Are you “Hafu” / Half Japanese?

I received an email from the creator of  ”Hafu” regarding upcoming events in Japan. I am sure that many of you have read the Japan Times article,”Hafu, focuses on whole individual” which was published back in February 2009. The creator states that: “This is an ongoing project that creates a dialogue about being in between cultures. By increasing discussions about culture, ‘race’ and ethnicity we hope to achieve a deeper understanding of these issues. For this reason we actively give public lectures and organise events.”  

Jacqualine Kurio in her piece, “Nationality, Identity, Language and Culture – Making the Pieces Fit” examined three articles, one of which was on the website Hafu. She writes: “So while we can see that language, culture and nationality all have some bearing on identity, neither one can be said to be more important when it comes to establishing a sense of place or belonging. Clearly it is a combination of all these things, plus many other elements too subtle and numerous to list.” 

Ms. Kurio also wrote: “Cross-cultural marriages have been steadily increasing in Japan over the last few years, yet the divorce rate among such couples remains high (1 out of every 2.5 marriages) with ‘irreconcilable cultural differences’ being cited as the most common reason for the break-up. As a result of these marriages, more than 3% of births in Japan are to parents of mixed cultural backgrounds, yet the provision of education to enable these children to maintain close affinity with the non-Japanese side of their heritage (including language and culture) is extremely limited and depends more or less solely on the parents’ efforts.”

We here at Black Tokyo like to examine the issues and encourage dialogue found on websites such as Hafu. Please checked out the Hafu website, the Hafu Facebook Group and the dates for the upcoming events. There is information on how you can participate in the photoshoot (I believe it is for those 18+) below and on the Hafu website. Be sure to tell a friend about Hafu and the wonderful work they are doing!

The Hafu Blog states: “Our events are designed to create opportunities to instigate fruitful discussions on cultural diversity, identity and ‘race’ in a profound and thoughtful way. Typically, our talks are 30-45 minutes long with plenty of images and quotes from interviews, followed by a discussion. Our exhibition can also be booked, usually for a period of at least one week, with the option of an event ‘In conversation with the curators’.” 

Here are the upcoming events in Japan:

Calling all half Japanese people living in Japan (over 18s only)
 
Tokyo Photo Shoot                 20 & 21 June (Sat & Sun) 10am – 7pm as well as 24 June (Thu) 5pm-8pm

The Glass House Studio
Kokubunji, Tokyo
www.theglasshouse.info

Osaka Photo Shoot                 28 June (Sun), times to be confirmed 

Information: Our photo shoot in Tokyo will take place in a studio in Kokubunji, which is around 20 to 25 minutes from Shinjuku. The studio in Osaka still needs to be confirmed but if you are free and can attend please let us know now so we can slot you into our schedule. The photo shoot should not take more than 20 minutes.
 
In addition to the photo shoot, we will select a number of people to be interviewed. The interviewing process will take about 60-90 minutes. We can meet in a mutually convenient time and place. You will be asked a number of questions about your identity and experience in relation to your half Japanese background.
 
If you are interested in taking part, we would love to hear from you. Please fill in our online entry form:

The project:  Hafu is a collaborative project between artist/photographer Natalie Maya Willer and social researcher Marcia Yumi Lise. The project is made up of portrait photographs of half Japanese people (or Hafus as they are called in Japan) and their stories, extracted from in-depth interviews. As part of the exhibition we will organise a range of events including an academic seminar, family art workshop, networking night, live photo shoot and a cultural evening.
 
The project tries to give insight into the experiences of ethnically mixed Japanese individuals. It offers an opportunity to explore the ways in which Hafus construct their identities and establish a sense of belonging whilst being in between different cultures.
 
The work we carry out is highly respectful to everybody portrayed. The format provides an intimate and safe environment where subjects’ stories can be heard. We place much value in respecting people’s opinions and integrating them in the dialogue we are trying to create. Our work is carried out to a high standard and we aim to achieve further intercultural understanding based on the trust of the people we work with.

Public lecture
“Hafu Japanese Identities”
25 June 2009 (Thu)
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Sophia University, Institute of Comparative Culture
http://www.fla.sophia.ac.jp/icc/index.htm
写真撮影

東京
６月２０日（土）午前１０時～午後７時
６月２１日(日)午前１０時～午後７時
６月２４日（水）午後５時～午後８時
国分寺スタジオ

大阪
６月２８日（日）
時間帯は現在調整中
スタジオ確認中

【エントリーフォーム】
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cHBVN2VQUklDejQxOUxRM2FVSGp3Y3c6MA

講演
「ハーフ・ジャパニーズのアイデンティティ」
６月２５日午後５時～６時半
上智大学（四ツ谷キャンパス）
＊英語での講演です。
http://www.fla.sophia.ac.jp/icc/index.htm

Vintage Japanese air raid defense posters

A very good post for students of Japanese, especially military linguists learning Japanese, that shows vintage posters with information on Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) agents and recommended treatments in case one is exposed to NBC weapons. This information will be useful for those in the medical or military profession. I am sure that the most military personnel (to be sure all of the Marines and Soldiers) would have received this information during training. I still remember the my NBC training and the taste and smell of good ol’ CS gas. Yikes!

