Why are Americans Treated Differently in Japan? by Kevin Burns
greatp...@gmail.com
"U.S. citizens planning to work in Japan should never enter Japan using
a tourist visa or the visa waiver, even if they have been advised to do
so. Such actions are illegal and can lead to arrest, incarceration
and/or deportation."
--from a pamphlet at the Japanese consulate in Seattle
"The Catch 22 is: if Americans don't enter Japan on a tourist visa,
however, they often cannot work in Japan, as it takes just too long to
secure a working visa. Companies would rather hire someone who already
has the appropriate visa, someone who can get the visa quickly, or
someone who is willing to break the law, by entering Japan on a tourist
visa with the plan to work in Japan by changing it to a working visa.
Illegal? Yes. Necessary though? Definitely! Sometimes laws don't
coincide well with reality, and sometimes laws downright discriminate
against certain peoples."
-- an English school chain owner in Japan
The citizens of the following countries can secure a working holiday
visa to come to Japan: Australia New Zealand Canada Republic of Korea
France Germany the United Kingdom
You will notice that America, supposedly Japan's friend and ally is not
on the list. According to the Japanese consulate in Vancouver, you can
secure a working holiday visa in as little as three days! A treaty was
negotiated between these countries and Japan that allowed for the
creation of this visa. Americans upset that they cannot get such a visa
should complain to their government. Americans are hamstrung by this.
It really is an impediment to working in Japan.
This visa allows Australians, Kiwis and Canadians, to name but three,
to work in Japan for 12 months and it can be renewed in some cases or
switched to another visa after it expires in many cases. Often this
kind of visa is secured for work as an English teacher, or for other
work such as working in a hotel or a restaurant to name but a few.
Americans who have the yen to come to Japan to work, can only come with
a tourist visa or a working visa. Switching from a tourist visa to a
working visa happens all the time. Though you won't catch a Japanese
Immigration authority talking about it much. It is one of those open
secrets so common to Japan. Certainly, most Americans simply don't tell
immigration that their goal is to come to work in Japan. They say they
are sightseeing.
Getting a working visa can take up to four months. So on the one hand,
an Australian can get her visa in a matter of days, but an American has
to wait months. Why the difference? Why are Americans given such a raw
deal?
Perhaps the American government simply doesn't want such an agreement.
To this author's knowledge they don't have a working holiday agreement
with any nation.
It is interesting to note that Japan first chose Australia for the
working holiday program, then New Zealand, followed by Canada. The
impression it creates was Australia was most desirable to Japanese
eyes. Is there a desire to make it more difficult for businesses in
Japan to hire Americans? Verily, that is the result. What this leads to
is fewer Americans in Japan.
Why would Japan want to create impediments for Americans hoping to live
and work here? Could it be that America does the same to Japanese?
Perhaps it is simply more difficult for Japanese to get a visa to work
in America than it is in New Zealand for example. So to retaliate
Americans don't get as good a a Kiwi for example.
Perhaps it is because there are already many Americans here. There are
American military bases throughout Japan and their personnel number
well over 40,000 people. Japan has to deal with all the problems
foreign soldiers cause when they mix with the civilians of Japan. There
are also many American business people, and of course American English
teachers.
In spite of the barriers against them, many Americans still manage to
come to Japan and work. However, without this bureaucratic obstruction,
there would be more Americans in Japan.
I assert that (having more Americans in Japan) has traditionally been
an idea incongruous with the feelings of many Japanese politicians.
Keep the Americans out as much as possible seems to be their goal. But
don't make it so obvious that there is a backlash from the American
government.
"The Working Holiday Scheme is intended to promote a greater mutual
understanding between our respective countries, and to broaden the
international outlook of our young people. The Working Holiday Scheme
makes it possible for citizens of one country to enter the other
country for an extended holiday while encouraging in temporary
employment in order to supplement their travel funds."--Japan
Association of Working Holiday Makers
Maybe the Japanese authorities simply want more diversification in who
comes to Japan. They want to encourage people from other countries to
come. This could simply be the case: restrictions on Americans for
diversification of the foreign population here. It would give Japanese
a broader exposure to many different nationalities here in Japan, and
therefore, a broader view of the world (perhaps it is hoped).
