Asahi and Mainichi: J Supreme Court rules against Nationality Clause for employment in judiciary

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

In probably one of the most important legal decisions all year, the Supreme Court has ruled that the “Nationality Clause” (kokuseki joukou), often cited as a reason for barring NJ from administrative (and often, even stable noncontracted) jobs in the public sector, has been scrapped. I’m not sure if that means it’s been ruled “unconstitutional”, but the clause in the Mainichi below, (“The citizenship requirement was eliminated because the courts could be seen as denying employment based solely on the question of citizenship,” the court stated.) could reasonably be stretched in future cases to say that barring NJ from jobs (currently allowed in places such as firefighting and food preparation, and also in Tokyo Prefecture for nursing) should not be permitted. That would be excellent news for the long-suffering NJ academics in Japan’s higher-education system of Academic Apartheid.

Mainichi: Chinese trainees file complaint with labor bureau over 350 yen per hour overtime

Posted on October 30, 2009October 30, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Mainichi: According to the complaint and other sources, the [Chinese “Trainee”] women each worked as many as 209 overtime hours per month, and about 2,000 hours per year. The 350-400 yen per hour the women claim they were paid for that overtime falls short of Nagasaki Prefecture’s minimum wage of 629 yen per hour, and well below the standard set by the Labor Standards Act, which requires employers to pay 1.25-1.6 times the regular wage for overtime.

The women claim that during busy periods they each worked from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., and sometimes did not have a single day off per month. They apparently signed a contract paying them a monthly salary based on the minimum wage, but that excluded provisions for overtime. Working an average of 173 hours per month at the minimum wage would equal a monthly paycheck of about 110,000 yen.

However, the women claim that the company told them their pay was being directly deposited in their bank accounts and did not show them the payment details. Furthermore, the company held both the women’s bankbooks and passports. The company president also apparently checked the clock whenever one of the women went to the washroom and deducted that time from their breaks.

Mainichi: Numerous foreign trainees forced to work under harsh conditions in Japan, even to death

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Mainichi: The Justice Ministry has confirmed that a record 452 companies and other organizations that accepted foreign trainees were involved in illegal practices last year. About 60 percent of them involve violations of labor-related laws, including unpaid wages and overtime allowances.

A survey conducted by the Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO) has found that a record 34 trainees died in fiscal 2008. Nearly half, or 16 of them, died of brain and heart diseases that are often caused by long working hours. Experts say that there is a high possibility that they died from overwork.

With the amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, labor related laws, which had applied to foreign trainees from their second year, now apply to those in their first year of training. As a result, it is now guaranteed that foreign trainees can sign proper employment contracts with their employers, just like Japanese workers.

The government is poised to revise its regulations to inspect companies that accept foreign trainees at least once a month to see if their working conditions are legal as well as stiffen penalties for businesses involved in illegal labor practices and strictly examine the terms of contracts between foreign trainees and employment agencies in their home countries.

However, support groups question the effectiveness of these measures, pointing out that many of those in their second year of training are subjected to illegal labor practices.

Foreign Policy.com on Savoie Case: US Govt advised father Chris to get children to Fukuoka Consulate! Plus lots more media.

Posted on October 14, 2009October 14, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Foreign Policy.com reports something interesting, and if true, exposes a deeper grain of irresponsibility within the USG:

“Even before Savoie traveled to Japan, he contacted the State Department’s Office for Citizen Services to ask for advice on how to get his children out of Japan. State Department officials advised Savoie that because a U.S. court had awarded him sole custody on Aug. 17, he could apply for new passports for the children if he could get them to the Fukuoka consulate.”

Well, that didn’t happen. More media (not only on Savoie Case) in this blog entry, including accusations of Savoie being tortured in prison (it would be tantamount to such under international standards, as the UN has stated about Japan in the past), a divorced international family containing a child with a medical condition being financially strangled by court limbo, and Noriko Savoie reportedly complaining that she was treated “like a babysitter” and cheated out of money in the divorce settlement! Boy I’m glad I’m not a divorce lawyer.

McDonald’s “Mr James” in 週刊金曜日：「白人」への偏見を助長　マックCMに抗議の声

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

日本マクドナルドが八月から展開しているNIPPONALL STARSキャンペーンのキャラクター「Mr. ジェームス」に対し、「偏見と固定観念に満ちたガイジン像」と在日外国人らが抗議している。

白人扮するMr. ジェームスは架空の人物で、「昔訪れた日本の魅力を忘れられず娘の留学についてきたオハイオ生まれの四三歳」との設定。バーガーを味わうために全国を回り、その様子を、カタカナとひらがなの奇妙な日本語で日々ブログにアップしている。

人種差別と指摘される点は、彼のカタカナ日本語と「元気なオタク」のイメージ。NPO法人日本永住帰化移民住民協会の有道出人会長は、「外国人は日本語を話すことができない、という印象を強めるだけ。彼の外見も、日本在住の白人には恥ずかしいもの。努力して日本語を学び、長年ここに暮らしても、所詮“ガイジン”扱いしかされない。国際感覚があまりにも欠如し、子どもに与える影響も大きい」と憤慨する。

Tokyo Shinbun and Mainichi weigh in on Savoie Abduction Case

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Domestic press is beginning to weigh in on this case. (It’s getting too big to ignore.) I have the feeling the wagons are circling, and the “Japanese as perpetual victim in any case” reporting is starting to emerge. Like we’ve seen before. Tokyo Shinbun and Mainichi reports follow.

