1
WAREWARE NIPPONJINImpediments to awareness of
Japans racial diversityBy ARUDOU
DebitoAssociate Professor, Hokkaido Information
University

• Photo Otaru Onsen Osupa, Otaru, Hokkaido, Jan
  3, 2000

2
Japan, has racial and ethnic diversity? Masaka!

• As of end-2005, Japan has over two million
  (2,011,555) registered non-J residents.
• NJ are 1.57 of Japans total population, or
  2.93 of the Tokyo-area population.
• Low, compared to 4.6 (2003) in Britain, 5.5
  (1999) in France, 9.7 (2002) in Germany, 12.1
  (2005, legal and illegal) in the US, and 21.8
  (2001) in Australia.

3
Our public officials would agree...

• Minister of Education Ibuki Bunmei Feb 25, 2007
  Japan is an extremely homogenous country.
• I dont see any specific problem with saying
  that. PM Abe Feb 26, 2007.

4
Our public officials would agree...

• Japanese have come to the present living on
  these islands some 2000 years with no different
  ethnic peoples present, our same Yamato ethnic
  people have come to the present living hand in
  hand. Because ours is a country where such a
  good aspect remains, robberies and murders are
  the fewest in the world. (then-Prime Minister
  Nakasone 1983)
• "So high is the level of education in our country
  that Japan's is an intelligent society. Our
  average score is much higher than those of
  countries like the U.S. There are many blacks,
  Puerto Ricans and Mexicans in America. In
  consequence the average score over there is
  exceedingly low. (PM Nakasone 1986)
• "There are no minorities in Japan to which
  Article 27 of Section III freedom of religion
  and language of the International Covenant on
  Human Rights refers." (Japanese Govt. to UN, 1980)

5
Japans growing diversity...

• Most non-Japanese residents are Asian and
  long-term. Koreans and Chinese are the majority
  of the end-2005 registered 2 million (29.8
  25.8)
• However, third are Brazilians with 300,000, then
  Filipinos and Peruvians (15 9.3 2.9)
• Brazilian pop. still increasing by about 1 a
  year.
• Sundry countries labeled other (???) are also
  increasing as a proportion (296,848 or 14.8) and
  as a rate (3 per year).

6
Japans growing diversity...

• Japans Newcomer General Permanent Residents
  (?????) are catching up to Special Permanent
  Residents (?????).
• Newcomers doubled from 145,336 in 2000 to
  312,964 in 2005, increasing 10 a year.
• Oldcomer Zainichis actually shrank (due to
  death or naturalization) from 512,269 to 451,909,
  decreasing by about 3 a year.
• At this rate, there will be more immigrants than
  Zainichi by 2008!

7
In fact, immigration is continuing apace

• 40 of all registered non-Japanese residents in
  2005 were Permanent Residents.
• They are here to stay.

8
But do you hear about these developments, in the
media, policy arenas, or schools?

• Not really, and this is where an educational
  deficit creates public ignorance of Japans
  actual diversity.
• I believe the reason is political
• Maintaining the national narrative of
  Homogeneous Japan

9
For more information about Japans historical
diversity

• John Lie, MULTIETHNIC JAPAN
• for information about Japans Burakumin, Korean,
  Chinese, Ainu, and Ryukyu minorities.

10
Japans invisible kokusaika

• There are around 40,000 international marriages
  per year in Japan.
• Over 70 are J men to NJ women.
• Their international children do not appear in
  statistics on registered foreigners.
  Of course not. They are citizens.
• International children are also invisible
  statistically. The Japan Census Bureau does not
  measure for ethnicity.

11
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

• (Amy (left) and Anna Sugawara Aldwinckle 1996)
• Born and raised in Japan. Native speakers of
  Japanese. Japanese citizens.

12
Japans invisible kokusaika (2)

• There are around 20,000 people naturalizing into
  Japan per year.
• From 1968 onwards, an estimated 400,000 people
  have de-foreignized.
• However, the Ministry of Justice will not make
  public any official numbers or nationalities.
  Why the secrecy?

13
NEWCOMERS SUSTAIN SECTORS WHERE JAPANESE ARENT
ABLE OR WILLING TO PICK UP THE SLACK. --NEWSWEEK
SEPT 11, 2006
14
Assimilation is also occurring...

