As you know, k-pop is very popular these days in Japan. For example, TOHOSHINKI and KARA are very famous k-pop groups in Japan. In the beginning, such a popularity of Korean culture started in TV dramas, for example, Fuyu no sonata among elder Japanese women. As time goes by, Korean culture becomes popular in k-pop and TV dramas, for example, Ikemenn dusune among young Japanese girls. Moreover some young Japanese girls began to have interested in Korean fashion, Korean food and traveling to Korea. Some young Japanese girls want to have a Korean friend from interest in Korean culture.

What does this tendency influence to Japanese? I think that good feeling to Korea and Korean people has certainly increased among most of Japanese. These days, Korea is an exciting country for most of young Japanese, and it contributes to this liking that the closeness and cheapness between Korea and Japan when Japanese travel to Korea. The flight to Korea is within about 3 hours, we can go there to pay only from 30,000 yen.

However, of course, not all Japanese become to have good feeling to Korea due to this popularity of Korean culture. Older Japanese tend to be difficult to have good feeling to Korea. In addition, there are some Japanese who don’t have good feeling to Korea as the popularity of Korea spreads, because as it spreads, existence of Korean culture becomes emphasized. So this popularity of Korean culture is making two opposite feelings among Japanese, but it is true that the popularity of Korean culture has produced feelings of familiarity with Korea.

Why can the popularity of Korean culture in Japan make not good feeling toward Korea? The reason is that we have a negative history between Korea and Japan. In 1910, Japan colonized Korea, and now there are a lot of Koreans with permanent residence in Japan, who have some difficulties, for example, discrimination, problems about their identity. Moreover some Koreans feel bad to Japanese and some Japanese feel bad toward such Korean’s reaction.

Due to this popularity of Korean culture, Korea is certainly becoming a familiar county among young Japanese. It is pleasant that the friendship between Korea and Japan will increase much more in the future. However, we must know history of two countries and various opinions of various people of these countries before enjoying the products made by culture of other country.

by ayako miyamae

As the guest speaker pointed out, Japan is regarded as a haven of prostitution even though there is a law which prohibits the prostitution. However, not only place itself, but Japanese people contribute to the sex industry. -Thailand- It is a country where enormous amount of Japanese men go for the sake of having sex.

In Bangkok, which is a capital city of Thailand, there is a place called “Thanon Thaniya” This is the entertainment district especially for Japanese. People who went there felt as if they were in Japan because there are a lot of Japanese restaurants or advertising display written in Japanese. People also can speak Japanese there. There are lines of parlors, and customers enjoy the dance which women perform with almost naked. If a customer takes a fancy to a particular dancer, the customer can take her to the hotel. The customer has to pay a fee to both the parlor and to the dancer.

The number of Japanese tourists to Thailand was the biggest in the world in 2003. There are a lot of factors which attract Japanese people; for example, shopping, and sightseeing, but one of the biggest reasons is “seeking pleasure”. In fact, men’s tourists are almost twice bigger than that of women’s.

High economic growth result in bringing tourism industry into play in Japan. Some tourist agency designed “package sex tour”. Japanese people, as a group, go to the country such as Philippine, Thailand, or Korea in order to pay women for sex. The tour was exposed to criticism, so it is not as popular as before; instead, people go there individually, so the number of people who went there did not decline.

Agnes Chan, who is educator, singer, TV performer, insisted that Japan is an assailant of child prostitution. Mostly, there is an agreement between the dancer and the customer whether they spend a night together or not; however, there are some women who are forced to work at the parlor. From a legal stand point, it is illegal to work at such a place if the women are under 18 years old. Despite of the fact, some girls work there pretending as if they are over 18. The girls work for helping their family, or their parents sold them. As a result of prosperous sex industry, the death rate due to HIV is extremely high in Thailand. Some girls feel isolated and they tend to be chemical poisoning. It can be said that some Japanese people cause such problems in order to satisfy their sex drive. What do you think as a member of Japanese who help to cause such a tragedy?

If you are interested in the prostitution in Thailand, I recommend to read the book called “Yami no Kodomotati” (闇の子供たち). This is fiction novel actually, but it will give huge impact on you, I think.

