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	<title>The Japan Times &#187; Debito Arudou</title>
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	<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp</link>
	<description>News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More</description>
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		<item>
		<title>Triumph of Tokyo Olympic bid sends wrong signal to Japan&#8217;s resurgent right</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/issues/triumph-of-tokyo-olympic-bid-sends-wrong-signal-to-japans-resurgent-right/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=triumph-of-tokyo-olympic-bid-sends-wrong-signal-to-japans-resurgent-right</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/issues/triumph-of-tokyo-olympic-bid-sends-wrong-signal-to-japans-resurgent-right/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2020 Olympics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debito Arudou]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IOC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shinzo Abe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo 2020]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[International events undermine Japan's democracy. Shame on the International Olympic Committee for being a party to it.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/issues/triumph-of-tokyo-olympic-bid-sends-wrong-signal-to-japans-resurgent-right/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>If you&#8217;re jōzu and you know it, hold your ground</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/09/issues/if-youre-jzu-and-you-know-it-hold-your-ground/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=if-youre-jzu-and-you-know-it-hold-your-ground</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/09/issues/if-youre-jzu-and-you-know-it-hold-your-ground/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Debito Arudou]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethnicity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nihongo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Communicating in Japanese is not all that difficult. What's difficult is communicating with Japanese people, writes Debito Arudou.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/09/issues/if-youre-jzu-and-you-know-it-hold-your-ground/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>41</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ol&#8217; blue eyes isn&#8217;t back: Tsurunen&#8217;s tale offers lessons in microcosm for DPJ</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/issues/ol-blue-eyes-isnt-back-tsurunens-tale-offers-lessons-in-microcosm-for-dpj/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ol-blue-eyes-isnt-back-tsurunens-tale-offers-lessons-in-microcosm-for-dpj</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/issues/ol-blue-eyes-isnt-back-tsurunens-tale-offers-lessons-in-microcosm-for-dpj/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DPJ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election 2013]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethnicity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[House of Councilors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marutei Tsurunen]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Spare a thought for Marutei Tsurunen, Japan's first European-born naturalized immigrant parliamentarian, who was voted out in last month's House of Councilors election.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/issues/ol-blue-eyes-isnt-back-tsurunens-tale-offers-lessons-in-microcosm-for-dpj/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>22</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Police &#8216;foreign crime wave&#8217; falsehoods fuel racism</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/08/issues/police-foreign-crime-wave-falsehoods-fuel-racism/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=police-foreign-crime-wave-falsehoods-fuel-racism</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/08/issues/police-foreign-crime-wave-falsehoods-fuel-racism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jul 2013 14:05:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Debito Arudou]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discriminiation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=407690</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[These Community pages have reported many times on how the National Police Agency (NPA) has manufactured the illusion of a &#8220;foreign crime wave,&#8221; depicting non-Japanese (NJ) as a threat to Japan&#8217;s public safety (see &#8220;Upping the fear factor,&#8221; Zeit Gist, Feb. 20, 2007; &#8220;Time to come clean on foreign crime,&#8221; ZG, Oct. 7, 2003; &#8220;Foreigner [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/08/issues/police-foreign-crime-wave-falsehoods-fuel-racism/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>42</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>By opening up the debate to the real experts, Hashimoto did history a favor</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/04/issues/by-opening-up-the-debate-to-the-real-experts-hashimoto-did-history-a-favor/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=by-opening-up-the-debate-to-the-real-experts-hashimoto-did-history-a-favor</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/04/issues/by-opening-up-the-debate-to-the-real-experts-hashimoto-did-history-a-favor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:05:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[comfort women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nippon Ishin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Osaka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex crimes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toru Hashimoto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWII]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto has been busy making headlines around the world with his controversial views on Japan&#8217;s wartime sex slaves (or &#8220;comfort women,&#8221; for those who like euphemisms with their history). Among other things, he claimed there is no evidence that the Japanese government sponsored