• Erstwhile Japanese Only onsen Osupa manager Mr.
  Ohkoshi
• and newfound friend enjoy a soak...
• Photo courtesy Kyodo News/Kumanichi Shinbun, from
  nationwide feature article Jan 12, 2002

15
Even politically...

• We have three Dietmembers who are naturalized
  citizens Ren Ho (Zainichi Taiwanese), Haku
  Shinkun (Zainichi Korean), Tsurunen Marutei
  (Finland).
• Brooklyn-born Anthony Bianchi was re-elected to
  his second term in Inuyama City Assembly on April
  22, 2007, after an unsuccessful mayoral bid.

16
Dont forgetJapan needs foreigners!

• With the record-low birthrate and record-high
  lifetime expectancies, the UN predicts Japanese
  society will soon have the highest percentage of
  elderly.
• As of 2006, the Health Ministry says Japans
  population is decreasing and will fall from 127
  to 100 million by 2050.
• (The average annual influx of around 50,000
  foreigners buoyed Japan in the black in 2005.)

17
And Japan is bringing them in.

• Both the UN and a PM Cabinet survey in 2000
  indicated that Japan must import 600,000 workers
  per year to maintain the current standard of
  living and tax base.
• Japan is already importing foreign workers, to
  alleviate the labor shortage and hollowing out of
  domestic industry.
• This is at the behest of domestic industry,
  including Japan Keidanren (Japan Business
  Federation), the most powerful biz lobby.

18
WITHOUT FOREIGNERS, THE TOYOTA SYSTEM WONT
WORK. --SHUUKAN DIAMONDO JUNE 5, 2004
19
However...

• There are still enormous pressures to
  systematically marginalize, disenfranchise, and
  exclude non-Japanese.

20
For example, education itself.

• Universal education is only guaranteed to
  citizens.
• There are cases of J schools refusing NJ
  children.
• Asahi Feb 12, 2007 A survey six years ago
  estimated that 3,000 Brazilian children between 6
  and 15 in Japan had never been enrolled in
  school.
• More than 10,000 Brazilian children never
  entered school or dropped out... between 20 and
  40 percent of Brazilian children are currently
  out of primary education.
• These figures do not include the 25 percent of
  children who go to expensive Brazilian schools
  that are not officially recognized as schools
  by the Japanese government.

21
Shut them out!

• Very few ethnic schools are recognized by the
  Ministry of Education, meaning their degrees will
  not get them into Japanese universities.
• Many regional governments will not hire
  non-Japanese for civil servant jobs, citing the
  Nationality Clause (????)
• The blood requirements for J citizenship mean
  that half a million people (citizens by birth in
  most developed countries) have been foreigners
  for four generations.

22
Invisible foreigners Juuminhyou residency issues

• Residency certificates (juuminhyou) required for
  anything official, are reserved for people who
  have a Family Registry (koseki) in Japan... i.e
  citizens.
• Which means foreigners are not registered as
  residents. And are not included with their
  Japanese families on the form.

23
(No Transcript)
24
Likewise intl marriages are not officially
listed as such

• Only people with Family Registry (koseki), i.e.
  citizens, can be listed as such as spouse.
• Which means the husband or wife column is
  left blank, even though the marriage is
  officially sanctioned. For example

25
(No Transcript)
26
Moreover...Japan is the only major
industrialized nation without any form of a law
against Racial Discrimination.

• And it shows.

27
.
.
Wakkanai
.
.
Monbetsu
.
.
Rumoi
.
.
Otaru
Sapporo
Nemuro
Ohtaki-mura
.
.
MISAWA, AOMORI PREF.
AKITA CITY
.
ISESAKI CITY, GUNMA PREF.
.
KOSHIGAYA, SAITAMA PREF. TODA CITY, SAITAMA PREF.
.
.
.
OHTA CITY, GUNMA PREF.
.
.
KOFU, YAMANASHI PREF.
.
.
TOKYO OGIKUBO TOKYO AOYAMA DOORI TOKYO
SHINBASHI TOKYO SHINJUKU-KU TOKYO KABUKICHO
DAITOU-SHI, OSAKA PREF
.
KYOTO
.
KURASHIKI CITY, OKAYAMA PREF.
HAMAMATSU, SHIZUOKA PREF.
HIROSHIMA
NAGOYA
KITAKYUSHU CITY FUKUOKA PREF
More information and photos at www.debito.org/rog
uesgallery.html
OKINAWA URUMA CITY
28
JAPANESE ONLY signs and rules have been found
at

