{"id":17668,"date":"2025-12-22T15:43:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T23:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=17668"},"modified":"2025-12-23T08:05:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:05:36","slug":"mainichi-and-asahi-40-of-japans-local-govts-received-coordinated-complaints-from-far-right-internet-trolls-nationwide-stymieing-local-govt-policies-to-help-their-nj-residents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=17668","title":{"rendered":"Mainichi & Asahi: 40% of Japan’s local govts received complaints about their policies designed to help NJ Residents. This fits a history of coordinated efforts from Far-Right internet trolls nationwide to stymie conscientious public policy. Hence being the “Good Gaijin” will not help you assimilate in this political climate."},"content":{"rendered":"

Books, eBooks, and more from Debito Arudou, Ph.D. (click on icon):
\n\"Guidebookcover.jpg\"<\/a>\"japaneseonlyebookcovertext\"<\/a>\"Handbook<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"sourstrawberriesavatar\"<\/a>\"debitopodcastthumb\"<\/a>\"FodorsJapan2014cover\"<\/a>
\nUPDATES ON TWITTER: arudoudebito
\nDEBITO.ORG PODCASTS on iTunes, subscribe free
\n“LIKE” US on Facebook at http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/debitoorg<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embeddedrcsmJapan<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.facebook.com\/handbookimmigrants<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JapaneseOnlyTheBook<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BookInAppropriate<\/a>
\nIf you like what you read and discuss on Debito.org, please consider helping us stop hackers and defray maintenance costs with a little donation via my webhoster:
\n\"Donate<\/a>
\nAll donations go towards website costs only. Thanks for your support!<\/i><\/p>\n

(Original title of this blog post was, “Mainichi and Asahi: 40% of Japan\u2019s local govts received coordinated complaints from Far-Right Internet Trolls nationwide, stymieing local-govt policies to help their NJ Residents. Hence being the \u201cGood Gaijin\u201d will not help you assimilate in this political climate.” \u00a0But that was a bit misleading, so amended; H\/T to SB.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi Blog. \u00a0I post these two articles because they offer evidence that becoming a part of Japanese society isn’t just a matter of being “Good Gaijin”, e.g., contributing and behaving until “your outward appearance causes no particular problems<\/a>“. \u00a0These are good things to do, of course, but they are not a panacea, because the Netto Uyoku<\/em><\/a> (Far-Right Internet Xenophobes and Trolls) in Japan are well-organized and will not accept NJ as Residents under any circumstances.<\/p>\n

There is in fact a long history of the Netto Uyoku and helpful local government policies shot down one after another due to a storm of “complaints” like these (many of which aren’t even from local residents; see the Asahi article below the Mainichi in Japanese), as seen in this case study from 2013 about Tottori Prefecture passed, then UN-PASSED, a human rights ordinance<\/a>. \u00a0This is how the structural barriers to NJ Residents remain, and will not be removed until governments stand up to racists and trolls like these. \u00a0Debito Arudou, Ph.D.<\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/<\/p>\n

40% of Japan local gov’ts received complaints over foreigner policies: Mainichi survey<\/strong><\/p>\n

December 19, 2025 (Mainichi Japan), courtesy of Mark Schreiber<\/strong><\/p>\n

Courtesy https:\/\/mainichi.jp\/english\/articles\/20251219\/p2a\/00m\/0na\/010000c<\/a><\/p>\n

Japanese version below<\/p>\n

Photo: \u00a0People raise signs opposing immigrants during a rally in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Nov. 30, 2025. (Mainichi)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

