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Thread: Discrimination in Japan

  1. #151
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    Interestingly enough when I worked in Japan I found-as a general rule but not always the higher the position of the person, and often older, the more likely you were to encounter discrimination from them.

    I found people working in 'ordinary' jobs such as farmers, much more open minded. Probably because they didn't work in the system, and their jobs allowed them to develop their own opinion.

    Sadly, it's not so much that Japanese 'don't like' gaiijin. It is more the case the system is still firmly entrenched in this belief. And since Japanese work in a system, in a group, they are more likely to adopt the belief of the group. Individuality is in many cases discouraged. And I feel this is the end result.

    But I worked with many many incredibly hospitable and genuinely kind Japanese people. It is not always the case. Where you come across this situation (of discrimination) it is best to develop a sense of humour. And not come away with negative feelings.

  2. #152
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    Greetings all. I am new to this forum and find the varying opinions in this thread quite informative and lively. I lived in Japan for over 16 years from the early 70's to late 80's, have a Japanese wife, and visit once or twice yearly, so my relationship with that country spans over 30 years. It is a country I have come to love and now call home as I spent my entire adult life there up until I departed in 1988.

    I have recieved my fair share of discrimination during that time, but it was not all that bad. Mostly it was due to my living near the Camp Zama military base. However, the times I was stopped on my bicycle or asked for my gaijin card I could count on both hands.

    I have been arrested for the posession of the illegal weed and almost arrested for stealing a bicycle. However, not once did I feel real discrimination from the Japanese police. They were always polite and I was not abused in any way. If time permits, I'll post those stories, which are quite detailed, in a seperate thread which will give you some insight.

    I have been turned down for apartments and turned away from drinking establishments, but I understood the reasons why and accepted it living around a military base. I have never been turned away from a restaurant or department store in 30 years. That is something new to me.

    I was a member of a few video and record stores and was never turned down for membership. I was even able to buy a stero component system from a department store on credit with just my signature and gaijin card while I was a student at Sophia University. I made my payments on time and didn't default.

    One must understand that prejudice and discrimination exists in all cultures, not just Japan. Us white people in America rarely feel it here, so we are surprised and insulted when it happens to us in a foreign country. Look at England. They still discriminate based on class and accent. Look at India with their caste system as someone alluded to above. Even white people here in America discriminate against other white people, or "white trash", as they are called here in the south. Hell, even the Japanese discriminate against other Japanese, because of their sex, accent, background, or which part of the country they were born in. And I'm sure it's the same in all countries. How do you think the Yakuza and people with tattoos, etc feel? I'm sure they feel the same way people writing in this thread and living in Japan feel.

    Living in Japan taught me one important thing and, in a way, I am grateful for the experience. I now understood completely how Black-Americans feel in the US, particularly before the civil rights movement in the 60's. Living in Japan taught me to judge a person on his merits and character, not the color of his skin, or heresay from prejudiced white people. One is NOT born racist and prejudice. It is taught to you by your parents, uncles, friends, etc. This I know from experience. Unless you feel prejudice you'll never understand how others feel.

    This was brought to light recently when I met the family of a black friend of mine. After I left, his father told him, "That man knows discrimination and prejudice. He'll be a good friend." He was referring to the fact that I have a Japanese wife and must've received received some discrimination in Japan although my experience in Japan was hardly touched upon.

    Therefore, prejudice is something that exists, and will always exist until ignorant people become enlightened. In my opinion and experience, if you just ignore it and move on to the next real estate agent or bar, you'll eventually find success. If it is subtle, as I experienced in Japan, that is no cause for alarm. It will happen and one must expect it from ignorant people. However, should it ever increase to the point where it is widespread and rampant then it's time to do something about it.
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  3. #153
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pachipro
    Hell, even the Japanese discriminate against other Japanese, because of their sex, accent, background, or which part of the country they were born in. And I'm sure it's the same in all countries. How do you think the Yakuza and people with tattoos, etc feel? I'm sure they feel the same way people writing in this thread and living in Japan feel.
    Please note that the title (and content) of this thread is "discrimination in Japan", not "discrimination against foreigners" only.

