Spousal Life Conference : Annexe 7
The Gaimusho Mutual Aid Association
A report written by the spouses of the
Japanese Embassy in Ottawa
Gaimusho, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, has several groups in addition to its proper welfare division that support the activities and enhance the living conditions of its officers and their families. These groups include the following: the Gaimusho Mutual Aid Association, Gaimu Seireikai, the Gaimusho Wives Association, the Gaimu Training Institute, and the Kasumigaseki Wives' Society.
The Gaimusho Mutual Aid Association is an integral part of the Ministry and is administered by the same staff who work in the welfare division. Upon joining the Ministry, all officers are automatically enrolled into this organization and dues are deducted from their pay every month. Its activities span from the administration of health insurance and mutual aid association pension, provision of low interest loans to members, to management of holiday getaways. Membership in Gaimu Seireikai, on the other hand, is optional, although most people do join.
Gaimu Seireikai supplements and compliments the activities of the Mutual Aid Association. This group is managed by independent paid staff and dues are again deducted from pay. Both organizations endeavour to promote the welfare of the officers and their families in areas where the welfare division of the Ministry is limited by legal, budgetary, and other considerations. Gaimu Seireikai's activities include: provision of housing in Tokyo to family members of officers posted abroad who wish to remain in Japan as well as to officers and their family on home leave; securing group insurance policies; obtaining corporate membership at various recreational facilities, thereby allowing officers and their families access to such facilities; provision of financial assistance towards travel expenses to officers or their spouse at the time of death of a parent of an officer or of the spouse; provision of low interest loans; referral to legal counsel and a tax accountant; provision of dinnerware, flatware, and glasses to a select number of embassies and consulates to facilitate entertaining by officers, etc.
The Gaimusho Wives Association is an out-growth of a group of mothers that focussed on the issues of education. It was formally established in 1979 when a need was felt for networking among all wives of Gaimusho officers to exchange information with a view to solve problems common to rotational families and to facilitate the transition process involved in transfers. The association includes all wives of active officers. Committees comprised of volunteers are working in the following areas: Education of Children, Children's Boarding Home, Training Centre, Study Group on the issue of Ageing Parents, Pamphlets, Editing of Newsletters, Distribution of Newsletters, Funding, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary. Some committees have been discontinued while others have been added in accordance with evolving demands of the times.
Along a similar vein, the Gaimusho Wives Association has worked with the Ministry for a flexible application of the travel allowance system which enables family members to be together at least once a year. Now families have the option of having the children visit the parents or of the mother returning to Japan. Furthermore, children studying in countries other than Japan can visit their parents, and the family reunion may take place in the posted country or at a location where the family would be taking their health maintenance leave.
The difficulties involved in educating children have changed dramatically over the past two decades, however, in no small part due to the efforts of the Gaimusho Wives Association. In the early 1980's, the Education Committee of the Association contacted the Ministry of Education on a number of occasions in an effort to secure a certain number of places for entrants into Japanese universities and colleges who have lived abroad with their parents on postings and attended local or international schools over a given amount of time.
Thanks to their endeavours, most universities and colleges have now installed a separate exam with a separate marking system for those students who have studied under a different curriculum in senior high school. These exams give greater weight to English and is written in essay form. Similar quota systems have since been adopted in the entrance exams of many schools at the high school level, allowing for even greater options for rotational families. The time was ripe for such a move, as a larger number of private enterprises were also facing similar pressure from the families of their employees serving abroad, allowing for a broader support base.
The Gaimusho Wives Association distinguished itself, nonetheless, in that it contacted the Ministry of Education in an organized effort. During the same period, the Gaimusho Wives Association was also instrumental in setting up an educational resource room within Gaimusho, manned by top professional educators to serve as counsellors. The Gaimusho Wives Association is now at the stage where they are studying how graduates of foreign universities and colleges are being received into Japanese corporations and their performance as employees (see above).
With respect to pension, a portion of a husband's salaried income is generally set aside for the wife's reserve in the Japanese system. In the past, however, the law on pension did not allow reserves to be accumulated for the wives while they lived abroad. A committee assigned to study this situation by the Gaimusho Wives Association, appealed repetitively and tenaciously to several members of parliament and to the Ministry of Health and Welfare with support from our own Ministry. A reform bill which addressed this very issue was passed in 1985, thus entitling the wives of our officers (as well as other persons working abroad) to receive a pension after they reach the age of 65 in the amount equal in principle to the total number of years of service by the husband in the government during their marriage.
The Gaimusho Wives Association sponsors lectures, programs, and outings throughout the year. In addition, pamphlets on such topics as "recipes for dinners," "More recipes," "Moving abroad," "How to conduct bazaars," "Ambassador Kitamura's discussion on wines," "Guide to Japanese Culture in English," have been issued. These pamphlets may be obtained for a minimal fee. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has a training centre, located on the outskirts of Tokyo, to prepare its officials for diplomatic service. As a result of discussions with the Gaimusho Wives Association, the Gaimu Training Centre has come to serve wives as well. The centre currently offers objective specific courses for the wives to be attended on a voluntary basis: for wives about to embark on a posting; for wives of security staff about to embark on a posting; for wives of heads of missions; and various language courses.
The Gaimusho Wives Association also subsidizes language courses for the wives: two levels of instruction in both English and French. Apart from the Gaimusho Wives Association are a number of groups that are run by the wives of active and retired officers. The Kasumigaseki Wives'Societywasestablishedinl949. The original aim of the group was mutual cooperation and friendship among the wives of the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as to prepare themselves for diplomatic service through education. Membership has evolved from the original 100 to nearly 700. The Society runs on membership dues.
The society has a number of subgroups in fields such as ikebana, bonseki, Japanese tea ceremony, and charity which organize various lectures open to all members and hold study sessions among themselves. Fuyoukai is a separate group comprised of volunteering wives who organize a bazaar every two years. Gently used items are offered for sale. Among other effects, many retiring members contribute dinnerware, kimonos, pieces of jewellery, and other items useful in diplomatic service for the benefit of their juniors. The proceeds go toward charities.
The revenues from the 1998 bazaar exceeded two million yen and portions were donated to the victims of Hurricane Mitch through the International Red Cross and to Tokyo International Learning Community. The latter group serves children with learning disabilities whose native tongue is English. It is managed by members of the expatriate community in Tokyo, under the leadership of parents from the United States of America and Sweden.
The Welcome to Tokyo Group is open to all diplomatic spouses serving in Tokyo. A voluntary group of Gaimusho wives organizes various activities throughout the year to promote friendship with the diplomatic community and to introduce them to various aspects of Japan. Past outings have included visits to the National Guest House, former Prime Minister Miki's residence on Girl's Day, the nob theatre, and various museums. Also, teas are hosted by wives of Gaimusho staff in private homes a few times a year.
The Asian Women's Society, the Africa and Middle East Women's Society, and the Latin America Women's Society are comprised of Gaimusho wives who have served in those areas. The three groups each organize a charity bazaar on a regular basis to benefit the respective regions, and is attended by a female member of the imperial family. While there are many active groups managed by Gaimusho wives, all of them overlap in membership and collaborate with one another as well as with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Gaimu Mutual Aid Association, Gaimu Seireikai, and the Gaimu Training Centre in their efforts.