What to do about a racist, exclusionary Japan, & why?

I've often wondered to what extent a country has any responsibility to both openness, through trade, and a progressive if not measured immigration system that welcomes all races on the basis of their ability to contribute to society.

When you read information about immigration programs world wide, countries like Myanmar have a more open an active program for immigration than Japan does. Japan does not persay have ANY form of immigration or migrant program whatsoever, all this despite their being a population decline and a looming labour crisis.

Japan in the past has had a mostly closed society towards trade and immigration. In two noteable cases it was opened by force of diplomacy or through outright force of what the Japanese called gunboat diplomacy. Both in the case of the reaction to Japanese imports and agressive protectionism in the 1990s, and the historical incident of the arival of Admiral Perry.

Before this, in order to assert it's will against immigrants, even those by happenstance through shipwreck, Japan murdered those people unfortunate enough to become shipwrecked on their islands, & crucified the last members of Christians on bluffs above the shore. Those who were allowed rights to trade, notably the Dutch, were limited to special prison-like enclaves.

In 1596, the captain of a Spanish galleon crashed in Shikoku, only to have his ship impounded. He boasted that with the increased numbers of Christians, he could oust the shogun. To discourage such threats, Hideyoshi lost no time in marching the captain around the country in disgrace. Later, he would crucify 26, Christian Franciscans and a few Japanese, in Nagasaki City as a further deterrent.

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Japan has also, a somewhat poor history with asylum seekers, it is a country actually at odds with Amnesty International for the protection of asylum seekers.

Despite having ratified the 1951 Convention on Refugees in 1981, Japan accepts relatively few refugees compared with other countries. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) reports Japan received 3,544 applications for refugee status between 1982 and 2004 but granted only 330 requests. In 2004 Japan accepted 15 persons as refugees, while the UK accepted 12,925 and the US 21,148. Low numbers aside, there are also a number of problems in Japan's refugee recognition procedures that pose threats to asylum seekers' personal well being. For example, during the application process asylum seekers are often held in detention centres where many suffer mentally and physically from both fear of deportation and poor conditions. Between 2001 and 2002, several ethnic Hazara Afghani asylum seekers detained in these centres attempted suicide. Responding to criticism of its harsh refugee recognition procedure, the Japanese government amended its Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA) in 2004 for the first time in 23 years and the amended measures have been in force since May 2005. There have been improvements, but a number of important issues were not addressed.

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Part One: here

Part Two: here.

Those immigrants able to live in work in Japan are permitted to do so on the condition that they give up their own ethnicity, names, history, in order to become part of the so-called racially homogenous Japanese society. On the one side, Japan makes individuals seeking inclusion into Japanese society deny their own ethnicities & histories, while at the same time, institutionalizing an ideal that foreign residents are not only dangerous but unwelcome, leaving them permanently excluded or recognized as members of such a society.

Last, Japan does not have a very good record where racism is concerned. At best Japan is considered to be passive racists -Lie, John "Multi-Ethnic Japan". It is racism I think that exists due to ignorance of things like "Little Black Sambo"... Take such a statement by a regional politician Kokubo Masao,

"We know in our heads that discrimination is bad, but our feelings are different... When you shake hands with someone who is completely black, you feel your hands getting black."

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These statements, are largely typical of politicians in Japan.

Philosopher Allan Bloom made the statement

[Japanese people] "seem to be racists. They consider themselves superior; they firmly resist immigration; they exclude even Koreans who have lived for generations among them."

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I feel lastly that the caucasian foreigner may be afforded a limited but most favourable acceptance, at the expense of any real long term acceptance... certainly along with Europe, the best acceptance of all the non-Asian foreigners though at the very least. Where a European or American caucasian immigrant may be looked upon favourably initially by limited contact, for certain his or her inclusion in any area or neighbourhood will be looked upon with suspicion, due to the glaring fact that he or she is not in any way, Asian.

My question is this? What actual responsibilities to racism-awareness, human rights, immigration reform, awareness of inevitable heterogeneity, does Japan actually have? What will they ever actually address?

