Let me say from the start, speaking as someone more or less ignorant on the importance of the island, and having no permanent ties to Korea or Japan, I really don’t see the big deal. Two years ago, when I ended my Japanese residency and briefly returned to Dallas, Texas, I was driving through Koreatown and came across this billboard:

Dokdo Island? Didn’t look that big in the photograph. And why distribute such propaganda in the middle of Texas? A quick internet such was all I needed to get the basics. Dokdo is an island in the East Sea, sandwiched between the Ulleung Island of Korea and the Oki Islands of Japan. As you can tell from the picture, it’s not much to look at: two main islets and 35 small rocks, less than a quarter square kilometer area. Two Korean citizens permanently reside on this chunk of “paradise”, but other than their presence, there’s not a lot going on.

Let me come back to the history surrounding this territory dispute in a moment. For now, let me just say I’ve never a country more blindly determined to stake its claim to a seemingly worthless island (rich fishing waters aside). It’s mind boggling:

- If billboards like that exist in Texas, they could be all over the world. There are absurdly large Korean communities outside Korea, all apparently dedicated to telling the natives Dokdo is theirs.

- In 2005, Japan announced a Takeshima Day holiday in Shimane-ken. Koreans responded by protesting, cutting of their fingers, and setting themselves on fire.

- I’ve seen examples of this in food. There’s a Dokdo sushi restaurant in Austin and Dallas, and a Dokdo brand name water in Korea:

“Dokdo… oooh, it must be Korean territory! I ate the sushi at a Dokdo restaurant and it was so good! The Japanese don’t have a Dokdo restaurant!” [author's note: as far as I know]

And those are just a few examples.

You know what? I’m not going to get into the history of this dispute. Japan has a point. Korea has a point. I’m not going to be the one to resolve anything, or tell you anything you couldn’t find with Google and a few minutes. In fact, it’s probably more likely if I did take a strong stance, someone would track me down and tell me off in person… or worse. Instead, I’ll give you this quote from the Dokdo Island is Korean Territory Facebook group:

“We do all know that it is only a rock. But we are just trying to aware Japan trying to invade us. Daema Island was ours too but they took it. They always trying to take our land…think about it! Do you want to live in a land which shakes all the time? It’s about the history. They’ve been invading us way too many times…sooooo many times!!!! That’s why guys!!! I’m not a person who always says “Dokdo is our land” and marching… I hate doing that stuff. But I know the fact. It’s more complicated than you guys think…. it’s about the territory issue.”

That’s the one thing I do agree with; it’s not so much strategic importance or the value of the land or surrounding water, it’s just the fact Koreans don’t want the Japanese to take something they consider to be theirs. Unlike the commenter above, though… I don’t think the fact Japan is prone to earthquakes has anything to do with it. When I blogged about the aforementioned sign on Keeping Pace in Japan, it didn’t take more than an hour or so before a Korean left an unsavory comment; once he realized I wasn’t stating the island belonged to Japan, I read this:

“Sorry for my previous post…..
I thought you are talking about DokDo is belong to Japan….

Sorry about that again….”

So, let the comments fly. I’m curious to hear other perspectives on this, Korean, expat, and outsider. If you’re in country and would like to visit Dokdo, ferries depart Pohang, Hupo, and Donghae for Ulleung Island at 10:00 AM, additional ones in the afternoon. From there, you need to submit an application to walk on the disputed island. It isn’t always possible to dock with turbulent waters, but there are also boats that just pull up for photo ops. Come to think of it, Korea probably gets quite a bit of Won out of tourism to Dokdo.

More Information

Wikipedia on the Liancourt Rocks

The Territorial Dispute Over Dokdo

Dokdo, Korean Island: Proofs & Facts

Dokdo Takeshima Island

This sign appears outside of the main bus station in Bugu… I honestly have no idea what the police are trying to tell me in English. Any experience with them will be less than pleasant?

While waiting for my regular bus to Deokgu Hot Springs, I was sitting, writing notes on the Korean language, and minding my own business in the corner. An old Korean woman was on the couch across the room. After a minute or so, she stood up, approached, and, with an almost pitying look on her face, muttered something to me in Korean and handed me a pamphlet. I took it, and, without a word, she sat back down. I was rather puzzled, until I took a quick glance and discovered that this literary marvel was produced by Watchtower: Jehovah’s witnesses.

This was certainly the most off-handed approach I’ve ever experienced in Evangelicals and JWs trying to indoctrinate me. Why would she even consider me? As a westerner, I’m far more likely to be Christian than a Korean (only 25%). Part of me just wanted to step in front of her, tear up her propaganda, and eloquently expose the flaw in her techniques. But, with my limited language skills and my desire to avoid any confrontation, I think it will be easier to simply wear my Buddha pendant everywhere.

I’ve been thinking more about just how easy it is for me to adapt to a foreign environment. Living in Japan was my first serious attempt; naturally, there were errors, fears, and differences with my time in Korea. Let’s look at some of those:

First Week

Japan: June 2006. I spent my first days in the AEON training center in Okayama. Internet access was limited to international centers. I went out to karaoke a few times that week. There was a little language training: by the end, I could say “hello”, “thank you”, “my name is…”, and my telephone number. Our training consisted of long hours, and pounding the AEON method into our brains; I was nervous about teaching, and thought it would take me too much time to prepare lessons. I wasn’t confident enough to eat in restaurants by myself; I usually stuck to a bento box for lunch, which was also how I got my listening practice (”would you like it heated up?”) Even picked up Dr. Peppers in the import store.

