Anti-hate march draws 1,200 in Japan's Kawaguchi as foreign residents face rising hostility January 14 時計コピー  2026 (Mainichi Japan) Japanese version Participants march against discrimination toward foreigners during the "Gochamaze Kawaguchi No Hate March" in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, Jan. 11, 2026. "Gochamaze" in Japanese means "mishmash スーパーコピー時計 " implying that Kawaguchi is a melting pot. (Mainichi/Takuro Tahara) KAWAGUCHI ブランド通販  Saitama -- About 1,200 people joined a Jan. 11 anti-discrimination march in this city just north of Tokyo, where foreign nationals make up about 8% of the population, organizers said. The two-hour "Gochamaze Kawaguchi No Hate March" drew protesters from Saitama Prefecture and beyond, with people chanting, "Stop discrimination" and "Hate speech is not cool" as they walked from JR Kawaguchi Station toward Nishi-Kawaguchi Station. "Gochamaze" means "mishmash" in Japanese, implying that Kawaguchi is a melting pot. The event was a "sound rally," with demonstrators led by a truck carrying a DJ playing international music. Organizers said no specific groups were mobilized for the march. Organizing team member Mayuko Nakajima commented, "Discriminatory rhetoric has tended to intensify at election campaign spots, including during last year's House of Councillors contest. I wanted to take action ahead of the Kawaguchi mayoral poll 偽ブランド " for which official campaigning starts Jan. 25. Since around 2023, Kurdish residents originally from Turkey and other ethnic groups living in Kawaguchi have increasingly become targets of bashing online and in the real world. Anti-foreigner スーパーコピーn級  exclusionist rallies are also more frequent. A 36-year-old man from the United States living in the city's Nishikawaguchi area decided to join the rally on the day of the event. He said he has lived in Japan for 15 years, but now feels a tangible shift in the discourse surrounding foreigners. He added that while some people may feel friction with the growing number of foreign nationals, he hopes those who saw the rally will think about what kind of society they want. (Japanese original by Takuro Tahara, Saitama Bureau) Font Size SML Print Go to The Mainichi Home Page Related Articles Foreign children raised in Japan caught in stepped-up deportations Upper house race candidates call for controls on foreigners near Tokyo, ignoring reality School with over 40% foreigners offers Japanese 'survival course,' small-group teaching