On March 17, I opened up my newspaper and found an article about the Japanese government granting one-year temporary resident status to Noriko Calderon, a Filipino-Japanese girl. Noriko's undocumented parents, who were facing deportation, finally returned to their native Philippines on April 14. The couple thought it was better for their daughter to continue her studies at her junior high school in Japan. So, they entrusted Noriko to her aunt, who is a permanent resident.
I was puzzled by the news because Noriko was born and raised in Japan. And just like most of her ethnic Japanese counterparts, Noriko said she loves her native country and its culture. Still, the Japanese government treated her like an "alien." My first reaction was to ask the Justice Minister, Eisuke Mori, "Why does Noriko need a special permit to stay in her country of birth?"
Noriko is definitely not a foreigner, and she shouldn't need any special permit to live in Japan. Sure, her parents are Filipinos, so technically one could argue she is of Filipino ancestry. But for that matter, all the children born to Japanese parents in Brazil, America, Canada, Peru, Australia, or France are of Japanese ancestry—does that make them "aliens" in their respective country of birth?
People of Japanese ancestry, commonly known as Nikkeijin, have been accepted as full members of other societies. And when their descendants visit Japan, speaking only "broken Japanese" or none at all, they have had to be regarded as foreigners. Some have even become lawmakers in their country of birth or adoption. But, the contrast with Japanese attitudes is sharp. The government in Japan persistently maintains a racist and xenophobic system under which people who fulfill every internationally accepted qualification for citizenship are denied it.
In 1994, Japan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and its most important principles are: "non-discrimination" (Article 2), and "best interests of the child" (Article 3). But, an examination of the situation of Japan-born stateless children clearly shows the violation of these two basic principles by the Japanese government.
There's a tremendous number of children born to Japanese fathers and undocumented foreign mothers, living in Japan without proper citizen rights, including the right to compulsive education or to healthcare. Even worse, many have been deported. This awful problem should be an international outrage, but unfortunately it is not.
The light of peace begins to shine where lawmakers regard children as precious, and don't discriminate against any. Regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, all children are human beings and must be treated with dignity.
Indeed, the Japanese government needs to grant nationality to every single child born in Japan, and also make it easier for foreigners to acquire citizenship. Redefining Japaneseness by birth or choice, instead of "blood," will surely encourage the ethnic Japanese to accept individuals of other ethnic origins as their fellow citizens.
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: May 1, 2009 (Published in Japan Times ST)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hanami escapades
The most eagerly awaited forecast of early spring in this beautiful archipelago, is the Japan Meteorological Agency's announcement of the "cherry blossom front." Armed with the JMA's prediction of when to expect blossoms in each area throughout the nation, millions of families, friends and office workers start planning where to go for the year's hanami, or cherry- blossom viewing.
Japanese people have a great affinity for cherry blossoms, which appeal most to their aesthetic taste. Indeed, the flowers have been the theme of songs and poems since time immemorial, and have played an important role in molding the Japanese character. I believe the Japanese are so proud of their cherry tree called sakura because of its status as uniquely Japanese. Sakura is quite different from the cherry trees of other countries. To differentiate it from the fruit-bearing varieties seen in many countries, it is called Japanese flowering cherry tree in English.
Sublime sakura
Nothing in nature can equal
Your sacred beauty
This I wrote in my poetry notebook the first time I saw sakura in full bloom. It was in spring of 1995, at Funagoya Park in Chikugo, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the area was enveloped in delicate pale pink. Ever since, my favorite outdoor activity in early spring is to stroll around small parks in town and enjoy the beautiful scenery sakura trees generously offer.
As the spring season comes around once again this year with the invisible passage of time, beautiful landscapes of sakura trees bursting into bloom all over the country set themselves against the brilliant spring skies. But we can also expect that in April the cherry blossoms, which bloom so vigorously and so fully, will fade just as quickly.
This year again, great turnouts are expected at the usual hanami spots and many people will flock to them to enjoy parties under beautiful sakura in bloom. I admit the flower-viewing party is a lovely custom that brings families, friends and co-workers together to marvel at the yearly renewal of nature.
But the two things that have always disturbed me, however, are the abuse of alcohol by many revelers, and the excessive amounts of trash left after these hanami escapades. It chills my heart to hear that the following morning finds beautiful spots covered with so much trash that sanitation workers are completely at a loss as to how to dispose of it all.
