The Yamanote Halloween Train vs. Japanese Netizen Rage
As mentioned earlier this week on Japan Probe, the Yamanote Halloween Train party was planned to be held last night in Tokyo. However, sometime yesterday morning, the Japanese megaforum 2ch.net discovered that post about the event and translated the information about it into Japanese, igniting a raging storm of anti-foreign hatred and sending over 10,000 visitors to this site.
Numerous threads over at 2channel and some Japanese blogs began to fill up with anonymous comments calling for outraged Japanese to contact the police and demand that they round up and arrest all the foreigners that joined in on the party [words like "rioters" and "terrorists" were used to refer to the foreigners]. Others boldly proclaimed that they would show up at Shinjuku station with knives and stab foreigners to death, and one even posted a comment on Japan Probe claiming that he would “blast” trains on the Yamanote Line.
Many of the Japanese netizens who came to this site had little or no understanding of English, and many automatically assumed that the Yamanote Train was organized and sponsored by Japan Probe. This resulted it quite a lot of angry comments. I ended up having to delete hundreds of racist hate comments left by Japanese netizens on our post, but I have left some to remain so they may serve record of how 2channelers expressed their disagreement towards the event. I’ve had to remove a lot of racist and ugly comments from this site since I started Japan Probe, but yesterday’s 2channeler comments were probably the most hateful, stupid, and childish I have ever encountered. [If any of you are wondering, Akismet spam protection can automatically detect and flag ASCII text art of male genitalia as spam.]
I did not attend last night’s Halloween Train party, and there are still very few reliable accounts of what happened last night. According to 2channel, the following happened:
- There were perhaps 200 to 250 foreigners present, most of them Caucasian. There was also a number of Japanese participants, most of them Japanese women.
- After getting on the train, the party-goers became drunk and loud, shouting in English and becoming aggressive towards a few Japanese.
- At some point, an idiot removed or disabled the lighting in the train car, forcing the train to make an emergency stop at Shinagawa station, where police forced everyone out of the train and tried to see what had gone wrong with the lights. It is unclear whether this put an end to the party, or if it continued afterwards.
There were several 2channeler spies present with cameras. Here are some pictures that have been posted repeatedly on their threads…
Police at Shinagawa Station:
A random image of the train:
One of the six videos of the “gaijin riot” uploaded by YouTuber toppatu44:
Many Japanese angry Japanese netizens reacted to the event by sending complaints to the Japanese police and even to foreign media outlets. One 2channeler proudly uploaded this image of an English language complaint e-mail he had written (read for a good laugh):
Somehow, I doubt the Vatican or the advertising department of the Washington Post are going to care about such a ridiculous e-mail, even if the author offers his respect to their god. Should the plan to ignite anti-Halloween Train action from the Vatican fail, 2channelers are already working other plans to stop next year’s Halloween Train.
[ Were you at the party last night? If so, please let us know what it was like! ]
Update: I have received e-mails informing me of Japanese blog coverage of the Halloween event, including one that expresses shock at the presence of some foreigners who took off their clothing!
A foreign participant in the event also e-mailed me:
Hey,
I read the post about the responses to the Halloween Train and was slightly shocked by the Japanese outcry. The event was by no means an outlet for gaijin idiocy. I would say at least 40% of the people there were Japanese, and they were as into it as the rest of us. It was really innocent, and I don’t think I saw any signs of hostility. Most of the Japanese people who weren’t involved were really friendly- waves and smiles – and the other small contingent just ignored us. When I finally got off the train at Shinjuku station after a complete
loop, it took me a half an hour to get out of the station because so many people wanted to take pictures with me, and various conbinations of me, my friends and their friends. It was essentially a really friendly, sweet event, and maybe a couple people overshot a little, but the vast, vast majority just had a well-intentioned good time.It’s easy for Japanese ‘netizens’ to bash it on principal, or on the basis of a small you-tube clipping, but I was there. And if anything it fostered a sense of unity among the participants, both Japanese and foreign.
Ultimately, it was just a good time.
There are, of course, some foreigners who don’t agree. A look around on google’s blog search engine revealed the following entry from a foreigner who attended the event:
Technically it’s a bunch of foreign people in Japan along with some Japanese people drinking and bum around in public, and jam the train carts so normal people can’t get on nor off… I strongly disapproved of this, but since we were supposed to go to the club together and I would have probably never found the club on my own, I had no other choice but to tag along. The entire thing was plain disgusting. If you dare you can look it up on youtube, there should be some videos from the previous years and I’m sure videos from this year will pop up there pretty soon. I really hope I didn’t get caught on someone’s camera, because I didn’t want to be there in the first place. There are no words how upset I was. I really hate foreigners in Japan and I am ashamed to be one of them.
Update 2: FG reports on the 2ch reaction to the Halloween Train, and fairly points out that there are many 2channelers who are not crazy or racist.
The Overthinker has also translated this interview with a JR employee, which was found on one of the above-linked Japanese blogs:
JR東日本の駅員に話を聞いてみた。
I asked a JR East employee about this.――山手線ジャック計画については事前に知っていましたか。
Q: Did you know about the Yamanote-jacking plan before it happened?
「はい。これは過去にも行われていますから、多くの駅員が知っているはずです」
A: Yes. Many employees knew about it, since it had happened in the past.――では、事前に対応策等は考えてこなかったのですか。
Q: So, you didn’t come up with any ways to deal with it before it happened then?
「そんなことはありません。トラブルを最小限にするよう、努めてきたつもりです」
A: That’s not right. We do our best to ensure the disruption is kept to a minimum.――ですが、過去の例を見ても、きちんと取り締まりもできていませんよね。
Q: Yes, but, looking at past examples, you aren’t really clamping down properly.
「私共としては、運行が極力乱れず、お客様に支障が出ないことを第一に考えております」
A: We aim above all to ensure the smooth running of the trains, and that passengers are not inconvenienced.――混乱が生じることを回避する意味で、徹底した取り締まりこそが必要なのではないですか。
Q: In the interests of avoiding chaos, don’t you think that a serious clampdown is needed above all?
「そういう見方もあるかもしれません。参考にさせて頂きます」
A: There might be that way of looking at it. I’ll think about what you have said.
| Related Posts: |
|
Yamanote Halloween Train 2006 (Video) Video Report by Yamanote Halloween Train Supporter |
Full RSS Feed
Wow, when did the 2ch attack happen? I didn’t even notice…
Anyways, this is a classic example of miscommunication between languages/cultures. People just trying to have a good time on one end of the spectrum, the other taking it highly offensive.
