THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 24, 2022 at 16:36 JST
Anjo is a city in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
ANJO, Aichi Prefecture--A resident Japanese-Brazilian woman who tried to apply for public assistance was told to “go home” to her native land if she could not make a go of life in Japan.
According to her lawyer, the woman in her 40s is a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian who has lived in Japan for about 10 years and resides in this central Japan city.
Her husband lost his job due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the family’s life took a sharp downward turn after her husband was arrested in October for driving without a license.
On Nov. 1, the woman went to the Anjo city government office to apply for public assistance. She later told her lawyer that the city official said she could not apply for public assistance because she was a foreign national.
An administrative notice issued in 1954 states that provisions of the Public Assistance Law also apply to foreign residents. Foreigners can receive public assistance if they fulfill certain conditions, such as having a residence card.
The woman went back to the Anjo city government office on Nov. 22 with her lawyer, but was told to return to her home country if she found living in Japan so difficult. The official did not accept her public assistance application due to unexplained problems with her residence card.
It was only in mid-December, after the lawyer talked with city government officials, that the woman finally began receiving public assistance. Her supporters said not accepting the application was illegal.
The city government official handling her case also apologized to her and the lawyer.
Anjo city government officials declined to comment on grounds the case involved an individual’s privacy.
(This article was written by Akari Nakagawa and Yusuke Saito.)
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