DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 14, 2008

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

JUSTICE SERVED, JUSTICE DENIED

1) Moharekar Case: Parents raise questions about baby’s death to Sapporo’s Tenshi Hospital
2) Matthew Lacey Case: Fukuoka police dismiss NJ death by blow to the head as “dehydration” (Yomiuri & Japan Times)
3) Mainichi: Chinese Trainees wage successful back-wage lawsuit against strawberry farm
4) Sankei compares NJ computer operators with toxic Chinese gyouza
5) Update on Valentine Lawsuit High Court Appeal
6) Idubor Case: A conversation with Mrs Idubor about life in Japan, and letters from Mr Idubor from prison specially for Debito.org

ISSUES OF BORDERS AND EFFECTS OF FOREIGN INFLUX

7) Asahi on how the GOJ doesn’t recognize NJ schools for tax funding, and why they should
8) Kyodo on USG pressure on Japan to do more fingerprinting
9) “Japanese Only” sign in Tsukiji Fish Market
10) Japan Times on Tsukiji’s tamping down on tourism
11) Alex Kerr on being a “Yokoso Ambassador” for the GOJ
12) DPJ at odds with itself over NJ voting rights

SPEECHES, PODCASTS, TV SPOTS, AND A BOOK TOUR

13) Italian TV SKY TG 24 on the Sapporo Snow Festival… and racial discrimination in Japan
14) January 22, 2008 speech to Waseda’s Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration, podcast and soundfiles in full
15) HANDBOOK FOR NEWCOMERS on sale March 15, Japan Book Tour March 15 to April 1…

Moharekar Case: Parents raise questions about baby’s death to Sapporo’s Tenshi Hospital

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Two Indian doctorate researchers at Hokudai, Drs Moharekar, were to have a baby at Tenshi Hospital, Sapporo. However, in August 2007 the baby was stillborn, due to a long-undiagnosed congenital heart defect (which somehow escaped the notice of one doctor, but not another and a doctor back in India). Asking for an explanation, the Moharekars say the hospital said the hospital treated them badly, refused to listen to “complaints”, harassed them linguistically, did not avail them of their allegedly misdiagnosing doctor, and even charged them money to meet with the hospital director for an explanation. The Moharekars hope to get a fuller explanation in writing, so that “this kind of mental harassment and problems will not happen in future again with anybody” at Tenshi Hospital, Sapporo.

January 22, 2008 Waseda speech podcast downloadable in full

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Hi Blog. I spoke at Waseda University’s Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration (GIARI) on January 22, 2008. Speech topic here. I was joined by Kawakami Sonoko, of Amnesty International Japan, and Katsuma Yasushi, Associate Professor at Waseda specializing in international human rights. The sound files (two were podcasts) are available below in four parts. …

Mainichi: Chinese Trainees awarded big after taking exploitative strawberry farm to court

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Mainichi: “A group of strawberry farmers will have to pay a combined 30 million yen in unpaid and overtime wages, and reinstate five Chinese trainees who were unfairly dismissed after losing a class action suit brought against them by their employees.” Great precedent set against exploitation of NJ “guest labor”.

毎日：イチゴ農園が解決金３０００万円　栃木

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

毎日：栃木県のイチゴ農園が不作を理由に中国人技能実習生を解雇し、トラブルになっていた問題は、農家７軒が約３０００万円の解決金を実習生計１５人に支払うことで合意した。農家側は謝罪し、解雇を撤回した。

朝日：外国人研修生、ブローカー介在禁止に　法務省 MOJ: Brokers to be banned for NJ Trainees

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

朝日：外国人に日本の企業で知識や技術を身につけてもらう外国人研修・技能実習制度について、法務省は、受け入れ機関などに対して示している運用の指針を初めて改定する。制度は、安上がりな労働力の確保に利用されるなど、本来の狙いからかけ離れた運用が横行しているのが実情。このため、ブローカーを介在した受け入れを明確に禁止するなど改善を図る。

