And IF there is a STRONG demand for these small ryokans, they will do so accordingly. Let the market dictate whether these ryokans should employ foreign speakers and/or install foreigner friendly facilities.

Some ryokans may just not need them simply because they are content on servicing Japanese customers and have done so for many years.

Maybe it wouldn’t feel so discriminatory if instead of 外国人　ｘ　there was a sign like 外国語不可　or 英語不可, or as I see on many sites “Sorry, Japanese language only”, one won’t feel undesired and rejected and if even in that case the foreign tourist wants to stay there, he will stay on his own responsibility.

Yep, I agree. 外国語はしゃべれません might be better because 外国語不可 sounds as if they were forbidding people to speak foreign language.

You think nothing of making comments such as ” 郵便番号 isn’t really “ZIP code.” That refers to a US-specific system, the Zone Improvement Plan. “Post code” is a far more general and accurate translation”….on a posting of Black Women on TV
or…”The fact that people voluntarily live outside Tokyo is enough to surprise them…”, on a posting about seats blocking train doors; what do these demonstrate??

The first comment was a legitimate critique of how I translated 郵便番号 into English. If had gone to the page linked and been able to read it, you might understand what that comment meant.

The second comment was probably meant to be humorous.

Your first comment about hotel experiences resembled a normal comment, but just about every comment you made after that has been trolling (declaring that others lack understanding or education, responding to another’s opinion with a one line post about it being “bollocks,” etc.). If you want to have an “educated” discussion with others who share your definition of demonstrating “something,” I suggest you stop wasting your time and go elsewhere.

Then demonstrate it rather than merely claiming it. I am sure you will also claim that your use of “catamite” is not intended to cast aspersions of the sexual preferences of anyone here in what might be seen as an ad hominem attack….

お前が日本語読めねぇだけだよ。

As is the lack of reasonable debate. You are consistently refusing to engage in any, and merely repeat your contention that you are not understood, like some petulant teenager. I agree with LB. This is trolling.

you appear to be able to read my words, but fail to comprehend my words. And as such you have gone down a road of assumptions that have no relevance to the point I am making.

ジョンさん、正直ぼくはこういうーーーほかにも似たのがありますけどーーーコメントに応答するのがめんどうくさいんですよ。例えば、ボクが日本語で書いて、ジョンさんが応答しないとき、you appear to be unable to read even my words and fial to comprehend my words　なんて言い返して何になるんですか？論題から離れていくだけでしょう？
ボクはボクに反論した人を憶えておいて、今度登場したときにやっつけてやろうなんて野暮なことは考えていません。一期一会、そのときそのときの議論を愉しめばよい。overthnker さんやLBさん、あるいは他の方々とも意見は違うこともありますーーoverthinker 氏とはkenntanaka氏の件でやりあいましたし、LBさんとは矢島美容室の件で意見が違いますーーーが、すばらしい論者として尊敬していますよ。だから、ジョンさんの次回のすばらしい議論を期待しています。
　一応、ジョンさんの議論についていいますと、ジョンさんは「旅館の女将が日本語で対応する、それによって、外人の方がそのホテルを選択しない」というあり方に「外人を拒絶し、人種差別主義である」という想定をみたーーーということですね・・・しかし、ここに間違いあります。
　女将が、日本語で通すということは、日本語でしゃべれる外人さんを拒絶することを意味しないのです。それはぼくがリンクしたビデオでも明らかでしょう。電話予約で一貫して日本語で話されて、コミニケーションがとれなくてその旅館についてあきらめるのは、ジョンさん、あなたのように、日本語が理解できず、片言の日本語もしゃべろうとしない旅行者だと思いますがね。で、日本の旅館が日本語で通して、日本語ができる外国人がそこに泊まればそれでよし、しかし、仮に外国人がその旅館を選択しなかった場合、どうして、それが人種差別的になるんですか？

