<p>^ I hear that it’s easier for americans to get jobs because of the declining population in Japan, and if you study Japanese etiquette and know the language, they usually treat you almost like a native. Also, it’s not like American is any less Xenophobic, on the contrary. The USA is probably worse when it comes to foreigners.</p>
<p>i haven’t heard anything about it being easier for foreigners to get jobs recently, but with the birth rate and everything it’s probably true.</p>
<p>no, the USA is not at all worse. (although the USA is still bad.) japan is seriously xenophobic in ways that you will understand when you go there. if you look at the history of the country, they’ve never had any multicultural exposure. they’re one of the most homogeneous in the world, so their xenophobia sort of makes sense. i’m not dissing japan at all, i love the country and the culture, but japan’s xenophobia is a very real problem. even if you study the etiquette and the language, you will always look like an american and be discriminated against on that account. </p>
<p>my friend went to a bar with a few of her friends from her abroad program. one boy, was from the UK and is near-fluent in japanese but is a white male. a korean-american boy was also with them who had very poor japanese. the host at the bar kept addressing the korean-american despite the fact that the man from the UK was continually answering her questions and speaking to her because the korean-american did not speak japanese but ‘looked japanese.’ </p>
<p>for further reading, check out the UN’s address on japan’s racism, sexism, etc… </p>
<p>[BBC</a> NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan racism ‘deep and profound’](<a href=“http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4671687.stm]BBC”>BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan racism 'deep and profound')</p>
<p>[Japan</a> faces U.N. racism criticism | The Japan Times Online](<a href=“http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100226a4.html]Japan”>http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100226a4.html)</p>
<p>edit: here’s a link to the actual report <a href=“http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:q_2qKQUmUB0J:scholar.google.com/[/url]”>http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:q_2qKQUmUB0J:scholar.google.com/</a></p>
<p>^ But that’s usually among older members in the country(Same as here), and almost every country in the world is xenophobic. I’m not gonna let that stop me (: But thanks for a posts. That actually kinda worried early on but I’ve come to realize if I’m not fully accepted here(being half black half white) I’d rather be not fully accepted in a country I like better xD</p>
<p>
Where have you heard that? I know of many foreign people that do extremely well in Japan, and they are people that are adored and admired as well (Miyavi’s father is a Korean living in Japan, Shirota Yu is half Japanese/half Spaniard). There are other foreigners that do well for themselves… Maybe in the countryside, where English isn’t spoken, the language/custom barrier might be a problem. but that’s understandable.</p>
<p>I have read that the Japanese are usually very helpful and polite. Of course, there are always those who aren’t… but that shouldn’t be the overall attitude. And like woeishe said, if you know the Japanese customs and language, they’ll treat you like a native. I read one story where this foreign guy (who wasn’t Asian) was reading manga in Japanese, and one Japanese guy said “good job!” and was really nice.</p>
<p>it’s not only or even usually among older members of the country. i’m not trying to discourage you, i’m just saying.</p>
<p>Here’s what Khatzumoto says: Are People in Japan Racist?
No. In general, intensely ignorant of certain things you might take for granted, and about as culturally sensitive as a sleep-deprived elephant with a hangover but absolutely not actually racist. It’s easy for us to forget that a lot of the cultural sensitivity that people from other parts of the world often display is entirely due to active, deliberate social training, not ethical superiority, and sometimes does not in fact extend beyond superficial behaviors.</p>
<p>cultural insensitivity is a step in the direction of racism. i’m really not trying to argue the issue or dissuade you from going to japan, i just want you to be aware. cultural sensitivity isn’t really due to ‘deliberate social training’ but exposure to other cultures such as common in a multicultural society. where’s that from, anyway?</p>
<p>^ [FAQs:</a> Frequently Asked Questions | AJATT | All Japanese All The Time](<a href=“WordPress › Error”>WordPress › Error)</p>
<p>Right here, and yes it does come from deliberate social training(most of the time)</p>
<p>^ oh yay you visited AJATT? I’m glad! 
it’s a good, inspirational site. my mom won’t let me sign up for the silver spoon deal though >.></p>
<p>
Not true. The Japanese had contact with Korea and China in the ancient days, and there was even some Korean blood among the royalty. They even had some contact with the Dutch as well. Yes, they were closed off from the world for long period, but they weren’t always closed off. :P</p>
<p>i’m sorry, never was hyperbole. it’s not happening actively right now to the extent that it’s happening in actively multicultural societies. please explain to me how growing up in a multicultural society and getting active exposure to other cultures is deliberate social training. i’m inclined to believe a UN ambassador over a man writing a FAQ for a japanese language site, as well.</p>
<p>I don’t really believe the USA is a actively multicultural society. Just read a comment section or a forum and you will see people’s true feelings, and I’m more inclined to believe a regular person than someone with a agenda(UN ambassadors)</p>
<p>^ and Khatz lives in Japan… and is a foreigner. He experiences Japan daily…</p>
<p>^ and he’s African( Just like me!)</p>
<p>^ah, you’re African? that’s cool! :)</p>
<p>^ Well half African half White(definitely doesn’t help in the dating department) LOL</p>
<p>i don’t think you know what i mean by actively multicultural. there are lots and lots of different races and cultures living in the US, something that can’t be said for japan. </p>
<p>that regular person is also a person with an agenda: ‘selling’ japan and their website. whether you believe the problem has great magnitude or not, it still exists.</p>
<p>^ Like I say to other people, superficial doesn’t mean true diversity, and Khatz gives us the good with the bad :D</p>
<p>you know there are still establishments in japan that have signs that say ‘no foreigners allowed,’ and ‘japanese only’ right? and you know legally, that’s totally okay? what is your idea of true diversity? denying a UN release is kind of blatant ignorance of the problem. </p>
<p>[www.debito.org:</a> THE ROGUE’S GALLERY: Photos of places which refuse non-Japanese in Japan](<a href=“http://www.debito.org/roguesgallery.html]www.debito.org:”>www.debito.org: THE ROGUE'S GALLERY: Photos of places which refuse non-Japanese in Japan)</p>
<p>here’s a ‘real’ person’s experiences: <a href=“http://japanologist.blogspot.com/2006/08/racism-in-japan.html[/url]”>http://japanologist.blogspot.com/2006/08/racism-in-japan.html</a></p>
<p>^ I understand the reason of those signs. Anybody knows the stereotypical tourist(Average American White Male) goes to the country totally ignorant of the etiquette and language, and some owners don’t want to deal of that. Hmm it almost like going to a restaurant in a rural area and seeing a no blacks/jews/catholic/asians/mexicans/northerners sign.</p>
<p>It’s certainly not as bad as the KKK having a meeting in your hometown.</p>
<p>yeah, racism’s okay because it keeps out the bad white people, amirite? who cares about racism because it’s not like ignorant people exist across all races, right? </p>
<p>as a black female i find what you’re saying totally out of touch. i know you said you’re half black, but are you even aware of the history of civil rights in our country? you’re rationalizing this in a way that uses some pretty scary logic. what you said sounds just like ‘yeah, those WHITES ONLY signs are okay because some black people are so ignorant of white culture and don’t speak proper.’</p>