DEBITO.ORG READERS’ ISSUES OF CONCERN, JUNE 2026

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Hi Blog.  I write Debito.org SNA “Visible Minorities” columns once a month (SNA website here) and send Debito.org Newsletters to subscribers sporadically.  After sending, I archive them here, and below, Debito.org Readers have been adding recent issues and articles that concern them regardless of the content of the post over the past several years.  It’s been a good way to allow Readers to be heard and engaged.

I still put out Debito.org Newsletters, but since I’m only posting on Debito.org approximately once a month, there’s only one article to repost (my SNA column), and I have it here as Debito.org post anyway.  So it’d only be a repeat if I dedicated another post to the Newsletter.

But I don’t want to deprive Readers of a forum, so let me continue this “Issues of Concern” section (still categorized under “Newsletters”) and let it be a free space for articles and comments germane to the mission of Debito.org.

Past “Issues of Concern” pages are getting filled with comments that are running farther afield than the original title, so let’s create a new one now.

Thanks as always for reading and contributing to Debito.org.  Debito Arudou, Ph.D.
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49 comments on “DEBITO.ORG READERS’ ISSUES OF CONCERN, JUNE 2026”

  • JK says:

    As of April 1st, bicycle riding in Japan is now serious business: Japan’s New Bike Fines Are Real: What Every Cyclist Needs to Know For April 2026

    From the article:

    In the town where I live, most of the people I see riding bicycles every day don’t look Japanese. They are workers, families, and community members from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Brazil, and other countries. Many of them cycle to work, to the store, to pick up their kids—the same daily routines as everyone else.

    The problem is that this information is not easily accessible in languages other than Japanese and English. The National Police Agency has started preparing some multilingual materials, but the reality on the ground is that most people haven’t seen them.

    My predictions about the “blue ticket” (青切符) system:

    1. It will disproportionately affect visible minorities because this group is much more reliant on bicycles than the average wajin, and is marginalized by default.

    2. It will remain vague and selectively enforced, becoming a tool for managing “problem” (read: foreign-looking) cyclists rather than a universal standard.

    So, in a nutshell, the J-Gov has expanded embedded racism by creating a two-wheeled regulatory Rubik’s Cube (113 rules!) which gives J-cops near-unlimited discretion to stop and cite people; if you’re riding a bike in Japan while looking foreign, expect to be pulled over, even for a minor infraction.

    Reply
  • JK says:

    As if on cue, Fuji Hōdō uploaded this video to YouTube a day after my original comment:

    3 Months Since Implementation… Has Anything Changed? Bicycle Traffic Tickets [Let’s Investigate] / 導入3カ月…意識に変化は!?自転車青切符【しらべてみたら】

    Here are my takeaways:

    • NJ tourists are the population of visible minorities most at risk to being stopped by the J-cops because they are riding with a mental model based on the lived accumulation of their country’s infrastructure, history, legal culture, and social norms that, since April 1st, doesn’t map onto Japan (note: the Dutch rider in the video was a textbook example of disciplined cycling. So, if you’re from the Netherlands, you probably have the least to worry about cycling-wise. But you’re still cycling while looking foreign, so rider beware!).

    • Props to the bicycle rental shop in Chiyoda-ku for offering bilingual rule explanations with printed charts to NJ tourists. But it’s not their job to educate NJ tourists about the rules of the road — that honor goes to the J-Gov!

    • NJ cyclists (especially NJ tourists!) need to exercise significantly greater caution than they might ever assume necessary.

    Reply
    • JDG says:

      ‘Yes, I’m voting for the LDP because I prioritize NJ riding around like they own the place over the economic survival of the nation. But I’ll be voting Sanseito if they can’t clamp down on the NJ gomi station free for all!😡’

      It’s literally the attitude of the public.

      Reply
  • Niklas says:

    Another video about Japanese tourism going viral on
    Twitter these days. A famous Korean streamer discovers that the prices on foreign language menus are twice as high as on the Japanese menu. When asked about the Japanese menu the waitress is reluctant to bring it.

    https://x.com/diol2n/status/2076990585269837875?s=46&t=IzAIE8zz8O3iUXFc2Hpuew

    Omotenashi at work. Looks like my prediciton from a few years ago rings true, Japan will be seen as just another cheap Asian tourist destination with seperate prices for tourists and residents.

    It‘s interesting to me how the government and tourism association think they can get away with this in the 21st century.

    Reply
  • JK says:

    I’m starting a new ‘Religious discrimination against Muslims in Japan’ thread here (link to my prior comments here).

    Here’s the full article followed by my commentary:

    FEATURE: Japan city restricts mosque prayer, sparking multicultural debate

    CHIBA, Japan – A decision by a city near Tokyo to bar a mosque from holding a longstanding outdoor prayer session in one of its parks has triggered debate over multicultural coexistence in Japan, with questions raised over whether officials had sufficient grounds for the move.

    The dispute began in May when a mosque in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, was denied permission to hold a group prayer in the public park, located in a residential neighborhood, during a festival that had been held there for years there with city approval.

    The decision followed criticism on social media of scenes from a prayer session held in the park last autumn.

    The city initially sought to cancel the festival altogether but later reached a compromise with organizers, allowing the event to proceed as a social gathering without the outdoor prayer component.

    The festival, held on a weekday morning, drew people dressed in traditional attire who shared meals and posed for photographs.

