Ono Out Sugimoto In

Much easier to be a ruthless prick in terms of attempting to turn around a company, when your work force is made up of disposable diaper Gaigin Scum.

Japan is only good for foreigners, when it is rolling in doe, and they are throwing money at people, with disposable income (as opposed to disposable diapers) not being an issue.

When times are tough, a gaigin is just that – outsider scum, to be exploited and dicked over, and not given the protection of Japanese law. Unless Japan becomes a new age bubble economy again (and that is certainly not on the cards), foreigners’ work conditions will get progressively worse and worse.

Anyone working for this new mob is basically saying they don’t give two hoots about being exploited. I suppose they are still caught up in the fairy tale belief that Japan is a smiling, happy, “safety” country.

At the end of the day, with the Japanese Government happy to beleive that English language can be "instructed" like serving burgers in a fast food chain, and not imposing or policing any industry standards (in terms of both educational standards and labor law), then the situation will never improve.

Those at G Comm - look forward to your new role as casual language burger flippers.

Here's a copy of an email regarding the reimbursement of airfares back to your home country!

Not that I was surprised, just another lie to add to the list!

Tossers...

In regard to your request for financial assistance by way of cash reimbursement, G.education executives have decided not to approve your request.

For information regarding the replacement payment of unpaid wages please refer to the website maintained by the trustees responsible for the NOVA bankruptcy;
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to report any change in your contact details directly to the Trustees. E.g. Change of address, change of phone number. You can do this by either mailing or faxing your entire contact details to the following
Address:
“Attention to Jinji Kanri the Office of the Trustees in Bankruptcy, Bankrupt Company, Nova Corporation, Nishi Tenma Asahi Bldg 2nd Floor, Nishi Tenma 1 chome 10-14 Kita-Ku Osaka-shi Osaka-fu Japan”
Fax: 06-6360-6766

Also please refer to the website maintained by the Japan Labour Health and Welfare Organization, who are setting up an inquiry counter for foreign teachers who were employed by Nova. According the website the consultation service will be assisted by English speaking staff;

http://www.rofuku.go.jp/oshirase/topics_miharai_forenglish.html

Unfortunately G.education is unable to issue any form of severance documentation on behalf of NOVA Corporation. The Osaka District Court entered into bankruptcy proceedings for NOVA Corporation on November 26th 2007, and all operations under the old company name have now ceased. Only the court appointed trustees are in any position to issue documentation on behalf of the old NOVA Corporation, and it is our understanding that they are not issuing any documents such as letters of release, references or letters of employment. Please refer to for more information from the trustees regarding the bankruptcy proceedings.

I just wanna know if I have to go down there in person in order to be eligible to receive any kind of replacement payment, or if that's being filed by the trustees on behalf of all of us. Everywhere I check it's all very vague. The one part of the Q&A on the Nova site that refers to it says I have to go down there in person with all my paperwork, but fails to list whatever paperwork I'd actually need. Arg. Does anyone have and recent information on this?

According to the article Sugimoto used to be the president of G.Com but from June last year became the chairman of Sakai Yakinikuya. I wonder if he really has been made head of G.Ed to sort Nova out, or to be a temporary replacement so that if Nova goes under and calls are made for the head of G.Ed to step down, he can return to Sakai Yakinikuya, and Ono can resume his place as head of G.Ed.

Speaking of logic, I can’t stand the Japanese definition of logic:

“We are in business, but bugger the laws that govern business, because if we can’t stay in business, without cutting your work conditions to below legal standards, then that’s what we will do, and it is your fault, and shut up and be grateful, because the world is watching. Please be patient and understanding.”

(Nova still did the above, take note, even when they were at their profitable peak – and those that swallowed the “in the glorious name of business” line got burned with no pay, along with the stock, standard, instructor grunts on the work shop floor)

“This is not whaling. This is scientific study, and after autopsy and study, we sell the whale meat at retail outlets. So what ! No wastage ! And speaking of no wastage, we kill the mother and the calf, because the calf would die without the mother. We are kind. All fine here. We are a scientific people. Nothing to do with politics or political gerrymanders or political lobby groups – we love scientific study, in order to protect ancient heritage. We are not running TV campaigns to get people to eat whale meat again – we are trying to get our youth more interested in science. Nothing to do with getting them to forget the horror days, when Japan was so poor, whale meat consumption reached its peak, because a blob of deep fried whale meat on rice was all that could be afforded for school lunch. We want to, through science, educate our youth about science and ancient tradition.”

