Japan idol shocked to find Douyin video of herself with fake subtitles saying Okinawa belongs to China

Recently, videos of Japanese people posting lifestyle content have been edited with misinformation before circulating on Douyin, a Chinese social media platform.

"I'm not Japanese. I want to move to China."

In one video highlighted by NTV News, the subtitles said "I'm a Ryukyu girl. If I move to China to live, what kind of delicacies would you recommend me to try?", and in another video featuring the same person, the subtitles said "I'm from China Ryukyu, I'm not Japanese. I want to move to China."

The original poster, a Japanese internet personality named Wadariko, told Japanese media that she had no idea that her videos were being reposted in China and that the videos had been used without permission.

"I'm from Saitama, so what the subtitles said was completely different," she said. "I can't read Chinese, so I didn't understand what it said and it was really scary. I had no idea why the video had so many likes, and it made me feel uneasy."

There were no subtitles in Wadariko's original video posted on TikTok.

The Douyin account that reposted Wadariko's content had over 100 videos uploaded on its channel, alleging to be a 19-year-old elementary school teacher in Ryukyu in their bio. The account has over 77,000 followers.

Fake subtitles claim Okinawa should be returned to China

Another victim who had their videos lifted and edited is Japanese idol Miyu Kishi, whose livestream was ripped and posted on Douyin with subtitles and captions saying "I hope Ryukyu is returned soon", and "We're working hard to study Chinese, looking forward to return soon".

Kishi's agency stated that she has never made such statements as mentioned in the subtitles and captions, and that they were shocked that her video was being used this way.

No doubt that Okinawa is Japan's territory, says government

Minoru Kihara, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, stated on Dec. 26 that "there is no need to comment on Chinese media reports".

"There is no doubt whatsoever that Okinawa is our country's territory," said Kihara.

The term Ryukyu historically refers to the Ryukyu Kingdom, an old kingdom that included Okinawa, which was formally incorporated into modern Japan in 1879.

According to Kyodo News, articles with that term increased by around 20 times in November 2025 compared to November 2024, with those articles questioning Okinawa's status as a Japanese territory.

The number increased sharply after Nov. 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan.

"A Chinese government official said that if Japan and the United States use Taiwan as a political card, then China will use Ryukyu as one," said NNN China Bureau Chief Takashi Yanagisawa.

Top image via 日テレNEWS/YouTube