    Living in Japan taught me to judge a person on his merits and character, not the color of his skin, or heresay from prejudiced white people.
    In fact that is what I was always taught in Europe, but after coming to Japan I came to wonder if such values were even taught in Japanese schools or families. If it is, I don't think it is very widespread or very effective. Japanese judge with completely different values than I was raised with. They normally judge people from their appearance rather than their inner value (eg. think that a woman that is not beautiful is worthless) and judge both people and things from a price (salary/wealth) tag. Money and appearances are what make a person in Japan. I suppose that, like gender roles, it is part of human nature, but in Western societies we have learned to avoid this simplistic and discriminative approaches, and attach more importance to people's intellect and character instead.

    The proverbs "money doesn't buy happiness" (or "love", if you wish) or "don't judge a book by its cover" are foreign and almost ununderstandable to many Japanese. They are Western concepts.

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  4. #154
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    Please note that the title (and content) of this thread is "discrimination in Japan", not "discrimination against foreigners" only.
    I understand that, but the point I was trying to make is that, regardless of country, discrimination exists and will always exist, more so in a homogenous country like Japan.

    ...I came to wonder if such values were even taught in Japanese schools or families. If it is, I don't think it is very widespread or very effective. Japanese judge with completely different values than I was raised with. They normally judge people from their appearance rather than their inner value (eg. think that a woman that is not beautiful is worthless) and judge both people and things from a price (salary/wealth) tag. Money and appearances are what make a person in Japan.
    I have no argument here. These values ar NOT taught in Japan. They usually learn it on their own by research or interaction with foreigners. Most Japanese who live and work in a foreign country come back with a completely different viewpoint. Sadly that number is very small.

    My wife will not return to Japan until she is ready to "retire", or stop working, as she knows she will not be afforded the same respect, salary, and corporate position she receives here in the US. Even though she works for a Japanese company as a "local hire", she would never even be considered for employment based on her age in Japan.

    Outward appearances do make a difference in Japan which is why some people try to have Shinagawa (•iì)@license plates as they think it will make them look important and convey the impression that they have money, or Hayama (—tŽR)@license plates to look cool (‚©‚Á‚±‚¢‚¢) even though they don't live in those areas. In Japan, "Clothes do make the man" even though he/she may be broke.

    Sadly, discrimination is a fact of life in Japan. Even today ads in newspapers specify an age to be considered for employment. Will it ever change? Yes, I think so, but very slowly.

  5. #155
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    Picking up on the note that Japanese people judge women by their outer appearance is not always true. I don't think it's any more the case than in other western countries.

    In this case the west can be said to be hypocritical. Yes in the west we have laws against discrimination, but it doesn't really change a person's point of view, does it. The only difference is that in Japan people are more vocal. It isn't against the law to discriminate. As pachiro points out discrimination is everywhere. Britain and America included.

    It's just more obvious in Japan. Because there are fewer foreigners. And because it's acceptable to hold discriminatory views.

  6. #156
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    Quote Originally Posted by llanarth
    Picking up on the note that Japanese people judge women by their outer appearance is not always true. I don't think it's any more the case than in other western countries.
    Oh yes it is. Well there are some kind of people who also do in the west, but they are usually fingered out and called "shallow". In Japan, if you say that the inside is more important, you are called an "idealist" and people chuckle at you.

    In this case the west can be said to be hypocritical. Yes in the west we have laws against discrimination, but it doesn't really change a person's point of view, does it. The only difference is that in Japan people are more vocal. It isn't against the law to discriminate.
    Some kind of discrimination is illegal in Japan, but eventhough the Japanese are a pretty law-abiding people, it doesn't seem to affect them much. Discrimination is different in every Western countries, so you can't even talk of the "West" in this regard.
    For example, in England "class discrimination" is seen as normal (not shocking but, at the contrary, natural, as people from different socio-economic background think differently).
    In France, intellectual discrimination (eg. looking down on someone because they don't know things that one finds obvious, lack culture, or because they stopped their studies earlier one finds acceptable) is not even called discrimination, also because they find it natural.
    In England, it may be normal to discriminate against other English people who have a different accent (be it more upper or lower class), but in France it is even more normal to do so with non native speakers (so that people look strangely at foreigners for the slightest mistake), whereas the British are much more tolerant in this regard.