Korea: Not as rough a transition period as I arrived in Seoul; the brand names were familiar, the rules similar. I wasn’t mystified by the currency. In short, I wasn’t afraid. I knew how to find places; I knew that Family Mart would have food if I wasn’t ready to try restaurants. I didn’t eat out alone anytime this week, but I did manage to hop a bus and make my way over to Deokgu Hot Springs… within one week. Language skills consist of “hello” and not much else. Medical exam and alien registration in the mornings before work. I didn’t fear the kids that first lesson; in fact, I pretty much just stepped in and continued on as though Ben (outgoing teacher) had never left. I still have questions and want information about bus times and fares, gym access, and my surroundings, but the internet is available, and I know how to insert foreign characters now.

Second Week

Japan: Relocated to Higashi-Hiroshima to work at my school. First time taking the shinkansen, and by myself at that; I had no clue how easy it would be to navigate the trains. Had a welcome dinner for me, a goodbye dinner for Jason, the departing teacher, and typical dealings with bureaucracy: my gaijin card. I didn’t know anything about my contract, about my rights as a foreign resident. I was only 35 minutes away from Hiroshima by local train, but I didn’t leave my town just yet. There was a supermarket next to my apartment. I studied Japanese every night from the Lonely Planet phrasebook. No internet access, and I didn’t know where I could find a cafe. Dinner was ready-to-eat meals from Fuji Grand and bento boxes from 7-11.

Korea: I’ve already discovered two good places to run and fumbled my way into the Energy Farm gym; in fairness, I bought tickets for bowling and a kid’s pool fare before correctly purchasing a day pass. Things aren’t difficult. I don’t fear what the day will bring when I wake up. Lessons require little prep time, not only because they’re easy, but because I have experience; I can deal with kids. I’ve already made weekend plans to go hiking and see Uljin. In many ways, the setup is similar to Saijo – close to a larger city, but not lacking for any amenities like a gym, store, and friendly people. I haven’t been practicing my Korean at all, but I am familiarizing myself with the city names and store front signs.

Third Week

Japan: Signing up for the gym was the first time I realized I needed to know the katakana letters for my name (ターナーライト); fortunately, the attendant had a good ear and transcribed it correctly on my membership card. I didn’t even bother to double check this when filling out paperwork for my bank account and cell phone; I just looked at the letters I had written in language journal and copied them. A few notable events: I had to deal with the cleaners for my work shirts, and attempt to have my suit pants hemmed. A student offered to tutor me in Japanese for free; I accepted, but after the appointment, realized that she was one to look upon everything I did as a foreigner to be amazing. If I had kept meeting with her, I might start to doubt my own abilities. I was venturing farther and farther from my apartment – searching back alleys, side streets, looking for restaurants and supermarkets, places to run – but still had not stepped on a train or a bus. My blog entries (found the international center) were shallow and based on gaijin mentality. Keep in mind, hot springs weren’t part of my world in Saijo; I wouldn’t take a soak for eight months.

Korea: Where I am today. I spend the first half of the day getting a very specific discount card from Deokgu; as a resident of Bugu, I only have to pay 4500 Won. I can’t write any Korean, but I am starting to write down the phrases I need to begin conversations. Through the power of Couchsurfing, I found two Australian expats in Juk-Byeon, south of Bugu, and went over to their place for a movie night with two American teachers. I’m running on the beach. I tried one restaurant, but it was a copout: English menu and too comfortable (AC, too clean). I’ve already begun my search for a set of slippers that will fit me, something I doubt I would have considered at AEON (shoes are allowed in the school). I’m not letting school preoccupy my time. I know ways to connect to other travelers. I’m just… comfortable. As soon as this apartment is clean.

So what’s the plan?

September 18th
Leave Bugu by bus and head to Busan (부산), the second largest city in Korea. Should take about five hours and 21,900 Won. Stay in the city for two days enjoying the sights and chilling with a Couchsurfer.

September 20th
Take the Beetle JR Kyushu Jet Ferry to Hakata. I can’t recall whether there’s a ¥3000 fee for a visa on arrival. Regardless, clearing customs and immigration shouldn’t be that difficult, and I’ve booked my favorite capsule hotel. I’m thinking late night ramen and partying in Tenjin.

September 21st
Shinkansen train all the way to Shizuoka. I have a Couchsurfer waiting.

September 22nd
Enjoy the hospitality of Ryokan Funamisou in Nikko in exchange for writing a review. Japanese food and hot springs… ahhh.

September 23rd
I have a similar arrangement with Ryokan Kiritani Hakoneso in Hakone.

September 24th
Head back to Fukuoka, possibly making a few stops en route to check out my old place, maybe see who’s around Hiroshima.

September 25th
Return to Busan by ferry. Excursion to Japan is over.

Transportation

There are several ferries running between Korea and Japan.

Beetle JR Kysuhu Ferry is probably your best option. Two hours, fifty-five minutes on a high speed jetfoil, and the price is reasonable. One thing I would add: BOOK THIS FERRY IN KOREA. It costs significantly more to buy tickets in Japan, especially if you’re on a Korean salary.

To that end, there’s just one website you need to look at for reservations: Miraejet Co. It is difficult to navigate if you don’t read Korean, but the benefits far outweigh any inconvenience. If you book in Japan with JR Beetle, the fare is ¥26,000 (~$304)… though there are discounts available. In Korea, with an internet booking, the price is a mere 190,000 Won (~$160), which must be paid in advance by credit card or bank account transfer; otherwise, it rises to 230,000 Won at the ticket office.

