作者　李佳の呟き

In my experience, Okinawan society differs significantly from mainland Japan.

I believe that there can be strong solidarity among local people and a tendency to protect relatives and friends
even if they did something wrong.

They shield each other, even when criminal acts are involved.

I experienced that were discrimination against my children and me, because of my Taiwanese background.

Forty-one years ago, when my eldest son was approximately six months old,
I left him at a daycare center and returned several hours later to pick him up.

When I arrived home, I discovered that his diaper had apparently not been changed despite being heavily soiled several times.
I was shocked that the daycare worker had not changed it.

Later, I wanted my son to learn how to play Shogi and Karate,
but no one was willing to accept him, because his mother is Taiwanese
and he was not considered as a Japanese.

When my eldest son was in elementary school, I paid high fee
for a high-school music teacher to teach him piano.

One day, I went to observe his lesson from outside, but the piano was not making any sound.

On another occasion, after picking up my three-year-old second son from nursery school, he told me in the car:

“ I was kicked by the nursery teacher.”

I was extremely shocked.

On another day, I was sitting in a large public park away from the playground equipment
while allowing my sons to play.

After some time, my younger son came to me and said:

“ Someone's mother hits me.”

I was speechless at what I regarded as the unrestrained violence directed toward my children.

I believe that my children were bullied because they were partly Taiwanese.

It was not only my children who experienced bullying.
I experienced discrimination myself as an adult.

An Okinawan woman confronted me when she learned that I was Taiwanese.

On one kindergarten open day, a woman appeared to recognize that I was Taiwanese from my appearance.
I had to return to work early, so I stood up to leave.

A parent sitting behind me then struck me hard on the buttocks.

I experienced repeated incidents of bullying, including bullying by my former husband's younger sister.

Eventually, the situation became even worse when a woman at my workplace slapped me.

After experiencing repeated incidents of bullying, I became mentally exhausted and felt that I was almost losing my sanity.

I wrote about various forms of discrimination and violence that I experienced in Okinawa
in my novel “Goodbye, My Son” ( 息子よ さようなら ).

However, I deliberately described these experiences in relatively gentle language
because I did not want to offend Okinawan people.

Three events in 2004 that I believe triggered the subsequent persecution.

I believe that, in order to conceal their own wrongdoing, the group responsible for the oppression spread false information about me
among police officers, at my workplace, among my neighbors,
and even among my brothers living in Taiwan.

I was accused of being:

a mental patient ;

a liar

an international marriage fraudster ;
and

a foreign wife who was not living with her husband and moved to Tokyo merely to work and earn money.

When a lawsuit concerning the collection of my sons' university expenses began,
I believe that Mizuho Bank produced false transaction statements at the request of the police.

When I attempted to obtain information from Senju Police Station ( 千住署 ),
which had jurisdiction over me when I lived in Tokyo, a person from the National Police Agency ( 警察庁 ) later.

I strongly denied his allegations and corrected his statements.

He then slapped me hard on the shoulder and told me:

“ Do your best.”　　
（卑劣な弾圧を平気にやって、また頑張れって言うの？）

I understood his words to mean that I simply had to endure the oppression because the police had already made their decision.

I believe that this was an extremely serious abuse of power.

I believe that the group responsible for these actions has continued to pursue me from 2005 until the present.

Alleged atrocities committed by the police and alleged use of the Self-Defense Forces

One police officer also told me that the Self-Defense Forces were being used.

1. Repeated unfair dismissals from employment

When I moved from Okinawa to Tokyo with my sons in February 2005, there was a family-court agreement concerning financial support, although I had not yet divorced my husband.

From that point until my second son graduated from university, I believe that the group responsible for the oppression repeatedly interfered with my ability to work and attempted to control my legal proceedings.

March 2005 – Travel agency in Takadanobaba, Tokyo

I worked at a travel agency in Takadanobaba, Tokyo, that used Chinese extensively in its business and mainly sold airline tickets.

The president told me that he was very happy to have such a capable employee.

However, one day, a visitor who spoke Japanese suddenly arrived.

The next day, my employer told me that I was being dismissed.

May 2005 – International patent firm in Ota Ward, Tokyo

Soon after I joined the company, a person with an Okinawan surname was newly hired.

Within a month, I was dismissed.

June–July 2005 – Singaporean company in Taito Ward, Tokyo

I worked for a Singaporean company that installed LAN cables for Internet services.

Every day, I went to lunch with the president and other employees.

After some time, a business card bearing an Okinawan surname appeared in the company's mailbox.

From then onward, men who appeared to me to have the appearance and manner of politicians began visiting the company every day, presenting themselves as sales representatives from various industries.

They repeatedly asked for the contact information of the company's headquarters in Singapore.

A few days later, I was dismissed.

August 2005 – Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture

At the end of August 2005, I moved from Kita-Senju to Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture.

I turned off my mobile phone because I was concerned about being tracked by GPS.

Approximately one month later, when I turned the phone back on, I immediately noticed police cars following me.

I went to Kawaguchi Police Station and asked for advice.

I told the police:

“ If you have any suspicions about me, please ask me anything. I will prove my innocence.”

Unfortunately, I believe that the police station did not investigate my concerns. Instead, I believe that the harassment and oppression continued.

September 2005–May 2006 – Guesthouse in Kawaguchi

I worked at a guesthouse for foreigners in Kawaguchi City.

The company managed both long-term and short-term rental apartments, with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ( 国土交通省 ).

I was responsible for managing and supervising foreign residents.

The president of the company was also from Iwate Prefecture, as is Mr. Ichiro Ozawa.

At first, there were only two or three tenants.

Through my own efforts and ingenuity, I succeeded in filling the available space to capacity within a very short time.

One day, however, someone claiming to be a police officer from Kawaguchi Police Station came to the company with a business card and asked:

“ Where is your company, and who is your real boss?”

I later wondered why the person had shown me a business card rather than official police identification.

A few days later, my superior came from the company's headquarters, insulted me, and told me that I was dismissed.

Because the company refused to pay me severance pay, I filed a summary lawsuit.

The lawsuit eventually reached the district court.

I believe that the proceedings had already been improperly influenced.

On the day I went to court, I was surrounded by many physically imposing men whom I believed were police officers.

In court, I felt that the judge did not listen to my explanation.

I had never been late for work or taken an unauthorized day off.

Even after work, I took the company-issued mobile phone home with me and remained on standby 24 hours a day.

Despite my efforts, the judge ruled that I had been dismissed for disciplinary reasons.

In order to obtain testimony during this wrongful-dismissal case, I used my son's address in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, where he was living.

I experienced a similar situation there. While I was staying at my son's home, someone repeatedly and violently banged against our wall.

As a result, my son eventually moved out of that rental property.

After the trial was over, my eldest son was arrested inside the crowded Ikebukuro train station.

The police claimed that he had broken a window belonging to a neighboring property.

I later learned that the owner of the neighboring property was allegedly a police officer.

The property was approximately 1.5 kilometers from the station, where several railway lines intersect.

Because the station was extremely crowded, I found it difficult to understand how the police could have arrested my son “red-handed.”

Ikebukuro Police Station called me and asked me to come there.

There were also young female police officers on duty.

Then, I was told that it was just only a minor offense and my son was released.

However, as we were leaving the police station, a plainclothes police officer suddenly rushed in and began speaking to that police officer.

The way of the plainclothes police officer rushed in was so strange,

but the police already told to me that they wouldn't press charges regarding the day's incident, I simply left the police station with my son.