Kan's English-language blog debuts
Staff report
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday kicked off an English version of his blog in a bid to reach out to non-Japanese Internet users and explain about his key policies in English.
Titled "Prime Minister KAN's BLOG," it is an English translation of past entries by Kan on his key policies.
In one entry, Kan talks about a government task force on social inclusion aimed at resolving problems that rise from isolation in society, such as elderly people living alone, child abuse and domestic violence.
Kan's English-language blog debuts | The Japan Times Online
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2011年1月27日木曜日
Child Abuse Law Japan
JAPAN
New Law May Protect Children from Abusive Parents
By Suvendrini Kakuchi
TOKYO, Jan 27, 2011 (IPS) - For years, Toshikazu Takahashi, director of the sixty-year-old St. Francis Children’s Home child care facility, has grappled with the difficult of issue of protecting battered children from their abusive parents.
"I was up against a deeply rooted Japanese family tradition - the belief that children belonged to their parents and were not individuals with their own rights that had to be respected. With this notion firmly entrenched in Japanese society, I was fighting a loosing battle," Takahashi explained to IPS.
Takahashi says that the local Child Welfare Law gives parents the sole authority over their children - even in the case of their involvement in abuse.
"The law represents the vulnerable position of children in modern Japanese society," he explained. He echoes common sentiments among social workers who report that they are helpless to protect children who are taken away from child care facilities by their violent parents who use the law to their advantage.
"The kids eyes are terrified when their parents come to take them back. We know they do not want to go back to their violent homes. But what can we do when the parents demand their release," said Takahashi. The Home has fifty children, almost all of them from abused homes.
The situation may soon change. With cases of child abuse now topping more than 35,000 annually and related deaths around 120, the Justice Ministry is now putting the finishing touches on a long-sought revision in the Child Abuse Prevention Law.
The new law, to be passed in April, will finally suspend parental authority for a period of two years in cases of domestic violence - allowing more time for children to be protected, say experts.
"It is true the current law can be ineffective sometimes in protecting children. The revision is now been formulated," said an official from the Justice Ministry who spoke to IPS under condition of anonymity.
JAPAN: New Law May Protect Children from Abusive Parents - IPS ipsnews.net
New Law May Protect Children from Abusive Parents
By Suvendrini Kakuchi
TOKYO, Jan 27, 2011 (IPS) - For years, Toshikazu Takahashi, director of the sixty-year-old St. Francis Children’s Home child care facility, has grappled with the difficult of issue of protecting battered children from their abusive parents.
"I was up against a deeply rooted Japanese family tradition - the belief that children belonged to their parents and were not individuals with their own rights that had to be respected. With this notion firmly entrenched in Japanese society, I was fighting a loosing battle," Takahashi explained to IPS.
Takahashi says that the local Child Welfare Law gives parents the sole authority over their children - even in the case of their involvement in abuse.
"The law represents the vulnerable position of children in modern Japanese society," he explained. He echoes common sentiments among social workers who report that they are helpless to protect children who are taken away from child care facilities by their violent parents who use the law to their advantage.
"The kids eyes are terrified when their parents come to take them back. We know they do not want to go back to their violent homes. But what can we do when the parents demand their release," said Takahashi. The Home has fifty children, almost all of them from abused homes.
The situation may soon change. With cases of child abuse now topping more than 35,000 annually and related deaths around 120, the Justice Ministry is now putting the finishing touches on a long-sought revision in the Child Abuse Prevention Law.
The new law, to be passed in April, will finally suspend parental authority for a period of two years in cases of domestic violence - allowing more time for children to be protected, say experts.
"It is true the current law can be ineffective sometimes in protecting children. The revision is now been formulated," said an official from the Justice Ministry who spoke to IPS under condition of anonymity.
JAPAN: New Law May Protect Children from Abusive Parents - IPS ipsnews.net
2011年1月23日日曜日
BBC News - Japan child abuse
Cases of alleged child abuse in Japan have risen to their highest level since records began 10 years ago.
Police figures indicate 187 children were the suspected victims of physical and sexual abuse in the first half of this year. Eighteen children died.
The report also found that cases of child pornography in the same period had risen by about 60% to 599 cases.
Analysts say the higher figures partly reflect an official clampdown on the sexual exploitation of children.
''It is likely that the actual number of cases is increasing, although it may be that hidden cases came to light in the wake of heightened attention,'' the National Police Agency said in its report.
The agency said that 199 people had been arrested in connection with the alleged abuse - nearly all were guardians of the children.
BBC News - Japan child abuse at record high, police data shows
Police figures indicate 187 children were the suspected victims of physical and sexual abuse in the first half of this year. Eighteen children died.
The report also found that cases of child pornography in the same period had risen by about 60% to 599 cases.
