appeared to be foreigners.....

[blackcat]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20030526p2a00m0dm005000c.html

OH this is a classic.

[blackcat]

broken japanese....."money money" how do you say that like a native??
the masks couldnt even help the evil foreigners,,,,the pure japanese "just know"
welcome to the most predjudice media on earth.

fuck their hopeless.

[Andocrates]

I think the fact that they were foreigners is newsworthy WTF. In America they often report the suspects were "black," or Hispanic, etc.

There are some people in America who also read racism in that. What do you want the paper to say, "we know they were foreigners but we don't dare tell anyone for fear of upsetting gaikokujin wa, ne?"

[Jack]

Blackcat,

That's right, whatever foreigners do in Japan they should be let go scott free just to appease you. If the crooks were speaking in broken Japanese that's noteworthy because it is a FACT and could be a lead. Man, you have some balls to stand up to crooks and against the authorities.

[GuyJean]

What do you want the paper to say, "we know they were foreigners but we don't dare tell anyone for fear of upsetting gaikokujin wa, ne?"

Um, I'm drunk, so you might have to explain your point in simple terms; Are you saying that it's good they report only foreigner crime because media in the US only reports minority crime?

GJ

[GuyJean]

whatever foreigners do in Japan they should be let go scott free just to appease you.

Actually, I think we're on the same side on this one, but how bout:

Whatever a dumbass Japanese reporter does in Jordan, he should be let go. As long as the Japanese government pays off the Jordanian royal family with taxpayers money, and Gomi-bomber gets to keep his job at the Mainichi.. After all, he's Japanese, and he only killed a 'strange' foreigner out of shear stupidity.. Poor guy.. Probably was a 'victim' of the education system imposed by the US after WWII; unable determine common sense from reptilian brian impulses.. "Looks like toy. Must play. Must give to friend."

GJ

[Andocrates]

"You cant say sex on the internet . . . " Marge Simpson

[Andocrates]

"two wrongs don't a right make."

[Jack]

GuyJean,

Last I read Mainichi had canned the reporter and the newspaper apologized for that dumbass' error. I've said it before on this forum, are there no Japanese in Japan jails? I rest my case. You commit a crime you should be behind bars no matter who you are. But reading some of the things people here write is like there are no Japanese in the prisons, they're all foreigners.

But I'll go even further, I think foreigners should be especially careful of their behaviour because they are guests in someone else's country. This is true also of Canada or any other country where there are immigrants. If one is a foreigner, that person should behave in an examplary fashion and or else be punished harsher than the punishment for local people.

[Steve Bildermann]

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

I think the fact that they were foreigners is newsworthy WTF. In America they often report the suspects were "black," or Hispanic, etc.

There are some people in America who also read racism in that. What do you want the paper to say, "we know they were foreigners but we don't dare tell anyone for fear of upsetting gaikokujin wa, ne?"

You utter dumbass know nothing. In fact it is more often than not that the criminals racial background is not reported on in America. Where the fuck do you get this bullshit you jack off? For example, during that recent rape case in Okinawa where a girl was slung over the hood of a car you could search high and low in the US media and not find a single report of the race of the perp.

Have you ever even lived in America you putrid piece of horseshit?

PS: I missed you guys too.

[American Oyaji]

Gai, what they do instead is show a picture of the supsect.
Same difference.
Police pay more attention to minorities on the whole.

Actually, they pay more attention to the areas where minoritites live as well.

I bought a 1999 Concorde LXI and had some cops following me around.
I pulled over and looked at them as if to say pull me over, but stop following me. They slowed but then pulled off. That really annoyed me.

[canman]

I think you should live your life as you choose fit. If you want to go out and raise hell, well then go for it. I think too many foreigners living in Japan worry how it will look if they act a little crazy, or behave differently than the group. Well I don't know about you but we are different and we will never be the same. Look at Steve, he has been living here longer than Christ, and he stills revels in being different, and I commend him for it. Why should be be judged by a different set of rules. We work and we give to society, much more than a lot of local Japanese do.

[Jack]

Canman1,

Why do you twist and turn what I was really trying to say? Of course if we are different we should remain different and express ourself to our heart's content. What I was pointing out is that foreigners in any country should be careful and obey the laws of that country very diligently. Do not litter on the streets as you might do in your country. Do not smoke where they say "no-smoking". Basically obey the laws or else suffer a harsher punishment than local people.

