Category Archives: Events

Gaba ‘contractor’ status under fire from staff, courts

December 20, 2011 in Events, Gaba, News

“They told me I would be legally required to teach 160 lessons per month for visa sponsorship at a rate of ¥1,500 per lesson. But that didn’t happen.”

Shifting demands led to collapse of Geos

April 23, 2010 in Events, GEOS, News, Nova

Behind the bankruptcy of Geos Corp., a major operator of English-language schools, are two words whose value can be recognized in any language: time and money. Japanese studying English are increasingly using free Internet-based programs and steering clear of the high fees and rigid scheduling of traditional language schools. “With an abundance of choices today, [...]

Foreigners rally over job security

March 8, 2010 in Action, Discrimination, Events, Health Insurance, Immigration, News

Hundreds of foreign and Japanese people staged a rally Sunday in Tokyo demanding better working conditions and employment benefits for foreign residents. At the annual “March in March” event at Hibiya Park in Chiyoda Ward, Louis Carlet, deputy general secretary of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Nambu, said foreign workers have a great [...]

Nambu New Year Flag Raising Party

January 5, 2009 in Events

Tokyo Nambu’s New Year Flag Raising Party will be held on Wednesday, January 14 at 7:00pm in Kyurian, across the street from Oimachi Station (JR Keihin Tohoku Line/ Tokyu Toyoko Line). 3,000 yen charge gets you plenty of food, drink and inspiring speeches. All members and supporters are welcome. Kyurian Oimachi 5-18-1, Shinagawa-ku Google Maps [...]

Little Garden Smashes Shamelessness Record for Union Discrimination

May 21, 2008 in Action, Events

NUGW Tokyo Nambu on May 15 filed a petition against preschool Little Garden for redress from unfair labor practices — sued the firm for union busting — at the Tokyo Labor Commission. Last summer, teachers and admin staff tried to build a union but management came down hard, making clear that anyone who joined would [...]

Arudo Debito Book Tour

March 11, 2008 in Events, Immigration, News

Author and activist Arudo Debito will be speaking at Tokyo Nambu HQ on Sunday, March 16, at 5:00, about his new book, “Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants to Japan”. Read on to find out more, and come to Nambu on Sunday night to talk to the author in person. “HANDBOOK FOR NEWCOMERS, MIGRANTS, AND [...]

Nova boss lived in cloud-cuckoo-land

November 20, 2007 in Events, News, Nova

“The superintendent at my apartment says to me, ‘Your rent is three months overdue; I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave,”‘ says Adele, who came from France six months ago to teach at Nova. “So I did a frantic Net search and found a place charging ¥40,000 a month. One six-mat room in [...]

Ex-pat English teachers stranded by collapse of Japan’s Nova schools

November 5, 2007 in Events, News, Nova

In a country teeming with cute cartoon characters, few are cuter or better known than the Nova bunny. The pink mascot stood in the doorways of language schools across Japan, promising a short educational encounter with an exotic foreigner. But now, thousands of teachers and students have found that the bunny bites, hard. The collapse [...]

Ex-NOVA boss questioned for breaking Labor Standards Law

November 4, 2007 in Events, News, Nova

Nozomu Sahashi, the founder of the failed NOVA Corp., has been questioned for breaking the Labor Standards Law by failing to pay his employees, government sources said. Officials of the Osaka Labor Bureau of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry questioned Sahashi, 56, last Monday. They are considering whether to file a criminal complaint with [...]

Foreign language instructors ‘will teach for food’ in Japan

November 2, 2007 in Events, News, Nova

Foreign language teachers who suddenly lost their jobs when Japan’s largest language school operator closed have been forced to rely on food handouts from their former students in exchange for private lessons, teachers and union officials said Thursday. Impromptu lessons are being offered in parks and restaurants because teachers can’t afford classrooms, or even apartments, [...]