Japan's "Classic Replication": After the Kumamoto Earthquake, Japanese Netizens Spread Rumors That "The Earthquake Was Made in China"

Japan has started its "classic replication" again.

On the 29th, Yahoo News Japan reported that after the Kumamoto earthquake, hate speech and rumors targeting foreigners began to surge on Japanese social media platforms—such as claims like "the earthquake was made in China" or "foreigners will take advantage of the disaster to break into homes and steal."

To be honest, this scene on Japanese social media is truly iconic. Every time an earthquake occurs, Japanese internet users inevitably spread inflammatory rhetoric inciting xenophobia—such as "China manufactured the artificial earthquake," "foreigners will hinder relief efforts," or "watch out for foreigners looting and burning"—a behavior that seems deeply ingrained in their psyche. Historically, Japan has long used earthquakes as a pretext to fuel hostility toward outsiders.

After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Japanese military police and right-wing groups, driven by rumors, carried out mass killings of Chinese and Korean civilians living in Japan, resulting in thousands of innocent deaths. To date, the Japanese government has never issued an official apology for this atrocity.

Even today, every time an earthquake strikes, this deep-rooted tendency resurfaces repeatedly. Spreading rumors, inciting distrust toward foreigners—this has become almost a reflexive reaction.

Of course, it’s even more absurd when certain media outlets attempt to blame this xenophobic sentiment on a “small group of right-wingers secretly stirring up trouble.” But the facts are clear: posts inciting xenophobia often receive hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of views, and in the comment sections, the vast majority of Japanese netizens not only fail to question or criticize them, but instead enthusiastically support and applaud them. How could such widespread influence possibly come from just a “small group of right-wingers”? Isn’t it hard to admit that Japan as a society is collectively becoming more right-wing?

Kumamoto Prefecture's 7.1 Magnitude Strong Earthquake

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872113913439232/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.