Nike facing backlash in Japan
Organisations are accusing the sports giant of racism in one of their TV spots.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) Japan's video advertisement depicting the experiences of three soccer players from different backgrounds has sparked divided opinions online, with some calling for a boycott of the company's products. On Monday, the company released a two-minute video highlighting racism and bullying using three school girls. The commercial, titled "The Future isn't Waiting," shows how the schoolgirls are bullied because of their race and other differences that they eventually overcome through their soccer potential. The video now has over 14.2 million views and 63,000 likes on Twitter. On YouTube, the video received 10 million views with 71,000 and 50,000 likes and dislikes. Although some social media users described the spot as amazing, beautiful, and powerful, some were not impressed. Some critics say the video misrepresents modern Japanese society. According to a YouTuber, Momo Azam, Nike made the enemy of the Japanese, but those unaware of the ad could still buy from Nike. The user said he would never buy Nike again. Another user said the ad was a dangerous display that would lead to the split, and worse, that Nike was still making money from it. A user quoted on Soranews24.com said that Japan is not a discriminatory country and that Nike is giving the wrong impression. Another user reiterated that these days you can see people of different nationalists going to school peacefully and it is Nike that seems biased. It is important to note that Japan is an ethnically homogeneous society with almost 98% of the population considered Japanese. However, the heroics of the Japanese multi-racial rugby team at the 2019 World Cup and the success of tennis player Naomi Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese ancestry, have highlighted people of mixed race in the public sphere. As a result, this has raised concerns about Japanese identity and forced the nation to question unconscious prejudices. A spokesman for Nike Japan said the ad was inspired by testimonials from real athletes struggling to feel accepted.