    Abdullah Miyazawa, a 56-year-old representative of the mosque originally from Pakistan, said the festival has been held twice a year for about three decades.

    Organizers, he said, have always sought to observe proper etiquette and maintain good relations with local residents.

    As recently as March, about 200 people participated in prayer sessions in the park.

    The dispute comes amid concerns about discrimination against Muslims in Japan, with mosques around the country facing slander and abuse in recent years.

    Following criticism online, Ichikawa city hall received calls both supporting and opposing the use of the park. Citing safety concerns, the city asked the mosque to withdraw its application to use the venue.

    After discussions between the two sides, permission was granted only for a social gathering. Because there was no space available for communal prayer in the park, worshippers reportedly held prayers in several sessions inside the mosque’s limited facilities.

    Mayor Ko Tanaka said at a regular press conference that the decision was his own and had been influenced by information circulating on social media as well as discussions within the city council.

    “For local residents, group prayer can cause unease because it is unfamiliar,” he said. “I believe the way the park was being used had moved away from what multicultural coexistence should look like.”

    A city official said authorities concluded that occupying part of the park for prayer would interfere with its use by the general public.

    “We were pleased that a compromise could be reached,” the official said.

    Miyazawa said he understood the difficult position facing city officials and stressed that he did not want conflict or trouble for the neighborhood.

    At the same time, he said many worshippers were left feeling that, as members of the local community too, they should be treated as such.

    He also questioned the idea that long-established practice should be kept out of public view. Some members of the mosque community, he said, had expressed concerns about the safety of their children.

    Among local residents, reactions were largely accepting. Kazumi Kurosu, head of a neighborhood association, said that while there had been issues in the past, there were no major problems now and that local residents understood the efforts organizers were making.

    The city’s handling of the issue has drawn criticism from academics who study multicultural coexistence policies.

    Masami Wakayama, a political scientist at the University of Shizuoka, said prayer was a normal part of daily life for Muslims and questioned whether the mayor fully understood the meaning of multicultural coexistence.

    Wakayama argued that the city should have investigated the situation more thoroughly, including by surveying residents if necessary, and clearly explained the objective grounds for its decision.

    “If criticism on social media was behind the decision, the city may have overstepped its discretionary authority,” he said.

    Some residents remain uneasy. A woman in her 70s, for example, said seeing a large group gathered together felt frightening.

    While acknowledging such concerns, Wakayama said opportunities for interaction between local residents and Muslim communities should be expanded rather than restricted.

    “For local residents, group prayer can cause unease because it is unfamiliar”

    I’m calling BS on this: “Among local residents, reactions were largely accepting. Kazumi Kurosu, head of a neighborhood association, said that while there had been issues in the past, there were no major problems now and that local residents understood the efforts organizers were making.”

    Some residents remain uneasy. A woman in her 70s, for example, said seeing a large group gathered together felt frightening.

    Is the same woman frightened by large groups gathered together during obon? How about during a matsuri? If so, then by this logic, these events should be held indoors as well!

    Following criticism online, Ichikawa city hall received calls both supporting and opposing the use of the park. Citing safety concerns, the city asked the mosque to withdraw its application to use the venue.

    Was the city expecting there to be a Muslim pogrom?

    “I believe the way the park was being used had moved away from what multicultural coexistence should look like.”

    Muslims working and paying taxes in Ichikawa city, observing proper etiquette and maintaining good relations with local residents? That’s what multicultural coexistence should look like. But if those same Muslims want to pray in a park? Well, that’s moving away from what multicultural coexistence should look like!

    A city official said authorities concluded that occupying part of the park for prayer would interfere with its use by the general public.

    By this logic, occupying part of the park to celebrate obon or to host a matsuri would also interfere with its use by the general public, right?

    “We were pleased that a compromise could be reached,” the official said.

    I’m sure you were! But what does the other side think?:

    At the same time, he [Abdullah Miyazawa] said many worshippers were left feeling that, as members of the local community too, they should be treated as such.

    Ah, but according to Mr. Mayor, that would be moving away from what multicultural coexistence should look like!

    Masami Wakayama, a political scientist at the University of Shizuoka, said prayer was a normal part of daily life for Muslims and questioned whether the mayor fully understood the meaning of multicultural coexistence.

    Oh, Mr. Mayor understands what multicultural coexistence means: work in the city, pay your taxes to the city, be deferential to your neighbors, but under no circumstances are you to pray in a park!

    “If criticism on social media was behind the decision, the city may have overstepped its discretionary authority.”

    Let me translate this: the city actively engaged in religious discrimination.

    Wakayama said opportunities for interaction between local residents and Muslim communities should be expanded rather than restricted.

    Oooh…I dunno: that could be considered moving away from what multicultural coexistence should look like!

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Takaichi is getting her own version of ICE set up;

    ‘TV Asahi reported Thursday that the country is also considering using retired Self-Defense Force personnel to handle apprehending and deporting undocumented immigrants.’

    https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/07/24/japan/japan-group-foreign-nationals-policy/

    Retired SDF ‘apprehending’ NJ on the streets of Japan and deporting them?!?
    Under what legal authority are they going to apprehend NJ after they’ve racially-profiled them, and under what legal and constitutional authority will they verify NJ visa status and *enforce* deportation?

    Seems to be extra-legal to me.

