Hate Speech on Media

Every eve of voting day of national election, Akihabara becomes space for right wing festival. Liberal Democratic Party again chose the place for final rally in their election campaign. Conservative activists gathered to cheer for right-leaning political leaders, represented by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Not only supporting LDP, those people denounced left-leaning media, Asahi Shimbun, to get out of there. It was typical hate speech, which was crime. Taking advantage of their freedom of speech, right wing people embarrassingly showed no regret violating other’s freedom of speech.

A half hour before 8 p.m. on Saturday night, which was the last campaign speech, Abe was appealing his achievement in economic policies, while harshly dismissing previous administration led by Democratic Party of Japan. “Even if there is some problem in current cheap yen, high rate of yen in DPJ administration was definitely wrong, you know,” stressed Abe. Approximately two thousand listeners surrounded him in front of Akihabara station cheered, waving the Sun Flag that right wing activists had distributed.

LDP has been making final campaign event in Akihabara in these elections. Firstly, LDP leaders targeted “otaku” people, who were interested in cartoon or girly costume. Akihabara had been said as holy place for otaku culture. Marginalized by mainstream in the society, otaku people were feeling isolated in politics. LDP tried to send message that the party was hearing their voices. In return, otaku people accepted right-wing message from LDP. So, final campaign in Akihabara became to look like right-wing rally.

The rally partly showed an aspect close to meeting of Ku Klux Klan in terms of hating someone. After the speech of Abe finished, one old man started chanting “Asahi, go home” toward press corps. Some responded him saying “betrayer.” Others reiterated “garbage, garbage, garbage.” One man screamed “Dismantle Asahi and NHK.” Hysteric barks spread one after the others. Journalists who reported the event did not responded to those dirty words. Although police office dispatched a number of policemen for security, there was no police who tried to stop those abuse of right-wing people.

“Go home” can consist hate crime. In hate speech of Zaitoku-kai, they required Korean-Japanese to go back to Korean Peninsula. Their crime violating other’s human rights was recognized by the Supreme Court few days before. Asahi-haters in Akihabara did the same thing as Zaitoku-kai. It was fundamentally sad for Japanese people that those hate speakers did not fully understand freedom of speech. They thought they were protected not by democracy, but by Abe administration. They thought they could say anything as long as they would support Abe. We cannot help call them barbarians