He explained that the main causes of the unrest included a widening gap between white and black Americans and a higher rate of job loss among the black community due to Covid-19.
However, she made no mention of George Floyd’s death or police brutality in the United States.
Public broadcaster NHK posted the video on Twitter on Sunday, but has since deleted it after receiving harsh criticism online.
Joseph M. Young, charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, said Tuesday that the anime was “offensive and insensitive.”
“While we understand NHK’s intent to address complex racial issues in the United States, unfortunately no more thought and concern has fallen on this video,” he said. “Learning about racial justice and equality is a lifelong endeavor. A great place to start is the Talking About Race exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.”
Naomi Osaka, a Japanese professional tennis player, also responded to the NHK post with the popular gif of “Family Feud” host Steve Harvey expressing confusion.
Other people on Twitter also responded to NHK’s tweet calling it a “shame” and for spreading “misinformation” about the riots.
In a statement, NHK said the animation was part of a 26-minute program that explained U.S. protests, which also discussed Floyd’s death, handling the Donald Trump administration issue and criticism against it, as well as deep divisions in U.S. society.
“We at NHK want to sincerely apologize for the clip of the computer animation posted on our Twitter account,” it states. “We’re sorry we didn’t lack attention when carrying the clip and we apologize to everyone who was offended.”
Street protests against police brutality were held in Tokyo on Saturday, as part of a wave of global demonstrations following Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
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