School axes policy of barring foreigners

[Yokohammer]

Another small step in the right direction.
But the excuses this guy makes are so pathetically weak (and so typically yet transparently intended to save face) it's almost laughable. Almost.

The operator of three cooking schools in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, is scrapping its long-standing policy of barring foreign students, its chairman said Friday.

Ever since its establishment in 1976, Konsho Gakuen has maintained a Japanese-only policy “without thinking it’s a big deal,” Chairman Akio Imai told The Japan Times on Friday.

“I’m very sorry that I was immature and stubborn,” he said, pledging to overcome what he described as his own long-standing fear of accepting foreigners.

Some brilliant evasion here ...

“I acknowledge that the (‘no-foreigner’ part) of our admission policy was terribly misleading,” Imai said without elaborating.

Interesting use of the word "misleading," I thought.

Imai said the remote location of his cooking schools in Kumagaya kept them somewhat isolated from the trends of globalization, making the mere thought of taking in foreign students “inconceivable.”

That's about as loopy as it gets: "we can't accept foreign students because we're out in Bumfuck." And why is that?

“I also acknowledge that we’ve had this fear about what would happen if we accepted foreigners. We’ve been afraid that there will be unpredictable consequence if we do,” Imai said without elaborating.

Unpredictable consequences. Like ... um ... what? Oh, I see, they're unpredictable so you can't say. Roger.

As for the no-foreigner policy, Imai said he never thought it would be considered discriminatory or xenophobic, despite warnings from the prefectural government, which has no authority to order a change in the private school’s policy.

“I thought other schools were doing the same, too,” he said.

Not discriminatory or xenophobic ... despite warnings from the prefectural government. "But I thought everyone was doing it!" And that, of course, makes it OK.

The article at the JT here:
School axes policy of barring foreigners

[Samurai_Jerk]

I don't know. He acknowledged he was stubborn, ignorant, and immature. That doesn't sound like he's making excuses.

[Yokohammer]

I don't know. He acknowledged he was stubborn, ignorant, and immature. That doesn't sound like he's making excuses.

He does indeed, but then he follows that statement up with a bit of not-so-dextrous back-pedalling in the form of the excuses listed above. It's a typical double dodge, as in: 1) I was wrong, 2) but that's because ...

Anyway, it is a step in the right direction. If he feels he's managed to save face, fine.

There might be some issues with the translation too, but as it is it looks kinda mealymouthed to me. Not a straight-up apology. It also seems like he's delayed changing the policy as long as possible, even in the face of warnings from the government, and has only caved in under pressure. So he's sorry, but not really.

[wagyl]

Kumagaya has a catchment that extends to the industrial complex around Ota Gunma, and they have had a very very difficult experience with the South American Nikkei there. It mostly stems from lack of multicultural experience and from the very unrealistic expectation that sons of Yamato will be pure Yamato in spirit. They are literally shocked that they are all not like Marcia singing enka, but instead loud Carioca Funk leaks from the tinted windows of their lowered suspension Skyline, as they pull up to the tattoo parlour. Going to those towns can be an education, it still is very much two communities living in the same space but almost not interacting at all.

That doesn't excuse the school, but it does provide some background to the situation.

[Yokohammer]

Kumagaya has a catchment that extends to the industrial complex around Ota Gunma, and they have had a very very difficult experience with the South American Nikkei there. It mostly stems from lack of multicultural experience and from the very unrealistic expectation that sons of Yamato will be pure Yamato in spirit. They are literally shocked that they are all not like Marcia singing enka, but instead loud Carioca Funk leaks from the tinted windows of their lowered suspension Skyline, as they pull up to the tattoo parlour. Going to those towns can be an education, it still is very much two communities living in the same space but almost not interacting at all.

That doesn't excuse the school, but it does provide some background to the situation.

Interesting, but has that been the case since 1976, when the "Japanese Only" policy was established?

[wagyl]

No, you are correct, the school has a longer history than the Nikkei issue.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I don't know. He acknowledged he was stubborn, ignorant, and immature. That doesn't sound like he's making excuses.

He does indeed, but then he follows that statement up with a bit of not-so-dextrous back-pedalling in the form of the excuses listed above. It's a typical double dodge, as in: 1) I was wrong, 2) but that's because ...

I'm sure there are some translation issue but we also don't know the order in which those statements were made or what kind of questions he was asked by JT. Besides, I don't think explaining why you did something regardless of how wrong it was is necessarily the same as making excuses. One thing that does annoy me about his statements is not thinking of the policy as discriminatory.

