They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another’s throats.
It’s not “racism” racism, per se
It’s … something else, that’s its own special thing because Japan is unique and different and, um, exceptional /s
Congratulations on your citizenship! Despite what I said earlier, I still love the country flaws and all.
minor kibitz
https://thetokyotourist.com/do-japanese-police-carry-guns/
japanese police carry guns, they just don’t use them.
it is true though they’re not kitted out for urban war the way american police are, and they aren’t trained to kill people as a matter of course.
Also, that racists don’t hate minorities, they think they’re inferior. This is a really important distinction that’s lost on most people.
But it’s why someone can claim with absolute sincerity that they have plenty of black friends and don’t have a problem with skin color, but they still think afros and cornrows “just look unprofessional”; Or how conservatives absolutely LOVE to welcome someone like Ben Carson or Milo Yianoppolis into the fold- As long as they know their place there. It’s only once they start acting like equals that they get kicked to the curb.
What they hate isn’t someone’s race- The part they hate is the idea that one of those people might think they’re better than them.
Back on topic, that seems like what’s up with Japan. It’s not exactly racism, per se, it’s a general sense of superiority that’s not quite based on race.
Lived here 20 years. Once a week I come across someone who changes their behavior the minute they see my face. This will be at work or in a shop or a taxi. This can sometimes be humorous, is mostly just tedious and is occasionally downright offensive. I speak read and write Japanese. Are “they” racist? No, yes, sometimes, depends on the individual. I haven’t been asked for ID on the street by a police officer for over a year now. Last time they tried to stop me I said “I don’t have time, I’m late for work”. They let me walk away. If I was black and living in the US that interaction would have been very different. I was denied enrollment for a training course with a prominent robot manufacturer recently because I’m not Japanese. I’m pretty sure if I contact them by phone, get a colleague to vouch for me, and explain my qualifications they’ll make provisions for me. The fact remains that the website stated “Japanese nationals only”. I have never been threatened or felt unsafe here because of my ethnicity. It can be difficult to build meaningful friendships when because of the way you look you’ll meet xenophobes or xenophiles but it is certainly possible. Prejudice shouldn’t be ignored or excused and ignorance is not a valid defense for anyone’s behavior. In Chiba a man once fell off his bicycle in surprise when he saw me. Riding a train once a small child exclaimed “look dad a foreigner!” and pointed at me. The father, instead of admonishing his son for pointing rudely, patted him on the head saying only “yes son that’s right”. If I didn’t laugh about these things I might have lost the plot. The fact is there are as many things I love and hate about this country as I do about my place of birth.
Oh man, we haven’t even gotten into that part yet.
The people who befriend (latch onto) foreigners for free English lessons, status or fetishized romance.
Not to excuse bad behaviour but, maybe that’s a technology export/security thing? I don’t think Chinese nationals are allowed to work at SpaceX., either…
In my job search experiences in Japan, I have found that there are quite a few companies that are simply not interested in hiring non-Japanese nationals, though it is rare to state that explicitly. (Or, and this really pisses me off, they will look for Japanese “translators” and foreign “translation checkers.”)
Of course, there are also plenty of companies that are happy to have talented foreign nationals.
The company that I work for has about two dozen foreign nationals on staff (some of them are even in management positions). I think that it is important to state that things really are changing, and the prospects for foreigners in the job market are much better now than they were a decade ago (though Japanese ability is still a prerequisite unless the job is purely technical).
It’s taught, just usually not explicitly but by kids observing how older people behave and learning from that. We are not born with knowledge that eye or hair color doesn’t matter, but skin color does. Unlearning that takes effort, though.
Possibly as much because of the tattoos, the Japanese have a real issue with anyone who’s tattooed, going to a Bath-house or similar is forbidden to anyone with tattoos, as far as I’m aware, purely because of the association with gang culture, in particular the Yakuza.
Should I ever have the opportunity to visit Japan, it’s something I’d be very aware of, having a significant number of visible tattoos on my arms.
This has been a fascinating thread - some very nuanced points about the Japanese attitude towards ‘other’.
A few things I’ve encountered on multiple visits (and I’m well aware that the plural of ancedote is not anecdata…) - and for context, I’m a white, middle aged English guy:
on getting into conversations with locals in bars and restaurants, I’d be asked if I was American. When I reply that, no, I grew up in London, the responses would grow noticeably warmer. I asked one bloke in a little bar in Kumamoto about this, and the gist of the reply was that Americans tended to be somewhat loud and brash, but that Brits seemed to be more on their wavelength - more reserved. Given that I have good friends from Sarf Lundun and Essex this did make me chuckle.
While riding the Enoden electric railway along the coast in Kamakura, I had 2 Japanese schoolgirls (mid teens I’d guess) staring at me distractedly, chins on hands. An odd sensation.
Had coffee in a little café in Tokyo. Became aware that the middle aged Japanese lady sitting next to me was taking a selfie - but she was angling her position so that I was in the background of the shot. Was sorely tempted to look towards her phone, grin widely and give the traditional peace sign 
I guess I can’t offer a personal account about the Japanese being racist, as I have not experienced it - but that’s as a tourist, albeit heading out to some well out of the way spots. I hope to move there for a few years so will no doubt learn more.
This is often the case in areas with a large US military presence as well. In Okinawa, I am always quick to add, “but I’m not military” to soften the reception I get.
“It’s not racism, it’s just sparkling prejudice” /s
This one time, in Glasgow, a copper (having just stopped me for drinking in the street) told me “Just remember, in Glasgow ye cannae drink in the street, ye cannae piss in the street, and ye cannae shit in the street.”
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