Explosives sent to a venue of an exhibition unpalatable for the right wing made customers evacuate. At other venues, the exhibition could not be held because use permission of the venue was revoked because of blackmailing. Believe it or not, this is what is happening in Japan today.
The exhibition is the "Lack-of-Freedom-of-Expression Exhibit." When it was held as part of the International Art Festival "Aichi Triennale 2019", it was forced to be closed due to the protest of the right wing. The central target of the right wing is the Statue of Peace (Wikipedia), a statue of a Korean girl, symbolizing women made as sex slaves for the Japanese military during the Second World War. (It's galling for me to write as if I'm publicizing the statue. But I'm writing this article out of my concern about the suppression of speech occurring in Japan.)
The exhibition is now held in Nagoya, but according to the latest news, something like firecrackers burst when a packet sent to the venue was being opened, which caused the visitors to evacuate (Asahi Shimbum (Japanese paid site)).
In Tokyo and Osaka, the exhibition cannot be held, because use permission of the venue was revoked (see yesterday's article, in which an English translation is given in the latter half).
You may wonder how use permission of a venue could be caused to be revoked. It's a threat. There was an outright threatening email warning danger to the staff, but such clear transgression of law is not many this time. (Back in 2019, a person who sent a threatening fax was arrested and prosecuted (past article (Japanese), another past article (Japanese).) Instead, there is an easier way for the right wingers to suppress an exhibition. They use sound trucks Wikipedia. They cruise the streets in sound trucks and keep screaming protests in loud and intimidating voices.
The sound not only intimidates the people related to the exhibition, but also scares people in the neighborhood. So, the venue revokes its permission of use, saying that they should not bother the neighbors. Moreover, news of such activities makes other people so daunted that they just do not permit use of their venue for such an controversial exhibition. The right wingers no longer need to threaten them. (One instance is mentioned in a past article (Japanese).)
Political disagreements are in any country. But I wonder whether there is any country besides Japan where means for speech is taken away by terrorizing protests directed to the neighborhood. Can anyone in the world come up with an effective countermeasure?
Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandmic, media reporters from all over the world would gather in Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. I don't know if they have opportunities to interview outside the competition venue, but I hope they will also report on the crisis of democracy that is occurring in Japan. Increasing international public opinion is needed to save Japan from falling into a place where people cannot speak freely.
The exhibition is the "Lack-of-Freedom-of-Expression Exhibit." When it was held as part of the International Art Festival "Aichi Triennale 2019", it was forced to be closed due to the protest of the right wing. The central target of the right wing is the Statue of Peace (Wikipedia), a statue of a Korean girl, symbolizing women made as sex slaves for the Japanese military during the Second World War. (It's galling for me to write as if I'm publicizing the statue. But I'm writing this article out of my concern about the suppression of speech occurring in Japan.)
The exhibition is now held in Nagoya, but according to the latest news, something like firecrackers burst when a packet sent to the venue was being opened, which caused the visitors to evacuate (Asahi Shimbum (Japanese paid site)).
In Tokyo and Osaka, the exhibition cannot be held, because use permission of the venue was revoked (see yesterday's article, in which an English translation is given in the latter half).
You may wonder how use permission of a venue could be caused to be revoked. It's a threat. There was an outright threatening email warning danger to the staff, but such clear transgression of law is not many this time. (Back in 2019, a person who sent a threatening fax was arrested and prosecuted (past article (Japanese), another past article (Japanese).) Instead, there is an easier way for the right wingers to suppress an exhibition. They use sound trucks Wikipedia. They cruise the streets in sound trucks and keep screaming protests in loud and intimidating voices.
The sound not only intimidates the people related to the exhibition, but also scares people in the neighborhood. So, the venue revokes its permission of use, saying that they should not bother the neighbors. Moreover, news of such activities makes other people so daunted that they just do not permit use of their venue for such an controversial exhibition. The right wingers no longer need to threaten them. (One instance is mentioned in a past article (Japanese).)
Political disagreements are in any country. But I wonder whether there is any country besides Japan where means for speech is taken away by terrorizing protests directed to the neighborhood. Can anyone in the world come up with an effective countermeasure?
Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandmic, media reporters from all over the world would gather in Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. I don't know if they have opportunities to interview outside the competition venue, but I hope they will also report on the crisis of democracy that is occurring in Japan. Increasing international public opinion is needed to save Japan from falling into a place where people cannot speak freely.