How can one explain the phenomenon of the trash left under the cherry trees, which contrasts so sharply with the beautiful flowers in full bloom?
Perhaps the answer lies in a contemplative poem by the Japanese poet and aristocrat, Ariwara no Narihira (825～880):
If there were no cherry blossoms
In this world,
Our hearts would be peaceful
In spring
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: MARCH 27, 2009 (published in Japan Times ST)
Japanese people have a great affinity for cherry blossoms, which appeal most to their aesthetic taste. Indeed, the flowers have been the theme of songs and poems since time immemorial, and have played an important role in molding the Japanese character. I believe the Japanese are so proud of their cherry tree called sakura because of its status as uniquely Japanese. Sakura is quite different from the cherry trees of other countries. To differentiate it from the fruit-bearing varieties seen in many countries, it is called Japanese flowering cherry tree in English.
Sublime sakura
Nothing in nature can equal
Your sacred beauty
This I wrote in my poetry notebook the first time I saw sakura in full bloom. It was in spring of 1995, at Funagoya Park in Chikugo, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the area was enveloped in delicate pale pink. Ever since, my favorite outdoor activity in early spring is to stroll around small parks in town and enjoy the beautiful scenery sakura trees generously offer.
As the spring season comes around once again this year with the invisible passage of time, beautiful landscapes of sakura trees bursting into bloom all over the country set themselves against the brilliant spring skies. But we can also expect that in April the cherry blossoms, which bloom so vigorously and so fully, will fade just as quickly.
This year again, great turnouts are expected at the usual hanami spots and many people will flock to them to enjoy parties under beautiful sakura in bloom. I admit the flower-viewing party is a lovely custom that brings families, friends and co-workers together to marvel at the yearly renewal of nature.
But the two things that have always disturbed me, however, are the abuse of alcohol by many revelers, and the excessive amounts of trash left after these hanami escapades. It chills my heart to hear that the following morning finds beautiful spots covered with so much trash that sanitation workers are completely at a loss as to how to dispose of it all.
How can one explain the phenomenon of the trash left under the cherry trees, which contrasts so sharply with the beautiful flowers in full bloom?
Perhaps the answer lies in a contemplative poem by the Japanese poet and aristocrat, Ariwara no Narihira (825～880):
If there were no cherry blossoms
In this world,
Our hearts would be peaceful
In spring
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: MARCH 27, 2009 (published in Japan Times ST)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The ethic of responsibility
The other day, a Japanese mother asked her 8-year-old daughter to pick up after their dog. "Why don't you do it yourself?" she fiercely replied. To my great surprise, the mother just smiled and went to clean up the mess herself. Then, embarrassingly looking at me, she said: "Asking children to help with chores is a big hassle. It's easier and faster to just do the work ourselves."
Every year, I visit at least 60 schools and community centers around Japan to read my picture books to children and talk to parents about how to create a nurturing home for their offspring. I meet many mothers who don't seem to realize it's important to assign chores to their children. There are parents who care only that their children prepare for entrance exams and are totally indulgent in all other respects.
Chores for kids are much more than a parent's attempt at gaining free labor — they help teach responsibility and a sense of family unity. In an interview aired on ABC in November last year, then President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, said their two grade-school daughters will still have to do chores even though there is a staff in charge of doing all the work around the White House. They firmly said Malia and Sasha will be picking up after their puppy, cleaning up their rooms, making their beds, and helping around the house. It was obvious that the first daughters will not be spared the "ethic of responsibility" their father pledged to usher in when he took office.
Responsibility is not an inborn character trait that some have and others lack, but it is learned. It's never too early to start teaching responsibility through chores. Some sample chores for toddlers and preschool kids can include "helping chores." For instance, they can help pick up their toys, pile books and magazines, and water indoor potted plants. School-age kids greatly increase their capacity to do more complicated chores. These can include making their own beds, dusting around the house, setting and cleaning the table, washing and drying dishes, folding the laundry, taking out the trash, watering outdoor plants, and taking care of the family pets. As children get older, parents can use discretion to increase responsibilities for them.
I deeply believe consistent responsibilities at home help children learn to be independent and accountable, show self-restraint, care for others and pursue happiness later in life. Children who are given responsibilities in the family can confidently deal with challenges that come their way in society, and they are also more likely to become better citizens. I hope Japanese parents seriously take these facts into consideration and start getting their offspring involved in household chores, otherwise future generations will suffer grave consequences.
