Have you encountered discrimination or prejudices in Japan ?

[Mike Cash]

A half white, half black friend of mine had a guy come up to her and say repeatedly "brajiru? brajiru?" I mean, I know there's a fair amount of Japanese in Brazil, but is that really the default?

In some places up here in Gunma, it's the default. Seriously.

I used to live in Oizumi (Gunma) before very many showed up. That was quite some time ago and just here and there in a few places you could see a couple of tiny shops operated by South Americans and/or catering to them. You go there now and you'd swear you were in a Brazilian city with here and there a few shops operated by Japanese and catering to them.

When I answered "Portuguese" because it would be useful in Japan in the thread about what other language I wish I had learned....I wasn't joking.

[Mikawa Ossan]

Where I live, too, being Brazilian is basically the default. What with all the Toyota group factories and all.

I have encountered much of what has been mentioned here, but I fully expect it, and I have from the beginning. I mean, being a foreigner in Japan makes me a minority from the start. Being a minority ANYWHERE puts you in a disadvantage.

Being able to speak Japanese to a degree, I find that much more than discrimination, I encounter a certain "differentiation" if that's an acceptable use of the word. For example, just yesterday I was talking with some friends from a local volunteer group. One man was older than I am and the other was younger. The older man is not racist, anti-foreigner, or anything like that. BUT, during serious topics, he almost never looked at nor addressed me, and when I put my 2 cents in, it was quickly brushed aside. However, during non-serious topics, he put me in the center of the conversation.

At stores, I sometimes find that the clerks won't talk directly to me even if I ask a question, like Maciamo. I hate that.

I find that if I talk about anything other than English and other countries, I have a hard time being taken seriously unless I really work at it.

I find that you have to know much more about topics than the locals for your opinion to be heard.

And once you show any sign of "weakness", it takes a long time to regain your standing.

But having said this, I have had many many positive experiences here, too.

I never had a single problem of discrimination or "differentiation" when I was the salary man at the wedding company from my co-workers. Never. (At least not after the first day, when some most people were concerned whether I could really speak Japanese or not.) Like Mike Cash, I, too, was hired in spite of my being a foreigner.

Nor, might I add at any other job I've had here. Customers are a different story, however...

Maybe I expect discrimination too much, but I was SHOCKED (in a good way), when I first went to a capsle hotel in Hiroshima and some guy started talking to me out of the blue about his laundry he was doing. I mean, he was talking to me completely naturally. Actually, I had(have) it stuck in my mind that capsle hotels are very anti-foreigners, but I've had better experiences there in general than at regular hotels.

I could go on. But I'll spare you.

[Maciamo]

I have encountered much of what has been mentioned here, but I fully expect it, and I have from the beginning. I mean, being a foreigner in Japan makes me a minority from the start. Being a minority ANYWHERE puts you in a disadvantage.

I didn't expect it, because I have lived in such countries as Spain or Italy where I was almost as clearly a foreigner as in Japan, and was never treated much differently from the locals (actually yes, in Madrid they tried to cheat me several times on the restaurant bill thinking I was just an unwary tourist - but they have learnt not to mess with me on that).

I can't really complain about not being taken seriously by the Japanese, as it is usually the reverse that happens. I am fed up of their lack of interest and knowledge for serious subjects, and they usually listen to me as if I was an expert (maybe because most of these discussions happen while I am in the position of teacher ). Difficult to have a level-field conversation in which there is a real exchange of opinions (not just polite nodding and "eeeh !"), except with the rare true intellectuals.

At stores, I sometimes find that the clerks won't talk directly to me even if I ask a question, like Maciamo. I hate that.

Still happened to me 10min ago. I was with my wife and paid for her stuff. The guy at the combini hesitated giving the change back to me or to my wife and was looking at her for tips, as if he had no idea that if the banknote came out of the wallet that came out of my pocket, the change had to return to me too ! It's almost always like that in combinis !

Maybe I expect discrimination too much, but I was SHOCKED (in a good way), when I first went to a capsle hotel in Hiroshima and some guy started talking to me out of the blue about his laundry he was doing. I mean, he was talking to me completely naturally. Actually, I had(have) it stuck in my mind that capsle hotels are very anti-foreigners, but I've had better experiences there in general than at regular hotels.

