Izanau
Beta
  • English
  • 日本語
  • 中文
  • Articles
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Candidates
  • About
  • Students
  • 企業向け
  • 企業向け
  • FAQ
  • Work Tips
  • Life Tips
  • Register
  • Log In
日本語 中文
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Work in Japan
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Google+

Is Japan Racist?

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Japanese people for the first time are grappling with what globalization means in the context of history and the future

Employment of foreignerslife in Japanforeigners in Japanracism in JapanJapan bring foreignersJapan RacistJapanese racial issuesJapan blackfacexenophobia in JapanDiscrimination in Japanforeigners working in Japanwork in japanLive in JapanKoreans in Japanracial discrimination in JapanZainichi Koreanssocial issues in Japanracial ignorance in JapanForeign Residents Survey Japandiscriminatory speech in Japanjobs in Jaapnhate speech in Japan
Is Japan Racist?

Japan, for most of modern history has concocted an illusion of self-identity propagated by literature known as Nihonjinron. Central to this illusion is the idea that the country is homogenous and therefore racial, religious or ethnic discrimination could not exist in a place with no diversity and thus, government policies protecting these classes from discrimination were unnecessary. But today, as the number of foreign residents exceeds 2.5 million – roughly 2 percent of the overall population and continues to grow – their age old narrative has begun to melt and Japanese people for the first time are grappling with what this all means in the context of history and the future. They are discovering that like the insightful lyrics from the award winning musical Avenue Q: “Everyone is a little bit racist.”

This is, by the way how Americans viewed Japan during WW2:

Japs WW2

Of course, Japan’s homogeneity is a myth, and like all countries has a shameful history of suppressing indigenous peoples, namely the Ainu in Hokkaido (who finally became recognised as an indigenous people in 2008) the Ryukyuan in Okinawa (technically Japan’s largest ethnic minority but still unrecognised as such), and the Burakumin (not ethnically different but known as the lowest caste in Japanese society). Post WWII, the influx of foreign residents from Japan's occupied territories – primarily China and Korea – that chose to remain in Japan, didn’t fare too well either. The Joint Civil Society Report on Racial Discrimination in Japan submitted by the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net) in August of this year details historical and recent accounts of injustices experienced by minorities with a primary focus on the post WWII Korean community known as Zainichi Koreans. The tone of the report is bleak and upon reading the entire 81 pages it wouldn’t be farfetched to assume that Japan is in the ranks with Apartheid South Africa. Some context might be vital perhaps.

Historically, Japan’s “sameness myth” has served the country well; from the devastation the country found itself in in 1945, Japan has managed to toggle between the second and third largest economies in the world since the 1980s. It cannot be emphasised enough that Japan did this without any natural resources, rather with blind faith in a collective national goal and the work ethic that came with it. So for the generation who dedicated their lives to Japan Inc., it might be hard to fathom the benefit of diversity for their country’s future, this can end up translating into xenophobia and resistance to change.

Human Rights organisations have repeatedly encouraged lawmakers to implement anti-discrimination legislation and to collect comprehensive data on prejudices experienced by foreign residents. It wasn’t until 2016 that the government took two baby steps in line with these recommendations. The first was an Act “promoting efforts to eliminate discriminatory speech,” –which doesn’t actually set out provisions on how and what needs to be done, just that discriminatory speech should be eliminated – and the second was a Foreign Residents Survey commissioned by the Ministry of Justice asking foreign residents about encounters with discrimination. The survey had 4,252 respondents across 37 cities, and while the methods and results of the survey can be debated, it is a small glimpse into first hand accounts of disparate treatment foreigners in Japan experience.

A summary of (negative) talking points that have been making the rounds on the internet and various media outlets are: 39.3% of foreigners who sought a new residence experienced some kind of discrimination, 25% experienced discrimination at school or work, and around 33% experienced some kind of derogatory comments all within the last 5 years. Many caveats to the data can be listed here but the most glaring one is that the Zainichi Koreans were lumped in with all other foreigners for this survey, and their historical and social situation is too complex and delicate to be applied alongside the graduate student from Bangkok and the engineer from Bangalore. The largest point that the survey made is that discrimination exists, as it does everywhere in the world, more data is essential and now the Japanese government can’t say they didn’t know.

