It seems that Eichi shuppan (the publisher) has also dropped this book from their selling list.

I checked Amazon.jp today and it was unavailable. Only some used copy is selled there (the price is 20,000yen!!).

Seemed to be an (almost) total victory of you, James.

I wished that some Japanese media has coverd this incident.

tomojiro:

If that’s the going price on Amazon, maybe I should sell my copy too!

tomojiro:
I’m glad to hear that.
I also wished the Japanese media will pick up on this.
I’ve read some Japanese bloggers angry about this incident, but strangely, no mention of this in the Japanese language media.

I don’t get the whole boycott thing. I actually wanted to buy a copy of this, but my local Family Mart didn’t have one to sell me.

Nice going, censorship nuts. Going to a book burning party next?

My dear James, sorry to say, but the whole boycott stuff is pretty damn RIDICULOUS. I am a gaijin, I’ve been living here (in Japan) for 5 years now, I’ve had my share of “racist” deeds against me done by Japanese, however I didn’t become some Aradou Debito (a person who made a hobby from jumping at the throats of anything that doesn’t fit his idealistic and, all together, foolish view of things in Japan) because living in this country made me understand that this is NOT the way to shut anyone up regarding things you don’t wanna hear or you don’t wanna see.

Freedom of speech is something that anyone has to respect, including you guys who started this pathetic boycott. Of course conbini’s will stop selling the book because anything resembling a scandal will affect their image far more that it would affect Amazon’s, for example, so of course they will take of their shelves some shady publication in order for a brewing scandal not to escalate.

Btw, are you serious about having stopped shopping at Sunkus/Circle K while you knew they were selling the book? Again, that’s ridiculous as hell. Do you mean to say that, if near your apartment, for example, you only had a Family Mart and a Sunkus, both of them selling the “infamous” book, no other shops or vending machines, and you really needed to buy, let’s say a sandwich or a bento, you wouldn’t buy and starve until you could buy that from somewhere else?
If so, I seem to remember a person in the late 20’s animated by the same uncompromising views about the Jewish community and it makes me laugh, sorry to say.

My point for all the pansies offended by the existence of such books:

1. This is NOT your country – I doubt that any of you has Japanese citizenship. If you do, it’s as if you didn’t imho. Hence, you will always be seen as a FOREIGNER because that’s what you ARE. This is not only valid in Japan, but all over the world. Racial profiling is done by any of us everyday, without even realising because that’s what differenciates us primarily and not you, nor Aradou Debito can change that.

2. We are all prone to generalization – In any country with a respectable number of foreign inhabitants and characterized at a certain point by economic recession, it’s very convenient to point the blaim at the foreign nationals and place them in the same category. Again, this is not only Japan, it’s everywhere and cannot be changed.

3. Anyone not pleased with the treatment they receive here is FREE to leave to a more welcoming country/society or back to their home country. In the case of enjoying a much better life here (financially etc.) than back home (which I’m pretty sure most of you do, otherwise they wouldn’t still be here), again you should be more reserved with the boycotts.

4. My final advice to you is: when taking on such an action (here, the boycott “thingie”), first off have a look in your own back yard (here, your home country) and analize your plan really carefully. If you see the same kind of stuff that you wanna protest against in your back yard, have the decency to drop the “hollier than thou” act and not go through with it.

Greetings,
A happy to be GAIJIN.

Bakachan:

I didn’t shop at FamilyMart, even though the closest konbini to my house was a FamilyMart, until they apologized. Is it so shocking that I got food from a grocery store instead? It’s up to everyone who reads my boycott post to do whatever they want. I’m not ordering people to starve to death, I’m just asking them to avoid shopping at certain stores because they endorse a certain magazine. And, if people have time, I’ve also suggested that they e-mail the companies involved. This seems like a pretty reasonable response to me, and it has worked out pretty well.

I’m not Debito, and I don’t share all of his believes. I happen to have no problem with the common use of the term “gaijin” in many cases, and I’m not protesting every little issue that comes up or suing stores that have “no foreigner” signs.

My responses to your points:

1) I’ve never once expected Japanese people to look at me, a white guy with blonde hair, and not assume I am foreign. Even if I one day get Japanese citizenship, I will never expect such a ridiculous thing. It might be reasonable to expect after several million new immigrants come to Japan, but right now there are so few non-Asians who have taken Japanese citizenship that it is horribly unrealistic to expect Japanese people to look at racially different people and not think they are foreign.

2)Generalization happens in every country, but that isn’t a blank check to allow convenience stores to sell ridiculous sensationalist magazines about rising crime by foreigners, complete with photos captioned with disapproval of Japanese / Foreign couples.

