Been discriminated against because you're an FG?

[American Oyaji]

I later found out from one Malaysian girl that they really wanted to keep the Misawa military guys out, that was why they had the ban.

I must admit...

My friends and I are the reason for that ban. We had girlfriends from there. Basically, if they weren't there, the whole stable came and hung out on the base with us. Lotsa fun. Midnight runs, ducking down trying not to be seen. Camping in the beach. Lotsa fun.

In response to Blackcat's posting, my father in law said something odd from time to time, but I thought he was joking. He only said it when he was drunk.

He said in Engrish, "I am Korean! Undastan?"

Reading this thread, I have to think about it more instead of dismissing it.

[Captain Japan]

[FG Lurker]

The japanese wrote the book on discrimination, and cunning covert discrimination is thier Forte.

Many countries have written many books on discrimination, a lot of them far worse than the book written by Japan. ]I started work at a College that wanted me to join the Ultra Facist Japan Bank, I walked into a major city branch with my wife (japanese) and was greeted by 90yo Captain War Criminal who said no Gaijins can use this bank.[/quote]
Shoulda given him a coronary and told him that everyone's favorite eikaiwa uses Sanwa/UFJ and all gaijin employees have accounts there. I still have my old Sanwa Snoopy card from 1993 when I worked PT for Nova on a WH visa.

I have to give UFJ credit though -- they recently gave me a massive house loan with very little fuss, even gave me a preferred rate of 1% interest and 1% off whatever is their issued rate for the life of the loan.

Japan & Japanese discriminate at times, but there are also amazing opportunities here for Japanese and gaijin alike. The richest guy I have ever met anywhere is a Korean/Japanese dude who lives in Kansai. Shachou of a real estate company, owns multiple large buildings etc etc. Very cool and down-to-earth guy, but he made (and continues to make) hundreds of millions (billions) of yen.

Personally I focus on (and hope to take more & more advantage of) the opportunities here more than I worry about bits and pieces of discrimination and idiots in the news and government who have their heads up their asses. I guess the world needs people to worry about shit like that too though.

[Big Booger]

One kind of funny psuedo-discrimination that I have noticed recently is, and I don't care what time of the day it is, whenever i go to the supermarket, namely MaxValu, I am followed by the store clerks, management or whatever... Now I might just be imagining this shit, but I have even pointed it out to my wife.

Seems whatever aisle I am on, they rush over with goods to stock on the shelf...

The managers usually just walk by and adjust items on the shelf or pull tags or something... kind of like busy work but all the while they are spying on me, afraid I am going to gank something. Oh yeah, I am going for the big time, 12 bottles of Okonomiyaki sauce... down my pants!!!! YEAH.

And the managers have even taken it as far as following me up to the register to make sure I don't molest the cashier girls *I suppose, LOL

[cstaylor]

That's what happens when you live in the armpit of Japan, Hyogo-ken. Move to a real city, like Yokohama, where you won't be the first (and only) white person most of the citizens have ever seen.

[FG Lurker]

One kind of funny psuedo-discrimination that I have noticed recently is, and I don't care what time of the day it is, whenever i go to the supermarket, namely MaxValu, I am followed by the store clerks, management or whatever... Now I might just be imagining this shit, but I have even pointed it out to my wife.

Seems whatever aisle I am on, they rush over with goods to stock on the shelf...

The managers usually just walk by and adjust items on the shelf or pull tags or something... kind of like busy work but all the while they are spying on me, afraid I am going to gank something. Oh yeah, I am going for the big time, 12 bottles of Okonomiyaki sauce... down my pants!!!! YEAH.

And the managers have even taken it as far as following me up to the register to make sure I don't molest the cashier girls *I suppose, LOL

Personally I would talk to the managers about this in a very direct way. I'd outright ask if they are following me around because they think I'm going to steal something because I'm not Japanese. Even if it doesn't stop the following it will be interesting to watch them squirm as they try to answer the question.

