Huszlen Rights Puz
am

Let’s try some puzzles!
Fill in the missing letters to complete the words.
You can make a word by combining letters fitting in ◯.
(The answers are at the bottom of the page.)

Clues

1
2
3

H◯te sp◯◯◯hDiscriminatory practice against certain races and nationalities not only
generates feelings of anxiety and disgust, but also impairs human dignity
and can cause discrimination to become prevalent in society. In recent
years, such discriminatory practices have been reported in various parts ofJapan, attracting increasing attention from the public and are becoming aserious social problem.

Di◯◯◯sity

This is a way of thinking that respects differences in values, cultural
backgrounds and various other individual attributes such as gender, age,nationality, disability, place of residence, and family structure. Respecting
the dignity of each person is critical for a human-rights-oriented society.

◯ow◯rh◯◯◯ssment

Let a culture of human rights
bloom from Sakai City!

Kokoro-no-Hibiki
Sakai City Human Rights Education
Promotion Council Newsletter Vol. 37

This refers to any kind of behavior in which a person causes a coworker
physical pain or emotional distress, or deteriorates a work environment by
taking advantage of their superiority in a position or a relationship by
exercising power beyond the extent permitted in the workplace. If such asituation is left unattended, the affected person can become less motivatedto work, lose confidence in themselves, and, in the worst case scenario,
may eventually develop a mental or physical illness, which could belife-threatening.

Never discriminate against others
and never allow anyone else to discriminate against others– Building a Human-Rights-Oriented Society –The Constitution of Japan defines fundamental humanrights as “eternal and inviolate rights” in Article 11, calls
for respect of the “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit ofhappiness” in Article 13, and declares that “all of thepeople are equal under the law and there shall be nodiscrimination in political, economic or social relations
because of race, creed, sex, social status or family
origin” in Article 14.
In April 2015, Sakai City Crematorium director
received a malicious letter that defamed residents indowa discriminated communities and people in certain
occupations using offensive language. A subsequent
investigation revealed that similar letters had also been
sent to public facilities in Yao City, Higashi-Osaka City
and Osaka City. As of the end of May 2015, thirty-four
similar cases had been reported: twenty-seven in

Osaka Prefecture and seven in Hyogo Prefecture.
We should never permit such discrimination. Also,
we must be firmly determined not to engage in any
form of discrimination ourselves, and not to allow suchcontemptible behavior from others. We must
recognize the importance of having respect for others.
If you witness any act of discrimination, please do
not look the other way. Instead, face up to what is
actually happening as if it is your own problem. By
doing so, you can contribute to creating a society freeof discrimination.
Let each of us have the correct knowledge andunderstanding of human rights, and take action for thiscause to build a society where the human rights of all
people are respected.

Answers to the
人権クイズ答え
答え ヘイワ
Answers（平和）Peace
1.ヘイトスピーチ
1. Hate speech
2.ダイバーシティ
2. Diversity 3.パワーハラスメン
3. Power harassmentトhuman rights puzzles
7

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki Vol. 37

Table of Contents

1 ........ What is the Human Rights Education Promotion Council?
2 ........ Mongolia – A Country That Is Not as Familiar as We Think(Citizens’ Forum for Human Rights Protection)
3 ........ My War Experience: Never Allow the Internment Experience inSiberia Be Forgotten (Comprehensive Workshop)
4 ........ Human Rights of Women During an Emergency (Community
Human Rights Promotion Committee Workshop)
Act for Elimination of Discrimination Against Persons with
Disabilities is Enacted.
5–6 .... Residents’ Essays – Award-Winning Entries from the “My Human
Rights Message” Essay Contest
7 ........ Human Rights Puzzles etc.

“Kokoro-no-Hibiki” is issued annually by the Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council(HREPC), targeting all residents of Sakai City, to promote their understanding of human rights as partof the Council’s educational activities.
Editor and Publisher: Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council
Human Rights Promotion Division, Sakai City Government, 3-1 Minamikawara-machi, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
TEL: (072) 228-7420 FAX: (072) 228-8070 URL: http://www.jinkenkyo.jp (in Japanese only)What is the Sakai City Human
Rights Education Promotion
Council (HREPC)?

