Poll of the Day > Is Japan Racist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

GanglyKhan posted...

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

The most nationalistic ones are pretty racist, though. The US Department of State always cautions us foreigners to avoid their rallies.
---

Sarcasthma posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

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

The most nationalistic ones are pretty racist, though. The US Department of State always cautions us foreigners to avoid their rallies.

The US government attacks nationalism as people who love their country (nationalists) don't love the US government (patriotism).

Also, Japan's native people were part of a part-russian old ethnicity but bred with Chinese and Korean immigrants to create the modern Japanese. Japan doesn't hate foreign people, it hates conflicting cultures.
---

Isn't it their culture to be "racist"?
Who are we to say they're wrong and judge them by our own culture's standards?
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Sarcasthma posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

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

The most nationalistic ones are pretty racist, though. The US Department of State always cautions us foreigners to avoid their rallies.

The US government attacks nationalism as people who love their country (nationalists) don't love the US government (patriotism).

Just so we're clear, are you implying that those ultra-nationalists in Japan aren't racist?
---

Sarcasthma posted...

Just so we're clear, are you implying that those ultra-nationalists in Japan aren't racist?

Note how I didn't say ultra at any point, and extremists are obviously outliers applicable to all groups.
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Sarcasthma posted...

Just so we're clear, are you implying that those ultra-nationalists in Japan aren't racist?

Note how I didn't say ultra at any point, and extremists are obviously outliers applicable to all groups.

Note how I said "the most nationalistic ones" in my first post.
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Also, Japan's native people were part of a part-russian old ethnicity but bred with Chinese and Korean immigrants to create the modern Japanese. Japan doesn't hate foreign people, it hates conflicting cultures.

You got that part completely wrong.
Japan's native people were never part of Russian in any way. That's fiction!
Japanese natives also did not marry with Chinese and Korean immigrants as there were never any immigrants a few thousand years ago. You should study history again. Your knowledge of Japanese natives are so distorted and wrong that it is as if you copied stuff from mangas.
---

Sarcasthma posted...

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Sarcasthma posted...

Just so we're clear, are you implying that those ultra-nationalists in Japan aren't racist?

Note how I didn't say ultra at any point, and extremists are obviously outliers applicable to all groups.

Note how I said "the most nationalistic ones" in my first post.

Note how it was directed to the last sentence.

Susanowo posted...

You got that part completely wrong.
Japan's native people were never part of Russian in any way. That's fiction!
Japanese natives also did not marry with Chinese and Korean immigrants as there were never any immigrants a few thousand years ago. You should study history again. Your knowledge of Japanese natives are so distorted and wrong that it is as if you copied stuff from mangas.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people
---

Japan is not racist.
It is true that some right-wings in Japan are not friendly towards foreigners and prohibit foreigners from entering their restaurants but the right-wings in question are the minority. Most restaurants do not ask foreigners to leave.
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Sarcasthma posted...

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Sarcasthma posted...

Just so we're clear, are you implying that those ultra-nationalists in Japan aren't racist?

Note how I didn't say ultra at any point, and extremists are obviously outliers applicable to all groups.

Note how I said "the most nationalistic ones" in my first post.

Note how it was directed to the last sentence.

Note how I'm glad we could come to an understanding.
---

black face is a thing there, but I think it has a different meaning from America

They do use a lot of stereotypes in their media. Like American smelling bad and black men are over the top personality with a slender yet muscular body... and super cool.

In the adult video section black people are usual the one robbing banks or jobs or taking advantage of their TSA job. It doesn't look that good for them in that industry.
---

There is one way where almost all of Japan is pretty damn racist against foreigners. The fact is no matter how much you try to assimilate into their country, and spend time learning the in's and out of being a Japanese person they will never accept you as one of their own.

You could spend 30 years in the country, and spend countless hours pursuing citizenship, learning to speak and read Japanese, and all go into great depth to understand their culture. They won't care about all that and still consider you Gajin until the day you die. Meanwhile in America if someone busts their ass to learn English and works hard to accept American values we eventually start to accept them as true Americans.
---

Meanwhile in America if someone busts their ass to learn English and works hard to accept American values we eventually start to accept them as true Americans.

Except that often is not the case at all
---

Mead posted...