THE OTARU ONSENS LAWSUIT, TEN YEARS ON: Article for Japonesia Review

Posted on September 19, 2009September 21, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Today is the tenth anniversary of our visit, on September 19, 1999, to “Japanese Only” Yunohana Onsen et al in Otaru, a life-changing event that to this day has not been fully resolved — mainly because we still don’t have a law against racial discrimination in Japan. This situation remains more than 13 years after Japan effecting of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, where it promised to take “all measures, including legislation” to effectively eliminate all forms of RD. And it deserves comment and reflection after years of protests, two books, countless articles, and successful lawsuits against the onsen (albeit not against the negligent City of Otaru).

My thoughts on this day are bittersweet. I know we did the right thing (as Olaf noted, when I called him today, people are still talking about the case), and we had a good outcome in court. But I judge things like this based upon whether or not they could ever happen again. The answer is, unfortunately, yes. After all, all Yunohana Onsen has to do is put up another “Japanese Only” sign and we’d have to take them to court all over again just to get it down. There is no law to stop it, nothing for authorities to enforce. Ten years later, it feels more overdue now than in 1999.

TITLE: THE OTARU ONSENS LAWSUIT: TEN YEARS ON

What has and has not changed regarding human rights for Non-Japanese in Japan…

Mainichi: Shizuoka bureaucrats force Brazilian woman to take “Repatriation Bribe”

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Case number #4534 of why one does not allow untrained bureaucrats to make Immigration decisions: The potential for misunderstanding and abuse.

Last April, the GOJ decided to offer unemployed Nikkei workers (only — this did not apply to Chinese etc. “Trainees and Researchers” because they did not have the correct blood) a 300,000 yen Repatriation Bribe for airplane tickets “back home”, not only asking them to void their visas and give up their paid-in pensions, but also to go elsewhere and just be somebody else’s problem.

Now, according to the Mainichi of Sept 14, 2009, a local government tried to make any possible welfare benefits to a NJ contingent upon promising to take the Bribe and go home — a Catch-22 if ever there was one.

Not too surprising. This is the same prefecture which around up to ten years ago restricted or denied NJ the right to sign up for the National Health Insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken) because they weren’t “kokumin” (citizens) .

Fortunately, this case came out in the press. How many others have been duped here and elsewhere and forced to go home without it being reported? Shame on the GOJ for creating this policy avenue for abuse in the first place.

McDonald’s “Mr James” Campaign: FRANCA’s downloadable protest letter in Japanese

Posted on August 20, 2009August 26, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Here is the Japanese translation for FRANCA letter protesting the “Mr James” burger campaign currently underway at McDonald’s Japan. You can see the original English here.

Please feel free to copy and send this letter to McDonald’s yourself via their feedback inlets on their website. Better yet, take it to your local McDonald’s doing this campaign, ask for the manager, and hand them this letter to express your disgruntlement. You can download the Word version of it here:

http://www.debito.org/FRANCAMrJamesJpublic.doc
Please also consider not buying food at McDonald’s for the duration of this (three-month) campaign. Maybe tell the manager that when you submit your letter.

Talked to the media yesterday. An article on this issue should be appearing in the South China Morning Post tomorrow (Friday). It’s already appeared on Consumerist.com…

Yomiuri, Sankei, FNN: Sakai Noriko’s husband fingers NJ dealers as source of their drug habit

Posted on August 11, 2009August 11, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

It’s all over the news these days, probably receiving more press than even when Michael Jackson died. Celebrity Sakai Noriko (and her husband)’s arrest for drug use. The word “junkie” has certainly entered the lexicon.

The latest: Despite Noriko’s yakuza connections, her husband is saying foreigners supplied their drug habits.

Turning the keyboard to some concerned NJ residents of Japan, who poignantly foresee not only hypocrisy, but a reinforced spate of NJ crackdowns for drugs…

A spate of Debito.org-related news links, on PR, visas with kids, NJ unemp insurance, and Roppongi drink spiking

Posted on July 16, 2009July 16, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Yomiuri: MOJ revises guidelines to allow illegals with kids to stay longer
Mainichi: New special residency permit guidelines established
Mainichi: U.S. warns of drink-spiking in Tokyo
Mainichi: Recognizes immigration revision is possibly too strict (in Japanese only)
Nikkei.net: On promoting suffrage rights for PR
Mainichi: Some NJ not getting unemployment pay

New Immigration Law with IC Chip Gaijin Cards passes Diet

Posted on July 9, 2009July 9, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

The new IC Chipped Gaijin Cards will be a reality. Gonna have to start looking on the bright side of things, like the fact that NJ will now have juuminhyou instead. Commentary and links from Anonymous:

“As I’m sure that you’ve heard, today was a not a good day for NJ rights. The immigration revision formally passed the upper house today, July 8, 2009. With the various changes…” Several news clippings in Japanese, feel free to add them in English:

