Are Japanese people really that racist?

College Confidential Community
1

<p>I love Japan, I love the Japanese culture, I watch anime, manga and Japanese movies, study a bit of Japanese at very beginner's level, like Japanese singers and music... but there's something that surprises me a bit:
I have never personally been to Japan so I cannot judge, but wherever I read I get the impression that Japanese people are quite racist towards other populations.
I somehow can't figure out how come such a vast culture that in each of its artistic creation references a wide array of other cultures could be racist.</p>

<p>Can you tell something about this from your own knowledge and experience?</p>

<p>Do Japanese people really see other "races" (Chinese, South Asian, Africans, Caucasians, etc.) as inferior? Do they generally see interracial marriage as something negative?</p>

2

<p>@ Stormharmony</p>

<p>I also have an interest in Japanese anime and music. The Japanese are very proud of their history and culture. The country does have one of the strictest immigration policies in the world. The nation is something like 99% ethnic Japanese. In general, they view those who are non-Japanese with suspicion. Interracial Marriages are not common nor are advocated by the general population. </p>

<p>However, interracial marriages are common among Japanese-Americans. They do not share these old-country views.</p>

3

<p>[reply to stormharmony]</p>

<p>When you're talking about Japan you're talking about a nation of 127,433,494 souls-- surely most of them don't think other races/ethnicity(ies) as "inferior". I'm sure most of them just want to live their lives the best way they could according to their personal belief system or religion if they are religious.</p>

<p>With that being said--- there is a general attitude with some Japanese toward non ethnic Japanese. Take for example the Chinese living in Japan-- they are a constant target of government and media harassment, they are often label as "criminals", the Chinese are treated with dislike and suspicion.</p>

<p>I think the most disliked group in Japan by some native Japanese were/are the Ainu people. Read up on the cultural genocide of these once great people, it's actually quite sad to say the least. </p>

<p>The reason why there's a large misconception(or mistrust) about non Japanese is due to the fact there's a lack of government interest in assimilating them. If you consider someone as an outsider and you make no effort to understand that person then you will always think in a negative term.. well this is how the Japanese government thinks like. </p>

<p>When I look at Japan I see a star nation, I see a nation that can reach its full potential and be a symbol of what a nation can do if it puts their minds to it. On the other hand, I see a nation full of old conservatives refusing to change from the past.</p>

<p>There is actually no punishment if you commit a hate crime in Japan (all crimes are consider crimes, no special statue giving to any crimes and that including crimes based on race, gender, religion or ethnicity), there are no human rights laws which allow punishment for discriminatory practices. </p>

<p>I can go on and on about the Japanese government but I shall digress, I think you get the point by now. Blame the government, not the people!</p>

<p>PS.. I too am an anime freak. LOL</p>

4

<p>[reply to tenisghs]</p>

<p>I've met many of those Japanese girls who "love" white guys... they seem very... weird... =/</p>

<p>Weird not because they're Japanese girls.. weird because some dislike their own men and love anything white European... oh well.</p>

5

<p>@ TimJunior2008</p>

<p>Ah yes. Those girls will literally snatch any white European guys like you. Run and hide! :)</p>

6

<p>Yeah I understand all this as well. This is actually what surprised me a bit since from what I see on their movies (not only anime, I mean real movies) they are very mature, profound themes, and they draw from numerous other countries' cultures.
But as you say, it might be just the government.</p>

<p>Hmmm and what do Japanese girls think of South Asian (e.g. Indian) guys? ^^'''</p>

7

<p>[reply to stormharmony]</p>

<p>If the Japanese government actually start caring about all people living in
Japan. You will see a much happier society, at least in terms of ethnic tension within Japan.</p>

<p>Alas, there's no effort on their part so the trend continue.</p>

<p>Hmm... what do Japanese girls think of south Indian guys? Really depends. I've noticed a lot of younger generation Japanese (Japanese natives) are becoming more open minded... although, generally there's no push for relationships involving non native Japanese.</p>

<p>When my dad go to Japan he didn't really experience much racism (he's a white guy) from most Japanese people. Usually he told me if you mind your own business and keep to yourself you will be fine.</p>

