Japan’s right wingers are after actress Maki Yoko after she told a South Korean magazine she was “embarrassed” to be Japanese after learning how the country had treated Zainichi Koreans. Supporters are trending #真木よう子さんを支持します (I support Maki Yoko) in response.
Zainichi Koreans are the descendants of forced laborers from Imperial Japan and face ongoing hate and discrimination. Some cities in Japan have enacted hate law ordinances primarily aimed at curbing anti-Korean hate. See
@ForeignAffairs
for more.
https://www.foreignaffairsreview.com/home/a6bbgslau2t7seuw5shoz66x14bvb1
Zainichi Koreans have also faced systemic discrimination, such as revocation of citizenship and an inability to access core services such as Japan’s pension system. Some of these have since been corrected but the damage lingers.
Maki says she was inspired to learn more about the plight of Zainichi Koreans after starring in the 2005 film BACCHIGI!, which focused on a relationship between a Japanese high school student and a Zainichi Korean, prompting her to learn history she was never taught in school.
@unseenjapan I am a big fan of Maki Yoko. Her performance in the movie is impressive.