Next Valentine Lawsuit Hearing Feb 12, 2008 1:30PM

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Mr. Valentine, a Nigerian national, is defending himself against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government after a police beating incident which took place in Shinjuku almost 4 years ago. This is an appeal, as the District Court not only exonerated the NPA for refusing him medical treatment for his broken leg for the duration of his interrogation (which resulted him in becoming crippled for life), but also did so on such spurious grounds as ignoring expert medical testimony of the degree of injury, and dismissed testimony because it came from a black person. Come see his High Court appeal Tues Feb 12, 2008, 1:30PM.

バレンタイン氏の国賠訴訟控訴証人喚問２月１２日開催

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２月１２日、裁判傍聴に来てください！ナイジェリア国籍のバレンタインさんは、新宿歌舞伎町で私服警察官に不当な暴力を振るわれ、障害が残るほどの怪我を負いました。バレンタインさんは東京都に対し国賠訴訟を起こしましたが、昨年３月「歌舞伎町黒人コミュニティーの仲間である同国人の証人証言を、そのまま信用することは到底できない。」などの理由により敗訴。また、東京警察病院は「受診カルテを紛失した」とし、初診の際のカルテを開示しませんでした…

Japan Today/Kyodo on US pressure re Japan’s NJ fingerprinting

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Kyodo: “A U.S. Homeland Security Department official voiced hope Tuesday that the Japanese government will start sometime in the future to take the fingerprints of all 10 fingers of each foreign visitor to step up accuracy of the screening system at immigration.” Why is the US so concerned about how other countries fingerprint, especially since Japan’s already doing far more biometric border control than average? Lobbying for Accenture?

Speaking of Tsukiji and tourism… Japan Times on new rules to limit tourists

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Japan Times: “The Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the capital’s most popular and well-known tourist draws, adopted rules urging visitors to voluntarily “refrain from coming,” because of sanitation concerns and the disruptions they pose to the auction business…. The plan is to reduce — but not cut off — the number of onlookers. After being promoted in recent years as a tourist site, Tsukiji now finds itself the victim of its own success: So many visitors flock to the gigantic fish market each day that they are endangering its sanitation and interfering with business…”

“Japanese Only” sign in Tsukiji Fish Market

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Here’s a sign I received a couple of weeks ago (sans address) from a friend in the Kansai. “JAPANESE PeoPle ONLY” outside a Tsukiji restaurant, along with a litany (in Japanese) of what kind of food appreciation they expect from their customers. How urusai. Problem is, by just flat-out refusing NJ customers, the restaurant wound up insinuating that NJ cannot have this degree of food appreciation, or can follow the rules. My putting this sign up without calling the restaurant to confirm (heck, I didn’t know where it was, and asked for help) caused ruction in the blogosphere, when posters accused me of “covering up” information because I didn’t translate the Japanese on the sign (as if Japanese is some kind of secret code). They also somehow reasoned that the rules in Japanese somehow mitigated the blanket exclusion of NJ indicated in English (culture, foreigners are guests, yada yada yada). They tracked down the restaurant (ironically refusing to divulge its whereabouts to Debito.org, speaking of cover-ups), and wound up, they say, getting the sign down. Anyway, bravo. Let’s hope they’re this active towards the next exclusionary sign…

川崎いじめ訴訟で１００万円の賠償命令–Ethnically-diverse Japanese bullied in school wins lawsuit

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

朝日など：小学生時代のいじめが原因でＰＴＳＤ＝心的外傷後ストレス傷害になったとして生徒と両親がいじめた側に損害賠償を求めた裁判の判決で横浜地裁川崎支部はいじめた同級生の両親に１００万円の支払いを命じました。

Sankei snipes at Chinese workers, comparing Pension System temp inputters with toxic gyouza

