World-famous company, Tohoku branch, refuses to employ Japanese kid expressly because he’s “half”–even retracts original job offer
Posted by debito on June 27th, 2008
Hello Blog. Got this yesterday. I’ve anonymized it for now because the family fears that the employer will refuse to employ the job candidate further if this article can be traced back to him. Summary: A world-famous company in northern Japan, with branches and products overseas for generations, refuses to employ a young Japanese (despite giving him a job offer)–expressly, despite being a citizen, because he’s “half”.
This could have major repercussions in Japan if other Japanese with international roots get discriminated against similarly. Read on. More details to reporters if they want a story. I have the feeling we have a major lawsuit here. Arudou Debito in Sapporo
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Dear Debito San,
Thank you very much for your advice on the phone on Friday June 13th.
I will give you all the information that I have to date about my son’s problem.
My son, 21 years old, phoned a company in [Tohoku, Northern Japan] [Headhunters KK] to apply for a job advertised in “XXXXX” (a flyer with available jobs). The job he applied for was at the [World Famous Company] factory near [our town in Tohoku]. The job is a full time Syain job with bonus, Kousainenkin and Koyouhoken. Monday to Friday and 850 yen per hour plus 10,000 yen Koutsuhi per month. The return trip to [World Famous Company] is 13km from our home. The [World Famous Company] factory is new and nice with canteen. Saturday, Sunday and public holidays off.
He went for the interview on Tuesday June 10th at 10am. The interviewer a Mr. M of [Headhunters KK]. After the interview my son was told that he had the job at the [World Famous Company] factory and would start work on Monday June 16th.
(My son was very excited that he got the job because when he went for an interview at a different company one week earlier that interviewer told him that because he is half Japanese that he most likely wouldn’t be able to get a job locally and would probably have to go to Tokyo to work. Of course he didn’t get that job, but that interviewer asked him to go out with him for dinner or lunch. Also he has phoned him a few times to ask him to dinner. (My son has a girlfriend and is not gay) what this guy wants I don’t know but I think that it is inappropriate for any job interviewer to ask the applicant out for dinner).
At the interview on Tuesday June 10th my son was asked to get a medical check Kenkoushindan form 5 and to come back on Friday June 13th with it and bank book, mitomein, drivers license, syakensyo, jibaiseki hoken syoumeisyo, nini hoken syoumeisyo and nenkin techo. The medical check includes height, weight, blood pressure, urine check, sight and hearing check, blood check, chest xray and heart check. He passed all checks and cost 10,000 yen.
When he returned on Friday June 13th the same interviewer Mr. M took him away from the other 3 people which also passed for the jobs at [World Famous Company]. And told him that he would be working at a different factory and not at [World Famous Company]. My son knew that he was a victim of racial discrimination but couldn’t say anything for fear of not getting the other job. He was told that it has nothing to do with him being half Japanese. But it seems his katakana name is 面倒くさい、ハーフだからというわけでは無いけれども、[一流の会社]では[東北]の人しか働いていないし、あとあと面倒なことになると困るし、
But the interviewer knows from my son’s rirekisyo that my son was born in this area went to youchien, elementary school, junior high and high school here in [the town which contains this World Famous Company] so he is a Tohoku person and can speak the local dialect and has Japanese Koseki.
The interviewer was very uneasy telling my son this information and was also told that they no longer need the medical check form because that was only for the [World Famous Company] job. Also they never mentioned compensating him the 10,000 yen for that medical check which they asked for and then told him he didn’t need.
The other job which he started today Monday June 16th is only a two month contract, doesn’t include a bonus or any of the other things included in the [World Famous Company] job, the hourly rate is 50yen less than the [World Famous Company] job plus he has to work on some Saturdays with only Sunday off.
The factory is 20km return from out home as compared to 13km at the [World Famous Company] factory. There is no canteen and it is just not a full time position at [World Famous Company] that he was interviewed for and then promised.
My thinking is that Mr. M is a good man and didn’t discriminate against my son for not being 100% Japanese but [World Famous Company] did refuse my son on the grounds of racial discrimination and then Mr. M had to do as [World Famous Company] wished.
My son has been at the new job for just over a week now and doesn’t want to risk losing his job by causing any trouble to [World Famous Company] or [Headhunters KK]. Not for the moment anyway as he doesn’t know how permanent this job will be. The contract is only for two months.
My wife phoned a few government departments and was told that a verbal promise of a job is the same as a written promise, so we have good grounds to take action against [Headhunters KK] and maybe [World Famous Company].
My son’s friend who did get a job in [World Famous Company] said that he has heard my son’s name mentioned a few times in the [World Famous Company] factory and my son’s boss Mr. M also asked my son about a rumor at the [World Famous Company] factory that he was discriminated against for being half. My son said he knew nothing of that rumor.
This is all we have at the moment. I will keep you informed of any changes. If you have any other ideas then we would be very happy to hear them.
Again many thanks for your advice.
Keep up your good work.
Best regards
Anonymous Dad
June 27th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Disgusting.
Nevertheless, you do realise that anyone who reads Japanese will now which company this is.
–Yes, was in a rush, sorry for overlooking. Duly remedied. Thanks to the avalanche of mails pointing that out.
June 27th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Quite sad news.
It is enough bad to be discriminated in any case but I can imagine how one
would feel if he :
was born in this area went to youchien, elementary school, junior high and high school here in [the town which contains this World Famous Company] so he is a Tohoku person and can speak the local dialect and has Japanese Koseki.
I really hope this kid gets justice soon and that he will not bear any
emotional scar for this….
Some things, sometimes, bring me very very close to be regretting all the effort put into
studying Japanese (written and spoken), Japanese culture, history, philosophy etc…..
But I guess we are like a kind of pioneers, to pave the way for those who will come after us.
I really like Japan but I hate its government, they should just create very CLEAR laws and
make people AND companies abide to them (and also make an effort to APPLY existing laws….
without rounding corners).
June 27th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
“If you have any other ideas then we would be very happy to hear them.”
Another Debito press conference? If it is a world famous company, they would have a lot to loose by being embarrassed…
June 27th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Very saddening. My heart goes out to the lad. Born and bred here but gets treated like this. But what is even sadder is that it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. As mentioned in earlier postings the very use of the word “half” is loaded with negative connotations. Perhaps if the children of international marriages in Japan were called “doubles” things may be different (no pigeon-holing labels at all would be preferable, mind you). Aaaah…..wishful thinking.
June 27th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I have to play devil’s advocate on this one.
1) How did the son know it was racial discrimination?
2) Why didn’t he ask for clarification concerning the change in position?
3) What does the paragraph about not being gay have to do with this topic?
My recommendation, if the family feels there there is some meat to this complaint, they should do something about it. Get, in writing, the government official’s explanation about the verbal promise and take it to the interviewer and ask for an explanation.
Another thing for the son - he should never have settled for any position. The process of interviewing and getting a job definitely means being respectful to employers and following a certain business ethic, but as soon as they retracted the original offer, he should have left - immediately. There is absolutely no reason to get abused and to accept less simply because. Continue to interview until you find something worth doing, and consider your other options. Maybe Tokyo is something worth thinking about - not because of racial issues, but because of pay and quality of work issues. I’ve seen some truly horrible abuse by companies where I’m from, and it’s very important to be respectful and stay positive, but you should never let the company have the final say in decisions that ultimately affect your life.