television, radio, and magazines. As of 2008, the site generates revenue upwards of ¥100...

and there are cases of inserting content directly from the book by websites criticizing South Korea (many reproducing photographs directly from the book) in the form of supplementing the book's contents, and also in the form of introducing information raised on the 2channel
2channel
is a Japanese textboard. In 2007 there were 2.5 million posts made every day. Launched in 1999, it has gained significant influence in Japanese society, comparable to that of traditional mass media such as television, radio, and magazines. As of 2008, the site generates revenue upwards of ¥100...

Hangul Board. As shown through the book's bibliography, a significant portion of the book's content (e.g. the World Cup and Korean plagiarism issues) was also sourced from websites.
Alongside cries to “Drive away the Hate Korea heat wave!”, there were messages posted at the websites of Rakuten
Rakuten
operates and manages business to consumer electronic commerce site, Rakuten Ichiba, and consumer to consumer auction site, Rakuten Freemarket. Its business is centered in Japan, although it has began international expansion through acquisitions. The chief executive officer is Hiroshi Mikitani...

and other online stores calling for the burning of the book
Book burning
Book burning, biblioclasm or libricide is the practice of destroying, often ceremoniously, books or other written material and media. In modern times, other forms of media, such as phonograph records, video tapes, and CDs have also been ceremoniously burned, torched, or shredded...

, while others called for the buying out of all available copies.

Responses from Korea

Immediately after the announcement of decision to release the book, it was simultaneously reported in the Chosun Ilbo, the Dong-a Ilbo
Dong-a Ilbo
The Dong-a Ilbo is one of three major South Korean newspapers with over 2 million daily circulation...

, the Joong Ang Ilbo, the Yonhap News Agency
Yonhap
Yonhap News Agency is South Korea's largest news agency. It is a publicly-funded company, and based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap supplies domestic, foreign news and other information to newspaper, TV broadcast and other media in South Korea.-History:...

, and the SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)
SBS (Korea)
Seoul Broadcasting System is a national South Korean television and radio network. It is the only private commercial broadcaster with a wide regional Network to operate in the country. On March 17, 2009, the company legally became known as SBS, changing its corporate name from Seoul Broadcasting...

, and throughout the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n media.
As a response to Manga Kenkanryu, South Korean cartoonist Yang Byeong-seol (양병설) published a cartoon book titled "Hyeomillyu" (혐일류; 嫌日流) – meaning "the anti-Japan wave" – in 2006. This book criticizes Reckless statements by Japanese Politicians on colonial rules and sexuality in Japan
Sexuality in Japan
Sexuality in Japan has developed separately from mainland Asia, as Japan did not adopt the Confucian view of marriage. Monogamy in marriage was not prized in Japan, and married men often sought pleasure from their courtesans, even though monogamy was very important in Chinese marriage...

. Another South Korean cartoonist Kim Sung Mo (김성모) also published a cartoon book of same title in 2006. The main topics of the book are Japanese militarism
Japanese militarism
refers to the ideology in the Empire of Japan that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation.-Rise of militarism :...

, Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...

, and Liancourt Rocks
Liancourt Rocks
The Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...

disputes. Although these cartoon books were published in both South Korea and Japan, they were not as influential as Manga Kenkanru. Yang's book was sold about 5,000 copies in Japan and very few in South Korea; Kim's book was sold about 20,000 copies in Japan, but only about 380 copies in Korea as of 2010.

Criticism

Due to the controversial content of the series, there have been many criticisms of the manga, the main complaint being that the series portrays Koreans in a negative light, while glossing over anything negative related to the Japanese. Critics cite examples of this both in the character portrayals of people representing their respective groups and in the commentaries actually made by various characters.

Regarding character portrayals, one complaint in The New York Times article is that “The Japanese characters in the book are drawn with big eyes, blond hair and Caucasian features; the Koreans are drawn with black hair, narrow eyes and very Asian features.” Kenkanryu 2 objects to such a view; the author states that “this expression is a typical expression in cartoons in Japan.” (Kenkanryu 2, P267) Another common critique is that the way in which the characters' personalities are presented is heavily one-sided and purposefully harmful to the image of Korea and its proponents in the manga: figures on the Japanese "side" have generally carefree, enjoyable attitudes and come from a diversity of backgrounds; figures on the Korean side, on the other hand, consist only of arrogant members from educated, elitist backgrounds, leading to a heavily distorted, stereotyped presentation of Koreans.

