Russian-born Kohara Brass Reveals: “I’ve Received Death Threats, But…

I think it’s too much to ask for, no matter how much you say ‘protection of the Russian community. Putin, you can do anything you want. This is unforgivable. What’s there is human life, you know?”

Brass Obara, 29, speaks in a strong Kansai dialect. He is a Russian living in Japan who is active as a sharp-tongued TV personality.

From the moment the invasion began, Russians living abroad have been silent on social networking sites. Everyone didn’t know how to react. But when I raised my voice, they felt that it was okay to criticize. I think the number of Russians uploading critical videos has increased.

Blas was born in Khabarovsk, Russia, and moved to Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, at the age of five. Since then, he has lived as a “mostly Kansai person,” as he calls himself. Even he is in danger if he criticizes the Putin administration. In fact, he has received death threats from his home country via social networking sites. Why does he continue to speak out?

I have always viewed Russia from a neutral point of view,” he says. Putin said, ‘What’s so funny about conducting military training inside the country? We will never invade. The Russian people believed him. Putin lied to his people. I decided to criticize Putin the moment I saw the footage of the bombing of the airport in Kiev.

Before the invasion of Ukraine, Blass identified himself as “a Russian with a troublesome personality who speaks in a Kansai dialect,” and he was a favorite on variety shows, where he would get laughs with his spontaneous talk.

Now, however, there is no smile on the screen for Blass.

I really didn’t want to make a political statement in this way,” he said. I want to talk about things that make people laugh. Because of the war that Putin started, I’m now being singled out as a Russian. I consider myself mostly Japanese, so this situation makes me uncomfortable. It’s sad that the world has become a place where I have to speak out.

As the war became more and more bogged down, Brass said he felt lost and conflicted.

I’m starting to wonder if it’s really the right thing to do to hunt down Putin,” he said. If there is more criticism at home and abroad, there is a possibility that the anti-Putin people will open fire on them, or that a civil war will break out. In the worst case, Putin might push the button to launch nuclear missiles. When I think about that, I wonder every day to what extent it is the right thing to ask people inside Russia to speak out.”

Putin’s outbursts are severely hurting his own people as well.

From the April 1-8, 2022 issue of FRIDAY