Japan disputes racism allegations at U.N. panel

Friday 26th February, 05:39 AM JST

GENEVA —

Japan does not need laws to combat racial discrimination, a Japanese official said Thursday as Japan’s racism record was examined by the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

‘‘Punitive legislation on racial discrimination may hamper legitimate discourse,’’ Mitsuko Shino of the Japanese Foreign Ministry told a session in Geneva. ‘‘And I don’t think the situation in Japan is one of rampant discrimination, so we will not be examining this now.’‘

The review, the first since 2001, is a required procedure for countries signatory to the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which Japan ratified in December 1995.

It is conducted by a committee composed of 18 legal experts who act in their professional capacity.

Fourteen Japanese government officials from five ministries, headed by Ambassador in charge of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Hideaki Ueda, spent the morning answering questions about Japanese legislation and practices to fight racism and protect minority rights.

The committee was critical of the lack of antidiscrimination legislation in Japan, and the treatment of Japanese minorities and its large Korean and Chinese communities.

Prior to the start of the review on Wednesday, Japanese nongovernmental organizations presented to the committee issues they wanted raised.

They showed a video of a group of Japanese nationalist protesters waving flags and protesting in front of a North Korean school in Kyoto Prefecture, shouting phrases such as ‘‘This is a North Korean spy training center!’‘

An official of Japan’s Justice Ministry said such behavior could be explained as a reaction to ‘‘intermittent nuclear and missile tests’’ by North Korea, although any consequent human right violations were investigated.

Many committee members asked questions about the Okinawan population, some groups of which are fighting to obtain recognition as an indigenous population.

‘‘There is no clear definition of an indigenous people, even in the U.N. declaration,’’ Ueda said. ‘‘But Okinawan people are Japanese, and their language is the Japanese language,’’ he said.

Concerns were also expressed by committee members about the treatment of descendants of people in discriminated communities called ‘‘buraku.’‘

Committee members admitted they had difficulty understanding whether they were a caste, or a separate ethnic group.

‘‘What makes them different from the average Japanese?’’ committee member Jose Augusto Lindgren Alves asked.

‘‘There are no differences at all, they are like us, we are the same,’’ Ueda answered.

Other questions raised included educational opportunities for students of non-Japanese schools, and reports that some individuals had to change their last name to a pre-approved Kanji when obtaining Japanese citizenship.

Foreign schools in Japan get tax credits and subsidies, a delegate from the Education Ministry said, and students from many, especially Korean, schools had access to Japanese universities.

Counselors are available for foreign students joining Japanese schools, the delegate added.

On the name-change allegation, ‘‘in order not to create inconvenience in their social life, it would be better to pick an easier to use character,’’ a member of the Justice Ministry said. ‘‘But you can also use hiragana and katakana.’‘

After the review, Ralph Hosoki of the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan, one of the NGOs, told Kyodo News, ‘‘The government only regurgitates what’s already in place…There is no imaginative dialogue to work towards concrete changes.’‘

In concluding remarks, committee member Patrick Thornberry said, ‘‘A lot of the responses are that you do not need legislation…My concern is that your information…may not be proper to make such a conclusion.’’

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Latest 15 of 190 Total Comments Show All

Nessie at 03:51 PM JST - 4th March

It's 2005 so it's hardly a 'new law' and I would say from my experience that it is not being enforced. No hotel has ever asked me whether I possess an address in Japan or not, whether I've been alone, in the company of Japanese friends/family or in the company of non-Japanese friends who were obvious tourists. This law does not have my understanding or my cooperation.

Right, the not-so-new law. I'm just getting older.

The law may not have your understanding or cooperation, but it has the understanding and cooperation of "new a few" hotels, to use that old Japanese chestnut. And I very rarely stay at hotels, so two times out of my past five or six hotel stays is not a negligible percentage, although not a statistically significant sample.

You keep posting things like "well if that's the case then you should do x" as if we were making these things up. Do you think I'm imagining this?
yabusama at 03:54 PM JST - 4th March

I can tell you of at least 2 large Japanese hotel chains (and I don't mean love hotels) that have a standing policy of NO FOREIGNERS sharing rooms with Japanese of the opposite sex even if they are married (I Knew the policy but one of the companies I worked with used them, so had no choice) showed up with my wife at the time brought along her passport with my surname in brackets and her "koseki tohon" and still no go! (don't ask to name them this is not as anonymous as you may think)

I want people to start having the balls to say who these companies are. Start naming them and we can avoid them. If you can't do that SHUT UP I agree with you limbo but my comment applies to everyone who has suffered some racial profiling by a company or establishment.

