Product page at Amazon:
Link

“but i think most people would be willing and even wanting to change after the silliness and illogical manner of such things were pointed out to them, especially in a non-accusing way. “

Hear, hear. I’ve never lived in Japan, but my impression of racism in Japan and Korea is that it is mostly limited to stereotyping, although there is real job discrimination against non-white English teachers in Korea.

Japan’s population is more international than Korea’s, so it’s no surprise that this sort of comic would be published and would generate such outrage from foreigners and disgust from many Japanese. A lot of racially offensive media is not visible to most foreigners. When I left Korea, I brought back a collection of Korean language books to sustain me back in the States. Among these books are manga history and social studies books for children, with the usual ugly racial caricatures of whites, blacks, and Japanese. I’ve uploaded to Flickr a sample from a chapter on American Jews in a book about the United States:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62177820@N00/

The two volumes on Japan are worse. The entire series, called Countries Near and Far, has sold more than 10 million since 1984. I bought several volumes from the series because they were very popular with my Korean students.

I’m curious to know if children’s educational manga in Japan contain racial caricatures and negative stereotypes.

I find Alex’s wife’s comment to be very offensive, though very typical Japanese. Japanese see Chinese and Korean (and other Asians, blacks, middle-eastern…etc, basically akk non-white) as “lower-level”/beneath them, hence justification for magazines like this. While American/European white gaijins are look upon to and admire, especially by Japanese women.

I am shocked to see this book get so much distribution. And I am also shocked to see this get virtually no coverage on Japanese media.

My wife said to me “Oh don’t worry, we just mean Korean and Chinese mostly” when referring to gaijin. But that STILL doesn’t make it right!

I hope we are able to make up enough of a fuss here that the Japanese Media will be FORCED to run a story on it!!

JC Barnett

“I don’t think Japan is racist but it is a country where actual racists, which exist in every country in the world, can go about being their xenophobic, vocal, hateful selves without repercussions, continuing in their putrid mire of ignorance and close-mindedness. ”
I agree.

First and foremost, I think this issue needs to be paid attention from Japanaese people. In a way, Japanese people need foreigners’ anger and protest to recognize this is an issue and to critically think whether placing racist trash magazine in the convenient store is right or not.

So sending e mails to the places Luigi listed is very practical way to let Japanese people know the issue.
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1072#comment-11192

And I believe Japanese will understand easily it means losing actual and potential friends.
I believe Japanese will find it offenseve to find the magazine in the 7-11 in the US that says “surprising crime file of Japs, get out here”. or something like that. But sadly Japan as it is now, it seems many people lacks the imagination.
(To be honest I confess, and apologize I didn’t realise “gaijin nose” was offesive until Japan Probe pointed it out. but come to think of it, the “Japanese buck teeth ” may be offensive to some Japanese)

I don’t have to poke you in the eye with a frozen haddock to start a debate over whether it would be a good idea.

I don’t think Japan is racist but it is a country where actual racists, which exist in every country in the world, can go about being their xenophobic, vocal, hateful selves without repercussions, continuing in their putrid mire of ignorance and close-mindedness. Sadly a lot of these twannocks are fairly high up in government.

I just really wish the average Japanese person could be made to give more of a damn. Hopefully this whole saga can contribute a little to that goal.

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”…

http://www.unix-fan.com/celt/zakki/2007/02/03.html#0203-1
http://www.unix-fan.com/celt/zakki/2007/02/04.html#0204-1
http://www.unix-fan.com/celt/zakki/2007/02/05.html#0205-1

Japan Probe is also mentioned.

I also saw several critical comments about family mart in the Japanese SNS Mixi.

A couple years ago I was staying in Japan with other students from my country(a small country in Europe)for a year. When one day, late evening, my dorm-neighbor, a blond-haired white dude, knocked on my door. When I opened, he asked for ice to put on his black eye. He told me a japanese guy had punched him, shouting ‘you fucking american’. This happened when he was waiting in front of his japanese gf’s house in a residential area. The guy was most likely drunk, but still..
This was in a city with a US military base. The americans have a real bad image here and you can say most residents hate them and foreigners can’t enter many bars etc.
Anyway my point is: my friend became a victim of a violent act, for which he was in no way responsible. He was not even an american or in the military! The publishing of such a magazine is not only offensive but also might encourage/justify violence against foreigners.

In defense, however, it is a sensible gesture by the Family Mart company to withdraw this sort of rubbish from their stores (and quite commendable), but on the same token…what kind of market is the company that makes this comic trying to sell to?
I mean, ultimately, we are talking about money here. Is there a market share for this kind of publication? It’s no artistic statement or debate (contrary to what the company spokesperson has been quoted as saying); It is a product made for profit on a dubious topic based on questionable grounds, and I’m struggling to find the same mass-media outlet to make my rebuttal. I just hope the Japanese public hold the same opinion and boycott this kind of degenerative slander; it will make me feel a little more comfortable when I walk down the street.

If you do see the book for sale, present the manager with a copy of Debito’s letter, unless you feel your Japanese is good enough to explain the situation. The letter will still help.

Shigeki Saka’s mind still seems to be stuck in the 19th century to claim this is a “contemporary problem” matter-of-factly. The way he defends himself is indicative of the problem with spreading this type of racist propaganda around Japan. He essentially denies the book is racist, states everything in the book is “established fact”, and refuses to think otherwise; another prime example of the Japanese stance on discrimination – they don’t say they’re racist or outwardly hateful, but their behavior proves otherwise… it’s a blind spot in this country, something some people refuse to acknowledge about themselves.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article1336740.ece

Saka didn’t have anything to say about crimes against foreigners, either. Human trafficking, anyone?

“Expanding the debate.” Hmph. “Established fact.” My ass. “‘Nigger’ is not offensive in Japan.” The fuck it’s not. It’s a directly imported loan word which has had one overriding connotation the entire time Japan has had extensive contact with the Anglophone West. It might not be offensive to Japanese, but it’s offensive in Japan and is intended to be.

I hope Reuters’ guy didn’t just take that BS.