The Camilla Ferry is only 171,000 Won roundtrip with no reservations required for a discount, but it takes 7.5 hours for the overnight ferry (10:30 PM to 6:00 AM) and 5.5 hours for the daytime (12:30 PM to 6:00 PM), and doesn’t run as regularly. When you consider the difference between the Camilla and Beetle is only 19,000 Won (~$16), it’s worth the effort to just book the jetfoil in advance.

Tsushima (対馬)

If you want to walk on Japanese soil, but don’t feel like taking the ferry all the way to Kyushu, Tsushima is another option. This island is situated precisely between Korea and Japan, and, like most Japanese islands… doesn’t have too much excitement. Still, if you’re looking for a good place to sea kayak, hike, or catch a glimpse of the rare Tsushima Leopard Cat, by all means, check it out. I’ll stop by before I end my Korean residency.

In other news…
I was just informed by my boss that the National Health Insurance Corporation will not cover me for my first three months of residency. Apparently, Korea had a problem with foreigners accepting jobs, getting coverage, going to the doctor for expensive treatments, then bailing on everything. I’m still researching the law, but does anyone know this to be true?

A lot of roofs are bright orange or blue in Korea because:

“During the days of the yangban, only the very wealthy were allowed to have a blue tile roof, to signal their status in life. This is why [during the New Village Movement] many of the farmers chose to paint their slate roofs blue.”
Source: http://seoullife.net/2007/04/09/village-people/

The two men and single woman sitting at the end of the bar to my right had a point, I thought. After all, I had eaten many strange things in my line of travel work – semi-poisonous blowfish, octopus with mayonnaise and fried batter, the smelly durian of Thailand – but had yet to encounter one of the true tests for the seafood connoisseur: the eyeballs. Morishita-san looked at me with anticipation, standing beside the somewhat ignorant trio and probably half expecting me to act like the foreigners she must have read about in Manga, who gag on tako, avoid sushi bars like the plague, and never try to expand their palette when it comes to ordering omakase from a seasoned chef.

Not wanting to disappoint my audience, I raised the chopsticks with my right hand, the small grey dish with my left, and popped in the fish eye without a second to lose. Delicious.

…

“Little Tokyo, Los Angeles”, josewolff

I didn’t really frequent sushi shops during my years in Japan. For some newbies to the land of the rising sun, this may hardly be surprising. After all, the average “foreigner out of water” tends to stick to comfortable foods, and thinks of raw fish on rice as something exotic reserved for the natives.

When I was living in New Zealand and running on fumes as far as my Japanese experience was concerned, I poured over texts on expats teaching English with the JET Program, which eventually led me to a reference to Trevor Corson, author of The Story of Sushi and quite the authority when it came to obtaining that most coveted of experiences (for sushi connoisseurs, anyway): an authentic Japanese omakase (”please decide for me”) meal from a Japanese sushi chef, with the nigiri packed loosely and the soy sauce tucked away, completely unnecessary for this direction in dining.

So what would you do if you learned of an author whose book you liked? Naturally, you’d Google him, discover his Twitter account, and send him a message letting him know your appreciation of his fine research, and how it has affected your life for the better. This I did. And also, I started eating sushi. Lots of sushi. From Blue Fish in Dallas to Tanuki’s Cave in Auckland, I learned to see the different styles of sushi chefs, notice the quality of the fish they brought in, and determine who could provide the best dining experience for me as a quasi-Japanese eater. Corson was spot on about the most important thing: you can spot a good sushi chef by how clean he keeps his station (no other bits of food getting mixed in with the fish or rice).

But despite everywhere I ate, no place could live up to the promise of what Corson said was available to the average American willing to shell out a few bucks: good Japanese sushi as the chef decides. Enter Little Tokyo, a district in Los Angeles that is probably the closest one can get to Japan without flying into Narita: sushi bars, grocery stores… I understand they even have a few decent hostess bars, though it’s perfectly understandable them not wanting to advertise to the general public (what layman would believe beautiful Japanese girls are only available for conversation?) Combine that with a business trip out west, and I had my solution to the penultimate sushi problem; I would contact Corson for recommendations on the best, most authentic, sushi restaurant run by Japanese in Little Tokyo, have my omakase night, and leave with my stomach swimming with sake (酒) and sake (鮭).

Sushi Go 55 is owned and operated by the Morishita family, who have been running sushi establishments in LA since the 1950’s. Amazing; only ten years after Japanese-Americans were being held in work camps following World War II, some Morishita in Japan was planning to move to the states to start a business. The chef I spoke with at Sushi Go 55 has been in the US for thirty years.

But I digress: THE OMAKASE. I navigated my way through downtown LA to arrive… in what appeared to be a regular shopping mall at the outskirts of Little Tokyo. No mistake; Sushi Go 55 was just two short escalator rides and one noren curtain away. Having never been there or met anyone in person, I responded with my best Japanese to the hostess:

“Morishita-san ga imas ka?”
“Ohhh, she may have gone home for the night. Please wait a moment.”

Ohhh, I sure hope she didn’t. I had had to contact Corson to put me in touch with Eji Morishita, son of the owners, and arrange a time to meet this Tuesday night. If she didn’t show, I would have to explain to the chef exactly what kind of omakase I wanted, and I certainly didn’t trust my fading Japanese skills to that level. Not to mention apologizing to Eji for failing to meet his mother and enjoy the sushi she was offering to arrange. No siree.