People who think the Japanese are going to change their way of thinking any time soon are dreaming. This is an ingrained way of thinking that has been going on for centuries and just because they would be better off in changing this type of thinking doesn't mean they will anytime soon.

I would argue most Japanese people who are quickly labeled as racist are not in fact racist but ignorant. Big difference. This is one of the most ignorant countries I have been to. I don't hate these people. Like Mr.T I pity the fools.

This is Japan and the government is allowed to do whatever the hell they want to. Those who feel Japan should change and adopt more western ways of thinking and attitudes are setting themselves up for a life of disappointment and stress. At some point they will have no choice but to recognize their follies and will have to adapt to the ever changing world around them. Perhaps not in our lifetimes but so what.

In the meantime instead of screaming internally and mumbling externally about the ignorance and racist attitudes of a lot of the population, fight fire with fire.

A couple examples. I'm fortunate enough to own three apartments in this country. I never have and never will rent to a Japanese person. Partly because of the no gaijin rule which is illegally enforced by some landlords. Also because I want to give those foreigners who have been affected by this an opportunity to find decent housing without all the extra costs. Am I racist against the Japanese? Some would definitely say yes. But my thinking is they have enough choices out there for housing so why not give those marginalized by certain ways of thinking a chance.

I speak fluent Japanese. When the cops stop me and ask for my id I pretend I don't know what they re talking about. Unless I'm in a hurry the exercise ends up with me being let go after 20 or 30 frustrating minutes of the keystone trying to explain what he wants and ends up apologizing while sending me on my way.

If I have someone staring at me or constantly watching me on the train or bus I stare back making them incredibly uncomfortable until they hang their head or change seats. That or I say to them in Japanese "Where I come from staring at someone is incredibly rude." Sometimes I just blow them kisses or wink at them.

Point is racism exists here. We all know it. We've all been affected by it. Trying to convince non-believers of this is a waste of time. But all of us, including the Zainichi, burakumin, Okinawans, Ainu, anyone has the power to fight back in a non-confrontational way. Getting angry, threatening to sue, pointing out the law, etc... only makes them stand their ground that much more. I'm not saying don't stand up for yourself. But in my experience there are easier and more entertaining ways of getting your point across.
XXXXX at 04:16 PM JST - 4th March

skipbeat at 10:29 AM JST - 4th March "See No Evil; Hear No Evil; Speak No Evil; Do No Evil." Oppression is going to win if people stop talking/fighting about racism. Japan have a lot of different ethnic groups that lives in Japan similar to the U.S. You don't see people of ethnic across the board in big Japanese business, governments, and on TV. I am sure there are a lot of stories about the Korean Japanese people and foreigners who have contributed to Japanese society. Japan is no longer just about the Japanese people but also about the minorities groups that make up Japan as a whole. Japan is a melting pot that the government needs to come to term with. If the government can't come to term with racism then how can the majority of the Japanese people come to understand racism? JT, maybe you can pave the way by having a weekly or monthly spotlight on a Japanese persons, minorities, and foreigners who have made a difference in Japanese society or on each other. Positive uplifting stories instead of depressing stories. Have articles on human interest stories that talks about the aspects of living/doing business in Japan.

I totally get what you said!
cleo at 05:59 PM JST - 4th March

Do you think I'm imagining this?

No of course not, Nessie. You're just getting older. :-)

Seriously though, there seems to be huge gaps between what happens in some parts of the country and what happens in others. Or maybe it's more of an individual thing, I don't know. All I do know is that I and the non-Japanese people I know personally have never come across the kind of harassment and discrimination some posters have obviously come across so often that they see it as the norm.

You keep posting things like "well if that's the case then you should do x" as if we were making these things up.

There's a huge difference between saying 'I have been asked for my ID in a hotel' and 'Anything I don't like happens to me, it must be because I'm a foreigner'. I wouldn't accuse anyone of making things up, but I think in some cases people are taking umbrage where none is warranted. Where there is a real problem, then what's wrong with saying, 'In that situation I would do x?'
ReikiZen at 06:20 PM JST - 4th March

I agree with the previous comment as personally we all know what the problems are. The question is now how do we go about making changes in a positive way which is acceptable to both parties without loosing face. My feeling here is that this forum would likely not exist if JT didn't see it's importance or it's reverence. I have tremendous respect and admiration for Japan and the Japanese people. If this was not the case then why would I bother even being here? Why would I have spent the last 10 years of my life learning the language, customs and culture? If you think about it you aren't born raciest or xenophobic. It is learned and indoctrinated through the government, media, TV, Schools, Books and various other forms. We see anything we don't understand as a threat to our culture and way of life. Out of this creates paranoia, fear, distrust, hatred and indifference. You don't have to loose your identity or culture to be a part of the global community. The longer this trend continues the less reverent Japan will become in the eyes of the world. You can't expect to understand racism when one doesn't admit it even exists. There has to be some inroads somewhere in all of this but where exactly that appears is anyone's guess.
limboinjapan at 07:28 PM JST - 4th March

I think "ReikiZen" has touched on a point here!

