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The Mainichi
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Politicians focus on foreigners ahead of election: Our 5 most-read stories from last week
We've listed our five most read stories on The Mainichi news site, from top to bottom, that were published between July 5 and 13. The first story was viewed by 21.8% of our regular readers. (The Mainichi) NHK Party head Tachibana targets Black and Muslim groups in Japan as 'scary' KAKOGAWA, Hyogo -- House of Councillors election candidate Takashi Tachibana, leader of the political group NHK Party, made xenophobic remarks during a stump speech in this western Japan city July 4, saying, "It's scary when groups of Black and Muslim people hang out in front of train stations." Full story. Japan political parties pledging restrictions on foreigners with eye on conservative votes TOKYO -- As the July 20 House of Representatives election approaches, political parties in Japan have been proposing restrictions on accepting foreigners and stricter measures on dealing with them. Sanseito, which is proposing a "Japanese first" policy, has garnered support, and it appears that other conservative parties are also fishing for votes. While foreign workers are increasingly being accepted into Japan to make up for labor shortages, one expert warns that if exclusionism spreads, it could endanger democracy itself. Full story. 'Mom, who gave you these?' Foreigners in Japan with no status wish to work to exit poverty TOKYO -- In Japan's July 20 upper house election, a number of political parties have pledged restrictions and tighter measures for foreign nationals if they are voted in. Amid this situation, a foreign woman in Yokohama who has lost her residency status and now lives in poverty on "provisional release," expressed her wish to continue living in Japan, saying, "I want my sick child to receive due medical care." Full story. 46% of Japan workers who experienced 'gray zone harassment' considered quitting: poll TOKYO -- Have you ever witnessed someone at work start a preachy talk reminiscing about the "good ol' days" or offer unsolicited advice? Such behavior, while not qualifying as outright harassment, can cause discomfort, constituting "gray zone harassment." A recent survey by a private firm in Japan has shed light on how this behavior is gradually eroding a working environment. Full story. Japan sees marriage registration rush on first 'triple 7' day in 30 years TOKYO -- Japan saw a flurry of marriage registrations on July 7, which marked the first time in 30 years that the Japanese era, month and day all aligned with the number seven, with 2025 being the seventh year of Japan's current Reiwa era. Full story.
Tokyo Weekender
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Tokyo Weekender
NHK Party Leader Takashi Tachibana Calls Black and Muslim People ‘Scary'
Donning a MAGA cap and his trademark colorful suit, NHK Party leader Takashi Tachibana addressed a crowd in front of JR Kakogawa Station in Hyogo Prefecture on Friday. The controversial politician, who is running in the House of Councillors race for the Hyogo electoral district, started the stump speech by stating that he is 'afraid of foreigners.' He then added, 'You might not feel as much fear with white people.' List of Contents: Takashi Tachibana's Latest Controversial Remarks Foreigners 'Disrespect Japanese Culture' Says Conservative Party of Japan Leader Related Posts Takashi Tachibana's Latest Controversial Remarks Tachibana went on to say , 'It's scary when groups of Black people or people of Islamic background are gathered in front of the station. It's impossible to walk past at night when there are four or five them frolicking in front of you, and you don't know if they speak Japanese. The current law doesn't allow us to regulate them, so we can't tell them to go away.' Tachibana, who previously suggested that genocide is the solution to overpopulation and that 'we should just wipe out races that have babies like idiots,' was attacked in March, not by a foreigner, but a Japanese national. He was cut on his head and neck with a machete-like weapon, though his injuries were not serious. Suspect Shion M iyanishi , who was arrested at the scene, told the police he 'intended to kill' Tachibana. Foreigners 'Disrespect Japanese Culture' Says Conservative Party of Japan Leader Tachibana wasn't the only Japanese politician to voice controversial views about foreigners over the past few days. During a stump speech on Saturday, Naoki Hyakuta, leader of the minor right-wing opposition Conservative Party of Japan, said that foreign people 'disrespect Japanese culture, ignore the rules, assault Japanese people and steal their belongings. In northern Kanto you see many towns like this that are no-go zones. If we don't do something about it; Japan's public safety will be threatened.' The right-wing populist party Sanseito, meanwhile, has been gaining a lot of attention due to its 'Japanese First' approach. Speaking at the FCCJ last Thursday, leader Sohei Kamiya insisted that this approach was 'not based on xenophobia.' Responding to a question about immigration, he said, 'Our party is not in favor of accepting migrants to substitute for the drop in Japan's population,' adding, 'Please understand we're not intending to exclude foreign workers who are here legally. We just believe cheap foreign labor is not the right way.' Related Posts Foreign Residents Sue Japanese Government for Racial Profiling US Embassy Tweets About Suspected Racial Profiling in Japan Racism in Japan: A Conversation With Anthropology Professor John G. Russell
The Mainichi
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
NHK Party head Tachibana targets Black and Muslim groups in Japan as 'scary'