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: FEBRUARY 20, 2009 (published in Japan Times ST)
Every year, I visit at least 60 schools and community centers around Japan to read my picture books to children and talk to parents about how to create a nurturing home for their offspring. I meet many mothers who don't seem to realize it's important to assign chores to their children. There are parents who care only that their children prepare for entrance exams and are totally indulgent in all other respects.
Chores for kids are much more than a parent's attempt at gaining free labor — they help teach responsibility and a sense of family unity. In an interview aired on ABC in November last year, then President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, said their two grade-school daughters will still have to do chores even though there is a staff in charge of doing all the work around the White House. They firmly said Malia and Sasha will be picking up after their puppy, cleaning up their rooms, making their beds, and helping around the house. It was obvious that the first daughters will not be spared the "ethic of responsibility" their father pledged to usher in when he took office.
Responsibility is not an inborn character trait that some have and others lack, but it is learned. It's never too early to start teaching responsibility through chores. Some sample chores for toddlers and preschool kids can include "helping chores." For instance, they can help pick up their toys, pile books and magazines, and water indoor potted plants. School-age kids greatly increase their capacity to do more complicated chores. These can include making their own beds, dusting around the house, setting and cleaning the table, washing and drying dishes, folding the laundry, taking out the trash, watering outdoor plants, and taking care of the family pets. As children get older, parents can use discretion to increase responsibilities for them.
I deeply believe consistent responsibilities at home help children learn to be independent and accountable, show self-restraint, care for others and pursue happiness later in life. Children who are given responsibilities in the family can confidently deal with challenges that come their way in society, and they are also more likely to become better citizens. I hope Japanese parents seriously take these facts into consideration and start getting their offspring involved in household chores, otherwise future generations will suffer grave consequences.
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: FEBRUARY 20, 2009 (published in Japan Times ST)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Nonviolence for a better world
We are living in perilous times. TV news speaks of the ominous dangers the world is facing. Soldiers and civilians alike are being killed every day in Afghanistan, Iraq, Congo and Sudan. Still, there's military buildup in other parts of the globe and fear of more confrontations. In the midst of all these problems, what is the attitude of the average person? What should be our attitude?
When I spoke to a group of teachers and guardians just after 9-11, I referred to the wonderful song "Imagine," and stated that we all should put pressure on our leaders to adopt the philosophy of nonviolence in resolving conflicts. "Isn't that a form of escapism?" a man stood up and asked.
"Maybe, yes!" I replied. "And before violence spreads all over this world and destroys humanity, we're all going to be looking for the 'exit' signs to escape."
"Imagine all the people, living life in peace." These words of hope were penned by John Lennon more than three decades ago, and I believe they are what we presently need to build a better world. It is since many people have largely ceased to have hope for the future that they have become violent and ineffective in life. A continual looking forward to a nonviolent world is not a form of escapism, but an important human virtue.
Great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., who preached nonviolence, had hope. Gandhi was a "warrior," but he never resorted to weapons to fight the battle for truth. The indignation he felt toward the oppressive British colonialists was not just mere anger; it was a wrath of love, faith and hope which emanated from the bottom of his heart and soul. That's why he resorted to his wisdom rather than to machine guns to achieve his goal.
A former U.S. soldier who was in the Gulf War once said that a CNN correspondent asked him in the middle of the desert in Kuwait; "If I were God and could give you anything you wanted, what would you ask?"
"Gimme a nonviolent and peaceful tomorrow with my wife and children," he replied. "Aim at nonviolence, and you will get peace and freedom; aim at war and you will get neither."
In history, many soldiers destroyed others' homes, while desiring peace for their own homes. Peace has been a temporary relief, little more than an intermission between battles entailing much sacrifice. The successive civilizations of the past have been different arrangements of violent human institutions; but there has never been a lasting, peaceful social order. It is impossible to build a peaceful world on the cracked foundation of violent human nature. The cycle of war and peace — can this karma of humanity be overcome without the spirit of nonviolence?
Joel's 135 tips to achieve Peace: http://joelass.web.fc2.com/peace.htm
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: JANUARY 16, 2009 (Published in Japan Times ST)
When I spoke to a group of teachers and guardians just after 9-11, I referred to the wonderful song "Imagine," and stated that we all should put pressure on our leaders to adopt the philosophy of nonviolence in resolving conflicts. "Isn't that a form of escapism?" a man stood up and asked.
