In a bid to capture the attention of a cell phone obsessed nation and in order to appeal to younger voters, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has stolen from the political play book of successful American politicians including Barak Obama. Hatoyama's office recently launched his blog and a Twitter account to connect the Prime Minister with the public.
Hato Cafe, the blog started by the Hatoyama team features a small bird character, above duel speech bubbles and a green backdrop. The blog has been up and running for a little over two months and debuted during the lead-up to New Years. According to an article in January on Japan Trends the blog was designed by Yuji Tokuda and the Hatoyama team really thought out the layout and visual presentation of the blog before launching the project.(1)
Hatoyama has also been collecting followers on Twitter. As of writing Hatoyama has 307,813 followers and has posted 59 Tweets. He is apparently following nearly 37,000 Tweeters. His Twitter page can be accessed at http://twitter.com/hatoyamayukio. As a comparison Barak Obama has over 3 million followers.
The “Twitterscape” and the “blogsphere” are apparently the newest equivalent of Roosevelt's Fireside Chats. To think that only a few years ago the political communication buzzword was “town-hall meeting.” These staged overtly friendly political love sessions were most recently mastered by Bush Jr. The move to a more open line of communication coming out of the offices of world leaders has increased the profile of those politicians successfully harnessing the digital revolution.
Hatoyama has broken out into the digital realm with power and with panache, well sort of. His start into Twitter and blogs and generally increasing his on line persona has come later than it should have, but none-the-less, he is the first Japanese politician to embrace the new tools at his disposal in any notable manner. In the lead up to the last election many young voters and political commentators were wondering why Taro Aso, Hatoyama and the other candidates were not capitalizing on the success of the Obama electronic election model.
“US President Barack Obama's use of the Web helped catapult him into the White House but lawmakers in Japan have been slower to embrace the Internet, leaving many young voters feeling disconnected with the political process.” (2)
The Prime Minister's move to electronic communication tools is a positive step forward for the political process in Japan and as the Democratic Party of Japan finds their footing and begins ruling with new policies and new ideas, they are going to grow more effective over time. Hatoyama has followed up the release of his on line “Hato Cafe” with real interactive sessions at the official residence to discuss issues with a cross-section of people. His first session of “Real Hato Cafe” was held this past weekend and the focus of the discussions was child care and parental issues. In the promotional photos of the meeting the “Hato Cafe” duel speech bubble and bird logo is clearly visible at the head of the table. According to the Cabinet Public Relations Office web-site, “A total of ten people who are raising children were invited to the first Real Hato Cafe meeting to exchange views on child raising, among other matters. Real Hato Cafe meetings will continue to be held under various themes.” (3)
One thing remains certain, Hatoyama continues to find his own way to govern and his march towards new methods of communication have certainly been a step in the right direction.
(1) http://www.japantrends.com/yukio-hatoyamas-blog-and-twitter-japanese-politics-gets-digital/
(2) http://english.sina.com/technology/2009/0803/260457.html
(3) http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/hatoyama/actions/201002/14hatocafe_e.html
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Yokozuna Asashoryu- Undisputed Champion
The most talked about, despised and loved Sumo Wrestler of our era has opted for retirement. The Mongolian Powerhouse that has dominated Japan's National Sport since being promoted to the rank of Yokozuna in 2003 has given in to pressure to bow out of the sport as his latest controversy surfaces.
It is being widely reported that Asashoryu severely beat a fellow bar patron in a drunken rampage in the Nishi-Azabu district of Tokyo in January. This is only the latest scandal in a career that many Sumo spectators and reporters believe is a black eye on the sport itself. Asashoryu has received negative publicity for alleged match-fixing. He also cited injury and declined to participate in summer Sumo events in 2007 and returned to Mongolia. During his trip home, he was filmed playing in a charity soccer match. When the Yokozuna returned to Japan he was suspended from upcoming tournaments. This marking the first time an active Yokozuna had been suspended from a major tournament. He has also drawn negative publicity for fighting with Sumo off the dohyo, complaining about officiating, injuring wrestlers in training sessions and refusing to adopt Japanese Citizenship.
By focusing exclusively on Asashoryu's transgressions and by holding him out as a hot-head or a bully, the Sumo world is exposing itself to be filled with unrealistic expectations of a professional athlete in the modern age. Sure, his latest drunken escapades are not to be condoned entirely, nor are other allegations made against him. However, this routine chastising of a champion that has achieved so much is at times painful. Sumo is a little different from other sports, because it is steeped in tradition and codes of conduct and the allure of the sport rests partly in those attributes.
