“BOYCOTT FAMILY MART”; Letter in E and J for you to download

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Dear Family Mart Management:

I have always enjoyed being a customer of yours. However, I am gravely disappointed that you have decided to stock and sell a magazine entitled GAIJIN HANZAI URA FAIRU, which in my view offers discriminatory statements and images about non-Japanese residents of Japan.

Please remove this magazine from your shelves immediately and return them to the publisher. Please take care not to sell magazines of this type ever again in your stores.

Until you do, I will not shop in your store, and will tell my friends overseas and nationwide to boycott your stores. Non-Japanese are important customers too, and in this competitive market it will be no trouble for us to take our business elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Guardian UK on GAIJIN HANZAI Mag

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Human rights activists said the magazine was indicative of the climate of fear of foreigners created by conservative newspapers and politicians, notably the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara.

“It goes beyond being puerile and into the realm of encouraging hatred of foreigners,” Debito Arudou, a naturalised Japanese citizen, told the Guardian. “The fact that this is available in major bookstores is a definite cause of concern. It would be tantamount to hate speech in some societies.”

One section is devoted to the alleged tricks foreign-run brothels use to fleece inebriated Japanese salarymen, while another features a comic strip retelling, in graphic detail, the murders of four members of a Japanese family by three Chinese men in 2003.

Mr Arudou accused the mainstream press of exploiting the supposed rise in foreign crime by failing to challenge official police figures. Although the actual number of crimes has risen, he said, so has the size of the foreign population.

“The portrayal [of foreign criminals] is not one of a neutral tone,” he said. “They don’t put any of the statistics into perspective and they don’t report drops in certain crimes.”

Blogosphere: Boycott Family Mart (for selling GAIJIN HANZAI mag)

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Japan Probe: “The magazine is disgusting, and I don’t think it would be out of line to use the word racist when referring to it. We here at Japan Probe are not going to let a mainstream convenience store like Family Mart get away with selling such offensive material. We would like to call for an international boycott of FamilyMart-affiliated convenience stores.”

DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 3, 2007

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

1) “GAIJIN CRIME” TABLOID MAGAZINE ON SALE IN CONVENIENCE STORES
2) UPDATE ON “WANTED: BLUE-EYED GAIJIN TEACHER” EIKAIWA WANT AD
3) TRIP TO TOKYO: NEW BOOKS, SABBATICAL, UNHCR MEETING, VICTIM OF VIOLENCE
4) UNIVERSITY GREENLIST UPDATE, AND BLOWBACK FROM BLACKLIST
and finally…

MY SPEECHES NEXT WEEK IN KANSAI…
PLUS “JAPANESE ONLY” T-SHIRTS SELLING OUT. STOP ME AND BUY ONE

Protest against Child Abductions in Portland, Oregon, Feb 2007

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

From Mark Smith at the Children’s Rights Network Japan–Debito There is another “Protest Against Japanese Abductions” coming up in Portland Oregon this Saturday, Sunday and the following week. (Feb 3,4,10,11). This is the FOURTH event so far, and promises to be the biggest yet. There are over 20 left behind parents, friends, and family known …

Zakzak:２ch マルサ動く…国税局職員の父親を直撃

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

日本最大の掲示板「２ちゃんねる（２Ｃｈ）」の管理人、西村博之氏（３０、写真）に対し、東京国税局査察部（通称・マルサ）が調査を開始したことが１日、分かった。現役国税職員を父に持ち、「年収１億円以上」と公言する西村氏だが、税金の納付が滞っており、このままでは差し押さえも時間の問題。２Ｃｈをめぐる金の流れの解明は、マルサの手に委ねられた。

“HANDBOOK FOR NEWCOMERS” to be published March 2008

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Divided into seven chapters closely reflecting the stages of assimilation into any society, WORKING GUIDEBOOK takes the reader through 1) entry procedures, 2) securing employment, 3) establishing one’s own business, 4) addressing possible problems, 5) planning for the future and retirement, and 6) participating in the development of civil society. We offer the information in easy grammatical English (for readers of English as a second language) and furigana Japanese on opposing pages. We hope this will serve a wide readership.

