The biggest problem between Japan and China is their lack of mutual understanding -- due largely to prejudice and ignorance, said Akiko Aoki, a former host for China Radio International, the sole Chinese national radio station broadcasting programs overseas.
"My conclusion after my five-year stay in Beijing is that Japanese know nothing about the Chinese, and the Chinese know nothing about Japan," Aoki told The Japan Times in an interview.
This has often led to misunderstandings, she said, such as when Japan Airlines offended Chinese passengers in January 2001 by giving them sandwiches as they waited for their flight to take off during bad weather, not realizing Chinese rarely eat cold meals.