Ainu group to ask for new law to improve livelihood

Tuesday 16th September, 08:53 AM JST

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11 Comments

Nessie at 10:38 AM JST - 16th September

The proposed legislation calls for larger educational support, pension payments and health insurance benefits to be given to those who have been officially recognized as Ainu regardless of where they live.

Pension benefits are through work, right? What does being Ainu have to do with needing or deserving larger pensions? I'm not getting the connection here.

It would make more sense for Ainu to opt out of the pension system and have a reserve to pursue the traditional livlihood that the ethnic Japanese deprived them of. But I guess that would mean giving up hi-def TV, so it's not an option.
franz75 at 11:21 AM JST - 16th September

build casinos on your lands.

that worked for others.
timeon at 12:33 PM JST - 16th September

franz, casinos are illegal here. but pachinko should do the trick, assuming they can beat the North Koreans to it I don't know exactly what larger educational support means, but I assume it's some classes in their language, and about their culture, history and so? I agree with pension payments and health insurance benefits, as long as they agree with paying higher taxes. fair deal
mikihouse at 03:45 PM JST - 16th September

these people are getting smart eh? you help them a bit, they want more, you give them more, they want everything. Why would they be given special benefits just because they are Ainus?
Freespeech at 05:18 PM JST - 16th September

Consternation reading the preceding posts... Clearly, US citizens blind to what took place in their own country and knowing nothing of life outside of economic liberism.

The Ainu are going to have their "Bureau of Ainu Affairs", not at all a useless institution but not sufficient.

I advise them to send fact finding mission in North America to study what was done and not done there and get some inspiration out of it ; of particular interest to them will be a visit to Quebec province in Canada.
Nessie at 05:41 PM JST - 16th September

Why would they be given special benefits just because they are Ainus?

Because they were given special deprivations just because they were Ainue.
taintus at 11:20 PM JST - 16th September

Freespeech and Nessie,

Thanks for your comments. . .I had almost lost hope after reading the earlier comments.

I find similar resistance to economic and other assistance for rural villagers in Japan. I'm currently conducting research in a small Japanese village that is surrounded by national forest, meaning residents have not had control of local resources for many years.

The assumptions of economic liberalism in Japan are combining with assumptions of homogeneity--cultural, social, and economic--as political and economic power continue to shift to the urban cores. More power to the Ainu fighting for recognition and rights. . .their ability to define a separate identity to the larger Japanese national identity is beneficial in this case (others in Japan are not so lucky).

Check out my blog "In the Pines" (http://www.otakimura.blogspot.com) for more on Otaki, the village where I live and work.
Freespeech at 03:54 AM JST - 17th September

Taintus, the world needs more people like you ! As far as the Ainu problem is concerned : this thread of discussion has been open for a couple of days, it has already been relegated where only the truly concerned people can find it, and all in all we have 7 comments...
OssanULTRA at 06:42 AM JST - 17th September

It's rather hard for an American to comment on what Japan "should or should not do" for their aboriginal people. In fact the same applies to a great great many nationalties.
Nessie at 03:36 PM JST - 17th September

I find similar resistance to economic and other assistance for rural villagers in Japan. I'm currently conducting research in a small Japanese village that is surrounded by national forest, meaning residents have not had control of local resources for many years.

My question is about whether the pension system is the appropriate mechanism for such assistance.

(Wow, Otaki! It's tiny. But nice.)
Nessie at 03:38 PM JST - 17th September

I find similar resistance to economic and other assistance for rural villagers in Japan.

Why should rural villagers get special assistance?

And I doubt that having control over a local forest means much economically, since the cost of producing lumber in Japan is much higher than for importing lumber. Unless you want a fortress-Japan-style tarrif regime.