Racism is making me scared of going to Japan... :(

With all the different topics on this website, I'm beginning to see a subject that appears rather common... Racism in Japan.

Many of the higher ranking posters (Maciamo, etc) are starting threads about it, people are starting to complain about it... That one guy got sent to jail for 3 years without any phone calls for a single gram of pot(which I luckily don't smoke)... Their asking of questions you wouldn't ask even a child ("Can you eat fish? Are there four seasons where you live?")... Their opinions towards dark-skinned people (I'm caucasian, but this is still saddening for me) as well as the threads about how foreigners can never TRULY be a part of the culture, as their mere appearance identifies them as a gaijin. Then I'm seeing the threads about how many Japanese feel "It's not racism if there's no violence." THEN I see all these threads about how if a gaijin dog breaks the law, he will be made an example of. Then there's the overbearing control on laws, and the frowning upon anybody who wants to stand out, censorship of adult material, people saying yes when they really mean no, (THis was in the pamphlet my employers gave me) police stopping you randomly to ask for your gaijin card, the ritualization of everything, and the looks you get when you don't do a japanese act correctly...

Seeing all these different horror stories, as well as the BBC story about how "deep and profound" racism is in Japan... I have to wonder. Is Japan as horrible as all that? I like what I've seen from Japan while living in North America. I like anime, I like sushi, I like martial arts... But I know that I haven't been exposed to many of the negative aspects. I only have a few weeks before I leave... and I'm starting to wonder if it was a mistake to obtain employment in Japan.

I wouldn't worry about it too much if I was you.

Maciamo and Japan didn't mix well. He used Jref as an outlet. It's not as bad as all that. Really.

Yeah...some people enjoy their time in Japan and others don't. Unfortunately Maciamo found it hard to live in Japan and so he often ranted about it. However there are also many other people here who are in Japan and are living and working there and they have had a very enjoyable experience so far, with very few of the bad, doinky things. So don't worry about it. I hope that you will also enjoy your stay in Japan.

If you think Japanese are racist, try visit other asian countries. Racism in Asia are mostly due to people's ignorance and territorial traits. Pure hatred base on race is rare.

I'm bugged by some of the same sort of things that Maciamo was bugged by, have lived in Japan far, far longer than he did.....yet hardly ever encounter that sort of crap.

Your own personal attitude, experiences, expectations, environment, etc. will all conspire to assure that your Japan stay will not be the same as anyone else's. Don't get all freaked out before you even show up.

I agree with everyone here, i was there only 2 months but i never so much as got a second look, infact my stay was so un-eventual in the descrimination sense the only thing i had to whine about was the lack of public space and stuff.

Dunno...about this but the japanese people I met in the UK wouldn't even speak to me while they thought I was chinese. It was only after someone introduced me as a native french speaker that they started to welcome me, and still there was some coldness...or maybe was it me?

I only exprienced Racism once or twice the whole time I was in Japan (1 year) and I have to say in general people were very obliging towards me. Racism can also be part of how you present yourself to people (not pointing fingers at anyone just making an observation) and also what part of Japan you are living in- it is true that Japan is reknowned for being rather racist

rezaaheddo said:

With all the different topics on this website, I'm beginning to see a subject that appears rather common... Racism in Japan.
Many of the higher ranking posters (Maciamo, etc) are starting threads about it, people are starting to complain about it... That one guy got sent to jail for 3 years without any phone calls for a single gram of pot(which I luckily don't smoke)... Their asking of questions you wouldn't ask even a child ("Can you eat fish? Are there four seasons where you live?")... Their opinions towards dark-skinned people (I'm caucasian, but this is still saddening for me) as well as the threads about how foreigners can never TRULY be a part of the culture, as their mere appearance identifies them as a gaijin. Then I'm seeing the threads about how many Japanese feel "It's not racism if there's no violence." THEN I see all these threads about how if a gaijin dog breaks the law, he will be made an example of. Then there's the overbearing control on laws, and the frowning upon anybody who wants to stand out, censorship of adult material, people saying yes when they really mean no, (THis was in the pamphlet my employers gave me) police stopping you randomly to ask for your gaijin card, the ritualization of everything, and the looks you get when you don't do a japanese act correctly...
Seeing all these different horror stories, as well as the BBC story about how "deep and profound" racism is in Japan... I have to wonder. Is Japan as horrible as all that? I like what I've seen from Japan while living in North America. I like anime, I like sushi, I like martial arts... But I know that I haven't been exposed to many of the negative aspects. I only have a few weeks before I leave... and I'm starting to wonder if it was a mistake to obtain employment in Japan.

