Japan city enacts 1st ordinance criminally punishing hate speech

The assembly of a major Japanese city on Thursday passed an ordinance bill imposing criminal penalties for hate speech, a first for the country.The new ordinance enacted in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, to enter into force on July 1, bans discriminatory language and actions against those from countries or regions other than Japan in public spaces. It makes repeat violations punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 yen ($4,600)."Now we have an ordinance with great effectiveness that suits the local situation," said Kawasaki Mayor Norihiko Fukuda after the 60-seat assembly approved the bill.While Japan …READ FULL ARTICLE