Recently, a foreign YouTuber sparked a wave of outrage in Japan by spreading a completely unfounded and offensive rumor. The person in charge is Tasha Kan African-American YouTuber with over 1.2 million subscribers, who claimed in one of his videos that Japan was offering 10 million yen to African-American men to impregnate Japanese women, as a supposed measure to combat the country's declining birth rate. This rumor, which was quickly identified as false, generated a strong reaction, especially among Japanese women.

In the video, Tasha K stated: “African American men! Japan needs them. Apparently they want them to have children here because they believe African Americans can have lots of children. All black men should come to Japan and Japanese women should get 'pregnant' to help slow the population decline.». Not only are these statements completely unfounded, they also perpetuate racist stereotypes and fuel misinformation.

The response in Japan was immediate. Japanese women of all ages expressed anger and disgust at the video's frivolity. «It's not fun or funny, and it's not something to joke about.», commented a 30-year-old woman. «For those who truly understand the situation, this is shocking and infuriating.», added a 60-year-old woman. «I wish you knew more about Japan before making comments like that.», said a 20-year-old woman.

Despite the avalanche of criticism the video received after its release in May 2024, Tasha K not only failed to properly apologize, but in August 2024 she released another video in which she tried to justify herself by saying that “it was just a joke.” However, instead of apologizing, she surprised many by hitting back at the Japanese who criticized her, saying that “the criticism was very sad” and defending her belief in Japanese religion. challenging her critics to “get women pregnant” instead of attacking her.

It was speculated that Tasha K may have misinterpreted a news story published in May 2024 by the South Korean government announcing a 100 million won subsidy. (approximately 11 million yen) for every child born in South Koreawhich may have led the YouTuber to confuse the information.

The outrage was not limited to Japan alone. On social media, many foreigners also expressed their disapproval. One French user commented: «This is simply a tactic to get more views, but it has gone too far.». Another user from Thailand added: “These statements are racist and completely unacceptable.».

This incident highlights the negative impact that misinformation spread by influencers on global platformsespecially when sensitive topics such as the birth crisis in Japan and cultural integration are addressed. The controversy continuesand many continue to question the limits of what can be considered a “joke” in the digital age.

Source: Yahoo! News Japan