Sony Music Apologises For Japanese Girl Group Dressed As 'Nazis'

Sony Music has apologised following criticisms that a Japanese girl band were performing in outfits similar to Nazi regalia.

Girl group Keyakizaka46 appeared at a recent Halloween gig clad in black overcoats and hats emblazoned with a Third Reich-esque eagle.

Jewish human rights organisation, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, condemned the costumes as "deeply offensive." Sony Music Japan was quick to apologise, lamenting its "lack of understanding."

It added: "We express our heartfelt apology for causing offence.

"We take the incident seriously and will make efforts to prevent a re-occurrence of a similar incident in the future."

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, an associate of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said: "Watching young teens on the stage and in the audience dancing in Nazi-style uniforms causes great distress to the victims of the Nazi genocide.

"Even if there was no harm intended by the group, that performance cheapens the memory of victims of the Nazis and sends the wrong message to young people in Germany and other countries where neo-Nazi sentiment is on the rise.

"We expect better from an international brand like Sony, which has caused embarrassment to Japan."

I usually try and end stuff on a positive joke, but I'm obviously with Rabbi Cooper on this one. Just stick to the leather jackets. Always does the trick.

Featured image credit: Keyakizaka.com

Topics: Nazi, Japan

Josh Teal

Josh Teal is a journalist at LADbible. He has contributed to the 'Knowing Me, Knowing EU' and 'UOKM8?' campaigns interviewing everyone from student drug dealers to climate change activists.

@tealioni