Habatat of Japan, who won a medal by defeating Shin Yubin, exclaims, “I’ll head to the Kamikaze Memorial Hall” at the thought of facing China.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics table tennis women’s singles event, Japanese player Hayata Hina won a bronze medal by defeating South Korean player Shin Yu-bin. After the match, Hayata hugged Shin Yu-bin and expressed her desire to visit the ‘Kamikaze’ memorial hall in Japan to NHK and other Japanese media on the 13th upon her return. The memorial hall in Kagoshima, Japan, exhibits artifacts related to the Kamikaze suicide squadron from World War II. Following this statement, Chinese table tennis players Pang Zhen-dong and Sun Yingsha unfollowed Hayata on social media, causing controversy. In response to Hayata’s comments, Chinese online users criticized her for glorifying Japanese imperialism. Despite the backlash, Shin Yu-bin displayed sportsmanship by congratulating and hugging Hayata after the match, earning praise for her grace even in defeat. The incident has sparked discussions among fans in Korea and Japan about historical education and sportsmanship.