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Japanese don't like white people?? That wasn't true in my case when I was there. They treated me VERY well, much better than I would get treated here in L.A. The US has much more hate crime per year than Japan. People in the US are more likely to hate other races. Go to Lewrockwell.com and read articles written by Mike Rogers. I did that and it has opened up my mind.
You're confusing politeness with respect. The Japanese are some of the most xenophobic people on the planet. You can see this reflected in their immigration laws, their treatment of POW's during WWII, their treatment of the Koreans, Chinese, and Phillipinos during their invasion and occupation of the Pacific Rim Nations. Most westerners view Japan with an ignorance of their historical actions. For instance, you might be surprised to know that some army units had standing orders to eat Chinese people (but not westerners or fellow Japanese) when they ran out of rations during their invasion of the mainland.
The Japanese appear tolerant today because they have a country which is highly racially pure as well as technologically advanced. They're facing a massive contraction in their population because of their attitudes, but don't expect them to change. They'd rather try (and fail) to fill empty job queues with robots than allow in foreign immigrants. It's that sort of attitude that keeps me from jumping on the Tokyo bandwagon. I love the city and the surrounding countryside. It is a wonderful place to visit. People are extremely polite and helpful. But to live there...? That's a different story. I know what you'll find once Tokyo's shiny veneer wears off, and I don't think I'd enjoy it as much.
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I think Japanese are equally nice and polite to all races. My black american friends have told me the same thing. Japanese society as awhole might be xenophobic but I would not call it "racist" and definately not a hateful one.
I never said "racist" nor "hateful." I simply maintain that the Japanese are xenophobic and a bit neurotic. Talk to their neighbors and you'll find my opinion mirrored by Koreans, Taiwanese, and the Chinese who have all been dealing with the Japanese for thousands of years longer than we westerners have. Americans have a very rosy picture of the Japanese thanks to their rigidly polite society and close political and economic ties beteween our countries following their defeat during WWII, but the popular image of the Japanese does not match the fact that they are like any other people: with both great accomplishments and great flaws. The Japanese mindset leads to a sort of right-angle society that I would not want to live in permanently. You can see a little evidence of this in the "leaks" around the edges; the wild counter-cultures and even homegrown terrorism that occasionally spring up in Japan. While the counterculture is fun for a while, I'm getting too old to enjoy it as much as I once did.
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I, too, was treated very well when I went to Japan every time I went. When I was dating my wife, I went to Japan to meet her family and they all welcomed me in. I'm a white guy who was dating a Japanese girl, and I went into the lion's den. No issues whatsoever.
Now, when you talk about the Chinese, yes, I would agree that they are generally racist and consider white people gwai-lo (white devils) and everyone else as below monkeys. But this thread isn't about hate or racism.
Have you ever been referred to as a "gwai-lo"? Perhaps you are confusing the term with "lao-wai" (foreigner). Family ties are a different matter from societal trends. I have travelled and lived in Japan, the ROC and the PRC and--besides from the ocasional corrupt communist official or tout in the PRC--never experienced any personal hostility or racism from the Japanese, Taiwanese, or Chinese. However, I make a point to understand the immigration law, politics, and history of all three countries, thus my comments about the nature of the Japanese. I'd dispute your comments about the Chinese further, but that's a different topic. I would rather live in Japan than in the PRC, but I'd rather live in the ROC than in Japan.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 02-15-2010 at 11:53 AM..
Reason: orphaned material removed
I, too, was treated very well when I went to Japan every time I went. When I was dating my wife, I went to Japan to meet her family and they all welcomed me in. I'm a white guy who was dating a Japanese girl, and I went into the lion's den. No issues whatsoever.
Now, when you talk about the Chinese, yes, I would agree that they are generally racist and consider white people gwai-lo (white devils) and everyone else as below monkeys. But this thread isn't about hate or racism.
Poor uncle Uejima's parents died never to know that their daughter-in-law is ethnic Korean who was born and brought up in Japan.
Yes, I have heard the term and yes, I have been referred to one, but I take it in a different light. I don't see it as "racist", I do see it as a distasteful reference to myself whilst in Japan. Technically it is correct, but on the whole, nearly everyone who I have met in Japan has been friendly and open and not just being polite. I know the difference.
