Comments on: “I hate the way some foreigners behave!”

By: samuel welsh

samuel welsh — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:42:33 +0000

understand , the fish market during office hours no photos

By: samuel welsh

samuel welsh — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:54:41 +0000

understand , foriginers who ignore this rule should be banned

By: KBS

KBS — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:29:41 +0000

Well if the Tsukiji Market is going to bitch and moan over this why don’t they petittion Japan’s Emperor to expel all foreigners from Japan, close the borders and return to the Pre-Commodore Perry Age. Japan, your two-faced hidden contempt for everyone and everything non-japanese is tiring. You play these games and now your Xenophobia is well known. You are welcome to do whatever it is you do on your little island. The world will continue without you. I can’t wait for China and South Korea to consume you and pay you back for all your crimes against them.

By: Justin Leach » More video about the Tsukiji tourism ban

Justin Leach » More video about the Tsukiji tourism ban — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:04:37 +0000

[...] report, this time from TBS, about the Tsukiji fish market closing its auctions to tourists because of its inability to control foreign tourists with bad [...]

By: More video about the Tsukiji tourism ban | Japan Probe

More video about the Tsukiji tourism ban | Japan Probe — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:41:57 +0000

[...] report, this time from NTV, about the Tsukiji fish market closing its auctions to tourists because of its inability to control foreign tourists with bad [...]

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:44:04 +0000

Because Americans arrive in Tokyo jetlagged and demand something to do at four in the morning.

By: Shijoshi

Shijoshi — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:08:11 +0000

Japanese people are not in a position to comment on public behaviour. On a daily basis, I witness them pushing and shoving, not giving up their seats for elderly, pregnant women, people on crutches. I saw someone push in front of a blind man once, to get a seat on a bus. And you really don’t want to be going about your daily business when it’s tourist season in Kyoto. When they have had a good look at their own public behaviour, then I’ll have a listen to what otherwise seems hypocritical, and xenophobic.

By: Tetras

Tetras — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:17:51 +0000

Because people love sushi/sashimi worldwide and they see the fish market as the place where it all happens.

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:10:48 +0000

It’s not foreigners in Japan – It’s tourists. Anywhere. Including mega buses of Japanese tourists filling the sky with a lightning storm of camera flashes. Tourists are obnoxious. And it’s much better to be a tourist than to deal with one.

By: momonga

momonga — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:59:39 +0000

I wonder who gave them the idea of going there on first place. Japan has so many other historical and natural sites, museums and galleries,why would anyone head to such a stinky, noisy place. Besides, as far as I know, there are similar markets, which offer not only fish but other products too, all over the world. And there are similar fish markets in almost every city with developed fishery. Just get on the train and visit Shizuoka or Niigata if you are so much into watching bloody disemboweled fish.

By: James

James — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:39:27 +0000

He might be right.

If one were to ignore the fact that some tourists from both America and Europe are not white, the latest stats show:

Total European tourists in 2008: 59,560
Total American tourists in 2008: 54,169

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ttp/sta/PDF/E2008.pdf

However, if you remember that some of the 33,000 members of the U.S. military stationed in Japan like to go sightseeing from time to time, Americans outnumber Europeans.

If you were also to add Aussies, Canadians, and Kiwis into the mix, number of tourists from non-American Western nations would be more than the number of American tourists/military people.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:52:53 +0000

“No, but going by the numbers, a white tourist is more likely to be a European”

Which numbers?

By: phauna

phauna — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:42:39 +0000

It’s a market, not a petting zoo. Who would want a picture next to a huge dead fish anyway?

By: Marco Polo

Marco Polo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:48:13 +0000

I disagree with everyone who’s posted here. The Japanese have acted completely correctly here, viz: not charge visitors to enter the market; assume all visitors know the “cultural rules/norms”; assume that even if they don’t know, they SHOULD (when in Rome, do as the Japanese do); when those damn furners DIDN’T obey the unstated cultural expectations, the Japanese bit their tongues, bottled it all up, and then…. EXPLODED IN VICIOUS, BOILING ANGER!!!!! This is, of course, the culturally normal way to react to furners. The solution is to place some armed samurai every 50 paces, and instruct them to simply decapitate anyone who steps out of line (but don’t tell anyone where “the line” is, tee-hee, anyway, Japanese can’t tell because they don’t know, and anyway, “silence is golden”).