「新たな在留管理制度」導入に抗議する5.24集会・デモ　ご賛同のお願い

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

4月24日、衆議院法務委員会で、「新たな在留管理制度」を導入する入管法・
入管特例法改定案の審議がスタートしました。しかしその法案の対象となる外
国籍者のほとんどは、法改定について知らされていません。入管法・入管特例
法は、対象となるのが選挙権を持たない外国籍者であり、「自己決定」という
民主主義の原則から外れた法律です。しかしだからこそ、対象となる当事者か
ら意見を聴取する場が求められるのではないでしょうか。

また今回の法改定の目的の一つとして利便性の向上が謳われていますが、本当
にそうなのでしょうか？　たとえば「新たな在留管理制度」では、対象となる
外国籍者に、住居地や配偶者との関係などの届け出義務を罰則（刑事罰）や処
分（在留資格取り消し処分）つきで課しています。しかしもし本当に便利な制
度なら、過剰な罰則や処分をつける必要が、なぜあるのでしょうか？

私たちは、当事者の意見を聴かずに進められる法案審議に抗議する集会とデモ
を下記のように開催します。当日は、参加者のリレートークを中心にすすめま
す。外国籍住民の声、「多民族・多文化共生社会」を求める街からの声を、国
会に届かせましょう！

◆日時：5月24日（日）
14:00-15:30　集会
16:00-17:00　デモ（新橋－銀座）
◆場所：交通ビル地下１階（東京都港区新橋5-15-5）
JR新橋駅（烏森口）より徒歩6分
http://www.kokuro.net/kaika004.pdf
◆資料代：500円（日本人のみ）
◆集会内容：法案の概要説明・参加者のリレートークなど
※通訳：英語・スペイン語
※デモでのプラカードやバナー持参大歓迎！

今夜９時テレビ朝日『TVタックル』：「ニッポンは天国？地獄？在日外国人決起集会」

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

■５月１１日（月）２１：００〜２１：５４　
テレビ朝日『ビートたけしのTVタックル』http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/tvtackle/
「ニッポンは天国？地獄？在日外国人決起集会」
　「経済危機」に続いて「新型インフルエンザ」の恐怖に世界中が大混乱の中、国際社会で今こそ日本が果たすべき役割とは?　今夜は韓国、ブラジル、中国から来た在日外国人の皆さんとともに徹底討論してまいります。
　永住権を持つ外国人の地方選挙への参政権を認めようという「外国人参政権」ですが、賛成・反対が入り乱れている今、日本の進むべき方向性とは?
　また、不況のあおりで仕事も住居も失ってしまった外国人労働者たちの処遇について、厚生省の日系人帰国支援制度３０万円が「手切れ金」だとの声もあり、日本政府の対応が問われています。

5月13日(水)2PM院内集会「在留カードに異議あり！」NGO実行委員会

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

審議真っ最中！
ここが問題！入管法・入管特例法改定案＆住基法改定案
5月13日(水)　院内集会第4弾
「特別永住者にとってプラスになるか？」
【日時】　5月13日(水)　14:00〜15:00
【場所】　衆議院第二議員会館第一会議室
【主催】　「在留カードに異議あり！」NGO実行委員会
◆ますます広がる批判と不安の声に耳を傾けて！
【4回目のテーマ】「永住者・特別永住者にとって今回の法改定は」
【集会内容】○NGOからの問題提起
田中宏さん（外国人人権法連絡会共同代表）／佐藤信行さん（RAIK）

Calderon Case: Two protesters against right-wing demo arrested, supporters group established

Posted on April 17, 2009April 17, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

The Community: This is an email I got through a left-leaning mailing list which describes a ‘Foreigner Expulsion’ demonstration that happened in Saitama, which passed right by the elementary school of the Philipino Calderon family whose case has recently come to national attention.

Apparently a ‘kyuuenkai’ (support group) has been set up for two people arrested protesting against the demo. Here is their blog, and an example of the blog by the rightists…

Mainichi: Lawson hiring more NJ, offering Vietnamese scholarships

Posted on April 3, 2009April 3, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

On the heels of yesterday’s post depicting Japan’s latest wheeze to cover up it’s failed Nikkei import labor policy, here’s a bit of good news: Somebody trying to do their bit to help keep unemployed NJs’ heads above water. Lawson convenience stores.

I smiled until I saw how small the numbers being employed full time were, despite the “quadrupling” claimed in the first paragraph. But every little bit helps. So does Lawson’s offer for scholarships for Vietnamese exchange students (see Japanese below).

Many times when I go into convenience stores in the Tokyo area, I’m surprised how many Chinese staff I see. Anyway, patronize Lawson if they’re trying to do good for the stricken NJ community.

See I told you so #1: Newcomer PR outnumber Oldcomer Zainichis as of 2007

Posted on March 31, 2009March 31, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Mainichi: With more and more foreign residents facing employment and immigration problems due to the ongoing recession, the Ministry of Justice is creating new “One Stop Centers” for foreign residents in the Kanto and Tokai regions to handle queries in one place…

The number of native and Japan-born Koreans with special permanent residency, who have lived in Japan since the pre-war period, has been declining. However, the number of Chinese and Filipinos, as well as foreigners of Japanese descent whose employment was liberalized under the 1990 revision to the Law on Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition, has surged. In 2007, the number of these so-called “new comers” exceeded that of special permanent residents for the first time (440,000 vs. 430,000).

