Japan is well known because of its powerhouse media industry, as a result is it often glorified, many a weeaboo that go their though are confronted with the realities of visiting an inbre/eer homogenize island society. Of which is that the japanese in general have very stereotypical even racist views about forigners, have limited or no laws that protect human rights for forigners and generally would like forigners to "go home" despite the fact they have negative population growth and are in desperate need of foreign workers. Something is going to have to give.

Yes, they must conform, or else we must show them how. :jason:

Here are some videos on the issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwn6NK0tT9E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvxLHIXGFRA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-LTBjs9RY8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjEhY22MNy0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCeK0Trz9E0

have limited or no laws that protect human rights for forigners and generally would like forigners to "go home"

Can you post a link to provide more information about this accusation , thanks.

Can you post a link to provide more information about this accusation , thanks.

yes I can:
http://english.people.com.cn/200511/09/eng20051109_220083.html

as well as in the video you will see that japan has no laws for discrimination against non-citizens.

Does America have laws against discrimination against non-citizens?

No. I have some anecdotal evidence against this... some white guy from canada with thick red hair and a red beard I know now married a japanese woman and lives over there. He sticks out real badly, but it is usually in a good way.

More anecdotal evidence from a black american teacher living in japan!
The Adventures of a Black School Teacher in Japan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Kids Are Perverted

I'm assigned to three different Japanese middle schools. The grade levels are ichinensei, ninensei, and sannensei. These translate to "1st years," "2nd years," and "3rd years," and are equivalent to American 7-9th grades. So the kids are about 12-15 years old. The ichinensei are just beginning to learn English. So this means they know nothing. Well, they know "Good Morning" and "I go to school by bike" but that's about it. Some of them don't even know that.

You know what's kind of funny though? Some kids can't yet say "Good morning" but damn near all of them can ask if I have a big ****. Or "bigu dikku" in Engrish.

You see, Japan's an island no bigger than California, and information about the rest of the world is filtered. There are so few foreigners here, their only impressions of things outside Japan are from the media. And to be honest, they don't really give a damn about anything other than America. So try to imagine a country where the national perception of you is created by American movies, music, and MTV. When you stop crying and shaking at the sheer horror of that thought, I'll be here waiting.

Okay? OK. The whole "black men have big dicks" stereotype stretches far and wide, even to the nation's 12-year-olds. Part of why I'm here is not just to kind-of-sort-of help teach English, but to "broaden cultural perceptions." Break stereotypes, challenge preconceived notions, all that jazz. That's fine, but this is one stereotype I think I'm gonna let slide.

Still, I am asked "bigu dikku?" a lot. Every 2-3 days in fact, which is amazing considering I was asked this about 2-3 times in my entire life in America, locker room jokes aside. How do you answer that anyway? To a 12 to 15-year-old? I wave them off and say, "No, no, no." Then they say, "Oh, sumaru dikku?" (trans: small ****) and of course that's wrong so I have to correct them. It's just a no-win situation.

On the days I'm not avoiding that question, I'm avoiding them actually trying to grab it. I kid you not, I have to play Dodgedick with Japanese Jr. High kids on a weekly basis. Age, gender, doesn't matter, they all want a stab at it. The boys are more persistent though. I had one boy grab for it, and when I said, "No!" he put his hands together and said, in English, "Please!" Oh hell no. Another 12-year-old boy kept grabbing at it, and when I told him, "No!" he politely asked, "Why not?" I began to wonder if there wasn't some cultural more I didn't understand. So I said clearly, "Age 10 years and become female since birth, then we'll talk." His solution was to ask the girl sitting next to him to trade seats, grab my ****, and tell him about it.

That was so NOT what I meant.

I wish I could say it stops there. Let me introduce you to a game Japanese kids like to play called "Kancho." It's not as much a 'game' as it is kids clasping their hands together, sticking out their first fingers, and shoving them up your butt. I'm really not joking.

Just about any kid can be a Kancho Assassin. Even the sweetest little girl is liable to jam her fingers up your ass the second you turn around. This happened to one of my friends, which just goes to show - don't trust anyone. I'd say the little girls are the most dangerous because they have natural ways of lowering your defenses.

During JET orientation they told me a lot of ultimately useless stuff: what kind of computer to bring, if my DVD's would work, clothing sizes, that kind of nonsense. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, in the 3-4 months of training did anyone ever mention that at some point, a Japanese kid may try to stick his fingers up my butt. That's something I would have liked to know, personally.