(In ancient times, Japan used wooden boats with wooden harpoons, catching but a handful of the leviathans of the deep annually, locally. Most whales consumed were very rarely washed up in Typhoons or after seismic activity, in fact, and consumed by the impoverished under castes, who were the ones that handled dead meat and carcasses)

“As long as Japan remains 70% covered in forest, we don’t mind if Indonesia and South America lose their rain forests for our stupid packaging and chopsticks. We are a nature loving country. We study bonsai and flower arrangements. What happens outside Japan, is not our problem, and inside Japan, we love nature”.

(Coincidently, bonsai and flower arrangement, while eye catching, in fact are more representative of human control, interference, and distortion of nature, than anything else).

Bottom line is, selfish Japan, will use warped Japanese logic (lies and law breaking), with a fake smile, or with a fake expression of concern, to justify whatever atrocity they commit. That, in fact, is Japanese history in a nutshell.

Yo Anonymous

I just got off the phone with the Rofuku peoples. I think they may only have one English speaker on staff over there. I've called a few times already and I think I spoke to the same woman each time. So, if she's not at her desk, you're SOL.

Anyway, the news is the same. The trustees are still preparing the required documents and there's nothing for us to do except sit tight and chill until we receive said documents via post. While she didn't have any concrete details, her best guess (don't hold me to it) for arrival is the last week of February/first week of March.

Rock on bra!

Oh, and another thing, if the bloody Japanese, with their divine sense of logic, are so anxious to make the little Japanese kiddies aware of Japan’s history – “Hey you, Japanese kiddy, put that KFC down and eat this Whale Burger. We are an historic Whale Eating Society, not chicken eaters. Eat this rare mammal to keep our historic record in tact” – then why the damn hell don’t they teach them openly and honestly about WW2?

Good old double standards Japan – the Japanese, masters of lies and deceit.

“Oh, I forgot to add, Japanese Kiddy, eat this fast food EFL Burger too, prepared by masterful major Japanese Corporate Iron Chef, especially created for Japanese palate, and you will be first step Engrish Fruency. But, be careful to order 500 EFL burger meal, before taking first bite - burger will be waiting for you whenever you want. Engrish fruency awaits. Ganbatte!”

Yeah, right.

Paranoia and hurt personal feelings aside, it's not as if the average Japanese worker is getting any less exploited as the years go by either, is it? How many of the "working poor" living in manga kissaten etc. are Western English teachers, do you reckon? And how does your own country treat foreign workers?

Having said that, if a bit of righteous rage was likely to raise my status or wages I'd be out there getting red in the face and waving a placard until they started treating me like Richard Chamberlain in Shogun...

HI guys!
theres alot of worrying, shakin and moaning going on.
lets face facts...g.com isnt gonna be here forever, its clearly facked and it aint getting better. so if like me, you work for them, then just relax. enjoy the ride while it lasts. stop worrying that they might go bankrupt...they will. its just a matter of time. use the next three months to find a new job, or to enjoy the end of the eikaiwa before going home wen the money stops. dont complain about lost money and broken promises...
nobody enjoys that.

Relax? If they go bankrupt like Nova did, well you will be chasing months of pay all over again. Pretty hard to relax, given the reality of what Eikaiwa monsters get away with in Japan. Suggest you ask to be put on weekly pay, to minimize your losses - the moment your pay is a day late, then get the hell out of there (you will have then only lost a weeks pay).

But of course, they would argue, in Japan, we do not do weekly pay. You are in Japan! You must do things the Japanese way! This is Japan! Looking at G Comm, well, I reckon if you even asked the question, you would face instant dismissal.

My country treats legal foreign workers extremely well, and also allows them, after a period of time, to elect to become citizens if they want to (unlike bloody Japan).

Citizen or not, they are afforded the full protection of the law, inclusive of labor laws, from day one. You got a problem with your employer illegally screwing you here, and you are authorized to work, a foreigner or not, you go to the government, and the government steps in.

I sure hope you're not talking about the US! For one small example, go down to the garment district in Los Angeles and see just how well LEGAL immigrant workers are treated! 12 hour shifts in sweatshop conditions for LESS than the legally required minimum wage. Complain and you will be fired immediately, and no one is going to stick up for you. Good luck getting any government agency to clean up the situation (it's been this way since...who knows!).

