My country's population is made up of (something like) 99.99% oriental people. If you, like me, are one of the 0.01% you kinda stand out. And people kinda treat you differently. Now, I must admit, if you look different AND ramble on and on about how fuckt this place is, well, you are already from another planet/dimension to them.
So I guess, yes. We have a lot of racial discrimation here.
I have a British friend, S, a single chap who I've known for ages, often visits me when he comes to Tokyo on a business trip. Now, S, an inquisitive Gaijin (foreigner) always wonders around the seedy nightlife areas, like Kabukicho, and tries to go into one of the "sex clubs", just to see if those "stories" he's heard are true, but is refused entry. Why? Japanese Only. No Gaijin.
Huh? And you say that you are running a business??? When you run a business you *try* to make money, right? That's the whole point, yes? Economics 101? So let anyone with the yen enter!
Nah. No Gaijin.
But the funny thing is that if a Korean, or a Mongolian, or a Chinese person just walked in, the proprietors of these establishments probably wouldn't notice (unless they started to speak, of course) and continue to serve them. Why? Coz they *look* Japanese, so therefore they probably are not Gaijin. Man, where do these people get their ideas from? These people are stuuuuupid. S.T.U.P.I.D. I'd like to send them to Common Sense 101 (oh, if only such class were ever taught...)
(actually there is a bit of irony to the "Sex Clubs"(Brothels with a "Theme") in Kabukicho -- there are sex clubs ONLY for Koreans, or ONLY for Chinese clientele. The people who work there? Koreans and Chinese. Why? Coz they are run by Korean and Chinese mobstaz. The Nips, the Kips, and the Chinks just don't like to mingle. Mix a race? OH MY GAWD!! Unheard of!!!)
The solution I gave my caucasian friend, S, was to introduce him to another naughty friend of mine, T, who is Japanese. For some strange reason if you are "chaperoned" by one of the locals (and actually *looks* local, unlike DWR) Gaijins can go spend their yen, and have a good time. Now whenever S is in town, he'll call me up first, then he'll call T up.
If anyone is interested and wants to find out more about racial discrimination in Japan, I would like to recommend a book called Japanese Only: The Otaru Hotsprings Case and Racial Discrimination in Japan, by ARUDOU Debito. The author of this book sued the city of Otaru for racial discrimination because they sanctioned "No Foreigners" signs at hotsprings, meticulously documented his case, and published all the shinanigans! Fantastic!! He's even got a site with funny pictures of funky signs in Jinglish saying "No Forinaa Pureezu!"-- I mean, piss the DWR off, and you get posted, but piss Debito? WHOA!! Not only would you be sued, you be turned into a book AND you'll have your inept spelling skills posted on line! This guy is the ULTIMATE Blog-Warrior!
Japan's Yokoso Campaign was created to attract more tourists; they want to double the number of tourists by 2010. I saw "King" Koizumi blabber away at least once a week on cable TV when I was living in HK. My Chinese colleagues all wanted to come to Japan and visit the hotsprings. And yes, we do have lovely hotsprings. And I bet you when they come to Japan, and see those "No Forina" signs they will leave Japan feeling like shit.
Yokoso indeed...
(Post script: although there are many Gaijin-unfriendly establishments, there are many more that are not. Japan is not completely a racist society. There are many nice Japanese people who honestly say Yokoso (Welcome) from the bottom of their hearts to people they meet -- regardless of what you look like. I do, for a start.)
Monday, January 10, 2005
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2 comments:
nice blog.
but i would like to clear that it is not always true that foreign asians e.g. koreans, chinese, kurdistan, filipinos, indonesians, etc. living in Japan is not racially profiled and discriminated. because they just look seemingly "japanese". nah, yer dead wrong cutie.
in fact, most foriegn asian countries from the third world living in japan is massively discriminated by Japanese authorities, businesses and sometimes common japanese people. don't you know that koreans who've been living in Japan for decades since the world war is not yet given proper japanese residency status?
Japan is only for the japanese. this is the implied common thought of this country. ethnocentricity is so strong, and perhaps this is the reason why such a word "No Furenaa Puhreezu" is "everywhere".
but ironically, there are some places in Japan that white foreigners are given much priorities than asian gaijins. and this is the only country who has sponsored the U.N. on REFUGEE rights which doesnt allow refugees.
last week, two kurdistan nationals who were seeking refugee status in Japan was deported. and now, chinese and filipino illegal aliens are being hunted down by the immigration authorities through ICRAA. discrimanation is so rampant, not only in a business perspective or western tourist perspectives.
this country is racist while ironically japanese people are being discriminated in other western countries like U.S., and labeled as gooks and yellow people.
THE CONCEPT OF COUNTRY BREEDS RACISM AND ETHNOCENTRICITY!
let's break the borders, cutie.
love,
Filipino guy in tokyo
http://www.livejournal.com/users/longingforabi/
yes I must admit that oriental people who are not "ethnically" Japanese are still discriminated here: I am one of them, and yes I do know that 2nd and even 3rd generation Koreans are discriminated; hense my hint that "as soon as they speak their identities are given away" in my blog. Perhaps I simplified the metaphore a little bit. As for polineasian looking people, Kurdish people from the western parts of asia, etc. have very different facial features from the Mongoloid races of the eastern orient. Hense it is easier for the authorities to distinguish them as "different".
I myself was born a Tanzanian citizen in this country under its patriarchial laws, and became naturalised in 1987. I had to walk around with a "gaijin card" in the "good old days" to take public transport as a 5 year-old. So I know where you are coming from, believe me. I do.
May I suggest you go to the november archives and read my posts like omoni http://the-inner-voice.blogspot.com/2004/11/omoni.html and invisible children: http://the-inner-voice.blogspot.com/2004/11/invisible-children.html.
You see I am only part Japanese.... I didn't grow up here, so I suppose I am kind of like you, anon, but I agree, racism is still deep rooted and institutionalised here....
Sad it is, sad it is...
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