Let us have a look again at the stats from Nationmaster. This time I'd like to see where Japan stands in terms of tolerance and prejudices.

The following stats show the percentage of people who do not want to live next to a particular kind of people. The higher the %age and the higher the prejudice, I presume.

Japan actually tops the list of developed countries for several categories of undesirable neighbours.

As many as 82% wouldn't want to live next to Political extremists. The 2nd highest is Germany with 71% (understandably due to the Nazi past), and the lowest score is for Denmark with only 10% of the people who would object.

One of the biggest gap between Japan and Western countries can be seen in the tolerance toward homosexuals. 69% of Japanese are uncomfortable about having gay neighbours, followed by Austria with 43% (that's a 26% gap !). Even the US with all the recent debate about gay marriage only comes 4th with only 34% (so not all people who voted "Bush" were anti-gay ). The Dutch and Scandinavians are the most tolerant (11 to 18%).

Japanese are also the most numerous (62%) in those who fear living next to emotionally unstable people (that is why so many of them look constantly worried, as it's hard to find a block of house without a hysteric girl or a crabby grandmother ). Americans come next (47%), but I understand that much more esily, because of the high rate of gun-ownership. Swiss and Danish people care the least (11%).

77% of the Japanese feel uncomfortable living next to someone who has AIDS, the 2nd highest score after Switzerland (88%). Denmark is still the most tolerant with only 9% of the people caring about it.

Japan has the highest intolerance level when it comes to drug addicts, with 91% fearing to live next to some of them. The USA comes 2nd with 80%. Switzerland (39%) and France (44%) are the most tolerant. Surprisingly, the Dutch are among the most intolerant (73%) as well as the Scandinavians.

That was for Japan as the most prejudiced country. When it comes to heavy drinking, American, Australian, Austrian and Dutch people are all equally the most intolerant (61-62%), followed very closely by Japan (58%). The Irish are the most open (eheh) with only 34% objecting to heavy drinking neigbhours (probably because the rest are heavy drinkers ).

Americans fear most to have neighbours with a criminal record (54%), then the Irish (52%), then the Japanese (50%). Swiss (13%) and French (20%) people care the least. Isn't it strange that more Japanese fear living next to an homosexual or somebody who has AIDS than a criminal ?

The highest tolerance level for all countries were for living next to someone of a difference race. Belgians and Fins are the most racist here (17%), while Japan comes only 4th with just 11% (but why do most landowners make so much fuss about renting their accommodation to a foreigner, even to Japan-born Koreans ?). I guess the people who surveyed the Japanese must have been non-Japanese, and many people didn't answer frankly on this one.