1) TBS INTERVIEW RE 2-CHANNEL BBS, THIS THURSDAY LUNCHTIME
2) NOOSE TIGHTENS: ZAKZAK AND MUTANTFROG ON NISHIMURA & WASEDA SPEECH
3) ASAHI: NORIGUCHI PONTIFICATING ON LANGUAGE TEACHING AGAIN
4) LETTER TO KITAKYUSHU AUTHORITIES RE EXCLUSIONARY RESTAURANT
5) EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF JAPANESE PRISON VISIT
6) FOREIGN MARRIAGES NOT ALLOWED FOR POLICE AND JSDF?
and finally
7) CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO HOKKAIDO NIPPON HAM FIGHTERS!
Was going to be on TV briefly Thursday Nov 16 on a lunchtime talkshow, talking briefly about 2-Channel libel lawsuits as a thwarted plaintiff, but it got bumped by news on Fujiwara Norika, then put on hold because Defendant Nishimura didn’t respond to requests for a reply (of course he didn’t!). Ah well. Anyhoo, links to three more articles on 2-Channel, one courtesy Dave Spector.
今朝、テレビ局TBSは私を２ちゃんねるについてインタビューしました。番組「ピンポン」１１月１６日（木）番組表によると、午前１１時スタートですが、今朝会ったスタフによると１２時と１２時５０分の間に放送されるだろうと。そしてZAKZAKの記事もここで掲載します。
Our home team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, after reaching the top in Japan last month, just won the Asian Series, 1-0, vs Taiwan.
Forwarding an excerpt from a friend who paid a visit to a Japanese prison to offer moral support to someone incarcerated. The tribulations he went through just to get a short audience are worth recording somewhere for the record. Is all this rigmarole necessary, and if so, what purpose could it possibly serve?
Hello Blog. Something interesting here. Friend passed on a link to a blog post as follows: =================================== Hello. I am really down so I hope to get some help here. My boyfriend is japanese and I am german. We met in Japan ( working holiday…)and want to merry next year, because we are really sure …
Letter I sent to Kitakyushu authorities and JALT Nov 9 regarding exclusionary restaurant in their area, asking for administrative guidance to the matter.
ブログの皆様こんがんは。有道 出人です。いつもお読みいただいてありがとうございます。 さて、夕べこの手紙を書いて郵送しました。念のためにアーカイブに入れます。 宜しくお願い致します。 ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ 〒803-8501 北九州市小倉北区城内1番1号 電話：093-582-2127 FAX：093-562-0710 hisho@mail2.city.kitakyushu.jp 北九州市長 末吉興一秘書室 御中 市長 末吉 興一 殿 〒803-8513北九州市小倉北区城内５番３号（小倉地方合同庁舎）093(561)3542 法務省人権擁護部北九州支部 御中 （西日本新聞社及びJALT管理者にも送信） 市内「外国人お断り」のレストランの件、啓蒙のお願い 拝啓 晩秋の候、ますますご清栄のこととお喜び申し上げます。 突然で失礼ですが、自己紹介させていただきたいと思います。私は北海道情報大学助教授の有道 出人（あるどう でびと）と申します。本年１１月３日から３日間に渡り全国語学教育学会（JALT）の総会がきっかけで北九州市に訪れ、市民のホスピタリティを厚く御礼を申し上げます。 しかし、標記の件ですが、１１月３日の夜、JALTの外国出身メンバーがレストランに行きましたが、空席があったものの、支配人に「満席だから入らないで」と言われたようで、そのレストラン名は「ジャングル」（経営者は（有）ピー・ケイ・ティー）との事です。 北九州市小倉北区鍛冶町1-7-4 かじまち会館３F Ph: 093-512-7123, FAX 093-512-7124 断られた者が私に報告し４日の夜に再び、私と友人５名で「ジャングル」を尋ね、支配人の松原達也氏と話し合いました。彼は私にも（私は白人で帰化した日本人ですが）「満席です、入らないで」と言ったが、殆ど空席の状態が目立っていたので交渉し始めました。日本語で交渉してから入店できたが、松原氏が認めたことは： ①前日、その外国出身のJALTメンバーの入店お断りした ②その理由は「英語が苦手、外国人が怖い」 ③以前、当店では外国人との問題が一切なかったので、個人的には外国人に対してトラウマは特にない ④「入店されたくない」のみで、ここまでの「外国人アレルギー」の原因は不明 しかし、これに対して私たちは松原支配人の意識高揚を行ってみました： ア）こうやって「ガイジンダメ」を言うのはお客に傷つけ、明らかに差別 イ）言語の障壁があっても関わらず、メニューの注文はどうにかはなる ウ）出身を問わず、客商売とは全てのお客を持て成すことではないか よって店の対応の改善を求めてから、松原支配人が謝って下さいまして、これから改善しますとのことだったが、正直に言ってこれから門前払いが取り止められるかどうかは、私は若干自信がありません。なぜかは、飲み物を飲んでから勘定を支払った際、別のウェーターと話した際英語が達者だと分かりました。言語の障壁について心配した支配人は何故そのウェーターに応対させなかったのかは疑問です。 お願いしたいのは、当店及びその付近の店舗にも差別撤廃のために啓蒙を行っていただければ幸いです。ある者にとってこの待遇は北九州市全体のイメージダウンとなります。私は既に「排斥する店舗のギャラリー」のウェブサイトに載せさせていただきました。 https://www.debito.org/roguesgallery.html#Kokura 意識高揚の結果、ぜひ、ご連絡いただければと存じます。宜しくお願い致します。 書中をもってご挨拶申し上げます。敬具 平成１８年１１月７日 有道 出人（連絡先を省く） ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ ENDS