Report on the activities of International Youth Sakai (IYS)
Please get involvedin our activities!

The Human Rights Education Promotion Council is a civic organization thatat wasestablished in July 1979 with the aim of creating a bright, comfortable society,ty, freefrom all forms of discrimination, not least Buraku discrimination.
Through its educational activities, the HREPC drives a grass-roots humann rights
campaign aimed at building a peaceful and prosperous society where the humanrights of all people are respected.

was held, in which the participants of the IYS Study Tour to Mongolia
reported what they had seen and learned in the country.

FY 2015 Study Tour to Mongolia
Dates August 10 (Mon.) to 20 (Thur.), 2015

ChairrInternational Youth Sakai
Sakai City Education Association
Sakai City Women’s Group for Social Rehabilitation
Sakai City Association for Sound Growth of Children
Sakai City Support Group for Foreign Residents’ Education
Federation of Sakai City Residents’ Association
Sakai City Social Education Committee
Sakai City Women’s Association
Sakai City Federation of Private Kindergartens
NPO Sakai Federation of Disabled People’s Organizations
Sakai City Liaison Council of Instructors for Youth
Sakai City Human Rights Education and Research Society
Sakai City Agricultural Cooperative
Sakai City PTA Federation
Sakai City Association of Childcare Organizations
Sakai City Welfare Association for Single-Mother Families
and Widows
Sakai City Federation of Private Daycare Centers
Sakai City Federation of Child Welfare
Commissioners
Sakai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Sakai City Association of Principals of Municipal
Schools
Sakai City Federation of Senior Residents’ Clubs
District Committee of the Sakai City Human Rights
Commissioners’ Association
Sakai District Committee of Administrative
Counselors
Sakai City Liaison Council of Probation Officers
Sakai City Council of Social Welfare
Osaka Prefectural Association of Vocational Schools
Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Headquarters of
Liberal Dowa Association
Principals’ Association of Osaka Prefectural Schools
in 8 zones of the 4th School District
Semboku Sumai Center, West Japan Branch, UR
Community Inc.
Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Federation of the
Buraku Liberation League
Business Members Committee, Sakai City Human
Rights Education Promotion Council
Religious Groups Committee, Sakai City Human
Rights Education Promotion

1

Directors of the Council

ReportGeneral information about Mongolia

Naohiro Kanamaru

Chair

Mongolia – A Country
That Is Not as Familiar
as We ThinkOn December 8, 2015, the Citizens’ Forum for Human Rights Protection

Naohiro KanamaruuMember organizations and groups

ロゴ(Business Members Committee of the Council)
Vice Chair Teruo Kubo

(Federation of Sakai City Residents’ Associations)
Vice Chair Noriko Yamaguchi (Sakai City Women’s Association)
Vice Chair Kazuki Fujita (Sakai City PTA Federation)
Vice Chair Tadashi Shiramoto(Sakai City Association of Childcare Organizations)
Vice Chair Yasushi Kasai(Sakai City Association of Principals of Municipal Schools)
Vice Chair Takayuki Nakagawa(Sakai Branch, Osaka Prefectural Federation of the Buraku
Liberation League)
Vice Chair Seiji Yoshimura (Religious Groups Committee of the Council)
Treasurer Atsuko Shibata (Sakai City Women’s Group for Social Rehabilitation)
Treasurer

Mitsuko Ogura(District Committee of the Sakai City Human Rights
Commissioners’ Association)

Citizens’ Forum for
Human Rights Protection

Educational activity
in Ward Residents’ Festival

Mongolia has a land area about four times as large as Japan,
while its population is about one third of Osaka Prefecture’s.
The capital is Ulan Bator.
For many Japanese, Mongolia is associated with vast
grasslands, nomads living with cattle, and ger (portableyurts). Nearly thirty years have passed since Mongolia
renounced socialism, however, very little is known to us
about the current realities of this country.

