Free Harajuku Sunday by S. Michael Choi Page B

with Julian.   (Julian, who abuses his powers as volunteer website manager for the official Tokyo bulletin board to hack into accounts on the main expat bulletin board.)   Liam and Melanie between the two actually have enough pull to notify all aggrieved parties, including the socially-absent Soren as well as Redd himself.   So the emails go out, and on a Friday evening we assemble at the international affairs office in Ebisu city.

    "So I'd just like to start this off by thanking everyone who took the time to come out tonight.   I know that there were a lot of fun things you could be doing and that everyone had other plans and places to go this evening, but the fact that you would all come out shows how much you value the community and how much you care about the extended family that we really are.

    "Now I've been asked to deal with the matter of personal safety first—I've had a conversation with the security office at the U.S. Embassy…"

    (Does Melanie throw me a quick glance here?)

    "…and they have reassured me that nobody's safety is in peril.   There were some charges involving an individual menacing with a knife, but the matter seems to be simply a domestic dispute and the person charged with the crimes is being handled by the Japanese police.   There is no reason for anyone here to feel that they are going to be personally targeted or threatened by anyone."

    A voice calls out from the back of the room.   "But how about my friend Judy?   She had an entire laundry load disappear off her outside clothesline last Thursday.   The people here are perverts."

    Melanie looks up, ever so slightly, in frustration.   "Look, we live in a city of twelve million people.   In every major city of the world, if you leave delicate pink panties flapping in the…"

    "No, no, no, what we're trying to say is that people don't feel safe here.   There's something wrong with Japan .   There’s something wrong with these people."

    The room dissolves into a bunch of separate arguments and competing yells, but Melanie is able to restore order again.

    "People, please, this is not the forum in which we discuss the totality of Japan .   We just need to deal with some of the wilder of the rumors going around, realize that we're all here for each other, and share whatever it is information that we do have.   Now if you need to talk one-on-one with me later, if you're not comfortable with this free-for-all public forum, that's fine too.   We can't order any two people to talk.”   Redd and Soren sit in opposite corners of the room, glowering.   “I'll be here all tonight, and I'm ready to talk about whatever issues you're facing, even if it's just a matter of you wondering how you can get cable and Internet hooked up.   Now right now, I think Liam wanted to talk about another issue facing us?"

    "Thank you, Melanie."   The cheerful Irishman gets up and faces the dining tables.   "Now as some of you have heard, there's been a number of incidents online in which people have been posting personal information and private photographs in a public setting.”   Soren's face twists; some things have crossed the line.   “We know that there is a lot of frustration out there, and there have been things going on in the past that weren't always the correct way to act, but… some people are feeling that certain things being said are out-of-hand and possibly even against the laws here in this country.   We all know that regulations differ from country to country and customs are always greatly different, but I thought that was exactly why we came here.   Tolerance; respect for others; understanding—there is no nationality that has a monopoly on any of these."

    “How about basic free speech?”

    There's an anonymous cat-call from somewhere in the back.

    "Friends, let's not argue principles but examine feelings and look for solutions.   If a person can write something online, that doesn't mean they should."

    “That's