Japanese officials battling misinformation on social media

Foreign Ministry officials in Japan have taken to social media under their own names to counter misinformation that spread about a project aimed at fostering exchanges between Japanese and African cities. The Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) "hometown" project, which was set to promote these cultural and educational exchanges, faced an onslaught of protests in local governments after false claims circulated online suggesting it would lead to increased immigration to Japan.

At the helm of the ministry's response is Misako Takahashi, director-general of the African Affairs Department. She opened her X account (formerly Twitter) to dispel misconceptions surrounding the Japan-Africa Youth Program, a platform that facilitates student exchanges between Japan and Africa. In early July, Takahashi posted a concern about misconceptions surrounding the program on X, specifically addressing incorrect claims about budget allocations.

"There seems to be a misconception that this budget only covers visits to Japan by African high school students," she stated.

During the period from June to July, 124 African high school students participated in the program, traveling to Japan. Despite the program's budget being approximately ¥1 billion, some posts on social media claimed that ¥10 million was spent for each student. Takahashi took these accusations seriously and began using her X account to clarify the program's objectives, explaining that the actual expenditure per student was far less.

In a broader effort to combat misinformation, the ministry's International Cooperation Bureau launched its own X account in June. The account was used to disseminate information about the importance of official development assistance programs. While the ministry maintains an official X account, officials noted that responses to posts tend to be delayed during holidays.

A senior ministry official explained that sharing information under individual names is more efficient, allowing for smoother communication without the need for complex procedures.