Cover image via @banden_tong (Threads)
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A Malaysian man working as an English teacher in Yokohama, Japan, became the target of a hateful, xenophobic attack when anti-immigrant flyers were plastered on his front door and car
The teacher, who shares his life in Japan on the social media platform Threads under the username @banden_tong, posted images of the flyers.
The flyers, posted yesterday, 10 November, have drawn widespread attention online.
One note, written in Japanese and titled "To foreigners", read:
"Please get out of Japan! You are not welcome. Japan does not need immigrants!! Japanese people's taxes are not being paid for you! Please return to your home country! Go back to your country!"
The note, plastered under his name on his front door, was signed by a group calling itself the "Yokohama City Conservative Faction".
Other flyers included a "STOP the IMMIGRANTS" sign and a purple sheet warning that "multicultural coexistence is national suicide".
In his post, the teacher expressed his lifelong admiration for Japan
He said his fondness for Japan ran deep, explaining that he had grown up in Malaysia with a love for Japanese culture.
"I came to love Japan and its people because of Japanese cars, anime, manga, PlayStation and Nintendo," he shared.
He wrote that he worked hard to fulfil his dream of moving to the country, which he achieved last year when he bought a house and a car in Yokohama and began work as an English teacher.
He also shared personal details to challenge stereotypes about immigrants, noting: "I am just a normal person who loves Japan, and I simply want to live in and contribute to the country I love".
He concluded his post with a plea to the wider Japanese public, acknowledging the existence of "bad foreigners" and that he dislikes them as well
"I am also aware that there are many 'bad foreigners,' and I hate them too. To the Japanese people who hate all foreigners, I just want to say this: Not all foreigners are bad people. Please," he posted.
In a follow-up comment on his post, the teacher confirmed that he has taken action, writing, "For now, I have consulted with the police."
