Foreign missions court controversy with problematic Japanese tweets

An August 2021 post on the Twitter account of the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka suggested that the COVID-19 virus actually originated in the United States. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Several embassies and consulates in Japan have aroused controversy by posting messages espousing one-sided views and using extreme language -- and even remarks aimed at Japan -- in Japanese on Twitter.

China and Russia have been especially active on this platform to trumpet their own governments' views and apparently attempt to sway public opinion on a range of issues. Experts are urging readers to take the assertions made in these tweets with a grain of salt.