This mostly happened to me when the guy could speak English and addressed me in English as if I looked like an English-speaker. Sometimes I just want to talk to them back in French or any other language to make them think a bit, but I usually just reply in Japanese because I know the conversation won't go very far in English.

[Mikawa Ossan]

I didn't expect it, because I have lived in such countries as Spain or Italy where I was almost as clearly a foreigner as in Japan, and was never treated much differently from the locals

I came from the USA originally, and as you well know, they have many issues with minorities there. I have always thought of it as a cruel but unyielding fact that minorities face many obstacles that a non-minority has a hard time understanding.
Interestingly enough, I have a Japanese friend who moved to Italy, but finally moved back to Japan because, as she said, "No matter how long I lived there, they never accepted me as one of them." I don't know exactly what she meant, but I assumed it was exactly what this thread is discussing here.

I am fed up of their lack of interest and knowledge for serious subjects.

I know many people who like to talk about serious subjects, but I should clarify. When I talk to co-workers, I never have this problem. When I talk to fellow volunteer members, I do. It really depends on who I'm talking too.

This mostly happened to me when the guy could speak English and addressed me in English as if I looked like an English-speaker.

But you see, the guy spoke to me in JAPANESE without skipping a beat. That's what was so shocking! I was really flattered, actually. It was like the guy didn't even notice I was a foreigner!

On a slightly different note, has a Japanese person ever come up to you at say the train station and asked you for help buying the right ticket? It happened to me once by a little old lady. I don't think she could see so well...

[Maciamo]

But you see, the guy spoke to me in JAPANESE without skipping a beat. That's what was so shocking! I was really flattered, actually. It was like the guy didn't even notice I was a foreigner!

I understood. I wanted to point out that it NEVER happened to me. You were "lucky" if I may say so.

On a slightly different note, has a Japanese person ever come up to you at say the train station and asked you for help buying the right ticket? It happened to me once by a little old lady. I don't think she could see so well...

I have seen many times someone asking their way in the street to other Japanese. Often the person had to ask quite a few people as they didn't know the area well. I was standing next to them (waiting at the pedestrian crossing) but the lost guy always ignore me and try to walk further away to find another Japanese to ask. Everytime I knew exactly where the place was and could have explained it very clearly in Japanese. But as the lost person didn't care to ask me at all, I thought to myself that I was not going to help such a jerk who probably presume I am lost (never ever assume I don't know exactly where I am anywhere in the world - it's instinctive) or cannot speak Japanese. Too bad for them. Once, a guy was going to ask me, but as I turned and he saw that I was a Westerner, he abruptly stop talking and walked away without a word. Typical Japanese reaction when they see a Westerner. Very lame if you ask me !

[Mikawa Ossan]

I understood. I wanted to point out that it NEVER happened to me. You were "lucky" if I may say so.

Sorry. I misunderstood.

Once, a guy was going to ask me, but as I turned and he saw that I was a Westerner, he abruptly stop talking and walked away without a word. me !

Yeah, when I worked at the hotel, I remember some customer who just wouldn't listen to my directions, even though it was to a place right next to where I live.
Another time, a different customer just couldn't seem to understand my directions. Then a Japanese staff told the SAME DIRECTIONS in the SAME WORDS and the customer magically understood. Not a happy feeling!

I should mention that I am not asian, but I am very thin, so maybe I'm somewhat less intimidating(?) than some other foreigners.(?)

[Maciamo]

I should mention that I am not asian, but I am very thin, so maybe I'm somewhat less intimidating(?) than some other foreigners.(?)

I am not very fat either. 75kg for 1m90. But that is not it, why would someone behind me ask me for directions, then suddenly go away without a word or even a "sumimassen" when they see I am not Japanese ? That time there was nobody else immediately around, except the first guy he asked who didn't have a clue. Well, that's his choice (but I don't want to hear some Japanese tell me about the strength of the samurai spirit in every Japanese salaymen - more coward you die !).