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You know some of the examples that you posted here, while I am aware that they were brought up by others first, are not necessarily examples of racism. Some of them, like the questions you would ask children, are out of ignorance and sometimes imo come from the "gaijin-complex" that many Japanese have. There are times that I think there is an almost institutionalized inferiority complex that accompanies such comments.
Yes there is covert racism, but not to the extent that one should be afraid about coming here to live or work. I have NEVER been stopped by the poilice even once, to ask for my gaijin card, and I've been here over 20 years. I guess each persons experiences are different, and that is to be expected, I would say that the same things could be said for just about any country in the world as well, not just Japan.
Most of my experience with racism here has been mild to non-existant, maybe I have just been lucky yet I don't think so. I also tend to think that some people, mind you this is my opinion, are overly sensitive to the race issue. Japan and its people like to think that they are an ethnocentric society, their language and culture being one, and too many that I have met, particularly the more educated, are the more ignorant about issues like racism and how to deal with a gaijin that is on their level. They have a hard time seeing us as equals, therefore many times their stupidity and ignorance shows.

Seeing all these different horror stories, as well as the BBC story about how "deep and profound" racism is in Japan... I have to wonder. Is Japan as horrible as all that? I like what I've seen from Japan while living in North America. I like anime, I like sushi, I like martial arts... But I know that I haven't been exposed to many of the negative aspects. I only have a few weeks before I leave... and I'm starting to wonder if it was a mistake to obtain employment in Japan.

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No, it's not a mistake, but you do have to be ready to deal with some things, and some odd attitudes as to what constitutes racism. It is true, a lot of racism here is more the type of 'don't think outside the box' type, but if people really thought about it, they wouldn't want to be treated that way. In other words, at best some Japanese behaviour, where they ask seemingly dumb questions and isolate people because they don't follow Japanese customs, are just that, dumb and rude. But you do get this type of behavour everywhere to some extent, not just in Japan, but it does seem to be more prevelant in Japan (in my opinion, of course).

My god, I think you should just stay at home inside your little bubble if you can't handle an imperfect world.

Ewok85 said:

My god, I think you should just stay at home inside your little bubble if you can't handle an imperfect world.

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I very much agree, in all things you do expect resistance and if you can't handle a small amount of resistance then you really need to get a revelation.

I am of the opinion that every human being should have the experience of both living in a place where one is in an ethnic minority and where one is in an ethnic majority.

I also think that ethnicity aside, one should the experience of living in a place where one is in a cultural minority as well as in a cultural majority.

This will be an excellent experience for you, in my opinion.

Japan is one race nation, what do you expect honestly.

I have never been to Japan, but my opinion is that you should try it with an open mind and be prepared to encounter both positive and negative experiences. If you don't try it, you will never find out, so go with an enthusiastic and adventurous spirit, and if you dislike it, I am sure that (hopefully!) you have 'means of escape' eventually!

As far as I know immigration is not publicly favourable, as new enlarged law-breaking cases are often ascribed to foreigners residing in Japan. Many East Asians can be prejudiced by Western measures. People in East Asia are not politically accurate and majority of East Asians living in Asia are ethnocentric and patriotic so you can't expect it to be like the US, or Canada ...etc.

In Japan the number of ethnic Japanese is 99.3% and they're investing to a great extent in robotic research incisively to deflect really necessitating immigrant labours. Their demographics are culturally and lingually homogeneous, with 99% speaking Japanese as their first language/mother's tongue.

My grandparents' generation on my mother's side speaks Japanese very well, and they like to go to Japan often for vacations. As they look just like Japanese and they speak perfect Japanese so whenever they get the opportunity to go to Japan, the real Japanese don't realise they are not Japanese so the they are treated very well.:nihonjin:

There was a time when my grandparents went to visit Europe, and on the airplane they were required to fill in the disembark forms. Grandpa being very old and had trouble reading the English disembark forms, was speaking Japanese to my grandma who sat on the next lane with my mother asking her how to fill the form. It just so happened that there were two Japanese girls sitting next to him and they helped him because they overheard him talking to my grandma in fluent Japanese, and probably thought they were Japanese.

I have seen many Japanese with Westerners in Australia. They seemed to get along just fine. But, I am not sure about whether in Japan the situation is different or not, some of the stories that I have read seemed very good while others were not so good.

I guess it depends on the person.