As a response to this survey, the YouTube Channel Asian Boss took to the streets of Tokyo and asked random foreigners about their personal experiences and their responses were, albeit anecdotal, far less tenuous. A man from Fiji after having been refused entry into a drinking establishment still believed that Japanese people are more uninformed than racist and acts of discrimination were “ninja-like” rather than aggressive. And another responder, American of South Asian decent, pointed out that often apprehension from the side of the Japanese person can be dissipated with credentials and associations (e.g. the company that you work for or even Japanese language abilities), often it is a question of exposure rather than inbred racism. AsianBoss then went and asked Japanese people what they thought about Abe’s plan to bring in large numbers of foreign workers to fill the gaps in the Japanese labor market. The respondents had their reservations about immigrants ability to acclimatise to Japanese ways, but most acknowledged that Japan needs to become more globalised and inviting foreigners to live and work in Japan will be beneficial for the country and the mindset of its people.

Racist Japan

In a separate interview Asian Boss asked people in Osaka their opinions about people form China and Korea. Fascinatingly, because the dark details of Japan’s history with its East Asian neighbours are all but glossed over in national text books, the young people interviewed astutely observed the difference in their opinions from their parents and grandparents. They also blamed the mass media for disseminating negative stereotypes about each other on both sides, but when they became friends with someone from one of those two countries, they saw the person and not the historical drama.

With this backdrop of forward thinking young people, the Zaitokukai – the ultra right-wing facist group against Zainichi Koreans – hold regular demonstrations and have a strong online presence.But people are fighting back. In the western city of Kobe, a Zaitokukai protest (that consisted of all of 30 people and a police blockade 3 times the size) was surrounded by anti-hate speech protesters demanding a racism free country. This 12 minute video shows an aggressive side of Japanese people, fighting for what they believe in, in addition local governments have utilised the Anti-Hate Speech Act as justification to fine the Zaitokukai in civil lawsuits brought against them for their savage behaviour against Zainichi Koreans.

The behaviours of a few do not define the experience of a country. Historical notions of Japan-ism coupled with fear and lack of exposure and negative impressions broadcast by those with the loudest voices is making waves in Japan, but for now it is safe to say that cooler heads are prevailing. More people are coming into Japan and changing the hearts and minds of the average Japanese person. That coupled with landmark institutional changes as seen in Kyoto’s Seika University, where Oussouby Sacko, native to Mali, and a naturalised Japanese citizen of 16 years, became the first African-born President of a Japanese University, are propelling the country in the right direction. He surely has his own vision about how to globalise and modernise his university which will inevitably impact future generations of Japanese citizens for the better. 

My colleague Hugo Clark has written an article about the practical sides of dealing with Racism in Japan, in case you are interested.

To read more about the Japan’s Zainichi Korean population, Izanau recommends the following academic papers:

Zainichi: The Korean Diaspora in Japan by John Lie

The Status and Role of Ethnic Koreans in the Japanese Economy by Toshiyuki Tamura



----------------------------------------------

Want to work in Japan?

Sign up here to connect directly with Japanese companies. 

Or check out our latest job postings here.



  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Google+
About the Author
Nerea Inamar

I've been in Japan so long that I say my heart is Japanese. And still this country impresses me from time to time. In those moments I think, "That's why I love living in Japan."

  • Latest Jobs
ドローンサービスのフロント・バックエンド業務
Other IT, Communications
DAIYASERVICE Inc.
ドローンによる空撮・インフラ点検・実証実験のフロントおよびバックエンドの業務を担当頂きたいと思います。かなり多岐に渡りますので、マルチタスクが好きな方を歓迎します。その他、ブロックコーディングソフト「Scratch」を使用したプログラミング教室の講師のお仕事もございます。
Monthly Salary ¥20 ~ ¥30
Chiba 千葉市花見川区
Full-time
Apply Now
Brand Ambassador
Business Consulting, Think-tanks
INS Global KK
Type of contract: commission only Supervisor: Operations Manager Work Location: Japan - Remote Work (Office based in Tokyo)
Tokyo Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku
Not applicable
Apply Now
English teacher for kids in Gifu prefecture
Education, Training
英会話スクールWin
We are currently accepting applications for a position of a new part-time native English Instructor. We are a fun but professional organization and give students practical English lessons. We are looking for somebody to ...
Monthly Salary ¥160K ~ ¥190K
Gifu 可児市皐ケ丘4-13
Part-time
Apply Now
Latest Articles
  • Monday, October 26, 2020
  • Labor Shortages in Japan (July 2020 Statistics)

  • Friday, October 16, 2020
  • What Might Japan’s Energy Future Look Like?

