Japan struggles with racism

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readerc54

Japan struggles with racism

Post by readerc54 »

From Japan Times

Rent application denials, Japanese-only recruitment and racist taunts are among the most rampant forms of discrimination faced by foreign residents in Japan, according to the results of the country’s first nationwide survey on the issue, released Friday.

The unprecedented survey of 18,500 expats of varying nationalities at the end of last year paints a comprehensive picture of deeply rooted discrimination in Japan as the nation struggles to acclimate to a recent surge in foreign residents and braces for an even greater surge in tourists in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It also represents the latest in a series of fledgling steps taken by Japan to curb racism, following last year’s first-ever video analysis by the Justice Ministry of anti-Korea demonstrations and the enactment of a law to eradicate hate speech.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/0 ... imination/
fountainhall

Re: Japan struggles with racism

Post by fountainhall »

Unfortunately racism being deeply entrenched in many Japanese goes back centuries. Having worked there (and still loving the country), I know first hand that it can come in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Rooting it out will take many decades, if not longer. Not only was the country geographically more isolated than many civilisations (Korea is 180 kms away, continental Russia 300 kms and China 750 kms - whereas Britain is just 35 kms from France), we need to remember that it was closed off from the rest of the world for 260 years and also that its people come from a gene pool that is probably the most "pure" and undiluted anywhere. Japan is basically a mini-conservative universe that has changed little over many thousands of years.

Yet let's remember that it has also very successfully hosted three previous Olympics - the summer games in Tokyo in 1964 and winter games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998. I have no doubts that racism will be be successfully squashed during the 2020 games - unfortunately to reappear not long after the closing ceremony.
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Captain Kirk
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Re: Japan struggles with racism

Post by Captain Kirk »

Is there a country anywhere which does not struggle with racism or discrimination?
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