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Japanese step up against anti-Korea demonstrations


As anti-Korea sentiment in Japan boils over, some Japanese citizens are stepping up to protest the negativity.

According to Yonhap News Agency, around 100 Japanese citizens held a rally in Koreatown of Tokyo on Sunday to counter anti-Korea demonstrations. Pro-Korean Japanese picketed to protest the demonstration by hundreds of members from far-right groups.

The participants of pro-Korea rally organized online and urged against anti-Korean sentiment by holding signs bearing words “Let’s be friends” and “No to discrimination.”

Some members of the groups collided physically, forcing the local police to intervene.

Anti-Korea sentiment in Japan has gone up recently due to territorial and historical disputes between the two countries, such as the sovereign control over Dokdo islets and “comfort women” issues.

Groups such as “Zainichitokken-o Yurusanai Shiminno Kai“ (Civil Group opposing privileges of Korean-Japanese) have regularly held protests to insult Koreans and urge them to leave Japan. According to witnesses, some have even held signs demanding “Koreans should be hanged” or “sent to a gas chamber.”

The excessive anger has even alerted the rightists in Japan. Suzuki Kunio, a senior advisor for nationalist group Issuikai, said such anti-Korean sentiments were neither nationalistic nor in line with right-wing politics.

Last week, liberal Japanese lawmakers held an assembly to protest anti-foreign and racist rallies.

One of the hosts, Arita Yoshihu of the Democratic Party, said the protests have “gone over the line.”

“Calling out for death of Koreans is not a freedom of speech. The situation cannot be tolerated,” Arita said.



By Yoon Min-sik and news reports

(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)