• Bathhouses, bars, discos, stores, hotels,
  restaurants, karaoke and pachinko parlors, ramen
  shops, barbershops, a swimming pool, a billiards
  hall, a sports store, and a womans footbath
  boutique.

29
Example The Otaru Onsens Case (more at
www.debito.org)

• ISBN 4 7503 9018 6 English version, Japanese
  version ISBN 4 7503 9001 9

30
Japan is also the only major industrialized
nation without any form of a law against hate
speech.

• And it shows.

31
Shizuoka NPA foreign crime pamphlet 2001
www.debito.org/TheCommunity/shizuokakeisatsuhandbo
ok.html
32
Off-color NPA notices warning the public against
foreign bagsnatchers and knifers (found at bank
ATMs and subways)

www.debito.org/TheCommunity/communityissues.htmlp
olice
33
GAIJIN sic CRIME UNDERGROUND FILES

• Everyone will be a target of gaijin crime in
  2007!!
• Will we let gaijin lay waste to Japan?!!
• Eichi Shuppan Jan 31 2007 128 pages. Price?690
• Publisher
• Joey H. Washington
• No advertising whatsoever.
• Sold at convenience stores nationwide.
• See whole magazine at
• www.flickr.com/photos/ultraneo/sets/72157594531953
  574/

34
You bitches!!Are gaijin really that good?
35
Hey nigger, get your hand off that J-girls
ass!!
36
Statements by our politicians

• A million Chinese, Koreans, etc., all thieves
  and murderers, are in Japan... making Kabukicho a
  lawless zone. (Dietman Etoh Takami Jul 12 2003)
• "Given the exceptional atmosphere of the 2002
  World Cup, we must face the possibility of
  unwanted babies fathered by foreigners who rape
  our women. (Miyagi Pref. Assemblyman Konno
  Takayoshi Jun 27 2001)

• Foreigners are all sneaky thieves. As Tokyo
  Gov. Ishihara cracked down on them, they flowed
  into Kanagawa Prefecture. K. Gov Matsuzawa Nov 2
  2003)
• Roppongi is now virtually a foreign
  neighborhood. Africans --I don't mean
  African-Americans--who don't speak English are
  there doing who knows what. This is leading to
  new forms of crime such as car theft. We should
  be letting in people who are intelligent. (Tokyo
  Gov. Ishihara, Feb 19, 2007)

37
CONCLUSIONIs anything changing?

• Not really. And things wont change until Japan
  keeps its international promises--making this
  sort of thing punishable by law, and enforceable
  by the police and/or investigative bodies.

38
Also by educating the public.

• The highest levels of government must make clear
  that non-Japanese are residents of Japan too,
  with rights, privileges, and duties.
• As taxpayers, that NJ are also supporting Japans
  social services and keeping its factories
  competitive.
• That NJ need the same civil-society support and
  social safety net as any citizen.
• This must be done at the most elementary levels
  of public education in Japan. Now.

39
Download this powerpoint presentation at
www.debito.org/ICUsteele042407.ppt
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TODAYS PRESENTATION
40
Cooking foreign crime statisticsReferential
websites

• Japan Times Oct 4, 2002 Generating the
  foreigner crime wave www.debito.org/japantimes100
  402.html
• Full info site on police targeting and racial
  profiling at www.debito.org/TheCommunity/
  communityissues.htmlpolice

41
Addendum Regarding foreign crimeHow the NPA
cooks the statistics.

• Release six-month updates on foreign crime to
  great fanfare, but with no comparison to J crime
  rates.
• Focus on increases, never on decreases.
• Focus on percentages, not hard numbers.

• Include visa violations with harder crimes.
• Bias sample through racial profiling.
• No deflator to take into account rise in foreign
  population, static J population.