Archive for November, 2007

Debito is Establishing a Permanent Residents Organization

Just thought people may like the heads up that Arudou Debito, known for championing foreigners rights, is speculatively organizing an association of permanent residents and nationalized citizens in Japan. People who have lived here long enough (about 5 years) to get over their guestism, and that want to band together to make their voices heard by an indifferent government.

I agree the time is nigh. And I am very supportive of the founding of such an organization. We are talking as far as establishing a dues-paying registered NGO/NPO to that end, with the ability to lobby and lend support to other groups to pursue the interests of Japan’s international residents.

If you are interested, this entry on his blog exists to gage community thoughts and display some tentative mission statements.

Personally I think it’s about time somebody got things organized. The level of ignorance and mistreatment given everyday in the personal, professional, and legal settings of this country is a baffling farce that is unthinkable in much of the modern world.

Zainichi Koreans in Japan (Al Jazeera Reports)

An Al Jazeera report about ethnic Koreans in Japan:

The report focuses on how Zainichi Koreans suffer discrimination and racism, particularly in situations such as applying for a job or searching for housing. North Korean schools in Japan are depicted as positing for their role in helping preserve the ethnic identity of Zainichi Koreans, and the portraits of brutal dictators hanging on their walls are given a positive spin. Towards the end of the video it is mentioned that Zainichi Koreans can obtain Japanese citizenship, but many choose to remain foreign citizens because of those who become Japanese are subject to resentment from the Korean community. According to one man interviewed, Zainichi Koreans “bear a responsibility” to never take the citizenship of the country they live in as a means of preserving their identity and their history of victimhood and suffering at the hands of the Japanese. However, the now common reality of intermarriage between Zainichi Koreans and Japanese could threaten this ideal.

[Hat tip to Julián Ortega Martínez]

Smog Increase Linked to China

Smog levels are on the increase in Japan, and according to the Japan Times, many think that China is the blame:

Toshimasa Ohara, a chief researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, said, “It’s quite possible this is cross-border pollution from the Asian continent.”

Last June, Fukuoka Gov. Wataru Aso told then Environment Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi that Japan’s photochemical smog may be caused by contaminants from China. “If such a cause-and-effect relationship becomes clear, I would like you to strongly call on China to reduce such emissions,” he said.

China’s nitrogen oxide emissions have increased 3.8 times in the last 25 years. If such emissions continue to increase, the annual average ozone density in Japan will likely reach 60 ppb by 2020.

Ozone has a strong greenhouse effect, accelerates global warming and is harmful to humans if inhaled. In North America and Europe, there are already moves to strengthen the regulatory limits for ozone.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said ozone reduces lung functions and damages the trachea even in relatively low densities. The EPA proposed in June that the ozone in the air be limited to 70 to 75 ppb for eight hours from 80 ppb.

Some environmental protection groups said the proposal is still lukewarm and pointed to the need to further lower the limit to 60 ppb or below. The World Health Organization lowered its limit from 60 ppb to 50 ppb in 2005.

The article goes on to state that the increasing levels of ozone have been causing major declines in wheat and soybean production in China, and there is fear Japan may experience similar drops as the wind brings more smog clouds from the continent.

Chinese Warship Visits Japan

The guided missile destroyer Shenzhen arrived in Tokyo today, marking the first visit of a Chinese naval vessel to Japan since the end of World War II. Here’s a news report about it from FTV:

Aside from showing footage of the the destroyer, the report also mentions the arrival of the USS Kitty Hawk in Japan. The Kitty Hawk’s crew faced major disappointment last when China unexpectedly revoked previously granted permission to dock, killing their plans for a Thanksgiving Day visit.

Two-Headed Snake

You don’t see one of these every day:

TANEGASHIMA, Kagoshima — A two-headed Japanese ratsnake has been found here and is currently being kept at Tanegashima Municipal Government Hall, town officials said.

The 27-centimeter long snake with heads that each extend about 2 centimeters in length was found last week in a Tanegashima man’s garden and is being temporarily cared for at the local government offices.

“I don’t know why it’s got two heads, but it’s an extremely rare find,” a spokesman from Kagoshima’s Hirakawa Zoo said.

Apparently snakes are sometimes seen as a sign of good luck in Japan, so they expect a lot of visitors looking to have their lotto tickets blessed by the snake’s two-headed super powers.

McDonald’s Japan Franchisee Altered Dates on Salads

Some McDonald’s franchises in Tokyo are in trouble for selling salads that were more than 12 hours old:

McDonald’s Co. (Japan) Ltd. said Tuesday it has sold salads with false dates of production at four of its hamburger outlets in Tokyo after employees stuck the labels on unsold products so that they could be sold the following day.

The fast food chain is investigating, since time-expired food might have been sold as a result, the company said.

In response to an inquiry by McDonald’s, staff employed by a franchisee running the four outlets have admitted instructing their subordinates to replace labels showing the actual production dates and hours with false ones, according to the company.

The products in question are three salad dishes served at outlets in Waseda in Shinjuku Ward, Shin-Otsuka and Hongo in Bunkyo Ward, and Minami-Otsuka in Toshima Ward, the officials said.

McDonald’s in-house rules stipulate that salads be served within 12 hours of preparation.

The staff who owned up to the misconduct also said that they used shake ingredients, sliced tomatoes, yoghurt and eggs past their expiry dates, according to McDonald’s Japan.

The company added that it has decided to terminate the contract with the franchisee and operate the four restaurants itself.

[via 3yen News on Japan]