Is There Racism in Japan?

photo credits: https://www.pinterest.com/morisue/life-inspiration/

I haven't been blogging lately because my right wrist is not well. It's hard to type with one hand. I want to write a lot of things, my head's already bursting with ideas but they have to wait. In the meantime, I'll just post something I've started last week before my wrist got painful. I'll write a conclusion once I can type with both hands.

Is there racism in Japan?

My answer: There's racism everywhere, in any country- rich or poor, developed or developing, communist or democratic. That's the reality of life simply because all people have certain assumptions about other people from different culture. Before you call me a liar and claim that you don't have assumptions and you don't have stereotypes, try to do this activity:

Think of the first word that comes to your mind about citizens of any country - Chinese. Australian, Brazilian, German, etc. etc. The words you associate with them are most probably personal assumptions. (I'd like to explain this from a philosophical standpoint but you might get bored so let's leave it at that.)

So, is there racism in Japan? Yes, there is.

FAQ's on Living in Japan

photo credit: http://www.lolbrary.com/

Here are the most frequently -asked questions about living in Japan.

Check here for: FAQ's on Teaching English in Japan.
Check here for: FAQ's on Working in Japan


1. Do I need to learn Japanese if I live in Japan? 

Life would be so much easier if you can speak and read Japanese. But the language should not stop you from coming here. You'll survive (and you'll eventually learn some Japanese) if you move here.

2. Is Japan an expensive place to live? 

I used to think Japan is an expensive place because I keep on converting everything to peso. Eventually, I realized that Japan is a reasonable place to live in. The bulk of your expenses will go to rent especially if you live in big cities. I think housing is the only expensive thing in Japan.Other than that, you can buy affordable clothes, food, things and necessities if you know where to look.

Check this post, Just Moved to Japan: Where to Buy Affordable Things

3. Can I migrate to Japan? 

You can work in Japan but becoming a permanent resident is difficult. And, becoming a citizen is almost impossible. The Japanese government grant citizenship to those who have "Japanese blood," such as children or grandchildren of Japanese people who intermarried.

A lot of studies have cited that Japan needs to ease it's immigration policies because of the aging population. But as of the present time, it seems like the "no immigration"policy is as solid as ever,

4. How are foreigners treated in Japan? 

There is no straight answer to this except it depends on what country you came from.

The Japanese are not overtly discriminatory nor racist but there's a difference in their treatment among different colors. I'm Asian so the Japanese are not as interested with me as when they see an American or European.

Check this post for more details, Is There Racism in Japan?

With these being said, the Japanese are generally polite and helpful to foreigners. But it's rare to find a Japanese who will not make your "not being Japanese," a glaring detail.

5. How is the radiation problem in Japan? 

Because of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, some people are still afraid to come to Japan. The radiation and nuclear meltdown are still issues 5 years after the Big Disaster. However, these happened in the northern part of Japan. If you're planning to live in the Central Area or South Area, you are less prone to these problems.

6. Where are the best places to live in Japan?

This question is hard to answer. It really depends on what you want to do in Japan.

The big cities are great for party people. There are also plenty of jobs there.
The smaller cities like Hamamatsu are calmer and perfect for starting a family.
The more rural places are more peaceful and more closely-knit.

I live in Hamamatsu and I really like it here. It's a small city bordered by the sea and the mountains. I love nature so I like it. There are also plenty of jobs here since there are many factories in the area.

7. What should I prepare before to Japan? 

Cash and patience.

For practical reasons, you'll be needing cash to rent a place and buy the things you need.
Patience, and understanding too, because the Japanese are not entirely easy to deal with. Some banks and shops don't want to deal with foreigners, especially the newly-arrived ones. Rental can also be a problem.

Check these posts: Living in Japan

8. What bills should I pay when I live in Japan?

The bills are the most annoying things for me. There's two taxes you have to pay,  residence and prefectural tax, There's also the income tax which your employer will deduct from you, There's health insurance but you still have to pay 30 percent of your medical bills. There's the national pension. And the NHK payment if you own a TV. There are many bills, basically.


Japan is a generally nice place to live. It's convenient, safe and clean. But it's not perfect like any other place in the world.

Good luck if you're moving here!

To Be a Filipina in Japan

Beer Museum in Sapporo, Hokkaido

There are numerous posts on how foreigners are treated in Japan. They're usually from the white people, you know the Americans and Europeans. The tall blue-eyed blondes with high noses. And yes, I'm stereotyping because really, that's the concept of ''gaijin'' in Japan. Actually, in this side of Asia, that's the perfect poster image of a ''gaijin.''

