Tokyo and tech through the eyes of a split pea

Taxation without representation

For my archive, but also for anyone thinking of moving to Japan long-term (from Terrie’s Take):

…there are few if any concessions being given to encourage foreigners to feel like they are anything other than tax-paying guests.

Here are a few examples:

1. A Japanese who is resident in Australia or New Zealand, after as little as 2-3 years, is able to vote in both local and national elections so long as they are living there. In contrast, a foreigner of 30-40 years residence can’t even vote out their local mayor (with a few exceptions such as Kishiwada-shi in Osaka and Mitaka-shi in Tokyo) — and any moves to give voting rights to permanent residents, mooted mid-2006, were quietly killed off last year when Abe came on as PM.
2. A Japanese who is resident in the UK can receive a state pension (admittedly the minimum level) after just 10 years living in that country. In contrast, foreigners in Japan have to have been contributing for 25 years. Yes, we know there is supposed to be an exemption if the applicant is older than 40 years old, but for those who start out at a younger age, this is clearly unfair.
3. A bit over 10% of all residents in Minato-ku, Tokyo (Japan’s financial capital) are foreign, and we have heard that more than 50% of the tax revenues come from this
   largely expat community. And yet, there are almost no forums for non-Japanese to participate in local government, few if any efforts by Minato-ku to provide facilities aimed at foreigners (schools, kindergartens, etc.), and not even alternative language signs at local parks and facilities.
4. Then we could go into the fact that it is not illegal to discriminate against foreigners — by bars, baths, banks,police, the judiciary, family courts, or just about anyone else. But we won’t go there… :-)