OzOzOz 2 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 Anyone ever come up against that at all in Japan? Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 Not up here in Tohoku, but all the time in Okinawa, where there is a large US Marine Corps population. A gentleman up in Hokkaido recently won a discrimination suit in the Japanese courts over a "No Gaijins Allowed" policy. That type of discrimination is illegal in the US and passionately enforced. Japan still has a lot to learn when it comes to equal rights. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 a few times have experienced it. Had to hold back my fists. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 right, here goes an invitation for a bashing. If I ran a business why couldn't I choose who comes in?? And why do I have to have a reason any better than "I dont like people from that country". Sure, that is a nasty attitude, and I don't at all mean to suggest that I have it such an attitude, but why can't I have it?? Link to post Share on other sites
mikazooki 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 cos ill bash ya!! Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 It was almost impossible for me to find an apartment in tokyo when I moved here (even with a japanese roomie). 90% of the landlords told the realtors I went to 'no gaijin'. That reaaaaly pissed me off. ....I'm not too sure on this, but I thought Japan had anti-discrimination laws.... anyone know? Link to post Share on other sites
Lama 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 walking through Soapland in Saporro a few seasons ago for the first time was quite interesting.... when we would walk past an "establishment" the bouncers just ignored us but you would see a nihon-gin walk past and the bouncers would go nuts trying to get the guy in!! Link to post Share on other sites
powwwers 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 giday everyone. i experienced it tha very first time i came to j-land, 4 years ago. i can`t remember getting pissed off, but i was certainly frustrated. all we wanted to do was enter a hostess bar and have a few drinks. i totally understand why they didn`t want us there. it happens tha world over. its not just a case of `everyones money is tha same`. sometimes tha hassle is just NOT worth tha money! Link to post Share on other sites
mikazooki 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 well, ray is right about the hokkaido claim, which was against an onsen/sento, so i guess they do have some anti-discrimination laws. i suppose its just a matter of enforcement. finding a pad is hard anywhere, but he barstuds make it infinitely more difficult with racist policies. i toatlly sympathise with u there. as for db's wishes to choose. i recommend members by invitaion only. also... (tatooed) yakuza arent allowed in many onsens/sentos. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 i should be careful about sounding racist with my previous post. All I know is that if I ran a business and I, for what ever reason, didnt want a certain client I should have the right to say so. Such a right is unworkable as it would instantly be an avenue for racist decision making. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 I had a lot of trouble trying to find a house last time. One house we liked, the landlord said "No gaijin". When I had a go at the estate agent for serving racists, he had a go at the landlord who then relented and said "If he's an Epson gaijin, no problem" and dropped the rent significantly. As it happened, I was no longer an Epson gaijin, and when the landlord was apprised of this, he said "No gaijin that are not Epson gaijin". Needless to say, all this tomfoolery wasted a lot of several people's time, and benefitted absolutely nobody, least of all the landlord. It was interesting for the estate agent as he had obviously never encountered a similar situation before, nor indeed ever considered the possibility. He turned out to be quite a stand-up sort of bloke in the end though. In some ways, it saves time and angst if racists come out and say "I'm a bigot and you can't come in", then you know where you stand. It's the ones who won't quite say it that cause the most trouble. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 as in employed by Epson, the company? Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 yea... whats an "Epson gaijin"? Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 O.K. Ocean, I'll come right out and say it. I'm a racist and a bigot. No gaijin girl is welcome in my bed. On second thought, if you're gorgeous that does count. And also if you have a nice personality. And...and...OH what the heck! All girls are welcome in my bed! Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 The funny thing about the word Gaijin is that no matter where Japanese are in the world the word does not conform to them. Being the minority in someone else's country and hearing Japanese people refer to all of those around them as Gaijin is rather hilarious. When you point this fact out the dumbfounded look on many a face is such a pleasant thing to watch too. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 oh tell me about it, I mentioned it on another post..... I called a japanese guy a gaijin when i was in europe. Talk about melting the computers wiring and cracking the motherboard!! Illogical, does not compute. system crash....... Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 Following up on what Mogski said, doesn't gaijin literally translate as "outside person"? If so, then yeah, Japanese calling a non-Japanese a gaijin when outside Japan is out of context and is hilarious. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 SUICIDAL TENDANCIES song "GAIJIN GO HOME!".. I loved it but when I was the only "gaijin" at their live I was rather stoked that they didn't play it! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 It depends where 'soto' is taken to be though. If it was a simple matter of borders or nationality, it would be funny, but that's not what it means. I'm convinced from the way it's used that it's a racially exclusive term. I once saw that nisei football commentator saying "Isn't it funny. Here am I looking like a Japanese and I'm not one, and Ramos doesn't look Japanese yet he is one." All the guests on the show nodded sagely and silently and a big invisible bubble appeared over their heads that said "BU-BUUUU..." The strangest thing is that I've seen 'pink' establishments clearly staffed by SE Asians that won't allow 'gaijin' on the premises. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 Interesting perspective, Ocean. Thanks. I was just looking at it at face value, looking at the Kanji in their Chinese context. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 27, 2003 Share Posted February 27, 2003 I think an establishment should be allowed to say who's allowed to a certain extent, i.e. a black tie resturant shouldn't allow me to enter if I'm wearing my snowboarding clothes... But discrimination based on skin color, or religion, sex etc? No. Not in a facility designed to serve the public. Private facilities - well, No there too. If they don't want me there simply because of my skin color, that doesn't say much about their character, so why should they profit off me anyway? They can make they money off their bigoted friends. Discrimination on an individual level mostly hurts feelings. Taken to a national level...well, we all know what happened during the holocaust... Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 Ray, there are actually quite a few establishments in Misawa that won't allow Americans. I was with a Japanese friend walking the backstreets a couple blocks off of white pole road and asked him about the restaraunts there. He said most of them wouldn't allow gaijins and showed me the sign that said it. I can't for the life of me remember the Kanji, but it does exist here. I'm reading a book right now called 'Inventing Japan; 1853-1964' by Ian Buruma (a UK dude). It has really opened my eyes as to why the Japanese are the way they are in some instances. Pick it up at the BX for a great read on current Japanese History. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 I don't get out much in Misawa City - I haven't even walked down White Pole road in the 15 months we've been up here. Momo and I go to Jals Karaoke place but no bars etc. Weeknights make it too tough to get up in the am, and Fri/sat late nights and I won't be up in any shape to make the long drives to the slopes. Not that I don't mind getting hammered, love that, but my preference is to get up and either go snowboarding or jet skiing... I must be getting old - I remember when I used to be able to do both... Link to post Share on other sites
OzOzOz 2 Posted February 28, 2003 Author Share Posted February 28, 2003 Sounds like an interesting book, plucky. When I first came here I bought tons of "Japan" books, most were already out of date. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 Anyone read "The Kimono Mind" by Rudofsky? It was written in the 60s and sounds similar. I haven't read it but it was highly recommended to me. Link to post Share on other sites
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