Photo/Illutration Mrs. Green Apple members dressed as Christopher Columbus, Napoleon Bonaparte and Ludwig van Beethoven get an ape to pull a rickshaw in the “Columbus” music video released on June 12. (Captured from YouTube)

A popular Japanese rock band has apologized for its “Columbus” music video that was heavily criticized as condoning colonialism, discriminatory against indigenous people and lacking historical awareness.

“We did not intend for the (content of the video) to be discriminatory nor to affirm a tragic history,” Motoki Omori, vocalist of the three-member band Mrs. Green Apple, said in a statement released on the group’s official website on June 13.

The video, released on June 12, was pulled the following day by Universal Music Japan.

In the video, the three band members, dressed as Christopher Columbus, Napoleon Bonaparte and Ludwig van Beethoven, encounter “apes” on an island.

They interact happily with the apes, get the animals to pull a rickshaw, teach the apes Western music, including how to play the piano, and instruct them on horseback riding.

The video sparked outrage on social media, with posters saying the band was affirming colonialism and promoting racism against indigenous people.

On June 13, Universal Music Japan said it had stopped releasing the video.

“It contained expressions that lacked understanding of historical and cultural background,” the company said.

“Columbus” was written as a song for the Coke Studio campaign produced by the Japanese arm of Coca-Cola Co.

After Universal Music Japan’s announcement, Coca-Cola Japan Co. said it had stopped airing all advertising materials using the song.

The beverage company said it had no prior knowledge of the content of the music video.

“We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” a representative of the company said in a statement. “We regret this situation.”

The band was scheduled to perform “Columbus” on an TV Asahi program on June 14, but the song will be changed, according to the broadcaster.

Columbus has long been regarded as the “hero who discovered the New World.”

But in recent years, the Italian explorer has also been viewed as a bumbler who grossly violated the rights of indigenous people.

Omori said in the statement that the music video was conceived from several keywords, such as “historical figures of different ages,” “apes,” “home party” and “fun music video.”

The singer wrote: “From the beginning, we were concerned that the appearance of apes might be seen as a discriminatory expression, but we had no intention of making apes look like people. We simply imagined lives of different ages holding a home party.”

He said the band members checked with staff to ensure the special makeup, costumes and acting style did not give an unintended message.

“But we deeply apologize to anyone who was offended,” he wrote.

Fuminori Minamikawa, a sociology professor at Doshisha University who specializes in race and ethnicity issues, said the way Columbus and the apes were depicted and represented in the music video was problematic.

“It could be perceived as an expression of affirmation of oppression, subjugation and racism against indigenous people and Black people,” Minamikawa said.

“One might respond that ‘such a visual expression is just fodder for partying’ and ‘it is OK as long as the protagonists and the apes are able to share the fun in the moment.’”

But such a feeling is only a one-sided argument of the part of the settlers on the island, he said.

“Another problem is the lack of checks by the record company and the corporate sponsor, who are supposed to be aware of the latest developments in the United States, such as the Black Lives Matter movement,” he said.

(This article was written by Chiho Yashiro, Satoshi Ouchi and Takumi Terui.)

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