Translations of articles regarding libelous BBS 2-Channel and administrator Nishimura Hiroyuki, from Zakzak Nov 7 and Sankei Sports Nov 5. Shows how carefree Hiroyuki is towards ignoring court orders and the damage caused people’s lives by unfettered Internet libel.
Professor Noriguchi is becoming a regular pundit on English language education in Japan. After saying not two months ago that one problem with non-Japanese teachers is that they stay in Japan too long, he’s now positing theories about how English is traumatizing and bilking Japanese, especially given the natural disadvantages that the homogeneous Japanese have towards learning English compared to other Asians… Not to mention the inferiority complex which Japanese have towards the West, thus making them unneighborly… Oh go on, read it yourself, and email him if you like.
Hello Blog. I have just put up my most recent column (my 33rd) for the Japan Times Community Page on my regular website. Published today, November 7, 2006, this is the “Director’s Cut”, with sentences excised from the print version for space concerns, and links to sources for claims within the article. Rather than having …
名誉毀損で敗訴した２ちゃんねるの管理者西村ひろゆきは１１月４日、早稲田にて講演をして、「強制的に（裁判の賠償金を）払わせる法律がない」と言ったが、賠償金逃れは不可能であると日大大学院教授が指摘しました。されに、「問題の部分は（掲示板から）削除した」とも言ったが、そうじゃありません。ブログに現場からレポートを載せました。
1) NEW JAPAN TIMES COLUMN TODAY (NOV 7) ON JAPAN’S BROKEN UN PROMISES
2) EXCLUSIONARY KITAKYUSHU RESTAURANT ADDED TO ROGUES’ GALLERY
3) ECONOMIST SOFTBALL OBIT: “TOKYO ROSE” DIES
4) PODCAST ON GOV. ISHIHARA
Hi Blog. Been reading back issues of The Economist left fallow during my recent trips, and stumbled across this. Comment at the very bottom follows: Iva Toguri, a victim of mistaken identity, died on September 26th, aged 90 Oct 5th 2006 From The Economist (London) print edition Courtesy http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_SJJSDST MANY years after the end of …
1) IVAN HALL ET AL SPEAKING AT JALT KITAKYUSHU
2) BERN MULVEY ON MORE MINISTERIAL MOVES AGAINST ACADEMIC TENURE
3) U HODEN LAWSUIT RE SCHOOL BULLYING DUE TO CHINESE ETHNICITY
4) “AMERICANS FOR EQUAL TREATMENT” UNION FORMING
5) RES.PUBLICA JOB ADVERT FOR FULL-TIME JAPAN-BASED ACTIVIST
Hi Blog. Just got finished translating the following for a friend. Debito in Sapporo THE U HODEN CASE HEISEI 16 (WA) DAI 247-GO SONGAI BAISHOU SEIKYUU JIKEN YOKOHAMA DISTRICT COURT KAWASAKI BRANCH, CIVIL COURT B SEEKING DAMAGES FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Writeup based on Japanese original dated July 20, 2006, available at https://www.debito.org/kawasakiminzokusabetsu.htm Translation by …
Position titles in Japanese universites will now change from kyouju, jokyouju, koushi, joshu to four new official ranks: Kyouju, Junkyouju, Jokyou and Joshu. In other words, “Sennin Koushi”–used by almost
all Japanese universities and often translated as “assistant professor”–still will not be an “official” rank. However, the bottom three positions (anything lower than Kyouju, or Full Professor) will no longer have tenure. The Ministry of Education thus keeps chipping away at secure employment in Japanese teritary education.
