Interview with 'Rebel Jill', Anarchist from Osaka, Japan
Spring, 2006 - After weeks of police attention and media build-up, a squatted camp in Utsubo Park, Osaka, was evicted by a mass of city officials and police. The park is being re-developed for the World Rose Convention, which is a touring spectacle of money and specialist horticulture. That people were living there was no consequence to the authorities, they were merely displaced. The city parks of Japan hold many people, who, excluded from the industrial, technocratic city create neat villages of blue tarpaulin, and try to live their lives as beautifully as they can.
Our comrades talked for a small time with 'Rebel Jill', a local anarchist, who has been involved in the struggle for many years. They talked about the eviction, about resistance to Capitalism, and about fascism and the Yakuza (Traditionally organized criminal gangs, often involved in right-wing politics).
To read a communique from some of those who resisted the eviction of Utsubo Park, click here : To Those Who Sleep Outside
To read about about recent arrests and investigation of activists in Osaka, click here : Social Repression in Osaka, Japan
325 -So, Rebel Jill, Can you talk about the recent eviction in Utsubo Park?
Rebel Jill : Osaka Council used a method that hasn't been employed before. They used to give us a notice in advance, which meant we could do our best to avoid eviction by seeking ways to resist. For example, the case in Nagai Park five years ago, we could bring it to a stage where we got them to negotiate with us, to agree to stop the eviction in the end. This time, they did not respond to our request for negotiation. No matter how hard we tried to get the opportunity to have a talk with them, they did not accept our request till the end. Many problems could be resolved by negotiation. Even on the 30th January, we were ready to solve the matter by talking if they wanted.
- How about the eviction in Nagai Park? Is there anything that caused that eviction five years ago like the World Rose Convention this time?
It was the Olympics. There was an initiative to invite the Olympic games in 2008. Osaka was one of the four cities that were left till the end of selection, which included Beijing, Toronto, Paris and others. In the end of Feb or the beginning of March, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) came to investigate the city. The Osaka authority made a schedule to "clean up" the city for their visit and wanted to start evicting people from parks.
- So it was a similar situation. That time, they accepted your request for negotiation.
Yes, unlike this time.
- What sort of organization is happening in the park amongst the homeless people?
There are NPOs (Non Profit Organizations.), and local support groups like us who actually get involved with people who sleep outside and fight with them in eviction etc. Roughly speaking, the groups can be divided into these two sides. NPOs are mostly old radical Marxists, I am ashamed to say this and not many people overseas would believe it, but most of them are.. One of the groups that politically took the side of people who sleep on the streets and help them is Kamagasaki Support Organization (KSO) (kamagasaki shien kikou). They are based in Kamagasaki. They think what comes first, before finding work for homeless people, is to assure the roof over their heads. Work and other rights only come after making sure that there is a place to stay, which is their stance. In July 2001, with co-operation with the government and financial body in Osaka, they made constitutional rights for homeless people, (Homeless Tokubetsusochiho). Kamagasaki Support Organization contributed a lot to the birth of this constitution by making a draft themselves and lobbying parliament. One of the conditions of the constitution being passed was to kick people out of the parks and to normalize the situation. KSO agreed to the condition and they forced it through, I would say, talking from our side. They had to make a compromise as they always make strategic moves.
- To achieve a law in favor of the homeless people, they had to accept the condition, giving in to the system...
Also, having the bill passed, they thought they would get what they wanted, like facilities for homeless people. This sort of struggle was going on during Summer 2000 and Feb 2002. KSO has been critical to what we were doing and didn't see our point. KSO were not against the Olympics. They thought it would help to get the government to provide people with shelters and other facilities, and it would be good for both sides, for everyone. They overlooked and tolerated eviction. This is how the regulation came in. They say it was introduced, based on the opinions from people who lived in the park, but we don't think it was. It is their leaders who made the order not the people in the streets and parks. The people themselves didn't want it.
Speaking from the side of KSO, it was the most they could do. In order to get support from the government, they had to compromise and agree to the terms, which did not reflect the voices of the people.