Personally, I don’t think it’s such a great idea. But that’s not to say people can’t and shouldn’t have a good time on the train casually.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Hmm.. The thing is that this isn’t your country. So chalking it up to a simple ‘miscommunication’ between cultures is dumbing it down to points of absurdity. The fact is that the train system is very highly regarded by Japanese people. Its not generally seen as a plaything for drunk, Western kids to puts around on for kicks.
This wouldn’t fly on city buses in America or elsewhere so why should it be any different for Japan? The fact is that this is yet another example of foreigners allowing themselves to act like total assholes because they are in a place whose people will not always directly confront them.
We are talking mostly about foreigners behavior in Tokyo. People should seriously reconsider how they are making themselves and other foreigners in Japan look.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
“This wouldn’t fly on city buses in America or elsewhere so why should it be any different for Japan?”
Great question! If this happened in NYC it would not be tolerated at all and it would be promptly stopped and the people would either be arrested or detained.
So then why is it that the Japanese apparantly don’t care and continue to let this happen? Sure they can get online and make death threats and racists comments, but they never actually try to stop this event. The police will do nothing (until someone breaks a light!) and the Japanese people around at the time will either join in with the other people having fun or quietly disapprove.
I’m sorry, but I can’t feel bad for people that let bad things (or things they just don’t like) continue to happen to them.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I am not condoning this activity, but to the question, “This wouldn’t fly on city buses in America or elsewhere so why should it be any different for Japan?” the answer is “because Japan is not America.” There should not be an automatic assumption that American “common sense” is a global standard, that the American way of doing things is the best. Many things about Japan are different from American ways, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Thus comments like “this would never be allowed in the US” don’t really help, since Japan is not the US. And those Americans who joined in and know that they could never do it back home are wrong not because it would be stomped on in NYC, but because it is rude and intimidating in Japan.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I think the assumption that rowdy behavior doesn’t occur on American buses or trains is also patently absurd. There are any number of bizarre train-related “festivals” in the US, some fairly noisy and rowdy. The reason the Yamanote one is foul is that it largely consists of a bunch of kids suddenly noticing that they get away with a lot of crap due to the fact that they intimidate some people and are dealing with a largely non-confrontational society.
Is it terrorism or armageddon? Not at all. Does it warrant racism, hatred, and death threats? Of course not. Does it warrant arrests? In most cases, probably not, much less deportation or anything like that.
But is it barbarism in a rather pure sense? Yes, it is.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
@Overthinker: No one said that American common sense is a global standard. The point was rather that these individuals would not act like this in their home countries. Your interpretation of my comment misses the point though strangely you agree with me. The situations is centered on what is happening in Japan. We should be centered on what is acceptable in Japan, as well as its customs, its logic, its way of doing things. Obviously, anyone who has spent time in Japan knows that these of actions are not acceptable.
So the question remains, why do these individuals believe this is ok behavior for Japan, when it is not acceptable in America, Australia, and elsewhere?
@Garret: I do not assume that rowdy behavior does not occur on public transit in America. I assert that such behavior is not tolerated and is dealt with by authorities. If you were to disable a bus or train in the West you’d be in deep shit.
As far as racism, death threats, etc go. Some here are overestimating the nature of those ‘threats’. 2ch is nothing more than a site for trolls to do what they do best. If everyone took what the chans said seriously we’d be in a permanent state of panick.
In my opinion, the lemming like nature of this particular brand of foreigner in Japan should be something that everyone who gives a damn about the image of foreigners there is concerned about.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
“why do these individuals believe this is ok behavior for Japan, when it is not acceptable in America, Australia, and elsewhere?”
Because it is not strictly prohibited as it is in their own countries. If it’s not illegal, it must be legal, is their thinking (and since the ideal of post-Enlightenment European civilisation is that laws prevent you from doing things rather than give you permission – ie that you are free to do anything that is not illegal – this is not such a huge step to take). I am not looking at this from a moral issue as such, just saying that if it were made more clear (as it is apparently in Osaka) that this is Not On, then that might help. Their common sense is based, as far as I can gather, on “hey, we can do this in Japan!” (in similar vein, I ride a bicycle frequently, and never wear a helmet and often ride on the footpaths, both of which are downright illegal where I come from) and so, caught up in the fact that they CAN do it, don’t stop to think about whether they SHOULD do it. And perhaps they genuinely do not realise how they are perceived; that these actions are indeed so heinous. We really need more comments from people who joined this thing as to why they did it, and what they felt the effects would be.
To be more philosophical, perhaps the sheer existence of too many prohibitions has a reverse effect: without the strict guidelines of the law, people do not know how to act, and in a foreign country, the problem is greatly exacerbated. And how long have these people spent in Japan, and I mean “IN Japan” rather than NOVAland and gaijin enclaves. They may think, “Hey, Japanese salarymen like to drink, and like to ride trains, and like a bit of a party – let’s show them a good time!” (I do not think they are deliberately trying to hassle or intimidate people, just being dicks let loose for the first time in their lives).
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I think you might be on to something with the ‘hey we can do this in Japan’ comment, though I am still dumbfounded by these individuals.
As well, the point about how long they have actually been ‘in Japan’ is quite valid. I spent quite a long time out in the so called ‘countryside’ in Saitama and it may simply be the fact that I see these things differently from those who frequent Roppongi and strictly congregate with other foreigners in Japan.
I am more insensed with the individuals who were disabling lights than the others. In my opinion, the idea to simply get on the train to drink and be obnoxious is very ‘un-Japanese’. Sure, it happens from time to time that you see a drunken salaryman or two, but what they are doing is still over the top and is a recipe for trouble. Maybe I am just a square.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Look, I can see that foreigners want to enjoy themselves and have fun every now and then, but doing it by literally hijacking a public transport utility like this is not the way.
I spent a few years in Japan, so I can empathise with the idea. However, the problems is that alcohol will become involved in the mix, and even if not, there will be troublemakers in the crowd who are not there to enjoy themselves in the same way as everyone else.
This is exactly the sort of event that the japanese (as shown by the post from a japanese about this being a public holiday and celebrations) will not understand. If you want to have a celebratory train or bus for an event, do what other people would do in these circumstances and hire the train or bus for your purpose, get permits, etc. Yes, it isn’t cheap, but you won’t inconvenience the rest of the public for your celebration. When in Rome…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Maybe I should emphasize my usage of the word “casually”. Like, talking with a group of friends on the train or something. Some Japanese like it completely silent.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’d say most, besides high schoolers. I do not talk on the train and if I do it is very quietly.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Completely silent??? That’ll be the day! The trains and stations are some of the noisiest damn things in the city!
