in Thorsten Botz-Bornstein (ed.), Tracking Global Wokeism
Brill, 2025
Abstract: This chapter explores tensions surrounding social minorities and the navigation of human rights in Japan from social and legal perspectives, offering examples from Japan that parallel wokeism and cancel culture in Western societies. As the term political correctness gained popularity in Japan during the 2010s, accusations motivated by this notion initially surfaced through feminist allegations of gender-related issues, coinciding with the #MeToo movement. The chapter reveals that backlashes driven by anti-woke sentiments predate accusations driven by political correctness in the 2010s, showing that earlier backlashes, primarily targeting ethnic minorities in Japan, arose even amid structural non-recognition or delayed acknowledgment of minority rights. The chapter also illustrates the double-edged nature of wokeism through cases of moral accusations and social sanctions that have stirred Japanese society since the 2010s: while it fosters the redress of previously overlooked social injustices, it also risks imposing social sanctions before allegations receive careful examination.
About the authors: Satoshi Narihara was a HYI Visiting Scholar from 2023-24 and Jiyeon Lee was a HYI RSEA fellow from 2023-25.