NEW(02/14) SSRI Symposium: Discrimination, Hatred and Freedom of Expression

I. Hatred and Freedom of Expression: This panel focuses on the relationship between free speech, labeling, and prejudices. The panelists will discuss how prejudices can flow from labels and the relationship between law and offensive speech.

1. Takayuki Kato (Asia University) – specialized in public law, Professor Kato has a large publication record on human rights and constitutional law. Narrowing down on freedom of speech, he published a book on the Limits of the Regulation of Sexual Expression in 2008, and last year he published a new book on Freedom and Equality from the Point of Constitutional Precedents. For this symposium, Professor Kato will talk about hate speech and freedom of expression in Japan (language: English).

2. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu University) - Galbraith is a cultural anthropologist specialized in "otaku studies". He has written a number of books and articles focusing on otaku and media, including his latest books on the superstar idol group AKB48 and Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan (Duke University Press, 2019). For this symposium, Galbraith will talk about how the word “otaku” came to label certain fans of Japanese pop culture and how prejudices still flow from this label (language: English).

II. Discrimination against Chosen schools: This panel highlights the policies that discriminate against Chosen schools and analyzes the historical and political background of those policies. The Amendment to the Children/Child-care Assistance Act, starting to be implemented in October, excludes about 90 "foreign" kindergartens and childcare centers from the assistance programs--and 40 of them are Chosen schools. The discriminatory targetting of the "foreign" schools follows the decisions that have removed Chosen high schools from the national free highschool programs since 2013. Furthermore, court rulings have subsequently upheld the discriminatory policies, strengthening the institutional exclusion of the Chosen schools from Japan's national free school programs. The panel--composed of a parent, a lawyer, and scholars--takes a critical look at the institutional discrimination from various perspectives including the international human rights regime, Japan's democracy, multicultural society, and education.

1. Song Hyesuk (Exclusion of Chosen high schools and kindergarten - a parent's perspective) (language: Japanese)

2. Sasao Toshi (ICU, Zainichi education from sociopsychological perspective)

3. Kang Sona (Attorney: Discrimination of Chosen schools - a legal analysis) (language: Japanese)

4. Ohe Hyegyong (ICU: Zainichi education from ethnolinguistic perspective)

5. Fujinaga Takeshi (Osaka Sangyo University: Historical/Political Background of Discrimination against Chosen schools) (language: Japanese)