Japan Refutes Biden’s Comments Describing the Country as ‘Xenophobic’

President Joe Biden said that Japan, along with three other countries, was struggling economically due to its refusal to accept immigrants.

President Joe Biden delivers the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the Capital building in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2024. Shawn Thew/Pool/Getty Images

The Japanese embassy on Friday rejected President Joe Biden’s recent comments that labeled Japan—along with three other countries—as “xenophobic,” calling the president’s remarks “unfortunate.”

At a Washington fundraising event on May 1, President Biden grouped U.S. allies Japan and India with U.S. adversaries China and Russia, saying their economic challenges arise from their refusal to accept immigrants.