Chinese soccer fans have condemned Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma after a social media post showed him holding an image of the last Japanese soldier to surrender in World War II. The post, featuring Mitoma posing with a young player and a mocked-up soccer card of Imperial Japanese Army officer Hiroo Onoda, sparked an outcry in China. Brighton's academy apologized on Saturday.
Brighton & Hove Albion's academy posted the controversial image on social media on Saturday, showing Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma smiling while posing with a young player and holding a mocked-up soccer card featuring Imperial Japanese Army officer Hiroo Onoda. Onoda, who refused to believe World War II had ended, waged a guerrilla campaign in the Philippine jungle for nearly three decades before surrendering in 1974.
The post drew sharp criticism from Chinese soccer fans, given the historical context of millions of Chinese killed during brutal clashes with Imperial Japanese forces, including massacres, rapes, and looting, which continue to strain relations between Beijing and Tokyo. By noon on Monday, the topic "Premier League team apologizes to Chinese fans" topped trends on Weibo, garnering over 15 million views. The most-liked comment under a post by state-backed tabloid The Global Times read, "There are actually Premier League teams that support fascists." Others demanded Brighton terminate Mitoma's contract, with one stating, "It is hoped Chinese football fans won't let him off the hook. We must make him understand our resolve, learn a lesson, or else there will be more Kaoru Mitomas who raise their heads."
The image was taken at an event leading up to the Premier League Christmas Truce Tournament, where under-12 players from eight English clubs compete against European teams. Named after the impromptu December 25, 1914, truce in World War I when British and German soldiers met in no-man's land and some played soccer, the Premier League describes it as an opportunity for youth players to gain "understanding of the historical events that shaped our world."
Brighton's youth academy issued an apology on X, stating, "We hugely value our fans in China and had no intention of causing any offense," which was reposted by the club's main account. Mitoma, capped 29 times by Japan's men's national team, has not commented publicly. Relations between Beijing and Tokyo are particularly tense following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's suggestion that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. AFP has contacted Brighton for comment.