Quote Originally Posted by genmai View Post
You're exactly right, many foreigners here in Japan justify most of this sometimes racist and bizarre Japanese behavior. It is sucking up to the nth degree. They always try to give excuses as to why Japanese act a certain way. ...Oh, mabye they didn't hear you, Oh, maybe they don't speak English, Oh, maybe they were just being polite, Oh, maybe it's how you said it, Oh, maybe they don't understand 'gaijin', Oh, maybe they are shy or embarrassed or...whatever.
Since we are talking in generalities here, I'd like to point out that the above "examples" are not excuses unless they are intentionally given. Call me a defender if you will (and you will be wrong), but the above can all be legitimate reasons, not excuses.

I read the first few pages of this thread (realizing it is 2 years old), then skipped a couple before Sept. 2007 discussions became posted. I, too, would like to know if in those unread pages were there really examples of people justifying the racism in Japan?

(And, in case you need to know, I agree that there is racism here. Sometimes I can explain it, but I certainly don't defend it.)

jmwintenn wrote:
I cannot think of any country that would not ask to check your visa or passport. Not one. Nine times out of ten, foreigners stick out by some characteristic. If it's not your ethnicity, it's more than likely your apparel or speaking skills. My point being it's easy, generally speaking, for them to identify the outsider. Checking to see if they are there legally should not offend the person, the officer is doing his job(not saying they won't harass you though).
Police have no right to ask a person to identify themselves without just cause. Since you have never been to Japan, I thought I should explain that. I was stopped once in 9 years. The guy was in plainclothes, too, and didn't even identify himself properly until I forced the issue. He mumbled his pathetic reason for asking to see my passport, and did a poor job of examining my alien card (didn't even look for my current information on the back).

But, there is more to discrimination and racism here than being checked for bike registration or not being allowed in bars/bathhouses. A lot of it is hidden, and unless one knows what to look for (in work contracts, for example), one might not even know they were discriminated.

Bike registration card, don't know of many countries that have them, but to me it's the same as driving a car, they want to make sure you are in possession of it legally.
Then why stop only the foreigners on bikes and not all people?

Housing. Agencies, banks, and people have the right to turn you away for any reason they want to.
Not legally they don't.

I don't understand why it's important or a matter of interest if people treat you this way. Until they hurt or threaten you, get over it.
Since you admit you have absolutely no experience in this matter related to Japan, you are not going to understand. "Get over it" is an expression to use only if you have a justifiable experienced reason. I prefer to say "Learn to adapt", but people should also know what to expect before they come here (or learn as much as possible).

Those "funny looks" you pooh-pooh can make some people pretty uncomfortable. Try sitting on a bus or train and have nearly every set of eyes on you simply because you look different. Do this day in and day out. It's not just being fat. Most Japanese have never seen a non-Asian foreigner in person, and they feel the need to look them over. (And, with little kids, it becomes vocalized to the parents' embarrassment, but they realize that there may be a language barrier, so they can only hold the child back and not attempt to apologize.) I met a woman who had been here a year and was fed up with the stares. She was a fair-skinned, freckled, strawberry blond with deep blue eyes. Quite the contrast to the brown-eyed, black or brown-haired Japanese! When we rode on the train once, she stopped in mid-sentence to glare daggers at someone over my shoulder. I knew instantly what was happening and whispered, "Is someone looking at you?" She cursed under her breath and continued to stare for at least a minute. Gimme a break! Live here a year with that type of appearance in a semi-rural suburb, and you just have to realize that people will stare. She went home a week later.