Propaganda trucks in Tokyo pause their racist hate speeches to play the American national anthem.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Tokyo on Saturday for a state visit. And while Prime Minister Abe and the newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito were ready to welcome him to the country, there was another group waiting for his arrival: the Japanese right-wing nationalists.
Given the history of war between Japan and the U.S. many would think the nationalists would be opposed to the state visit, particularly given that they’re known for blaring hate speech against foreigners from their propoganda vehicles.
However, what people saw on the weekend came as a surprise, as these ultranationalists weren’t telling Trump to go home; they were saying “Welcome to Japan” instead.
新宿に出てきたら右翼の街宣車が警察に囲まれながらいつもの軍歌流してたけど、トランプ大統領が来日中なのに気を遣ってるのかアメリカ国歌も流してたのには草生えた。 https://t.co/INzMP6yjkh
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ぱちぇ@徐々に回復中? (@pache_357) May 26, 2019
Twitter user @pache_357, who snapped the above photo in Shinjuku on the weekend, noticed another odd thing about the vehicles. Instead of playing war songs from their speakers like they usually do, they were playing the American national anthem.
音来た! 何じゃこりゃぁ https://t.co/ygGUvwFiJA
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미 현(みひょん)🐾猫の勢力🥚 (@miyomi34) May 26, 2019
According to the writing on the side of the vans, these vehicles belong to the Great Japan Patriotic Party, a Japanese political party and far-right political group who seek to amend Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution. This pacifist constitution, which outlawed Japan’s right to make war, was largely created by Supreme Allied Commander Douglas MacArthur and his staff in 1947, when the U.S. occupied Japan following the war.
アルファベット表記の街宣車発見 https://t.co/Cle7YfZs8P
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ふしみ (@fushimi_x) May 26, 2019
The fact that these ultranationalists are now supporting an American president has confused a number of people in Japan, who left comments like:
“They’re called the Great Japan Patriotic Party, but they’re flying the American flag?”
“Is this a mild extreme right wing group?”
“I thought they hated Japan’s ‘enemy nation’.”
“Aren’t these groups opposed to American politics?”
“I wish these trucks would just disappear.”
The Great Japan Patriotic Party is one of over 1,000 right-wing groups, known as “uyoku dantai” in Japanese. However, while people in Japan know about their noisy propaganda trucks, which can be intimidating for even Japanese people, not many people are clear on their exact ideologies, which have such differing racist beliefs that some actually support US-Japan alliances against other countries.
This is the reason why some nationalist parties fly both the Japanese flag and the American flag on their trucks, even when the U.S. President isn’t in the country.
While the nationalist propaganda vehicles attracted attention on the weekend with their noisy loudspeakers, many opponents were making their voices heard as well, protesting both Trump’s and Abe’s right-wing policies.
The day before Trump arrived, protestors held a demonstration against the U.S. President’s visit and his meeting with the Japanese Emperor.
5月25日、トランプ来日--天皇会談反対デモが新橋から銀座へ前進中。参加者は100人ほどながら、貴重な異議申し立て。巨大デモで迎え撃つ社会でありたい。無駄に干渉する警官がうざい💥。 https://t.co/0cs7i5zD9n
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杉原こうじ(NAJAT・緑の党) (@kojiskojis) May 25, 2019
5月25日、トランプ来日--天皇会談反対デモがニュー新橋ビル前から出発! https://t.co/44JhKXfQ9K
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杉原こうじ(NAJAT・緑の党) (@kojiskojis) May 25, 2019
▼ “Sayonara Abe! Sayonara Trump!” This group is against the G20 summit, due to be held in Osaka at the end of next month.
G20サミット大阪反対、トランプ来日反対街宣 @なんば 15人ほどでマイクアピールやビラまき中。共同通信社の取材が入っています。 https://t.co/Dtakk7KEdD
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blanc_bleu (@blancbleu4) May 26, 2019
While Trump watched the sumo in Tokyo on the weekend, protestors gathered with banners and placards outside the sumo arena.
横断幕もありますね。 https://t.co/ZmH5R39CpT
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미 현(みひょん)🐾猫の勢力🥚 (@miyomi34) May 26, 2019
両国国技館前。トランプ歓迎のプラカードを持って待つ人々。 https://t.co/iTVhED4jAk
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安田浩一 (@yasudakoichi) May 26, 2019
Scenes from the streets during Trump’s visit show people in Japan are becoming more vocal about their views regarding politics and political leaders. And now that the U.S. President has concluded his Japan visit, it won’t be long until he arrives in the country again, this time for the G20 Summit in Osaka, when more protests like these are likely to appear.
Source: Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Twitter/@pache_357
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