Analysts say the higher figures partly reflect an official clampdown on the sexual exploitation of children.
''It is likely that the actual number of cases is increasing, although it may be that hidden cases came to light in the wake of heightened attention,'' the National Police Agency said in its report.
The agency said that 199 people had been arrested in connection with the alleged abuse - nearly all were guardians of the children.
BBC News - Japan child abuse at record high, police data shows
2011年1月5日水曜日
Japanese Western Marriage
"Whatever the difficulties of a cross-border marriage, and there are tons of them, that seemed to be their ideal."
The annual number of Japanese women recorded as marrying foreigners has increased by 165 per cent between 1980 and 2009. Since 2003, in most years the total has topped 8000.Japanese women tire of their men | The Australian
The annual number of Japanese women recorded as marrying foreigners has increased by 165 per cent between 1980 and 2009. Since 2003, in most years the total has topped 8000.Japanese women tire of their men | The Australian
Sexual domestic violence Japan hotline
TOKYO, Jan. 4 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The Cabinet Office said Tuesday it will provide a toll-free, round-the-clock hot line service for both male and female victims of sexual and domestic violence for two months from February.
"We hope we will be able to help victims who are suffering alone and to use the service to create a future support system for them," a Cabinet Office official said.
According to a 2008 Cabinet Office survey, over 60 percent of women victims of sexual assault never consulted anyone about their suffering.
Counselors including those from around 50 private support groups will talk with victims over the phone and refer them to hospitals and investigative authorities when necessary. Non-Japanese nationals will also be able to use the service during limited hours.
The government earmarked 1.04 billion yen for the service in the supplementary budget for the current fiscal year.
The issue of sexual violence in Japan has drawn the attention of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which urged Tokyo in 2009 to launch a free hot line service and take other steps to help victims whose suffering goes unrecognized. Gov't to launch hot line for victims of sexual, domestic violence
"We hope we will be able to help victims who are suffering alone and to use the service to create a future support system for them," a Cabinet Office official said.
According to a 2008 Cabinet Office survey, over 60 percent of women victims of sexual assault never consulted anyone about their suffering.
Counselors including those from around 50 private support groups will talk with victims over the phone and refer them to hospitals and investigative authorities when necessary. Non-Japanese nationals will also be able to use the service during limited hours.
The government earmarked 1.04 billion yen for the service in the supplementary budget for the current fiscal year.
The issue of sexual violence in Japan has drawn the attention of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which urged Tokyo in 2009 to launch a free hot line service and take other steps to help victims whose suffering goes unrecognized. Gov't to launch hot line for victims of sexual, domestic violence
Gov’t to launch hot line for victims of sexual, domestic violence | Pillow Talk Japan
The Cabinet Office said Tuesday it will provide a toll-free, round-the-clock hot line service for both male and female victims of sexual and domestic violence for two months from February.
“We hope we will be able to help victims who are suffering alone and to use the service to create a future support system for them,” a Cabinet Office official said.
According to a 2008 Cabinet Office survey, over 60 percent of women victims of sexual assault never consulted anyone about their suffering. (AP)
Gov’t to launch hot line for victims of sexual, domestic violence | Pillow Talk Japan
“We hope we will be able to help victims who are suffering alone and to use the service to create a future support system for them,” a Cabinet Office official said.
According to a 2008 Cabinet Office survey, over 60 percent of women victims of sexual assault never consulted anyone about their suffering. (AP)
Gov’t to launch hot line for victims of sexual, domestic violence | Pillow Talk Japan
asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：A lonely problem awaits Japan in 2030 - English
For men, especially, life in Japan 20 years from now will be pretty grim for many.
One in four men in their 50s and 60s will live alone, and one in three men will have never married by 50, according to Katsuhiko Fujimori, a senior researcher at the Mizuho Information & Research Institute.
Japan is rapidly becoming a nation in which the number of single-member households exceeds that of typical family households. That is defined as one with two parents and children.
The results of the national census conducted in October will not be announced until later this year, but researchers are already focusing on expected increases in the ratio of single-member households as well as the ratio of those who never married.
Experts say the census will likely show that the number of single-member households exceeds that of family households for the first time.
asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：A lonely problem awaits Japan in 2030 - English
One in four men in their 50s and 60s will live alone, and one in three men will have never married by 50, according to Katsuhiko Fujimori, a senior researcher at the Mizuho Information & Research Institute.
Japan is rapidly becoming a nation in which the number of single-member households exceeds that of typical family households. That is defined as one with two parents and children.
The results of the national census conducted in October will not be announced until later this year, but researchers are already focusing on expected increases in the ratio of single-member households as well as the ratio of those who never married.
