Kurds in Japan face abusive labels from far-right groups

Growing anti-immigration fears face Japan’s next prime minister

WARABI, Japan,— Japan’s ruling party is preparing to choose its next leader at a time when concerns about immigration are increasingly shaping political debate in a country long known for its tight borders and limited foreign population.

For Gur Sinan, a 30-year-old Turkish worker at a kebab restaurant in Warabi, life in Japan feels welcoming. “I want to stay here for a long time,” Sinan told AFP. “I am studying Japanese. People are very nice here.”

Warabi, a city north of Tokyo with a concentration of halal stores and shops featuring Chinese signs, is one of several areas where immigrants have formed visible communities.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed Japan almost continuously since the 1950s, will elect a new president Saturday after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced he would step down.

Whoever wins is likely to take office as the nation’s next prime minister.

Two candidates dominate the race: Sanae Takaichi, a nationalist lawmaker, and Shinjiro Koizumi, a younger politician with a reformist image. Both have placed immigration at the center of their campaigns.

Takaichi has argued that Japan should “reconsider policies that allow in people with completely different cultures and backgrounds.” Koizumi has said that “illegal employment of foreigners and the worsening of public safety are leading to anxiety among local residents.”

According to political analysts, such rhetoric from leading party figures is unusual in Japan, where only about 3 percent of the population is foreign-born.

Still, the conversation reflects growing public unease as the economy struggles with inflation, wages lag behind rising prices, and the LDP faces weakening voter support.

The nationalist Sanseito party has also gained attention with its warnings of a “silent invasion.” The group links immigrants and record tourist arrivals to higher property costs, traffic accidents, and other social complaints.

Sadafumi Kawato, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, said many LDP supporters are receptive to such claims. “Reports focusing on the misbehavior of foreigners often run on daytime and morning TV, drawing the attention of ordinary viewers,” he said.

Japan’s demographic pressures remain severe. The population is shrinking and rapidly aging. A Nikkei survey found that 97.9 percent of business executives favor expanding the number of foreign workers.

In Warabi, where 12.4 percent of residents are foreign-born, Sinan’s colleague Alyoruk Ismail Yasal, 29, said he has not faced hostility. “What’s becoming difficult, in my opinion, is to find a job in Japan,” he said while preparing food for customers.

Warabi and neighboring Kawaguchi are home to a sizable Kurdish community. The Japan Kurdish Cultural Association, based in Kawaguchi, said it has received abusive messages from far-right groups that label Kurds as “scum.”

During the July election campaign, far-right candidates directed insults at Japan’s Kurdish community, estimated at around 2,000 Kurds, many of whom sought refuge after facing persecution in Turkey.

One Kurdish resident, who came to Japan as a child after his father was threatened for speaking out against military hazing in Turkey, said members of the community have frequently been labeled criminals on social media.

Observers note that Japan has a long history of discrimination against ethnic minorities, including Koreans and Chinese, tracing back to the colonial period in the early 20th century. These historical patterns of bias continue to influence attitudes toward newer immigrant groups, including Kurds.

The association released a statement noting that “Japan has structural issues, such as economic stagnation, declining birth rates, and an aging population that have been ongoing for nearly 30 years, and realistic solutions to these problems have not been found.

Instead, the artificial theme of ‘foreigner problems’ is being brought to the forefront, seemingly diverting public attention toward it.”

Misinformation has also fueled tensions. The Japan International Cooperation Agency recently cancelled a cultural exchange with four African countries after a flood of emails and calls from people who mistakenly believed the program was tied to immigration.

In Kitakyushu, officials reported receiving complaints following false claims that the city planned to introduce Muslim-friendly school lunches.

Residents in Warabi generally coexist peacefully with new arrivals, though disputes occasionally arise over daily matters such as waste disposal.

“It’s bad to refuse all foreigners Trump-style,” said 66-year-old retiree Kohei Toyoda. “But we can’t welcome all of them with open arms either.”

Outside a train station on the outskirts of Tokyo, a crowd of several hundred gathered to hear Sohei Kamiya, leader of the growing nationalist party Sanseito, speak about Japan’s expanding foreign population.

As uniformed police and security personnel separated him from vocal opponents, some of whom accused him of racism, Kamiya defended his remarks, saying he was simply expressing common-sense concerns.

Although Sanseito remains a relatively small party, it made significant gains in July’s parliamentary elections. Kamiya’s “Japanese First” platform, which emphasizes anti-globalism, stricter immigration controls, and conservative social policies, is drawing attention as voters anticipate the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership vote Saturday, which will likely determine the country’s next prime minister.

Political analysts say anti-immigration messages are resonating with segments of the population facing stagnant wages, rising costs of living, and uncertainty about the future. By targeting foreign residents, politicians like Kamiya provide a visible outlet for public frustration.

Kenzo Hagiya, a retired attendee, said that many Japanese feel frustrated by these issues but rarely voice their concerns. He added that the presence of foreign residents is one of the matters that worries him most.

(With files from AFP | AP)