Have you encountered discrimination or prejudices in Japan ?

[Taiko666]

I thought it was a rational choice.

His choice is rational in that he's reduced the risk of a similar misunderstanding, but the downside is he's excluding perfectly acceptable customers and is contributing to the creeping exclusionism in Japan. I'm sure that many places which exclude foreigners do so because of some prior unpleasant or awkward situation. Other establishments may not have had awkward experiences, but may have heard about other places' experiences and with to avoid something similar. It's understandable but not excusable. Just as a barber in another country refusing to serve Japanese because he once had an unpleasant experience with a Japanese customer would be inexcusable, and illegal.

I think life is too short to search out for things that make you unhappy.

I don't think many foreigners search out situations where they suffer discrimination. Just going about one's daily life does the trick.

I suppose that I should add that I am of the opinion that if you plan to stay for more than a short vacation, I think you should try to learn the local language of any country you go to.

I don't think many people would disagree with you there.

Perhaps I am wrong, but personally I don't find mild discrimination of non-citizens nearly as problematic as discrimination of citizens. Yes, there are human rights and they are to be observed and respected. But being allowed into a certain drinking establishment/onsen/etc. is not an inalienable human right in my opinion.

Of course being refused entry to a bar per se is not a human rights violation. But being refused any service on the basis of your race/origins certainly is. And I don't think it's even necessarily a citizenship thing. Most exclusionary establishments may refer to 'foriegners' but they acually seem to mean 'non-Japanese looking' people.

It is not a perfect society or place to live, no place is, but the minor restrictions and inconveniences I have to face to live out my life as I have chosen are very small indeed. Nothing in life comes for free, and I just see it as the price I pay to be a foreign national.

They may well be minor inconveniences for you, but they foster a culture of discrimination which permeates through many layers of society, causing huge problems in other areas, especially for people who have almost no choice but to live here (eg children of immigrants.)