I don't feel like Japan will ever change. They act at times the same way they have acted for hundreds upon hundreds of years of history. I don't suppose that everyone thinks this way, that everyone shares the same opinion, but in my limited experience, I have found that even those I have known through a random sampling have ideas about races and the Japanese race in particular that seem to be the products of just such an extended isolation and institutionalized racism.

I don't see a very bright future for Japan, whereas race relations go. Japan may always have a population of non-Japanese, what John Lie referred to as (and I like this term) "non-Japanese Japanese", but I fear that their position in society will always be abject & abased by the government of Japan; a government who set the tone of racism & furthermore do not ever make actions to make outsiders believe the contrary.

There are some spelling mistakes, and perhaps a few grammatical errors, but the editing system being what it is--- I would have to re-insert all the carriage returns again (as you know), a somewhat grim prospect.

Please accept my appologies for this.

Basically, Japan can do what it wants to do. You or I may not like it but it is what it is. However, I should point out that it seems hypocritical that they have a Statue of Liberty replica in Odaiba with, I presume, the tablet with "Give me your poor..." text welcoming immigrants if they should have racist policies.

Well, what Hideyoshi really upset was the slave trade. The first Japanese in Argentina was way back in early 17th. And what the 3rd shogun , Iemitsu, bothered was a lot of Chinese belonging to former Ming Dynasty coming to Japan to ask her to save the collapsed dynasty from non-Han Chinese Qing Dynasty.
Maybe I told you before, but Commodore Perry opened Japan's ports and imposed unequal treaties with Japan, but the US was the first country revised them. This is one of the reasons I hate to be an anti-US liberal head.

yukio_michael, you read Japanese, right?
Just check out the double standard in Japanese/English sites, pro-South Korea organisation in Japan. Even the democratic nation support group has the double standard, just imagine what the DPRK supporting group has...
在日本大韓民国民団

Shokei Arai was a naturalised Japanese with his Korean background.
He graduated from Tokyo University, then got a job at the Ministry of Finance, and became a member of the ruling LDP, though he commited suiside.
ƒŠƒXƒyƒNƒgAVˆä«Œh

I've often wondered to what extent a country has any responsibility to both openness, through trade, and a progressive if not measured immigration system that welcomes all races on the basis of their ability to contribute to society.

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I think the people of each country have the right to decide what they want to do. Even better when it is a democracy.
Our choice is to decide what to do if we don't like their decision. Stay and grumble or find somewhere else to live.
History tends to show that countries that encourage immigration have done so because they have to (labour shortages etc). When they have everyone they think they need, the fences go back up.

A multi-ethnic country has a problem of its own.
1992 Los Angeles riots - Wikipedia

Japan needs a labour force, but a large influx of foreign labourers may lead to racial tensions, there are costs to be paid. I think it will take a slow process.

osias said:

A multi-ethnic country has a problem of its own.
1992 Los Angeles riots - Wikipedia

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If you are interested, take a look at ethnic and religious tensions in the Ottoman Empire before the genocides began. In addition, the April 1992 riots weren't just reactions to Rodney King, they were also sitting on top of a socio-economic powderkeg, made worse by an incredibly corrupt (by American standards) police force.

yukio_michael said:

I don't feel like Japan will ever change. They act at times the same way they have acted for hundreds upon hundreds of years of history.

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They probably won't. That's not necessarily me being pessimistic. It's an historian's general assessment. After lurking for a few months and reading many of Maciamo's posts, I've come to a number of conclusions, but most important (given that I know several Japanese who have come to the U.S. for school or work, or simply to live) is that I believe individual Japanese don't want to be racist, and many do not realize they may be acting in a racist manner. But since they are part of a society, they behave in that manner. They go along with the crowd because preserving social harmony is a very important part of their lives.

The depiction of Japanese characters in anime as cosmopolitan and accepting of foreigners is very far from reality. However, it gives a peek into the Japanese psyche. In many ways, anime doesn't depict the world as it is, but to some Japanese artists/writers it depicts the world as it should be (hence the Japanese are cosmopolitan, and their women carry guns/swords, have huge boobs, kick ***, and chew bubble gum). This, in a roundabout way, recognizes their own cultural limitations and takes them on in a very non-confrontational manner.