What's that? You've never heard of any such thing in the great United States of America? Maybe you just never cared to look.

Should Japanese companies get away with ignoring labor standards law? No. Does Japan in general treat eikaiwa teachers worse than most immigrants are treated in other countries? Hell no!

P.S. All Japanese companies take a lax attitude about labor standards law, not just eikaiwas. I have many Japanese friends who are getting screwed by their employers much worse than the people at G-Comm. I'm not defending it, but you need to get a little perspective about how bad off you think eikaiwa teachers are.

P.P.S Foreigners in Japan can get permanent residency fairly easily, and can even take Japanese citizenship eventually if they want to. I don't understand your anger on this point at all.

We are talking about Japan, not the USA, and yeah, compared with most of the civilized world, the USA sucks on so many fronts, it aint funny. Man, you could write a bible about how bad the states is, and thank Jesus above, most of the civilized world is nothing like the US of A.

You can "eventually" become a citizen - what a joke! How about some more detail on that subject, or will that throw too much negative light on those racists Japanese pricks? What, you have to wait 50 years, 60 years, until you are terminally ill?

Japan is a really zenophobic weird place - it has a positive hang up about outsiders, and when push comes to shuv, gaigin in Japan, once the novelty wears off, are literally just "SCUM". Just like Annoymous says - "GAIGIN SCUM", oh yeah, you can be sure of that "GAIGIN SCUM" !!!!!!!!!

We are talking about Japan, not the USA...

The person I was responding to (you?) was COMPARING Japan to 'his country.' So we're not just talking about Japan. Most countries of the world have issues with the treatment of immigrant workers. Japan is surely NOT the worst in this regard.

You can "eventually" become a citizen - what a joke! How about some more detail on that subject...

The information is easy enough to get online. Basically, you can get permanent residency after 3 years if you're married to a Japanese national (and within those 3 years you get a spousal visa which allows you to legally work in any job in Japan), or 5 years if you're single. Those are basically the LONGEST it will take, but you can apply at any time and you might get permanent residency much sooner. I've heard of single people getting it in 3 years. Permanent residency gives you all the rights of a citizen except you can't vote, and your children will not automatically be citizens, unless your spouse is Japanese. Not such a bad deal, all in all.

If you want citizenship it takes about 10 years. They don't just grant it, they check your background, make sure you haven't been arrested in Japan, stuff like that. They also give you a basic Japanese test. But after 10 years, it's not that tough of a test.

Truth is, most long term residents of Japan choose NOT to take Japanese citizenship (myself included) for various reasons. But they would easily get it if they applied.

Japan is a really zenophobic weird place - it has a positive hang up about outsiders, and when push comes to shuv, gaigin in Japan, once the novelty wears off, are literally just "SCUM". Just like Annoymous says - "GAIGIN SCUM", oh yeah, you can be sure of that "GAIGIN SCUM" !!!!!!!!!

Well, if that's how you feel, there's not much I can say to change your opinion. But I've been here a long time and I don't feel that way. Maybe you're just having a hard time assimilating.

"Those are basically the LONGEST it will take...."

How confident are you that this claim is correct?

Here we go again – first an analogy comparing language instructors in Japan with Mexican border runners in the garment districts of LA, then an analogy comparing instructors with homeless people in Japan, and now, why don’t we compare EFL in “Let’s Internationalize” second largest economy in the world Japan, with the sorry lot of naive back-packers trying to do the language circuit in China, for crying out loud.

It is Japan – when the freely elected democratic Japanese government sit idle, because the problem is a “gaigin scum” problem, then it is Japan.

No – Nova’s management of labor spat in the face of the law, and you know it. They actually went bankrupt, because they ran out of money (most of embezzled before the balloon which they knew damn well had to pop, burst. It was designed to pop – Nova was always a get the cash in, then launder it away operation, from day one).

I don’t agree with your comments on Japan being one of the best for EFL, and looking at what you have written, I feel you are basing that assumption on hearsay.

Unemployment insurance, health insurance, unfair dismissal, holiday pay, work hours, insider trading, embezzlement, bribery, you name it – yeah, Nova was an absolute saint, it’s only crime was that it went bankrupt. Yeah, right.

Just give it a rest, thanks.

Speaking of books, my favorite Japanese writer was Soseki Natsume, and yeah, I know, so famous, you could almost say he is so over-read, his books could almost be now considered boring and trashy.