Their main criticism, however, is based on the actual commentary and opinions espoused by some of the characters in the manga. One such example is the claim that South Korea owes its current success to Japan, while overlooking the negative aspects of Japanese occupation (e.g. human rights violations and forced assimilation

Forced assimilation

Forced assimilation is a process of forced cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, into an established and generally larger community...

) in favor of the claim that Japan was the impetus for Korea's modernization.

The anti-Korean contents of the book come mainly from already-existing opinions espoused by critics of South Korea, though put in a manga

Manga

format. Critics argue that by transferring opinions on these issues to this medium, it makes it easier for the author to convey his criticisms of Korea to people with no previous interest in Korea.

Historical inaccuracies

P.26 states Keijō Imperial University
Keijo Imperial University
was a Japanese Imperial University that existed in Seoul between 1924 and the end of World War II.-History:...

, founded in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

by Japan in 1924, had about the same number of Japanese and Korean students. The university had 31% of Korean students in 1926 and 35% in 1941.

P.53 suggests the economic growth of South Korea was due to Japanese grants ($0.5 billion) based on Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea
Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea
The Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea was signed on June 22, 1965 to establish basic relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea .-History:...

of 1965. Between 1945 and 1960, the United States provided South Korea 6 times more fund than Japan did $3 billion in foreign assistance ($3 billion) and continued aid till 1970.

p. 77 states South Korea only received 1 vote in an election for non-permanent members for United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...

in 2003 and claims it is an evidence Korea is not trusted by other countries. In fact, South Korea has been already elected as a member for 1996–1997 with over 2/3 of valid ballots. Ban Ki-moon, current Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...

of UN is a South Korean.

p. 163 states the Japanese colonial government published the first Korean dictionary in 1920. In fact, the dictionary was a Korean-Japanese dictionary as entry meanings were in Japanese. The first Korean language dictionary was published by Shim Ui Rin (심의린), a Korean teacher in 1930. Koreans’ efforts to publish more complete Korean dictionary was severely oppressed by Japanese General Government. In 1942, the government arrested 33 Korean scholars of Korean language for organizing the Joseon Language Society and attempting to publish a Korean language dictionary. 11 scholars were found guilty, and 5 were put to prison. The Japanese Colonial Court found them guilty because "behaviors such as publishing of a Korean language dictionary is a form of nationality movement to maintain the spirit of Joseon."

P.165 states Korean language education was never banned under Japanese rule, but only became an elective course in 1938 by the “Decree on Education in Joseon”. However, another decree in 1943 completely banned education of Korean language.

p. 210 states Koreans wanted annexation with Japan, saying Iljinhoe
Iljinhoe
The Iljinhoe was a nation-wide pro-Japan organization in Korea formed on August 8, 1904. A Japanese record states the number of party members was about 800,000, but another survey record by Japanese Resident-General of Korea in 1910 shows the number was about 90,000...

, the biggest political party in Korea at the time argued for annexation. A hardcore pro-Japanese faction, the group had about 90,000 members according to a survey by Resident-General of Korea
Resident-General of Korea
When Korea was a protectorate of Japan, Japan was represented by the Resident-General.- List of Japanese Residents-General :#Itō Hirobumi#Sone Arasuke#Terauchi Masatake...

right before the annexation and was not legitimately or quantitatively representative of Korean population. There had been nation-wide protests and armed resistance by Koreans against the annexation, and March 1st Movement
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...

, an anti-Japan protest in 1919 had about 2 million participants.

p. 211 states An Jung-Geun
An Jung-geun
An Jung-geun or Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist....

’s assassination of Ito Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...

accelerated Japan–Korea annexation, However, this alternative history
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...

argument has been long disputed among historians.

p. 214 states Japan abolished slavery in colonial Korea. In fact, slavery was officially abolished in 1894 by Korean government.