COMMENT: Believe Immigration’s plausibly pleasant intentions if you like, but I’ll remain a little skeptical for the moment. Still mentioned is that hackneyed and ludicrous concern about garbage separation, after all, demonstrating that the GOJ is still dealing in trivialities; it might take a little while before the government sees what true assimilation actually means. It’s not just giving information to NJ. It’s also raising awareness amongst the Japanese public about why NJ are here in the first place.

Free Legal Consultation for NJ workers March 1, Sapporo

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

The legal service network for non-Japanese, a group of experienced lawyers dedicated to supporting non-Japanese residents, will provide free legal consultation to NJ working and living in Hokkaido on labor issues such as wrongful termination, unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment, and injury in the workplace. If you would like to seek legal advice about what course of action to take, please feel free to give us a call or come in for a consultation.

Date: March 1st, 2009 (Sun) 10:00-15:00
Sapporo Bengoshi Bldg. 5F
Kita 1 Nishi 10, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
(3 min. on foot from Exit 4, Nishi 11-chome Subway Station)

Mainichi: 3 Chinese arrested over paternity scam to get child Japanese citizenship

Posted on February 15, 2009February 15, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Here’s an article in the Mainichi about a new form of crime: NJ falsifying paternity under Nationality Law revisions to try to claim Japanese citizenship. No doubt in the current NJ Blame Game climate we’ll get the Right Wing and wary xenophobes citing this as cases of NJ and the evils they do, and that we cannot give an inch (or amend any laws in future) to make life easier for NJ to immigrate and have their rights protected (after all, they might turn around and use potential legal loopholes as a means for criminal activity).

But to me (and this is not to excuse their crime) this issue is a matter of forgery that only NJ can do (after all, Japanese already have citizenship), and this is what criminals (again, regardless of nationality) get up to. People forging names for, say, fake bank accounts (and we won’t even get into white-collar crime and business fraud) happens aplenty in Japan, and not all of it makes the news. So I say: Whenever it happens, catch it, expose it, report it, and punish it, regardless of nationality. But don’t say NJ are doing it because NJ (especially Chinese, according to Tokyo Gov Ishihara) are more likely to commit crime.

Fortunately, the Mainichi doesn’t take that tack. It just reports the facts of the case. Good.

Japanese stewardesses sue Turkish Airlines for discrim employment conditions

Posted on February 9, 2009February 9, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Here’s something that didn’t make the English-language news anywhere, as far as Google searches show. Japanese stewardesses are suing Turkish Airlines for unfair treatment and arbitrary termination of contract. They were also, according to some news reports I saw on Google and TV, angry at other working conditions they felt were substandard, such as lack of changing rooms. So they formed a union to negotiate with the airline, and then found themselves fired.

Fine. But this is definite Shoe on the Other Foot stuff, especially given the conditions that NJ frequently face in the Japanese workplace. Let’s hope this spirit of media understanding rubs off for NJ who might want to sue Japanese companies for the same sort of thing.

Outrage over Mie-ken teacher criminalizing students thru fingerprinting. Well, fancy that.

Posted on January 30, 2009February 9, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

I received word a couple of days ago from James and AS about a schoolteacher in Mie-ken who dealt with a suspected theft by taking everyone’s fingerprints, and threatening to report them to the police. He hoped the bluff would make the culprit would come forward, but instead there’s been outrage. How dare the teachers criminalize the students thusly?

Hm. Where was that outrage last November 2007, when most NJ were beginning to undergo the same procedure at the border, officially because they could be agents of infectious diseases, foreign crime, and visa overstays? How dare the GOJ and media criminalize NJ residents thusly?

I’m not saying what the teacher did was right. In fact, I agree that this bluff was inappropriate. It’s just that given the sudden outrage in the media over human rights, we definitely have a lack of “shoe on the other foot” -ism here from time to time.

IMADR: 管理ではなく「共生」のための制度を！—入管法改悪「在留カード」制度など

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

１）管理ではなく「共生」のための制度を！—入管法改悪「在留カード」制度
　　に反対する外国籍＆日本籍市民の共同集会—
・主催：「在留カードに異議あり！」NGO実行委員会
　　　　　（呼びかけ団体：外国人人権法連絡会）
・日時： 2009年1月24日(土)　午後 2時〜5時
・場所：在日本韓国YMCAアジア青少年センター　9Fホール
　　　　（東京都千代田区猿楽町2-5-5）

Sankei: manual to help NJ “illegal overstays” evade police: 「不法滞在者向け職質逃れマニュアル出回る」

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Mark in Yayoi translates yet another inflammatory article from the Sankei Shinbun, warning police that even overfriendly foreigners may be suspicious, thanks to some mail-in underground manual on how to evade police ID Checkpoints:

“We’ll teach you how to get away when the police stop you on the street!” This is the catch copy for a manual that is now circulating, instructing illegal aliens on how to escape from police questioning. Supposedly it was sold through newspapers and free magazines aimed at Chinese and Koreans in Japan. Organized Crime Bureau No. 1 of the National Police Agency has obtained this manual, and is sending warnings to each police station. The police are strengthening their vigilance as these newspapers, carrying illegal advertisements, are becoming breeding grounds for crime [hanzai no onshou]…

“Here is another interesting technique. File a ‘lost item report’ at all the police boxes in the area. Then, on the same day, go to one of them and get the report erased, saying that ‘the person who found my wallet got in touch with me’. In the evening, when you pass that police box, greet them [aisatsu] yourself and say ‘my wallet has been returned’. By saying hello to them three times a day, they’ll think of you as one of the area’s ‘polite foreigners [reigi tadashii gaikokujin da na]’, and you’ll be able to walk by without fear.”

