This article focuses on the case of anti-Korean sentiment and the rise of an ultranationalist “netizen” (a citizen of the Internet) movement in Japan—a topic which resonates particularly in South Korea, where images of anti-Korean attitudes in Japan abound exacerbating Japan-ROK relations. In particular, the article advances two objectives. First, it addresses the ambiguity in understanding the rise of Japanese right-wing extremism—namely, what issues triggered their emergence and breadth of influence. Some argue that emotional and extreme expressions of rage over history are recent—they point to trends of neoliberal market reform and the advent of the internet. Others argue that these sentiments are rooted in a long trajectory of resentment over colonization. Are the tensions triggered by increasing nationalism, or concerns over economic decline? Questions also abound as to who is driving this phenomenon and the nature of the impact they have on shaping the perceptions of mainstream Japanese. Is the movement propelled by a small group of economically precarious extremists who are largely isolated from Japanese society or is the scope of their influence much more expansive? Answers to these questions can shed light on Japanese extremism as well as Korean views of Japan.

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