Chiba city’s native speaker English classes canceled after ALT contracts found illegal

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Public schools here have been unable to start their native speaker-taught English classes this school year after the city’s board of education was accused of violating labor laws with foreign language teachers.

According to the Kashiwa Municipal Board of Education, it has been instructed by the local labor office to change its labor relationship with foreign assistant language teachers (ALTs) in the city’s elementary and junior high schools after it engaged in illegal employment practices.

The local education board entrusted part of its English curriculum for primary and secondary school students to a Tokyo-based staffing agency between 2007 and 2009, and a total of 23 foreign teachers belonging to the agency worked as ALTs at 61 local public elementary and junior high schools during this period. Their contracts expired at the end of last month.

A local labor union supporting foreign language teachers complained to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry’s Chiba labor office that the teachers were forced to work as temporary workers under the guise of subcontractors, while demanding the municipality extend their contract periods.

In response to the complaint, the labor office launched an investigation and confirmed that each school placed the foreign teachers under its direct supervision even though they worked under consigning contracts. The labor office then concluded that the education board forced the teachers to work as temporary workers under the guise of subcontractors, a practice that constitutes a violation of the Worker Dispatching Act.

Under the current law, companies and other business operators must offer a direct contract to their temporary workers after they have completed the first three years of work. Moreover, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s labor guidelines require a minimum three-month interval before the two parties enter into another temporary contract.

The city’s board of education had planned to terminate its English class teacher outsourcing contract and employ temporary English teachers directly starting this April. However, as the labor office judged that the education board had already forced its contracted foreign teachers to work as normal temporary staff, it became impossible for the city to renew the contracts right away, in accordance with the ministry guidelines prohibiting consecutive temporary contracts of over three years.

The local education board has announced that it will comply with the labor office’s order and will resume relevant English classes after the three-month waiting period expirees in July.

In August last year, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology instructed local boards of education nationwide to switch consigning contracts for ALTs to either direct or temporary employment. A subsequent survey by the ministry has revealed that 670 municipalities still maintained their outsourcing arrangements for native English class teachers, of which 439 responded they were not planning to change their current practices.

The ministry’s International Education Division has requested each education board consult with their local labor office and make corrections as needed.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100417p2a00m0na019000c.html

Japanese population declines by record 180,000 to 127.51 mil.

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Japan’s estimated population decreased for the second year in a row, declining by a record 183,000, or 0.14 percent, from a year earlier to 127,510,000 as of Oct. 1, 2009, government data showed Friday.

By prefecture, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Aichi, Shiga and Okinawa saw population increases as they did in 2008.

Okinawa saw the largest year-on-year increase with a 0.45 percent rise to 1,382,000.

Tokyo remained the most populous region with 12,868,000 people as of Oct. 1, accounting for 10.1 percent of Japan’s total population. Tokyo was followed by Kanagawa with 8,943,000 and Osaka with 8,801,000.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100417p2g00m0dm036000c.html

Population shrank by record 183,000 in ’09

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Japan’s population has entered full-scale decline and shrank by a record 183,000 people over the past year, government data showed Friday.

As of Oct. 1, the population stood at an estimated 127,510,000 after shrinking by a record 0.14 percent, contracting for the second year in a row.

The year-on-year drop is the third to strike Japan since 1950, when comparable data first became available, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said in the report. The other two shrinkages occurred in 2005, when it fell by 19,000, or 0.01 percent, and in 2008, when it contracted by 79,000, or 0.06 percent.

Japan’s population has entered a stage of full-scale decline as both men and women recorded natural decreases, ministry officials said.

The figures in the latest report included foreigners who stayed in Japan for 91 days or more and foreign students. The number of Japanese came to 125,820,000, revealing a decline of 127,000, or 0.10 percent.

The number of people who entered Japan totaled 3,114,000, up 250,000 from the previous year, while those who left the country stood at 3,237,000, up 329,000, meaning that social factors caused the total population to shrink by 124,000.

Of the 124,000, foreigners accounted for 47,000, marking the first decline in 15 years linked to social factors.

The officials attributed the decline in the foreign population to the recession triggered by the collapse of trading house Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2008.

Many foreigners lost their jobs and returned to their home countries as the financial crisis unfolded, the officials said.

The number of people aged 65 and older came to 29,005,000, up by 789,000 and accounting for 22.7 percent of the population.

In contrast, those aged 14 or younger fell by 165,000 to 17,011,000. The productive segment of the population, or those between the ages of 15 and 64, came to an estimated total of 81,493,000, shrinking by 806,000.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100417a1.html

Japanese population declines by record 180,000 to 127.51 mil.