"Maybe, yes!" I replied. "And before violence spreads all over this world and destroys humanity, we're all going to be looking for the 'exit' signs to escape."
"Imagine all the people, living life in peace." These words of hope were penned by John Lennon more than three decades ago, and I believe they are what we presently need to build a better world. It is since many people have largely ceased to have hope for the future that they have become violent and ineffective in life. A continual looking forward to a nonviolent world is not a form of escapism, but an important human virtue.
Great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., who preached nonviolence, had hope. Gandhi was a "warrior," but he never resorted to weapons to fight the battle for truth. The indignation he felt toward the oppressive British colonialists was not just mere anger; it was a wrath of love, faith and hope which emanated from the bottom of his heart and soul. That's why he resorted to his wisdom rather than to machine guns to achieve his goal.
A former U.S. soldier who was in the Gulf War once said that a CNN correspondent asked him in the middle of the desert in Kuwait; "If I were God and could give you anything you wanted, what would you ask?"
"Gimme a nonviolent and peaceful tomorrow with my wife and children," he replied. "Aim at nonviolence, and you will get peace and freedom; aim at war and you will get neither."
In history, many soldiers destroyed others' homes, while desiring peace for their own homes. Peace has been a temporary relief, little more than an intermission between battles entailing much sacrifice. The successive civilizations of the past have been different arrangements of violent human institutions; but there has never been a lasting, peaceful social order. It is impossible to build a peaceful world on the cracked foundation of violent human nature. The cycle of war and peace — can this karma of humanity be overcome without the spirit of nonviolence?
Joel's 135 tips to achieve Peace: http://joelass.web.fc2.com/peace.htm
By Joel Assogba Shukan ST: JANUARY 16, 2009 (Published in Japan Times ST)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Parental discipline first
Juvenile delinquency is on the rise in Japan. Searching for the causes of this social problem, many Japanese parents focus on how little teachers discipline children. But I believe parental discipline should come first.
A preschool boy and his pregnant mother walk into a doctor's waiting room. There are two seats available: a big chair for grown-ups and a stool for kids. The little boy takes the adult seat and starts to throw a tantrum after his mom asks him to move. With resignation, she squats on the little seat.
"This scenario is not so unusual," said the doctor. In his office, he often sees kids wield power over their parents. "One day it's a grade-school boy who's emptying out his mother's purse. Another day it's a tot who's stretching out her father's glasses. Every time, kids get their way." Do such parents have the right to rebuke teachers?
Japanese parents depend on school too much to discipline their children. At the same time, when teachers scold students, some parents complain about it. I work with many kids and have the opportunity to meet their parents. I am amazed at how lenient both Japanese mothers and fathers are toward their children.
While exchanging ideas on "family relationships" with a group of Japanese teens the other day, I said Japanese fathers should become more involved in their children's spiritual upbringing. They reacted rather coolly to my suggestion.
"My father is always away," said a third-year middle school boy. "The little time he spends at home is to get drunk and complain about everything. I hate him!"
"I guess it's a hard job supporting a family, but I don't really respect him," a second-year middle school girl said about her father. She said she does not recall ever having been scolded by her father, nor does she think he ever took the time to teach her any valuable lessons about life.
Once, the Pilanesberg Wildlife Park in South Africa was having a problem with juvenile delinquents killing their rhinos and harassing tourists. But they weren't ordinary juveniles. They were young elephants. This group of young elephants had been taken away from their parents and released as a group into the park with no older elephants to give them guidance.
Park rangers then arranged for some older male elephants to be flown in by helicopter. Once the adult males arrived, they began bringing the young wayward elephants back in line.
Dads, could there be a lesson here? "A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." So the solution to juvenile delinquency is parental discipline. It is fathers spending quality time with their kids.
I have three grade-school children. When I have to punish them to teach them the difference between right and wrong, it's not pleasant at all. It demands firmness. Yet, "he who loves well, punishes well."
By Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 8, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
A preschool boy and his pregnant mother walk into a doctor's waiting room. There are two seats available: a big chair for grown-ups and a stool for kids. The little boy takes the adult seat and starts to throw a tantrum after his mom asks him to move. With resignation, she squats on the little seat.
"This scenario is not so unusual," said the doctor. In his office, he often sees kids wield power over their parents. "One day it's a grade-school boy who's emptying out his mother's purse. Another day it's a tot who's stretching out her father's glasses. Every time, kids get their way." Do such parents have the right to rebuke teachers?
