Amidst rising anti-Korean discourse in Japan thanks to worsening trade relations, another issue is taking headlines — freedom of speech. Article 21 of the Japanese Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression. But lately, its parameters have been by vaguely totalitarian actions.
It all started back on July 15 during the upper house election period. Bystanders jeered Prime Minister Abe as he spoke in front of the JR Sapporo Station in Hokkaido. One man repeatedly yelled “安倍辞めろ” — “Abe should quit!” while another woman cried “増税反対” — “No tax increase!” Nearby policemen in suits promptly removed both of them from the crowd. One of the half-assed explanations given were along the lines of “罪じゃないけど、迷惑でしょ” — “It’s not a crime, but it’s annoying.”
Officers even escorted an elderly woman holding a placard off the premises. It seems that this service is provided, without reason, to anyone who jeers or uses anti-Abe rhetoric. Sound totalitarian to anyone?
Freedom of Speech Not Guaranteed?
Since then, the incident has been scrutinized by the media, spawning a debate on the moralities of removing hecklers from political activities (ヤジ排除問題; yaji haijo mondai, – literally, “yaji exclusion problem”). Yaji (ヤジ) or yajiru (やじる), means to heckle or jeer. Lawyers have come forth stating that the police’s move was an infringement on freedom of speech. Leading newspaper Asahi Shinbun requested the Hokkaido police to release their internal inquiries on the incident. But the released documents contained scores of blackouts for what the policy termed “privacy reasons”.
More than two months since the initial incident, the police have yet to offer a concrete explanation. Yamagishi Naoto, head of the Hokkaido Police Department, released a statement on September 13 confirming that police were still investigating the matter.
After that, then-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Shibayama Masahiko stirred the pot further. He cited the event at a rally speech and stated his belief that speaking out isn’t a guaranteed right.
His remarks polarized the nation, with many saying that removing hecklers was infringing upon their constitutional rights. Others called the hecklers annoying and disruptive. Senshu University professor Yamada Kenta stated that yaji is a “primitive expression” and that removing hecklers from an audience will narrow the definition of freedom of expression.
Further Repercussions
This narrow interpretation has also impacted the art world. Organizers of the 75-day art festival Aichi Triennale shut down their exhibit “After ‘Freedom of Expression?’” after receiving threats over the display of a comfort woman statue. The organizers of the exhibit said this was a serious case of censorship. Given the thorny comfort women issue that’s soured relations between South Korea and Japan, the closure, while regrettable, isn’t a surprise.
With the heckling incident and the art show, many are asking: is freedom of speech still a reality in Japan?
