"THE COMMUNITY"
on THE SHIGA PREFECTURE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CASE
1994-2002
(Japanese here {Ԑꭱj

NB: Although we here at The Community were not responsible for bringing this issue to the fore (other groups, such as NIBRA, were), we feel it is important that this case be documented and accessible, such as on The Community Site, as an example of how activist groups pushing social issues into the public eye can result in meaningful resolution, even social change. FYI.



LANGUAGE BARRIERS:
SHIGA PREFECTURE BARS FOREIGNERS
FROM ITS PUBLIC HOUSING

By Arudou Debito
(Made public July 11, 2002)

Hello All. Want to try some people power? Got an issue for you that I think should not be left untouched.

Article from the Mainichi Shinbun yesterday states that Shiga Prefectural government bars foreigners who do not speak Japanese (even those who bring along interpreters) from its public housing.

Have a look at the English translation I received from a news service. My comments and some contact information (should you wish to make your opinion known to Shiga-ken) follow the article.

===========================================
> Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 16:48:16 +0000
>
> Shiga bars non-Japanese speakers from public housing
>
> OTSU -- Foreigners who do not speak Japanese have been barred from
> applying to rent apartments owned by the Shiga Prefectural Government,
> it was learned Wednesday.
>
> Even though the law governing public housing does not require
> Japanese-language ability as a precondition for moving into public
> apartments, the prefectural government enacted its own rules to bar
> foreigners, mainly Japanese-Brazilians, from its apartments.
>
> The prefectural government defends its requirement of Japanese-language
> abilities. "Those who can't handle daily conversations in Japanese tend
> to have disputes with neighbors if they enter public apartments," an
> official of the prefectural government's housing division said.
>
> A support group for foreign residents of Shiga Prefecture criticizes the
> practice as unfair. "It's unreasonable that only foreign residents can't
> enjoy these public services even though they pay taxes."
>
> There are prefectural government-run apartments for 3,100 households in
> Shiga Prefecture. The prefectural government allows local residents to
> apply to enter low-rent public housing on condition that they have never
> failed to pay taxes and that their income is below a certain level.
>
> Currently, approximately 150 households of foreign nationals are living
> in apartments owned by the prefectural government, and about 80 of them
> are Japanese-Brazilians.
>
> Foreign nationals had been allowed to apply to rent public housing if
> they have a one-year or longer residency permit.
>
> In 1994, however, the prefectural government enforced new regulations
> stipulating that those who apply to move in public housing must have
> sufficient ability to handle daily conversations in Japanese.
>
> In accordance with the rules, officials reject applications to rent
> public apartments if they deem that the applicants do not speak
> Japanese. The prefectural government does not even allow those who do
> not understand Japanese to file applications even if accompanied by an
> interpreter.
>
> In sharp contrast to Shiga, the Shizuoka and Aichi prefectural
> governments that have a large Japanese-Brazilian population in their
> territories are actively helping non-Japanese-speaking foreigners to
> apply to rent their public housing.
>
> Aichi Prefecture, with a Brazilian population of some 51,000, holds
> seminars on public housing in Portuguese and has prepared brochures on
> such apartments in four languages, including English. Shizuoka
> Prefecture has also compiled similar brochures in five languages.
>
> The number of Japanese-Brazilians living in Japan to work has been
> rapidly increasing since the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition
> Law was amended in 1990 to grant second- and third-generation
> Japanese-Brazilians permanent residency status.
>
> Many of them desperately need public housing because they have
> difficulties in renting private apartments because their owners require
> tenants to find guarantors. (Mainichi Shimbun, July 10, 2002)
===========================================
ARTICLE ENDS

Comments:
This is a pretty silly move on the prefecture's part. As the article says, foreigners are taxpayers too, so they cannot be barred from public (as opposed to private) housing simply because of a language barrier. This was dealt with in the Azumamura Swimming Pool incident (http://www.issho.org/nyujokinshi/azumamura/), where a village in Gunma-ken named Azumamura barred all foreigners from a public pool because of alleged roughhousing by some Brazilians. Once the issue was raised publicly that Azumamura could not legally bar taxpayers (following a flood of emails, telephone calls, and media attention), the pool took down its no-foreigners sign and reopened to all.

The difference is, this time it's not just a pool. It is a place for people to live--a fundamental part of people's lives. Paid for by public monies. It should not be denied like this.