Just in case any of you are hiding under any rocks…
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are poised to take the national championship tonight. This is a quick essay on what this season’s outstanding performance in baseball has meant to Hokkaido.
Nishimura Hiroyuki, the administrator and owner of internet BBS 2-Channel, currently on the lam after not paying several court losses, will actually be making a public appearance on Saturday November 4 at Waseda University, Tokyo. Details send me by a friend available here if you want to attend.
1) ERIC JOHNSTON ON MCGOWAN LAWSUIT APPEAL VICTORY
2) AERA/MAINICHI ON 2-CHANNEL’S NISHIMURA
3) SHUUKAN PUREIBOI/JAPAN TIMES ON GAIJINIZING THE PUBLIC:
POLICE CHECKPOINTS NOW HAPPENING TO JAPANESE
4) WORLD TOUR II: TOKYO, CANADA, AND SEATTLE,
AND THE MURRAY WOOD CHILD ABDUCTION CASE DOCUMENTARY
From: japantimes Osaka Subject: Re: Breaking News: McGowan wins High Court appeal Date: October 19, 2006 12:29:18 PM JST To: debito@debito.org Debito, If you wish, you’re free to post this on your site: By ERIC JOHNSTON Special to Debito.org On Oct. 18th, the Steve McGowan case ended with a partial victory, when the Osaka High …
OSAKA — The Osaka High Court ordered an Osaka optical shop owner to pay 350,000 yen in damages to an African-American living in Kyoto Prefecture for denying him entry to the shop in 2004, altering a lower court ruling in January which rejected the plaintiff’s damages claim. Presiding Judge Sota Tanaka recognized the owner told Steve McGowan, 42, a designer living in the town of Seika, to go away when he was in front of the shop, and acknowledged damages for McGowan’s emotional pain, saying the entry denial “is a one-sided and outrageous act beyond common sense.”
While doing other research, here’s a site on international marriage and divorce in Japan for 2005, courtesy of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare:
Most recent stats on foreign population in Japan, acccording to the Ministry of Justice: http://www.moj.go.jp/PRESS/060530-1/060530-1.html These depict movements for 2005. Not able to interpret the figures at the moment–writing from British Columbia, Canada, and found this page while doing some research on Permanent Residents for a talk. Debito in Kamloops, CA.
2-Channel’s Defendant Nishimura: “I’ve been sued in the north as far as Hokkaido and the south as far as Okinawa. It’s simply not possible to attend every court case where I’ve been named as a defendant. I figure if I can defend myself in every case, it’s exactly the same as not turning up in my defense,” he tells the weekly indirectly. Nishimura also strongly denies suggestions that he’s gone bankrupt, which many have speculated may be the main reason nobody seems able to find him
now.
This article to me represents a continuing trend of “gaijinizing” the general population. “Police Random street searches and seizures” (which are illegal) are now being forced on Japanese. This has been up to now generally the domain of the “gaijin” targeting of “anti-terrorism and disease control” racial profiling running rampant around Japan these past years. Japan (always in my view a dormant benign police state, given the police’s far-reaching powers of search, detention, interrogation, and prosecution enabled by the law), is once again stretching their police’s powers, which we ignore at our peril.
(Submitted to the Life in Japan yahoogroups list, which kicked off some debate. Subscribe to LIJ via http://groups.yahoo.com/group/life_in_japan/) Hi LIJ. Thought I’d throw another bale of info onto the bonfire of debate on English education in Japan: Wide Show Toku Da Ne this morning had a long segment (about 15 minutes, between 8:25 and 8:40 …
1) J TIMES: DEVELOPMENTS IN FOREIGNER TRACKING AND QUALIFICATION
2) SPORT: BASEBALL “ANTI-GAIJIN” COMMENTS RE FOREIGN COACHES
3) J TIMES: ENFORCED “KIMIGAYO” PATRIOTISM RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
4) ROGUES’ GALLERY: “JAPANESE ONLY” SIGN IN OHTA-SHI, GUNMA PREF.
