Anger Over Professor’s Claim of ‘Black Slaves’ in Japan

In this week’s news roundup we report on the backlash against author Thomas Lockley over his claims that Black slaves were popular among feudal lords in Japan. Four hikers die in the first week of Mount Fuji’s climbing season on the Shizuoka side of the mountain. Fourteen students are hospitalized after eating “super spicy” potato chips. KP.3, the newest strain of COVID-19, is on the rise in Japan. And Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expresses his concern following the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump. In Olympic news, gymnast Shoko Miyata has reportedly been asked to leave the camp for smoking. 

Backlash Over Claims That Black Slaves Were Popular Among Feudal Lords in Japan

On Thursday, Variety revealed that JoAnn M. Hunter, the choreographer of “School of Rock” and “Bad Cinderella,” has been hired to direct the upcoming musical “Yasuke: The Black Samurai,” which is expected to open in 2026. With few historical documents on Yasuke, the story is likely to be chiefly based on the words of Thomas Lockley. An associate professor at Nihon University, he co-authored the first book in the world about Yasuke in 2019. But how much of what he wrote about the man dubbed the first non-Japanese samurai is true? Not a lot, according to netizens.

The English author has received widespread criticism, particularly in the past few days, and has reportedly deleted his Facebook page. The biggest backlash has been against his claim that several feudal lords in Japan were happy to make use of Black slaves. There have been close to 200,000 posts on the subject. “The rumor that black slaves were popular among Japanese daimyo needs to be properly refuted and stamped out, otherwise it could cause big problems later,” tweeted one user. There have also been allegations that Lockley edited Yasuke’s Wikipedia page under the name Tottoritom. 

4 Hikers Die in First Week of Mount Fuji’s Climbing Season

On Sunday afternoon, the body of a man in his 60s who was unconscious and had gone into cardiac arrest was discovered by a hiker near the eighth station on the Subashiri Trail of Mount Fuji, on the Shizuoka side of the mountain. An employee at a nearby lodge called the emergency services at approximately 12:40 p.m. and a doctor was dispatched from a first aid station. Sadly, the climber was later confirmed dead. He’s the fourth person to have died on the mountain since the Shizuoka trails opened to the public on July 10.   

According to the Shizuoka prefectural police the Shizuoka side of the mountain has already seen at least double the number of fatalities than any other climbing season in the last five years. At around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, a man in his 70s was found lying unconscious near the peak. He reportedly fell 5 meters into the crater and was later confirmed dead. At just after 5 p.m. on the same day, a 77-year-old man was discovered collapsed near the eighth station of a trail. A third body was found near the seventh station on Thursday morning.

14 Students Hospitalized After Eating ‘Super Spicy’ Chips

There’s spicy and then there’s “super spicy.” On Tuesday, a student at Rokugo Koka High School in Tokyo’s Ota ward brought in some “18+ Curry Chips” to share at school “just for fun.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t a particularly fun experience for many of those who tried them. Around 30 students ate the chips, with 14 of those — 13 girls and one boy — being taken to hospital. The first-year pupils complained of nausea and acute pain around their mouths. All are believed to have minor symptoms, though one person felt so ill, they had to be transported via a wheelchair. 

Isoyama Corp, the company that makes the chips, released a statement apologizing for “any inconvenience” to customers, adding that it “sincerely wishes for the swift recovery of those who have reported feeling unwell.” According to the company website, anyone under the age of 18 is forbidden from consuming the snacks that are “so spicy they might cause you pain.” It also prohibits those with high blood pressure and weak stomachs from eating the chips, discourages those who are “timid or too scared” from trying them and advises people against consuming them “when they are alone.”

New COVID-19 Strain KP.3 Is on the Rise in Japan

KP.3, the newest strain of COVID-19, is on the rise in Japan. In April, the KP.3 variant accounted for 18.25% of the total cases in Tokyo according to the metropolitan government. In June, that figure had risen to 81.1%. It’s spreading even faster in Okinawa, where it accounts for more than 90% of infected people. Doctor Sunao Yamauchi, head of the emergency department at the Yuuai Medical Center in Tomigusuku city, said, “The number of patients has been increasing steadily since the end of Golden Week in May. Since June, we have seen patients become seriously ill.” 

Tetsuya Matsumoto, the chief professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the International University of Health and Welfare, believes we are entering the 11th wave of COVID-19 infections. “The number of infected people is likely to increase over the next month or so. As it gets hotter, people take off their masks more often. Measures are becoming more relaxed and people are becoming less vigilant. More and more people are not getting tested,” he told TV Asahi. According to Matsumoto, the KP.3 strain is more contagious than previous ones, though symptoms remain the same. 

Japan Reacts to Trump Assassination Attempt

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his deep concern following an assassination attempt targeting former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. “We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy. I pray for former President Trump’s speedy recovery,” wrote the PM on X. Kishida himself was saved from an apparent assassination attempt in April 2023 while giving a stump speech at a fishing port in Wakayama city. The assailant threw a homemade pipe bomb in his direction. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the attack. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in Pennsylvania. 

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief who was in the audience, died trying to protect his family. David Dutch and James Copenhaver were also critically wounded. The perpetrator Thomas Matthew Crooks was immediately killed by at least one Secret Service sharpshooter. Trump injured his ear. Since the assassination attempt, there have been several memes related to former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — who was murdered two years ago — and how his spirit intervened to save his old friend’s life. In one, he is depicted as an angel with the words, “No one shall harm my Nakama.” 

Gymnast Shoko Miyata Set To Be Sent Home For Smoking 

It’s just over a week before the Summer Olympics begin in Paris. For Shoko Miyata, however, the dream of winning a gold medal at the Games for her country looks like it is already over. According to Kyodo News, the 19-year-old captain of Japan’s women’s artistic gymnastics team is set to be sent home over allegations of smoking. Miyata was absent from Wednesday’s training session, which was open to the media. The Kyoto Prefecture native won a bronze medal on the balance beam at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in the U.K. in 2022.  

A more serious sporting scandal occurred last Sunday when soccer star Kaishu Sano was arrested along with two other men on suspicion of colluding to sexually assault a woman in a hotel in Tokyo. According to investigative sources, the woman contacted the police immediately after the alleged assault. It is believed that the suspects ate with her before heading to the hotel together. A friend of the woman joined them for the meal, but went home prior to the incident. Sano, who was selected for Japan’s Asian Cup squad earlier this year, recently signed for German side Mainz 05.  

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