FUKUOKA — There has been a spate of cases where local governments in Japan have been flooded with complaints over measures related to foreigners.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Mainichi Shimbun survey covering 67 local bodies — 47 prefectural governments and 20 ordinance-designated cities — found that 40%, or 26 of 65 bodies responding to the survey, had instances of complaints, protests and opinions streaming in regarding foreigner policies over the past year. [emphasis added]<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The survey specifically asked whether there were cases where complaints and other opinions were frequent, what triggered them and the number of those cases over a one-year period up to the end of September 2025. A total of 65 local governments, excluding the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Nara Prefectural Government, replied, with the response rate at 97%.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of the 26 local bodies that reported experiencing a series of complaints, 15 received fewer than 100 calls or emails across 18 cases, 13 received 100 to fewer than 1,000 calls or emails across 18 cases, and three received 1,000 or more calls or emails across three cases.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The most significant case involved Miyagi Prefecture’s temporary consideration of developing burial grounds with Muslim residents in mind, which drew 2,470 calls and emails including those expressing concerns about the potential impact on water quality and soil.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Several local governments indicated that complaints were driven by unverified or false information on social media.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of the 26 governments, 19 reported feeling burdened by handling complaints, with Miyagi Prefecture noting instances requiring 1 1\/2 to 2 hours to respond and Shizuoka Prefecture revealing that staff were subjected to verbal abuse, causing them to feel scared of answering calls.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While most governments said there was no impact on their policies from a rush of baseless complaints, Shizuoka Prefecture noted increased caution in sending out information on multicultural coexistence policies to avoid complaints. Nara Prefecture, while admitting there were cases where complaints, protests and opinions flooded in, refrained from responding to the survey due to concerns about similar incidents arising from media coverage.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the 26 governments, more than 90%, or 24 local bodies, reported an increase in complaints compared to the previous year. As for the reasons, they cited a surge in foreign residents and extensive discussions on foreign nationals during the House of Councillors election in July.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Masami Wakayama, a professor of political science at Hokuriku Gakuin University, pointed out, “The concentration of burdens on local governments may cause them to feel intimidated, potentially reversing the trend toward multicultural coexistence.” He stated, “The current Liberal Democratic Party-led administration is extremely wary of introducing measures as ‘immigration policy’ due to concerns about alienating conservative voters. However, adapting to changing times and society is essential. As demands from residents to local governments increase, there is a growing need to enhance support systems for local bodies, including the development of laws to serve as a basis for their decision-making.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(Japanese original by Keisuke Muneoka and Mayuka Ikeda, Kyushu News Department)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u65bd\u7b56\u306a\u3069\u3078\u306e\u82e6\u60c5\u3001\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306e4\u5272\u306b\u3000\u300c\u96fb\u8a71\u6016\u304f\u306a\u3063\u305f\u300d\u8077\u54e1\u3082
\n\u793e\u4f1a
\n\u6bce\u65e5\u65b0\u805e 2025\/12\/19 07:00\uff08\u6700\u7d42\u66f4\u65b0 12\/19 07:49\uff09
\nhttps:\/\/mainichi.jp\/articles\/20251217\/k00\/00m\/040\/345000c<\/a><\/p>\n

\u30d5\u30a9\u30fc\u30c8\uff1a\u79fb\u6c11\u306b\u53cd\u5bfe\u3059\u308b\u30d7\u30e9\u30ab\u30fc\u30c9\u3092\u63b2\u3052\u308b\u4eba\u305f\u3061\uff1d\u6771\u4eac\u90fd\u65b0\u5bbf\u533a\u30672025\u5e7411\u670830\u65e5\u5348\u5f8c2\u664245\u5206<\/p>\n

\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u306b\u95a2\u308f\u308b\u65bd\u7b56\u306a\u3069\u3092\u5de1\u308a\u3001\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306b\u82e6\u60c5\u304c\u6bba\u5230\u3059\u308b\u30b1\u30fc\u30b9\u304c\u76f8\u6b21\u3044\u3067\u3044\u308b\u3002\u6bce\u65e5\u65b0\u805e\u304c\u904e\u53bb1\u5e74\u9593\u306b\u82e6\u60c5\u3084\u6297\u8b70\u3001\u610f\u898b\u304c\u76f8\u6b21\u3044\u3060\u4e8b\u4f8b\u306e\u6709\u7121\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u90fd\u9053\u5e9c\u770c\u3068\u653f\u4ee4\u5e02\u306e\u8a0867\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306b\u53d6\u6750\u3057\u305f\u3068\u3053\u308d\u3001\u56de\u7b54\u3057\u305f65\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306e\u3046\u30614\u5272\u306b\u3042\u305f\u308b26\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u304c\u300c\u3042\u3063\u305f\u300d\u3068\u7b54\u3048\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

2025\u5e749\u6708\u672b\u307e\u3067\u306e1\u5e74\u9593\u3067\u3001\u82e6\u60c5\u304c\u76f8\u6b21\u3044\u3060\u4e8b\u4f8b\u306e\u6709\u7121\u3084\u304d\u3063\u304b\u3051\u3001\u4ef6\u6570\u306a\u3069\u3092\u805e\u304d\u3001\u6771\u4eac\u90fd\u3068\u5948\u826f\u770c\u3092\u9664\u304f65\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u304c\u56de\u7b54\u3057\u305f\uff08\u56de\u7b54\u738797\uff05\uff09\u3002<\/p>\n

