Update: Arlan and Sarah Calderon

Arlan and Sarah Calderon has left Japan and landed on Philippine soil today. They now live in Tondo, Manila as residents. Meanwhile, their daughter, Noriko, stayed behind and is now staying with her aunt in Saitama prefecture. For a quick background on their story, click HERE.

Spring Fever

I love Spring! It's the time of year when flowers are abloom and the climate is just right. Not too hot, not too cold. Just perfect! Imagine an air-conditioned world. That's what spring is like. I can go out in a light sweater at noontime and do not sweat. I wish it's spring all year round.

Ariel and I welcomed the new season by going to a hanami last Sunday. Hanami is the Japanese term for "picnic". It literally means "view the flowers". And view the flowers we did! We went to one of Japan's "park cities", Kakamigahara-shi, which is a mere 15 minutes away by local train. Kakamigahara has a huge city park located right beside Shin-Sakai River. The river is lined with sakura trees and is listed among the top 100 spots to view cherry blossoms in Japan.

When we got there, we were greeted by this beautiful sight:

We met up with Ariel's sister, Nancy, and her husband, Aljio, who got there earlier. A picnic mat was already spread out in the grass. Ariel and I then proceeded to the food booths to buy lunch. I settled for barbecue and french fries while Ariel opted for ramen. After eating, it was pictorial time!

We first took turns in taking pictures of each other with the sakura.

Er, it was more of Ariel taking pictures of watashi.

On our way back to the picnic grounds, we spotted this hand-drawn "karitela".

I also bumped into old acquaintances from work whom I have not seen for more than two years.

(L-R: Maritess, Janet, me, Flor, Nancy and Ariel)

This diva of a dog passed by us with her owner.

We also went to the very colorful floral garden area and took some more pictures.

Of course, I just had to pose beside the fountain.

I also tried out my hand in point and shoot photography.

Going to a hanami has become a spring ritual for me and Ariel. Whenever we are in Japan, we always make sure to go and see the cherry blosssoms because they only come out once a year and stay in bloom for only a week. The cherry blossoms in Kakamigahara have now started falling off and it will take another year for us to see them again.

Happy Easter everyone!

The DPRK Problem

At approximately 11:30am today, all of Japan virtually froze as it was announced that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has just launched a long-range ballistic missile. For a moment, the people of Japan, particularly those in the North, stood in fear of a missile test failure. A battery of surface-to-air missile defense units have been in place since Saturday to intercept the missile or any falling debris which may land on Japanese soil.

Thankfully, the missile safely cruised over Japan. The first stage booster dropped in the Sea of Japan off Akita prefecture in the west while the rest of the missile landed in the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese east coast.

Defying protests from the international community and violating a U.N.-imposed missile ban, the North Korean government claims that the launched missile was carrying a communications satellite into space. But the whole world knows that the missile, a Taepodong-2, can carry more than just a satellite. It can also be used to launch nuclear weapons. Many believe that this morning's launch is just a cover to test North Korea's long-range missile technology.

What then could the world do about North Korea's defiant act?

Clearly, the existing sanctions against North Korea is not effective and the U.N. Security Council should review its previous resolutions. One example is Resolution 1718, which was adopted in 2006 after North Korea conducted nuclear tests. That resolution states that all member nations should prevent the transfer of goods and devices that could help advance the DPRK's nuclear and missile development programs. To date, there have been no reports of cargo inspections ever being conducted under the terms of the resolution. Which means, for the past 3 years, North Korea has been successfully importing missile components through clandestine channels.

Ironically, it appears that North Korea has been using Japanese instruments and technology to develop its missiles, including the one launched this morning. In 2003, an engineer who defected from North Korea testified that about 90 percent of the parts used for one type of North Korean missile originated from Japan.

This only proves that the North Korean threat is far from being stopped. It would take absolute cooperation from all countries around the world to totally eliminate the problem. Until then, the people in Japan, including foreign residents like me, can only only hope that the authorities will do their jobs while we fervently pray to high heavens that the next missile launch will never happen.

A missile interceptor is poised to defend Japanese soil from threat
(courtesy of cnn.com)

The saga of Noriko-chan

Noriko Calderon (right) with her parents at a press conference in Tokyo

I first heard about the ordeal of Noriko Calderon through Jasper's blog. Noriko is a 13-year old girl who was born and raised in Japan with Filipino parents. Sarah, 38, came to Japan in 1992 and Arlan, 36, followed in 1993. BOTH USED FAKE PASSPORTS. The two managed to bear a child, send her to school, and work while staying under the radar for 13 years. In July 2006, Sarah Calderon was arrested for illegal residency. The family pleaded for special residency and battled it out in the courts for two years. In September 2008, the Japanese Supreme Court ruled that the Calderons must voluntarily return to the Philippines by January 14, 2009 or risk being deported with Noriko. The deadline has been reset three times until the final deadline last February 27. After the ultimatum lapsed, Arlan Calderon was detained by the Japanese Immigration Bureau while Sarah was given an extension permit to stay with her daughter. Last Friday, March 13, Arlan and Sarah Calderon finally decided to leave without their daughter lest they risk Noriko's special residency permit. They are scheduled to return to the Philippines on April 13. Noriko will be left to the care of her mother's sister who is married to a Japanese national. Her parents will be granted special short-term visas to visit her regularly.

