A Twitter post by the Tokyo immigration bureau that appears to chide people who vandalized public property with messages that criticize the country's treatment of asylum-seekers has gone viral, with many criticizing the tweet's focus on the graffiti rather than the broader issue over refugees.
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau posted the tweet on Tuesday, along with photos of a sidewalk, a wall and a nearby pedestrian bridge in Tokyo's Minato Ward that were vandalized with graffiti reading "free refugees" and "refugees welcome" in English using all capital letters.
The bureau, which said the graffiti had been found Monday morning, commented: "Freedom of expression is important but this is public property. Isn't it a bit much?" The post was hit with a barrage of criticism over its focus on graffiti rather than refugees.