Go Native 70 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Check the following link http://www.letsjapan.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=255557 Of course the rape/assault case by a US soldier in Okinawa was headline news throughout the country for days (the girl in this case has since dropped the charges). Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 pretty scary actually. "walk around arrogantly, come on to Japanese girls in the clubs" Imagine coming on to girls in a club!! throttle him your honour! Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 not too sure why you are using the word "typical" here Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 Because it's typical for Japanese media and government to demonise the big bad gaijin whilst glossing over the seamier side of their own culture. Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 would it be any different in your own country? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 Generally yes it would be. But then I'm from a country that is multicultural. Still as far as I'm concerned this is my home now (I have no intention of ever moving back to Aus) and just as I would be critical of such racism if I found it in Aus, I am critical of it here. Just because I live in a country where racism is endemic and condoned from the top down doesn't mean I should just accept it. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 so you are saying that its the Japanese media and government that are racist...and not the people in general? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 this debate again?!?!? I dont think Japanese are as racist as they are just ignorant. But thats just me. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Originally Posted By: Creek Boy I dont think Japanese are as racist as they are just ignorant. But thats just me. no that sounds about right..... Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 As though ignorance has ever been a good excuse.... Racism whether the result of hatred or ignorance is still racism and we shouldn't just have to accept it. I didn't accept it in Aus so why should I accept it here? Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Quote: Watanabe apparently works as a DJ in the club where he attacked Scott. He held him by his throat while hitting him and the report suggests that Scott may have died from strangulation. Watanabe is reported to have said "I went too far". I'd really like the full force of Japanese law to come down on this guy - he should be made to bow *at least* 35 degrees when saying sorry to the victims family. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Originally Posted By: stemik Originally Posted By: Creek Boy I dont think Japanese are as racist as they are just ignorant. But thats just me. no that sounds about right..... Rascism is a kind of willful ignorance. Where people are caught up in stereotypes (usually negative) to contemplate anything else. Ignorance might be not knowing the national anthem to some foriegn person's home country. Rascism might be blindly assuming that all forigners are incapable of using chopsticks. Link to post Share on other sites
tripitaka 0 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan Rascism might be blindly assuming that all forigners are incapable of using chopsticks. No, I think that's just provincial. Imagine if you complimented a Japanese person on their use of a knife and fork. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Only if i assumed all Japanese were incapable of using knives and forks, because they were obvioulsy raised in a country where cutlery doesn't exist, and the the Canadian eveing entertainment shows kept perpetuating the myth, along with the fact that Japanese people are extremely violent at sporting events. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan Originally Posted By: stemik Originally Posted By: Creek Boy I dont think Japanese are as racist as they are just ignorant. But thats just me. no that sounds about right..... Ignorance might be not knowing the national anthem to some foriegn person's home country. Rascism might be blindly assuming that all forigners are incapable of using chopsticks. oh dear my wife's 93 year old grandmother is racist as she commented on me being able to use chopsticks...... Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 the chopsticks thing is just japanese trying to be nice. if anything it is the opposite of racism - they are trying to befriend you. racism is something like openly being aggresive to someone based on their race. or, saying nothing and not employing them. i guess the latter occurs here, towards other asians or burakumin, but they are no worse at this than in say the UK. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 i disagree. Rascism is just judging someone based on stereotypes. It can frindly or demeaning, depending on how it is used. For example, i would say that a Canadian guy who only dates Japanese girls because he thinks they all shar some desireable characteristic is rascist. But in the end, it is still judgement based on predjudice, not reality. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 who would the Canadian be racist against...I find he might be a bit shallow but racist... Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Oyuki, In short.. Racism is discrimination or prejudice based on race. A guy who decides he likes Japanese girls or any other type of girls isn't doing harm to other nationalities girls unless he bags them or puts them down due to their race. The example given clearly about the Canadian guy is more like a preference. I prefer chocolate ice cream over Vanilla, does that mean I am racist? surely not, but it is my preference. We have to remember one thing when dealing with nations like Japan is that it's not extremely multi cultural like some of our countries, which are more open to accepting other nationalities (though sometimes they go a bit overboard) I got the old chop sticks thing today.. my usual comeback is the knife and fork,, but I've given up. It annoys me but it's not the R word. Link to post Share on other sites
