A video showing a Thai-speaking worker kicking cabbages around a field in Japan has drawn criticism and debate online, with some Japanese social media users accusing those involved of disrespecting farmers and their produce.
The footage shows a person speaking Thai kicking cabbages across the field while laughing, as another person films and can also be heard laughing. The person who shared the video described those involved as Thai interns working in Japan‘s agricultural sector.
The poster criticised the interns, accusing them of showing no respect for the farmer who grew the produce.
“There is absolutely no respect for farmers. Are they making a mockery of Japanese agriculture?”
The poster went on to describe the footage as showing Thai technical interns destroying crops by treating them like footballs. They argued that agriculture was part of Japan’s national security and called for agricultural reforms aimed at protecting Japanese farmland and reducing reliance on foreign workers.
The video attracted numerous responses from Japanese social media users, although opinions differed over what exactly was happening in the field.
Some condemned the behaviour, while others questioned whether the cabbages being kicked had already been rejected and were due to be discarded.
One commenter suggested the cabbages may already have been discarded, while stressing that this would not justify kicking them. They also questioned whether anyone would treat produce intended for sale in the same way.
Another commenter criticised wasting food, saying they could not tolerate people who discarded food without appreciating it.
Others similarly suggested the cabbages appeared unsuitable for sale and questioned whether the farmer intended to dispose of them anyway.
Another theory raised in the discussion was that the video may have been deliberately made to provoke Japanese viewers.
One commenter contrasted the behaviour with attitudes towards food in Japan, saying Japanese people grow up being taught that food represents life that has been received and would therefore not kick vegetables even if they were going to be discarded.
The person who originally shared the footage later responded to arguments that the cabbages may not have been intended for sale, saying their concern was about respect for the farm rather than the commercial value of the produce.
The poster also criticised those who defended the behaviour on the grounds that the cabbages were not being sold, arguing that such attitudes reflected what they described as a decline in morality in Japan.
TravelNews reported that the video has since prompted a wider online discussion about Thai workers in Japan, as well as attitudes towards agriculture.
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