Noodle-maker Nissin apologises, withdraws ‘whitewashed’ anime ad featuring Japanese-Haitian tennis star Naomi Osaka
- Nissin promised to be ‘more mindful of the issue of diversity’, as it pulled the animation that showed Naomi Osaka with pale skin and European features
Japanese instant noodle giant Nissin has apologised to Japanese-Haitian tennis star Naomi Osaka and withdrawn an anime advertising campaign that sparked uproar for depicting her with pale skin and noticeably European features.
“I’ve talked to them. They’ve apologised,” the 21-year-old player, who was born in Japan before moving to the United States as a three-year-old, told reporters on the sidelines of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
“For me, it’s obvious, I’m tan. It’s pretty obvious. I don’t think they did it on purpose to be, like, whitewashing or anything. But I definitely think that the next time they try to portray me or something, I feel like they should talk to me about it,” she said.
A representative of the firm on Wednesday said it would be more “mindful” about diversity.
The video, which had angered many for whitewashing the US Open champion’s appearance, was no longer available on YouTube as of Wednesday evening.