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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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 Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:04 am Post subject: If you're thinking about moving to Japan, think again... |
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Looks like Japan, at least the police and airport police, may be more xenophobic, a LOT more, than Korea. Hard to believe? Dude has been stopped more than 100 times by police while riding his bicycle. Also, police routinely put drugs in unsuspecting foreigner traveller's bags, to test the security systems. Guess what, they sometimes lose track of the bags. I don't think I'll be flying to or through Japan anytime soon.
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Beware the foreigner as guinea pig
By DEBITO ARUDOU
Anywhere in the world, noncitizens have fewer legal rights than citizens. Japan's Supreme Court would agree: On June 2, in a landmark case granting citizenship to Japanese children of unmarried Philippines mothers, judges ruled that Japanese citizenship is necessary "for the protection of basic human rights."
Cheery cherry farmers
On the best: Security patrols Sapporo train station Sunday as Hokkaido hosts the 2008 Group of Eight Summit. KYODO PHOTO
A shortage of rights for some humans is evident, however, whenever police partake in racial profiling � for example, stopping you for walking or cycling while "gaijin." Japanese citizens are protected against such random interrogations by the "Police Execution of Duties Act," which requires probable cause of a crime. But noncitizens, thanks to the Foreign Registry Law, can be questioned at anytime, anyplace, under penalty of arrest.
The societal damage caused by this is not so easily compartmentalized by nationality. Denying legal rights to some people will eventually affect everyone, especially since non-Japanese (NJ) are being used as a proving ground for embryonic public policy.
Let's look closer at racial profiling. Mark Butler (a pseudonym), a 10-year Caucasian resident of Japan, has been stopped by police a lot � 117 times to be exact. He cycles home at sunrise after working in the financial night markets.
Never mind that these cops see Butler every night. Or that the same cop has stopped him several times. Or that they sometimes make a scene chasing him down the street and interrogate him in the cold and rain like a criminal suspect. The real question is why they do this.
Cops generally claim a quest for bicycle thieves, never making it clear why Butler arouses suspicion. When pressed further they admit: "Sure, we know you're not a crook, but Chinese gangs are causing trouble, and if we don't crack down on foreigners, the public thinks we're not doing our job."
But at stop No. 67, at a police box that had checked him more than 40 times already, a nervous junior cop admitted that this was his "kunren" (training).
"It seemed the older officer there remembered I wasn't a thief," said Butler, "and saw an opportunity for some on-the-job training � without the risk of dealing with an actual criminal."
"I'd be happy to serve as a paid actor who rides past police stations and cooperates (or not, as directed) with the trainees. But these are officials making use of innocent people � and foreigners at that � for their kunren, with small and large risks forced upon the innocent party."
No larger risk imaginable was recently forced upon a gaijin gimp by Narita Customs.
On May 26, a customs official planted 124 grams of cannabis in a NJ tourist's bag. Why again? It was to train the sniffer dog.
Unbelievably, the bag got lost. Customs later tracked down the tourist and his bag at a Tokyo hotel. They publicly blamed one bad egg � and one bad dog.
However the Kyodo news agency now reports Narita has laced bags 160 times since last September. The Mainichi in English called it "common practice."
Never mind that anyone else doing this would be committing a crime. If the bag had got on a connecting flight to a place such as Singapore, the unwitting possessor could have been executed!
Japan also has stiff penalties for drug possession, so imagine this being your bag, and police on the beat snag you for some questioning. Do you think "how'd that get there?" would have sufficed as an excuse?
It did not for Nick Baker, arrested shortly before World Cup 2002, and sentenced to 14 years despite evidence he was an unwitting drug mule.
And it did not suffice for a Swiss woman, arrested in October 2006 on suspicion of smuggling meth from Malaysia. Despite being found innocent twice in court, she has not been released.
Narita Customs said reprimands would be issued, paychecks docked, but nobody fired. That'll learn 'em.
But still the lack of transparency, such as whether Mr. Bad Egg knew the suitcase owner's nationality from the bag tag, is indicative. It is not inconceivable that his bag selection was judicious: If he had egged a Japanese, think of the lawsuit.
Mr. Bad Egg had spiked bags 90 times according to Kyodo. Apparently he was determined not to follow what customs officials claim is standard procedure (such as stashing the contraband in a dummy bag; although common-sense precautions, like including a GPS locator or labeling the box "Property of Narita Customs," apparently are not), it seems logical that he would target a gaijin guinea pig and safely hedge his bets.
