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Hi Blog. I know it’s a couple of weeks in, but Happy New Year! May all Debito.org Readers feel safe and happy, and professionally secure and fulfilled in 2023!
I’ll classify this as one of my Debito.org Newsletters, since I haven’t put one up on Debito.org for a few months.
As regular Readers know, the second half of 2022 was particularly quiet for me as a blogger. Not as an author, of course, as I still put out my regular monthly Shingetsu News Agency “Visible Minorities” Columns. And not as a professional, as I have been employed full time in recent semesters with six classes teaching hundreds of students Political Science. All of my energies have been going towards crafting lectures and powerpoints, grading, and lecturing. Last semester alone, despite Covid, I held 210 in-person classes, and enjoyed every minute of them. I love teaching. It’s probably as much my calling as writing and research.
That is why blogging here on Debito.org has taken a back seat as of late. Also, my teaching involves Japan a lot less, as I’m teaching courses on other governmental systems, and reminding myself that it’s a big, complex world out there with lots to talk about. Many times the things on my mind aren’t something I see as materiel for this blog, so I’ve had trouble getting my writing mojo going.
(But if my thoughts on issues that aren’t necessarily Japan-specific are also of interest to Debito.org Readers, please let me know as such in the Comments section below.)
But one thing that makes me thankful: Debito.org Readers are still thinking about the issues long discussed here, and are carrying on the conversation even if I’m busy elsewhere. You can see their comments both under my posts and under the Debito.org Newsletters.
Thank you everyone for keeping the torch lit. I’ll try to do better but I can’t promise. I’m teaching another six classes this semester, and anticipating enjoying it just as much as ever.
Thank you all for reading Debito.org. Sincerely, Debito
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88 comments on “DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER, JAN 17, 2023: Happy New Year! And Debito.org’s relative inactivity”
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While scholars and journalists plan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Koreans and Chinese massacred after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the GoJ keeps silent:
Scholars, journalists to commemorate Koreans, Chinese massacred in wake of 1923 Japan quake / 関東大震災100年 朝鮮人・中国人犠牲者の追悼大会など開催へ
Let’s keep an eye on this case:
Prosecutors brand threats sent to Korean union as ‘hate crime’ in Japan 1st / 民団脅迫を「ヘイトクライム」 初公判で徳島地検 懲役10月求刑
Well, this is curious: both of the articles I referenced above are no longer available on The Mainichi’s website.
In any case the man was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for four years with probation:
Man handed suspended sentence over threat to Korean residents’ group in Japan / 民団脅迫、大学生有罪 「偏見にまみれ独善的」 徳島地裁判決 (Japanese language paywall version)
But here’s the rub: in his ruling, the judge said “This is a self-righteous and selfish crime, riddled with prejudice against South Korea and an attempt to terrorize and exclude those with ideological beliefs different from his own.”
Notice something missing?
Oh, why was this?
Ah, well then I guess it wasn’t a hate crime!
Here’s hoping The Mainichi doesn’t decide to disappear these articles from their website as well.
— Feel free to copy-paste the text here when you see an article. Sorry I didn’t get to it myself sooner. The record shouldn’t be allowed to disappear.
Local staff at Afghan embassy who fled to Japan say they are being pushed to return.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230513/p2g/00m/0na/018000c
Justice ministry treatens them with „hell“ if they try to stay in Japan. Nice omotenashi.
Well, as Japan got the “praise” for accepting them but as it is no longer in the headlines so much, I suppose its “OK to return home (certainly not here) now” because as we all know, not speaking the impossible to learn Japanese- one of the world’s most difficult languages- is enough to make life equivalent to damnation. In fact, there is absolutely no signage in English at all in Japan, making a PHD in Kanji obligatory in order to purchase food at 7/11.
The authorities probably conclude that as there are no convenience stores in Afghanistan, let alone Starbucks, the sheer abundance of such non Halal outlets must make it a sheer hell for anyone from a muslim country.
They are probably urging him to leave out of kindness. Like the time the building concierge asked our school if the western teachers knew how to use the western toilet properly. After that, I always make it a point to kindly inquire if said Japanese person can also use (insert appliance here, e.g. forks, telephones, door handles).
I am also inclined to agree with their honesty, that Japan indeed can be hell. Hell for all those “trainees” being abused, so really, Japan stop sniffing around low income areas for naive recruits in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea already and roll out those robots you keep talking about. Surely there is no Robot Hell, after all. They take the “human” out of human rights.
