Regarding the Jan. 16 article “Frenchwoman fired for leaving Japan during nuclear crisis sues NHK“: I know this will upset a lot of foreigners in Japan, but I fully agree with NHK’s terminating the employment of Emmanuelle Bodin after she fled Japan during the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis in March 2011.
You can tell which people are in Japan for the money from the ones who love the country. So many foreigners fled Japan like rats leaving a sinking ship just after the 3/11 earthquake. It was beyond funny: Married men ran home like cowards, people took off for home without telling their employers, and a lot of companies had to scramble to find replacement staff on short notice.
Then when some of these people returned to Japan, they wondered why their wives had divorced them or why they had lost their jobs. Talk about being stupid.
Japan was in a crisis and the people who were here only for money deserted Japan.
I was ashamed for the fleeing masses. They gave all foreigners a bad name, and those like myself who love Japan were made to look bad. Now the term “fly-jin” has come into the Japanese language.
The Australian Embassy telephoned me more than eight times during the first few weeks of the crisis, telling me to leave. I was married and was not going to run away from Japan or my wife to protect myself. This is my home and my country; I am not going to flee at the first sign of trouble. I am here for the good and the bad times, and will support Japan in any way I can.
I would like to see Japan’s immigration department deport all the cowards who left families behind or who fled without notifying their employers. These people do not care one bit about Japan.
Imagine what will happen if Japan and China ever exchange gunfire and missiles over disputed territory.
How many fly-jin will flee in that case?
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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