Poll of the Day > Is Japan Racist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Yes or no.
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Yes, to a ridiculous degree.
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StoneRevolver posted...

Yes, to a ridiculous degree.

I already know. Just needed confirmation for some people on another board.
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No, but some of the older generation are. Most now view internationalisation as essential and are quite welcoming.

The problem is that while most foreigners adapt well to the culture, small groups refused to integrate and complain that things are different or worse to their own country. This jingoistic attitude and refusal to adapt to the way of life is what causes tensions between groups in the society. It isn't racism that is on display, more anger that a minority is refusing to even try and fit in.

Im sure some people in Japan are racist

Just like some people in the US certainly are

That said, there are certainly many cultural elements along with religious teachings of Shinto that support the idea that Japanese people are inherently superior to people from other nations. But at the same time a lot of Japanese pop culture is based on a fascination with the west, so I dont think you can really cast the broad stroke of calling the country racist as a whole.
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I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.
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The TC is a wannabe Japan-expert who thinks he's going to win a debate on a Gamefaqs message board with a poll from another Gamefaqs message board. He pretty much summed it up himself: He doesn't want to argue with anyone who has actual experience with Japan and Japanese people. He just wants to declare himself right by any means necessary.
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zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Who is even arguing in this topic
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Relle posted...

The TC is a wannabe Japan-expert who thinks he's going to win a debate on a Gamefaqs message board with a poll from another Gamefaqs message board. He pretty much summed it up himself: He doesn't want to argue with anyone who has actual experience with Japan and Japanese people. He just wants to declare himself right by any means necessary.

I literally have experience with Japan and the Japanese. And so do many people here.

Mead posted...

zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Who is even arguing in this topic

Key words.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/261-politics/77312231

#5.
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From what I hear, japanese women love some gaijin man meat though.
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They aren't as much racist as isolationist. Which is bad for other reasons.

Their culture could definitely stand to improve from outside influence. It could also get worse, but I'd rather they at least try rather than slowly wither and die.
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zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Its like youre trying to constantly one-up yourself with the stupid shit you say.
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DrCidd posted...

From what I hear, japanese women love some gaijin man meat though.

Bruh. All day.
CacciatoPart3 posted...

zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Its like youre trying to constantly one-up yourself with the stupid shit you say.

Except it isn't and I'm right.

No more name-calling? Tired of those mods?
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Blighboy posted...

They aren't as much racist as isolationist. Which is bad for other reasons.

Their culture could definitely stand to improve from outside influence. It could also get worse, but I'd rather they at least try rather than slowly wither and die.

Switzerland demands assimilation. Nobody mentions them. Even after they denied multiple Muslims citizenship. I hope Japan never changes its views. Everything they do is perfect. Marriage = PR, no jus soli, etc.

Also: When people vote just because they don'tike TC because TC is better than them.
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zebatov posted...

I literally have experience with Japan and the Japanese. And so do many people here.

Considering your Japanese is about the same level as some random anime nerd, and your only claim to fame seems to be your supposed ex-girlfriend who happens to be Japanese and racist against Indians, I kinda doubt it. And how exactly do you know that everyone who responded to this poll has any experience living or working in Japan? Or has even visited Japan? Or even knows someone who visited Japan?

You don't. Which is why, once again, anecdotal evidence is not evidence.
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zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Shinto isn't an ism. That is a common mistake. Shinto isn't an ism as it has no confession or dogma.

Hourglass22 posted...

zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Shinto isn't an ism. That is a common mistake.

At least it's a common mistake and I can learn from it. Many can't admit their mistakes.

See above posts.

My ex took me to a jinja near the Kanmon bridge. It was really nice.
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Why the hell are you dragging an argument from another board over to potd
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Mead posted...

Why the hell are you dragging an argument from another board over to potd

The polls don't lie. Neither do my Japanese friends. They're Japanese.

Why the hell are you so upset about it

Relle posted...

zebatov posted...

I literally have experience with Japan and the Japanese. And so do many people here.