the program, and suggested these exploited women were (and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/04/issues/by-opening-up-the-debate-to-the-real-experts-hashimoto-did-history-a-favor/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Police, media must consider plight of those caught in linguistic dragnet</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/issues/police-media-must-consider-plight-of-those-caught-in-linguistic-dragnet/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=police-media-must-consider-plight-of-those-caught-in-linguistic-dragnet</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/issues/police-media-must-consider-plight-of-those-caught-in-linguistic-dragnet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 15:05:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Debito Arudou]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethnicity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreigners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[A national media exerts a powerful influence over the lives of members of its society. For example, rumors or untruths disseminated through print or broadcast can destroy livelihoods and leave reputations in ruins. This is why judiciaries provide mechanisms to keep media accountable. In Japan, laws against libel and slander exist to punish those who [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/issues/police-media-must-consider-plight-of-those-caught-in-linguistic-dragnet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>44</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tweak the immigration debate and demand an upgrade to denizen class</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/issues/tweak-the-immigration-debate-and-demand-an-upgrade-to-denizen-class/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tweak-the-immigration-debate-and-demand-an-upgrade-to-denizen-class</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/issues/tweak-the-immigration-debate-and-demand-an-upgrade-to-denizen-class/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:08:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[expats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=336713</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Crucial to any public discussion is defining the terms of debate. However, often those terms must be redefined later because they don&#8217;t reflect reality. One example is Japan&#8217;s concept of &#8220;foreigner,&#8221; because the related terminology is confusing and provides pretenses for exclusionism. In terms of strict legal status, if you&#8217;re not a citizen you&#8217;re a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/issues/tweak-the-immigration-debate-and-demand-an-upgrade-to-denizen-class/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Child&#8217;s quibble with U.S. &#8216;poverty superpower&#8217; propaganda unravels a sobering story about insular Japan</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/05/issues/childs-quibble-with-u-s-poverty-superpower-propaganda-unravels-a-sobering-story-about-insular-japan/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=childs-quibble-with-u-s-poverty-superpower-propaganda-unravels-a-sobering-story-about-insular-japan</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/05/issues/childs-quibble-with-u-s-poverty-superpower-propaganda-unravels-a-sobering-story-about-insular-japan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:01:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poverty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=198797</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last November, a reader in Hokkaido named Stephanie sent me an article read in Japan&#8217;s elementary schools. Featured in a sixth-grader magazine called Chagurin (from &#8220;child agricultural green&#8221;) dated December 2012, it was titled &#8220;Children of America, the Poverty Superpower&#8221; (hinkon taikoku Amerika no kodomotachi), offering a sprawling review of America&#8217;s social problems. Its seven [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/05/issues/childs-quibble-with-u-s-poverty-superpower-propaganda-unravels-a-sobering-story-about-insular-japan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Keep Abe&#8217;s hawks in check or Japan and Asia will suffer</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/04/issues/keep-abes-hawks-in-check-or-japan-and-asia-will-suffer/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=keep-abes-hawks-in-check-or-japan-and-asia-will-suffer</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/04/issues/keep-abes-hawks-in-check-or-japan-and-asia-will-suffer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:42:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[LDP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shinzo Abe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWII]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[On Jan. 1, The Japan Times&#8217; lead story was &#8220;Summer poll to keep Abe in check.&#8221; It made the argument that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#8217;s Liberal Democratic Party alliance falls short of a majority in the Upper House, so until elections happen this summer he lacks a &#8220;full-fledged administration&#8221; to carry out a conservative agenda. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/04/issues/keep-abes-hawks-in-check-or-japan-and-asia-will-suffer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>40</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The year for non-Japanese in &#8217;12: a top 10</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/issues/the-year-for-non-japanese-in-12-a-top-10/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-year-for-non-japanese-in-12-a-top-10</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/issues/the-year-for-non-japanese-in-12-a-top-10/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[citizenship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Election 2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fukushima]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hague Convention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Osaka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parental child abduction]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Back by popular demand, here is JBC&#8217;s roundup of the top 10 human rights events that most affected non-Japanese (NJ) residents of Japan in 2012, in ascending order. Bubbling under • China&#8217;s anti-Japan riots (September) and Senkaku-area maneuvers (October to now). • North Korea&#8217;s missile test timed for Japan&#8217;s elections (December). • NJ workers&#8217; right [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/01/issues/the-year-for-non-japanese-in-12-a-top-10/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Do Japan a favor: Don&#8217;t stop being a critic</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/11/issues/do-japan-a-favor-dont-stop-being-a-critic/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=do-japan-a-favor-dont-stop-being-a-critic</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/11/issues/do-japan-a-favor-dont-stop-being-a-critic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Remember grade school, when the most demanding question put to you was something as simple as &#8220;What color do you like?&#8221; Choose any color, for there is no wrong answer. This is the power of &#8220;like,&#8221; where nobody can dispute your preference. You don&#8217;t have to give a reason why you like something. You just [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/11/issues/do-japan-a-favor-dont-stop-being-a-critic/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>If bully Ishihara wants one last stand, bring it on</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/06/issues/if-bully-ishihara-wants-one-last-stand-bring-it-on/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=if-bully-ishihara-wants-one-last-stand-bring-it-on</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/06/issues/if-bully-ishihara-wants-one-last-stand-bring-it-on/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[On Oct. 25, Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara announced his resignation from office. He now plans to stand for election to the Diet as head of a new conservative party. He suggested political alliances with other conservative reactionaries and xenophobes, including Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and Tachiagare Nippon (Sunrise Party of Japan) chief Takeo Hiranuma (Just [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/06/issues/if-bully-ishihara-wants-one-last-stand-bring-it-on/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Revisionists marching Japan back to a dangerous place</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/issues/revisionists-marching-japan-back-to-a-dangerous-place/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=revisionists-marching-japan-back-to-a-dangerous-place</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/issues/revisionists-marching-japan-back-to-a-dangerous-place/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[No doubt you&#8217;ve seen the news about the Takeshima and Senkaku disputes: Japan is sparring with China, South Korea and Taiwan over some specks in the ocean. Why is this happening? Theories include pre-election political posturing and securing borders to exploit resources. But it&#8217;s gotten to the point where even respected academics (such as Stanford&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/10/02/issues/revisionists-marching-japan-back-to-a-dangerous-place/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Toot your own horn &#8212; don&#8217;t let the modesty scam keep you down</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/09/04/issues/toot-your-own-horn-dont-let-the-modesty-scam-keep-you-down/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=toot-your-own-horn-dont-let-the-modesty-scam-keep-you-down</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/09/04/issues/toot-your-own-horn-dont-let-the-modesty-scam-keep-you-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[As per this column&#8217;s title, this month&#8217;s topic was chosen, well, &#8220;just because&#8221; it&#8217;s been on my mind. Some weeks ago I was asked to give a speech at my current research institute. When I offered workshops on activism and racial discrimination in Japan in general, they asked for something more personal: &#8220;Tell us how [...]]]></description>
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		<title>For nikkei immigrants in Japan, it doesn&#8217;t have to be a bug&#8217;s life</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/08/07/issues/for-nikkei-immigrants-in-japan-it-doesnt-have-to-be-a-bugs-life/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=for-nikkei-immigrants-in-japan-it-doesnt-have-to-be-a-bugs-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/08/07/issues/for-nikkei-immigrants-in-japan-it-doesnt-have-to-be-a-bugs-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[As Beto awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his futon into a gigantic cockroach. &#8220;What&#8217;s happened to me?&#8221; he thought. In his native land down south, he had been a person &#8212; if at times underprivileged due to his nikkei status. So, years ago, he &#8220;repatriated&#8221; to Japan, attracted by [...]]]></description>
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		<title>In formulating immigration policy, no seat at the table for non-Japanese</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/07/03/issues/in-formulating-immigration-policy-no-seat-at-the-table-for-non-japanese/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=in-formulating-immigration-policy-no-seat-at-the-table-for-non-japanese</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/07/03/issues/in-formulating-immigration-policy-no-seat-at-the-table-for-non-japanese/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Last month the Japanese government took baby steps toward an official immigration policy. Ten ministries and several specialist &#8220;people of awareness&#8221; (y&#363;shikisha) held meetings aimed at creating a &#8220;coexistence society&#8221; (ky&#333;sei shakai) within which non-Japanese (NJ) would be &#8220;accepted&#8221; (uke ire). This is a positive change from the past two decades, when Japan cultivated an [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Guestists, Haters, the