|
|
|
ISSUE: November/December 2003 |
You're visitor No. |
|
Don't forget to check out the Gaijin's |
|
This Month's Topics:
|
|
Japan has recently undergone a strange experience -- a general election. Not just any normal Japanese style election, where the result was clear before the first vote was cast, but a Western style election, with two opposing parties. What's more, the LDP, which has run Japan almost continuously since WW2, suffered quite a setback, with the newly united opposition gaining an impressive number of seats. Don't get the wrong idea -- the LDP still won, but this was largely due to the loyalty of rural voters (who have been truly mollycoddled by the LDP) and the fact that under the perverted local form of democracy, a rural vote is worth a LOT more than a city vote. However, the LDP can never take the Japanese electorate for granted, and so Sunday, November 9th was an important day in Japan. However, I'm a gaijin and so unable to vote. One thing I am able to do is pass on another month's worth of my observations of what's been in the news here, and hope that it gives you, dear reader, some insight into Japan -- and maybe a few smiles as well!
???????????????????????
Sadly, evil is as international as goodness, maybe even more so. The same applies to bad parenting. However, many people here were shocked by the story of Chiaki Tanigawa and his wife Mariko, both 24, who recently came up before the Nagoya High Court. Believe it or not, these two scumbags confined their 3-year-old daughter Iori in a cardboard box at their home in Aichi Prefecture, from mid-November till December 10th 2000 for being 'mischievous'. Not surprisingly, the poor little girl died of starvation. Now I am a disciplinarian of the old school, as my son can no doubt confirm, but that is way beyond extreme. Both these disgusting people have had been sentenced to 7 years in prison for murder, and deservedly so. It is unpleasant to think that in some western countries, these vermin would be considered insane or some other such excuse, & might even have walked, so at least Japan put them where they belong. However, a death sentence would not have been excessive, as even life in jail would have been better than the fate of their daughter.
Another equally sickening case, coincidentally also involving a daughter, occurred down in Okayama Prefecture where a were arrested for leaving their 2-year-old daughter to suffer and die after she was badly burnt in the shower. According to the lady side of this disgusting duo, she "was bathing with my daughter and just when I took my eyes off her, she touched the shower lever and poured hot water on herself. I thought I wouldn't mind if she did die." She then proceeded to act on this inclination. Although the husband denied any murderous intent, police charged them with murder, saying there was conscious neglect on their part. The police say that after the little girl was burnt, the couple neglected the little girl for more than a week. However, when they did get around to taking their daughter to hospital, she was already dead due to circulatory failure from the burns. The hospital subsequently alerted the police. It seems that this horrid couple have 4 other daughters but soon after the deceased was born, she was left to the care of a welfare facility and only began living with her parents again in April. However, it is reported that the poor girl's body showed no indication of her having been regularly abused by her parents -- not that is much consolation. Japan may have a lot fewer horrendous headlines than some Western countries but one does still wonder just how low some people can stoop.
They really should have a licence for parenting, though how they'd test applicants is not so easy to decide!
???????????????????????
Talking of evil, North Korea, has obviously decided that two wrongs do make a right, it seems. Having said that Japan cannot take part in nuclear talks due to its hostile attitude, meaning that Tokyo doesn't like having its citizens abducted, the weird tyrants of Pyongyang have tried to put the blame on Japan. It seems that during a discussion of women's issues by a UN committee, the North Korean representative referred to the so-called "comfort women" the Japanese military brought mostly from then Japanese-ruled Korea to front-line brothels, & said Japan has yet to settle its past crimes. Trying to distract attention from the 13 Japanese it abducted in the late 1970s & early 1980s, the representative condemned Japan "abducting 200,000" women. Eiji Yamamoto, minister at Japan's permanent mission to the U.N., responded by urging Pyongyang to comply with Tokyo's request that relatives of the 5 abductees who are now back in Japan be allowed to join them here, & for the facts of the abduction case to be clarified. So what can we expect in response from the world's most dangerous state? Who can say, for that's one thing that makes North Korea so dangerous. Whereas the former Soviet Union, despite being considered the 'evil empire', usually obeyed certain unwritten rules of international conduct, North Korea is off the graph. What's more, my adopted homeland is much to close to those crazy sods north of the DMZ for comfort, & so you'll excuse me if I worry about what is going on in what they call their minds. However, one of the most worrying things is that many ethnic Koreans living here in Japan, think North Korea is the pick of the bunch & revere that curly-haired creep, Kim Chong-il. Hell, if it wasn't for their misguided contributions, that outlaw regime would have collapsed long ago. However, they keep sending money by the million, & so curly stays warm & snug above his starving compatriots. So although it is nice that Saddam Hussein is gone, the removal of one tyrant doesn't mean the game is over. That's like locking one window & thinking the house is safe. Not yet it's not, alas!
