Japan Press Weekly

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2025 May 14 - 20 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Politics should be changed in order to eradicate hate speech

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Social media posts, demonstrations, and politicians’ statements talking about foreign residents and ethnic groups in Japan as if they are criminals and expressing hostility to them are appearing non-stop.

The number of non-Japanese residents topped 3.76 million as of the end of 2024. While mutual understanding of different cultures and ethnicities and the creation of a society of harmonious coexistence have been promoted, false statements are spreading that preferential treatment and special privileges given to foreigners in the field of social welfare have caused damage to local government’s finance and to Japanese people. A typical example is Democratic Party for the People head Tamaki Yuichiro’s remark in February regarding the use of the high-cost medical expenses benefit system by foreign nationals.

Foreigners, if they live in Japan, are obliged to enroll in the public health insurance scheme and pay insurance premiums. The argument that foreigners’ use of the insurance program, which is their right, places a financial burden on municipal finance is not true. In addition, the argument that Japan’s livelihood protection program should not cover foreign nationals is unacceptable. Foreigners with a certain status visa are eligible to receive welfare assistance. The welfare minister in the Diet had said that to exclude foreigners from the livelihood protection program is inappropriate from a humanitarian viewpoint.

The Constitution guarantees basic human rights “equally to foreigners living in Japan” (the 1978 Supreme Court ruling). After Japan ratified the International Covenants on Human Rights in 1979 and the UN Refugee Convention in 1981, non-Japanese residents were allowed to participate in the national health insurance system as well as in the public pension system based on the principle of “equality of treatment of nationals and non-nationals” in social security.

Regarding crimes committed by foreigners, the number of arrests for criminal offenses in 2023 was about one-third of the peak level experienced in 2005. This shows that the false claim of an “increase in foreigners’ crimes” is a hoax. It is a matter of course that criminals regardless of their nationalities should be cracked down on. However, on social media sites, secretly photographed Kurdish children and young people living in southern Saitama Prefecture who have nothing to do with crimes have been characterized on posts as “criminals” and there are wide-spread vicious rumors like the one that the population in that area decreased due to worsening security conditions. Although only 2,000 Kurdish live in the region, triggered by vicious rumors, anti-Kurdish demonstrations and campaign speeches have been taking place. The Justice Ministry in 2019 issued a notification across the country calling for proper measures to deal with racist street speeches under the pretext of “election campaigning”. The ministry notification explained that election campaigns should not encourage or support calls for discrimination.

To change politics will lead to eradicating hate speech that stirs up social divisions and violence.