By the way, it is true that far from being singled out for recrimination, foreigners are allowed an unusual amount of leeway in Japan like you would never see in France, Italy or the US. You can do whatever you wnat in Japan and people will shrug and say "he's a gaijin and doesn't know better, it's not his fault".

[jez]

You utter dumbass know nothing.

Where the fuck do you get this bullshit you jack off?

Have you ever even lived in America you putrid piece of horseshit?

[Resolute Optimist]

By the way, it is true that far from being singled out for recrimination, foreigners are allowed an unusual amount of leeway in Japan like you would never see in France, Italy or the US. You can do whatever you wnat in Japan and people will shrug and say "he's a gaijin and doesn't know better, it's not his fault".

As far as France goes, I think you are right. It may be down to numbers though. I haven't checked figures, but I imagine that there are many times more foreigners in France than Japan (again could be wrong). I think when a population feels like their "original culture" (strange notion anyway) is being increasingly diluted, they develop a paranoid reaction and feel threatened. There is a lot of talk about the "islamisation of France" at the moment, and I think this illustrates quite well the phenomena.

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

Gai, what they do instead is show a picture of the supsect.
Same difference.
Police pay more attention to minorities on the whole.

Actually, they pay more attention to the areas where minoritites live as well.

I bought a 1999 Concorde LXI and had some cops following me around.
I pulled over and looked at them as if to say pull me over, but stop following me. They slowed but then pulled off. That really annoyed me.

This is not true. You can also search high and low for a picture of the low life scum from Okinawa and you won't find it in the politically correct US press.

Question: You blame US cops for following the law of averages (which is a good idea by the way - for example I don't want cops shaking down old ladies in airports and letting Arabs walk by with no questioning just to make sure that we are all being fair). However, do you ever blame the guys who make you look bad? No I am sure you do not.

[American Oyaji]

Actually, I do. And it's a holdover of life in Japan. I'd heard so many horror stories about kokujin, that I was very paranoid about my own personal behaviour. I cringed when I found out that black guys raped that girl in Okinawa. I cringed when I saw that Mr. Blair from the New York Times was black. I do indeed blame their behaviour, but at the same time, I say this, a race of people shouldnt have to walk on eggshells because of their race. There are numerous instances of a harsher punishment and restriction placed on minorities compared to the majority, in schools, in the military, in the courts. It's crazy. No matter what you say, the scales are NOT even. Only time will even it out, but its still a pain in the ass to go through.

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

Actually, I do. And it's a holdover of life in Japan. I'd heard so many horror stories about kokujin, that I was very paranoid about my own personal behaviour. I cringed when I found out that black guys raped that girl in Okinawa. I cringed when I saw that Mr. Blair from the New York Times was black. I do indeed blame their behaviour, but at the same time, I say this, a race of people shouldnt have to walk on eggshells because of their race. There are numerous instances of a harsher punishment and restriction placed on minorities compared to the majority, in schools, in the military, in the courts. It's crazy. No matter what you say, the scales are NOT even. Only time will even it out, but its still a pain in the ass to go through.

Actually, I have no trouble seeing both sides to this. And you know, there are plenty out there who will say with affirmative action and everything else that it is far easier to get ahead if you are not part of the majority.

[jez]

By the way, it is true that far from being singled out for recrimination, foreigners are allowed an unusual amount of leeway in Japan like you would never see in France, Italy or the US. You can do whatever you wnat in Japan and people will shrug and say "he's a gaijin and doesn't know better, it's not his fault".

There is negative discrimination and there is positive discrimination. It's always discrimination. I may never be fully japanese(although if I stay long enough, I may see a significant change in japanese society...), but I would like to be more than simply a 'henna' or 'baka' gaijin.
Japanese society is obviously very different from European society, so I don't think they can be compared. For one thing, how do you know, in France, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

[Big Booger]

Who gives a shit?

