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Hi Blog. I am happy to say that our last Debito.org blog post generated another news article. Thanks very much to Julian for drawing attention to the issue. Dr. ARUDOU, Debito
UPDATE, courtesy of Debito.org Reader Oliver: The pamphlet can be found on the MOFA website, so it is genuine. PDF is here:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/000033409.pdf
(link from this page: http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/hague/index.html)
And there is even an English language version!
http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000034153.pdf
(link from this page: http://www.mofa.go.jp/fp/hr_ha/page22e_000249.html)
/////////////////////////////////////////////
‘Racist’ cartoon issued by Japanese ministry angers rights activists
Pamphlet issued by Tokyo to Japan’s embassies in response to Hague convention is criticised for depicting a foreign man beating his child
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 16 September, 2014, 11:14pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 17 September, 2014, 1:44am
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong,), by Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Courtesy http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1594102/racist-cartoon-issued-japanese-ministry-angers-rights-activists
The cartoon showing a white man beating his child has drawn condemnation from human rights activists.
Human rights activists in Japan have reacted angrily to a new pamphlet released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they claim is racist and stereotypical for depicting Caucasian fathers beating their children.
The 11-page leaflet has been sent to Japanese embassies and consulates around the world in response to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction going into effect in Japan on April 1.
Tokyo dragged its feet on ratifying the treaty, which broadly stipulates that a child should be returned to his or her country of habitual residence when they have been taken out of that country by a parent but without the consent of the other parent.
But manga-style images of foreign fathers beating children and Japanese women portrayed as innocent victims have raised the hackles of campaigners, both those fighting discrimination against foreigners and non-Japanese who have been unable to see children who have been abducted by Japanese former spouses.
“It’s the same problem with any negotiations in which Japan looks like it has been beaten,” said Debito Arudou, a naturalised Japanese citizen who was born in the United States and has become a leading human rights activist.
“After being forced to give up a degree of power by signing the Hague treaty, they have to show that they have not lost face and they try to turn the narrative around,” he said. “It’s the same as in the debate over whaling.
“The Japanese always see themselves as the victims, and in this case, the narrative is that Japanese women are being abused and that the big, bad world is constantly trying to take advantage of them.”
Arudou is particularly incensed by the cover of the publication, which shows a blond-haired foreigner hitting a little girl, a foreign father taking a child from a sobbing Japanese mother and another Japanese female apparently ostracised by big-nosed foreign women.
“It is promoting the image that the outside world is against Japanese and the only place they will get a fair deal is in Japan,” said Arudou.
The rest of the pamphlet takes the form of a conversation between a cartoon character father and son, but with the storyline showing the difficulties of a Japanese woman living abroad with her half-Japanese son.
Arudou says the publication then “degenerates into the childish” with the appearance of an animated doll that is the father figure’s pride and joy, but also dispenses advice.
“As well as promoting all these stereotypes, why are they not talking about visitation issues for foreigners whose half-Japanese children have been abducted by their ex-wives?” asked Arudou.
Several foreigners who have been unable to see their children for years have already contacted Arudou to express their anger, with a number of US nationals saying they would pass the document onto lawmakers.
Arudou’s post on the issue on his website has also attracted attention, with commentators describing the pamphlet as “racist propaganda”.
“This is disgusting,” one commentator posted. “Pictures are powerful, more powerful than words. And the only time I’ve ever seen anything remotely like this is when I did a search for old anti-Japanese propaganda.
“Of course, that was disgusting too, but it was wartime!”
Another added, “What a pathetic advert for an ‘advanced’ country.
“As for the text – not wasting any more bandwidth on such utter racist, xenophobic, patronising, paranoid nonsense.”
ENDS
/////////////////////////////////////////
UPDATE SEPT. 19: THIS SCMP ARTICLE PRODUCED AN ARTICLE IN HUFFINGTON POST JAPAN:
外務省作成の「ハーグ条約」小冊子は人種差別 人権活動家が指摘
The Huffington Post
投稿日: 2014年09月17日 16時34分 JST 更新: 2014年09月19日 14時17分 JST PAMPHLET WHAT IS THE HAGUE CONVENTION
Courtesy http://www.huffingtonpost.jp/2014/09/17/pamphlet-of-the-hague-convention-mof_n_5833674.html
国外に連れ出された子供の扱いを定めた「ハーグ条約」について、外務省が作成した小冊子に人権侵害にあたる内容が含まれているのではないか、という指摘が出ている。
指摘しているのは、人権活動家の有道出人（あるどう・でびと）さん。アメリカ出身の日本国籍取得者だ。有道さんは「ハーグ条約ってなんだろう？」という外務省が作成した小冊子について、子供や無実の日本女性に暴力をふるう外国人のイラストは、嫌悪感を抱かせる内容となっていると分析。日本人のかつての配偶者によって子供を連れ去られ、子供に会うことができないでいる外国人もいるとして、小冊子のあり方に疑問を呈しているという。香港の英字紙・サウス・チャイナ・モーニング・ポストが報じた。
有道さんは特に、小冊子の表紙のイラストに怒りを覚えるという。そこには、小さな女の子を叩いている外国人のイラストや、ブロンドヘアの外国人男性がすすり泣く日本人女性の母親から子供を連れ去るイラストなどが描かれている。有道さんは「このような内容は、日本だけが公正な話し合いができる場所で、世界は違うというようなイメージを植え付ける」と話す。（中略）
