Japan Press Weekly

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2015 February 18 - 24 TOP3 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Ex-advisor to Abe Cabinet lauds apartheid policy

A former member of an advisory body to the Abe Cabinet recently advocated the use of the South African infamous policy of apartheid, provoking harsh criticism from both inside and outside Japan.

Sono Ayako, an author, wrote a column in the February 11 issue of the Sankei Shimbun regarding the acceptance of migrants to solve a labor shortage in Japan. Citing “the situation” in South Africa, she said that it would be "better" for people to live separately according to their races.

Nagoya University Professor Nakajima Tetsuhiko told Akahata that Sono’s view is connected with racism. Referring to the fact that she was a member of the Education Revitalization Council established in 2013 by the Cabinet, the professor stressed, “Such a person who has no respect for human rights is not qualified to talk about education.”

The advisory panel is intended to “reform” the national education system in an effort to turn Japan into a country capable of fighting wars abroad. Almost all members of the organ share PM Abe’s view glorifying Japan’s past war of aggression.

Passages written by Sono also appear in the moral education materials for public junior high school students, which the Education Ministry started to use in the 2014 school year.

The South African Ambassador to Japan sent a protest letter on February 13 to the newspaper company.

Past related article:
> 2,800 people join anti-hate speech demonstration in Tokyo [November 3, 2014]