Jobless foreigners of Japanese ancestry given cash to go home

Wednesday 01st April, 03:42 AM JST

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ANOTSUSAGAMI at 12:43 AM JST - 2nd April

Are people forgetting that this option has racist stipulations? What about the African or the German who is now jobless and in the same situation as those foreign Japanese? Are they just SOL? Even though the great Koizumi system screwed them too out of jobs and benefits, they can't take the option because they're not the right race? Just too bad, huh?
Sabugo at 04:11 AM JST - 2nd April

For the non-japanese bloodied foreigners is hard to figure that most of these japanese descendants feel like they are japanese. Some bougt estates, gave just japanese education to their children dreaming to build a life in Japan and now the japanese government show then some sad reality. The sons and grandsons of japanese national are gaijin, foreigner, NOT japanese. Those who are used or have some knowledgement about the japanese culture probably understand with more ease what "us" means to the japanese psyche and these japanese descendants too. When I lived in Japan, I aways keept in my mind that besides being a japanese's son, I was a foreigner out there. But some those people don't feel like that, they had the illusion that they were part of Japan, they felt like japanese living in Brazil. Many japanese descendants kept the japanese culture, even they were born in a foreign country and spend their entire life there and never go to Japan. And now the japanese government say "there's some money, go back to your home. this is not your place, this is not your home." That's the reality and it's cruel to the people who had the illusion that they were japanese. They are just foreigners, like any other gaijin.
NeoJamal at 06:26 AM JST - 2nd April

absolutely terrible. bribe money to piss off basically

Absolutely right, they deserve none.
davidcho at 07:23 AM JST - 2nd April

Sad!
Arkamedes at 09:29 AM JST - 2nd April

The government will give 300,000 yen to an unemployed foreigner of Japanese ancestry who wishes to leave the country, and 200,000 each to family members, the ministry said. But they must forgo returning to Japan. The budget for the aid is still undecided, it said.

so that means they have a choice though. its says if they wish to leave
nurse13 at 10:17 AM JST - 2nd April

Hmmm...I don't know what to make of this.
Arkamedes at 10:49 AM JST - 2nd April

if i was unemployed in japan (which has to suck by the way) and the japanese government offered me cash and my family cash to leave back to where i came from. id take it. {!!What the exchange rate from yen to nuevo sols!!}.. i think you would get like 9600.00 to 9700.00 Nuevo sols for $3000 american money which is like 300000 yen. you would be like pretty rich going home with like 2 kids and a wife. And then your experience will get you a job or something... I'd get on it. blast struggling in japan. all of this over priced everything... id miss the food though:(
GnosisEssene at 08:18 PM JST - 2nd April

Not only Japan but the whole world would do the same, in order to protect their people from unemployment once the bearable percentage-border has been crossed.
LostinNagoya at 01:16 PM JST - 3rd April

I think most of you are being way too dramatic on this. I work for a school that has students from different nationalities, so I have the chance to interact with different points of view. So I may say that there are a lot of Brazilians who are are really facing a bad time here in Japan, but those are the ones that decided to think of themselves as ¨Japanese¨, and bought homes, cars or married a Jap national. These are the ones making the news, the ones you are talking about here in JT. But there is a much larger majority of Brazilians who are just happy to have gotten all the money they could from Japan, to return home. And by what they say, the crisis they are facing in South America is carnival in comparison to what is happening in US and Japan. So, do not feel sad for these guys. In my school they are the happier ones, the ones that really laugh and yes, they are going to take the money offered, no problems - Japan is past for most of them. Future is South America, US and Europe.
Kalinikos at 03:46 PM JST - 3rd April

LostinNagoya:

I agree with you on some points, but i dont make sure this offer from Japanese Government will grow up...!

There are a "GET RESIDENT VISA" in this plan...!

By the way, this proposal from government isnt a forced repatriation (YET)...!

The Japanese Government should try another kind of proposal for his descendants...!

I bet lower than 5% of the total of immigrants will get this offer...!
greentea3 at 04:22 AM JST - 5th April

id much rather go back to south america!
rogerbentham at 07:56 AM JST - 5th April

wow. people of Japanese ancestry aren't Japanese? crazy.
SmithUS at 11:03 AM JST - 6th April

It's something that I figure people or especially Americans don't understand about race in Japan. Unlike in other countries, race/ethnicity isn't the most important issue when it comes to marking difference. In Japan culture and identity matter as much as ethnicity/race. How you speak, how you behave, where you were raised, whom you can be identified with. Anything that can mark you as different will be scrutinized.

Yeah if you are an American or Brazilian of 100% ethnic Japanese ancestry, you will face as much discrimination as any other foreigner or maybe even more discrimination in instances where non Asian foreigners at least have special privileges for being exotic or idealized as authentic westerners. Unless you're an attractive girl or you possess a unique and valuable skill, I'm not sure what advantage a Japanese ancestry will provide if you're a foreigner. They already have millions of average Japanese in Japan.

This goes for all foreigners, Japanese descent or not. The ones who desire to be viewed as Japanese will have the most problems. And the ones who just try to enjoy their temporary stay in Japan before they return home will be the most happy.
nurse13 at 04:41 PM JST - 6th April

SmithUS, I somewhat understand your point of view. However, lack of understanding about race in Japan isn’t only excluded to Americans. From studying the Japanese culture, I can understand the reasons behind most Japanese people’s action.
tokyocrawler at 05:34 PM JST - 7th April

People are getting way to hung up on race and identity here, get over yourselves. The world is about what you can do yourself,what you can offer. dont expect this or that from someone out there,make your own way yourself!

This is a generous response to handle an economic situtaion. The Spanish government is doing the same for South American workers stuck...stuck...because EVERYONE is in economic dificulty now

the one thing is that they arent allowed back in under the same status..so what happens a year or 2 later when they need the experienced workers back again??....at least stop it only temporarily would be better

complaining about Japanese attitudes to foreigners or ancestors gets you nowhere. We all know Japan is an insular country. Find your own path in amongst it or go elsewhere.