QAnon’s rise in Japan shows the conspiracy theory’s global spread

A car with a flag endorsing the QAnon drives by as supporters of Trump gather for a rally in St Paul, Minnesota. Like its US counterpart, Japan’s QAnon community centers on an unsubstantiated belief that Trump is battling to save the world from a cabal of paedophiles, including Democrats and ‘deep state’ agents. — AFP

QAnon’s days as a solely US phenomenon are over.

The conspiracy theory’s foothold in Japan – home to one of its most active networks outside the US – demonstrates how the movement can be made palatable in a range of countries as it gains popularity from Europe to Brazil.