I was pretty lucky. Before I left the US, I bought a really big, really baggy pair of pants. The kids try to Kancho... they just have no idea where my ass is. It's beautiful! One kid tried and his fingers hit nothing but jean fabric and air. Yes! I've also become pretty good at dodging it. Much like Spiderman I have developed a Kancho Sense that tells me where and when it's coming before it comes. I parry fingers like a pro. My record is still 100% Kancho Free. Ha! America 2, Japan 0.

All in a day's work I suppose.

If that doesn't show they aren't xenophobic I don't know what does... ;)

very much so.ive lived here for 2 and a half years,i live in major city but still get treated like an unknown entity.
ive been to a few places but japan is definately the most racist place i have been.
quick example,my friend got told to move out of his apartment because he is black.

Does America have laws against discrimination against non-citizens?

Yes, for example the bill of rights usually specifies "no person" not "no citizen" as the Japanese counter part does (as interpreted in Japanese). But that is besides the point this is not about comparing countries, this is thread is asking if the Japanese have a general xenophobia (and by extension racism) problem.

They are xenophobic, but exhumed's example isn't an example of it, only of an unihibited view of the human body and sex.

True, and supposedly in Madagascar they jerk it off on young boys as a cultual tradition needed for them to achieve manhood, point is I'm not going to judge people on different sexual social norms... although making sure I don't get a finger up my ass sound like something to watch out for in japan.

Anyways the japanese excuse for racism and xenophobia such a forbidding forigners from living, entering or working at different establishments and the general riping off of foreign workers is that forigners cause crime, there is little truth to this:
http://www.jref.com/society/foreign_crime_in_japan.shtml
in fact Japanese cause the most crimes total (obviously when 98% of the population are japanese) but per person japanese the the 3rd highest group of major crime commiters (below Brazilians and Chinese) in japan, americans commit 1/10 as many major crimes per person then japanese in japan, even koreans (whom they get along with like Irish and britonians do) commit major crimes at a rate of 1/10 that of japanese, in japan.

Wow, you don't even need the, "I have a penny in my bottom" trick.

They are xenophobic, but exhumed's example isn't an example of it, only of an unihibited view of the human body and sex.

Well, I just posted that one because it was one of my favorites, not because I thought that their inhibition was what showed they weren't xenophobic. But come to think of it, I'm not sure that it doesn't... are they seriously inhibited over there? (I'm aware of their contributions to the porn society, but I'm asking about in public ;)) I think it is more about curiosity, and it is not something they normally do. Although Kancho is, lol :p (More of this guys blog here: http://www.outpostnine.com/editorials/teacher1.html !!)

The example shows they are not completely xenophobic, at the least. Foreigners can have great lives over there.

Let get this off our chests, what most of us know of japan is what they know of us: form our combined media. So what does Japanese media say about japan? Well according to their media the japanese are hypersexual, insane, childish people with every hair color in the rainbow, a giant sweet gland in the back of their head, HUGE concave eyes, and blood pressure somewhere around 600psi and at least 50 gallons of blood based on how it sprays out when they cut each others heads clean off in the many many magical sword fights they seem to have.

Obviously we need to look past the comic books and TV shows if we are have any hope of understanding the social problems of the Japanese people.

I wonder how the Japanese interpret us, when they see movies as culturally laden as "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men", or even something as socially mundane as Mr. Bean. I remember hearing a story about a Japanese women going up to fargo in search of the hidden cash in the movie fargo! I don't think the story was true but it seems plausible if how they interpret us is by our media alone.

I wonder how the Japanese interpret us, when they see movies as culturally laden as "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men", or even something as socially mundane as Mr. Bean. I remember hearing a story about a Japanese women going up to fargo in search of the hidden cash in the movie fargo! I don't think the story was true but it seems plausible if how they interpret us is by our media alone.

From the blog I reposted above :p

You see, Japan's an island no bigger than California, and information about the rest of the world is filtered. There are so few foreigners here, their only impressions of things outside Japan are from the media. And to be honest, they don't really give a damn about anything other than America. So try to imagine a country where the national perception of you is created by American movies, music, and MTV. When you stop crying and shaking at the sheer horror of that thought, I'll be here waiting.

What's wrong with xenophobia? It is natural...

What's wrong with xenophobia? It is natural...

You know how I feel about "natural" things! :mad:

I love this teacher you found, Exhumed, here is his take on Japaneses Culture:

"But, this totally isn't what I expected of Japan!"

Of course it isn't. Japan has something my friends and I call "Export Culture" - they only show you EXACTLY what they want you to see. There's a lot about this country that a person just won't know and understand unless they live here for awhile. I was a Japanese minor in college, and came here before on a study abroad trip, and I'm still being surprised by things I'm finding here.

According to their Shinto mythology the Japanese are the most beloved of the Gods because they were created first.

