Search - discrimination-in-japan

 
 
Reader Mail
Jan 22, 2009

Discomfort with logic flaws

I'm shocked by the title of Gregory Clark's article. Am I the only one to think that the vice president of Akita International University should be advocating mutual understanding, and promoting cultural exchanges, instead of a "right to discriminate"? I cannot but share my sympathy in the Otaru bathhouse...
Reader Mail
Jan 18, 2009

A 'right' that should be abhorred

I am very positive about my life in Japan, and came here to leave Britain behind, which is less comfortable both economically and socially. Every country has something minor that one can gripe about endlessly, be it the political system, bureaucracy or public transport. Griping about these things helps...
Reader Mail
Jan 11, 2009

Wrong people were sued

Regarding the Jan. 6 article, "Otaru ruling beats 'mob rule' ": This article misrepresents much of what the author set out to respond to, and it labels as racist those people who are not. Were the owners of the onsen hotel trying to discriminate on the basis of race? The arguments offered at court by...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2008

Blood types — do they shape a personality or mere stereotypes?

Can blood type determine character?
Reader Mail
Dec 11, 2008

More serious violations out there

Regarding Grant Mahood's Dec. 7 letter, "Fingerprinting law is unjust": Since the new guidelines on fingerprinting foreigners at Japanese ports of entry were issued (November 2007), we have seen discussions for and against them in various forums, including The Japan Times. Some have branded such a practice...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Nov 15, 2008

Akingbade key player for rebuilding Albirex

The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with players in the bj-league — Japan's first professional basketball circuit — which began its fourth season in October. Dokun Akingbade of the Niigata Albirex BB is the subject of this week's profile.
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2008

Politics of currency declarations

Regarding M.J. Issott's Nov. 6 letter, "Rule, as is, discriminates": Issott still maintains that it is stupid to make him count up and declare his foreign currencies upon re-entry into Japan and feels that the government discriminates against him because Japanese nationals are exempt from this rule. ...
Reader Mail
Nov 9, 2008

American stereotype broken

About a month ago, I exercised my right to vote in the U.S. presidential election as an absentee expat. I voted for Barack Obama because of the vision of the future he has inspired in us after eight long years of political and economic divisiveness.
Reader Mail
Oct 16, 2008

International beginning for sumo

Three sumo wrestlers from Russia have been dismissed on allegations of marijuana use and are set to sue the Japan Sumo Association over their dismissal. I feel that JSA is making these Russian wrestlers suffer for the bad press it has received because of recent scandals, including violence against sumo...
COMMENTARY
Oct 9, 2008

Criteria for good leadership

The argument that in a time of crisis experience in government is a necessary qualification for high office has some appeal, but it is not a conclusive reason for choosing a leader. This question became a focus of Britain's two main political parties recently at their respective annual conferences.
Japan Times
JAPAN / LETTERS FROM KOBE
Sep 10, 2008

Mixed-race babies in lurch

Fourth in a series
Japan Times
JAPAN / LETTERS FROM KOBE
Sep 9, 2008

Fraternization — and consequences

Third in a series
EDITORIALS
Sep 1, 2008

Stab at peace comes up short

A Muslim insurgency has been fought in Mindanao, the main island in the southern part of the Philippines, for decades. A few weeks ago, the government of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a historic peace agreement that would have ceded part of the province to the insurgents.
Reader Mail
Aug 14, 2008

Limits of 'multiculturalism'

Regarding the recent flap over Debito Arudou's Aug. 5 article, "Once a 'gaijin,' always a 'gaijin,' " and, more specifically, the Aug. 10 letter response from Sandra Graves-Takahashi, "Unlikely material for a revolution": I must concur with Arudou regarding the treatment of foreigners in Japan.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jun 30, 2008

Justices made right call on habeas corpus

Among the commentaries I've read about a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the one from George F. Will (The Japan Times, June 24) surprised me. The conservative columnist for The Washington Post upbraided Sen. John McCain for condemning Boumediene v. Bush — which upheld the right of habeas corpus...
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2008

Diet officially declares Ainu indigenous

The Ainu celebrated a historic moment Friday as the Diet unanimously passed a resolution that recognizes them as indigenous people of Japan.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
May 6, 2008

Activism vs. academia

Back in January, I was a panelist at Waseda University's Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration, invited to give an "activist's perspective" to an academic crowd.
EDITORIALS
Mar 27, 2008

Seeding the nuclear renaissance

The world is on the brink of a second nuclear renaissance. Prodded by rising oil prices and concerns about global warming, nations are reconsidering the nuclear energy option and finding it attractive. A significant increase in the number of nuclear reactors worldwide, however, also increases the risk...
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2008

State to be sued by hepatitis B carriers, who top 1 million

In the wake of the recent ground-breaking out-of-court settlement with people who contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood products, the government will face a fresh legal battle waged by hepatitis B carriers.
Reader Mail
Mar 20, 2008

Basis for discriminatory legislation

In his March 16 letter, "Leave immigration to Darwin," William Wetherall tackles the subject of ethnic Koreans and Chinese being stripped of their Japanese nationality after World War II by emphatically stating that "[t]he loss of Japanese nationality by some former subjects after World War II was not...
Reader Mail
Mar 16, 2008

Homogeneity no excuse for profiling

Emerging with arrivals at Narita Airport earlier this month for a welcome breath of fresh air, I was approached by a police officer (riot police was his description) and asked to show my passport or alien card. He was exceedingly polite and looked quite sweet wearing a surgical mask and a Band-Aid on...
Reader Mail
Mar 13, 2008

Think before charging racism

What in the world is going on with Readers in Council and the charge of xenophobia appearing in letters the past month?
Reader Mail
Feb 10, 2008

Overboard on sight of tattoo

I would like to describe a personal experience that may be of some interest and value to readers. Last week I joined a fitness club in Nagoya. After completing the application process and paying the fee, I used the facilities. The following day I returned to use the pool before an aerobics class.
EDITORIALS
Feb 9, 2008

Consensus on surrogate birth

A committee of the Science Council of Japan has made public a draft report that calls for enacting a law to ban surrogate births in general. Since surrogate births include ethical, legal and medical problems, medical service people, experts in ethical problems, health authorities and lawmakers should...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 22, 2008

Trouble on two wheels; moving out

Gaijin on a bike! "I have been harassed by the police while riding my bicycle," writes FC. "I happened to get the bike from a friend and it turns out it actually belonged to someone else. The bicycle is very, very old and worthless, but they tracked it down and apparently it was 'stolen.'

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?