There was a major hate speech rally in Kumamoto today. I was completely unaware that such an event had been planned until I saw these pictures posted by friend and Kumamoto International participant Otis McCulloch. (Thanks Otis!)

I did a little research and learned that this was the real deal, so to speak. This even was coordinated with another one in Shinjuku, Tokyo that occurred simultaneously. It was led by none other than Japan’s most infamous hate monger, Makoto Sakurai:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makoto_Sakurai

Here’s a YouTube video of Sakurai spewing invective today in Shinjuku:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDE8LL7TWYs

Start viewing at about 43:45 to hear Sakurai’s hate speech. At 45:40 or so he mentions the connection with today’s demonstration in Kumamoto. At 46:10 he says 朝鮮人を叩き出せ (beat Koreans out of Japan!). I thought that he was going to try to uphold a superficial pose of criticizing the government of Korea but, in resurrecting this slogan, he affirmed that he is still an unabashed purveyor of hate toward people of Korean ancestry in Japan.

There were warnings in Japanese and English about this event as planned for Tokyo:

https://twitter.com/hashtag/0203NoPasaran?src=hash

—- Quote starts —- DATE & TIME: Feb 3, 2019 (Sun) 13:00 GATHER AROUND: Shinjuku Central Park (Shinjuku Chuo Koen) TARGET: Anti-Korea Demonstration by Japan First Party CALLED BY: Counter-Racist Action Collective Counterprotest against hate march held by racist JFP. Tokyo Metropolitan Government enacted anti-discrimination ordinance last year but it was just for show for forthcoming Olympic games. Meanwhile Shinjuku ward office decided to stop issuing rally permissions in all the parks it runs except Shinjuku Central Park. The decision is also made for purpose of reducing hate speech rallies in Shinjuku but has obviously derived no effect at the moment. And now Japan’s worst and ugliest hate mongers, Japan First Party are planning rally and march just in front of Metropolitan Government building. All we should do is to show Mayor Koike and officers what happens as a result of their omissions. No Pasaran. [ATTENTION] ・The march does’nt go straightforward from the park exit. It will turn left or right just after the start. ・Take subway Oedo Line for your swift move to Shinjuku station area. ・Beware of violent right wingers under screen of antifascist crowd (see pictures above). — Quote ends — http://crac.jp

I wasn’t able to find much about the event in Kumamoto, however.

I think it’s interesting that the media seems to be ignoring this. Neither Otis nor I have been able to find a Japanese news report, much less anything in English (admittedly, it’s probably too soon for English but Japanese should be pretty quick). On the one hand, I know from experience that the Japanese media tend not to want to give these folks the publicity they seek. Part of my sympathizes with that sentiment but, on the other hand, I think that citizens have a right to know what has happened in their communities and why. As Otis has pointed out, Japan has an anti-hate-speech law that one might expect to preempt such rallies:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_Speech_Act_of_2016_(Japan)

Citizens have a right to know who approved the rallies and why. And why was Kumamoto the partner site? Perhaps because other communities said “no”? That’s something else I think Japanese citizens have a right to know about. For these reasons, I’m troubled by the idea that the “silent treatment” is the best approach.

– Kirk

P.S. Here are some Japanese announcements about the event here in Kumamoto:

https://ameblo.jp/doronpa01/entry-12436280081.html http://www.koudouhosyu.info/kyusyu/scheduler.cgi?mode=view&no=144

Now I see that they were trying to connect this to Setsubun, today’s holiday, but suggesting that Koreans are devils and that Setsubun is the day when devils must be exterminated (鬼退治).