I do worry though, that the hellish aspects of Japan do not bode well for attracting those “elite” foreigners who are supposed to come here for two years, spend spend spend on sushi and fine dining, and then go back home. Michael Woodford and Carlos Ghosn will surely concur- hellish detention without trial, for instance.
Upper House member Mizuho Umemura’s pouring of salt into the still-open wound regarding the circumstances surrounding Wishma Sandamali’s untimely demise forces the Japan Restoration Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai) to give her the boot:
Dead detainee’s family criticizes lawmaker for doubting illness / 「事実無根」遺族ら抗議 ウィシュマさん巡る維新・梅村みずほ氏発言 (Japanese language paywall version)
EDITORIAL: Ishin’s Umemura disgraced party with remarks on dead detainee / （社説）維新・梅村議員 根拠のない発言 撤回を
Umemura loses Diet committee seat in row over dead detainee / 維新、梅村議員処分へ ウィシュマさん巡る発言 (Japanese language paywall version)
Japan opposition disciplines member for remarks over late Sri Lankan woman / 梅村みずほ氏、委員更迭へ ウィシュマさんの死因巡る発言で維新「ウィシュマさんはハンストで亡くなったかもしれない」維新・梅村議員の国会での発言に遺族らが抗議 入管は事実認定なし【news23】｜TBS NEWS DIG
ウィシュマさんの死に「詐病かも」 “臆測”で波紋 梅村みずほ議員を維新が更迭(2023年5月19日)
Good! In addition to raising their voices against proposed changes to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, activists can also express their discontent with Mizuho Umemura and her party:
大阪で入管法改正案に反対デモ 梅村議員の発言も非難
“I don’t want lawmakers to take children hostage. If special permission to stay in Japan is truly necessary, please grant it immediately.”
Well, unfortunately “special permission” has became a bargaining chip, and the children are worse off for it:
Peruvian without residency status faces deportation after graduation / 日本生まれでも強制送還の不安 入管法審議「児童の利益」どうなる？
Given that the current refugee certification process is a GoJ-controlled black box, the following should come as no surprise:
Japan lawyers’ group doubts counselor screened 1,000 refugee cases a year / 難民審査「年間1000件」に全難連が疑問 担当参与員「可能」
This is great to see:
Protestors, sisters of deceased detainee march in Tokyo against immigration law revisions / 入管法改正に「ノー」 渋谷でデモ ウィシュマさんの妹2人も集会に
「外国人をいじめるな」 川崎で入管法案廃止を求めるデモ
Too bad it’s only for six months:
Party suspends Japan lawmaker for remarks on Sri Lankan who died in immigration detention / 維新、梅村みずほ氏を党員資格停止処分に ウィシュマさん巡る発言で
【日本維新の会】 梅村みずほ議員を6か月の党員資格停止処分 “ハンストで亡くなったかも”発言めぐり
I’m pleasantly surprised that an NJ who would be affected by revisions to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act was invited to give their thoughts on this legislation:
入管法改正「家族がバラバラに」 25歳のクルド人男性、国会で訴え
Yup, they sure are!
Sudanese in Japan living in fear over their refugee status / 難民認定されずスーダンに送還処分 「危ない」在留許可求める (Japanese language paywall version)
Follow-up regarding my comment here regarding the 2017 death of Arjun Bahadur Singh (a Nepalese man who was forcibly restrained while in police custody): The bereaved family has appealed the ruling.