No worries, though, as she appeared from the kitchen after only a minute or so. Going through the formal introductions (giving her one of my few remaining genuine meishi), we made small talk about why I wanted such good sushi, and how I was willing to try whatever she would throw my way. Here it is, my experience, dish by dish:

“Salmon Belly Sashimi!”, Noeluap

Sake
Your standard-issue salmon sashimi, although, even in my excited state, I swear this fish was more delicious than any other salmon I had eaten. Merely an appetizer.

Cooked Uni and Mussels
I’ve had uni (sea urchin). I really don’t care for it. It’s still not my favorite, but cooking or searing it makes it far more desirable in my book.

Sashimi Platter: Toro, Maguro, Tai
Ahhh…. toro. The fatty bluefin tuna. The most expensive and delicious fish of them all. Toro is usually listed in sushi restaurants next to the letters “MP”, meaning “market price”. If you have to ask, you won’t want to spend it. Even an order of two toro nigiri can be over $20.

Chawanmushi
An egg dish filled with vegetables. I seldom ate chawanmushi in Japan (or eggs, for that matter), but found this little dish to be surprisingly tasty.

Tamago
Eggs are usually a good test of a sushi chef’s cooking ability; sure, many can cut fish properly, but prepare tamago to the epitome of sweetness and filling? That takes skill.

Hamachi Nigiri
My first stage of nigiri after nigiri began with yellowtail with a dash of salt and seasoned with lemon juice; both accentuated the flavor perfectly.

I wasn’t exactly sure of the proper etiquette between dishes in an omakase order: should I ask for the next dish, or would that make me appear rushed and greedy? Any sushi bar worth its weight will present you with a geta, the wooden platform on which to place ginger and wasabi to use with the piece of sushi. Thereupon the chef will lower dish after dish until you declare “ippai!”

Saba Nigiri
Ahhh, the mackerel. I didn’t know what this was at first, and my stomach was already bulging from the 15+ pieces of delectable fish.

Tai Nigiri
Red snapper with hot mustard.

…

I think that brings us back to the eyeballs. Appropriately after such a large serving, I declared I was too full to continue, requested the okanjou, and devoured the palette-cleansing pickled plum. The end of meals in American-based Japanese-run sushi restaurants has always been confusing for me: should I tip? These are Japanese people, therefore tipping is annoying and insulting. But…. these are Japanese people working on American wages, which require tips, so therefore tipping must be welcome. Well, the latter is correct, but I didn’t discover that until Morishita-san “reminded” me with a friendly verbal nudge.

And overall? A great Japanese experience in the heart of Los Angeles. Sushi Go 55 is the way to go. Check out Sai’s review too.

Total Price Tag: $70 + tip

“Shibuya in Action”, digika

Of course I had outings with Americans, Kiwis, English, Aussies, Canadians, even the occasional Jamaican… but 90% of the time, the Japanese language was my sole source of communication with others. I can just imagine my typical evening after AEON hours:

1. Finish my office paperwork and bid coworkers farewell with the customary “otsu kare sama deshita“. Emerge from the building on a cold winter’s night, just opposite a gas station.

2. I might pass a student, a kid, or a random passerby. Perhaps a friendly “konbanwa“.

3. Lawson convenience store for my usual turkey and pasta bento, with a heated bottle of green tea. Do I want it heated? Hai, shite kudasai. Any chopsticks with that? Hai, ippun o kudasai. Arigatou gozaimasu.

4. Finish the walk to my apartment building. I’ll probably catch another tenant in the elevator:

“Ahhh… Kimura-san. Ogenki desu ka?”
(I’m fine, Turner-san. How are you?)
“Genki des yo. Oyasumi nasai.”

Only when I’m back in my cramped 6-tatami mat quarters do I truly relax. After all, the internet is language neutral, though I’m sure most would agree English dominates. And this is a light, carefree evening. Imagine a full day of all Japanese. Now imagine a week. A month. A year. Five years…

There’s more to living abroad than embracing a different culture and being comfortable with your changing environment; the pressure of communicating in a foreign language builds up inside your brain without any realization. After all, you’re in Japan! An amazing, exciting experience! Who wouldn’t trade places with you?

I love Japan and I love traveling, but I get tired. There are long stretches when I wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else on the planet, but there are also plenty of times when I would give my heart and soul to be surrounded by countrymen who understand my words, my upbringing, my way of thinking. How did I combat this in Japan, once I had learned to live well?

GetHiroshima Classifieds and Events

Hiroshima doesn’t exactly have the largest population of foreign residents in Japan, but there is a sizable number… enough to warrant the publication of a online resource for expats: GetHiroshima. Culture salons, 10Ks, Japanese wanting friends… I even got replies for a Texas Hold ‘Em group; we were soon meeting once a month for a nice cash game.

Nightclubs and Bars

I admit it, I went downtown many Saturday nights in effort not to hook up with random Japanese girls, but just to sit at the bar of an Irish pub and listen to background conversations… in English. Call me a language whore.

Blog Searches

By using Google Blogsearch, I was able to find many expats in my general area, and learn a great deal about them and their travel experience. You never know who’s reading.

I followed these same techniques in Kagoshima, and found the prefecture’s JET participants had a decent Facebook page; without that, I never would have ended up volunteering at an orphanage in Aira or cycling all the way around Sakurajima for the first time.

