August 16, 2026

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Yamazoe Taku (House of Councillors) on August 15 delivered a congratulatory address at the Liberation Day (Gwangbokjeol) ceremony held in Tokyo by the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan).

Yamazoe welcomed the increase in travel and exchanges between Japan and South Korea. However, he touched on the recent rise of xenophobia in Japan, stating that the primary cause is “the lack of reflection on Japan’s past war of aggression and colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula.”

Yamazoe cited his own Diet question calling for support for foreign nationals, including those from the Korean Peninsula, who were classified as former Class B and C war criminals. He said, “Before the war, Japan’s colonial rule had unilaterally designated them as Japanese. After the war, however, they were stripped of their nationality and became subjects of government control and exclusion. We absolutely cannot accept the policy of intensifying this exclusion once again.”

He also emphasized that taking advantage of election campaigns to spread hate speech is unacceptable and expressed his determination to persistently work toward realizing local voting rights, including the right to stand for election, for permanent foreign residents.