This is proven by Japan being the eastern most body of land they knew of...closest to the rising sun which adorns their flag.

Similar to the Hebrew notion of being the chosen people, or the Nazi ideal of a master race.

You know how I feel about "natural" things! :mad:

No I don't, why would I???

On the other hand I bet you don't like strange things/people either. At least most people don't. When you live in a homogen neighbourhood/country, the last thing you want is to mix up that homogenity....

No I don't, why would I???

On the other hand I bet you don't like strange things/people either. At least most people don't. When you live in a homogen neighbourhood/country, the last thing you want is to mix up that homogenity....

1. Look up "Appeal to Nature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature)"

2. I live in a heterogeneous society, I like the mix up my life, and I believe its wrong to limit my self to stereotyping others. And I believe it is wrong for a society to allow oppression based on ignorant and erroneous stereotyping.

It's really pretty amazing how unracist Americans are.

jim crow begs to differ

West Virginia
"White and colored persons shall not be taught in the same school."
This point-blank requirement for segregated schools was proclaimed in West Virginia's State Constitution as Article XII Section 8. In a remarkable show of the persistence of segregationist attitudes extending to the highest levels of state government, numerous attempts to remove this article from the constitution were defeated in the state legislature until it was finally repealed on Nov 8, 1994

It's really pretty amazing how unracist Americans are.

Again we are not comparing countries. But if you want to go that route please show me were in the USA we have "no foreigner" signs or were it is legally allowed to discriminate someone based on their ethnicity, today.

kenworth,

You could legally own slaves in one state until just a few years ago, that does not mean anyone actually owned slaves.

Again we are not comparing countries. But if you want to go that route please show me were in the USA we have "no foreigner" signs or were it is legally allowed to discriminate someone based on their ethnicity, today.


I think you misread what I wrote.

Again we are not comparing countries. But if you want to go that route please show me were in the USA we have "no foreigner" signs or were it is legally allowed to discriminate someone based on their ethnicity, today.

kenworth,

You could legally own slaves in one state until just a few years ago, that does not mean anyone actually owned slaves.


:eek: did someone just prove themselves wrong :eek:

kenworth,

You could legally own slaves in one state until just a few years ago, that does not mean anyone actually owned slaves.

I dont know about that but i suppose cultures view servitude differently.

http://www.indonesia-ottawa.org/information/details.php?type=news_copy&id=4722

:eek: did someone just prove themselves wrong :eek:

you missed the "today" part didn't you?

Notice in the USA you can prosecute ethnic discrimination, in japan you can get away with it as long as they are not nationalized citizens.

you missed the "today" part didn't you?

Notice in the USA you can prosecute ethnic discrimination, in japan you can get away with it as long as they are not nationalized citizens.

didnt miss it,u said just a few years ago.so as soon as it was outlawed the US automatically eradicated racism and gained the moral high ground?
i am very sure that it is against japanese law to persecute people for their ethnicity.if you can find evidence to the contrary id be interested to see it.

didnt miss it,u said just a few years ago.so as soon as it was outlawed the US automatically eradicated racism and gained the moral high ground?
i am very sure that it is against japanese law to persecute people for their ethnicity.if you can find evidence to the contrary id be interested to see it.

Moral higher ground is not the issue: if a murder tells a fellow murder that it is wrong to kill, it maybe hypocritical but that does not mean that killing it alright simply because of the hypocracy, likewise the UN was right to tell japan that it has racial problems, despite all the problems the UN has with race.

Did you look at the videos? in the US it would be illegal to forbid someone entry to an establishment based on their ethnicity, in japan it is legal, they can put up signs forbidding forigners and reject anyone for any reason as long as they are not citizens of japan.

fair enough

Is Japan xenophobic?The original meaning of xenophobia was fear of foreigners, although along the way it came to also include distrust or hatred. The Japanese attitude toward foreigners is not grounded in fear, but in a superiority complex. They simply believe that they are better than everybody else. Viewed from this perspective they're not so much different from the rest of us, are they? The Germans, the French, the Chinese, the English, the Greeks, the Spaniards... a superiority complex is--or was very recently--a major component of their national character. And Americans! We're better than everybody except the English, whom we acknowledge as our cultural ancestors and for whose Queen we're still ready to die, and of course the people of Canada, which half of us think is part of our country anyway.

I think the movie "Lost in Translation" depicted the Japanese attitude toward foreigners pretty accurately, at least toward Americans. They love using Caucasian models to sell products, although the movie was deliberately inaccurate to accommodate Bill Murray as the star since they generally only want blondes and redheads.