Yeah, this is the reality, the constitution made did not reflect any criticism and analysis, became pure compromise. The constitutional clause referring to eviction didn't get turned down. We want to take everything back and start from scratch. The regulation is supposed to be revised after 5 years to reflect people's voices. They said we can change it in our terms. But laws are, once made and put into practice, difficult to change. They will gain their momentum and move forward with massive power. It doesn't matter what they are about, they would be transformed arbitrarily by those who use them for the advantage of the authority. I don't see much point having a law. No matter how many they made, they'll use laws in their terms. It means we have to do it by ourselves and need to figure out what we can do to change the situation.
- As a group, KSO is the oldest?
Its base was Kamagasaki Day Workers Union and other groups who belonged to the union. They tended to conform to the local government, accepting various conditions from them, like playing a role of the police in the community.
- Is Kamagasaki Patrol (KP) one of them?
They are not one of them. They are an autonomous group. The official name in English would be Kamagasaki Patrol for Self-Defence and Mutual Aid, otherwise it is easy to misunderstand as it sounds like the police... As KP, we've been going around parks and talking to people who sleep in the tents, to find out what they really need, what we can do with them for their benefit. KP started in 1996 as a self-defence group of activists, which was triggered by an incident of an outside sleeper being pushed into Dotonbori River by a teenager.
- Does each park have something like an autonomous community?
Yeah, something like that. Each park has different problems and the situations vary from one community to the other. So it's necessary to have a local group. For example, a group in Nagai Park, Friends of Nagai Park originated in Nagai Conflict. There's one in Nishinari Park and one in Utsubo Park. Locally made groups unite with each other and fight together when something happens.
- There is also Nojuku o Kangaerukai in Nagoya, a union for people who sleep outside.
Yeah, that's the same group organized with some of us. One of the members of a group we used to have was called Kuroi Bu (Black Group : anarchist / autonomous group), with Otake-kun as one of the main members. We don't have representatives in our groups.
- Tokyo has also a homeless union?
Yes, there's Noji Ren based in Shibuya. They are the biggest and the most closely knit organization, a sort of nationwide group. We started with them. Others are Sanya, Kotobuki in Yokohama, Sasajima in Nagoya, Kamagasaki in Osaka. We started a different group as we wanted to work closely with the people we see.
- Is Noji Ren still active?
They've been going for more than 10 years.
- There are many homeless people in Chiba as well.
I guess some people move from Tokyo. Of course some are local, starting to sleep on streets after losing their jobs.
- Could you tell us about the resistance against Capitalism in Japan? Do you think that the main surge of the struggles was with the student & labour movements in the 60's / 70's?
Yes, you could put it that way in short. What we are doing is probably a new type, coming from people on the streets.
- When did this new type start?
Support groups for rough sleepers started in the mid 90's, around 1994. The incident directly related to it is the eviction which happened around Shinjuku West Exit (Tokyo). If you ever have a chance to go to Shinjuku, you'd see the place where there was a big riot, a square in Shinjuku West Exit. It happened in January, 1994. Since that time, more movements to support and work with homeless people have developed. We were conscious of and taking an example in overseas approaches like Food Not Bombs.
- What could be the focus in the movement?
It's a problem of poverty. To think of poverty, Capitalism plays a great role. Capitalism running down the hill, like a cart with broken brakes, running around frantically, without regulation. Well, it doesn't make much difference to us whether it actually has regulation or not, but it creates the source of poverty. The kind of activity that we do is a sort of anti-thesis to it, supporting community by helping out people who sleep outdoors, those who after being used by Capitalism and Government are abandoned, dumped and forgotten. What we are doing is fundamentally resisting the effects of Capitalism, as well as Japan's monarchial hierarchical society. The struggle against poverty is related to various kinds of problems.
- Looking at some movements, for example, anti-nuclear power station movements or campaigns against construction of an airport like Narita airport, I get the impression movements in Japan seem to be largely single-issue and operate independently...
They exist separately.... I guess that's what they seem objectively and they are certainly like that. That's a good point.
- How about networking in Japanese anarchist movements? Has there been any sort of network?
Well, in the old days some efforts were made to make a network, which lasted for a short time. Individualism gradually took over the trend. People started to think, "Yeah, we are doing our thing, they can do their own stuff there." On the other hand, in the eyes of authority, they don't really see who is doing what but just see us on the macro level as those who would bite them back. It doesn't mean anything to them the fact that these movements operate separately. It's also for the benefit of each campaign because each group has its own local issues to deal with. However, these days, repression has got harsher and stronger in the past decade. Especially in the past five years since Iraq war and really starting from 9/11. The United States makes demands of Japan, saying "What are you doing in your country? Do something!" The repression coming from the Japanese government is getting severe. There's a strong need for solidarity. We need to fight against it together.