The Bureau has circulated an internal memo to police stations warning that illegal aliens are using these methods to escape detection, and have advised the police to take care in questioning people [shokumu shitsumon jou no chuui o yobikaketa]. There is no applicable law, however, making sale of this manual a crime.

Mainichi: Brazilian ethnic school closing due to NJ job cuts

Posted on December 9, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

I mentioned yesterday about how the NJ workers are the first to go in any wave of job cuts (no wonder — very few NJ ever get promotion beyond “temp”-style contract labor, despite working for years at full-time jobs). Now here’s an article in the Mainichi about how that’s having a negative impact on the NJ community, particularly the education of their children. Ethnic schools are starting to close as tuition dries up. What next for the NJ communities, always contributing yet kept as a mere appendage to the “real members” of this society?

Mainichi: NJ cause Tsukiji to ban all tourists for a month

Posted on December 5, 2008December 5, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Tsukiji is enforcing an outright ban for a month on all visitors to Tsukiji fish market, the world’s largest. The Mainichi says the Tokyo Govt claims it’s due to NJ tourists and their bad manners (or so the Japanese headline says below — the English headline just says they’re too numerous; thanks, Mainichi, for sweetening your translations, again). And the fish market itself claims they cannot communicate the rules with Johnny Foreigner in their foreign tongues (nobody there has ever heard of handing out multilingual pamphlets upon entry or putting up signs?). Anyway, I wonder if this issue is so simply a matter of NJ manners?

Anyway, this isn’t the first time Tsukiji Market has threatened to do this, but this is the first I’ve heard of an outright ban. Moreover, using a purported language barrier as a real barrier to entry and service is becoming the catch-all excuse, as we are increasingly seeing in Japanese businesses, such as banks and insurance agencies. Beats actually making more efforts to cater to the customer, in this case the tourists eating the fish around the marketplace after the marketing, I guess.

janjan.jp: 河野太郎氏　2008/11/17付　国籍法の改正について

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Ｑ．「二重国籍に関する座長私案」とはなんですか。

Ａ．現在の国籍法では、両親の国際結婚などで重国籍を持つ者が二十二歳になったときにどちらかの国籍を選択しなければならないという国籍法の規定があります。しかし、この規定が有名無実化しているという問題があります。現時点でおそらく六十万人以上の重国籍者が二十二歳での国籍選択をしていないという状況にあります。

　国籍選択を厳密に実施するか、重国籍を認めるのかという議論をこの一年続けてきましたが、重国籍を認めるとしたらどう認めるべきかという議論のたたき台を「座長私案」という形で出すことになりました。これをもとに今後、じっくりと重国籍に関する議論を進めていくことになります。

2008.11.20　日本版US-VISIT開始から１年　院内集会 [えっ！外国人登録証がなくなるの？」

Posted on November 14, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

————————————————————————–
2008.11.20　日本版US-VISIT開始から１年　院内集会
えっ！外国人登録証がなくなるの？
2009年入管法改悪・「在留カード」導入案に待った！
————————————————————————–

日時：2008年11月20日（木）　12時45分　～　14時15分
会場：衆議院第二議員会館　第一会議室
※ 地下鉄「国会議事堂前」駅下車　徒歩3分）
※ １階ロビーにて通行証をお渡しします。

【内容】
（１）指紋押捺制度廃止から日本版US-VISIT導入まで
報告：佐藤信行さん（在日韓国人問題研究所・RAIK）
（２）当事者からの発言／2007年11月20日法務省前行動のビデオ上映を予定
（３）どうなる？　2009年入管法改定
　「外登証」を廃止して、「在留カード」「外国人台帳制度」へ
報告：旗手明さん（自由人権協会・JCLU）
（４）「在留カード」が導入されたら…懸念される問題点
教育（子ども）／医療サービス／難民申請者

KM on how only NJ suspects get named even when J perps also involved in crime

Posted on November 11, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Mainichi: “A Chinese woman suspected of faking her marriage to a Japanese man just before she gave birth so her son could obtain Japanese citizenship has been arrested, it has been learned.

“Metropolitan police arrested Jiang Xinxin, 27, a resident of Tokyo’s Kita-ku, on suspicion of making a false declaration on an official document…”

KM: I’m wondering why the name of the Chinese woman has been published but not the name of her Japanese accomplice (that is, the man she had the fake wedding with). According to the Japanese article both the Chinese woman and the Japanese man are being prosecuted. Yet, only the name of the Chinese woman has been published.

Hmmm. I think I see a pattern here. If a foreigner is involved, even tangentially, publish the name. If a Japanese person is involved, respect their privacy. Problematic coverage, don’t you think?

