Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mishlert]

[Stout]

Yeah, well, the Japanese are exhibiting some nutty behavior nowadays-

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/man-in-underwear-swims-palace-moat-to-meet-emperor

TOKYO �
A Japanese man who was arrested early Sunday inside the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo wearing only his underwear told police he swam across the moat to meet the emperor.

The man, in his 30s, did not seemed to have a clear political motive, said a duty officer at the Imperial Guard Headquarters.

�At the time of his arrest, around 4:34 a.m., he said, �I came to see the emperor. I swam over,�� the officer said.

The man�s clothing was found on the side of a street surrounding the moat, the officer said, adding that police would examine whether he is mentally fit to stand in criminal proceedings.

Light but cold rain fell in Tokyo early Sunday, with temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius.

� 2012 AFP

[Stout]

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/man-fakes-own-death-with-brothers-corpse-to-escape-debts

TOKYO �
A Japanese man faked his own death by claiming his late brother�s body was his own, police and media said Thursday.

Even while Tsukasa Oizumi�s older sibling was alive, he used to use his driving license to get around the fact that his own had been revoked for repeated traffic offenses, the Mainichi daily said.

When the brother fell ill and died aged 56 in 2008, Oizumi decided to take over his identity completely in a bid to escape from his debts.

He told authorities that the corpse was his own, and even the doctor who dealt with the brother�s demise did not suspect anything, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The body was cremated, as is normal in Japan.

Oizumi, now 58, went on to claim social security benefits in his brother�s name for caring for their elderly mother at home, it added.

But he turned himself in to a local welfare office last June because of �a guilty conscience,� the Asahi said.

Police�who took months to establish the truth of Oizumi�s confession�arrested him Wednesday �for allegedly disguising himself as his dead brother and registering incorrect data for official certificates,� a spokesman said.

� 2012 AFP

[everything-is-everything]

Stout, your posts really have nothing to do with the OP. Not sure what you're getting at?



Anyways, Japan is still awesome, but I agree that the authorities overthere are much bigger dickheads than here in South Korea.

[repeatpete]

If you follow the discussion which follows the 'Banyan blog' at the Economist website, more is revealed. I'm not at all convinced this is a cut and dried issue of a foreigner (Christopher Johnson) being treated awfully.

Visiting Seoul for three days sounds like a visa run so was there a tourist visa violation issue? Johnson's refusing to discuss his visa status cos of 'privacy issues'/he kept editing/re-editing his original posts when inconsistencies were highlighted etc.
Apparently he is trying to release a book too which this publicity will no doubt aid.

This next bit is irrelevant to the thread but Johnson was interviewed by phone on CTV (March 16 2011) and talked about how he was one of the 'last foreigners in Tokyo' which sounded a bit Walter Mitty-esque and similar to the twit of a banker in this garbage;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/8388597/Japan-earthquake-I-had-a-lucky-escape.html

(the photo and title give the impression he just escaped a wall of water when, in fact, he was 200 miles south.)

As regards Christopher Johnson, there is another side to this story. There are stories of appalling abuse involving Japanese immigration;

http://www.economist.com/node/16113280

but I am not convinced that Christopher Johnson's story is one of them.

[Dave Chance]

[madoka]

[happiness]

ive read that and the comments. i dont think were hearing anything. i lived in japan, and i never heard anything that ghastly. Im thinking hes trying to drum up attention for that book hes selling.

if not, im sure his visa was not on the up and up, 3 day visit to korea when he has a girl he lives with and dogs? he was maybe visaless....

i dont buy it...

[Paddycakes]

If you're interested in following the story, more can be found here...

There's more to this story than meets the eye:

http://www.japanprobe.com/2012/01/20/christopher-johnson-under-fire-for-gaijin-gulag-article/

I'm amazed though that that Economist would publish his story...

What's next... the Economist is going to start uncritically publishing Daves threads?

[repeatpete]

small correction paddycakes, in point of fact, The Economist did not publish the story. It appears on the blog 'Banyan.'
However, I agree, The Economist putting its name to it is a surprise and no doubt grist to Christopher Johnson's mill.

[tfunk]

The blog entry by Mr.Johnson appears amateur and sensationalist. He tries to drum up the emotions, without much basis.


For about four hours, I sat in limbo, unable to properly communicate with the outside world.

Wow. Four whole hours. You're going to hate the plane trip back to Canada then.

Starving and tired

Starving at 4pm. Really?

Various people in various uniforms aggressively shoved various documents in my face for me to sign.

This is comedy gold.

Less than half a day in...

I chased away dark thoughts�suicide, protest, escape�from my mind. I cried for myself, and for the tortured souls of the previous tenants.

[everything-is-everything]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[tfunk]

[Steelrails]