‘Peace girl statue’ displayed in Tokyo through right-wing threats

◀ anchor ▶

The ‘Girl of Peace’, which had been canceled several times due to terrorist threats and obstructions from Japanese right-wing forces, finally met citizens in the capital Tokyo.

The right wingers once more interrupted by sending threatening letters and playing megaphones.

Correspondent Koh Hyeon-seung from Tokyo covered the story.

◀ Report ▶

The ‘Girl of Peace’ was presented at the Aichi Triennale three years ago.

It was stopped following three days due to arson terror threats.

The Nagoya exhibition, which was held for the first time in two years, was a hindrance to right-wing viewing,

[우익]

“If you tell a lie or fake it a thousand times, will it become the truth?”

(Please turn down the volume.)

“You said that over there first! You didn’t say anything on this side!”

It was then completed in two days when a parcel, believed to be a firecracker, exploded.

The same goes for the Tokyo exhibition.

[우익단체 회원]

“Don’t lend a place to ‘Freedom of Expression’!”

After a week of continuous uproar, the exhibition center gave up and was canceled.

And at the Tokyo exhibition that was held once more, right wingers flocked to it without fail, and regarding 100 police officers were deployed around the exhibition hall.

[우익 선전차량]

“Immediately stop the unfreedom of expression!”

At the Tokyo Exhibition of Unfreedom of Expression, which was canceled last year and reopened, right-wing groups played loud loudspeakers and disrupted even before the first day.

In a strict atmosphere, up to 400 people who made a reservation in advance, went through a metal detector and checked their belongings before entering.

At the entrance to the exhibition hall, the statue of a young girl sat down once more and gave up a seat next to it, and there were some spectators holding the girl’s hand and weeping.

Also featured were works that satirize Emperor Hirohito, who caused the Pacific War.

[오무로 에미/관람객]

“It feels rather light to say that, but I was able to really understand things like[the girl’s]pain.”

The exhibition organizers once more received more than 100 threatening letters and protest calls, but announced that they would promote the exhibition one following another in three places following Tokyo.

[오카모토 유카/’표현의 부자유전’ 공동대표]

“I think that the fact that the event cannot be held due to sabotage is the real crisis of democracy in Japan.”

The suffering of the statue of a young girl, which is repeated in each exhibition, clearly shows that Japanese society’s attitude toward the past has not changed.

This is Hyunseung Ko from MBC News from Tokyo.

Video coverage: Lee Jang-sik (Tokyo) / Video editing: Park Hye-rin

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