I don't

[Resolute Optimist]

For one thing, how do you know, in France, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

There are many people in France who, regardless of whether the person was born in France or elsewhere, will always consider anyone with coloured skin and other caracteristics to be a foreigner. Maybe the French aren't so different to the Japanese in that respect. So yes, you can't know until they speak, but I'm talking about immediate perceptions and interpretations, the type that operate in a fraction of a second. And even if it's difficult to digest, I think that a lot of people don't go much further than that.

I also think that some things can be compared even though they are different.

[blackcat]

The original story claimed these guys wore MASKS. You know those things that cover your head.?

I am not going against authorities but the media reporting they must be foreigners....just for Broken japanese?? really...come on. maybe the police might find it helpful.....but you mean the next broken japanese speaker is a suspect!

I would think HEIGHT . BUILD .etc may be more helpful

Lets face it most japanese that hear of a crime oftem think of foreigners and this type of "reporting" is very much why.

[jez]

For one thing, how do you know, in France, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

There are many people in France who, regardless of whether the person was born in France or elsewhere, will always consider anyone with coloured skin and other caracteristics to be a foreigner. Maybe the French aren't so different to the Japanese in that respect.
I also think that some things can be compared even though they are different.

If I am not mistaken, you don't live and haven't lived in Japan, have you? I don't mean this aggressively(and if I am wrong, please tell me), but, having been brought up in France, and now living in Japan, I can tell you there is a very big difference between perceptions in Europe and those in Japan(Asia probably). Of course racism is rife in France, but it's not the same as in Japan, where, if you don't have asian features, you are a gaijin, even if you were born here, speak japanese fluently, and/or are a japanese citizen. It's not always negative discrimination, but, as I have pointed out, it is still discrimination. Of course, it's a matter of culture and history, and personally, I'd still rather live here than in France(too long to explain why), but it's important to face the facts.

[jez]

Lets face it most japanese that hear of a crime oftem think of foreigners

Do they, though? I mean, most 'horrific' crimes reported are by japanese(child murder etc.). I'm not sure-I haven't asked Japanese about it. Not that they're likely to tell me, that, yes, the think of foreigners!

[blackcat]

JEZ
Yeah They do blow out of proportion the crimes commited by non japanese, whereas japanese on japanese crime is reported but japanese on non japanese crime(reporting) is evaded like the plague...(or sars now).

you see japanese are always the victims...no matter what. thats what they teach and want to believe....thats whay this type of reporting is so dangerous, it confirms their myths and sterotypes.

yes virtualy ALL very violent crimes are commited by japanese..but you wouldnt think so listening to the media.

[ramchop]

For one thing, how do you know, in France, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

errr.... Hhow do you know, in Japan, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

Or aren't the majority of the foreigners in this country worthy of your attention?

[Andocrates]

That brings up an interesting point, how good are you at telling the difference between chinese, japanese and korean? I suck at it. Although I can generally spot Koreans. I remember seeing some world war II poster on the internet somewhere that listed how to spot a "Jap" from a Chinese (they spelled their whole name)

Also there is the famous internet test http://www.alllooksame.com/

[jez]

For one thing, how do you know, in France, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

errr.... Hhow do you know, in Japan, who is a foreigner (at least until they start to speak)?

errr...well, to start with, if you don't have asian features you're a gaijin. That's for sure. In europe you can be black, white, yellow, red or green, and you'll probably be more french than I am(not that that tells you much ).Of course, if you're asian(in Japan), it's a little harder, but many japanese claim to be able to tell pretty easily(gestures, posture etc)who is Japanese and who is Korean or Chinese at least. I can also often tell the difference.
The fact is, if your not 100% japanese (ie. no johnny foreigner came into your family in the past 150 years), you'll have a hard time(if at all possible)being accepted as japanese, whatever your circumstances.
I'm sure you know this Ramchop, dontcha?

[jez]

JEZ
Yeah They do blow out of proportion the crimes commited by non japanese, whereas japanese on japanese crime is reported but japanese on non japanese crime(reporting) is evaded like the plague...(or sars now).

you see japanese are always the victims...no matter what. thats what they teach and want to believe....thats whay this type of reporting is so dangerous, it confirms their myths and sterotypes.

yes virtualy ALL very violent crimes are commited by japanese..but you wouldnt think so listening to the media.(Jez's italics)

I don't really wish to argue on this point(it's a matter of perception), but I'm not convinced.