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Thread: Discrimination in Japan

  1. #26
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlogD
    Wow. I have noticed that police behavior is specific to certain areas--in Tachikawa I was never stopped, for example, while in Koganei, just a few stations down the Chuo, I got stopped constantly.

    Sounds like you have a bad area.
    Well, my area is near Nihombashi (I was checked once just at the crossing of Chuo-dori and Eitai-dori near Nihombashi bridge). This is an area with lots of foreign business people. The largest building in the area is the American Merrill Lynch Building just at the crossing I mentioned. IBM and other foreign companies also have buildings in the area, so it's only obvious that there are lots of Westerners around (giving good jobs to thousands of Japanese). Several apartments blocks near where I have been checked are for (highly paid) expats, so I don't understand why the police care so much about checking them there, when a bicycle must cost less than their shirt or neckties. Why not checking if they haven't stolen their brand clothes, watch and bag then ? They just want to cause trouble to foreigners so that they can write how obnoxious and petty the Japanese police is (do you see another purpose ?).

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  2. #27
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spaceghost
    Budha Smoker how did you come start talking to the yakuza? And also as you have lived in Japan for so long, what kind of racism have you encountered?

    Am I blind or is there no edit button?
    I'm still trying to find the edit button myself.

    I was actually waiting to meet a friend of mine but he ended up having to work late and cancelled. So, I decided to go ahead and stay so I struck up a random conversation with someone at the bar and one thing lead to another. That's basically how it happened.

  3. #28
    •Ö—˜‰® orochi's Avatar
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    Racism is definitely a problem in Japan. I don't think it's too much worse than any other country, but it is an issue. The problem that I have is how much effort is taken to "cover it up." Japanese people often say, "Well Japanese people do it this way..." or "Well, we're Japanese..." very innocently, but it is really a veiled form of racism, I think.

    Non-Japanese Asians seem to have a hard time. There are many families living in Japan that have been here for many generations. Many of them are still not Japanese citizens. Even their children, born in Japan, cannot become citizens. Some can carry a Japanese passport, though.

    Me and my friends have been pulled over on our bikes for "driving while gaijin." It is really irritating. Of course, when I show them my alien registration card and it shows that I am employed at city hall, they usually shut up real quick.

    The thing that really gets me is how selective some people are in their racism. While Caucasians, especially Americans, are idolized, non-Japanese who are dark-skinned are often treated differently. The assumption that all white people are Americans is also very tiring.

    "Racism in Japan" is a tough issue to deal with. It's huge. We haven't even brushed on the burakumin problem yet. Despite all the signs around my town declaring such statements as "Let's Get Rid of Discrimination" and "No More Stereotyping," there is still a long, long road ahead of Japan as a nation.

    This definitely shouldn't get anybody down about wanting to come here, though! These problems are problems anywhere. Japan is a great place with tons of fantastic people to meet. Don't let the backwards people stop you.

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
    Well, my area is near Nihombashi ... They just want to cause trouble to foreigners so that they can write how obnoxious and petty the Japanese police is (do you see another purpose ?).
    Hmmm, could very well be exactly as you say. My guess, however, would be that in the post-9/11 Tokyo, the police are being really stupid in their security methods. You know how they recently "protected" the Keio line by removing garbage receptacles? As if a terrorist would leave a bomb there and not on an overhead rack on the train itself, where a bomb could easily be left unnoticed. That's a prime example of "we've want to look like we're doing something so let's do something really annoying and stupid."

    Maybe the Nihombashi police--being so close to downtown, the financial district (which is after all a terrorist target)--are thinking, "we've got to respond to this terrorist thing, so let's just stop any foreigner at random." And they probably feel that they're "doing their job."

    Take the Japanese motorcycle police. They set up ticket traps in the same place every time, and it is never in a place where safety is at stake--the prime determinant in setting up a ticket trap is "how can we ticket the most number of people with the least amount of effort?" Speed traps are set up on lonely, deserted straightaway roads with no pedestrians or intersections and the speed limit is ridiculously low. Never any accidents, but like shooting fish in a barrel for catching "speeders." Or the infamous intersection/underpass traps, aimed primarily at bikers who commit the unholy crime of crossing a yellow line when there is no traffic around, or 49cc scooters making a right turn at an intersection with more than two lanes. Stuff like that. I see incredibly dangerous streets with pedestrians, blind corners and narrow ways that are virtual death traps, but the police never police those--I know one such street in Chofu which is never patrolled despite being just a block away from police stations!

    I have respect for many institutions in Japan, but the police are not one of them. They know how to put on a show and harass innocent people, but they would be hopelessly lost and vastly undertrained if they were ever presented with a real challenge.