By: Bruce Smith

Bruce Smith — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 09:05:32 +0000

Being a tourist = being ignorant. The same applies to non-Japanese tourists in Japan and Japanese tourists outside Japan.

That said the Japanese government and Japanese tourism industry should try to find a way to create properly supervised tours of Tsukuji. This is a business opportunity.

By: helical

helical — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:55:15 +0000

I actually think the elevated platform and built-in separation of dealers and tourists is a good idea.

I know I’m being difficult, but the introduction of a fee may make some people more tamer, but I can well imagine another segment of the crowd suddenly become more unruly.
“What do you mean ‘I can’t watch them up close’!? I PAID you people to get in for chrissake!”

By: parcivale

parcivale — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:14:36 +0000

They should charge for entrance to the market. When people pay money for something it tends to concentrate their minds and they’ll act more appropriately.

Hopefully, when the market completes its move to Shin-Kiba they’ll put in something approximating a Visitors’ Centre and elevated platforms so people will be able to watch things close-up without getting in the way. Of course that will considerably cut-down on the coolness factor but you can’t have everything.

By: Level3

Level3 — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:58:56 +0000

You see, we Americans are trying to export our dumbasses to other countries.

But I seriously think that a lot of people worldwide, when they see some tourist being a jerk, they ASSUME that person is an American, instead of making the more probable choice, that it’s one of them damn Canadians!
No, but going by the numbers, a white tourist is more likely to be a European, and since quite a few Japanese couldn’t tell many European tongues from English, they just want to assume all assholes are American, instead of French.

And which countries have long-ass vacations that would allow people to come all the way to Japan? I’m looking at you, Europe.

But seriously, Canadians are so nice, except them friggin Quebecois. They’re asshats. And they speak French, too. Coincidence?

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:59:00 +0000

Now that tourists can’t visit Tsukiji, why not butt in to any other place where the business of Japan is being conducted? Just walk on up to the NEC headquarters and nosey around their offices….

By: helical

helical — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:19:15 +0000

So their solution was to ban tourists. And even then, it’s only for a month centered around the busiest season around New Years.
They could have said only authorized personnel from the beginning, but I think they have been amazingly tolerant and accommodating so far. Access to those area for tourists are a privilege and not a right.

By: Jeef

Jeef — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:59:20 +0000

sorry, I kinda have to say I’m not surprised. While the bad will always outshine the good so this is not a blanketed generalization, a LOT of foreigners, Americans in particular (and I’m American btw) in Japan don’t have a reputation about respecting local rules (or anywhere for that matter) and treat a lot of things in Japan like a amusement park, or a weird yellow fetish freak show – it’s not hard to imagine that Japanese people would see things like a bunch of foreigners actually picking up fish with their bare hands to take a picture and not feel the need to take drastic measure. I probably would if I was in that position and my ACTUAL JOB was being hindered on a daily basis by a bunch of people gawking at fish all morning.

By: Mister M

Mister M — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:40:38 +0000

Some foreigners are good example for Japanese society; however other foreigners cause a bad image. That is definitelly regreetable.

If foreigners respect laws and cultural rules, the Japanese would not look down to other foreigners, and they would respect their worldviews. But since it does not happen, it has a tendecy to worse the relationship between the Japanese and other foreigners.

Unfortunatelly, many foreigners do not understant this part. Discrimination and racism are common thing for some Japanese, but still we as a foreigners can change their bad image that they have towards us by our good example. If we can share a good example for them and never give up, they will change for better; otherwise, the problem between foreigners and Japanese will never solved.

By: r0ck

r0ck — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:58:33 +0000

Maybe they should try to think of a solution instead of simply outlawing stuff. What about guided tours? You have numbered groups of maybe 20 each that get a clear instruction up front, all pay a fee and will be responsible. Take their ID data when they come in and you’ll know who’s missing if someone goes to touch a tuna. That way the guide can intervene when they get to nosey. They could make extra money from tours like that. Their current solution would effectively ban everyone who’s not trading fish from experiencing this.