yet Akihabara knife shop with “Japanese Only” sign up

Akihabara stabbing incident June 8, 2008–yet Akihabara knife shop with “Japanese Only” sign up
Mr Arudou, Just call the shop and ask what it means. Don't be Japanophobia
I did.
The shop answered very politely,
"it means the shop sells the goods to foreingers, but the foreigners carrying weapon will be checked at the airport and the weapon will taken away
by the authority.If someone tells the shop how to say it in English, the shop is willing to change the sign."

I am not sure the above is right translation. Mr Arudou, why don't you call the shop and tell it how to say it in English.
Even Mr Arudo, a long time resident in Japan, cannot write Japanese, and I am not sure the translation is right.

The shop is willing to receive the commment; you are not.

Voices surpressed on Debito org

４１
Stevie Says:
May 29th, 2008 at 11:42 pm

Hello LB.

“Shodoman’s (and others’) claim that Japan’s legal system is not accountable and enables torture is, demonstrably, wrong.”

Could you demonstrate it for us please?

For some reason Mr Arudo blocked the following LB's respond

The Shibushi Jiken
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/志布志事件
Or just google "志布志事件", or 鹿児島事件（Kagoshima Jiken, 鹿児島選挙違反事件（Kagoshima Senkyo Ihan Jiken) or 鹿児島県議選買収事件（Kagoshima-ken Gisen Baishuu　Jiken.

There is an entire blog devoted to the issue, with case stories of the
judiciary in various parts of the country penalizing the police or
prosecutors for overstepping their bounds:
http://blog.kashika-suishin.com/

For example, go to the archive for September 2007 and click on the first　two stories that pop up.

These only took a few minutes to find, and I know for a fact there are　more cases like these out there (unfortunately). The point is, the　legal system does NOT give the police carte blanche to do whatever they　want, and WILL pass a decision against them if they abuse their powers.
See the comment section

Instead Mr Arudo allowed the following comment.

45 Si Says:
May 31st, 2008 at 11:06 am

LB are you being deliberately obtuse? The very reason this site exists and contains a large number of people with a similar mindset to how Japanese treats its foreign guests should be sufficient to assert the assumption that Japan rarely plays nice when it comes to non-Japanese. I notice you quoted one or two cases where wrongly accused came to justice, and you are using that as a basis for an argument. Do you not think it is ridiculous to do so? Consider for a moment how many cases go unmissed, how much corruption there is in Japan, how the Japanese mindset will instantly shift all blame and guilt and tuck it away where it will be found years later, if it is even found at all.
Are you honestly under the impression that Japan is at all easy for foreigners to live without hassle and discrimination? Why do you bother even to post here?

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that its extremely likely our Japanese guy here wasn’t thinking straight because foreigners are not people. In all my years of living in Japan I have seen ’stupid’ actions comitted by Japanese towards foreigners because they do not think we are the same as Japanese people. I imagine the person who planted it was unable to comprehend he was doing anything wrong because it was “only gaijin” - and not in a malicious way but simply in an oblivious one.

“…Japan’s legal system is not accountable and enables torture is, demonstrably, wrong.”

Yeah, I think you are just trolling for attention now…

Mr Arudou's moderation policy seems clear. But I leave the judgement to the readership.

BTW in this regard it might be amazing to note Mr Arudo's what seems to be hysterical ressponse to HO on another post.

５ Mark in Yayoi Says:
May 29th, 2008 at 6:43 pm

HO, very helpful post!

Amir, have you made retroactive contributions for your preiod as a student? How are they calculated (if you have no income)? I’d like to do this as I was here as a student for half a year, and then worked for a company for one year, without participating in the plan. Since I’ll need to collect this in my old age.

And does anyone know which countries now have bilateral pension treaties with Japan? My company tells me that the US now does, so I don’t have to worry about losing all my contributions if I move back there.

6HO
Says:
May 30th, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Mark, this page might help you.
http://www.sia.go.jp/e/ag.html

–HO, you’re doing it again. Stoppit. Stop just sending us links without telling the rest of us what they’re for.

Well, the link is written in English.

To tornadoes28 on Debito org

tornadoes28 Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 12:02 am
The article only states that the customs officials asked for it to be returned if found? If this happened in the US, the article would always state that officials are conducting an investigation into what happened or are taking measures to prevent it from happeneing or even that they will discontinue this type of exercise.

