2020 was a watershed year for Japan's foreign residents
Increased discussion on the status of biracial Japanese, media misinterpretations of foreign communities and a bungled border policy made up our 2020.
Remain calm when stopped by the police in Japan
Non-Japanese residents face a pretty high chance of being randomly stopped by the police. Make sure you know your rights ahead of time.
Of the issues non-Japanese had to deal with in the past year (and even the past decade), some were major news stories and some fell quietly into the cracks.
'Love it or leave it' is not a real choice
When U.S. President Donald Trump told four congresswomen of color they could "go back" where they came from if they weren't happy, some of us in Japan recognized the line as being one used here for far too long.
Know your rights when checking in at an Airbnb
Last year, the government passed a law covering minpaku, which is when people rent out space on their properties to travelers (a la Airbnb). The law is part of an effort to regulate accommodations amid a tourism boom ahead of the 2020 Olympics. One issue ...
Every January, Just Be Cause takes a look at how things went for the non-Japanese residents of Japan (NJ) in the previous year. While not everything made this year's list — there were the false claims of "foreigner fraud" of the national health insurance system, ...
Warning to Naomi Osaka: Playing for Japan can seriously shorten your career
Naomi Osaka's decision to represent the country she left at the age of 3 may be good for her bottom line but not necessarily her longevity.
What about we stop it with the 'whataboutism'?
These are troubling times for human rights activists. For 27 years I’ve been writing about civil, political and human rights for non-Japanese (NJ) and other minorities in Japan. And I’ve never been more confused. Not least because the United States, the putative paragon of human ...
White supremacists and Japan: A love story
Far-right fanboys see in Japan an ethnostate that gets a free pass on the world stage, but it's a reputation that Japan needs to shake for its own good.
In 2017, Japan woke up to the issue of discrimination
The year saw a landmark human rights survey and action on hate speech and pensions — but conditions remain dire for foreign 'trainees' and other workers alike.
'Attach the evidence and wait for your day in court,' says Turkish plaintiff after Osaka victory
Ibrahim Yener discusses the lessons learned from his successful discrimination case against a used car dealership.
In wake of Charlottesville, U.S. should follow Japan and outlaw hate speech
Carnage in Virginia shows why America needs to limit expression that necessarily leads to violence.