Experts say the census will likely show that the number of single-member households exceeds that of family households for the first time.
asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：A lonely problem awaits Japan in 2030 - English
2011年1月3日月曜日
Japan population 2010
TOKYO – Japan's population fell by a record amount last year as the number of deaths climbed to an all-time high in the quickly aging country, the government said Saturday.
Japan faces a looming demographic squeeze. Baby boomers are moving toward retirement, with fewer workers and taxpayers to replace them. The Japanese boast among the highest life expectancies in the world but have extremely low birth rates.
Japan logged 1.19 million deaths in 2010 — the biggest number since 1947 when the health ministry's annual records began. The number of births was nearly flat at 1.07 million.
As a result, Japan contracted by 123,000 people, which was the most ever and represents the fourth consecutive year of population decline. The top causes of death were cancer, heart disease and stroke, the ministry said.
Japanese aged 65 and older make up about a quarter of Japan's current population. The government projects that by 2050, that figure will climb to 40 percent.
Like in other advanced countries, young people are waiting to get married and choosing to have fewer children because of careers and lifestyle issues.
Saturday's report showed 706,000 marriages registered last year — the fewest since 1954 and a sign that birth rates are unlikely to jump dramatically anytime soon.
Japan's total population stood at 125.77 million as of October, according to the ministry.
Japan population shrinks by record in 2010 - Yahoo! News
Japan faces a looming demographic squeeze. Baby boomers are moving toward retirement, with fewer workers and taxpayers to replace them. The Japanese boast among the highest life expectancies in the world but have extremely low birth rates.
Japan logged 1.19 million deaths in 2010 — the biggest number since 1947 when the health ministry's annual records began. The number of births was nearly flat at 1.07 million.
As a result, Japan contracted by 123,000 people, which was the most ever and represents the fourth consecutive year of population decline. The top causes of death were cancer, heart disease and stroke, the ministry said.
Japanese aged 65 and older make up about a quarter of Japan's current population. The government projects that by 2050, that figure will climb to 40 percent.
Like in other advanced countries, young people are waiting to get married and choosing to have fewer children because of careers and lifestyle issues.
Saturday's report showed 706,000 marriages registered last year — the fewest since 1954 and a sign that birth rates are unlikely to jump dramatically anytime soon.
Japan's total population stood at 125.77 million as of October, according to the ministry.
Japan population shrinks by record in 2010 - Yahoo! News
Child Suicide Japan
Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit
KIRYU, Gunma -- The parents of a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide after being bullied at school filed a 32 million yen damages lawsuit against the Kiryu Municipal Government and Gunma Prefectural Government on Dec. 27.
The girl, Akiko Uemura, hanged herself at her home on Oct. 23, after she was badmouthed and ignored at school. In their lawsuit, Uemura's parents say that while her teacher was aware of the bullying, no measures were taken to improve the situation. They say that officials' actions ran counter to their responsibility to prevent bullying and take measures to avoid suicide, and argue that the municipal and prefectural governments bear responsibility as operators of the school.
The Kiryu Municipal Government has set up a third-party committee to investigate the connection between bullying and the girl's suicide. However, at a news conference, Uemura's 51-year-old father Ryuji said he couldn't trust the committee.
Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit - The Mainichi Daily News
KIRYU, Gunma -- The parents of a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide after being bullied at school filed a 32 million yen damages lawsuit against the Kiryu Municipal Government and Gunma Prefectural Government on Dec. 27.
The girl, Akiko Uemura, hanged herself at her home on Oct. 23, after she was badmouthed and ignored at school. In their lawsuit, Uemura's parents say that while her teacher was aware of the bullying, no measures were taken to improve the situation. They say that officials' actions ran counter to their responsibility to prevent bullying and take measures to avoid suicide, and argue that the municipal and prefectural governments bear responsibility as operators of the school.
The Kiryu Municipal Government has set up a third-party committee to investigate the connection between bullying and the girl's suicide. However, at a news conference, Uemura's 51-year-old father Ryuji said he couldn't trust the committee.
Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit - The Mainichi Daily News
群馬小自殺
群馬小６自殺：両親が県と市を提訴 ３２００万円損賠求め
群馬県桐生市立新里東小６年、上村明子さん（１２）が自殺したのは担任教諭らがいじめを放置したことが原因として、両親が２７日、市と県に計３２００万円の損害賠償を求め、前橋地裁に提訴した。
訴状によると、明子さんは１０月２３日に自宅で首つり自殺をするまで、クラスで悪口を言われたり、無視されるなどのいじめを受けていた。当時の担任教諭はいじめの存在を認識していたにもかかわらず改善策をとらず、いじめ防止義務と自殺回避義務に違反していると主張。学校を管理する市と県に責任があるとしている。
市は第三者委員会を設置していじめと自殺の因果関係を再検証しているが、会見した父竜二さん（５１）は「第三者委は非公開で信用できない」と話した。
群馬小６自殺：両親が県と市を提訴 ３２００万円損賠求め - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
群馬県桐生市立新里東小６年、上村明子さん（１２）が自殺したのは担任教諭らがいじめを放置したことが原因として、両親が２７日、市と県に計３２００万円の損害賠償を求め、前橋地裁に提訴した。
訴状によると、明子さんは１０月２３日に自宅で首つり自殺をするまで、クラスで悪口を言われたり、無視されるなどのいじめを受けていた。当時の担任教諭はいじめの存在を認識していたにもかかわらず改善策をとらず、いじめ防止義務と自殺回避義務に違反していると主張。学校を管理する市と県に責任があるとしている。
市は第三者委員会を設置していじめと自殺の因果関係を再検証しているが、会見した父竜二さん（５１）は「第三者委は非公開で信用できない」と話した。
群馬小６自殺：両親が県と市を提訴 ３２００万円損賠求め - 毎日ｊｐ(毎日新聞)
Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit - The Mainichi Daily News
National News
Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit
KIRYU, Gunma -- The parents of a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide after being bullied at school filed a 32 million yen damages lawsuit against the Kiryu Municipal Government and Gunma Prefectural Government on Dec. 27.
The girl, Akiko Uemura, hanged herself at her home on Oct. 23, after she was badmouthed and ignored at school. In their lawsuit, Uemura's parents say that while her teacher was aware of the bullying, no measures were taken to improve the situation. They say that officials' actions ran counter to their responsibility to prevent bullying and take measures to avoid suicide, and argue that the municipal and prefectural governments bear responsibility as operators of the school.Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit - The Mainichi Daily News
Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit
KIRYU, Gunma -- The parents of a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide after being bullied at school filed a 32 million yen damages lawsuit against the Kiryu Municipal Government and Gunma Prefectural Government on Dec. 27.
The girl, Akiko Uemura, hanged herself at her home on Oct. 23, after she was badmouthed and ignored at school. In their lawsuit, Uemura's parents say that while her teacher was aware of the bullying, no measures were taken to improve the situation. They say that officials' actions ran counter to their responsibility to prevent bullying and take measures to avoid suicide, and argue that the municipal and prefectural governments bear responsibility as operators of the school.Parents of bullied girl who committed suicide file damages lawsuit - The Mainichi Daily News
Mental (2008) in AvaxHome
MENTAL is a feature-length documentary that observes the complex world of an outpatient mental health clinic in Japan, interwoven with patients, doctors, staff, volunteers, and home-helpers, in cinema-verite style. The film breaks a major taboo against discussing mental illness prevalent in Japanese society, and captures the candid lives of people coping with suicidal tendencies, poverty, a sense of shame, apprehension, and fear of society.
IMDB
- International Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (PIFF Mecenat Award)
- Dubai International Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary Award)
- etc...
“ Kazuhiro Soda is making his own case as the Frederick Wiseman of Japan. As the American auteur made a career inventing the rules of cinema verite and exposing the workings of U.S. institutions, Soda is, as he says it, “pulling back the curtain” on the monoliths of Japan. Last year’s Campaign was a surprisingly refreshing and engaging look at the LDP. Mental sees him delving into the world of mental health. He follows a handful of patients at the Chorale Okayama clinic. Unlike Wiseman, Soda lets his subjects talk directly to the camera. And talk they do. He gives plenty of time for them to speak about their problems, tell the stories of their lives and give human voices and faces to issues that are usually ignored or hidden from public view. All the stories are compelling. Some are devastating. But ultimately the viewer is left with a small window of understanding and identification with these brave individuals who could very well be friends or family going through similar struggles with mental health.
Mental (2008) in AvaxHome
IMDB
- International Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (PIFF Mecenat Award)
- Dubai International Film Festival: Best Documentary Award (Muhr AsiaAfrica Documentary Award)
- etc...
“ Kazuhiro Soda is making his own case as the Frederick Wiseman of Japan. As the American auteur made a career inventing the rules of cinema verite and exposing the workings of U.S. institutions, Soda is, as he says it, “pulling back the curtain” on the monoliths of Japan. Last year’s Campaign was a surprisingly refreshing and engaging look at the LDP. Mental sees him delving into the world of mental health. He follows a handful of patients at the Chorale Okayama clinic. Unlike Wiseman, Soda lets his subjects talk directly to the camera. And talk they do. He gives plenty of time for them to speak about their problems, tell the stories of their lives and give human voices and faces to issues that are usually ignored or hidden from public view. All the stories are compelling. Some are devastating. But ultimately the viewer is left with a small window of understanding and identification with these brave individuals who could very well be friends or family going through similar struggles with mental health.
Mental (2008) in AvaxHome
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