Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew widespread attention during her recent visit to Australia, where she knelt on both knees in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier to lay flowers at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. 

The Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier commemorates Australians who died serving their country, including those killed fighting Japan during World War II. In 1942, the Japanese military carried out a large-scale air raid on Darwin Harbor, causing hundreds of deaths.

Takaichi's gesture has sparked online controversy, with many criticizing it as a hypocritical political performance aimed at appeasing the West, while neglecting Asian neighbors and avoiding genuine reflection on Japan's history of aggression.

One X user commented in Japanese on a post reporting Takaichi's "kneeling" act: "Changing how you treat the victims of war depending on the country is the worst. Enough already. Resign as Prime Minister already."

Highlighting the contrast, the user noted that while Takaichi knelt in front of Australian war victims, she would not do the same for victims in Asian countries such as China and South Korea: "If that's the case, it becomes a very pathetic story, showing a full-blown inferiority complex toward white people: kneeling for whites but not for Asians."

Many other users joined the criticism of Takaichi. One X user wrote in Japanese: "Prime Minister Takaichi is pictured at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, kneeling as she offers flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If she could show this same humility toward our neighbors, we might actually have peace. Instead, her stubbornness continues to escalate tensions with neighboring countries."

Another user questioned: "I wonder why she can do this for Australia but not for East Asia. Is it because they're white? We've been taught since we were kids that apologizing is the bigger move and refusing to is just pathetic – so what happened there?"

Another X user slammed that "Diplomacy is about maintaining a balanced relationship with various nations. Clearly, she is being selective about who she respects. Based on her past words and actions, I don't see Takaichi showing any genuine respect for the history or culture of our counterparts. Japan has no need for 'low-IQ' politicians who act like bullies toward other Asian countries."

In recent days, Japanese internet users have also voiced their opposition to the Takaichi administration's controversial efforts to amend the constitution and expand arms exports. 

One X user wrote: "We will never allow any proposal to amend the Constitution. We defend Article 9. Peace cannot be achieved through force."

Another X user wrote: "When Prime Minister Takaichi ran for election, she didn't mention constitutional revision or arms exports at all, instead winning votes under the banner of tax cuts. Her stance is: 'These policies are listed on my campaign website, so they're not a problem.' However, the media also concealed this information, leaving many citizens completely unaware."