Reference
Makita.(2006). Thai to Nihon no aidanioite zinsinbaibai ga okoru haikei to zinhinbaibai haizetu ni muketa shiminkatudou no genzyou to kadai 16-20. Retrieved from http://www.obirin.ac.jp/la/ico/images/_04report/2006momose.pdf (2011/12/14)

by Sae Tamagawa

In Japan, we are rarely exposed to diversity such as cultures and races compared with, for example, America where Whites, Native Americans, Blacks and so on are living. Unlike multicultural countries, including America, Japanese can live without any troubles as long as they can manipulate Japanese; thus Japan can be seen as a monocultural country. In fact, Japan is, however, a multicultural country in which other races such as Zainichi Koreans, Filipinos and Zainichi Chinese are living. If we have opportunities to interact with such minorities without correct knowledge, we might be in trouble as, in the film of Go, the heroine Sakurai said she could not accept his Zainichi Korean boyfriend, because she cannot stop refusing him instinctively. Racial discrimination usually has no clear-cut reasonable basis; for example, no one can prove that difference of muscular ability exists because of difference of races. The cause of discrimination is in our instinct and we need to change it to stop discrimination. How should we change such instinct?

As mentioned above, we have little chance to be exposed to other cultures as long as we live in Japan. Therefore, it is hard to feel other cultures and we tend to see them as something peculiar and different. In order to stop discrimination toward minority in Japan, however, we need to dispose of such tendency of some kind of prejudice. From my viewpoint, the solution is to have a sense of value that we regard other culture as non-peculiar because if we have the sense of value, we do not dare emphasize minorities.

As a way to have such sense of value, I suggest that we should go foreign countries with cultural diversity, to make us adapt diversity. If we go abroad, we can broaden sense of value in which we can accept diversity as something natural instinctively.

Due to globalization, intercultural interaction will be more and more inevitable. Without proper sense of value, it will be difficult to adapt ourselves to the situation. As a way to adapt both to domestic diversity and to international diversity, it is best to go abroad to have broader sense of value.

by Kosuke Matsuura

“Minority or majority?”

This question can be rooted in the sense of difference. However, it seems to be rare to have this type of categorisation on, for example, ethnicity or race in Japan. Of course, as we are taking this class, Japanese Society, at least we have some senses to recognise those categorised groups. Then, is there no consciousness on minority/majority amongst ordinary people in Japan? I would say that it is actually possible to find that sense from what we use everyday. It is language; especially I focus on verbal languages we use with the variety of dialects. As it can be a tool for communication, when people communicate with somebody, they face to their languages. Thus, people meet somebody with their language as a part of themselves.

Then, in what way those languages can connect to the issue of minority/majority?

The answer could be the presence of several ‘accents’.

I’ll point the accents amongst several ‘Japaneses’. There are quite various accents such as Kansai-ben, Kanto-ben, Hiroshima-ben, etc. (‘ben’ is Japanese which means ‘dialect’) For most, especially in university, people respect others regardless their accents from their origins or hometown. Even in some cases, people love to hear accents from their local area as “okuni kotoba”. However, at this moment we should note that there is a presence of predominant language group in each situation when people find someone speak their local accent. It is simply because they speak different one. For example, when a pupil of primary school in Osaka transfers another primary school in Tokyo, s/he finds that everyone speaks different language. Also that pupil would find s/he is different from majority group of people in terms of language. In most of case, the problem is invisible or it does not happen. However, it can actually cause the problem as a nature of difference.

I have a friend who has transferred his primary school in Kanagawa from my primary school in Osaka. Undoubtedly, he spoke Kanto-ben. Then, what happened is some students started mimicking his language as making fun of it. But he did not stop using his Kanto-ben, though he knew he is not “same” as other friends. After a while, that mimic stopped, but it can actually happen in many other similar cases especially amongst those small children. That friend was in same junior high school with me, but different high school.

Then, it happens in his high school. When I met him after 3 months of our entrance of each high school, he told me that the school is quite boring for him. He said it is because:

“It is my first time to see such a annoying condition in the classroom. Many of students point my accent, and they make fun of it, laughing. It is one of my extremely annoying example to be treated in this way on language.”

Absolutely ridiculous, isn’t it??

But this is one of the realities. It can happen. Those “differences” can be a nature of discrimination as like it shows a sort of inferiority/superiority within a group of people, dividing into minority/majority. Look around yourself here in university where embraces variety of students.

Though there are many of students who speak their local accents, there are some of them who hide their own accent. I have some friends who speak “different” accents from me, but hiding them because, they said, it’s embarrassing.