I'd probably do it every time I went into the store too, and although I wouldn't shout at them I would make it just loud enough that others around could hear it. If s/he tried to keep the tone down I would either ask them to repeat themselves in a louder voice so I could "hear", or I would repeat back to them what they said to me, again so others around could hear what was being said. A little embarrassment can go a long way.

[Big Booger]

That's what happens when you live in the armpit of Japan, Hyogo-ken. Move to a real city, like Yokohama, where you won't be the first (and only) white person most of the citizens have ever seen.

I wonder though if it is just being out in BFE or if it happens in the larger metro areas as well.

[cstaylor]

Nope, usually I get chatted up by the clerks. Must be the Yokohama sea air.

[IkemenTommy]

That's what happens when you live in the armpit of Japan, Hyogo-ken. Move to a real city, like Yokohama, where you won't be the first (and only) white person most of the citizens have ever seen.

I wonder though if it is just being out in BFE or if it happens in the larger metro areas as well.

Just fill up the basket with all sorts items and then at the end, tell the cashier (or the manager) that you dont want all of them and make him return them back to the shelves.

[Cubed]

Getting a well-paid job here with no qualifications
Lots of J-chicks swooning over me
Laughing at locals asleep on trains
People giving me drinks at parties

I've been the victim of countless incidents of positive discrimination - just because I'm a honky! It's an outrage, and I shall be writing to my City Office (those bastards that make me carry a gaijin card) to tell them.

[kurohinge1]

[blackcat]

"whenever i go to the supermarket, namely MaxValu, I am followed by the store clerks, management or whatever"

It happens to me too...not your imagination BB a few years ago it was reported one of the main Convini chains 'policy" was to watch FG`s more as they are expected to rob the store.

[Kurofune]

A liquor shop owner in Sagamiono switched off his electric doors while I was shopping in his store. When the doors didn't open as I approached, I looked to the owner for help. Sitting behind his counter reading the newspaper, he halfheartedly looked up from the paper, looked at my hands or pockets, then reached under the counter and switched the doors back on.

At an antique shop in Fussa, I told the owner that I studied iaido and was looking for a sword. She walked over to the toy bin, took out a little plastic toy sword, and said with all the gentility she could muster that that was a good sword for foreigners.

[Charles]

At an antique shop in Fussa, I told the owner that I studied iaido and was looking for a sword. She walked over to the toy bin, took out a little plastic toy sword, and said with all the gentility she could muster that that was a good sword for foreigners.

She was right. You need a permit to own a katana. Have you never heard of the Firearms and Swords Control Law?

[jingai]

Have you never heard of the Firearms and Swords Control Law?

He must have slept through the ending to Last Samurai and not realized that swords and chomage haven't been permitted in a while

[Taro Toporific]

Have you never heard of the Firearms and Swords Control Law?

Japanese or foreigners can buy swords and do. I've visited the few stores in Tokyo that sell new swords (for zilions of yen). I stumbled across a few anique dealers handle the old ones (Sugimo Aniques provides its services in engrish). However, buyers cannot take possession of the sword until they get the permit for it or arrange to have it shipped out of Japan (according Japanese shipping rules and any applicable foreign laws at its destination).

[Greji]

Have you never heard of the Firearms and Swords Control Law?

(Sugimo Aniques provides its services in engrish)

I think Sugimo was operated at one time by a former a former USFJ interpreter, who had been a former IJA officer during the war. He went to work for USFJ and upon his retirement opened (or took over the family buisness) the Sugimo. I assume it would be his family running it now.

[Taro Toporific]

Have you never heard of the Firearms and Swords Control Law?

(Sugimo Aniques provides its services in engrish)

I think Sugimo was operated at one time by a former a former USFJ interpreter... I assume it would be his family running it now.

Yep, that fits with my understanding of the Sugimo store. I never met the a former USFJ interpreter, but the obaasan in the store explained in engrish to me why so much of the store's signage and catalogs were in English.

