“Japanese” Idol Group: “Protect China’s Diaoyu Islands!”

The Chinese media is reporting the “highly popular” Japanese idol group “Angel Girls” are appearing in some sexy military themed cosplay in defence of Chinese claims on the Senkaku islands – the pictures bear the legend “Protect China’s Diaoyu Islands!” in both Japanese and Chinese.

Why they are stood in straw is in an object of some speculation.

They have appeared cosplaying schoolgirls as well:

A variety of Chinese mass media articles exist on the girls (none more than some months old), all claiming they are a “highly popular” Japanese idol group (one even claiming their gravure album sold 800,000 copies – about 100 times more than AKB48’s top seller), but it seems no Japanese have ever heard of them and there is no mention of them on the Japanese Internet – not even the obligatory Wikipedia article.

Needless to say, political statements, let alone pro-China ones, would probably spell the end of any idol’s career in Japan.

The obvious conclusion is that they are a “made in China” idol group and the ever reliable Chinese media is fabricating their supposed success entirely, with their pro-Chinese propaganda used either as a way of boosting their media profile in China or as a rather convoluted way of making it appear there are some Japanese willing to support Chinese claims to the islands.

Whether “made in China” fakes or pure propaganda lies, their existence rather ironically underscores the very reasons China generates so much mistrust in the first place.