Meanwhile in America if someone busts their ass to learn English and works hard to accept American values we eventually start to accept them as true Americans.

Except that often is not the case at all

You are saying that Americans automatically consider all black people foreigners for life? Do we do the same with all people of Spanish origin?

In Japan the country is 98.5% Japanese, if you are a black man living in that country you are a COMPLETE oddity no matter how long you live there. Meanwhile in America even in some of the whitest states people still run into people of other ethnicity's on occasion.
---

yes, everyone is racist.
---

AltOmega posted...

Isn't it their culture to be "racist"?
Who are we to say they're wrong and judge them by our own culture's standards?

I think they're doing it right, tbh. Our society is screwed.

Monopoman posted...

There is one way where almost all of Japan is pretty damn racist against foreigners. The fact is no matter how much you try to assimilate into their country, and spend time learning the in's and out of being a Japanese person they will never accept you as one of their own.

Same goes for calling yourself an islander (NFL). Unless you're born there, you're not one of them. It's too bad more people didn't understand that this is how it works.

Monopoman posted...

You could spend 30 years in the country, and spend countless hours pursuing citizenship, learning to speak and read Japanese, and all go into great depth to understand their culture. They won't care about all that and still consider you Gajin until the day you die. Meanwhile in America if someone busts their ass to learn English and works hard to accept American values we eventually start to accept them as true Americans.

Lol. The left don't even expect that out of people. They don't even require the individual to have papers and they'd tell them they're already American or Canadian, even ahead of actual citizens.
---

Monopoman posted...

Mead posted...

Meanwhile in America if someone busts their ass to learn English and works hard to accept American values we eventually start to accept them as true Americans.

Except that often is not the case at all

You are saying that Americans automatically consider all black people foreigners for life? Do we do the same with all people of Spanish origin?

In Japan the country is 98.5% Japanese, if you are a black man living in that country you are a COMPLETE oddity no matter how long you live there. Meanwhile in America even in some of the whitest states people still run into people of other ethnicity's on occasion.

Sure but we also have a president that publicly discounted a federal judge for being mexican and about half the country supports him
---

Monopoman posted...

There is one way where almost all of Japan is pretty damn racist against foreigners. The fact is no matter how much you try to assimilate into their country, and spend time learning the in's and out of being a Japanese person they will never accept you as one of their own.

This is accurate. I have a friend who has lived over there for over 20 years, speaks perfect Japanese, is married into a Japanese family, and he's still considered "The Foreign Guy".

Yet at the same time, I still hesitate to call that racist for a few reasons. The biggest reason is it doesn't generally result in getting treated any worse than a native Japanese person, although some people do say it makes them feel isolated since they're "not part of the group". The second is that the Japanese do the same thing to their own native-born - birthplace is a much bigger deal in Japan than it is in the West (to the point where it's not unusual to be asked "Where is your birthplace?" before being asked "Where do you live now?"). The guy from Nagoya will always be "the guy from Nagoya", even if he spends 20 years living in Aomori.

The third reason is much more complicated to explain, but it has to do with Japanese cultural worldview. Japanese automatically sort the people in their lives into groups - your relationship and whether you are inside (uchi) or outside (soto) a certain group is supposed to determine your importance. The most inner group is your family and no one trumps them in importance. After that, in approximate order, is your class at school or team at work, any clubs or groups you belong to, your school/company, your neighbourhood, your city, your prefecture, and your country. This idea even bleeds over into linguistics - whenever talking to someone outside a certain "group", it is good manners to speak with them and their group respectfully, while speaking of your own humbly. So, for instance, while you would never address your boss without honorifics (doing so would be very rude), if you're talking *about* your boss to a customer or person from another company, it's fairly common to omit honorifics (but if you're talking about someone from *their* company, you *would* use honorifics in order to be polite). It's complicated, since we really have nothing like a collectivist mindset in the West (and if you're from the US it gets even harder, since the US is far more individualistic than pretty much every other Western nation, so Americans wind up even more behind the curve). As a foreigner, you're automatically outside the largest grouping (nationality), so you will generally always be treated like a guest come to visit, even if you live in the country.

Again, that's why I don't feel that the "racist" label is the right one, because that carries connotations of disdain and abuse, which generally does not happen in Japan. You are absolutely viewed as different, but generally not inferior or lesser.

zebatov posted...

