Shelters for victims of dating violence financially strapped

Sunday 01st November, 06:51 AM JST

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noirgaijin at 10:32 AM JST - 1st November

Japan continues to tout itself as a modern super power. However, its judicial system is antiquated with pastey old men who condone these crimes and continue to be voted into the law making driver’s seat.
Lowly at 10:43 AM JST - 1st November

You don't seem to really understand Japan, kira, boba etc. While I don't know the shelter manager in your case and certainly it's possible s/he was using it for personal enrichment just as many Western charities end up being run, .

I do know that Japan doesn't have a strong cultural basis for giving/ accepting one's old/ used things to another. It is seen as condescending and a little dirty and kimochi warui. Now you can say that's a waste, or not in keeping with the importance of recycling these days or make any judgement you want, but the reality is this is a different country than where you grew up and you need to acquire an understanding of it before you can operate effectively in it. And certainly before you can make any jumped-to conclusions that anyone is going to pay any mind.
Dubya at 10:45 AM JST - 1st November

Dating violence? Is that a new term? Why do they need shelter? Don't the victims already have a residence?
lunchmeat at 11:07 AM JST - 1st November

financially strapped

See what happens when the government gets involved?

It seems that the days when people used to take care of each other are about over.
bobbafett at 11:21 AM JST - 1st November

You don't seem to really understand Japan, kira, boba etc

and here is a mind the perpetuates Japans 3rd world mentality.
diggerdog at 11:28 AM JST - 1st November

well japanese laws have always been about keeping the rich rich, men in power, women subservient and the rights of companies. Laws to protect ordinary people and women come way down the list in order of importance. They may have fancy tvs and cars here but take that away and its not so different from anyother asian country. There isnt equality here or even basic human rights in some cases (refugees, child sex laws), so the fact that the government doesnt give a toss about women who get beaten up doesnt surprise me one bit. However if those women had 0.08g of crack then that would be a BIG deal and im sure everybody would step in then to take action.
mindovermatter at 11:34 AM JST - 1st November

Shelters for victims of dating violence

They actually have shelters for victims of Dating Violence...?

That's unbelievable... There are that many women that meet men once or twice and are victims of violence...?

Unless their use of the word "Dating," actually means Spouse....?

Maybe JT needs to re-check their translation...?
Miyaratmosphere at 12:08 PM JST - 1st November

well japanese laws have always been about keeping the rich rich, men in power, women subservient and the rights of companies. Laws to protect ordinary people and women come way down the list in order of importance. They may have fancy tvs and cars here but take that away and its not so different from anyother asian country. There isnt equality here or even basic human rights in some cases (refugees, child sex laws), so the fact that the government doesnt give a toss about women who get beaten up doesnt surprise me one bit. However if those women had 0.08g of crack then that would be a BIG deal and im sure everybody would step in then to take action.

Exactly. Very well put, diggerdog.
borscht at 01:08 PM JST - 1st November

lunchmeat

See what happens when the government gets involved?

Line one: Many privately run shelters

Subsequent line: Private shelters do not receive any subsidies from the government

courts cannot issue restraining orders to unmarried partners of people who suffer violence while they are dating

There are no laws in Japan that could apply to one unrelated person beating the crapola out of another unrelated person? Or is it the dating part that separates the judge from the shaft?
PepinGalarga at 01:22 PM JST - 1st November

It could be the facts themselves, or just translation error, but i thought that this article was quite peculiar.

This is a shelter, meaning that battered women that were in unmarried relationships could live there temporarily? Otherwise the term "shelter" is being applied incorrectly, unless in the exact case where a woman is being abused in the street and they run there as a safe house.

"dating" generally means (at least in the US) when people start to go out. If violence happens that early in Japan, then that's a serious problem. It generally means very little respect of men towards women, and handling them as objects.

In the US, and I am sure in other "advanced" countries, the term "domestic violence" is used, and no difference is given with regards to the marital status of those involved. Just ask Chris Brown.

Why does Japanese immigration authories seem to be so concerned with the criminal records of those foreigners wanting to enter Japan, when inside its own borders little is done to bring justice in far more serious crimes??
andrewtokyo at 05:05 PM JST - 1st November

Yes, as in all countries in the world, there is a lot of domestic violence in Japan too. For anyone interested in the severe problems faced by victims of domestic violence in Japan check out this report in April this year from Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley reports from Tokyo on the women who are speaking out about the problem.

http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/japanese-women-hit-back-at-domestic-abuse-25-apr-09/17189639

Althoug the report is well done well researched it seems to imply at the end that nothing is going to chance for a long time about the problem of domestic violence in Japan.

Here, as in any other country in the world historically, there has been domestic violence in all types of societies, not in the least of course in societies and cultures that have taken a sexist ('paternalistic') view that women were not as equal as men and could be beaten and suffer abuse at the hands of their husbands.

