Discrimination in Japan

[centrajapan]

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

[Kyoto Returnee]

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.

[The 10th Plague]

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?

[gaijinalways]

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).

[BBRyukyu]

I have only lived here for two years, but I have never experienced any kind of discrimination. Besides the random stares of some senior citizens and children. I have however head from a few friends who are married to foreigner men that their family has been upset that they married a non Japanese man, and put untold stress on their marriage.

[Glenski]

I have only lived here for two years, but I have never experienced any kind of discrimination.

Well, congratulations. As of November 20, 2007 you have.

What sort of job do you hold? Perhaps there is discrimination there that you are not aware of?

[BBRyukyu]

I teach part time at a juku, and have never had any problems with the Japanese teachers or staff. As for the new fingerprinting and photo policy it seams more like governmental due diligence, and less like discrimination to me.

[The 10th Plague]

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).

Well, She-he's aren't very representative for the gay "community", don't you think? Also, I don't like to use the word "gay community", because than it seems if all gays are part of one single community, but that isn't. Correct me if I'm wrong, but many gays don't go especially to gay-bars etc. Still my question hasn't been fully answered; how does the large public (the 90% of the population which is heterosexual) see homoseksuality? Do most people think it's okay, or do most people think it's "wrong" ?

[gaijinalways]

Right, but the shehes are the only real public display you see of the gay community here. Kind of like the don't ask, don't tell policy mostly here. I don't think you'll see many Japanese 'running out' of the closet soon.

[caster51]

Being Gay And Gaijin In Japan

What is it like being a homosexual foreign male in Japan? Well ‘Scott’ age 39 (who wishes his real name not the name of his partner not be used) has agreed to tell us a little bit about what it is like. Scott will tell a little about his life here in Japan on the condition that it not involve any strictly private or embarrassing details about his relationship with his Japanese partner. Thank you Scott.

Scott met his Japanese lover ‘Taro’ (age 44) in Vancouver, Canada about 5 years ago where he was working at the time as an assistant manager of a museum. Taro soon returned to Japan, where he worked as a restaurant manager, and they corresponded over the years, occasionally meeting and traveling together to various places around South East Asia. Finally, he invited Scott to join him in Japan, and Scott hesitatingly agreed to do so.

“I had been to Japan a few times before actually moving here for the long term, so I sort of knew what to expect, but I had some worries about how I would be treated and whether I would be accepted. I just took it a day at a time” he says. “My partner wanted us to move in with his elderly mother in Northern Japan and I was kind of hesitant about doing that. I mean I didn’t know how people would react. Everyone knows him (Taro) and they soon understood what my relationship with him was. I was worried about living in a conservative city in Northern Japan.”

“Well we moved into his mother’s place and Taro started working in one of her (partner’s mother) snacks (bars) . I helped out a little at the beginning, but we had so many people show up who were curious about me, and wanted to meet me, I had to stick around more and more, now I am working pretty much full time. I made up some dishes I thought would be tasty to our customers. Some have been hits and others have not. The Taco Salad we added to the menu is very popular, but the avocado dip however was a bomb” Scott says. “It’s really a hit and miss thing, but I have very much enjoyed what I am doing here, it is what I wanted to do together with Taro.”

Scott says that his relationship with his partner has had a few difficult moments, but they remain strongly committed to each other. “When we first started living with his mother, I saw a side of him I didn’t know existed. He is a very good son, and his mother has a very strong personality, even at her age (80) and she controls him quite a bit, but I can’t say that is bad. She and I get along good. I help take care of her. I do some of the shopping, and help her with some of her personal needs. She agreed to build us a separate house on property she owns, and she did that. We moved in last summer. It is nice to have our own place now.”

Scott was worried about how he might be treated in their community, but he says after a ‘honeymoon period’ things have settled down quite a bit. “A lot of Taros’ and his mother’s friends would drop by to meet me and say hello, and bring gifts. Most of them were really nice. When Taro re-opened the snack that his mother owned, the first few weeks were really busy, but now it has quieted down to a pretty regular crowd. “The whole thing is really so normal. We have had a few problem customers, but you get that everywhere.” In fact it is so normal, it can be downright boring sometimes, according to Scott. “I have had some children point their fingers at me and laugh, but I think that is just because I am not Japanese. That happens everywhere. I have also seen some people gesture towards me and whisper so I can only guess what they are saying, but that really doesn’t bother me. I would go crazy if I let that sort of thing get to me. I just smile.”

When asked if his intent was to set up a gay bar in his area, Scott replied that it was not. It just worked out that way. “My partner and I had no intention of making our place exclusively anything, we wanted everybody, no matter who they were, to feel comfortable about coming here, but it is hard to know for sure, we get all kinds of people from every walk of life..” In fact it has been very good for Scott and Taro. They are planning to remodel and re-open another restaurant/bar soon. “We have ideas on opening a second place. We will probably have to hire some people, but I am sure it will be successful, the place we have now is a small place and some nights the crowd here is overwhelming. We will expand carefully and slowly.” Scott says that they have several options for the future.

Scott passes the time he is not working alongside his partner, painting and studying Japanese. “The hardest part is not being able to communicate with our customers well enough yet. I am improving, but I still have a long way to go.” “I just want people to know it is possible to be happy here and live your life as you like, no matter who you are.” That is a message that everyone can appreciate.

http://jp.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/11/06/95/

[caster51]

As for "due diligence", kindly explain what is so "due" about this policy. As for not seeming like discrimination, you obviously have not read enough.

Wow. scary ,you are an activist like ant -japan propaganda