When Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Oct. 21, one of her new cabinet pick's stood out. Kimi Onoda was appointed minister for economic security and the “Cool Japan” strategy — but also given a new title: Minister for Promoting an Orderly Coexistent Society with Foreigners.
It’s a phrase that says a lot about how Japan sees outsiders.
In this week’s Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how anti-foreigner sentiment is gaining political traction, why “coexistence” has become such a loaded word and what that means for Japan’s future.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-vDNg-hhBZo
Chapters
00:00 Intro: Japan’s first female prime minister
01:36 Blame the foreigners
03:48 The coexistence policy
04:33 Kimi Onoda’s appointment
05:51 Anti-foreigner rhetoric in Japan
06:30 Japanese labor needs foreigners
07:57 Fear of foreigners and the facts
09:30 Cultural misunderstandings
11:08 Sanseito’s argument
12:32 Outro: The choice ahead
Do you think Japan’s “foreigner problem” is really about policy or fear? Tell us in the comments.
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When Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Oct. 21, one of her new cabinet pick's stood out. Kimi Onoda was appointed minister for economic security and the “Cool Japan” strategy — but also given a new title: Minister for Promoting an Orderly Coexistent Society with Foreigners.
It’s a phrase that says a lot about how Japan sees outsiders.
In this week’s Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how anti-foreigner sentiment is gaining political traction, why “coexistence” has become such a loaded word and what that means for Japan’s future.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-vDNg-hhBZo
Chapters
00:00 Intro: Japan’s first female prime minister
01:36 Blame the foreigners
03:48 The coexistence policy
04:33 Kimi Onoda’s appointment
05:51 Anti-foreigner rhetoric in Japan
06:30 Japanese labor needs foreigners
07:57 Fear of foreigners and the facts
09:30 Cultural misunderstandings
11:08 Sanseito’s argument
12:32 Outro: The choice ahead
Do you think Japan’s “foreigner problem” is really about policy or fear? Tell us in the comments.
Aug. 28, 2025 | Japan’s hostage justice: Guilty until proven innocent
Japan This Week
13 minutes 3 seconds
2 months ago
Aug. 28, 2025 | Japan’s hostage justice: Guilty until proven innocent
Japan’s justice system has a conviction rate of 99.9%. Critics say that figure isn’t proof of prosecutorial skill but the result of a system known as “hostage justice” — prolonged detention, repeated interrogations and confessions forced under pressure.
In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how hostage justice works, the cases of Carlos Ghosn and Iwao Hakamata, and whether recent reforms are changing the system.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Intro: Japan’s hostage justice exposed
01:17 The arrest: How hostage justice begins
03:03 Japan’s official defense of hostage justice
04:26 Slow reforms: Lawyers and video recording
05:38 Breaking down suspects inside detention
06:45 Iwao Hakamata: 45 years on death row
08:16 Carlos Ghosn: The daring escape
09:57 The fallout from Ghosn’s escape
11:18 Global criticism of Japan’s justice system
12:23 Outro: Guilty until proven innocent
📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HZCrnIqDrLw
What do you think — is this really justice, or just a system built to secure confessions?
Japan This Week
When Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Oct. 21, one of her new cabinet pick's stood out. Kimi Onoda was appointed minister for economic security and the “Cool Japan” strategy — but also given a new title: Minister for Promoting an Orderly Coexistent Society with Foreigners.
It’s a phrase that says a lot about how Japan sees outsiders.
In this week’s Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how anti-foreigner sentiment is gaining political traction, why “coexistence” has become such a loaded word and what that means for Japan’s future.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-vDNg-hhBZo
Chapters
00:00 Intro: Japan’s first female prime minister
01:36 Blame the foreigners
03:48 The coexistence policy
04:33 Kimi Onoda’s appointment
05:51 Anti-foreigner rhetoric in Japan
06:30 Japanese labor needs foreigners
07:57 Fear of foreigners and the facts
09:30 Cultural misunderstandings
11:08 Sanseito’s argument
12:32 Outro: The choice ahead
Do you think Japan’s “foreigner problem” is really about policy or fear? Tell us in the comments.