Mongolia today
Upon arrival at Ulan Bator, we, participants in the IYS Study
Tour, were impressed at the sight of rows of high-risebuildings,
European-style
housesandmoderncondominiums. While traveling in the country, we frequently
saw cars stuck in traffic jams, high-rise buildings underconstruction, and dense smog, which are all symbolic ofrapid urban development. Only a short distance away fromthe urban area, however, we met people living traditional
lives in a severe living environment.
Out of Mongolia’s population of about 3 million, around
50% live in Ulan Bator. We learned that the rapid urban
development has given rise to serious social problems, suchas delays in infrastructure development, accelerated
environmental destruction, and a widening economic
disparity among citizens.
When travelling in the countryside, however, we saw vast
expanses of grassland and people living traditional nomadic
lives – the very image that most people imagine when they
think of Mongolia. We were deeply impressed by the vitalityof nomadic families who work together to survive in theharsh natural environment while preserving their traditional
culture.

International Youth Sakai (IYS)
IYS has been promoting various projects
under the leadership of young people tooffer opportunities for project participants
to interact and work with people ofdifferent backgrounds. The goal of IYS is
to train young leaders to have awarenessof the importance of protecting humanrights and the ability to think and act
globally so that they can contribute tobuilding a society where peace andhuman rights are respected.

because her parents had been desperate to seek
employment in the wake of Mongolia’s shift to capitalism.
She said painting pictures was her way of expressing her
hope that no child would feel the loneliness she had felt.
We also visited Ulaanbaatar University where weinteracted with students who were the same age as us.
Many of them were born and grew up in Ulan Bator, after
their parents abandoned their nomadic lives and settled in
Ulan Bator. Therefore, they said they had never ridden ahorse and had little idea about the nomadic way of life. We
soon became friendly enough with each other to engage inarm wrestling and Mongolian wrestling, but the result was
our complete defeat. They were so strong.

Nomadic people we met
We visited a rural village where we stayed in gers and thedormitory of an elementary school for children of nomadic
families. The most striking experience we had there waswitnessing the sheep being butchered. To welcome us, thenomad people butchered and cooked their sheep for us.
This experience taught us the solemn fact that we sustain
our lives by taking the lives of other animals and plants. It
was a very valuable lesson.
Many children, as well as their parents and teachers
came to the elementary school to meet us, even though they
were on summer vacation. We had a fun time together, flying
kites and drawing pictures. We also made chirashi-zushi(sushi rice with toppings) with ingredients we brought in fromJapan and helped repair the walls of the school building.
Many children said that the happiest time for them iswhen they are with their family members. These words
indicate the strong family ties of nomadic people that havebeen fostered in the middle of Mother Nature of Mongolia.

People we met in Ulan Bator
Comprehensive Workshop

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki

Vol. 37

Street educational activities
during Human Rights Week

A Mongolian female artist we met looked back on her
childhood and said that she had spent many lonely days
Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki

Vol. 37

2

My War Experience:m theReport froensive Workshop
Compreh

Never Allow the Internment Experience in Siberia Be Forgotten
In the Comprehensive Workshop held on August 26, 2015, Mr.
Masanori Araki, who has been telling people about his internment
experience in Siberia, delivered a lecture titled “My War Experience:
Never Allow the Interment Experience in Siberia Be Forgotten.”
The workshop began with the viewing of a DVD about theinternment of Japanese prisoners of war in Siberia, created by Mr.
Araki himself, followed by him talking about the years he spent inSiberia. It was a privilege to hear about his experiences first-handand a valuable opportunity for the audience to increase theirawareness of the horrors of war and the importance of peace.