- Are there any anti-war groups?
Yeah, there are some...
- Anyone in particular to name?
Well, I don't really like them, personally, but there's a group called P.S.M. I can't remember their official name. Because I hate them, I can't even remember and don't know their name.
- Are they leftist and conformist?
They talk to the police.
- Oh dear...
It seems like they try to maintain a policy that they need to talk to various kinds of people to gain their point, and they also want to make a movement which is more extensive and open, which I understand. But...something's not right. They don't talk or listen to people. To be accepted by the system, they tell radicals not to do this and that... Once we were at a demonstration, their stewards constantly told us to walk inside the permitted lines and listen to their organizers. They like to take control over a situation from the top. At one time, they even held a dinner party with the police public safety department to eat together and become friends, to assure that they're gonna get along although they stand on the different sides. We got furious, thinking who the hell are they? We decided not to do stuff with the people like them. The movement was getting bigger at that point but the Kuroi Bu (Black Group) couldn't stand their attitude and decided to leave after taking some part. The anti-war movement became big but when the left-pacifist organizations tried to make it bigger they got sucked into the system. They were content to keep peace with the authorities if they let them appeal what they want. At the same time, there were so many people who got arrested. Their conformist attitude repulsed us.
- Will you name some groups you used to work with at that time?
That would be a Japanese anarchist network, which didn't become public. It's not that they were a secret society but it wasn't really official. This group issued a monthly libertarian magazine, Free Will. Looking back, you could say that it was a sort of philosophical momvemnt. Since 1970s, anarchist groups had been scattered around and worked separately, which they tried to get them in a network again based on the free will as a free union. They had a radical part and idealistic part in the group. Conflicts between the two groups, non-violence group and pro violence group have been incessant problems.
- I've seen some books on Japanese anarchism and some web pages, but there are only a few sources online.
Anarchist movements started after the war, quite later than Marxist movements which set up a Japan communist party. Anarchist groups were trying hard, supporting workers movement in coal mines etc., but could not stand up to the communist power.
- Are anarchist groups in Japan still visible in workers struggle?
They were at that time and I think anarchist movements should be supporting workers movement, varying in degrees depending on the time. What we are doing at the moment may be close to what they did at that time although we hadn't been unable to make quarterly journals. That's some thing we'd like to do in future, discovering what they did in the past.
After the war, there were two groups, anarchist club and anarchist union. They remained till the end of the 70's and the beginning of the 80's, when the government clamped them down. In the 90's, the anarchist movements revived once again. Around that time that's when anarchist movements in Poland started and we supported each other... We tried to use Esperanto...
- Can you say something about environmental movements in Japan?
Greenpeace in Japan is just about noticeable. They don't seem to stand out much...
-They don't seem to have done much activity but collect money…
- How about other movements like against nuclear power stations?
There are very strong movements around the Japanese islands and many of them exist, like in Obama in Fukui. Wherever there is a nuclear power station or a location for it, there's resistance. In Ashihama, people have fought more than thirty years against the construction of a nuclear power station. It is one of the locations where Chubu Denryoku, an electricity company that used to be a public sector planned to build a power station. They control power supply around Aichi, Shizuoka, Mie and Gifu. Ashihama is in Mie, on the beach near the sea and Kumano River. Their fight was successful because of the strong community solidarity. The company and authorities used harassment which was really evil, trying to inflict some damage on them. But people resisted with the strong solidarity of the community. Without it, they would have failed. Most of the resistance movements are connected to environmentalism.
In Ashihama, a project called Urashima Project (comes from a tale called Urashimataro) was supporting the community of the fishing village. People involved are ex-hippies and activists who have fought in various places in Japan, for example, against Shiraho airport in Ashikaga Island. Some of them were involved in the campaign to protect coral. Some are from a sort of commune in Amami Oshima (island), called Nigari Dojyo. Various people were helping the project. Anti-nuclear power station movements are strong and interesting to look into among others.
- Does Nigari Dojyo still exist?
They're gone because of repression and intervention from the authorities. It's a bad comparison, but like AUM (cult who did poison gas attacks on the Tokyo subway), the government clamped them down.
