All Of JApan..

Japan is still a wonderful place to visit.

Japan is a beautiful country with a rich culture and heritage and some of the kindest, most hospitable people I have ever met. It has some of the most breathtaking sights, most delicious cuisine, and best entertainment anywhere. It is also arguably the safest countries in the world to travel in.

Matsumoto Castle

Yes, if you are not Japanese you will generally be treated differently. This doesn’t necessarily mean in a derogatory way, however. On the contrary, the Japanese generally go to extraordinary lengths to be accommodating to guests in their country.

In my own travels around Japan I have frequently had complete strangers go out of their way to help me, even when it wasn’t necessary. A few times I’ve even been shocked by people I just randomly struck up a conversation with buying me expensive gifts as a gesture of goodwill and welcome. These are not people in the service or tourist industries, but just regular folks. Honestly, I have never experienced the same level of hospitality anywhere else I have traveled, including my own country.

Sure, these new fingerprinting policies will mean more hassle for you in the airport, but as a temporary visitor you’ll probably never see any of the more unpleasant aspects of the gaijin experience. Even if you were to spend a year or two in Japan it’s unlikely that you’ll face much in the way of real serious racism during your time there. For the most part, only permanent resident foreigners ever really have to deal with the uglier aspects of Japan’s xenophobic policies.

There are plenty of people in Japan who are not racist.

Sure, you may experience cases of sabetsu (discrimination) from some people, and certainly from the government, but there are a great many Japanese who do not think that way. It’s deceptively easy to making sweeping generalizations about the Japanese because they have such a high degree of groupthink and cultural homogenization, so it’s important to remember that they are still individuals with their own beliefs and opinions.

I have met racist people and been discriminated against in Japan, but that was the exception, not the rule. While there are definitely xenophobic and nationalist attitudes in Japan that bother me, and while I won’t hesitate to stand up and denounce those attitudes when I see them, I don’t want you to be fooled into thinking that all of Japan is like that.

I’ve met many wonderful people and made some great friends in Japan.

So basically all of this to say, if you’re thinking of taking a trip to see Japan, or if you were considering working there for a year or two on a temporary visa – go for it! Japan is amazing. I would hate to see anyone turn away from the wonderful experiences and opportunities it affords just because of a few xenophobic policies.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as incensed about this whole fiasco as every other gaijin resident. Yes, I hate these new policies and the attitudes behind them. Yes, I hate cops who stop anyone foreign looking to question them. Yes, I hate landlords who outright refuse to rent to anyone who is not ethnic Japanese. More than all that, however, I still love Japan, and I hope you can learn to love it, too.