We seem to have polarized ourselves and dug in!

I think we can all agree that there are some institutionalized racism here, but at the same time there are a lot of perceived racism that are actually just fear and misunderstanding(like my local "izakaya" that told me "No Gaikkokujin" years back only to find out he had nothing against foreigners it was just that he had no "Romaji" menus and didn't speak English, we are now friends our children are fiends and he now has English menus which some of us helped him make)!

Despite remarks like the ones in this article and those made by people like Governor Ishihara! Things have change (at least where I live), 19 years ago my ward here in North East Tokyo had a fairly large non western foreign population but provided no services other than in Japanese but now they have staff that can speak 4 languages available most of the time.

Being a single father and not able to properly read Japanese, filling in many of the forms for my children's schools and other things can be a problem, they bend over backwards to help me now, even telling me what benefits and programs I should apply for to make ends meet!

Racism will always exist, but some laws that would remove some of the more blatant and institutionalized ones would be nice!

At the same time we would need to balance our reaction to some perceived racism and not go all ballistic over a stupid remark, a stare or a panicked "gaijin dame" that are just due to fear and ignorance!
womanforwomen at 07:36 PM JST - 4th March

tkoind2. I grew up as a mixed race child. I had a hard time fitting in across the lines that separated African American from Caucasian and Hispanic. I was always "other" to each of these groups and never fully accepted by any. The other mixed race children in my school suffered similar problems including being bullied and a sense of not quite being a part of any nationality or race.

This was not in Japan right? If it is so, then you do realize that Japan is not the only problem.
cleo at 08:04 PM JST - 4th March

like my local "izakaya" that told me "No Gaikkokujin" years back only to find out he had nothing against foreigners it was just that he had no "Romaji" menus and didn't speak English, we are now friends

A different person could have taken that first "No Gaikokujin" and waved it about as yet more proof that the whole country was out to get the foreigners.....taking a step back and finding out exactly what the problem is can help both sides.

our children are fiends

lol

Mine were too when they were little. :-)
nigelboy at 04:34 AM JST - 5th March

Seriously though, there seems to be huge gaps between what happens in some parts of the country and what happens in others. Or maybe it's more of an individual thing, I don't know. All I do know is that I and the non-Japanese people I know personally have never come across the kind of harassment and discrimination some posters have obviously come across so often that they see it as the norm.

I can tell you from my experience that those who cry "racism" the loudest are the ones who can't fill out an application for a point card in their local supermarket. The attitude of these people are sometimes mind boggling. They expect people to understand English and if they don't they go ballistic. I've seen these types display their frustrations in hospitals, banks, and ward offices. And believe me, they'll attribute their misfortune on racism or stupidity of Japanese people in general when the real reason is their own inability to learn the language.
skipbeat at 12:43 PM JST - 5th March

yabusama,

If I have someone staring at me or constantly watching me on the train or bus I stare back making them incredibly uncomfortable until they hang their head or change seats. That or I say to them in Japanese "Where I come from staring at someone is incredibly rude." Sometimes I just blow them kisses or wink at them.

That is not something I would do to counter racism. The perception of "you" is a rude or ill manner person. I would smile and go on my way. Heck, introduce yourself to the person who was staring at you and strike a conversation so the other person knows that you are a great person instead of what he/she believed you to be prior to talking to you. Changing people perception of racism is how "you" interact with the local. As Japanese society is base on politeness then use politeness to speak their language. Everyone of us have our own ways of combating racism. Every persons makes a difference where racism is concern.

nigelboy,

I can tell you from my experience that those who cry "racism" the loudest are the ones who can't fill out an application for a point card in their local supermarket. The attitude of these people are sometimes mind boggling. They expect people to understand English and if they don't they go ballistic. I've seen these types display their frustrations in hospitals, banks, and ward offices. And believe me, they'll attribute their misfortune on racism or stupidity of Japanese people in general when the real reason is their own inability to learn the language.