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Japan desperately needs BODIES to do JOBS because there just aren’t enough Japanese people to do them anymore, and if it doesn’t get about 20 million by 2040 (one million care workers alone) Japanese pensioners just aren’t going get pensions and will die alone in wet diapers coz there will be no one there to change them.

    And in this highly competitive global labor market, what is Japan’s ‘offer’?

    Deny paths for NJ to get PR by raising the application fee, making the minimum number of years of residency required to PR higher, make the required minimum salary HIGHER than the national average, and require 30 years of payments into the Japanese pension system (of cash assets of the equivalent).
    Think about that; enduring rolling 1,3 or 5 year visas for thirty years before you even can apply for PR? No one is going to ‘gaman’ for that long. Why would they?

    And these are the KKK workers that Japan needs to literally save their society economically; they don’t earn above the national average wage- that’s WHY they are KKK jobs to start with and Japanese don’t want them.

    https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-gov't-to-impose-tougher-requirements-for-permanent-residency

    Can anyone in the ‘their country, their rules’ or ‘Japan for the Japanese’ crowd explain to me how this isn’t state suicide?

    Takaichi’s approval rating is dropping, expect more performative cruelty.

    Reply
  • Niklas says:

    New PR requirements just dropped.

    ⁠1. New guidelines will explicitly state that an applicant’s annual income must “consistently exceed the average income of Japanese households.”
    2. ⁠Applicants will also be required to demonstrate that their projected future pension benefits will match the level of someone who has contributed to the Employees’ Pension Insurance (Kosei Nenkin) for 30 years—or, if there is a shortfall, that they possess sufficient financial assets to make up the difference.

    3) Regarding the “national interest” requirement, new specific evaluation criteria will be established. These will stipulate that a “negative assessment” will be applied if an applicant lacks understanding of Japanese systems—including local customs and lifestyle norms—or fails to enroll school-age children in school.

    4) In principle, a continuous residence period of at least 10 years is required to apply for permanent residence.

    https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/20260725-GYT1T00137/

    This pretty much disqualifies all blue color workers who work in industries with severe labor shortage , such as construction, nursing, farming, factory work, etc. Even college educated white color workers in smaller cities and inaka will often make less than the national average income. It‘s extremely stupid to just use a single national average as criteria, and even if you have to use something like that, median would be much more fair than average.

    This is now the most obvious case of Japan‘s strategy on taking away the best years of immigrants and using their labor and not giving anythkng back in return. Meanwhile you still have to pay into the pension and health system, but you‘ll never be able to use it, because they‘ll kick you out as soon as you need it.

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Japan’s draconian new PR rules are designed to placate the Japanese who watch too many right-wing social media posts about how Japan isn’t really *Japan* anymore because there are (eyeroll) ‘so many gaijin!’

    If Japan’s now extremely uncompetitive offere doesn’t put off migrants workers, they will be able to work for up to 30 years (paying pension, tax and insurance all along) and then get turned down for PR because they don’t earn more than the average Japanese worker’s salary. Japanese right wingers can pay themselves on the back for taxing an NJ who never gets to collect their own pension because they can’t retire in Japan on less than PR.

    But I predict that this policy is mainly going to affect Japanese men, since the largest demographic of PR applicants are (majority) Chinese ladies married to Japanese men.
    That’s all going to come to an end for the Japanese guys who don’t have the equivalent of 30 years of pension and social insurance payment costs in their bank accounts when their wife-to-be applies for PR.
    And these people’s kids also become Japanese citizens, so it’s another ‘Japan shoots itself in the foot’ moment.
    It’s a nail in the coffin for ‘haafu’ too. Without these international relationships in Japan, there aren’t going to be any haafu kids.

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Last year there was a big uproar about the price of rice and lack of supply. To fix that, Ishiba initiated a plan to increase rice production and put Koizumi on the case.
    When Takaichi replaced him at the end of October, she quietly cancelled that plan to ensure supply shortage and high prices to satisfy rice farmers and encourage them to vote LDP at a time when the LDP was terrified of losing voter support (especially to Sanseito).
    Now that the fruits of that scheme are about to come home to roost, in advance of the next rice harvest being insufficient and too expensive, the government is putting out the narrative that NJ tourists are eating TWICE as much rice as Japanese people! 😱
    Those greedy gaijin are eating our rice! That’s why there’s not enough and it’s too expensive! Right?🙄

    https://japantoday.com/category/national/foreign-tourists-in-japan-eat-far-more-rice-than-previously-thought-according-to-new-data

    The fact is (as I linked here last year at the time of the shortages) last year alone Japan lost 25% of its rice farmers, so production is plummeting and prices are increasing as chain stores buy up stock in advance.

    Also, Japanese average rice consumption is dropping as prices increase and Japanese are choosing bread, pasta, and fried potatoes as alternatives.

    And NJ tourists are going to ignore bread, pasta and fried potatoes and likely eat Japanese food (with rice) three times a day because they didn’t come to Japan to eat McDonalds.

    — Just for completeness’ sake, do you have a link to a source that Takaichi quietly cancelled the plan? Thanks.

    Reply
  • JK says:

    In other news, Sapporo caved to the internet bullies:

    Opponents kill international school plans in Sapporo

    SAPPORO—Anti-immigration protesters have succeeded in scuttling plans for an international school here, after concerns were raised about ensuring the safety of children.