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Get a load of this. The Sankei trowels on the insinuations–by comparing the Chinese gyouza poisonings with Chinese temporary workers inputting data into the troubled Japanese pension system. As if letting in Chinese workers to do a Japanese’s work is like letting in toxic gyouza. Whatta headline. True colors disguised as wry humor by the good ol’ Sankei Shinbun. Somebody reel in the editor…

産經：ギョーザだけじゃない？年金記録転記ミスは外国人のせい？

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

産經：「年金記録紛失問題で、オンラインシステムに未入力の「旧台帳」と呼ばれる手書き台帳記録約１４６６万件について、手書きデータをコンピューター入力用紙に転記する際に、中国人などの派遣労働者が漢字を読み間違い、誤記するトラブルが発生していたことが２９日、民主党の厚生労働・総務部門会議で明らかになった。」

Alex Kerr on being a “Yokoso Ambassador” for the GOJ

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Based upon the Japan Times article immediately below, Alex Kerr, author of DOGS AND DEMONS and famous social commentator, has been chosen as a GOJ tourism representative. The Community interest group questioned whether one of Japan’s fiercest social critics of devastating porkbarrel and GOJ excess had in some way “sold out”. Alex was kind enough to answer them specially for Debito.org…

Asahi Watashi no Shiten: Schools for NJ children deserve GOJ support

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Asahi: Since most schools of [NJ] newcomers are not even recognized as kakushu gakko but are treated as “private juku,” they are not even eligible for subsidies from local governments.

Some local governments have eased authorization standards for kakushu gakko. But in Gunma, Saitama and other prefectures that apply strict standards for authorization, it is difficult for most schools for newcomers to meet the requirements. Many of them rent small factories that went out of business and split them into six to nine classrooms to give lessons. Such schools do not even have gymnasiums or schoolyards.

Japanese children are guaranteed free compulsory education at public elementary and junior high schools. Accredited private schools also receive generous government subsidies. However, when parents of foreign nationality enroll their children at foreign schools because they want them to learn the languages and cultures of their homelands, they are not eligible for public support measures.

Matthew Lacey Case: Fukuoka police dismiss NJ death by blow to the head as “dehydration” (Yomiuri & Japan Times)

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Hi Blog. Here are two articles about a mysterious death of a NJ, found dead in his apartment 3 1/2 years ago, deemed not a product of foul play by Fukuoka police (with no autopsy performed). An autopsy overseas reveals the cause of death to be a blow to the head. The Japan Times took …

読売：検視は「病死」、解剖で「脳挫傷」判明…急死の米男性

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

読売：福岡市中央区の自宅マンションで２００４年、急死した米国男性の死因について、福岡県警中央署が側頭部にこぶがあったのに当初は司法解剖せず、検視だけで「病死」と判断し、遺族の要望による解剖で「頭部打撲による脳挫傷」と判明したことがわかった。解剖を受けて、県警は「転倒による事故死」と判断を変更。遺族は納得せず、解剖鑑定書などを見せた法医学者から「他殺の疑いがある」との回答も得て、３０日に県警本部を訪れて再捜査を求める。大相撲・時津風部屋の力士急死事件などでも問題となった検視・解剖のあり方がまた問われそうだ。

Mainichi: Wage dispute between Chinese Trainees and Tochigi strawberry farm

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Mainichi: “A dispute has erupted between a group of Chinese apprentices and strawberry farms in Japan after one farm sacked a group of students and tried to force them to leave the country… The strawberry farms, located in the Tochigi Prefecture towns of Tsuga, Haga and Ninomiya, paid the apprentices only 500 yen an hour, which was below the prefecture’s minimum hourly wage of about 670 yen. The workers union is demanding that the unpaid wages be given to the students and that the five who were sacked be reinstated.”