A Japanese business manager suggested that "...because of the high
crime rate in America, as compared to other countries like New Zealand
for example, the Japanese authorities feel that Americans are more
likely to try to bring guns or drugs into Japan. Or they don't want any
more American influence in Japan and want to limit it as much as
possible."
The view in Japan by some Japanese, seems to be that America is
dangerous: and by association, Americans are more dangerous than people
of other nationalities. "Bowling for Columbine," was well attended on
this side of the Pacific and its' influence has been felt. If this is
true, it is prejudice, pure and simple!
It is interesting that some Japanese feel that Americans are
undesirable. They give their opinion that Americans are more likely to
break importation laws or be a negative influence in Japan, because of
a society, that is seen by Japanese to be violent, and law
breaking--ie) drug taking. the gun related deaths in America and the
unfortunate incidents in Okinawa of the rapes of Japanese women by
American military personnel. The latter, one that foments large scale
Anti=American protests in Japan's sunniest prefecture.
The Japanese media too seems to be a member of this anti-American
illuminati. If an American serviceman rapes a Japanese woman, it is
national news for days or weeks. So again, American men at least, are
portrayed as a dangerous element in Japan.
Yet if a female American JET teacher is raped, sexually harassed, or
sexually assaulted, (a few incidents of which happen every, year
according to a JET official who wishes to remain anonymous), there is
not a newspaper in the land of Fuji that will touch such an unpalatable
story.
JET is an official Japanese program, and its' image cannot be
tarnished. To publish such a story would cause a Japanese loss of face,
an international embarrassment. It is okay to embarrass the Americans
with stories of their rapes of Japanese women, (no matter how rare they
are.) But a journalist who dares to try to get an embarrassing incident
about the JET program by the editor would probably be fired.
To read those unpalatable stores about the JET program you must go to
some of the unofficial JET websites, that talk about the problems
associated with the JET program. These sites are written by teachers
who actually work in the program and former teachers.
For whatever reason, the Japanese authorities are doing an excellent
job of discouraging businesses from hiring Americans, and opting
instead for an Aussie, Kiwi or Canuck. In these days of terrorism and
war,securing the proper working visa for an American can take up to
four months.
Head hunting companies in Tokyo are also reporting that securing
working visas is taking much longer than before, though this seems to
be across the board and for all nationalities. If you can get a working
holiday visa in three days, you greatly increase your marketability.
Sometimes Japanese laws are unrealistic. The law may state one thing,
but the reality of the matter is another.
English schools need teachers. Often they need them quickly. Teachers
sometimes don't give any notice and just quit. The English school must
hire someone quickly.
If the working visa for an American takes so long, schools will
naturally try to hire someone they can sponsor for the proper visa more
quickly. Indeed, English schools are encouraged by Japanese immigration
to discriminate against hiring Americans, by the bureaucratic system
they have set up.
Plus Americans themselves, being law abiding citizens on the whole,
don't want to break Japanese laws either. If an English school says,
"Come on a tourist visa, we need you now, then we will switch the visa
over to a working visa, don't tell Japanese immigration." Naturally the
prospective American teacher is suspicious of the school. The school is
essentially telling them to break the law. The school realizes though
that the law is forcing them into an untenable situation: They need
teachers now! Not in four months!
One good thing about Japan is that the law often bends. The fact is
many Americans if not most, come to Japan on tourist visas then switch
to working visas. This is simply a fact of working life in Japan, as
few teachers quitting their positions in Japan give more than one
months notice. You do the math. It doesn't give schools enough time to
secure the working visas for Americans. So they either have to hire a
citizen of the Commonwealth, or tell a US citizen to come on a tourist
visa and switch it over.
If I were American, I would complain. Why are you given such a raw deal
in Japan?
I would come on a tourist visa, and tell the Japanese authorities, how
I am so looking forward to sightseeing in Kyoto!
by Kevin Burns
For More Information on the Working Holiday Visa Program for Japan see:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/
About the Author
About The Author
Kevin Burns, a Canadian owns Kevin`s English Schools:
http://www.eikaiwa1.com. He loves to hire Americans incidentally!
When not teaching Kevin writes for his guidebook and forums:
http://www.travel-central-japan.com. He and his wife can also be found
managing their general store: http://www.import-food-japan.com.
Editors are free to use this article but cannot change it in any way,
and must include all links.