By John Q. Hosedrinker I lived in Japan as a university student 15-20 years ago. When applying to lease an apartment suite and the landlord would find out I was a foreigner, I was told no for that reason. Multiple times. I remember feeling really bad for my friend from Macao. He was rejected for being Chinese on like 30-40 applications. I thought Japan was proud to be xenophobic? they got a lot of policies in place to prevent immigration and cultural mixing. Are they ashamed of it or not? Japan isn’t mad as us, they’re just *disappointed* Ok.
“Japan is not Xenophobic” Everyone: *raucous laughter*
Whenever I hear people go off on how xenophobic or racist the West is, I wonder what they’re comparing it to. All forms of racism or xenophobia should be open to discuss. I mean it’s true, they may not like it but it’s 100% true.
Japan IS extremely xenophobic. It’s just a fact. I admire their culture, and their approach to life in general is exemplary. That being said, for all the faults of the US, I have NEVER been refused service at an establishment because of who I was. If a Japanese person came to the US and was refused to enter a place because they were Japanese you’d never hear the end of it. So many places wouldn’t even consider me and my friends to so much as enter an establishment because we were foreigners. And don’t give me this “oh some places only speak Japanese” bullshit because ya know damn well that ain’t the main issue. **Shoutout to Okinawa, they are SUPER welcoming to foreigners and the rest of the country looks down on them for that and lots of other reasons.
Obviously you shouldn’t publicly say this about your allies, but to be fair, Japan is very xenophobic. You can literally find places like bathhouses with signs that say no foreigners allowed like it’s the most normal thing ever.
As someone who loves Japan, lived there, married a Japanese man, and loves her in-laws like her own parents and siblings, Biden isn’t wrong. Off the top of my head: the immigration system is a nightmare. Japan-born Korean citizens are treated terribly. Dual citizenship is illegal.
“Unfortunate” but not “wrong” lmao. They are a country that is over 90% ethnically Japanese and has specific laws in place preventing people who are not of Japanese origin from holding positions of management and jobs in government offices. You could be born in the country, speak fluent Japanese, and be legally excluded from those positions because you’re of Korean origin.
He ain’t wrong about Japan though. Japan is a pretty racist country though. There’s a guy on YouTube doing interviews with foreigners in Japan and the stories of the ones that grew up there are just sad and depressing. It would suck to go through that all of them seemed traumatized by it.
Japan is kinda xenophobic. “Unfortunate” is such a Japanese way of putting it. Japan has way too many issues to be worrying about what Biden thinks. Is he wrong? I mean it’s not wrong. I grew up in Japan. I worked teaching English part-time while in college. One time while I was working, I heard xenophobic messages against “gaikokujin” (foreigners) blasting on a megaphone on the street outside the building.
Been denied employment at a Circle K for my race despite being fluent in Japanese. The manager who was hiring me told me why she couldn’t hire me. She seemed apologetic but still… Just another day for foreigners in Japan honestly. I mean Japan in general is racist as f*** even compared to the west lol, you’re just not supposed to say that as a diplomat.
“He’s….right…though.” Sure, a politically incorrect thing to say, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. If you translate the official Japanese response, it actually means “Biden’s words are typical from a dirty white.”
Japan’s population is in serious decline. There are labor shortages in many fields. If you look at Japan’s immigration, year by year the numbers are pitiful, 2/3 of which are labor immigrants who are only there temporarily and are required to leave after their term is up.
The requirements to become a Japanese citizen are exceedingly stringent and rather stupid – they actually check your refrigerator to see if you eat like a native. Their unwillingness to bend and allow their culture to assimilate and evolve will see their culture disappear in time.
To be fair, Japan is kinda known for being xenophobic and misogynistic. However, that doesn’t mean the president should be saying that. ‘Unfortunate,’ but accurate. Japan’s xenophobia is ‘unfortunate’… but true. Not unexpected from a western country. Unfortunately, the President’s remarks have not necessarily developed Japan to its advantage.
In conclusion, the issue of Japan being called xenophobic by President Joe Biden is complicated, given the cultural and historical context of the country. While many aspects of Japanese society may indicate xenophobic tendencies, addressing such deep-rooted issues requires a nuanced approach. The response from Japan, while acknowledging the comments made, also hints at a broader conversation that needs to be had regarding immigration, cultural integration, and national identity. It is essential to recognize and address these challenges openly and constructively, considering the impact they have on individuals and communities both domestically and internationally.