Japanese citizens told to be cautious over L.A. protests

The national flags of Japan and the United States are seen in this file photo. (Mainichi)

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday called on Japanese citizens in Los Angeles to be cautious about protests in the U.S. city against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

“We will continue to closely monitor the developments in Los Angeles with grave interest,” he said at a press conference.

Iwaya said that the government will take all possible steps to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals, adding that there have been no reported injuries among the Japanese community so far.

Los Angeles and its surrounding area is home to the largest number of Japanese nationals overseas, totaling some 64,000 as of October 2024, according to government data.

The protests since Saturday against raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have intensified after Trump, a Republican, deployed Sunday some 300 National Guard troops to quell them, despite no request from Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.