I have some distant relatives that we have lost in contact with who inter-married Japanese woman and have changed their names to Japanese, because it was a requirement for foreigners who still remained in Japan after the 2nd world war to do so. Anyway they weren't able to return to Taiwan because it was locked at that time. Too bad we lost the contact with them otherwise I could get some advice and also stories of how they adjusted in the Japanese society today.:?

If you think Japanese are racist, try visit other asian countries. Racism in Asia are mostly due to people's ignorance and territorial traits. Pure hatred base on race is rare.

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Thailand is an exception though (not counting the Asian countries I never been to), I wonder whether it has anything to do with the fact it has never been colonised by the west.:?

Dunno...about this but the japanese people I met in the UK wouldn't even speak to me while they thought I was chinese. It was only after someone introduced me as a native french speaker that they started to welcome me, and still there was some coldness...or maybe was it me?

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Hmmm, you know I have the opposite experience from you. Japanese people are always approaching me or smiling at me, my mother says that's because they think I am Japanese.

They didn't really give me the nasty look even after they knew I wasn't Japanese they just looked surprised, then we moved on to whatever we were doing. The situations were not really hostile or cold.

But as I don't really hang out with them so I can't answer the rest.

However my sister does have several Japanese friends from her high school years. Later when she works, she made friends with a Japanese lady who married a British who lives in Australia. She seems to have no problem getting along with Japanese.

rezaaheddo, can I go in your place? Seriously, do you really believe everything they shove up your throat? It would be the same as telling me people in America are savages and hate foreigners, even if I never visited America before.Don't let your vision get clouded because of things somebody else said I'm even prepared to bet money on it that you'll have a great time in Japan ;-) You're so lucky, you don't even realise ! Don't be a pantsy and GOO !!!

Everything has been said. I'll just ditto it, and add, that I've been here 21 years, and have had very little trouble with that. I may not love ALL the Japanese ways, and stuff, but I'm still here....

Minty said:

Hmmm, you know I have the opposite experience from you. Japanese people are always approaching me or smiling at me, my mother says that's because they think I am Japanese.
They didn't really give me the nasty look even after they knew I wasn't Japanese they just looked surprised, then we moved on to whatever we were doing. The situations were not really hostile or cold.
But as I don't really hang out with them so I can't answer the rest.
However my sister does have several Japanese friends from her high school years. Later when she works, she made friends with a Japanese lady who married a British who lives in Australia. She seems to have no problem getting along with Japanese.

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Hum...so you mean that is due to natural shyness ? ^^'
Weird...usually people are attracted to me because they think of me as a curiousity...
I guess there's still the language problem then...
However one thing still isn't clear with me... how does the majority of the population think about chinese people? I hear contradictory testimonials everyday and don't know what to think anymore... ^^"
well anyway,thank you for sharing your experience with us

rezaaheddo: If you're from Canada as the flag icon indicates, then I'm sure you know that racism is just as prevelant down in "the lower 48" (a.k.a. the U.S.) as any other countries. Have you been afraid of crossing the border here? I've spent time in Japan, I was even stationed there during my Navy days and never encountered so much as one bit of racism. If anything, I was treated quite well while I was there, and I'm black, so I know what the score is. Don't be afraid of something terrible that might happen but probably won't, just go! You might well surprise yourself by having a good time!

Flashjeff said:

Don't be afraid of something terrible that might happen but probably won't, just go! You might well surprise yourself by having a good time!

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Wise words Jeff,
I went to Japan twice last year and had no real problems.

Sometimes I was treated with a little curiosity, but nothing that offended me.
I was never hassled by police. People of all ages were pleasant towards me.
Go and have fun!
Don't let little things annoy you.
So, someone is surprised you can eat sushi? So what. Get over it!
The truth is that plenty of foreigners will not eat it, so the Japanese are not entirely without grounds there.
Anyway, must dash - a little busy today

I think you're getting self-conscious about being a foreigner in Japan - don't be. Go there, interact with people and find out how life is like before making an evaluation.

Don't let rumors intimidate you - after all, a lot of them (as rumors tend to be) are heavily magnified afterwards anyway, i.e. blowing things out of proportion.

Arrive in Japan without these preconceptions, else you'd be looking all over the place for clues justifying this conclusion from the very start.

Oh, and one more thing: just because something bad might happen to you doesn't necessarily mean that racism is to blame. Same goes for any place.

I always thought that japan was a lovely and kind place to live, but I have heard a lot recently about racism towards foreigners as of late...I've always wished to go there and it looks like I will during winter this year, this is troubling...☝

You can really never tell now and days about countries people or the country in general.Everywhere you go there will always be some form of racism. Don't settle yourself for what you hear about places. They may blow themselves out of proportion.