Now, granted, most of the Japanese I know are emmigrants (either temporary or permanent). There is a huge difference between the temporary and permanent emmigrants, too. The temporary ones are interested in foreign culture, but often maintain a small degree of aloofness. But the ones who intend to stay almost "fall in love" with my country. They want both the good and the bad that it has to offer. I see the permanent emmigrants as almost exceptions to the "typical" Japanese in many senses.

yukio_michael said:

I've often wondered to what extent a country has any responsibility to both openness, through trade, and a progressive if not measured immigration system that welcomes all races on the basis of their ability to contribute to society.

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Actually many countries have incredibly rigorous immigration policies. The U.S. and Canada (and I think Australia) have very loose and welcoming ones. It is easy to get a Visa to the U.S. compared to other nations. Many have been complaining about the Mexican illegal immigrant policies (claiming they are bad), but few realize how strict Mexico's policies are. There is a huge Korean population living in sections of Mexico that are barred from 75% of jobs in Mexico because they are not native born. They can pretty much only do the most menial tasks (housecleaning, maid, janitor, etc.) or open restaurants, that's it. Immigrants to Mexico cannot even work in factories. I hear Holland is even worse than Mexico.

So, Japan is definitely not the only country with incredibly strict immigration policies. In fact, I have heard that their government and businesses are incredibly welcoming of foreign laborers (especially in construction), but I don't know anything for certain about that.

Absolutely first class post !

I've been trying to stay out of the 'Racism in Japan' type threads, as if it's any worse than the rest of the world - but it's nice to read this assessment of the situation.

There have been serious race-related issues all over the world, such as ethnic cleansing and persecution.

People often think the UK is so multi-cultural and open-minded (which it often is), but there are still people who will hate on racial grounds - ranging from general suspicion to putting an axe in someone's head.

I don't get the impression that the Japanese are anymore racist than anywhere else.
Maybe just a little cautious, but that's not a bad thing.

GodEmperorLeto said:

So, Japan is definitely not the only country with incredibly strict immigration policies. In fact, I have heard that their government and businesses are incredibly welcoming of foreign laborers (especially in construction), but I don't know anything for certain about that.

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I'm not saying that Japan is the only country with strict (I'd call them exclusionary, not strict but...), Immigration policies, but I'm not comparing Japan to East Timor, I'm comparing Japan to England, the United States, Australia, the other G8 nations... I'd leave out France now, as France is begining to show similar exclusionary practices in response to the riots of this past year, are also in fact quite concerned that new residents become 'part of french society', which smacks of the same sort of ethno-centric bias that Japan shows.

The French authorities have traditionally been very protective of their domestic labour force, and put many bureaucratic obstacles in the way of companies wishing to recruit foreign workers. Their attitude is changing due to an acute shortage of IT professionals which is affecting the performance of many French companies.

New procedures have recently been introduced to make the process faster and easier. However, despite these significant improvements, France remains one of the most heavily 'protected' labour markets in Europe.

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GodEmperorLeto said:

In fact, I have heard that their government and businesses are incredibly welcoming of foreign laborers (especially in construction), but I don't know anything for certain about that.

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Factories are generally welcoming of foreign labour, but that may be simply because they fill jobs that young Japanese do not. Japans labour needs in part-time (read lowpay, undesirable) jobs have been filled by mothers, aunts, grandmothers, then by regional migrant workers, and then finally, replaced by foreign workers from neighboring Asian countries.

When polled some 77% of the factories said that their main reason for hiring the foreign workers was due to "inability to hire Japanese for those positions...". Remember these are relatively dirty and difficult jobs, and like any country they tend to (unfortunately) be taken up by those willing to work the hardest for the least ammount of money and bennefit.

Brokerage of labour to these industries, including the adult industries including prostitution are usually done by Yakuza, so there is an element of human-trafficking to it as well. These labourers, though un-welcome and un-recognized will probably remain protected simply due to the fact that they make the factories run.

