Kawasaki enacts criminal action for hate speech, a first in Japan：The Asahi Shimbun www.asahi.com

It is the first hate speech ordinance in Japan to stipulate criminal punishment.
Hate speech has been a problem in the city home to many ethnic Koreans, prompting the central government to enact a related law in 2016.
The criminal punishment section of the Kawasaki city ordinance will come into effect in July 2020.
Hate speech perpetrators who repeatedly use discriminatory words toward residents with roots in foreign countries and their descendants could face a fine of up to 500,000 yen ($4,600).
In the first stage, the mayor, hearing opinions from an examination panel, will request or order that suspected hate speech perpetrators halt such activities.