    These are just examples to show you that discrimination is not just racially motivated. In Japan it is actually not racially motivated, as other (Japanese-looking) East Asians might get a tougher time than Caucasians or other non Mongoloid people.

    As pachiro points out discrimination is everywhere. Britain and America included.
    The point of my original article was not to show that there was discrimination in Japan - everyone knows it, and it obviously exist everywhere in the world.
    My aim was to explain what kind of discrimination was the most common in Japan. Coming back to my examples above France and the UK above, I don't think that Japanese discriminate even a little about someone's knowledge (they won't treat you as **** because you seem less educated as them), or pronuciation (as they have serious problems with foreign languages themselves and Japanese having few sounds, one cannot speak Japanese with as many different accents as in English or French). Discrimination in Japan is mostly in the form of "insider vs outsider" and against women and younger people (due to Confucianist values).

    Funny that you should say "and America included" as if it was not obvious. These 2 countries are so of the most discriminating societies on earth, the US racially and recently also religiously and politically, and Britain for social classes and everything that comes with it (accents, way of dressing, hobbies, etc.). However, both countries are more tolerant than Japan regarding sex discrimination, even if not as much as Scandinavian countries or even Canada.

    It's just more obvious in Japan. Because there are fewer foreigners. And because it's acceptable to hold discriminatory views.
    As I explain above, the number of foreigners is irrelevant. As for what is acceptable, it depends on every society. Personally I find British or French way of discriminating more natural and acceptable than Japanese ones, because it is part of my culture. For example, I can't understand racial, inidier/outsider or sex discrimination, but I don't mind calling someone a redneck (intellectual and class discrimination) were they even related to me by blood (race, family, etc. does not matter at all - as people are/become what they want to, and I value knowledge and education more than the "automatic" predominance of a sex, race or cultural group).

  7. #157
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    I can relate to the racial discrimination....when my brother (26) was in Japan about 4 years ago he said that on the subway many Japanese people would move away from foreigners...he said he actually many times scored a seat cause he just moved towards it and people sitting there would move away lol

    I dont know if its true but my brother also said that from childhood many japanese children were told that foreigners "smelt bad", he thinks maybe that was the reason for the "subway comfort zones". But he taught english to japanese children so at-least they got an inside view, as did he of their culture.

  8. #158
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    Well, when I was in Japan with my colleague and my boss, we were just stared at the subway. More probably because we were clicking our cameras away . We even had a mistake. We bought subway tickets at an upper platform (forgot the line) at Roponggi Station when we were supposed to be travelling at another line (I think it was Oedo or Nanboku...). We never knew then that those lines were controlled by two different companies. The man handling customer service was apparently irked, but nonetheless refunded our tickets.
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    Thumbs down Definitely

    Have experienced first hand at a small country watchmakers store in Nara.

    I wanted to enquire in regards to a watch battery change.

    I walked in and politely called out, Sumimasen (twice), the shopkeeper came in and said very loudly Hai!, then he said Gaijin, Gaijin, and flapped his hands towards me out the door!

    My American colleague experienced the same by a middle aged Japanese female Video shop keeper in Nara.

    My American colleague and I also completed an English translation for the Nara prefectural government for a discrimination information booklet for residents.

    I may point out that the book mainly targetted Baraku people, Brazilian, Peruvian, Chinese, and possibly the Ainu from Hokkaido.

    We had no idea what Baraku was until we started the translation.

    We were instructed by our English school staff not to mention the subject to any students.

    the first thing I did was brough it up in my class of eleven senior students. It was the best thing I could have doen as we all talked about it for weeks which made for great lessons.

    I also had a Chinese girl named Annie in my class who worked for WACOAL underwear company.

    You can only imagine how interesting all discussions were.

    I have also seen it first hand in many other situations, including with general Japanese who have felt it, been in tears, etc.

