With a simple sentence of innocent words, the politician Yukio Hatoyama has created a storm of xenophobia on a live broadcast, that permanent resident should have the rights to take a part in right voting in their local elections.
“Permanently resident foreigners pay taxes, lay down roots, and really try to make it here. They should at least get the right to vote (in regional elections) … Japan doesn’t just belong to the Japanese.”
People didn’t take it so well, and quickly labeled Yukio Hatoyama as a traitor and told that non-Japanese are the reason of so many evils in Japan.
Tens of thousands have quickly began criticize him for even considering saying something like that, especially from the live broadcasted site and the popular board, 2ch.
Specifically, it is the sentence, “Japan doesn’t just belong to the Japanese”, that has attracted the most of the criticism towards Yukio Hatoyama. People are presumed to miss it’s true meaning, “foreigners are part of Japan too”, and instead choose to translate it into, “Japan belongs to the Koreans”.
This should not come as an surprise though, as this has been an topic for a period of time now, but still faces a lot of criticism every time it’s being brought up.
Citizenship for foreigners in Japan is rare, and requires a lot of hardship, which can be eased by either already have been living there for a decade or so, or married to one who already have citizenship.
A large number of immigration would also require their system to be updated to the modern ways, with political representation, instead of the current one, by birth and blood.
By the look of it.. It doesn’t seem like the Japanese men or women are ready to open their arms for gaikokujin’s in that way.. Quite yet.