KAKOGAWA, Hyogo -- House of Councillors election candidate Takashi Tachibana, leader of the political group NHK Party, made xenophobic remarks during a stump speech in this western Japan city July 4, saying, "It's scary when groups of Black and Muslim people hang out in front of train stations." Tachibana, who is running in the July 20 upper house race for the Hyogo electoral district, began his speech by saying, "Six years ago, I was afraid of fee collectors for (public broadcaster) NHK. But recently, I am afraid of foreigners." He prefaced his statements with, "You might not feel as much fear with white people," and, "This may be considered discrimination." He continued, "If the government doesn't provide welfare to foreigners, they'll come attacking it without a doubt," and discussed his views on "the deterioration of public safety" as a backdrop to the emergence of "Japanese-first" public opinion. He concluded by saying, "I never used to have such an exclusionary feeling, but it has changed into a strong sentiment." (Mainichi)
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Social Media and Elections: Outdated System / Surrogate Candidates Threaten Fairness of Japan's Elections, Causing Local Govts to Lose Patience
This is the fourth installment in a series that examines the challenges faced by the nation's election system, which has been criticized as outdated. *** 'As a candidate, I will seek to be elected.' This is the sort of oath that candidates running for the Tottori-Shimane constituency in the House of Councillors election this summer must now submit, after a decision by the joint election commission for Tottori and Shimane prefectures. Though the oath seems to state the obvious, officials decided on the measure to prevent so-called double-horsepower campaigning, according to the commission's director general. In double-horsepower campaigning, candidates run in elections not to win, but to help another candidate secure victory. The Public Offices Election Law limits the number of election campaign cars and flyers per candidate. Double-horsepower campaigning effectively doubles the amount of resources for a candidate, threatening the fairness of elections. Swaying the Hyogo election Double-horsepower campaigning was a prominent part of the Hyogo gubernatorial election in November, which was won by Gov. Motohiko Saito. The election was held after a whistleblower accused the governor of using his position to commit misconduct, such as harassment of others in the workplace, also called power harassment. The Hyogo prefectural assembly passed a no-confidence motion against Saito, who subsequently lost his position. In the gubernatorial election that followed, Takashi Tachibana, leader of the NHK Party political group, became a candidate. 'I will offer legally valid support for Mr. Saito,' he said. After Saito would deliver a speech, Tachibana would show up and tell those still left in the audience that Saito had never requested gifts or engaged in power harassment, and that TV stations were attempting to brainwash people. A third-party panel, which investigated the allegations against Saito, reported in March that it had found 10 cases of power harassment by the governor. Although the panel did not find any illegality in the alleged acceptance of gifts, it asserted that it was generally true that he had brought back many local products he received during his work trips. In the latter half of the election campaign, from Nov. 8 to 16, Saito's team posted advance notices on X about street canvassing at 40 locations. On eight of these days, Tachibana scheduled his election campaigning to take place at 16 locations that seemed to track Saito's schedule. He was in Tokyo for one day to see Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who was meeting with parliamentary groups in the Diet building. 'I wanted to know what was true about the allegations against Mr. Saito, and Mr. Tachibana gave me the answers,' said a woman in her 60s who supports the Hyogo governor. On a given day during the campaign period, posts on X referring to Saito and Tachibana outnumbered by about 80% to 820% those referencing former Amagasaki City Mayor Kazumi Inamura, who was running against Saito, according to analysis by University of Tokyo Prof. Fujio Toriumi. On seven of the 17 days in the campaign period, posts touching on Tachibana alone exceeded those referring to Inamura. 'Tachibana is an influencer who has a large number of followers,' said a person who was close with the Inamura team. 'I believe he significantly impacted the election results.' Dubious legality When Tachibana announced his candidacy for the Chiba gubernatorial election in March, he did not seek support for himself. Instead, he indicated he would back Gov. Toshihito Kumagai. But he withdrew because Kumagai said his support would be 'unwelcome.' During the election campaign, Tachibana gave roadside speeches outside Chiba Prefecture, such as in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures, and continued to relate his own theories about the problems in Hyogo Prefecture, which were unrelated to the gubernatorial election. The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has noted that surrogate candidacies may be against the Public Offices Election Law, since it limits the number of election campaign cars and flyers per candidate. However, the law has no specific clause banning the practice, and it does not account for candidates not seeking to win themselves. 'Double-horsepower campaigning obviously harms the fairness of elections and poses serious problems,' said Prof. Airo Hino of Waseda University. 'If elections continue to be conducted inappropriately, it will increase distrust in the electoral system. Effective countermeasures should be taken at the earliest possible stage.' Slow to act 'We must move quickly to determine how election campaigns should be run, and do so in a way that will satisfy everyone,' Ishiba said in February as he answered a question at the Diet. At a meeting of the election campaigns council on April 1, ruling and opposition parties agreed to give top priority to discussing how to handle double-horsepower campaigning. However, changes are not expected to be made in time for the upper house election this summer. As for the written oaths introduced in Tottori and Shimane prefectures, they are not legally binding. 'Individual constituencies shouldn't have to do this,' said Shimane Gov. Tatsuya Maruyama at a news conference on April 22. 'We're forced to clean up the mess caused by the failure at the national level to establish an election system.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Surrogate Candidates Threaten Social Media and Elections: Outdated System / Fairness of Japan's Elections, Causing Local Govts to Lose Patience
