The leader of the chauvinist group in Japan made a statement implying the genocide of the Korean People on an internet broadcast. His remark is causing widespread repercussions among Korean and Japanese people living in Japan.

  Zaitokukai, the chauvinist group, which claims that the Korean people living in Japan harm Japanese society, is holding racist demonstrations in Korean town. Their infantile and extreme chorus of shouts and placards have an impact on Korean and Japanese people. Demonstrations in Shin-Ōkubo, Korean town in Tokyo, and Tsuruhashi, in Osaka are reported not only by domestic newspapers and websites but also by TV stations in South Korea. Extreme messages such as “Kill Koreans” raise a heated discussion in both countries.

  Makoto Sakurai, the leader of Zaitokukai, is making propaganda using the internet broadcasting service “Nico Nico Namahousou” almost every week. The program often continues for more than several hours and is full of insulting words and instigations to eliminate Korean people. The “Nico Nico Namahousou” is an interactive service where viewers can leave comments and contact the provider.  It is in the comment section that we can also see insulting, sometimes brutal words. The number of viewers of this program at times will go as high as ten thousand. It is evident that Zaitokkai has gained much wider support through these inflammatory programs.

  In the April 6th program, Sakurai Makoto made a problematic statement implying the urgent genocide of the Korean people. He made this statement responding to this viewer’s question “What would Zaitokukai do if fighting breaks out in the Korean Peninsula?” He answered “If fighting does break out and if we have a terrorist attack we will kill all the Korean people. Despite anyone’s objection we will surely do that”.

  Favorably interpreted, he might mean that he fears the possibility of terrorist attacks in Japan if fighting begins on the Korean Peninsula and that decisive measure will be needed against terrorism. But even in that case, how can he distinguish terrorists from ordinary Korean people? Why does he have right to punish them? His statement was made without any official authority and must likewise be judged as rather terroristic.

  We have an additional reason to interpret his statement as a declaration of indiscriminate massacre.  Japan has had past experiences regarding the genocide of Korean people. In 1923 Tokyo area was hit by a strong earthquake called “Kanto Daishinsai” and it caused extensive damage. After the earthquake, a rumor was spread that Korean people had put poison in a well and all Koreans were targeted for violence. Some reports claim that thousands of Korean people were killed at this time. So it’s quite natural that the Korean people take his declaration seriously and are seized with fears.

  “Niwango, Inc.”, the company that provides “Nico Nico Namahousou” service, has rules that prohibit the usage of discriminatory expressions, but they have not made any response to Sakurai’s program so far.