But why should citizens care what happens to NJ? Because NJ are crash-test dummies for policy creep.
For example, systemic full-time contract employment, or "ninkisei" first started with the foreigners. In Japan's universities (and many of its workplaces), if a Japanese was hired full-time, he got lifetime employment � unable to be sacked unless he did something illegal or really stupid (like, um, planting drugs?).
However, NJ educators and employees were given contracts, often capped at a certain age or number of renewals. And they didn't get "fired" in legal terms � their contracts were merely "nonrenewed." There was no legal recourse, because you agreed to the poison pill by signing the contract. Thus nationality and job stability were correlated, in a practice long derided as "academic apartheid." Who cared? NJ were supposed to go back to their home countries someday anyway.
However, in the 1990s, with the low birthrate and declining student numbers, Japan's universities found themselves in trouble. So in 1997, a new law was passed enabling full-time Japanese educators to be hired on contracts like foreigners. Hey, it had kept the gaijin disposable for the past century � why not downsize everyone?
Eventually the entire job market recognized how "temping" and "freetering" workers empowered the bottom line. Contract employment is now universal � applied, according to Louis Carlet of the National Union of General Workers, to 20 percent of Japanese men, 50 percent of Japanese women and 90 percent of NJ workers.
Another example occurred back in 2003 when the government tried "gaijin carding" the entire population with the Juki-Net System. However, it faced a huge (and rare) public backlash; an Osaka High Court Judge even ruled it unconstitutional in 2006 as an invasion of privacy. Oddly, the judge died in an apparent suicide four days after his ruling, and the Supreme Court reversed his decision last March 6. Now the decks are legally cleared to track everyone.
Meanwhile, new, improved, centralized gaijin cards with computerized chips are in the pipeline to keep the policing system evolving.
More examples that show how Japanese citizens being subjected to treatment traditionally reserved for NJ include police stopping Japanese and rifling through their backpacks (vernacular articles are now advising readers that this is still illegal).
Also, more public surveillance cameras are appearing nationwide, after Japan's first neighborhood "foreign crime" cameras were installed in Tokyo's Kabukicho district in February 2002. According to NHK, Tokyo is getting 4000 new ones for the Group of Eight Summit � temporarily, we hope � as Japan has been converted into a temporary police state for the sake of catching "terrorists" (foreigners, naturally).
What's next? How about fingerprinting everyone and forcing them to carry tracking devices? Hey, if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to fear from extra surveillance, right? Besides, the gaijin have already set the precedent.
The moral here is that our fellow native residents should not think that they won't be "gaijinized" just because they are citizens. No matter what the Supreme Court writes about the power of citizenship, when it comes to the erosion of civil rights, noncitizens are the canaries in the coal mine.
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:18 am Post subject: |
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This needs some SERIOUS international attention.
This is a SERIOUS issue.
| Quote: |
On May 26, a customs official planted 124 grams of cannabis in a NJ tourist's bag. Why again? It was to train the sniffer dog.
Unbelievably, the bag got lost. Customs later tracked down the tourist and his bag at a Tokyo hotel. They publicly blamed one bad egg � and one bad dog.
However the Kyodo news agency now reports Narita has laced bags 160 times since last September. The Mainichi in English called it "common practice."
Never mind that anyone else doing this would be committing a crime. If the bag had got on a connecting flight to a place such as Singapore, the unwitting possessor could have been executed!
Japan also has stiff penalties for drug possession, so imagine this being your bag, and police on the beat snag you for some questioning. Do you think "how'd that get there?" would have sufficed as an excuse?
It did not for Nick Baker, arrested shortly before World Cup 2002, and sentenced to 14 years despite evidence he was an unwitting drug mule.
And it did not suffice for a Swiss woman, arrested in October 2006 on suspicion of smuggling meth from Malaysia. Despite being found innocent twice in court, she has not been released.
Narita Customs said reprimands would be issued, paychecks docked, but nobody fired. That'll learn 'em. |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| bassexpander wrote: |
This needs some SERIOUS international attention.
This is a SERIOUS issue.
| Quote: |
On May 26, a customs official planted 124 grams of cannabis in a NJ tourist's bag. Why again? It was to train the sniffer dog.