- What kind of practice did they have?
In short, they were focused on nature, and practiced the ways that people can coexist with nature in a form of commune. They were an autonomous group with self-sufficient farms for their food supplies and operated as a base of network to send off messages and newsletters and to receive other radical information and contacts from outside.
- How long did they last?
It must be in the 80's, so around ten years. In 1988, just before the emperor died, they were clamped down.
- And it is them who were involved in the actions to preserve coral reef?
Yes, it is. So that sort of people who do environmental actions. Another interesting feature to their history is that they invited AIM (American Indian Movement) to give a talk in various places. Also, you know Kumano that is in fashion now...
It's a shrine - Kumano Taisha, World Heritage Site, located in the Kii Peninsula. On the bank side of Kumano River, they invited some activists for an event with plays and talks. They constructed a sort of sub-culture, hippie community. There's some interesting things going on in Japanese environmental movements. Also, in Fukui, there are many environmental activists and communities. In Takefu, some people who used to be activists run an organic farm, living like hermits, engaged in natural farming. Hokkaido is another place for the environmental movement as well. Another example is in Kumamoto prefecture, there was a big struggle against the building of a huge dam. Many people fought when Itsuki village went under water, and the people struggled to preserve the Kawabe River.
- How about movements against American military bases?
The biggest one is in the metropolitan area, Tachikawa, Yokota base etc. In Tachikawa, the US made a base for the Japanese Self-Defense forces and anti-militarists built a village of tents near the base, a bit like the anti-nuclear base in Faslane, U.K. They have been getting repression from the police and the government just for giving out leaflets in the base of the Self-Defense Forces. In Yokohama, Zushi, the residential area in the American base has been having problems. It's still Japan and they are in their own houses, but just because the houses are in the base, they have to show ID or pass card to go through the gate, or they have to let the soldiers know who are coming to visit. They need to get registered with them.
- Is there any resistance?
Yes, not that the people particularly want to get involved in it but there's no choice. They live in the base and are forced to register with them and get checked up for ID every time they go home. There are supports from outside against the base as well but often the residents are not so tied to the support groups because they are normal people who don't particularly want to interact with activists. Still, the right wing, pro-American base people see them standing on the same side. The residents have been appealing to the government but it's not going well. In the north, in Misawa base in Aomori, there's a resistance movement. There's, of course, one in Iwakuni in Hiroshima around the bay area, it's the navy base where the US sends forces to Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, in Sasebo and Nagasaki, not to mention Okinawa. Okinawa is the main place for resistance movements against the American base. It's been occupied by the American base since Japan lost the war.
Since 1945, 30th of June when Japan surrendered to America, it's been subjected to the control of the American base and occupied. Before that, it was occupied by the Japanese army. Before them, it was the Satsuma Clan, who invaded into this island, claimed that it's their subject state, exploited its people by trading and made a huge amount of money. Okinawa is the place that has the most American bases. It has been constantly invaded, by the American army, which just cannot stop invading all around the world, and by the Japanese army, I wouldn't like to call it 'Self-Defense Force' as it is an army, who's been living on a part of the profit of the American army. The land has been lent to the American base, which doesn't mean the people in Okinawa can do what they want. It is supposed to be given back to their hands years later. They've been suffering from this extremely inconvenient and exploitative situation. Many of them have moved to the Kansai area (Osaka and surrounding regions) and formed their own communities as they have been discriminated against for a long time. In Osaka, in Taisho-ku, they live in a sort of ghetto.
- What kind of discrimination do they meet?
A sort of idea started before the war. Some people say the Okinawans speak a different language and they are not Japanese. Sometimes, people from Okinawa cannot rent a house or room. Some estate agencies in Osaka have a note on the door saying "Not rented to those from Okinawa" and say things like "We don't deal with them as they are irresponsible and don't pay rent."
- Do you think people moved from Okinawa escaping from occupation of the American base?
Well...yes those who moved after the war. The American army destroyed their farms and lands with bulldozers. They couldn't make their living in Okinawa anymore as their fields are robbed for the base. They faced the choice to move to what they call 'Daichi' (the earth) or Yamato, the Mainland. Then, they came to mainly Osaka.
- Once they are in the Mainland, they underwent discrimination.
That's right...
- Are there any resistance movements against racism and discrimination?