\u82e6\u60c5\u306a\u3069\u304c\u76f8\u6b21\u3044\u3060\u7d4c\u9a13\u304c\u3042\u3063\u305f\u3068\u7b54\u3048\u305f26\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306b\u5bc4\u305b\u3089\u308c\u305f\u96fb\u8a71\u3084\u30e1\u30fc\u30eb\u306e\u4ef6\u6570\u306f\u3001100\u4ef6\u672a\u6e80\u304c15\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f5318\u4e8b\u4f8b\u25bd100\u4ef6\u4ee5\u4e0a1000\u4ef6\u672a\u6e80\u304c13\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f5318\u4e8b\u4f8b\u25bd1000\u4ef6\u4ee5\u4e0a\u304c3\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f533\u4e8b\u4f8b\u2015\u2015\u3060\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u6700\u3082\u591a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u306e\u306f\u3001\u5bae\u57ce\u770c\u304c\u6574\u5099\u3092\u4e00\u6642\u691c\u8a0e\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3001\u30a4\u30b9\u30e9\u30e0\u6559\u5f92\u3089\u306e\u5229\u7528\u3092\u5ff5\u982d\u306b\u7f6e\u3044\u305f\u571f\u846c\u5893\u5730\u306b\u95a2\u3059\u308b\u4e8b\u4f8b\u3067\u3001\u300c\u6c34\u8cea\u3084\u571f\u58cc\u3078\u306e\u5f71\u97ff\u304c\u4e0d\u5b89\u300d\u306a\u3069\u3068\u3044\u3063\u305f\u96fb\u8a71\u3084\u30e1\u30fc\u30eb\u304c2470\u4ef6\u7a0b\u5ea6\u5bc4\u305b\u3089\u308c\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u5728\u7559\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u6570\u306e\u63a8\u79fb
\n26\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u4e2d19\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u304c\u82e6\u60c5\u5bfe\u5fdc\u306e\u8ca0\u62c5\u304c\u300c\u3042\u3063\u305f\u300d\u3068\u56de\u7b54\u3002\u300c1\u6642\u9593\u534a\u304b\u30892\u6642\u9593\u306b\u53ca\u3076\u5bfe\u5fdc\u3092\u8feb\u3089\u308c\u308b\u4e8b\u4f8b\u304c\u8907\u6570\u300d\uff08\u5bae\u57ce\u770c\uff09\u300c\uff08\u8077\u54e1\u304c\uff09\u4e00\u65b9\u7684\u306b\u66b4\u8a00\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u3001\u96fb\u8a71\u306b\u51fa\u308b\u306e\u304c\u6016\u304f\u306a\u3063\u305f\u300d\uff08\u9759\u5ca1\u770c\uff09\u3068\u660e\u304b\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u591a\u304f\u306e\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u304c\u6839\u62e0\u306e\u306a\u3044\u82e6\u60c5\u304c\u6bba\u5230\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306b\u3088\u308b\u65bd\u7b56\u3078\u306e\u5f71\u97ff\u306f\u300c\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u300d\u3068\u56de\u7b54\u3057\u305f\u304c\u3001\u9759\u5ca1\u770c\u306f\u300c\u591a\u6587\u5316\u5171\u751f\u65bd\u7b56\u306b\u95a2\u3059\u308b\u60c5\u5831\u767a\u4fe1\u3067\u3001\u82e6\u60c5\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u306a\u3044\u3088\u3046\u914d\u616e\u3092\u3059\u308b\u3088\u3046\u306b\u306a\u3063\u305f\u300d\u3068\u7b54\u3048\u305f\u3002\u5948\u826f\u770c\u306f\u300c\u82e6\u60c5\u3084\u6297\u8b70\u3001\u610f\u898b\u304c\u76f8\u6b21\u3044\u3060\u4e8b\u4f8b\u306f\u3042\u3063\u305f\u304c\u3001\u8a18\u4e8b\u3067\u540c\u69d8\u306e\u4e8b\u6848\u304c\u767a\u751f\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u3092\u61f8\u5ff5\u300d\u3068\u56de\u7b54\u3092\u63a7\u3048\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u82e6\u60c5\u304c\u76f8\u6b21\u3044\u306026\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306e\u3046\u3061\u3001\u524d\u5e74\u306b\u6bd4\u3079\u82e6\u60c5\u304c\u300c\u5897\u3048\u305f\u300d\u3068\u7b54\u3048\u305f\u306e\u306f9\u5272\u8d85\u306e24\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u3002\u5728\u7559\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u304c\u6025\u5897\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3053\u3068\u3084\u30017\u6708\u306e\u53c2\u9662\u9078\u3067\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u306b\u95a2\u3059\u308b\u8b70\u8ad6\u304c\u591a\u304f\u4ea4\u308f\u3055\u308c\u305f\u3053\u3068\u3092\u7406\u7531\u306b\u6319\u3052\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u5317\u9678\u5b66\u9662\u5927\u306e\u82e5\u5c71\u5c06\u5b9f\u6559\u6388\uff08\u653f\u6cbb\u5b66\uff09\u306f\u300c\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306b\u8ca0\u62c5\u304c\u96c6\u4e2d\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u3067\u840e\u7e2e\u3057\u591a\u6587\u5316\u5171\u751f\u306e\u6d41\u308c\u304c\u5f8c\u9000\u3059\u308b\u6050\u308c\u3082\u3042\u308b\u300d\u3068\u6307\u6458\u3002\u300c\u73fe\u5728\u306e\u81ea\u6c11\u515a\u4e2d\u5fc3\u653f\u6a29\u3067\u306f\u4fdd\u5b88\u5c64\u3092\u610f\u8b58\u3057\u300e\u79fb\u6c11\u653f\u7b56\u300f\u3068\u3057\u3066\u65bd\u7b56\u3092\u6253\u3061\u51fa\u3059\u3053\u3068\u3092\u6975\u5ea6\u306b\u6050\u308c\u308b\u5074\u9762\u304c\u3042\u308b\u304c\u3001\u6642\u4ee3\u3068\u793e\u4f1a\u306e\u5909\u5316\u3078\u306e\u5bfe\u5fdc\u306f\u4e0d\u53ef\u6b20\u3060\u3002\u4f4f\u6c11\u304b\u3089\u306e\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u3078\u306e\u8981\u671b\u304c\u5897\u3048\u308b\u306a\u304b\u3001\u5224\u65ad\u306e\u3088\u308a\u3069\u3053\u308d\u3068\u306a\u308b\u6cd5\u5f8b\u306e\u6574\u5099\u306a\u3069\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306e\u652f\u63f4\u4f53\u5236\u306e\u62e1\u5145\u304c\u4e00\u5c64\u6c42\u3081\u3089\u308c\u308b\u300d\u3068\u8a71\u3059\u3002\u3010\u5b97\u5ca1\u656c\u4ecb\u3001\u6c60\u7530\u771f\u7531\u9999\u3011<\/p>\n

