TOKYO: The city of Kawasaki in the Greater Tokyo area on Thursday enacted a new ordinance imposing criminal penalties on those found guilty of hate speech targeting ethnic minorities in Japan, a nationwide scourge that has for decades made everyday life here intimidating and miserable for victims.

The bill, the first of its kind in Japan, which now bans discriminatory language and actions in public against people who do not come from Japan, was approved by Kawasaki City’s 60-seat assembly and will come into force on July 1.