NHK Party Leader Makes Xenophobic Remarks During Campaign Speech

In Kakogawa, Hyogo, Takashi Tachibana, the leader of the NHK Party and a candidate in the House of Councillors election, delivered a speech on July 4th that contained xenophobic statements. Tachibana is running in the upcoming upper house race representing the Hyogo electoral district.

During his speech, Tachibana expressed fear regarding the presence of specific groups of people. He stated, "It's scary when groups of Black and Muslim people hang out in front of train stations." He acknowledged that his remarks might be perceived as discriminatory.

Tachibana began his speech by comparing his past fears with his current ones. He mentioned that he was once afraid of NHK fee collectors but now feels fear towards foreigners. He went on to discuss his concerns about public safety and the potential impact of foreigners on welfare programs. He suggested that if the government didn't provide welfare to foreigners, they would "come attacking it without a doubt."

Concluding his speech, Tachibana admitted that his feelings had changed. He stated that he "never used to have such an exclusionary feeling, but it has changed into a strong sentiment.