ブロガーたちが語るニッポン

BY James Watt，Freelance Writer

　日本在住の外国人たちが様々な視点から日本を見聞し、ブログで語っている。

　My parents immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1975. Scotland was a poor country back then, and Canada was the Promised Land to many people. There were money, employment and opportunities galore for anyone who was willing to work. Of course, the reality was a different story.

　Jobs were out of reach because no one could understand my dad's accent, and apartments were too expensive because he couldn't find a job. My mother was too frightened to even leave the apartment at times. They'd moved from a tiny monocultural island with less than 5,000 people, to the multicultural city of Toronto, home to millions, and they were definitely out of their element.

　Now let's fast forward to today. According to the Education Ministry, this year saw more than 20,000 immigrant students learning Japanese as a Second Language in schools around Japan. The immigrant population numbered more than 2 million at the end of last year, and the immigration rate looks to increase every year. Like it or not, Japan has become the Promised Land for many of the world's people, and Japan is changing before our eyes.

　Thankfully, we have the Internet now, the perfect tool for cultural understanding. You can help yourself learn English, help them understand Japan, and perhaps make an immigrant's life a little easier by visiting the sites below.

● ｗｗｗ．ｊａｐａｎｐｒｏｂｅ．ｃｏｍ

　Japan Probe hosts a collection of funny stories culled from newspapers, television programs, and other blogs based in Japan. It's relatively new to the blog scene ― Japan Probe's founder, James, wrote in an e-mail that he only started the blog last year ― but it has a healthy-sized readership who are interested in the Japan that most people don't see.

　"I hope that Japan Probe helps expose people to new aspects of Japan they had no idea existed," James wrote.

　Though the blog is aimed at helping foreigners understand Japan a bit better, James also welcomes and encourages comments from Japanese. Especially if you think his opinion is wrong.

　"It's always interesting to see how they respond to my foreign perspective of Japanese culture and current events, and I take their criticisms very seriously," he wrote.

　James looks at current political issues as well, but tends to concentrate on the weird and wonderful aspects of Japan, rather than the serious ones. It's a good site to visit if you want an easy-going discussion about Pan-kun's antics, or about the latest fashion craze in Akihabara.

● ｗｗｗ．ｇａｉｊｉｎｓｍａｓｈ．ｎｅｔ

　Gaijin Smash chronicles the adventures of Azrael, an American ex-JET teacher.

　I have to warn you, he swears and uses a lot of slang in his posts. This is how we speak when our mothers can't hear us, so it is a good learning tool, but you don't want to use some of his vocabulary with your English teacher.

　Azrael tells a lot of funny ― and blunt ― stories about his experiences here, but unlike many ex-pats, he never mocks Japanese culture in a bitter way. And some of his stories are amazing.

　He seems to truly love Japan, and he definitely loved his students. There is a gentleness in his writing that is pleasantly surprising. (Check out "Moeko's Owl" tinyurl.com/38vxpv and "Natsumi And Yuki" tinyurl.com/2jcwbm for examples.)

　Azrael is a funny and gentle man. I recommend you start with "Moeko's Owl" (the first link above). And keep your tissues handy.

● ａｍｐｏｎｔａｎ．ｗｏｒｄｐｒｅｓｓ．ｃｏｍ

　Ampontan is the political pundit of these three blogs, and I think it's an important one to visit. Every topic is current, from the constitutional discussions in the Diet, to Japanese-Korean-Chinese relations. But Bill Sakovich, who sees himself as a polemicist rather than a blogger, has a more substantial goal than mirroring political headlines.

　Sakovich wrote in an e-mail that, "the media's stories usually assume from the start that Japan is guilty as charged, regardless of the issue."

　Reporter's opinions are based upon very little experience, very little knowledge, and have very little to do with, as he wrote, "the country I see with my own eyes every day."

　You have a sympathetic ear in Sakovich. He is crusading against what he sees as unforgivable bias in the foreign media's treatment of Japan. If you appreciate what he's doing, let him know by visiting his site.

　All of the bloggers here have a common belief: that Japan is not the country of tentacle-waving, war-criminal baseball players that the world thinks it is. Whether the topic is Abe or Anpanman, express your opinion. There are many bloggers who are starting a new life in Japan ― just like my parents did in Toronto more than 30 years ago ― and they and their readers will appreciate hearing your voice.

　Safe surfing.

• galore　たくさん
• were...element　全然なじめなかった
• JET　The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program
• political pundit　政治評論家
• polemicist　論客
• as charged　告発されている通りに