Unbelievably, the bag got lost. Customs later tracked down the tourist and his bag at a Tokyo hotel. They publicly blamed one bad egg � and one bad dog.
However the Kyodo news agency now reports Narita has laced bags 160 times since last September. The Mainichi in English called it "common practice."
Never mind that anyone else doing this would be committing a crime. If the bag had got on a connecting flight to a place such as Singapore, the unwitting possessor could have been executed!
Japan also has stiff penalties for drug possession, so imagine this being your bag, and police on the beat snag you for some questioning. Do you think "how'd that get there?" would have sufficed as an excuse?
It did not for Nick Baker, arrested shortly before World Cup 2002, and sentenced to 14 years despite evidence he was an unwitting drug mule.
And it did not suffice for a Swiss woman, arrested in October 2006 on suspicion of smuggling meth from Malaysia. Despite being found innocent twice in court, she has not been released.
Narita Customs said reprimands would be issued, paychecks docked, but nobody fired. That'll learn 'em. |
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Don't worry. I found it on this website: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
It's getting out there in a big way. Gotta love how some countries think they can do things like this and get away with it. First this, then the mad cow hysteria in Korea, and all the abuses of China. I'd say the West should just boycott these countries, but the problem is, we don't manufacture anything anymore. |
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OnTheOtherSide
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:35 am Post subject: |
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That's exactly what I was saying in another thread. Japan is unbelievably racist and definantly worse than Korea. I would never, ever live in Japan.
Within my first hours of visiting Japan I could tell there was strong racism there. I ended up being refused by every hotel and sleeping on the streets. And it was a fact that some of those hotels had rooms available, yet refused to rent them to me.
I don't see how anyone could possibly fail to notice it. It's terribly obvious.
Korean express their racism in a much more blunt and rude way. But Japanese racism is much deeper and more profound I think. |
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IncognitoHFX
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: |
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I'm really confused about Japan. So many people claim it's some kind of magical paradise, roughly 90% of those I talk to to be exact, and the other 10% make it out to be twice as xenophobic as Korea.
Is it just outside of Tokyo that Japan is like this? I'm going to Japan this month so I guess I'll find out. |
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endo
Joined: 14 Mar 2004
Location: Seoul...my home
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:09 am Post subject: |
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| On May 26, a customs official planted 124 grams of cannabis in a NJ tourist's bag. |
124 grams!!!!
That's over four ounces! Damn!!!
I'll be in Tokyo in a few week time. I sure hope they plant that much herb on me.  |
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Doogie
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Location: Hwaseong City
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:10 am Post subject: |
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| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
I'm really confused about Japan. So many people claim it's some kind of magical paradise, roughly 90% of those I talk to to be exact, and the other 10% make it out to be twice as xenophobic as Korea.
Is it just outside of Tokyo that Japan is like this? I'm going to Japan this month so I guess I'll find out. |
Same here. I've never been to Japan but everyone I've ever met that's lived there absolutely loved it. |
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milspecs
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| i wonder what would have happend if the NJ tourist didnt haveit anymore, just tossed it into a trash can or something |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| blaseblasphemener wrote: |
| By DEBITO ARUDOU |
Anything written by this guy should be taken with a grain of salt. He goes out of his way to find things to sue the Japanese for. He's like a bull in a China shop when it comes to the Japanese courts.
| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| That's exactly what I was saying in another thread. Japan is unbelievably racist and definantly worse than Korea. |
No, it's not. I have 14 years of experience there that trumps your weekend jaunt. Stay out of things you know zero about. |
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oskinny1
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Location: Right behind you!
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: |
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Granted I haven't been here that long, 5 months, but I have yet to see anything racial. I joined an all Japanese lacrosse team and they (and all the other teams) accepted me with open arms. I haven't been turned away from anything and anytime I have asked for help I have been accommodated above and beyond.
Of course there is racism here, it's everywhere. Pointing out the extreme cases is pretty lame. So basically one police box and one "bad egg" accounted for most of this. I walk by police boxes all the time (and I am pretty sure I am the only foreigner that does walk by them) and have yet to be harassed.
