On June 4 at 4:29 PM JST, Yuki Suetsugu (mangaka of Chihayafuru) put out a string of tweets in support of #BlackLivesMatter. She had previously supported Hong Kong protests and faced backlash in China for it. This time, she has spoken out against discrimination and systemic oppression. About the death of George Floyd and the ongoing violence against protesters in the US, she has made her personal stance very clear.

Here are the string of tweets:

Tweet 1 | Tweet 2 | Tweet 3 | Tweet 4 | Tweet 5 | Tweet 6 (Thread) | Tweet 7

Translation:

ANN recently translated the tweets. Read their translation here.

The (probably) only major topic that sets me off is "discrimination". I don't mention it much because I won't be able to stop talking about it, but that's no longer the case. It was cowardly to remain silent "because it wasn't the appropriate time". Watch this video to fight against the prejudice that even you carry internally.

I really hate it. "What type of person do you dislike?" When I'm asked that, I always reply "the type that discriminates" straight off. I hate it so much that I can't stay calm. Why is this sort of thing still around? Because humans are creatures that love to discriminate. That want slaves. They're cruel creatures that say things like "it's easier to judge based on characteristics".

Right now in America, they're demonstrating against racism against black people. I wish them good luck. If you don't agree, you're already being discriminatory yourself. (Taking advantage of it to loot is a different topic) "But it's got nothing to do with me" may be true, but even so it's important to speak up about it. Because it's a human problem.

(She realizes at this point that she should have been using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag and starts using it in the next chain.)

Racism, especially black discrimination, has a long history, and yet, slowly, human values have been updated to the point where there is a consensus that "people are equal". It's still a token ('tatemae' literally public face, aka what people say but might not believe), but even that tatemae is very important. The ideal future, the one where you think "wouldn't it be nice if it were like this" used to be one about equality, but lately I've been seeing a lot of people saying that equality is not really the way to go. Isn't the only reason you were able to come out and say your horrible opinion because the president isn't Obama? If he were president now, things wouldn't have gotten so bad. Even a country that was able to elect a black president is swinging back the other way. The tragic history that has been piling up all along shows that humans are creatures who can't resist the dark desire to "discriminate against people". I've been trying to live my life not discriminating against people, but it's not enough. Discrimination against black people needs to disappear. Quit it. It happens in Japan too, you know? If there's only one black kid in a class, they stand out. Stop giving them strange looks. They're no different. There's just as many great things and strange things about them as anyone. The little ones need to be the first to learn this! Adults need to start by reexamining their character!

/r/Chihayafuru's Position

We stand with #BlackLivesMatter. We stand with protests against police violence and systemic oppression. We denounce discrimination and oppression of marginalized groups. The /r/Chihayafuru community is an inclusive zone for fans of Chihayafuru. We do not tolerate bigotry. We do not tolerate racial discrimination, antisemitism, transphobia or homophobia.

In Chihayafuru, karuta is a sport for all walks of life. Yuki Suetsugu has penned a beautiful series about people of all genders, ages, ethnicity and body types dedicating themselves to passion for a sport that doesn't discriminate. Chihayafuru as a series preaches equality and it's natural for a community built around it to emulate everything it has to teach us.

Actions speak louder than words. We would not have voiced support for BLM and the protests if Suetsugu hadn't tweeted out about it due to the nature of anime fans to react negatively to political messages. In anime communities, there is this strange idea that all of Japan is an apolitical utopia where people don't stand up for the rights of marginalized groups. Time and time again this has been proved wrong.

Yuki Suetsugu has been wrongfully derided for her personal and political views in the past. Previously, she received major backlash for supporting Hong Kong protests.

Actions speak louder than words. We are the largest organized English Chihayafuru community and we need to send out a message that her fans also support her views but at the same time, we are responsible for ourselves as people. No matter where you live, you can help fight the good fight. Most countries have anti-racism charities that you can donate to. I encourage you to look them up and donate. If you can't donate, just your voice is enough. Speak out on social media. Educate yourself on systemic oppression and how it comes to be.

Here's a good resource for finding #BlackLivesMatter charities to donate to.

Ways you can help

Support LGBTQ rights. Speak out against police violence, discrimination and bigotry. Black Lives Matter.

Special thanks to /u/Ralon17 for translating these tweets. /r/Chihayafuru will continue to operate normally but this post will stay pinned while these events are ongoing.