Apparantly not in Japan. the only statement from customs is “please return it”.

Let me answer your question. And since he blocks my comment, I'll write it here.

Customs lose hash stash planted in traveler's luggage to train sniffer dogs


NARITA -- Customs officials have lost 124 grams of hashish they planted in an unknowing traveler's luggage to train drug sniffing dogs, the head of Narita Customs said Monday.

Customs officials are banned from using travelers' luggage for training practices, but one worker said it was common practice.

"We want to improve the sniffer dogs' ability, so we have practiced this way several times in the past," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Manpei Tanaka, head of Customs' Narita branch, apologized for the incident.

"It's extremely regrettable that we have invited this sort of situation on ourselves. We will investigate the facts behind the case, provide thorough training and deal strictly with those involved," Tanaka said.

Customs said the hash was stored in a metal container stuffed into the pocket of a soft, black suitcase belonging to one of 283 passengers traveling on Cathay Pacific Flight 520 from Hong Kong to Narita, which arrived at 3:31 p.m. on Sunday. The owner of the suitcase is unknown and passengers were not informed that their luggage would be used to train the drug-seeking dogs.

Customs officials said four customs officials had two sniffer dogs working a luggage conveyor at Narita, but neither was able to find the drugs. Police are asking passengers on the flight about the missing drugs.

Customs regulations require customs officials to prepare luggage for training exercises like the one carried out on Sunday and specifically ban travelers' baggage from being used.(Mainichi Japan) May 26, 2008

Does that answer your question?
(If you feel this is not specified enough, give me some examples from the U.S.articles which will answer your question.)

Actually if you can read Japanese, and if you look at LB's post, I suppose you didn't ask these questions, because they have answered your question.
Mr Arudou, for some reason, didn't translate them for you despite your question.

I am a bit surprised that somebody read Mr Arudou's articles at face value and I am a bit disappointed that somebody jumps to the conclusion based on Mr Arudos post alone.


What this customs official did was unforgivable.

But I am inclined to agree with LB, I wonder how Mr Arudou's conspiracy theory holds.
Notice Mr Arudou wrote his article based on CNN's article alone. The CNN article does not mention Cathay Pacific Flight.In other words, the CNN article does not give any clue as for whether the custom officer intentionally chose foreigner's suitcase. And yet he concluded the custom officers used foreigners as Guinea Pig . It was purely his speculation.
Now later it turned out the flight was Cathay Pacific. Does it follow that passengers were foreigners? Sure there might be foreigners, but I guess a Cathay Pacific flight from and to Tokyo is also filled with Japanese businessmen.
So far there is no reasonable ground to infer that the customs officer intentionally selected a foreigner's bag.
So Mr Arudou has drawn his conclusion based on his bias.

Mark in Yayoi says

Baggage usually has a label on it indicating the owner.

But　if the he knew the label, it must have been much easier to find out the passenger. But the fact is that Tokyo customs office got contact with 283 passenger who were on board to find out the luggage.(ANN News on Japan probe(Incidentally notice nobody holds the conspiracy theory on Japan Probe))

Mark in yayoi also says

It’s inconceivable that the customs official didn’t have some idea that their free training dummy was non-Japanese.

It's inconceivable either that the customs official didn't have some idea that their free training dummy was Japanese.Because there must have been many passengers, Japanese and non-Japanese. Rather it is most likely he didn't think of nationality when he put a bag of marijuana in the luggage.

Is itcommon practice in USA that a customs official set a foreigner up by putting a bag of marijuana in a suitcase? Is that why they hold such a conspiracy theory?

Mr Arudou, is it another liar? why?

33 Rob Johnson
Says:
December 17th, 2007 at 12:54 am

Hello,
I’m the director of the foreign language division in the Minato Board Of Education.I’ve followed this story with great dismay and will report this situation to all of the PTA presidents for each elementary and junior high school in Minato-ku.

　Mr Arudou, do you remember the Ballet school you accused of as "no foreigner" 　Ballet school in Azabu,? ---you had people blame the school by e-mails and later after it turned out it accepted foreign students but rejected the foreign girl because the class was full, you changed the title without notice to the unproblematic one, but still boasted of " STARING DOWN AN EXCLUSIONARY BALLET SCHOOL IN TOKYO. Yep, that post, do you remember?
I want to point out another liar in your comment section.

