Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda. The Kawasaki municipal government has become the first local government in Japan to deny a group that has staged numerous hate demonstrations in the past the use of a municipal park in accordance with a new law designed to deter hate speech. (Mainichi Shimbun)
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There is an extremely high likelihood that the applicant would exhibit the same sort of language and behavior that it has in the past. The decision to deny permission to use the park was made based on
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SenseNotSoCommon
Bravo, Kawasaki!
RiskyMosaic
Fantastic. I hope that sets a precedent.
Pukey2
So what is this group? Related to Sakura?
Mayor did the right thing.
Aly Rustom
Excellent news! Thank you Mr Fukuda! My hat off to you sir! What you did took guts and courage. And I for one applaud you.
Mike L
Change is often frustratingly slow here in Japan, but BRAVO!
Lloyd Weems
Well done Mayor Fukuda. Let's hope he doesn't get shot in the back for his bravery.
tinawatanabe
Fukuda is protecting the wrongful discriminatory speech and behavor of Koreans and Chinese against the Japanese. The Koreans are already too powerful in Japan.
Johnnie Walker
tinawatanabe said
tinawatanabe
Japan's Hate speech law is designed to regulates only the Japanese against the Korean not vice versa. Japan is really being broken.
David Varnes
If the Japan that is being "broken" is the "beautiful Japan" that xenophobes, racists, and narrow minded backwards people espouse, Tina..... that's a good thing. That "Japan" is an anchor and a drag on a country that could be a wonderful place.
shallots
Sounds like a bad idea to me. The only thing I think that should be regulated, and that I believe isn't an abrogation of expression, are decibel levels. When we tolerate speech we detest, we protect our own rights and the right to have unpopular views. I don't like a bunch of noise all the time. That should be strictly curtailed. But, I don't believe it's a good idea to restrict demonstrations based on the anticipated speech. Another exception is incitement.
Nippori Nick
Certain politicians in Germany in the 1930's and 40's made a lot of hate speeches. Are you saying that was and is acceptable?
pantherpg
I agree that tolerating speech we detest is important for civil discourse. There's a difference, though, between engaging in civil discourse and having a hate demonstration. The latter is meant to terrorize a minority population into moving out of town -- but would likely intimidate or disturb a lot of other folks into leaving the area as well.