Japanese parents depend on school too much to discipline their children. At the same time, when teachers scold students, some parents complain about it. I work with many kids and have the opportunity to meet their parents. I am amazed at how lenient both Japanese mothers and fathers are toward their children.
While exchanging ideas on "family relationships" with a group of Japanese teens the other day, I said Japanese fathers should become more involved in their children's spiritual upbringing. They reacted rather coolly to my suggestion.
"My father is always away," said a third-year middle school boy. "The little time he spends at home is to get drunk and complain about everything. I hate him!"
"I guess it's a hard job supporting a family, but I don't really respect him," a second-year middle school girl said about her father. She said she does not recall ever having been scolded by her father, nor does she think he ever took the time to teach her any valuable lessons about life.
Once, the Pilanesberg Wildlife Park in South Africa was having a problem with juvenile delinquents killing their rhinos and harassing tourists. But they weren't ordinary juveniles. They were young elephants. This group of young elephants had been taken away from their parents and released as a group into the park with no older elephants to give them guidance.
Park rangers then arranged for some older male elephants to be flown in by helicopter. Once the adult males arrived, they began bringing the young wayward elephants back in line.
Dads, could there be a lesson here? "A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." So the solution to juvenile delinquency is parental discipline. It is fathers spending quality time with their kids.
I have three grade-school children. When I have to punish them to teach them the difference between right and wrong, it's not pleasant at all. It demands firmness. Yet, "he who loves well, punishes well."
By Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 8, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
Bukatsu hell
"Exercising too much is bad for one's health." This maxim is largely ignored on the playing fields of Japan. Sports club activities occupy an inordinate amount of time in Japanese students' life. Many children go to school even on weekends and during summer vacations to practice sports.
When I began teaching in Japan, I was disturbed to see that students were allowed to doze off in the classroom because they were too tired. But I came to realize that most of them were not at fault. A simple English conversation class became a form of sociological study. Asking, "What time do you get up?" I was astounded by the number of students who were up at 5:30 a.m. and at school before 7 a.m. to play sports. It was a shock to see children making their way to school as I once returned bleary-eyed from an all-night excursion to Kumamoto. Before 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, whole baseball, soccer and athletics teams swarmed into my train.
I admit that clubs engender a sense of "belonging," but is it right to devote that much time to sports? Canadian students informally play various sports with friends a few times a week because they enjoy doing so, but many Japanese students, restricted to a single club activity, tell me that their practices are exhausting and boring. Enjoyment seems to come second to duty. In Japanese schools, those who refuse to join clubs are often viewed with suspicion, or even marginal hostility, as being anti-social and lazy; they are referred to as the "Go-Home-Early Club."
Other problems concerning club activities in Japan are bullying by some senior members and sexual harassment by some teachers who run the clubs. In extreme cases, victims suffer from severe depression or even commit suicide.
For example, during the summer camp of Kyoto Koka High School's athletics team in 2006, a 57-year-old coach fondled a 17-year-old girl. When the girl's parents were suing him, he suddenly died. Afterwards, other athletics team members started blaming the girl for the coach's death, causing her serious mental distress.
If club activities in Japanese schools continue to be so time-consuming and humiliating, more children will grow up alienated. Training to excess does little for enthusiasm or development. Moderation and variety are the keys to success.
A child's emotional and physical well-being depends mostly on a balance of rest, sound social interaction, and a positive learning environment. Club activities must provide children with every possible opportunity to be treated with respect and sensitivity. In this way, Japanese youngsters will foster a positive self esteem, a sense of responsibility, and good social skills.
Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 29, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
When I began teaching in Japan, I was disturbed to see that students were allowed to doze off in the classroom because they were too tired. But I came to realize that most of them were not at fault. A simple English conversation class became a form of sociological study. Asking, "What time do you get up?" I was astounded by the number of students who were up at 5:30 a.m. and at school before 7 a.m. to play sports. It was a shock to see children making their way to school as I once returned bleary-eyed from an all-night excursion to Kumamoto. Before 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, whole baseball, soccer and athletics teams swarmed into my train.
I admit that clubs engender a sense of "belonging," but is it right to devote that much time to sports? Canadian students informally play various sports with friends a few times a week because they enjoy doing so, but many Japanese students, restricted to a single club activity, tell me that their practices are exhausting and boring. Enjoyment seems to come second to duty. In Japanese schools, those who refuse to join clubs are often viewed with suspicion, or even marginal hostility, as being anti-social and lazy; they are referred to as the "Go-Home-Early Club."
