Japanese media outlets adopted an ironic tone in their reports on 100 Chinese tourists stranded at the Hokkaido airport due to heavy snow Dec. 24, saying that the tourists clashed with police and caused pandemonium. The Hokkaido police admitted that displeasure had been expressed, but said it was unfair to classify the result as pandemonium or chaos.

About 10,000 tourists were stranded in the Hokkaido airport from Dec. 22 to 24. The Chinese travelers reportedly made it past the departure gate and got into skirmishes with police, who tried to pacify them, according to a Tokyo Broadcasting System report. The report then described scenes of Chinese tourists wrapped in blankets, lying peacefully on the floor.

The report has triggered heated online debate, with many Japanese netizens criticizing the Chinese tourists' behavior as "shameful." However, an insider disclosed that the police simply resolved the situation and left the airport. There was no chaos to speak of.

"Japanese media was trying to hype up [the incident]," the insider added.

On Dec. 26, the Chinese Consulate General in Sapporo announced that most of the tourists stranded at the airport were from Hong Kong and Macau. They were provided with food and water immediately after reporting the situation.