Korean fans slam TWICE member for comments on Japanese reign changeover

Sana, one of the three Japanese TWICE members

By Oh Young-jin

Sana, a Japanese member of Korea's JYP agency's nine-member girl band TWICE, is in hot water for comments on the changeover of her country's ceremonial head of state.

The Japanese call the holder of the throne emperor, while Koreans, still rankled by its 36-year colonial occupation, call him a Japanese king.

TWICE has three Japanese members ― Sana, Momo and Mina ― and was created to play to the key Japanese K-pop market.

New Japanese Emperor Naruhito, whose reign is named "Reiwa," or peaceful harmony. AP-Yonhap

The trigger for the controversy was comments she posted in Japanese on the group's Instagram account. According to one translation, it says: "I was born in the Heisei era so am sad to see it end. I would say 'Good job' to Heisei. Toward the first day of the new Reiwa era, I will spend the last day of Heisei with a fresh mind."

Heisei, meaning peaceful prosperity, represented the 20-year reign of Akihito that started in 1989. He relinquished the throne to his son, Naruhito, whose reign is named Reiwa, or peaceful harmony, which started May 1. Sana's story and selfie were posted on the eve of the handover.

Fans were upset by her alleged lack of sensitivity of Koreans' feelings about the Japanese kings because she wrote on her Korean account, saying that although she is Japanese, she belongs to a Korean girl band. The grandfather of the new king, Hirohito, was not prosecuted despite his role in leading Japan in the Second World War.

One post says in Korean: "Better write that in own diary."

The Sana controversy follows Japanese politicians' attack on Dahyun, another TWICE member, for wearing a Marymond brand that is supportive of former sex slaves who were forced to serve imperial Japanese soldiers.

TWICE also has not participated in a remembrance event marking the 100th anniversary of the March 1, 1919, Independence Movement against Japan.

JYP has not commented. Some reports speculated that JYP erased critical online comments.

JYP's multinational girl group TWICE

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