Replying here because answering the question requires delving into politics.
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/thread-about-japanese-players.38013/post-580880
The Japanese toxicity (especially the ネトウヨ/internet rightists) is comparable to the Chinese (including Taiwanese) and Korean ones and shows no sign of abating. Don't let the Western media brainwash you about the seemingly cute and harmless Japanese culture. Political correctness of the West is such a foreign concept it would get an n for naive in East Asia. As I've repeated stressed, telling players to retire is so mild they wouldn't even bat an eye.
2026/2/26
アスリートがメイクをして何が悪いのか―― 「国籍」「容姿」への攻撃、五輪開催中も6万2000件の誹謗中傷 (What's wrong with athletes wearing makeup? —
Attacks on "nationality" and "appearance," 62,000 defamatory comments during the Olympics)
https://www.dailyshincho.jp/article/2026/02260534/?all=1
2026/2/14
日本選手団への中傷投稿６・２万件…団長「想定以上の件数、選手の力奪うからやめて」 (62,000 abusive posts targeting the Japanese team…
Team leader: "This is a higher number than we expected. Please stop, it's taking away the athletes' strength.")
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/olympic/2026/20260214-GYT1T00222/
2026/1/28
「ブス」「キモい」「消えろ」オリンピックで目立つ選手への誹謗中傷――卓球・張本智和選手は心無い言葉にどう向き合ったのか (
"Ugly," "Gross," "Get lost"—how did table tennis player Harimoto Tomokazu cope with the hateful insults directed at prominent Olympic athletes?)
https://www.dailyshincho.jp/article/2026/01280535/?all=1
(In response to this,
Harimoto said, "Even if I were originally Japanese, I think people would still say something, and I think the same would happen if my parents were Japanese (omitted)... There are people who will criticize you no matter what you do. For example, even if you just say hello, there are people who will say, 'Don't say hello.' Even if you do something 100% good, there will still be people who will say something bad" (THE ANSWER, August 2, 2024).)
2026/1/5
「恐るべきライバル」だが「先祖の恩を忘れている」…ブーイング騒動の「張本智和」を中国メディアはどう論じたか 議論が沸騰した「高市発言」の引用 ("A formidable rival," but "forgetting the kindness of his ancestors"... How did Chinese media comment on Harimoto Tomokazu, who was booed?
A quote from the controversial Takaichi statement)
https://www.dailyshincho.jp/article/2026/01051001/?all=1
(Set News is a pro-DPP news channel in Taiwan)
2025/12/7 (about an author in Taiwan on the Harimoto's incident at XTWC 2025)
張本智和手勢超嗆 作家：果然只有原是中國人的張本才知怎麼對付中國人 (Harimoto Tomokazu's gestures are extremely aggressive. The author comments: "
Only someone originally a Chinese like Harimoto knows how to deal with the Chinese")
https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1762105
Below is a Hong Konger living in Okinawa on how the xenophobic right-wing populists (not just Chinese, but especially Vietnamese, even Western folks are being discriminated) are growing in number in the rest of Japan such as Tokyo, especially after TAKAICHI Sanae has assumed power.
日本歧視現在嚴重嗎？ #沖繩香港人 #在日港人 #沖繩旅行 #日本生活 (Is discrimination serious in Japan now? #HongKongersInOkinawa #HongKongersInJapan #OkinawaTravel #LifeInJapan)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Sskv6hdPgTw
【式典であいさつ】高市総理「誰もが平和で暮らせる世の中の実現へ不断の努力を重ねる」令和8年沖縄全戦没者追悼式【ノーカット】（2026年6月23日）｜TBS NEWS DIG ([Speech at the Ceremony]
Prime Minister Takaichi: "We will continue our unwavering efforts to realize a world where everyone can live in peace." Okinawa All War Dead Memorial Ceremony 2026 [Uncut] (June 23, 2026) | TBS NEWS DIG)
https://youtu.be/HzUmUEvGLho?t=18
Protester(s): No war! Protect Article 9! Apologize to the 240k people who died (in the Battle of Okinawa)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzUmUEvGLho&lc=UgxjJNrZeT_USrEchit4AaABAg
@hakaider001
11 days ago
最も平和から遠い人がのたまっております。
212 like
(These are the words of the person furthest removed from peace.)
@るんるん-i7q-s9j
11 days ago
どの面下げてスピーチしてるんだか
マジでやべえ奴だな
ここまで嫌われてるリーダーもなかなか現れないでしょう
421 like
(I wonder what nerve she has to give a speech
She's seriously a mess
You won't often see a leader who's hated this much)
