May 3 will mark the 37th anniversary of a brutal attack against a journalistic institution that was a flagrant assault on the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. The echoes of that violent challenge to crucial democratic values continue to resonate today, even though the statute of limitations has expired.
The haunting memory of the deadly attack compels us to re-evaluate the fundamental importance of being able to freely speak, see and listen.
On May 3, 1987, as Constitution Day was drawing to a close, a masked gunman stormed The Asahi Shimbun’s Hanshin Bureau in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, and opened fire with a shotgun. Asahi Shimbun reporter Tomohiro Kojiri was killed outright. He was 29 years old. A colleague, Hyoe Inukai, was gravely wounded.
An extremist group calling itself “Sekihotai” claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement saying, “A ‘han-nichi bunshi’ (anti-Japanese element) only deserves capital punishment.”
Such xenophobic rhetoric, hastily branding dissenting opinions as “anti-Japanese” and targeting minorities or people in different positions, is sadly rampant on the internet today.
Last year, the streets of Tokyo’s Shibuya district echoed with hate speech as a group of extreme nationalists used loudspeakers to denounce Kurds and immigrants from China, telling them to leave Japan. The Tokyo metropolitan government recognized these acts as discriminatory and published information about the incident under a Tokyo ordinance about respecting human rights.
This incident came on the heels of revelations about nuisance behavior and crimes attributed to foreign nationals in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, home to a large Kurdish population. While criminal acts by anyone are inexcusable, singling out specific ethnic groups with terms like “alien species” or “go back home” constitutes a violation of human rights, amounting to a rejection of their presence.
The targets of such attacks often include sexual minorities and their advocates, as well as people who confront state power. There is no denying that the administration’s reluctance to take action against Lower House member Mio Sugita of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who unabashedly, or even defiantly expresses discriminatory views, only serves to exacerbate the climate of discrimination.
The foundation of a democratic society is built on mutual respect among all individuals, each endowed with equal rights.
Instead of allowing or ignoring acts of excluding and rejecting others based on narrow-minded values, our society needs to embrace the principle of tolerance toward those with different opinions or backgrounds.
We, as a newspaper, must ponder how such a society can be realized and dedicate our efforts to achieving this goal.
The proliferation of fake news and propaganda is a serious global problem. People in power often brazenly make unfounded statements, and efforts to control information are growing. Now more than ever, we are keenly aware of the vital importance of the media in disseminating the truth.
Many people who visit our Hanshin Bureau each May 3 leave with lasting memories of Kojiri’s personality. He dedicated himself to writing empathetically on behalf of those in weaker positions.
Renjo Nakano, the head priest of a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, described the attack as a defining experience in his life that has strongly affected his endeavors since then. As a university student, Nakano, 58, organized a debate immediately after the incident to discuss the importance of free speech.
After studying the Constitution at Ritsumeikan University, which Kojiri also attended, Nakano has given much thought to what he can do to contribute to the cause.
“I feel that our society has regressed and the times have moved back. We must not allow the disturbing event to be forgotten,” he said.
We share his thoughts and sentiments.
Let us commemorate the death of a colleague and renew our anger toward vile acts of violence.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 2
EDITORIAL: 1987 assault on Asahi Shimbun forever a stain on our society
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02.05.2024
May 3 will mark the 37th anniversary of a brutal attack against a journalistic institution that was a flagrant assault on the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. The echoes of that violent challenge to crucial democratic values continue to resonate today, even though the statute of limitations has expired.
The haunting memory of the deadly attack compels us to re-evaluate the fundamental importance of being able to freely speak, see and listen.
On May 3, 1987, as Constitution Day was drawing to a close, a masked gunman stormed The Asahi Shimbun’s Hanshin Bureau in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, and opened fire with a shotgun. Asahi Shimbun reporter Tomohiro Kojiri was killed outright. He was 29 years old. A colleague, Hyoe Inukai, was gravely wounded.
An extremist group calling itself “Sekihotai” claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement saying, “A ‘han-nichi bunshi’ (anti-Japanese element) only deserves capital punishment.”
Such xenophobic rhetoric, hastily........
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