Elon Musk on Monday expressed backing for a demonstration in Japan opposing immigration, highlighting the nation’s relatively small foreign-born population. Musk, originally from South Africa and now an immigrant in the U.S., has emerged as a prominent critic of immigration, often endorsing anti-immigration initiatives wherever they arise.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has a history of publicly supporting far-right political parties in various countries, including Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD). His endorsements have drawn attention because they often align with nationalist and anti-immigration agendas. On Monday, Musk weighed in on a video of a small-scale rally in Japan, which had been shared on X by an account named The British Patriot. In response to the footage, he simply wrote, “Good,” signaling his approval of the demonstration.
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The X account that shared the video described it as featuring Japanese demonstrators calling for the removal of all undocumented immigrants from the country. “From Australia to Europe to Japan, citizens are uniting for remigration,” the account, which describes itself as a “Proud white British man with indigenous roots,” the X account stated.
The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed. However, AFP reported that it appears to have been recorded in Osaka on Aug. 30, depicting protesters waving Japanese flags and carrying banners opposing large-scale immigration, including one with the slogan: “Don’t make Japan Africa.”
Japan continues to have relatively low levels of immigration compared with other developed nations, and public opinion polls indicate that it ranks well below other issues in terms of voter priority. Nevertheless, driven by factors such as an aging population, some of the lowest birth rates globally, and labor shortages across multiple sectors, Japan has been seeing a gradual rise in its immigrant population.
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As of 2023, roughly 1.6 million people in the United States identify as Japanese, including both full and partial ancestry, according to U.S. Census data. Of these, about 338,000 are Japanese-born, making the U.S. the country with the largest Japanese-born population outside Japan, surpassing even Brazil, where the Japanese diaspora is largely multigenerational.
Japanese Americans stand out among Asian American communities for having a relatively small share of immigrants, only about 25% were born outside the U.S., while the majority, 75%, are American-born. In 2022, their median household income was around $90,000, a bit lower than the overall Asian American median of $100,000. On the religious front, nearly half (47%) identify as unaffiliated, 23% as Christian, and 19% as Buddhist. When it comes to identity, around a third (34%) see themselves as “Japanese” or “Japanese American,” 20% simply as “American,” and 39% as “Asian” or “Asian American.” Strong ties to their heritage are clear, with 92% holding a favorable view of Japan and 63% expressing a very positive opinion, according to Pew Research Center.