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Japan’s estimated population decreased for the second year in a row, declining by a record 183,000, or 0.14 percent, from a year earlier to 127,510,000 as of Oct. 1, 2009, government data showed Friday.

It was the third year-on-year decline in Japan’s population since 1950 when comparable data became available, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in a report. Japan’s population previously declined twice — in 2005 by 19,000, or 0.01 percent, and in 2008 by 79,000, or 0.06 percent.

The ministry said its estimate of Japan’s population in the latest report was based on the results of the 2005 national census and annual data on new births and deaths as well as people who entered and left the country.

The number of women stood at 65,380,000, a decrease of 61,000 or 0.09 percent, marking the first natural decline with 5,000 more deaths than births.

The male population stood at 62,130,000, down 121,000 or 0.20 percent, marking the fifth straight annual decline with 54,000 more deaths than births.

Japan’s population has entered a stage of full-scale decline as both men and women recorded natural decreases, ministry officials said.

The figures in the latest report included foreigners who remained in Japan for 91 days or more and foreign students. Of the total, the population of Japanese nationals came to 125,820,000, a decline of 127,000, or 0.10 percent.

The number of people who entered the country totaled 3,114,000, an increase of 250,000 from a year earlier, while those who left Japan stood at 3,237,000, up 329,000, meaning that social factors caused Japan’s population to decline by 124,000.

Of the 124,000, foreigners accounted for 47,000, marking the first decline in 15 years due to social factors.

The officials attributed the decline in the number of foreigners to the country’s economic slump triggered by the collapse of major U.S. brokerage Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2008.

Many foreign workers lost jobs and returned to their home countries amid the slow economy, the officials said.

The number of people aged 65 and older came to 29,005,000, an increase of 789,000, accounting for 22.7 percent of the total population.

In contrast, the population of people aged 14 or younger declined 165,000 to 17,011,000. The productive population of those aged between 15 and 64 totaled 81,493,000, down 806,000.

By prefecture, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Aichi, Shiga and Okinawa saw population increases as they did in 2008.

Okinawa saw the largest year-on-year increase with a 0.45 percent rise to 1,382,000.

Tokyo remained the most populous region with 12,868,000 people as of Oct. 1, accounting for 10.1 percent of Japan’s total population. Tokyo was followed by Kanagawa with 8,943,000 and Osaka with 8,801,000.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=d9f441ng2

Homeless fighting park renovation

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Protesters fear Nike deal leaves them in cold

A group of protesters camped out in Tokyo’s Miyashita Park [the site of most March in Marches] has stalled Shibuya Ward’s plan to renovate the site in collaboration with sporting goods maker Nike Inc.

The protesters argue a public park built with taxpayer money should be available to anyone for any purpose — even for the homeless to stay in.

Miyashita Park, just one minute on foot from JR Shibuya Station, is one of the few patches of green in the bustling district.

Under the plan, Nike, which bought the right to name the park from the ward for ¥17 million annually for 10 years, will renovate two existing courts for “futsal,” a variant of soccer, and build rock climbing facilities and skateboard ramps.

The protest group, made up of dozens of people ranging from students to artists, argue the park will become a giant advertisement for Nike, not a public place where people can relax as they please.

They also point out Shibuya Ward has already “forced” about 30 homeless people to leave in preparation for the construction of the Nike-sponsored facilities.

“(Nike and Shibuya Ward) think Miyashita Park cannot be a relaxing place for everybody because the homeless are here. We strongly protest such an idea,” said Tetsuo Ogawa, a core member of the Coalition to Protect Miyashita Park from Becoming Nike Park. Ogawa, who lives in a tent in the park, describes himself as an artist.

The protesters have set up about 10 tents to physically block the renovation work, which was to have begun April 1. It isn’t clear if the work will be completed by November, as originally planned by Nike.

Nike will cover the undisclosed costs of construction on what is to be named Miyashita Nike Park. The ward is planning to charge for the use of the futsal courts, rock climbing facilities and skateboard ramps.

The protesters claim that by doing so the ward is permanently depriving the homeless of a place to stay.

But ward officials deny they are trying to drive away the homeless, pointing out that other parts of the park will remain open to everyone free of charge.

“We are not saying we will deploy security guards to monitor the park 24 hours a day, so technically the homeless will be able to stay even after the park is rebuilt,” said Akihiko Ozawa, a Shibuya Ward official in charge of park management.

Ozawa adds, however, that he isn’t encouraging anyone to camp out in public places because it is illegal.

He said the ward diplomatically asked the homeless to vacate while the construction work is carried out.

Shibuya Ward said it sold the naming right to Nike in response to requests by local residents for sports facilities without spending taxpayer money.