???????????????????????
It is well known that the Japanese, as a race, are getting older, with more centenarians than any other nation. This, plus a much publicised drop in the birth rate, means that the pension cupboard will pretty soon be bare, with no money to pay retirees what they thought was their right. Well, rather than admit that they did their sums wrong, or encourage private pensions as many other nations do, the Japanese government has hit upon a different way of dealing with the problem. Work the poor taxpayers longer. My source for this is no less than the Japanese Health minister, Chikara Sakaguchi, who has suggested that the government will raise the mandatory retirement age at companies from 60 to 65 in line with a plan to raise the eligible age for corporate employees to start receiving pensions. As he put it, "The government's role is to establish a system in which people who are willing to work can continue to work even if their age is between 60 and 65." Isn't that nice of them? They are going to allow us to work longer, just to show they're a government that cares. Of course, this will also delay the day when pensioners discover their pension won't keep a cat alive, but that's another story. Of course, the pensions of politicians are constantly going up, so that an elected Diet member who serves just a few terms can expect a much better pension than some poor slob who works hard his whole life. Now inequality between politicians & those who vote them into power is nothing new, but one thing really sticks in my throat. OK, make me work longer & longer for a miserly pension, but don't expect me to think of this as kindness!
???????????????????????
Now I have to admit that I am not one of those who thinks Japan is returning to it's old militarist ways -- whenever China complains about Japan's militarist behaviour, I often think it's a case of 'look who's talking'! However, sometimes the more idiotic of the folk in charge do act in a way that invites such comments. Take, for example, a recent action taken by the Tokyo City education authorities. They decided that in future, they will punish state school teachers who refuse to raise the national 'Hinomaru' flag & sing the national anthem, the 'Kimigayo', at school ceremonies. Now I know the flag is important in American schools but I recall rarely seeing the Union Jack at my old British school. However, this is Japan, a whole different ball game! The faceless ones in charge of educating Tokyo's youngsters have ordered state schools to raise the Hinomaru "at the front of assembly halls for a ceremony" & to have the leader of the ceremony urge participants to stand up & sing ''Kimigayo" with musical accompaniment. Those dangerous freethinkers who do not comply "will be punished" under the new rules, whereas the old rules had stipulated that they "may be punished." Not surprisingly, one teacher's union has criticized the decision, saying the move "will violate people's freedom of thought and conscience, which is guaranteed under the Constitution, by controlling people's minds and education." I should point out that teachers' unions here are amongst the few that resemble real trade unions, and are therefore very unpopular with the government and police. Also, just in case you think the flag and anthem are ancient symbols of statehood here, you should know that the Hinomaru only became the official national flag in 1999, the same year as the "Kimigayo" (unofficially translated as "his majesty's reign") became the national anthem. However, many of Japan's neighbours, as well as quite a few of its residents, dislike this move, due to the anthem's symbolic links to Japan's imperial system and past militarism. However, our beloved governor, well known for his right of right-wing views, seems to be doing his best to make sure the children within his bailiwick grow up thinking as he does -- and that is not a pleasant prospect!
???????????????????????
Who said Japan's finest didn't know the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) existed? They may take a while to recognise the fact, but they do know. This was proved when police raided the Kobe headquarters of Japan's largest yakuza group, the Yamaguchi-gumi, in reaction to their loan-sharking activities. The police "suspect profits generated by illegally high interest charged on loans were transferred" to the group, investigative sources said. How do you do it, Holmes! The police claim that actions like this will choke off one of the main financial sources of the country's most powerful organized crime syndicate. That might have been true if the police had struck years ago, but by letting the Yamaguchi-gumi grow into the giant it now is, bringing it down will take more than a few raids. What Japan needs is a determined and courageous anti-gang prosecutor like Giuliani in New York, plus police willing to arrest these scumbags and judges who hit the accused hard. Sadly, I don't expect to see a Japanese Giuliani just yet, and so gangs like the Yamaguchi-gumi will continue to operate almost openly on the streets of Japan. They don't often bother gaijin so I shouldn't care too much. However, Japan's my home and so anything that blights this country affects me. So let's hope the law enforcement boys wake up and smell the coffee before the pot burns dry!
