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 rights, has been flouting them. Remember, this ...
'Akira' inspires generations of foreign animators
Enthusiasts pour their souls into labors of love honoring Otomo's classic anime film and manga series.
Fukuoka's 'guest teachers' of English outstay their welcome
Job insecurity, excessive secrecy and legal curbs on dispatch teachers come under the spotlight as 120 teachers lose their classes.
Japan on just 10 judges a day costs a pretty penny
With over 1,000 courts but less than 4,000 judges, somehow 3.5 million cases get cleared every year.
Two Japan Supreme Court cases clarify when discrimination against fixed-term workers is OK
June 1, 2018, saw two verdicts from two similar cases handed down by the Supreme Court, both based on the 2012 amendment to the Labor Contract Law.
Bill Hersey, man about Tokyo, 1930-2018: some tributes
Writer's kindness was legend, and his photos and columns told the story of a Tokyo social scene's rebirth after war and Occupation.
Left-behind dad's last resort: Impeach Japan's Supreme Court judges
Dogged father in Hague Convention case shines a light on a check-and-balance on the judiciary that barely functions.
How about a study-abroad adventure in Europe?
For Japanese students, continental EU universities offer high-quality courses often at lower prices than U.S. colleges.
Devilish Japanese TV drama makes a mockery of workplace rights
In "Miss Devil," each firing has some deeper purpose that in the end benefits the hapless victim. The lesson boils down to "I know what's good for you more than you do yourself."
When 'Japanese only' rules were OK, and other odd Supreme Court cases
Did that headline grab you? I hope so, because how else are we supposed to get you to read an article about Japanese Supreme Court cases?
Abe walks a tightrope on Japan's foreign worker policy
The foreign proportion of Japan's population remains tiny compared to that in European countries or North America, yet the impact of the growing ranks of foreign workers is considerable.
Relocating to San Francisco with a Japanese spouse
The mariachi blares through the night, mixed with the hustle of elephants. It is Friday night in Oakland, California — a fact embraced by our upstairs neighbors, who are partial to Mexican polka. "It's 11 p.m. — urusai (shut up)," my wife says with jet-lagged ...
In Japan, who do you think you are? Fun and games with foreign names in katakana
Katakana renderings of non-Japanese names can cause a raft of problems if spelling issues are allowed to fester.
Japan's Supreme Court orders a child be sent home in a Hague parental abduction case. Maybe.
Defanged habeas corpus grew some teeth in last month's Nagoya international custody ruling, but the problem of toothless enforcement remains.
Tokyo Cowboys shoot for more diversity on Japanese screens
"We can't all be lost, drunk, rude gaijin (foreigners) on television and movies forever," says Christopher McCombs of Tokyo Cowboys.
