Editorial: Five years after hate-speech law, progress is clear

July 16 , 2021

Progress has been tangible since the law banning hate speech was enacted in June 2016. There has been a significant decline in the number of hate speech incidents, including open outbursts and outdoor rallies. The courts have also moved firmly against offenders, forcing them to pay victims sizeable restitutions, while the general public has grown more aware that hate speech should not be tolerated.

Local governments, meanwhile, are working to establish their own regulations. The city of Kawasaki, which has a large resident Korean population, was the first in Japan to slap fines on hate speech perpetrators from July 2020, and other municipalities will soon be following suit.

Regrettably, discriminatory expressions directed to people of different nationalities and ethnicities show little sign of abating. Groups across Japan that strive to promote neighborly coexistence and exchange with local Japanese communities still suffer from ongoing harassment and threats. Just as galling, some candidates are running in elections on a platform of xenophobia and exclusion.

While the national government appears to be committed to combating hate speech, it must still step up with a viable initiative that includes public education and victims’ restitution. Among the areas of particular concern is the considerable amount of xenophobic flaming on the Internet. The Justice Ministry reported more than 20,000 hate speech cases from 2018 to 2020. Of these, social media service providers requested posters to delete some 1,200 postings—although 30% or so have refused to comply to date.

Komeito led the effort to ban hate speech that led to its legal prohibition five years ago, coming up with the law’s wording and securing agreement among other political parties.