DISCLAIMER – For those of you who can’t realize that this is a parody turn off your computer and throw it out the window right now because you are just far too stupid to be using the internet in the first place.

 Brought to you without pain, pride or prejudice, and in no particular order here’s February 2010′s Top 10 Strange Japanese Laws.

1. If a man asks a woman to go on a date she can not refuse him.

2. If an older brother asks to marry your girlfriend by law and honour you, and your girlfriend, must agree.

3. It is illegal to cook Fugu (Blow Fish) for more than 80 seconds. Fugu contains deadly poison in the organs. Despite of the risk, fugu dishes are considered special feasts in Japan.

  + 81 seconds = 

4. The importing of photographs showing genitals is against the law.

Japanese Digital Porn Censor

Arrested for Not Censoring

Hoohas Enough.

5. Women are legally obliged to wear bra’s in buildings with air conditioning because men get too aroused looking at their hard nipples.

6. Hundreds of years ago in Japan anyone who attempted to leave the country was instantly executed.

7. Home brewing anything over 1% is illegal in Japan. The penalties involved are up to 5 years in prison and/or up to a 50 man yen (about $5000 USD) fine in addition to confiscation of your brewing equipment.

8. A few years back, a Chinese soap hit it big with consumers in Asia. It was claimed in ads that users would lose weight with Seaweed Defat Scented Soap simply by washing with it. The soap was sold in violation to the Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and was banned. Reportedly, the craze for the soap was so great that Japanese tourists from China and Hong Kong brought back large quantities. The product was also in violation of customs regulations. In June and July 1999 alone, over 10,000 bars were seized.

9. In the 1630s, a decree in Japan forbade the building of any large ocean-worthy ships to deter defection.

10. The Nationality Law says that a child born out of wedlock to a non-Japanese mother is only recognized as a citizen if the Japanese father admits paternity prior to the child’s birth or marries the mother before the child turns 20.

AND

3 more for good luck!!

11. Birth control pills were illegal in Japan until June 1999 when the Japanese Ministry of Health yielded to the demands of doctors in Japan and pharmaceutical giants.

12. If a woman were to divorce her husband, and have a child within 6 months of the divorce the baby is legally the child of her ex-husband, moreover the woman can’t get remarried within 6 months of the divorce.

13. The Japanese constitution is so-called “peace constitution” and according to Article 9, War is against the law in Japan. Japan is the only country in the world that renounces War.

“This article is a submission for the Japan Blog Matsuri hosted by Muza-chan’s Gate to Japan“

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.

Beginner’s License vs. Regular License

If you have spent more than 90 days, but less than 1 year in the country that issued your driver’s license you will be eligible for a beginners license only.

If you have spent more than 1 year in total (not necessarily consecutive) in the country that issued your driver’s license you will be eligible for a regular license.

A beginner’s license holder is required to display a beginner’s mark sticker for the first 12 months after issue of the Japanese license, and will be credited with 3 demerit points only. (compared to 6 for a regular license) No other restrictions are placed on beginner’s license holders.

Both types of Japanese driver’s license are valid for a maximum of 3 years from the date of issue.

Test Required or Non-Required?

The process of license conversion changes according to the country that issued your foreign license.
Applicants are divided into the following two categories:

Test Non-Required
Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands, United Kingdom.

Applicants holding drivers licenses issued in any of the above 22 countries, and one area, listed above do not need to sit for either the written or driving tests when converting their foreign licenses.

Test Required
Applicants holding drivers licenses from countries not listed under the “Test Non-Required” heading above are required to pass both written and driving tests to complete the conversion process.

Why?
Countries are separated in each category according to the driving safety record. The Japanese government feels it is not necessary for those people from countries that have an equal or better safety record to take a written or driving test. Please feel free to check with us if you are not sure which category you fall under.

Driving School or No Driving School?