Not only was Japanese anime director Yutaka Yamamoto’s visit to Beijing cancelled one day before schedule, but his fans seem to be turning their back on him too, all because of his right-wing rhetoric.

(File photo of Yutaka Yamamoto)

A popular Baidu online forum on ACGN (animation, comic, game, and novel) issued a public statement on July 18 to voice opposition against Yamamoto, who “lacks correct historical knowledge and acts irresponsibly in the face of facts.” The forum also announced that it would ban his work.

The Japanese anime director began blog about it on July 17, claiming that Japan, unlike Germany, was working to promote the “Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere” during the Second World War and overlooked the Nanjing Massacre and the comfort women issue.

(Photo/Guancha.cn)

On Twitter, he has also blocked several Chinese netizens who tried to argue with him.

Yamamoto was originally scheduled to visit Beijing for a public activity on July 18. The furious director then wrote another blog, complaining that China is being fooled by the Internet. “Why must we successors shoulder the responsibility of our predecessors? Must Japan kneel down forever in front of China?” he wrote in Japanese.

The Japanese artist used to show more friendliness toward China, especially in April, when he started seeking public funding in China for his latest anime project “Twilight.”

The AGCN forum pointed out that it helped raise funds for Yamamoto’s work before he expressed such right-wing rhetoric. Meanwhile, the forum apologized for failing to know better and will try to recall the raised money.

(Photo/Comicyu.com)