　ハリー氏とはまた議論できるのを楽しみにしてますけど、ハリー氏のときに日本語で書いたのは彼がトーン云々や理解力云々といった本質的でないこと言ったからです。
　今回は、ジョンさん、ぼくが日本語で書いているのは、旅館業者が電話で日本語のみで応答している場面を重ね合わせているのです。日本語ができないジョンさんはどうするか、と。片言でわかったり、しゃべれたりするひとなら議論は続けられるでしょう。しかし、それもできなければ、議論は続かない。ジョンさんはあきらめる。しかし、ぼくが、日本語で通したからと言って人種差別主義者にならないのは、英語で通したジョンさんが、英語で通したからといって人種差別主義者や、外国人嫌いーーこの場合日本人嫌いーーーにならない、の同様です。これが私の例示による議論です。
　おまけとして、日本語のみで応対されたときのジョンさんらの反応は、日本において、外国人コミニティーで日本語で意思伝達しようとする日本人が一部在日外国人から受ける応対を暗示しているかもしれませんね。
　日本での生活、愉しんで下さい。

I don’t have to boast with my Japanese language. Japanese is my native language, and nobody boasts of the fact that they speak native language. If you thought my Japanese was B level, perhaps that tells something about your level of Japanese comprehension.

Just to prove that others don’t speak Japanese? Hell no. I know a lot of people here speak and write Japanese.
To humiliate? ・・・・ What ?????
Are a lot of foreigners speaking English in Japan trying to humiliate Japanese by speaking English?
Are you writing English to humiliate most of Japanese readers here????
If that is the case, I am afraid that is truly nasakenai.
And if you feel humiliated when the Japanese speak to you in Japaense,I am afraid you are mistaken.

旅館に置き換えると、日本語で電話応対されて、チンプンカンプンなら、他に高いお金をだせば英語でサービスしてくれるところもあるのだから、そちらのホテルに泊まる。
外国人客を見込んで集客増加を狙っていない旅館は、それで、いいわけです。それが日本語で通せ、という意味です。
おわかりになりましたか？これのどこか人種差別的な態度などでしょうか？

で、日本語で筋を通した返答をしても、ジョンさんのように感情的な返答しかかえってこないと、「こういう外人さんが旅館にくるんじゃ、一部の旅館が外人さんより、日本人を好むのもわかるわなああ」ということになります。

Welcome non-Japanese, Feel feel to drop in.

まず、経済的な観点からいって、特に集客に困っていないなら、これらの旅館が日本語ができない外国人を接待するコストを考えて、新たなビジネスモデル採用する理由はあまりない。これをもって人種差別的だ、というのはいかがなものか、というのがはじめの論点です。

つぎに、英語で電話予約をされて、、日本語のみで答える。そこで、相手の外国人が英語のサービスがないと考えその旅館をやめる、というのは、これも合理的でしょう。

例えばの話、日本語がわからない投稿者の中には、日本語でレスされて、応答をやめる人もいるでしょう。多少なりとも日本語ができて応答してくれる人もいるかもしれません。そこで両者共に応答する相手に関して合理的な選別がされるわけです。

ジョンさんはこのように、日本語で答える旅館業者が人種差別的だとおっしゃているのでしょうか？だとしたら、私はそうは思いません。

I think I’ve made valid point. Now it is your time to make a valid point by your action.

ぼくはわりに議論が好きですので、それに、日本語なら気軽ですし、どうぞ,feel free to comment.

　さて、「外国人お断り」に見えるホテルの件につきまして、いただいたメールを転送します。どうぞお調べして外国人お断りであれば、取り止めるようにご注意下さい。

　そして、調べた結果を知らせていただけますか。

　お多忙のところで申し訳ございませんが、宜しくお願い致します。有道　出人

Yep, this need improvements.　If I have to use the words he used,

「外国人お断り」をしていると解釈できるホテルについてメールをいただいております。転送します。調べて「外国人お断り」であれば、取り止めるように注意して下さい。旅館業法第５条違反です。調べた結果を知らせていただけますか。

I would rewrite

「外国人お断り」を宣言しているとも解釈できるホテルについて私のところに苦情のメールが来ました。それを転送します。
調査してそのような実態があれば、取りやめるようにお取りはからい願いますか？旅館業法第５条違反です。
　調査結果はご報告ください。

i feel a little sympathetic to the retired couple pension owners but i think their fear is based on prejudice and not helped by images they must see in the media. also, i agree that someone should remind these people that it is not necessary to be a fluent english speaker in order be a good host.

Japanese tourists overseas was them flooding the bathroom….

That’s possible.

I have heard – many years ago, and only anecdotally – that the biggest issue with Japanese tourists overseas was them flooding the bathroom….

