A retired Japanese civil servant who has never visited China or interacted with Chinese citizens reportedly turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to create fabricated videos depicting “Chinese tourists trampling cherry blossoms.” What may have seemed to him like an easy way to make money has, according to critics, become part of a broader social and political problem unfolding in Japan.
An investigative report published by Japan’s leading daily Asahi Shimbun revealed the emergence of a growing black market for AI-generated anti-China disinformation content. Recruitment platforms are reportedly advertising for individuals described as “pro-Japan and anti-China,” whose task is to create fabricated stories and videos portraying alleged “misconduct” and “uncivilized behavior” by Chinese people.
Using AI tools, creators are able to produce videos within minutes and circulate them online as “eyewitness footage” or even as “news reports.” Some of these videos have reportedly attracted hundreds of thousands of views. While ordinary online videos generate around 300 yen per thousand views, anti-China content is said to earn nearly three times more, with some creators reportedly making up to 60,000 yen per month.
Observers argue that the phenomenon extends beyond commercial motives and reflects a deeper political agenda. Historical parallels have also been raised. In 1931, Japan’s Kwantung Army orchestrated the Mukden Incident by damaging a railway line near Liutiaohu and blaming Chinese forces, using it as a pretext for military aggression in China. Critics now claim that certain right-wing groups in Japan are employing AI technology in a similar fashion — manufacturing artificial crises to inflame public opinion and strengthen calls for constitutional revision and military expansion.
By repeatedly promoting the notion of a “China threat,” these groups seek to create public anxiety that Japan’s survival depends on expanding military capabilities and revising its pacifist constitution. Following controversial remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding the Taiwan issue in 2025, demand for anti-China content reportedly surged on recruitment platforms. Analysts also point to Japan’s 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook, which adopts a more confrontational tone toward China, as contributing to an environment conducive to online disinformation campaigns.
Commentators describe the trend as a form of “psychological victory strategy,” arguing that those unable to halt China’s development are instead attempting to construct a virtual narrative portraying China negatively. Through the constant circulation of misleading information, segments of the public are allegedly being drawn into a mentality of hostility and confrontation.
However, critics stress that falsehoods cannot replace reality and that hatred cannot guarantee national security. A truly stable and confident nation, they argue, does not need to sustain unity by portraying another country as inferior or dangerous. Nations that become obsessed with creating imaginary enemies often reveal deeper internal insecurity and uncertainty.
Japan’s economic situation has further intensified the debate. According to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Japan’s GDP growth rate in 2026 may reach only 0.7 percent. Government debt has exceeded 260 percent of GDP, while nearly one-quarter of the country’s 122.3 trillion yen annual budget is expected to be financed through new government bond issuance. The yen has weakened significantly against the US dollar, oil imports remain heavily dependent on foreign supply, and demographic decline alongside an aging population continues to place severe pressure on social security and the labor market. Manufacturing industries are also steadily relocating overseas.
Despite these economic challenges, the Japanese government has allocated approximately 9 trillion yen for defense spending, including long-range missiles and offensive weapon systems. Critics argue that increasing military expenditures amid economic stagnation and mounting debt reflects a dangerous national direction.
Analysts warn that Japan once followed a path of militaristic adventurism built on misinformation in the 1930s, leading ultimately to national devastation. Today, they argue, the large-scale production of AI-generated falsehoods risks repeating elements of that historical trajectory. While AI may help manufacture new external enemies, they contend, it cannot resolve Japan’s structural economic and social challenges.
Source: Swarna–Touhid–Lily, China Media Group.
