Black Lives Matter Triggers Unrest On Racism Issues In Japan

Photo illustration (Cooper Baumgartner / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Protests over the death of blacks George Floyd around the world have not subsided. In Japan, thousands of protesters in Tokyo took part in the 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) movement to voice anti-racism on Sunday, June 14.

The protesters who took to the streets in Shibuya and Harajuku were seen lining up neatly while chanting anti-racism sentences. They also carry a variety of messages against racism, such as "Racism is a pandemic" or "There is no justice, no peace."

One of the protesters, Shu Fukui, revealed that this action was a small part of another action that was spreading around the world. He, who just graduated from university, considered the viral video showing the cruelty of a white policeman pinning Floyd's neck to be unforgivable.

"It is not enough just to send out prayers. We need to change society, not only for George Floyd, but also for those who died in the past," he said.

Not only that. Several others also stated that their attendance at demonstrations was solidarity because in Japan itself the problem of racism still frequently arises. Especially, racism towards those of ethnic Chinese and Korean origin.

“In Japan, there are right-wing people who discriminate against other races. And Koreans and Chinese in Japan are exposed to lots of hate speech. These things must not be tolerated and we must oppose this, ”said another protester, Naho Ida.

As proof that racism has not disappeared from the Land of the Rising Sun, a few weeks ago the NHK radio broadcaster had downloaded an animated video via Twitter about protests in the US that sparked anger among Japanese citizens.

In his comments, the announcer criticized the BLM actions and ostracized black people. Inevitably, the announcer immediately apologized and deleted his upload last week.