Considering your Japanese is about the same level as some random anime nerd, and your only claim to fame seems to be your supposed ex-girlfriend who happens to be Japanese and racist against Indians, I kinda doubt it. And how exactly do you know that everyone who responded to this poll has any experience living or working in Japan? Or has even visited Japan? Or even knows someone who visited Japan?

You don't. Which is why, once again, anecdotal evidence is not evidence.

All one has to do is Google to see that you're wrong. Denial is hard for some people.
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zebatov posted...

The polls don't lie. Neither do my Japanese friends. They're Japanese.

Yeah, I'm calling troll. No real person would be this insistent on their own authority just because they happen to have some Japanese friends.
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Japanese don't lie? BS. Black Companies in Japan, manned by Japanese lie all the time.

By your standards I could say this poll is wrong because Americans lie all the time. (I'm not claiming this, just an example).

They are just very protective of their culture.
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zebatov posted...

DrCidd posted...

From what I hear, japanese women love some gaijin man meat though.

Bruh. All day.
CacciatoPart3 posted...

zebatov posted...

I don't want to argue anymore. I've already made my point. Your living there doesn't prove anything. Facts are facts. And facts state that the Japanese will always be nice to your face. Like we talked about, if you're still there in 2020, we can meet for conversation with friends.

I love Shintoism. I was raised Christian.

Its like youre trying to constantly one-up yourself with the stupid shit you say.

Except it isn't and I'm right.

No more name-calling? Tired of those mods?

All those NKLs and NWDs were devastating.
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The polls don't lie. Neither do my Japanese friends. They're Japanese.

Why the hell are you so upset about it

Opinions arent facts dude.

And Im annoyed that youre dragging some stupid argument to potd just because youre losing it somewhere else. Get a life.
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Relle posted...

zebatov posted...

The polls don't lie. Neither do my Japanese friends. They're Japanese.

Yeah, I'm calling troll. No real person would be this insistent on their own authority just because they happen to have some Japanese friends.

Wrong.

jramirez23 posted...

They are just very protective of their culture.

Love it. If only "we" were. But no. The left.

Mead posted...

The polls don't lie. Neither do my Japanese friends. They're Japanese.

Why the hell are you so upset about it

Opinions arent facts dude.

And Im annoyed that youre dragging some stupid argument to potd just because youre losing it somewhere else. Get a life.

You spelled "winning" wrong. Get a life.
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This is a weird topic.

_AdjI_ posted...

This is a weird topic.

Yet appropriate and factual.
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The Japanese are extremely racist from what I've heard.
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zebatov posted...

_AdjI_ posted...

This is a weird topic.

Yet appropriate and factual.

Things being a factual doesn't make it not weird to point it out.

The same way extremely detailed descriptions of murder, while factual, is still weird to talk about.
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Mnnnyeh... honestly, it's kind of difficult to say. The word "racist" has a lot of connotations that the Japanese don't fulfill. They are prejudicial, but not without good reason - over 97% of Japan's population is ethnic Japanese. Accordingly, if you don't look like you're from there, you probably aren't and they will assume things about you accordingly (like the fact that you presumably don't know the language or have the greatest grasp on their culture).

Based on my own experiences over there, the idea that the Japanese are a group of bigoted racists is way overblown. You do deal with prejudice, but the overwhelming majority of it is non-malicious in nature.
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shadowsword87 posted...

zebatov posted...

_AdjI_ posted...

This is a weird topic.

Yet appropriate and factual.

Things being a factual doesn't make it not weird to point it out.

The same way extremely detailed descriptions of murder, while factual, is still weird to talk about.

Lol at racism (that does exist for the majority) in Japan = extremely detailed murder conversation.

darkknight109 posted...

Mnnnyeh... honestly, it's kind of difficult to say. The word "racist" has a lot of connotations that the Japanese don't fulfill. They are prejudicial, but not without good reason - over 97% of Japan's population is ethnic Japanese. Accordingly, if you don't look like you're from there, you probably aren't and they will assume things about you accordingly (like the fact that you presumably don't know the language or have the greatest grasp on their culture).