It can be a nature of minority/majority, or inferior/superior even in our daily life. Don’t you think so?

by Jiro Okada

Japan is the country that considered as a peaceful, equal society. It does not seem as a country with harsh discrimination against minority. That is because, almost every region, there are many foreigners from all around the world and it is not hard to see immigrants. However, the situation in Japan is actually far away from what we know and believe. Ainu and Buraku tell it. They have negative feelings for Japanese society and try to raise their voice as possible as they can. Not only them, but Zainichi, also have same kind of problems. As I went to high school with Zainichi friends, I have seen their sadness. The biggest problem is that many Zainichi students are having the identical agony. Even their ancestors were Korean, they born in Japan and many cannot speak Korean fluently. Their backgrounds are all belongs to Japan. Therefore, in this report, I’d like to discuss about Zainichi situation in two parts: school and society.

First of all, I want to discuss about Korean schools in Japan. There are two schools in Osaka and one in Kyoto. In this school, students learn not only the history or Korean, but to success Korean culture, it is famous for having traditional Korean dance and music circle. It is very moving that even in Korea, people are forgettable about tradition. Not only Korean stuff, they need to learn some subjects belong to that of Japan. However, although this great system, many of students move to the other when they grow up. Especially, many consider going to Japanese private school before high school. The reason for this is that, it is hard to attain real Japanese education and that leads to difficulty of getting into universities. Moreover, many choose to change their nationality to Japanese, to adjust Japanese society. Those reasons make Zainichi go to Japanese school more and more. Therefore, the Korean schools that exist right now might not be last continuously in the future. The success of Korean school is in crisis.

Next, Zainichi do not have any place to go in Japan. It is hard to get into the company even one has graduated from high level university. That made Zainichi work hard on creating businesses. Most of Pacchinco, the game center for gambling in Japan belong to Zainichi. It might seem that they earn a lot of money; however, it is not according to everyone. And those who want to become a lawyer or government official, they are hard to chase their dream for only reason that they are Zainichi.

More than 1^st generation, 3^rd, 4^th generation have difficulties. However, I want them to have the pride. That is because they can have two countries. It will be helpful to live in globalized society such world now. Moreover, they should raise voices bigger, now the information flows so fast, so if their problems will spread faster than ever. In the last, both governments, Korea and Japan should consider counterplans to Zainichi.

by Sujin Kim

Discrimination and prejudice against Hafu has been gradually vanishing, but they are still around today in Japan. Many Hafu have their identities hurt by discrimination and prejudice. There is the same problem against Hafu in Korea, like in Japan. However, the Hafu problem in Korea is a little different than the one in Japan. In Korea, the Hafu problem is more complicated and has become a big social issue. I will write focusing on the problem of Korea, especially based on multinational family.

These days, Korean society is rapidly moving towards becoming a multicultural society. International marriages have increased to the point of approximately 12% of the total marriages in Korea. Every year, over 3 million women from Asian countries such as China, Philippines, and Vietnam marry Korean men. The number of multicultural families has been increasing for years in Korea. At present, children who are born in multicultural families are reaching around 6 million and, in several years, one in four students in rural areas’ schools are expected to be from those families. However, the failure of Korean society to handle this social change brings many problems in multicultural families. Some of the serious problems are school problems of children.

Most children from multicultural families may suffer delayed language development. They have difficulties in writing, reading, speaking, and listening to Korean. In a bad environment to acquire Korean, where foreign mothers who are poor at Korean and fathers who are too busy working, many children are not able to communicate clearly. This language problem has a bad effect on the school life of children.

On account of lack of language ability and difference of facial features, children of multicultural families are the target for bullying and teasing. They have troubles adjusting to the school. They have a hard time keeping up with classes because of their lower Korean level, and they become the object of ridicule from classmates because they look different. This causes them to lose confidence and to be gradually excluded from school. According to the data of the recent government audit, 39.7% of children in a junior high school course and 69.7% in a high school course do not go to school. Comparing with the average family, these figures are 9.9 times higher in a junior high school course and 8 times higher in a high school course. Eventually, many children even give up their studies because of their lack of opportunities to learn Korean and their difference of appearance.

Recently Korean society has been trying to solve the school problem with children of multinational families. Local government, private organizations, universities and others have started new policies supporting and assisting children with adapting to school. However, it would be more significant to eliminate the social prejudice towards mixed-blooded people that is prevalent in Korean society. Korea has had a strong recognition as a homogeneous nation, one in which education based on homogeneity was provided. Increasing education towards the understanding of multiple cultures for average students in school is one way. It will make students deepen their understanding of different cultures and help them overcome prejudice towards mix-blooded people.

