The Japanese city of Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, is set to become the first in the country to introduce regulations to help stop the spread of hate speech in
The Japanese city of Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, is set to become the first in the country to introduce regulations to help stop the spread of hate speech in public.
Home to a large Korean population, Kawasaki has seen a rise in far-right nationalist protesters targeting migrants in recent years.
Under the new guidelines, expected to take effect by the end of March, the City Council in Kawasaki will ban hate speech demonstrators from using parks and other public facilities to promote discrimination.
Choi Kang-Ija, an ethnic Korean leader, says the demonstrators often called her community “cockroaches” and “maggots” during public protests in Kawasaki.
“They used megaphones, placards or flags, speakers from cars. They wanted to embarrass us,” says Choi.
The decision on whether to give groups permission to use public facilities will be based on their past activities, online history and background checks on protesters.
Local officials will also issue warnings to groups that promote discrimination.
However, these groups will not be subject to any criminal penalties, a position also reflected in a national hate speech law introduced in Japan in 2016.
Choi, who has addressed Japan’s national parliament on the issue of discrimination, questions whether the law is strong enough to curb hate speech.
“That national law says that hate speech should not be tolerated. It doesn’t use the word ‘prohibited’. I don’t think the law can stop anything,” she says. “However, based on the current legislation, all local governments can work on implementing their own rules.”
Kyoto and Aichi Prefectures are considering introducing similar guidelines to help stop nationalist demonstrations.
Far-right groups have tried to intimidate Korean communities in cities across Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