That bloody Shogun book – alright then, I enjoyed the bloody thing, and I am sure it certainly did fuel my curiosity about Japan, as it has for countless thousands. It contributed to me going to Japan, I guess. Damn it, I am not so special after all. There, I have admitted it. I hope you are happy now Jim.

My favorite Soseki Natsume book was Botchan. Why? Well it reminded me of a junior highschool I used to teach in, up in the middle of the mountains, on the edge of the Japanese Alps (I read it when I used to live there, in fact – plenty of time for reading in that place).

That school, that village – apart from the TV sets and new cars – well, it was pretty close to what you might expect in another century. It was a great experience, but at the end of the day, too damn isolated – the choice really was to marry into it (marry into, in every sense of the word), and stay for good, or leave. I left.

Yes my friend I may lose a months pay. but that shall be the day i leave the office with a shiney new computer. and whatever else isnt bolted down...

Quite confident. I'm speaking from experience and from the experiences of friends. It's much easier today to get permanent residency and citizenship than in the past. Why do you seem to think it's so hard?

first an analogy comparing language instructors in Japan with Mexican border runners

Never said anything about 'Mexican border runners,' nor was it an 'analogy.' It was a valid comparison between working conditions of immigrants in two countries. By the way, I was talking about LEGAL immigrants.

then an analogy comparing instructors with homeless people in Japan

Never said anything about 'homeless people in Japan.' I was pointing out that foreign English teachers have no monopoly on being mistreated by Japanese companies.

and now, why don’t we compare EFL in “Let’s Internationalize” second largest economy in the world Japan, with the sorry lot of naive back-packers trying to do the language circuit in China, for crying out loud.

I'm not the one who raised the issue of working conditions for teachers in other countries. Someone else (you?) raised the issue and claimed English teachers got better treatment in other countries. In most cases, that's not generally true. This is pretty common knowledge to people who have taught 'around the world' rather than just 'in Japan.'

It is Japan – when the freely elected democratic Japanese government sit idle, because the problem is a “gaigin scum” problem, then it is Japan.

What in Christ's name are you blabbering about? You're not making any sense here. Why does the 'freely elected democratic Japanese government' owe it to you to fix NOVA's problems? That's not generally what governments do. NOVA screwed up, not the government of Japan. Do you think you should get preferential treatment because you are a foreigner? The government is doing what it's supposed to do in this situation; let the market decide which companies thrive and which die, and provide some safety net for the people effected (NOVA teachers will get the 60% of owed salary that ANY WORKER IN JAPAN would be get in this situation). The government is helping you out here, not hurting you. Can't you see the difference?

No – Nova’s management of labor spat in the face of the law, and you know it.

A lot of companies do. I also understand that various legal challenges were made toward NOVA policy over the years and the judgements usually favored the teachers. So where is the evil Japanese government in that?

They actually went bankrupt, because they ran out of money

Yes, that is the usual reason for companies to go bankrupt, running out of money. What's your point?

I don’t agree with your comments on Japan being one of the best for EFL, and looking at what you have written, I feel you are basing that assumption on hearsay.

What do you mean by 'hearsay'? My opinion is based on first hand accounts. What's YOUR opinion base on? The fact that you never heard of English teachers having poor working conditions in any country except Japan? That's not an informed opinion; that's just ignorance.

Unemployment insurance, health insurance, unfair dismissal, holiday pay, work hours, insider trading, embezzlement, bribery, you name it – yeah, Nova was an absolute saint, it’s only crime was that it went bankrupt. Yeah, right.

You know, I never said NOVA was a 'saint' of a company. I've said all along that there were issues with NOVA. I just don't see what this has to do with Japan, in its entirety, as you seem to think. Furthermore, as I already pointed out, there is a legal system in Japan that is at your disposal if you think you are being mistreated. You complain a lot, did you ever challenge any of these practices when you were at NOVA? Did you sue them? Did you even bother to join the union? I doubt it.

You are the person I think guilty of making tortured comparisons. You are the one that talked about the “Garment” district in LA (using it as a comparison, not to mention others).

What has been said in here in reply to your posts is that does not justify what occurs in the Eikaiwa industry in Japan in the slightest, and that your comparisons are barely relevant. That is pretty much the gist of what has been said, I reckon.

In addition, high skilled or low skilled, if you have the legal entitlement to work, and the consequent legal entitlement to the full protection of the law governing your field of employment, whether it be cleaning toilets or designing computer chips, then you should get it, and get it easily, and your employers should not so easily get away with turning a blind eye to the rules and regulations that govern your industry.