Lol. The left don't even expect that out of people. They don't even require the individual to have papers and they'd tell them they're already American or Canadian, even ahead of actual citizens.

Man, I'm glad you posted this - it gives me a way better indication of how seriously I should take your posts.
---

If this topic were an SNL skit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNvDNQiu-iw" data-time="
---

darkknight109 posted...

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.

I did have this happen to me in Shimonoseki. A little girl that was probably two- or three-years-old wouldn't stop staring at me while her mom was dragging her around Trial.

And some girl clearly wanted some chips that I was standing in front of at some konbini, but she assumed I didn't know any Japanese I guess because she just stood there staring at them until I left the aisle entirely. I did say sorry to her when I left but I couldn't convey that I also would have understood "sumasen".
---

A toddler would stare at someone regardless of culture.
---

darkknight109 posted...

Man, I'm glad you posted this - it gives me a way better indication of how seriously I should take your posts.

I pegged him as a troll even before this. In the original topic (where he was losing the argument and apparently decided to bring in some kind of POTD "posse" to back him up) he would throw out random Japanese in hiragana in some pathetic appeal to authority, apparently not realizing he was arguing with people who not only spoke Japanese, but who lived there. And then kept on arguing as if he knew better.

So yeah, troll.
---

WarGreymon77 posted...

A toddler would stare at someone regardless of culture.

Not like this.

And yeah, not trolling at all. And I know many people on this site live there (I even stated this on page one and you quoted it). That didn't mean jack shit. Denial is an ugly thing.

As a matter of fact, you are literally trolling because you can't handle being wrong.
---

zebatov posted...

And I know many people on this site live there. That didn't mean jack shit.

Because it's not like people living there might actually know something about the culture or anything...
---

Or you know I posted a couple articles out of the thousands available online that talk about racism in Japan. And the fact that it's a very well-known thing. The people arguing are doing it just for the sake of it and are entirely wrong.
---

Short answer: no. Long answer: kinda.
---

darkknight109 posted...

zebatov posted...

And I know many people on this site live there. That didn't mean jack shit.

Because it's not like people living there might actually know something about the culture or anything...

Again, he's a troll. He said early on he doesn't want to talk to anyone who actually knows anything about the topic, he just wants to declare himself right.
---

zebatov posted...

Or you know I posted a couple articles out of the thousands available online that talk about racism in Japan. And the fact that it's a very well-known thing. The people arguing are doing it just for the sake of it and are entirely wrong.

I just read an article about the KKK and came to the conclusion that all of America is furiously racist.

No, I don't care if you live there, you're in denial and wrong.
---

darkknight109 posted...

zebatov posted...

Or you know I posted a couple articles out of the thousands available online that talk about racism in Japan. And the fact that it's a very well-known thing. The people arguing are doing it just for the sake of it and are entirely wrong.

I just read an article about the KKK and came to the conclusion that all of America is furiously racist.

No, I don't care if you live there, you're in denial and wrong.

That argument would make sense if we were talking about a small group of Japanese. And if I lived in the US.
---

Xenophobia isn't the same as racism.
---

zebatov posted...

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.

I did work with a half black/Asian guy and he moved here to the USA and the southern part of it to boot, to get away from the racism. His black father is still over there though so I guess it depends on how sensitive you are. Like it's not so bad they are having hate crimes performed towards them. IDK though I don't live there so I don't pay it much attention.
---

Revelation34 posted...

Xenophobia isn't the same as racism.

if you aren't white maybe

yes a lot of japanese people hate americans coming there
they raise their prices or ask you to leave their store in certain towns
japan has more immigrants leaving the country than coming in

the reactions I've seen from chinese people seeing blacks is what you're used to seeing in horror movies
---

zebatov posted...

darkknight109 posted...

zebatov posted...

Or you know I posted a couple articles out of the thousands available online that talk about racism in Japan. And the fact that it's a very well-known thing. The people arguing are doing it just for the sake of it and are entirely wrong.

I just read an article about the KKK and came to the conclusion that all of America is furiously racist.

No, I don't care if you live there, you're in denial and wrong.

That argument would make sense if we were talking about a small group of Japanese. And if I lived in the US.