    The Sapporo city government announced on July 29 that Global Indian Education (GIE), a Singapore-based educational organization, withdrew from negotiations to purchase the former Tokiwa elementary school site in the city’s Minami Ward.

    GIE had planned to utilize the former school buildings and grounds to open an international school in the summer of 2027.

    The organization had applied to the city’s public property solicitation and was selected as the preferred negotiating party in June last year.

    GIE operates international schools in Tokyo and Osaka.

    Its student body is diverse, including children from Asia, Europe, North America and other regions, while roughly half of the students are Japanese.

    The planned Sapporo school was expected to enroll about 50 students in its first year and eventually grow to approximately 650 students, ranging from preschoolers to high schoolers.

    However, beginning around last summer, posts spread on social media saying, “The number of Indian immigrants will increase” and that “Hokkaido will be taken over.”

    A community information session held by GIE in the autumn was cut short after opponents disrupted the meeting with loud shouts.

    A total of 90 petitions opposing the project were also submitted to the city assembly, with more than 90 percent containing identical wording.

    Although the assembly unanimously rejected the petitions in April this year, opposition to the project did not subside.

    GIE submitted a notice of withdrawal to the city on July 23.

    The organization determined that it could not rule out the possibility that misinformation and protests would continue in the future and concluded that ensuring the safety of children would become difficult if such activities persisted after the school opened.

    In April last year, Sapporo enacted the City Ordinance for Building a Community Where Everyone Can Connect with Each Other and Coexist, aimed at foreign residents, sexual minorities and others.

    Through the ordinance, the city has promoted urban development based on respect for coexistence and diversity.

    At the same time, the city has been strengthening initiatives in green transformation, artificial intelligence and the semiconductor industry as part of its economic development strategy.

    As part of this effort, the city sought to attract an international school to meet the needs of highly skilled foreign professionals and their families.

    “While we cannot deny the possibility that the situation has created the impression that Sapporo is an exclusionary city toward foreigners, surveys of foreign residents indicate that the reality is by no means exclusionary,” said Naoki Jono, director of the city’s international affairs department.

    However, city officials also indicated the difficulty of responding to information spread through social media.

    At a news conference that day, Jono and other officials said, “Individuals can easily express their opinions on social media, and freedom of expression requires that such opinions be respected. When statements such as opposition to immigration policies are not clearly illegal or constitute hate speech, they must be received calmly.”

    After reviewing the circumstances surrounding the project, the city said it intends to address misinformation, exclusionary movements and resident concerns. It also expressed its willingness to pursue attracting another international school in the future.

    The city will proceed with negotiations with a social welfare corporation, the second-ranked bidder, for the sale of the former school grounds.

    An employment support facility for people with disabilities is expected to be built on the site as early as next year.

    (This article was written by Aki Sato, Tetsuaki Otaki and Kazuya Miki.)

    Reply
  • JK says:

    There’s a new roach in town (Yusuke Kawai) and he’s making Sohei Kamiya of Sanseitō fame look like a moderate by comparison; here’s what Kawai and his supporters are claiming:

    1. “The people obstructing us have roots on the Korean Peninsula. They are not Japanese in the true sense.”

    2. Kurds (and immigrants broadly) have worsened public safety and should be “forcibly deported.”

    3. “Kurds with gray-area residency status are getting welfare.”

    4. Multicultural education is “anti-Japanese” and should be opposed.

    5. The rally is about “protecting Japan,” not discrimination.

    6. Slandering Muslims collectively is acceptable as personal testimony.

    This is less ‘Kawai-san’ and more ‘kawai-sō’ (i.e., pathetic)!

    Shadows of hate, extremism hang over anti-immigration rally in Osaka

    OSAKA — An anti-immigration demonstration drew hundreds of supporters and counterprotesters to the area around JR Osaka Station shortly before noon on July 19, filling the streets with unusual heat and anger. People pressed in to catch a glimpse of a municipal politician, while Japanese flags waved here and there. Others gathered to protest him.

    “Don’t incite discrimination.” “Protesting hate speech.” Placards rejecting the man’s arguments lined the area. Some people protested quietly, while others shouted at the top of their voices. What had happened?

    At the center of all this attention was Yusuke Kawai, the 45-year-old leader of the Nihon Yamato Party and a municipal assembly member in Toda, Saitama Prefecture. He had come to Osaka as part of a “nationwide simultaneous demonstration against immigration policy” that he organized.

    Though his municipal assembly seat is in distant Saitama, Kawai is well known on social media. He ran for governor of Chiba Prefecture in 2021 with his face painted and lost. He was later elected to the Soka Municipal Assembly in Saitama Prefecture, and in the January 2025 Toda Municipal Assembly election in the same prefecture, he won the most votes of any candidate. At the same time, his claims that Kurds living in Japan have worsened public safety and his calls for the “forced deportation of all immigrants staying illegally” have drawn criticism from human rights groups and others.

    A tumultuous scene of welcome and protest

    At the microphone, Kawai was greeted with a raucous mix of cheers and protests, and the entire area teetered on the edge of chaos. Irritated by the protests, Kawai declared, “Anti-Japanese left-wing groups are obstructing our activities. This is a fight between anti-Japanese forces and the Japanese people.” He continued, “The people obstructing us have roots on the Korean Peninsula. They are not Japanese in the true sense.”

