By Suvendrini Kakuchi
TOKYO, Feb 28 2005 (IPS)

‘Cynthia’ (not her real name), a pretty young Filipino hostess, plies drinks and sings karaoke along with her customers at ‘Queen Bee’ bar in Shinjuku – a bustling district famous for its nightlife in the center of the Japanese capital.

She said her entertainer’s visa had been extended twice during her two-year stay here. But she hopes to continue to work for a long time in Japan, despite the upcoming new stringent immigration law that comes into force on Mar. 15 which will target women like her.

”I am aware of the new regulation which is really quite frightening when I think of going for a visa extension again,” added Cynthia who is popular in the bar for not only her gaiety and cute face but also being the best singer among her other co-workers.

She refuses to tell IPS more, and stresses that her earnings in Tokyo are absolutely necessary to support her son in the Philippines who lives with her mother.

From Mar. 15, visa regulations for entertainers will abolish a provision that allows singers and dancers, certified as such in their home countries, to receive automatically a Japanese visa. The Japanese government says such licences facilitate human trafficking.

An entertainer’s visa allows migrants to work as singers and dancers. But they have often led to forced prostitution of young foreign women.

The push is part of Japan’s efforts to brush up its international image following a damning report issued last year by the U.S. State Department which threatened to downgrade Japan to the worst category in human trafficking. The stricter controls come just ahead of this year’s State Department report.

Many expect this move to have a big impact on the flow of Filipino entertainers into the country.

In 2003, Japan issued 130,000 entertainer visas. Out of the 130,000, 80,000 visa recipients were Filipino women.

The new stipulation is a big step away from current practices where Filipinos could apply for an entertainer’s visa by presenting only a certificate from their own government.

”The new law is important to prevent abuse of young women in Japan. By demanding high professional skills we can make sure the applicants will be employed as well-paid entertainers,” Motohisa Suzuki, coordinator of the anti-trafficking program at the prime ministers office told IPS.

Activists who have long campaigned to protect female migrants against trafficking say they welcome the new law but also hope the government will crack down on the lucrative domestic entertainment industry as well.

They are also calling for Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance or ODA to be used to support abused foreign women.

”The law will definitely help in reducing trafficking in Japan because of the tough conditions now required,” said Yoko Yoshida, a lawyer and member of the Japan Network Against Trafficking in Persons, in an interview.

At the same time, Yoshida pointed out the problem could only be tackled properly with strict monitoring and heavy penalties on Japan’s entertainment industry – a move, she said, was still not forthcoming.

”It is difficult to enact controls on Japan’s sprawling red-light industry given the political clout of the owners of this highly lucrative industry and lack of awareness among male customers who patronise these places and see women as commodities,” explained Yoshida.

Indeed, some Japanese male politicians from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have expressed support for the Philippine government that wants Tokyo to postpone the new law.

The change in regulations has caused a stir in the Philippines, where locals have protested outside the Japanese embassy in Manila. But Japan scored a victory when the Philippines’ influential Catholic Bishops Conference supported the visa regulation change.

Japan signed the 2000 U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, but could not ratify it without adopting its provisions in domestic laws. Japan is the only developed country to on the list of countries responsible for trafficking.

Experts point out the upcoming law comes against a recently concluded Free Trade Agreement with the Philippines which opens the doors for Filipino female nurses and care givers starting this April.

”The latest developments show the Japanese government has both a tough and soft approach in its long and difficult road to accept migrant workers,” said Prof. Kiyoto Tanno, a sociologist and expert on migrant labour issues at the Tokyo Metropolitan University.

”Official policy, which continues to waver during the past few years, now seems to be signaling that Japan will not tolerate unskilled workers but is willing to cautiously open its doors to professionals such as nurses, engineers, etc who are already entering under trainee visas,” Tanno told IPS.

Recently pressure from South-east Asian countries has seen more national debate and moves to set-up a system to accept their nationals in Japan.

Experts point out that regardless of changes in immigration laws, there will be an exodus of such migrants to Japan where salaries are on average at least five times more than at home.

Yoshida explains the new visa law could see more foreign women entering Japan under the new category such as trainees and then working in the entertainment industry.

”The whole issue of trafficking can only be contained with a more overall programme that also forces the owners of bars to provide decent working conditions for foreign women,” she stressed.

Meanwhile Cynthia – and her other Filipino friends who work in bars show no sign of leaving Japan.

”The bar owners want us here and we get paid much better than working in the Philippines,” she pointed out. ”We are determined to continue to work in Japan.”

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