Yomiuri Jan 24 07 on foreigners “filling” J prisons

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Interesting stats: About 3,200 inmates, 360 more than the capacity, are held at Fuchu Prison. Among them, about 550 are foreigners. The number is 1.3 times more than were incarcerated 10 years ago. Fuchu prison houses inmates from 46 countries who speak 35 languages. The figure has increased from 22 countries in 1986, and 39 in 1996.The number of foreign inmates nationwide was 5,312–2.6 times more than a decade ago.

DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER JAN 25 07

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

1) IVAN HALL NOV 3 2006 JALT SPEECH ON DEBITO.ORG
2) ENDGAME FOR JAPAN’S QUEST FOR UNSC SEAT?
3) METROPOLIS ON INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTIONS
4) AP PRIMER ON J IMMIGRATION ISSUES
5) HUMOR…
a) How to deal with Japanese police ID checkpoints: have personalities.
b) Amorously noisy bathers cause trouble at onsen. Ban them too?
c) Yunohana’s “Japanese Only” sign copied into online video game.
d) First Debito.org Dejima Award: Town approves university only if no foreign students allowed
and finally.. “JAPANESE ONLY” T-SHIRTS ON SALE AGAIN AT DEBITO.ORG

Ivan Hall Speech text JALT Nov 3 06

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Ivan Hall, author of seminal work CARTELS OF THE MIND (Norton 1997), described the systematic ways Japanese “intellectual cartels” in influential sectors of thought transfer (including the mass media, academic, and legal community) shut out foreign influences as a matter of course. He gave a marvellous speech in JALT Kitakyushu on November 3, 2006. It is my pleasure to premiere the full text on debito.org.

Metropolis on J int’l child abductions

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

‘[Murray] Wood’s is just one of the 31 active cases of child custody and family distress that the Canadian Embassy is currently dealing with in Japan, a sharp increase from the 21 active cases a year earlier…. No Japanese court has ever caused a child abducted to Japan by a Japanese parent to be returned to the child’s habitual residence outside Japan. Part of the problem is that Japan is not a signatory to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which works to ensure the prompt return of abducted children to their country of habitual residence. “Japan continues to be a haven for international child abduction”..’

AP primer on Japanese Immigration issues

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Pretty good article rounding up what we’ve been saying so far about the issues of Japanese immigration, particularly that of guest workers-cum-immigrants from South America reaching double-digit percentages of the population of some Japanese towns. Courtesy of Steve at The Community.

The article says few things which readers of this and other mailing lists don’t already know. But I’m glad to see this issue receiving wider attention overseas. Quite often it takes “gaiatsu” (overseas pressure) from exposure before the GOJ is ever shamed into doing something about its own social problems. For what do the policymaking elites care about these people? They care more about how it tarnishes Japan’s reputation overseas.

UPDATE: Visiting Immigration re Spouse Visa questionnaire

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

I visited Sapporo’s very friendly Immigration Bureau (Nyuukoku Kanrikyoku) yesterday to find out more about the Questionnaire (shitumonsho) for people marrying Japanese and applying for the appropriate visa. I talked to the Inspection Division (shinsa bumon) for about an hour regarding the requirements for certain types of visas based upon conjugal status. A fascinating discussion ensued about how Japan is trying to suss out fake international marriages.

Endgame on GOJ push for UNSC seat?

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

I have the feeling that Japan may be approaching checkmate on getting its permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Using the appointment of Ban Ki Moon as the new UN Secretary General as an opportunity to put some wind behind their sails, the GOJ has gotten their ducks lined up: the major world powers (sans China) are falling for Japan’s arguments of quid pro quo.

２ちゃんねる:１６日NTV放送(youtube), debito.orgがサイバーテロ標的

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

１）１月１６日　２３：０５より、NTV「ニュースゼロ」で
　　2ちゃんねるについて有道　出人とのインタビューが放送
２）夕刊フジによって「２ちゃんねるのXデー」の噂によって
　　違う裁判の原告の有道　出人はヘートメイルの標的となり
　　サイトのdebito.orgがやられた
３）ちなみに、毎日新聞の２ちゃんねるについての元旦特集記事