???????????????????????
As I sadly commented in the last issue of this much-read (?) page, Japan's teachers are not a uniformly pleasant bunch, with some showing brutal and often racist tendencies. Alas, another teacher here recently disgraced his profession. Right here in Tokyo, a 33-year-old elementary school teacher has been arrested after allegedly trying to rape a 5th-grade girl at his school. Police say that he took the pupil to a conference room in the school after she complained about muscle pain, whereupon he tried to rape her. The teacher, who has admitted to the charge, gave up when she started crying. Now I would never send any child of mine to a Japanese senior high school, as I don't want to inflict 'examination hell' on my kid. However, it now seems that even local elementary schools aren't safe. In case you think I'm over-reacting to this one case, this isn't an isolated example. As one correspondent recently pointed out, over the last year and a half, there has been one arrest each month of a local teacher for sexual misconduct. Now if that isn't a worrying statistic, I don't know what is. Refusing to teach the truth about WW2 is one thing; forcing kids to learn by rote rather than discussion or original thinking is another; but unless someone (hopefully the government) does something to weed out the perverts and scumbags from the teaching profession, Japanese schools will become as dangerous (in different ways) as their western counterparts.
???????????????????????
The world must seem a pretty dangerous place for the average US serviceman, with comrades being killed in Iraq and other places. However, most have probably viewed Japan as an oasis of safety -- until now. A recent news story might lead to a change of mind in this respect. You see, a US Navy Petty Officer was recently shot and seriously injured by an unidentified man in a passing car as he was walking with 2 other Marines in Hiroshima City. Drive by shootings are almost unknown here and so this was no 'caught in the crossfire' episode. The 21-year-old sergeant, who was stationed at the US base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, was obviously targeted. Police, unsurprisingly, are treating the case as attempted murder. The incident happened as the three men were walking in the downtown area after drinking at a nearby restaurant at around 4 a.m. when a man driving a black car fired a shot through the left front window. The gunman then got out of the vehicle and pointed the weapon at the chest of one of the other Marines, said a few words and fled in the car, the police said. Police described the gunman as between 25 and 35 years old and about 165 centimetres tall. So who was he and why did he do it? Well, my first suspicion was that it might be right-wing nuts who object to foreign bases here -- after all, as the Christian mayor of the other nuclear hit city of Nagasaki (435 km from Hiroshima) was shot by rightists for saying that maybe the former Emperor was to blame for WW2, this is possible. However, the reality was sadly more typical of modern day Japan. It turns out the shooter was a 37-year-old former ranking member of an organized crime group, now unemployed, who turned himself in at a police station in Hiroshima. Why did he do it? "I was annoyed by the man who cut across in front of my car, so I shot him." Xenophobia in its most arrogant form. So how did this unemployed guy get a gun? Good question, and one the police haven't yet answered, surprisingly enough. However, not only does this reveal how useless Japan's supposedly tough anti-gun laws truly are, it also adds a certain spice to a Japan posting for the Americans!
???????????????????????
Say That Again . . .
In an effort to curb the growing trend of high school girls having 'commercial dates' with older men, the government recently introduced new laws prohibiting those under 18 from using Internet matchmaking sites. However, like so many laws on the books here, this one may be less than successful. To quote one 16-year-old high school student:
"Who needs the sites when you've got 5 dirty old men ready to pay you at all times? "
&
However, even for those schoolgirls who don't feel the need to supplement their income with 'commercial dates', meeting perverts is very easy -- just look for a teacher. The Asahi Geino weekly quoted a Kanagawa Women's Centre spokesperson's comments on the increasing number of sexual harassment cases by school teachers:
"We've heard from girls whose teachers peeked up their skirts or put their hands inside their clothes or underwear. Some kids have even reported being kissed on their breasts or buttocks."
&
Now you thought that everyone knew smoking cigarettes causes cancer, right? WRONG! Seems that Japan hasn't yet got the message, doubtless due to the fact that the #1 tobacco company, Japan Tobacco, only recently ceased to be a government monopoly. Believe it or not, the Tokyo District Court recently rejected a lawsuit filed by 6 smokers who demanded compensation from Japan Tobacco for getting cancer, as the court said there was no proven link between smoking and cancer. As their lawyer, Yoshio Isayama, said:
"The ruling shows that Japan has become a laughingstock to the world."
