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The word "Jap".

Ewok85 said:
Ok, I hadn't seen the picture, you're probably right.

Though I remember seeing Japanese police somewhere that had riot sheilds and helmets... might have been the guys who keep watch at Ueno or at a koban somewhere. Was a little unsettling.

No, those guys are in the 窶ケ@窶慊ョ窶佚? (kidoutai), which is a special unit sent out to add a beefed-up boost to the cops already assigned to that area. The koban are staffed by the local ナ遅ナス@ツ渉 (keisatsusho) while the kidoutai operates directly under the ナ遅ナス窶ケ窶卍。 (keishichou). At least such is the case in Tokyo, which is the only place that has a ナ遅ナス窶ケ窶卍。, I believe. Prefectural 窶ケ@窶慊ョ窶佚? operate directly under the ナ陳ァナ遅 (kenkei) of the respective prefectures.

http://www.princeton.edu/~tpeng/organization.html
Law enforcement in Japan - Wikipedia

In cases where a very heavy 窶ケ@窶慊ョ窶佚? presence is deemed necessary, it isn't unusual for busloads of riot police to come to Tokyo from other prefectures to augment the Tokyo squad. I've seen buses from as far away as Fukui in Tokyo during times like visits from U.S. presidents or other heads of state.
 
My memory is misty, but it might have been a koban in either the middle of Shibuya or Ginza... hard to remember. They were everyday koban police, they just had the sheilds propped up and were wearing a bit more that your average copper. I'll go to the koban in Shibuya, see if I can sneak in a photo.
 
Jap, n was first used in 1860 to refer to members of the Japanese embassy in the United States. It was later popularized during World War II to describe those of Japanese/Asian descent, and was then commonly used in newspaper headlines to refer to the Japanese.

What? ☝ The word is also referring to Asian descent people? I thought it's only for Japanese. With more than just Japanese people, people usually use the word "gooks".
 
I haven't heard the word "gook" in a while. When I hear "gook", I think of the SE Asians, a la the Vietnam War. Somehow NE Asians don't seem to me to be included in that term. However, having said that, I can't think of a word that does include all Asians....
 
I can't think of a word that does include all Asians....


Unless you want to get a bit technical and call them Mongoloids but then that isn't 100% accurate either because a large portion of Asian's are Caucasoids too.😌
 
(I can't believe I'm having this conversation....)

What about the word "chink", or is that only for Chinese?
 
Mikawa Ossan said:
(I can't believe I'm having this conversation....)

Mikawa-san I apologize, maybe my brain isn't quite functioning yet this AM, but I truly meant my previous post to be read as a joke.🙇‍♂️ 🙇‍♂️ 🙇‍♂️
 
Hachiro, no problem! I think it's my little brain that's in a haze. Sorry for misunderstanding you!

It's like when you're learning a foreign language and no one expects you to tell a joke, so for a while every joke you try to make falls flat...
 
Actually, I believe you were dead-on with that comment, Hachiro, joke that it may have been.

"Asian" includes all Asians, but remember that India, Pakistan, Russia, Mongolia, etc. are all a part of Asia.
 
Ewok85 said:
My memory is misty, but it might have been a koban in either the middle of Shibuya or Ginza... hard to remember. They were everyday koban police, they just had the sheilds propped up and were wearing a bit more that your average copper. I'll go to the koban in Shibuya, see if I can sneak in a photo.

Did you read those links and see the part about the function/uses of koban? The 窶ケ@窶慊ョ窶佚? guys can use the koban as a temporary base of operations, and there may only be a few added personnel on the scene at any given time. They don't always have the full riot gear on, and I very often see them stationed around the ports with no riot gear on whatsoever. They look just like every other uniformed cop.

The only way to know if those guys you saw at the koban are 窶ケ@窶慊ョ窶佚? or not is to walk up and ask if there are some guys from the 窶ケ@窶慊ョ窶佚? there or not.
 
Mikawa Ossan said:
I haven't heard the word "gook" in a while. When I hear "gook", I think of the SE Asians, a la the Vietnam War. Somehow NE Asians don't seem to me to be included in that term. However, having said that, I can't think of a word that does include all Asians....

gook2 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (gk)
n. Offensive Slang
Used as a disparaging term for a person of East Asian birth or descent.

This is taken from dictionary.com. I was refferring to other East Asians in my prevoius post I wasn't reffering to the entire Asians.

Chink ( P ) Pronunciation Key (chngk)
n. Offensive Slang
Used as a disparaging term for person of Chinese birth or descent
.

Yes "Chink" is only used for Chinese.
 
Is there an eye-roll icon?

People who use these disparaging terms typically don't notice or care what country someone is from, nor do they consult dictionaries to be conscientious about which slur they're using.

"Mongoloid" by the way, is not a term in current scientific use.
 
So there are Japanese who are comfortable with the word, and Japanese who are not; some foreigners who are comfortable with the word, and those who aren't.

Are we ready to move on to the next Earth-shattering discussion? I'm not sure if the use of "gaijin" has been given enough lip-service yet.
 
Are we ready to move on to the next Earth-shattering discussion? I'm not sure if the use of "gaijin" has been given enough lip-service yet.