nagoid 4 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I agree. Here here. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Originally Posted By: Indo Oyuki, In short.. Racism is discrimination or prejudice based on race. I can agree on that definition. Quote: A guy who decides he likes Japanese girls or any other type of girls isn't doing harm to other nationalities girls unless he bags them or puts them down due to their race. by your own definition, that is rascism. The guy is judging the girls based on race or nationality. Whether or not it happens to be 'positive' or 'negative' is not the point. You are judging someone based on some kind of pre-concieved stereotype. If you kmean that rascism has to be overtly negative to be called 'rascism' (which is usually when it gets all the attention), then i disagree with you. Quote: The example given clearly about the Canadian guy is more like a preference. I prefer chocolate ice cream over Vanilla, does that mean I am racist? surely not, but it is my preference. Of course there are some qualities we like and dislike. And some cultures may produce people with more of a certain quality than others. Which is fine. The problem comes when you assume people have there qualities based on where they are from, or what they look like, rather than what they actually are. That is rascism to me. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Originally Posted By: Indo Oyuki, In short.. Racism is discrimination or prejudice based on race. A guy who decides he likes Japanese girls or any other type of girls isn't doing harm to other nationalities girls unless he bags them or puts them down due to their race. The example given clearly about the Canadian guy is more like a preference. I prefer chocolate ice cream over Vanilla, does that mean I am racist? surely not, but it is my preference. We have to remember one thing when dealing with nations like Japan is that it's not extremely multi cultural like some of our countries, which are more open to accepting other nationalities (though sometimes they go a bit overboard) I got the old chop sticks thing today.. my usual comeback is the knife and fork,, but I've given up. It annoys me but it's not the R word. Very balanced view Indo. Also remembering that Japan being open to immigration/migration/tourism is really NEW compared to how long other nations have been doing it - and therefore used to it. My Nan is a fabulous woman, can take a balanced view at most issues, and she has 'grown' in accepting other nationanalities over the past 20 yrs since I have been taking notice - but I would consider her to harbour racist prejudices - ones that stem from being in the Wrens during WW2. She fights the deep feelings she has and does her level best not to let others see - I adore and respect her. But at the end of the day those prejudices will only leave when she passes. The same prejudices are not in my parents, because thier expereinces are different - they have DIFFERENT prejudices! My point being - tolerance takes exposure, education and TIME. It will happen, but not over night. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Aside from this debate over the definition of racism, and getting back to the original point, It seems to me there are 2 points to consider here. 1. You can't compare the handling of this particular case in the media to the okinawa case(s). Why? Because the okinawa case needs to be seen in the wider perspective and context of all the continual crimes (however small or large) that have been committed by the US military in Okinawa over a long period of time. It isn't so much the outrage over a single crime but over the perceived continuing trend over a long period. An actual study of real crime figures per nationality (including Japanese) may reveal a different story, but that is beside the point in how the media handled this case, because it is considered related to this long and drawn out issue. Not a one off single crime like the other murder case. 2. There have been other crimes comitted by Japanese against foreigners in Japan that have been sensational and fully covered by the Japanese media. Remember Sara Blackman? The media went nuts over that whole case. And there have been others. Let's not have selective memories for the convenience of painting the Japanese as racist due to the media coverage given. And since when does the media accurately reflect the average persons views on things?? The media presents what it wants to present for sensationalist reasons. PErhaps this is the bigger issue here. What is more sensational and gets ratings? Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 MB, that was quite eloquent. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Originally Posted By: Bushpig And since when does the media accurately reflect the average persons views on things?? The media presents what it wants to present for sensationalist reasons. PErhaps this is the bigger issue here. What is more sensational and gets ratings? Yup - the news is a business. It is not in their best interest to provide accurate, balanced coverage of the world's events. Link to post Share on other sites
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