Latest news with #YusukeFurusawa
The National
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
From Tokyo to Gaza: One man's 600-day protest for Palestine
In the bustling streets of Tokyo, Yusuke Furusawa is impossible to miss. 'Free, free Palestine,' he chants loudly to passers-by. Some echo his words under their breath. Others ignore him and walk past him in silence. A few confront him, sometimes aggressively, but none of that stops him. For more than 600 consecutive days, the 49-year-old carpenter has been protesting against Israel's war on Gaza, all alone. In one hand, he carries a Palestinian flag that towers over the rush-hour crowds. In the other, he holds a placard that reads: 'How many thousands of Palestinian children have to die before you raise your voice?' in Japanese. Around his neck, he wears a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, and hanging over his chest is a cardboard sign bearing a message to the world: 'Stop Gaza genocide '. Even alone, I will continue to raise my voice and speak up for Gaza Yusuke Furusawa, 49 Mr Furusawa has been taking to the streets of Tokyo daily for the past 21 months – calling for an end to the Gaza war and challenging what he says is a cultural tendency towards silence and conformity in Japan. 'I started protesting because I felt angry and powerless,' Mr Furusawa told The National. 'In Japanese society, there is an atmosphere that makes people hesitate to speak out about politics and international issues, I want to resist that.' The activist says he is sometimes met with criticism in the streets of the Japanese capital for being too disruptive and noisy, but it has not deterred him. 'From the people of Gaza, I've learnt a lot of strength, determination, principle and what is important as a human being,' Mr Furusawa explained. 'So, even alone, I will continue to raise my voice and speak up for Gaza.' Solidarity from Shibuya His protest is not solely for the people of Japan. Tokyo is a tourist hotspot, and the activist aims to show that 'there are citizens in Japan, the land of the Far East, who are raising their voices in protest' of Israel's attacks on Gaza. Since the onset of Israel's war on Gaza, thousands of people in Japan have taken to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire. Rallies have taken place in busy city districts like Shibuya, outside the Israeli embassy in Tokyo and across university campuses as part of a global student movement. On March 30, protesters calling for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories gathered in Shibuya to commemorate Palestine's Land Day, when six people were killed in 1976 for protesting against land confiscation by Israel. On June 15, pro-Palestine supporters took to the streets of Tokyo in support of the March to Gaza movement, which saw thousands of activists attempt to reach Gaza to break Israel's siege on the strip. These protests reflect a growing trend in Japan, which sees residents gradually becoming more aware and connected to events in the Middle East. 'I didn't expect to see protests in Japan, and whenever you see them, I think people are always surprised and try to avoid them,' Aiko Yamakita, organiser at Kifu for Palestine, a volunteer group that raises funds for Palestinians, told The National. 'But with that [said], I think it's definitely grown over the past year and a half, so we're definitely seeing a shift.' Yet according to Mr Furusawa, the number of people taking action for Gaza remains "overwhelmingly insufficient". He says it is "regrettable" that the Japanese government has taken a neutral stance on the war, influenced by its relations with the US. To Gaza and beyond Despite some of the backlash he receives on the streets, Mr Furusawa's solo protest has gained significant traction online, earning him hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, and messages of praise and support from Gaza. In a video pinned to his Instagram, an elderly man from Gaza speaks directly to Mr Furusawa. 'You are a great man, you are supporting us, thank you very much,' says the Gaza resident in English. 'You are a hero, we never forget you.' In another clip shared to his feed, children from Gaza can be seen painting the Japanese flag on the wall of a destroyed building, and holding a sign with Mr Furusawa's name. 'We love you,' they tell him through the screen and amid the rubble. Mr Furusawa follows the news headlines from Gaza closely. The climbing death toll and scenes of the devastating destruction leave him feeling helpless but determined to keep protesting. 'Every day I feel my powerlessness,' he says. 'All I can do is continue to raise my voice.'
The Mainichi
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Tokyo man speaks out daily for Gaza in busy streets
TOKYO -- A man stands in front of busy stations in Tokyo almost every day with a handmade sign: "Stop Gaza Genocide." The man's name is Yusuke Furusawa. He is 49 years old. He works building sets for TV shows. After work, he goes alone to places like Shinjuku and Shibuya stations to speak about Gaza. Gaza is a place where many Palestinian people live. Recently, there has been fighting there. Many people in Gaza have died. Furusawa started this activity in October 2023, after getting sick with COVID-19. As he recovered, he watched videos online about the difficult situation in Gaza. He felt he needed to speak up about it. At first, some people were unkind to him in the street. Because of this, he started taking videos of himself and posting them online. Many people around the world saw these videos. Now, he has about 170,000 followers on Instagram. Foreign visitors to Japan sometimes come just to meet him. They say, "Where are you today?" and thank him for speaking up. He often wears a special scarf and uses a bag with the Palestinian flag on it. Followers from social media gave these to him as presents. One time, an Israeli woman met him and said she agreed the fighting needed to stop. Furusawa explained, "I am speaking about the governments, not about normal people." But not everyone is happy with his actions. Sometimes, people tell him, "You are noisy," or "This has no meaning." Furusawa knows some people dislike what he does, but he keeps standing there. He says, "In Japan, people have the right to live safely and speak freely. If someone loses these rights somewhere in the world, I believe we need to speak up. Is meaning important? I think it is just the right thing to do." (Japanese original by Kohei Chiwaki, Digital News Group) Vocabulary genocide: trying to kill many people from a group or country set: background used on TV programs or movies recover: to get better after you have been sick social media: websites or apps like Instagram or Facebook, where people share information and videos online follower: someone who regularly looks at another person's social media posts government: the group of people who make decisions for a country right: something everyone should be allowed to have or do (for example, the right to speak freely and safely)
Al Jazeera
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Japanese activist pledges to continue daily Gaza protests
Japanese activist pledges to continue daily Gaza protests NewsFeed After more than 600 days of protesting alone against the Gaza genocide, Japanese activist Yusuke Furusawa has been telling Al Jazeera what drives him to continue. Video Duration 01 minutes 57 seconds 01:57 Video Duration 00 minutes 20 seconds 00:20 Video Duration 00 minutes 51 seconds 00:51 Video Duration 01 minutes 45 seconds 01:45 Video Duration 00 minutes 39 seconds 00:39 Video Duration 01 minutes 24 seconds 01:24 Video Duration 02 minutes 27 seconds 02:27
The Mainichi
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
The Mainichi News Quiz Answer for June 26
Why has Tokyo resident Yusuke Furusawa been holding daily one-man demonstrations in front of train stations? A) To raise awareness of animal cruelty in Japan. B) To protest against the use of nuclear power in Tokyo. C) To call attention to attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. D) To advocate for Tokyo subway fare reductions. Correct Answer: C) To call attention to attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. Yusuke Furusawa, 49, has been staging daily demonstrations near stations like Shinjuku and Shibuya in Tokyo since October 2023 to protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza. Often speaking to passersby with a sign reading "Stop Gaza Genocide," he has drawn attention both locally and globally through his presence on social media.
The Mainichi
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
The Mainichi News Quiz: What's that guy protesting about all by himself?
How closely have you been following events in Japan? Try The Mainichi News Quiz for June 26 to test your news knowledge. Ready? Why has Tokyo resident Yusuke Furusawa been holding daily one-man demonstrations in front of train stations? A) To raise awareness of animal cruelty in Japan. B) To protest against the use of nuclear power in Tokyo. C) To call attention to attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. D) To advocate for Tokyo subway fare reductions.
