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Asahi Shimbun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Assembly faces flak over move against member who backs Kurds
The city assembly of Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, adopts a resolution regarding assembly member Megumi Fukushima on Aug. 4. (Jin Naganuma) TSURUGASHIMA, Saitama Prefecture—After being pushed into a corner by online critics and her colleagues, an assembly member here who seeks to end discrimination against foreigners is gradually gaining support. Earlier this month, the city assembly of Tsurugashima in Saitama Prefecture adopted a resolution calling on member Megumi Fukushima to refrain from using her official title in posts on social media. The problem was that her posts, such as 'Oppose discrimination against foreigners,' were angering certain elements, leading to bomb and death threats. The 18-seat assembly's unusual resolution was approved in the name of ensuring safety. But reports of the resolution have now raised criticism against the assembly. Yoko Shida, a professor of constitutional law at Musashino Art University, said that for assembly members, public expression via social media and street activities 'is a crucial form of communication, and the right to explicitly state their official title falls under freedom of expression.' Shida said the Tsurugashima city assembly's request to Fukushima to refrain from using her title 'constitutes a restriction on her freedom of speech.' Whatever the case, Fukushima said she has no intention to comply with the resolution, which is not legally binding. BATTLING 'HATE SPEECH' Tsurugashima is a bedroom community of around 70,000 people located near the center of the prefecture. Fukushima, 44, who was born and raised in the city, was first elected to the assembly in 2023, running as an independent. She gained 827 votes. She is one of three female assembly members and is its second-youngest member. Fukushima has been active on social media platforms, such as X and YouTube, and identifies herself as a member of the Tsurugashima city assembly. Her posts oppose discrimination against foreigners, including the Kurdish community in the prefecture. Her content also shows herself protesting 'hate speech' sites. According to Fukushima, the backlash against her surged immediately after she posted in March about her attendance at a Kurdish festival. In mid-June, one of her critics uploaded a post on X that included the city government's phone number and urged people to 'make protest calls' against Fukushima. Over two months to late July, the city government and the city assembly secretariat received about 150 opinions regarding Fukushima's words and actions through emails and telephone calls. The majority of messages demanded her resignation or stated she 'lacks the dignity of an assembly member.' In response, Yoshihiro Uchino, 60, chairman of the city assembly, asked Fukushima on three separate occasions to refrain from posting on her social media accounts. Fukushima refused, saying, 'Local assembly members who fight against discrimination are needed.' The situation took a dark turn on the evening of July 22, when a message was delivered through the city's online contact form. It stated: 'During July, I will kidnap and stab to death Tsurugashima city assembly member Megumi Fukushima with a knife. I will bomb Tsurugashima city hall at 1 p.m. on July 25.' City officials immediately consulted with Saitama prefectural police. According to the city assembly secretariat, the assembly held an all-member meeting the following day, July 23, to discuss how to respond to the threat. But Fukushima did not attend. Citing disruptions to city hall operations and identifying Fukushima's public statements as a contributing factor, the assembly decided to issue a resolution. 'I thought the city assembly needed to take some kind of action to quell the turmoil,' said Motomitsu Yamanaka, 62, a member of the assembly's Komeito faction who proposed the resolution. Due to the threatening message, the assembly canceled an Aug. 3 event planned for elementary school students to experience and learn about the city assembly system. Tadayoshi Ota, 76, an assembly member of the Japanese Communist Party faction, said, 'I supported the submission of the resolution out of a desire to resolve (the situation).' On Aug. 4, the city assembly adopted the resolution concerning Fukushima by a vote of 14 to 1. The two-member JCP faction—consisting of Ota and Yukihiro Kojima, 73—initially supported the resolution. However, they reversed their stance before the final vote after concerns were raised from within the JCP that the resolution 'could restrict Fukushima's activities.' Ota abstained from voting while Kojima cast the only dissenting vote. 'The resolution amounts to censorship and ultimately plays into the hands of the perpetrator (who made the threat),' Kojima said. Chairman Uchino on Aug. 5 defended the assembly's move. 'There is absolutely no intention to restrict (her) political speech,' he told reporters. 'It is simply a request for a little consideration.' One assembly member who voted in favor said, 'It was a difficult decision made with the city residents in mind.' WE'RE NOT KAWASAKI The Kawasaki city assembly in Kanagawa Prefecture chose a different approach when a death threat was made against a female assembly member who had advocated the eradication of hate speech. In late July, under the chairperson's name, the Kawasaki city assembly issued a statement, stating, 'Physical or psychological attacks against freedom of speech, even if merely implied, risk creating a chilling effect and, as an act that undermines the very foundation of parliamentary democracy, are absolutely unacceptable.' Fukushima apparently brought up Kawasaki's strong stance against threats to her assembly's leaders. She held a news conference in Tokyo on Aug. 5 and said she was told by the chair and vice chair of the Tsurugashima city assembly, 'Kawasaki is Kawasaki, and we are us.' Fukushima said, 'I am disappointed with the Tsurugashima city assembly's response.' Since the resolution was reported by news media, the city government and assembly secretariat said they have received more than 140 comments. While negative views of Fukushima continue, there has also been an increase in criticism directed at the resolution itself, with some people questioning whether it impedes freedom of speech, they said. THREAT TO DEMOCRACY Professor Shida repeated the concern raised by Kojima. 'By imposing restrictions on the assembly member's speech in this instance, the city assembly has inadvertently empowered the perpetrators and caused a serious distortion in freedom of expression, a cornerstone of democracy,' Shida said. 'While the reality may be that the city assembly aimed to peacefully resolve the situation marked by an onslaught of protests and even bomb threats, by passing a resolution that catered to the intentions of a few individuals who voiced extreme opinions, it has effectively validated their views. 'It is desirable for the city assembly to voluntarily withdraw the resolution, arguing that it is inconsistent with the spirit of the Constitution."
