Why Are There So Many Racist and Xenophobic Japanese Online?
I’ve been living in Japan for a while now. I own a house, am married to a Japanese woman, have children with her, and even own a business here. I can safely say that this is my home. I’ve never had any significant problems with racism here, at least where I live. Except for that one time a drunk guy in his 20s saw me walking at night and said, “Ah, gaijin da.” Needless to say, I don’t think he’ll be calling random strangers that again after what transcribed after.
People who have never been to Japan might think it’s a perfect country with no problems. That’s because Japanese people tend to keep quiet about the negative issues. The media keeps quiet as well, mostly because the news has to go through a government filter before airing. They don’t talk about the pedophilia that goes on publicly. They don’t talk about police officers blatantly violating people’s rights, especially foreigners. For example, they might stop random foreigners to check their bags, even though Article 35 of the constitution protects citizens from being randomly searched. They shouldn’t even be asking to see people’s bags randomly, much less make it seem like it’s legal. Which brings me to the next point.
The Proud and the Politically Ignorant
Japanese people are very proud. They’re also very politically ignorant. They don’t know their own laws. Since I spend a lot of time online, I get the chance to interact with people from all backgrounds, especially Japanese.
Whenever someone posts about anything negative about Japan, whether is that it’s hard to make friends or perhaps an interaction with the police where their rights were clearly violated, like being profiled and targeted for a random search, random Japanese commenters come out of the woodwork spewing xenophobic and racist nonsense. “Go home!” or “Entitled American.” They might even go personal, saying they are being targeted because of how they look, like having tattoos or being fat. Yeah, because clearly, all our problems are solved by making fun of someone’s waistline.
The Two Faces of Japan: Omote and Ura
This is funny because, again, I have barely had any problems with racism in person, but this seems to be prevalent online. So, either there are a lot of racist Japanese who don’t say what they think in person because of the whole “omote/ura” concept (the two faces philosophy), or they use social media to express their true feelings because they feel protected that way. If I keep my profile private, my name hidden, and no profile picture, I won’t get punched in the face for being an ass.
There was one instance of a video where a foreigner was stopped by the police for no reason other than his appearance. The comment section was a flood of Japanese people defending the police’s actions and attacking the foreigner for not “respecting Japanese culture.” Others cried “maybe he has a weapon.” Maybe you have dildo in your bag so why not just let me see your bag? It made me wonder if they even understood their own country’s laws (Ahem, Japanese Constitution Article 35) or if they were just blindly following a misguided sense of patriotism. Must be nice to live in a bubble where the law only applies to others.
Enjoy the gallery of racism and xenophobia! (Pictures coming soon):
The Internet: A Safe Haven for Jerks
Another time, I saw a video of a group of foreigners being verbally harassed on a temple by this middle age woman who kept following and video taping them for the oh so hurtful crime of laughing a bit too hard in a shrine once. You can see the group apologizing in the video and even trying to tell the lady she was right, but she kept harassing them. The comments were shocking, with people saying things like, “This is Japan, not America. If you don’t like it, leave.” It’s almost as if these online warriors don’t realize that their behavior is the mirror image of the racism that they point out yet is shunned in other Countries. Ironic.
I’ve talked to Japanese friends about this disparity between online and real-life behavior. They recognize it but often shrug and say, “That’s just how they are in Japan.” But it’s more than that. It reflects a side of society that is hidden behind the facade of politeness and respect. Online, there are no repercussions for being a jerk, so people let their true colors show. Apparently, the internet is where decency goes to die. This behavior is seen in other countries. The difference? In other countries, citizens condemn this behavior. Not in Japan.
If you’re Japanese and you’re reading this, please, don’t be a dick. Be a decent human being. Also, show interest in your country beyond blindly defending it from criticism. It’s okay to love your country and still acknowledge its flaws. In fact, that’s the only way to make it better.
So, why are there so many racist and xenophobic Japanese online? Maybe it’s because they feel safe behind their screens, or perhaps it’s because they are the ones one the lower side of the country’s exceptional IQ. Whatever the reason, it’s a problem that needs addressing. And if you ever find yourself tempted to leave a nasty comment, remember: the internet might seem like a safe place to vent, but it’s also a mirror reflecting who you truly are.