Nike and the ward have not reached a decision yet on design details, such as whether the Nike logo will be displayed, Nike spokeswoman Yoko Mizukami said.

“Our company’s mission is to contribute to society through sports. We have offered the plan to provide a place for people to play sports as Shibuya Ward had said not many people were using the park,” she said.

Many local residents and a majority of ward assembly members welcome the Nike plan.

The ward assembly approved the Nike plan March 31 by a vote of 26 to 7.

Seiji Saito, director general of the Meiji Street Miyashita Park Merchant Association, said the plan is welcome because a clean park will likely attract more visitors.

However, this may no longer be just a local issue.

According to the protest group’s Web site, No-Vox, an international network of grassroots social movements against poverty, joined the Tokyo demonstrators March 31 in Paris, Sydney and Bangkok.

In Tokyo, 200 to 300 people marched in Shibuya to support the protest group’s activities.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100416f2.html

Gov’t drafts guidelines for teaching Japanese to foreign residents

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A government subcommittee has drafted guidelines for the first time on teaching Japanese to foreign residents of Japan in order to support them in their daily lives, government officials said Thursday.

The draft guidelines compiled by a Council for Cultural Affairs subcommittee lists examples of words and phrases that foreigners should be encouraged to learn for smooth communication in 10 main types of situations, including health care, travel and activities related to consumption and safety.

The main types are subdivided into 48 categories in which recommended words and phrases are situated in more concrete scenarios such as how to use trains and medicines in Japan.

The number of registered foreign residents in Japan stood at around 2.22 million at the end of 2008, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.

Many government officials concerned with language education believe it would be desirable for at least 1 million of the foreign residents to learn Japanese so that they can live their lives smoothly.

However, there has been no previous attempt to compile government standards on the extent to which foreign residents should learn Japanese.

The draft, due to be submitted shortly to the Japanese language division of the Council for Cultural Affairs, estimates that the total learning period under the proposed guidelines would be around 60 hours.

“(The curriculum) would mean a great deal if it serves to demonstrate the government’s intention to support foreigners living in Japan for a long period,” says Takeshi Yoshitani, a professor who heads Tokyo Gakugei University’s Center for Research in International Education.

Public support will be necessary for foreign residents to secure the 60 hours of learning, he added.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100416p2g00m0dm004000c.html

Woman sues Prada Japan for firing her after she reported inappropriate remarks

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A former division manager at Prada Japan has filed a lawsuit against the company for firing her after she reported inappropriate remarks by a superior, it has been learned.

The 36-year-old former manager with the Italian fashion house’s Tokyo office filed a suit against Prada Japan with the Tokyo District Court, seeking the reversal of her dismissal and the payment of damages.

According to her lawyer, the woman reported to the company’s head office in Milan, Italy, that she was told by her superior to lose weight in September of last year. After she did this, the Tokyo office proceeded to notify the woman that she would be dismissed the next month, and she was ordered to stay at home and await instructions during the workday, rather than come to work.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100416p2a00m0na019000c.html

[Questionable] Justice for former JNR workers

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A 23-year-old labor dispute affecting former workers of the now-defunct Japanese National Railways (JNR) is likely to be resolved, as the National Railway Workers’ Union (Kokuro) and other bodies concerned have accepted a ¥20 billion settlement plan.

Under the plan, worked out by the coalition government and Komeito, 910 households will each receive ¥22 million as “reconciliation money,” for a total of some ¥14.2 billion. Kokuro and other bodies concerned will receive some ¥5.8 billion, to be used to help the former workers find employment. However, there is no guarantee that every former worker will be employed by the JR firms that took over JNR’s operations.

JNR was privatized and divided in April 1987, but the newly established JR firms refused to employ some 7,630 former JNR workers, mostly Kokuro members. Those former JNR workers were transferred to the now-defunct JNR Settlement Corp. but it fired 1,047 of them.

Under the JNR reform law, newly established JR firms offered positions to JNR workers based on a list supplied by JNR. When compiling the list, the JNR told workers that those who did not leave labor unions such as Kokuro and the Japan Railway Motive Power Union would not be employed at JR firms.

Central and regional labor-relations commissions, one after another, recognized illegal labor practices on the part of the JR firms and ordered them to hire the workers fired by JNR Settlement Corp. But a 2003 Supreme Court ruling sided with the JNR firms, saying that as independent bodies they were under no obligation to employ the fired workers. This triggered litigation against the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, which by then had taken over some of JNR Settlement Corp.’s business.