I’ve long been confused about the signs that say “turn your headphone volume down”, since you have to have it pretty loud just to hear it over all the announcements, bells, screeching and bustling.
If you can put up with the sound of a kyuukou flying past your local stop a couple meters away from you, then you don’t really have the right to complain to much about noise levels.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
As a whole, I’m against the train party on the grounds it’s just not the right place for it.
However…
After so many Japanese said such bad and hurtful things, without grounds, I believe this should be more public!
The mask of the net has unleashed a new breed of Japanese, that some might say, look uncanny like wartime problems dating back years ago. The threats, violence and bullying that exists on the net reveals serious issues that need to be addressed. When bully threats can send a child to jail online, how can it be acceptable to put death threats against people you have never met?
Let’s see what’s worse, goofing around on a train, or sending threats out to people you’ve never met, for something you’ve (probable) have never seen.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
When the infamous rants of 2ch start becoming spoken by real people in public, then we have a problem, but until then it’s just people enjoying the anonymity to be as trollish as possible. A far cry from wartime issues, though I am not sure which war you refer to (though in talking about Japan there is only one war that doesn’t need a modifier).
Rate this comment:
0 
0
There is a Western equivalent called 4chan. Its far worse than the Japanese version if you ask me.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
2ch is full of doinks and trolls, it’s pretty much troll heaven. The doinks who spammed JP must have absolutely no lives at all, and are probably otaku/NEETs/other subcultures regarded as being losers in mainstream society. (4chan also has lots of doinks and trolls who also spam people they don’t like.) Don’t take them as being representative of all Japanese people. There are also people on 2ch who aren’t doinks, but unfortunately the doinks seem to be the loudest.
About the Halloween thing, though…I’ll agree that it’s a nuisance to other passengers who are just trying to go someplace. If people want to throw a Halloween party, do it in some other place…but don’t do it on a public train. It’s rude and doesn’t give a good impression to other passengers.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Haha, doinks. Never heard that one.. I like it.
Oh, I know all about e/b/aums.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
“doink” is probably the perfect word to describe such people
Those spammers from 2ch who posted racist things reminded me of some of the stuff that was written on the Yahoo message boards before they were taken down. It seemed like there were always racist comments in every thread, especially in news comments. And then you had people who bash everyone in a particular religion, and the people who blamed everything on the political party they hate, etc. At least the Yahoo people didn’t spam sites (at least, I’d never heard of them doing stuff like that). This site perfectly illustrates the type of spew that people would say on those boards.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
And as for “When in Rome…”
Are you suggesting I start groping women on trains, buy some hentai manga and become racist?
(I’m not saying all Japanese do this, but some do, just as some Japanese would join to train party)
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Probably the some of the dumbest comments I’ve ever seen on JP. You are calling out others for racism (against foreigners in someone else’s country acting like complete children) with wholesale comments about the Japanese character… right. Obviously, the moral high ground is not yours.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I agree. I don’t like the 2ch spammers’ comments either, but you’re pretty much doing the same thing that the 2chers were (judging an entire population by the doinky ones).
Rate this comment:
0 
0
You somehow missed the “I’m not saying all Japanese do this” part of the post. Can you make it clear how there was a comment that made a judgment on an entire population in that post?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
‘And as for “When in Rome…”
Are you suggesting I start groping women on trains, buy some hentai manga and become racist?’
This is a comment that made a judgement on an entire population. The extra part there is worthless really. If I say ‘I am not racist or anything, but black people are garbage’ it doesn’t really change the fact that what I just said is a blanket statement and ridiculous.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Choosing to ignore the following statement (like you are) does not make is useless. You can’t pick and choose what other people say.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Some participants of the train party are as idiot as hentai probing women on trains.
Some Japanese commenters who used racial slurs and threats are against the public manner and the law as some aggressive participants of the party.
But let me say this;drinking on the train and “disabling the lighting in the train car” is not the matter of cultural diversity nor the case of miscommunication:it is just wrong whether it is done by Japanese or Caucasian.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Or rather, a beer or two is fine, but breaking the fixtures is definitely Right Out.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Exactly. This is ridiculous. These people should be prosecuted and deported imo.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
No, they should not be deported as breaking a light bulb or two is not and should not be a deportable offence, and I would not want to see being an ass made one either. Too legally fuzzy. But short of over-reacting, something might be able to be done.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Do you think they didn’t know what they were doing? Of course they did. The fact remains that they are willfully breaking the laws of another nation. I don’t think they deserve their visa’s if they are going to take them so lightly.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I am not arguing they did not break the law. I am saying this should not be a deportable offence. I’d hate to be kicked out the next time I got a speeding ticket, for example. And I rather doubt they knew it would cause the train to stop anyway.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Well, whether or not they knew the train would be stopped is besides the point. If I speed through a red light and hit a pedestrian, whether or not I knew I would hit that person is irrelevant.
I think I am simply shocked that anyone would act in this manner in a foreign country. I have a feeling that the ’self-esteem generation’ of Americans and other nations are the primary participants in these kind of situations.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
It is the difference between moral and legal responsibility, and is a great place for lawyers to get rich. To use your analogy of hitting a pedestrian, it’s the difference between manslaughter and murder. The question is whether one can normally assume that breaking a lightbulb is going to cause the train to stop. That is, breaking the lightbulb was not an accident, causing the train to stop was.
Actually I don’t think you would get deported from Japan even for murder, and pretty sure you wouldn’t for manslaughter – deportation is usually used for visa-related crimes. However having read about Japanese jails, I’d definitely prefer being kicked out of the country….
I think I tend to agree about the “Me Generation” though. Too much Barney telling them they’re “special” as kids….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Haha, god, a Barney reference. My day is made.
In the end these stories remind me of when I studied in Tokyo and of the self-centered children I was studying with. There are far too many of those kind of individuals in Japan. It is annoying.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Wow, deported for breaking a light bulb? So, if someone steals a can of Coke they should get the death penalty then? I’m trying to understand your hierarchy of punishment here.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Breaking a lightbulb on the train which then forces the stop of normal operations of said train is not simply ‘breaking a light bulb’. The fact of the matter is that the train system is the lifeline of living in Tokyo. Purposefully tampering with that system is taken very seriously by Japanese authorities and I would argue by a large majority of Tokyo’s citizens.
