Nike anti-racism ad sparks big response in Japan

A Nike advert highlighting racism and bullying in Japan has led to calls for a boycott from angry viewers who say it gives an unfair portrayal of the country.  

The two-minute commercial shows a girl in Korean dress being stared at by passing businessmen and a girl with a black father being harassed by classmates who touch her hair, before the teenagers go on to find their confidence through football. 

Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father and has been the victim of racial insensitivity in the country, also makes a cameo appearance in the advert. 

But after racking up millions of views online, the advert has led to a backlash from Japanese people who say it makes them look ‘foolish’ and accused the American firm of ‘creating a false impression of Japan’.   

A mixed-race schoolgirl walks alone in a corridor in a scene from the Nike advert which highlights racism and bullying in Japan, causing a backlash in the country

The Japanese-language clip, titled ‘Keep Moving: Yourself, the Future’, drew thousands of likes and dislikes on the firm’s Japanese YouTube channel. 

Some critics accused the sportswear company of anti-Japanese sentiment, while others claimed they would never buy from Nike again. 

‘Is Japan really such a country full of discrimination? It feels like you’re creating a false impression of Japan,’ said one viewer. 

‘It’s not just Japan – discrimination exists in other countries too,’ said another, while a Twitter user said that ‘our household won’t be buying any more products from you’.  

Another Japanese user wrote: ‘Isn’t sport about having fun? Is it fun to use it to take out your frustrations?’

But others praised the advert. ‘This great ad has really touched my heart,’ wrote one. ‘It’s just like Nike. I want people to believe in themselves as they are and look to the future.’

Nike, which sponsors biracial star tennis Naomi Osaka (pictured), has caused social media debate with a new ad on bullying and discrimination

Nike, which sponsors biracial star tennis Naomi Osaka (pictured), has caused social media debate with a new ad on bullying and discrimination

Morley Robertson, a part-Japanese journalist, told BBC News that ‘many Japanese do not like to be told by outside voices to change their ways’. 

‘But if a foreigner demonstrates a deep understanding of Japanese culture or Japanese rules, then those same Japanese who would otherwise take offense will gush forth with praise,’ Robertson said.  

Nike said the video was based on testimonies of young athletes who have struggled to accept their natural identities, and focused on three teenage girls who faced discrimination and bullying.

‘Nike for a long time has listened to minorities, supported them and voiced our views about causes that meet Nike’s values,’ marketing director Barbara Guinet. 

Several biracial Japanese athletes, including Osaka and NBA basketball player Rui Hachimura, have risen to prominence in Japan in recent years.

Japanese firm Nissin was last year forced to apologise after 'white-washing' Osaka in an animated advert in which she was drawn with lighter skin, straighter hair and white features

Naomi Osaka

Japanese firm Nissin was last year forced to apologise after ‘white-washing’ Osaka in an animated advert in which she was drawn with lighter skin, straighter hair and white features

Osaka, who has been an outspoken advocate for racial justice, wore masks bearing the names of black victims of police brutality in the United States on her way to victory in the US Open earlier this year.

But she has also had to deal with racial insensitivity in Japan, the country she hopes to represent at next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

An ad campaign by one of her sponsors, noodle company Nissin, once depicted her as light-skinned in a cartoon in what was described as ‘white-washing’. 

The anime-style ad depicted Osaka with white skin, Caucasian features and wavy, light brown hair – in stark contrast with her actual appearance. 

Nissin subsequently apologised, saying there was no deliberate attempt to ‘white-wash’ Osaka but admitting that ‘we are not sensitive enough’. 

In a separate row, a TV comedy duo suggested that Osaka ‘needs some bleach’ because she is ‘too sunburned’.

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