Evangelion Voice Actress Sparks Controversy With 'Invasive Species' Remark About Foreigners In Japan
Renowned Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara, widely known for her role as Rei Ayanami in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, became the center of an online controversy.
The controversy began after Hayashibara published a post on her official , titled “Indifference, ignorance, and not knowing.”
In this post she used the metaphor of “invasive species” while discussing concerns about foreign tourists and student issues in Japan.
In her post, Hayashibara was calling for Japanese citizens to be more politically engaged. And one of the issues she addressed was the financial aid for students.
“Unconditional, free aid for some foreign exchange students. But for Japanese students, it’s scholarships (which you have to pay back, so to put it plainly, it’s debt).”
This comment touched upon ongoing discussions in Japan regarding the structure of student financial aid.
Data from the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) indicates that a significant portion of aid for domestic students comes in the form of loans that require repayment, while .
She asked people to go out and vote, adding that if this doesn’t happen then Japan’s “Japan-ness” will be lost, with even the much beloved anime losing its free expression.
“If we stay on this path, Japan’s ‘Japan-ness’—our manners, our attitude, our technology, and maybe even our anime as a form of free expression—will be lost
Hayashibara also referenced issues related to tourism, alluding to “foreign tourists who don’t know the concept of ‘yielding,’ and even people who carve into the bamboo in Kyoto.“
This comes at a time when Japan and particularly cities like Kyoto are grappling with the effects of over-tourism, including strains on public infrastructure and incidents of tourists not adhering to local customs.
She then continued to say that if Japan doesn’t crackdown on its issues, it will be like the Japanese crayfish being devoured by an invasive species. This comment drew significant attention and criticism from netizens.
“If we don’t have regulations, if we don’t properly crack down on this, we’re in trouble,” Hayashibara wrote. “It will be like how the native Japanese crayfish were devoured in an instant by an invasive species. For example, it will become a world where unspoken rules, like lining up to buy things, are lost.
This “invasive species” metaphor was interpreted by many online as a derogatory reference to foreigners. The comment quickly spread across social media platforms, with some users accusing the voice actress of xenophobia.
Supporters of Hayashibara, however, that her words were taken out of context.
They contended that her primary intention was not to criticize foreigners but to express her concern over what she perceives as Japanese public indifference to pressing domestic issues.
Hayashibara herself stated in her post that she was not trying to criticize any specific country.
She added that if Japan itself gets exhausted then it won’t be possible to maintain the level of hospitality that it offers to foreign citizens right now.
“Shouldn’t Japan’s taxes ‘first and foremost’ be for the people who paid them (which of course includes tax-paying foreign residents in Japan)? Is it considered exclusionism to think that taxes should be used for Japan’s [disaster-stricken areas] and for the students who are supporting Japan right now? If Japan becomes exhausted internally, we won’t be able to offer “omotenashi” (hospitality) anymore.
The initial blog post also contained a section discussing Korean politics, which Hayashibara later edited out.
In a subsequent update to the post, she issued an apology for this part of her commentary. She explained that a Korean friend had contacted her and pointed out that her remarks could inadvertently fuel political divisions in South Korea.
“I was scolded, being told, ‘You’re going to fan the flames of an unnecessary conflict’
Check out the translation of her entire edited post below:
Is this… really okay?
I’ve become genuinely worried.
The following has been changed:
When I featured a Korean YouTuber, a Korean friend of mine contacted me. They told me that right now in Korea, there’s a conflict between the right and left wings, and if I say something that could be taken as supporting the right, the left will be saddened. Conversely, if I say something that supports the left, the right will be saddened. I was scolded, being told, “You’re going to fan the flames of an unnecessary conflict.” The fact is that there are people who will be hurt by me, an “outsider,” carelessly bringing up the topic.
I know it’s late, and this might just add more fuel to the fire, but if there was anyone I hurt, I am sorry. I have omitted that part [of the original post]. I can’t reach out to those who have already been hurt, but I can hope that no more people are hurt.
I know that this short text can’t possibly convey everything, but what I wanted to say was that it’s just so incredibly sad how Japan is so [indifferent] to its own issues, to the point where even speaking up is met with cynicism.
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No rice????
In Japan???
Unconditional, free aid for some foreign exchange students.
But for Japanese students, it’s scholarships (which you have to pay back, so to put it plainly, it’s debt).
…this leads to a twisted truth. We can’t just leave it to others; we have to actually go and vote. I think we’ve reached a point where we can no longer afford to use phrases like “it doesn’t matter anyway” or “nothing will change.”
If we stay on this path, Japan’s “Japan-ness”—our manners, our attitude, our technology, and maybe even our anime as a form of free expression—will be lost (>人<;).
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Meanwhile, there are some people in private lodgings (minpaku) with no manners, or foreign tourists who don’t know the concept of “yielding,” and even people who carve into the bamboo in Kyoto. If we don’t have regulations, if we don’t properly crack down on this, we’re in trouble.
It will be like how the native Japanese crayfish were devoured in an instant by an invasive species. For example, it will become a world where unspoken rules, like lining up to buy things, are lost.
I’m not trying to criticize any specific country.
Shouldn’t Japan’s taxes “first and foremost” be for the people who paid them (which of course includes tax-paying foreign residents in Japan)? Is it considered exclusionism to think that taxes should be used for Japan’s [disaster-stricken areas] and for the students who are supporting Japan right now? If Japan becomes exhausted internally, we won’t be able to offer “omotenashi” (hospitality) anymore.
The slush fund issue is worse and a bigger problem, but…
Anyway, what I wanted to say was that for everyone who has the right to vote (from age 18, you know), please, think about that right once more.
As I thought, making political statements is difficult.
As of June 9, 2025, there has been no official statement from Hayashibara’s agency regarding the controversy.