5) ADDITIONS TO UNIV BLACKLIST: RITSUMEIKAN, KYOTO SANGYO, KITAKYUSHU
6) ADDITIONS TO UNIV GREENLIST: UNIVERSITY OF AIZU
7) J TIMES ON LINGUAPAX ASIA CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND AT TOKYO UNIV
A Temple University professor is publishing a paper in the University of Colorado Law Review asserting that, quote, “In Japan, however, criminal libel laws have become vital tools in policing injurious speech on the Internet. Defamatory posts lead to police intervention and even arrest.” Not according the 2-Channel Lawsuit, which I think proves Dr Mehra’s assertions quite inaccurate.
“He won’t comprehend our words or feelings.” (「言葉も気持ちも通じない」)
–Yaeyama Shoukou High School coach Ishimine Yoshimori, regarding Lotte baseball coach Bobby Valentine, after Valentine’s high school draft pick coup disrupted the process of letting star player Ohmine Yuuta go to his preferred team, the Softbank Hawks. On these grounds, Coach Ishimine refused to meet Valentine September 26, on the grounds of his foreignness, thus citing a language barrier as an excuse. Courtesy Sports Houchi (September 27, 2006)
However, that was vastly overshadowed by the actions of Fighters starter Satoru Kanemura, who threw a major hissy fit due to being pulled by manager Trey Hillman in the fifth inning needing just one out to become the first Nippon Ham hurler to rack up five straight ten win seasons since Yukihiro Nishimura. After the game, he told the press that. yanking him was “absolutely unforgivable” and then took a racial shot at Hillman, grumbling that, “because he’s a foreigner, he doesn’t care about players’ individual goals.” He then challeneged reporters to print his remarks. “I don’t even want to look at him,” Kanemura said of Hillman. In addition, he accused the former Rangers farm director of being more indulgent with Iranian-Japanese righthander Yu Darvish than him. In the context of this little explosion, that also has a racial tinge to it. Kanemura also beefed that he didn’t think Hillman trusted him.
A Justice Ministry panel discussing long-term policies for accepting overseas workers said Friday the government should seek out those with special skills and expertise to cope with the shrinking labor force in Japan….
The proposal by the panel headed by Kono also claimed that reducing the number of illegal foreign residents will help the country regain its reputation as “the safest country in the world,” ultimately creating an environment where legal foreign workers can become a part of society.
As suggested in the panel’s interim report released in May, the panel said foreigners who want to work in Japan, including those of Japanese descent, must have a certain degree of proficiency in the Japanese language to be granted legal status.
By making it obligatory for companies to report foreign workers’ details, the government hopes to keep track of people on an individual basis, and to enhance measures for clamping down on those working illegally. In addition, it is hoped the measures will encourage foreign workers to take out social insurance, and allow central and local governments to offer better support to workers who have to change jobs frequently due to unstable contracts.
The government’s three-year deregulation program, finalized in March, discusses making it mandatory for firms to submit reports on their foreign employees and whether reports should include detailed information such as workers’ names and residence status. The policy is likely to prove controversial in light of the protection of foreign workers’ privacy and the impact of the new system on the economy.
