You’re totally right that the story was first written down in China, but I would say a few things to justify using the character/story

-one can readily understand it more as a taoist or buddhist story, and not explicitly a “Chinese story”

-when does appropriation become adoption? Let’s assume the concept of cultural appropriation is even valid (I don’t think so but in a way your point includes that assumption). Hasn’t, like Lady Liberty (from France’s Liberté, or the “common ancestor” of both, Rome’s LIBERTAS), the Monkey King successfully bridged the gap between two (or more) nations?

-I think that, when considering their common origin (Chinese and Japanese that is, and Asians more broadly)cultural overlap ceases to be problematic in any way, though I obviously only speak for myself with that, retarded misdirections of Nationalism seem to be part and parcel with Asia

It would be better to use Susanoo for something like that, wouldn't it?

-Who? (Just kidding [not really, that’s actually my point with this bit])

You’re totally right that the story was first written down in China, but I would say a few things to justify using the character/story

-one can readily understand it more as a taoist or buddhist story, and not explicitly a “Chinese story”

-when does appropriation become adoption? Let’s assume the concept of cultural appropriation is even valid (I don’t think so but in a way your point includes that assumption). Hasn’t, like Lady Liberty (from France’s Liberté, or the “common ancestor” of both, Rome’s LIBERTAS), the Monkey King successfully bridged the gap between two (or more) nations?

-I think that, when considering their common origin (Chinese and Japanese that is, and Asians more broadly)cultural overlap ceases to be problematic in any way

It would be better to use Susanoo for something like that, wouldn't it?

-Who? (Just kidding [not really, that’s actually my point with this bit])