Stealing a can of coke has nothing to do with what these people did. In my opinion, those individuals who were involved in breaking the lightbulb should be deported. Perhaps, your ideas of right and wrong are just a little bit skewed?
People must be held to account for their actions.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I never said it was right to break a light bulb and cause a disruption in the train. I’m just highly disagreeing with the severity of your punishment. Which I do indeed find to be ridiculous.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
So, what was your point of veiw making this and that post?
Did you think that many would agree on the trick?
I believe most Japanese won’t even care if the host
was a foreigner or not. If it were a Japanese we call
them Kichigai, if it wasn’t we call them the easiest
way. That’s all. Just like you call some of us
Japanese Netizen Rage. Is that racism?
I call that grouping.
Some aliens believe that it is _us_ Japanese to
understand the aliens’ culture and accept it,
though I find it very difficult to understand
why we have to accept it. Is that what you
call freedom or diversity or whatever?
That is just subjection.
The aliens’ don’t accept our culture, why should we?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I post about this event because it is a truly bizarre event that doesn’t get much attention. If a group of over 200 foreigners/Japanese in costumes invade a train and use it as a place for a drinking party, shouldn’t somebody in the mass media be reporting about it? Apparently this Yamanote Halloween Train event has been going on for years now, and if it is so offensive, why haven’t new rules against drinking alcohol on trains been created? My main purpose in posting about this event is to bring greater attention to this event and provoke discussion about it.
I made my own personal views about the Halloween train clear when I posted a year ago about the 2006 party: I think that it is rude for anyone to use the public transportation system as a setting for a drinking party. This year I was hoping to get a sense of the overall opinions of this site’s readers by making a neutral post that just reported information about the event with a poll.
I refer to the 2channel comments as “Japanese Netizen Rage” because that’s exactly what it was. This site got hundreds of angry comments in Japanese from Japanese IP addresses, hence making it rage from Japanese netizens.
It’s one thing to be angry and state that you disagree with the event and hope that those involved are arrested by the police. It’s also okay to say the event is a huge 迷惑. However, most of the comments left by Japanese said things like “fuck you gaijin” or with heavy usage of 毛唐 and 死ね and other incredibly rude or racist terms. Worthless shit like that is not acceptable on sites that encourage actual discussion.
I think that Japanese people have every right to be disagree with and be disgusted by the behavior of the participants in the Yamanote train party. If you want to stop things like it form happening, you should take serious action against it. Tell JR that you want rules against drinking alcohol on trains. Tell your government that you want laws that ban people form holding parties on trains. Send your complaints to the authorities in a civil manner.
Leaving hundreds of angry racist comments and death threats towards foreigns won’t prevent this event from happening next year. It just disgusts people who would otherwise agree with the view that the Halloween party-goers are being rude.
i dont agree with racism and i agree that it is really stupid to make any racistic comments. so i have to apologise for that as a japanese man.
however, just as you said, we have full right to be against the criminal activity of the last night.
by informing the detailed plan of the terrorism yesterday, i can say that u did supportted making the assembly of mobsters bigger.
u certainly have to recognize about that fact and should show apologise about that, instead of insulting 2ch users by stating them as freaky otakus or bunch of racists.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This is a news blog. I reported news about an event, information that had already been e-mailed around the foreigner community and posted on foreigner forums. Perhaps instead of asking me to apologize, you should be thanking me for giving 2ch users like yourself the information you needed to build an opposition movement to the event.
[Only about 5% to 10% of this site's daily visitors are foreigners in Japan, so it is doubtful that my post contributed much to the size of the "mobsters" and their "terrorism." Perhaps you should be attacking sites like the Gaijinpot.com forums instead, since they had posts organizing the event well before JapanProbe did.]
“Only about 5% to 10% of this site’s daily visitors are foreigners in Japan”
How do you know this? Number of English comments from Japanese IPs or something? What is the breakdown of JP’s readership, by the way?
If I lived in Tokyo, this post would have had the benefit of allowing me to AVOID this train, so that is a social benefit at least….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I use several different stat tracking services to keep track of what kind of users are viewing the site and what url’s they are coming from. Sitemeter’s last 24 hour pie chart can be seen here:
http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s18japanprobe&r=83
On an typical day, a little over 50% of readers have American IP addresses, with significant slices of the pie from other English-speaking countries. Right now it is showing a very large percentage of Japanese users due to the high traffic from 2ch and 2ch-focused Japanese blogs.
Cool graph. Wow, 71% from Japan at the moment….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
of cource i ve found u from 2ch bbs.
there r too many people…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Now, on the 30th (late) that graph shows almost half from the US. Probably as I’m up far too late for most Japan-based posting….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
James,
Thanks for making your position clear.
However, I think that things have changed
if you restated your thoughts on this
with this year’s post as well.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’m Japanese and I got to know this Yamanote line Holloween Party on 2ch and Japundit. I read Japundit on regular basis. (I’ve visited this blog before by following a link on Japundit site to this blog, by the way.)
I have just read comments on this page from foreigners from top to here (maybe about half way through) and am glad to know that most of all the comments are against the behaviors of participants of the Yamanote line Party.
The man who posted in Japundit
http://japundit.com/archives/2007/11/01/7315/#comments
never seem to feel bad about their behavior. In his own blog, he justifies their celf-centered attitude.
http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/the-yamanote-halloween-train-rides-into-a-sea-of-adversity/
After reading the comments on his blog, I was shocked to know that some foreigners there don’t feel sorry for the event. I doubted my eyes. I thought the majority of foreigners think the same way as the blogger, but I’m relieved to know that that’s not the case after reading comments here on this blog.
2channeler’s behaviors here on this blog aren’t justfied even though they misunderstood this blog as if your blog was on the side of the party participants. They tend to think they can do whatever they want under the umbrella of annonymity. I feel sorry for the chaos they made here.
