[Editor’s Note: “Future is MINE –Ainu, My Voice” is a documentary about a Ainu woman, Rie Kayano, NOT multiple Ainu women. We apologize for the mistake, and have corrected it in-post. In addition, we urge people to watch the documentary linked below.
We’ve also removed the Issuikai tweet, as we felt it was inappropriate to showcase right-wing groups instead of Ainu voices. We have replaced the tweets in question with tweets from Ainu people.]
On March 12, 2021, Nippon TV apologized for a joke made on their news program “Sukkiri” (スッキリ), in which comedian Misoo No (脳みそ夫) made a racist joke that equated the Ainu people to “dogs.”
The segment, dubbed “Future is MINE –Ainu, My Voice” (Future is MINE — アイヌ、私の声 –), was a documentary about an Ainu woman, Rie Kayano. Many on social media criticized the TV station for airing the “joke”, pointing out that the dog comparison was a derogatory term commonly used against the Ainu people in the past.
The Ainu, an indigenous group in Japan native to northern Japan and Hokkaido, have historically experienced discrimination and forced assimilation. Back in 2019, the Ainu were finally recognized by the Japanese government as an indigenous group, but discrimination both in the media and in the political discourse continues to exist.
[Content Warning: Racism]
Below is the full statement along with a (near) translation of the joke:
この作品とかけまして動物を見つけた時ととく。その心は、あ、犬（アイヌ）
I will now tell a riddle: What is something you’d say when you watch this segment, and also when you see an animal? Ah, Inu (Ainu)
The “joke” is a popular form of riddle in Japanese known as “謎かけ”, where two seemingly-unrelated topics are connected by using wordplay. In this case, the name “Ainu” was was connected to the phrase “あ、犬” (Ah, dog) which sounds similar. Unfortunately, its also a common phrase used to compare the indigenous group to animals and dehumanize them.
Twitter’s Response
Japanese Twitter was quick to condemn the program, pointing out the inherent racism in Sukkiri’s segment. Many pointed out the history of the derogatory term, and how Nippon Television had dropped the ball when it came to understanding the historical background of the Ainu.
@marewrew_m, a member of the Ainu band “Marewrew” (Mayunkiki), was one of the first to call out the television program. She is a bandmate of Rie Kayano, the Ainu woman who was showcased in the documentary in question. In the tweet thread, she details her own feelings towards the controversy, as well as what should have been done, and should be done going forward.
This morning, Nippon Television’s program “Sukkiri” introduced Ainu. At the end, it seems they jokingly said “What is something you’d say when you watch this segment, and also when you see an animal? Ah, Inu (Ainu)”, and this is totally and completely unacceptable. I am shaking with anger.
@syotakota, an Ainu singer and member of the Hunpe Sisters, also shared her own stories of being bullied and having to endure discrimination while growing up.
Little kids would leave in the morning, and the children on the road would laugh at them and say “Hey, its the dogs! (Ah, Inu!)” while going to school. They might be called out again when they turn the corner. No one would protect them. That’s what everyday was like. My chest still hurts thinking about it 50 years on. There is nothing to laugh about.
@torifu_ also explained the historical context of the issue:
So at the end of Sukkiri’s Ainu segment, a comedian called Misoo No made a wordplay joke with Ainu and “Ah, Inu”, but this is actually a slur commonly used against Ainu, used in contempt to portray them as hairy and connect them to animals. A perfect example of discrimination borne from ignorance. #スッキリ
Columnist @tako_ashi also had this to say, pointing out that some commentators were missing the mark by criticizing “the joke not landing” rather than the inherent racism of the statement.
On Sukkiri’s derogatory statements towards Ainu, I’m seeing a lot of arguments that are avoiding the discriminatory element of the issue and consistently criticizing the fact that the “gag wasn’t funny” and I’m tired of it. Jokes are meant to miss the mark, and “not being funny for thousands of people” is arguably a core aspect of humor. A joke not landing is not a crime.
Personally, I’m wary of the “it was bad because it wasn’t funny” argument because it would also mean “its okay to be discriminatory if its a funny joke.” Ideologically, it states that “not funny = bullying, funny = teasing”, and I see this as the lowest of low-brow humor.
The Aftermath
What makes this doubly disappointing is that the segment was specifically made to highlight and raise awareness for the Ainu people. The program, meant to follow the life of an Ainu woman, was supposed to be an uplifting and rare example of Japanese media finally acknowledging the existence of Japanese indigenous groups; instead, they mocked them.
The comedian in question has since come out with a handwritten apology on Twitter. In it, he expressed his desire to better understand not only Ainu culture and history, but also plans to meet directly with Ainu scholars, community leaders, and members of the documentary to give a personal apology.
It goes to say that this is not an individual failing; there were multiple people, from executives, producers, writers, and the comedian himself that had to approve the joke. The issue is — and always has been — a failing within Japanese society in acknowledging the discrimination that Ainu have faced, and continue to face. Arguably, the racist joke wouldn’t have been made if even a single person at the station had been more aware of the racism directed towards the Ainu.
The backlash was warranted, of course. Hopefully, executives and producers at Nippon Television will learn from their mistakes and, going forward, hire sensitivity readers to check what they air. Worst case, media outlets will backslide into refusing to cover Ainu-related content in fear of another screw-up. Regardless, it seems there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.