==================================<\/p>\n

Miyagi halts Muslim burial site plan amid pushback<\/strong>
\nTHE ASAHI SHIMBUN<\/strong>
\nSeptember 19, 2025 at 18:49 JST, courtesy of Niklas<\/a><\/strong>
\nhttps:\/\/www.asahi.com\/ajw\/articles\/16039254<\/a><\/p>\n

SENDAI\u2014Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai abruptly scrapped a plan to build burial sites for Muslims on Sept. 18, citing unanimous oppositiion from local mayors–just weeks ahead of the gubernatorial election.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

His announcement came during a general session of the prefectural assemby that day, when Murai responded to a question from a member who asked, \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be appropriate to cancel the plan to avoid further confusion, given the lack of support?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The proposal, which had been under consideration since late last year, sought to accommodate religious burial practices for foreign workers\u2014but faced strong public opposition and political resistance.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Murai revealed that between Sept. 13 and 17, he had called every mayor in the prefecture to confirm their position.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of them said they could not accept the plan, even if the prefecture formally proposed it,\u201d he said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Under Japan\u2019s cemetery and burial law and prefectural ordinances, new cemeteries require approval from local municipalities.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With no prospect of gaining consent from mayors\u2014the final decision-makers\u2014Murai said, \u201cThe situation is extremely difficult, and I have decided to withdraw the plan entirely.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Just days earlier, on Sept. 12, the governor had responded to a similar question by saying the plan was still in the research phase and undecided. However, that exchange prompted him to seek clarity from local leaders, he said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters after the withdrawal announcement, Murai said, \u201cI\u2019ve been struggling with this for quite some time. I concluded that continuing the discussion would only increase anxiety among residents.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ORIGINS OF THE PLAN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The idea to build burial sites for Muslims emerged as part of Miyagi Prefecture\u2019s efforts to attract foreign workers, particularly from Islamic countries such as Indonesia.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Due to religious beliefs, Muslims cannot be cremated, but Japan has only about 10 cemeteries nationwide that allow burials.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2023, the prefectural government signed a memorandum with the Indonesian government to accept more technical interns and skilled workers.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Anticipating a rise in long-term residents, Murai had identified the need to \u201ccreate a supportive living environment,\u201d including burial options, as a key policy goal.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In October last year, Murai told the prefectural assembly that he wanted to explore building burial sites for Muslims and others who, for religious reasons, do not wish to be cremated. Prefectural staff began visiting existing burial sites outside the prefecture to gather information.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Although Japan does not legally prohibit burials, many municipalities effectively ban them through local ordinances.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Miyagi, Muslim residents had previously consulted municipal governments about building burial sites, but conditions such as \u201cno impact on the surrounding environment\u201d and \u201cconsent from nearby residents\u201d proved difficult to meet.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As a result, families often had to transport bodies to distant burial sites or repatriate them to their home countries.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

