At the Gleaner we love Japan. It's a country very easy to fall in love with. We have always made it clear that we, and all gaijin, are here because we want to be. We have little sympathy with gaijin who come here to work and who only complain for their whole stay. Japan isn't Kansas and it isn't London - it's a foreign country. Things are done differently here, and as far as is reasonable we should try to fit in with the way things are done. Readers who just want to whinge about Japan shouldn't come running to us. Our task is to enlighten, entertain or inform our readers, foreigners or Japanese.

However, there are many aspects of Japan that affect us directly in our everyday lives and that are worthy of comment. The difficulties foreigners have living in Japan is one such example.The appropriateness of the services the city offers its foreign residents is another. Fukuoka aims to be an international city but is only slowly achieving its aim.

We wish it well, but we take some of the city's ideas with a pinch of salt. In our opinion 'internationalization' and 'communication' should be attempted seriously. So we will sometimes say, politely but firmly, what we, and our many readers think about such things. Foreigners come to Japan with a western perspective, and expect to read things in newspapers that don't appear in Japanese newspapers. The Gleaner is trying to supply gaijin with the paper they want, in order to understand what they want, and to help Fukuoka -ken and the City to get a true idea of foreigners' opinions and needs.

For that reason we have a Letters Page. We are the only local, regular general English language magazine which has one. Yes, we are a paper of opinions. BUT we are committed, to presenting a broad range of view. We donšt agree with every letter we print, but if the view expressed in a letter is thoughtful and considered, or just entertaining, we will publish it. Bad spelling, or poor English we try to present in the best light possible.

We have a tradition of very robust debate, but the Gaijin Gleaner doesn't set out to shock our more sensitive gaijin readers. If what we say surprises you, ask yourself if you are surprised just because you are seeing it in print. If it is not true, write and tell us. If you are shocked simply because we are saying it - well - that's the point of a free press: ask yourself whether, left unsaid, it helps us or Japan.

If you are not Japanese much of the country is closed to you: getting even simple information is difficult. So another of our functions is to bring foreigners information, about Japan and Fukuoka, that helps life here. Guidebooks tell you only so much - we aim to help fill the information gap between guidebook Japan and the reality of everyday life.

So please help us to help you and our hosts. Write to us, a letter or a report and we will do our best to see it into print in a helpful way.

On this, our second anniversary, we'd like to thank those many people who have made the Gleaner possible - particularly those who wrote for us when the Gleaner was in its infancy. They know who they are.

The Gleaner is the third serious attempt at setting up a commercially viable English language magazine in Fukuoka/Kyushu. Both the previous two attempts ceased publication soon after their second birthdays, dying not so much from lack of cash we suspect, as broken hearts. No mistress is crueler than the apathetic reader.

Lord Muck of course is notoriously heartless, so we expect to be around for a good time yet.

The Gleaner is entirely independent - as such it is an abberation in a country in which criticism in always muted and large companies have power and influence well outside their spheres of business. It survives because of the dedication of its many contributors and through the benign indulgence of Lord Muck..


Nikolas May, Editor