Poor Japanese came to China to develop their careers and were abused for playing "devils."
Let's first talk about the family background of this Japanese. He is Koji Yano, born in Osaka, Japan in the 1970s, and his family is very poor. Although his family is embarrassed, he has had a dream of being an actor since he was a child.
Finally in 2000, when he was 30 years old, he made his first cameo role in a movie, which can be regarded as officially stepping into the showbiz. However, there was too much competition in Japan, and Koji Yano found himself unable to get more acting opportunities at all.
Just when he was feeling uncertain about his future, an unexpected opportunity from China changed the course of his life. A Chinese film company was looking for a Japanese actor, and Koji Yano was recruited. In this way, in 2000, he came to China with a dream and began the arduous process of development in China.
But who would have thought that a Japanese actor who was looking for an opportunity would be the first to be arranged to play a role like a "Japanese devil" in China? Due to the deep pain caused to the Chinese people by the War of Resistance Against Japan, this arrangement undoubtedly put Yano Koji in an embarrassing situation.
Sure enough, this incident also caused heated discussions in Japan, and a large number of Japanese netizens accused him of being a "traitor" and a "traitor", which simply disgraced the Japanese.
In fact, Yano Koji himself felt heartbroken about this, but in order to survive and develop in China, he had to accept these roles head-on. In this way, in the first few years of his career as a Chinese actor, he was always arranged to play the role of a Japanese soldier, and every time he saw his appearance, he would feel extremely regretful and self-blame.
Fortunately, with his excellent acting skills and tenacious efforts, Koji Yano finally broke out of the low point of his career in 2005. At that time, he starred in several anti-Japanese dramas with good ratings, and was praised by the industry as a "Japanese actor proficient in Chinese". This year can be said to be the peak of his career in China.
Participating in the show was embarrassed because of his Japanese identity
In 2008, when his career was on the rise, Koji Yano was hired to join the hosting team of the famous variety show "Everyday Upward". Unexpectedly, just because of his Japanese identity, he encountered some embarrassing situations on the show that made him blush.
I still clearly remember that at that time, there were many voices on the Internet questioning, how can a Japanese person host a Chinese variety show? There were even some unfriendly slogans from the audience at the show. Facing the pressure of public opinion, Koji Yano could not hide the helplessness in his heart. After all, as a host, his identity is unacceptable to many people, and it has also brought some negative effects to the show.
It wasn't until 2009 that an incident occurred that angered the entire Chinese people - the Japanese government announced the "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands. In the face of the Japanese Government's blatant violation of China's territorial sovereignty, the Chinese people are filled with indignation and righteous indignation.
As a Japanese who has been in China for a long time, Koji Yano's situation has also been implicated. In the end, under the strong pressure of public opinion, he had to be "fired" from the hosting team of "Everyday Upward". Although this is a helpless choice, if you insist that he continue to host, it will undoubtedly bring more controversy and negative impact to the show.
However, Koji Yano was not discouraged by this. On the contrary, this incident made him more aware of the Japanese government's erroneous historical perception and foreign policy, and also made him determined to take root in the land of China.
In the same year after being "fired", Koji Yano starred in the TV series "Feast", in which he played an underground CCP member worker, which reflected the arduous anti-Japanese struggle led by the Chinese Communist Party.
Despite playing a small role, Koji Yano is fully committed to acting and dedication. In order to better understand and interpret this role, he read a lot of materials and worked hard to learn the history of the Chinese revolution. In the end, his outstanding performance won unanimous praise from the audience and industry insiders, and was hailed as "a model of pro-China Japanese actors".
After the broadcast of this drama, Yano Koji's Chinese level, acting value and historical understanding have been unprecedentedly improved, and it has also laid a solid foundation for his subsequent development in China. In 2010, he also won the "Most Outstanding Foreign Artist Award", which can be said to be an affirmation of his years of hard work.