PUBLIC BACKLASH<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When media reported in late December that Murai was considering building burial sites, the prefectural office was flooded with calls and emails expressing concern and opposition.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Comments included, \u201cIs this going to move forward without public input?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m worried about damage to the reputation of local products and environmental impact,\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m uneasy about the increase in foreign residents.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The prefecture has received more than 2,000 emails and phone calls to date. Approximately half of these reportedly came from outside the prefecture. [emphasis added]<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Despite the backlash, Murai initially stood firm. He said the plan was based on requests from Muslim residents and argued, \u201cIf we talk about multicultural coexistence, but ignore (burial) needs, that\u2019s a failure of governance. Even if criticized, we must move forward.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In March, Murai condemned discriminatory social media posts targeting Muslims and reiterated his commitment to the burial site plan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJapan originally had a burial culture. Christianity is also based on burial. Even the imperial family used to be buried,\u201d he said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

He emphasized that the issue affected not only foreign residents but also Japanese converts to Islam.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Murai also downplayed environmental concerns: \u201cWild animals return to the soil naturally. Saying burial causes pollution is an exaggeration.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Acknowledging the negative reactions, he said, \u201cI\u2019ve received online pushback, but I believe this is necessary.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ELECTION PRESSURE<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The sudden reversal has sparked speculation that Murai\u2019s decision was politically motivated. He is currently serving his fifth term and plans to run for a sixth. Official campaigning will kick off on Oct. 9 and voting is scheduled for Oct. 26.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While the burial site plan was never part of his official campaign platform, some candidates voiced opposition, saying it could lead to increased immigration and should not be led by the prefecture.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Even within the Liberal Democratic Party faction supporting Murai in the gubernatorial election, many members expressed negative views toward the plan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Murai insisted, \u201cI didn\u2019t withdraw the plan because of the election.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

However, opposition lawmakers say the timing suggests a political calculation.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHe probably realized he couldn\u2019t go into the election with this controversy swirling,” said an opposition assembly member. “Murai isn\u2019t the type to give up after a single phone call. He may have been looking for the right moment to pull back.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

COMMUNITY REACTION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me happy that (the prefecture) didn\u2019t just see foreigners as laborers, but actually considered their lives,\u201d said Noboru Sato, 83, a Muslim and representative of the Islamic Cultural Center of Sendai (ICCS). \u201cThat\u2019s why this is so disappointing.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Sato, who has led the organization for nearly four decades, the Muslim populations in the prefecture–once made up primarily of international students–now includes workers in the automotive and construction industries, reflecting both steady growth and increasing diversity.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are only about 10 burial cemeteries in Japan, and none in the Tohoku region. Sato said that many Muslims wish to be buried in their hometowns, but currently must travel to the Kanto or Chubu regions, which is costly and complicated.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sato and other Muslims had written letters to the governor requesting burial sites.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMany people aren\u2019t familiar with Muslim culture. Forcing the plan through amid so much criticism wouldn\u2019t be right. I suppose it can\u2019t be helped,\u201d Sato said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Muhammad Usama, 29, a Pakistani staff member at ICCS, said he understands that the Islamic burial rules may appear to Japanese as a “unique culture.\u201c<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

At the same time, he added, “Day by day, Japanese people accept Islam” and “understand our religion.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sato agreed, saying, \u201cWe must continue working to eliminate misunderstandings and prejudice.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

(This article was compiled from reports by Ryo Oyama, Ikuko Abe and Yosuke Fukudome.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Related News<\/strong><\/p>\n

