Rethinking the Root of Xenophobia in Contemporary Japan

• In Event: 455 - Regular Session. Racism and Anti-Racism: International Perspectives

Abstract

This paper considers so-called "Xenophobia" in contemporary Japan as a postcolonial problem.
From 2008, ultra-right groups started spreading racist discourse not only in the Internet but also in the streets. The leading group in “Xenophobia” in Japan is “Zainichi Tokken wo Yurusanai Shimin no Kai [在日特権を許さない市民の会; meaning Citizens against the Special Privileges of Koreans in Japan]”, abbreviated as "Zaitokukai". Since their inauguration in 2007, hey attack museums, teachers union, TV station, drug company and Korean schools; from 2013, they started street demonstration in Tokyo and Osaka, spreading racist hatred such as "Kill all the Koreans, both good and bad" "We will massacre Koreans".
At the same time, activists, politicians and academia in Japan started counter-movements from 2013. They regard this issue as serious xenophobia in Japan and have been expecting new legislation on anti-hate speech.
However, regarding this racist action as xenophobia that has to do with the right and status of foreigners in Japan might underestimate the seriousness of this issue and overlook the background of this problem. In this paper, I argue that it is Japan's immigration control system that keeps ethnic minority as "foreigner" and trivialize the problem as that has nothing to do with the vast majority of Japanese society.

Author

• Sara Park, Kyoto University