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INTEREST: Canadian Cosplayer Arrested in Japan on Suspicion of False Marriage

This is been looked as a means to have the workforce they need and don't have the problems that Europe have with integration of immigrants and families that are bringing out the worse kind of xenophobia that are appearing in European countries because of backlash against immigrants.

VORTIA wrote:

Japan has some of the world's strictest immigration laws. Marriage, like in most places, is a legitimate means of establishing legal residence, but most countries will generally prosecute fraudulent marriages conducted purely for the benefit of obtaining legal residence, which appears to be the case here.

Actually, Japan's immigration laws are relatively lax. HOWEVER, the language barrier acts as a filter of sorts, which is why you generally see foreigners working McJobs at convenience stores or bars unless they're fluent in Japanese and have something to offer society. In this case as a "sex industry worker," the girl was likely a hostess at a cabaret club, or got busted for actual prostitution.

Relatively lax?! News to me. As a nearly 70 year old Japanese citizen, I would argue Japan is one of the unquestionably one of the hardest in the world. My daughter, married her British husband 20 years ago, who still does not have citizenship. He has a PR status, but not citizenship, and had to spend his first ten years in the country under two source visas that were only good for five years each!

I have plenty of friends who are married and can not get beyond having to constantly renew their spouse visas, and can't clear the hurdles of getting PR. Japan is FAR from lax in regards to citizenship.

Why is this News worthy? Just because some Girl faked Marriage? Has Japan nothing else to report? Is she famous?

@TheAnimeRevolutionizer

Okay, i'll accept this condition. Meanwhile, South Korea has experienced its own migrant crisis. About 500+ Yemeni refugees are living in an South Korea resort island Jeju Island.

I know there is a one foreigner who works for the Pokemon based in Japan is James Turner, an graphic designer from UK works for The Game Freak, the video game company responsible for the Pokemon franchise.

@Aca_Vuska, honestly, as a citizen of the USA, Japan has less priority and the space to event consider immigration. As someone who aims to want to reside in Japan, as @LordNikon has pointed out, it's a snowball's chance in hell for PR status, let alone citizenship, and even then, I'm not sure if "The Golden Rule" of "those who have the gold makes the rules" goes far.... but considering human greed I bet it's most appreciated (if you are rich, they see that as a boost to their Gross National Product and you get instant citizenship). There are minority residents in Japan, but they are self sustaining and they take up a bit of the precious real estate Japan lacks as it is.

Maybe I'm going off topic but a lot of want to migrate to Japan involves popular culture and otaku stardom, as well as creative freedom and the idea that Japan is a place with people who thrive that. There are, but that basis has not been communicated yet, let alone at all, to establish a social foundation to cultivate it, and it is all a place of hard work. Japan also isn't a magical place where you can waltz in and think life will unfold like an anime. I know that the US and Canada atm are very hard nosed places of half truths, hypocriscy, and a lot of broken dream self pitying defeatist ignorant crabs in a bucket who want everyone to mire in misery and "real life" because they love the attention, but Japan doesn't have the potential for grassroots entrepenuership, DIY determination and gradual mainstream breakthrough out of nothing that the US and Canada have. It also doesn't help that despite series like RWBY and Avatar that are overseas anime productions and a burgeoning Lolita fashion and cosplay community, extreme Japanese entertainment overseas fan purism (as well as public ignorance, especially in a place that preaches freedom and equality) likes to keep such goods as Japanese as possible and only made by Japan. I know that it seems that the mainstream rules over everything out here, but the reality is no one is actually attempting an effort to do things themselves, and that the mainstream corporations are losing public grip hard in terms of entertainment. Japan does have a greater and bigger industry in terms of animation and the creative arts, and especially in regards to what they can push out and are allowed to screen, but one cannot believe that such an environment doesn't have its strings and cons, and that one can only pursue doing that line of work and art by jetting over to Japan. There is a lot more than goes into doing art, let alone great art in Japan, than by just being a Japanese citizen and living there.

Don't think paradise is found, people. The grass isn't greener on the other side either. Just ask the star lady of the scoop. I know that right now, culturally the Western world is rife with supremacy and an lack of optimism and distaste for anything that isn't "realistic" enough, but nobody in history has ever liked those kinds of people in hindsight. A sign of the times, people.

I want to clarify the timeline of situation a bit since it seems it might not have been clear in the article?

Wong came to Japan legally as a student, given her age she was likely a college student. Her student visa was good until the end of 2016. Presumably she was working in Kabukcho while attending school. The article only identifies her as a "sex shop worker" so we can't say for sure exactly what she was doing, but presumably it was for a legal business. Certain kinds of sex work are legal in Japan, but she could honestly have worked anywhere from a cashier at store that rents pornographic DVDs, to a hostess bar, to a Soapland. The exact nature of her employment isn't detailed.

Her student visa was set to expire, but she wanted to stay in the country to, by her own words, cosplay and dress up in lolita clothes. So she and the man (Sasaki) came up with an arrangement to get her visa extended by faking a marriage, presumably they falsified some documents and submitted them.

The scam was discovered this year and both were arrested.

Wow. I'm actually quite impressed. You're someone who wants to go to Japan but has done the research in what it actually takes to live there, and a LOT of it by the looks of things. For the most part, I see people who really get into anime. manga, and Japanese video games and want to live in Japan because they think it's going to be an anime/manga paradise where everyone is as big of a fan as they are.

Even here, I see some certain people (won't name names) who treat Japan as a utopia and the envy of the world in all aspects. Me, I'm sure Japan is great in some ways, but it isn't perfect.

but Japan doesn't have the potential for grassroots entrepenuership, DIY determination and gradual mainstream breakthrough out of nothing that the US and Canada have

Hey there, i wonder how Japan will ever start accepting immigrants? There are some people who loves anime/manga and video games fans who wants to live and work in Japan, because Japan has a population declining in recent years. Japan's government should lets immigrants who are obessed with Japanese culture, why Japan wants to keep their country as a homogeneous for no reasons.