    Do such remarks incite discrimination? Asked later by phone, Kawai explained, “They do not meet the definition of hate speech, and I did not say anything violent. To begin with, ‘sabetsu,’ or discrimination, is an abstract Japanese word. Isn’t it a matter of how each person interprets it?”

    In 2016, Japan’s hate speech elimination law was enacted, and the Ministry of Justice lists the following categories of hate speech: 1. threats of harm such as “kill”; 2. insults such as comparing people to animals; and 3. incitement to exclusion, such as “so-and-so people, go home.”

    Kawai appears to have explained the intent of his remarks with these categories in mind. Although he did not use the explicit wording “go home,” his pronouncements showed an intent to view people with “Korean roots” as enemies and exclude them, and could be said to be close to category 3.

    Scholars and court rulings have also repeatedly pointed out that when influential figures such as lawmakers are involved, inciting discrimination is grave even if they do not directly use discriminatory language. This is what is known as “dog-whistle hate.”

    The Japanese flag and Rising Sun Flag

    At a rally later held in Nakanoshima Park, Kawai’s supporters and others took the microphone. A woman who said she had come from Gifu Prefecture claimed, “An acquaintance was raped by Muslim men,” and said she opposed the construction of a mosque underway in her local area. “Japanese people are truly serious and kind, but those Muslims do not have the slightest sense of ethics. I want to dismantle Islam,” she said. If a crime occurred, criminal responsibility should be pursued strictly, but slandering Muslims as a whole is serious religious discrimination.

    A male junior high school student who had wrapped the Rising Sun Flag around his body said, “I am receiving an anti-Japanese education. They teach us things like multicultural coexistence and understanding Islamic culture at school, and I think, are they stupid? They also teach bad things about the Greater East Asia War, and I cannot forgive that.” Adults around him applauded, saying, “That’s right, that’s right.”

    The “Greater East Asia War” was the World War II Japanese government’s name for its war in China and the Pacific War.

    Many people wore headbands bearing the words “kamikaze” or held Japanese flags and Rising Sun flags. One man said spiritedly, “The people who went on suicide missions built this Japan. Now it is our turn to support it.”

    The march set out from Osaka’s Nakanoshima Park. Participants ranged widely, from middle-aged and older people to youths and women holding children, and there were nearly 500 people.

    What is it about Kawai’s arguments that attract people? A man in his 60s from the city of Takatsuki in Osaka Prefecture who is unemployed and was cheering Kawai in front of Osaka Station said, “I do not feel antipathy toward each foreigner working in local shops. But Japan has lost its vitality, and I am anxious that only the number of foreigners keeps increasing. I am drawn to Mr. Kawai, who clearly says, ‘Protect Japan.'”

    It is important to discuss immigration policy calmly and rationally. But among the chants raised during the march were not only calls of “oppose immigration policy,” but also appeals such as “stop anti-Japanese education,” “oppose multicultural coexistence,” and “oppose policies that sell out the country.” There is a sense of danger in the many emotional claims.

    For about 3 kilometers, from Osaka City Hall to the front of Kintetsu Osaka-Namba Station, dozens of citizens kept walking alongside the demonstrators, shouting, “Stop the hate demonstration.”

    A past marked by frequent hate speech

    Osaka was once swept by hate speech demonstrations. In 2013, in front of JR Tsuruhashi Station, an exclusionist group repeatedly directed discriminatory words and actions at long-term Korean residents of Japan, and one female junior high school student said, “We will carry out a Tsuruhashi massacre.” Police did not stop it, and the mass media paid no attention.

    Hate speech then became more serious in various places. Residents and Diet members stood up, leading to the enactment of the hate speech law. Ordinances banning hate speech were enacted in Osaka and Kawasaki, marking a certain step forward.

    A 71-year-old second-generation Korean resident in Japan living in Osaka has continued activities to oppose vile hate speech over the past dozen-plus years. He watched the speeches and march that day from a distance, and said, “They use the soft words ‘immigration policy,’ but isn’t ethnic discrimination at the root? I feel a sense of crisis that many citizens are taking part in the demonstration without realizing it.” He added, “What on earth were these past dozen-something years?”

    World history has shown that when hate speech is left unchecked, it eventually leads to hate crimes accompanied by violence, and in the end to genocide.

    I want to take to heart the words this man repeated: “Ethnic discrimination is absolutely unacceptable. It is not freedom of expression, and this is not a case of both sides being equally at fault.”

    (Japanese original by Ken Uzuka, Osaka City News Department)

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Also, did everyone see the video of the Japanese cop ‘policing’ a fat-right march through Osaka the weekend before last APPLAUDING the far-right speakers talking points whilst in uniform and on duty?

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbDzk9nTvkA/?igsh=Yzh2ajJhZzJ2bjlo

    When confronted on camera by counter-protesters, of course he doesn’t have the courage of his convictions, and like all cowardly right-wing losers, gives some feeble excuse about just ‘dusting off’ his gloves.

    Sack him! Take away his police pension!

    Reply
    • JK says:

      Moving the goalposts is a one-time act of bad faith: J-Gov changes the place where the ball is supposed to end up. NJ grovel, adjust, and life in Japan goes on.

      But that’s not what’s happening here!

      What the J-Gov is doing is manufacturing a PR treadmill. Speed and incline correlate to the Japanese household average earnings; all you can do is increase your own pace (i.e., earn more, contribute more). Did you stumble (e.g., a year of lower income, a late pension payment, an illness that forces you to claim the assistance you paid into)? The machine throws you off via its revocation mechanism! Feeling fatigued? Exhaustion is the policy goal! Your best option? Step off the treadmill voluntarily (i.e., self-deport)!