毎日：イチゴ農家：中国人実習生と雇用めぐりトラブル

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

毎日：　栃木県都賀（つが）町のイチゴ農園「長苺（ちょうぼ）園」が昨年１２月、「不作で仕事がなくなった」との理由で中国人実習生５人を解雇し無りやり帰国させようとしたところ、「栃園（とちえん）会事業協同組合」（江田一之理事長）に加入する長苺園などイチゴ農家７軒（都賀、芳賀（はが）、二宮の３町）の実習生計１５人が逃げ出し、逆に、過去３年の未払い賃金として計約５２２５万円分の支払いを求めるトラブルになっている。

Japan Today: DPJ at odds with itself over PR Suffrage

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Oh well, never mind the DPJ trying to split New Komeito off from the LDP. Seems the Suffrage for Permanent Residents issue has set the DPJ against itself as well, according to Japan Today. This issue is not settled by any means (the DPJ is all over the map ideologically anyway, so this degree of dissent is quite normal, actually), so let’s see where the kerfuffle goes. But for all the people that say that Japan’s NJ demographics and labor issues are politically insignificant, we may in fact be seeing quite a few fault lines between old and new Japan after all…

DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER JANUARY 30, 2008

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

FURTHER POLICING IN JAPAN
1) Gyaku on upcoming GOJ regulations of the Internet: Online content, keitai, and file sharing
2) Kyodo: MOJ says GOJ to scrap NJ registration system and Gaijin Cards
3) Japan Times: Foreigner registration revision to include ID chip, probably same policing function
4) GOJ floats trial balloon: Japanese language improvement for visas
5) ABC Radio Australia: “Expatriates concerned by plans for Japanese language tests”
6) Yomiuri: GOJ shutting out ‘hooligans’ (i.e. antiglobalization activists) from Hokkaido G-8 summit
7) Mark Mino-Thompson on “updated” Hotel Laws: Refusal OK if “unreasonable/unrational burden”
8) Asahi: NPA Survey: 25% of hotels not following NPA demands to check “foreign guest” passports.
9) FCCJ Photo Journalist Per Bodner’s account of his arrest on fictitious “assault charges”
10) Kandai PR Harassment: Why you don’t let non-Immigration people make Immigration decisions…
11) Jeff on Japanese police documenting neighborhood residents
12) TIME: “Japan thwarts abusive police” by tweaking interrogation rules
13) Permanent Resident protests US Govt’s hypocritical apathy towards NJ Fingerprint policy
14) Patricia Aliperti & Catherine Makino on NJ Sexual Slavery/Human Trafficking in Japan

GOOD NEWS
15) Yomiuri: DPJ pushing bill for NJ voting rights in local elections
16) Economist Leader makes the case why immigration is a good thing
17) Christian Science Monitor: “Japanese youth help compatriots embrace diversity”

ODDITIES AND STUPEFIERS
18) Yomiuri et al: 71% of NJ tourists come for Japan’s food, yet 35% of J don’t want NJ tourism increase
19) KTO on a naturalizer back in 1985
20) Historical artifact: NJ Jobs in 1984 (Tokyo Shinbun)

…and finally…
21) Speech by Arudou Debito at Waseda Jan 22, 5PM, on Japan’s Immigration and Human Rights Record (with links to paper and powerpoint presentation)

Kandai PR Harassment: Why you don’t let non-Immigration people make Immigration decisions…

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Here’s why you don’t let amateurs make decisions involving Immigration. Kansai University is harassing one of its teachers for proof of Re-Entry Permit or else they’ll report him as illegal. Despite the fact he is not leaving the country (and needs no REP) and doesn’t need a visa–because he’s a Permanent Resident! Ill-thought-out policy once again falls on the shoulders of the NJ.

