"Japanese Only"

Japan is, for the most part, the land of opportunities if you happen to be a gaijin. The perks of being a foreigner far outweigh the cons. Where else in the world can a guy who looks like Harry Potter be considered a sex symbol or a guy with very limited acting and social skills make it to the pinnacle of Japanese show business simply because he is not Japanese?!

(Below: Patrick Harlan, an American celebrity here in Japan. He started out as an English teacher and has an entire show devoted to documenting his zany gaijin life!)



The "zeros-to-heroes" story is demonstrated to the casual observer everyday here in Tokyo. Television is full of goofy foreigners who wouldn't even dream of being on the tube back home where their skin color is not a novelty. A comic strip that is popular among expat teachers features a super hero named "Charisma Man" who has no powers of seduction and charm on his "...home planet of Canada."


(click to enlarge)


Rarely do people experience the dark underbelly of gaijin life in Japan. People are so polite and courteous that you don't seem to notice it at all. But every so often, you come across a sign like this:


Regis and I saw this sign when we were in Ikebukuro. Granted, it was in front of a porno/prostitution shop, so any gaijin who wanted to go in here is probably not the type of gaijin I would want to associate with. Nonetheless, in an age when politics in the USA has "transcended race," and discrimination issues seem to be associated exclusively with the third world, finding a sign that bars you from a business because of your race in a developed country like Japan is a bit disturbing.

Apparently these signs are not so uncommon. Scanning articles on the web and in periodicals over the years, many restaurants, bathhouses, adult video stores, prostitution venues and beauty salons in Japan have signs barring gaijin. Rowdy gaijin clientele with different drinking and eating habits most likely precipitated the restaurants to bar foreigners. The xenophobic association of foreigners with STDs on the part of the Japanese is probably the most likely cause of video stores and prostitution houses to hang the signs. Bathhouses are notorious for having the Japanese only rule because the foreign customers (usually military guys from the USA or Russia) show up drunk and do things in the "pure" water that quickly make it impure.

It is easy to dismiss these racist signs as just a part of the quirky "Japanese culture." Many foreigners often say: "Hey, we are guests in their country! Who are we to judge?" But shouldn't we have standards that we hold all countries to? Are human rights and human needs different when you cross an arbitrary border? I don't think so! Japan needs to get rid of these signs if it ever wants to be considered a true modern democracy! I am not saying we should organize a "bath-in" at the local bathhouse that prohibits gaijin from entering, but I am saying that we should be diligent watchdogs for these "Japanese Only" signs and criticize them publicly whenever we get a chance.