毎日：２ちゃんねる：書き込み者を名誉棄損で告訴　神奈川の学校

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

２ちゃんねる：書き込み者を名誉棄損で告訴　神奈川の学校 http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/shakai/jiken/news/20070116k0000m040145000c.html 　インターネット掲示板「２ちゃんねる」の書き込みで中傷されたとして、神奈川県小田原市で不登校の子供が通う学校を運営する学校法人「湘南ライナス学園」（吉崎真里学園長）が、書き込んだ人物を被疑者不詳のまま名誉棄損などで県警小田原署に刑事告訴していたことが分かった。 　告訴状は、０５年１２月〜０６年１０月、不特定多数が「学園長は精神異常者」「ライナスでは学力が低下する」などの中傷やうその書き込みをし、同学園の信用や吉崎学園長の名誉を損なった−−としている。同学園によると、中傷の書き込みは２０００件以上に上り、退学者や入学予定者の辞退が相次いだという。同署は４日に告訴状を受理し、書き込み人物の特定を進めている。同学園は、２ちゃんねる運営者の西村博之氏に書き込みの削除を求めたが、削除されていない。吉崎学園長は「不登校など事情のある子供の居場所としてようやく設立された学園なのに、根拠のないことを書き込まれ運営に支障が出ている」という。 　同学園は、構造改革教育特区認定校に指定されたことを受け、０５年４月に不登校やＬＤ（学習障害）などの児童生徒向けに小・中・高一貫校として開校した。計４３人が通っている。【堀智行】 英文を読む 毎日新聞　2007年1月16日　3時00分

ZAKZAK: ２ｃｈ管理人に破産申し立て…３５歳被害者が手続き

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

　日本最大の掲示板「２ちゃんねる」（２ｃｈ）の管理人、西村博之氏（３０）に対し、第三者破産が申し立てられていたことが１６日、分かった。１２日に東京都内の男性会社員（３５）が西村氏の全財産仮差し押さえを申し立てたことから「２ｃｈ閉鎖」の憶測が広がる中、西村氏の包囲網は確実に狭まりつつあるようだ。

NEWSFLASH: NTV interviews Arudou Debito re 2-Channel Lawsuit

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

NEWS FLASH I got interviewed earlier tonight with Nippon TV (Ch 5 in Sapporo, Ch 4 in Tokyo). Details as follows: ///////////////////////////////////////////// 2-CHANNEL INTERNET BBS LIBEL ISSUE INTERVIEW WITH ARUDOU DEBITO, PLAINTIFF “NEWS ZERO” NEWS PROGRAM STARTS FROM 11:05 PM TONIGHT, JANUARY 16, 2007 ///////////////////////////////////////////// I’d send you a link for background on the issue …

MDN Waiwai: J bad bath manners :-)

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Assuming that this is true: Gracious old rural inns, traditionally, have been places where Japanese go to relax in natural surroundings while soaking away their aches and pains in mineral hot springs. But, reports Shukan Jitsuwa (10/13), inns’ clientele of late seem to have other ideas. “The idea of 24-hour bathing was to let you get up early, and soak in the tub while watching the rising sun burn off the morning mist,” continues the kami. “Or, you could go late there at night and gaze at the starry sky. It made things all the more relaxing. But when you’ve got to worry about families bathing within hearing range of these noisy young couples, it’s really vexing.”…

ZAKZAK:２ちゃんねる、再来週にも強制執行

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

ネット界激震！！　賠償命令を無視し続けてきた日本最大の掲示板「２ちゃんねる」（２Ｃｈ）の管理人、西村博之氏（３０）の全財産が仮差し押さえされることが１２日、分かった。債権者が東京地裁に申し立てたもので、対象となるのは西村氏の銀行口座、軽自動車、パソコン、さらにネット上の住所にあたる２Ｃｈのドメイン「２ｃｈ．ｎｅｔ」にまで及ぶ見込み。執行されれば掲示板の機能が一時停止するのは必至だ。

DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER JAN 12, 2007

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

1) IMMIGRATION BUREAU VIOLATES PRIVACY OF MARRIAGE,
IN QUESTIONING J SPOUSES FOR LONGER-TERM VISAS
2) ECONOMIST ON THE BASIC EDUCATION LAW’S REFORM
3) BUSINESS CONSORTIUM INTRODUCING IC CHIP SHOPPING DEVICES
4) MORE LABOR ABUSES OF FOREIGN “TRAINEES” COMING TO LIGHT

and finally…

DEBITO’S EXPANDED ITINERARY: UPDATED SCHEDULE WITH OPEN DAYS
GOING THROUGH TOKYO, KANSAI, AND KYUSHU, NEED ME TO SPEAK?