Now if only the schools here paid rent and airfare. |
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OnTheOtherSide
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| Young FRANKenstein wrote: |
| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| That's exactly what I was saying in another thread. Japan is unbelievably racist and definantly worse than Korea. |
No, it's not. I have 14 years of experience there that trumps your weekend jaunt. Stay out of things you know zero about. |
Screw you. I'll say anything I want to. I don't care how many years you've been there. That doesn't invalidate my experience at all.
You douchebag. |
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OnTheOtherSide
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:39 am Post subject: |
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| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
I'm really confused about Japan. So many people claim it's some kind of magical paradise, roughly 90% of those I talk to to be exact, and the other 10% make it out to be twice as xenophobic as Korea.
Is it just outside of Tokyo that Japan is like this? I'm going to Japan this month so I guess I'll find out. |
A Korean friend of mine said that southern Japan is racist and northern Japan, especially Tokyo isn't as racist. True perhaps? All I know is the Fukuoka is extremely racist and it's obvious. The "Japanese only" signs and attitude says it all.
She also said that if you go to, or near places that the U.S. nuked that they tend to not like white people for obvious reasons. But the last time I checked I wasn't born until like 35 years after that happened. |
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aldershot
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:41 am Post subject: |
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| old news OP. mods, please move to stale events forum. |
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milspecs
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
I'm really confused about Japan. So many people claim it's some kind of magical paradise, roughly 90% of those I talk to to be exact, and the other 10% make it out to be twice as xenophobic as Korea.
Is it just outside of Tokyo that Japan is like this? I'm going to Japan this month so I guess I'll find out. |
A Korean friend of mine said that southern Japan is racist and northern Japan, especially Tokyo isn't as racist. True perhaps? All I know is the Fukuoka is extremely racist and it's obvious. The "Japanese only" signs and attitude says it all.
She also said that if you go to, or near places that the U.S. nuked that they tend to not like white people for obvious reasons. But the last time I checked I wasn't born until like 35 years after that happened. |
thats strange, I've never been to Fukuoka so I wouldnt know.
But I was reading a esl teachers blog the other day, about his trip to Fukuoka. He got lost and couldnt find his hotel and he wrote that all the strangers he asked for help were extremely kind.
here if you want to read it
http://alexpollack.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-post-tomorrow-travelogue-29-how-i.html
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| I google "Center Hotel" and "Fukuoka", my fingers smudging the keys and switching to Japanese characters. I type sloppily but this stranger helps me tab the settings back to English. If nothing else, this night has granted me an overwhelming showcase of Japanese generosity. In my helplessness, I'm awed by the nonchalant kindness of these men whom I will never see again. |
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gaolibang4ever
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:34 pm Post subject: |
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| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
That's exactly what I was saying in another thread. Japan is unbelievably racist and definantly worse than Korea. I would never, ever live in Japan.
Within my first hours of visiting Japan I could tell there was strong racism there. I ended up being refused by every hotel and sleeping on the streets. And it was a fact that some of those hotels had rooms available, yet refused to rent them to me.
I don't see how anyone could possibly fail to notice it. It's terribly obvious.
Korean express their racism in a much more blunt and rude way. But Japanese racism is much deeper and more profound I think. |
The racism in Korea makes racism in Japan look like a nursery school. Never have I ever been spit upon, called "yangnom sekki" (western bastard), or rudely insulted right in front of others and my face in Japan.
In Korea, such type of behavior is pretty much the norm for a welcoming party to their country.
Koreans are projecting their own vile racism onto the Japanese. Just because the Japanese don't spit into the faces of every foreigner on the street like Koreans do..or just because Japanese don't burn US flags and make songs like "*beep* USA" doesn't mean that they are hiding their feelings. It means that they are actually a mature first world nation who learned to forgive..unlike psychotic, insecure, Koreans who act like a 4 year old child who is full of jealousy.
When Japanese act friendly, it's because they ARE friendly and have something called "tact" and "politeness." Having "manners" and acting like a civilized adult is a concept that Koreans cannot understand.
Koreans think that whenever they get angry or upset, it is better to scream racial epithets, dirty language like "*beep*", "*beep*", and spitting on foreigners than to restrain oneself in public. Koreans consider this to be more "honest" behavior. However, civilized first world countries consider this behavior to be barbaric and low class. Only children the age of 5 years old or younger act like this..crying and screaming whenever they feel like it. However, Korean adults act this way. |
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