‘Extremely damaging’ anti-foreigner fake news pushes Japan to far-right - South China Morning Post
Julian RyallPublished: 8:00am, 29 Sep 2026Updated: 10:20am, 29 Sep 2026Japan risks being pulled into a spiral of online disinformation about foreign crime that is stoking xenophobia and playing into the hands of the far-right, researchers warn.The trend is reportedly deepening divisions within Japanese society and creating a feedback loop that experts say will be difficult to break.
In August, Constella Security Japan, a Tokyo-based cybersecurity firm commissioned by the government to counter online disinformation, hosted a webinar for officials and media on fake news targeting foreign residents.
Among the cases highlighted were viral social media clips titled “metal theft by foreigners” and “stealing metal from railway tracks” claiming to show migrants cutting railway cables. The videos had racked up roughly 4.3 million views across various platforms by mid-September, Kyodo News reported.