Other problems concerning club activities in Japan are bullying by some senior members and sexual harassment by some teachers who run the clubs. In extreme cases, victims suffer from severe depression or even commit suicide.
For example, during the summer camp of Kyoto Koka High School's athletics team in 2006, a 57-year-old coach fondled a 17-year-old girl. When the girl's parents were suing him, he suddenly died. Afterwards, other athletics team members started blaming the girl for the coach's death, causing her serious mental distress.
If club activities in Japanese schools continue to be so time-consuming and humiliating, more children will grow up alienated. Training to excess does little for enthusiasm or development. Moderation and variety are the keys to success.
A child's emotional and physical well-being depends mostly on a balance of rest, sound social interaction, and a positive learning environment. Club activities must provide children with every possible opportunity to be treated with respect and sensitivity. In this way, Japanese youngsters will foster a positive self esteem, a sense of responsibility, and good social skills.
Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 29, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
Racism in Japan
Unconscious racial arrogance and disdain for ethnic minorities are pronounced throughout the world. It is more evident in countries where different races live together, but I believe racism is a worldwide attitude and is perhaps strongest in areas where, because of little contact with other races, it has neither been brought to the surface nor challenged.
In Japan, the part of the world where I have been active as a human rights activist for almost a decade now, racist attitudes run strong — in my judgment far stronger than in Western countries. Japanese children who are not ethnic Japanese experience racism from a very young age and can even be subject to cruel treatment by their peers and adults. Many of them are bullied at school.
Seven years ago, a Japanese-born daughter of a Peruvian acquaintance was bullied by her classmates soon after she began attending a public elementary school in Gunma. She had been taunted and ridiculed because of her different looks. Some senior students called her "strange foreigner" and raked their shoes against her heels in the schoolyard. The girl told her homeroom teacher, but no serious action was taken against the bullies.
A Japanese grade-school boy who had an American ancestor was abused by his teacher in Fukuoka about five years ago. The teacher pulled the pupil's nose until it bled. He also told him to jump off a high-rise condominium and die because he wasn't a pure-blooded Japanese. The confused child was quoted as asking his parents if he was "dirty'' because he had foreign blood. Initially the school refused to confront the issue until the boy's parents became vocal.
The issue of racism, although serious, is not openly discussed in Japanese-language media. Worse, the media often exaggerate crimes committed by foreigners and portray them as troublemakers. Also, it is not uncommon to hear some TV personalities and politicians making racist comments in public. Once I was watching a popular talk show on television, and I was astonished to hear a Japanese celebrity saying something like, "Japan used to be a pure-blooded nation, but unfortunately foreigners of all kinds are now mixing it with dirty blood.
In Japan, there is a myth that says Japan is inhabited by a single race, the Japanese. But now this myth must be challenged, because the nation is increasingly becoming multiracial.
A nation in which people are discriminated against by ethnicity, which infringes on basic human rights, can never be considered a true member of the global community. The failure of politicians, educators and parents to solve the problem of racism is debasing human dignity. This issue casts the question of whether Japan is capable of being a society of coexistence.
By Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 22, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
In Japan, the part of the world where I have been active as a human rights activist for almost a decade now, racist attitudes run strong — in my judgment far stronger than in Western countries. Japanese children who are not ethnic Japanese experience racism from a very young age and can even be subject to cruel treatment by their peers and adults. Many of them are bullied at school.
Seven years ago, a Japanese-born daughter of a Peruvian acquaintance was bullied by her classmates soon after she began attending a public elementary school in Gunma. She had been taunted and ridiculed because of her different looks. Some senior students called her "strange foreigner" and raked their shoes against her heels in the schoolyard. The girl told her homeroom teacher, but no serious action was taken against the bullies.
A Japanese grade-school boy who had an American ancestor was abused by his teacher in Fukuoka about five years ago. The teacher pulled the pupil's nose until it bled. He also told him to jump off a high-rise condominium and die because he wasn't a pure-blooded Japanese. The confused child was quoted as asking his parents if he was "dirty'' because he had foreign blood. Initially the school refused to confront the issue until the boy's parents became vocal.
