産經：「青い目の人形」に“市民権” 愛媛・西予市。Sankei: Old dolls get “City Citizenship”. Now how about NJ residents?
Posted by debito on April 30th, 2008
Article below about old “blue-eyed dolls” getting shiminken, or “city citizenship”. Yet foreign residents and taxpayers can’t, anywhere in Japan. See what I mean–check out the Tama-Chan Case. Debito in Sapporo
「青い目の人形」に“市民権” 愛媛・西予市
産經新聞 2008.3.17 22:35
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/trend/080317/trd0803172234008-n1.htm
約８０年ぶりに日本の“市民権”を得ることになった「青い目の人形」
愛媛県西予市の市立狩江、俵津両小学校に保管されている「青い目の人形」３体が住民登録されることになり、１８日、市役所の窓口で人形それぞれに特別住民票が交付される。日米友好の証として米国から日本に渡ってきた人形。昭和という激動の時代を経て約８０年ぶりに“市民権”を得ることになった。
人形が米国から日本に贈られた背景は、大正時代に米国への移民が急増したこと。親日家のギューリック博士が、全米で子供たちの手作りの人形を集め、日本の小学校に“親善大使”として贈る草の根運動を始めたのがきっかけとなった。
昭和２年、米国から１万２０００体余りの人形が日本に届けられ、全国の幼稚園や小学校に贈られた。返礼として同年のクリスマスに日本から５８体の日本人形が横浜から海路、全米各州に届けられて大きく歓迎された。日米でやりとりした人形には名前が付けられ、当時はパスポートも所持していたという。
しかし、第二次世界大戦で互いに敵視国となり、青い目の人形たちの大部分は焼かれたり捨てられたりして、愛媛県内では５体しか残っていなかった。
このうち３体が西予市の２小学校で大切に保管されてきた。名前は「ピッティ」「ノーマ」「フランセッタ」。１８日、市役所を訪れる両校児童らの申請に基づき、３体の人形に特別住民票が交付される。
西予市では７月、青い目の人形を題材に地元の子供たちも出演する市民ミュージカル「青い瞳を忘れない」が上演されることになっており、このミュージカルの実行委が住民登録を提案した。人形を米国へ里帰りさせる計画も進めている。
ENDS
FEEDBACK:
Hi Debito,
You might remember me… I did some translating for the whole Tama-chan thing way back when, and since then have been very tuned in to whole issue of Koseki and jumnihyo, esp because I am an NJ with Japanese PR and a Japanese husband.
So it was especially upsetting to come home from work today and hear that Seiyo City (nearby) has issued Juminhyo to two dolls. 青い目の人形へ特別交付住民票 I believe, I just caught the tail end of the news. I think the dolls were gifts from America (?) to Japan after WWII, and there are two of these dolls left in Seiyo. Yes, they are probably antiques, of great historic value and probably represent something important in the relationship between Japan and America.
But for me, after 12 years living in Japan, 9 years as the wife of a Japanese national, and esp recently having to translate our koseki and juminhyou and feeling very frustrated at not being listed anywhere on my husband’s juminhyo, I find this totally unacceptable, insulting, and frankly hurtful.
But wait, you know all that. So, what do you think I should do? Call the Ehime Prefectural Newspaper? Draft an official letter of protest and send it to the Seiyo City Hall? Any advice would be appreciated.
I think you are traveling, so you might not be able to get back to me soon. I am hoping there’ll be something in the newspaper tomorrow, and maybe something on line. If I can find any links, I’ll send them your way. And if it only appears in the newspaper, I will scan it in.
Sorry to trouble you when you are traveling. But I was so upset when I heard the news, and the first thing I thought was “I better contact Debito, he’ll know what to do.”
ENDS
May 1st, 2008 at 9:09 am
Argh, not again. It’s as if residency issues are just all fun and games for these people, and quite disgraceful considering that they’re public officials. I’d like to get involved as well. The Seiyo City homepage has a general e-mail address, but I have a feeling e-mails sent there would not see the light of day. Sending something to a larger media entity may be the best bet…?
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Hey! that`s OK, remember Japan is based on Kitty-chan etc. All TV programs for adults are made like for kids, the way they speak is the same, so let them give dolls, animals and other creatures juminhyo. This government will give “citizenship” to anyone except humans paying taxes, being good residents etc. Remember story of japanese “tarento” whose baby was born through American woman? What they can say? Japanese baby, but not recognized as such by GoJ, so there is no juminhyo for that kid either because is assumed as foreign.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I understand the frustration etc. I live in Tokyo and I am listed as the husband on my wife’s koseki, near the bottom, but I am listed. Does this mean they are different based on where you live? Seems strange.
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I understand the frustration etc. I live in Tokyo and I am listed as the husband on my wife’s koseki, near the bottom, but I am listed. Does this mean they are different based on where you live? Seems strange.
I, too, am listed on my wife’s koseki, but as a foreigner none of us can get our own juminhyo, despite being, for all intents and purposes, jumin. That’s the root of the problem. Despite living and contributing to our communities, paying all our taxes (including the juminzei… hmm), and, well, actually being humans, we cannot legally be considered residents, and are relegated to zairyuu status, while animals and inanimate objects are given residency. It’s just a bit strange.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Test the irony by trying to get a juminhyou for your pet.
“as a joke” and see if the city servants go along with the “gag”
I suppose getting a native Japanese family member to do it
would work better.
Then have the same family member try to get you
a juminhyou. When that doesn’t work, call the papers.