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  5. #30
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlogD
    I have respect for many institutions in Japan, but the police are not one of them. They know how to put on a show and harass innocent people, but they would be hopelessly lost and vastly undertrained if they were ever presented with a real challenge.
    Yes, the Japanese police are basically worthless in my opinion. Like the saying goes "when the tough get going then the Japanese police find a way to runaway"

  6. #31
    As the Rush Comes Duo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buddha Smoker
    Yes, the Japanese police are basically worthless in my opinion. Like the saying goes "when the tough get going then the Japanese police find a way to runaway"
    Maybe they should give them back the privilege of being the only ones to carry a sword. Then they could do something.

  7. #32
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duo
    Maybe they should give them back the privilege of being the only ones to carry a sword. Then they could do something.
    But could you imagine the corruption that would start from that ....I mean, the Japanese police are already pretty bad.

    Also, everybody please take what we say as opinions only...even though this stuff happens it is not stuff that tourist people usually see or short-timers. Japan is still one of the safest countries in the world.

  8. #33
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    What is this "driving while gaijin" thing? Is it illegal to ride a bike if you are not Japanese or do they assume that any gaijin riding a bike or driving has stolen it or does not have the correct papers?

  9. #34
    As the Rush Comes Duo's Avatar
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    Spaceghost, since you are planning on joining the JET program, I reccomend that you read the book Hokkaido Highway Blues by the Canadian author Will Ferguson. He was a JET teacher in Japan and lived there for 5 years, so maybe you might get some valuable information. Also, its a hilarous book .

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spaceghost
    What is this "driving while gaijin" thing? Is it illegal to ride a bike if you are not Japanese or do they assume that any gaijin riding a bike or driving has stolen it or does not have the correct papers?
    They usually assume you've stolen it. Bicycles are relatively ubiquitous in Japan (relative to the U.S., not to China, for example), and you can find zillions parked near stations. But the locks on them are usually trivial and next to useless. So some get stolen, and the police usually suspect gaijin first. I remember one time when--dressed in a business suit and well-groomed--I was stopped by no less than four cops and a patrol car. One looked inside the frame, and another went back to the car to radio in the serial number while the rest surrounded me and asked questions.

    That really pissed me off because at the time, media stereotypes were still strong against foreigners, and I knew that all the Japanese passers-by saw the spectacle and thought, "so it's true!"

    It may well be possible that you could be pulled over simply for ID checks, though the first I heard of this in years was on this board. It likely will depend on where you are and what the police are like in that area.

    Anyone else been pulled over recently?

  11. #36
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlogD
    They usually assume you've stolen it. Bicycles are relatively ubiquitous in Japan (relative to the U.S., not to China, for example), and you can find zillions parked near stations. But the locks on them are usually trivial and next to useless. So some get stolen, and the police usually suspect gaijin first. I remember one time when--dressed in a business suit and well-groomed--I was stopped by no less than four cops and a patrol car. One looked inside the frame, and another went back to the car to radio in the serial number while the rest surrounded me and asked questions.

    That really pissed me off because at the time, media stereotypes were still strong against foreigners, and I knew that all the Japanese passers-by saw the spectacle and thought, "so it's true!"

    It may well be possible that you could be pulled over simply for ID checks, though the first I heard of this in years was on this board. It likely will depend on where you are and what the police are like in that area.

    Anyone else been pulled over recently?
    I haven't rode a bike in a couple years but imagine the bike being registered in my mother-in-law's name/address which I had borrowed to go to the grocery store when we stayed one weekend and then I got pulled over. You would not imagine the hassle I went through, also, they must have been bored because I got the full works except for the body search (insert rubber glove sound here). I spent the entire day dealing with all of this and I had left my cell phone at the house because I only expected to be gone a couple minutes and they wouldn't let me use the phone. Anyway, to make a long story short...everything worked out alright when my wife and her mother showed up and they apologized plus they even gave us some "I'm Sorry" money for it being such a big ordeal. After that I refused to ride a bike that belonged to anybody unless my name/address was registered to it. This happened about 3 years ago maybe 4.

  12. #37
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Btw, is there any bicycle check or registration in other countries (eg. where you live) ? I had never been stopped by any policeman in any of the 7 other countries where I have lived. I have never heard of bike checks either. But it's true that I use my bicycle much more often in Japan than anywhere else.

  13. #38
    super famicom dadako's Avatar
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    I used to steal bikes all the time

    however stealing is probably the wrong word; there were no locks and I'd ride them back to the station and dump them from whence they came the next day.

    once the police came to my house, because we had about 7 bikes parked outside, all of them decrepid. I just told them "no speaky japanesy" and they went away.

    out of all my drunken adventures, crazy fights, misadventures etc, I have never once encountered racism, brutality or inequality from the police or japanese people. All that I can imagine is that people who have are either asking for it or always feel "hard done by" generally. Or maybe its just the fact that I don't feel the need to complain when things don't go my way.