    So yes, discrimination in Japan is huge and part of the society.

    Without any doubt whatsoever, it exists..

    Cheers - Elliot

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    I also had a Chinese girl named Annie in my class who worked for WACOAL underwear company.
    I do not know what you mean by senior students, but you can legally work part/full-time after you graduated from junior high school here.
    If she is under 16, she might have a special permission.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pipokun View Post
    I do not know what you mean by senior students, but you can legally work part/full-time after you graduated from junior high school here.
    If she is under 16, she might have a special permission.
    She was by memory around 25 and worked legally.

    I was pointing to the fact that she was in the class and Chinese which made for interesting discussion..

  12. #162
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    I understand the situation.
    What was the interesting discussion?

  13. #163
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    Quote Originally Posted by pipokun View Post
    I understand the situation.
    What was the interesting discussion?
    Discrimination in Japan

  14. #164
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyoto Returnee View Post


    no doubt whatsoever, it exists..

    Also in AMERICA & elsewhere in this fricking world

  15. #165
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    Quote Originally Posted by tokapi View Post
    Also in AMERICA & elsewhere in this fricking world
    It's illegal in Australia.

    It's legal in Japan.

  16. #166
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    Just 3 words for weeks?
    Bring more or them here!

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    It's illegal in Australia.

    It's legal in Japan.
    Japan has signed a non-discrimination treaty. So technically speaking it is not leagal. Though it might be illeagal in Australia.

    In 1998, the Howard government enacted legislation that effectively took away the common-law rights that the High Court said belonged to Aborigines. Nothing like it has been passed by a modern parliament. It is just one of the disgraces that has given Australia the distinction of being the only developed country whose government has been condemned as racist by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

    The UN has also called racist the mandatory sentencing laws in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, which have given black Australians an imprisonment rate at least as high as that of apartheid South Africa, and have been a primary cause of one of the highest suicide rates in the world
    http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=290

    Australia is far from racist free. IN the eyes of the UN it is seen as more racist than Japan. Granted this thread is about discrimination in Japan.

    Japan is a homogenous country and Japanese are the indegenous people of Japan. Which makes it different than countries like USA, Canada, Australia which relative speaking are new countries.

  18. #168
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    Quote Originally Posted by centrajapan View Post

    Japan is a homogenous country and Japanese are the indegenous people of Japan. Which makes it different than countries like USA, Canada, Australia which relative speaking are new countries.
    I'm surrounded by aboriginies where I live in North Queensland. the tourists flock to see them, vist their national parks, waterfalls, watch them dance in the theater, then at night, go for a walk along the Esplanade to see them enjoying their beers and casks of wine whilst relaxing on the grass.

    If the tourist is lucky enough, he or she may be invited into one of their three bedroom government gifted houses, or even go shopping with them on government money, visit their free legal, medical, and all other services that they are provided with free of charge..

    Where is the discrmination?

    I was speaking to a lovely aboriginal lady today whilst we were swimming at the gorge.. She was enjoying a BBQ with her family.. Where's the discrimination?

    The UN can think what they want but honestly, live here long enough and it would be hard to see..

    I've experienced it first hand in Japan, as have other's I know and this includes other Gaijin, Baraku and Japanese including returness. This is within a very short span of time..

