Japan ( Tokyo) Japan election candidate sparks outrage after saying foreigners are invading local living areas
A senior candidate from Japan’s ruling party has triggered nationwide backlash after controversial remarks about foreigners living in Tokyo.
Tamayo Marukawa, a former Olympic minister running again under the Liberal Democratic Party, said she felt anxiety about foreigners entering what she called everyday living areas.
Her comments were made during her first street speech in Tokyo’s Shibuya district at the start of the election campaign.
Critics online accused her of stoking fear, comparing the language to apartheid and even Nazi era rhetoric.
Many pointed out that foreign workers already support daily life in Tokyo, from convenience stores to public services.
The backlash was intensified by Marukawa’s past involvement in the ruling party’s slush fund scandal.
Observers say immigration has become an emotional wedge issue as Japan faces labor shortages and record tourism.
The controversy comes as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks to consolidate conservative support ahead of the February election.
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