Reference News Network reported on February 22 that according to a report on the Japanese "Asahi Shimbun" website on February 19, during the Japanese House of Representatives election in early February, a woman posted a post on the social platform The post received approximately 48,000 likes and received comments from people from all walks of life. However, the post also caused controversy, with some people criticizing its "excessive rhetoric."
The author of the post is Ms. Qing Yuzi, an essayist living in Tokyo. She was raising two children outside of work and had never been involved in any political activity before. The Asahi Shimbun interviewed her to learn about her original intention for posting this post and her thoughts after the election. The following is the content of the interview:
Q: What prompted you to post on X saying "Mom go stop the war"?
A: There were reports at the time predicting that the Liberal Democratic Party would win. At the same time, a video appeared on social platforms in which a Liberal Democratic Party candidate made war-inciting remarks, saying that "the Japanese people will have to sweat and, in some cases, bleed." I don't really read newspapers or get involved in politics, but I was like, "I don't want to see this happen, I don't want to bleed my child." I feel like this attitude of mine is not reflected in the polls.
I usually vote on Election Day, but this time I decided to vote early on the 5th in hopes of changing the prediction a bit. That afternoon when my elementary school kids came home from school, I said, "Mom, I'm going to stop the war." Which meant, "I'm going to vote," and I thought it might be fun to add a little humor.
Q: So this post stems from a conversation you had with your children.
A: This is something you would say casually at home. I thought this sentence was quite funny, so I sent it to X while I was waiting in line at the polling station.
Q: This post has gone viral.
A: After the voting ended, my children and I went to have dinner, and the notifications on my phone kept ringing. I was a little surprised at first, but I'm really happy to see it spread so widely. A blogger with many followers quoted this sentence, and the first reply below was: "Fathers should also go (to stop the war)." I was worried that using the word "mom" before, people might think I was limiting the scope to mothers, so I am relieved to see that everyone seems to understand my intention. After that, everyone began to use their own perspectives and pronouns to express it, such as "Grandma is going too."
Q: Some people also use the term "peace goes viral".
A: Someone wrote that negative posts like hate speech and scandals tend to spread quickly on social platforms. But this time, a topic as taken for granted as "peace" resonated with so many people and went viral. This gives me hope for the future.
Many people are reluctant to talk openly about politics because they find it complicated. But many people seem to have realized that even if they are not experts, they can safely say that they do not like war. I hope we live in a society where we can talk about peace in a humorous way.
Q: The Liberal Democrats won in the end.
A: But what I feel is more hopeful than this is that there are so many people who are brave enough to speak out.
We may be in an "information cocoon". But I think we succeeded in breaking out of that cocoon and reaching out to people with different perspectives.
Regardless of the outcome, I first want to applaud myself for the actions I have taken and my colleagues who have supported me, saying "Well done!" These voices will not go away, and I believe we will continue to speak out.
Question: Where does Ms. Yuzi’s persistence for peace come from?
A: For people of my generation, growing up with "Barefooted Yuan" on the bookshelves and watching "Grave of the Fireflies" on TV during the summer. Through the literary and artistic works left by those who experienced the war, the concept that war should not happen is deeply imprinted in our hearts.
I recently watched a morning drama with my children, and its depiction of war also had an impact. We have more opportunities to talk about the brutality of war.
Q: Do you plan to get involved in politics in the future?
A: I have never participated in any political activities and do not plan to participate in the future. If I supported a political party or participated in political activities, the phrase "Mom go stop the war" would not be used by everyone. I hope this becomes an open phrase that anyone can use, regardless of party affiliation. I hope that the spread of this sentence will not be a flash in the pan, but can continue to bring people the power of gentleness. (Compiled/Liu Lin)