Where do you live, Dustin? Calgary?
---

CacciatoPart3 posted...

zebatov posted...

darkknight109 posted...

zebatov posted...

Or you know I posted a couple articles out of the thousands available online that talk about racism in Japan. And the fact that it's a very well-known thing. The people arguing are doing it just for the sake of it and are entirely wrong.

I just read an article about the KKK and came to the conclusion that all of America is furiously racist.

No, I don't care if you live there, you're in denial and wrong.

That argument would make sense if we were talking about a small group of Japanese. And if I lived in the US.

Where do you live, Dustin? Calgary?

Maybe.
---

Hourglass22 posted...

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.

basically a large percentage of immigrants who move the the US
---

RoboXgp89 posted...

if you aren't white maybe

yes a lot of japanese people hate americans coming there
they raise their prices or ask you to leave their store in certain towns
japan has more immigrants leaving the country than coming in

the reactions I've seen from chinese people seeing blacks is what you're used to seeing in horror movies

American isn't a race.
---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

Hourglass22 posted...

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.

basically a large percentage of immigrants who move the the US

My issue with the people who come to Canada, which the liberals say makes me "not a true Canadian". They're wrong, seeing as what we should expect is the complete opposite.
---

if i moved somewhere english wasn't the primary language i would learn the language. i wouldn't expect people to translate for me, and even translate things like driving instructions.
---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

if i moved somewhere english wasn't the primary language i would learn the language. i wouldn't expect people to translate for me, and even translate things like driving instructions.

Same I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't feel that way. But I don't plan to move to any non English speaking countries.
---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

Hourglass22 posted...

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.

basically a large percentage of immigrants who move the the US

I was describing the behaviour of Americans in Japan. They are the group who cause the most problems. Many of the ones I have had to deal with have come across as stuck up, jingoistic and utterly obnoxious. Their superiority complex and lack of social graces is why I have a little respect for US culture, as I now firmly believe American culture preaches a superiority above others, and this is just wrong.

In my time, I've seen;
Americans refuse to bow, play music on their iphones on the quiet carriage of the shinkansen and punch a conductor when they complained.

Americans who refuse to bow to anyone sighting "I only bow to Jesus".

Constantly being late and making excuses. Never taking personal responsibility.

One pissed out of our office window located in a high rise building.

One keyed a bosses car.

When I first came to Japan I was a teacher. One idiot stole our school register and started calling teachers and students out for dates. Naturally he was fired.

I had one guy refuse to obey the traffic laws and used to cycle on the wrong side of the road saying crap like "They've gotta learn" and then crashed into a police car. I had to go and apologize on our company's behalf for his behaviour.

One coworker told me about how one American was using the office to have sex with. He had been caught in the action when the manager came in after noticing the light was on at night.

My former boss told me about how one got into a drunken brawl with a policeman. This happens often.

There are but a few of my extensive experiences dealing with Americans here.

Krazy_Kirby posted...

if i moved somewhere english wasn't the primary language i would learn the language. i wouldn't expect people to translate for me, and even translate things like driving instructions.

I tried. Multiple languages are just not for me.
---

Krazy_Kirby posted...

if i moved somewhere english wasn't the primary language i would learn the language. i wouldn't expect people to translate for me, and even translate things like driving instructions.

It's a good thing Canadians only have to sign papers to transfer their license to a Japanese one, because I hear the test in Japan is more difficult. Plus the trouble of actually having to do it again.

Hourglass22 posted...

Krazy_Kirby posted...

Hourglass22 posted...

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.

basically a large percentage of immigrants who move the the US

I was describing the behaviour of Americans in Japan. They are the group who cause the most problems. Many of the ones I have had to deal with have come across as stuck up, jingoistic and utterly obnoxious. Their superiority complex and lack of social graces is why I have a little respect for US culture, as I now firmly believe American culture preaches a superiority above others, and this is just wrong.

In my time, I've seen;
Americans refuse to bow, play music on their iphones on the quiet carriage of the shinkansen and punch a conductor when they complained.

Americans who refuse to bow to anyone sighting "I only bow to Jesus".

Constantly being late and making excuses. Never taking personal responsibility.

One pissed out of our office window located in a high rise building.

One keyed a bosses car.