>However, most of the comments left by Japanese said >things like “fuck you gaijin” or with heavy usage >of 毛唐 and 死ね and other incredibly rude or >racist terms. Worthless shit like that is not >acceptable on sites that encourage actual discussion
Most of Japanese are not good at English but they know some cuss words such as fxxk you and all that. I think that’s one of the reason why they left such comments in English. Still, that can’t justfy their bad behaviors.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I have to agree with your post. When you are a guest in another person’s home you don’t trash the place. Japanese people shouldn’t have to accept that.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
わたくしは、日本人のなかにこのブログを誤解されている方がいると思います。
このブログは日本関連の様々な事象を取り扱っております。その一つとしてこの山の手ハロウィーンを取り扱っています。そして、そこには、むしろ、こうしたパーティーはいかがなものか、という問題意識があります。事実ブロガーは去年は反対の意思表示をしておられます。また、コメント欄の多くは、この手のパーティーに否定的であります。
私見では、本ブログのブロガーは日本関連のニュースに関して公正な取り扱いをしていると思います。
皆様に興味のあるかもしれない事柄として、例えば、米国における慰安婦決議に対しては、反対の意思表示をし、また、竹島問題において、日本側の主張を支持する韓国のアメリカ人が大学を追放されたときも、あるいは、金閣寺に境内に韓国語でいたずら書きがあったときも義憤をあらわにされております。（こうしたことを英語で世界に発信していただけた人がどれだけいるでしょうか？）
今回の件に関して、日本における他の迷惑行為同様、反対を表明されるのは当然のことと思います。それについて発言するのももっともなことであります。
が、しかし、一部日本人による人種差別的な発言や、不法な脅迫まがいの発言がありました。これは、マナー違反の車上飲酒や、車上での違法な破壊活動同様マナー違反であり、違法ともいえる行為だと思います。
そして、こうした態様の抗議方法は正当な抗議内容の正当性をも減殺してしまうものです。
また、このブログは、偏見に満ちた英語圏の記事があふれるなかで、愉快な明るい日本を世界に伝える数少ない貴重なブログです。そして読者数も飛び抜けて多い。
そうしたブログで、誤解に基づく、マナー違反の荒らし行為をなさろうとする人がいるならば、ーーー不遜な意見かもしれませんが、以上の点もご一孝頂きーーーどうかご遠慮いただければ幸いです。
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I think both sides of this are pretty unreasonable, the foreigners for being just plain annoying and ignorant, and the 2chlers for blowing the event way out of proportion and being racist about it all.
But my favorite part of it all is the “religious side of Halloween” – You know, when Jesus wore his wolfman mask and went around Rome begging for candy, threatening Romans with mischievous repercussions if they didn’t provide. Oh Jesus, what a trickster!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Well, there is a religious side to Halloween – “Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well.” (Wikipedia – see their section on its religious meaning)
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I was refering to the screenshot of the email above, “Originally the halloween will be the day to wish to the God quietly.”
I’m well aware of the religious-historical background of All Hallows Eve. I was just emphasizing that the person who wrote the email above has absolutely know idea what the social-holiday of Halloween is in modern times.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I was pretty sure that was it – it’s just that I didn’t get called my handle here for nothing….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
HOW CAN IT BE LEGAL TO BREAK LAMPS INSIDE THE TRAIN & TO STOP TRAIN, TO DROP ALCOHOL DRINKS & YOUR SPITS ON OTHER PEOPLE !?!?
THE SITE MANAGER HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE SITE DID SUPPORT THE TERRORISM HAPPENED LAST NIGHT BY INFORMING THE DETAIL PLAN OF THE TERRORISM.
IF U REALlY DID NOT WANT TO SUPPORT THE TERRORISM, THEN
YOU SHOULD NEVER WRITE ARTICLE THAT INVITING LOTS OF PEOPLE TO THE VERY ANOYING & DISTURBING CRIME ACTIVITY.
JAMES, THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU!
なぜ電車内で照明を破壊し電車を止め、酒類やツバを他人にかける行為が合法たりうるでしょうか？
サイト管理人はテロリズムの詳細をサイトに記述することによって、確かに昨夜のテロリズムを支援したことを認識すべきです。
もしあなたが本当に昨夜のテロリズムを支持しないのであれば、このような非常に不愉快な犯罪活動を誘引するような記事を決してサイトに記載すべきではなかったはずです。
James、このメッセージはあなたへのものです。
I REPEAT. JAMES, THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Hmmm. So in the US, “terrorism by resident aliens” means “hijacking four aircraft and killing thousands, and causing billions of dollars in immediate and long-term damage, not to mention paving the way for several bloody wars.” And in Japan, the same word “terrorism” caused by resident aliens is used to mean…breaking a lightbulb or two? Now we know the true meaning of terror, indeed….
And if giving details about an event is supporting it, then I hope someone arrests the editorial staff of all major global newspapers as well….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
dont u know how rwanda genocide has happened?
it was done by radio station.
the radio did not tell people to kill people.
then how ?
it just spread information of racial conflict,
and told that the time is coming.
i say it is certainly supporting crimes to spread information about the plan of criminal activity.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
And now this is equated to Rwanda – so are we meant to assume that Japan is like Rwanda in its potential for racial conflict, lack of rule of law and justice, and general tendency towards genocide?
SOME might say that making public attempts to cause disruption is a social service….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Let’s see:
–
JapanProbe.com post- Reporting public information from wikipedia about an event that foreigners have organized and already sent information about to gaijin community sites and e-mail lists across the interent. Mentioning that some view the event as rude and annoying.
Rwandan radio – Expressly ordering people to kill an ethnic group.
–
The same thing? Only to someone with an incredibly warped sense of reality.
“SOME might say that making public attempts to cause disruption is a social service…”
NOTE: This can be read two ways, I notice. It was intended to be read thus: “SOME might say that making known to the public at large the existence of attempts to cause disruption is a social service.”
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Actually you could be sued millions of yen for stopping train operation. Imagine the loss of JR’s revenue that could result from the cancellation of even a single line.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I didn’t invite people to the event, I quoted a wikipedia entry about the event and asked users to respond to a poll about it. The information I posted had already been posted on most foreigner-in-Japan forums. Where did I encourage people to spit, drink alcohol, and break light fixtures?
no matter u waned or not, u did make the riots bigger.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This is a bit different than say the ‘gaijin smash’ phenomenon. I do not believe for one second that James encourages this behavior. He obviously cares about Japan to maintain this blog and inform people about what is happening there. Why would he want individuals to tarish his image as a foreigner national in Japan? That makes very little sense.
Blame the criminals, not the reporters.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
You know, I really did need a good laugh tonight and this post succeeded splendidly!
I love how journalism is the new terrorism. Priceless.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
i really dislike any form of such criminal activities.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
You know, libel is a crime in Japan. That makes a considerable portion of the 2chlers criminals.
I think one night of 200 idiot foreigners on a train doesn’t really compare to 365 nights of probably more drunken Japanese salarymen on various trains possibly groping a feel on underaged girls.