8

<p>Hmmm but what do you mean by "minding your own business and keeping to yourself"?</p>

<p>That you shouldn't try to socialize with them?</p>

9

<p>[reply to stormharmony]</p>

<p>Naw, my dad met a lot of great people, it means don't get caught up in their politics. LOL</p>

10

<p>Technically, many Japanese people (not all of them, mind you) are ethnocentric or xenophobic to foreigners (whether they be Asian, white, etc.) and aren't really racist since they often treat whites better than non-Japanese Asians.</p>

<p>In addition, the Japanese are also generally known to treat the indigenous peoples on a less than equal footing (the Ainu, Okinawans, etc.).</p>

<p>But then again - you can say these things about pretty much every country (in varying degrees).</p>

11

<p>granted the only Japanese anime show i've watched is Dragon Ball Z, and that was almost like 10 years ago, i noticed a few disturbing things about Japanese culture:</p>

<p>1.) is it just me or are Japanese anime depictions of other Asians, Blacks, and pretty much every other ethnicity sort of offensive? i've noticed that a lot of their anime shows exaggerated stereotypes.
2.) what bugs me even more is why do Japanese anime characters look Caucasian?</p>

12

<p>" 1.) is it just me or are Japanese anime depictions of other Asians, Blacks, and pretty much every other ethnicity sort of offensive? i've noticed that a lot of their anime shows exaggerated stereotypes. "</p>

<p>yeah, notably mr. popo...</p>

13

<p>2.) haha indeed... though I guess it might be a way to market their products abroad as well?</p>

14

<p>There's a wiki page about this and google turns up some interesting results.
I had no idea.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_issues_in_Japan%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_issues_in_Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

15

<p>This is kind of old but this is what I'm talking about.</p>

<p>From the article:</p>

<p>["He said that although the government helped to organise his visit, he felt many officials failed to recognise the seriousness of the racism and discrimination minorities suffered.</p>

<p>He was also concerned that politicians used racist or nationalist themes, as he put it, to whip up popular emotions. He singled out the treatment of ethnic Koreans and Chinese and indigenous tribes. "]</p>

<p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4671687.stm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4671687.stm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

16

<p>lol asians are pretty racist, Africans can't go to China without encountering a lot of open discrimination/staring/pointing etc.</p>

17

<p>Sigh.</p>

<p>Anime does not depict characters as "Caucasian" for any reason more nefarious than the original influences on the modern art styles. Early artists like Tezuka were strongly influenced by Disney. </p>

<p>As for Japan's racism-- yes. Japan has many racist tendencies. Now the question is whether or not Japan is worse than, say, the US or Europe. In some ways it is, in some ways it's not.</p>

18

<p>maybe as racist as americans</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
lol asians are pretty racist, Africans can't go to China without encountering a lot of open discrimination/staring/pointing etc.

[/quote]

Who dares to discrimate Americans? People simply fear americans.</p>

20

<p>The Japanese people suffer from a collective inferiority complex that makes their relationship with the rest of the world entirely suspect and unique. My mother got her PhD in Political Science (specializing in Japan) and she always tells me about their views of culture; China is the birth of ancient civilization, so they are to be respected, and the West is modern civilization, so their achievments are to be integrated into Japanese society. What this does is create a two tier system of thought about foreigners in their minds; they are all Gaijin so they are to be kept at a distance, but some are also ijin (Whitey) and are not to be trusted, but to be respected (weird, but true). Then there are the Sangokujin, the other Asians, who are followers of the old ways if they're Chinese and are to be looked down upon, or are simply backward (everyone else). If you don't fall into one of those groups, they probably think even less of you as a person. These prejudices have a lot to do with the introduction of Western technology at the start of the Tokugawa Shogunate; the Japanese at that time admired the Chinese and looked down on everyone else. Japanese society mimicked China for over 1000 years. However, once the Dutch brought in modern science and technology, the Japanese no longer had use for the Chinese ways, so the Westerners replaced the Chinese as the admired foreigners. The Russo Japanese War and WWII ended that in it's purest form, but admiration for the material side of the West persists to this day (hence the reason their parliament is known as the Diet, you know, like the Diet of Worms, and why they're miliary outfits during WWII looked downright Prussian.)</p>