Peaceful protest against APA hotel attacked by ultra-right wing activists in Japan

There were also some 100 ultra-right wing activists gathering in front of the APA hotel, holding Japanese national flags and other flags in protest against the peaceful parade.

"The parade is aimed at upholding friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people," said a female organizer of the parade, who added that the APA incident only embodies the distorted views of a small number of ultra-right wing forces in Japan, but not the majority of Japanese people.

"As peace-loving Chinese, we shall hold in check such ultra-right voices in Japan that hurt friendship between the peoples of China and Japan," she said.

There were also some Japanese people supporting the demonstrators, holding banners with slogans such as "Nanjing Massacre is true" and "Stop the words and deeds of hatred" in protest against the ultra-right wing forces.

The organizer of the 8th Asian Winter Games (AWG) has recently requested the APA hotel in Sapporo, designated as one of the official reception hotels for athletes, to remove the right-wing books placed in the guest rooms.

The organizing committee is also making new accomodation arrangement for Chinese athletes who were previously scheduled to stay in scandal-hit APA hotel, according to an official of the organizer of AWG.

South Korea's top sports body has also demanded Japan to change a hotel for its athletes from the right-wing Japanese hotel chain.