    Am I dreaming ..LOL
    • Foreigners are generally not welcome in most restaurants, onsens, entertainment establishments, etc. unless accompanied by a Japanese native
    • Japanese will typically avoid sitting next to a foreigner in public places - there are innumerable stories of how Japanese would rather stand than sit next to a foreigner or if a gaijin has the nerve to sit down on an empty seat next to a Japanese, they will either move away or stand up
    • In jobs advertised in even English language newspapers, most of the time it will be clearly mentioned that foreigners need not apply. In Japanese language newspapers, it is understood that foreigners will simply not apply for jobs
    • For those jobs where foreigners are hired sometimes - for instance as language teachers - the discrimination is evident. The salaries are lower than that for a Japanese in similar jobs, expectations are higher, firing is easy, and regardless of the importance of the job, the foreigners are never part of the inner circle - which means that decisions are taken without them and they are simply expected to execute them
    • Even Japanese citizens raised overseas are regularly discriminated. Those that have spent just a few years or have absorbed some non-Japanese customs or cultural attributes are discriminated on a regular basis
    • Children from parents with a non-Japanese partner are doomed in Japan
    • Folks from the countryside never make it to the top
    • If even one member of the family ends up in an embarrassing situation (crime, poor education, low end jobs, etc.), the other family members have to share the discrimination for generations
    • The physically disabled and mentally challenged are discriminated to a point that Japan pretends that they do not exist. It is one of the un-friendliest countries in the developed world for physically handicapped people - many public buildings and means of transport have no provisions for disabled people. Japanese companies often prefer to pay an annual penalty for not hiring disabled people. Lepers are treated worse than animals in Japan
    • The condition of women, though improving, is clearly a result of discrimination over centuries

  19. #169
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    Quote Originally Posted by centrajapan View Post
    Japan has signed a non-discrimination treaty. So technically speaking it is not leagal. Though it might be illeagal in Australia.
    I think you will find discrimination in Japan is fine, even more so if it is against a non Japanese, and the subject in Australia is far from legal.

    Please read below.

    Introduction by ARUDOU Debito, website author

    Japan has a very mixed record on human rights, especially towards ethnic minorities, non-citizens, and other people born of distinction within its society. The Government of Japan (GOJ) signed The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1979, then the UN's International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in 1995 (effected January 14, 1996). Under the CERD, Japan promised to take measures (including legislation) at all levels of government to eliminate racial discrimination "without delay". Despite this, Japan to this day remains the only developed country without any form of a law at any level outlawing discrimination by race.

    Japan officially maintains (see below) that its legal system provides adequate protection against and redress for racial discrimination, therefore a specific law against it is unnecessary. But as demonstrated in
    • 1) the Otaru Onsens Case (where "foreigners", including naturalized Japanese citizens and their international children, were refused entry to a series of public baths in Otaru between 1993 and 2001, while the Otaru City Government was exonerated in court for refusing to take any effective measures to stop it; case is still on appeal),
    • 2) statements by Tokyo Governor ISHIHARA Shintarou (who wrote in May 2001 that Chinese have criminal tendencies due to their "ethnic DNA", and called upon Japan's Self Defense Forces in April 2000 to round up all "illegal foreigners" on sight in the event of a natural disaster), and
    • 3) The Community Website (where an archive of domestic discrimination against non-citizens by race or appearance has been compiled over several years),
    the government's claims of sufficient protection from and redress for racial discrimination are simply not true.

    AUSTRALIA
    All Australian States and Territories have laws which make racial discrimination unlawful. The State and Territory laws work with the Commonwealth laws to protect the human rights of those people living in the particular State or Territory. In this respect, these laws, unlike the Commonwealth laws, do not cover all of Australia. They are limited to the particular State or Territory.
    Like the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act (RDA), the State and Territory laws make both direct discrimination and indirect discrimination unlawful. However, there is an important difference between the RDA and the State and Territory laws. The difference is the definition of direct discrimination. The State and Territory laws do not refer to preferences and distinctions based on race, and nor do they refer to Article 5 of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination in relation to direct discrimination. Under the State and Territory laws, direct discrimination occurs where a person is treated less favourably than another person of a different race.
    The State and Territory anti-discrimination laws are administered by specialist commissions that investigate complaints and try to resolve them by conciliation. Where the complaints cannot be resolved by conciliation, they are referred to specialist tribunals that hold hearings into the complaints. This involves all the relevant people giving evidence in the tribunal and the tribunal then makes a decision about the complaint.
    New South Wales: Anti Discrimination Act (1977)

    In New South Wales racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, the provision of goods and services, accommodation and registered clubs. For the purposes of the New South Wales Act, "race" includes colour, nationality, descent, and ethnic, ethno-religious and national origin. The Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    The New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Act also prohibits racial vilification. Racial vilification may in serious cases amount to a criminal offence. Racial vilification under the New South Wales Act is any public act which is capable of inciting hatred towards, serious contempt for or severe ridicule of a person or a group of persons because of their race.
    South Australia: Equal Opportunity Act (1984) and Racial Vilification Act (1996)

