Japanese Culture Channel Sakura

Head office

Japanese Culture Channel Sakura (日本文化チャンネル桜, Nihon Bunka Channeru Sakura), also known as simply Channel Sakura, is a Japanese right-wing television channel and video-sharing website founded in 2004.[1] It is known for its support for conservatism and Japanese nationalism, with its main spokesperson being Satoru Mizushima.[2]

The channel broadcasts Japanese history, culture, politics, economics, etc. from a right-wing point of view and has hosted Shinzō Abe, the PM of Japan and President of Liberal Democratic Party, many ministers, members of the Liberal Democratic Party as well as the Democratic Party of Japan, local government delegates, well-known intellectuals and people in various fields. Discussion topics often include positive portrayal of Japanese imperialism, war crime denial, anti-Korean and anti-Chinese sentiments as well as attempting to present a "pure" Japanese cultural image. In addition, the channel is associated with nationalist and right-wing Japanese political groups,[3] such as Nippon Kaigi, Ganbare Nippon and the Sunrise Party of Japan ("Tachiagare Nippon").

Channel Sakura also participates in mass political rallies, which have garnered as many as several thousand participants, carrying Japanese Hinomaru flags. For example, these groups demonstrated against China during the 2011 Diaoyutai/Senkaku dispute, against Fuji TV's showing of Korean dramas and other content (during which time they called Fuji TV the "traitor network"[4]), and against Naoto Kan's administration in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake as well as the handling of the 2011 Senkaku Dispute.

  1. ^ McNeill, David (December 6, 2007). "Look Back in Anger. Filming the Nanjing Massacre". Japan Focus. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  2. ^ Penney, Matthew. ""Racists Go Home!", "Go Crawl Back to the Net!" – Anti-Racism Protestors Confront the Zaitokukai". Japan Focus. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  3. ^ Johnston, Eric (March 14, 2006). "Net boards venue for faceless rightists". The Japan Times. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  4. ^ Schilling, Mark (2011-08-22). "Japanese rally against Fuji TV : Korean programming riles locals". Variety. Archived from the original on 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2012-03-09.