Japan Times: Foreigner registration revision to include ID chip, probably same policing function

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Hi Blog. Jun Hongo got on this–the system comes more into focus. NHK said Jan 27 that Gaijin Cards will be replaced with IC Cards, too… Debito ============================== Foreigner registration system to be revised May lead to better services, more control The Japan Times: Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008 By JUN HONGO, Staff writer http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080126a1.html The …

Yomiuri et al: 71% of NJ tourists come for Japan’s food, yet 35% of J don’t want NJ tourism increase

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Eating Japanese food is the most commonly stated reason for visiting Japan among overseas tourists, according to a recent survey. Within character have the Yomiuri talk less about the deterrents to entry (fingerprinting and treatment like criminals and terrorists) and accentuate the positives (food, natch). Update indicates that Japan is the 30th most popular nation to travel to, although it’s 8.3 million tourists nationwide in 2007 is even less than New York City’s tourism alone. No wonder–35% of the public surveyed in 2003 don’t want tourists due to fears of foreign crime.

TIME: “Japan thwarts abusive police” by tweaking interrogation rules

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

TIME Magazine: Facing mounting accusations of brutality, Japan’s National Police set their first-ever guidelines for questioning methods Thursday in an attempt to rein in agents who go too far in pressuring suspects to confess. Critics, however, say the new rules don’t go far enough because they don’t call for video cameras or defense attorneys in interrogation rooms, though one-way mirrors will be installed.

Asahi: LDP project team considering making naturalization easier for Zainichis

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Asahi: A legal division within the Liberal Democratic Party, the “Project Team (PT) on Nationality Issues” (Kouno Taro, Lower House, Chair), decided at a meeting on January 24 to submit to this session of the Diet a bill, entitled “Special Exemption for Special Permanent Residents for Obtaining Japanese Nationality”, which would simplify the procedure for Zainichi North and South Koreans etc. to become Japanese.

国籍取得法案提出へ　自民ＰＴ、特別永住者対象に

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

朝日：自民党法務部会の「国籍問題に関するプロジェクトチーム（ＰＴ）」（座長・河野太郎衆院議員）は２４日の会合で、在日韓国・朝鮮人などの特別永住者が日本国籍を簡単に得られるようにする「特別永住者国籍取得特例法案」を議員立法で今国会に提出する方針を決めた。

Komeito leader agrees with DPJ proposal to give NJ Permanent Residents the right to vote

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Kazuo Kitagawa, secretary-general of ruling coalition partner Komeito, has voiced support for opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader Ichiro Ozawa’s suggestion of considering submitting a bill to give foreigners with permanent residence status the right to vote in local elections.

毎日：外国人選挙権：小沢代表の付与提案に公明歓迎

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

毎日：公明党の北側一雄幹事長は２３日の記者会見で、民主党の小沢一郎代表が永住外国人に地方選挙権を付与する法案の提出を検討する考えを示したことについて「ぜひまとめて、提出してもらいたい。民主党には反対論もあった。まとめていただくなら歓迎だ」と述べた。

朝日：永住外国人の選挙権案、与党揺るがす火種　民主提出方針

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

朝日：永住外国人に地方自治体の選挙権を認める法案が、与党の結束を揺さぶる波乱要因となる可能性が出てきた。在日韓国人を中心に待望論があり、公明党などが繰り返し提出してきたが、そのつど自民党内から反発が出て成立していない。ところが、民主党の小沢代表が成立に向けて踏み出し、公明党がその動きに期待を表明した。民主党案が提出されれば、与野党で賛否が入り乱れる構図となりそうだ。

Speaking at Wakuwaku Fiesta in Urawa, Saitama for J & NJ residents, Sat Jan 26 1PM

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Speaking in Urawa, Saitama, at Wakuwaku Fiesta–an open forum to promote mutual understanding between Japanese and non-Japanese citizens of Saitama. We will have our own suggestions and find solutions to commonly encountered day-to- day problems. Together we hope to help build Saitama City as “Foreigners’ favorite City to live in”! With a diet member involved, you can express your ideas like how to improve foreigner’s rights to a country policy level. Date: January 26, 2008 Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm 「Open Forum」…

FCCJ Photo Journalist Per Bodner’s account of his arrest on fictitious “assault charges”

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Per Bodner, a professional photo journalist from Sweden (8 years resident in Japan, married with a house here), was arrested and charged with a alleged assault on a Tokyo taxicab driver right outside the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on his way home from work November 28. His account of the incarceration and legal treatment (and ignored testimony) as a defendant, presented at the FCCJ December 12, 2007, blogged here.