Rich303 said:

I don't get the impression that the Japanese are anymore racist than anywhere else. Maybe just a little cautious, but that's not a bad thing.

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I think that when we look for racism, we look for Nazi flags and burning crosses, that's obvious racism, isn't it?

I think the more nebulous aspects of racism cause us trouble when we try to define it. Do any of us look unfavourably or expect a certain trait of another simply because of their race? I think so, and these are forms of racism that you speak of being no more or less inherent.

However, Japan as a major industrialized nation has every chance in the world to be an open country, to assert this fact, but they choose not to, in any way. I suppose you can't fault a country for something it never claimed to be in the first place: open, & welcoming.

The word, "Yokoso!" at the airport just doesn't cut it. I'd like to assert that this has nothing to do with any of my personal experiences... As the only white person in a small prefecture, I would now expect Japanese people to be warry of me... tollerance hasn't exactly blossomed in Japan, but I never experienced what anyone would qualify as "exclusion".

I also, out of fear stayed away from onsen... it's a shame now I think, that my own perhaps un-necissary fear of being rejected made me miss some opportunities... but I feel that this is the environment that Japan fosters for anyone who has cared to look around for the antithesis to the "Japan is the greatest country in the world" argument.

ed: I'm running out of minutes on this station and will have to pick up the conversation tommorow, however, I'd like to add finally that what I think most people think of as politeness and refrain, is closer to something like silent-apathy where Japan's tollerance of foreigners is concerned. I think this is one of the greatest misunderstandings about Japan's acceptance of outsiders, however it shows itself.

I also, out of fear stayed away from onsen... it's a shame now I think, that my own perhaps un-necissary fear of being rejected made me miss some opportunities... but I feel that this is the environment that Japan fosters for anyone who has cared to look around for the antithesis to the "Japan is the greatest country in the world" argument.

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No offence, but this may explain your other feelings towards Japan.
Part of the beauty and appeal of Japan to some people is the uniqueness of its institutions. That same appeal also causes other people to feel very uncomfortable.

anzen said:

No offence, but this may explain your other feelings towards Japan.
Part of the beauty and appeal of Japan to some people is the uniqueness of its institutions. That same appeal also causes other people to feel very uncomfortable.

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I have nothing against onsen, but I've read more than several texts, more than a few firsthand accounts ---seen more than a few no-gaijin signs on onsen to believe that Japanese people don't exactly feel that gaijin should be present at them.

The uniqueness of Japan's institutions if you will are precisesly the reason I love the country; from the un-hip Akiba-maid bars, to the massages you get while your hair is cut, from the temples to the bustling train stations, I do love the country, it's mixture of industry and nature, everywhere... but I feel that this love doesn't indebt me to silence concerning racism.

yukio_michael said:

I have nothing against onsen, but I've read more than several texts, more than a few firsthand accounts ---seen more than a few no-gaijin signs on onsen to believe that Japanese people don't exactly feel that gaijin should be present at them.
The uniqueness of Japan's institutions if you will are precisesly the reason I love the country; from the un-hip Akiba-maid bars, to the massages you get while your hair is cut, from the temples to the bustling train stations, I do love the country, it's mixture of industry and nature, everywhere... but I feel that this love doesn't indebt me to silence concerning racism.

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I think I know what you're getting at Micheal - it's not always a clear cut issue. I've seen some examples of 'no-Gaijin' signs.(at some bars and restaurants too) I guess Onsen is quite an intimate, personal issue for many people.
I respect what you are saying and your balanced view.

I've never been to onsen in japan before, but from what I hear, so many gaijins do not follow the rules, like some of them bathe themselves with soap on their body. No soap is allowed in the bath tub, the water is supposed to be kept clean. It's the cultural difference that makes the Japanese feel uncomfortable. In some places, there is an instruction for gaijins on how to bathe. Local rules should be taught properly so anybody can go to onsen, and foreign visitors should be willing to learn from other Japanese.ﾂ

yukio_michael said:

...
but I feel that this love doesn't indebt me to silence concerning racism.