A lot of Japanese perceived xenophobia takes deep root in their history. During the last days of the shogunate and into the Meiji restoration, there was open hostility against foreigners and on average one was killed in japan every month. The fear then was that Christianity and Western nations would carve up Japan into a series of colonies as they were doing elsewhere. To be quite frank about it, they were probably right, and they embraced Western technology and the Japanese were quite successful until WWII. After that it was either embrace the outside world or be left behind, and they chose wisely.
To this day, Japan is one of the most homogenous societies on Earth, and combined with their checkered history with the outside world, and history of being the losers in a major world war which permanently changed their social outlook from domineering to something else, you can excuse them for being slightly xenophobic. These days, it is just a popular catchword, nothing more. I have a feeling that most Japanese use gaijin just because it's used by others.
And yes, I have been referred to by Chinese as a "gwai-lo" more often than by Japanese as a gaijin. Happens at least once whenever I go to Vancouver, BC.
And yes, I have been referred to by Chinese as a "gwai-lo" more often than by Japanese as a gaijin. Happens at least once whenever I go to Vancouver, BC.
You must have bumped in to the wrong crowd. In case you're interested, more than 2/3 of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver are from China, whose mother tongue is Mandarin. So don't get pissed off if you are a 'Lao Wai", and I am a "banana". We are getting every year to the tune of 300k or 400k may be!?
Coming back to Japan, I like their way of doing things. They don't accept foreign immigration and are open about it.
What Sponger said about what neighbors think of Japan is partially true, but at the same time Koreans and Chinese hate eachother now too (and a recent poll in China even shows this, Japan is no longer the most hated country). You can't ask any east asian about eachother and expect a nice response. With that being said in my experience HK'ers and taiwanese have generally positive views of Japan. I have visited South Korea 3 times (seoul and bussan only) and have never encountered anything because I am japanese, and I have many Korean friends. But I do know there exists anti-japanese sentiment in Korea. But nowadays in Korea there's "bigger fish to fry" which is the PRC/NK.
But I would like to say about his post concerning ww2 has absolutely nothing to do with me and many other Japanese. I was not born in the 1920s/30s.
Tokyo. It's cleaner, safer and I like the fact that people will always do their best not to bother you, and will keep to themselves for the most part. OTOH, I think I'd miss "the western world" after a while, but anyway.
heres a fact: for every 100 crimes done in NYC 1 is done in Tokyo. why? cuz americans are stupid and airheads and that wont get u far. maybe prison but idk. and that last would be an opinion.
heres a fact: for every 100 crimes done in NYC 1 is done in Tokyo. why? cuz americans are stupid and airheads and that wont get u far. maybe prison but idk. and that last would be an opinion.
I don't know where you pulled out the stats, but I like it.
Americans are intelligent and extra-generous; don't believe me? do a search on "Marshall Plan", you might just find out who are airheads.
I personally can't think of any one advantage that L.A. has over Tokyo unless I think of one now. Let's see: maybe it has better Mexican food? Tokyo might have the better location because its closer to some other Asian countries.
As xenophobic as the Japanese may be, at least they won't be aggressive and try to mug or attack you for a stupid reason. Over here in L.A. there are too many drug and/or social problems. Kids fight with each other in the schools and there's too much gang violence and car accidents here because of the lousy drivers. And the L.A. Unified School District is a total mess with too many budget issues. At the end of the day, the Japanese are better people than people here in L.A. IMO
I can think of some + of LA (might not be + for everyone).
Climate, Tokyo has 4 seasons and usually gets a day or 2 of snow in the winter (not a bad thing to everyone) whereas LA doesnt?
Space, perhaps theres more space there (but this might not be true because the suburbs of Tokyo are basically the countryside with trees everywhere and mountains). At least living in the "city" i bet LA has more space.
Hmm.. I'll post more if I can think of any..
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In case you're interested, more than 2/3 of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver are from China, whose mother tongue is Mandarin. So don't get pissed off if you are a 'Lao Wai", and I am a "banana". We are getting every year to the tune of 300k or 400k may be!?
