Nike store in Japan. Photo: IC

Nike Japan recently launched a new commercial as part of the company's You Can't Stop Us campaign that aims to promote good sportsmanship. The new commercial, however, has been the target of harsh criticism from some Japanese who claim that it contains content that hints at racial discrimination in Japanese society. 

The two-minute advert was published Saturday on Nike Japan's official social media accounts such as Twitter and YouTube. Though "If we all work together, the future will be more open to us" is one of the lines that Nike uses to describe it, the commercial involves content that some are calling "sensitive" and delivers messages about "bullying" and "racism."   

The main characters in the commercial are three young girls of Chinese, Korean and African descent who live in Japan and enjoy playing soccer. The commercial sees the three characters reveal how they have been excluded and bullied in Japanese schools. According to Nike, these stories are based on the "real-life experience of athletes." 

The commercial's intention is to show how sports can be a powerful tool to inspire these isolated children to overcome their daily struggles and build confidence and determination. The advert had earned more than 9 million views and 24,000 dislikes on YouTube as of Tuesday, with negative comments accusing the company of exaggerating the scale of discrimination. 

"There is no widespread discrimination against Chinese in Japan, and most Japanese people treat foreigners objectively," said Pan Yulin, a Chinese expat who has lived in Japan for 12 years and works at a tourism company in Kyoto, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

In Pan's opinion, Japanese society cares more about if a person abides by and maintains the rules than where he or she comes from or what his or her race is.

Japanese viewers who object to the video say they are doing so because they believe the video demonizes Japan and portrays the country as an unfriendly place full of racial intolerance. Some Japanese netizens even expressed their intent to boycott Nike products if the company does not withdraw the advertisement. 

The commercial has also sparked discussion outside of Japan, leading some netizens to speculate about Japan's anti-Korean sentiment.  

"Japan especially discriminates against Koreans living in Japan. I applaud Nike for its realistic advertisement," a YouTube user posted on Tuesday. 

The debate regarding Nike's commercial has also become a hot topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. 

"The issue is true for me. When will the people there face up to their problems?" one user posted on Sina Weibo. 

"When renting a house in Kyoto, I was treated unfairly by a landlord just because I am not Japanese, and some of my neighbors even acted against me together," Pan said, sharing his experience as a foreigner living in Japan. 

Besides the issue of "race," Pan pointed out the cultural stereotypes that Japanese may have about foreigners. 

"When I first came to Japan, I met with Japanese people who believed the stereotype that Chinese have bad manners and are a little bit uncultured. But they also have the positive impressions that Chinese people love to study and are very smart, which I found out later during my interactions with them," he said. 

"However, these thoughts clearly do not make Japanese treat Chinese differently," and "topics such as racial discrimination and bullying against foreigners are still taboo in Japanese society," Pan emphasized. 

As someone who has lived in Japan for a long time, Pan suggested that new arrivals actively integrate themselves into local culture and life while sticking to one's own national and cultural identity.

"When I was a student, I actively communicated with Japanese people, taking the initiative to strengthen my Japanese ability, and learn about their unique culture and lifestyle,  which helped me adapt to Japanese society more quickly," he said.