    Japanese see americans as being very selfish, thoughtless people. Maybe this would account for the experiences people have? Japanese may use the get out of conflict free card by using your race against you but I guess in other countries you would get the same treatment from being inconsiderate to others, rules & culture.

    Japan is a wonderful place but if you treat it like a theme park or on the other hand expect it to give you equality to nationals, then you are in the wrong.

  14. #39
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dadako
    I used to steal bikes all the time
    This is exactly why we have problems...

    Quote Originally Posted by dadako
    out of all my drunken adventures, crazy fights, misadventures etc, I have never once encountered racism, brutality or inequality from the police or japanese people. All that I can imagine is that people who have are either asking for it or always feel "hard done by" generally. Or maybe its just the fact that I don't feel the need to complain when things don't go my way.
    I don't really care but it is nice to have discussions about everybody's experiences.

    Quote Originally Posted by dadako
    Japan is a wonderful place but if you treat it like a theme park or on the other hand expect it to give you equality to nationals, then you are in the wrong.
    Refer to first statement..

  15. #40
    Oni me no Riven. Riven's Avatar
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    Bicycle registration number

    I was very surprised that bicycles are registered in Japan. I don't know if my bike has number... and I didn't register it. On of my friend got his bike stolen few months ago (while it was locked with a big lock), and he didn't even said it to the police cause it would have been useless. Policemen here are too busy ... showing themselves under the sun with their brand new expensives sunglasses and walking as sheriffs in any western spaghetti.

    Here it is very close to Japan, because if a bike is stolen, it is obvious for everybody that it was stolen by a foreigner ... If you know what I mean.
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  16. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Riven
    I was very surprised that bicycles are registered in Japan. I don't know if my bike has number... and I didn't register it. On of my friend got his bike stolen few months ago (while it was locked with a big lock), and he didn't even said it to the police cause it would have been useless. Policemen here are too busy ... showing themselves under the sun with their brand new expensives sunglasses and walking as sheriffs in any western spaghetti.

    Here it is very close to Japan, because if a bike is stolen, it is obvious for everybody that it was stolen by a foreigner ... If you know what I mean.
    Ah but being in Nice, you are most likely referring to some immigrant or to some illegal alien. To mind comes north africans, some arabs, or maybe persons from eastern europe.

  17. #42
    Oni me no Riven. Riven's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duo
    Ah but being in Nice, you are most likely referring to some immigrant or to some illegal alien. To mind comes north africans, some arabs, or maybe persons from eastern europe.
    yes, you are right. They have bad reputation. It is quite real that some always try to get in trouble with people in the street, but some "white" or French people are not as "perfect" as said. As in Japan, I don't think that all bicycles are stolen by gaijin people.

  18. #43
    Regular Member fugue's Avatar
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    Many fullblood Japanese citizens also get stoped by officers quite frequently when they are on bike, esp. when they look young (because bike theft is mostly committed by juveniles). Those Japanese kids however don't scream discrimination. Maybe they should start complaining about that something backward in the Japanese society that's somehow obviously oppressive and discriminatory because it's after all Japan we are talking about.

  19. #44
    Danshaku Elizabeth's Avatar
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    I have respect for many institutions in Japan, but the police are not one of them. They know how to put on a show and harass innocent people, but they would be hopelessly lost and vastly undertrained if they were ever presented with a real challenge.
    I was with a Japanese friend in Tokyo (near Takaido) last Sunday when he was stopped about 2 am on suspicion of bike theft for nothing more than a broken headlight. How that could be the basis of anything but a cooked up show of force I still haven't figured out.

  20. #45
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Riven
    As in Japan, I don't think that all bicycles are stolen by gaijin people.
    This is true too in Japan...but like everywhere it is easy to place the blame on the non-local

  21. #46
    super famicom dadako's Avatar
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    japanese people tell me that its the chinese that steal bikes, then ship them back to china.

    the reason why I used to "grab a bike" everyday was because A: there was a large pile of unused, unlocked, unloved bikes near the station & B: I bought a bike, but it was stolen.

  22. #47
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    no Chinese allowed


  23. #48
    Baka
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    What is that sign for? Is it a door to a shop or restaurant?

  24. #49
    basketballman Dream Time's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spaceghost
    What is that sign for? Is it a door to a shop or restaurant?
    yes


    a door to a shop/restaurant

  25. #50
    Finally Enlighted One Buddha Smoker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dadako
    japanese people tell me that its the chinese that steal bikes, then ship them back to china.

    the reason why I used to "grab a bike" everyday was because A: there was a large pile of unused, unlocked, unloved bikes near the station & B: I bought a bike, but it was stolen.
    Yeah, I've heard the same thing and your logic makes perfect sense

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