Visible Minorities: Good Riddance to an Evil Man
Former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who died February 1, was an evil man. Any honest obituary would admit as such.
Category Archives: Column
Bread & Roses: Remote Jobs Upend Work-Life Balance
Remote work is no longer a remote concept. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen telework, work-from-home, and workations soar in the popular imagination, and indeed become a reality in many lives.
Visible Minorities: US Military Should Combat Japan’s Xenophobia
US Forces Japan has the duty to recognize that what they do affects Visible Minorities in Japan, whether it be inspiring bigots to slam shop doors in their faces, or giving more ammunition to reactionaries who seek to seal off Japan’s borders.
Bread & Roses: Same Work, Same Pay, Same Scam
The Supreme Court ruled in three separate cases that Japan Post illegally discriminated against its contingent employees in comparison with its regular staff. At first glance, this seems a victory for workers that will raise all boats, but a closer look suggests it’s part of a design to sink all boats.
Visible Minorities: Human Rights Top Ten for 2021
Since 2008, I have always devoted my end-year columns to counting down the Top Ten human rights issues as they pertain to Non-Japanese residents of Japan. This year I’m moving this feature to the Shingetsu News Agency.
Bread & Roses: Pandemic Drives Women into “Nighttime Work”
On November 16, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced the disciplinary dismissal of a 28-year-old school nurse for moonlighting as a sex worker for more than a year.
Visible Minorities: Japan’s Fast Breeder Reactor of Racism
Japan has a race problem. As I’ve catalogued for a quarter century, there are “Japanese Only” signs and rules on businesses nationwide. Refusing entry and service to all “foreigners” on sight, they exclude people who don’t “look Japanese.”
Bread & Roses: Squid Game Paints Capitalism in Deadly Red and Black
Over 140 million people in over ninety countries around the world have already watched Squid Game, making the Hwang Dong-hyuk creation the most-watched series in Netflix history.
Visible Minorities: The Bright Side of Japan’s “Culture of No”
Surprise! Debito Arudou admires something about Japan! It’s time for a little “gaman” during the pandemic era.
Bread & Roses: Are Actors “Laborers”?
Japanese courts have been forced to grapple with the tricky question of whether or not acting is a category of work that requires legal labor protections.