Everyone has their own ways of coping with this pressure of feeling like you’re the only one on the planet. Lost in Translation was such a success for showing this through film. Sometimes you do have to travel halfway around the planet… to come full circle.

Soon enough, however, my name is called and I’m led into the back room with a simple “kochira, kudasai” (this way, please). Just like at home, I leave the room of waiting recipients and march towards the impenetrable curtain: my time has come.

Seeing a doctor, or dealing with anyone in the medical field, can be just as annoying or frustrating in Japan as in any other country. When I was first told that most Japanese companies require a kenkou shindan sho (Heath Examination Form, 健康診断書), I was a little unprepared as to where to go and what to do:

This is required by Japanese law, and is necessary for the company to understand your current state of health. Details of the examination are stated in the ‘Health Examination Guide’（健康診断についてのご案内).

日本の法律では、従業員の安全衛生のために、「雇い入れ時検診」を実施することが義務付けられています。日本語では、「けんこうしんだんしょ」といいます。あなたの最近の健康状態を把握するためのものです。検査項目、詳細は別紙「健康診断についてのご案内」をご参照ください。

Quickly consulting my foreign resident’s guide (which you should have received once you registered at the local government office), I found a listing of doctors with various specialties, but no general practitioners. I had heard doctors were much more specialized in Japan, from your foot doctor, to your “arm aches every other Saturday doctor”. Going with convenience rather than certainty, I chose a doctor dealing with internal medicine, who happened to speak both Chinese and English. And lucky for me, his office was in the shopping area two minutes from my apartment.

I did call ahead, and was told that the kenkou shindan sho would be no problem (though I got the impression this particular doctor wasn’t asked to do such basic examination procedures so often).

Step one: entering the office. The same procedures as any other Japanese setting: remove your street shoes and don slippers. Approach the counter with a big smile and a nice “ohayou gozaimas!”

Step two: explain exactly what you need today:

Examination of the presence of subjective and objective symptoms (自覚症状及び他覚症状の有無調査)

Examination of height, weight, eyesight and hearing (身長、体重、視力、聴力検査)

Chest X-ray examination, indirect (胸部X線検査、間接撮影)

Blood pressure measurement (血圧測定)

Blood analysis (血液検査)
- Anemia examination (erythrocytometry and hemochromometry) (貧血検査（赤血球数・血色素量）)
- Examination of hepatic function (GOT, GPT, γ-GTP) (肝機能検査)
- Examination of blood lipid levels (total cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride level) (血中脂質検査（総コレストロール・HDLコレストロール・中性脂肪）)
- Examination of blood sugar level (血糖検査）

Electrocardiogram

Urine analysis

Step three: wait for your friendly neighborhood doctor. Just like with any expert in his respective field, you should refer to a doctor as “sensei”. Fortunately for me this doctor did speak enough English for us to understand each other. He told me the tests would be no problem, and I should come back tomorrow to pick up the results.

Naturally, I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow account of a medical examination; it’s exactly the same, with two exceptions as far as I could tell…

Testing the vision in your right and left eyes. Of course, just like at home, I was asked to hit a tape mark on the floor and cover my right eye. Just like at home, there was a chart with some black symbols about two meters in front of me. But, in this case, the symbols were:

You were asked to use your finger and point up, down, left, right, depending on the direction of the hole opening.

In addition, you might find the colorblind test a little difficult if you don’t know Japanese. Remember those old tests? You look at a colored pattern in a book. There should be a letter in a color surrounded by its opposite. In this manner, you can determine if your eyes can detect the differences between two colors; if they can’t, you only see one huge blob of color.

The nurse might have assumed I was colorblind, if I hadn’t told her I wasn’t the best at reading hiragana, the loopy Japanese written language. I could see all the characters perfectly, but just didn’t always know what they were. An educational experience (incidentally, that did prompt me to learn hiragana once and for all).

Total price tag? About 10,000円

January 31st

Family Mart stocks “Gaijin Henzai Ura File”, a book that essentially blames all crime and indecent behavior in Japan on foreigners. Not even exclusively Europeans, Americans, or caucasians – it includes Chinese, Africans, Indians… I don’t even want one percent of what that book says posted on my site – it doesn’t go one sentence without mentioning a racial slur.

Racial slurs in Gaijin Henzai Ura File – in Japanese and English

From accusing black people of raping Japanese girls, to providing bloated statistics of foreign crime in Tokyo, to playing games of hatred like “Catch the Iranian!!”, to showing members of the American military robbing taxi drivers, this book is something you might expect to find in the back allies of Japanese culture or on some racially charged internet site. Instead, we see it being offered to the mainstream public in a widely used store.

February 1st

The public responds. Arudou Debito, a foreign resident of Japan living in Hokkaido with comprehensive knowledge of Japanese law as it pertains to outsiders, posts his encounter with the magazine. Japan Probe follows suit.

February 3rd

Japan Probe calls for a worldwide boycott of Family Mart stores and their affiliates, seeking an official apology, removal of the racist book from their shelves, and assurances of no repeat offenses in the future.

Family Mart, in response to written complaints, relents and states it will remove the magazine “within 7 days.”

February 4th

Debito posts a boycott letter in both Japanese and English to encourage resident gaikokujin to visit Family Mart stores individually and ask for removal of the magazine.

February 5th

Japan Probe reports that Family Mart has agreed to remove all copies of the magazine immediately.

I personally have not seen this magazine in Hiroshima or Fukuoka Family Mart stores, but will keep a copy of Debito’s letter just in case. First of all I’d love to come across a Japanese person reading it casually in Family Mart or on a train and ask them exactly what they think about it.

