Overview

• In its July 31 issue, Weekly Shincho published a column by Masayuki Takayama attacking writer Ushio Fukazawa’s use of a Japanese name and calling on her to abandon it.
• On August 4 in Tokyo, Fukazawa held a press conference demanding a written apology and the chance to publish her own rebuttal in the magazine.
• Later that evening, Shinchosha posted an online statement expressing regret for its editorial failures and accepting responsibility for the discriminatory content.
• The publisher pledged to inform authors about shifts in public sentiment and social expectations at both the commissioning and manuscript review stages.
• Advocates say the incident spotlights ongoing discrimination against Zainichi Koreans and the need for stronger publisher oversight to curb hate speech.