    In South Australia racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, goods and services, accommodation, disposal of land, superannuation, clubs and associations and conferral of qualifications. Under the South Australian Act, "race" means skin colour, nationality, country of origin and ancestry. The South Australian Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    Racial vilification is also unlawful in South Australia. The Act makes it an offence to racially vilify a person and unlawful to racially victimise a person.
    Western Australia: Equal Opportunity Act (1984) and Criminal Code

    In Western Australia, racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, access to places and vehicles, provision of goods and services, accommodation and land, and clubs. The Western Australian Act also has specific provisions making racial harassment unlawful in the areas of employment, education and accommodation.
    Under the Western Australian Act, "race" includes colour, descent, ethnic or national origin and nationality. The Western Australian Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    Racial vilification is not dealt with under the Equal Opportunity Act, but the Criminal Code makes racial harassment and incitement to racial hatred a criminal offence. The offences are specific to possession of racial material, publication of racial material for display to harass a racial group or to incite racial hatred.
    Australian Capital Territory: Discrimination Act (1991)

    In the Australian Capital Territory, racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, accommodation, clubs, goods and services and request for information. Under the Australian Capital Territory Act, "race" includes colour, descent ethnic or national origin and nationality. The Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    Racial vilification is also unlawful and the provisions of the Australian Capital Territory Act operate in the same way as the New South Wales racial vilification provisions.
    Queensland: Anti-Discrimination Act (1991)

    In Queensland, racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, goods and services, superannuation, insurance, land, accommodation, clubs, administration of Queensland laws and programs and local government members.
    For the purposes of the Queensland Act, "race" includes colour, nationality or national origin, descent or ancestry, and ethnic origin or ethnicity. The Queensland Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    In 2001, the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act made racial and religious vilification unlawful. Racial and religious vilification under the Queensland Act is any public act which incites hatred towards, serious contempt for or severe ridicule of a person or group of persons because of their race or religion.
    Northern Territory: Anti-Discrimination Act (1992)

    In the Northern Territory, racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, accommodation, goods and services, clubs and insurance and superannuation. For the purposes of the Northern Territory Act, "race" includes colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, descent or ancestry, and that a person is or has been an immigrant. The Northern Territory Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    Victoria: Equal Opportunity Act (1995) and Racial and Religious Tolerance Act (2001)

    In Victoria, racial discrimination is unlawful in the areas of education, employment, goods and services, accommodation and land, sport and local government.
    For the purposes of the Victorian Act, "race" includes colour, nationality or national origin, descent, ancestry, and ethnic origin or ethnicity. The Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race.
    Racial and religious vilification are also unlawful in Victoria. The most serious forms of racial and religious vilification are a criminal offence.
    Tasmania: Anti-Discrimination Act (1998)

    The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act was passed in 1998 and proclaimed in December 1999. The Tasmanian Act covers discrimination on the ground of "race". It applies to discrimination and prohibited conduct in employment, education and training, the provision of facilities, goods and services, accommodation, membership and activities of clubs.
    For the purposes of the Tasmanian Act, "race" includes colour, nationality, descent, ethnic, ethno-religious or national origin and the status of being or having been an immigrant.
    The Tasmanian Act also contains strong inciting hatred provisions. Section 19 says that a person, by a public act, must not incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or a group of persons on a number of grounds including race, religious belief or affiliation or religious activity. The Act applies to inciting hatred in the areas defined for discrimination and prohibited conduct as well as in any other area or in connection with any other activity.

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    I am sure there are many different sides to look at it. I am sure there is discrimination in both Australia and Japan. Having gone to a Japanese school myself through much of my life with a mixed ethnic background I can't recall getting a hard time because of it ever. But I am sure some people go through a rough time in school because of it. I am sure many Australians have nothing against the indegenous people of Australia but I am sure many don't have much respect towards the culture.