Pink Tentacle writes: “In 1938, the Japanese Red Cross worked with government authorities to create a series of posters to teach the public about the new Anti-Aircraft Defense Law, which was enacted in seeming anticipation of air strikes following the outbreak of the Japan-China War (1937-1945). Among other things, the new law required citizens to take protective measures against gas attacks and prepare for disinfection, evacuation and relief. For the government, one purpose of the posters — which were created as part of a military exhibition at the Red Cross Museum — was to instill a pattern of “anti-aircraft defense thought” among the population.”

Click here to see the posters. Be sure to follow @PinkTentacle on Twitter! Arigato to Tune in Tokyo for the heads up!

US Embassy – Tokyo Warden Message dtd May 18, 2009

Date:  May 18, 2009

This Warden Message alerts U.S. citizens to the latest information regarding human cases of H1N1 Influenza A in Japan.  Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations or to other Americans you know.

On Monday, May 18 the Japanese government confirmed that domestic transmission of H1N1 influenza is occurring in Japan, largely concentrated in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures among high school age children.  Media are reporting the total number of confirmed H1N1 cases in Japan as between 104 and 132, with numbers expected to grow over time.

In reaction to the spread of influenza, local prefectural governments have closed schools in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, and individual businesses have advised employees suspected of exposure to stay at home. Please consult with local school officials concerning individual school closures and employers concerning work attendance policy.

US Embassy – Tokyo: H1N1 Warden Message

Date: May 09, 2009: This Warden Message alerts U.S. citizens in Japan to the latest information regarding human cases of H1N1 Influenza A, formerly known as swine flu. Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations or to other Americans you know.

The Government of Japan has confirmed that three persons who arrived at Narita International Airport on Friday May 8, 2009 are infected with the H1N1 virus.

Japanese authorities have taken the following steps in response:

· The three individuals have been placed under quarantine at a hospital in Narita for treatment.

· Another 49 people who were on the plane and sitting near the infected individuals are being confined for 10 days at a hotel near the airport to prevent the spread of the disease.

U.S. citizens in Japan are advised to monitor the Embassy website at: http://japan.usembassy.gov/ or sites for the nearest Consulate for additional warden notices and other information.

Is PM Aso half-stepping on collective self-defense?

The Yomiuri Shimbun ran a story on Prime Minister Taro Aso half-stepping or playing politics when it comes to discussing Japan’s right to (re)militarize. Aso remains unable to begin discussion to alter the government’s constitutional interpretation that prohibits the country from exercising the right to collective self-defense. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged Aso, his close friend, to make the issue the party’s campaign pledge for the next House of Representatives election, and changing the government’s interpretation has been Aso’s stock argument, as well. Aso, however, apparently does not want to create any source of contention before the next Lower House election.

 

 On April 23, Aso held a meeting at his office with former Ambassador to the United States Shunji Yanai, who also the chair of the Council for Rebuilding the Legal Foundation for National Defense, an advisory panel to the prime minister established when Abe was premier. In the meeting, Aso was briefed on a report produced by the council last June. The report calls the government to allow exercising the right to collective self-defense for strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and playing an active role in international contributions. It was produced during the tenure of Yasuo Fukuda, Abe’s successor. Fukuda was dismissive about changing the interpretation, and the matter has been left unaddressed since.

Dr. Joseph Nye confirmed as next U.S. Ambassador to Japan

I previously posted about Harvard University professor and Japan expert Dr. Joseph Nye and now it seems that is finally confirmed as the next US Ambassador to Japan.

The Mainichi Shimbun reports: “Harvard University Professor and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye has been confirmed as the next U.S. ambassador to Japan, a senior Japanese government official has revealed.

Piracy and Japan’s Constitution

In a special to the Japan Times, Craig Martin, a Canadian lawyer currently working on a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania on the relationship between constitutional and international law constraints on the use of armed force, writes about piracy and Japan’s constitution. I enjoy reading, discussing and debating the many insightful articles found on Mr. Martin’s blog and in the Japan Times. As I stated in my Japan Times article, “This time around with the global war on terror, Japan got its fingernails dirty, so the next logical move is to lend a hand.” Check out Mr. Martin’s latest below:

“Once again the issue of Japanese contributions to international security efforts is the subject of tortured debate. And once again the proposed government policy, and aspects of the debate itself, reveals fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between Article 9 of the Constitution and the relevant principles of international law.

