Haraguchi positive on granting foreigners local voting rights

Friday 09th October, 06:11 AM JST

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flatearther at 08:10 AM JST - 9th October

Suffrage is the right to vote, and I highly doubt any P.R's will be legally running for office, ever. Even the U.S doesn't allow that, so it would be a cold day in hell when Japan allows it.
HonestDictator at 08:27 AM JST - 9th October

The US does allow naturalized citizens to run for public office as far as local and some state offices as long as they meet certain requirements (Usually duration of permanent residence and activity in the country). Just not for federal government positions.

Japan needs to make sure that PR voters have maintained permanent residency in their country for at least 6(minimum?)-10 years before being allowed to vote in local elections. If the Japanese government improves in maturity and real politics, then 10+ year PRs should be allowed to run for positions to local government offices (Excluding national government of course).
KallyPygous at 08:31 AM JST - 9th October

If people take Japanese citizenship they should have the right to vote. If they don't, if they are just permanent residents, they shouldn't. Simple.
LFRAgain at 08:33 AM JST - 9th October

They take our taxes and force us to pay into a pension system many of us will in all likelihood never use, so yeah, perhaps some voting rights are in order.

On the broader canvas, Japan has to make some serious decisions about how it views its foreign population in light of the dropping population. Does Japan continue to alienate, use, and abuse foreign residents to make up for financial and workforce shortfalls that the native population seems unable or unwilling to fix? Or does it find a more open and cooperative path to immigrants in Japan?

Truth be told, I'm not expecting any sudden epiphanies any time soon.

P.S. - shugotokumaru,

I believe "suffrage," at least by the English translation, specifically speaks only to the right to vote. It doesn't address the matter of being eligible to run for public office.
noborito at 08:37 AM JST - 9th October

"just permanent residents" You've got to be kidding me. It is the same thing as a Green Card in America. And with a green card you can vote in every election except for President.
Ninjazilla at 09:00 AM JST - 9th October

about time
shugotokumaru at 09:44 AM JST - 9th October

Yeah, I think you're all right that suffrage is just the right to vote；my mistake.

What interests me here, though, is that the term being used in Japanese is "参政権," which, according to my dictionaries and the meaning of the characters, simply means "participation in politics."

If they simply meant voting rights, I would assume they'd use "選挙権," but I haven't heard any authority address whether this possible change in policy might allow foreign permanent residents to run in local elections.

If such residents really will be allowed to run as well as vote, I think a more accurate term than "voting rights" ought to be used.
hirobito at 10:41 AM JST - 9th October

I think that, unfortunately, the voting rights will only be given to the zainichi PR similar, coversely, to their exclusion from fingerprinting while other PR are subjected to this indignity. According to the article, Hatoyama is going to korea to discuss the matter of voting rights. That is very telling.
2020hindsight at 10:57 AM JST - 9th October

KallyPygous

If people take Japanese citizenship they should have the right to vote. If they don't, if they are just permanent residents, they shouldn't. Simple.

What's simple about that? Any Tom, Dick and Harry can get Citizenship after 5 years, but it takes 10 years (without a spouse) to get PR. It shows a commitment to the country. Many wetsern countries in this world give voting rights to PRs. To tell the truth, the locals here seem to be completely uninterested in politics. Some western guidance should be welcome.

However as hirobito mentioned, this is probably intended for zainich PR.
shugotokumaru at 11:23 AM JST - 9th October

This is indeed an issue largely pushed by the Zainichi community, from whose point of view having no right to vote is particularly absurd. While the Zainichi groups have a lot of clout and are the only reason this is even on the table, they also inspire opposition in many of the right-wing politicians through whom this will have to go.
LFRAgain at 01:14 PM JST - 9th October

2020hindsight

"Citizenship after 5 years, but it takes 10 years (without a spouse) to get PR."

I could be wrong, but I think you've got that backward. I've always understood that it takes more time to get citizenship than PR status.
nigelboy at 01:42 AM JST - 10th October

They take our taxes and force us to pay into a pension system many of us will in all likelihood never use, so yeah, perhaps some voting rights are in order.

Lame reasoning. Japanese nationals residing overseas are mostly not exempt from such social tax. For instance, Japanese nationals residing in U.S.(駐在員） have their Medicare deducted from their salaries even though 99.9% will never stay there to use it.

On the broader canvas, Japan has to make some serious decisions about how it views its foreign population in light of the dropping population. Does Japan continue to alienate, use, and abuse foreign residents to make up for financial and workforce shortfalls that the native population seems unable or unwilling to fix? Or does it find a more open and cooperative path to immigrants in Japan?

By simply "increasing" the foreign population, you're only compounding the root of the problem because the foreign population will eventually grow older as well. Consider it as a new credit card you receive in the mail. It's great that you could charge another $5 grand but it's going to cost you a lot more to pay it back.
LFRAgain at 03:49 AM JST - 10th October

nigelboy,

Japanese nationals residing overseas are mostly not exempt from such social tax.

Japanese nationals paying for Social Security that they will never benefit from in the United States doesn't make it any more palatable or any more correct here in Japan, particularly for permanent residents.

By simply "increasing" the foreign population, you're only compounding the root of the problem . . . "

No one ever said it was matter of simply "increasing the foreigner population." Only you suggested as such. Also, you're ignoring the very same point you made in your "99.9%" argument about just how many foreigners actually stay in a foreign country to benefit from, much less create an added burden on, a given social infrastructure. There's no reason why the same rational wouldn't appply to foreign nationals living in Japan. Their impact on the social system would be negligible.

Lame justification.
nigelboy at 05:58 AM JST - 10th October

Japanese nationals paying for Social Security that they will never benefit from in the United States doesn't make it any more palatable or any more correct here in Japan, particularly for permanent residents.

No. The point I was making is that social tax payment is the duty of the residents which they reside in whether or not that particular resident has any intention of remaining in that state/prov/district.

It's ironic that the national pension was strictly for Japanese nationals for many years only until the permant residents (mostly Zainichi) pentitioned to apply to all residents. And now, your argument is that "(they) **force us **to pay into a pension system many of us will in all likelihood never use, so yeah, perhaps some voting rights are in order."

No one ever said it was matter of simply "increasing the foreigner population."

My bad. I mistakenly interpreted the last part of your paragraph.

Also, you're ignoring the very same point you made in your "99.9%" argument about just how many foreigners actually stay in a foreign country to benefit from, much less create an added burden on, a given social infrastructure. There's no reason why the same rational wouldn't appply to foreign nationals living in Japan. Their impact on the social system would be negligible.

I believe that a difference of an average 3 year Chuzaiin versus that of let's say Nikkei Brazilians who fills the "workforce shortfalls that the native population seems unable or unwilling to fix" are night and day don't you think?

The recent slump in the manufacturing sector indicates just how much the social cost burden increased in some municipalities with foreign population.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/lifestyle/090303/sty0903031809001-n1.htm

In this article, it indicates that 20% of social welfare applicants are of foreigners in Hamamatsu. Not only that, cities like Hammatsu are also conducting Japanese classes and even driving schools for Nikkei's.

In any case, I like the current Japanese system of drawing a clear line. Either you're a citizen of Japan or you are not a citizen of Japan and that permanent residency is not a right but a "permission" (許可）　By introducing another exemption, you're basically bound to grant another exemption in the future.
Rodney_King at 12:40 PM JST - 10th October

Some foreigners dreams:

Today: voting rights

Tomorrow: eligibility

Day after tomorrow: creating own political party for more power to white foreigners and for more control of Japan by foreigners.