PM suggests giving foreigners local voting rights in near future

Friday 23rd October, 08:03 AM JST

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Junnama at 06:00 PM JST - 23rd October

"Blood lines" and not "place of birth" as a standard of citizenship if not unique to Japan...
Junnama at 06:01 PM JST - 23rd October

Oops, ""Blood lines" and not "place of birth" as a standard of citizenship is not unique to Japan..."
mareo2 at 06:32 PM JST - 23rd October

Well, I think that these is the first step for real community integration. Then if someone complain about the local gov I can say "did you voted?" if the answer is "No" I can say, "then shat up".
ca1ic0cat at 08:52 PM JST - 23rd October

This is nuts. Unless you are going to put in the effort to become a citizen why should you expect to be able to vote? What vested interest in the future of the community have you demonstrated? Or are you going to high-tail it back home at the first sign of trouble?
Simon_Foston at 10:14 PM JST - 23rd October

Unless you are going to put in the effort to become a citizen why should you expect to be able to vote?

Effort? What effort? What do people who want to become naturalized citizens do that permanent residents don't, except fill out some extra paperwork and jump through more bureaucratic hurdles? As for demonstrating a vested interest in the community, isn't getting a job, getting married, having kids and paying taxes enough? There are PRs who are more passionate about and committed to the welfare of the country they live in than some of the citizens who were born here.
timtak at 10:53 PM JST - 23rd October

terebiko. Thank you, yes. I remember. Marutei Tsurunen is guy from Finland. He is an elected official in the House of Councillors (sanin). http://homepage2.nifty.com/yugatsuru/ But I am still not naturalised. I wondered if I could stand for local office if my permanent residence application comes through, and Hatoyama gives permanent residents the vote in local elections.

taiko666. Likewise, thank you. That is interesting. One can become PM if one takes Japanese nationality. Arnold Schwarzenegger can not become President of the USA without a constitutional amendment because is naturalised.
WMD at 11:52 PM JST - 23rd October

Well this is to be warmly welcomed if, in fact, it actually happens. Of course PRs should be able to vote locally. As for those PRs against, well, just refuse to exercise your vote. I hope next they will look at Dual Nationality which normal countries allow.
pathat at 04:51 AM JST - 24th October

Simon Foston wrote:

"There are PRs who are more passionate about and committed to the welfare of the country they live in than some of the citizens who were born here."

Spot on.
sharky1 at 05:58 AM JST - 24th October

Would be a welcome change in that we can have a say in issues that directly affect us locally.
seijichuudo9sha at 05:42 PM JST - 24th October

Politically, this is a brilliant move.It steals away the little thunder that the loser Komeito Party once had. Now they will be really insignificant. That leaves them and their SG supporters more time for chanting and playing zombie. ;)
Blue_Tiger at 08:09 PM JST - 24th October

This would not be a good thing for Japan. Giving voting rights to non-citizens - even in a limited, local sphere - would open up a Pandora's Box tyhat would be near-impossible to close....
Simon_Foston at 11:37 PM JST - 25th October

This would not be a good thing for Japan. Giving voting rights to non-citizens - even in a limited, local sphere - would open up a Pandora's Box tyhat would be near-impossible to close....

And what kind of terrible things do you think would come out of this Pandora's Box?
BigInJapan at 12:10 PM JST - 27th October

This would not be a good thing for Japan. Giving voting rights to non-citizens - even in a limited, local sphere - would open up a Pandora's Box tyhat would be near-impossible to close....

Pandora's Box? It sounds more like "let women and the black vote at least sometimes". It is not Pandora's Box, it is just democracy that you let vote the minorities even if you dont give them citizenship.
combinibento at 01:13 PM JST - 27th October

In 50 years' time, when Japan is perhaps only a decade or so behind the socially civilized world, I hope the following applies:

Anyone born here gets to vote; Anyone that is a citizen gets the right to vote; and The word "election" will no longer be mispronounced as "erection."
lincolnlklim at 10:12 PM JST - 27th October

In a democratic country, government are hired to protect the hirers. Therefore, anybody who pays the wages of the government should have a right to choose who to hire. Simple business rationale. In contrast, in a non-democratic country, the government claimed the rights to be the master of the land (not unlike gangsters who fought to win claims to their territory)and the citizens are mere slaves who have to pay tributes to their masters. Therefore, my conclusion is that Hatoyama DPJ calls to give foreign taxpayers voting rights is in line with democratic ideals whereas LDP mentality is still of master-servant relationship.