Japan Makes the U.S. Look Progressive and Educated

This is rather disturbing: Overt racism has become a best seller in Japan and highlights the fashionable nature of nationalism and xenophobia in Japan today.

[Two new] comic books, portraying Chinese and Koreans as base peoples and advocating confrontation with them, have become runaway best sellers in Japan in the last four months.

So far the two books, each running about 300 pages and costing around $10, have drawn little criticism from public officials, intellectuals or the mainstream news media. For example, Japan's most conservative national daily, Sankei Shimbun, said the Korea book described issues between the countries "extremely rationally, without losing its balance."

Additionally, the comics highlight the Japanese nationalist movements to minimize war atrocities committed in World War II. Contrast this with Austria - which criminalizes denial of the Holocaust. [Thanks to Kat for the link.]