This time, the issue relates to maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, and the proposed deployment of Japanese naval vessels to the area. Predictably, the issue has triggered debate over the effect of the war-renouncing provision of the Constitution. A careful analysis, however, would suggest that the Article 9 prohibition on the use of force would not apply to the deployment of naval forces, or their use of weapons, to protect shipping from pirates in international waters.

Japan Times Blogroll: Black Tokyo

Black Tokyo by RICARDO BILTON:  Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Eric L. Robinson found himself docking in Okinawa in 1981. For the past two decades, Robinson, a Marine Corps veteran, has traveled back and forth between between Japan and the United States, gaining experiences and insights from each culture that he now shares with the readers of the blog Black Tokyo. Currently the sole writer for Black Tokyo, Robinson is dedicated to providing readers with news and information about Japan, much of it undiscussed elsewhere. Frequently controversial and invariably insightful, Robinson discusses in this interview with The Japan Times the experience of being black in Japan, the American military’s role in the country, and things that make you go “hmm.”

 

Eric L. Robinson of Black Tokyo

What is Black Tokyo all about? Why was it created?

What I do everyday is: (1) pass knowledge of my military, professional, civilian and educational experiences; and (2) help minorities discover another world. Black Tokyo was the avenue for me to do that. The site was actually created in January 1999 by Craig Hankerson and he let me come on as a moderator in 2001. I became webmaster in 2003, taking over ownership of the site in 2006. Craig was so busy at the time with what he was doing with his work, and I found myself spending more and more time on the site that I decided that I would love to own Black Tokyo and take it to a different level.

Your blog focuses on, among other things, the experience of black people living in Japan. Do you think that the experience of a black person in Tokyo differs from that of any other group of foreigner?

Yes! Of course, everyone has their take on living in Japan. When I was initially exposed to Japan, it was via the lens of an older white male. I remember telling my mother that I wanted to live in Japan after watching the TV special “Shogun” by James Clavell. While in high school and college, I read numerous books on Japan. None of the books were written by African-Americans.

When I came across the book and later the movie “Bedroom Eyes,” I was finally exposed to an African-American in Japanese literature and on television. I remember how upset I was that the black male was portrayed as a sex fiend, dope addict, U.S. military deserter and thief. The book and the movie, in my opinion, did not do much justice for Japanese women that dated or married African-American men. It just reinforced stereotypes!  Click here  to read the rest of the interview.

Do you tweet? Follow the writer, Ricard Bilton (Rbilton) and the Japan Times (japantimes).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Punishing foreigners, exonerating Japanese

THE ZEIT GIST - Debito Arudou sees growing evidence of judicial double standards!  Did you know?: Under the Foreign Registry Law (Article 18) only foreigners can be arrested, fined up to ¥200,000 and incarcerated for up to a year just for not carrying ID 24-7!

Examine any justice system and patterns emerge. For example, consider how Japan’s policing system treats non-Japanese. Zeit Gist has discussed numerous times (July 8, 2008; Feb. 20 and Nov. 13, 2007; May 24, 2005; Jan. 13, 2004; Oct. 7, 2003) how police target and racially profile foreigners under anticrime and antiterrorism campaigns.

But the bias goes beyond cops and into criminal prosecution, with Japanese courts treating suspects differently according to nationality. We’ve already tackled the subject of how judges discount testimony from foreigners (Zeit Gist, Aug. 14, 2007), but here’s the emerging pattern: If you are a Japanese committing a crime toward a non-Japanese, you tend to get off lightly. Vice versa and you “haven’t a Chinaman’s chance,” as it were.

Non-Japanese are particularly disadvantaged because: 1) There is no certified quality control for court and investigative language interpretation; 2) public prosecutors can have negative attitudes toward non-Japanese; and 3) non-Japanese cannot get bail (hoshaku).

Narita Airport Operations Affected by FEDEX Crash

FROM: American Embassy Tokyo

SUBJ: Warden Message – Narita Airport Operations Affected by FEDEX Crash

Sunday

: As of 1330 local, March 23, 2009

This is to inform the American community that the crash of a FedEx cargo plane at Narita International Airport at 0648 local time on Monday, March 23, 2009, has temporarily disrupted the arrival and departure of some commercial passenger flights while investigation and cleanup of the crash continue.   The FedEx plane crashed on Runway A, the longer of Narita’s runways, which remains closed as of this report.  The airport is currently operating with only one runway.

If you are scheduled to depart on any flight out of Narita International Airport, or meet arriving passengers at Narita, the U.S. Embassy recommends checking with the airline or Narita International Airport at http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/flight/today.htmlto confirm the status of all arriving and departing flights.