Where do you think authorities should focus their attention, soopafly?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
WHY DID YOU BAN MY IP, JAMES ?
when did i make “libel” ha ?
i ve never wrote any racist slur or anything to blame at u ebcause of ur nationalities or race. i m not any 2ch-ers who wrote stupid agressive comments here.
my opinion is only one, and very simple.
it did make riots bigger to make public attempts to mobbing plan.
and to Overthinker, about rwanda.
i m not talking about race. when did i talked about race ?
my opinion is very simple and not related to race matter.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Soopafly, I was doing you a favor by banning your IP address, since your incredibly stupid and ridiculous comments were adding nothing to the discussion. The argument against JapanProbe’s reporting the existence of the Yamanote party would be better left to others who don’t post outlandish junk.
Since you’re so keen on making yourself heard, I’ve unbanned your original IP address. Feel free to post comments, but I won’t bother replying to them.
which comment did u dislike ?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
And where did I mention you mentioning race?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
> And now this is equated to Rwanda – so are we
> meant to assume that Japan is like Rwanda in its
> potential for racial conflict, lack of rule of law > and justice, and general tendency towards
> genocide?
this one, u misunderstood.
my opinion is very simple:
the article called more riots.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Well, the Rwanda conflict was an ethnic one, after all.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
yes, u r right.
but sometime “race” word are used for “ethnic” one.
if english discriminate irish, they will say it is “racism”.
of cource i m not good at english so maybe i m wrong.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
You are making a big deal out of nothing, soopafly. Cut it out already. 難癖にもほどがあるだろ。それ以前に煽る相手間を明らかに違っている。日本海呼称問題についての記事なんかを見ても、この吾人は反日外国人の類いではない。
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I shall reply seriously to this, in the hope that it will be taken seriously. The difference between “race” and “ethnicity” is far from clear; what is a different ethnicity or even culture to one person may be seen by another as a totally different race. However both ethnic and racial conflicts are predicated on a dislike of the Other based on genetic/cultural attributes as opposed to economic or political (and I know that ethnic conflicts are often about these at their root: it is the way this conflict is expressed in racial/ethnic terms that is the issue). Thus likening JP’s mention of a foreigner-based Halloween party train to the Rwandan calls for genocide is an implicit link to such ethnic or racial branding, to saying that this call is based on the same hatred of the Other that Rwanda was. It is a dangerous example to use, and you must be careful to explain exactly what aspect of it you are referring to.
And your English seems fine, aside from a phobia regarding Capital Letters, Which Are Required In Correct English.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Well I do understand how James thinks.
However, I think that it is YOUR(foreigner’s) matter to settle the case like this, because, with common sense, outrage like hijacking the train should be stopped at all case.
So foreigners have setted up their reputations themselves. No matter what you say, there must be Japanese people who have built hatred toward foreigners because of this event.
It’s not Japanese’s fault that the event occured. It’s foreigner’s fault. I think no one can argue that.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
And I do not think you will find a single comment on this site that argues otherwise.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
From James’s post:
>If you want to stop things like it form happening, you should take serious action against it. Tell JR that you want rules against drinking alcohol on trains. Tell your government that you want laws that ban people form holding parties on trains. Send your complaints to the authorities in a civil manner.
why do WE have to act? Well, I’m acting that way because I personally don’t like this happen next year, but it didn’t happen because of us(Japanese). I mean, come on, if foreigners don’t want this to happen, they have to be the one to stop the event, not us, because they are the ones who know the news earlier.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Foreigners don’t have the authority to stop it. That’s what laws are for, and police are to enforce. Actually, foreigners don’t even have the right to vote on laws in Japan, so really it’s out of our hands completely. We can just complain about it on the internet, just like our friends at 2ch.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Soon after my post about the 2007 Yamanote party, some foreign readers thanked me for the information, saying that they had forwarded the details of the party to the Japanese police and JR. It seems like that was a fine example of what foreigners who oppose the event can do to stop it.
>Alex
Well you can at least PURSUADE people to not to join such a nonsense.
Does there have to be law to rule everything?
Did you guys invade public transportation because it was not against law? You didn’t think about what impact will it have on society and everything? Don’t you guys have something called COMMON SENSE?
btw, in case of jumping into train(suicide) thus stopping Yamanote line, JR charges some \10,000,000 fee per minute of stoppage to the relatives… I don’t know how much the event at Shinagawa station will account for, but good luck.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Which is what I mentioned above; “police are to enforce.”
I think what Yukestar is trying to say is that foreigners should stop the crimes of other foreigners before they happen. Japanese police shouldn’t be involved, and laws shouldn’t have to be made.
I, personally, am all for laws against public drunkeness in Japan, especially on trains. It’s a major Japanese social problem that I think Japanese citizens need to face the truth about.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Could you please stop referring to us by the blanket “you guys”? I’ll bet that pretty much all the non-Japanese resident in Japan who have responded on this board had NOTHING to do with this, and did not participate. How about “those guys”?
頼むから、you guys（「お前たち」）だけはやめていただけませんか？ここの読者の在日外国人のうち、この企画に賛同して参加した人物はおろか、実は多くの読者が否定的な意見を表しています。我々は「常識」というものがあるからこそ、否定的です。常識知らずのやつどもとは一切関係ありません。
And JR is a bit harsh with charging the family, but that’s another matter….
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I was not involved in the incident at all. I am completely opposed to it, and I think they (THOSE foreigners, not “us foreigners”) were as idiotic as any other intoxicated people are in public, including Japanese salarymen. Yukestar – What I’m driving at is that there are major problems in Japan involving the consumption of alcohol, but it seems like only the racist nutjobs on 2ch want to complain about it if it involves foreigners. Only being opposed to something because a foreigner is doing it is ‘racism’, and I don’t see many complaints about the Japanese involved in the event.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Here are some interesting quotes by a JR official regarding the incident, taken from one of the sites James linked to in his update (my translations are under the original):
JR東日本の駅員に話を聞いてみた。
I asked a JR East employee about this.
――山手線ジャック計画については事前に知っていましたか。
Q: Did you know about the Yamanote-jacking plan before it happened?
「はい。これは過去にも行われていますから、多くの駅員が知っているはずです」
A: Yes. Many employees knew about it, since it had happened in the past.
――では、事前に対応策等は考えてこなかったのですか。
Q: So, you didn’t come up with any ways to deal with it before it happened then?