　Mypost about another error on your blog, which you have blocked, was honored to be linked by a blog. It reminded me of the comment above.
A Japanese person who felt fishy about the comment checked if there was such a division and such a person with the Minato board of Education. The answer was no.
I have also checked the site
and called the Minato board of Education and confirmed there was no such division as he mentioned. And the staffs of the division related to international students were Japanese.

Mr. Arudou, Why do you approve of the liar's comments but reject the comments revealing their lies?
And why does your blog have people who pretend to be the person concerned himself ,telling lies while supporting your posts? This is not the first time, isn't it?

Or is Rob Johnson for real? You are supposed to have his e-mail address, and you can also call Minato board of Education to check. It IS easy.

Anyway, if you start accepting my comments, let me know. You have my e-mail address, and you can write down on my blog here.

It is ironical your blog is exclusioary.
(How many times have you rejected Japanese comments?)
:The comment has been blocked

A letter to the publisher of THE EAST

Debito org

Hello
I have seen your comment on Debito org.
http://www.debito.org/index.php/?p=1649#comment-153157
His blog is notorious for its inaccuracy and suppressing opposing opinions.
Check the following articles and the comment sections.
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/01/31/japan-letters-from-the-prision/
http://ampontan.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/the-rights-crusader-who-doesnt-understand-rights/
http://www.occidentalism.org/?p=829
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=3775
I have been protesting Mr. Arudou to check the facts when he publishes articles.
My comments has been blocked.
http://pontasmemorandum.blogspot.com/
In an extreme case, the human right of the alleged rape victim was violated by his blog, but he has never issued an apology.
Please check the authenticity of his information on his blog and publish his articles at your own risk.
Ponta.

Mr Arudou, "the Japanese police System Today" tells a different story

Arudou Debito
:The comment has been blocked

Oliver Says
April 17th, 2008 at 9:14 am



Mark, I think you are right about policemen having no foreign friends. I wonder how often they make a trip abroad, or even a bit further away. A few years ago I read “The Japanese Police System Today” by L. Craig Parker (M E Sharpe, 2001), and the author knew the chief of the Okayama Prefecture's Police quite well - and what I remember is, that this police chief was not even allowed to leave Okayama Prefecture in his free time! (Sorry, I don’t have the book here now, so cannot give page numbers.)
So if the police bosses cannot even travel through Japan, how should they get to know even foreign countries?
魚拓

Mr. I went to the library and borrowed the book for you. I checked the pages the author mentioned Okayama. Yes the author knows the chief of the Okayama Prefectural Police quite well. But the story is completely different from the one Debito's fans would have people believe. Let me cite some:

Okayama　Prefecture, in the western part of Japan, is around five hundred miles below Tokyo and was chosen for research in par because of the author's friendship with a former chief of the Okayama Prefecture Police. The friend, an NPA senior superintendent, had been chief in Okayama for two years in the late 1990's, but had been reassigned on normal rotating basis to a new assignment as the director of public security in Tokyo. This was one of several assignments he had taken during his career when he was "on loan" to another agency--in this case the Ministry of Justice　.page 105

There is no mention that he was not allowed to leave Okayama.(That is the stupidest things I've ever heard.)
Mr. have you really read the book? On page 111, the author talks about his interpreter from prefectural headquarter in Okayama

He was a classical music buff and he performed in a major chorea group. He lamented the fact that he had missed an opportunity, because of a police assignment, to perform with his chorale at Carnegie Hall in New York city. ...His career had required him to visit the United States on a number of occasions to coordinate with the FBI and various American police forces on international criminal investigations.

The author ends up the section about Okayama by saying

During the visit to the Okayama region an incident occurred to the author that reflects one of the memorable features of Japanese people that get replayed thousands of times annually for the benefit of gaijin or visitors. Having stopped for a brief lunch on a twenty-mile bike tour of the surrounding countryside, I pulled out a map at my table to try to locate my position. I asked for the assistance of young Japanese man in his twenties at the adjacent table. ....He not only offered assistance, but dashed to his car　to　get a more detailed map of his own so he could draw a clear map of my route. I thanked him, and we both headed out onto the road. After I had been biking a mile or so he drove up beside me and stopped He apologized for having made a mistake on one of the turns he had drawn on the map and wanted to set me straight. This Japanese penchant for being helpful is very widespread....(page 120)

