Regarding the March 17 "Views from the Street" question "What changes would you like to see to Japan's immigration policies?": Families should not be separated. There should be alternative punishments to deportation. Immigration laws should encourage Japanese married to foreigners to stay together; immigration officials should not try to brainwash Japanese into separating from their spouses.
Why do plainclothes police posted at Tokyo train stations, especially Shinagawa station, target foreigners? We've heard that any foreigner arrested is worth ¥500,000 to the responsible police or immigration officer. Are foreigners money machines?
Detention centers should be open to the press so that the public can see what goes on there. Some people are wrongly detained and even getting lawyers to defend them is difficult.
Japan is part of the international community, so its laws should take into consideration the sentiments expressed by the international community. Nowhere in the world will you not find an item made in Japan. Obviously, Japan has benefited from the patronage of the international community. Therefore, Japan needs to consider how it formulates laws to deal with foreign identities. Japan's laws must reflect its status as a global leader. Japan cannot close its eyes to the plight of foreigners. Is deportation the ONLY suitable punishment?