The government is largely responsible for the confusion because the content of the JNR reform law failed to prevent the illegal labor practices. The JR firms have a responsibility to hire the workers in question. The government should take steps to ensure that the details of settlement are executed properly, and that the former workers find employment.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20100415a2.html

Ultranationalist ‘citizens groups’ on the march

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“Get out of Japan!”

“Cockroach.”

“Kimchi.”

Those were just some of the insults hurled at a demonstration on Feb. 21 in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.

More than 100 protesters belonging to several groups describing themselves as “active conservatives” gathered in front of a building that houses both the consular affairs department of the South Korean Embassy and the offices of the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan).

Other flags and signs carried angry messages, such as “Expel foreigners,” and slogans equating Korean nationals living in Japan to criminals. Some of the words used could not be printed in a newspaper.

The protesters’ anger seemed to be targeted at a wide range of institutions including the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, China and North Korea. Reporters covering the demonstration were also yelled at.

The group eventually moved on to the Australian Embassy, where they yelled, “We will start a war with white people who insult Japan (over the whaling issue).”

At the same time as the Minato Ward protest, demonstrations were held in Nagoya and Fukuoka protesting plans to give foreign permanent residents the right to vote in local elections.

The Kyoto bar association issued a statement criticizing the group’s actions as “going beyond criticism of the use of the park to being a hate campaign to encourage discrimination.” On March 24, the Kyoto District Court issued a temporary order banning further demonstrations.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201004130433.html

For Japan to thrive, the wall must come down

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More than 20 years have passed since the Berlin Wall fell, yet Japan remains shut out from the rest of humanity by its own wall. Though it is a shapeless partition that we cannot touch, it nevertheless cuts off the country from the world beyond its shores. What are the characteristics of this invisible barrier?

It serves as much to prevent inbound flows as outward ones. Japan is the only major developed nation where almost none of the men and women of influence — in the realm of ideas, business or government — are from foreign backgrounds. Tokyo, as opposed to other global metropolises, has no cosmopolitan flavor. There is a striking paucity of Japanese people teaching in foreign universities, writing about the humanities and social sciences or contemporary politics in scholarly journals or mass-circulation magazines and Web sites, and working in multinational corporations, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations.

This intangible forcefield harms Japan much more than is generally realized. It condemns Japanese universities, especially in the humanities and social sciences, to international irrelevance. This is not to say that Japan lacks great researchers — it has plenty of them. But they operate in an environment with few foreign colleagues and students (except for a few Asian countries), are under-represented in international conferences, and rarely publish in global journals. Thus, their ideas remain locked within the boundaries of the wall.

This sad state of affairs deprives the country of international influence. As so few Japanese thinkers are heard abroad, the intellectuals, business and government leaders, activists and others who set the worldwide agenda in areas as diverse as economic priorities and fisheries managements are very rarely Japanese. Japan has an enormous stake in climate-change policy, but not one Japanese is playing a key role in shaping the global debate on the issue.

Isolation hurts Japan’s economy, especially in services. Unlike their industrial counterparts, service companies such as hotels, transportation, Web-centric businesses, entertainment and software businesses require a global mind-set and cultural awareness to be successful overseas. If so few Japanese conglomerates have managed to establish themselves in the premier league outside of manufacturing, it is partly due to their mono-cultural and exclusively Japanese management. It puts them at a severe disadvantage when competing with foreign rivals run by multinational and multicultural staffs.

The wall is partly to blame for the country’s greatest handicap. In the past decade, feminization has made great strides worldwide. The situation is far from perfect, but many societies are now making much better use of the talents of the half of the population that happens to be female. One reason Japan is so far behind is that it is cut off from these global trends.

How can Japan, in former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s famous words, tear down this wall? One way is to encourage Japanese to make a name for themselves overseas. Universities could give preference to professors who have both studied and taught for several years overseas and publish in foreign journals. Government agencies could make service abroad in international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund or the World Trade Organization a major asset when considering hirings and promotions.

In the private sector, hopefully more businesses will realize that success, especially but not only in service industries, calls upon a global mind-set. This will entail hiring more foreigners in management positions and internationalizing Japanese staff. Anybody familiar with the Japanese hospitality industry — hotels, airlines, airports — knows how much more competitive it would be if it were more international and less parochial.

Japan has made a remarkable effort to welcome foreign students. But for Japan to attract dynamic and ambitious young men and women, they must be convinced that, though they are not Japanese, they will be able to join the business and academic elite of the country.

Knocking down the wall will be hard. As was the case with Berlin’s barbed wire, it protects the establishment. Japan’s best and brightest will benefit from cultural globalization, but many men who have been sheltered by the barriers that surround Japan (and from competing with women) will find the process traumatizing. But if the nation is to thrive in the 21st century, the wall must go.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/eo20100414a2.html