Unfortunately, the Japanese gentleman below believes so strongly that foreigners should never get a vote that he has to bang on about it by the train station — noisily declaring that the granting of such a thing would send Japan into a downward spiral that it would be impossible to recover from. One, presumably, even worse than the cycle that current system has conjured up.
However, even as one of those foreign infiltrators he’s fighting against, I don’t necessarily feel it’s unreasonable to deny non-citizens a national vote. At local level, on the other hand, where city taxes are just the same no matter what one’s nationality, it’s arguably a very different issue indeed.
But, regardless of such points, the fact that there are so few foreigners here (around 1.5 percent of the population according to these figures), and any election choice is invariably between one politician who’s had the role handed down from a relative, or his equally privileged opponent, any perceived bias or actual ability to affect results is surely baseless.
Oh, and just for good measure, he was also keen to point out that my wife, or any other foreigner’s spouse for that matter, should never, under any circumstances, change their surname after marriage. Why? Well, because… because they just shouldn’t, ok?
Still, discriminatory and disruptive diatribe aside, there was something going in his favour, as he did have one person watching him. Just not quite the kind he really cares for that’s all. Which, if not exactly gratitude, did at least garner what would appear to be an ironic grin.
Chris B says
Did he address your wife that day in-front of you?
He is lucky it was you and not me. We all handle perceived disrespect in different ways and mine would have not been smirk inspiring.
Lee says
Nah, I asked the missus to go on ahead while I stood and watched him for a minute or two. I didn’t want her involved in any unpleasantness should there be any. Which, I must say, there wasn’t. Well, apart from what he was saying of course…
jamesmallon says
Where was this tosser? Some tool was yelling into a megaphone from 7a.m. in front of Kameari station this morning.
Notice the right wingers look unsuccessful in life and love. Well, do you know how this foreigner dated a couple of Japanese women, and married one? I treated them well, like they deserved. Bet that thought never crossed his mind.
Lee says
Just outside Tachikawa station James. He was speaking and there was also an old fella giving out pamphlets.
AdelaideBen says
Whilst I have my own views on the Japanese mindset (see separate post)… I think we should be careful not to underestimate the nationalist spirit in Japan. If you want an example of this, just ask (just about) any Japanese what they think of about North Korea. The reality is that the history of Japan – especially over the last 150 years – is a very strange and complex one.
It’s very tempting to look at right-winger’s as being on the periphery… yet, I can say from an Australian perspective, as a country we underestimated and derided our own right-wing sentiments only one day to find that they were actually quite popular (under the surface) across a wide swathe of our country. And we’re a relatively peaceful, multi-cultural society.
Just my 2 yen worth.
Willy says
That’s a bit of a different take on things compared to your usual forays into the weird and wonderful side of things Japanese Lee, but nevertheless, a ‘weird’ thing in itself I guess. In my 10 years of being in Japan, the only time I encountered racist, or should I more accurately say xenophobic attitudes was only on 2 occasions, both from boys aged about 11 or 12 years old. On one occasion we were in a park speaking English with my wife, who is also Japanese, (and by the way didn’t change her surname solely because neither of use could be bothered with the paperwork), while we were walking in a park somewhere and the kid came running up to us and asked why we were speaking English, to which my wife quickly answered ‘to communicate’… the kid quipped back, ‘if we want to do that, we should go to America or somewhere,’ which we both found rather amusing, even though a bit bemused by the sudden shock of it. The other occasion was similar, that time with my daughter in the local swimming pool. In spite of those two minor blights, I was always appreciative of the fact that I never felt like an ‘outsider’ as it were and the local (very rural) community were I lived accepted me just like that – as a member of the community.
anyway, I rave on too much…
Cheers and thanks as always for your posts and pics. Love’ em!!
Willy
Lee says
Cheers Willy!
Yeah, a bit different from the stuff I usually put on Tokyo Times, but as I happened upon him like all the people I take pictures of, it seemed only right to post them. And sadly he’s not alone when it comes to such view points.
AdelaideBen says
This is such a hard post to comment on… coz it hits at so many things that gaijin feel (in a mixed way) about Japan. Especially those that have married Japanese.
In particular there is the whole issue of changing surnames… and yes, at one level it’s really quite… er… I don’t like to use the word, so I will just say “one-eyed”. Our experience is that my wife had a set window in which she could apply to have a name change – outside that time window, she’d need to go to court to argue in front of a judge why she wanted to change her name to her husbands (that would be mine). As it is, marriage requires the formal striking off of her name from the council records – and that’s a fairly difficult thing.
I suppose all of these things are small, but they add up to the feeling that as a system, Japan frowns upon international marriages… and certainly doesn’t make it easy on anyone.
Lee says
Yeah, I agree it’s a hard one. Sometimes though it’s probably all those little, often niggling things that are the most frustrating to deal with.
Andy says
Always a pleasure to see these people exercising their democratic right to talk nonsense at a ridiculous volume. I work down the street from Yasukuni shrine. One lunchtime I saw a fella prancing down Yasukuni-dori in WWII-era uniform. Gobs were smacked.
Hanuman Das says
I find it interesting that he’s wearing “western foreigner”-style clothes while he’s ranting about “foreigners”!
Len says
Cheers, Lee, and all present company, as we have to deal with this climate together. The smirk on that man’s face is but only a sad punctuation of his ignorance; a modern society thrives on new voters.
Lee says
No problem Len. And I couldn’t agree more with what you said.
Steko says
In this guys defense (j/k) his main exposure to foreigners could be an American cultist who drives around his residential neghborhood all day megaphoning people to repent or they will bun in hell.
Little known fact of the day: more Japanese men outmarry internationals then women. At least that was the case circa 10 years ago.
The Envoy says
A rightist reaction is understandable in Japan, though, despite its follies. Japan, with its lack of a real military force, seems like its being bent back and forth by the US and China.
Not that I support a huge and aggressive military, but unfortunately its how the world still works.
The foreigner thing is just part and parcel of politics in most places.
thesoulofjapan says
So many good comments on here. It’s good to see a Japanese speaking out against something he doesn’t believe in. From the looks of the picture you took of him, without his permission I presume, he was quite gracious to you. Other then that, I’m glad you gave him a little press. It makes your journalism skills look fair and balanced.
davidt says
I just happened upon this site because a facebook friend liked your cat picture… Thanks for the fascinating glimpses that you and your commentators provide into Japanese culture and society.
Tokyobling says
This really is one of the best blogs about Japan. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it!
I see these kind of protesters almost every day, and it doesn’t really bother me, despite me being one of the foreigners he’s probably ranting about. It’s his country and Japanese laws allow this sort of thing, although I would consider it noise pollution (regardless of the message).
I have encountered many times as much racism in my own country than I have as a foreigner here in Japan, so I am not too worried.
Looking forward to more posts on all subjects! (^-^)/
Lee says
Thanks a lot for the nice words. Very kind of you.