Ozawa positive about granting foreigners local voting rights

Sunday 20th September, 05:29 AM JST

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cow76 at 09:37 PM JST - 20th September

59 countries allow foreigners to vote (to varying degrees but a lot of them allow more voting rights than Japan are proposing).

Here's a handy link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rightofforeignerstovote
cow76 at 09:39 PM JST - 20th September

And I see that link isn't working despite a direct cut and paste. Sorry. I found it by typing 'which countries allow foreigners to vote' into google. The Wikipedia link will be very near the top of the search results.
UnagiDon at 09:42 PM JST - 20th September

foreign born residents who live in Japan for several years (maybe min. 5), pay all their taxes etc deserve to have a vote and a say in how they are governed

So long as they are Permanent Residents, I would agree, but I've never bought the argument that paying taxes should give a say in how a country or municipality is run unless you have taken the step of showing that you're intent on staying, i.e. permanent residency. Don't give this right to anyone with a gaijin card, and in particular DO give it to the Koreans who have been living in Japan for generations.
Badge213 at 10:53 PM JST - 20th September

In the US you really only need to be a resident with an address to vote.

Uh you need to double check your facts, and individual national, state and local statutes when it comes to elections.

Federal Elections you must be a citizen. Many many state elections you must be a citizen. Usually its a few scattered local elections where non citizens are allowed to vote in elections.
Badge213 at 10:57 PM JST - 20th September

If I recall a lot of these long term south koreans and chinese have an option of becoming Japanese through the standard naturalization process, and they have a good chance of getting naturalized Japanese, but many of them opt not to anyway.
Weasel at 12:14 AM JST - 21st September

In the US you really only need to be a resident with an address to vote

Uh, don't think so...unless you're talking about folks who were born prior to the late 19th century? All states in the US now require you be a US citizen either a naturalization or by birth to participate in elections. Permanent residents are generally not permitted to vote in either local, state, or federal elections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RightofforeignerstovoteintheUnitedStates
Suzu1 at 01:23 AM JST - 21st September

The government should allow Japanese citizens living overseas to vote by mail or other means that don't require a visit to a Japanese embassy or consulate.
In the US you have to be a citizen to legally register to vote, but that is rarely enforced. At naturalization ceremonies the newly naturalized citizens are encouraged to vote and voter registration forms are distributed. I know this from firsthand experience.
TokyoLurker at 02:31 AM JST - 21st September

under proposal, because they always want to suppress all rights to foreigners, as much as possible.
harmoneeikaiwa at 03:36 AM JST - 21st September

Those so called "different nationality" groups born in Japan but claiming some other passports need to stand up and be counted as in "I am a Japanese. And I can keep the name I was given too." Only then will real change take place instead of lip service.
HonestDictator at 06:54 AM JST - 21st September

Only way to get this to reasonable is to allow any person that has permanant residency or Japanese citizenship and has to have lived in Japan for a significant amount of time 6-10 years. That would be a good requirement IMO.
sharky1 at 07:00 AM JST - 21st September

I think this is a great idea. It's not so much that I want to try to tell Japan how to run their country, but I would like to have a say on issues that directly affect me and my business.
tatainw at 04:55 PM JST - 21st September

To those who complained about being taken finger prints,

Not only in Japan, US Permanent residents are taken fingerprints, not A finger print but all.
seijichuudo9sha at 12:21 AM JST - 22nd September

Ozawa. I never completely trusted this guy but on this issue he is stealing Komeito's thunder and making it harder for those theocrat nutters to regain a foothold in J-politics.

Good move I say.
knowitall at 01:01 PM JST - 24th September

The government should allow Japanese citizens living overseas to vote by mail or other means that don't require a visit to a Japanese embassy or consulate.

Japanese can vote by mail. Your information is quite outdated. If you doubt me, ask the Foreign Ministry. www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/senkyo/vote2.html

Those so called "different nationality" groups born in Japan but claiming some other passports need to stand up and be counted as in "I am a Japanese. And I can keep the name I was given too."

Japan doesn't allow dual nationality for adults. Therefore, they cannot claim to be Japanese without naturalizing. In that case, they can keep their name, it just has to be written in Kanji, Katakana, or Hiragana. Sorry, no latin alphabet names allowed in the family register. Stand up, sit down, jump in place... it makes no difference unless the law is changed to allow dual nationality.
smithinjapan at 11:43 PM JST - 25th September

UnagiDon: "So long as they are Permanent Residents, I would agree, but I've never bought the argument that paying taxes should give a say in how a country or municipality is run unless you have taken the step of showing that you're intent on staying, i.e. permanent residency. Don't give this right to anyone with a gaijin card, and in particular DO give it to the Koreans who have been living in Japan for generations."

We are 100% on the same wavelength this time. Paying taxes shouldn't give you the right to vote unless it's been for a prolonged period of time. I've spent more than a third of my life here, paid HEAPS of taxes in many forms, and it seems silly to me that I can't vote even at the municipal level for a person who is going to choose where my money goes. People with special residency, permanent residency, and perhaps have been here long enough and paid enough (and have no immediate plans to leave) to have 'qualified' for the vote should be able to do so.