Domestic Violence in Japan

Check out this video by Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley reporting from Tokyo on the women who are speaking out about the problem of domestic violence in Japan.

Transcript after the jump.


Few can go to Japan in spring time and not be enthralled by the cherry blossom that flourishes in abundance and a country that is at the forefront of technological development.
Hiromi knows a different and painful aspect of side to life which is not progressive or seasonal. She is a victim of domestic violence one of a number of women who are increaseingly seeking protection. Few years ago that couldn’t have happened in a male dominated society, where spousal abuse is once taken for granted.

A friend of mine told me these things are common and happen quit often. The police told me that even if I seek help from public services that they will not take the issue seriously, and I was afraid of the consequences if he found out I was doing this.

Sometimes her daughter witnessed the beatings which spanned 2 years, until Hirami could take no more and went to the police.
According to a study last year, 25,000 women were violently beaten by their partners, an increase of 20 percent. 1 in 3 Japanese women have been physically assaulted in their relationships and 1 in 20 feared for their lives.
For 4 years from the age of 20 Sachi Nakajima was brutally beaten by her partner, many times she thought she was going to do.

Things happening in my life i had only seen in horror movies, but it was really happening to me. if i couldn’t believe it, no one would.

There are 150 shelters for women in Japan in back alleys without signs. Japanese women are terrified to speak out and shelter staff are often threatened with weapons.
Many shelters do anti-violence training. One advocate says,

They believe they can use their power to control their gfs and wives. They can do things to their partners they can’t do to others. Men think that as long as their is love, violence is permissive, just as a parent can slap its child to teach them how to behave.

That’s exactly how this man felt, he is too embarrassed to be identified, but he regularly beat his wife for the smallest of reasons. He can’t promise that he will never use violence, but he has learned important lessons.

About being equal in the relationship, I think was only imposing my opinion and not listening to her and now I care more about what she is saying and why.

But it appears few violent husbands feel the same, some are changing their tactics from physical to mental and sexual abuse and women’s orgs believe that in this first world country many women will remain second class citizens.

Join the Conversation