Yes, there are some. It might sound a bit strange but the Okinawans might have preserved their traditional arts and culture in Osaka more than those in Okinawa. This happens sometimes as in the example of overseas, like Japanese communities in Brazil kept more traditional things. They've been playing traditional Okinawa folk music etc. very enthusiastically, as a sort of voice within the Japanese anti-war movements. They say the Mainland, what they call 'Yamato' , has always troubled them. There's a saying in their words "we are not their pieces on a game board." Even in anti-war movements, they are marginalized. That's why they want to look for the roots of their identity, their origin. I guess this is an issue related to people from Korea and North Korea living in Japan also. Osaka is the city where most of them live.
- They have community organisation in Osaka?
Yes, they've been there for long time and their community groups are coming to a stage for negotiation with the council and the government, trying to do things allied with the council, as there's an issue of their disabled people. Before they were quite radical but now they are communicating with the government. Before the war, they were tremendously discriminated against by people in Osaka, which lead them to form a sort of Mafia for self-defense to protect their lives. Some youth became like kids in overseas and some belong to motorcycle gangs. The reason why they became like this is they needed a way of self-defense, otherwise they would have been looked down on and treated badly. They had no choice other than protecting themselves. Some became elite like Kan San Ju, a professor in Tokyo Uni. I think the existence of their self-defense gangs has saved their communities till now. Without them, they could not have kept them as they are. They fought extremely with Japanese. Still now in Osaka, there is a general fear towards Koreans and North Koreans living in Japan, which comes out as pre-emptying aggressive behaviors towards them when something disturbing happens in Korea or North Korea. For example, when North Korea was threatening Japan, high school girls in Korean schools in Osaka were attacked with knives and had their school uniforms of traditional Korean dress cut through.
- Do you want to talk briefly about fascist movements in Japan?
It's very timely as the 11th of February is a day for fascists, a national holiday for the Commemoration of the Founding of the Nation. It's a day to celebrate the origin of Imperial family in Japan. It is called 'Kigen setsu' refering to its origin, also used to be called, before the war, the 'Jinmu setsu' as in the Emperor Jinmu who was the first emperor in Japan. On this day, a lot of right wing and extremely conservative people gather to Kashiwara shrine in Nara. You can see them driving frantically on the route 24 in the morning of the day, fighting for the first arrival!
- Is that like Yasukuni* shrine in Tokyo?
Well, Kashiwara is much more important for them, like a heaven. All of them come to celebrate this day in this shrine with their flags in their hands.
- Can you talk a little about Yakuza, and related issues about organized crime and day-workers?
In Tokyo, there are many so-called "Iranian people", as not all of them are actually from Iran. Especially in the early 90's, there were so many of them that the ruling class institutions felt threatened by their presence. Well, it's actually the ruling class who called them over in a way.
- Do you mean governmental officials?
It's Yakuza who arranged for them to come, so in a way they had to reap as they have sown. Especially the police and other areas of the ruling class who saw a sort of crisis, thinking Japan would be full of foreigners in the streets. They ran many campaigns against "Iranian people" using a big media network including FFC (Fuji Sankei Group), TV, radio, magazines to influence on public opinion.
- Could you tell me more about the relationship between Yakuza and "Iranian people"? Do they invite them as workers?
Yes, Yakuza works as a broker and use them as a means to get money, having them sell things like forged telephone cards on the streets. Yakuza do not pay much and "Iranian people" don't earn much in the end, but it's them who are on the streets where the police control. They just oppress "Iranian people" not Yakuza.
- They were living in parks, weren't they?
Yes, they had a sort of community in parks to exchange information, with a sort of market etc. and they would spend the whole day in the area. The police tried to kick them out of the parks. At that time, there was a group called "Inoken" (a liberal network to defend life and rights) in Tokyo, who worked with "Iranian people" and fought against the police oppression. Also, a group like us from Kansai went to give them support so that they can keep their community. In the end, despite all our efforts, they were removed from the parks.
- Considering the fact Yakuza was working behind "Iranian people", I wonder if they gave them any back up in that kind of situation?
No, not at all, they only regard them as their hands or legs, or rather lizard's tail as if it doesn't matter if it is cut off. So, when the police informed them that "Iranian people" were illegal, they just said, "Ah, they are illegal. They've been troublesome for us as well..." as if they have nothing to do with them. Of course we knew what they were doing so we tried to do something in the case of them not being paid their salary.