      Reply
    • JK says:

      The situation is akin to that of Captain Kirk beaming down to a planet and announcing to the natives that “we come in peace” while at the same time giving the crew of the Enterprise the hand signal to shoot to kill — the only difference is that at least the natives can see the hand signal and infer that something ominous is about to happen. In the case of Takaichi, she beams down to a press conference, but gives the ‘hand signal’ in bureaucratic code that only the crew of the starship Yamato can understand (i.e., “orderly coexistence” = immigration crackdown, “quantitative management” = population caps).

      TL;DR: this is not a PM with “zero to three hours” of sleep a night speaking. This is a PM channeling her inner George Orwell.

      Reply
        • JK says:

          X number of…

          • Naturalized Japanese or
          • Mixed-race Japanese or
          • Japanese with foreign names or visible minority backgrounds or
          • Japanese who are ‘insufficiently assimilated’ (e.g., 帰国子女)?

          Kuni e kaere! / 国へ帰れ！
          Translation: Go back to your country!

          Reply
  • JDG says:

    Today I overheard someone I don’t know call her ‘Baka Ichi’.
    I think she’s like Kemi Badenoch (UK opposition leader) who is terminally online and thinks that the bots, chinese/russian accounts stirring up trouble and dominating the online narrative *IS* real life.

    Reply
    • Annakin-but-he-is-smart says:

      Tangent, but what do you think of “Tokyo Vice”? Seems exaggerated or tiresome cliches that maybe true, but are also cringe. ) “Jin brushes him off, citing he likes gaijin, but only ones with “tits”. However, Jin has second thoughts and asks whether he knows how to pick up a gaijin lady, whereas Jake answers he does.”

      The Jake guy appears in the story (younger and more handsome of course (based on his bio). https://tokyo-vice.fandom.com/wiki/Jake_Adelstein

      Tomohiko Suzuki [ja][9] one of Japan’s foremost yakuza experts, responded to followers questioning the credibility of Tokyo Vice, stating, “I don’t trust it at all.[10]” He further questioned the very notion that Adelstein is treated as a yakuza expert in the United States.[11]

      Reply
      • JDG says:

        Have neither read the book nor watched the show.
        I am aware of the contents of both and the controversies surrounding the truthfulness of the claims of the author.
        As a multi-decade resident of Japan with (for what it’s worth) an undergrad degree in Japanese Studies and a post grad in Japan, I find the claimed amount of access to be *remarkable* if true.
        Dating a yakuza boss’s squeeze? Hmm, cool story bro.

        Reply
  • Niklas says:

    Interesting, looks like the BBC will actually report on real voices of immigrants instead of running articles talking about how Japan is changing because a Black woman is allowed to play tennis, or how Nike Japan has no right to talk about racism in Japan because they‘re a guest.

    https://x.com/rumireports/status/2086982449771454904?s=46&t=IzAIE8zz8O3iUXFc2Hpuew

    In related news, Black basketball player who was born and raised in Japan and never held a different nationality was racially abused at his own event.

    https://www.sankei.com/article/20260808-QH3SAWA4FFMVFHRFU3FJ27BJFE/

    It‘s ironic how a right wing rag like the Sankei is reporting on it, but not a single international media outlet picked it up, but when Osaka was winning and people cheered her on for 5 seconds everyone wrote about her. Predictably as soon as she stopped winning she completely dissapeared from Japanese and western media.

    Reply
    • Annakin-but-he-is-smart says:

      ‘not a single international media outlet picked it up, “- perhaps it doesn’t fit into their Japan narrative. The Beeb in particular seems reluctant to label Japan as a racist former colonizer- witness Woodford’s interview (again) in which the interviewer condescendingly brushes off or ignores his insights into Japanese business practices. She kind of glosses over it as it does not fit her agenda (which is to question whether he was overreacting or was himself wrong)

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p010t4c5

      Reply
  • Niklas says:

    Kobe city counselor writes on twitter that he doesn‘t welcome Chinese tourists. Gyeongju counselor replies by saying that he welcomes everyone regardless of nationality. It‘s very ironic that Japan has become too racist even for the average South Korean, because it‘s not like South Korea is a model country when it comes to minority rights. The funny thing is that it‘s of course not even a progressive policy or anything, not being racist should be the default of any decent human being, but Japan‘s Overton window has shifted so far to the right that it‘s socially acceptable for a politician to say these things publicly.

    https://x.com/0926kgj/status/2087012222568391145?s=46&t=IzAIE8zz8O3iUXFc2Hpuew

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Something is afoot.

    First, everyone’s *favorite* shrine bans uyoku from cosplaying as soldiers;
    https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/10/japan/society/yasukuni-introduces-new-rules/

    Second, the most viciously anti-NJ post war PM announces that she may not even visit;
    https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update1-japan-pm-takaichi-eyes-forgoing-yasukuni-visit-for-anniv.-of-wwii-end

    What’s going on?
    Is this performative to deflect from the assault on the NJ resident population?
    Is this acknowledgement that such displays are no longer required at a time when the PM is acting on historic grudges daily?

    Reply
    • JK says:

      Is this acknowledgement that such displays are no longer required at a time when the PM is acting on historic grudges daily?