Contents on 2002 World Cup games

In Chapter 1, the book recounts the conduct of the Korean team in the 2002 World Cup

2002 World Cup

2002 World Cup may refer to:*Alpine skiing – 2002 Alpine Skiing World Cup*Athletics – 2002 IAAF World Cup*Field Hockey:** 2002 Men's World Hockey Cup** 2002 Women's World Hockey Cup...

games and claims that refereeing decisions in Korean team's matches against Portugal and Spain were controversial. The book argues that the Korean team had an unfair advantage in certain key matches. On p. 20, a character states that "This subject was the talk of soccer-related internet message boards" .

The book argues that the misjudgment was a decisive factor in the Korean team's record four advancements in the tournament (like Japan, the Korean team had never won a World Cup game before 2002). As the book points out, four referee decisions were included in the 2004 FIFA Fever DVD release in its list of top 10 wrong referee decisions in the history of the World Cup. Although the book states that this DVD release by The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) was in response to the demands of the “fair judgement movement”, Exposing Manga Kenkanryu's Lies refers to a news article in which FIFA states that it was not they that directed the DVD's content, but another company under license from FIFA. FIFA, the official authority concerning game decisions in World Cup games, has never reversed any decisions in 2002 games or penalized any referees involved in in question. The New York Times article by Norimitsu Onishi

Norimitsu Onishi

also states that the reason behind bringing up the 2002 FIFA World Cup was to justify Japan’s lagging behind South Korean soccer by questioning the validity of the South Korean team’s success in an attempt to bring it down to an equal footing with Japan, as well as to combat the growing opinion in Japan that South Korea has emerged as a rival to Japan.

The book also describes the conduct of overzealous Korea supporters, and on p. 20 says, as an Asia Times article points out, that the sun disc on the Japanese flag displayed during the opening ceremony in Seoul was deliberately drawn bigger than the usual size to make the flag look like a used sanitary napkin.

Sequels and related books

In 2005, a supplementary volume has recently been released entitled The Truth of "Manga – The Hate Korea Wave"! , using evidence to support its claims that the arguments presented in The Hate Korea Wave are based in fact. A book debunking Kenkanryu has recently been released in Japan, however, entitled This Part of "Manga Kenkanryu" is Nonsense – A Serious Rebuttal.

Yamano Sharin published 3 sequels to Manga Kenkanryu, in 2006, 2007, and 2009. The author also released in 2008 a comic book titled "Manga Kenchugokuryu" (マンガ嫌中国流; translated as "Hate China Wave") of which main topic is anti-Chinese opinions in Japan.

While continuing more or less upon the basic setting of its predecessor, Manga Kenkanryu 2 also deals with such issues as far as Zainichi issues, the Sea of Japan naming dispute

Sea of Japan naming dispute

The international name for the body of water which is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia, and South Korea is disputed. The Japanese government supports the use of the name "Sea of Japan", while South Korea supports the name "East Sea", and North Korea supports the name "East Sea of Korea"...

, and Japan's Protection of Human Rights Bill. It is also not merely a criticism of South Korea but also upon the position of Japanese media reporting, House of Councillors member Tomiko Okazaki

Tomiko Okazaki

is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Fukushima, Fukushima and high school graduate, she worked at TV and radio stations. In 1990, she was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time as a member of...

's participation in anti-Japanese demonstrations, and the educational position of the Japan Teachers Union

Japan Teachers Union

, often just called , is Japan's largest and oldest labor union of teachers and school staffs. The union is known for its critical stance against the conservative Liberal Democratic Party government on such issues as Kimi ga Yo, the Flag of Japan, and the screening of history text books since its...

. On the article regarding Zainichi issues, the book by name focuses upon South Korea but is centered upon the North Korean-linked Chogin Credit Cooperatives, Zainichi North Korean schools, and the North Korean abduction issue

North Korean abductions of Japanese

The abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. Although only 17 Japanese are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, there may have been as many as 70 to 80...

with focus upon Zainichi North Koreans and the North Korean-linked General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, and this aspect of the book's organization has undergone criticism from Japanese netizens for failing to touch upon the subject of Zainichi South Koreans and the South Korean-linked Korean Residents Union in Japan

Mindan

Mindan , or the Korean Residents Union in Japan, is the name of one of two main organizations for Koreans living in Japan, the other being Chongryon. Mindan has ties to South Korea and was established in 1946 in Tokyo, Japan...

. Another issue the sequel deals with is the media response (including The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

) response to the original book.