- Did you sue them or run a campaign?
We just went directly to their broker's office and urged them to pay the "Iranian people".
- As for Yakuza's activity, you were saying that they have strong power in Nishinari district... can you tell me more about it?
Mostly they are involved in gambling.
- How about prostitution?
They are not so involved in brothels officially now, as they are used to the extent that they can get a part of their income. For now, it's gambling that makes them money. On the streets and in front of the shops, they open gambling dens. They get some money from those places. Not only that but also, they try to get money from those who are working. They stop day-workers on the streets saying things like "Hey man, you have a quite well built body, don't you? Do you wanna come to our office today?" They work as a sort of middle men.
- They get in between construction companies and day workers?
Yes, and then they take the profits. So these are the ways they make money, by opening gambling places and forcibly working as agents. Sometimes, not only being an agent exploiting workers, the actual boss of a construction company could be Yakuza. In any case, Yakuza exploit workers. Day-workers and we need to do something to fight against them. There are many fights and arguments going on. For example, 'till last year, well, it's still going on now, we had a big conflict with Asahi Kensetsu (a construction company) who were running violent construction camps.
- Are they owned by Yakuza?
You could say that... they take people from "Yoseba", which are the areas where day-workers hang around, like Kamagasaki in Osaka, Sanya in Tokyo, Sasajima in Nagano and many other places in Japan, to their "Hanba" which are the places where they have their own lodging facilities, in so-called construction camps, and force them to work with hardly any pay. They charge for lodging saying, "You slept and ate here so you have to pay for it." Day-workers won't have any money left at the end of the day. In the most extreme cases, they say, "You used the tooth brush, which is such and such a price. You used the pillow, which is such and such a price." They put prices on everything so that day-workers won't have any money left. They get totally squeezed out.
One of the construction camps was in Yamanashi prefecture, in Otsuki. They took day-workers to the camp and sent them to various places. It was built for experiments to run linear motor cars, something that Japanese high tech companies are proud of. The construction site was filled with big constructors like Tekken, Kashima Kensetsu etc. These big companies use Yakuza and get them to send day-workers, who are completely exploited, sometimes loaded with unlawful debt. They say, "You have too much debt for us to pay you." They could get kicked out without being given their share or get beaten up for the debt, which was made out of little payment and extra charges for their lodging. We made claims against these unreasonable acts, saying what they are doing is totally wrong. Sometimes day-workers die by their illegal punishment and get buried in secret. There were three or four people killed as far as announced in the newspapers. We could not make much of a move till these incidents were disclosed because most of the people who managed to run away from them are scared of risking their lives and do not make claims, which made it difficult for us to know what was actually happening. After the announcement, we gave out flyers in places like Kamagasaki, wondering if we might find more of their victims. A number of people who hadn't been paid turned up, telling us stories like not having been paid 100,000 yen (500 pounds) and so on. We complained to the Labour Standards Bureau etc., and managed to get some money out of them. We were suspecting that Asa Kensetsu, formerly Asahi Kensetsu was also responsible for these incidents, and we secretly traced their movements.
- Is that a part of the reason they changed their name?
Yes, they have had various names... This is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure there are many other things they have done, and the incidents related to Hanba just happened to be made public and were the worst cases. Hanba literally means a place to eat and has a system of exploiting workers, varying in degrees, by charging them for a place to sleep and eat even when there's no work which would leave them nothing in the end and then the company would cut them off. This becomes a struggle against Yakuza.
- Are there any groups in mainstream fighting against Yakuza?
I don't think there are any as far as I know because if a group publicises itself, it'll be a good target for Yakuza and would be clamped down. Being underground and unknown is the only way to deal with them. Yakuza also have a connection with the police working as a kind of informers for the police.
- Wouldn't the police do anything about Yakuza?
Well, the police seem to be doing various things to control them but Yakuza work as a sort of informers, which becomes a part of the police system. The police seemed to think that it would be better to use them as their tool rather than doing something that would make them stick up to them more. They would be useful, as they are the ones who have a control over day-workers in towns, and control over places where day-workers gather to be recruited for work. This is a really traditional system between Yakuza and the police.
- Could you name those areas like Kamagasaki?
