Why Do Japanese Netizens Turn Threats Into Memes?
From the MFA Meme Generator War to a Global Oogiri Culture Moment
Japanese internet users sometimes don’t take “threats” or “anger” at face value.
Heavy and serious words are somehow transformed into jokes, turning into a full-on meme competition involving people across the globe.
This recent incident involving a Chinese consulate official’s X post was a moment when that “conversion mechanism” was fully activated.
1. The Trigger: A Phrase That Suggests War or Assassination
It all began on November 14, 2025.
A Chinese consulate official posted the following message on X:
“If anyone tries to provoke the bottom line of the Chinese people, they will surely face fierce retaliation from China.
Before the Great Wall of steel built with the flesh and blood of over 1.4 billion Chinese people,
their heads will be smashed and covered in blood.”
The statement sounded like a threat of war or assassination aimed at Japan’s Prime Minister.
Framed in a propaganda-style background, the message was so extreme that in many countries it could have been seen as a prelude to war.
2. Opposite Reactions from the Japanese Government and Netizens
The Japanese government responded to the post by beginning to consider applying persona non grata status to the consular official.
Many Japanese citizens, learning about the situation through traditional media, waited with bated breath to see how the new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, would respond.
Except for one group: Japanese X users (netizens).
Rather than reacting with outrage or fear, this group immediately decided:
“This is a toy now.”
Inherited from the 2channel era, the “festival mindset” of Japan’s internet users kicked in.
2channel : 2ch is a site that aggregates anonymous message boards, similar to the Japanese version of Reddit.
“It’s a festival! A new festival has begun!”
From here, the so-called “diplomatic crisis” began to spiral in an unexpected direction.
3. Timeline: The “Chinese Ministry Meme Generator War”
Let’s go over what happened over the next few days—step by step.
① The Initial Post from the Chinese Consulate
The original post featured red background and violent phrasing.
This combination of “aggressive language × eye-catching design” became the blueprint for memes to follow.
see“ 1. The Trigger” for the post
② Hours Later: “MFA Generator” Goes Public (Japan)
Japanese internet users quickly created a “Ministry of Foreign Affairs Meme Generator” that let anyone recreate the official-looking visuals.
At this point, the netizens instantly switched into “meme mode.”
③ Meme Battle Begins
With the generator live, parody posts flooded in.
- A play on words: combining Xi Jinping’s name (Jinping / “Pei” in Japanese) with the payment app “Rakuten Pay” → “ShūkinPay”.
- A snack-themed war post using the familiar online debate between Kinoko vs. Takenoko (two popular Japanese chocolates) written in the tone of a diplomatic threat.
For more on Japan’s mushroom/bamboo shoot civil war, click here
- A collage that pointed out the similarity between the intimidating red background and the label of Afternoon Tea, a common bottled drink.
What was supposed to be a format for serious messaging quickly became a comedic template.
④ China’s Ministry of National Defense Joins (Blue Background)
Whether they were watching or not, the Chinese side released a new statement under the Ministry of National Defense, this time using a blue background.
⑤ Japan Responds with New Generator for Blue Version
In response, Japanese users immediately released a new generator matching the Ministry of Defense-style design.
At this point, it was less a diplomatic issue and more a competition of UI/template version control.
⑥ “Funkotsusai-shin” Backfires, Becomes a Joke
One serious-sounding idiom used in the post, 粉骨砕身 (“funkotsusai-shin”), was meant to sound threatening.
But Japanese netizens quickly pointed out:
“粉骨砕身 actually means ‘to do your very best,’ according to classical Chinese idioms.” Your Chinese is poor 15thNov 2025
What was meant to be a threat became laughable—
Netizens mocked the misuse and turned it into meme material.
⑦ Taiwan’s Major Media “Liberty Times” Reports It
Taiwan’s Liberty Times published a feature on the incident, noting that “Japanese netizens are turning threats into meme contests.”
The story quickly gained attention within Taiwan.
⑧ TaiwanAlerts Turns It Into a Weather Report
The Taiwan-based emergency alert account “Taiwan Alerts” used the meme generator to issue a cold weather alert in the same style as the Chinese MFA statement.
