To think the library shouldn't use Japanese pictures to celebrate Chinese New Year

[sweetestB]

They were decorating the children's session yesterday and putting lots of Japanese pictures next to the Chinese dragons and alphabet.
I wasn't sure if I should have said anything, maybe someone from the Chinese or Japanese communities will speak up, but there aren't many around here.
Or it doesn't matter?

There are quite a few Chinese people who would be very offended by this. The reason being that the Japanese have over the years committed great atroticites against the Chinese. If you have a strong stomach, Google: The Rape of Nanking.

Sp. atrocities

[[http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=tablet-android-samsung&tbo=d&v=141400000&biw=1024&bih=600&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=gueisha+old+style+drawings&oq=gueisha+old+style+drawings&gs_l=img.12...23225.32114.0.33099.17.14.0.0.0.0.672.2265.1j4j2j0j1j1.9.0...0.0...1ac.1.2.img.0jEHJ6ck8Fc]]
They had lots of those

Showtunes, I think most would be pissed off by the ignorance...

My link was supposed to show the 16th photo only

Not great in an educational establishment!

I will pop in there after tomorrow ( they are closed tomorrow) to see if they changed it.
How to point out politely that they made a mistake?
I use the library a lot, I don't want a awkward situation

It's just a mistake. Just point it out to them! Honestly, what do you think they are going to do? Sob loudly? Ban you from the library?

You could use the old did you mean to.... 'Your display is so eye catching and colourful, but did you mean to put Japanese pictures up to illustrate Chinese New Year?'

And smile in a friendly manner.

oh yes, praising first....rule number 1

Merrylegs has got it right I'd say :)

Personally I think that image you linked to is very obviously Japanese, but then I have a similar one hanging on my bedroom wall so maybe it's more obvious to me?

The confusion of China/Japan thing is a bit of a bugbear of mine

And mine! So many people seem to think they are interchangeable.

I would expect more from the library. I think you should mention it.

Oh dear MrsDV - I'd have felt horribly embarrassed for them. I hope you enlightened them.

Oh goodness MrsD!

How did they make that mistake? Surely they ask the children involved about it!

Great idea merrylegs I work in a library and sometimes have to make displays.

This is my worst nightmare, I would definitely want to be told.

'My Father is Chinese and would be hugely offended. He still won't buy anything Japanese, the atrocities were shocking. He is in his late 80's.

Watch a film called City of Life and Death, based on the rape of Nanking.

Personally I also get annoyed with the poor research. It feeds in to the they are all the same type rubbish.'

Adversecamber, that's exactly what I was thinking, have people really no idea of the history between the two countries over the last couple of hundred years?
It's sloppy and lazy work.

have people really no idea of the history between the two countries over the last couple of hundred years?

I have no idea.

But I don't work in a library!

It would annoy me too. Especially in a library.

Mind you, our library had a big mural on the outside with the word government spelled as goverment - you would think they should know better.

I don't think you even need to be aware of the difficult history to be aware that they're not the same place and it's fairly insulting to mix the two up!

Like MrsDV's example, it's the ignorance that should be challenged.