The recent ranking of crime number by non-Japanese in statistics is : No. 1 Chinese, No. 2 Koreans. This fact has nothing to do with prejudice or discrimination. It’s well known that some Chinese crime groups have been very active.

I would be interested in hearing other stories of this nature from other parts of East Asia.

I would like to know why such a story does not have wide scale coverage.

If this were in US, Canada or Australia it would be
an International Headline.

How does say Japan or other parts of Asia protect themselves from global scrutiny?

Can any Japanese comment on this phenomenon and whether they would purchase such racist trash?

Also. I would be interested in hearing stories of how Japanese long term residents in Western countries feel about there treatment in the West?

As difficult as it is to get beyond the initial feelings of disgust I think the only sane way is to discuss this phenomenon.

Now we know about the problem and in Japan it
seem that it is possible to state it openly.

I guess in most countries the issue remains hidden.
That is how we feel towards others not of the same
origin.

The problem is how to fix it?

Just my Western mode of thought but how about a lawsuit?
I will donate to cover the costs
Anyone interested?

Peace and Love

Publishing date: 7/2/2007 14:11:16
Magazine [editorial] director: “I feel I am in danger”
Shigeki Saka, director of a xenophobic magazine, receives a wave of complaints and threatening mails. Interview.
Tokyo – IPCJAPAN/Shiho Kohinata

Shigeki Saka, Eichi Shuppan’s editorial director, which published Gaijin Hanzai Ura File, a magazine accused of being xenophobic and racist, told ipcdigital.com he was conscious the magazine could arise criticism from foreigners, but he claims his intention was to lead Japanese people to discuss the increase of crimes by foreigners and the country’s internationalization.

He denied the magazine has any xenophobic sentences, claimed he’s not a racist and refused to apologize. During the dialogue with ipcdigital.com he received threatening e-mails whose content he did not want to disclose.

ipcdigital.com: What is your opinion on the reaction of the public about your magazine?

Shigeki Saka: I don’t understand it yet well. There are a lot of questions from foreign press [outlets] as Reuters or Bloomberg. I know there are a lot of complaints. But that depends on how you receive this stuff. In principle it is a magazine written in Japanese and sold in Japan. Then, it’s for Japanese people to read it. Besides, on the magazine there are not any discriminatory claims, though I imagine that foreigners who are always discriminated are a little bit more sensitive.

ipcdigital.com: What did you wanted with the approach given to the magazine?

SS: Currently Japan is facing a lot of offences starred by foreigners. There must be a why. I wanted to find that “why”. I can’t act as if nothing was actually happening. Today there are some Japanese afraid of foreigners and I wanted to survey these people’s psychology. I want you to read the magazine. You’ll see.

ipcdigital.com: And what have you discovered so far?

SS: Foreigners’ crimes in Japan have a profile which changes depending on the country and this is what I also wanted to know. For example, about Chinese and Koreans. Japan welcomes them as kenshusei and that system is officially intended to they to learn Japanese working techniques and that they take them back to their countries. But it happens that they are put to work as common employees, but with low salaries and some of them cause minor offences. The kenshushei system is the problem that has been generated by Japan. It is a problem from here.

ipcdigital.com: What are you based on to give an opinion about the crimes?

SS: We have spoken with Japanese police in order to write each article. For them this issue is serious and they have provided the data. I have also spoken with Japanese specialists, as university professors devoted to this issue. This magazine is a summary of these data and focused on the foreigners’ issue.

ipcdigital.com: Don’t you think the way the photographs are used is tendentious?

SS: If you read the magazine you will understand it. Maybe foreigners can’t read the articles in there and they only see the pictures of the discriminated. The magazine has a lot more than photographs, which is 1/4 of the total. I wanted the magazine to be read by a lot of people, so many people bought it we put shocking pictures, to call everyone’s attentiona. But I don’t want they think it’s a discriminating magazine only because of the pictures. Besides, I’m not a racist. In Japan there are a lot of contradictions and, in order to have a coexistence between different cultures we have to erase those contradictions. To solve those contradictions is one of the goals of this magazine.

ipcdigital.com: How did you get the photographs you published?

SS: There is a very special photographer. He walks the commercial districts as Roppongi, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Shibuya. He’s around the city all day. He’s a freelancer. I did not ask him to take pictures of the foreigners, but he offered the ones he had to us. In the city there are a lot of foreigners, but he doesn’t go only after them.

ipcdigital.com: What do you think about Familymart’s withdrawal of the magazine?

SS: I’m sad about that. We can’t say anything else about the withdrawal of the magazine at the combini because Familymart has not communicated anything yet, they withdrew it without asking us. Normally distributors are more powerful. We can’t do anything, but I think that withdrawing it is a way to reject the debate. The magazine raises an issue to discuss. Why there are so many crimes by foreigners? What can we do? Without a magazine of that kind we can’t know the positive or negative opinion from the people. I want a discussion and I want to find the way to solve this problem. This is my other objective. But I see that the foreigners who are angry, but that’s because they’re afraid to be discriminated, that’s why they overreact. At the internet blogs I see they’re only putting the pictures and they discuss from that, I confess I’m discouraged about that. I want a discussion. Else, we will never be able to internationalize this country

ipcdigital.com: Will you apologize?

SS: Look. First, I’m receiving a lot of e-mails which seem like a joke.

ipcdigital.com: What do they say?

SS: I can’t tell you, but I feel I’m in danger. I want opinions, but most of the ones I receive are overreactions from the foreigners. Most complaints come from foreigners. I want to know the reactions of the Japanese. I must say I’m a little worried. I know there are some people bothered but if you read the magazine, you’ll see there’s no single discriminatory phrase, so I don’t know why should I apologize.

Vivement le week end et son lundi 12 fév…

Do you have a picture of it on the shelves? A picture of your receipt? I need concrete proof before we officially add them to the boycott list.

I) Establishing the Ministry of Defense…
II) The Ministry of Education plans to ‘…strengthen the nationalistic feeling and education in Japanese schools…’
III) The Ministry of Health statement: ‘Japanese women are just breeding machines.’

…and soon after… there is “GAIJIN HANZAI FILE”…

The vast majority of foreigners (yourself included, I hope) come here, as they have a right to do if lawfully admitted into any country in the world, to work, study, tour etc with respect for the host country. Would it be right to profile you, Vince, as a potential criminal because a few US servicemen have committed crimes in the past in Japan and you also happen to be American?

And openly insulting non-Japanese (such as the Ni**** quote) in publications on sale at prominent establishments such as Family Mart does say a lot about Japan. But I don’t want that to detract from the wider debate on the whole anti-foreigner thing in Japan. In some cases, the anti-foreigner bias makes one laugh as it is harmless, in others (such as this) there’s a danger in there.

I suppose people rationalise things e.g. when you say they mean US servicemen, Africans etc. Do you believe that the everyday Japanese (or everyday people elsewhere in the world, for that matter) people who don’t know you and who meet you as you go about your life/work etc know or care whether you’re a US marine or an American business exec? Or do you think people will take the time to find out your profession, charitable deeds etc before judging you?

This being Japan, I am certain the issue will attract very little to no notice by the Japanese people themselves who can change such things. Unfortunate not just for foreigners but for Japan as well.

can you post the original japanese so I can feed the dogs… so to speak…

cheers,
nick

Don’t hold your breath waiting for any form of apology, unless the Japanese mainstream press start covering it. If I were a betting man, I would bet against that happening anytime, ie before the sun becomes a white dwarf and hell freezes over.