The simple fact that Asashoryu is Mongolian has hampered his reputation with fans who have openly called for him to, “Go back to Mongolia.” The Yokozuna is being treated differently because he is not Japanese, and he is not totally willing to bend his spirit to what the Sumo Association expects. His behavior might have been unbecoming to a man entrusted with the Yokozuna rank, but he is uniquely an individual and has brought the popularity of the sport to new audiences and as a whole leaves the business of Sumo better off for his presence in the role of champion.
"It's not only Asashoryu's problem. The root of the problem is the association's economic motive," said journalist Yorimasa Takeda, who accused Asashoryu of match-fixing in an article published in a weekly magazine in 2007. Despite his "bad guy" image, Asashoryu was a fan magnet and thus generated a lot of money for the sumo industry, which was behind the association's reluctance to punish him severely, Takeda said. (1)
Asashoryu's Accomplishments:
First Mongolian Yokozuna
In 2005 he became the first wrestler to win all six official tournaments in a single calender year
He won a total of 25 top division tournament championships
Third highest all time on wins behind Taiho and Chiyonofuji
Career record 669- 173- 76
As Asashoryu retires he should be remembered for; his strong personality, his warrior spirit, his good nature, his dominance of native Japanese wrestlers and his outstanding record.
(1) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100206a1.html
It is being widely reported that Asashoryu severely beat a fellow bar patron in a drunken rampage in the Nishi-Azabu district of Tokyo in January. This is only the latest scandal in a career that many Sumo spectators and reporters believe is a black eye on the sport itself. Asashoryu has received negative publicity for alleged match-fixing. He also cited injury and declined to participate in summer Sumo events in 2007 and returned to Mongolia. During his trip home, he was filmed playing in a charity soccer match. When the Yokozuna returned to Japan he was suspended from upcoming tournaments. This marking the first time an active Yokozuna had been suspended from a major tournament. He has also drawn negative publicity for fighting with Sumo off the dohyo, complaining about officiating, injuring wrestlers in training sessions and refusing to adopt Japanese Citizenship.
By focusing exclusively on Asashoryu's transgressions and by holding him out as a hot-head or a bully, the Sumo world is exposing itself to be filled with unrealistic expectations of a professional athlete in the modern age. Sure, his latest drunken escapades are not to be condoned entirely, nor are other allegations made against him. However, this routine chastising of a champion that has achieved so much is at times painful. Sumo is a little different from other sports, because it is steeped in tradition and codes of conduct and the allure of the sport rests partly in those attributes.
The simple fact that Asashoryu is Mongolian has hampered his reputation with fans who have openly called for him to, “Go back to Mongolia.” The Yokozuna is being treated differently because he is not Japanese, and he is not totally willing to bend his spirit to what the Sumo Association expects. His behavior might have been unbecoming to a man entrusted with the Yokozuna rank, but he is uniquely an individual and has brought the popularity of the sport to new audiences and as a whole leaves the business of Sumo better off for his presence in the role of champion.
"It's not only Asashoryu's problem. The root of the problem is the association's economic motive," said journalist Yorimasa Takeda, who accused Asashoryu of match-fixing in an article published in a weekly magazine in 2007. Despite his "bad guy" image, Asashoryu was a fan magnet and thus generated a lot of money for the sumo industry, which was behind the association's reluctance to punish him severely, Takeda said. (1)
Asashoryu's Accomplishments:
First Mongolian Yokozuna
In 2005 he became the first wrestler to win all six official tournaments in a single calender year
He won a total of 25 top division tournament championships
Third highest all time on wins behind Taiho and Chiyonofuji
Career record 669- 173- 76
As Asashoryu retires he should be remembered for; his strong personality, his warrior spirit, his good nature, his dominance of native Japanese wrestlers and his outstanding record.
(1) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100206a1.html
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Foreigners Shouldn't vote in Japan.
The debate about opening the polls to long time residents of Japan, who are not citizens has been raging in Japan for months now. The current discussion is focused on whether Japan should adopt legislation to extend voting rights to Permanent Residents, who are not Japanese Citizens.
The proposed Foreigner's Suffrage bill has divided the government. The call for voting rights for long-time residents of Japan is in large part being pushed by the South Korean government. There are an estimated 400,000 Korean citizens currently holding Permanent Residency in Japan. Under current voting laws they are not allowed to cast ballots in elections. These Korean citizens are in large part fully integrated into Japanese society, speaking fluent Japanese, owning businesses and property. Many of them are third and fourth generation residents. Japanese Citizenship is based on lineage and these Koreans are kept in a pseudo-citizen category. Some of the Koreans who were Permanent Residents, have married Japanese spouses and have become naturalized citizens. Many of them are not currently Japanese Citizens.