Vested: Apologists take many forms</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/06/05/issues/guestists-haters-the-vested-apologists-take-many-forms/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=guestists-haters-the-vested-apologists-take-many-forms</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/06/05/issues/guestists-haters-the-vested-apologists-take-many-forms/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Last month&#8217;s column on &#8220;microaggressions&#8221; was my most debated yet. Thanks for reading and commenting. So this month, let&#8217;s explore how the microaggression dynamic works in all societies, and why some people live in denial of it. Brace yourself for a bit of theory . . . All societies, when defining themselves, decide who is [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Yes, I can use chopsticks: the everyday &#8216;microaggressions&#8217; that grind us down</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/05/01/issues/yes-i-can-use-chopsticks-the-everyday-microaggressions-that-grind-us-down/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=yes-i-can-use-chopsticks-the-everyday-microaggressions-that-grind-us-down</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/05/01/issues/yes-i-can-use-chopsticks-the-everyday-microaggressions-that-grind-us-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever noticed how many interpersonal interactions in Japan are like &#8220;speed dates&#8221; of set questions? For example, the taxi drivers who have the odd fascination about where you&#8217;re from, whether you&#8217;re married, how much you like Japan, and how hard you think the Japanese language is? The barkeeps and clientele who try to [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Keene should engage brain before fueling &#8216;flyjin,&#8217; foreign crime myths</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/04/03/issues/keene-should-engage-brain-before-fueling-flyjin-foreign-crime-myths/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=keene-should-engage-brain-before-fueling-flyjin-foreign-crime-myths</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/04/03/issues/keene-should-engage-brain-before-fueling-flyjin-foreign-crime-myths/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Congratulations to Donald Keene, who was granted Japanese citizenship last month with great media fanfare. At 89 years young and after a lifetime contributing to world scholarship on Japan, he truly deserves it. Unfortunately, while receiving all the kudos, Keene demonstrated that he had fallen for two of Japan&#8217;s media-manufactured myths about non-Japanese (NJ) residents: [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Japan&#8217;s revolving-door immigration policy hard-wired to fail</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/03/06/issues/japans-revolving-door-immigration-policy-hard-wired-to-fail/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japans-revolving-door-immigration-policy-hard-wired-to-fail</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/03/06/issues/japans-revolving-door-immigration-policy-hard-wired-to-fail/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Last December, the Japanese government announced that a new visa regime with a &#8220;points system&#8221; would be introduced this spring. It is designed to attract 2,000 non-Japanese (NJ) with a &#8220;high degree of capability&#8221; (k&#333;do jinzai), meaning people with high salaries, impeccable educational and vocational pedigrees, specialized technical knowledge and excellent managerial/administrative skills. Those lucky [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>These are a few of my favorite things about Japan</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/02/07/issues/these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-things-about-japan/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-things-about-japan</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/02/07/issues/these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-things-about-japan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The Just Be Cause column has been running now for four years (thanks for reading!), and I&#8217;ve noticed something peculiar: how commentators are pressured to say &#8220;nice&#8221; stuff about Japan. If you don&#8217;t, you get criticized for an apparent &#8220;lack of balance&#8221; &#8212; as if one has to pay homage to the gods of cultural [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Kim to &#8216;flyjin,&#8217; a top 10 for 2011</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/01/03/issues/kim-to-flyjin-a-top-10-for-2011/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=kim-to-flyjin-a-top-10-for-2011</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/01/03/issues/kim-to-flyjin-a-top-10-for-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s JBC&#8217;s fourth annual roundup of the top 10 human rights events that affected Japan&#8217;s non-Japanese (NJ) residents last year. Ranked in ascending order of impact: Kim Jong Il dies This might rank higher with the benefit of hindsight, but right now it&#8217;s unclear how things will settle after the succession. Still, potential regime change [...]]]></description>
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		<title>For the sake of Japan&#8217;s future, foreigners deserve a fair shake</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/12/06/issues/for-the-sake-of-japans-future-foreigners-deserve-a-fair-shake/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=for-the-sake-of-japans-future-foreigners-deserve-a-fair-shake</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/12/06/issues/for-the-sake-of-japans-future-foreigners-deserve-a-fair-shake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:02:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[These past few columns have addressed fundamentally bad habits in Japanese society that impede positive social change. Last month I talked about public trust being eroded by social conventions that permit (even applaud) the systematic practice of lying in public. This month, let&#8217;s discuss the lack of cultural value invested in &#8220;fairness.