It is not about the Police system but it gives a totally different perspects of Japan from the one Debito's fans enjoy
Now as for the Police System, the author says　in "Conclusion" on page 237

Despite the blemishes of the record of the Japanese police in the late 1990's, I continue to hold the policy agency in high regard. No system in the world
is without its flaws, and while the National Police Agency and its sister prefectural police agencies may have let their guard down, I expect that the handful of police abuses and blunders will be corrected. I do not believe that these abuses and missteps , regardless of their widespread, well-publicized notoriety, are symptomatic systemic breakdown In general throughout my writing I have both explicitly and implicitly made clear my high regard for both the police system itself and its parallel criminal justice institutions. They will regain the confidence of the Japanese public over time.(page 237)

And the author goes on pointing out the lessons that the United States can learn from Japanese police sytem.

I don't agree with everything the author says, but he is fair.

Do you want me to check the U.S. police's abuse and missteps? I am asking this because if Japanese police system,--- though I agree there are defects in it----is the fascist Disney land as Debito's fans claim, which state's police system is not fascist Disney land?

Is every police sytsem around the world Fascist Disney land?---are Debito's fans a cult member?
What do you guys think you can do to change Japan for the better?・・・・・by misquoting? by covering up the facts? by misinterpreting, by misrepenting, by blocking comments? by blocking the offer to help, by rejecting a dialgue, by suppressing the truth?
Just want to insult Japan? Just want to let steam out?

Responseｓ from HT&Osaka gov. Mr Arudou, Is HiraganaTimes' Stroy true?

Arudo Debtio

Damian Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 am
I’m sure there are people that will claim there’s only one point of view being reported here

I agree.

there are 3 sides to every story-your side, my side, and the truth,” where the truth lies somewhere in the middle, you’ve got to admit the truth to this story is pretty unconscionable

Does that mean if one says Jim M is a liar, and another says Jim M is not a liar, he is half a liar? I don't understand it.

Now, if James' story above were true, it would be a serious crime by the police. What we should do as a law-abiding Japanese citizen is

(1) To check if this story is true. And if it is true,
(2) To help James to file a formal complaint.

I've offered the help but Mr Arudo has blocked it.


I've checked with Hiragana Times and Osaka Prefectural Government’s Human Rights department.
I've got the responses.
Osaka human right department

メールで頂いた件について、回答させていただきます。相談の事実について調査し、また当時の担当者にも確認した ところ大阪府には、このような相談はありませんでした。 大阪府政策企画部人権室

This is the response concerning the matter you asked by the mail. We have investigated the matter and we have checked the officer in charge at the time, but it turned out that there was no such claim as it was cited. Osaka prefecture policy-planning human right department Osaka Jinken

(My letter included the address of this post)

Hiragana Times

おたずねの件ですが、すでに当事者間で済んでいると聞いています

As for the matter you are asking about, we hear that the matter has been settled among the people concerned. Hiragana Times

When asked if Hiragana Times confirmed the fact, Hiragana Times wrote,

コメントは差し控えさせていただきます。ご了承ください。
Let　us refrain from commenting. Please understand.

Hiragana Times does not want to answer. Anybody can e-mail them and ask them. I've linked to their e-mail address.

We don't know who "Jim M" linked to Debito's site is, but at least James in the article wrote,

the couple has reported the events to the American Consulate, Amnesty International, the United Nations and the Osaka Prefectural Government’s Human Rights department, all of which are monitoring and investigating the case

If this is true, there must be the result of the investigation. So far our checking points to the direction that this story is untrue, or this story is not entirely true.

I don't see why James cannot submit the result of the investigation by the American Consulate, Amnesty International if his story is true.

Jim M, if you are James in the article, please submit the report by them so that we may help you.

Mr Arudou, Let's check the fact first, don't jump to the conclusion. That is the first thing we should do if we want to help James and help Japanese society better. Don't you think so, Mr Arudou?

If you don't care about the truth, about resolving the problem, but you just want to gain reputation by making up story, covering up the facts, that will be another story though. (See Mr Macgovern and Mr Ibdor's cases in this post)
The comment has been blocked



Arudou　Debito・Arudou　Debito・Arudou　Debito
有道出人・有道出人・有道出人
Hiragana Times ・Hiragana Times・Hiragana Times
ひらがなタイムス・ひらがなタイムス・ひらがなタイムス

For another vide in which he banned me, see this post