It is my contention that in order to vote in any country, you should follow the legal avenues to become a citizen of such a country and not be voting from the outside in. Although these Korean citizens and a great deal of other nationalities currently reside in Japan on a full time, permanent basis they should not be voting in Japanese elections, be they local or national.
“The government should not be hasty in submitting a bill to the ordinary Diet session to grant local voting rights to permanent foreign residents in Japan, Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi said Saturday.” (1)
Haraguchi came out in support of the legislation back in the fall of 2009 and has since became a little more moderate on his stance as the above quote demonstrates. The Democrats have been attempting to open a more positive dialogue with Seoul on a variety of issues. The main focus of the DPJ has been to increase positive relations with the Asian community, and granting voting rights to non Japanese citizens seems to be another ploy to this end.
Prime Minister Hatoyama and Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa have been supporting the foreigner's suffrage bill and pushing for the proposed bill to make its way quickly through the necessary Diet sessions, so that it can be passed into law. The Democratic Party of Japan has been working towards Permanent Resident legislation since 1998, but due to staunch opposition from the Liberal Democrats they could not get the previous 12 bills through the house. (2)
Japan is often criticized by foreign residents as being slightly racist. Japanese citizens periodically look down on Korean Permanent Residents in Japan. Although granting voting rights to long time residents could alleviate some of these tensions, the vote specifically should only be granted to full fledged citizens of Japan.
(1)http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T100130005317.htm
(2)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20091009a1.html
The proposed Foreigner's Suffrage bill has divided the government. The call for voting rights for long-time residents of Japan is in large part being pushed by the South Korean government. There are an estimated 400,000 Korean citizens currently holding Permanent Residency in Japan. Under current voting laws they are not allowed to cast ballots in elections. These Korean citizens are in large part fully integrated into Japanese society, speaking fluent Japanese, owning businesses and property. Many of them are third and fourth generation residents. Japanese Citizenship is based on lineage and these Koreans are kept in a pseudo-citizen category. Some of the Koreans who were Permanent Residents, have married Japanese spouses and have become naturalized citizens. Many of them are not currently Japanese Citizens.
It is my contention that in order to vote in any country, you should follow the legal avenues to become a citizen of such a country and not be voting from the outside in. Although these Korean citizens and a great deal of other nationalities currently reside in Japan on a full time, permanent basis they should not be voting in Japanese elections, be they local or national.
“The government should not be hasty in submitting a bill to the ordinary Diet session to grant local voting rights to permanent foreign residents in Japan, Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi said Saturday.” (1)
Haraguchi came out in support of the legislation back in the fall of 2009 and has since became a little more moderate on his stance as the above quote demonstrates. The Democrats have been attempting to open a more positive dialogue with Seoul on a variety of issues. The main focus of the DPJ has been to increase positive relations with the Asian community, and granting voting rights to non Japanese citizens seems to be another ploy to this end.
Prime Minister Hatoyama and Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa have been supporting the foreigner's suffrage bill and pushing for the proposed bill to make its way quickly through the necessary Diet sessions, so that it can be passed into law. The Democratic Party of Japan has been working towards Permanent Resident legislation since 1998, but due to staunch opposition from the Liberal Democrats they could not get the previous 12 bills through the house. (2)
Japan is often criticized by foreign residents as being slightly racist. Japanese citizens periodically look down on Korean Permanent Residents in Japan. Although granting voting rights to long time residents could alleviate some of these tensions, the vote specifically should only be granted to full fledged citizens of Japan.
(1)http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T100130005317.htm
(2)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20091009a1.html
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Unpaid Overtime is Killing McDonald's Managers
Japan is notorious for the long hours of work that companies expect from their employees. This service overtime is unpaid overtime that a company expects and often demands from employees. Periodically this culture of unpaid overtime ends up killing otherwise healthy employees who cannot physically handle the stress and the hours involved. The Japanese have a word (karoshi) which translates to roughly “death from overwork.” The latest death by overwork scandal is levied against McDonald's and is winding its way through courts here in Japan.
Recently a 25 year old male, who was managing a store in Kawasaki city collapsed and died due to karoshi. According to a story on the Yomiuri Online, “he was working on November 07, 2009 from noon to the following day at 5 a.m. He then came back to work the same day (Nov. 8) at noon. Soon after he collapsed and died.” (1) The victim's mother is trying to get compensation for the death of her son, but this week she lost a local court decision to receive financial benefit. The January 18, 2010 ruling upheld a labour standard assessment committee's denial to pay compensation.