The issue of racism, although serious, is not openly discussed in Japanese-language media. Worse, the media often exaggerate crimes committed by foreigners and portray them as troublemakers. Also, it is not uncommon to hear some TV personalities and politicians making racist comments in public. Once I was watching a popular talk show on television, and I was astonished to hear a Japanese celebrity saying something like, "Japan used to be a pure-blooded nation, but unfortunately foreigners of all kinds are now mixing it with dirty blood.
In Japan, there is a myth that says Japan is inhabited by a single race, the Japanese. But now this myth must be challenged, because the nation is increasingly becoming multiracial.
A nation in which people are discriminated against by ethnicity, which infringes on basic human rights, can never be considered a true member of the global community. The failure of politicians, educators and parents to solve the problem of racism is debasing human dignity. This issue casts the question of whether Japan is capable of being a society of coexistence.
By Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 22, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
SOS
The recent arrest of an elementary school vice principal in Hokkaido on child porn charges has highlighted the tragedy of children being used for pornography and prostitution in Japan. When police raided the vice principal's home, they found many obscene images of underage girls. He was even selling them online. I shudder to think of how many cases like this have gone unreported.
Pedophilia is rampant, not only in Japan but all over the world. It has been receiving serious attention from people in Western countries for at least two decades now. I can only hope that Japanese parents and educators finally stand up and fight this social disease. But I doubt it. Not only is child pornography apparently accepted here, but pornographic magazines and comics are in stores where even children can easily see them. Even vending machines sell X-rated stuff on the street.
The other day in a park near my home, I was shocked to see two grade-school boys reading weird magazines that contained pornographic photographs and drawings. "How can this be possible?" I thought. Then I remembered I was in Japan; a country where pornographic goods are even given away as prizes in some video game arcades.
The blind acceptance of child pornography and prostitution in Japan allows pedophilia to thrive. We, as parents and educators, must do something to stop pedophilia now. We must not allow another innocent child to become the victim of predators.
A pedophile doesn't have certain looks that distinguish him or her as such. The person could be married with children of his or her own. He or she could be a next-door neighbor, a family friend, a relative, a tutor, a coach or a teacher. Pedophiles tend to choose occupations that put them in close contact with children, such as teaching, counseling, day care, scouting, coaching, etc.
I am certainly not saying that all people in these professions are pedophiles, because the overwhelming majority are not. I am just saying we have to be aware of whom our children are spending their time with. Also, we must not allow the Internet to become an electronic babysitter for us. We must always pay attention when our children are online, monitor what they are doing and who they are talking to.
We adults in Japan must realize that the environment in which we live is also the one in which our children grow up, and together we must share the problems facing youngsters. We must get pornographic vending machines off the streets, pornography out of children's comics and video game arcades, and fight to have child pornography completely banned.
By Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 15, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
Pedophilia is rampant, not only in Japan but all over the world. It has been receiving serious attention from people in Western countries for at least two decades now. I can only hope that Japanese parents and educators finally stand up and fight this social disease. But I doubt it. Not only is child pornography apparently accepted here, but pornographic magazines and comics are in stores where even children can easily see them. Even vending machines sell X-rated stuff on the street.
The other day in a park near my home, I was shocked to see two grade-school boys reading weird magazines that contained pornographic photographs and drawings. "How can this be possible?" I thought. Then I remembered I was in Japan; a country where pornographic goods are even given away as prizes in some video game arcades.
The blind acceptance of child pornography and prostitution in Japan allows pedophilia to thrive. We, as parents and educators, must do something to stop pedophilia now. We must not allow another innocent child to become the victim of predators.
A pedophile doesn't have certain looks that distinguish him or her as such. The person could be married with children of his or her own. He or she could be a next-door neighbor, a family friend, a relative, a tutor, a coach or a teacher. Pedophiles tend to choose occupations that put them in close contact with children, such as teaching, counseling, day care, scouting, coaching, etc.
I am certainly not saying that all people in these professions are pedophiles, because the overwhelming majority are not. I am just saying we have to be aware of whom our children are spending their time with. Also, we must not allow the Internet to become an electronic babysitter for us. We must always pay attention when our children are online, monitor what they are doing and who they are talking to.
We adults in Japan must realize that the environment in which we live is also the one in which our children grow up, and together we must share the problems facing youngsters. We must get pornographic vending machines off the streets, pornography out of children's comics and video game arcades, and fight to have child pornography completely banned.
By Joel Assogba [Shukan ST: Feb. 15, 2008 (Published in Japan Times ST)]
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