If you look at Debito’s recent post debito.org/?p=1941,
it says;
Among those hotels that checked no to acceptance of foreigners.

● 外国人を拒否するようなことはまったくしていない。２４軒

● 外国人を拒否してはいないが、英語ができる人がいないので、外国人を積極的には受け入れていない。８軒

● 廃業や連絡とれず　３軒

（計３５軒）・・・・この結果では、外国人を拒否するようなことはまったくしていない、２４軒と大変項目が多くなっておりますが、これは、当方からの調査の際「外国人の受け入れ」という質問項目であったため、「今まで外国人を受け入れた経験がない（極めて少ない）」旅館・ホテルさんが勘違いし×と記入されたものと思われます

When hoteliers says no to acceptance of foreigners, in case of fukushima prefecture, they mean either they have never had foreign guests or they are not actively accepting forefingers because they can’t speak English thought they don’t refuse foreigners.

(Debito didn’t translate this part, )

In a related experience, I was in Italy last month, staying at a small hotel in a small town right in the south. My Italian is limited to the main pizza types, and the hotel owner’s English was no better. But we managed to get the meaning across, mostly. Took a bit of time, mind you. But the main thing is a willingness of both parties to accept this extra effort and work within its limitations.

On the other hand, I can understand the some of Japanese hoteliers are embarrassed by some foreigners when they are used to only Japanese guests.

Hoteliers rated Japanese travelers the best, followed by visitors from Germany, Britain and Canada.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-p2tourists_08bus.ART.State.Edition1.465f61b.html

Mind you, I am not saying all Japanese guests behave well.

Smaller Japanese inns and ryokans should better prepare themselves to handle foreign customers, and foreigners should better accustom themselves in Japanese culture to make life easier for both sides.

Right, next onto the middle-east issues…

I am sure if they were overseas they would hate to be turned away.

As a traveler, I have stayed at more places where I couldn’t communicate fully than I could, and there has never been a problem.

If these some Japanese people think it is okay to reject people who can’t speak Japanese well enough then they should be comfortable with Japanese people abroad being similarily denied service.

Be interesting to seriously compare say China with Japan in terms of hospitality to foreigners. First, what are the criteria? With China, we are hampered too by the fact that chunks of the country are simply closed to foreigners, so being turned away there is a matter of government decree rather than local ideas. There is also the fact that when Japan wants to be hospitable, it is very very good at the task. I have no complaints about Chinese hospitality, mind you – and I do like their willingness to work with you on the language issue (kanji are very useful here). But seriously – how do you compare?

If I were a japanese owner i would surely have an image of foreigners horseplaying around the hot spring.

What the government should do is implement a guideline for all ryokans to have signboard in english regarding what you should do in an onsen.

I still can’t believe that for a developed country like japan, less wealthier countries like china, philippines, malaysia and vietnam are still much more hospitable to foreigners

But as for the comment by Anonymous above, no one is saying that the ryokan have to adapt to meet the needs of their foreign guests, but under Japanese law, it’s illegal to prohibit them from staying. So as James said, they can make small adjustments to prepare for difficulties they *perceive* might happen, or they can suffer through a series of communication problems. This isn’t cultural imperialism, this is common business sense.

Whether these owners will actually do this when people show up is something I simply don’t know.

It is horrible and stupid if they put these views into practice, and if they want to lose money, then they are idiots.

My point being that neither should be acceptable of course.

Now, I doubt such a ryokan would object to a foreign couple that speaks Japanese, and exhibits all the signs of people that know how to behave in such a traditional environment, or would at least ask when in doubt. Or perhaps they wouldn’t object, or rather even welcome, a small group of Japanese friends accompanied by a foreigner that shows at least some signs of understanding the local culture.

The tone James strikes in this article makes it seem that the staff of such a ryokan, who may barely speak a few words of English, should be obliged to welcome busloads of foreign tourists who can’t speak a single word of Japanese, have a completely different set of norms and values, and may not understand some of the most basic rules of conduct in such an environment. May the kami be merciful if they even bring their offspring!

You’re welcome to explain this in any way you see fit, but if you want to bridge the divide between “them” and “us”, why should they be expected to be able to deal with foreign tourists, foreign values and a foreign language in their own land? That’s not only rude, it is pure and simple cultural imperialism.

郷に入っては郷に従え。