The latest victim of a ridiculous schedule for the international hamburger shop is by far not the only one. In addition to the deceased manager in Kawasaki, a manager in Saitama Prefecture launched a lawsuit against McDonald's nearly five years ago regarding unpaid overtime. Also, a female manager died from overwork, due to her schedule, managing a Yokohama McDonald's in 2007.
McDonald's Japan lost a lawsuit two years ago with a former manager, who collected roughly $70,000 (USD) in compensation for all his unpaid overtime. Hiroshi Takano had worked an estimated 60-80 hours per month of service overtime, in addition to his normal, paid working schedule. Furthermore, he was denied any paid holidays for 63 days. Takano also sought a further $30,000 (USD) in compensation for mental suffering, but that claim was rejected by the court which heard his case.(2)
“(In October of 2007) A store manager with hamburger chain McDonald's in Japan who died of a brain hemorrhage was a victim of "karoshi" or death by overwork, a regional labour office said.” reports an AFP story from October 2009.(3) This manager who collapsed and died was a 41 year-old woman who was overseeing a Yokohama branch. Her family subsequently launched a lawsuit to collect pension money after the labour bureau ruled that he death was a “Karoshi” death.
“According to the court, the average annual salary of McDonald's shop managers stood at ¥7.07 million ($70,700 USD) in 2005. But the salaries varied, with some 10 percent of managers receiving only ¥5.79 million ($57,900 USD), a level lower than the average annual salary of assistant shop managers, based on evaluations.”(2)
Japanese blogs, and social networking sites are increasingly filling up with comments and posts about the negative aspects of taking a management role for McDonald's. On line users of 2CH have been discussing the seemingly high salary of managers for McDonald's restaurants, but have been warning others about the possibility of literally being worked to death, and discussing negative health aspects.(3)
Many McDonald's managers estimate that they spend roughly 80 hours per month engaged in unpaid overtime. The fact that McDonald's has been expecting managers to work 80 hours unpaid overtime for the past number of years is astonishing. This policy has led to lawsuits and deaths, but still McDonald's Japan expects far too much out of their managers and their policies have obviously changed little. The company has been able to escape with little more than a slap on the hand, despite the fact that karoshi deaths continue to plague the corporate giant.
(1) Yomiuri Online (Translated into English) http://job.yomiuri.co.jp/news/ne_10012004.htm
(2) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080129a3.html
(3)http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwgGnPxcowg7_uyZJCFFGXnT1N6w
(4) http://natto.2ch.net/recruit/kako/982/982941629.html
Recently a 25 year old male, who was managing a store in Kawasaki city collapsed and died due to karoshi. According to a story on the Yomiuri Online, “he was working on November 07, 2009 from noon to the following day at 5 a.m. He then came back to work the same day (Nov. 8) at noon. Soon after he collapsed and died.” (1) The victim's mother is trying to get compensation for the death of her son, but this week she lost a local court decision to receive financial benefit. The January 18, 2010 ruling upheld a labour standard assessment committee's denial to pay compensation.
The latest victim of a ridiculous schedule for the international hamburger shop is by far not the only one. In addition to the deceased manager in Kawasaki, a manager in Saitama Prefecture launched a lawsuit against McDonald's nearly five years ago regarding unpaid overtime. Also, a female manager died from overwork, due to her schedule, managing a Yokohama McDonald's in 2007.
McDonald's Japan lost a lawsuit two years ago with a former manager, who collected roughly $70,000 (USD) in compensation for all his unpaid overtime. Hiroshi Takano had worked an estimated 60-80 hours per month of service overtime, in addition to his normal, paid working schedule. Furthermore, he was denied any paid holidays for 63 days. Takano also sought a further $30,000 (USD) in compensation for mental suffering, but that claim was rejected by the court which heard his case.(2)
“(In October of 2007) A store manager with hamburger chain McDonald's in Japan who died of a brain hemorrhage was a victim of "karoshi" or death by overwork, a regional labour office said.” reports an AFP story from October 2009.(3) This manager who collapsed and died was a 41 year-old woman who was overseeing a Yokohama branch. Her family subsequently launched a lawsuit to collect pension money after the labour bureau ruled that he death was a “Karoshi” death.
