Xenophobic note warning Malaysian teacher to ‘leave Japan’ draws outrage and support

Written in Japanese and signed “Yokohama City Conservative Faction”, the flier read: “To foreigners, please leave Japan. You are not welcome here. Japan doesn’t need immigrants. Japanese taxes are not paid for you. Go back to your country.”

The teacher, who identifies himself as Banden Tong, posted photos of the note on social media on Monday, saying he found it after returning home from work. His post, written entirely in Japanese, has since drawn thousands of reactions and more than 800 mostly supportive comments.

One user, who identified herself as a Japanese woman with close ties to Malaysian exchange students, wrote: “As a fellow Japanese, I apologise … Not all foreigners are bad people. Judging people as a group is a sign of spiritual poverty.”

Another commented: “I’m ashamed as a Japanese person. Please don’t let this drive you away – I hope you’ll continue to live in Japan.”

In his post, Tong expressed both pain and affection. “So, conservatives, are you satisfied now? Because you’ve really hurt me deeply,” he wrote. “I’m from Malaysia, and ever since I was young, I’ve always admired Japan. My parents also love Japanese culture, so I grew up that way.”

Tong said he had worked hard to achieve his dream of living in Japan. “Last year, my dream came true. I bought a house and a car in Yokohama, and I work as an English teacher. Every day I spend time happily with my students.”

He said he reported the incident to police, who told him they would investigate and increase patrols in his neighbourhood.