I think Matt’s point is that, if it sells enough for the PUBLISHER to be a hot seller for it, we can expect more of these same books.

Weather they sell by the millions or not, isn’t the book offensive enough to be deemed just plain wrong?

Moreover, the point is, how well is it selling for the publisher? Currently, if you go to Amazon Japan and do a detailed search under the publisher, it is listed at number 13. The only reason it is this low is because Amazon Japan sold out, twice, so it’s now on back order. So sales have died down. At one point it was this publisher’s top seller.

Also many people have reported it selling out at their local Family Mart.

So even if it’s not up there with the most recent release of Harry Potter, it’s a success for the publisher.

What do you do with success? You learn from it. You imitate it. If there’s no negative reaction to this, it’ll make very good financial sense for the publisher to do more of it, and for other publishers to do the same.

1. Boycotts do not equal censorship. Boycotts are an expression of free speech. They are an attempt to influence what people will and won’t buy by raising consumer consciousness. I’ll note that *even* Libertarians support boycotts because they are the *least* coercive means to influence opinion. In fact, there’s no coercion at all. Nobody is asking that legal rights be altered.
If you shop at Family Mart, then you support their ability to continue to market the magazine. Period.
Maybe that’s no big deal for you. Fine. However, you’ve no obligation to do that. People who argue this is censorship of some kind are basically saying people have an obligation to subsidize the marketing of this magazine by shopping at Family Mart. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

2. People keep saying no one must read this stuff. Come on. It’s lurid and about foreigners. It’s got to be a hot selling item. Moreover, at one point it was the publisher’s number one selling item at Amazon Japan. Currently at Amazon Japan, it is on backorder for one to two weeks. That means it sold out. In fact, having watched the site, as best I can tell it sold out twice. For the publisher this magazine has got to count as a big success. What’s the best thing to do with success, follow it up, copy it. Unless your voice can be heard, expect more of this stuff.

3. Someone said Famina is not responsible. They had no idea. That’s just right, however, they’ve now been informed so they need to fix the situation and apologize.

4. Finally, some people just say its no big deal. Well, whatever dude. Don’t worry about it then. But why rain on someone else’s parade. If the boycott is wrong, it will inevitably fail. And if it’s no big deal, then why are you making a fuss about it.

JapanProbe is running a story about Japanese “mook” that was recently published by Eichi entitled “Gaijin Hanzai Ura File” or “Foreigner Crimes Secret File.” The mook, otherwise known as a combination of a magazine a…

Josh – Very funny post. For extra celebrity points they should also add that they are suffering from “exhaustion.”

“Has anyone seen people actually BUY this piece of racist, slimy, crap?! “

The Japanese publishers and Family Mart expect people to buy it or they wouldn’t be selling it.

As someone mentioned before, joining the boycott is voluntary and entirely up to you. I don’t see anyone here pushing others offensively to stop shopping at Family Mart.

I myself take these kinds of publications with a grain of salt, even less. But not everyone is like that. A publication like this could damage a foreigner’s chances of getting a job, who knows…

I’m all for interracial / international relationships but there are definitely Japanese people who aren’t comfortable wtih the idea, just as in any country. Are you saying there people are racist, xenophobic asses? Also, to the extent there’s a clear trend indicating an increasing number of crimes commited by foreiners, I don’t think the title of the book is all that controversial (except for the “nigger” part; that was inappropriate).

“Come on guys, the Famima is not responsible, they just sell stuff. “

Stores are legally responsible for the products they sell. If an item is defective or unsafe, stores pull it off the shelves. These magazines are offensive to many but not unsafe, so Family Mart is not violating any laws by selling them. It is interesting that you vigorously support Family Mart’s right to sell the magazines yet condemn the consumer’s right to choose where to shop.

http://www.restall.org/2007/02/frightening-foreigner-crime-expose.html

Haven’t heard of it before, but you know, every little bit helps.

But at least it can construct system to immiediately remove the book that contain apparent racism just as it would immediately remove the product that people claim has defects.
Above all what is most important is to let people know that there are many people who think this is offensive.
And this kind of movement is important in order not to let the government judge which book should be banned;people decide which to sell , which to buy in the free market of products and speech.

I don’t agree that ” the magazine was indicative of the climate of fear of foreigners created by conservative newspapers and politicians, notably the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara.”(Guardian)
This activist needs to prove there is such a climate first, and this has causal connection to , say, conservative, and Ishihara. though I am in no way a big fan of Ishihara. (is this activist Debito?)I think this kind of unnecessary insinuation will makes this activist—– whoever he may be—–hard to be supported widely.

“I’m sorry that you were offended. We didn’t realize it was offensive. It was supposed to be a joke. We’re sorry that you didn’t understand this joke.”

And what about the freedom of speech? The writer dont have this, just you? If he/she thinks african-american should not date Japanese women, so what? I bet a lot Japanese think that! So you dont like Japan anymore? Please…

Scrawl down , and click 同意してフォームへ進む

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The shelf time of such a magazine shouldn’t have been for more than a week anyway. A response such as that is not serious at all.