Based on my own experiences over there, the idea that the Japanese are a group of bigoted racists is way overblown. You do deal with prejudice, but the overwhelming majority of it is non-malicious in nature.

I've only ever heard that they're blatantly racist. Seems like the poll, at least from PotD's perspective, believes they're racist. My friend admitted many Japanese don't like black people. There's no reason for that, other than.
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Mead posted...

Why the hell are you dragging an argument from another board over to potd

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Sarcasthma posted...

Mead posted...

Why the hell are you dragging an argument from another board over to potd

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zebatov posted...

I've only ever heard that they're blatantly racist. Seems like the poll, at least from PotD's perspective, believes they're racist.

I'm also willing to bet most of PotD hasn't actually spent any significant time over in Japan to judge for themselves.
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Just look at the pokemon jynx.. it's original color pallet. That tells us about the Japanese being racist.

xjayguyx posted...

Just look at the pokemon jynx.. it's original color pallet. That tells us about the Japanese being racist.

Or blackface doesn't have connotations in japan.
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I would say xenophobic more than racist. And perhaps not in a malicious or violent way. More like "Haha! Look at the funny foreigner!"
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Either way.
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zebatov posted...

Either way.

Except not really
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Except yeah based on his description. And based on majority general consensus.

FYI "Nay!" is wrong.
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They have an entire alphabet dedicated to foreign words...

Thats a big ass yes!
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Gairaigo.

And a lot of it is terribly mispronounced.
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zebatov posted...

Gairaigo.

And a lot of it is terribly mispronounced.

Yeah but I was just referring to the katakana alphabet itself. Gairaigo is effectively a term just used to reference the practice itself.
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aDirtyShisno posted...

zebatov posted...

Gairaigo.

And a lot of it is terribly mispronounced.

Yeah but I was just referring to the katakana alphabet itself. Gairaigo is effectively a term just used to reference the practice itself.

Yeah. It's used for emphasis as well. Andimaginereadingenglishwithnospaces.
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aDirtyShisno posted...

They have an entire alphabet dedicated to foreign words...

Thats a big ass yes!

English has big issues with pronunciation using words from all across Europe, I think they avoided a trap.
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WarGreymon77 posted...

I would say xenophobic more than racist. And perhaps not in a malicious or violent way. More like "Haha! Look at the funny foreigner!"

Pretty much this. Given how ethnically homogeneous Japan is, if you are non-Asian you are immediately very unusual (especially if you venture out of the big cities and into the countryside - people will literally come up to you and ask to practice English with you). People definitely make assumptions about you based on the fact you're a foreigner (like assuming that you can speak English in the first place), but most of those assumptions are benign.

zebatov posted...

FYI "Nay!" is wrong.

It's not, but whatever helps you win an internet argument.

Put it this way: if you asked me whether I would rather be a minority in Japan or a minority in the USA, the correct choice is Japan and it's not even close.

aDirtyShisno posted...

They have an entire alphabet dedicated to foreign words...

Thats a big ass yes!

Katakana is not solely used for "foreign words" - it's also used for onomatopoeias, "atmosphere" words, to draw attention (it's used a lot in advertising for that reason) or to improve legibility in applications where kanji or even hiragana can't be easily made out (katakana is very simple in terms of characters). And if you think that's odd (for some reason), keep in mind that English does the same thing - we have no native words that use accents, so whenever we borrow one from another language (like "rsum"), we keep the accents instead of anglicizing the word, instantly giving it away as a foreign loanword.

By the way, it's also super helpful when reading Japanese, because it automatically clues you into the fact that you're probably reading a loanword, which can give you a big hint as to what it is if you're not familiar with the word. Given that a huge chunk of Japan's loanwords are just English "Japanified", reading katakana as accented-English usually reveals what is being talked about.
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Racist against whom?
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CHROM6 posted...

Racist against whom?

wolves
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Some weird ass levels of board invasion itt.
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I think that a moderate amount of people misconstrue racial pride as racism. Japan is a very proud country when it comes to their own culture, but that doesn't immediately mean that they're all racists
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