急増するパキスタン人に相次ぐ攻撃…ロケット花火やバット　「嘘だと思われる」直撃したユーチューバーを取材　見えた目的と誤情報　地域社会での共生に深い影

Not only has false rumors about Pakistani immigrants living in Ebetsu City, Hokkaido, been spreading on social media, accusing them of being "illegal immigrants," but it has also led to dangerous harassment. In October, a video capturing a certain location in Kakuyama, Ebetsu City, was posted on TikTok, causing a stir. A used car dealership run by a Pakistani. The post gave the impression that anyone approaching would be pelted with stones. While the video has since been deleted, a repost of the video has been viewed over 1.5 million times. However, the store's security camera captured a different picture. {False rumors of "illegal immigrants" spread on social media} Firecrackers thrown from a car at a Pakistani store About one minute before the video was posted, a car pulled up in front of the store. Suddenly, a person from the passenger seat of the car hurled firecrackers at the store. At least three people can be seen in the video. A store employee then appeared, and the scene shown in the video is now shown. The car sped away as if fleeing. According to a store employee, no stones were actually thrown, but rather the store pretended to throw them in an attempt to scare the intruders away. However, this particular scene was deliberately clipped and posted. [Rocket fireworks were also fired] On another day, rocket fireworks were fired and someone wielding what appeared to be a bat wandered around... This harassment apparently continued on a daily basis. The number of Pakistanis living in Ebetsu City has reached 224, a seven-fold increase over the past 10 years. They primarily operate in the used car export business. Despite the fact that they have legitimate residence status and permits, numerous false rumors have been posted on social media claiming they are "illegal immigrants." [Surge in Pakistani Population: Local Residents' Impressions...] However, local residents' impressions of Pakistanis vary greatly. Ebetsu Resident "The Pakistanis I know study hard and have a good image." Local Taxi Driver "They're friendly, pay well, and are good customers." The spread of misinformation began with a certain issue. Why did the misinformation spread? It started with illegal buildings. Reporter Sota Araki "This is the Tsunoyama district, on the outskirts of Ebetsu City. Across the national highway, this side is a controlled urban development zone, and construction is generally prohibited." There are currently 76 confirmed illegal buildings in Ebetsu City. Among them is a mosque, which has been deemed illegal and is currently under investigation. A man with knowledge of the situation... Man from Pakistan "I found out (the mosque was illegal) when the city told me. There was talk internally that we needed to move quickly. However, it takes a while because it costs money to find another piece of land." Man from Pakistan According to the city, only a small portion of the 76 illegal buildings are owned by foreigners, and the majority are Japanese. However, false information was spread suggesting that all 76 buildings were built by Pakistanis. 《Interview with a male YouTuber who posted an inaccurate account》 Male YouTuber "In the Ebetsu City Council video, I felt that they used the phrase '76 buildings in Tsunoyama' (illegal buildings). I mistakenly thought, 'If there are 76 buildings in Tsunoyama, they must all be built by Pakistanis.'" "I was surrounded by Pakistanis and taken to a mosque." The male YouTuber who posted this story agreed to an interview. Male YouTuber "After watching the Ebetsu City Council video, I learned about illegal construction in North Safari and illegal logging in Kutchan, and learned that there was illegal construction in Ebetsu as well, so I went to see what the situation was like." "I believe that the issue of foreigners is an administrative issue, and I want the government to take notice, or at least change their mindset, so I'm posting this." In the comments section of the video, the male YouTuber explains, "The footage of me being surrounded by Pakistanis and having my smartphone taken away was deleted." Male YouTuber "(Did he actually delete the video?) No. Without video evidence, viewers would think it was a lie. If I didn't deal with it well, it would escalate into a weird uproar, with people saying I was lying. But I did say I was told to delete it." The man reportedly did not film the scene where he was surrounded by Pakistanis, and he falsely explained that the reason there was no footage was because "my smartphone was taken away." "I was taken to a mosque" post: The truth is... In response to a male YouTuber's post claiming to have been "taken to a mosque," we actually visited a mosque and interviewed him. Man from Pakistan "(The poster) said something like, 'I'm interested in Islam,' and 'Can I take a look inside?' I said, 'Sure,' and showed him around." Man from Pakistan Why did he post that he was "taken"? Male YouTuber "I was so scared, I mi...