A serious-looking layout warning citizens to “wear extra layers”
—this surreal mismatch solidified the format as a joke template.
⑨ Influencer Oliver Jia Introduces It in English
Well-known Japan-focused influencer Oliver Jia posted about the whole incident in English.
This marked the moment when English-speaking users began searching “translate these memes.”
⑩ China Changes the Background to Brown
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs began using a new brown background instead of the original red.
[IMAGE: Under preparation]
⑪ Japan Updates the Generator Immediately
Just hours later, Japanese developers updated the meme generator to support the new brown version.
⑫ Former Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu Joins the Fun
Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s former foreign minister, also posted a parody image using the meme format.
The incident had now reached the level of an international political joke-off.
⑬ General Users Worldwide Join In
Users from Europe, Southeast Asia, and overseas Chinese communities began making posts using the same format.
There were now so many lookalikes that it became hard to identify the original consulate post.
⑭ Current Status: China Goes Silent on the Topic
The string of serious-looking posts with bold words and bold designs disappeared after the meme battle began.
While there was no official announcement, it appeared that the Chinese side had effectively raised the white flag.
What began as a potential diplomatic incident ended as a global meme—and quietly faded away.
4. Why Do Japanese Netizens Turn Threats Into Laughter?
In Japan, expressing emotions directly—especially anger—is often seen as immature or childish.
Rather than yelling or lashing out, the cultural norm is to shift the message or rely on others to read the atmosphere.
A classic example:
Instead of saying “Your wig is crooked,” one might say,
“Hey, I need to use the restroom—want to go together?” to lead the person to a mirror.
This communication style shaped the diplomatic approach known as “the statement of regret.”
Even when seriously upset, the response remains “We express our regret.”
But that approach often fails abroad.
This time, many Japanese citizens hoped the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, would go beyond just expressing regret.
At the same time, Japanese netizens on X—those who deliberately ignore social cues—responded differently.
They brought out a tool from their cultural arsenal: ōgiri.
Ōgiri is a form of improv comedy dating back to the Edo period.
Participants compete to give the funniest, most clever response to a given prompt.
For them, the threatening post wasn’t something to get angry about.
It was a perfect prompt for ōgiri.
And in turning it into a game,
they stripped away its aggression,
and turned it into shared laughter.
5. Why Doesn’t China Learn? — The “Hinomoto Oniko” Case
Back in 2010, Chinese anti-Japan protests used the racial slur 日本鬼子 (rìběn guǐzi) to refer to Japanese people.
Japanese netizens didn’t react with anger.
Instead, they created a cute anime character named Hinomoto Oniko from the slur.
She had lore, illustrations, fan art—and became beloved online.
The transformation shocked media in China and Taiwan.
Even the UK’s The Times covered the bizarre turn of events.
This 2025 consulate incident followed the same pattern.
Aggressive language is thrown →
Japanese netizens shift the meaning and turn it into a toy →
The world laughs and joins in.
“Strong words → Japan shifts them → The world laughs.”
This formula has played out so many times,
it may as well be in a textbook.
Column: Translations of Meme Generator Captions
Want to Know What the Meme Captions Actually Say?
Looking for English translations of the viral red-background memes?
Wondering what those parody posts really mean?
We’re collecting the funniest, strangest, and smartest captions generated using the Chinese MFA-style layout.
From snack wars to political satire, see how the internet made these threats laughable.
6. What This Meme Battle Revealed
China’s threat-post didn’t spark outrage in Japan.
Instead, it was picked apart for meaning errors, turned into a meme generator, and then repurposed globally.
Eventually, China went silent on the topic altogether.
This wasn’t just chance.
It reflected a uniquely Japanese response.
- A culture that avoids direct emotional confrontation
- A humor tradition that prefers deflecting with cleverness
- A netizen base with high technical skills and rapid creativity
All of those elements came together in this incident.
And what was meant to be a blow…
was quietly laughed off the stage.
Born in Japan, raised in Toronto. I dive deep into anime, pop culture, and history — bringing both otaku vibes and global views.