It should be understood that Japanese immigration laws are different from the US or Philippines. A child born in Japan to immigrant parents DOES NOT automatically become a Japanese citizen. One can only become a Japanese citizen by blood or naturalization. Even foreigners married to Japanese citizens do not automatically acquire their spouse's citizenship. The process of naturalization is looong and difficult and Japan does not allow dual citizenship. A foreigner applying for naturalization should be ready to renounce his/her original citizenship. That is why most foreigners settle for permanent residency or the equivalent of the immigrant status in the US. In the Calderons' case, it is not clear if either parent is a Japanese descendant. Arlan Calderon sure does look very Oriental but I assume that he has no Japanese blood because, if he does, their case would have been much less complicated. Perhaps he is part Chinese or Korean?

In my opinion, nobody else can be blamed for this mess but the parents.

1. They used fake passports. It is one thing to have no proper visa but fake passports? It is exactly the falsifying of documents which aggravated their case. They committed a double whammy. Some people argue that they might have done it because they were poor back in the Philippines. Poverty is never an excuse to commit a crime.

2. They did not make Noriko understand that she is not Japanese. The poor girl claims she did not know that she is Filipino until her mother was arrested. This is quite unbelievable given her Spanish surname and very un-Japanese looking mother.

3. They did not teach Noriko Filipino or English. They claim that Noriko only speaks Japanese so it would be difficult for her to continue her studies in the Philippines. Noriko had all the time to learn Japanese at school. She should have been taught Filipino or English at home. Still, there are Japanese schools in the Philippines where Noriko can study if she chooses to join her parents in the Philippines. She only needs to start Filipino lessons from Grade One, not the entire curriculum as what their lawyer argues.

4. They claim to not have enough money to start anew in the Philippines. Did they not save for their reintegration? Did they have plans of going home at all? Or did they plan to stay illegally in Japan until death?

I think the Calderons were bound to lose their case considering how merciless Japan is when it comes to immigration issues. I remember a Japanese-Filipino lady in her mid-50's who has been living in Japan fore more than 10 years with a long-term resident visa. After her regular visa renewal application, she was suddenly granted a 3-month tourist visa. She had to go back to the Philippines and repeat the whole process of applying for eligibility. Upon her return to Japan, she was barred at the airport and was sent back to the Philippines. If something like this could happen to a half-Japanese with legal documents, what more to illegal aliens with fake passports?

It is understandable why the government refused to grant the request of the Calderons. Doing so would set a very bad precedent for the numerous illegal residents with children in Japan. I am not talking only about Filipinos. There are Chinese, Brazilians and Koreans. Imagine if they will all come out and apply for special residency!

It is just so sad that poor Noriko-chan should suffer for her own parents' irresponsibility. They are lucky enough to be granted regular visits by the Japanese government.

One thing that amazes me is how the parents were able to enroll Noriko year after year without being detected. Maybe Japanese schools should review their enrollment system.

Japan Trivia

1. Japan has 3 official long holidays: New Year holiday (usually Dec. 30 - January 3), Golden Week (usually May 1-5) and Obon Holiday (mid-August).

2. February 14 is called Chocolate Day and it is customary for girls to give chocolates to boys.

3. March 14 is called White Day and it is customary for boys to give back gifts (usually pastries) to girls.

4. It is more acceptable to fart than sneeze in public. Farting produces carbon dioxide while sneezing produces germs.

5. Sticking chopsticks vertically straight up in a rice bowl is a big no-no. It resembles incense sticks offered to the dead.

6. It is perfectly okay to slurp your soup in public.

7. Inside a full train, it is extremely rare to see a Japanese man offering his seat to an elderly woman. I have never seen this happen after 8 years in Japan.

8. The fine for drunk driving is JPY100,000-500,000 = $1,000-5,000 = PhP50,000-250,000!

9. Almost all grocery stores are going green. Eco bags are now in and what used to be free plastic bags now cost JPY5 each.

10. Japanese folks almost always refuse to kill an insect. Beetles are kept as pets and bought at a minimum of JPY10,000 or $100 or PHP5,000!

Happy White Day everyone! :)

Sharing Experience

Every year, taxpayers in Japan, foreigners and locals alike, troop to tax offices or city halls all over the country to apply for a tax refund. It works like the tax exemptions in the Philippines but in Japan, people pay first, then claim later.

So this morning, I went to the town hall to file Ariel's claim. We have been doing this annually and I was tasked to do the same in 2007. I got to town hall at a little past 9AM. I took a number and sat down. I was 16th to be served, 10th after the current number on the marker. I looked around and saw that I was the youngest person in the waiting area, all the others were Japanese senior citizens. Three counters were already open followed by two more a little later.

I have always admired the efficient service in government offices in Japan. Back in the Philippines, I always dreaded going to government offices because I always get very frustrated with the very lousy service. I remember going to the city hall in Butuan one afternoon and saw employees mindlessly chatting, eating snacks or applying make up, despite the long line of people waiting. Some employees were even having massages! The stench of massage oil was everywhere. There were none of that in Japan, at least based on my experience.

After a few minutes of waiting, my number was finally called. I immediately recognized the same guy who served me two years ago. He evaluated my supporting documents and asked for the birth certificates of all the listed beneficiaries. I looked in my folder but didn't have the documents. It seems that they are stricter this year because they didn't ask for this before. I was told to come back when I already have the documents.

I rushed back to the apartment, found the birth certificates and went back in the afternoon. There were only 2 people waiting this time. I was served in another counter by an androgynous anime-looking Japanese. After evaluation, I filled up a few forms and was asked to check our bank after a month. I said my thank you's and did the customary bows and went on my way.