This story comes on the heels of a recent revelation I had about racism in Japan; it’s unique, to be sure. Of course, there are plenty of people with nothing but pure hatred in their hearts, but I would say a lot of racism in Japan is based on ignorance: people who know so little about another culture that they find you to be more of a joke rather than a menace; something to be pitied or laughed at. Unfortunately, this is still racism.

And yet, I recently found myself beyond my natural limits, all in response to the saddened look on a six-year-old girl’s face. Pushed to the point of exhaustion and tired from lifting her up with enthusiasm, shouting like a crazy man, and making her “fly” around a gym for over forty laps.

“もう一回!” (one more time!) she exclaimed, her expression quickly transforming from delight to slight disappointment that I had set her down after another ten minutes of flight. “高い!” (up high!)

“もう一回?”

“もう一回!”

“オーケー,” I said between dry heaves. I mean, how do you say no? Is it even possible to do so without feeling lousy?

The girl in the blue shirt and pink dress (both thankfully lacking an obscene English expression) is Haruka. Officially, Haruka is a “child who requires protection” according to Japanese law: an illegitimate child, an abandoned infant, a child whose parents have died or disappeared, a child whose parents are incapable of providing support, or an abused child (Source).

I don’t know her story, where her parents are, or what her future holds. All I can see in the present is bringing a moment of happiness to her life.

A group of volunteers and I made our way to Aira in Kagoshima prefecture to visit this particular orphanage (though the term isn’t exact) for the annual Christmas party: setting up an xmas tree, decorating the room with crafts, small English lessons, playing ball and running around the gymnasium until some of us (hint, hint) pass out from “fun”.

I first saw her apart from the three or four boys screaming and trying to get a soccer ball into the basketball hoop, sitting alone, legs together, her head between her knees, arms crossed over her head. When she happened to look up to avoid an accidental collision, there was no joy written on her face. No love. No hope. I am by no means an expert, but she had every indication of someone being written off.

Sadly enough, that’s usually the case in Japan (well, many countries) for the children in these centers. Although their quality of life is far from impoverished – school, meals, TV, warm futons, entertainment provided – the chances of their being “rescued” and returned to a caring family are slim to none. “An estimated 65,000 adoptions of unrelated children occur each year in the United States. The official number in Japan is about 600.” (Source)

Extended family ties are strong in Japan, and relatives often care for each other’s children when the need arises. But when that is not possible – for financial or other reasons – many relatives would rather see these children in state homes than adopted by strangers.

Many Japanese view their families as a privileged, almost sacred group. Western families, particularly American ones, are seen by Japanese as careless with that privilege. In their view, American families often start out of wedlock, end in divorce and often accept a stranger’s child as their own through adoption. In Japan, millions of people see these actions as scandalous, or at the least, not to be discussed in public.

Kazuko Yokota, who runs Motherly Network, a private adoption agency, said she believed doctors quietly help broker the adoptions of ”hundreds of children” each year. ”It’s all done in secret,” she said. ”Adoption is not the Japanese way.” As a result, she said, some people go to great lengths – even moving to a place where they are not known, and feigning pregnancies with pillows – to conceal an adoption.

Source: http://www.fww.org/famnews/0629a.html

Part of the reason for this is the existence of the koseki (戸籍), or family registry. If you’re a Japanese citizen, you have a koseki. It is the record of records. Family history. Mothers. Fathers. And, all births…

A law enacted in 1988 allowed young adopted children to have their birth family name erased from their koseki and replaced by their adoptive family’s name. Before this, both names were listed, which essentially meant ”adopted” was stamped in bold letters on this important record. The new law was meant to make it easier for families to adopt nonrelatives without fear of stigma.

Such was the case for single Japanese mothers who chose to give their children up for adoption – the names stood on the koseki, and that was seen as more of a stigma than anything else, visible to employers, potential husbands, even friends.

And what of the children of foreign mothers, or fathers? Institutions see no shortage of them; plenty of their parents come over here on short-term work visas and surrender their rights to any offspring when departing. “Halfs” – I don’t particularly like that term, but it is common enough – as half Japanese/half non-Japanese, are even less likely to be adopted, as they couldn’t possibly be passed off as the biological children of parents trying to feign pregnancies, thus avoiding the explanations and possible shunning of the child later on.

Slightly off topic, in cases of foreign fathers and Japanese mothers… in the event children are born outside of wedlock, custody is automatically awarded to the mother. If married and then divorced, custody can only lie with one parent – it is at the discretion of this one that the other is allowed visitation. (Source).

This is major factor behind these international kidnappings in Japan; although a father might be awarded joint custody in another country, Japanese law does not recognize it as such. Even if both live in Japan and have an unspoken agreement on custody, the mother can just as easily pack up and leave without bothering with a forwarding address. Although a court might recognize the rights of one parent to see his child, it is unable to remove that same child from the custody of the other to allow visitation (Source); this is the same mentality we see regarding the UN code against racial discrimination in Japan; Japan has confirmed that it is bound by such a code, yet unable to make such laws to enforce it…

I digress, but it all comes to parental rights: who can adopt, who can give children up for adoption, what children are out there waiting to be adopted…

And it helps to see them up close. Even Haruka, who might have been shifted from institution to institution since birth, is capable of joy when the moment strikes. I didn’t see these children as any different as those walking down the street returning from a junior high school, on their way home to, hopefully, caring parents.

It’s still difficult. To imagine what it’s like without a real home. One of the volunteers is literally in tears as we pull away, bidding farewell to the staff and thanking them for the opportunity to visit. We can escape. We can return to our apartments, Skype our parents, and continue on with our lives. They will wake up, go to school, and return to a place not unlike school, where they will most likely live for the next few years, until reaching 18 or 20.

We saw one day. One atypical day. They live it for years. It’s not horrible, it’s not cruel, but it can’t be what’s best; even a mother shouting and screaming for ten minutes because you forgot to call home is a sign of love. Something that just can’t just duplicated without a home, a family.

More Information

Adoption in Japan: Comparing Policies for Children in Need, by Peter Hayes and Toshie Habu
Baby Hatch in Kumamoto
Hiroshima Oyako (parenting blog in Hiroshima)
Types of Adoption in Japan
Children’s Rights Council of Japan

Paperwork by luxomedia

Every person regardless of nationality over twenty years old residing in Japan is required to be enrolled in a:

1. Health insurance program
2. Pension fund program

Employee’s Health Insurance (健康保険)
kenkou hoken

Back to basics: the insurance system in Japan, depending on the size of the company in which you’re currently employed, falls into two categories. If you’re with a company that employs more than five people, you must pay under the Social Insurance system (shakai hoken, 社会保険).

Under the Social Insurance system, we have:

1. Employee health insurance (kenkou hoken, 健康保険)
2. Employee pension (kousei nenkin, 厚生年金)

Social Insurance, health insurance
Social Insurance, pension

Eikaiwa employees and those teaching English in Japan

Be careful what you sign up for. I know if you’re first coming to Japan, you’re busy settling things at home, getting the visa paperwork taken care of, and learning about the job and country, but pay attention to the fine print.

A few years ago, AEON gave its employees an option: continue working 29.5 hours/week and accept the fact you have minimal emergency insurance, or convert your contract to a 36-hour working week and pay into the shakai hoken health insurance and pension system.

I came into AEON and Japan in complete ignorance about the health care system. Complete – unknowing, uncaring. After all, I’m immortal, aren’t I?

For some years, AEON had its employees working 29.5 hours a week. Why not round up to thirty? Because they didn’t want the extra charges of paying into the employee insurance system:

“According to the Health Insurance Law and Employees’ Pension Law, companies must enroll all workers who work more than 30 hours a week and who have been in Japan for over two months in both the health insurance and pension systems. No exceptions.”

Under the shakai hoken, you pay 50% of all premium costs monthly, and the company pays the other half. By keeping employees on a reduced workweek, AEON was sneakily avoiding its responsibilities to both the government, and the working foreign “teachers”. As I mentioned in my “The Truth About AEON” posts, management was willfully ignorant of just how corporate headquarters chose to circumvent the law:

…working hours. 29.5. Why? Because, according to Japanese law, if you work over 30 hours you are a full-time worker, and entitled to full-time benefits (and on the reverse, different taxes, of course). Still, management just stared me in the face when I explained this to them.

“According to Japanese law, I am a part-time worker.”
“No, you are not. You are full time teacher.”
“No, not according to the law.”
“Why are you saying this?”

Because it’s important for all parties to understand that. No amount of insistence or stubbornness will change that fact. And if I am a part time worker, I should not be coerced into working extra hours unless you want to face the consequences of employing me as a full-time worker.

Other part-time workers in Japan have had it much worse; everyone knows unpaid overtime is as natural as having black hair in Japan. Some were working 40-50 hour/weeks while still under a part-time contract. No health insurance. Part-time wages. No assistance for childcare. There have been some attempts to improve this, but I believe it’s still rather rampant.

Let’s Japan.org discussion of this issue

What does the kenkou hoken cover?

- 70% of all medical costs
- 60% of salary from lost days (beginning from the third day absent from work due to injury or sickness)
- High-cost medical expenses cannot exceed about 80,100 yen/month
- 0% interest loans are available

Social Pension (kousei nenkin, 厚生年金)

If you’re not planning to stay in Japan long-term:
dattai ichijikin, 大体一時金

You can choose to withdrawal a portion of the pension you have paid into, proportional to the amount of time you have spent in Japan (see details here, under “Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments”). To qualify, you must have lived in Japan and paid into the pension for at least six months; the return must be filed within two years of your departure from Japan. The application form (only applicable for foreign residents of Japan) is here.

“You can file for a refund of up to 90% of your contributions provided you’ve been contributing for over 6 months but stay in Japan for less than 3 years.”

The refund is calculated by taking your average monthly remuneration over the time you paid into the pension and multiplying it by the benefit rate:

Benefit = Average standard remuneration (monthly salary bracket) x Benefit multiplier

If your final month paid in the employee pension fund is between September 2007 and August 2008, and you have lived in Japan for (benefit multipliers):

6-11 months – multiply by 0.4
12-17 months – multiply by 0.9
18-23 months – multiply by 1.3
24-29 months – multiply by 1.8
30-35 months – multiply by 2.2
36+ months – multiply by 2.6

A refundable 20% withholding tax will be deducted from this total. The tax can be recovered however, minus a fee, by signing up with a tax agent before you leave Japan.

Health and Pension in Japan
City of Tochigi Guide to Social Insurance

National Health Insurance (国民健康保険)
kokumin kenkou hoken

If you are self-employed, in a company that employs fewer than five people, or in a different situation entirely (unemployed, student, retired, long-term traveler, etc) you might consider signing up for the National Health Insurance system of Japan; there are alternatives – see “Insurance through Private Companies” below.