Background data about Shiga, in case you don't know:

===========================================
Shiga-ken is the prefecture next to Kyoto, surrounding Lake Biwako.
Prefectural seat, Otsu-shi. Prefectural population 1.3 million.
Contact details:
SHIGA PREFECTURAL GOVERNMENT
(Information and Statistics Division)
4-1-1 Kyomachi, Otsu, SHIGA@520-8577@JAPAN
Tel.077-528-3382@Fax.077-528-4835
Website http://www.pref.shiga.jp (Japanese and English)
E-Mail: webmaster@pref.shiga.jp
===========================================

I say feel free to make your discontentment known. This is one way people power can work. It worked in the Azumamura Case. It might work here too.

Arudou Debito
Sapporo
A Community Project
http://www.debito.org/TheCommunity

(To ensure this is not a hoax, original article in Japanese from Mainichi website follows:)
================================================
http://www12.mainichi.co.jp/news/search-news/855286/8ea089ea8ca7-0-1.html

ԤcZΔFѶu{ԐԶv@ŐԤOl@
2002.07.10

@ŐԤu{Ԑbխ魢vRAnuŰWl
OlԤcZΔW󭩭O𻭩筸BԚcZ
Δ^c魂⏭ԚcZΔ@{Ԑ\Ѷɔ魢
AԤکvƠ\BxŽOѪ[vu
ۭƁш筀AԚ۰T[rXڗ魢꭬
vȭB

@Ԥ㈭RPOOԤcZΔʭAƁшί[Aڞ㟭Ð
zʭݶԶѶڗtBOl٠i
PN鶋魍ѶǪAԤZΔԚܭA٠OlѶ
PTOƢ΄AۭnuŰWlWOƢ΄B

@AԤXSNƠھõvAu{Ԑ㜶ŕb
x魢xgϭv۶ԶBԞEÛ{
Ԑbխ魢fٽ\ڗtA魁\
F魢BԤZΔu{Ԑoí魢AѶԋѧ
׶ZgŰuѭ魎\ǭ٭vƈB

@yueԤfAc­魢v
AŐlnuŰWlθmAŻԤ魂{Ԑ
Զ魢BTPOOOluŰWlmA|ѰgK
ԐѶƈŕݭApԐ魂SJԐpt԰bgٓªB
ŻTJԐpt԰bgٓ魂A{ԐǭЭ\
ǭdg筀B

@XONoɂ@şҭnQARƢȭŮΡ⏶ZiF
AAJI㜭᭎nl}B΢Ѯ᭖Őѧ
EفθPlnuŰWlЭB

@AA΄lKvΠZΔ㟭㕭ЪA]Ѯ
Û魂ƦêBɰXg󭃭魏ЪAdZѶ
魂Ʀís⏭AԚcZΔj[Y٭B

@ԤnuŰWlxŽmonicgDju{u
ŰWѭ[ʭlbgvAԞ᭍ϭ魢P[
XԋƉAkíѶҭѵb魻ѰǶo
ǭ۪B΋\Ê٭ҭiRTju㜭uŰW
l{ԐwRAȭO{lŕƉ
vȭB@yԛFz

mVVڭPO㜪n ( 2002-07-10-15:01 )
================================================
ENDS

UPDATE
SHIGA-KEN GOVERNOR ORDERS REVISION
OF PREFECTURAL HOUSING POLICY

(Made public July 16, 2002)
Hello All. Got some pretty good news.

I wrote you a couple of days ago about Shiga Prefecture and its rule that only people with Japanese language ability may apply for prefecturally-run housing. This despite the fact that foreign residents pay prefectural taxes too.

Well, according to the Mainichi Shinbun, Osaka, July 11, morning edition, page 28, the Governor of Shiga-ken has officially ordered a revision to this policy.

