Controversial comments from a defunct and somewhat obscure Cabinet Office online forum have ignited a social media debate over hate speech.
Discontinued in April 2017, the online forum known as the Government Monitor System allowed citizens to contact the Cabinet Office directly to express policy-related ideas, with the comments eventually being published online. Although the government warned against the use of "slanderous" comments, many appear to encroach upon what qualifies as hate speech.
The user comments, which included calls to execute former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and attack Korean residents in Japan, were brought to light in the past week via a blog post and a subsequent social media discussion, particularly on Twitter.