“According to the court, the average annual salary of McDonald's shop managers stood at ¥7.07 million ($70,700 USD) in 2005. But the salaries varied, with some 10 percent of managers receiving only ¥5.79 million ($57,900 USD), a level lower than the average annual salary of assistant shop managers, based on evaluations.”(2)
Japanese blogs, and social networking sites are increasingly filling up with comments and posts about the negative aspects of taking a management role for McDonald's. On line users of 2CH have been discussing the seemingly high salary of managers for McDonald's restaurants, but have been warning others about the possibility of literally being worked to death, and discussing negative health aspects.(3)
Many McDonald's managers estimate that they spend roughly 80 hours per month engaged in unpaid overtime. The fact that McDonald's has been expecting managers to work 80 hours unpaid overtime for the past number of years is astonishing. This policy has led to lawsuits and deaths, but still McDonald's Japan expects far too much out of their managers and their policies have obviously changed little. The company has been able to escape with little more than a slap on the hand, despite the fact that karoshi deaths continue to plague the corporate giant.
(1) Yomiuri Online (Translated into English) http://job.yomiuri.co.jp/news/ne_10012004.htm
(2) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080129a3.html
(3)http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwgGnPxcowg7_uyZJCFFGXnT1N6w
(4) http://natto.2ch.net/recruit/kako/982/982941629.html
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Financial Irregularities threaten Hatoyama and Ozawa.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa are under constant criticism by the Japanese media, regarding some allegedly sketchy financial deals and some questionable election funding. The continued probes are limiting the ability of the Democrats to govern effectively. As of Monday the DPJ will be beginning their first ordinary Diet session and will be under increased attack from the Liberal Democrats regarding the financial affairs of the both Hatoyama and Ozawa.
The Democrats have been battling with the problems for quite sometime now, and the subsequent investigations into some of the funding has led to arrests and ruined political careers inside the ruling party. Tomohiro Ishikawa a DPJ Lower House member was arrested on Friday in connection with financial irregularities, in connection with Ozawa's political funding. Ishikawa, is only the latest political victim of the Ozawa scandal. Two former Ozawa aides are facing the justice system over the 2004 Tokyo land deal when a reported ¥400 million changed hands without being registered. (1)
Currently, the members of the Democrat's coalition government are urging Ozawa to come clean on his financial dealings. According to an article on the front page of Saturday's edition of The Japan Times, the Secretaries General of both the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) are calling for an explanation from Ozawa. “I expect (Ozawa) to make efforts to dispel public doubts,” said SDP Secretary General Yasumasa Shigeno. (2)
Prime Minister Hatoyama's financial dealings are also under a cloud of suspicion, but the Prime Minister has demonstrated a better ability than Ozawa to rise above the criticism. Hatoyama's financial donations in the lead up to his campaign and election last summer are under scrutiny and will be viciously challenged by the Liberal Democrats in the coming months. Hatoyama faces questions arising from his list of campaign contributors. It has become apparent that the Prime Minister's secretary had attempted to spread Hatoyama's family donations to a larger base of individual contributors. Hatoyama's family is extremely wealthy, due to the fact that his maternal grandfather was the man behind Bridgestone Corp. The Prime Minister's secretary apparently took large family donations and attributed them to a broader base of individuals, thus appearing that Hatoyama had a broader support base than he actually did. Some of the listed contributors were in fact no longer physically able to make donations, as they currently reside in the grave-yard. “It was only with media reports that deceased people had been falsely listed in Hatoyama's political fund reports as funding donors, and subsequent accusations from a citizens' organization, that the murky flow of vast amounts of funds surrounding the prime minister came to light.,” (3) reported the Mainichi Daily News in December.
The funding issues surrounding two of the Democrat's biggest political names could possibly have negative consequences in the upcoming House of Councilors election slated for July. Both Hatoyama and Ozawa will have to successfully deflect growing criticism from the media, the Liberal Democrats, the public and coalition partners in order to take full control of the governance of Japan.
(1)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100116a1.html
(2)Kyodo. "Come Clean, DPJ's partners tell Ozawa." The Japan Times [Tokyo] Saturday, January 16th, 2010 , 3rd Edition, Front: A1.
