I'm completely against the deportation of Fida Khan's family ("Born in Japan, but ordered to get out," Jan. 30 issue). Khan's parents have made up for their illegal stay in Japan by working hard, paying taxes and being good citizens.

I wonder whether our politicians consider the decreasing population when making decisions such as the one that affected Khan's family. Also, I don't understand why they are so wary of foreigners and why this is so powerful politically. Can someone tell me why this continues? I'd really like to know. All of the immigrant workers I have encountered work hard from morning to night. If Japan wants to continue to be one of the great developed nations in the world, we should rethink some of our immigration and residency laws.

The turmoil of Asashoryu's sudden retirement has sparked many disputes. It also has made us realize how we view non-Japanese stars. Decades ago, many Japanese were not happy about the first non-Japanese sumo wrestler but later became enthralled with his charm and finally accepted him. As time went by, the media began using non-Japanese stars to raise TV and radio ratings.

However, in the wake of Asa's retirement, we should ask whether Japanese are really open to non-Japansese culturally. Japanese are in a predicament about whether to keep non-Japanese out of the culture or to finally accept some changes.

I doubt the rationale for research whaling if commercial whaling has few future prospects. Instead, Japan should focus on traditional, sustainable coastal fisheries. Such a view, however, is drowned out by the indignation of the people toward the unlawful violence perpetrated by the radicals and emotions-based criticism of whaling by other countries, where numerous docile creatures such as cows, hogs and kangaroos are butchered every day. Ironically, naive whale-favorers, especially those funding the radicals, actually help research whaling continue. A change of mindset is necessary to end this vicious circle.

I was intrigued by the article, "For the Dutch, bicycle theft is a part of daily life" (Nov. 14 issue). I enjoy reading the serial essays in The Japan Times Weekly, especially the "Going Dutch" column. Because I thought the Netherlands was an ideal place to live, I never imagined that bicycle theft would be so prevalent there.

Japan was once known as a relatively safe country around the world. People carried large amounts of cash and often would neglect to pay attention to their valuables. Recently, I feel that Japan is becoming less and less safe as a consequence of the global economic downturn. I'd like to know more about public security in the Netherlands and to learn how the Dutch cope with other social problems.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 20, 2010
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