Leader of Japanese COVID-19 conspiracy group arrested for breaking into vaccination clinic, media reports

• The 43-year-old leader of the Japanese anti-vaccine movement YamatoQ was arrested on Wednesday.

• He was arrested in connection with the group’s invasion of a vaccination clinic in early April.

• Some outlets have reported that the group advertises itself as Japan’s arm of QAnon.

One of the leaders of a Japanese anti-vaccine group which promotes wild far-right conspiracies was arrested on Wednesday, after members of the group allegedly broke into a children’s vaccination clinic earlier this month.

The 43-year-old leader of YamatoQ, Hiroyuki Kuraoka, was arrested in connection with the anti-vaccine group’s suspected invasion of a vaccination clinic on April 7, according to the Japanese tabloid Nikkan Gendai. During the incident, members of the group allegedly stayed in a Tokyo vaccination clinic for over an hour and chanted “vaccination is a crime,” according to Japan Today, which cited Tokyo police.

Four members of the group were also previously arrested during the April 7 protest, Japan Today reported.

Several news outlets have reported that the group advertises itself as the Japanese arm of the far-right American conspiracy theory QAnon, although some researchers have cautioned that the group’s ties to QAnon are self-promotional and the connection is tenuous. QAnon does have followers in Japan, although the movement is less prevalent than in other countries.

YamatoQ’s website contains links to videos of past demonstrations, while one page expresses support for former US President Donald Trump and references QAnon. The site makes numerous anti-vaccine claims and promotes rallies against vaccination around the country, according to Reuters.

QAnon is a web of baseless conspiracy theories that believes Trump was fighting against a cabal of deep state human traffickers. YamatoQ’s website makes similar references to “deep state” groups and battling against an evil system. It also claims that Covid-19 doesn’t exist, according to The Asahi Shimbun news outlet.

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The group has held multiple demonstrations before, according to the The Asahi Shimbun, including a protest last month at the Tokyo Dome baseball stadium which was being used as a vaccination venue.

Japan has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, despite studies showing high rates of vaccine hesitancy, but the country has still experienced anti-vaccine protests and Covid-19 conspiracies.

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