South China Morning Post
06-08-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Meet the woman refusing to be silenced by Japan's far-right
Japanese politician who campaigns against discrimination is refusing to 'shut up' after her local assembly passed a motion requesting that she stop posting on social media with her official title. Advertisement Megumi Fukushima, an independent lawmaker in the city assembly of Tsurugashima, northwest of Tokyo, has denounced prejudice against immigrants and women on social media platforms. This has included criticising the right-wing 'Japanese First' Sanseito party, which did well in last month's upper house elections. She has posted messages such as 'Oppose discrimination against foreigners' and 'I will not tolerate hate against foreigners' on social networking sites. But her comments have prompted dozens of complaints from the public to the assembly, as well as a message on the city's website threatening to kill Fukushima and bomb city hall. The city assembly passed the motion on Monday after she rejected a request from the chairman to stop posting on social media with her official title. Advertisement 'Threats of murder and bombing are unacceptable,' Yoshihiro Uchino, chair of the city assembly, said on Monday. 'It is a given fact that [the resolution] is not intended to limit [Fukushima's] political activities. However, since June, I have asked Fukushima to exercise self-restraint as chairman, and yet she did not comply, so the city assembly decided to make an official statement.'
Al Arabiya
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Anti-discrimination Japanese politician refuses to ‘shut up'
A Japanese politician who campaigns against discrimination is refusing to 'shut up' after her local assembly passed a motion requesting that she stop posting on social media with her official title. Megumi Fukushima, an independent lawmaker in the city assembly of Tsurugashima, northwest of Tokyo, has denounced prejudice against immigrants and women on X and other platforms. This has included criticizing the right-wing 'Japanese first' Sanseito party, which did well in last month's upper house elections. But her comments have prompted dozens of complaints from the public to the assembly, as well as a message on the city's website threatening to kill Fukushima and bomb city hall. The city assembly passed the motion on Monday after she rejected a request from the chairperson to stop posting on social media with her official title. 'The resolution does not limit her to share her opinions, but asks her not to use her assembly title,' an assembly official told AFP on Wednesday. But Fukushima has kept her title in her posts on X. On Monday, she posted that she would 'not shut up', saying the resolution 'infringes on her freedom of speech.' The anti-immigration Sanseito party's agenda echoes other populist movements such as US President Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again.' Immigration levels in Japan remain very low compared to other rich economies and surveys put it far down the list of voters' concerns. On Tuesday, Sanseito's leader Sohei Kamiya posted on X a photo of him meeting in Japan with Tino Chrupalla, the co-leader of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party. 'When I explained the policies and stance of Sanseito, he told me 'Please stick to that course',' Kamiya said.
The Mainichi
05-08-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
East Japan city councilor told to stop using title online over anti-discrimination posts
KAWAGOE, Saitama -- A municipal assembly in Saitama Prefecture passed a resolution by majority vote urging an independent councilor to refrain from using her city council title when posting on social media, after her messages opposing discrimination against foreigners invited a flood of protests and other responses. Megumi Fukushima, 44, has been sharing information on social media while clearly identifying herself as an assembly member in Tsurugashima. The assembly said the deluge of opinions and protests directed at the municipal government in response to her posts had disrupted city operations. Fukushima has criticized the resolution, saying it "infringes on her freedom of speech." In her posts, Fukushima expressed opposition to discrimination against Kurdish residents, many of whom live in the city of Kawaguchi and other parts of Saitama Prefecture. The city reportedly received a high volume of inquiries and complaints about her posts between May and July, which put a burden on responding staff. At the end of July, the municipal government received an email threatening to bomb the city hall as well as to kidnap and kill Fukushima, prompting her to file a report with Saitama Prefectural Police. The situation also led to the cancellation of a mock city council session for elementary school students that had been scheduled for Aug. 3. Yoshihiro Uchino, chairman of the assembly, apparently tried to persuade Fukushima to stop using her title on social media, but she refused. In response, assembly member Motomitsu Yamanaka of the Komeito party and others proposed the resolution, which was adopted. Yamanaka told the Mainichi Shimbun, "The resolution is not meant to restrict free speech. We just want her to stop using her city council title when making remarks unrelated to city affairs, which end up affecting city operations." Fukushima, meanwhile, stated, "This is an unjust resolution and I have no intention of complying. It takes away my opportunity to speak freely."
