Rude Japanese history: how compact cameras offended an entire race of people.

Japan historically has struggled with extremism, and while the more violent aspects are well known, there are some comical ones, too.

Have you ever called a camera a racial slur? I never have, but many Japanese people in the 1970s did. Compact cameras were popular and easy to use – so easy, in fact, that some people joked that even an idiot or a Korean could use one (馬鹿でもチョンでも). This led to the cameras being called 馬鹿チョンカメラ. Every time one was mentioned, the Korean people were grossly insulted. They obviously didn't take well to this, and as early as 1975, Korean groups complained about Prince Takahito's comment that he should have taken a "stupid Korean camera" to Egypt. By 1992, books were being recalled over the term, and by 2008, it was banned from broadcast.

Out of all archaic terms, I would really recommend avoiding this one.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%90%E3%82%AB%E3%83%81%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3