Ozawa positive about granting local voting rights to non-Japanese.

see original article here .

I’d say that, if true, this would certainly be a move in the right direction.  However, the article goes on to state that 

“bringing [the proposal] to the Diet may not be easy because Kokumin Shinto (People’s New Party), one of two junior ruling coalition partners of the DPJ, has expressed its opposition, saying granting suffrage to non-Japanese could destabilize the nation.”

I’m sorry but in a country where the non-Japanese represent what only about 1 to 1.5% of the total population how is it even remotely possible that giving them the right to vote in LOCAL eletions could  ”destabilize” the nation.  I certainly hope that this type of borderline xenophobic comment does not go unquestioned.  In my typical over-reactionary style I would say that whichever politician said this should immediately lose his/her job and be subject to 40 lashes across the backside with a bamboo rod (said punishment to be meted out prefereably by a non-Japanese person).  In fact you know what … I volunteer for the job. 

It seems that this example of borderline xenophobia is unfortunately not limited to this one case.  In fact, a quick Google search brought up a Japan Probe article from last year that covered this same issue. 

I’m now going to say something that will show exactly how dumb I can be.  Politicians, people everywhere please wake up.  There is no reason that we can’t all get along with each other.  Japanese people you don’t need to fear that “foreigners” are going to overthrow your governement and your country.  Honestly, it’s that line of thinking that directly led to WWII.  And “foreigners living in Japan”, quit complaining about discrimination and racism, most Japanese people are really really wonderful people… don’t let a few rotten xenophobic apples sour you on living in Japan.