MOJ Immigration Bureau violates privacy of marriage with new visa “shitsumon sho”

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Want a visa of any duration longer than three months, and just happen to be married? Well the Immigration Bureau has instituted a new questionnaire, which asks you breathtakingly personal questions, such as what language you use at home, who came to your wedding, how much rent you pay, how and where and when you met (include photos, love letters, international phone bills), and how you learned Japanese. Why? Because they are Immigration and they can do whatever they damn well please to foreigners and their unfortunate Japanese spouses.

Economist/Japan Times on J Basic Education Law reform

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Launching a series on what I see as a very serious issue (training people to be “patriotic” at the early stages of education, with “love of country” tests already happening in Kyushu and Saitama grade schools), here is an introductory article from The Economist (London) on Japan’s reform of its Basic Education Law (Kyouiku Kihon Hou).

I don’t quite share its analytical framework or its rosy conclusions, but it’s a decent primer on the issue. Further links to this issue on debito.org included after the article. Further links to this issue on debito.org included after the article.

Below that follow two more Japan Times articles showing the most recent policy push in its genesis, back in 2002 and 2003.

I’m sure I’ll be saying this many times in the course of analysis and argument from now on, but what of the international community and mixed-roots children getting their education in Japan? Will they have to make a choice about their national identity (one, not both?), or just be excluded altogether?

サンデー毎日：「外国人・少年犯罪は増えていない？」

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

ブログの皆様、２００６年１２月２３日付の週刊誌「サンデー毎日」は非常に大事な記事を載せました。このようなことは私たちは数年も指示しております。（２０００年４月より本格的に始まりました。私の単行本「ジャパニーズ・オンリー」（明石書店出版）第三章をご参考に。）参考サイトはこちらです： https://www.debito.org/NPAracialprofiling.html#nihongo https://www.debito.org/ishiharahikokusaika.html https://www.debito.org/hiyorimishugi.html https://www.debito.org/futouhanzaitaisaku.html https://www.debito.org/TheCommunity/nakanohittakuri.html#nihongo https://www.debito.org/immigrationsnitchsite.html#nihongo https://www.debito.org/japantimes101805j.html https://www.debito.org/crimestats.html では、記事（２ページ分）以降の通りです。久保さまに大感謝！有道　出人。 この記事の英訳は

J Times Jan 3 07 on foreign “trainees” facing chronic abuses

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Launched by the government in 1993, the training and internship programs allow young foreigners to undergo language and other training for one year and to serve as interns at companies in Japan
for up to two years… In 2005 alone, as many as 80,000 young people came to Japan on the
programs. However, those in the programs are left unprotected by labor law. During the first year of training, monthly pay is limited to 60,000 yen — below the legally set minimum wage. Although monthly pay rises to around 120,000 yen over the internship period, employers often deduct management and other fees to cut net pay by tens of thousands of yen.

Bus. consortium to track Ginza shoppers, then IC Gaijin Cards?

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

The Register IT site reports theTokyo Ubiquitous Network Project has announced plans to blanket Tokyo Ginza with 10,000 RFID tags and other wireless technologies to provide shopper-assistance and location-based services. The trial will utilize a handheld device rented by visitors equipped with IC tracking technology. This is optional. Future applications for nonoptional IC Gaijin Cards?

DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER JAN 4 2007

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

1) DEBITO’S WINTER SCHEDULE–ANYONE WANT ME TO SPEAK SOMEWHERE?
2) US EMBASSY: RANDOM GAIJIN CHECKPOINTS NOW OFFICIAL TOKYO NPA POLICY
3) MAINICHI: FOREIGN CRIME FEARMONGERING AS OFFICIAL GOVT POLICY
4) ASAHI DULLS ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF “GAIJIN IC CARD” ARTICLE
5) FUTURE PM?: LDP KINGPIN MACHIMURA SPEAKS AT MY UNIVERSITY
6) KYODO: GIFU FIRMS EMPLOY FOREIGN CHILDREN “AT PARENTS’ REQUEST”
7) YOMIURI: IMMIG’S “GAIJIN TANKS” VIOLATE U.N. DETENTION GUIDELINES
8) ASIA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY ADDED TO UNIVERSITY BLACKLIST
9) JAPAN IRONICALLY KVETCHES ABOUT FOREIGN CRIME EXTRADITION PROBLEMS
10) ECONOMIST: ALBERTO FUJIMORI UPDATE
11) GREG CLARK IRONICALLY KVETCHES ABOUT IDEOLOGICAL BULLY PULPITING
12) 2 CHANNEL: MAINICHI DOES GANTAN TOKUSHUU
13) “JAPANESE ONLY” SIGN ON OKAZAKI INTERNET CAFE
and finally… I AM NOW OFFICIALLY “ARUDOU DEBITO

ネット君臨：第１部・失われていくもの／１（その２）　「エサ」総がかりで暴露

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

　２ｃｈを裁判で訴える人も少なくない。北海道情報大助教授、有道出人（あるどうでびと）さん（４１）は米国出身。人種差別撤廃を訴え、北海道小樽市の入浴施設が外国人の入浴を拒否していた問題では、施設や市に損害賠償を求める裁判の原告になった。ところが、２ｃｈで「白人至上主義者」と中傷が続く。管理人のひろゆき氏（３０）＝本名・西村博之＝に削除を求めたが放置され、０５年６月、札幌地裁岩見沢支部に提訴。同支部は昨年１月、名誉棄損を認め、賠償金１１０万円の支払いと削除、発信者情報の開示を命じた。しかし、判決の通りにはなっていない。

ネット君臨：第１部・失われていくもの／１（その３止）　２ｃｈ管理人に聞く

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

ネット君臨：第１部・失われていくもの／１：ネット上の掲示板に匿名で個人への中傷が書き込まれる問題を、管理する側はどう考えているのか。最大の掲示板２ちゃんねる（２ｃｈ）の管理人、ひろゆき氏（３０）は毎日新聞の取材に「ネットの仕組みだから仕方がない」と答え、規制は難しいとする認識を示した。大学時代にネットの発展を体験し、ＩＴ（情報技術）の旗手を輩出する「ナナロク世代」の一人は掲示板を東京の歌舞伎町に例え、「きれいじゃない情報もあるから面白い」と語った。

Nikkan Gendai: foreign crooks fleeing Japan scot free. Just like J crooks fleeing here.

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Nikkan Gendai reports that Japan’s lack of extradition treaties is causing problems when foreigners commit crimes in Japan and flee scot free overseas. Then it concludes, “at least it’s a good thing that Japan is not a place where foreign criminals typically flee in order to escape arrest for crimes they committed elsewhere”. Quite. It’s only the Japanese crooks that can flee here and get away with it.

イジメ本日TBS放送, ICカード,「外人お断り」カフェとレストラン, 「碧眼金髪外人募集」

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

１）12/24放送イジメ特集TBS番組：人種・民族による川崎いじめ事件も
２）読売：大村入管センターで常勤医不在２年に、確保のメド立たず
３）朝日：外国人にＩＣカード　登録情報の一元管理へ政府原案（和英訳幾分異なる）
４）朝日：「外人の日本語は片言の方が」　久米さん１０年後の謝罪
５）甲府市「碧眼金髪外人」英会話学校公募の件：掲示した山梨国際交流協会より返答
６）最後に、岡崎市のインタネット・カフェで「外国人お断り」、すぐに撤回

US Embassy: Random Gaijin Checkpoints now official Tokyo policy

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

The US Embassy has been advised that Japanese police and immigration officials are currently conducting random identification inspections in several different areas of Tokyo to ensure that all visitors to Japan possess the appropriate immigration documents. Most inspections occur at or near Tokyo metro stations, and the police are both uniformed and in plain clothes.

Asia Pacific U gloats over its court injunction victory over dismissed workers

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Asia Pacific University, a subsidiary of Ritsumeikan, in Oita, Kyushu, has announced on its home page its victory in the courts, regarding an injunction on the preservation of status launched by former full-time Japanese language lecturers. Nice bit of gloating. Sounds like a lovely place to work.