In a nation where few celebrities make political statements, it was a remarkable sight when a Twitter hashtag opposing a government bill went viral, thanks to domestic star power.

Now, some celebrities who were fueling the flames are reckoning with a backlash for adopting a political stance.

Their political message inspired a massive groundswell of online opposition to the bill this week, but also alienated certain fans, prompting at least one celebrity to delete her post.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, a musician and model known as an ambassador of Harajuku fashion culture, expressed her opposition to the bill in a tweet, only to delete it shortly thereafter.

Her fans were divided and “arguing hotly,” she wrote in another tweet.

“That made me feel sad, so I deleted it,” the singer, 27, explained.

Some left angry comments on her posts.

“Study politics well before making a statement,” one said.

“A singer should just sing,” said another.

“I don’t like the way your comment is seen as representative of the young generation,” another commenter said.

Kyoko Tominaga, an associate professor of sociology at Ritsumeikan University, warned against responses aimed at silencing critical voices.

“It’s fair to criticize what someone has said, but the right to free speech should be protected as well.”

A wave of tweets by celebrities opposing to the new bill started on May 10 and spread rapidly on social media, running against the industry norm.

Tweets under a hashtag translated as, “I oppose the proposed revision of the Public Prosecutors Office Law,” went viral under the encouragement of many celebrities, with more than 6.8 million such tweets posted as of 8 p.m. on May 11.

The controversial revision bill would allow the Cabinet to extend the retirement of top prosecutors--something widely seen as a political ploy by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his allies.

That did not sit well with actor Yu Shirota, 34, who questioned the Abe administration’s seemingly hurried move to revise the bill in a tweet.

“When you make a decision on an important issue, why don’t you take the time to explain it thoroughly to the people in an orderly manner?”

Amon Miyamoto, 62, a musical director, also tweeted his concerns.

“What they should focus on amid the coronavirus pandemic is people’s lives. No matter how you look at it, the bill is far from democracy.”

Former mixed martial artist Nobuhiko Takada, fashion model Kiko Mizuhara, singer Chara, actress Kyoko Koizumi and many others have also expressed opposition to the controversial bill.

Compared to their counterparts in North America and Europe, Japanese celebrities rarely speak their minds on politics and other controversial issues.

Some observers think the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the power and importance of political decisions--or lack thereof--and lowered a psychological barrier for celebrities to speak up.

Tominaga said “various issues are being made visible” under the current public health crisis and it has “created an atmosphere in which (celebrities) feel freer to voice concerns.”

Kumi Yokoe, a politics professor at Toyo University, thinks the trend among celebrities is “a reflection of people who have felt compelled to speak up and say, ‘For once, this is not OK,’ under the longtime rule of the Abe administration.”

TV producer Dave Spector, an American, said the Japanese are much more discreet about their political stances than Americans partly because of the unique culture of their entertainment industry.

“Entertainers in the United States don’t belong to a talent agency. They just make a management deal,” he said. “But in Japan, talent agencies are powerful. Not many entertainers will make a political statement out of consideration for sponsors and TV stations.”

Actor Junichi Ishida, 66, joined the mass demonstration against Abe’s push for security bills in 2015 and grabbed media attention.

“Peer pressure runs deep in the industry, enforcing that entertainers remain apolitical,” Ishida said in a previous interview with The Asahi Shimbun.

Prior to protesting, he recalled telling his wife about the possibility it could lead to him losing jobs.

Keisuke Honda, a famed soccer player who recently signed with Brazilian club Botafogo, is trying to change that culture.

He said he is fed up with hearing that, “Keep your foot out of your mouth and stick with your day job,” whenever celebrities speak up. 

In a recent tweet, he said, “Let’s make it a banned phrase,” and encouraged celebrities to use their platforms to talk about the economy and politics.

“There is no country worse than Japan in terms of artists, actors and athletes who don’t talk about politics. Let’s talk more. Because this is about your country!”

(This article was written by Natsuki Edogawa and Masayoshi Hayashi.)