  • Thursday, October 8, 2020
  • Jobs in Japan During a Global Pandemic

  • Sunday, September 6, 2020
  • Discrimination and Stigma in Japanese Society: The Case of COVID-19

  • Tuesday, August 4, 2020
  • Racism Denial: The Case of Japan

  • Friday, July 17, 2020
  • Labor Shortages in Japan (May 2020 Statistics)

  • Tuesday, June 23, 2020
  • Homelessness, Social Stigma, and Fringes of Japanese Society

  • Monday, June 8, 2020
  • Gambling, Pachinko and the Impact of the COVID-19

  • Friday, June 5, 2020
  • Government Support for International Students and Foreigners Living in Japan During the Coronavirus

  • Monday, May 18, 2020
  • COVID-19 and University Life in Japan

  • Saturday, May 9, 2020
  • How to Apply for the ¥100,000 Coronavirus Government Support Money

  • Wednesday, May 6, 2020
  • To Those Who Have Lost Their Jobs Because of the State of Emergency In Japan

  • Wednesday, April 29, 2020
  • What is it like being LGBT in Japan?

  • Friday, April 24, 2020
  • ¥100,000 Japanese Government Support Money. Do you qualify?

  • Thursday, April 23, 2020
  • Visas and Government Support for Foreigners During the Coronavirus in Japan

  • Thursday, April 16, 2020
  • Why Can’t Japan Work From Home?

  • Friday, April 3, 2020
  • Japan Coronavirus Information Site List by Prefecture (Phone Consultations Available)

  • Monday, March 30, 2020
  • Job Search Support for International Students in Japan

  • Tuesday, March 24, 2020
  • The Coronavirus and the Olympics

  • Thursday, March 12, 2020
  • What to do during Volcanic Eruptions in Japan

  • Wednesday, March 4, 2020
  • Qualifying for the Highly Skilled Foreign Professional Visa Schedule (1) in Japan

  • Thursday, February 27, 2020
  • What to do when you miss the last train home in Japan

  • Friday, February 21, 2020
  • Viral and Vulnerable: Japan and the Coronavirus

  • Tuesday, February 18, 2020
  • Japan’s Future: Will they embrace their hāfu population?

  • Wednesday, February 12, 2020
  • Jobs with Labor Shortages in Japan, Ranked (2019) January 2020 Update

  • Thursday, February 6, 2020
  • Hāfu: What it means to Japanese in a Changing Japan

  • Saturday, November 30, 2019
  • A Beginner’s Guide to the Labyrinth of Dating Apps in Japan

  • Thursday, November 21, 2019
  • Racing with Marriage - A Peculiar Trend of Modern Japan

  • Friday, November 1, 2019
  • Cost of living in Japan: Housing

  • Thursday, October 31, 2019
  • MyMizu App - Water tapping app in Japan

See All Articles

Work in Japan, Enjoy Japan

Finding a job abroad may seem challenging, but Izanau is here to make the process simple. Register now and you're one step closer to enjoying your new life in Japan.
Register your account

Jobs In Japan Made Simple
Copyright © 2021 Active Gaming Media. All Rights Reserved
About Izanau
  • Contact Us
SiteMap
  • Articles
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Candidates
Terms of Use
  • For Candidates
  • For Corporations
Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
IZANAUパートナープログラム
  • 紹介会社様はこちら
IZANAUパートナープログラム
  • 外国人材を紹介したい方はこちら
Sign Up
  • For Candidates
  • For Corporations
Language
  • English
  • 日本語
  • 中文
Follow Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Izanau.