In the early hours of August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union suddenly
invaded Manchuria. At that time, I was a student of Sekito
Preliminary Military Academy. To fight back against the enemy,
all the students were taken to Matoseki, the frontline for theJapanese troops. We were students and were not provided
with any weapons. All we had were pieces of tent cloth filledwith explosives and tied to grenades.
We ran toward the caterpillars of the tanks of the enemy
while holding these “weapons” up at our chests. This suicide
attack claimed 750 lives and was terrifying. Please remember
the tragic fact that such a land suicide attack was carried out
during the Soviet-Japanese War.
We were interned to work in labor camps in Siberia for
more than three years, suffering hunger, freezing in coldness,and forced to do hard labor.
Hunger was an especially serious problem, as evidenced by
the fact that most of the deaths of internees were caused bynutritional deficiency. In fact, I never ate a decent meal during
those years.
The coldness was also unbearable. The lowest
temperature I experienced in Siberia was minus 63 degrees
Celsius. At this temperature, we had to constantly blink oureyes to prevent our upper and lower eyelids from freezing
and sticking to each other.
Japanese internees were assigned the same volume of workas that assigned to Soviet prisoners and the labor was really hard.
What I would like to emphasize is that we, the internees
in Siberia, are definitely war victims as we were offered aspart of the war reparations in the form of labor provision. It
seems that there is now an intention to make people forget
about the internment in Siberia as soon as possible. I cannot
die before the realities about the internment and the historical
truth are fully known to the public. For this reason, despite
my old age, I am here today.

eetings

tional m
Part 2: Sec

In the second part of the workshop, three
sectional meetings were held, one discussing the
Dowa issue, a second discussing the humanrights of women, and a third discussing thehuman rights of children. The sectional meetingon the human rights of women was held in “World
Café” style where participants engaged in a
discussion under the theme “Honest Talk
Between Women and Men: Let’s Work Together
for Gender Equality” in a friendly atmosphere. The
sectional meetings on the Dowa issue and thehuman rights of children started with problems
being raised, followed by heated discussions.

3<Sectional meetings>

Community Human Rights Promotion Committee Workshop
Every year between October and November a workshop on human rights is held in each of Sakai
City’s seven wards. The workshops are attended by members of the Community Human Rights
Promotion Committee as well as many members of the general public.
* Who are the members of the Community Human Rights Promotion Committee?
Representatives and members of the Community Human Rights Promotion Committee belong to the Human Rights
Education Promotion Council. The members are recommended by community representatives of the Federation of Sakai
City Residents’ Association from among officials of community residents’ joint associations, presidents of unit residents’associations, members of various organizations in school districts, and people who are enthusiastic about human rights
education activities in individual school districts.

Human Rights of Women
During an Emergency

Ms. Reiko Masai from a non-profit organization, Center for Supporting
Women and Children: Women’s Net Kobe, delivered a lecture titled “Human
Rights of Women During an Emergency” at Naka Public Health Center on
October 22, Nishi Cultural Hall on October 27, and the main building of Sakai
City Hall on October 30.

She looked back on the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and theGreat East Japan Earthquake and discussed the basic needs ofwomen in emergency situations from the perspectives of both
earthquake victims and supporters of victims.
“Soon after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, our NPO
started a telephone consultation service for women, and among
those who contacted us, six were victims of domestic violence.
They were scared, felt alone, and did not know where to seek help.
The women who contacted us about violent husbands orboyfriends said that they felt it inappropriate to discuss their personal
problems at the time of such an emergency. We were also
contacted by women who blamed themselves for having
abused their own children due to the pressure of having toraise children alone without cooperation from theirhusbands who spent much more time in the workplacethan at home. In the aftermath of the earthquake, people
were desperate to ensure their survival, and under thesecircumstances, no measures were taken for victims ofdomestic violence or sexual abuse.
This was also the case after the Great East Japan
Earthquake. In shelters, specific needs for women werehardly addressed. For example, their privacy was notprotected, there were no locks on toilet doors, and baby
formula and other baby supplies were not sufficiently
available. Families with infants were anxious that theirchildren might be a nuisance to others, especially when

crimination
is
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Act for Elims
Against Person
is Enacted.
with Disabilities

Sectional meeting on the Dowa issue

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki Vol. 37

About the Act for Elimination of Discrimination
Against Persons with Disabilities
Sectional meeting on
the human rights of womenSectional meeting on
the human rights of children

This new act establishes the basic rules for promoting
measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability
and also for preventing discrimination on the basis of disability
by national and local governmental agencies and private
businesses. The purpose of this act is to facilitate the process
toward a society where all citizens live in harmony, whether
with or without disability, with mutual respect for personality
and individuality.

they cried at night. These problems were the result of not involving
women in the operation of shelters.
The perspectives of women should be incorporated in thedesign of shelters to better cater to their specific needs, such as
female-only toilets and rooms, space for taking care of babies,
stockpiles of necessities for women, rooms for families with
infants or the elderly with dementia, and toilets provided inproportion to the male-female international-standard ratio.
Women should be involved in the decision-making processconcerning disaster prevention and post-disaster reconstruction.”

