A group of 2,000 protestors held a demonstration outside of Fuji TV headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday, complaining about the station’s emphasis on Korean programming, according to news reports.
Reportedly spearheaded by right-wing nationalist groups, the demonstration initially drew 600 people but swelled to 2,000.
The Dong-A Ilbo reported that participants sang the Japanese national anthem and chanted, “Long Live the Emperor!”
Protestors chanted slogans such as “Stop hallyu” and “Revoke broadcaster’s license,” with one shouting “We’ve gathered today to redeem Fuji TV from Korea’s hands.”
The anti-Korean backlash, due to a growing number of Korean dramas broadcast on Japanese TV, has gained steam in recent weeks following a controversy surrounding Japanese actor Sousuke Takaoka.
“I’ll never watch Channel 8 (Fuji TV) again,” the 29-year-old recently told fans on Twitter. “I often think it’s Korean TV. Japanese people want traditional Japanese programs.”
With news spreading that Takaoka left his management agency after criticizing Fuji TV, anti-hallyu sentiment by right-wing groups snowballed. Former Yokohama Mayor Hiroshi Nakada criticized Fuji TV, saying “I think (Takaoka’s comments) are justified. Which country’s broadcaster is Fuji?,” in condemning Fuji.
While serving as Yokohama mayor, Nakada urged public schools in the city to adopt history textbooks distorting Korea-Japan history.
Japanese Protestors Rally Against Korean Dramas
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Anonymous
Posted Aug 8 2011
The news clearly tell the wrong facts to demonize the Japanese because it is referred from the Korean newspaper. Many things of the news were untrue, for example the people attended the rally weren't the right-wing group. In fact, many of them were the ordinal Japanese people who belong neither Right nor Left-wing. The Korean news also intentionally avoid to tell the fact that the top of the Japanese broadcasting company, Fuji-TV, has the deep connection with the Korean government which order the company to emphasize broadcasting the cheep Korean TV programs even if many Japanese want to watch other INTERNATIONAL programs, such as English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese etc.
Some Korean news website, such as Dong-A Ilbo and ChousenOniline, or English news media website which hired the Korean has the tendency to demonize the Japanese in order to gain the global supports. I have to recognized that the Korean is the nation who always demonize the Japanese to satisfy their ethnocentrism based on Korea.
Anonymous
Posted Aug 9 2011
From pictures and videos of the protest, you can clearly see that many are draped in the Japanese Imperial flag, the ubiquitous symbol of far-right Japanese nationalists.
There are many channels in Japan. If you don't want to watch Korean programs, just turn the channel. The idea that this is some kind of conspiracy by the Korean government to turn the Japanese into Korean-worshippers is patently absurd.
Anonymous
Posted Aug 9 2011
From pictures and videos of the protest, you can clearly see that many are draped in the Japanese Imperial flag, the ubiquitous symbol of far-right Japanese nationalists.
There are many channels in Japan. If you don't want to watch Korean programs, just turn the channel. The idea that this is some kind of conspiracy by the Korean government to turn the Japanese into Korean-worshippers is patently absurd.
Anonymous
Posted Aug 9 2011
From pictures and videos of the protest, you can clearly see that many are draped in the Japanese Imperial flag, the ubiquitous symbol of far-right Japanese nationalists.
There are many channels in Japan. If you don't want to watch Korean programs, just turn the channel. The idea that this is some kind of conspiracy by the Korean government to turn the Japanese into Korean-worshippers is patently absurd.
Anonymous
Posted Aug 9 2011
who is demonizing whom. Its the Japanese who always bash and tell lies about Koreans.
Anonymous
Posted Aug 11 2011
They clearly weren't right wing activists... no flag burnings, no cutting of pinkies or smearing of "curry paste" onto flags (like in SK).
And everything these activists are criticizing Fuji TV for doing is true. Fuji is getting paid to aggressively promote "Korean culture" in Japan, even if the number of people genuinely interested is minimal.
South Korea = Fail
Also, this website is pathetic for publishing this ridiculously biased account. "New American Media" my ass.
Anonymous
Posted Aug 16 2011
In response to the first comment, "Korea is a nation who always demonize the Japanese to satisfy their ethnocentrism based on Korea,"
Have you ever wondered WHY Korea often complains about the Japanese? Has it ever occurred to you that there might be a REASON? Perhaps it might have something to do with murdering the king and queen, enslaving 5.4 million people for hard labor, using Koreans as sex slaves and suicide bombers during WWII, confiscating property, and cultural genocide? On top of that, claiming that the Koreans were "volunteers" during WWII, failing to acknowledge and make reparations for atrocities against Koreans, and then finally distorting the history books?
Anonymous
Posted Aug 16 2011
In response to the first comment, "Korea is a nation who always demonize the Japanese to satisfy their ethnocentrism based on Korea,"
Have you ever wondered WHY Korea often complains about the Japanese? Has it ever occurred to you that there might be a REASON? Perhaps it might have something to do with murdering the king and queen, enslaving 5.4 million people for hard labor, using Koreans as sex slaves and suicide bombers during WWII, confiscating property, and cultural genocide? On top of that, claiming that the Koreans were "volunteers" during WWII, failing to acknowledge and make reparations for atrocities against Koreans, and then finally distorting the history books?
Anonymous
Posted Sep 27 2011
"The news clearly tell the wrong facts to demonize the Koreans because it is referred from the Japanese Korea-haters. The Japanese news also intentionally avoid to tell the fact that even if many Japanese watch OTHER international programs, such as English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese etc, nobody protests (against western programs)"...
"...Some Japanese have the tendency to demonize the Koreans in order to gain the global supports. I have to recognized that Japan is the nation who always demonize the Koreans to satisfy their ethnocentrism based on Japan".
There, fixed it for ya.
Anonymous
Posted Oct 18 2011
What does the last paragraph have to do with the article? And this article doesn't touch on the fact that fuji censors the japanese national anthem and flag, but shows the korean ones, while having more Kim Yu-na endorsed comercials than Asada Mao ones. The president of fuji tv is also a korean university graduate. As most japanese only have about eight channels, and most of channel do this kind of thing with fuji being the worst, the argument of switching the channel is also not very possible.
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