Why This Topic Landed in Japan

On 22 September 2026, Prime Minister Takaichi used her UN General Assembly speech to call for deleting the UN Charter's WWII-era "enemy state" clauses, which still name Japan among former enemy states. That request had already drawn attention the day before; what was new here was China's pushback a day later. Many Japanese commenters read China's reaction as proof the request had struck a nerve, and folded it into long-running distrust of the UN and calls to cut Japan's dues. A separate strand grew from singer Miu Sakamoto's public criticism of the speech as "empty words," which reopened debate over whether Japan is too deferential to the US. In practical terms, deleting the clauses is not something China can veto on its own: it would take the Charter's Article 108 process — a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly plus two-thirds ratification including all permanent Security Council members — and a 1995 General Assembly resolution treated the clauses as obsolete without actually removing the text.

Key Reaction Themes

  • China's reaction read as "proof it's working" (most common) — Many took China's pushback as evidence the request had struck home, or as exactly what Takaichi intended, and cheered it as a shrewd move.
  • Distrust of the UN and calls to cut dues — Others tied the episode to doubts about the UN's usefulness, urging Japan to stop or withhold its contributions the way the US does.
  • Split over deference to the US and diplomatic skill — Sparked by Sakamoto's criticism, some jabbed that Japan "fawns on America and gets nothing," while others dismissed that as confusing the public speech with private negotiations.

What Japanese Netizens Are Saying

Japan's Enemy-State-Clause Request and China's Immediate Pushback

Readers treated China's pushback against Japan's request to delete the clauses as a sign the move had "worked," and used it to argue about the UN and about China.

Sources: Yahoo! news, Tokushima Shimbun, 2ch

Comments:

  • "It's working, it's working, lol."
  • "The key point is that China actually agreed to this in the past."
  • "This was all according to plan."
  • "China makes yet another bad move, lol."
  • "Other countries are watching China's reaction closely — Takaichi is quite the strategist."
  • "Why is China rejecting it? Aren't Japan and China supposed to be great friends???"
  • "It's now been made crystal clear that China is the enemy — Japanese people's dislike of China is going to grow again."
  • "Making it visible who Japan's enemy actually is — that's a good thing."
  • "So, is there any country besides China that sided with China? lol"
  • "The very fact that they can't just ignore it means it's really hitting home lol."
  • "How about we stop our contributions to the UN?"
  • "Just balk at paying the dues, the way America does."
  • "Obviously — if they hate the enemy-state clause that much, they should just hurry up and pull out."

Reactions to the UN Speech, Sparked by Miu Sakamoto's Criticism

After Sakamoto called the speech "empty words," commenters argued over its substance, Japan's deference to the US, and Takaichi's diplomatic skill.

Sources: Nikkan Sports News, 2ch

Comments:

  • "You're literally the only one saying stuff like that, lol."
  • "So there were still people out there who expected anything from the UN, huh, lol."
  • "The UN is a thing that exists for America's sake."
  • "NHK not touching the enemy-state clause at all — seriously, this country."
  • "Well, she's someone demanding the enemy-state clause be deleted at the exact moment Japan is at odds with veto-holding China and Russia, so……"
  • "We've lost to the almighty US so there's no way to defy them, but I do think Japan says what needs saying toward everyone other than America — whether it leads to results is a separate matter."
  • "With China over in the US as a state guest, I have to say it took some nerve for her to say that."
  • "Backing the UN as it is now is, honestly, a bit much…"
  • "People like this won't do anything but complain until Japan takes an openly hostile stance toward America."
  • "Takaichi's diplomacy is so bad it makes the ICC issue look trivial — fawning on Trump this much and handing over so much, yet getting nothing in return. Abe had a sense of balance and was good at diplomacy."
  • "If she protested, soured Trump's mood, and got hit with sanctions, they'd call that a diplomatic failure too, right? Must be nice to be a fool who just wants to criticize, with no responsibility."
  • "I'm honestly surprised there are still people holding out even a little hope for Takaichi."