Professors in Japan under investigation after alleged discriminatory social media posts
The University of Tsukuba has apologised after two of their faculty members allegedly made inappropriate and discriminatory remarks on social media, prompting public backlash.
In a statement published on its website on 13 Feb, the university said a faculty member had made posts containing “expressions that were discriminatory toward foreigners and lacked respect for another country”.
It added that the matter may violate the university’s employment regulations and social media usage guidelines, and that investigations are ongoing.
Source: Japan Forum for Internationalization of Universities
The university expressed “deep apologies” to those who felt offended or uncomfortable because of the posts.
It also stressed that all faculty, staff, and students are required to comply with its social media usage guidelines, and said it would continue reminding members of their responsibility and accountability as employees of a national university while taking steps to prevent a recurrence.
Post describes foreign students as ‘low ability’ and ‘troublemakers’
One of the professors identified in reports is Naoto Fujii, who describes himself on X as an associate professor at the university’s Institute of Health and Sport Sciences.
On 8 Feb, he posted that, based on his experience, foreigners who come to Japanese universities “generally have low ability and are often troublemakers”.
これは私の経験から本当にそう。日本の大学に来る外国人は、だいたい能力が低く、トラブルメーカーが多いです。
なので、何処の馬の骨かわからない外国人からのメールは、基本無視しています。… https://t.co/cZpw22RVbD
— 藤井 直人 Naoto Fujii (@naotofuj) February 8, 2026
He added that he typically ignores emails from foreigners whose backgrounds he does not know, and only accepts those he has met at academic conferences and whose educational and research supervision background he understands.
The post quickly gained traction online, drawing more than a million views and sparking hundreds of replies criticising the remarks as discriminatory.
Several days later, Mr Fujii issued an apology on X, saying his post had been “extremely inappropriate” and expressing deep regret for causing discomfort.
He said he would reflect on his actions and be more mindful in his future communications as both a member of society and an educator.
本投稿は極めて不適切であったことを深く反省し、皆様に不快な思いをおかけしましたことを心よりお詫び申し上げます。社会の一員として、また教育に携わる者としての自覚を持ち、今後の発信に細心の注意を払ってまいります。 https://t.co/wA3v2bGac1
— 藤井 直人 Naoto Fujii (@naotofuj) February 12, 2026
Separate controversy over remarks referencing Thailand
Another associate professor, Ayako Toyama of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, was also reported to have made controversial posts.
According to the university’s statement, there had also been content that lacked respect for another country. This followed online exchanges in which Ms Toyama discussed the recent Japanese elections and made remarks referencing Thailand.
In one exchange, after a discussion about election-related issues turned heated, she compared Japan’s situation with Thailand and suggested that people there would file lawsuits to invalidate problematic elections.
During the back-and-forth, she also referenced Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws, which critics said was inappropriate in the context of the online argument.
The exchange sparked public outcry, leading to an online petition calling on the university to take disciplinary action. The petition has garnered more than 1,300 signatures so far.
The University of Tsukuba did not publicly name the faculty members in its statement, but confirmed that it is investigating whether the posts breached its internal rules and guidelines.
Also read: Thailand arrests US professor over alleged blurb insulting monarchy on S’pore institute website
Thailand arrests US professor over alleged blurb insulting monarchy on S’pore institute website
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Featured image adapted from 筑波大学｜University of Tsukuba on Facebook.
