Jon Heese is becoming an old hand in Japanese politics, having served thirteen years at various levels of government. He is the first foreign-born politician to ever serve at the regional level. He sat down for an interview with Debito Arudou.
Non-Japanese politicians find that they must be the change which they hope to bring to the country.
An interview with Jon Heese, a naturalized Canadian-Japanese and elected Tsukuba City Councillor of twelve years. A Caucasian Visible Minority of Japan, Heese has long been advocating that other Non-Japanese Residents naturalize and run for office.
We shouldn’t wait for the government to deign to divvy out what it thinks foreigners want, as if it’s the omotenashi (hospitality) Japan offers any guest. Instead, NJ residents should be telling the government what they want, on their terms.
