MONBETSU, Japan The bespectacled Western native braced himself for confrontation when he walked into Joy, a restaurant with a reputation here for not serving foreigners. Offering food and drink on an all-you-can-consume system, Joy's managers faced a universal challenge in this port on the Sea of Okhotsk: how to deal with Russian sailors? But rather than translate the restaurant rules into Russian, the manager took a path favored here, posting a large sign in Russian: "no Japanese, no service."

Herald Tribune

In elections last autumn, one prefectural governor only grudgingly apologized after calling foreigners "sneaky thieves."

On a recent weekend, exclusionary signs were targets for a trio of activists for foreigners' rights in Japan: David Aldwinckle, born in America but now a Japanese citizen who goes by the name of Arudou Debito; Olaf Karthaus, a German chemistry professor, and James Eriksson, a Canadian English teacher.

The amazing crusading Arudou Debito

This is years old isn't it? I remember the Aldwinkle case going to court in 2000/2001 and having the ruling in his favour.

Interesting thing is why the Herald Tribune is trawling it up again ...

The case is still going on. There are several appeals in process. That's why I posted it.

There are some interesting points being brought out in the appeal.