So anyway, I'll throw in my share on the blog-o-sphere on how foreigners are treated in Japan. Although I'm Asian and my features can pass as a Japanese, I am a foreigner. And not just a foreigner, but a FILIPINA. I can probably say that the experience of Filipinas in Japan is different from the white, yellow and black ladies outthere. (No racism intended just being literary.)

As a Filipina in Japan, here are the most common assumptions about me. Other Filipinas, I'm sure, can relate too. 

1. I was an entertainer before being a teacher. 

Before the bubble economy hit Japan, Filipinas came to Japan to work as entertainers. There was a massive industry for dancers and singers in Japan. In fact, one of my late uncles was a trainer for dancers who are bound to Japan. Then the economy slowed. Suddenly, the entertainers' wages got lower and so the women had to resort to other entertaining activities. Hence, the term ''entertainer'' got a different connotation. 

Fast forward to now. Most Filipinas in Japan have been an entertainer but now doing other things including teaching English. I was very young when the entertainment industry boomed but some people think that I used the ''entertainer ticket'' before becoming an English teacher.  

Brazilians in Japan: No Moderates

When I first came to Hamamatsu two years ago, I was surprised to find so many Brazilians.A Japanese friend told me then that there are many Brazilians and other foreigners in the area because of the numerous car factories based in Hamamatsu.  The city center is overflowing with them. There were other nationalities too- Filipinos, Indians and other Asians but the Brazilians are the most noticeable. They don't blend in and they don't seem to try to blend in. They just stand out.

credit: http://web.mit.edu/fll/www/newsletter/2012/02/20/

I didn't have the chance to be friends with Brazilians in the area. Most of the Brazilians I met cannot speak English. I'm also kinda overwhelmed by their personality. (No racism intended. I'm just really overwhelmed.) They're so full of character. There was also this one time when a group of young Brazilians were asked to leave Saizeriya. They were so loud that the other customers complained. Interestingly, they didn't argue and just left the place without a fuss. 

Fast forward to present time, I'm suddenly in the midst of many Brazilian junior high school students. Six percent of the school population I currently work for are Brazilians. This means there are about 2-3 Brazilians in each class. In a few months that I've been teaching them, I noticed that Brazilian students in Japan are either the class leaders / the coolest in class or the problem students. There are no moderates. It's either of the two. As a teacher, I can neatly categorize which Brazilian students I like and which I want to avoid. 

The Alpha Female

All of the Brazilians who are class leaders are female. And I think they are really good leaders. They have strong personalities that even the male students follow them. In my school at least, there are no male Brazilian class leaders. I wonder why. 

The Cool Male

There may be no male Brazilian student leaders but they dominate the "cool" category. These are the male Brazilian students who are well-liked by their peers. They can set the mood of the class or amuse the class. Interestingly, there are no female Brazilian students who are considered cool by their peers, even the class leaders. 

The Problem Student

If a Brazilian is not a leader nor cool, he/she is probably one of the difficult students. This is just my experience, so far. Some Brazilians are considered difficult because of their indifferent and non-participatory behavior in class. They'd just stare down at the teacher the whole time. They don't do seat works and worksheet exercises. They sleep in class and they just don't care. They are the most annoying Brazilians for me. 

Some are difficult because they are bullied or being left out. I feel that they want to learn and be part of a group but they are seen differently by their peers. Because of these, they have a hard time with the lesson and they don't seem happy to be in school. I have about 5 or Brazilian students who are being made fun of all the time. Two of them are having difficulty in Japanese. I feel bad for them. 

Wikipedia has an interesting entry for Brazilians in Japan. It was stated there that Brazilians in Japan, although mostly descended with a Japanese blood, are greatly prejudiced and discriminated. There's also a big dropout rate of Brazilians from Japanese schools. A few years ago, the Japanese government offered cash incentives to Brazilians who wanted to return to Brazil. Those who participated cannot return to Japan anymore. This program was initiated because the Brazilians did not assimilate to Japanese culture as the government expected. 

I'm not surprised with the non-assimilation of the Brazilians into the Japanese culture. Japan has a very subtle and understated culture that seems to be a total opposite of Brazilians' personable and strong culture. They are one of those people that you either want to be around or try to avoid. As I've said, there are no moderates. Either you love them or hate them. 

More on Brazilians in Japan: 

Life as Dekkasseguis: The Brazilian Community in Japan

Japanese-Brazilians: Straddling Two Cultures

Mixing Sushi and Samba- Meet the Japanese Brazilians

Japan to Immigrants: Thanks, But You Can Go Home Now

Why There Are So Many Japanese People in Brazil