Now, thanks to the work of volunteer women's groups and activist lawyers in Japan who have worked hard against this problem of violence against women and children in their homes, the Japanese government enacted the Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims in 2001. This was the first official recognition by Japanese politicians and law makers in Japanese history that domestic violence is in fact a crime. As a first step it was an important recognition of the widespread problem of spousal violence against women in Japanese homes throughout Japan. However there was considerable criticism that the low financial fines on Japanese husbands who attack their wives and the limit of only 1 month long restraining orders on men who abused their wives and children did not go far enough to provide Japanese women with a credible degree of legal protection and safety from further violent attacks. The law was revised to some extent in 2004 but still met with criticism as not going far enough to protect the victims of domestic and also for not focusing on the men who are being violent toward their wives and children:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20041204f2.html

Amendments to the Domestic Violence Prevention Act were passed and became law in July 2007 but did not receive so much attention in the media as would have been desirable:

http://tokyocounseling.blog.com/4785391/

However more and more Japanese women are taking action in Japan and, like the women featured in the video above, are no longer to suffer without protest former generations have had to do without any effective legal protection. The following links are to articles on domestic violence and National Police Agency reports that have appeared in the media this year that show that modern Japanese women in 21st century Japan are standing up against violent husbands and using the existing laws to protect themselves and their children:

http://tokyocounseling.blog.com/4723531/

http://tokyocounseling.blog.com/4857497/

These brave women need and deserve stronger and even more effective legal protection for themselves and the children they are trying to protect from their own fathers hands. There needs also to be considerable public and national political will focused on providing Japanese wives and partners with safe emergency residences and legally protected abuse shelters. I think it is also of vital importance that serious decisions to provide and implement official funding to ensure that refuge and protection to all women who are suffering domestic violence of all forms.

Andrew Grimes Tokyo Counseling Services

http://tokyocounseling.com/english/

http://tokyocounseling.com/jp/

http://www.counselingjapan.com
kirakira25 at 05:06 PM JST - 1st November

@lowly - believe me, I understand Japan perfectly, and I don`t recall suggesting in my post that the manager was using the donated goods for profit or personal use. I simply said I was surprised that women who "flee in the night with their children with nothing more than the clothes on their back" are in a position to be so picky that they can afford to turn down genuine offers of help.

And by the way, over 50% of the women in that hostel were apparently not actually Japanese but "other Asians" and a scattering of westerners fleeing domestic violence from Japanese husbands.

I can also tell you that what you said about Japan`s lack of giving second-hand goods culture is not true. After offering to and being refused by the hostel, I sent everything down to my Japanese mother in law in Osaka who volunteers at a charity that helps single mothers. Over the last few years I have sent loads of second hand boys and girls clothes, toys and equipment, and she says they are all extremely gratefully received. She also keeps some things for her other grandchildren down there, and her friends grandchildren. They particularly like the western clothes I get from home and send down to them because of the style and quality - they think it is much better.

I would call that operating effectively, wouldn`t you??!
PepinGalarga at 09:20 PM JST - 1st November

Thanks Andrew for all that info.

It's a shame that Japan uses the "abusive foreign husband" fairy tale as an excuse to not sign the Hague convention on child abductions.

It seems like in the great majority (meaning more often than demographic statistics would predict) of cases the "abusive husband" is a local guy.

I do think though, that there are other cultures out there where spousal abuse is much worse than in Japan.
whatsgoinon at 02:03 PM JST - 2nd November

First, thank you Andrew for all of your well researched information. I'll check the sites you referred to.

I noticed that some people seem to be confused as to why shelters would offer support to women who are in dating relationships. First, common-law relationships are not legally recognized in Japan, so a "dating relationship" could also include relationships where people live together. Second, shelters in other countries also admit and provide support to women who are in dating relationships. The criteria for admission is based on need for safey. Often people who are not living together are not safe in their current living situations and therefore still require a safe place to stay. Support can also be in the form of counselling, and people in dating relationships often need some kind of counselling support to assist with dealing with their situation/ ending it safely, explaining options, etc.

Shelters also tend to be careful about what donations they can and cannot accept based on storage capacity of the shelter. Many shelters simply cannot store large items such as strollers. Re: clothes, most shelters also prefer new clothes, but some accept things like pjs if they are in good condition. Again, it's about storage. Many shelters have agreements with second hand shops for their clients. As more and more second hand shops open in Japan, I hope the shelters here will also begin to ask people to pass donations on to these shops and agreements will be made between shops and shelters. However, the agreements in my home country tend to be with non-profit thrift shops and I don't know if those exist here.
whatsgoinon at 02:12 PM JST - 2nd November

I appologize. Apparently my computer malfuntioned and I can't seem to erase the extra copies of my posting. If anyone knows, how, i would be happy to fix this problem.