&#8221; Consider these touchstones: [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The costly fallout of tatemae and Japan&#8217;s culture of deceit</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/11/01/issues/the-costly-fallout-of-tatemae-and-japans-culture-of-deceit/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-costly-fallout-of-tatemae-and-japans-culture-of-deceit</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/11/01/issues/the-costly-fallout-of-tatemae-and-japans-culture-of-deceit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[There is an axiom in Japanese: uso mo h&#333;ben &#8212; &#8220;lying is also a means to an end.&#8221; It sums up the general attitude in Japan of tolerance of &#8212; even justification for &#8212; not telling the truth. First &#8212; defining &#8220;telling the truth&#8221; as divulging the truth (not a lie), the whole truth (full [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Japan needs less ganbatte, more genuine action</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/10/04/issues/japan-needs-less-ganbatte-more-genuine-action/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japan-needs-less-ganbatte-more-genuine-action</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/10/04/issues/japan-needs-less-ganbatte-more-genuine-action/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Ganbatte kudasai! You hear this expression every day in Japan. &#8220;Do your best!&#8221; &#8220;Try harder!&#8221; &#8220;Stick to it!&#8221; &#8220;Don&#8217;t give up!&#8221; are but a few of the positive messages conveyed. It offered succor 25 years ago when I was in university bushwhacking through the Japanese language: One &#8220;ganbatte!&#8221; from Sensei emboldened me for the rest [...]]]></description>
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		<title>&#8216;Sexlessness&#8217; wrecks marriages, threatens nation&#8217;s future</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/sexlessness-wrecks-marriages-threatens-nations-future/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=sexlessness-wrecks-marriages-threatens-nations-future</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/sexlessness-wrecks-marriages-threatens-nations-future/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[In its cover story last month, The Economist newsmagazine looked at the issue of &#8220;Asia&#8217;s lonely hearts: Why Asian women are rejecting marriage and what that means.&#8221; It offered many reasons &#8212; including economics, education level, changes in family structures and gender roles, divorce difficulties, and demographics &#8212; for why many Asian women (and of [...]]]></description>
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		<title>The loneliness of the long-distance foreigner</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/08/02/issues/the-loneliness-of-the-long-distance-foreigner/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-loneliness-of-the-long-distance-foreigner</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/08/02/issues/the-loneliness-of-the-long-distance-foreigner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[A few months ago I had beers with several old Japan-hand guys (combined we have more than a century of Japan experiences), and one of them asked an interesting question: &#8220;After all our years here, how many close Japanese male friends do you have?&#8221; (Excluding Debito, of course.) We glanced amongst ourselves and realized that [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Lives such as Daniel&#8217;s deserve to be honored in these pages</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/07/05/issues/lives-such-as-daniels-deserve-to-be-honored-in-these-pages/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=lives-such-as-daniels-deserve-to-be-honored-in-these-pages</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/07/05/issues/lives-such-as-daniels-deserve-to-be-honored-in-these-pages/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:01:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[I had a shock in May with the death of a close friend, Daniel, a long-term Japan resident in his sixties who had been in bad health. We were close and I&#8217;ll miss him. But my shock was less due to Daniel&#8217;s passing, more to the postmortem reaction of the people around him, and to [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>&#8216;English-speaking diaspora&#8217; should unite, not backbite</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/06/07/issues/english-speaking-diaspora-should-unite-not-backbite/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=english-speaking-diaspora-should-unite-not-backbite</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/06/07/issues/english-speaking-diaspora-should-unite-not-backbite/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[There has been an ill wind blowing around Japan, and I don&#8217;t just mean the fallout after Fukushima. I&#8217;m talking about the nasty attitude non-Japanese (NJ) residents have towards each other, even in this time of crisis. One would think that difficult times would occasion people pulling together to help. There has of course been [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Better to be branded a &#8216;flyjin&#8217; than a man of the &#8216;sheeple&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/05/03/issues/better-to-be-branded-a-flyjin-than-a-man-of-the-sheeple/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=better-to-be-branded-a-flyjin-than-a-man-of-the-sheeple</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/05/03/issues/better-to-be-branded-a-flyjin-than-a-man-of-the-sheeple/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Debito Arudou</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The past two months have been uncomfortable for Japan, and for the country&#8217;s foreign residents. Non-Japanese (NJ) have been bashed in the media, unreservedly and undeservedly, as deserters in the face of disaster. Consider the birth of the epithet &#8220;fly-jin.&#8221; A corruption of the racist word gaijin for foreigners, it appeared in English-language media as [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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