This is the same thinking style that kept safe contraceptive pills out of Japan for so many years, in order that doctors wouldn't lose their abortion fees, methinks.
&
It's an old story about the number of women who attend boxing matches, the attraction of bloodsports seeming to draw them in. The same, it seems, goes for criminal trials. At present, Joji Obara, the 50-year-old Tokyo businessman charged with drugging and raping numerous women, and suspected of murdering former British Airways flight attendant Lucie Blackman, is still on trial here and one court reporter commenting on the public gallery said:
"You always see several dating couples in the spectator seats. I guess young women get a thrill out of watching."
&
It's rare for me to express strong agreement for a local judge but there's always an exception. Therefore, well done to a local juvenile court judge who, during a closed-door hearing, told a boy belonging to a motorbike gang (where he and 2 other boys are being tried on a fatal assault charge):
"Dog dirt can be used as fertilizer but motorbike gangs are of no use, more useless than industrial waste."
Nice one, judge!
&
Many Asians must have breathed a slight sigh of relief that Malaysia's answer to Governor Ishihara, outgoing Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has finally called it a day. However, he couldn't resist the temptation to upset some one else before leaving and so one of his last official comments, regarding the decline of Japanese society, was:
"I have never seen so many Japanese blondes before and most of the time they're dancing to music. Japan wants to change its whole culture completely and adopt Western culture. If you do that, you're going down."
As someone who recently visited Malaysia and was totally underwhelmed by the experience, I can only say that the reason some Japanese dye their hair and dance to music is because they are free to do so, something that maybe cannot be said of Malaysia's youth. Physician, heal thyself!
&
Next time you feel like enjoying some hot email chat with a lovely Japanese lady, bear in mind the comments of a Japanese man, Taro Anjo, who works at an online matchmaking site:
"I get ¥80,000 a week, working 8 hours for 4 days. Most guys want email from young girls, so some guys who can write as though they're a gal type can pick up ¥600,000 a month."
That's right, guys. That hot email chick may need a shave more than you do!
&
I rarely visit the doctor unless I am VERY sick, as I have never been one to eulogise the medical profession, believing that doctors are human and therefore make mistakes -- though they do seem less willing to admit the same! My view seems to be supported by Makoto Kondo, a lecturer at the Keio University School of Medicine. He believes that incompetence and negligence are rife among Japan's doctors and in hospitals, saying:
"Treatments are becoming like experiments. There are few penalties and doctors just do what they want."
???????????????????????
One individual I have had regular reason to criticise in this column is the Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara. Now as he is (thank God) confined to the domestic political scene, many of my overseas readers may not know exactly who he is. Well, let me tell you some more about him. Discretion and tact are two virtues painfully missing from this gentleman's character, as shown by some recent utterings. For example:
* (about the mother of Hitomi Soga, a victim of abduction by North Korea, whose whereabouts are unknown) "Ms Soga's mother must have been killed in North Korea."
* (expressing consternation over the lack of interest over whether to impose economic sanctions on North Korea for the abductions of Japanese nationals) "Japan has become a strange country."
* (on China's recent manned spacecraft launch) "The Chinese are ignorant, so they are overjoyed. That spacecraft was an outdated one. If Japan wanted to do it, we could do it in one year."
* (on Japan's cruel colonisation of Korea) "The Korean people chose Japan after discussing whether to go, as a second best choice, with Qing or Russia or Japan. This is historically recorded."
As if he were not bad enough, there seems to be some danger that he might be planning some sort of political dynasty here. His second son, Nobuteru Ishihara, was recently appointed minister of land, infrastructure and transportation -- although he has been earning some unwelcome publicity recently over his sacking of an underling. His third son, Hirotaka Ishihara, managed to gain a nomination from the ruling LDP for a seat in the Upper House in the November 9th general election -- unsurprisingly, his father twisted a few arms to get this, and the son is running in his father's constituency, the 3rd district of Tokyo.
Footnote: Please don't think Ishihara-san is the only racist in power here. The Governor of Tokyo's neighbouring prefecture, Kanagawa, was recently quoted as saying "Foreigners are all sneaky thieves. As Tokyo Governor Ishihara has cracked down on them, they have flowed into Kanagawa Prefecture." However, we gaijin shouldn't feel too upset, for the governor later explained that he had wanted to say "some" foreigners instead of "all." Well, that's OK then, of course!
