Japan Press Weekly

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2020 December 16 - 22 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

DHC chairman on online store insults Korean residents in Japan

Major Japanese cosmetics distributor DHC Corporation, on its official online store in November, posted a message from its chairman discriminating against Korean residents living in Japan which generated public criticism.

DHC Chairman Yoshida Yoshiaki in his message said, "Almost all CM personalities of (a rival company) are for some reason Korean Japanese" and used expressions insulting Korean residents living in Japan.

In the chairman's message in February 2016, he described Korean residents in Japan as "fake Japanese". On a DHC-sponsored TV program in 2017, a guest made a discriminatory remark against a Korean resident who was not on the program.

Yasuda Koichi, a journalist reporting on Internet right-wingers, hate speech, and problems foreign workers face in Japan, said, "The DHC chairman's message amounts to hate speech which is unpardonable. It is also malicious that he incited discrimination with his message posted on the website. Even if one wants to criticize another company in the same business, there are still ethical restraints keeping one from making discriminatory statements."

The 2016 anti-hate speech law defines expressions inciting exclusion or rejection of specific races, ethnic groups, or nationalities without reasonable grounds as discrimination, and makes clear the country's commitment to work to establish a discrimination-free Japan.

Yasuda said, "The blame also lies with DHC's corporate culture as it posted the discriminatory statement on its official online store," and criticized DHC for running counter to the fundamental principle of the law. He added, "This is not only a matter of Chairman Yoshida but DHC's corporate social responsibility is brought into question."

Past related article:
> Korean residents in Japan should return to their homeland: DHC chairman[February 1, 2017]