Is Heizo Takenaka ethnically Korean? Did he embezzle money for Soka Gakkai? No, that's not true: Heizo Takenaka was born on March 3, 1951, in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture. He is the second of three brothers and his family owns a small footwear store. He did not embezzle taxpayers' money to Soka Gakkai.
Heizo Takenaka is an influential economist, businessman and former Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, as well as the Privatization of the Postal Services.
He has a poor reputation among Japanese citizens and is often criticized. The Anti-Takenaka Heizo demonstration was organized in front of Pasona where Mr. Takenaka was the chairman of the board.
The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) on July 20, 2022.
Heizo Takenaka is from ethnic Korea Dowa and is tainted by patronage.
He also diverted a huge amount of tax money to the Soka Gakkai company.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Jun 2 13:40:30 2023 UTC)
He was subjected to slander by using the terms "Ethnic Korean" and "Dowa" to label and defame him. The term used to refer to Ethnic Koreans in Japanese is "Chosenjin." Unfortunately, Chosenjin often become victims of discrimination. Rennie Moon's work, "Korean in Japan," provides insightful explanations on this subject.
The term "DOWA" is closely associated with the Buraku community. It is a derogatory term that refers to the marginalized community known as the "burakumin." In the book titled "Conflict and Cohabitation: On the Relationship between Koreans in Japan and the Buraku Community" author Yoshida Nishimasa explores the connection between the Buraku community and ethnic Koreans, shedding light on their relationship.
Before the war, it is known that a large number of Koreans flowed into Buraku and its surrounding areas and settled there.
Due to this historical context, certain Japanese individuals often refer to ethnic Koreans as "Buraku Min" (Buraku People).
Another claim made in this TikTok video is that Heizo Takenaka misappropriates a significant amount of tax money towards Soka Gakkai-affiliated companies. A few conspiracy theorists suggest that Pasona, where Heizo Takenaka previously served as chairman, is one such company due to Yasuyuki Nambu, the founder of Pasona, allegedly stating his affiliation with Soka Gakkai.
However, it is important to note that even if Nambu is a member of Soka Gakkai, it does not imply that Heizo Takenaka is embezzling funds on behalf of Soka Gakkai.