???????????????????????
However, having thus vent my spleen on Ishihara-san, I must now do something of a U-turn and praise his administration for one of their recent suggestions. It seems that the Tokyo metropolitan government is considering a drastic revision of its ordinance on minors, including restrictions on children going out late at night. Sounds good sense to me. If an expected report agrees with this recommendation, the new rules could be put into effect around next February. Just in case you think all Japanese kids are neat, well behaved and stay-at-homes, I'm afraid I must disillusion you. The number of high school girls who can be seen in Tokyo's 'red light' districts around midnight is truly alarming, especially as many of them wear enough make-up to keep a whore painted for a week -- not to mention skirts that barely hide their underwear, if they happen to be wearing any. Would I allow a daughter of mine to dress like that and wander around such areas? Not so long as day follows night! However, may parents do and so maybe the law must intervene. It isn't long ago that a group of experts called for restrictions on sex-industry related activities, especially shops that sell what they claim is the used schoolgirl underwear (no joke, alas) and the so-called "scouts" who approach young women in public places telling them they can get into show business or modelling. However, as one of the favourite spots for these 'scouts' is right in front of the busiest Shibuya Koban (police box), a change in the law might not have too much effect.
???????????????????????
I'm sure we can all understand someone fleeing because of the differences between North Korea and Japan. However, I was more than a little surprised when I read that a lady named Kazumi Kitagawa had sought refuge -- in North Korea! I kid you not! That bastion of honest journalism, the (North) Korean Central News Agency, recently reported that this poor misguided Japanese woman had "illegally" entered North Korea and was seeking "asylum" therein. As is their usual way, the report was extremely short on detail and gave no age or place of origin for the 'refugee', nor where the incident took place. This may be because they are having trouble understanding a woman who may be a serious candidate for a padded cell, or (more likely) because they haven't finished fabricating the story yet. As for her reasons for doing so, I should make it clear that when I doubted this woman's sanity, I had good reason for doing so. You see, she was a former member of the murderous AUM Shinrikyo cult, now calling itself Aleph. If she's willing to gas a train for the sake of some fat weirdo, she's crazy enough to run away to North Korea!
However, another Japanese citizen is having a less enjoyable stay in North Korea. You see, a businessman identified (by the self-same Korean Central News Agency) as Yoshiaki Sawada has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling drugs. Ominously, the report promised that if (?) found guilty, he will be "sternly dealt with." Ouch! The KCNA report (& if you can't trust them, who can you trust) said the man had entered North Korea on October 14th "under the pretext of trade," but had "planned to bribe a North Korean into buying drugs from a third country and smuggle them into Japan on board 'Mangyongbong-92' (the North Korean ferry that makes irregular runs between North Korea and Niigata) at the instruction of his 'master.'" However, bear in mind that the Japanese authorities have long suspected that the ferry was involved in the illicit trade of missile parts and drugs, and so this might just be a case of defence by attack.
???????????????????????
Who said crime doesn't pay? In a move that I hope western judges emulate pretty soon, the Osaka High Court recently ordered 62-year-old Yoshinori Watanabe, head of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza syndicate, and three other crooks to pay a total of ¥80 million (US$719,748) in damages for shooting to death Sgt Tsuyoshi Fujitake, 44, an out-of-uniform police officer, in 1995 in Kyoto. This historical ruling is the first to hold a senior crime syndicate leader responsible for crimes committed by members of affiliated organizations. And why not? I may not have overwhelming faith or respect for the local constabulary, but killing a cop is still a very nasty crime. If one of your punks does the killing, why should the taxpayer be held responsible for helping out his next of kin? Now I'm not saying any of that money will go to the dead cop's family (though it should), but the principle remains the same. Arrest isn't something that frightens these scumbags, so hit them where it really hurts -- in their wallet!
???????????????????????
