New Legislation for Ethnic Minority

The government of Japan considers new legislation to support life and education of ethnic minority called Ainu. To the visitors for Tokyo Olympic in 2020, the government tries to show how the Japanese and its minority are peacefully coexisting, sharing the same land. There still is skepticism that Japanese government may not lay substantial measures to improve ordinary life of Ainu.

In the meeting of Ainu Policy Promoting Committee on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga ordered related Ministries to build up organization for considering what would be needed for new legislature. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Hagiuda, explained that the government would explore what kind of policies were needed for Ainu people in various situations, although he had no clear idea about actual time schedule for the legislation.

The government looks like realizing that traditional policies toward Ainu have not been enough. A working group of the committee presented a report that argued insufficiency of succeeding current policy to eliminate discrimination against Ainu people. The committee decided to name new showcase in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, “Ethnic Co-existence Symbolizing Space,” new museum “National Ainu Ethnic Museum,” and new park “National Ethnic Co-existence Park,” accepting requests from Ainu groups.

The government is making effort to show Japan as an advanced country in ethnic minority policy to the visitors for Tokyo Olympic 2020. After the declaration of United Nations on indigenous people’s rights in 2007, Japanese government realized how minority policy would be focused on in international society. To be a nation living on foreign visitors, Shinzo Abe administration is willing to appeal its kind attitude to human rights of the ethnic minority.

However, the history toward Ainu in Japan has been painted with discrimination. Although the government previously legislated new law for Ainu in 1997, it was strictly limited in promoting cultural activities. Economic aspect of Ainu life was kept on deteriorated and they could not have good education with economic or other reasons. Rights of Ainu on the land or properties, that was taken in the penetration of the Japanese, has not fundamentally been discussed.

Even over the education support, there is a negative argument in the government. Some predict difficulty of identification of Ainu, which has ethnically been mixed with the Japanese to a certain degree. The discussion should not be concluded as hunting for reasons of incapability for progressed minority policy.

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