logo
ENFRع
#

Latest news with #MunicipalGovernment

Japan NGOs warn against hate speech during upper house election campaign
Japan NGOs warn against hate speech during upper house election campaign

The Mainichi

time7 days ago

  • Politics
  • The Mainichi

Japan NGOs warn against hate speech during upper house election campaign

TOKYO -- A group of nongovernmental organizations addressing the human rights of foreigners and refugees in Japan has called for measures against misinformation and discrimination during campaigning for the July 20 House of Councillors election An increasing number of political parties have been promoting exclusionary policies ahead of the upper house election, raising concerns candidates may exploit the election for hate speech. In joint news conference in Tokyo on July 8, the group declared, "Lies and discrimination cannot be tolerated during the election period," and called for municipalities in the country to follow the city of Kawasaki's lead in warning against discriminatory speech during elections. In 2020, the Kawasaki Municipal Government implemented an ordinance imposing criminal penalties for hate speech against citizens with foreign roots. However, nationwide, there continue to be cases of candidates using speeches, street campaigns and social media to repeatedly make baseless criticisms and hateful remarks about foreigners. On July 7, Kawasaki shared the contents of the ordinance on social media and warned, "While freedom of election campaigning and political activity is fundamental to democracy ... unjust discriminatory words and actions are prohibited by ordinance." Yasuko Morooka, a lawyer and secretary general of the Japan Network towards Human Rights Legislation for Non-Japanese Nationals & Ethnic Minorities, emphasized the importance of Kawasaki's efforts during the election period, stating, "Other local governments as well as the national government should also make such statements." On July 3, the official start of the upper house election campaign, a candidate in the Kanagawa constituency stated during a stump speech that it was wrong that many foreigners were receiving welfare benefits while Japanese people were struggling. According to Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare statistics, as of April, foreigners accounted for about 3.2% of all welfare recipients, and the rate among foreign households was about 2.9%. Yuma Osawa of the Tsukuroi Tokyo Fund, a general incorporated association, pointed out that claims such as "foreigners easily receive welfare" are unfounded and incorrect. He added, "We must not engage in discussions based on false information. Please calmly focus on the facts." According to the Immigration Services Agency, as of the end of 2024, there were 3,768,977 foreign residents in Japan, a 10.5% increase from the end of the previous year and a record high. In the upcoming upper house election, multiple parties have pledged to restrict or tighten the acceptance of foreigners. At the press conference, Morooka stated, "Antiforeignism is being stirred up in many campaign speeches, and I hear from foreigners that they are living in fear every day." She added, "We, as voters, must take responsibility and work to change the current situation." (Japanese original by Daiki Yano, Yokohama Bureau)

Sendai faces growing waitlist at after-school care facilities
Sendai faces growing waitlist at after-school care facilities

Japan Times

time16-06-2025

  • General
  • Japan Times

Sendai faces growing waitlist at after-school care facilities

Sendai is seeing a rise in cases of upper-grade elementary school children not being able to use after-school care facilities — places for children to go while their parents are working — because the establishments must adhere to a quota that prioritizes children in lower grades who are moving into the city. Many of them are eventually accepted, as the number of children who end up using the programs tends to be lower than expected, but their parents say they should be allowed to use the facilities without having to wait and see first. 'Both my child and I had to spend days worrying,' said a company worker in her 40s from Sendai's Taihaku Ward, recalling the past few months when her daughter had been waiting to get accepted to an after-school care facility. They received a notice from the Sendai Municipal Government in February saying that the daughter, who would be in fourth grade from April, could not be registered at an after-school care facility this school year because the number of applications exceeded the program's capacity. While putting her daughter on a waitlist, the woman rushed to make a spare key for their home and buy a smartphone for her daughter. As her daughter began staying home alone after school, she often called the mother during her work hours, saying, 'I'm scared a stranger might come to the door. When are you coming home?' She told her boss about the situation and asked that her overtime be reduced. In late April, the family was told a space had opened up at the facility, and the daughter resumed using it in May. It was only after receiving a document from the municipal government in March that the woman learned of the quota prioritizing lower-grade children who might move in. She strongly feels she has been treated poorly. "I wish city officials had taken emergency action when considering things from our perspective," she said. Reflecting an increase in dual-income families, the number of children registered at after-school care facilities in Sendai continues to rise, reaching a record high of 15,024 in fiscal 2024, which ended in March. The Sendai government has been working to expand the capacity of such programs by utilizing empty classrooms at schools and rooms at private properties, but many of them are still full. When applications exceed capacity, children in lower grades are prioritized, but there have been cases in which such children moved into the city after the application deadline and, therefore, could not be accommodated. To cope with such a situation, in fiscal 2023 the city started enforcing a quota — ranging from a few to around 40 depending on the capacity of establishment — for first to third graders moving in after the application deadline. According to the municipal government, children who were denied places in the new school year due to the quota were mainly those in upper grades. The number of such children has been increasing every year, from 127 in fiscal 2023 to 239 in fiscal 2024 and then 309 in fiscal 2025. After it became apparent there would be vacancies, the number of children on the waitlist as of May dropped to 11 in fiscal 2023 and four in fiscal 2024. Naomi Ikegawa, 68, a Sendai resident who heads a group calling for better after-school care for children in Miyagi Prefecture, said, 'Not allowing children to use after-school care facilities even if they wish to could make them feel alienated. 'The Sendai government should consider ways to cope with the situation from the viewpoint of children,' Ikegawa said. An official from the municipal government's after-school care program promotion division said, 'We are making sure that lower-grade children with a greater need for such facilities can use them, but ideally all the children wishing to use the facilities should be able to do so. 'We hope to consider what is the best way of registering and accepting children.' This section features topics and issues from the Tohoku region covered by the Kahoku Shimpo, the largest newspaper in Tohoku. The original article was published May 20.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store