Mc English is a term phrased by foreign residents in Japan, not the Japanese, that reflects the reality of the work conditions in Eikaiwa, as opposed to what the recruitment machines of Eikaiwa sell the job to the unsuspecting as being (again, with the Japanese government turning a blind eye to it all).

However, that is still no excuse for employers in that sector, and the Japanese government (the father of the “Internationalization”), to sit back, and treat their humanitarian and international services guests below the letter of the law.

What are you saying? Just because those in the know identify Eikaiwa as being Mc English, then those employed in that industry should therefore tolerate exploitation by Eikaiwa operators, and the fact the Japanese government pretty turns a blind eye to the whole situation?

I mean, after-all, there are people worse off, so suck it up, legal or not. That does seems to be your attitude.

Sorry, I don’t buy it.

Oh, of course you do have legal recourse in Japan – as you do in the States, which as you have inferred, won’t do much. What happens in the States is I guess, in your mind, the yard stick by which all other things should be measured. Well, I don’t think so. I beleive in the active enforcement of equal rights - whether you sweep the streets, or are a brain surgeon.

You know full well, in relation to foreigners, the Japanese government, more so than numerous first world governments (not including the USA it would seem), prefers to be an ostrich with hits head buried in the ground.

Oh, I am saying, legal immigrant or not (but particularly if you are a legal immigrant), one should expect the protection of the law with regards to your employment.

However, comparing the situation of Eikaiwa, which is predominantly made of people with full and legal entitlement to work, with the garment districts of LA, where cut throat, law breaking employers exploit the shit out of predominantly illegal immigrants, is a ridiculous analogy.

You keep on talking about the apparent ease of permanent residency, which is not citizenship.

The bigger issue to me, on your pet subject, as any Brazilian or Korean Japanese person will tell you, is still the active government sanctioned discrimination that exists in Japan, whether you have permanent residency or not. There are many references on this subject.

On citizenship – what you expect for yourself, and what documented cases depict, are at opposite ends to each other, coincidently.

I suppose I have a rather cynical view of your opinion, not just based on what you can easily find on the web, but also based on the experiences of a “Japanese” friend of mine, who is 3rd generation Korean, can’t even speak or read Korean, and can’t get beyond permanent residency, and even then, with numerous discriminatory fish hooks attached.

“Never said anything about 'Mexican border runners,' nor was it an 'analogy.' It was a valid comparison between working conditions of immigrants in two countries. By the way, I was talking about LEGAL immigrants”

*The low standards in the States are set by the fact that law breaking American firms, in order to compete with legal outfits, are quite prepared on mass to enjoy the lower labor costs of employing illegal immigrants.

The worst of the exploitation of labor that you will find in the States occurs when the worker has not valid right to work, and thus has no legal recourse. Thus, conditions per say take a nose dive across the board – you, my little legal foreign friend, can take the same pay as you border crossing little illegal friend, or you can go to College, and get a proper job.

To compare with Eikaiwa, is thus a pretty loose comparison, because in Eikaiwa, to begin with, the vast majority of workers, to begin with, have a legal right to work.

“then an analogy comparing instructors with homeless people in Japan
Never said anything about 'homeless people in Japan.' I was pointing out that foreign English teachers have no monopoly on being mistreated by Japanese companies”

*You or someone else mentioned Manga Kissaten, if I recall correctly. My apologies, I thought you/they were referring to some of the impoverished, who just about live in such establishments.

“and now, why don’t we compare EFL in “Let’s Internationalize” second largest economy in the world Japan, with the sorry lot of naive back-packers trying to do the language circuit in China, for crying out loud.
I'm not the one who raised the issue of working conditions for teachers in other countries. Someone else (you?) raised the issue and claimed English teachers got better treatment in other countries. In most cases, that's not generally true. This is pretty common knowledge to people who have taught 'around the world' rather than just 'in Japan.”

*Must have been someone else who mentioned the confiscation of passports at a Chinese school. In Japan, for teachers with zero qualifications, who follow no accredited teaching methodology, you could argue, it is amazing instructors get paid anything. But that still does not justify illegally screwing those you employ, taking note the eikaiwa all, when in the hunt for sales, crap on about the fact that all of their instructors are qualified, and have wonderful in-house training.

Comparing the EFL scene in Japan with China or Italy – largely irrelevant, and still, does not mean for one second, eikaiwa operators should be permitted to operate in the fashion that they do.