Under this act, “unjust discriminatory treatment”
and “lack of reasonable accommodation”
constitute as discrimination.
For example, if a person in a wheelchair cannot access a store,
the person is considered to receive “unjust discriminatory
treatment,” unless the store has a good reason for this.
“Reasonable accommodation” means accommodating therequirements of persons with disabilities for appropriate
adjustments and modifications to help them when they are introuble. Governmental agencies, companies and stores are allprohibited from engaging in any unjust discriminatory
treatment. While government agencies have an obligation to
exercise reasonable accommodation, companies and storesare also required to do their best to offer an environment that isaccessible to persons with disabilities.

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki

Vol. 37

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“My Human
Rights Message”– Award-winning entries –What We Can Do to Createa Barrier-Free Society

Second-year elementary
school student

My grandma has a serious illness and uses a wheelchair.
When she was well, she went anywhere she liked on foot, but
not now because of her illness.
Now, she spends a lot of time in a wheelchair and seldom
goes out.
She says, “I want to walk by myself as I did before.” Shecannot go anywhere alone, cannot go up or down steps andcannot enter a building if it doesn’t have an elevator. She says
her life is very inconvenient.
One night, my father developed a high fever and went to
the emergency department of a hospital. At the hospital, anurse brought a wheelchair, but my father declined to use it
saying he could walk on his own.
So I sat in the wheelchair instead, and found thatwheelchairs are very inconvenient.
I tried to move the wheelchair forward with my hands but
it didn’t move smoothly. Also, wheelchairs are big and heavy
and cannot be carried around easily. I was in a hospitalduring the night when few people were around so I could

Valuable Time for
My Grandfather and Me

Third-year juniorhigh school student

My grandfather was diagnosed with kidney failure five years
ago and has since been receiving dialysis treatment. I was afourth-year elementary school student when he wasdiagnosed, and I could not understand the situation well.
Still, I can recall in vivid detail how painful his arm looked
after vascular surgery, which he underwent to prepare fordialysis treatment.
In those days, my grandfather had almost lost his will tolive. The thought of having to endure painful treatment until
his death made him despair and depressed. His agonized facebroke my heart, but I continued to write him letters, which mygrandmother gave to him in the hospital.
While hospitalized, my grandfather gradually overcame his
5move the wheelchair. But
what if I was in a town?
The other day, I went toKids Plaza Osaka. In a section named “Barrier Town,” I sat ina wheelchair and moved around a mock-up train station, andfound many inconveniences. There was a dangerous gap
between the train and the platform, and the space between
entrance gates was not wide enough for a wheelchair. Thiswas when I realized how inconvenient it is to go out in awheelchair, and understood why my grandma doesn’t likeusing it.
The inconveniences I experienced in the wheelchair are
called “barriers” and a town is full of them. I think that weshould create a society without barriers and all of us should
work together to help people who use wheelchairs.
If all of us think about barriers, our society will become amuch better place for people who use wheelchairs.
If such a society is created, I want to play a lot with people
who use wheelchairs.

despair, supported bydoctors and nurses, andencouraged by the other
patients in his hospital room, who were seriously ill but werepositive about receiving treatment. In the end, my grandfather
came to feel deeply grateful that dialysis could save his life andhe regained his will to live. Since leaving hospital, he receives
dialysis treatment three times a week.
I always enjoy talking with my grandfather. He made me
interested in Japanese history and answers every question I ask.
Every day he spends hours reading every part of the newspaper
and when I visit him, he smiles at me while sliding his reading
glasses down on his nose. Now, I am a third-year junior highSakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki Vol. 37