Miyagi to secure cemetery to put workers from Indonesia at ease<\/a><\/strong>
\nDecember 22, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Muslims living in Japan face difficulties burying the dead<\/a><\/strong>
\nMay 11, 2022<\/strong>
\nENDS
\n======================
\nDo you like what you read on Debito.org? \u00a0Want to help keep the archive active and support Debito.org’s activities? \u00a0Please consider donating a little something. \u00a0More details here<\/a>. Or if you prefer something less complicated, just click on an advertisement below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I post these two articles because they offer evidence that becoming a part of Japanese society isn’t just a matter of being “Good Gaijin”, e.g., contributing and behaving until “your outward appearance causes no particular problems”. \u00a0These are good things to do, of course, but they are not a panacea, because the Netto Uyoku (Far-Right Internet Xenophobes and Trolls) in Japan are so well organized and will not accept NJ as Residents under any circumstances. \u00a0<\/p>\n

There is in fact a long history of the Netto Uyoku and helpful local government policies shot down one after another due to a storm of “complaints” like these (many of which aren’t even from local residents; see the Asahi article below the Mainichi in Japanese), as seen in this case study from 2013 about Tottori Prefecture passed, then UN-PASSED, a human rights ordinance. \u00a0This is how the structural barriers to NJ Residents remain, and will not be removed until governments stand up to racists and trolls like these. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Mainichi: A Mainichi Shimbun survey covering 67 local bodies — 47 prefectural governments and 20 ordinance-designated cities — found that 40%, or 26 of 65 bodies responding to the survey, had instances of complaints, protests and opinions streaming in regarding foreigner policies over the past year. […] Several local governments indicated that complaints were driven by unverified or false information on social media. Of the 26 governments, 19 reported feeling burdened by handling complaints, with Miyagi Prefecture noting instances requiring 1 1\/2 to 2 hours to respond and Shizuoka Prefecture revealing that staff were subjected to verbal abuse, causing them to feel scared of answering calls. While most governments said there was no impact on their policies from a rush of baseless complaints, Shizuoka Prefecture noted increased caution in sending out information on multicultural coexistence policies to avoid complaints. Nara Prefecture, while admitting there were cases where complaints, protests and opinions flooded in, refrained from responding to the survey due to concerns about similar incidents arising from media coverage.<\/p>\n

Asahi: Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai abruptly scrapped a plan to build burial sites for Muslims on Sept. 18, citing unanimous oppositiion from local mayors–just weeks ahead of the gubernatorial election. […] The proposal, which had been under consideration since late last year, sought to accommodate religious burial practices for foreign workers\u2014but faced strong public opposition and political resistance. Murai revealed that between Sept. 13 and 17, he had called every mayor in the prefecture to confirm their position. \u201cAll of them said they could not accept the plan, even if the prefecture formally proposed it,\u201d he said. […] When media reported in late December that Murai was considering building burial sites, the prefectural office was flooded with calls and emails expressing concern and opposition. […]<\/p>\n

The prefecture has received more than 2,000 emails and phone calls to date. Approximately half of these reportedly came from outside the prefecture. <\/p>\n

Despite the backlash, Murai initially stood firm. He said the plan was based on requests from Muslim residents and argued, \u201cIf we talk about multicultural coexistence, but ignore (burial) needs, that\u2019s a failure of governance. Even if criticized, we must move forward.\u201d In March, Murai condemned discriminatory social media posts targeting Muslims and reiterated his commitment to the burial site plan. […] The sudden reversal has sparked speculation that Murai\u2019s decision was politically motivated. He is currently serving his fifth term and plans to run for a sixth. […] While the burial site plan was never part of his official campaign platform, some candidates voiced opposition, saying it could lead to increased immigration and should not be led by the prefecture. […] [T]he Muslim populations in the prefecture–once made up primarily of international students–now includes workers in the automotive and construction industries, reflecting both steady growth and increasing diversity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,54,22,34,33,5,12,76,73,4,14,16,13,60,11,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-embedded-racism","category-pinprick-protests","category-cultural-issue","category-exclusionism","category-fingerprinting-nj","category-human-rights","category-immigration-assimilation","category-important-statistics","category-japans-blame-game","category-japanese-government","category-japanese-politics","category-labor-issues","category-media","category-nj-voices-ignored","category-problematic-foreign-treatment","category-8"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17668"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17676,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17668\/revisions\/17676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}