VOX POPULI: Propaganda research shows Japan skews more susceptible
Hong Kong natives living in Japan rally in a pro-democracy protest on June 9, 2024, in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, marking the fifth anniversary of the massive protest in Hong Kong. (Emi Iwata)
Let me be clear. Every person has their own story to live out.
If the story is of your choice and also to your liking, good for you. But you aren't always so lucky.
Sometimes, the story is forced on you by the powers that be. And even more menacing is a story you are unknowingly duped into accepting.
I visited Tetsuro Kobayashi, 47, a Waseda University professor researching the effects of propaganda on public opinion by authoritarian regimes. What interested me was that Kobayashi's focus is on the parties being manipulated, not the manipulators.
According to Kobayashi, a survey taken in nine countries and regions showed the Japanese people to be outstandingly 'demo-phobic.' In Japan, there apparently is a tendency to loathe people who engage in political activism.
The freedom to hold demonstrations is fundamental to democracy. And yet, to do so is seen as disrupting harmony. How irrational.
This sort of social climate is said to explain Japan's 'vulnerability' to Chinese and Russian propaganda.
For instance, during the Hong Kong democracy movement, China propagated the 'narrative' that the CIA was behind the uprising, which was believed more readily by Japan's demonstration haters, regardless of whether they were pro-Beijing or anti-Beijing.
Other research results also indicate the overall gullibility of Japanese public opinion when exposed to propaganda.
Usually, we watch the news and learn, before we come across 'nonfactual' information consisting essentially of rumors and conspiracy theories.
But because the latter are new and sensational in nature, they tend to grab our attention and 'overwrite' what we've learned.
'This is hard to deal with, but the important thing is for us to be aware that it happens,' said Kobayashi.
Nodding deeply in agreement, I wondered: 'Isn't there anything we can do to change people's demo-phobia?'
—The Asahi Shimbun, June 26
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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