Got the text of the article directly from the Mainichi Osaka Honbu this morning. News this good shouldn't be buried in a local choukan. The article in Japanese follows, with my translation below:




yf㜪z 2002 N 07 11 yںڶzN Όًɤ 28
yLٺz 090
yڒz 41 ŕ yުz
y}z
yٓʪz L
yԩoz
ŐEԤcZΔW󭩭nlr@mԩ⹭w
|||{ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
@{Ԑoí魢RAŐԤԤcZΔѶW󭩭nuŰW
lݶOΏAζPmPOԧԋA{Ԑ\ڗtɔ
Ԥھõvԩ⹭᭮\BɰXgŭϭ魻]ѮÛ
nuŰWlA⏭Ʀím󭁭ǭխJB
@ζmŕԩuiVPO[ɤխԩjSmF
Awѧ׶ZΏʭxۭ筸Aԩ⹭wϭvq׭
B
@ԤFٻs{ŰeBAԐwڼJǪAԤ٠ZOlxŽ㨭ݭ
nQƢuŰWlAѰVAμҭiSPjuԩ⹭RAxЭB
c­AOlɆX̭Эivv]B@
yԛFz




BRIEF TRANSLATION (any errors are those of Arudou Debito)

SHIGA-KEN GOV ORDERS REVISION OF PREF HOUSING APPLICATION PROCEDURES WHICH EXCLUDE NIKKEIJIN
(Mainichi Shinbun, July 11, 2002, Osaka Morning Edition, page 28)

Addressing the problem of Shiga Prefecture excluding Nikkei Brazilian applicants for prefecturally-run housing because of their lack of Japanese, Governor KUNIMATSU Yoshitsugu announced on the afternoon of July 10 that there would be a review of prefectural standards vis-a-vis Japanese language ability and applications.

This will open a path for Nikkei Brazilian workers, who live in fear of corporate restructuring when residing in company dormitories, to secure more stable lives.

At a regular press conference, Governor Kunimatsu stated, "(Having seen the Mainichi article, July 10 evening edition), I have confirmed this situation with the people in charge. They said that 'there are problems with neighboring residents', but I ordered them to review (mi naosu) this situation again."

At Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, Lucia Okumura (42), a nisei Nikkei Brazilian who opens volunteer language classes and other support activities for foreign prefectural residents, said, "A review is obvious, and it's about time. I hope that they will grasp the real situation and create an environment which will include non-Japanese."





COMMENT:
Now that's what I call a fast turnaround--within hours of the press releasing this information, the Governor issues a directive to remedy this situation. And I'm sure all the letters and emails sent by people like us to the Prefectural Office helped too.

Bravo for the Mainichi Shinbun for exposing this silly system, which had been in place since 1994, and forcing its revision not even overnight!

Who says activism and getting social problems out in the public eye does nothing to correct social wrongs?

Arudou Debito
Elated in Sapporo
One Community Coordinator

WORD FROM ACTIVIST GROUPS
(This is how Arudou Debito heard about the second Mainichi article)

I personally wrote a letter or support to the the group protesting in Shiga-ken, the NIHON BRAZIL YOU-I NET (NIBRA), and got an answer back on Saturday.

/////////////////////////////////////
From: "NIBRA" <brazil@nifty.com>
To: "Arudou Debito" <debito@debito.org>
Subject: Re: VFŐԤcZΔѶOl
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 22:46:29 +0900

[ѭʭۭӭB
ԞA{ԐeXgݭ᭎魢A
EÛ筀Aul{Ԑʭǭ魢vvϭ
fAuʭʭbխ۪v
vϭ\ڗt۶סּB
Aۭꭢ魢AOܭ
l򭩭ԩAu꭬vvۭ
ԋI[v㭃Kvʭv筀B

Takashi Matsui, NIBRA

{uŰWѭ[ʭlbgiNIBRAFNIHON BRAZIL YOU-I NETj
E[Ѫ@brazil@nifty.com
HP http://homepage1.nifty.com/brasil

(TRANSLATION FROM DEBITO: Thanks for your mail. Officials don't actually test anyone's Japanese at the counter. But if the official thinks, "this person can't do much Japanese", then they refuse the application, or if they think they can then they accept. Either way, we will not accept this type of discrmination, and I think it is necessary from now on to say "this won't do" openly, and from the eyes of people with foreign nationalities.)
/////////////////////////////////////

Just a brief word, as you can see. But it's nice to touch base.
From another group of activists I received the following:

/////////////////////////////////////
Arudou Debito l

@FlA٭ʭBżۭ魈B

Md鶔AʭۭӭB
ҭAfΪRc֭tAŐԤm
ԤcZΔFѶw{ԐԶx@Ppw
VCPPtViΌً{䁪jLキB

@Vԩ魢խAΏAC٠
筀AC䱭ڗAȭҭ魢ԋ
ۭԶƦ᭎ۭۭB

@ΪªAŐԤmEÛ󭮭lÍAC٠C
\㟭B

(QUICK TRANSLATION FROM DEBITO:
I got word from one of my friends. As follows:

"Thanks for your important article.
"Thanks to your quick protest actions, the Shiga-Ken Governor has stated in the July 11 Mainichi Shinbun (Osaka HQ publication) that the language requirement for prefectural apartments will be dropped. "

I haven't seen the article myself, but unless it is clear who is responsible for this problem, or until those responsible for this problem hav been punished, similar discrimination will keep occurring again and again.