「これらの固定観念のイラストばかりでなく、なぜ、元妻に連れ去られた子供と会うための外国人の権利について書かないのか」と有道さんは指摘した。
（サウスチャイナ·モーニング·ポスト「’Racist’ cartoon issued by Japanese ministry angers rights activists」より 2014/09/16 23:14）
pamphlet what is the hague convention
ハーグ条約は夫婦のどちらかによって国外に連れ出された子供の扱いを定める多国間条約で、日本は2014年4月から条約加盟国となり、合わせて小冊子もつくられた。
日本はハーグ条約への加盟が遅く、海外から批判を浴びていた。特にアメリカからの圧力は強く、2010年にはアメリカ下院本会議が日本への連れ去りを「拉致」と非難する決議を採択した。ハーグ条約の適用を受けた2014年4月には、元配偶者らが日本に連れ帰った子供との面会を求める親が、アメリカでは少なくとも約200人に上ったという。
有道さんは自身のブログで、この小冊子の中に、外国人が子供にDVを行っているイラストが複数あることや、外国人が日本人に冷たいことを明示するイラストも使用されていると述べている。
pamphlet what is the hague convention
pamphlet what is the hague convention
pamphlet what is the hague convention
これらの有道さんの指摘について外務省領事局の担当者は、現在のところ外務省は同様の指摘を受けてはないとハフポスト日本版の電話取材に回答。また、「小冊子を見ていただければ分かると思うが、人種差別的な内容を意図して作成したものではない」として、画像の変更等を行う予定はないと述べた。
なお、この小冊子は日本語版だけでなく英語版もつくられているが、日本語版と同様のイラストや文章が使われている。
ENDS
/////////////////////////////////////////
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 30: ALSO MAKES AL JAZEERA:
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201409181245-0024160
Al Jazeera.com, September 18, 2014
Japanese ministry’s child abduction pamphlet shows white father hitting child
Screenshot of Japanese Foreign Ministry publication. MOFA JAPAN.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry pamphlet depicting white fathers abusing children has drawn criticism from human rights activists who say it perpetuates(link is external) racist stereotypes.
The pamphlet(link is external) reportedly was sent to Japanese embassies and consulates to explain the implications of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The booklet features manga-style cartoons and is also available in English via the ministry’s website.
Japan’s years of refusal(link is external) to sign the Hague Convention drew significant pressure from critics in the US and Europe, who argued(link is external) that Japan had become a “safe haven” for parental child abductors…
Read the rest at http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201409181245-0024160
7 comments on “SCMP (Hong Kong) on MOFA Hague Pamphlet: “‘Racist’ cartoon issued by Japanese ministry angers rights activists”, cites Debito.org (UPDATE: Also makes Huffington Post Japan in Japanese & Al Jazeera)”
The more mileage this gets, the better. If HK’s attention has been drawn to this, then hopefully it shall raise eye brows inside China too. Would be good for other Asian countries to become involved as their females are sadly always on the receiving end with little options or avenues open to pursue..
If this can also be raised by the UN, which highlighted such racist views going unchecked only just recently, it will be a serious own goal for Japan too. In the meantime, if the EU/UK/US etc…media also pick up on this, then it is sure to garner more unwanted attention for the GoJ and its true intent behind such “we are playing by the big boys rules, so let us in” façade.
Hope this gets even more news coverage. This “pamphlet” is offensive and undermining the entire purpose of signing this. Japan has been a HAVEN for international child abuductions for decades, and they are the reason this has been such an issue. I’m sure there are a few cases, but overwhelmingly, it is Japanese citizens as the victimizers.
So the Japanese wife of the Caucasian abducts the child because he is physically abusive to the child (obviously foreign men are violent), and the French wife of the Japanese man abducts the child because he watches too many cartoons (obviously a foreign women are hysterical). So it is clearly a case of racial stereotyping and further enforcing the Japanese view that they are the victims and generally do no wrong. It is more than a little disturbing that this was not even considered by a government agency of very high importance such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am curious to see how they respond.
Well, they sent the message. If you are Japanese abroad and you want to abduct kids then just claim domestic violence, because everyone knows that’s what happens abroad.
Odd that it was a blonde-haired foreigner absconding with the child rather than the Japanese woman doing so, which as far as I know actually accounts for the vast majority of international child abductions involving Japanese citizens who are married to non-citizens. Just another example of casual racism by the Japanese machine, I guess.
This Pamphlet is indeed uncalled for. It’s an insult to the foreign community. After 34 years of the foreign community around the World anxiously waiting for Japan to sign onto the Hague Convention. Shame on you MOFA!!
Tim Johnston Japan
UPDATE: MOFA PAMPHLET ALSO MAKES AL JAZEERA:
Japanese ministry’s child abduction pamphlet shows white father hitting child
Rights activists criticise cartoon from Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs after country signs child abduction convention.
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201409181245-0024160
Al Jazeera.com, September 18, 2014
A Japanese Foreign Ministry pamphlet depicting white fathers abusing children has drawn criticism from human rights activists who say it perpetuates racist stereotypes.
The pamphlet reportedly was sent to Japanese embassies and consulates to explain the implications of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The booklet features manga-style cartoons and is also available in English via the ministry’s website.
Japan’s years of refusal to sign the Hague Convention drew significant pressure from critics in the US and Europe, who argued that Japan had become a “safe haven” for parental child abductors…
Read the rest at http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201409181245-0024160