The reason it annoys me is not so much because of this one instance of a guy possibly stumbling over his words when put on the spot but because I've heard it from other people in Japan a number of times. And I don't mean when directly confronting the assholes with no foreigners policies in their businesses (for the record I don't make a habit of doing that). I mean in discussions with certain Japanese friends who seems to have the attitude that it's not discrimination it's just their policy. My favorite line of reasoning from one guy I know was it's not "sabetsu" it's "kubetsu." I know the nuances of those words are a little different but to me they pretty much mean the same thing. I guess that's sort of like "separate but equal" in the Jim Crow South.

If someone were to tell me that it is discrimination but they think a privately owned business has the right to refuse service to whoever they want, I might disagree but I can at least have a logical discussion with them.

[Russell]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

[Coligny]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I always wonder who wants cooking lessons from japanese..

"In today's class, how to dump raw fish on cold rice and make it look like a science"

Fuck these tards...

[Russell]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I always wonder who wants cooking lessons from japanese..

Actually, you were the first person who came to my mind...

[IparryU]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I always wonder who wants cooking lessons from japanese..

"In today's class, how to dump raw fish on cold rice and make it look like a science"

Fuck these tards...

That's why i have no respect for sushi chefs...

Sent from my SC-03E using Tapatalk

[wagyl]

Debito

You've got to love it when a person goes to unnecessary lengths to remind you that they have a university degree.

Dr. ARUDOU, Debito Says:

, if you please.

His Linkedin is also under that same name, but with an ambiguous "expected"

Dr. ARUDOU Debito's Education
Meiji Gakuin University
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), International Studies

2013 – 2014 (expected)

[Coligny]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I always wonder who wants cooking lessons from japanese..

Actually, you were the first person who came to my mind...

Sorry, I was fapping, I should have aimed a little better...

[matsuki]

People knew about this. A Peruvian student denied entry complained to the authorities in 2012. But after some perfunctory scolding from Saitama Prefecture, everyone realized that nothing could be done about it. Racial discrimination is not illegal in Japan. Nobody could be arrested, and it was unclear if anyone could lose a license as an educational institution.

So finally it hits the media. And after some defiance by the school (claiming to NHK below inter alia that they don’t want to be responsible for NJ getting jobs in Japan; how conscientious), they caved in after about a week and said that the policy would be reversed (suck on the excuses they offered the media for why they had been doing it up to now — including the standard, “we didn’t know it was wrong” and “it’s no big deal”).

So if what Debito is reporting is accurate, seems like the dude was either smart enough to change the policy before shit hit the fan...(puts on tinfoil hat)or maybe some government officials paid him a visit to remind him about the upcoming Olympics? Either way, doesn't sound like the school wanted to change this policy but decided it was in their best interest. I hope this shit gets blasted loudly through the anglosphere though...apparently Japan/We Japanese need a good lesson in what discrimination is and why it's wrong.

in discussions with certain Japanese friends who seem to have the attitude that it's not discrimination it's just their policy.

Shit is disheartening to hear from people who you consider friends. I was complaining to one Japanese friend of mine about being turned away for an apartment I was interested in because I wasn't Japanese. The fudoyasan actually called to explain language and what not wouldn't be a problem...and that I wasn't Chinese but he stuck to his "no gaijin" policy. Instead of my friend sympathizing with my sabetsu experience, he went on about it not being sabetsu but "just a policy" and that "the oyasan probably cares about the property so he cares about who he rents to." The other shit that gets to me is nearly every J-person I know claiming "there is no sabetsu in Japan." That English teacher in Oki made it pretty clear that the Japanese view is "sabetsu" is a foreign concept that exists in places like America, not in Japan. Maybe they need a new trendy word for it?

[wagyl]

Maybe they need a new trendy word for it?

I propose "kokuseki hara."

[Russell]

Maybe they need a new trendy word for it?

I propose "kokuseki hara."

LOL. I like that one.

[Yokohammer]

Kokuseki hara ... that's good.

The idea that being Japanese somehow places you on a different plane where the normal (international) definitions of acceptable behavior don't apply is one of the more unfortunate and damaging products of Nihinjinron. It is also a very convenient excuse for just about anything. When a convincing logical argument can't be found, you sometimes get that "you'd understand if you were Japanese" response, which is just about the most dishonest and arrogant way of trying to "win" an argument that I can think of.

[matsuki]

Kokuseki hara ... that's good.

The idea that being Japanese somehow places you on a different plane where the normal (international) definitions of acceptable behavior don't apply is one of the more unfortunate and damaging products of Nihinjinron. It is also a very convenient excuse for just about anything. When a convincing logical argument can't be found, you sometimes get that "you'd understand if you were Japanese" response, which is just about the most dishonest and arrogant way of trying to "win" an argument that I can think of.