      Yes. My two-yen: This is all about managing optics. A Yasukuni visit generates political noise. Back in the Koizumi/Abe years, that noise functioned as useful uyoku fan service. But now this same noise comes with an uncomfortable diplomatic cost. But don’t worry: the J-Gov can now pursue its hard-line agenda through actual politics instead of shrine theater!

      Reply
  • JK says:

    In other news, the NJ screw tightening continues, but this time it’s the children who are on the receiving end!:

    Japan tightens rules for foreign students under free high school tuition expansion

    OSAKA — Japan has tightened eligibility requirements for students of foreign nationality under its expanded free high school tuition program, which began in April, requiring various documents to prove that they live in the country.

    Officials at high schools that assist with the procedures say the system appears to draw a line between students of Japanese nationality and others. Concerns are spreading that it could “create divisions among students.”

    The free high school tuition system is a national program called the “High School Tuition Support Fund” introduced after an agreement among the Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) and Komeito. The program completely abolished the income limit for parents and guardians under the previous system and raised the upper limit on payments for private high school students.

    If conditions are met, public high school students can receive up to 118,800 yen (approx. $750) a year, while private high school students can be eligible for up to 457,200 yen (about $2,870) per year. The program is intended to enable children to receive the education they wish to pursue regardless of their household economic circumstances.

    But the payment requirements for foreign national students have become stricter than before.

    Concerns over “outing”

    Those eligible for free tuition are, in principle, limited to permanent residents, those expected to settle permanently in Japan, and certain others who meet the requirements. Foreign schools were excluded from the program, as were international students on the grounds that they are not expected to settle in Japan.

    To receive payments, students must submit copies of their residence cards to schools and other entities. Those with dependent status must also submit documents proving that they graduated from an elementary school and a junior high school in Japan.

    Some students with foreign roots use commonly used names to avoid discrimination and prejudice. There are even cases in which students themselves are unaware that the names they use are common-use names.

    Some students with foreign roots use common names to avoid discrimination and prejudice. There are even cases in which students themselves are unaware that their names are common-use names.

    Osaka Prefectural Nagayoshi High School in the city of Osaka’s Hirano Ward emphasizes multicultural coexistence and has many students with roots in Nepal, China, the Philippines and other countries. The application process for free tuition is complicated, and teachers and others support students and parents who are not proficient in Japanese.

    What teachers are concerned about in the free tuition procedures is “outing,” in which a student’s background becomes known to others against their wishes.

    The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has also issued a notice calling for special consideration to be given to privacy. Teachers therefore continue to take precautions such as avoiding inquiries and document checks in classrooms and preparing separate rooms to handle cases individually.

    There was also a family that told the school it would not follow procedures to apply for the tuition support because they could not understand the purpose of the nationality requirement.

    Misunderstanding over negative impacts on residence status

    The parent of one such student shared their concern with the school, saying, “Japan is a society that is harsh toward foreigners. Looking at the current state of society, I’m worried.”

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration is tightening policies on foreigners living in Japan, including by raising the caps on fees for foreign nationals renewing their residency status.

    This situation appears to have led the parent to misunderstand the system, assuming that going through the free tuition procedures might have a negative effect on the renewal of their residence status.

    Although the procedures are intended to determine whether a student is eligible for free tuition, the mechanism deliberately draws attention to students’ backgrounds. Some teachers feel deeply frustrated, wondering whether asking only foreign students about their nationality could spread a sense of inequality between them and students of Japanese nationality.

    Takayuki Ikoma, a teacher who heads the human rights and culture division at Nagayoshi High School, said, “We want to make sure students are not divided.”

    Under the latest free tuition program, measures have also been taken for students who are excluded from coverage because they do not meet settlement or other requirements. These measures include partial tuition reductions depending on their grade level and parents’ income.

    But the procedures for those measures are also complicated, and many parents who have difficulty with Japanese find them hard to understand. The education ministry has only prepared Japanese and English versions of leaflets explaining how to apply, forcing teachers to spend a great deal of time helping those applicants.

    Expert concerned over “chilling effect” on students and parents

    Boards of education are also concerned about the situation. The Osaka Prefectural Board of Education is calling for caution over leaks of personal information such as students’ backgrounds, and plans to independently prepare multilingual guides to the system. A board of education in the Kanto region has also asked schools to respond to students individually because schools do not have a complete grasp of all students’ nationalities and some students attend school without revealing their nationality.

    Shigeo Kodama, president of Shiraume Gakuen University and a professor of education knowledgeable about education reform, said, “The new system is hindering the culture and atmosphere of providing education without discrimination. It is fueling the anxieties of foreign students and their parents and causing a chilling effect.”

    Noting that tuition support had previously been provided regardless of nationality, the professor said, “Foreigners studying in Japan and learning about Japanese culture leads to multicultural coexistence. A system that makes people feel excluded, particularly through complex procedures, cannot be called reasonable.”

    The education ministry says it will consider reviewing the system within the next three years.

    Natsuko Araki, principal of Nagayoshi High School, said, “The free tuition program should be a support system for creating an environment where students can study with peace of mind. And yet, it could end up hurting them because of their origins. Schools also face an enormous amount of clerical work, and there may be room for improvement.”

    (Japanese original by Yumi Shibamura, Osaka City News Department)

    TL;DR: A system designed to help students is effectively functioning as a forced disclosure mechanism with teachers engaged in J-Gov policy damage control!