They knew exactly what to do with gaijin customers wanting a sword:
--Explain the ultra high prices of both new and antique katana
--Explain about high quality replica swords that don't require permits but look perfect (not cheap 80,000+yen)
--Explain that if purchased overseas, a new Japnese-style swords made of modern steel and methods were the most affordable for practice and much less grief in general (sword polishing is a major pain in butt)
---Then, offer a selection of antique swords from their very limited stock but huge "on-commision" catalog.

[FG Lurker]

Have you never heard of the Firearms and Swords Control Law?

Japanese or foreigners can buy swords and do. I've visited the few stores in Tokyo that sell new swords (for zilions of yen).

Out of curiosity, what does a new katana cost? Or an antique one?

[Taro Toporific]

[kurohinge1]

... Out of curiosity, what does a new katana cost? Or an antique one?

Further to Taro-san's post, this site looks like it could hold hours of fun for the enthusiast: Richard Stein's Japanese Sword Guide

I will not attempt to do appraisals online, by email or by phone. There are too many variables to consider when attempting to judge a Japanese sword to allow for "remote" appraisals. Anyone attempting to do so is most likely giving bad advice and/or after your sword. If you have questions, check the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.

[cstaylor]

Out of curiosity, what does a new katana cost? Or an antique one?

Having trouble at work?

[IkemenTommy]

Having trouble at work?

Some of us feel like going postal sometimes

[Greji]

Having trouble at work?

Some of us feel like going postal sometimes

I not sure what you mean! Are you suggesting a letter opener to the katana?

[IkemenTommy]

Maybe this will remind you..

[dingosatemybaby]

... Out of curiosity, what does a new katana cost? Or an antique one?

Further to Taro-san's post, this site looks like it could hold hours of fun for the enthusiast: Richard Stein's Japanese Sword Guide

I will not attempt to do appraisals online, by email or by phone. There are too many variables to consider when attempting to judge a Japanese sword to allow for "remote" appraisals. Anyone attempting to do so is most likely giving bad advice and/or after your sword. If you have questions, check the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.

If dingo could write a Venn diagram (or Zen diagram, as Ali G calls it), it would show that antique Katana lovers represent a unique intersection of antique collectors, war nerds, and a certain subspecies of FG.

If one feels compelled to buy one, perhaps the best price could be had by picking one up at auction.

[Taro Toporific]

If dingo could write a Venn diagram (or Zen diagram, as Ali G calls it), it would show that antique Katana lovers represent a unique intersection of antique collectors, war nerds, and a certain subspecies of FG.
If one feels compelled to buy one, perhaps the best price could be had by picking one up at auction.

So da na Dingo.
As I alluded to before, everytime an old Japanese fart who owns a Katana dies, his family is left huge pain of getting an appraisal for the estate, paying estate tax, gettting a new sword licence, etc.
The alternative is to leave the sword on consignment at a dealer (pay estate tax), have a dealer dump it at auction, or most commonly sell it to a dealer for cash at 10% of value.

The real alternative is that Japanese folks in the countryside just hide their swords in the wall---no licence, no estate tax, no nothing. Often the swords are forgotten until the farmhouse is torn down. Then some punk on the demolition crew swipes the sword, hids it in his house and the cycle is repeated.

[Greji]

Maybe this will remind you..

Is that a collectable commemorative stamp?

You might be a bit on the short side Tommy. Those deep ones go right on over!

[AssKissinger]

Have you been discriminated against because you're an FG? Have you been rejected from renting an apartment and told 'flat out' that because you're a gaijin you can't rent? Ever been asked to leave somewhere because your 'kind' wasn't permitted? Have you had to sit in the back of the bus because you're not Japanese? Now is your chance to tell your story on television. Post your story along with contact info. We'll be conducting interviews during the next month.

Has there been any follow up on that or has this thread been a big trollarolladingdong

[emperor]

A straightforward case of discrimination:
Hes clearly just trying to park his bicycle...

(..fuckers like these give FGs a bad name - d/l .wmv 41mb)

check out the angry hobo playing with the suds!