To leftists around the world, we introduce a Japanese leftist protest dance. This dance is performed in his local constituency to protest against Taro Aso, a high-ranking lawmaker of Japan’s right-wing ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
His family business profited from Japanese coal mines built on a history of forced labor—which claimed many precious lives, including Koreans brought from colonized territories—and intense labor disputes.
The song was originally a labor song (a coal-sorting song) sung by female miners as they sorted coal, and it was first recorded after being rearranged in 1932.
Today, it is danced to protest against Taro Aso, whose family-owned coal mines were built on forced labor and the tragic sacrifice of lives. It is also danced to condemn his party, the "Liberal Democratic Party," because it is neither truly "free" nor "democratic."
This video was created by @osakanapotatoangel, an anti-colonial and queer activist based in Ehime. Please show your support by following her Instagram account: https://t.co/pfADQV06nK