From the article:
Nepal man’s life worth $7,000? Ruling called discriminatory / 警察の違法行為で死亡、賠償認めたのに ネパール人だから100万円 (Japanese language paywall version)
In other news regarding proposed changes to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law…
New facts cast serious doubt over the assumptions on which the proposal is based: EDITORIAL: Serious doubts arise on fairness of screening of asylum requests / （社説）入管法改正案 根拠への疑義に答えよ
The Kyoto Bar Association chair issues a statement opposing immigration law revisions / 入管法「改悪に反対」 京都弁護士会長が声明 ／京都 (Japanese language paywall version)
As artist has enlisted the metaverse for protesting / SNS上の熱量を可視化したい 「メタバースデモ」で入管法改正反対 (Japanese language paywall version)
In other news, the Cabinet approved expansion of the number of fields in the Specified Skilled Worker Class II visa from 2 to 11:
Japan to expand skilled worker visa system to address labor shortage
9 more fields approved for foreign skilled worker visas / 特定技能2号、11分野への対象拡大を閣議決定 家族の帯同も可能に (Japanese language paywall version)
FOCUS: Japan faces headwinds in drawing foreign workers despite visa change
Despite a veritable typhoon’s worth of clouds hanging over revisions to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, the changes were railroaded through the Diet nonetheless:
EDITORIAL: Diet should not pass bill allowing easier deporting of immigrants / （社説）入管法の迷走 採決は国民への背信だ
Bill to revise immigration control law passes Diet / 入管法改正が参院で可決・成立 難民申請、3回目以降は送還可能に (Japanese language paywall version)
Japan Diet passes controversial bill to revise immigration law
FOCUS: Refugee law deportation changes empower Japan gov’t amid distrust
EDITORIAL: Revised bill on immigration fails to achieve its core goal
Editorial: Japan’s revised immigration law undermines human rights protection principle / 改正入管法の成立 これでは人権を守れない
Based on the pittance awarded to his countryman, I’m not optimistic about the result of Ram’s lawsuit:
Nepalese man sues Japan gov’t after injury at detention center not treated for 4 months / 入管施設でけが、放置され寝たきりに 「声聞いて」法改正に訴え
Also from the article is this remark from Ram’s lawyer:
Tokyo District Court reduces the amount awarded to one-sixth of what was sought:
Japan court orders man to pay $2,330 in damages to photojournalist for hate speech tweet / 「ヘイト投稿」男性に賠償命令 安田菜津紀さん被害で地裁
Video clip of Wishma‘s mistreatment in the detention center which lead to her death is shown for first time in Japanese court.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230622/p2a/00m/0na/002000c
I really hope that family gets some kind of justice, even though that‘s pretty much impossible because there‘s no way you can compensate someones life and it‘s Japan, so the punishment for killing a „gaijin“ will probably be laughable.
It‘s unbelivable how the Japanese government refused to solve lenghty detentions and inhuman conditions inside these detention centers. Instead they made it easier to deport people who apply for refugee status, which directly violates the UN 1951 Refugee Convention. There needs to be some reaction from the UN now. Japan needs to be called out on this.
Interesting article that mirrors a lot of things we’ve been saying on Debito.org for decades. It’s also the first time I’m seeing Japanese media saying the quiet part out loud, the LDP doesn’t want immigrants in Japan.
“The No. 2 visa had been limited to just the two fields until now due to pressure from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s conservative wing. Their explanation was that the change “would result in the permanent residency of the foreign workers’ families, which would in effect lead to the acceptance of immigrants.”
The article continues with “In Japan, foreigners have been treated as a workforce adjustment valve. Policy for accepting foreign nationals has been ad hoc, merely responding to the country’s economic conditions. Their rights as workers and ordinary residents have been neglected.”
And “It is also important to strengthen support for the workers’ daily lives in anticipation of them becoming permanent residents”
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230628/p2a/00m/0op/017000c
It’s really rare that a Japanese newspaper writes this kind of stuff. Even though the Mainichi is generally pro immigration, I’ve never seen them call out the LDP like that. Finally someone in the media speaks the truth and tells it like it is- LDP doesn’t want to allow immigrants to permanently settle in Japan. They only want cheap workers with no rights, who will “go home” after 5 years.
I recently noticed an uptick of Philippine, Vietnamese and Indian immigrants in various European countries though. Things are getting uncomfortable for Japan, workers from other Asian countries are not stupid and they know about Japan’s horrible working conditions for foreigners and all the other stuff like racial profiling from police, institutionalised racism, etc. They’ll rather go to Europe and other western countries where their rights are respected. Life’s to short to be bullied and abused.
Unfortunately, I don’t see the GoJ having this coming-to-Jesus talk anytime soon:
Japan needs nat’l conversation on population decline, immigration: expert policy group / 「移民問題含め、人口減少議論を」 令和臨調、少子化対策の限界指摘
Hmmm…could the GoJ be on track to beat its 2022 record of granting refugee status to 202 people?:
Japan recognizes record 114 people as refugees at one time / 114人を難民認定 過去最大規模 アフガンから避難 (Japanese language paywall version)
Here’s a great article from Mainichi Shimbun that captures the current situation w.r.t “Japan passing” as it pertains to Nepalese:
Nepalese company president probes Japan’s challenges for coexistence with foreigners / 外国人との共生 (Japanese language paywall version)
From the article:
Right off the bat, Japan is not attracting Nepal’s best and brightest. Why is that?
The way I read this, Nepalese elites aren’t going to bother learning Nihongo on top on having to learn English.
But there’s not just a linguistic barrier at work, there’s also a monetary barrier:
If that weren’t enough, there’s also an attitude barrier:
And to top it off, there are social barriers:
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