Sanya in Tokyo, Sasajima in Nagoya. Big cities always have one. Kyoto used to have one but now they only have a system to take people away (to construction sites). It's a fucking scary system really. Yakuza control them and Day-workers have no power. On top of Yakuza, there are the police and big construction companies who cannot control day workers by themselves and use Yakuza. This kind of system has existed since very old days as it is shown in a period film having people always bullied and chased by Yakuza for their debt on the bottom and a evil judge on the top.
- How are right wing organizations related to Yakuza?
Yakuza often form a political party as a way to get away with paying smaller tax. Often a right wing political party equals Yakuza although some are totally unrelated to them. Broadly speaking, 80 % of the right wing is related to Yakuza.
- And the noticeable activities of right wing extremists?
A lot... I might have told you before, on the 11th of February, National Foundation Day, but they call it Jinmu setsu after the name of the first Emperor, all of them gather to the Kashiwara Shrine (Nara) and Ise Jingu to make a speech saying things like Japan is in a serious crisis etc.... well, this is all they do on that day, but in the past history, they've been involved in various actions, political assassination etc. Japanese right wings are really active, militant and dangerous.
- Can you give us any example?
One of the most suitable examples after the war is the assassination of Inajiro Asanuma, the chairman of the Socialist Left. He was killed by a youth, 16 or 17 years old, with a knife. The boy killed himself too. When it comes to a crucial moment, they cause terrorism.
The latest racist incident is Korean female students having had their school uniforms slashed with a knife. This is not done exclusively by a right wing organization but by some people driven by public opinion or the fear made by mass media saying North Korea trying to invade Japan. The government has been saying we need to prepare for it, having an armed force etc. There are many Korean people and their schools in Japan, where students wear uniforms that are traditional Korean costumes. A lot of female students wearing Chima Chogori met this kind of incidents, having their uniformed slashed or splashed with paints and so on. It happened so many times that most of Korean schools in Osaka decided to stop them from wearing it. Some of them had incidents of some people driving into the school to shout at students and teachers. Most of extreme cases of terrorism are done by the right wing while terrorism by the left is small compared to the right wing, except for Anti-Japan Armed Front. Once they decided to do something, it's gonna be big, the coup d'etat. They've been preparing for one all the time.
- Do you think the right wing is hostile towards foreigners in general, or mostly to North Korean people in Japan?
Well...for example, the right wing in Tokyo area and National Socialist Party, which mostly consist of people who worship Nazis, were very aggressive towards so-called "Iranian people". I think they are still so, it's just not as bad as before. They used to shout at them, "You are not supposed to be in Japan. What are you doing here? Get out of Japan right now! Otherwise we're gonna kick you out!" Not only saying these things but also they used violence, throwing glass bottles at them. They went around to the parks where the "Iranian people" gather and throw plants pots or bottles at the crowd. Some people got injured there. In other cases, they stopped "Iranian people" on the streets and threatened them with a knife telling them to go back to where they come from. In an extreme case that happened in a train station, people who appear to be Iranians were tackled by them on the platform and pushed onto the rail just before the train came. I don't remember if they were run over by the train or not.
- What about media coverage? How was the attitude towards these incidents?
They put it up on TV news and papers but made it as if it was "Iranians" faults who came to Japan illegally. A lot of them were kicked out of Yoyogi Park and Ueno park although some remained up to now. Most of them were forced to go back to their own countries or sent to a detention centre in Ushi-ku, which is on Ibaragi prefecture side in Chiba, north of Tone River. There are other two detention centres for Asylum seekers and illegal immigrants in Japan, one in the west is in O mura in Nagasaki, the other in Nagoya for people in the east. Those who get caught are sent to the one in Ushi-ku, which is like a prison. Immigration Center is in Ibaraki in Osaka and they usually treat people like Chinese or Afghan who claimed Asylum quite badly.
- Does Japan accept any economic migrants?
Japan has had a policy of stopping them before they land for a long time unlike Korea. Very few people enter Japan except for those who are sent or brought by gangs illegally.
- I wonder how they manage that. How do they come through passport controls? Do they have fake passports or something?
Usually they come legally first on a tourist, student or short time work visa. Of course, those with student visas have their names at schools but they don't have money or a will to go to schools so never attend.
- So Yakuza do these procedures for the people who want to come to Japan and work.