That apply to only a few non-natives who may have too much arrogance (as I am a better person, wherever the person is from, so wait on me hands and feet mentality when visiting Japan). I believe that the majority of people who work and live in Japan love Japan and are willing to learn and speak the language along with the customs and culture of the Japanese people. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in Japan in the first place.

On the other hand, the Japanese government and the majority of Japanese do not like the Burakumin, Okinawan, and the Ainu and are ignoring their plights when certain issues matters to them as how they live and contribute to the Japanese government and to society.

As I said in a previous post, unlike America that allows people of ethnic to work in local and state government, in any business and big corporations, and on TV, the majority of Japanese people and the government have not truly embrace people of ethnic groups that live in Japan because they are not visible where it is most counted.

Former president Franklin D Roosevelt said it best, “Only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
skipbeat at 02:02 PM JST - 5th March

That apply to only a few non-natives who may have too much arrogance (as I am a better person, wherever the person is from, so wait on me hands and feet mentality when visiting Japan).

Correction: nigelboy, It is probably due to some foreigners who moved to Japan and expect Japan to cater to them instead of learning the language or having a hard time learning the language. It would be in the Japanese proprietor(s) and government best interest to publish applications/policies in English or other foreign language if there is a large population of an ethnic group because they are part of the Japanese society or within the community which they reside in.
nigelboy at 02:18 AM JST - 6th March

"Correction: nigelboy, It is probably due to some foreigners who moved to Japan and expect Japan to cater to them instead of learning the language or having a hard time learning the language. It would be in the Japanese proprietor(s) and government best interest to publish applications/policies in English or other foreign language if there is a large population of an ethnic group because they are part of the Japanese society or within the community which they reside in."

To a degree, I agree with you. But what you don't want to get into is a situation where everything is provided in your home language which in turn evolves into an environment where you don't need to learn the language of your host country. This is happening in many areas of Western nations.

On the other hand, the Japanese government and the majority of Japanese do not like the Burakumin, Okinawan, and the Ainu and are ignoring their plights when certain issues matters to them as how they live and contribute to the Japanese government and to society.

If you read more materials on this so-called "plights" of Burakumin, Ryukyu, and Ainu, you'll realize that they are headed by a small special interest groups who are only interested "funding" their organization. For instance, a few of the recent cases involving Burakumin discrimmination were brought on by the Burakumin organization themselves

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A7%A3%E5%90%8C%E9%AB%98%E7%9F%A5%E5%B8%82%E5%8D%94%E3%80%8C%E5%B7%AE%E5%88%A5%E6%89%8B%E7%B4%99%E3%80%8D%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%BB%8B%E8%B3%80%E7%9C%8C%E5%85%AC%E7%AB%8B%E4%B8%AD%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1%E5%B7%AE%E5%88%A5%E8%90%BD%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%8D%E8%87%AA%E4%BD%9C%E8%87%AA%E6%BC%94%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AB%8B%E8%8A%B1%E7%94%BA%E9%80%A3%E7%B6%9A%E5%B7%AE%E5%88%A5%E3%83%8F%E3%82%AC%E3%82%AD%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6

And when these type of organization are the ones presenting their case at the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the results are obvious.

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/cerds76.htm

And please. Burakumin is so 70's that with the development/urbanization of former so-called Burakumin districts, no institutions practices these anymore.

As I said in a previous post, unlike America that allows people of ethnic to work in local and state government, in any business and big corporations, and on TV, the majority of Japanese people and the government have not truly embrace people of ethnic groups that live in Japan because they are not visible where it is most counted.

What makes you think that none of these people can't work in the local and state government and businesses? If they have Japanese citizenship and pass the civil entrance exam, they can work for governments. And if the same people have the educational credentials, they can certainly work for corporations.
stevecpfc at 05:36 AM JST - 6th March

nigelboy, Sorry links are working except last one. Sadly Burakumin are still being discriminated by some. I don`t know ho prevelant this is, but it does happen in some places. I know of a small area in Takarazuka hich is mostly populated by Burakumin and Koreans and some do face discrimination due to where they reside.
skipbeat at 10:28 AM JST - 6th March

@nigelboy,

Point taken. Here is an example from a Japanese company.

"Job inquiries: We only employ Japanese-speaking persons."
Nessie at 05:13 PM JST - 8th March

I think in some cases people are taking umbrage where none is warranted.

Yes, I'm with you on this one, Cleo.

Where there is a real problem, then what's wrong with saying, 'In that situation I would do x?'

Okay. but your "if" seems to imply unwarranted skepticism.