COMMENT: A blow against the tendency (especially in Tokyo, as you can see in Ishihara’s comments below) towards (re-)enforced patriotism in schools. Tokyo District Court, which is usually quite conservative, actually ruled against the enforced (with noncompliers punished) standing and singing the Japanese national anthem etc., calling it “a violation of the freedom of thought …
1) 2-CHANNEL’S DEFENDANT NISHIMURA “DISAPPEARS” (SHISSOU)
2) J TIMES: FUTURE CONFLICTS ON FOREIGN “OLDCOMERS” AND “NEWCOMERS”
3) YOMIURI: CRACKDOWN ON FOREIGN BUSINESSES IN COUNTRYSIDE
4) TOKYO GOV ISHIHARA TO RUN FOR THIRD TERM, DISSES “FOREIGNERS” AGAIN
5) ASAHI: MURDER SUSPECT TRIES TO BLAME CRIME ON “BLOND” MAN
6) KITAKYUSHU PROF BLAMES BAD ENGLISH EDUCATION ON FOREIGNERS WHO STAY TOO LONG
7) AKITA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ADDED TO BLACKLIST
皆様、きのう送った２ちゃんねるのことについて追加文ですが、新聞記事によると、2ちゃんねる管理者被告西村博之氏は失踪状態になったようです。 出典はこちらです。新聞記事の原稿は http://019.gamushara.net/tv/data/vi5889218087.jpg テキストを以降に書き直します。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー インターネットの巨大匿名掲示板「２ちゃんねる」の管理運営者「ひろゆき」こと、西村博之氏（２９）が失踪状態にあることが２２日までにわかった。同掲示板は西村氏個人が管理しちえる。当局が不適切な書き込みの削除や投稿者の情報を求めようにも行方知れずで放置され、裁判所からの呼び出しにしも応じていない。ネット会社の象徴的な存在でもある「２ちゃんねる」は、最悪の場合、「掲示板閉鎖」という事態まであり得る情勢だ。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ご参考まで、宜しくお願い致します。 ２ちゃんねる名誉毀損勝訴した原告 有道 出人 https://www.debito.org/2channelsojou.html ENDS
プレス リリース
２ちゃんねる訴訟 アップデート
原告 有道出人が本年１月に勝訴したものの、
被告 西村博之氏は未だに判決に従わず、
命じられた賠償未払いかつ名誉毀損文章を削除せぬ
In particular, native speakers who have lived in Japan for more than 10 years tend to have adapted to the system and have become ineffective as teachers–this is also partly because their English has become Japanized and is spoken to suit the ears of their Japanese students. Some of these teachers are not aware of this.
COMMENT: Yet another attempt to pin Japanese crime on foreigners–this time on a “blond” man–in Wakkanai, a place known for its close links to nearby Sakhalin, Russia. Luckily the police didn’t fall for it, but how many crimes in Japan which are suspected to be committed by “foreigners” are thusly red-herringed?–Arudou Debito Police arrest murdered …
風に吹かれて：ｉｎ ｔｈｅ Ｕ．Ｓ．Ａ． 増える「拉致」＝國枝すみれ http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/shakai/wadai/archive/news/2006/08/28/20060828dde012070009000c.html ハリウッドの映画館で、北朝鮮に拉致された横田めぐみさんのドキュメンタリー「アブダクション（めぐみ−−引き裂かれた家族の３０年）」を見た。クリス・シェリダン監督が言う。「日本人は拉致問題を政治問題とみるが、私は人間の問題ととらえた。１３歳の子どもを奪われた家族の苦しみは、どんな国の人間でも理解できる」 映画館を出ると、米国人男性が観客一人一人に「アブダクションを見ましたか」と声を掛けていた。「見た」と答えた人には「日本人も子どもを拉致しています」とちらしを手渡す。 パトリック・ブレイデンさん（４６）。日本人女性と交際して、昨年４月に娘が生まれた。しかし、関係は妊娠中から冷え始め、女性は親権裁判の途中で生後１１カ月の娘を連れて帰国してしまったという。 もちろん、北朝鮮当局に拉致されためぐみさんとは次元が違う。しかし米国では、一方の親が他方の承諾なく子どもを連れ去ったら、れっきとした犯罪。誘拐犯として手配されてしまう。 結婚の半分が破たんする米国では、別れても子どもは両親二人のもの、ともに養育責任があると考えるのが普通だ。親権裁判の泥仕合を何度も見たカウンセラーも言っていた。「恋愛関係が壊れ、心に傷を負った人間は、子どもに会わせないことで相手に報復しようとする。そういう人には、壊れたのはあなたとの関係で、子供との関係ではない、と何度も言って聞かせる」 外国での親権裁判で不利な判定が出ることを恐れ、子どもを連れ去る日本人女性は、米国の法と文化を大きく踏み外すことになる。実際、ＦＢＩ（米連邦捜査局）のお尋ね者リストには日本人女性の写真が並んでいる。 米国務省によれば、日本人による子どもの連れ去りはこれまで３７件報告され、うち１８件は昨年以降に起きている。国際協定「子の奪取に関する条約」の加盟国は、連れ去られた子どもを元の国に戻すよう協力する義務があるが、日本は加盟していない。欧米諸国は日本を「連れ去り天国」と批判し、条約に加盟するよう圧力をかけている。 映画終了から１時間たっても、ちらし配りを続けるブレイデンさん。北朝鮮の拉致問題と一緒にするのはちょっと強引だとも思ったが、「子どもを奪われた気持ちは同じ。勝手に連れ去るのは、僕と赤ん坊にとって公平じゃない」という父親の気持ちは分からないでもない。（ロサンゼルス支局） 毎日新聞 2006年8月28日 東京夕刊
