A Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to school in China on Sept. 18. That¡¯s the date when, nearly a century earlier in 1931, Japan invaded China.

The child, who was 10 years old, was pronounced dead the next morning. The police arrested a 44-year-old man at the scene who they said had confessed to the attack. Japan¡¯s leaders demanded answers. The Chinese government, calling the attack an ¡°isolated incident,¡± told Japan to calm down and stop ¡°politicizing¡± the killing.

Some Chinese people believe the boy was a victim of surging anti-Japanese sentiment fueled by China¡¯s government with a virulent nationalism that is taught in schools and reflected online and in state media.