I have already demanded in writing from the Shiga Governor that those made responsible be punished and that education in human rights be directed towards the staff.
)
TRANSLATION ENDS

Return to "The Community" Page

Go to the "United For a Multicultural Japan" (UMJ) Page


uԤcZΔFѶw{ԐԶx@
ŐԤOlv

(July 11, 2002ԚJ)

i]ɸ}j
FlAꭾۭӭBLժ@olB

R᭠խAǭ۪AVᭃoLԶF

uԤcZΔFѶw{ԐԶx@ŐԤOlv

L]BȭԋAڳRgʭBۭفԋキżҭB

================================================
http://www12.mainichi.co.jp/news/search-news/855286/8ea089ea8ca7-0-1.html

ԤcZΔFѶu{ԐԶv@ŐԤOl@
2002.07.10

@ŐԤu{Ԑbխ魢vRAnuŰWl
OlԤcZΔW󭩭O𻭩筸BԚcZ
Δ^c魂⏭ԚcZΔ@{Ԑ\Ѷɔ魢
AԤکvƠ\BxŽOѪ[vu
ۭƁш筀AԚ۰T[rXڗ魢꭬
vȭB

@Ԥ㈭RPOOԤcZΔʭAƁшί[Aڞ㟭Ð
zʭݶԶѶڗtBOl٠i
PN鶋魍ѶǪAԤZΔԚܭA٠OlѶ
PTOƢ΄AۭnuŰWlWOƢ΄B

@AԤXSNƠھõvAu{Ԑ㜶ŕb
x魢xgϭv۶ԶBԞEÛ{
Ԑbխ魢fٽ\ڗtA魁\
F魢BԤZΔu{Ԑoí魢AѶԋѧ
׶ZgŰuѭ魎\ǭ٭vƈB

@yueԤfAc­魢v
AŐlnuŰWlθmAŻԤ魂{Ԑ
Զ魢BTPOOOluŰWlmA|ѰgK
ԐѶƈŕݭApԐ魂SJԐpt԰bgٓªB
ŻTJԐpt԰bgٓ魂A{ԐǭЭ\
ǭdg筀B

@XONoɂ@şҭnQARƢȭŮΡ⏶ZiF
AAJI㜭᭎nl}B΢Ѯ᭖Őѧ
EفθPlnuŰWlЭB

@AA΄lKvΠZΔ㟭㕭ЪA]Ѯ
Û魂ƦêBɰXg󭃭魏ЪAdZѶ
魂Ʀís⏭AԚcZΔj[Y٭B

@ԤnuŰWlxŽmonicgDju{u
ŰWѭ[ʭlbgvAԞ᭍ϭ魢P[
XԋƉAkíѶҭѵb魻ѰǶo
ǭ۪B΋\Ê٭ҭiRTju㜭uŰW
l{ԐwRAȭO{lŕƉ
vȭB@yԛFz

mVVڭPO㜪n ( 2002-07-10-15:01 )
================================================
ENDS

@ꭢ魢vBԲԐ\ꭲR魍魢vBiۭ筀lԲԐ\ꭻu[𻭲vf᭎ۭBeXgʭ᭩B䖶fI魏ȭۭA{Ԑǭ魢ZѶ񭃭魐魢ԲƯ᭩Bj

@Mlꭢ魢v筸AŐԤRc𦭉db[ѭݭ᭐뭂ۭ᭩BżҭB

520-8577 Όsl1-1
TEL: 077-524-1121i΋\j
FAX: 077-528-4835
z[y[WɅ᭎EEE
ŐԤL󭆭@webmaster@pref.shiga.jp
HP: http://www.pref.shiga.jp