Not only gangs but also brokers in their own country are involved in the system. Yakuza make a connection with local brokers who fix up jobs in Japan. For example, women from Philippine called Japayuki san (people who go to Japan) are sent through this system. The number of people who come never stops increasing because both brokers and Yakuza make a lot of money out of them. People who have been brought over here with just 1500,000 yen at the most, 1000,000 yen at the least per year including flights, food and accommodation. They have hard lives. Sometimes they get ill and have to go back. Usually the extreme xenophobic and nationalistic attitude of the Yakuza means they are abandoned, or told to go back to their own countries, to get out of Japan. It doesn't make any sense to bring them here and bully them.
- Is that because it is Yakuza who brought the people why the police don't do anything?
I guess the police just tell Yakuza to have them under their control. Some of the illegal activities get exposed but usually left to their own control. Until it gets too much the police leave it to them and make use of them as a way to control people and as informers. This is the system the police employ, to work with Yakuza and gangs. It is very well made. I guess it is not only in Japan but also established in many other places, Middle East, Spain, Italy etc. The government and ruling class sit on top of this system safely, having people who rebel against them under their foot with gang power. I guess it comes down to the point where we have to figure out how to fight against this system, which is quite difficult...
- Do you have any activities you can mention?
As a strategy against Yakuza, we cannot publicize, as it is dangerous, risking our lives... Recently the government made a constitution to control violent organizational activities, which is supposed to be applied to Yakuza and the extreme right. But, in reality, once it is made they can use it in many ways. Even without a constitution, they have a measure to control people outside of the law. Although some people might think we have some kinds of rights and will be protected by the law, I think the law is only made for the benefit of the people who use it, as it is well described in the scene when people get caught by the police, hand-cuffed, beaten up and told that they have a right to do such and such.
- As a way to fight against Yakuza, we can collect the fact from the people who are damaged by their activities and make a sort of militant workers union.
We don't have so much armed force now so...but in the 70's, some people made unofficial groups and went to attack Yakuza, taking them by surprise at night with the masks on, beat them up or scraped their nails. Of course, at that time some people in Sanya were killed by Yakuza, two as far as I know, Sao san who was a film director and Yamaha san, which caused the tension. With a strategy to fight back if we were attacked, we ended up losing some lives. Yakuza is powerful with lots of weapons but we don't have any, incomparable.
They also import various kinds of stuff and make money by getting people to sell them, for example, LSD. Yakuza is the people who control the drug market but never get caught. Only the people who work for them and sell them get caught. Another way of financing their activity is consumer credit business, violent credit companies. Many people who are swindled to use it and end up committing suicides or sleeping on the streets. Half of the people who sleep outside are chased by Yakuza for non-payment and cannot come out in public. There used to be no control on this kind of business. The general opinion was against people who borrowed money from them, seeing them as bad and stupid who use evil companies. Lacking imagination, they never think of an occasion where people have no other choice than using Yakuza's loan. Yakuza is always somewhere in a system of control. It's a traditional old thing in Japan. You can see it in some period dramas on TV.
I guess we need to be able to use force, violence to fight against them, but especially young people in there 20's don't really want to use any violence. It has always been a class war for us but it is class peace for them! It is nonsense to live with them in peace! The only way is to use violence. Of course, the best way is to avoid it but it is not possible. Even if we say, ok we do things in peace, then we'll get stabbed from behind. We need to have a defense system.
- Is there any kind of community support groups struggling against Yakuza?
No, not really at all.
- When it occurs, it is very isolated and it's just individuals fighting back?
Yakuza also have undercovers in various places, so we are forced to live and do things with a sense of terror somewhere in our mind. You never know when you get attacked or where they are coming. It is quite difficult to foresee their attack. I guess this is the big task for us to think about, how to manage Yakuza.
Thank you very much for talking to us, Rebel Jill.
*A Memorial dedicated to the Japanese war dead, including known war criminals. It is a source of much friction between Japan, and the surrounding countries which it invaded in previous wars. Fascists often have a presence outside, agitating and giving out propaganda. Fascists can often also be seen in some Japanese cities, in blacked out SUV's, buses and motorbike gangs. Touring the streets or parked up giving outreach, it's not unusual to see them on loudhailers calling for the return of the rule of the Emperor, the subjugation of foreigners, and the usual fascist hate speech.