Children of multinational families face problems such as educational obstacles and bullying at school and eventually many of them abandon their studies. Considering that the number of multicultural children is rising, this has become a serious social problem. Although nowadays many organizations work had to solve it, social attitudes towards multicultural families and children are still not positive. In order for these children to feel included in school and society, a lot of effort is needed to be put towards changing the common perception of these children.

We have to think that there is the possibility that encouraging people to use English may destroy Japanese identity. I am Japanese. One of my identities as Japanese is that I speak Japanese. The nature of this language, I think, is related to Japanese traditional feature. Japanese people beat around the bush by using various Japanese expressions, which can be connected with the fact that they are very sensitive to the situation. I feel, although this kind of Japanese national character is often criticized by foreigners and even Japanese, this is good character of Japanese, and the language, Japanese, plays a important role in protecting Japanese cultures.

On the other hand, as internationalization, English is in the important position all over the world. Of course, in Japanese Society, the ability to speak English is significant. In fact, Japanese school gives high priority to English education and many companies like Rakuten encourage workers to speak English.

Taking account of the above, I would like to consider the relationship between English and Japanese in Japanese Society. Yukio Tsuda, the professor in Tsukuba University, will insist that Japanese government should enact the legislation of protecting Japanese at work. By making English the common language in workplace, he points out, some problems are caused. These are the lack of right to use Japanese and the social disparity by the ability to use English. Some people speak English well and can apply themselves to this environment, and other people strongly refuse English and cannot do this. He implies that it is strange that those who are lack of English ability can mean people who cannot keep up with the globalization or internationalization. He also thinks that protecting Japanese means growing up our patriotism. For many people his suggestion may be extreme example. But it is certain that the increase in the opportunity of using English causes something we have to deal with.

I like English and speaking English is vital in various environments. However, I think the time is coming when we think carefully about our languages in Japanese society. Working environment has influence on daily life like home. In the future, that the conversation at home by Japanese family is filled with English can be not rare. Moreover, talking in English may be more normal than that in Japanese in the long run. Will it be natural? What do you think about the position of English and Japanese in our society? Japanese people who will speak Japanese in Japanese society are originally not minority, but international society could make them minority in the future.

by Shinya Shimatani

It has seemed that most ideas of minority were created arbitrarily. For example, Sugihara struggled with the bad images of “Zainichi” in “Go”.  I can agree that these do not apply to almost all of the “Zainichi” and we may try to see as what we think they are, which means that we should not put any bad meanings to the minority. Then, we need to think carefully about how to treat minority groups in reality. Can we deny the concept of minority? Is it possible to take the legal framework of minority away from one country?

What I want to say in this post is not that “Ainu” or “Okinawan” people are struggling with their identities because they are in a minority group even though they have a Japanese nationality, and what the Japanese identity is, but that it is inevitable to create “minority” unless you believe that we, all people who live in this earth, are totally equal, sharing same value, culture, and denying the coexistence of  nations.

Then, I want to focus on how the Japanese constitution treats minorities, or foreigners. Since  it is only applicable to Japanese people, people who have a Japanese nationality, it is not supposed to guarantee the rights of non-Japanese. This is a intentional, but unmalicious creation of minority. Even if you say that human rights are natural, and inalienable rights, it is almost impossible to undermine the principle of popular sovereignty. For example, foreign residents are not allowed to have a suffrage by its nature. However, considering article 98, many people believe in theory that since some foreigners are domiciled in Japan and their lives can get directly effected by their local government , local suffrage should be allowed to them. Actually, the Constitution does just mention that “ The people have the inalienable right to choose their public officials and to dismiss them.” in article 15, and does not ban giving the voting right by law.

Then, what can they do? How about the degree of  their freedom in Japan? There are still lots of limitation of rights. Freedom of entry, re-entry, and stay are not guaranteed. The reason is that every state have its sovereignty and right to protect its  security from others, or foreigners. Even if you get permitted to enter one country, it does not mean that you can stay there, and (even if) you are free to leave, it does not mean that you are free to come back to the country.