Married to a Chinese woman and daughter naturalized in China
In the same year, something even more surprising happened. Koji Yano is married to a Chinese woman, and the two even have a lovely daughter. For his daughter, Koji Yano did not hesitate to let her become a Chinese citizen.
I believe that this decision did not happen overnight. As a Japanese, it undoubtedly takes great courage and determination to naturalize your own flesh and blood in China. This fully shows that Yano Koji has regarded China as the foundation of his life, and he hopes that his daughter will take root in this land and live a happy and healthy life.
It is also this decision that allows us to see that Koji Yano has taken the most solid step in recognizing the truth of history and integrating into Chinese culture.
However, what people didn't expect was that just when Yano Koji was gaining recognition in China and was determined to put down roots in China, he was violently attacked after returning to Japan.
According to reports, one day in 2014, Koji Yano had just returned to Tokyo from China when he was beaten up by a group of young people on the street. This group of people insulted Koji Yano as a "traitor" and a "traitor", believing that he had betrayed the dignity of the Japanese people, and that he was simply guilty of unforgiving.
Asked about this by the media afterwards, Koji Yano admitted that he was not beaten, it was just a rumor. However, it can be seen from his expression that he has lingering feelings about this incident. My personal guess is that he chose to hide the truth probably in order to avoid causing more unnecessary strife and hatred.
Ironically, shortly after the violent attack, Koji Yano was also honored with an award from the Japanese government. I estimate that this is probably an attempt by the Japanese government to ease the contradictions with Koji Yano, and at the same time it is an affirmation of his efforts in China.
However, in my opinion, the weight of this award is far less than the recognition given to Koji Yano by the Chinese audience. For a foreigner to win the sincere support of the Chinese people, this honor is incomparable to any award.
The focus of work shifts to Japan and plays a Chinese in the play
After entering 2015, Koji Yano's focus began to shift to Japan. In China, he had become so prosperous that he had little to say, so he returned to Japan to continue his development.
Interestingly, this time in Japan, he was often arranged to play the role of Chinese. As you can imagine, as a Japanese playing a Chinese in a Japanese drama, this must be a new challenge for Yano Koji. However, he did his best to correct the name of the Chinese everywhere, so that the Japanese audience could also learn more about Chinese culture and the wisdom and atmosphere of the Chinese through his performance.
Every time we see Koji Yano playing the role of Chinese in Japanese dramas, we are all proud. Because what he deduces is a Japanese person's heartfelt understanding and recognition of Chinese culture.
In 2020, during the critical period when the new crown epidemic was raging, Koji Yano once again supported China's fight against the epidemic with practical actions.
According to reports, when the epidemic in Wuhan was at its most severe, Koji Yano not only donated 1 million yuan to China through his influence, but also contacted Japanese companies to send a large number of medical supplies and masks and other epidemic prevention supplies to Wuhan for free. It can be said that he regarded China as his second motherland from the bottom of his heart.
We often say that China and Japan have a "good-neighborly and friendly" relationship, but Koji Yano has interpreted the true meaning of these eight words with practical actions. a Japanese who stepped forward at a time when China was in the most crisis; A foreigner who did his best in China's fight against the epidemic. In the face of this "living bronze statue", what reason do we have not to admire and admire?
summary
Koji Yano has the courage to face the historical conflict between the two countries, and dares to peel aside the haze and welcome the truth of the facts. Although he was attacked and abused by the Japanese people at the beginning, Yano Koji did not waver and still chose to take root in China, a land full of opportunities. In the past few decades, he has used his life to interpret a foreigner's understanding and love for Chinese culture.
Without him, we would not have seen a Japanese who have done their best to develop and contribute to China. And his presence will also influence and inspire more Japanese people to face China with an open and inclusive attitude.
Compared with those Japanese politicians who are complacent and hypocritical, Koji Yano is the best envoy of people-to-people exchanges on Sino-Japanese relations. We have reason to hope that more Japanese people, like him, will have the courage to face history, be good at seeking common ground while reserving differences, and build a new bridge of friendship between China and Japan.