Speech at Waseda Jan 22, 5PM, on Japan’s Immigration and Human Rights Record

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

WASEDA UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL STUDENT NETWORK PRESENTS A SYMPOSIUM:
“Implications of Japanese domestic human rights record (for foreign residents or Japanese) on Asian Integration”
JANUARY 22, 2008 5PM-7PM,
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Kawakami Sonoko, Amnesty International, Katsuma Yasushi, Associate Professor, Waseda University, and Arudou Debito.

ABC Radio Australia: “Expatriates concerned by plans for Japanese language tests”

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

ABC Radio Australia: “The new regulations, supposedly aimed at eradicating illegal residents, is just going to push them underground more than anything,” Dr Burgess told Radio Australia. “I think, in some ways this is a poorly thought out policy and just a knee-jerk reaction to public attitudes which demand more to be done to tackle the foreign crime – a myth that you see in newspapers all the time, that foreigners are criminals; unfounded statistically, but that’s the myth.” Coupla other comments worth viewing/listening to…

Christian Science Monitor: “Japanese youth help compatriots embrace diversity”

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Christian Science Monitor: “Certainly, the self-image of a homogeneous society remains strong. But some say that perception is incorrect. The official count of registered foreign residents is 2 percent of the nation’s total population of 128 million; but that represents an increase of 47 percent in the past 10 years and excludes many non-Japanese residents. While Japan has witnessed more international marriages – 21,000 children are born to these couples every year – its census figures do not show ethnicity. Moreover, the number of registered foreigners does not include naturalized citizens, indigenous people, or those who overstay their visas, argues Debito Arudou, a US-born social activist who became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 2000.”

GOJ floats trial balloon: Japanese language improvement for visas

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

GOJ Foreign Minister Komura floated a policy trial balloon to require language testing and improvement before granting NJ long-term visas in future. Problems abound, not the least the GOJ is resorting to sticks, not carrots, to make people learn Nihongo. The term “long term” is vague, and how many laborers would want to spend all this time learning a language which only matter within this archipelago (when they could learn English, French, Spanish, etc. and work in lots more places)? I agree that everyone should learn how to read, write, and speak Japanese if they want to live here. I just think the proposal as it stands is (as usual) half-baked and encouraging of more NJ workplace and visa abuses.

毎日：入国や在留審査で日本語能力を重視へ　政府

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

来日外国人：入国や在留審査で日本語能力を重視へ　政府 毎日新聞　2008年1月15日 http://mainichi.jp/select/world/news/20080116k0000m010023000c.html 　政府は日本に長期滞在する外国人の入国や在留許可審査の際、日本語能力を要件として重視する具体策を外務、法務両省が検討することを決めた。就労目的などで増加傾向にある外国人が地域社会に溶け込みやすい環境整備につなげるとともに、来日する外国人にも日本語学習意欲を高めてもらうのが狙い。 　高村正彦外相が１５日の閣議後会見で明らかにした。外相は「日本語能力は、外国人自身の生活の質を高めるためにも、日本社会のためにも大切」と強調したうえで「『日本へ行くために日本語を勉強しよう』という機運が高まれば大変よいことだ」と述べた。 　具体的には、入国時の上陸審査基準に日本語能力を新たに盛り込むかどうかや、在留期間の更新、資格変更時に日本語能力の向上について確認するなど、何らかの形で考慮することが検討対象となる見通し。外務省によると、カナダでは就労目的の永住者が査証申請時に提出する略歴で、語学力を含む６項目をポイント化し、総ポイント数に応じて許可。英国、ドイツ、フランスで語学能力を重視する移民政策を取っているという。 　ただ、政府内には、要件を厳しくすることで「査証（ビザ）の発給・更新などに影響が生じ、貴重な人材が入国できなくなる可能性もある」との課題を指摘する声もある。【上野央絵】 毎日新聞　2008年1月15日　18時12分　（最終更新時間　1月15日　23時34分）

DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER JANUARY 15, 2008

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

SPECIAL ISSUE: STARING DOWN THE DISCRIMINATORS IN JAPAN
1) STARING DOWN AN EXCLUSIONARY BALLET SCHOOL IN TOKYO
2) STARING DOWN AN EXCLUSIONARY NEWSPAPER OUTLET IN ISHIKAWA PREF
3) STARING DOWN AN EXCLUSIONARY LANDLORD IN YAMAGATA
4) GOING TOO FAR IN THE OTHER DIRECTION: CHEST HAIR AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT!?
…and finally, just for fun…
5) HUMOR: LETTER TO THE EDITOR REGARDING GOJ “UFO INVASION” SCENARIO

“Human Rights” when enforced in Japan: Chest hair equals “sexual harassment”

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Iwate festival produces “offensive” festival poster with exposed chest hair, banned by JR East as “sexual harassment”. Now let’s see if they’ll do the same with broadcasts of Sumo on their premises… The concept of human rights in this society are mechakucha indeed, and it’s situations like these that make it all the more difficult for people to take human rights activists seriously!

Ryan Hagglund on how he successfully dealt with an exclusionary landlord

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Ryan Hagglund on how he successfully dealt with a very common problem in Japan–dealing with exclusionary landlords. Lessons: 1) be as polite as possible while being clear that you will not accept a denial based on being foreign, and 2) audio record everything just in case you have to go to court. (Covert recordings are also admissible in court.)

Mark Mino-Thompson on “updated” Hotel Laws: Refusal OK if “unreasonable/unrational burden”

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Mark Mino-Thompson reports below on his discovery of new “amendments” to the Ryokan Gyouhou (Hotel Management Law), created in English and Japanese legalese and in generic format (meaning written by somebody else) for use in hotels nationwide. They are vague enough to make it seem as though a hotel could refuse a NJ lodging if the lodger poses an “unreasonable/unrational burden” (such as speaking a foreign language or offering beds instead of futons?).

Permanent Resident protests US Embassy’s inaction towards protecting human rights of own citizens

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Got this letter last night from a friend who’s gotten disgusted with the US Embassy’s inaction towards protecting the human rights of its citizens. Myself, I think the USG has long forgotten it’s primary duty to its taxpayers/citizens, and sees its main duty as selling weapons and maintaining military bases and regional interests. Even though it has plenty of wherewithal (especially vis-a-vis Japan) to take on issues that affect the NJ residents here under their purview. The Canadian Govt. does, what with the Murray Wood Case, for one example. They even commented personally during the Otaru Onsens Case. (The USG did comment on its Country Reports on Human Rights, which I appreciate very much, but it was essentially too little, too late) Here’s the letter.

Jeff on Japanese police documenting neighborhood residents

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Is this happening to you? Cops coming to your door assiduously to find out who’s living there? Asking you to write down very personal details on a special card for keeping at the local police station? Are places with NJ residents being singled out? I open this topic to comments to see if there is any kind of national campaign going on, since this has never happened to me in all my twenty plus years in Japan, either as a Japanese or as a NJ. And if it did, I doubt I am under any legal compulsion to cooperate.

Economist Leader makes the case why immigration is a good thing

Posted on by Debito Arudou, Ph.D.

Economist (London) on Immigration: “Above all, perspective is needed. The vast population movements of the past four decades have not brought the social strife the scaremongers predicted. On the contrary, they have offered a better life for millions of migrants and enriched the receiving countries both culturally and materially. But to preserve these great benefits in the future, politicians need the courage not only to speak up against the populist tide in favour of the gains immigration can bring, but also to deal honestly with the problems it can sometimes cause.”