「そんなことはありません。トラブルを最小限にするよう、努めてきたつもりです」
A: That’s not right. We do our best to ensure the disruption is kept to a minimum.
――ですが、過去の例を見ても、きちんと取り締まりもできていませんよね。
Q: Yes, but, looking at past examples, you aren’t really clamping down properly.
「私共としては、運行が極力乱れず、お客様に支障が出ないことを第一に考えております」
A: We aim above all to ensure the smooth running of the trains, and that passengers are not inconvenienced.
――混乱が生じることを回避する意味で、徹底した取り締まりこそが必要なのではないですか。
Q: In the interests of avoiding chaos, don’t you think that a serious clampdown is needed above all?
「そういう見方もあるかもしれません。参考にさせて頂きます」
A: There might be that way of looking at it. I’ll think about what you have said.
I find the JR employee’s responses to be interesting. He (most likely) doesn’t seem that worried – so long as the trains keep running on time, and is rather sceptical of the need for a serious clampdown. Among this debate, what exactly DOES Japan Rail East think of this?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
No need to report to the Vatican or the Washington Post. For us Tokyoites have ISHIHARA as the governor (thank god!). You can bet that he’s very keen on issues like this. Just give him a call instead of sending useless emails to foreign news agencies if you are concerned. Hopefully he will take care of those delinquents from next year on.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
James, don’t apologize, you have done nothing wrong. You posted news and have done well with tolerating the stupidity and insults from both ends. You must deal with the ingnornace of those who don’t fully understand your site.
The rest of you, grow up, on both ends.
Gaijin – Nude and drunk on a public train, of course people are angry!
Japanese – Posting racist and “terrorist” comments, of course people are angry!
I believe that this shows the worse of Japanese and Gaijin living in Japan.
Then again, there is always “驚愕の外人犯罪裏ファイル―外人犯罪白書2007″
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Lead by Tora-falgar Club, fan club of
Japanese baseball team Hanshin Tigers,
about 200 Japanese people gathered at the
Trafalgar Square, central London.
They sang “Rokko Oroshi”, the team official song
by the Nelson’s Column.
A security guard of the square told them
that singing is forbidden, however,
they insisted that they really want to sing.
After they finish singing, they jumped into a fountain.
Motohiro Kawai, a 46-year-old Kyoto-born businessman
who have lived in England for 12 years and the leader of
the meeting said “It was very fun. I’m glad that I’ve been living.”
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/baseball/npb/03season/tigers/column/topics/200309/0916sn_01.html
Rate this comment:
0 
0
were they drunk out of their minds? did they break anything? how about public nudity?
your comparison is pretty off.
besides, trafalgar square is a place known for big gatherings, so how does this relate to drunk idiots on the train system in tokyo, osaka, etc.?
oh, yeah.. it doesn’t.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Heh!
I’m always surprised when I get on the Yamanote and there isn’t a big gathering!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I used to goto this, the one in Osaka. People I know used to rob there. It was a good event, with drunk foreigners. If these 2ch are pissed, they should just get up and slap a bitch. That’s all there is to it.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
http://www.kansainow.com/2006loopline.html
And this is how JRW and Osaka Police reacted to that “good event, with drunk foreigners.”
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I really think they’re up in arms because the event is associated with foreigners. If this train thing was a Japanese tradition I’m sure this would just be another page in the tome of “crazy stuff that Japanese people do and foreigners love them for.” Just because a bunch of repressed, frustrated, and probably depressed foreigners want to have a little bit of fun doesn’t mean they’re going to try to take down the train system. Jeez, coming from the society that wrote the book on how to let out the anxiety that comes from the tremendous social pressures placed on citizens of modern day Japan in strange and unusual ways, you’d think they’d want to join in the Yamanote train party.
Or, they just misunderstood the article and have nothing better to do. It could go both ways.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
The internet nerd outrage is hilarious.
Japanese people in Power Ranger and Pikachu suits having fun on Akihabara’s streets=Japanese culture.
Gaijin in the same suits on a train=Fuel up a plane so we can deport their asses and call the UN to see if they can squeeze them in between their other war criminal trials.
When an oba-san gave you an elbow check once again so she can get on the train one second earlier it’s normal.
When some white guy with Halloween makeup gets on the train with you he probably also has a belt with explosives strapped to his chest.
Well, thanks for the entertainment.
And to the people asking what would happen in other countries:
In Europe it happens every single weekend when thousands of football fans travel to their teams game in their respective countries. They drink, are sometimes loud and have a good time. And what do the other people do? They simple move to the next wagon and no one cares. It’s that simple.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Haha, wow. ‘Japanese people in Power Ranger and Pikachu suits having fun on Akihabara’s streets=Japanese culture.’ Really? Is that truly what ‘Japanese culture” is all about? If you ask me that is something that a microcosm of Japanese individuals appreciate. Why do some foreigners see Japanese niches as something more important in the big picture of Japan than what it really is?
Europe is not Japan. In Japan this behavior is unacceptable. Stop thinking with your cultural identity for a second. Japan shouldn’t have to adapt to you. You should adapt to Japan.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Of Cource I know that all of foreigner in Japan are not impolite, rude, uncivil and impertinent like them.
I feel some sympathy for those rioters. Because maybe they were LOSER in their country. Like Asperger syndrome, they couldn’t sense an atmosphere and they lost their place, occupation, faith and more.(or actually they might be retarded.)
Finally, they had to leave their country. They moved to Tokyo where they can feel safe and superior to QUIET MONKEYS everywhere.
But their short-sighted project was ruined. Even in their country, they were disliked because of their poor and selfish communication. In Japan, conversation in Japanese, much more poor and selfish.
Pitiful aliens are disliked again by a monkeys in east end. Please imagine their deep sorrow. This riot was the explosion of the sorrow of the weak. I feel sincerely sympathy for those hopeless rioters.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I WAS ON THAT TRAIN!
And 99% of the criticisms here or on Japanese forums are overblown. It was mostly quite innocent – a loud congregation, sure, but no riot. Reminded me more of a group of revellers during New Years.
Unfortunately, it matters little what actually happened but only how people who weren’t there perceive it… Which is why this was my first & last Yamanote party. I take no pleasure in helping to generate thousands of ignorant and hateful comments directed at gaijin or anyone else.
But for those of you who are interested in what actually happened:
1) Nothing was broken. The train lights were temporarily disabled by twisting them out of their sockets, and the “out of control” partygoers turned them back on at Shinagawa when the JR staff asked them to.