3)If you actually read this blog regularly, which you clearly do not, you might notice that I don’t spend all my time complaining about Japan. I love Japan, and I have chosen to make this country my home for the foreseeable future. The suggestion that foreigners who are critical of Japan on this issue should just “go home” is stupid, and sounds similar to the dumb hicks in America who say people who are critical of governmental policies of wars should “get out.” I live in Japan, not America, and I’m trying to make it a better place for both Japanese and Foreigners. Many of my biggest supporters in this boycott were Japanese readers of this site, so this not simply a case of whining foreigners who should get the fuck out of Japan.

4) I live in Japan, and I plan to do so for many years. The United States has it’s fair share of problems, and I do not think that America is some great beacon of proper race relations. It’s up to people who live in America, whether they be Americans or immigrants who have not yet obtained U.S. citizenship, to work together and deal with those problems. I’m living in Japan, so I’ll work together with like-minded individuals (both foreign and Japanese) to make this country a better place.

Once again, I’m not Debito, and I don’t entirely agree with the methods he uses or the fights he picks. I’m just a foreign blogger who has made Japan his home, and this magazine was too big of a story not to take a stand on, in my opinion. My agreement with Debito about this magazine does not make me a disciple of the teachings of the Book of Debito.

I don’t advocate censorship, and I’m all for freedom of speech, but yes, it’s still true that people have the right boycott if they wish.
I haven’t boycotted Family Mart, and none of the local bookshops and convenience stores around me carried it, but if someone wanted to boycott, then I’ve got no qualms.
I don’t always agree with Debito’s tactics, all though you have to admit, the magazine is clearly hate speech and deserves to get bashed and criticised.
I have personally been lucky to not have received any direct discrimination in life in Japan, so I’m not whining.
But, that doesn’t mean that we should turn a blind eye on hate speech and act like it’s acceptable.
And, screenname bakachan, you sound you actually agree with the magazine on the whole.
No human, no matter what nationality, race, gender, or any other creed should advocate hate speech.
Sadly, some humans do so, but bakachan, by essentially saying that this is no big deal makes me wonder what kind of morals you have as a human being to sympathise with this hate speech.

Bakachan,

Word.

I never shop at konbini anyway: I boycott their high prices and stick to my local Jusco (open 24 hours)….

What I am interested in is, now that the ‘mook’ has been removed from the shops, will the foreign media report on that with the same eagerness they showed for the initial reports, or is it simply going to be forgotten as no longer being a scandal?

And if it’s okay to racially insult non-citizens, then we can have a wonderful free-for-all of hate, with Americans badmouthing Aborigines, Australians insulting African-Americans, Brits dumping on Chinese, and the like. Even if there are people of that origin living in the country, hey, if they’re not citizens, we can insult them all we like. And we shouldn’t bother to try to change that either. Let each country treat minorities how they will. And we might even have Peace In Our Time….

I never shop at konbini anyway: I boycott their high prices and stick to my local Jusco (open 24 hours)….

What I am interested in is, now that the ‘mook’ has been removed from the shops, will the foreign media report on that with the same eagerness they showed for the initial reports, or is it simply going to be forgotten as no longer being a scandal??

And if it’s okay to racially insult non-citizens, then we can have a wonderful free-for-all of hate, with Americans badmouthing Aborigines, Australians insulting African-Americans, Brits dumping on Chinese, and the like. Even if there are people of that origin living in the country, hey, if they’re not citizens, we can insult them all we like. And we shouldn’t bother to try to change that either. Let each country treat minorities how they will. And we might even have Peace In Our Time….

Good God Almighty. “I have lived in Japan for five years…..”blah, blah, blah. Yes, it’s not my country, but clearly you missed the point. Racism is not ok just because most Japanese ignore it (and many actively encourage it). What is allowed to continue without comment becomes entrenched into a society. And believe me, “niggar get your hand off that Japanese lady’s ass” is not benign. In my modest 20 years plus I’ve seen it all; been asked to leave an onsen because a customer objected to “gaijin” (oddly a name you wear proudly but still in my opinion is shorthand for nigger with a Japanese nuance regardless of all the yadayada to the contrary), been refused service several times, et al ad naseum, we all could add stories. BTW, I am not a guest in this country. I work here, pay taxes,and damn lucky I don’t have the vote. Guests, are treated with respect and courtesy didn’t you know. I’ll be interested in reading your posts on the unfairness of such respected figures as David in Hokkaido in 15 years hence, if , that is, you are still around. Heh heh. Cheers Happy Gaigin (excuse me while I puke).