Just look up at the sky! The clouds send showers of grace to the earth, and the rainbow shines clear and bright. No matter how the days are darkened with sufferings, there's always the heavenly Father who pours us Hope. (from a hymn in Japanese) [Demands to the Minister of Justice] •On Detention• Please stop unnecessary detentions. Above all, never detain the applicants for refugee status, those who are with families, long-term residents, those who need medical treatment, children, old-age people, those in the legal process, pregnant women, those who have no way to be deported,… •On Residence Permit• Please give residence permit to refugees, families, children, long-term residents and others who need special compassionate consideration from the viewpoint of humanism •On Refugees• Please open the country to welcome asylum seekers. Make Japan a diplomatic country for peace, to stop persecutions world-wide. •Ban Discriminations, aiming at Multicultural Society• Please draw up and enforce measures to realize multinational, multicultural society, and enact a law to prohibit discrimination of human rights. Refugee Recognitions in Japan (2003) Applicants 336 Recognized 10 Rejected 298 Withdrawal 23 Left untreated 178 Allowed to stay on as special cases 18 World Ranking of Japanese Contributions For Refugees Money Contribution to UNHCR 2nd Number of Refugees against GDP 136th Number of Refugees against Population 125th Number of Refugees per 1 hectare 90th UNHCR-Selected Indication measuring capacity and contributions of host countries; April 2002

1435 Rainbow Bridge Campaign -
A Human Chain Around the Ministry of Justice

On October 13, about 750 members of more than 40 various citizen organizations concerning refugees and other foreigners in Japan, made a joint campaign in front of the Ministry of Justice, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Supporting lawyers and representatives from different groups, to make preparations and appeals, had formed an executive committee for this event. At our Catholic Tokyo International Center (CTIC) offices also, members had been busy preparing and participating in two events consecutively, Justice and Peace nation-wide meeting (Oct.9~12) and this Rainbow campaign.

Personally, I had not been very positive about public activities or demonstrations on the street, but while I was helping to translate the appeals and proposals to the Minister of Justice, or explanations about the campaign and recommendations for the participants, I got more and more interested. Moreover, when I sat next to a Kurdish asylum seeker from Turkey at a group session of “Foreigners and Human Rights” at the Justice and Peace Forum and heard how the Kurds in Japan are suffering because of their refugee applications being rejected, many being put into detention centers, and their protests by sitting in front of the UN University in Aoyama had failed, I felt compelled to do something. So, I decided to participate in the campaign.

1435 is the number of foreigners detained per day in the Immigration Control Detention Centers in whole Japan, because of visa problems. Among the detainees, even applicants for refugee status, sick and injured persons who need medical treatment, old-age persons and young children etc. are included. Our prayer for those 1435 detainees to be liberated and come back to us crossing over the rainbow bridge is signified in the naming of this campaign.

When I arrived at the venue a little before 5 p.m., the participants from various groups were already beginning to gather in front of the ministry building, carrying placards of appeals, rainbow-colored flags, or other items that have some connection with the rainbow. The Kurdish families who had sat on the Aoyama Street and other foreigners were there also, with their supporters. There was a campaigning car with loud-speakers, and the executive committee's greeting of welcome, explanation of this event, and recommendations to keep good order so as not to block the way for the passers-by etc. were called out repeatedly through the microphones..

Many of the assembled people knew each other as friends, and the neighboring persons whom we met for the first time also befriended each other, and the sense of solidarity grew as we stayed together while waiting. Our original plan to encircle the Justice Ministry buildings by a human chain was controlled by the police and we could not go beyond the barricade to go round to the back, but we did all joined together in double rows in front and another row on the opposite side of the street (Hibiya Park side). We all held long, long vinyl tapes in three different colors to symbolize the rainbow, and the human chain completed at 6 p.m. as had been scheduled. Each of us was distributed a chemical light which glowed in seven colors all the more beautifully as it grew darker.

All this while, the representatives went into the Ministry of Justice, escorted by a diet member, met the high officials of the Immigration Bureau and handed in the document of demands. To this document, some diet members and lawyers had given their agreement and support. On the same day, many detainees in the detention centers at Ushiku(Ibaragi prefecture) and Shinagawa were in voluntary hunger strike for 24 hours, and we heard their messages that they are with us in spirit. Including those in West Japan, detainees in three detention centers sent lists of their signatures and requests, which were also delivered to the Ministry of Justice.

At 6 p.m., one of the representatives who had given in the document of demands gave a brief report what had been going on at their meeting with the Immigration officials. Then there were relay-talks by some of the foreigners (refugees, asylum seekers, young children asking for special residence permits, long-term stayers, etc.) about their experiences and eager wishes for more humane and compassionate policies for their staying and living in Japan. Then all of us, regardless of nationalities, enjoyed together a concert of band music and songs. (e.g. Kina Shokichi, a Diet Member and professional singer from Okinawa, talked and sang “Hana”) I felt our hopes for the future harmonious and multicultural society expanding a little in such friendly atmosphere. One group had a motto which I liked: “The society which is comfortable for foreigners to live in, is comfortable for Japanese to live in.” This campaigning event came to a close exactly at 7 p.m., without any confusion, and we went home relieved and happy.

The next day at our CTIC office, where we have taken up our ordinary duties, telephone bells ring as usual, and there are people calling from the detention centers at Shinagawa or Ushiku for help. Our service does not end by just visiting the detainees with some supplies of soap and clothes. Until the day everyone can stop suffering from unnecessary or illegal treatment there, and can restore human dignity under more humane and compassionate law and policies, and for this our mentality and the social awareness to change, we have to continue our advocacy and actions together.