This is the fourth installment in a series that examines the challenges faced by the nation's election system, which has been criticized as outdated. *** 'As a candidate, I will seek to be elected.' This is the sort of oath that candidates running for the Tottori-Shimane constituency in the House of Councillors election this summer must now submit, after a decision by the joint election commission for Tottori and Shimane prefectures. Though the oath seems to state the obvious, officials decided on the measure to prevent so-called double-horsepower campaigning, according to the commission's director general. In double-horsepower campaigning, candidates run in elections not to win, but to help another candidate secure victory. The Public Offices Election Law limits the number of election campaign cars and flyers per candidate. Double-horsepower campaigning effectively doubles the amount of resources for a candidate, threatening the fairness of elections. Swaying the Hyogo election Double-horsepower campaigning was a prominent part of the Hyogo gubernatorial election in November, which was won by Gov. Motohiko Saito. The election was held after a whistleblower accused the governor of using his position to commit misconduct, such as harassment of others in the workplace, also called power harassment. The Hyogo prefectural assembly passed a no-confidence motion against Saito, who subsequently lost his position. In the gubernatorial election that followed, Takashi Tachibana, leader of the NHK Party political group, became a candidate. 'I will offer legally valid support for Mr. Saito,' he said. After Saito would deliver a speech, Tachibana would show up and tell those still left in the audience that Saito had never requested gifts or engaged in power harassment, and that TV stations were attempting to brainwash people. A third-party panel, which investigated the allegations against Saito, reported in March that it had found 10 cases of power harassment by the governor. Although the panel did not find any illegality in the alleged acceptance of gifts, it asserted that it was generally true that he had brought back many local products he received during his work trips. In the latter half of the election campaign, from Nov. 8 to 16, Saito's team posted advance notices on X about street canvassing at 40 locations. On eight of these days, Tachibana scheduled his election campaigning to take place at 16 locations that seemed to track Saito's schedule. He was in Tokyo for one day to see Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who was meeting with parliamentary groups in the Diet building. 'I wanted to know what was true about the allegations against Mr. Saito, and Mr. Tachibana gave me the answers,' said a woman in her 60s who supports the Hyogo governor. On a given day during the campaign period, posts on X referring to Saito and Tachibana outnumbered by about 80% to 820% those referencing former Amagasaki City Mayor Kazumi Inamura, who was running against Saito, according to analysis by University of Tokyo Prof. Fujio Toriumi. On seven of the 17 days in the campaign period, posts touching on Tachibana alone exceeded those referring to Inamura. 'Tachibana is an influencer who has a large number of followers,' said a person who was close with the Inamura team. 'I believe he significantly impacted the election results.' Dubious legality When Tachibana announced his candidacy for the Chiba gubernatorial election in March, he did not seek support for himself. Instead, he indicated he would back Gov. Toshihito Kumagai. But he withdrew because Kumagai said his support would be 'unwelcome.' During the election campaign, Tachibana gave roadside speeches outside Chiba Prefecture, such as in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures, and continued to relate his own theories about the problems in Hyogo Prefecture, which were unrelated to the gubernatorial election. The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has noted that surrogate candidacies may be against the Public Offices Election Law, since it limits the number of election campaign cars and flyers per candidate. However, the law has no specific clause banning the practice, and it does not account for candidates not seeking to win themselves. 'Double-horsepower campaigning obviously harms the fairness of elections and poses serious problems,' said Prof. Airo Hino of Waseda University. 'If elections continue to be conducted inappropriately, it will increase distrust in the electoral system. Effective countermeasures should be taken at the earliest possible stage.' Slow to act 'We must move quickly to determine how election campaigns should be run, and do so in a way that will satisfy everyone,' Ishiba said in February as he answered a question at the Diet. At a meeting of the election campaigns council on April 1, ruling and opposition parties agreed to give top priority to discussing how to handle double-horsepower campaigning. However, changes are not expected to be made in time for the upper house election this summer. As for the written oaths introduced in Tottori and Shimane prefectures, they are not legally binding. 'Individual constituencies shouldn't have to do this,' said Shimane Gov. Tatsuya Maruyama at a news conference on April 22. 'We're forced to clean up the mess caused by the failure at the national level to establish an election system.'
