Tokyo hotel apologizes for ‘Japanese-only’ elevator sign

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(Reuters) – Tokyo hotel apologized and removed “only in Japanese” and “only for foreigners” signs from elevators after anti-COVID-19 precaution sparked outrage on social media ahead of Olympics summer of 2020.

Tokyo entered a state of emergency on July 12, fearing that an influx of tens of thousands of athletes and officials during the Games from July 23 to August 8 could spread the coronavirus, the cases of which are already on the rise in the Japanese capital.

The Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu in downtown Tokyo installed the signs on Friday in response to advice from Tokyo 2020 organizers to ensure the movements of Games-related guests are kept separate from others staying at the hotel, said Monday to Reuters a hotel official.

The official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject, said there was no intention to discriminate against foreigners.

“We tried to make it easy to understand, but ended up causing misunderstandings,” the official said. He said the signs were removed on Sunday morning and the hotel was now discussing with its seat what expression to use instead.

The signs sparked heavy criticism on social media, with one Twitter user tweeting “Apartheid has been revived in Japan.”

Another compared the signs to US “Jim Crow” measures, since overturned by the courts, designed to prevent black people from voting in the far south of the United States.

“The virus has nothing to do with nationality,” tweeted Twitter user Anna.

Japan has not seen the explosive coronavirus outbreak seen elsewhere but has recorded more than 815,440 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths. Tokyo alone recorded 614 new cases on Sunday, the 22nd consecutive day of week-over-week gains.

The vaccination rollout in Japan got off to a slow start and although it picked up speed thereafter, supply issues stumbled. Only about 28% of the population have received at least one injection of the vaccine.

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