    You hear about all kinds of hate crimes on the news from Australia. You talk about Australia's shining example and then go on about how terrible Japan is. I am sure there are many nice things about Australia and not so many nice things about it either. Massacres of indegenous people continued until the 60s.

    The UN can think what they want but honestly, live here long enough and it would be hard to see
    Where is the discrimination? Even UN is condemning Australia of racial discrimination. I would and most other people too would probably listen to what UN has to say about discrimination and not an overly patriotic Australian about discrimination in AUstralia.

  21. #171
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    1) the Otaru Onsens Case (where "foreigners", including naturalized Japanese citizens and their international children, were refused entry to a series of public baths in Otaru between 1993 and 2001, while the Otaru City Government was exonerated in court for refusing to take any effective measures to stop it; case is still on appeal),
    The plaintiff lost the case in terms of the Otaru City, didn't it?
    Are you sure that the case is still on appeal?

    2) statements by Tokyo Governor ISHIHARA Shintarou (who wrote in May 2001 that Chinese have criminal tendencies due to their "ethnic DNA", and called upon Japan's Self Defense Forces in April 2000 to round up all "illegal foreigners" on sight in the event of a natural disaster), and
    Tokyo is getting safer and safer.
    The French speakers lost the case, though I am not sure if they are going to appeal or not.
    The plaintiffs did not include great French schools like Athenee Francais or the French Embassy here.

    3) The Community Website (where an archive of domestic discrimination against non-citizens by race or appearance has been compiled over several years),
    Youtube is nothing from your country, but it is the Internet after all.

    Kyoto Returnee, tell me why the hate crime has never ended even though you are proud of the laws or the great muti-ethnic society.

  22. #172
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    From shining AUstralia where everyone is treated as equals and where there is no such thing called racial discrimination. White Australians should know this

    . They know, or they ought to know, that the life expectancy of Aboriginal people is one of the lowest in the world, and that their health is the worst in the world. An entirely preventable disease, trachoma, which has been beaten in many third world countries, still blinds black Australians because of untreated cataracts and appalling living conditions. Epidemics of rheumatic fever and gastroenteritis ravage black communities as they did the slums of 19th-century England.

    Australia, like white South Africa, has a deeply racist history of dispossession and cruelty, buttressed by "the law". But even history is a battleground, in which "revisionists" - the likes of Keith Windschuttle, a self-publishing and much-publicised "new historian" - can suggest that Tasmanian Aborigines lacked humanity and compassion. Not anywhere in the world with indigenous populations, not in North America, New Zealand, even South Africa, could you get away with such a slur.
    http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=328

  23. #173
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    schooling comment

    Quote Originally Posted by centrajapan View Post
    From shining AUstralia where everyone is treated as equals and where there is no such thing called racial discrimination. White Australians should know this




    I was more interested with discrimination in Japan so I don't want to get off topic here.

    I found your schooling comment interseting as I am mainly concerned for my son.

  24. #174
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    I didn't read this whole thread, as it was a bit too much to read in a short time, so I did a quick search (using the search-function (ctrl+f) in FF), using the keywords "homo" and "gay", as I would like to know about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons) Rights & Discrimination is Japan. I couldn't find any hits in this topic. So here's my question: Is homosexuality a source of discrimination in Japan? I've been reading some stuff about LGBT-things in Japan on wikipedia, and found that the Japanese attitude against homosexuals changed drastically during the late 19th century, as western influence was strong. Back in the old days it presumably wasn't any problem; as shinto doesn't have a problem with homosexuality and homosexuality was quite common in the army. Nowadays, political party's just don't say anything about homosexuality, so I don't know how homosexuality is viewed. I would like to know how the public views homosexuality. The general public must have an opinion, as about 5~10% of the world is homosexual (in every country whatsoever!). Could anyone answer my question?

  25. #175
    puzzled gaijin
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    I would say it's still pretty underground, though there are some she-hes who play on the variety show circuit, but I don't think they are seen as 'average' citizens. I have heard from someone here in Tokyo who used to frequent gay bars and clubs in Tokyo that the gay community is tighter and more welcoming to hetrosexuals than in the UK (where she is from).

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