Fukushima Prefectural Tourist Information Association lists “No Foreigner” hotels on their official website, 2007

Posted on October 10, 2008October 10, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

As a matter of record, here is a notification I received from a reader last year regarding the Tourist Information Fukushima website, an official prefectural government site, which offered information about sights and stays in the area. They allowed — even publicized — hotels that expressly refused accommodation to NJ guests (I called a few of them to confirm, and yes, they don’t want NJ guests due to the owner’s own classic fears — language barriers, no Western beds, a fear that NJ might steal, or noncommunication in case of emergency or trouble). As the emails I received from TIF later on indicate (it took them some time to get back to me), they have since instructed the hotels that what they are doing is in violation of hotel laws, and have corrected the TIF website to remove the option of refusing foreigners.

Thanks, I guess. Now why a government agency felt like offering hotels an exclusionary option in the first place is a bit stupefying.

Given October 2008’s GOJ hotel survey indicating that 27% of respondents didn’t want NJ staying on their premises, this may be but the tip of the iceberg.

Asahi/CNN: GOJ survey report: 38% of J hotels had no NJ guests in 2007, and 72% of those (as in 27%) don’t want NJ guests

Posted on October 10, 2008October 12, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

CNN: Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says over 70 percent of Japanese inns and hotels that didn’t have foreign guests last year don’t want any in the future either.

The ministry says that a survey of such businesses showed they feel unable to support foreign languages and that their facilities are not suited to foreigners.

The survey released Thursday shows that over 60 percent of Japan’s inns and hotels had foreign guests last year, but the majority of the rest don’t want any.

It was released as Japan continues its efforts to attract more foreign visitors. The country’s “Visit Japan Campaign” aims to draw 10 million foreigners to the country for trips and business in the year 2010, up from 8.35 million last year.

Discussion: Nationality vs. ethnicity. Japan’s media lays claim to naturalized J-American Nobel Prizewinner

Posted on October 9, 2008October 9, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

I think we have an interesting opportunity to discuss issues of ethnicity vs. nationality in Japan, with the J media’s treatment of three recent Nobel Prizewinners.

The J media claimed yesterday that “three Japanese just won a Nobel for Physics”, even though one emigrated to the United States, has lived there for 56 years, and has worked at the University of Chicago for 40. From an American and Japanese standpoint he’s ethnically Japanese, of course (he was born and lived his formative years in Japan). But he’s certifiably American in terms of nationality (one assumes he gave up his Japanese citizenship, which would be required under normal circumstances as Japan does not allow dual nationality). That didn’t stop Japan’s media from headlining that “3 Japanese won”. What do readers think? Is it appropriate?

Tangent: Question raised about apparently problematic judicial ruling on media responsibility for public criticism

Posted on October 8, 2008October 8, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Question about the role of the media in defamation in Japan, regarding lawyer and current Osaka Gov Hashimoto losing a court case re televised statements he made about a group of lawyers:

“But it seems the English translation [in the Daily Yomiuri] “… urging the public to call for disciplinary action through mass media was illegal …” does justice to the original in Japanese. If that is correct, then we have a judge stating that I cannot go on television to ask the public to send letters to Prime Minister Aso to fire Mr. Kakayama. Well, “mass media” would include print, web, radio, etc.

“Am I missing something here? It doesn’t read in Japanese or English that it was only illegal for a lawyer to do this. It doesn’t read that it is only illegal reference a bar association. It appears to be a general statement.

“Can anyone please explain to me where I am getting this wrong? I ask because this can’t possibly be correct, can it? Haven’t we seen letters and appeals to the public to a prime minister for one of his cabinet officials to be fired?”

Glimmers of hope: New PM Aso does not single out NJ as potential terrorists or agents of crime

Posted on September 25, 2008September 25, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

New PM Aso had a good press conference last night to launch his new cabinet, and good news as far as Debito.org goes is that he didn’t try to bash foreigners and link crime and terrorism to them. Contrast that with his behavior as Public Management Minister in the 2003 Koizumi Cabinet. Perhaps he read a critical Japan Times expose back then and saw sense?

Archive: ディエンと右翼派反応、「日本移民列島」、外国人２００万人突破 (June 1, 2006)

Posted on September 15, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／
１）国連のディエン特別報告者の東京、大阪、沖縄訪問
２）右翼派の反発：単行本「危ない！人権擁護法案
　　迫り来る先進国型値全体主義の恐怖」出版
３）毎日：在住外国人登録者は２００万人突破
４）毎日：河野太郎議員：「外国人の日本人口の３％の比例に限度を」
　　（法務省と毎日新聞も現在の在住外国人人口比例の統計を誤って報道）
５）週刊ダイヤモンド：「ニッポン移民列島」２００４年特集
６）「巡回連絡カード」、警察官自宅訪問、職務質問の解答は任意？
７）移住連：全国フォーラム６月２４日〜２５日、札幌市
８）気分転換；二カ国語インタビュー（ポッドキャスト）
／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／