(3)http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20091225p2a00m0na014000c.html
The Democrats have been battling with the problems for quite sometime now, and the subsequent investigations into some of the funding has led to arrests and ruined political careers inside the ruling party. Tomohiro Ishikawa a DPJ Lower House member was arrested on Friday in connection with financial irregularities, in connection with Ozawa's political funding. Ishikawa, is only the latest political victim of the Ozawa scandal. Two former Ozawa aides are facing the justice system over the 2004 Tokyo land deal when a reported ¥400 million changed hands without being registered. (1)
Currently, the members of the Democrat's coalition government are urging Ozawa to come clean on his financial dealings. According to an article on the front page of Saturday's edition of The Japan Times, the Secretaries General of both the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) are calling for an explanation from Ozawa. “I expect (Ozawa) to make efforts to dispel public doubts,” said SDP Secretary General Yasumasa Shigeno. (2)
Prime Minister Hatoyama's financial dealings are also under a cloud of suspicion, but the Prime Minister has demonstrated a better ability than Ozawa to rise above the criticism. Hatoyama's financial donations in the lead up to his campaign and election last summer are under scrutiny and will be viciously challenged by the Liberal Democrats in the coming months. Hatoyama faces questions arising from his list of campaign contributors. It has become apparent that the Prime Minister's secretary had attempted to spread Hatoyama's family donations to a larger base of individual contributors. Hatoyama's family is extremely wealthy, due to the fact that his maternal grandfather was the man behind Bridgestone Corp. The Prime Minister's secretary apparently took large family donations and attributed them to a broader base of individuals, thus appearing that Hatoyama had a broader support base than he actually did. Some of the listed contributors were in fact no longer physically able to make donations, as they currently reside in the grave-yard. “It was only with media reports that deceased people had been falsely listed in Hatoyama's political fund reports as funding donors, and subsequent accusations from a citizens' organization, that the murky flow of vast amounts of funds surrounding the prime minister came to light.,” (3) reported the Mainichi Daily News in December.
The funding issues surrounding two of the Democrat's biggest political names could possibly have negative consequences in the upcoming House of Councilors election slated for July. Both Hatoyama and Ozawa will have to successfully deflect growing criticism from the media, the Liberal Democrats, the public and coalition partners in order to take full control of the governance of Japan.
(1)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100116a1.html
(2)Kyodo. "Come Clean, DPJ's partners tell Ozawa." The Japan Times [Tokyo] Saturday, January 16th, 2010 , 3rd Edition, Front: A1.
(3)http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20091225p2a00m0na014000c.html
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
International Parents on Edge in Japan
A Tennessee man was arrested in Japan a few months ago for trying to “kidnap” his children. The arrest lead to international media attention. Christopher Savoie, was jailed for attempting to “snatch back his children from his estranged wife,” in September of 2009. (1) The case has put a human face on the problem of foreign nationals losing their rights to interact with their children after their estranged spouses return to Japan without the consent of the other parent.
The case attracted attention from both American and Japanese sources and left many parents involved in international marriages wondering what exactly their rights were. Japan has yet to sign a Hague Convention that would bring the country closer to respecting a child's right to have a relationship with both parents.
“The Hague Convention on international child abduction stipulates that if a parent from a broken international marriage takes a child out of his or her country of residence without the other's consent, the child must be returned to that country.”(2)
Japan has drawn fire from international groups, and diplomatic missions for the way it handles international child custody cases and as the government moves closer to signing the Hague Convention the result will make the process fair for both sides. Many of the disputes involve American and Japanese parents, and the Japanese Foreign Ministry is looking into signing the Convention. The ministry has convened a task force on the issue and are presently debating the merits of signing the agreement.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, 81 countries are currently signatories to the Convention which stems from 1980. Japan is now the only G7 member nation which still has not signed the agreement. (2) To say that the agreement should have been signed long ago, seems at this point a bit of an understatement.
Apparently, Japanese law-makers have been reluctant to sign on to the agreement fearing that abusive ex-spouses will jeopardize the children's safety, which is a legitimate concern in a small fraction of the growing number of cases involved. Japanese customs are also at stake. In Japan, when courts are deciding the future residences in custody cases, they almost aways grant custody to the spouse that can spend more time with the children, usually the woman.
The custody of children in cases of international divorce is a growing issue that needs to be addressed and dealt with according to international standards. In a globalized environment, states must act with good-will towards one another and provide assurances that international norms will be respected. Having said this, Japan needs to sign the Hague Convention without delay, and put an end to these lingering issues of custody and visitation.
According to the Assembly for French Overseas Nationals for Japan and other groups supporting divorced parents in Japan, roughly 10,000 duel citizenship children living in Japan are prevented from seeing their foreign parent. (3) This is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed. Recently US, Canadian, British and French diplomatic missions ave made the case to Tokyo.
Hopefully for the diplomatic well being of Japan, the newly elected Democratic Party of Japan will get behind the effort to push the issue through and get the Hague Convention signed. Current Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada has implied that he is willing to study the manner. Michele Bond a consular affairs employee with the American Embassy in Tokyo said that she met officials at both the Foreign and Justice ministries who told her that the government is “very seriously and carefully considering signing” the Convention. (4) The previous statement however, dates back to May of 2009. At this point it looks like the government is drawing closer to signing, but the sooner the better, for many children and parents who are waiting to reunite.