“It is Japan – when the freely elected democratic Japanese government sit idle, because the problem is a “gaigin scum” problem, then it is Japan. What in Christ's name are you blabbering about? You're not making any sense here. Why does the 'freely elected democratic Japanese government' owe it to you to fix NOVA's problems? That's not generally what governments do. NOVA screwed up, not the government of Japan. Do you think you should get preferential treatment because you are a foreigner? The government is doing what it's supposed to do in this situation; let the market decide which companies thrive and which die, and provide some safety net for the people effected (NOVA teachers will get the 60% of owed salary that ANY WORKER IN JAPAN would be get in this situation). The government is helping you out here, not hurting you. Can't you see the difference?”

*What are you blabbering on about? It was argued that the problem of exploitation of foreigners in Japan is not a “Japanese” problem. If the Japanese government turns a blind eye, and really does not give a shit, I pretty much see it as being a Japanese problem. You seem to disagree, but I argue the Japanese government barely lifts a finger, if the problem is a problem relative to foreigners being exploited. A government elected by the Japanese people is representative of Japan, in its policies, in its actions, and in its inactions.

“No – Nova’s management of labor spat in the face of the law, and you know it.
A lot of companies do. I also understand that various legal challenges were made toward NOVA policy over the years and the judgements usually favored the teachers. So where is the evil Japanese government in that?
They actually went bankrupt, because they ran out of money
Yes, that is the usual reason for companies to go bankrupt, running out of money. What's your point?
I don’t agree with your comments on Japan being one of the best for EFL, and looking at what you have written, I feel you are basing that assumption on hearsay.
What do you mean by 'hearsay'? My opinion is based on first hand accounts. What's YOUR opinion base on? The fact that you never heard of English teachers having poor working conditions in any country except Japan? That's not an informed opinion; that's just ignorance.
Unemployment insurance, health insurance, unfair dismissal, holiday pay, work hours, insider trading, embezzlement, bribery, you name it – yeah, Nova was an absolute saint, it’s only crime was that it went bankrupt. Yeah, right.
You know, I never said NOVA was a 'saint' of a company. I've said all along that there were issues with NOVA. I just don't see what this has to do with Japan, in its entirety, as you seem to think. Furthermore, as I already pointed out, there is a legal system in Japan that is at your disposal if you think you are being mistreated. You complain a lot, did you ever challenge any of these practices when you were at NOVA? Did you sue them? Did you even bother to join the union? I doubt it.”

*Several cases against infamous Nova were won – but that did not change Nova, and it did not encourage the government to actively intervene – business for usual of those guys. When the Japanese made noises – oh yeah, the government stepped in big time.

Ignorance? Whatever ! The situation in China and Italy, the situation with immigrants in the garment sector of LA, the situation in any company (Japanese or not) – still means jack shit, in terms of whether or not what the eikaiwa bandits do is right, whether or not is should be tolerated, and whether or not the Japanese government should do something about cleaning the sector up.

I base my opinions on some fantasy book I read, just before I go to bed, of course. My opinions are based on first hand accounts, in addition to having read numerous articles and information on the eikaiwa industry in Japan.

But be clear, I don’t mind if you say whatever I post is based on ignorance. It is as easy for me to say the same of you.

Japan – I don’t believe it is rotten to the core in its entirety, but it is infamously an inward looking, highly xenophobic society. There is enough information on this subject, to fill Tokyo Bay, for your information.

It does not mean that all of Japan is bad, or that all Japanese are bad.

The mere existence of eikaiwa (particularly on such a massive scale), where “foreigners” are bought over on mass, and pretty much put on display in safe and supervised settings for the Japanese to “intermingle” with, I believe is very symptomatic of a nation that really does have deep seated issues with what ever and whoever is outside it’s own boundaries.

Many argue, in the most part, “English Education” is just a front, and that for many (and I specify not all) of the paying customers, it is all about having a bit of inquisitive fun, with the unpredictable foreigner adequately contained, just in case, the paying customer does not want to go one step further, and take their play thing outside.

Many compare eikaiwa with hostess work, and in some cases, well, I think quite a fair comparison.

Some argue that the Japanese like to come out of their shell and get away from the constraints of their own culture (where sufferance and silence is admirable), while in the glass booth with a foreigner, and thus, well, the would be English Teacher has a role similar to that of an amateur psychiatrist.

