The following is from the feature article on the conversation between Mr. Sekihei and Mr. Kin, which appeared in the monthly magazine WiLL, published on September 26th, on pages 201-211, under the title "I've become a naturalized citizen, but I don't want to hear Chinese or Korean."
It is a must-read not only for Japanese citizens but also for people worldwide.
Japan should take better care of its national interests
Escalating Chinese provocations
Sekihei
It is the first time we've had a conversation.
Kin
I always read your books, Sekihei-san.
Sekihei
Thank you very much.
We have a lot in common, as we are both from China, naturalized in Japan, and were born in 1962.
I came to Japan in 1988, a year before the Tiananmen Square Incident, but when did you come to Japan, Mr. Kin?
Kin
I came to Japan in 1991.
There is also some connection (laughs).
Sekihei
The situation in Japan and China has changed dramatically since we came to Japan.
In particular, China's provocations are escalating.
China's provocations range from military to political, but what particularly angered me recently was when a Chinese national working for NHK's international broadcasting service said things like "the Senkaku Islands are Chinese territory" and "Don't forget the Nanking Massacre."
It is no exaggeration to say that this incident showed Japan's public broadcaster speaking on behalf of China's claims on territorial and historical issues.
Kin
Mr. Sekihei and I have lived in Japan for over 30 years and are very familiar with Japanese culture and other aspects of Japanese society.
Although the Chinese man in question may not have lived in Japan as long as we have, he has spent considerable time here and even attended graduate school at the University of Tokyo.
Despite this, he commented on Japanese public broadcasting representing the Chinese government's position.
I wonder if the man is not a person under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Sekihei
There is a high possibility of this being the case.
It is said that the man has already left Japan, but if he said such things from a position unrelated to the Chinese Communist Party, I would like to ask him, "What was the point of your time in Japan?
My guess is that stories like this incident are just the tip of the iceberg.
Considerable darkness may lurk in places we don't know about.
The naturalization system is a system full of loopholes
Kin
There are also significant problems with the recruitment process at NHK.
When recruiting foreigners and naturalized citizens, it is necessary to test whether they have a sense of personal values and patriotism.
Since NHK handles "public airwaves," it should impose stricter recruitment conditions than ordinary private companies.
Sekihei
The staff member in question was dismissed, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications also imposed administrative sanctions on NHK, requiring them to take thorough measures to prevent a recurrence.
In addition, NHK also decided that the director in charge would resign and that the officials' remuneration would be voluntarily returned. Still, we must not assume that "it is all over."
The Diet should also investigate the background of the Chinese male staff member, including whether or not there was infiltration work by the Chinese Communist Party.
Kin
As I mentioned, there are significant problems with using aliases for naturalized citizens.
Using the alias system, it is possible to use common Japanese family names such as "Tanaka" or "Yamada."
It makes it easy for anti-Japanese naturalized citizens to slip through the net.
If naturalized citizens are willing to work hard for Japan, there is no problem, but unfortunately, the reality is that there are a great many anti-Japanese people.
Sekihei
It really is a terrible system.
To begin with, the requirements for naturalization in Japan are very lax.
I was naturalized in 2007, and when I received the phone call saying that I had been approved, I went to the Legal Affairs Bureau.
I thought there would be some oath-taking ceremony or something, but there wasn't, and the whole process was over in just five minutes.
I was astonished, thinking, "You can become a Japanese citizen that easily?"
Kin
When I was naturalized in 2004, I remember vividly that I was so happy that I ran from home to the Legal Affairs Bureau when I received a phone call from the bureau saying, "Kim-san, your application has been approved.
However, when I arrived at the Legal Affairs Bureau, I thought I would be sworn in in front of the Japanese flag, but all I had to do was go through the necessary formalities.
Sekihei
As I could not take the oath before the Rising Sun flag, I visited Ise Shrine on New Year's Day the year after I became a naturalized citizen and reported to Amaterasu Oomikami that I had become a Japanese citizen.
Kin
After returning home from the Legal Affairs Bureau, I decorated my house with the Rising Sun flag and prayed, saying, "Thank you for accepting me as a Japanese citizen."
I was wondering about the simplicity of the procedure, so I asked the staff at the Legal Affairs Bureau, "Even if we don't like Japan, can we still become a Japanese citizen?" The answer was, "That's not relevant. As long as you can fulfill the three conditions of having a proper occupation, no criminal record, and a residence history in Japan, that's all that matters."
No other country in the world grants naturalization based on such austere conditions.
In other countries, such as the US, UK, South Korea, and China, the "Pledge of Allegiance to the Country of Naturalization" forms must be completed, so becoming a naturalized citizen is not easy.
In the US and UK, you may have to swear an oath in front of the national flag, and South Korea, you may be tested on how much you know about Korean culture.
Sekihei
In Japan's naturalization system, there are actually people who naturalize with the motive of wanting a Japanese passport that is easy to use in the international community, even if they hate Japan.
The Japanese passport is one of the most reliable in the world.
It allows visa-free entry to 194 countries and regions.
A Chinese woman I have appeared on TV with several times also said without hesitation that she had naturalized because the Japanese passport was so convenient.
Kin
There are a lot of people like that.
Japan should also have a test with questions like "If Japan and your home country went to war, would you fight for Japan as a Japanese person?"
It might be a test that should also be given to people born in Japan who are doubtful about whether they love their country (lol).
Even so, if things continue, foreign countries will take Japan over.
This article continues.
2024/9/26 in Umeda
