A popular Japanese YouTube channel is facing mounting criticism after one of its hosts joked about Fukushima University’s nuclear and radiation research during a student interview video, drawing public rebukes from the mayors of both Fukushima City and Iwaki City.
The channel, wakatte.tv, posted the video on August 28 as part of its ongoing series in which hosts Biyama and Fumin Takada travel to universities across Japan to interview students. During the segment filmed at Fukushima University, Takada told a student, “Radiation and nuclear energy are super important issues when it comes to energy, right? I don’t want Fukushima University to touch that,” treating the topic as a punchline.
Criticism of the remark spread rapidly on social media from late August onward, prompting Fukushima University to issue an official statement on its website on September 1.
Fukushima City Mayor Yuki Baba addressed the controversy on X the same day, writing that he did not object to variety-style content promoting the appeal of universities in general. However, he said expressions that appear to mock research related to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the nuclear disaster, and radiation “cannot be overlooked.” He noted that Fukushima University’s students and researchers have sincerely built up their work on radiation and recovery over the years, adding, “that journey, and the feelings of the students who study there, deserve respect.” Baba also pushed back on the idea that a lack of malicious intent excuses the remark, saying, “even without intent to mock, that doesn’t mean any kind of expression is acceptable.”
Iwaki City Mayor Hiroyuki Uchida followed with his own comments on X on September 2. Uchida revealed he previously worked at Fukushima University as a director and secretary-general, and said the video left him “genuinely very disappointed.” He echoed Baba’s point that the university has continued research and education tied to the region’s recovery, stating that hurting its students and staff or mocking their efforts “should never happen.” Uchida closed his post by encouraging the university’s students and faculty to take pride in the research and effort they have built up over time.
According to reports, Takada has since acknowledged that there was a “decisive lack of consideration” behind the remark.
Who is wakatte.tv?
Wakatte.tv is a YouTube channel with more than 770,000 subscribers, run by hosts Biyama and Fumin Takada. The channel is known for its recurring series visiting college campuses around Japan and interviewing students on camera, often in a casual, comedic format that has built a large following among younger viewers.
Author’s Comment
Oh, honey. You built a whole channel on charming, off-the-cuff interviews with college kids, and somebody decided Fukushima’s nuclear research was the punchline of the day? Bold choice. Here’s the thing about Japan and Fukushima: fifteen years on, the wound from 3/11 is still tender, and jokes about radiation land very differently in a city that spent over a decade rebuilding its reputation one careful study at a time. I get that "wakatte" content thrives on being a little edgy, a little too honest — that’s the brand. But there’s a difference between roasting a college dining hall and roasting the actual researchers who stayed to do the unglamorous work nobody else wanted to touch. Two mayors dropping statements on the same controversy within 48 hours tells you this wasn’t a small ripple — it was a nerve. My advice to any creator out there: know which nerves are load-bearing before you poke them for views.