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Against the backdrop of Takaichi’s anti-NJ cruelty expressed by Onoda’s apparently psychologically damaged desire to seek proxy revenge on her deadbeat NJ dad, just look at all the handwringing over the news that Australian nationalism is behind a mere slowing-down of visa applications (that also affects Japanese applicants)!

    https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/17/japan/japan-australia-working-visa/

    I can hear the sound of the tiniest violin in the world playing just for them. They should have paid more attention to domestic politics and voted to protect NJ resident rights from performative nationalist’s cruelty.

    Any takers on how long before they accuse Australia of racism?
    Oh, I forgot, that already happened a couple of weeks ago- something about melons. I posted about it at the time.

    Reply
  • Niklas says:

    Not Japan related, but right wing party in the UK wants to strip all foreign nationals of benefits. It‘s interesting how it‘s reported on as an extreme and racist measure, with no support from the two mainstream parties, but in Japan this has been normal since 1955.

    https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/britains-reform-uk-party-pledges-to-strip-all-foreign-nationals-of-benefits-including-eu-c

    There was some international outrage after the 2015 supreme court case that denied wellfare to a 80 year old Chinese woman who was born and lived her whole life in Japan, but after that pretty much crickets, even now when Takaichi made it basically impossible to get any wellfare even with PR.

    This just cements my opinion that immigrants in Japan are largely seen as guests who should be thankful that they‘re able to work in the glorious country of Nippon, while immigrants in Europe are being seen as actual human beings that have the right to claim something they‘ve contributed to.

    In other news Takaichi just prayed 500 meters away from Yasukuni, but even ignoring that ridiculous performative act for 5 seconds, 4 cabinet ministers visited it anyway (including Onoda of course).

    https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16812171

    To answer Jim‘s question, yes, I‘m pretty sure it‘s all just for show. And she of course continues were Abe left of and implies that it was a defensive war and that Japan should feel no remorse.

    https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16812442

    Reply
    • Brooks says:

      Getting welfare is not impossible. Certain conditions that include mental and physical disabilities are covered. I think autism is covered. What else can people do when they cannot get a job? I think the first step is to apply for a disability certificate through your city hall, have the doctor fill out the form and go back to city hall and bring a picture of yourself and then you get the booklet. This entitle the bearer to get discounts on JR, airplanes, a tax discount, and other things like priority for municipal housing for the disabled.

      Reply
      • Niklas says:

        That‘s why I wrote „basically“ impossible. Maybe I should‘ve used „virtually“ to be more clear? Anyways, I know that exceptions exist, but as I posted last year here on debito.org, most welfare recipients in Japan are zainichi Koreans, because until the 80s foreigners were not able to pay into the pension system. In modern times, they simply don‘t give you PR if they think that you could be needing welfare and now Takaichi made it even harder (again all of this was confirmed by a study which was done. The article was in the Mainichi if I remember correctly, but I don‘t remember the title).

        My biggest pet peeve is that the supreme court in 2015 made it clear that foreigners have no legal right to receive welfare, they‘re at the whim of local governments, who, as you correctly point out, can award it based on certain exceptions. And for some reason Takaichi and the LDP still claim that foreigners are using welfare too much. And again, stats show that only 1,96% of PR holders receive it (based on an article I shared a few weeks ago). During covid there was also discussion about barring foreigners from receiving the covid stimulative money (a big proponent of that was Onoda of course) .

        So yes, while you‘re absolutely correct that welfare is still possible if you already have PR and have a „good enough“ reason for it, the whole system is being designed in a way to exclude as much foreigners as possible. And since you have no legal right to claim it, there‘s no way to challenge a local government if they refuse you. This situation unfortunately leaves a lot of PR holders who need welfare in a limbo and their life basically depends on some local
        bureaucrat.

        Reply
        • Brooks says:

          It depends on the type of welfare.
          The reality is there is fraud but it tends to be from Japanese.

          When people move the next place may not recognize the welfare. For disability in the past having hip joint surgery was accepted but so many people claimed it so the government dropped it. Mental and physical disability certificates allow the bearers to only pay 10% for doctor visits and medicine. It just comes down to money.

          Reply
  • JDG says:

    https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/japan-immigration/japan-faces-shortfall-in-pension-contributions-from-self-paying-foreigners

    70% of residents NJ make payments directly from their salary deducted at their employer’s payroll.
    Of the remaining 30% of resident NJ who do not benefit from such a system (eg self-employed, subcontractors – a ‘neat’ workaround to deny NJ employees kaishain legal status and associated benefits and protections) half are not paying what they are supposed to.
    So the total number of deficient payees is 15%, not 50%. I mean, c’mon, deliberate rage bait much?

    What was it that the Prime Minister said last week about not wanting Japan to appear unfriendly to foreigners or something?
    Didn’t last long did it.

    Reply
  • JDG says:

    Incidentally, has anyone else noticed, since the government’s has started announcing these policies to make Japan ‘crack down’ on resident NJ, stories about bear sightings/attacks in the media have disappeared.
    It’s not just me, surely?
    Correlation is not causation, but something about the ‘you meet a man/bear in the forrest’ meme made me think…
    Maybe the very real potential threat of bear attacks risked becoming a distraction from the *very important* work of protecting Japan from ‘dangerous NJ’? Or vice versa?

    Reply

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