アーカイブより：萱野茂氏死去、国連ディエン再来日、旅行会社国籍別料金、「外人をこき使え！」英会話ゼミはサイトを改訂、緩和

Posted on September 6, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／
１）人権かつマイノリティー権を唱えた萱野茂元国会議員死去
２）国連代表ドゥドぅ・ディエン氏は５月中旬沖縄、大阪かつ東京へ訪問
３）旅行会社HISとNo.1トラベルは外国人客に料金を上乗せ
４）「外人をこき使え！」英会話ゼミはサイトを改訂、緩和
５）「鳥取県人権侵害救済推進及び手続に関する条例」について私のJapan Timesコラム
／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／／

Archive: DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER MAY 8, 2006

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
1) FORMER AINU DIETMEMBER KAYANO SHIGERU DIES
2) UN’S DOUDOU DIENE TO REVISIT JAPAN MAY 15-19
3) “SLAVEDRIVE YOUR GAIJIN!” CEO ENGLISH SITE DISAPPEARS
4) HIS TRAVEL ADMITS TO HAVING DIFFERENT AIRFARES FOR FOREIGNERS
5) JAPAN TIMES ON TOTTORI HUMAN RIGHTS ORDINANCE
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Archive: DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER MARCH 1, 2006

Posted on August 8, 2008August 8, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

//////////////////////////////////////////////
1) MAINICHI et al: POLICE RACIAL PROFILING RESULTS IN MISTAKEN ARREST OF JAPANESE THEY THINK IS A FOREIGNER
2) MOFA TO HOLD HEARING RE UN CERD COMMITTEE REPORT
3) NUGW “MARCH IN MARCH” SUNDAY MARCH 5 IN SHINJUKU
4) “REVERSE DISCRIMINATION” AT KYOTO FORMER IMPERIAL PALACE
5) BOOK “JAPANESE ONLY” 2006 REVISED VERSION HITS STORES
//////////////////////////////////////////////

First Waiwai, now Japan Times’ Tokyo Confidential now in Internet “Japan Image Police” sights

Posted on August 5, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Here we have an article talking about how the sights are turning from the Mainichi Waiwai to the Japan Times “Tokyo Confidential” column–in the same spirit of making sure outsiders don’t “misunderstand” Japan (by reading potentially negative stuff already found in the domestic press). The Japanese language is only supposed to be for domestic consumption, after all, right? How dare non-natives translate the secret code? Anyway, it’s one more good reason why you don’t deal with anonymous Internet bullies–giving in to them only makes them stronger–and more hypocritical given press freedom and the freedom of speech they wallow in. Let’s hope the Japan Times has the guts to stand up to them.

Bankruptcy of a monopoly: Good riddance to Yohan foreign book distributor

Posted on August 1, 2008August 2, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Yohan (Nihon Yousho Hanbai), the monopolist distributors of foreign-language books, just went bankrupt. To quote Nelson Muntz: “Haa haa”.

Yohan is essentially the Darth Vader of Japanese book distributors. I know from personal experience (trying to sell my books published by Akashi Shoten Inc., which refused to pay Yohan’s extortionate subscription rates or meet its restrictive conditions) that if you want to sell even Japanese books written in English, you either go through Yohan, or your books don’t get shelf space.

Here we have a cartel masquerading as a company, with exclusive rights to sell cash cows like Harry Potter in English, overcharging us for books, controlling stores’ contents and shelf space, and keeping out rivals. And they STILL couldn’t stay in business! Good riddance to bad rubbish.

2008緊急シンポジウム　非正規滞在（オーバーステイ）2008年7月21日東京都千代田区、など

Posted on July 17, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

１．2008緊急シンポジウム
非正規滞在（オーバーステイ）者〜排除の上に築く共生でいいのか？〜
───────────────────────────────────
※IMADR-JCが参加する外国人人権法連絡会の共催イベントです。

■日時：2008年7月21日（月・祝日）　pm. 2:00〜5:00 (開場　pm. 1:30)
■会場：韓国YMCA　（東京都千代田区猿楽町2-5-5）
　　　　JR水道橋駅徒歩6分、御茶ノ水駅徒歩9分、地下鉄神保町駅徒歩7分
　　　　地図は以下URLを参照　http://www.ymcajapan.org/ayc/jp/map1.htm　
■参加費：1000円　　通訳：英語

「ニューカマー」の来日から20年以上が経過しました。当初、そのほとんどを
占めた非正規滞在者は1993年をピークに減少し、2008年には約17万人となって
います。しかし現在も、多くの非正規滞在者がこの社会で暮らしています。こ
の間、数万人の非正規滞在者が、在留特別許可によって合法化されてきました。

その一方で、非正規滞在者を犯罪の温床である「不法滞在者」として捉えるま
なざしが定着し、政府も2003年から取り締まりを強化してきました。加えて来
年、新たな在留管理制度を構築し、非正規滞在者をいっさい排除しようとして
います。

少子化を背景に、移民の「受け入れ」議論が「多文化共生」をキーワードに各
界で始まっています。しかしそれは、非正規滞在者を排除した上での「共生」
でしかなく、NGOや市民団体が長年訴えてきた「多民族・多文化共生」とは異
なっています。

