'Eddie Murphy' blackface on Japanese TV show sparks race row

A Japanese TV station has sparked a race row by showing an actor wearing blackface to portray comedian Eddie Murphy.

Many people took to Twitter to criticise the show, broadcast nationwide on New Year's Eve, after it included a Beverley Hills Cop skit in which Japanese comic Masatoshi Hamada wore the makeup.

US-born columnist Baye McNeil - who is black - tweeted a "note to Japanese performing in blackface" that being black was "not a punchline nor a prop".

He said he loved Japan, where he has lived for 13 years, but called on the country to put an end to the practice before there is an internationally embarrassing incident, such as sending a troupe of comedians to the Olympics in blackface.

"Need a black character, get a black actor that speaks Japanese. There are several!" he added.

Some defended the use of blackface, which is widely regarded as racist partly owing to its use historically in minstrel shows in the US and UK mocking black people. They suggested that using it in the Japan is different to in other countries.

"You're real proud of yourself, aren't you? You're going to fix a non-problem in Japan by imposing American guilt on them..." wrote one man.

"What's inappropriate for the US doesn't apply worldwide #ManufacturedOutrage," he added.

Others said the comedian intended simply to portray Eddie Murphy as accurately as possible and showed "attention to detail".

But Mr McNeil told Japanese media that while not necessarily intentionally racist, blackface is culturally insensitive in Japan, where minstrel shows arrived in the 19th century, imported by Americans.

Since then, the makeup technique has been used by actors and musicians portraying African-Americans. In 2009, Japanese actor Koichi Yamadera appeared on variety show Monomane Battle to perform Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World' wearing face paint.

"Blackness is being treated as a tool for comedy, for laughs, and that impacts how I’m perceived and treated on a daily basis here," wrote Mr McNeil, who was behind a successful attempt in 2015 to prevent two bands playing on Japanese TV in blackface.

There are also wider concerns about racism in the country. In 2005, a report by a UN special rapporteur warned of "profound" racism in Japan, including against those from former Japanese colonies in Korea and China.

However worries about blackface are not limited to Japan. Australian model Sophie Applegarth and friend Julie Iovenitti recently defended themselves after they wore blackface to party, dressed as sisters Venus and Serena Williams.