No please NO....don't point people over in that direction, I thought "that" conversation was already and and headed for the garbage heap.

I will say that I will not use the word and will not tolerate anyone around me speaking about the Japanese people to use it either.
 
Hachiro said:
No please NO....don't point people over in that direction, I thought "that" conversation was already and and headed for the garbage heap.

I will say that I will not use the word and will not tolerate anyone around me speaking about the Japanese people to use it either.

I agree.

It disgusts me completely to hear World War II era aged folks (and post World War II people) using that horrible term. These people are still living in 1941-45 and are out of touch with life now and how we hopefully have all grown as people and nations. Bigotry is left for those on the fringe.
 
the word Jap

Initially the word Jap was an abbreviation. It was changed during world war II to a derogatory word. It is derogatory today and very offensive. Don't use it.
 
Dutch Baka said:
I think the word Jap, is not that bad anymore if you look in the time were we are living in, and I think it is okay that it is used as abbreviation of the word Japanese.
You're in Japan... around Japanese, and even (somehow) a moderator on a Japanese forum and you think that it isn't "bad anymore." I think everyone has already explained to you why there is a serious problem with this logic so I won't repeat anything. I am curious to hear what happens to you if you start using this term in Japan.
Any term that offends a large portion of a population and has strong offensive tone behind it is not a term you want to declare "ok" and start using. It isn't what YOU think about the term that is important, it is how the term is taken by the people you are saying it to is the problem. You aren't going to change other people, so avoid using a term you very well know to be hurtful to others or you will be setting yourself up for problems.
 
ricecake said:
Younger generation Japanese typically among males commonly use " Jap " as self identification,for they don't regard it as racial insult.

They probably use it the same way similar to how they call the americans 'Yankees'
 
Hachiro said:
Hey Dutch Emoni has a point here, since you are the OP of this thread any comments to make? :)

Yes MR. Hachiro I do have a small comment to make.

I understand the word a bit more, and see how offensive it is for a lot of people. how ever I have the feeling that it is more offensive in American eyes then in Japanese eyes sometimes[FONT=&quot]ツ、[/FONT] because I think most Japanese don't see the word Jap as a WW 2 thing but an abbreviation. I have talked to my wife about it, and she says it depends on the way it is being said. if it is used as an abbreviation she doesn't really have a problem with it, but when she knows that it is used in a negative way she doesn't like it.

As some others point out in here, the origin of the word Jap, is an abbreviation.

I honestly have to say that I won't use the word in speaking language, because it sound offensive ( especially for some people.) BUT I see nothing wrong with it in the writing language, when you see/know it is used as an abbreviation.

Example: I was reading this Jap book yesterday, and really loved it. Good.
Example2: Damn I hate this *** Japs Bad.


But yeah I hope some day, we can just use the word as it's origin meaning.

(Thanks for all the entries people, some interesting things in it!)
 
Dutch Baka said:
Yes MR. Hachiro I do have a small comment to make.


I honestly have to say that I won't use the word in speaking language, because it sound offensive ( especially for some people.) BUT I see nothing wrong with it in the writing language, when you see/know it is used as an abbreviation.

Well, MR. Dutch one question then, do you think that using the use of that word on a message board is "spoken" or "written"? I often notice people writing,.....so and so said this or that, he/she said this or that, along with the usual ....wrote this or that as well. So is it acceptable to you on a forum like this as well?

In written language would you find Nig. to be an acceptable abbreveation for nigger, chink for Chinese, Pole for Polish, or Spic for Hispanic among many others?

Heck they are only abbreviations and I am only using them in writing and not speaking so it should be ok to use those "abbreviations" as well don't you think?

Where do you draw the line at?
 
Hachiro said:
Then in written language would you find Nig. to be an acceptable abbreveation for nigger, chink for Chinese, Pole for Polish, or Spic for Hispanic among many others?

I do not find the word Nig. acceptable for Nigger, but I do find it acceptable for Nigeria. and Chi. for Chinese. Pol[FONT=&quot]ツ。[/FONT] for Polish, and Hisp. for Hispanic. Germ. for German, and Jap. for Japan.

Is the word Japan bad? When you write Jap, instead of Japan with the meaning to write it as an Abbreviation... is that so bad???
 
Dutch Baka said:
I do not find the word Nig. acceptable for Nigger, but I do find it acceptable for Nigeria. and Chi. for Chinese. Pol[FONT=&quot]ツ。[/FONT] for Polish, and Hisp. for Hispanic. Germ. for German, and Jap. for Japan.

Is the word Japan bad? When you write Jap, instead of Japan with the meaning to write it as an Abbreviation... is that so bad???

I never said that the word Japan was bad, please dont assume or think otherwise. I usually do not abbreviate country names. However if I did I still would never abbreviate Japan purely because of the "meaning" of the word.

But thanks for sharing your views MR. Dutch🙂 I understand your point as well it's just that none of the "other" abbreviations have or could be misconstrued to have any racist connotations.

Oh forgot one thing the accepted abbreviation when writing the abbreviation within Japan for Japan is not Jap but JP.
 
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