シンポジウムでは、こうした「共生」と「排除」が同時進行する現状を、非正
規滞在者の視点から考えてみたいと思います。ぜひご参加ください。

７月１３日文京区で「なぜ会えないの？　離婚後の親子」親子の面会交流を実現する全国ネットワーク発足集会

Posted on July 12, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

「なぜ会えないの？　離婚後の親子」

親子の面会交流を実現する全国ネットワーク発足集会

■日時　７月１３日１２：３０会場１３：００開始〜１６：３０

■場所　文京区立アカデミー茗台会議室Ａ

（地下鉄丸の内線茗荷谷駅、後楽園駅下車徒歩15分）

■ 内容

１．報告「親権争いと子どもの立場」

ポール・ワン　米国籍。日本国籍の妻の死別後、義父母によって娘と引き離され、児童虐待をでっち上げられて訴訟に

結城みすず（仮名）　子どもの前で夫に突然離婚を告げられ家を出される。弁護士にも調停でも二次被害を受ける。次第に面会を制約され現在は３人の子どもと会えていない

宗像　充　事実婚のため人身保護法により親権者である元妻と同棲相手のもとに子どもを移され、引き離しの間に養子に入れられた。面接交渉調停に相手は出てこない

２．講演：棚瀬孝夫「離婚後の共同親責任と『子どもの最善の利益』」

プロフィール：中央大学法学部、弁護士。法社会学。「離婚後の面接交渉と親の権利—比較法文化的考察」（『権利の言説』勁草書房、2003年）、「日本のＡＤＲ」「日本の調停」（『よくわかる法社会学』ミネルヴァ書房、近刊）、『紛争処理と合意』（ミネルヴァ書房、1996）他著書多数

＊その他国会他各地の取り組みの報告、意見交換　（後略）

Japan Timesコラム和訳：「魔のG8サミット接近中:7月のG8長談義は日本で悪いことばかり目立ち、ホスト北海道には何の利益もないだろう」

Posted on June 29, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

私のジャパンタイムズの記事の翻訳：

国際イベントというものは、日本に最悪なことをもたらす傾向がある。官僚主義的で何でもコントロールしなければ気がすまない性格を持ち合わせている日本は、世界が注目しているときになおさら、その傾向が数倍にも強まり、政府はここぞとばかり、“安全”を口実に、法律で処理しがたいほどの権力を発揮するのである。（中略）

網を広げて、いわれのない人まで捕獲しようとしている。G8市民フォーラム北海道の越田清和事務局長によると、女性労働者の権利の主張者が、今年に入って日本への入国を拒否された。アジア女性協会の韓国の活動家キム・エシュウさんは、この団体の公式代表者として昨年日本に入国したが、今年になり、個人としてのみ入国を許可された。政府は、潜在的なトラブルメーカーとみなした人物を数ヶ月前から監視する動きがでている。

ここにすでに書いたように、市民の自由はサミットを前に蝕まれている。洞爺湖やその周辺がサミット期間中に一般人の出入りを閉鎖するだけではない。警察の命令により、札幌市の３つの公園での集会を7月1日から11日まで規制する、昨年12月に札幌市は発表した。抗議の末、自粛に訂正されたが、結局は同じである。（中略）

ポイントは、国際イベントは日本に悪い習慣をもたらす、ということである。それでは、2016年オリンピック開催の候補地に名乗りを上げている東京はどうなる？　一般市民を押さえつける、さらなる騒々しい公式の恐怖と取り締まりキャンペーンのきっかけになり、この幼稚な国家で最も得をするのは、警察なのだ。

結論。政治システムの点から日本はこのようなイベントのホスト国としてはまだ十分成熟しているとはいえない、と私は思う。訪問するだけなのに日本以外の国が恐ろしいかのように日本社会を脅かして人々を煽るのをやめるために、メディアは言うまでもなく、行政の適切なチェックとバランスを日本は発達させなければならない。日本の役人にブレーキをかけ、未熟のままの市民社会で取り締まるという警察国家に日本が変わっていかないよう防ぐ必要がある。（後略）

サミットの関係で、外国人ジャーナリストが拘束、強制退去

Posted on June 28, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

日刊ベリタの木村記者：Ｇ８サミットが目前に迫った昨今、外国人が空港で足止めされるという事態があいついでいます。

政府関係者および大手メディア以外の目的で、Ｇ８関係の活動（取材、講演会を含む）のために訪れる外国人は事情聴取が必要で、２４時間の拘束は珍しくないそうです。

昨晩（６月２７日）、市民メディアセンター（札幌）に登録済みの香港・市民ジャーナリスト３人が入管に拘束され、強制退去寸前という事態が発生しました。

今朝は、スーザン・ジョージさん（ATTAC France）が空港で足止めされているとのことです。７４歳のジョージさんを拘束するのは、人道上の配慮にも欠けていると思われます。

今後もこのような入管措置は続くと予想されます。

World-famous company, Tohoku branch, refuses to employ Japanese kid expressly because he’s “half”–even retracts original job offer

Posted on June 27, 2008June 27, 2008 by Dr. Debito Arudou

Summary: A world-famous company in northern Japan, with branches and products overseas for generations, refuses to employ a young Japanese (despite giving him a job offer)–expressly, despite being a citizen, because he’s “half”.

This could have major repercussions in Japan if other Japanese with international roots get discriminated against similarly. Read on. More details to reporters if they want a story. I have the feeling we have a major lawsuit here.

I’ve anonymized it for now because the family fears that the employer will refuse to employ the job candidate further if this article can be traced back to him. Read on: