Law
Divorcee sues to register child to real dad
OKAYAMA (Kyodo) A woman in Soja, Okayama Prefecture, who gave birth within 300 days of her divorce will file a lawsuit seeking ¥3.3 million in compensation from the city for refusing to register her baby as born to her and her current husband, the woman’s lawyer said Monday.
The city rejected the registration submitted by her current husband on Nov. 10, citing a provision in the Civil Code — Paragraph 2 of Article 772 — that says a child born within 300 days from the date of the dissolution or cancellation of a marriage is deemed to have been conceived during the time the couple were married. The woman was separated from her former husband for a much longer period, according to the lawyer.
The suit, to be filed with the Okayama District Court, claims the city violated the Constitution. (さらに…)
TBS Uses CGI Fondling to Report Groping
Let’s Japan reported that a man who challenged a 1999 groping accusation by a female commuter won his court case against the accuser Nov. 7, 2008.
The Japan Supreme Court revoked the charge of “public nuisance” against the man. In September 1999, a woman accused the man of rubbing his groin on her thigh as they stood on the Chuo line railway train in Tokyo. The man was arrested and charged with a crime but denied the accusation. He filed civil lawsuits against the woman. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Child Pornography Prevention Law Amendment
Experts concerned about bill amending Child Pornography Prevention Law, fearing restrictions on manga, anime, investigating authorities’ view reflected in judgment, freedom of expression undermined
The ruling coalition has submitted a bill amending the Child Pornography Prevention Law to the current Diet session. The bill prohibits the individual possession of child pornography and indecent videos. Manga (comics) and anime (animated cartoons) may be subject to restrictions in the future. Given this, cartoonists and experts have voiced concern, fearing that an enactment of the revision bill would lead to undermining the principle of freedom of expression.
Taro Minamoto, a cartoonist, is also feeling anxious about the recent move to revise the law, saying: “The boundary line between art and pornography remains blurred.” One of his works features an 11-year-old girl who was sold and works as a prostitute for five years. This comic includes scenes of her being forced to prostitute herself. Minamoto grumbled: “If such descriptions are prohibited, it will become impossible to represent historical facts. It is unclear what would be designated as obscene and who would designate such.”
The ruling camp’s bill has been submitted to the House of Representatives. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has also drafted its own bill. Manga and anime are not subject to the restrictions in both bills. But the ruling camp’s bill notes that necessary measures will be taken in an additional clause according to the circumstances. But many concerned individuals, including Minamoto, fear that restrictions might be imposed on manga and anime in the future.
There are comics with explicit love scenes or violent scenes. Minamoto said: “There are some that give us an unpleasant feeling, but restrictions should not be placed on manga. Although some people might have indecent thoughts while reading manga, not all readers will commit a crime. Once restrictions are placed, the scope of subjects to restrictions might gradually expand.” (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Japan would help children of international marriages
Japanese women from collapsed international marriages who bring their children to Japan without their partner’s consent are facing charges of abduction — an issue that has highlighted a convention covering international child abduction.
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction has been signed by about 80 countries, including in Europe and the United States. Under the convention, it is illegal for one parent to take a child away from his or her country or residence without first settling issues such as custody and visitation rights.
Signatory countries have a responsibility to return children who have unilaterally been taken out of the country by one of their parents. (There are some exceptions, such as when the child refuses to go back.) Japan, however, has not signed the convention, so this rule of returning the child does not apply. This has raised strong dissatisfaction among foreigners who cannot see their children because they have been taken to Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice are giving favorable consideration to signing the convention, but the opinions of experts are split.
Kensuke Onuki, a lawyer familiar with the issue, is opposed to Japan signing the convention, based on the viewpoint of Japan protecting its own citizens. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )1 in 7 Japanese kids live in poverty
According to statistics released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, one out of every seven Japanese children under 17 lives in poverty.
Poverty has long been known to adversely effect children’s health and education, but there also are concerns now that growing up in poverty tends to lock children into a cycle of poverty that leaves them economically disadvantaged all their lives.
A 20-year-old woman, who works for a private organization in the Kanto region, recalled that until she entered a foster home in her later years of primary school, she had seldom attended class.
Zurui’s note: “The poverty line is considered one half the median income, or around ¥2.3 million per year. The current poverty rate for Japan is 15.3 percent. That means more than 19 million live below the poverty line. Forty percent of the more-than-1.2-million single mothers make less than ¥1.5 million per year.
This was because her mother was sickly, leaving their home untidy, with broken glass littering the floor. The woman recalls having to shoplift bread and snacks to feed her two younger brothers. Her unemployed father often left home after getting drunk.
“I thought I was different from other children and I tried to believe that life wasn’t real,” she said.
The plight of children living in poverty can usually be attributed to their parents’ unemployment or low incomes. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )A New Interpretation of Article 9
It’s 2008 and Japan has the second strongest military force in Asia, continues to spend 1 percent of its GDP on defense, has acquired some pretty neat military toys (and sells a few using a broad interpretation of “aid”), has redeployed newer fighter aircraft to its base in Okinawa, wants to acquire the F-22 Raptor, and will have a few helicopter “carriers” that will allow the Self-Defense Forces to project their “defense” closer to China.” Click here for more.
Is the writer saying that Japan should never become a normal country and not have the right to collective self-defense? Wouldn’t this help ease the Okinawa mondai (problem)? Maybe provide a since of pride in the fretta (slackers) in Japan. How about stroking the flames of nationalism when World Cup or Olympic fans have nothing to do? Who knows, just inquiring!
I believe that Japan has used Article 9 and the Yoshida Doctrine to slowly and efficiently build up its Self Defense Force while enjoying or tolerating the collective-protectionism of the United States. While some say that the US should leave Japan or get out of Asia entirely, many Asian nations do not want to see the return of “Imperial” Japanese Forces, especially forces that can go nuclear. Yes, there are current territorial disputes, false claims in textbooks, the comfort woman issue, and the huge task that Hello Kitty must take on to promote Japan, Inc. in a manner pleasing to those that fall sway to Japan’s soft power. I just wonder what Japan should do once India and China flex their power in regions strategic to the United States and Japan’s interests? Has anyone noticed the current scramble for better “relations” with Africa by the US, China, Japan, and India? What are the implications?
The Japanese O.J. Simpson Kills Himself
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A Japanese businessman hanged himself in a Los Angeles jailcell where he was awaiting trial for plotting his wife’s murder here in 1981, prosecutors said Saturday.
Kazuyoshi Miura, 61, killed himself Friday night just hours after arriving in Los Angeles in the custody of authorities that had him extradited to face criminal charges here.
Chief of Los Angeles police detectives Charles Beck said Miura used a piece of shirt to hang himself after a jailer checked on him at 9:45 pm Friday (0445 GMT Saturday). Miura was alone in his cell.
An officer noticed Miura unconscious, hanging by the strip of cloth, about ten minutes later.
“The detention officers assigned to the portion of the jail housing Miura had conducted a required cell check, with nothing unusual to report, approximately 10 minutes prior,” Beck said.
Efforts to revive Miura failed and he was pronounced dead at a local medical center, according to Beck.
Miura had been in police custody since his arrest February 21 in the US commonwealth of Saipan.
He arrived in Los Angeles early Friday under escort by police detectives and was to remain in jail until being arraigned in court next week on a charge of conspiracy to murder his wife.
Miura had been dubbed the “Japanese O.J. Simpson” because of the intense interest in his case at home. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Adopting? Japan does NOT have a Child Abuse Registry
Prospective adopting parents who are current or former residents of Japan and are adopting children from countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) need to be aware that Japan does not have a child abuse registry.
The Hague Adoption Convention went into effect in the U.S. in April 2008. Japan is not a signatory to the Hague Adoption Convention; however, U.S. citizens who are adopting children from Hague countries (including China and the Philippines) need a child abuse registry check from every country where they have been a resident. If you are living in Japan or used to live in Japan, you may be asked during the adoption process to get a “child abuse registry check” from Japan; however, Japan does not have such a registry and you must inform the person requesting the check about this fact.
For more information on adoptions, please visit the State Department website athttp://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/adoption_485.html.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )A step-by-step guide to owning a home in Japan
Dream homes can come true if you know all the right things
So you are ready to be king of your own castle in Japan. Adios to the days when you, a mere rent-paying tenant of a grotty apartment, worried about landlords taking you to the cleaners for spilling tea on the carpet or making minuscule holes in the walls to pin up framed pics.
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| Dream home: Be it a log house in the mountains or a condominium in a high-rise, buying a home in Japan requires lots of time, research . . . and money. JAPAN TIMES ILLUSTRATION |
Proud homeowners can drill holes willy-nilly and spill coffee or beer to their hearts’ content! Of course, there are other sound reasons for owning your own property, too — that warm sense of “owning,” the often poor condition of rental properties, freedom to park a car, freedom from the invidious “key money” system here . . . and the low interest rates in Japan that almost always ensure that your monthly mortgage payments will be lower than your rent.
But how to go about getting a mortgage, whether for a new or preowned place in the sun?
Here’s our rough point-by-point guide to buying a residential property in Japan, with insight into some of the head- spinning legal and technical terms that homeowners-to-be must wrestle with. All Web sites referred to are in Japanese only unless otherwise specified.
Have cash ready
Unless you are awash with dearly departed daddy’s dosh, or have just won the lottery, you’ll likely be looking to buy your property through a mortgage. Generally, it’s best to pay 25 to 30 percent of the purchase price in cash (including taxes and other fees), though some lenders offer virtually deposit-free loans. Before they’ll grant you a mortgage, many banks insist your annual earnings are at least ¥3 million to ¥5.5 million.
Pay Poor Women to Stop Having Babies!
Frickin’ Eugenics or Racial Hygiene is what it is called and State of Louisiana Representative John LaBruzzo (R) is pushing it. This sort of thinking is why America needs CHANGE!
“The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that state Rep. John LaBruzzo (R) said yesterday that “he is studying a plan to pay poor women $1,000 to have their Fallopian tubes tied.” LaBruzzo worries that people receiving food and housing assistance “are reproducing at a faster rate than more affluent, better-educated residents”:
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )He said he is gathering statistics now. … “What I’m really studying is any and all possibilities that we can reduce the number of people that are going from generational welfare to generational welfare,” he said.
He said his program would be voluntary. It could involve tubal ligation, encouraging other forms of birth control or, to avoid charges of gender discrimination, vasectomies for men. It also could include tax incentives for college-educated, higher-income people to have more children, he said.
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