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Advocates condemn Japan’s harsh immigration laws

Advocates condemn Japan’s harsh immigration laws

In February this year, Wishma Sandamali wrote a letter pleading for help when she thought she lay dying. The Sri Lankan woman had arrived in Japan as a student in 2017, but was detained as an overstayer at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau in late 2020 when she became

Those living rough, in poverty struggle amid coronavirus spread

Those living rough, in poverty struggle amid coronavirus spread

Due to the spread of coronavirus, people who are in vulnerable positions such as the impoverished and those living on the street, are finding themselves in a pinch situation. In Tokyo, which is one of the target municipalities of Japan’s state of emergency declaration, there are critical problems with

Questions raised about progress, safety of Fukushima decontamination work

Questions raised about progress, safety of Fukushima decontamination work

As radiation levels fell, public sector workers evacuated during the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster were ordered to return and push on with decontamination work. But was it as “safe” as they were led to believe? As decontamination work proceeded in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the radiation

Fukushima the first time I felt life in danger

Fukushima the first time I felt life in danger

Learning from experience

Learning from experience

Japan’s retirees offer solution to labor shortage conundrum For Eiji and Kumiko Ishikawa, the working day starts as early as 5 a.m. Having loaded the requisite equipment into their van, they set off for their first job of the day, a 14-story high-rise in western Tokyo. They unload

Tackling women's under-representation in politics & business: Mari Miura

Tackling women's under-representation in politics & business: Mari Miura

Mari Miura knows all about the gender equality situation in Japan, especially as it relates to parity in politics. In her capacity as professor of political science at Sophia University, Miura was involved in the legislative process for Japan’s Gender Parity Law, which was enacted last year, when she

Safe at Last: A Tunisian woman’s journey to freedom

Safe at Last: A Tunisian woman’s journey to freedom

It was on a basketball court that Nahed* finally knew she was safe. “A few days after coming to Japan, I wanted to play basketball,” she says. “It was 11:30pm and there were two courts. Five or six guys were playing on one, so I started playing on the