Under the National Insurance system, we have:

1. National health insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken, 国民健康保険)
2. National pension (kokumin nenkin, 国民年金)

National health insurance
National pension

What does the kokumin kenkou hoken cover?

Practically the same benefits as the shakai hoken system, with the exception of:

- Not being paid for lost time at work (if employed at a company)
- A smaller cut-off for high monthly medical expenses (i.e. you pay more)

However…

Unlike the shakai hoken, the National Insurance System premiums (monthly payments) are based on your previous year’s salary.

Thus, if you are new to Japan, the government does not consider your employment status from the previous year, and you pay the monthly minimum. If you choose to stay a second year, you may notice your paychecks will be substantial smaller, due to the national system now having some data on your salary.

If you stay in Japan without paying into any insurance system, and then try to register with the kokumin kenkou hoken, you will have to pay retroactive from the moment you entered the country. It is illegal to be a resident of Japan without having some kind of health insurance and a pension.

If you’re not planning to stay in Japan long-term

The same procedure can be used to get a lump-sum withdrawal of the money you’ve paid into the pension (dattai ichijikin, 大体一時金). However, it’s calculated differently:

Time in Japan
6 – 12 months, ¥41,580
12 – 18 months, ¥83,160
18 – 24 months, ¥124,740
24 – 30 months, ¥166,320
30 – 36 months, ¥207,900
36 months or more, ¥249,480

No withholding tax is taken from the national pension withdrawal.

“The National Health Insurance is managed by ward offices in big cities and by small town government offices. Although it is a “national” insurance, each municipality is receiving funds and paying the claims. They are like a group of small insurance companies. They are all in the red. Some are just redder than others. As a result, insurance rates vary from one city to another. Even Japanese feel cheated by this disparity.”
Source: http://www.nationalhealthinsurance.jp/nhi.asp

This website goes on to point out how easy it is to be trapped in the National Insurance system; if you’re leaving the country, it’s generally not a problem, but once you’re signed up, it can be difficult to switch to a private company. Some have tried moving without forwarding their address to the insurance, leaving Japan on paper, or just presenting the proper paperwork and taking their chances:
Source: http://www.nationalhealthinsurance.jp/getoff-nhi.asp

Labor Insurnace (Worker’s Comp, 労災保険)
rousai hoken

This is a compulsory insurance that employers are required to provide. It covers injury, sickness, disability, and death related to work, whether at the company or while commuting.

What does the rousai hoken cover?

- 70% of most medical costs (and 100% of some)
- 60% salary paid for lost days (beginning from the third day absent from work due to injury or illness)
- Disability, graded according to the injury

Labor Insurance Information (English)
Labor Insurance Information (日本語)

Insurance through Private Companies

Although employees are required to register with the shakai hoken as per their working contracts, those working freelance or at smaller companies do not necessarily have to pay into the National Health Insurance plan (kokumin kenkou hoken).

- If you are currently paying into the shakai hoken, you can choose to supplement this (and avoiding paying the 30% in the event of injury) by signing with a private company

- If you aren’t signed up for the National Health Insurance plan yet (supposed to do it as soon as you receive your gaijin card), it is possible to sign on to a private company, present proof of insurance to the government, and they should stop hounding you to enroll in their plan. However, once you are in the national insurance system, I’ve been told it can be rather difficult to escape; read some of the controversy at National Health Insurance Watch.

One of the private insurance companies serving Japan is AFLAC

Particular Companies

- AEON employees are all now on the Social Insurance system (shakai hoken, 社会保険)
- Teachers with the JET Programme are on the Social Insurance system

Useful Japanese

療養費支給申請書,
ryouyouhi shikyuu shinseisho
Application for Medical Expenses

諸病手当金支給申請書
shobyou teatekin shikyuu shinseisho
Application for Sickness and Injury Allowance

傷病名
Name of injury or sickness

第三者行為によるものですか?
Was the injury the result of someone else’s actions?

発病又は負傷の原因及びその経過
Describe the circumstances that led to the injury or disease (when, where, why)

診療又は手当受をけた医師、歯科医師その他のものの住所氏名
Name and address of treating physician

診療を受けた期間
Period of receiving medical care

病院等で療養を受けた期間及び入院
Period of hospitalization and medical care

通院
Commuting to hospital

入院
Hospitalized

期間に受けた療養に対し病院等で支払った額
During your time in the hospital, how much did you pay for medical care?

Useful Websites

Social Insurance Agency
- The official website, listing all details of employee insurance and national insurance, and links to some of the paperwork (日本語で)

National Health Insurance Watch
- Controversy surrounding the National Health Insurance system of Japan; some good examples

The General Union Interac Branch
- A review of your rights in Japan concerning health insurance and pensions

City of Yokohama Services
- Detailed information about the National Health Insurance Plan

Living Guide
- Very useful guide for all situations, including medical and insurance issues, in all languages

Income Tax Guide for Foreigners
- The official website of the National Tax Agency. Includes information for foreigners in Japan, foreigners working in Japan, and those leaving Japan.

Legal Counseling for Foreigners
- List of legal counseling services for foreigners in Japan; on the phone and in person, pro-bono and charged

AMDA International Medical Information Center
- A good page covering the general procedures for medical care; there are links to insurance information, but the regulations are a little dated

Health Forum on Gaijinpot

In Case of an Emergency
Call 119 for an ambulance. Don’t forget to take your Health Insurance Certificate with you.