Chinese New Year Japan

China smiles while Japan shows its dark side

When the Chinese stage an official event they want everyone to see their smiling, friendly side.

That’s not always true for the Japanese. They’re prepared to present their problems to the world, including their anger.

That’s a surprise for those foreigners who think of Japan as a quiet calm country without much confrontation.

In this week’s Japan story blog, I tell you what I’ve discovered by watching the Chinese and the Japanese put on displays in London this week.


Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.