school student and my grandfather has always been there forme over the years. However, during the past five years, he hasdeveloped a lumbar spinal canal stenosis and is unable to walkon his own. Also, the blood vessel used during dialysis has aged
and he is no longer physically fit enough for an operation toreconstruct it.
We were told by the doctor that he had about two years left
to live. These words shocked me and my family members sobadly that we remained deeply depressed for a long time. On
the other hand, my grandfather seemed to calmly accept reality,
unlike five years ago. When told that his days were limited, heprobably made up his mind to face whatever confronted him.
Though he might not live long, I am resolved to do
whatever I can to help my grandfather enjoy life and lookforward to tomorrow with a desire to live. I asked myself what
I could do. The answer was simple. What I can do is to support

him by putting my arms around the shoulders on which heused to carry me when I was a child; hold the hand that I used
to grip when arm wrestling with him; push his wheelchair
while listening to him talk about his wartime experiences. We
talk about many things together while walking and he verymuch enjoys the time he spends with me. His happy face fills
my heart with pleasure and the warm feeling I get lasts for days.
I have seen how my grandfather has become in need of carefirst-hand, and this experience has made me aware that anyone
can get an illness and that the support of family members andother people close to you is as important as medical treatment.
I have also learned that encouraging words and smiles have thepower to make people look forward to and have hope fortomorrow. With the elderly population increasing, I think it
necessary for each of us to think what we can do to let kindness
and warm-heartedness prevail around us.

Creating a Community Where the
Human Rights of Children are Protected
Recently, we often hear stories in the news about parents
abusing their children through violence or by abandoning
their parental responsibilities, such as not feeding them. As afather of a small child myself, I could not understand how
parents could be abusive to their children.
One day, I scolded my son for his bad manners while wewere eating, but he didn’t listen to me despite my repeatedwarnings. Finally, I said angrily to him, “If you don’t listen tome, I will lock you out of the house!” and hit him on the head.
My son got angry and shouted back, “Ouch! Don’t hit me!”After eating, we saw a news story about child abuse on
TV and my wife said, half-jokingly, “If you had been angrier,
you may have made the news yourself.”
Her words made me aware that I was not teaching my son
manners, but just yelling at him and letting out my emotions.
Although my actions might not be seen as serious abuse, I felt
both ashamed and afraid of myself for losing control ofmyself and then hitting my son.
In my mind, I know that we should scold children in a
way that makes them understand why they are being scolded.
However, it is difficult to keep our emotions under control all
the time. Most of my friends and neighbors said they have
similar experience of hitting their children driven by anger.
Once, I had an opportunity to speak with a kindergarten
teacher, who said that she could tell how parents behave
toward their children by observing their children’s behavior,especially when children are quarreling. Some children
instantly use violence when they get angry, while otherchildren try to explain why they are angry patiently. The
different ways they behave are an exact reflection of theattitudes of their parents towards them.
While I don’t know about the life histories of parents who

Adult

abuse their children, it is
said
that
childhood
experiences can have a
profound influence on adult life, for better or for worse.
Parents who have abused their children often justify their
behavior by saying that what they did was discipline, notabuse. However, according to what I have learned, parents
confuse this selfish act of venting their frustration andreleasing their stress on to their children with discipline.
Child abuse in the form of discipline can, in the worst casescenario, result in death of a child and thus it is dangerous tojustify an abusive act by saying it was intended to discipline achild.
To prevent the tragedy of child abuse, there should be asurrounding environment conducive to protecting thehuman rights of both children and parents.
I myself, proactively participate in community and school
activities because I believe that by deepening neighborhoodties, we can promote community-wide child protection
efforts. Next, I am going to protect children in thecommunity by joining the “Child 110” program. I believethat a community where the human rights of children areprotected can appropriately address problems children faceand provide them with mental care, if needed.
I am confident that such a community will help children
grow to become compassionate toward others and interested
in various social issues, such as peace and discrimination, as
well as human rights. I hope that our children will someday
become parents, who are active, if not globally, then at least
locally in protecting the human rights of the next generationof children.

Sakai City Human Rights Education Promotion Council Newsletter Kokoro-no-Hibiki

Vol. 376