:Hinomoto Oniko

The character was originally conceived by users on a 2ch board as a satire of the aforementioned Chinese racial term.{{cite news|url=http://news.singtao.ca/toronto/2010-12-06/world1291629598d2884859.html|script-title=zh:「日本鬼子」漫畫對抗中國責罵聲|language=Chinese|publisher=Singtao Daily|date=6 December 2010|access-date=21 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226073129/http://news.singtao.ca/toronto/2010-12-06/world1291629598d2884859.html|archive-date=26 February 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|date=24 November 2010|title=|script-title=zh:萬物皆可萌 日網友將「小日本」變身美少女|language=Chinese|publisher=NOWnews|url=http://www.nownews.com/2010/11/24/334-2667213.htm|access-date=21 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928151915/http://www.nownews.com/2010/11/24/334-2667213.htm|archive-date=2012-09-28}} In China, the term Riben guizi "日本鬼子" ({{zh|p=Rìběn guǐzi|l=Japanese devil}}) is a phrase used since World War II, and still used today, as a disparaging epithet against the Japanese. Japanese netizens chose to transform the normally racist and offensive phrase into a character which could be depicted as "cute" or moe, in an expression that the negative connotations behind the slur can be reversed. The creation of the character in 2010 follows the escalation of the Senkaku Islands dispute as a result of the fishing trawler collision incident which occurred not too long before, and was intended as a "hit back" response against growing anti-Japanese sentiment amongst Chinese netizens online and within the public opinion of Chinese people in general following the island dispute incident.

In Japanese, the slur 日本鬼子 is generally read as rīben guizu (リーベングイズ), a direct transliteration of the Mandarin rìběn guǐzi. However, the characters can be alternately read using kun'yomi and nanori readings as Hinomoto Oniko, which in Japanese resembles a female name. Within the Kun'yomi reading, the character's "surname" Hi no moto can have the literal meaning "origin of the sun", whilst Japanese given names ending in 子 (-ko) are considered feminine, and are generally used as girls' names{{cite book|last=Hakes|first=Molly|title=The Everything Conversational Japanese Book: Basic Instruction For Speaking This Fascinating Language In Any Setting|publisher=Everything Books|date=2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m2WaRtYHoUoC&q=%22Men%27s+names+are+often+long%22&pg=PA122|page=122|isbn=978-1-59337-147-0}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (for example, 山田花子 Yamada Hanako is a placeholder female name).{{cite web|script-title=ja:山田太郎から進化を続ける「名前例」|url=http://www.excite.co.jp/News/bit/E1328764726320.html|work=Excite Bit|publisher=Excite News|access-date=6 December 2012|language=Japanese|date=20 February 2012|trans-title='Example Names' Continue to Evolve beyond Yamada Tarō}}

The main design motif is based on the Oni in Japanese folklore. Since the character was designed to be a "personification" of the slur, she is portrayed as a young woman with long black hair and pale skin, often wearing a red kimono and demon horns, whilst holding various motifs unique to Japanese culture, such as a naginata and a hannya mask. She also can become more powerful when fighting or when provoked.{{cite web |title=キャラクター：日本鬼子 |url=http://hinomotoonikoproject.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-7.html |access-date=28 July 2024 |language=Japanese |date=March 25, 2013}}

"Konipon" (or Kohinomoto) (derived from another Chinese slur, Xiao riben "小日本" {{zh|p=xiǎo rìběn}}), who is depicted as a young girl of similar appearance, and also carries Japanese culture-related motifs along with her such as a katana as tall as her, and a pink kimono. She is shown to be very affectionate to people, due to her name in hiragana "こひのもと" being read as "The essence of love".{{cite web |title=キャラクター：小日本 |url=http://hinomotoonikoproject.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-8.html#more |website=日本鬼子 ポータルサイト |access-date=28 July 2024 |language=Japanese |date=March 25, 2013}} {{cite web |title=萌えキャラ『日本鬼子』に続き『小日本』が決定 日本人が萌えちゃってどうするの？ |url=https://getnews.jp/archives/86263 |website=ガジェット通信 |access-date=28 July 2024 |language=Japanese}}

• ISIS-chan

{{reflist}}

• [http://www16.atwiki.jp/hinomotooniko/ hinomotooniko@ウィキ]
• [https://twitter.com/oniko_project 鬼子プロジェクト (oniko_project) on Twitter]
• 1 November 2010, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtJqQZa9y8Q [NIHON ONOKO] Classic Japanese Idol [English Subtitles]], YouTube
• 2 November 2010, [http://www.chinahush.com/2010/11/02/japanese-netizens-turn-chinese-derogatory-term-into-beautiful-young-girl-anime-character/ Japanese Netizens turn Chinese derogatory term into beautiful young girl anime character], ChinaHush
• [http://bbs.tiexue.net/post2_4564816_1.html (万物皆可萌)日本鬼子萌化中---2CH萌娘日本鬼子]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100304131340/http://popgo.net/bbs/showthread.php?s= 日本鬼子萌化中]

Category:2channel

Category:Anti–East Asian slurs

Category:Internet memes introduced from Japan

Category:Moe anthropomorphism

Category:Anti-Japanese sentiment in China