2) With one exception, there was no nudity. People were wearing costumes, so you had a couple of bare chests, cross-dressing – typical fare for Halloween. The exception was the guy in boxers in the picture on this blog. Someone pulled his boxers partly down and he happily posed for people to take pictures of his backside.
3) Most people I saw were not very drunk. It was early and people might just have been getting warmed up before they went to parties. They certainly weren’t violent or intimidating, especially since almost half were women. I did feel bad though for the people in car # 10 at Shinjuku, whom had to move to other cars to get away from the loud group of revellers.
4) At least a third of participants were Japanese, though of course the majority still were gaijin.
5) Most Japanese people who saw us were smiling and waving, or taking pictures, as you’d expect when there’s a bunch of people wearing funny costumes. The police who showed up at Shinagawa were pretty pissed however, and the Yamanote party got off the train at that point, leaving behind cars that were a little worse for wear (1 or 2 spilt beer bottles, a couple of forgotten umbrellas, cans etc).
All in all, it would be a great memory of a fun party that didn’t inconvenience many people, if it wasn’t for the fact that the train was stopped at Shinagawa for 10 minutes and that people who weren’t there got so worked up about it.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Obviously you never stopped to consider the fact that in Japan what other people think about you matters a lot. Secondly, people are getting worked up about it precisely because you are having ‘a fun party’ on an essential piece of Tokyo’s infrastructure like its a play thing. Christ, get over yourselves. Why wouldn’t the police be pissed?
Get outside of your perception bubble and maybe you’ll realize what other people think about your actions.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
you are in another country, not your own.
decent foreigners go to a country to learn about a culture different from their own, not to make a playground out of a new setting.
respect the culture, respect the customs, and at the very least, you could try and respect the transportation system.
your ignorance makes the rest of us look bad.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Ah, shit. That’s the last non-trackback comment at the moment?
“your ignorance makes the rest of us look bad”
I am an Australian citizen according to my passport, though I’ve never felt particularly Australian, and I won’t accept that the actions of these revellers relate to me in any tangible sense. I really can’t understand all this “gaijin pride” stuff… I think if you look at it objectively, you’re likely to find people that share a very similar view to you, as well as people that hold a polar opposite position, among citizens of both Japan and wherever you hold citizenship.
If this event gave “foreigners” a bad name, then as I see it it just as equally gave young people a bad name, and people that drink alcohol a bad name, and people that dress up on Hallowe’en a bad name.
And frankly, all this respect of culture has to be allowed to bend somewhere. Is it disrespectful toward “Japanese culture” (which is something with a very loose definition anyway, as touched upon in earlier comments regarding cosplay in Akihabara) of the marketing agencies that attempt to import events like Hallowe’en, without really understanding what it is, and whether the event could hold any signifigance for the various demographics it gets targeted at.
And then the cultural stuff gets messy when foreigners, perhaps influenced in part by the familiar iconography, decide to do something in line with their understanding of the holiday (though not quite on the level of how things go down in movies like, say, The Crow), and so some people unfamiliar with this aspect get upset, while others get excited and join in. It could be perhaps countered that “that isn’t how we celebrate Hallowe’en in this country/culture”, but, culturally speaking, what kind of legs does an argument like that stand on?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Some people I know held a party on the Circle Line in London a couple of years ago. (The Circle Line goes round in a circle, like the Yamanote Line.) They set up a small sound system, decked out the carriage with bunting, and danced.
There was no trouble at this party, because they did not cram the carriage full, they did not get drunk, abuse other passengers or interfere with the operation of the train. The party was reported in local newspapers as an amusing incident not a shocking public disorder.
However London is a less uptight place than Tokyo and there isn’t an obvious ‘gaijin’ aspect to such happenings.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
http://mixi.jp/show_friend.pl?id=2448339
she was there
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This is not from this year
Rate this comment:
0 
0
When In Rome!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
White people are clearly suffering from superiority complex.
Why do here in Japan what you cannot do in your country?
If you can do it in your country, what makes you think you can do it here?
Half of you are bringing up justification for this stupid behavior.
“Japanese people in Power Ranger and Pikachu suits having fun on Akihabara’s streets=Japanese culture.
Gaijin in the same suits on a train=Fuel up a plane so we can deport their asses and call the UN to see if they can squeeze them in between their other war criminal trials.
:
”
Do you know the difference between A train and Akihabara?
You can choose not to watch any of those if you walk around Akihabara. A train, especially the one on Yamanote, is a small, enclosed space packed with weary people who work over time and knows no fun or Halloween. What they want to do is reach their home.
And did I say that Japan belongs to Japanese?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I was there last year, it was 2 out of 10 cars on 1 train. It was no more crowded than any other “last train”. Agreed some people did get out of hand, but it was all in good fun. By the way, the “naked” guy looks Japanese to me!
I didnt see any vandalism. People turned off the lights by twisting them, then turned them back on the same way.
To answer the questions of the poster above:
Why do here in Japan what you cannot do in your country?
Uhhh…. they do do that in my home country as well
If you can do it in your country, what makes you think you can do it here?
Its a free country just the same.
Do you know the difference between A train and Akihabara?
Yes, there are more molesters on the trains
And did I say that Japan belongs to Japanese?
We pay taxes too (we fund the train system as well).
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I HATE STUPID FORIGNERS FOR INVADING THE JAPANESE TRAINS ON HALLOWEEN DAY!!! THEY CAN’T MAKE THEIR OWN RULES.
SMART JAPANESE PEOPLE AND NICE FORIGNERS ARE DISGUSTED BY THE ACTIONS OF STUPID FORIGNERS WHO ARE LIVING IN JAPAN.
WE NEED SMART AND GOOD PEOPLE.
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE STUPID FORIGNERS INVADING JAPAN LIKE THOSE WHO WERE RIDING ON THE YAMANOTE LINE ON HALLOWEEN DAY, YOU MUST KNOW THIS IS NOT YOUR COUNTRY.
GO AWAY FROM JAPAN!!!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This post is from last year.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Actually, it’s from 2007.
This is the wrong forum for that sort of post. Few people here support the Yamanote Train, so you are shouting at people who agree with you. This is not nice. Find a forum where everyone thinks it is a cool idea, and shout there.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I must agree with the Japanese on this one. If you travel to another country, ANY country, you better behave and act like a decent human being. Getting drunk, breaking stuff and becoming aggressive/violent towards others is not acceptable. They should deport some of these bad apples and never let them back again. And yes, i’m caucasian.
Rate this comment:
0 
0