Lightening doesn't strike twice, ah? Well it does when it comes to Japan pissing off China with 'lewd' behaviour. Remember last month when I reported on the large sex party held by Japanese company employees over in China? Well, before the memory of that incident has faded even a little, they go and do it again! The press recently carried the story of 3 Japanese students who were expelled for having put on a racy sketch during a cultural festival at Northwest University in the central Chinese city Xian. Their Japanese teacher seems likely to be following them back here pretty soon, too! The Chinese reacted thus after hundreds of 'offended' Chinese students protested on the streets of Xian against the 'offensive' show. The sketch in question featured the expelled students and the teacher dressed in red brassieres and paper 'genitals'. Anyone whose seen Japanese TV won't find this the least bit unusual but it seems to have been beyond the pale for the Chinese. Following the 'after the horse has bolted' school of philosophy so beloved by the Japanese foreign ministry, staff members from Japan's embassy in Beijing were dispatched to Xian to help cool nerves and emotions. Rather than apologise for this incident, a Japanese consular official asked Chinese to express regret for an 'attack' on one of the students -- one of the offending students was allegedly punched by a protester. Not surprisingly, China has called for the Japanese government to "better educate" tourists on acceptable behaviour overseas. However, the consulate retaliated by saying that such behaviour would be equally unacceptable in Japan. Don't these guys watch local TV here? However, just like the Japanese who panic whenever they see a western-style toilet, the government does need to explain to Japanese travellers that the Japanese way of doing things is not always the universal standard. However, who am I trying to kid!
???????????????????????
Being a soldier in Japan is already a frustrating experience. You wear a military uniform, you have a military rank, but you never get to do military things. No wonder quite a few Japanese end up joining France's Legion Etrangere. However, even bearing this in mind, I was truly astonished to read that the Japanese government has asked the Allies to provide protection for the troops Japan is planning to send to Iraq. Excuse me? These guys are supposedly soldiers, from what passes for an army here. They are being sent to Iraq to help the Allies and Iraqis, but if the Allies have to divert much-needed troops to guard these boys, what the hell is the point? Of course, Japan's politicians hide behind that very useful anti-war clause in their constitution, but that shouldn't fool anyone. The Japanese are reluctant to send combat troops anywhere because they cannot face the prospect of casualties. Japan's 'Self Defence Force' already has a huge shortfall of recruits, a military career being less attractive than drawing unemployment benefits here. If they start losing men overseas, they'll lose the few 'soldiers' they've got. Japanese young people are fond of criticising America and demanding that the US bases are closed, but I truly doubt if Japan would last very long without them. The glorified boy scouts that constitute the Japanese military at present couldn't hold off an invasion by San Marino, let alone North Korea!
Footnote: Shortly before this page went online, the Japanese Government announced that it was 'delaying' the dispatch of SDF troops to Iraq till early next year due to "security concern" -- in other words, fear that their 'troops' might actually get hurt. Let's just pray the idiots who want the US garrison here to leave never win -- or Japan might not last long enough for me and other justifiably scared gaijin to reach the airport!
???????????????????????
By the time you read this, Japan's general election will be over. However, whereas no-one seriously expects the ruling LDP to lose power, least of all with it's charismatic leader, there is reason to wonder if the status quo is viable. What prompts this comment is a recent report that, surprise-surprise, government bureaucrats are abusing the rules and engaging in unethical misconduct. Japan's best known tabloid, the Shukan Post, claims to have obtained a confidential document detailing all of the misconduct perpetrated by government officials who received disciplinary punishment from June 2002 to June of this year. According to this document, 627 government officials, excluding the Postal Services Agency and Self-Defense Forces, were punished for crimes. The document was obtained by Akira Nagatsuma, a Democratic Party of Japan Diet member, who had demanded information from the Cabinet office. This opposition politician said: "When I received their response, I was astonished. There were more of these cases than I expected and they were kept secret." Amongst the crimes outlined in the 21 page long document are embezzlement, larceny, molestation of women, and having sex with prostitutes. However, according to Japanese law, the decision as to what punishment is to be meted out depends on the government body concerned. However, even amongst the 627 government officials who were actually punished 420 or 70% of the cases were not publicised. Was there a cover-up? Of course not! "There is no rule stipulating that these cases must be publicized. It depends on the decision of each government body," replied a spokesman for the National Personnel Authority. That response is in line with the Japanese tradition, still
valid today, that government officials are superior to ordinary folk. In one case, the reason given for not disclosing the case of a civil servant suspended for molesting a woman was that "The person who committed the crime fully regrets what he did." Comforting words, ah? So if ever I get pulled in by the cops, all I have to do is express regret, right? Maybe not . . .
Footnote: Talking of the election, I read that 5 workers at facilities for the mentally disabled in Mie and Wakayama prefectures were arrested on suspicion of forcing mentally disabled people to cast ballots for certain candidates and political parties. I wonder how this compares with voting habits by the mentally disabled folk who were elected?
