Having heard the news of the murder of the British woman Lindsay Ann Hawker within the first few days of arriving in Tokyo from London, I have been feeling rather distressed about what has happened.
I am generally critical of the media's portrayal of such social phenomena. Had Lindsay been the name of a Southeast Asian sex worker, perhaps the media would not be as interested. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that what has happened here is something that not only the foreign community but all of Japanese society must question. The irony seems to be that Lindsay had come to Japan to teach English. The cultural barrier she tried to break down has now brought about her death.
xavier yasushi tanaka-gutiez
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