Just 16% of Japan assembly heads open to foreigner referendum voting

14 comments

1. No. We shouldn’t be allowed.

2. Why should a foreigner be allowed to vote? If you want to vote, naturalize. That’s the whole point of citizenship.

3. I am all for non-citizens – especially permanent residents, like the Zainichi people – being able to vote. The US and probably the rest of the world is backwards about only citizens being allowed to vote, if someone is living long term (and therefore paying taxes, etc.) somewhere, they should be able to vote for the government’s policies, the government’s policies affect them and they should have a voice in it.

4. I’m not even allowed to vote in my home county even though I’m still a citizen because I’m not residing there, so I cannot fathom why people without Japanese citizenship should be allowed to vote here.

   If you want to vote give up your passport from your country of birth and obtain a Japanese passport.

5. I think both sides have reasonable arguments, and I suggest a compromise could be allowing foreigners to vote on local matters where they officially reside and pay city taxes.

6. based, should be lower

7. I wonder how well this would fly in the US?

8. Along with its population, Japan’s voter turnout has been decreasing and also hitting record lows since post war era. Even citizens cannot be bothered to vote- which sucks for a G7 nation. My theory is that the ancient dinosaurs in power will want to remain in power and thus have zero to no incentive to change current regulations.

9. Reminder that government policy is often hamstrung in the west due to votes of groups not part of that countries native population. Its a genuine political and security issue.

   America can’t lift the sanctions on Cuba because Cuban Americans would throw a fit. Britain struggled to criticise India due to its Indian population. Germany had difficulties dealing with Turkey due to their Turkish population. Moldova struggles to deal with Russia due to its Russian population.

   Now most of Japans neighbours hate Japan. It is not out of the realm of possibility that once Japan allows foreigners to vote that the Chiese population of 800k begins to climb rapidbly.

10. **FYI EVERYBODY**

    tfburns is some neckbeard idiot living in Okinawa,

    He mods graduate level subs and yet can not come up with common sense reasons on why he is wrong.

    EDIT:

    **if this idiot is anyway associated with OIST, OMG that really degrades my perception of those that go to that school**

    Next time I go to Nago, I will drop off some helmets because they probably cant walk without falling over.

11. First thing to note is that this is a poll of “assembly heads”, which is somewhat vague in English, but having found a Japanese article about this poll, I can confirm that it was a poll of 議長, a post somewhat similar to speaker in some Western parliaments. 議長 tend to be both old and in the political system for decades, so of course they’ll be more conservative on average about anything that changes it when compared to, say, mayors.

    Anyway, back to ranting about people who think I shouldn’t have voting rights.

    >Assembly chiefs who expressed reservations offered reasons including that many foreign nationals living in Japan are technical intern trainees or holders of other residence categories that mean they are likely to stay for a limited period before ultimately returning home.

    Technical trainees are some of the worst-treated foreigners in Japan, and often live in rural municipalities where they’re a significant part of the working-age population. If demographic trends continue, giving technical trainees the vote may be the only way to stop the local politics of rural Japan beginning to resemble the Gulf states, where only a privileged ‘native’ minority gets full rights while the immigrant majority struggles under shoddy labour conditions that the power-wielders have no incentive to improve.

12. A Japanese Permanent Resident in NZ gets the vote. (well did 12 years ago when we last lived there). Some reciprocal love would be nice.

13. It is a tricky topic:
    1) It would be good to vote. My wife and children are Japanese, I do pay taxes and it would be good to have a say in how they are used.
    2) I am not sure I know enough about Japanese politics to be able to make a sound decision. I am aware of plenty of people who are completely oblivious that would become eligible to vote. Citizenship tests would clear this up.
    3) It is a risk to your sovereignty. In the worst giving Vietnam, South Korea and China one seat in the parliament. Does not sound like a good idea.
    4) Local vs national seems interesting, but then again there are pockets where the majority of the people are foreign. It risks that those areas will slowly turn into their home country not just the culture but the local law and regulations as well. Immigration may be national, but they rely on the local government to correctly portray and report data. Local police to enforce the laws etc.
    The thing is I think pro-people are thinking of inclusive laws:
    More recognition for minorities, etc
    The contra people are thinking of restricting laws:
    Forcing headwear for women, deregulating safety protocols,…

14. Japanese citizen living abroad retain the right to vote in Japanese election even if they have been living outside Japan for decades, have no intention to ever come back to Japan and don’t pay any tax in Japan.

    In many countries, they also gain the right to vote in the elections of that country without being a citizen.

    On the other hand, foreign citizens living here, paying taxes and participating to the life and economy of Japan do not have that right unless they forfeit their nationality.