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Be more specific.
So far, no vigorous backlash against the crimes, either.

"Does diversity make us unhappy?"

pipokun said:

Be more specific.
So far, no vigorous backlash against the crimes, either.

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Thankyou for the links earlier, I haven't gotten the chance to read them yet, I have only a limited ammount of time at the library, while I wait to get another computer at home...

...One example I would qualify as racism is the classification of indigenous non-Japanese as 'gaijin'... I have people of all different ethnic backgrounds living near me, it's often when I'm over at my sisters I hear people speaking Arabic next door, a few neighborhoods away it's Polish, and down in another neighborhood there is an enclave of Japanese, a few blocks away, Indian, ...I don't consider any of these people to be foreigners...

I know that some people may not classify gaikokujin as foreigner, but I think it's actual use is in terms of us and not-us... The Japanese are a race of human beings, not a seperate entity--- One would hope that the idea of racial supremacy died out with WII but I don't feel so.

yukio_michael said:

...One example I would qualify as racism is the classification of indigenous non-Japanese as 'gaijin'... I have people of all different ethnic backgrounds living near me, it's often when I'm over at my sisters I hear people speaking Arabic next door, a few neighborhoods away it's Polish, and down in another neighborhood there is an enclave of Japanese, a few blocks away, Indian, ...I don't consider any of these people to be foreigners...
I know that some people may not classify gaikokujin as foreigner, but I think it's actual use is in terms of us and not-us... The Japanese are a race of human beings, not a seperate entity--- One would hope that the idea of racial supremacy died out with WII but I don't feel so.

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Are you referring to my post? "Gaijin" itself is not really a racist term. Whether it is racist or not, it all depends on the context.

I never know anyone referring to indigenous non-japanese as gaijin in daily usage. There is another term: 'zainichi.'

You seem to apply your American standard to Japan, but America is not the global standard. Calling Japan racist based on your standard seems like a manifestation of American supremacy to me. e.g. The name "Sambo" is not a racial slur in Japan, ignorance of it does not show that Japanese are racist, it only shows that japan is unfamiliar with American culture.

Japan and the US are two different societies, sometimes simple comparisons do not work.

osias said:

You seem to apply your American standard to Japan, but America is not the global standard. Calling Japan racist based on your standard seems like a manifestation of American supremacy to me. e.g.

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No, I'm following up with something that pipokun said... For example, on television in Japan, when they have a contest of say, gaijin talent vs. non gaijin talent, they do group the Korean & Japanese Americans on the gaijin side... I just don't feel that this sort of diferentiating is very healthy for a society. This is as recent as last year.

Perhaps my standard is based on America as you say, simply because that is the country of my birth, but I'd prefer not to let countries and nations influence my ideas about race, so I'd prefer to think of it as a humanistic standard... what we should expect of people regardless of their origin.

The name "Sambo" is not a racial slur in Japan, ignorance of it does not show that Japanese are racist, it only shows that japan is unfamiliar with American culture.

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I don't agree that ignorance of a crime is a good excuse for commiting it, and I also don't agree that ignorance of what are in fact, well-known stereotypes are any excuse for their acceptance in society.

The problem with Japan is that where black-racism is concerned, the claim is that it was all entirely learned from the United States & then at the same time there is this certain self-claimed ignorance where things such as Little Black Sambo are concerned. You can't just pick and choose when you want to claim ignorance, where it suits you... it's convenient to be ignorant of racism... but, this ignorance just isn't warrented.

However, I do think the imageary of Little Black Sambo is itself sufficient for anyone with at least a reasonable intelligence to infer what the intended meaning is.

I want to add that I think the main responsibility is on the government of Japan to institutionalize ideas and policies that foster a better acceptance of foreigners, moreover foreign workers who make Japan their long-term residency. I think this is just the responsible thing to do.

My dealings with Japanese people on a somewhat regular basis are not any basis for my ideas about racism in Japan, though in the past, they have been. I'd like to discourage people from thinking that I am in some way disparaging Japanese people in general...