???????????????????????
We began this column talking about excessively bad parents. Well, as I'm sure everyone knows, Japanese workers earn their reputation for putting in a lot of hours at work, and this includes dads. However, no less a body than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently upbraided such men as selfish. In a recent report (entitled "Babies and Bosses: Reconciling work and family life in Austria, Ireland and Japan,"), the OECD called upon Japanese men to work less and spend more with their children so that their wives can return to the workforce. The kids might like it, too! Actually, the OECD aimed their criticism at the Japanese Government and companies, urging them to reform the labour market by providing women with flexible hours, attractive jobs, decent wages and career prospects to entice them back to the workforce. It must be said that working mums do have a hard time here. The government, both local and national, seem to think that everyone lives near their Mum, so working mums can easily find a baby sitter. Child care facilities are ridiculously insufficient and if you resort to privately run facilities, the cost is horrendous. With the economy still far from healthy, very few families can live on just one salary but with the aforementioned lack of official help, combined with the traditional 'kids are a woman's job' attitude still held by quite a few Japanese husbands, things are pretty tough for the working mums. However, things are improving. I live quite close to a government nursery school and I often see dads in business suits delivering their kids, which suggests the younger generation is more willing to share the heavy responsibilities of parenting.
???????????????????????
As one who also likes to stay up to date with news from Thailand, I recently read a report about a sweep to remove many of Bangkok's homeless from the streets. This reminded me of an infamous occasion back in 1997 (before Ishihara-san became governor), when the city government used armed police to clean out the west exit of Shinjuku station, which had become a 'cardboard city' for many homeless folk. Now before we compare the Thai and Japanese ways of doing this, I should remind readers in the West that this is Japan. These homeless rarely, if ever beg, and certainly never pose a real threat to passers-by. Yes, their lack of sanitary facilities can lead to very bad smells but as the homeless who dwell in every Tokyo park prove, they are clean where they are allowed to be. Anyway, let's compare. When the police moved in to clean Shinjuku Station, the homeless were mostly just told to get lost, disappear. Some were taken to social service centres, where they were allowed to stay for a few days. After that, they were back on the streets again. Although some volunteer groups did try to alleviate their plight, the city did nothing constructive to help. A sadly typical case of hiding a problem rather than solving it. So what about Bangkok? Well, the Thai authorities (prompted by the APEC meeting) began the clean-up on September 8th and used city officials, police, the army, labour and human security officials. A total of 1,029 homeless people were rounded up from 32 districts of Bangkok. Notice the phrase 'rounded up'. Not 'cleaned out'. Those who were sick, including TB and Aids sufferers and the mentally ill, were sent to state and city-run hospitals. Disabled people were referred to social welfare centres while minors and old people were sent to agencies under the Social Development and Human Security Ministry. Of those who were found to be healthy, 251 men and 71 women were sent to army camps to receive occupational training. What's more, in reaction to complaints that "This kind of operation was carried out by the Social Welfare Department and failed before", the city hired a local university's social science faculty to monitor the living condition of the homeless who underwent occupational training, so the city would be able to improve its assistance schemes for the homeless in the future. Spot the difference? Now both events were met with protests, with Thai activists complaining that the operation was conducted against the will of those homeless people. However, Thai activists should take a look at the way Tokyo handled the matter, and bearing mind that Thailand is a 'Third World Country', and that Thai's are the sort of Asians for whom certain Japanese have less than no respect, it seems surprising that it is Tokyo that should learn a thing or two from it's Thai counterpart.
???????????????????????
It isn't very long, just a couple of years or so, since Japanese bank ATMs (automatic teller machines) used to charge you ¥106 (97¢) to use an ATM when the banks were closed, and you could only use the machines to withdraw money. However, give them credit, when Japan's ATMs entered the 21st century, they did so quickly. Most convenience stores now have ATMs inside, often from a variety of banks, and I now read that a growing number of banks are entering into tie-up arrangements with railway companies to set up ATMs at railway stations. It seems that with so many people now using prepaid tickets, the railway companies can install ATMs in locations once occupied by ticket vending machines. One example is the very progressive Shinsei Bank (which has 7 gaijin on its board), which has got together with the Keihin Electric Express Railway Company (which links Tokyo with Yokohama and the Haneda Airport) to set up ATMs at 27 stations within the Tokyo area. Now I often mock Japan's crime-free image but one thing that makes it possible to have ATMs in 24-hour shops and stations is the relative lack of crime here. This constantly reminds me of the limitations placed on the lives of Western countries by crime and criminals. Western residents cannot go where they like, stay out when they like, or carry money as they would like, all because of criminals and the soft policies that encourage them. Japan has many faults, as this column tries to show, but it also has many virtues. A safe and convenient life is one of the prime virtues, for me.