Regardless of a matter of good or bad, creation of minority is unavoidable. As Sugihara said in the movie that the word of “Zainichi” implies that they are supposed to return to their country, this is totally true. However, the point of this problem is not the word itself, but the false interpretation of the significance. This would be the most difficult and perpetual problem.

※ Article 15 :  The people have the inalienable right to choose their public officials and to dismiss them.All public officials are servants of the whole community and not of any group thereof. Universal adult suffrage is guaranteed with regard to the election of public officials.

In all elections, secrecy of the ballot shall not be violated. A voter shall not be answerable, publicly or privately, for the choice he has made.

※ Article 98 : This Constitution shall be the supreme law of the nation and no law, ordinance, imperial rescript or other act of government, or part thereof, contrary to the provisions hereof, shall have legal force or validity.The treaties concluded by Japan and established laws of nations shall be faithfully observed.

by Kudo

There are many illegal immigrants in Japan today, and also illegal immigrants with fake official documents. I want to see how nations should try to treat immigrants and their own citizens, and think about how the world can change its policy towards non-nationals.

To draw a line between Japanese and non-Japanese people, there is one big question. What makes a person Japanese? Japanese government takes Jus sanguinis, that is, right of blood. Therefore, to become a national in Japan on the official document, you have to have a Japanese national in your family. Then how close does that family member have to be? You have to have Japanese person among one of your grandparents or parents on the official document. However, it is possible, for example, that a person in Peru “happens to have Japanese grandfather” and buy or make fake document so that they can work officially and get the equal rights in Japan. That crime was popular at the beginning of 1990 when the Japanese Government accepted Nikkei Peruvians.

It is a cunning idea, but they want to make their life better if there is a chance. But why does a state limit their citizens? It is because the government want to put people under their control and do not want any social or economic problems. For example, tax, crimes, unemployment, etc. Now, Jus sanguinis or Jus soli (right of land) are the only ways that the government can control people in this world where nation-states are the mainstreaming concept. However, world is becoming much smaller in internationalization. And people have to pursue their economic gain because they will lose if they do not earn enough in capitalism. I am not saying that all the immigrants should be accepted in Japan whether they are legal or illegal. But I do not think an immigrant has to be treated as second citizen when they pay full tax, either.

Therefore I think it would be great if states can see people of their own record, not by their blood or historical heritage. Then it may make people’s lives better. I know it is too ideal, but then blood won’t be an obstacle in life.

by Kumi Nakamura

Education is a powerful tool that could impact our philosophy. Education is often argued to be the cornerstone of a society; and indicator that determines the future of that country. I used to think that education could opens up our eyes to the truth, but I found out that it could also blind us.

I once got into an argument with a friend who is a Zainichi Korean. We met during a study abroad program in our freshman year and got along just fine. I often asked him about his childhood because I never had an opportunity to meet someone who went to Chosen school. It was fascinating to hear how things were taught, and how students mix a Japanese word with a Korean sound, and create a new word. Then, I asked him how he saw the current situation in North Korea. He replied that North Korea is on its way, and that all the stories about the hardship people in North Korea is forced to live under, are lies.

At first, I thought he was joking. There are researches and interviews with North Korean escapees that strongly suggest that North Korea is far from being well off. But he wasn’t. He continued that even though it seems hopeless now, North Korean policies are aiming for an enriched development in the long run (like 100 years). He argued that most of the education around the world is lead by the U.S., and the U.S. is trying to make North Korea appear evil—and that, I, as a Japanese, never questioned if there is truth in the education. After a while, we concluded that if, as he argued, I am skewed in my perception on North Korea, then I could claim vice versa and say that his perception is just as skewed as mine. It was not the best agreement, but we could not find any alternative.

He also mentioned that his children would go to Chosen school to learn the history of Chosen and Zainichi, because pretending to be something else would cause more pain for them, and that the memory of Zainichi suffering in Japan should not be forgotten.

This was in our freshman year, so things may be different now. But I think that there are as many Zainichi Koreans who would agree with my friend as who would disagree. I do not necessarily think that children need to go to Chosen school in order to remember the Zainichi history, and that children should be given the choice to choose what education they want to receive. But I could see how his parents, who suffered from discrimination far more visibly than today, would have wanted him to avoid such hardship.

I believe that education is a form of perspective, and we must be cautious of how our education makes us think. Easy as it sounds, I cannot be certain that I could ever think in the same manner as my friend about North Korea. But at least we should try to accept various ways of thinking before reacting to them—who knows where the truth lies.