THIS x99999

「日本人だからかもしれないけど。。。」 2014年でもくそ古い島国考えしか出来ない？

[Coligny]

Kokuseki hara ... that's good.

The idea that being Japanese somehow places you on a different plane where the normal (international) definitions of acceptable behavior don't apply is one of the more unfortunate and damaging products of Nihinjinron. It is also a very convenient excuse for just about anything. When a convincing logical argument can't be found, you sometimes get that "you'd understand if you were Japanese" response, which is just about the most dishonest and arrogant way of trying to "win" an argument that I can think of.

It's the island/hillbilly syndrome. Like fucking your sister and marrying between cousin, as long as it stays in the family it's ok...

[Mike Oxlong]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I wonder if it isn't the licensing system here. Wanna cut hair in your own salon? Better have a license. Wanna teach aerobics? Get one of the five or so classes of license. Probably the same deal with running a little bento shop or katsu-karaoke joint. Better have that license. All you need to do is spend a year or two of your life funding the bigot's little enterprise.

[wuchan]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I wonder if it isn't the licensing system here. Wanna cut hair in your own salon? Better have a license. Wanna teach aerobics? Get one of the five or so classes of license. Probably the same deal with running a little bento shop or katsu-karaoke joint. Better have that license. All you need to do is spend a year or two of your life funding the bigot's little enterprise.

Yep.

Resturant: need two people licensed.
Auto shop: Need two people licensed
Dance studio, private gym, land scaping, handy man: yep, two people licensed.

Cunts like the guy here use the system to make money. The original theories were very sound in the post war era. Most people were farmer calss and uneducated which could lead to fires or other situations where people could get hurt. Today? It's pretty fucking stupid but in the land of no change, nothing changes. I know a few business owners that had their wife take the test just to get the second person on the paperwork.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I wonder if it isn't the licensing system here. Wanna cut hair in your own salon? Better have a license. Wanna teach aerobics? Get one of the five or so classes of license. Probably the same deal with running a little bento shop or katsu-karaoke joint. Better have that license. All you need to do is spend a year or two of your life funding the bigot's little enterprise.

Yep.

Resturant: need two people licensed.
Auto shop: Need two people licensed
Dance studio, private gym, land scaping, handy man: yep, two people licensed.

Cunts like the guy here use the system to make money. The original theories were very sound in the post war era. Most people were farmer calss and uneducated which could lead to fires or other situations where people could get hurt. Today? It's pretty fucking stupid but in the land of no change, nothing changes. I know a few business owners that had their wife take the test just to get the second person on the paperwork.

Isn't the licensing for restaurants related to hygiene and not cooking ability? I've heard the test is pretty easy to pass so I don't know that a cooking school would offer much.

[Mike Oxlong]

I always wonder who wants to get cooking lessons from a bigot.

Who wants to get cooking lessons in the first place?!?

As expected, Debito is all over it...

I wonder if it isn't the licensing system here. Wanna cut hair in your own salon? Better have a license. Wanna teach aerobics? Get one of the five or so classes of license. Probably the same deal with running a little bento shop or katsu-karaoke joint. Better have that license. All you need to do is spend a year or two of your life funding the bigot's little enterprise.

Yep.

Resturant: need two people licensed.
Auto shop: Need two people licensed
Dance studio, private gym, land scaping, handy man: yep, two people licensed.

Cunts like the guy here use the system to make money. The original theories were very sound in the post war era. Most people were farmer calss and uneducated which could lead to fires or other situations where people could get hurt. Today? It's pretty fucking stupid but in the land of no change, nothing changes. I know a few business owners that had their wife take the test just to get the second person on the paperwork.

Isn't the licensing for restaurants related to hygiene and not cooking ability? I've heard the test is pretty easy to pass so I don't know that a cooking school would offer much.

Could well be the case. If so, having health inspectors and random unannounced checks might be a more realistic account of how hygienic a place is, rather than saying the operator once passed a test so couldn't possibly cut corners related to health and hygiene.

[matsuki]

It's the island/hillbilly syndrome. Like fucking your sister and marrying between cousin, as long as it stays in the family it's ok...

That's basically what I was saying...the island bumpkin excuse for ignorance doesn't exactly fly for racist policies and such. No experience with foreigners or not offering English this or that, fine...but taking the racist initiative and trying to fall back on excuses for it when you get called out is just really scummy.

Could well be the case. If so, having health inspectors and random unannounced checks might be a more realistic account of how hygienic a place is, rather than saying the operator once passed a test so couldn't possibly cut corners related to health and hygiene.

I think that part of Japan Inc. really needs to be changed. I don't understand why they tolerate undercover highway patrol cars yet safety/health/etc. checks are all scheduled as to not disrupt business.