Becoming Japanese

In this ruling, "welfare" means the 生活保護 { seikatsu hogo } (livelihood protection), not any other "social service" like (un)employment insurance ( 雇用保険 { koyō hoken } ). A recent ruling by the Japanese Supreme Court that denied the right to receive welfare payments to a Chinese permanent resident in Oita Prefecture as reported in the Japan Times , has created a stir among the foreign residents of Japan. Many argue that receiving public assistance and participating in government programs should be a taxpayer right. For some, this move by the court may serve as an example of an advantage for naturalizing, while for others it is a symbol of the battle non-citizens face in being counted fairly in society. In any country a lack of citizenship creates vulnerabilities. In the United States, non-citizens became more susceptible to deportation following changes in the law and the inception of the Department of Homeland Security. Those interested in gaining Japa...

Three AKB48 members encourage Tokyo citizens to vote. Yes, they're old enough to vote. This month, on December 16th, Japan will be holding a major election for various seats due to 野田佳彦総理大臣 { NODA Yoshihiko sōridaijin } (Prime Minister Yoshihiko NODA) dissolving the lower house (House of Representatives, or 衆議院 { shūgiin } ). Additionally, Tokyoites will vote for a new governor. It's a very important election, as there are major issues surrounding the debt crisis & raising the consumption tax, free trade liberalization with the TPP , foreign affairs & sovereign territory disputes, energy policy & nuclear power, and a potential shift in representation for the majority party (currently 民主党 { minshutō } } — the Democratic Party of Japan — which has no relation to the political party of the same name in the United States) as well as the governor of Tokyo, who presides over an area that has a larger population and GDP than many countries in the world. How does ...