???????????????????????
???????????????????????
When is a Japanese not a Japanese? This is a very delicate question for a country that is so proud of being allegedly homogenous. It is especially so for the less than advanced thinkers responsible for actually answering the question. I am prompted to say this by the recent story of a Japanese couple who tried to register the births of twin baby boys born to an American surrogate mother. Surprise, surprise -- the Justice Ministry rejected the application. Not just that but they took a year to do so! The progressive bureaucrats at the ministry defended their rejection by pointing out that the 55-year-old wife had not actually given birth to the twins. I wonder who explained the term surrogate to these guys -- if anyone did! The twins (who are currently US citizens, Washington being more 'with it' than Tokyo) were born in October last year in California, using eggs from an Asian-American woman implanted in the womb of the surrogate mother via in-vitro fertilization with the husband's sperm. The couple said they had tried several fertility treatments in Japan without success, and so decided to seek the help of a company in California that mediates surrogate births. All good scientific, 21st century stuff, and with the government complaining about the falling birth-rate, you'd think these additions would be welcome. Think again! This is Japan, which still had Leper Colonies till very recently, and which only approved the birth control pill last year! It's not as if there wasn't precedent. At least 50 Japanese couples have obtained babies via surrogate mothers abroad and in most cases their babies have been registered in Japan as the couples' children, with Japanese authorities failing to examine if the female applicants were under 50. However, another bunch of backward bureaucrats, this time sitting on a health ministry panel, recently submitted a report banning mediated surrogate birth but allowing sperm and egg donation from third parties. I wonder if these guys still use leeches?
'Winter is here now, and a popular winter trip for Japanese is to visit the onsen -- hot springs resort. If you decide to try one (And I recommend you do), don't be surprised (or embarrassed) to see men & women bathing together. It's not common but it can still be found in some older, less 'cosmopolitan' bathing places.'
(Taken from the 'Gaijin's
Guide to Living in Japan')
'Like I said, the weather is now much cooler and so you might want to spend more time indoors. A good place to avoid the cold and maybe get some internal heating is the Japanese Sake Center (5-9-1, Ginza, Chuo-ku). You may not enjoy the exhibits, but you might enjoy the tasting. You can taste several types of sake for a small flat fee and you even get to keep the small, traditional sake cup. What's more, if you know of a particular kind of Nihonshu (sake) you like, something you tasted at a izakaya one night, you can give them the name and they'll check their database and give you a printout of where you can buy it. For more information, call 3575-0656.'
(For more suggestions, check out the 'Gaijin's Guide to Enjoying Tokyo')
Miss last month's 'Empty Seat'? Not to worry. You can check
out the Gaijin's previous ramblings with remarkable ease by clicking on one of the links on the right. |
2002 |
2003 |
Ho-hum! Another day, another 'Empty Seat' leaps onto the unsuspecting Internet. Not long before this went online, I had a pleasant email from a reader intending to visit Japan, who kindly referred to this and the other gaijin pages as being "a fantastic, informative and very funny website." Now of course, one doesn't seek the mob's adulation but such charitable comments are good for the much battered ego. Anyway, having patted myself on the back, I shall now make a discreet exit. Wherever you are on this much-abused planet, stay well and should you care to drop by around the middle of December, I shall be most pleased to offer you another selection of Japanese weird and wonderful.
The Gaijin
Don't forget: If you want to know when the next 'Empty Seat' is online, or just want to contact the ol' Gaijin, you can use the Guestbook link below or drop me an email. I'll read it all, honest, & then . . . Well, we'll see!
|
|
| * | Regular travellers on Japan's buses & trains know that the seat next to a foreigner will usually remain empty, even during the rush hours. This can rankle at first but should really be seen as a relief in a place where space is hard to find. It is also amusing to see a tired 'salaryman' torn between sitting next to a foreigner or remaining on his feet! |
|
|
|
|
since 03/11/15 !
