Sahashi May Have Misappropriated Funds

Why do the wheels of justice turn slowly in Japan?? There is already incriminating evidence that Sahashi didn't pay the staff and the foreign instructors on schedule. Furthermore, more evidence is being uncovered about Sahashi's illegal business practices, therefore, why doesn't the Japanese government act swiftly in prosecuting Sahashi?

This money was not given even when asked for. I married a lady that worked for the company some years ago. She sent her request to get her gift because she got married. Four times the person in Osaka said that they didn't get the fax or copies of the wedding license. It came to a point where we just gave up.

I am still thinking is it worth fighting for?

I think, the one rule that should be kept is, the higher you get on the social ladder, don't make enemies.
Rule #2, don't act like a fool, people will start to treat you like one. Screw you over/rip you off, etc..
3, common sense! Act sharp/but yet be humble and reserved, especially in Japan.
An old Japanese saying; "A smart hawk, hides its talons." The nail that sticks out, gets hammered!

First of all. I love being here, but this situation is so screwed up, it has really destroyed my, granted sometimes naive, vision of Japan:

The problem that we're seeing here is that many Japanese laws and bureaucracies are out dated. Many corporate practices and standards are still relying on the honor system and don't recognize that there is no honor among thieves.

Look at the Meat Hope scandal. A company knowingly mislabels the content of a product and is caught, but they cannot be criminally charged because that product was not sold directly to consumers. It was purchased by supermarkets and restaurants....where it was then purchased by consumers!! There is no rationale for this kind of "law".

Sahashi was able, and is still able, to circumvent the "law" because it has no teeth. It relies on "power perceived is power achieved". Japanese lawmakers and law enforcement never truly believe that these laws will ever be violated because of the aforementioned "honor system", but instead believe that the mere existence of a "law" is the deterrent, and thus negates its purpose and use. The fact that repeated requests for Sahashi's presence are met with silence, and/or indifference, shows a lack of the respect and honor that lawmakers believe to be innate in every Japanese person. And instead of sending law enforcement out to do their job and apprehend this crook, they simply issue more and more requests, thus proving their impotence. To quote Batman Begins, "...criminals thrive on society's indulgence..."

So what does this mean for us teachers? Well, we're tilting at windmills. Many believe that some pissed off, and rightly so, English teachers can change over 1000 years of cultural arrogance and national exclusivity. I really wish that would happen, but realistically, that's impossible. Even though Japan is an "open" country, it is still remains closed off culturally. Watch the NHK English news, and you'll see what I mean. Remember, we were never supposed to be here in the first place. Admiral Perry forced Japan open, Japan never requested to be opened. So why should they make laws to protect people that were never really welcome in the first place? Granted, there are many Japanese I have met who do not think like this, and they are the independent thinkers of this country, but they are also the minority. Rightist policies are on the rise again, as evidenced by the blaring loudspeakers we hear at 8am when we're trying to squeeze 30 more minutes of sleep out of our morning before work. The LDP has held sway in the Diet for almost 30 years. Eichi publishing knowingly puts an overtly racist and anti-foreign book into circulation:
"This is not a racist book because it is based on established fact. "-
Shigeki Saka of Tokyo-based publisher Eichi, on the controversial book "Shocking Foreigner Crime: The Undercover File," which features caricatures of non-Japanese alongside the question: "Is it alright to let foreigners devastate Japan?" Convenience store chains and other retailers pulled the book from their shelves this week following complaints. (Reuters)

And we think things will change? We unfortunately have to work within an inadequate system to get what is rightly ours, and that takes patience and having to swallow a lot of pride. We each have to decide how much pride we want with our dinner.

All we can do is make the right choice for ourselves. If you want to leave, then leave, and look back on this as a life lesson on not how treat people. Maybe write a magazine article or a book about your experience here. It can be very cathartic. Hell, you may earn some money from it. If you want to stay, then stay, but have no allusions about championing the foreigners cause, because I really don't think that ringing phone is going to be answered any time soon.

I despise Sahashi more than ever. I think I'd prefer to be mugged, at least then I would have some opportunity to fight back... do something.

リストは、同社が大規模なリストラを決めて以降、作成された。都道府県別では、東京が９、大阪、千葉が各４、神奈川、愛知が各２教室などとなっており、首都圏だけで１６教室と、過半を占めている。ＮＯＶＡは、２００教室への縮小案も作成しているが、そこにあった名古屋市や福岡市などの教室は外れている。

The list was drawn up, deciding the restructuring where the same company is large-scale later. With the classified by metropolis and districts, Tokyo 9, Osaka, Chiba has become each 4, Kanagawa and Aichi each 2 classrooms etc., has occupied 16 classrooms and large portion in just the national capital region. NOVA draws up also the reduction plan to 200 classrooms, but the classroom of Nagoya city and Fukuoka city etc. which are there has come off

The above list of schools came from
the Asahi newspaper this morning. I cut
and pasted it... I am not able to type
japanese that well.
You will have to go to the japanese version..
just wait I will try to get a link...
here it is..
http://www.asahi.com/special/071027/OSK200711070067.html