A person called after-dinner crocodile posted an essay in here called “To Hell with Nova” – I agree with many of the comments made by that person, relative to what it is that the Japanese customer actually wants.

Whatever is said, eikaiwa in many cases is not really about language, but rather, something decidedly more weird.

However, none of the above justifies the bullshit that goes down in eikaiwa town, or the Japanese government having a high tolerance to that bullshit.

Japan may have good points, but it sure as hell has bad points, and just because all countries have good and bad points, is no excuse for taking off the table of discussion, Japans darker points (like they try to do themselves – eg historical record of WW2).

Yeah, there is no doubt, if you are particularly passionate, have a thick skin, and are persistent enough, you can make a go of living in Japan – have never denied that – all though, I tend to think the pain is not always worth the pleasure, depending on who you are of course. Still does not mean Japan has some rather staggering problems, many of which, I argue, are quite unique to Japan. And, again, and sorry to around in circles, but just because there are problems in every society, does not mean that problems in Japan should be accepted, tolerated, or the very existence of them, broadly denied.

Meantime, incorrect on my Korean friend – after an SS style interrogation of family history (little to do with my friend, actually), where everything but the insides of his grandmother’s underpants was examined (oh, hang on, perhaps one of the sake swilling investigators did examine those, but perhaps based on fetish reason, rather than investigative reasons), citizenship was in fact denied.

Of the approximately 100,000 North and South Korean nationals dwelling in Japan today, the majority of them were born and have grown up in Japan, please take note. In fact, a considerable number of those bought up in Japan are third, and even fourth generation.

Yet, Japanese nationality is based on lineage, meaning that these Korean descendants are not automatically awarded Japanese citizenship.

It is not to say it is impossible, but I can assure you, despite the LAW in Japan, if it is identified that you have one drop of Korean blood, you will never hold a position in government – another great example of the Japanese government, turning a blind eye, to their own rules and regulations, based on race. And yet, the joke of the matter is, it can be validly argued, apart from indigenous tribes in the north, that the average Japanese person has Korean blood, the gateway to Japan for the vast majority of blood lines being the Korean peninsula.

Racial discrimination against Koreans in Japan (many or whom cannot even speak or read Korean), including difficulties in gaining citizenship, is commonly recognized, and fiercely debated, to this very day.

Many an academic has published papers on the subject, and as far as I am concerned, well, outside the unique mind of the Japanese racial purist (who loves to live in denial, and deny all things bad, while enjoying his/her purity with a big smile while actively discriminating), it is common knowledge.

By the way, I have some close friends, inclusive of my Korean friend, who have been throught the process - and they all complained bitterly. So, guess you must simply hang out in a different circle than I do. I have read plenty of stuff on the internet about it too (as you suggest), speaking of which, yours is the first positive view point on the subject I have encountered.

re·pos·sess /ˌripəˈzɛs/
–verb (used with object) 1. to possess again; regain possession of, esp. for nonpayment of money due.

It's the first intelligent thing I've heard in a long time. An eye 4 an eye!!! Plan on a quick getaway, and just take stuff! I thought if one were to find themselves unable to pay (eg loans) then the bank has right of repossession! ;) Also I would think that everyone would be rounding up as many students as possible while there is still time left and offer real good rates on privates. Network now and save yourself the headache - I did, and I make more money now than the usagi ever payed! :) Ahaha!!! Kick over the whale meat sign!!!

See you around.

I know several people, both married and single, who have been here longer than the respective 3 and 5 years you mentioned yet been unable to attain permanent resident status. It has either been denied, or is allegedly "in process". When I told two of them about your claim, their responses were colourful to say the least.

No, it's not simply a rubber-stamp process, and consequently it does vary from case to case - that's why I wouldn't be confident making blanket statements about 3 or 5 years being the longest it will take. People should have realistic expectations about such serious matters.

"...you can get permanent residency after 3 years if you're married to a Japanese national (and within those 3 years you get a spousal visa which allows you to legally work in any job in Japan), or 5 years if you're single. Those are basically the LONGEST it will take..."

I don't deny it is possible to get permanent residency within that time frame - but it is not always the case. I don't know how I can state it more simply. I don't profess to know about every single case and how long they all took, and would question anyone who thinks they do (that would be "fishy"). You know people who were granted permanent residency quickly, and that's great. I know people who got it quickly too, but I also know people who had to wait a bit longer. Is that really so difficult to accept?