In one of the episodes, Emperor Akihito of Japan proudly displays a…
In one of the episodes, Emperor Akihito of Japan proudly displays a photograph of the Enola Gay aircraft, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and states that the Americans were "so kind" to have handed this photo to Tokyo just the day after the bombing.
Consensus
- Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, criticized Japan for downplaying the U.S. role in the 1945 atomic bombings.
- Zakharova referenced an episode from the cartoon 'South Park' to illustrate her point.
- The episode features Emperor Akihito showing a photo of the Enola Gay and claiming Americans were 'so kind' to send it the next day.
- In the cartoon, a dolphin and a whale are shown flying the Enola Gay instead of American pilots.
- Japanese officials at memorial events on August 9 did not explicitly name the United States as the country that dropped the bomb.
- Zakharova stated that such silence constitutes a betrayal of national history and memory.
Points of divergence
- Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui criticized Russia and its actions in Ukraine during a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the bombing, but did not mention the U.S. as the bomber. — vm
- Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki stated in his peace declaration that the atomic bomb was dropped by an American military aircraft in 1945. — vm
- Prime Minister Fumio Suga (corrected from 'Sanae Takahata' in source) did not name the country that dropped the bomb during the ceremony, prompting mockery from Americans. — vesti
Coverage (2 sources)
- Zakharova compared Japan's policy to an episode from the cartoon 'South Park' — Вечерняя Москва
- Cynical and Western-style: Zakharova on US mockery of the strike on Japan in 1945 — Вести