(1)http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/15/japan.custody.battle/index.html
(2)http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY201001080120.html
(3)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091010f1.html
(4)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090522a4.html
The case attracted attention from both American and Japanese sources and left many parents involved in international marriages wondering what exactly their rights were. Japan has yet to sign a Hague Convention that would bring the country closer to respecting a child's right to have a relationship with both parents.
“The Hague Convention on international child abduction stipulates that if a parent from a broken international marriage takes a child out of his or her country of residence without the other's consent, the child must be returned to that country.”(2)
Japan has drawn fire from international groups, and diplomatic missions for the way it handles international child custody cases and as the government moves closer to signing the Hague Convention the result will make the process fair for both sides. Many of the disputes involve American and Japanese parents, and the Japanese Foreign Ministry is looking into signing the Convention. The ministry has convened a task force on the issue and are presently debating the merits of signing the agreement.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, 81 countries are currently signatories to the Convention which stems from 1980. Japan is now the only G7 member nation which still has not signed the agreement. (2) To say that the agreement should have been signed long ago, seems at this point a bit of an understatement.
Apparently, Japanese law-makers have been reluctant to sign on to the agreement fearing that abusive ex-spouses will jeopardize the children's safety, which is a legitimate concern in a small fraction of the growing number of cases involved. Japanese customs are also at stake. In Japan, when courts are deciding the future residences in custody cases, they almost aways grant custody to the spouse that can spend more time with the children, usually the woman.
The custody of children in cases of international divorce is a growing issue that needs to be addressed and dealt with according to international standards. In a globalized environment, states must act with good-will towards one another and provide assurances that international norms will be respected. Having said this, Japan needs to sign the Hague Convention without delay, and put an end to these lingering issues of custody and visitation.
According to the Assembly for French Overseas Nationals for Japan and other groups supporting divorced parents in Japan, roughly 10,000 duel citizenship children living in Japan are prevented from seeing their foreign parent. (3) This is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed. Recently US, Canadian, British and French diplomatic missions ave made the case to Tokyo.
Hopefully for the diplomatic well being of Japan, the newly elected Democratic Party of Japan will get behind the effort to push the issue through and get the Hague Convention signed. Current Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada has implied that he is willing to study the manner. Michele Bond a consular affairs employee with the American Embassy in Tokyo said that she met officials at both the Foreign and Justice ministries who told her that the government is “very seriously and carefully considering signing” the Convention. (4) The previous statement however, dates back to May of 2009. At this point it looks like the government is drawing closer to signing, but the sooner the better, for many children and parents who are waiting to reunite.
(1)http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/15/japan.custody.battle/index.html
(2)http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY201001080120.html
(3)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091010f1.html
(4)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090522a4.html
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Liberal Democrats forced to adapt
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan is an institution. The party had controlled the government of Japan for fifty years, relatively uninterrupted. However, with a bitter defeat in last year's election by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the once long serving party is in transition. The Liberal Democrats will not be returning to power, unless they restructure internally and provide some direction for the country.
The LDP had been guiding Japan's economy and foreign policy with a tried, tested and true philosophy that collapsed with the global economy a few years back, and most recently led to the embarrassing defeat in last summer's House of Representatives election. The loss was more of a referendum on the LDP leadership and ruling mentality, than it was a vote of confidence in the DPJ's ability. With voters disenfranchised, the polling numbers were drastically low, in an election that would re-shape the Japanese economy and global outlook. Voter turnout was estimated at roughly 50% in the election, but strong weather conditions and swine-flu (N1H1) apparently also kept voters from turning up. (1)
After so long, what went wrong for the Liberal Democrats?
Domestically, many news sources have attributed the fall of the LDP to the economic troubles that have recently rocked so many economies. This is no doubt a major factor in the defeat of the LDP. However, another reason that is less apparent was also at work when voters decided to hand the reigns to anyone other than the LDP. The Liberal Democrats had become a legacy party with a sense of entitlement, offering very few fresh ideas and little or no convincing arguments as to how they should, or even why they should fix the problems that had developed under their leadership. Rather, it was not only the economic plunges of the past few years that doomed the LDP, but it was also the lack of vision that the party displayed.
Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera Corp, made the argument against Japan's virtual one party leadership in an October interview. Inamori believes that healthy debate and a government that shifts between parties is essential as Japan moves forward in the coming decade. "If government mismanagement provoked sharp criticism from the public and led to changes in power, political parties would naturally be imbued with a sense of tension, recognizing that only by delivering good government could they continue to rule."(2)
Current LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki has to truly lead his party into a new era, in order to reaffirm the Liberal Democrats place as the institutional government of Japan. The recreation and transformation into a new and healthy party will take time and effort on the part of the LDP senior leadership. The party does have one strong advantage; they have the know-how and experience to govern. According to today's Japan Times, "Tanigaki has launched a council within the LDP to redefine the party's political ideals and devise strategies to retake power from the DPJ- led coalition." (3)
It is yet to be seen if this council can reshape the party or the policies in any meaningful way. There is serious doubt that the new party will be anything different than the same old Liberal Democrats in new clothes. The party needs to go shopping in the private sector and attract a few stars to the fold. It also needs to learn tough lessons from their only major source of competition, the DPJ. One such lesson is to take an increased interest in the Asian community and to continue to develop and foster closer relations with China. The future success of the LDP heavily rests on their ability to promote a few fresh ideas while balancing this change with the policies that have made them a success in the past. In the past the LDP has been conceived as a fairly good financial steward and must principally regain this perception. As a few fresh ideas, they could offer increased funding of Japanese defence and ring the patriotic bell, they could focus on popular environmental issues, diplomatically, they could support increasing relations with China and South Korea.
1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8228278.stm
(2) The Statement as written appears in Inamori, Kazuo. "Finally, a True Change of Government." Japan Echo Dec. 2009: pg. 11. The original Japanese version apparently comes from "Hatoyama Minshu yo, katte kabuto no o o shimeyo," Bungei Shunju, October 2009, pp.106-113.
(3) "LDP stumbles along the comeback trail." The Japan Times 9 Jan. 2010: A3.
The LDP had been guiding Japan's economy and foreign policy with a tried, tested and true philosophy that collapsed with the global economy a few years back, and most recently led to the embarrassing defeat in last summer's House of Representatives election. The loss was more of a referendum on the LDP leadership and ruling mentality, than it was a vote of confidence in the DPJ's ability. With voters disenfranchised, the polling numbers were drastically low, in an election that would re-shape the Japanese economy and global outlook. Voter turnout was estimated at roughly 50% in the election, but strong weather conditions and swine-flu (N1H1) apparently also kept voters from turning up. (1)
After so long, what went wrong for the Liberal Democrats?
Domestically, many news sources have attributed the fall of the LDP to the economic troubles that have recently rocked so many economies. This is no doubt a major factor in the defeat of the LDP. However, another reason that is less apparent was also at work when voters decided to hand the reigns to anyone other than the LDP. The Liberal Democrats had become a legacy party with a sense of entitlement, offering very few fresh ideas and little or no convincing arguments as to how they should, or even why they should fix the problems that had developed under their leadership. Rather, it was not only the economic plunges of the past few years that doomed the LDP, but it was also the lack of vision that the party displayed.
Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera Corp, made the argument against Japan's virtual one party leadership in an October interview. Inamori believes that healthy debate and a government that shifts between parties is essential as Japan moves forward in the coming decade. "If government mismanagement provoked sharp criticism from the public and led to changes in power, political parties would naturally be imbued with a sense of tension, recognizing that only by delivering good government could they continue to rule."(2)
Current LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki has to truly lead his party into a new era, in order to reaffirm the Liberal Democrats place as the institutional government of Japan. The recreation and transformation into a new and healthy party will take time and effort on the part of the LDP senior leadership. The party does have one strong advantage; they have the know-how and experience to govern. According to today's Japan Times, "Tanigaki has launched a council within the LDP to redefine the party's political ideals and devise strategies to retake power from the DPJ- led coalition." (3)
It is yet to be seen if this council can reshape the party or the policies in any meaningful way. There is serious doubt that the new party will be anything different than the same old Liberal Democrats in new clothes. The party needs to go shopping in the private sector and attract a few stars to the fold. It also needs to learn tough lessons from their only major source of competition, the DPJ. One such lesson is to take an increased interest in the Asian community and to continue to develop and foster closer relations with China. The future success of the LDP heavily rests on their ability to promote a few fresh ideas while balancing this change with the policies that have made them a success in the past. In the past the LDP has been conceived as a fairly good financial steward and must principally regain this perception. As a few fresh ideas, they could offer increased funding of Japanese defence and ring the patriotic bell, they could focus on popular environmental issues, diplomatically, they could support increasing relations with China and South Korea.
1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8228278.stm
(2) The Statement as written appears in Inamori, Kazuo. "Finally, a True Change of Government." Japan Echo Dec. 2009: pg. 11. The original Japanese version apparently comes from "Hatoyama Minshu yo, katte kabuto no o o shimeyo," Bungei Shunju, October 2009, pp.106-113.
(3) "LDP stumbles along the comeback trail." The Japan Times 9 Jan. 2010: A3.
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