A Japanese pub in which Naomi Osaka's skin was bleached removed

Japan's instant noodle company Nissin announced on Thursday that it would stop broadcasting an advertising cartoon starring tennis champion Naomi Osaka after she was accused of knowingly laundering her skin. "These ads have been discontinued," said Nissin spokesman Daisuke Okabayashi.

She appears with brown hair and fair skin. Nippo-Hawaiian Métis, the 21-year-old who plays under the colors of the Japanese flag, appears in this animation with dark brown hair and fair skin. The firm says it does not seek to lighten or darken the skin of characters such as Naomi Osaka or the other Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori in the men, but to represent them "in a style that best fits the world of the world. 'Japanese animation', according to Daisuke Okabayashi. The spokesman added that this advertisement was also carried out with the consent of representatives of the interested party.

@Naomi_Osaka_ Im a fan of you, Noodle Cup and Prince of Tennis but this ad got me feeling some type of way. Just wanted to share in case you did not see how @konomi_takeshi and @cupnoodle_jp got you whitewashed out here.https: //t.co/2hw3iSqtmUhttps: //t.co/355GWyc4QLpic.twitter.com/FaIbPTpWqG

"We did not intend to launder it". In manga or anime, a character is rarely the perfect portrait of the one he is inspired by, but a transposition in the style of each artist. "We have not intended to whitewash it, but since it has become a problem, in the future we will pay more attention to diversity issues in our promotional activities," said Daisuke Okabayashi.

"Is not this a blatant case of money laundering?" This ad has sparked a debate on social networks in Japan. "No one has ever wondered why she's so skinny, her identity is completely ignored," says one user. Another comment on Twitter in Japanese says, "This is not Naomi Osaka, is not this a blatant case of money laundering?"

Other internet users point out, however, that Kei Nishikori is also represented with a lighter skin than his natural complexion. "The real Nishikori is not so pale, his eyes are not so round and his nose is wider.They are both drawn in the 'anime' style," wrote a defender of this ad. Reactions on social networks, sometimes very violent, have already forced companies in the past to give up advertising in Japan, especially if they were suspected of discrimination.