Japan has recently instituted a new law that fines employers that hire ‘obese’ employees or employees with ‘obese’ relatives. Men are required to have waistlines slimmer than 33.5 inches and women 35.4 inches.

As I read that from the newspaper headlines last month, my first reaction was stunned silence.

What happens to those who are tall? One of my best friends, who is Japanese, is a little more than 6′3″ (193cm) tall. There’s no way his waist would be much smaller than 33 inches. If it is, he would be one seriously underweight, undernourished six-footer. Evidently, this measure has not taken into account of height difference.

What happens to discrimination? Being fat in Asia is already a social stigma. Teens and kids get bullied in school for being fat - many driven to the the point of suicide. Case in point: obese people walking around the streets are usually given the eye of judgment. Will enacting such a law only further aggravate such social stigma? Will enacting such a law only serve to justify bullying and discrimination of the overweight?

Japanese Man at a Waistline Checkup
Photo from the New York Times

What happens to employment equality? By imposing fines on employers, and not the individual man, will employers now seek out slimmer employees, so they can avoid paying any fines? Will employers now require a full-body pictures of the applicants and their families, before considering them for interviews? This brings discrimination to a whole new level. This law is practically forcing fat people out of society; it’s saying that if you’re fat, you’re not allowed to have a job and they will treat you like a fat piece of unemployed, useless meatball, until you decide to slim down.

Yet not everybody is fat by choice. No, I’m not talking about those who eat french fries everyday, and don’t understand the meaning of portions. There are those who truly are big boned. There are also those who suffer from low metabolic rates, as a result of certain medical conditions. These people will have a very hard time losing weight. And even if they manage to shed some pounds, their weight loss will be virtually impossible to sustain because of their condition. I don’t think it is fair for these people and their employers to be penalized for what they have no control over.

Despite all my protests, I’ve learned something new about Japan today: I now finally understand why the Japanese Parliament is called the Diet.

Just kidding. XD

What do you think of Japan’s new law? Would you like to see it implemented in your country?

The other I was walking down my street with my boyfriend. It was snowing. The whole street was peacefully silent - almost as if the snowflakes were absorbing the noise. But then a man started shouting desperately “PAY THE RENT! PAY THE RENT!”

I ignored it at first. Then my boyfriend and I saw two men, one of which continued to shout while walking towards a guy that was seemingly oblivious and silently escaping into the shadows of the alley. But he continued shouting…

“PAY THE RENT! PAY THE RENT, PLEASE!!”

My boyfriend was suggesting that we call the cops because he was worried for the man walking into the alley. I disagreed for many reasons:

• It’s a domestic affair - Someone not paying rent is a breach of contract between landlord and tenant. As a neighbor, there is nothing I can do because I have no jurisdiction over that contract. And as for cops, there is nothing they can do other than arrest the tenant for breaking a contract or arrest the landlord for disturbing the peace. It’s a lose-lose situation. And as a rational human being, I don’t waste time and effort on lose-lose situations.
• There’s insufficient information - From that confrontation alone, I can’t figure out the tenant’s reasons for not paying up. If he was unemployed he could’ve negotiated with the landlord instead of walking away. If he was a gambler or just someone who’s bad with money… well then he asked for it. In a situation where I cannot even determine the perpetrator is not worth calling 911. Besides, there was no imminent threat. It’s not like the landlord chased him down with a knife.

Thinking back, I think my boyfriend’s instinct is one of a good citizen. Mine was one of human nature.

As the anime, Kino’s Journey キノの旅 Kino no Tabi subtly explains in episode 2, as human beings, we have no obligation to help one party or another. Our only obligation is to survive. The reason why we help others is often because we would like to be helped by others if we were to encounter a similar situation. In other words, it is saying that the underlying foundation for human compassion is selfishness. (I think this is true but only to a certain degree.)

Psychoanalytical animes aside, I believe as a citizen, we all have the obligation to ensure laws are abided by. But in this case, where there isn’t sufficient information for me ascertain who the perpetrator is, being indifferent seems to be the best choice for everyone. Afterall, everyone has the right to be angry.

If you were in my situation, what would you have done?

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Nanyate?! 10 Day Hiatus!
Dear Visitors and Subscribers:

This is going to be my last entry for the next 10 days. I have many essays due from now till March 24th so, I will be refraining from blogging until then. (See schedule here.) My apologies - especially to the 10 new subscribers. I have many interesting entries planned and a new layout in the works. The layout will be… kinda special and be released in early/mid April. Well, that’s it for spoilers.

Feel free to comment on my old entries and contact me via the contact form if you need to. See ya soon!

Much Love,
Ivy

PS. Some of you might want to check the previous post for my comment replies.