====== 2-CHANNEL WEBSITE LAWSUIT UPDATE =========== DEFENDANT STILL REFUSES TO PAY COURT-ORDERED DAMAGES FOR INTERNET LIBEL. LIBELOUS STATEMENTS REMAIN ONLINE TO THIS DAY ============================================== By Plaintiff Arudou Debito September 14, 2006 Freely Forwardable Table of contents: ============================================== 1) QUICK RECAP OF THE CASE 2) WHAT IS 2-CHANNEL? REFERENTIAL LINKS 3) THE ISSUE 4) THE UPDATE …
Toyama tackles ‘gray’ businesses / Mostly immigrant-owned establishments disregarding urban zoning laws The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 13, 2006) Courtesy http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060913TDY02001.htm An Imizu, Toyama Prefecture, car dealership that is actually licensed as a restaurant The Toyama prefectural government has instructed two businesses targeting foreign residents to improve their business practices after discovering they had disregarded the …
With Japan’s population now in decline and the need for more foreign labor becoming increasingly apparent, the issue of how to deal with newcomers has become a concern not just for Japanese but for long-term foreign residents, especially Koreans.
Ebullient Ishihara to seek 3rd term 09/01/2006 http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200608310347.html THE ASAHI SHIMBUN Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has made clear he will seek a third term to help prepare Tokyo for its bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Ishihara, 73, declared his intention to run for the gubernatorial race next spring after Tokyo beat out Fukuoka on …
The Blacklist of Japanese Universities (https://www.debito.org/blacklist.html), where listed institutions have a history of offering unequal contracted work (not tenure) to its full-time faculty (usually foreign faculty) has just been updated. Substantiated by a recent job advertisement in the Chronicle of Higher Education, brand-new Akita International University (founded in 2004) has been added with the following …
1) PROGRESS ON “JAPANESE ONLY” ESTABLISHMENTS
2) YOU TUBE: “JAPAN DOESN’T LIKE YOU!” VIDEO ON EXCLUSIONARY SIGNS
3) NEWSWEEK JAPAN ON NATURALIZATION IN JAPAN
4) METROPOLIS: DIETMEMBER TSURUNEN MARUTEI
5) ASAHI: RACIALLY-MOTIVATED BULLYING FUKUOKA COURT CASE RULES FOR VICTIM
6) SF CHRONICLE: CHILD CUSTODY IN JAPAN IS NOT BASED ON RULES
7) KYODO: NEW “FOREIGN CRIME” CAMPAIGN HITS SNAG: DISSENT
8) CALLING ALL NATURALIZED CITIZENS: NEW BOOK FORTHCOMING
… and finally… NEW DEBITO.ORG BLOG
NEW BOOK ON NATURALIZED CITIZENS FORTHCOMING Calling all naturalized Japanese readers: Naturalized Chinese-Japanese Professor U Hoden, of Japan Women’s University, and myself will be collaborating on a new book over the next few months. We aim to feature the views of life in Japan from a “newcomer citizen” perspective, with essays in Japanese from those …
SF Chronicle: Imagine discovering you have been living in an artificial world with rules designed to mask a terrible reality. This is, of course, the premise of “The Matrix,” but it is also an analogy I use to explain child custody and visitation in Japan, a subject in which I do research (and have had personal experience). Japan’s family courts have rules and procedures that hide a sad truth: They are powerless to protect the parent-child relationship when a divorce turns hostile…
Elephant-minded readers of Japan’s media might remember the “Pinocchio” Case of 2003–where a grade-school teacher had a “thing” about the mixed racial background of a child in his class. He would pull on the boy’s nose until it bled, calling him “Pinocchio”, do the same thing with his ears with a “Mickey Mouse”, and devise …