3/11/2014: Two Tribes

After Japan's triple disaster on March 11th 2011, the nation was faced with a choice. It could heal the suffering of those made homeless by the tsunami and nuclear meltdown, turn away from nuclear power, and become a model of renewable energy-efficency to the western world; or it could ignore international opinion and cover up the mistakes that led to the Fukushima plant's destruction, delay and obstruct the reconstruction of the stricken communities of Tohoku, restart the wasteful and incompetently run nuclear industry with the same people in charge, and persecute any citizen who disagreed with the government's decisions.

      Now we all know which path Japan chose to take.

      So three years on, "3/11: The Fallout" announces its manifesto for anyone who's interested in what's happening in this country.

      1) If you are a 'gaijin' living in Japan, take part in our campaign of civil disobedience. You don't have to join any group; it's just about taking responsibility, doing the right thing and saying 'no'. We are referring here specifically to the individual models who played racist stereotypes in the ANA and Coco Juku advertising campaigns. They could have said 'no thank you', but instead they chose to take the paycheck and run, and the result was a massive setback for racial equality in Japan. Now if  you're reading this, and thinking - "But I can't make trouble! I'll lose my job!"  - well, here's some news for you. You might speak Japanese fluently, carefully observe the etiquette, jump though the hoops when they tell you to jump, but you will still lose your job because ultimately, you are not Japanese. You will never be part of this society, so don't kid yourself. You will be disposed of when you have outlived your usefulness.

The Coco Juku ad

The ANA TV ad

      2) If you are thinking of coming to Japan, for travel or for work, please reconsider. Please choose another destination. Your tourist dollars will prop up a senile, racist regime, and be used to perpetuate the myth of "unique Japanese culture".

      3) If you are young and Japanese, consider leaving the country as soon as possible. A national health catastrophe is in the making because the government is determined to supress the facts about the spread of radioactive contamination. Either find a study abroad program or a job with a non-Japanese company; but leave any way you can. This is not a country for young people.

      Think we're being crazy? Stupid? Wasting our time? We are only following the examples of those we look up to; namely - Mohandas Ghandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and Nelson Mandela.The supreme irony is that Japanese high school students are required to write composition papers on some of those individuals - and yet they have absolutely no conception of the ideals they represented.

       So Prime Minister Abe, in the spirit of Jean-Paul Sartre and Malcolm X, we are going to teach you the meaning of the English phrase 'by any means necessary'.  This is the last promoted post. Our blog will no longer be updated because we already know what's going to happen. We are taking our fight off the Internet, and onto the streets. We are the Fallout.

      You will hear from us again. 

Buy your copy of "3/11: The Fallout" here and the money will go to Tohoku charities.