When I first came to Japan I was a teacher. One idiot stole our school register and started calling teachers and students out for dates. Naturally he was fired.

I had one guy refuse to obey the traffic laws and used to cycle on the wrong side of the road saying crap like "They've gotta learn" and then crashed into a police car. I had to go and apologize on our company's behalf for his behaviour.

One coworker told me about how one American was using the office to have sex with. He had been caught in the action when the manager came in after noticing the light was on at night.

My former boss told me about how one got into a drunken brawl with a policeman. This happens often.

There are but a few of my extensive experiences dealing with Americans here.

I've only met a couple I actually care for myself. You're not wrong in your first paragraph.
---

Hourglass22 posted...

I was describing the behaviour of Americans in Japan.

Foreigners in general in Japan have a bad reputation of being loud and rude and, in my own personal experience - much like your own - that reputation is not entirely undeserved. While plenty of people go over there and do their best to at least learn enough Japanese to get by and learn what constitutes good manners and customs, there are lots who behave exactly like they do in their home countries (and yes, Americans are particularly bad for this; tourists from China as well seem to stick out to me) and assume it will be acceptable, seemingly without knowing or caring that they're actually being rude (and for whatever reason, the train seems to be the place to go spot the worst tourist behaviours).
---

compared to europeans yeah probably...

I've seen just as many college aged asians either be obnoxious to strangers or the south western asians be arrogant torwards other peoples cultures though
I was in my twenties when I went to that school, but I just consider them annoying the majority of people don't do that and are quite reserved
---

Yes, absolutely. Also, very xenophobic.
---

papercup posted...

No. Only xenophobic.

I fixed that for you.
---

Hourglass22 posted...

Krazy_Kirby posted...

Hourglass22 posted...

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.

basically a large percentage of immigrants who move the the US

I was describing the behaviour of Americans in Japan. They are the group who cause the most problems. Many of the ones I have had to deal with have come across as stuck up, jingoistic and utterly obnoxious. Their superiority complex and lack of social graces is why I have a little respect for US culture, as I now firmly believe American culture preaches a superiority above others, and this is just wrong.

In my time, I've seen;
Americans refuse to bow, play music on their iphones on the quiet carriage of the shinkansen and punch a conductor when they complained.

Americans who refuse to bow to anyone sighting "I only bow to Jesus".

Constantly being late and making excuses. Never taking personal responsibility.

One pissed out of our office window located in a high rise building.

One keyed a bosses car.

When I first came to Japan I was a teacher. One idiot stole our school register and started calling teachers and students out for dates. Naturally he was fired.

I had one guy refuse to obey the traffic laws and used to cycle on the wrong side of the road saying crap like "They've gotta learn" and then crashed into a police car. I had to go and apologize on our company's behalf for his behaviour.

One coworker told me about how one American was using the office to have sex with. He had been caught in the action when the manager came in after noticing the light was on at night.

My former boss told me about how one got into a drunken brawl with a policeman. This happens often.

There are but a few of my extensive experiences dealing with Americans here.

Most Americans don't behave like punk-ass teens who go about committing petty crime. Somehow I doubt they make the transformation when visiting Japan.
---

Person106 posted...

Most Americans don't behave like punk-ass teens who go about committing petty crime. Somehow I doubt they make the transformation when visiting Japan.

They are, however, notorious for doing shit that is quite rude in Japan. Things that are Japan-specific like talking loudly on the subway or putting their bags on seats (both big no-nos over there) or stuff that's rude pretty much everywhere like littering (public trash cans, for whatever reason, are a rarity in Japan, but you're expected to take your trash with you until you find one) or just randomly walking up to a shopkeeper and yabbering at them in English without bothering to check if they even speak it first.
---

darkknight109 posted...

public trash cans, for whatever reason, are a rarity in Japan

It's because of a terrorist attack in Tokyo in 1995. The terrorists utilized Sarin gas which killed a bunch of people and injured thousands. One of the responses was to get rid of trash cans in Tokyo as they were potential hiding spots for chemical weapons. Other cities followed suit afterward.
---

Very racist. Black people seen as entertaining and something like clowns.
Bunch of stereotypes about white people, genuine despise towards Chinese and southeast Asians.
You are least likely to hear it expressed openly though, compared to US