Racism however seems to be a polemic topic, none ever want to admit it exists, and fewer still know what to do to stop it in all but it's most obvious forms.

yukio_michael said:

No, I'm following up with something that pipokun said... For example, on television in Japan, when they have a contest of say, gaijin talent vs. non gaijin talent, they do group the Korean & Japanese Americans on the gaijin side... I just don't feel that this sort of diferentiating is very healthy for a society. This is as recent as last year.

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What program is it?
Usually, Japanese Americans are not really gaijins, they are nikkeijins.

I don't agree that ignorance of a crime is a good excuse for commiting it, and I also don't agree that ignorance of what are in fact, well-known stereotypes are any excuse for their acceptance in society.
The problem with Japan is that where black-racism is concerned, the claim is that it was all entirely learned from the United States & then at the same time there is this certain self-claimed ignorance where things such as Little Black Sambo are concerned. You can't just pick and choose when you want to claim ignorance, where it suits you... it's convenient to be ignorant of racism... but, this ignorance just isn't warrented.
However, I do think the imageary of Little Black Sambo is itself sufficient for anyone with at least a reasonable intelligence to infer what the intended meaning is.

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Did Japan learn black-racism from the US? For example?

And how did Little Black Sambo turn out to be racist in the US? It used to be one of children's favorite stories? So it wasn't considered racist at all?

yukio_michael said:

Racism however seems to be a polemic topic, none ever want to admit it exists, and fewer still know what to do to stop it in all but it's most obvious forms.

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Perhaps, many just simply do not notice, when they happen to be on the majority side.

But I believe not all human conflicts between groups of people are due to racism.

osias said:

What program is it?

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One of the typical kanji-education programs run by the ministry to teach native Japanese the kanji they are forgetting due to the use of computers etc... Ran on a weekly basis when I was in Japan, I forget the title sorry.

osias said:

But I believe not all human conflicts between groups of people are due to racism.

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Well, of course, I agree with that.

osias said:

Usually, Japanese Americans are not really gaijins, they are nikkeijins.

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Interesting. I can't find it for some reason, but there is a thread about Japanese Brazilians returning to Japan after a generation or so and being treated absolutely awfully and called "gaijin". If I find it, I'll post it.

In addition, a Japanese American I know is working at Shoen Gakuen teaching English, and he has informed me that he is, without a doubt, considered to be 100% gaijin, regardless that he can trace every ancestor back to Japan.

But I believe not all human conflicts between groups of people are due to racism.

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Definitely, absolutely, positively true. Although I don't think Yukio_Michael was trying to argue that point.

yukio_michael said:

Racism however seems to be a polemic topic, none ever want to admit it exists, and fewer still know what to do to stop it in all but it's most obvious forms.

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Part of this is, I'd guess, simple "Japaneseness". Instead of debate it, they seek to preserve wa (social harmony). Western culture argues that if society is wrong, it is the individual's responsibility to resist it and change it (often citing silent/indifferent German bystanders to the Nazi Third Reich as more evil than Hitler himself). However, Japan does not have that concept, it is wholly alien to them.

So, when the Prime Minister's heir apparent says that he intends to continue visiting the memorial cemetary to the WWII dead and pay homage to men convicted of war crimes, everyone in Japan sits back and says it's okay.

Indeed, Mishima Yukio found the current government a complete abandonment of bushido and demanded people re-adopt the samurai code and revere the emperor. His eventual suicide was met with ("reverent") silence, because they are highly resistant to challenges to social harmony.

Interestingly enough, gaijin often happen to suffer from a complete ignorance of wa. This doesn't help their standing much in Japanese society.

GodEmperorLeto said:

Indeed, Mishima Yukio found the current government a complete abandonment of bushido and demanded people re-adopt the samurai code and revere the emperor. His eventual suicide was met with ("reverent") silence, because they are highly resistant to challenges to social harmony.

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I thought it was more of a ceremonial thing that he really didn't believe that much in. My understanding of it is that he thought that there should be some purpose in life, some goal, and he just picked that up because there wasn't much else for him. And the public's reaction was more of shock and disbelief than anything else. I'm just going off of memory, though.