I stumbled into the world of Japanese debates about Islam and Muslims almost by accident.
You see, like many other millennials, my wife and I are planning a trip to Japan.
The itinerary includes a lot of the standards: karaoke in Tokyo, onsen (natural hot springs) on the west coast and a visit to the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama (naturally). But, and because I never stop being a religion nerd, the trip will also include side quests to visit to the Kobe mosque and Tokyo’s HALAL-Ya store in Asakusa—the biggest halal food, souvenir, and specialty store in Japan.
Planning the trip, I’ve been watching YouTubers like Chris Broad, who share about their lives, likes and dislikes in Japan. Last month, on his channel “Abroad in Japan,” Broad shared one of his latest dislikes—sensationalist YouTube content highlighting what’s wrong with Japan. The video in question was posted by “Oriental Pearl,” featuring voyeuristic shots of Tokyo’s unhoused population, urban graffiti and sex workers.
While Broad’s criticisms of the post were on point, it was what waited in the comment sections of the original video that grabbed my attention: claims about “no-go zones,” conspiratorial warnings about demographic replacement and a steady stream of unease about the presence of Muslims in Japan.
One user wrote, “the more migrants Japan brings in the [worse] things will get.” Another posted, “100% The ‘refugee’ effect.” Still others made particular accusations, commenting on how there seem to be more Indians and Muslims than ethnic Japanese in cities like Osaka, lamenting the presence of Islam in the country at all, and another saying: “the graffiti wasn't in Japanese... And a lot of it said ‘Free Gaza’. Do the math.”
Though Oriental Pearl made no explicit reference to Islam or Muslims, her post brought out comments that highlight how anti-refugee sentiment, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim attacks similar to what we see in Europe or North America are prevalent — and increasingly on the rise — in Japan.
Image via Pexels.