I'll let the members who live there validate this, but people I know say that the Japanese simply don't believe that any Westerner can master their language. One friend would ask someone a question in Japanese and they'd reply, "I'm sorry, I don't speak English," automatically hearing the sounds coming out of his mouth as English. He took to approaching people from behind so they'd hear his flawless, fluent speech before seeing his face.It's really pretty amazing how unracist Americans are.We differ from one another as much as any people, but indeed many of us are thoroughly unracist. I was raised that way and it wasn't until I was older that I discovered that my parents harbored some deep-seated feelings of discrimination from their own upbringing in the 1910s and 20s. Yet even they could see that the world had to let go of that stuff, so they carefully repressed their own prejudices and bent over backwards to ensure that I didn't grow up like they did.You could legally own slaves in one state until just a few years ago, that does not mean anyone actually owned slaves.The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery in 1865. This outlaws the practice everywhere in the United States. Any state or local law that conflicts with this "law of the land" is automatically invalid. Repealing state laws in order to come into conformance is just a grand gesture with no legal impact.

The original meaning of xenophobia was fear of foreigners, although along the way it came to also include distrust or hatred. The Japanese attitude toward foreigners is not grounded in fear, but in a superiority complex. They simply believe that they are better than everybody else. Viewed from this perspective they're not so much different from the rest of us, are they? The Germans, the French, the Chinese, the English, the Greeks, the Spaniards... a superiority complex is--or was very recently--a major component of their national character. And Americans! We're better than everybody except the English, whom we acknowledge as our cultural ancestors and for whose Queen we're still ready to die, and of course the people of Canada, which half of us think is part of our country anyway.

National pride does not convert into oppression of non-"Americans"

I think the movie "Lost in Translation" depicted the Japanese attitude toward foreigners pretty accurately, at least toward Americans. They love using Caucasian models to sell products, although the movie was deliberately inaccurate to accommodate Bill Murray as the star since they generally only want blondes and redheads.

Dud you made sense of that movie? Your a better person then me!

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery in 1865. This outlaws the practice everywhere in the United States. Any state or local law that conflicts with this "law of the land" is automatically invalid. Repealing state laws in order to come into conformance is just a grand gesture with no legal impact.

Of course, but there was a Daily Show some time ago about one state still technically allowing slavery despite the fact no one had slaves anymore and that it was not federally allowed, they made great fun of it and the state finally removed the archaic law off the books.

I've lived in Japan. Been there 3 times I think. In fact my first wife was Japanese. I'm Australian myself. I did get a lot of kids calling me 'American' when I was over there, which I found rather offensive, but let slide.

Never had any kid try and stick their fingers up my ass.

I don't think Japan is Xenophobic. I think our own immigration rules in the West are too lax. Why should Japan open the floodgates to foreigners? So they can become overpopulated and suffer cultural clashes like the Cronulla riots here or the O.J Simpson trial chaos? In Australia we are having all sorts of problems with 'multiculturalism' and we only have 20 million people. In fact the Government has stopped using that term and declared it politically incorrect.

The Japanese are hard working, respect their elders, are prepared to sacrifice their own needs for those of their family and are more honourable than most westerners.

What's more they've never dropped a nuke on America. Who is Xenophobic?

I don't think Japan is Xenophobic. I think our own immigration rules in the West are too lax. Why should Japan open the floodgates to foreigners? So they can become overpopulated and suffer cultural clashes like the Cronulla riots here or the O.J Simpson trial chaos? In Australia we are having all sorts of problems with 'multiculturalism' and we only have 20 million people. In fact
the Government has stopped using that term and declared it politically incorrect.

I sid not say japan should "open the floodgates to foreigners" only that they should have laws that provide foreigners better protections and treatment. Immigration control is a whole different issue.

Japan is suffering from a decline population, if anything they need or will need millions of workers, so they better prepare to accommodate foreigners and not treat them like they do now or else I can guarantee they will wish they only had riots as bad Cronulla and O.J Simpson. Either that or they better get a robotic work force fast, which actually seems likely!

The Japanese are hard working, respect their elders, are prepared to sacrifice their own needs for those of their family and are more honourable than most westerners.

As long as you want to stereotype their good qualities lets stereotype their bad ones as well: they are pedophilic, they lack individuality, they are xenophonic (of course), they have tiny penises, they have no souls, any I missed?

What's more they've never dropped a nuke on America. Who is Xenophobic?

Nuking people has nothing to do with xenophobia. Japan murdered 3-10 million civilians during WW2 (without gas chambers!), raped hundred of thousand of women and enslaved whole nations, we nuke them twice and kill 200,000 (your forgot the fire bombings) and we are the bad guys and they are innocent? No, technically everyone has bloody hands.