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 Kimura, a cast member on the
popular program "Terrace House", was found dead
at her home on May 23 from an apparent suicide
after being deluged with negative comments on
her social media feeds.
Acutely aware of the public debate spurred by
her death, Japan's ruling party is holding
hearings from this week to consider legal
changes that will help cyber bullying victims
seek justice.
"People must understand where the line between
constructive criticism and abuse lies," Junko
Mihara, a member of the ruling Liberal
Democratic Party who is leading the party's team
on online harassment, told Reuters.
Kimura's death has been a lightning bolt as many
Japanese spend more time online because of
coronavirus lockdown measures. Celebrities,
politicians and companies have all weighed into
the debate.
In a 2018 Ipsos poll, Japan ranked the highest
among 28 countries saying cyber bullying
prevention measures were insufficient, but among
the lowest for public awareness about online
abuse. Government data showed the number of
reported cyber bullying cases at schools more
than doubled in the four years to 2018.
Yet the legal recourse for victims - a lengthy
court process to impel internet service
providers to identify anonymous posters before
those posters can be sued - has not changed
since a law was established in 2001, before
Twitter or Facebook were created.
Experts and victims have welcomed the political
momentum to update the law.
"On the internet, the balance between freedom of
speech and dignity is completely skewed, with no
protection in place for personal dignity," said
Daisuke Tsuda, an author of several books about
online media.
But Tsuda cautioned against knee-jerk regulation
that could allow authorities to regulate content
on social media, preferring changes to
legislation that would expedite the process of
identifying anonymous posters.
Indonesian-Japanese Kimura was a cast member on
the latest season of "Terrace House", a show
produced by Japan's Fuji Television Network and
distributed globally by Netflix, which put six
young people in a home together and let viewers
watch their daily interactions.
Unlike the globally franchised "Big Brother"
there's no end goal or major prize and the
series became known for its gentler story lines
and general lack of high drama. But some critics
claim it did have a darker side, particularly
via a panel of celebrity watchers who provided
sometimes biting commentary on the house
members.
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 Kimura, who was introduced as a
fun-loving jokester, attracted increased
negative attention online after upbraiding a
housemate for ruining one of her wrestling
costumes. Kimura was also attacked for her
appearance, with many posts calling her ugly and
a few calling her a "gorilla", an apparently
racist reference to her Indonesian heritage.
On May 23, she posted images of bloodied,
apparently slit wrists on Twitter and wrote that
she was hurt by posts telling her to "die" and
"disappear".
"I wanted to be loved. I'm sorry for being
weak," she wrote just hours before her death.
Authorities have not formally announced the
cause, but police investigators reportedly found
a suicide letter at her house.
"QUICK AND DEVASTATING"
Fuji TV president Ryunosuke Endo said he was
sorry for not giving Kimura the "delicate and
consistent" support she needed. The network has
deleted several tweets linked to the current
season, including one promoting the costume
incident, and cancelled the rest of the current
season. It said it has no plans to make a new
series.
Netflix extended "sincere condolences" to
Kimura's family in a May 23 tweet, and declined
to comment further. The season remains available
on the streaming service's Japanese platform.
Along with lawmakers, internet service providers
have sensed the mood around Kimura's death.
Yahoo Japan has said it would share its
technology with other social media to detect
abusive posts, and launch a review panel
including legal experts this month.
Twitter said it "would like to take action as
soon as possible" against online abuse, while
Instagram urged customers to use its reporting
tools and contact emergency services.
Smiley Kikuchi, a comedian who has long received
online abuse stemming from a false rumour he was
involved in a murder case, said the internet had
moved faster than legislation.
"People are getting the abuse I got over 20
years in just six months now. That's how quick
and devastating the damage is," he told Reuters.
"And yet the law has barely changed."
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Ju-min Park,
additional reporting by Sam Nussey; editing by
Jane Wardell)
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