@ꭂۭۭ魢v魢BOAXWNŀɜAQnԤuμviʭޭjԚpv[ѭuOlΏNAÐOlfv[uBтAFXlRcμݶ㟭AuԚ{Ơ魍[Ɓ󭁭ǭ魢v𻭩筀AɁO𜭵Bus[vѰp[vԿ死ʭB
http://www.issho.org/nyujokinshi/azumamura/letter2.html

@AŖv[ѭΏ魢BZΔAƦíɔ{I魱ʭAΌ[ٶΏvB

@ۭACiAÐƼŐԤAɏvBOlŊέŕvԣAǭ{ZlAFlƦƷ۪B

@XЭɏvB

Lժ@oliʭ۪@j
EMAIL ENDS


ŐEԤcZΔW󭩭nlr
mԩ⹭w

(July 16, 2002ԚJ)

FlABLժ@olB孈Ƣb筀B

ҭAƾ㜭ŐԤԤcZΔu{Ԑ\\ԶvԶ᭻AAbvf[gҭխǭ

ƾAŐԤѵ孢㨰OѪ[vNIBRA魂ǭAȭVΌًxтLAuŐEԤcZΔW󭩭nlr@mԩ⹭w v]Biuԩ⹭v䖶vBLVᭈ٪[Jxт~筸ȭۭAڳꭢLmխ׭ǭvBj

==================================================
From: "NIBRA" <brazil@nifty.com>
To: "Arudou Debito" <debito@debito.org>
Subject: Re: VFŐԤcZΔѶOl
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 22:46:29 +0900

[ѭʭۭӭB
ԞA{ԐeXgݭ᭎魢A
EÛ筀Aul{Ԑʭǭ魢vvϭ
fAuʭʭbխ۪v
vϭ\ڗt۶סּB
Aۭꭢ魢AOܭ
l򭩭ԩAu꭬vvۭ
ԋI[v㭃Kvʭv筀B

Takashi Matsui, NIBRA

{uŰWѭ[ʭlbgiNIBRAFNIHON BRAZIL YOU-I NETj
E[Ѫ@brazil@nifty.com
HP http://homepage1.nifty.com/brasil
==================================================

ȭAۭܭlcmխ]B㜭Vڬ㟭B

==================================================
Arudou Debito l

@FlA٭ʭBżۭ魈B

Md鶔AʭۭӭB
ҭAfΪRc֭tAŐԤm
ԤcZΔFѶw{ԐԶx@Ppw
VCPPtViΌً{䁪jLキB

@Vԩ魢խAΏAC٠
筀AC䱭ڗAȭҭ魢ԋ
ۭԶƦ᭎ۭۭB

@ΪªAŐԤmEÛ󭮭lÍAC٠C
\㟭B
==================================================

فԋAȭVLBiΌًxтǭj

==================================================
yf㜪z 2002 N 07 11 yںڶzN Όًɤ 28
yLٺz 090
yڒz 41 ŕ yުz
y}z
yٓʪz L
yԩoz
ŐEԤcZΔW󭩭nlr@mԩ⹭w
|||{ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
@{Ԑoí魢RAŐԤԤcZΔѶW󭩭nuŰW
lݶOΏAζPmPOԧԋA{Ԑ\ڗtɔ
Ԥھõvԩ⹭᭮\BɰXgŭϭ魻]ѮÛ
nuŰWlA⏭Ʀím󭁭ǭխJB
@ζmŕԩuiVPO[ɤխԩjSmF
Awѧ׶ZΏʭxۭ筸Aԩ⹭wϭvq׭
B
@ԤFٻs{ŰeBAԐwڼJǪAԤ٠ZOlxŽ㨭ݭ
nQƢuŰWlAѰVAμҭiSPjuԩ⹭RAxЭB
c­AOlɆX̭Эivv]B@
yԛFz
==================================================

Lժ@olF
ȭӭvBPXXSNԤcZΔOlrAV᭻ԚJ᭎㜭[ɤAΪmԩ⹭wϭBQSרּխBȭAǭ筮Flѐ[ѭԿ死ʭ筸魢vB䖶L]oʭAlcA}XR~ÐIs[vѰp[ٽխȭlΏھíǭ魢⭮魎۪B

ζmAʭۭӭI
ȭANIBRAlVlAoUCII

Lժ@ol
Dy
http://www.debito.org

Return to "The Community" Page

Go to the "United For a Multicultural Japan" (UMJ) Page