On August 25, 2026, a post on China's SNS Xiaohongshu (RED) asking "Why do young people around the world like Japanese culture?" garnered the attention of Chinese netizens.

The poster asked, "I used to think that Japanese two-dimensional culture, such as anime and manga, was only popular in Asia. However, I found that people in Europe and America also liked it very much on the language exchange app HelloTalk. In fact, according to people overseas, Japanese culture is popular among young people worldwide, and manga and games are very popular even in the United States. Why do young people around the world like Japanese culture? What exactly is so appealing about it?"

In response, Chinese netizens commented, "Because Japanese culture has an attraction that draws people in," "Japanese anime is amazing after all, and J-POP is also appealing," "It's because Japanese anime is famous. Perhaps only Hollywood movies can compete," and "Both Japanese anime and manga are really well-made, and cultural events like fireworks festivals are also attractive."

Furthermore, one comment stated, "Everyone likes Japanese pop culture simply because the quality is high. If China also had pop culture on par with Japan's, people around the world would surely like Chinese culture. But for a major cultural nation not to foster it means there must be some problem somewhere."

In response to this, specific issues were also raised, such as, "Japan places great importance on culture and aesthetic education, but China is still weak in that regard. While patriotic education is diligently conducted, the dissemination of its own culture is insufficient. Some people mistake Hanfu for 'kimono' or attack those who like Japanese culture on the grounds of 'patriotism.' Foreigners sometimes mistake Chinese culture for Japanese, and from such points, I feel the lack of cultural dissemination."

Additionally, there was an opinion: "What I envy about Japan is how much they cherish traditional events. They always hold traditional festivals grandly, and they are really good at combining traditional instruments with pop music. China also has many wonderful traditional events, so I hope they will be utilized more in such ways."

Other critical views on current Chinese animation also gathered, such as, "Works from my childhood were still good, but current Chinese animation is too preachy. Truly interesting works are very few," and "I feel that many Chinese literary works are preachy (laughs). In that respect, Japanese anime is rich in imagination and challenges bold content. Humans inherently dislike being preached to." (Translation/Editing: Iwata)