"Romance on the 'July 7 Incident Anniversary'? Outrage in China over Japanese Mask Brand's Controversial Marketing"

"Tomorrow is Qixi" Marketing on Social Media
"Chinese Valentine's Day" Falls in August
Chinese Netizens Voice Strong Criticism on Social Media

On the anniversary of the "July 7 Incident," which is considered the trigger for the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in China, a Japanese mask brand became the center of controversy for conducting Qixi (Seven Evenings) marketing.

According to Chinese state-run Beijing Daily and other outlets on July 8, the Japanese mask brand Pita Mask posted on its official account on a Chinese social networking service (SNS) on July 6, stating, "Tomorrow is Qixi," and, "The true romance of Qixi is thinking of the person you want to see."

On the anniversary of the "July 7 Incident," regarded in China as the trigger of the Anti-Japanese War, a Japanese mask brand sparked controversy by running Qixi Festival marketing. AI-generated image.

July 7 marks the anniversary of the "July 7 Incident" of 1937, when the Japanese military began a full-scale invasion of China, triggered by the Marco Polo Bridge (Lugouqiao) Incident, which also marked the beginning of China's full-scale resistance against Japan. In China, July 7 is regarded as a symbolic day of the Anti-Japanese War, with various memorial events held every year. Qixi, known as the "Chinese Valentine's Day," falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is August 19 this year.

On the same day, Jinyang Net pointed out, "Distorting important moments is tantamount to distorting historical truth," and added, "Japan's historical distortion has long been rampant." The outlet further criticized, "Some Japanese companies, while earning profits in China, are either ignorant of historical issues or do not hesitate to cross the line."

On the anniversary of the "July 7 Incident," which is regarded in China as the triggering event of the Anti-Japanese War, a Japanese mask brand sparked controversy by conducting Tanabata (Seven Nights Festival) marketing. Content posted by Pita Mask on Weibo. Weibo.

Chinese netizens also unleashed strong criticism on social media. They pointed out that the Japanese brand not only failed to distinguish between the solar and lunar calendars while using a traditional Chinese holiday for marketing, but also posted related content on a historically sensitive date. Netizens expressed their anger with comments such as, "Would you do this kind of marketing on the anniversary of the atomic bombing in Japan?", "This doesn’t seem like a simple mistake, but rather intentional," and, "There is a lack of respect for history."

The related hashtag, "Why did the Japanese brand call the July 7 Incident Qixi?" has recorded about 3 million views. Some netizens demanded an official apology by commenting on the company's Weibo account, saying, "Just deleting the post and pretending nothing happened is not enough."

As the controversy spread, the company deleted the post but did not issue any further statement. The state-run Global Times reported, "We requested comments from the company and its Japanese headquarters on Weibo but have not received a response."

Some have argued that this controversy stems from cultural differences in how Qixi is celebrated in Japan and China. While Japan mainly celebrates Qixi, known as "Tanabata" (七夕), on July 7 in the solar calendar, China observes Qixi on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.