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Anti-foreign protests in Tokyo on Halloween night

The infamous Yamanote Halloween Train party was supposed to take place last night in Tokyo. This year’s party brought more than just cops, foreigners, and 2-channelers. Those who showed up at Shinjuku station at 9:00PM last night encountered a very angry and very loud group of nationalist activists carrying Japanese flags and signs with anti-foreign slogans.

The situation was described by one commenter on the 2-channel bulletin board:

Anti-Yamanote Halloween party demonstration, intimidates uninvolved foreigners: “Go to hell, get out of Japan!”

Ultimately, it was the Japanese people who caused the most trouble lol
Foreigners either weren’t around, or even if they were it wasn’t for Halloween, but the Japanese still all yelled and threatened them lol

There were some people holding signs in English saying “Go to hell, get out of Japan!” I’ll never forget the faces of the uninvolved white people who saw that lol
They were like (゜Д゜). After seeing that I couldn’t feel anything but pity for them…. lol

It stopped being a demonstration against the Yamanote Halloween party and just became an anti-foreigner demonstration. It made me feel sick.

There were a lot of people holding the Japanese flag, and if that kind of image gets out on Youtube then everyone is going to think that Japanese people are a bunch of racists who hate foreigners.

The protesters apparently came from right wing activist groups such as Shuken Kaifuku wo Mezasu Kai (The Society to Seek Restoration of Sovereignty).

According to one blog affiliated with Shuken Kaifuku wo Mezasu Kai, the cops were erroneously focusing on the protesters instead of the foreigners:

The Japanese police, far from controlling the whites, surrounded Shinjuku Station’s south ticket gate with a large number of police officers and, from the beginning, kept us under surveillance. Neglecting the whites who were disturbing the social order and our peaceful society with their partying, they instead supervised us, who had gathered with the purpose of drawing attention to the party.

In order to break through the ring of police officers, we attempted to violently penetrate the circle shouting ‘If you’re gonna arrest us, go for it!’ For, why should we have our right to come and go freely denied?

Judging from the live video feeds from last night, they were shouting pretty loud.

Here are a couple photos of the protest group:

This loony sign told the “motherfuck-foreigners” and “protestants” that they should “go to hell” because they were betraying their god:

This picture is a bit blurry, I think the sign said “WARNING! MOTHERFUCK-FOREIGNERS, THIS IS JAPAN. THIS IS NOT A WHITE COUNTRY”:

This is a close-up of a protest sign. You can view the full photo of the protesters on Peter Bellar’s Flickr page:
don't need halloween

This sign says something about protestants and protecting the Yamanote from bad foreigners:
protect yamanote

—
A tiny number of foreigners in costumes appeared, perhaps no more than 15 people. There may have been other small groups of foreigners who had their own mini-parties on the train, but the planned party from Shinjuku was by all accounts a failure.

A quick search of Twitter found that a couple users confirms this:

2-channelers with live webcam feeds followed around a few costumed foreigners. Here are some screen captures:

One fellow was wearing a cardboard box with Japanese writing on it. It might have been some sort of Halloween costume. The blurry video stream didn’t allow much opportunity to read the messages, but I can at least make out a line about the Japanese police being awesome:
Robo Douche

Maybe this guy thought it would be funny to mock both the police and the 2-channelers by pointing out how the police don’t take much action to stop the foreigners?

I’m not sure what is going on in this screen capture, but it kind of looks like police are taking away a foreign participant in the party (anyone know what this was about?):

The Japanese guy who was streaming live video to ustream followed around this Pikachu foreigner. The Pikachu foreigner didn’t appear to be doing much of anything on the train. He eventually ran away from the cameraman:

—
At one point, the guy streaming live video to NicoNico Douga got on a train with a few foreigners who weren’t in costumes and were obviously not partying. He couldn’t or didn’t want to speak any English, so he wasn’t able to communicate with them. They laughed at him:
random foreigners

The cameraman later found his way back to Shinjuku and spent more time with the protesters. I stopped watching the live feeds around 9:45, as nothing interesting seemed to be happening.
—
Another view of last night: Somebody from Tantei File was also on hand to observe the foreigners. They didn’t see many people, only a few foreign guys in costumes holding hands with Japanese girls in costumes. They didn’t observe any rowdiness, possibly because there were so many police standing on the train platform. Inside the station, announcements were played over the loudspeakers warning people not to be a nuisance to others.

[The Japanese news article translations in this post were provided by myGengo’s simple human translation system.]
—

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408 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - November 1, 2009 at 6:25 pm

Categories: Foreigners in Japan Tags: yamanote halloween train

starfire

If Japanese people had the party once that you have been taking place in Yamanote line. the people would be arrested immediately by police and kicked into jail. that’s the point of matter.

You can do everything having fun even smoking ganja on the streets. ( you’ll see smoking ganja man on Roppongi area..)
but Japanese people can’t do anything such like shameful party at the public space.
most foreigner has been treated well than Japanese people by the police and the gov. especially US person.

Anytime you can have a silly party at home.
there is no need to be in the train.
- Gibby
  
  I agree. This behavior is unacceptable and most foreigners don’t want to be associated with it.
  
  Anyone that is smoking ganja on the street should be promptly arrested and prosecuted.
  
  One thing I’d like to point out to you is the only people that I’ve seen openly dealing drugs or smoking ganja have been Iranians or Nigerians and many times they are simply mules or fronts for your own Japanese mafia.
  
  Please don’t lump all of us foreigners in one basket.
  - starfire
    
    I know there are so many people which came from many different countries..
    and also I know all of Iranians and Nigerians are not drug dealer.
    
    I understand that how people were surprised and shown up the provocation placards by the fake right wing group.
    
    I can imagine that some activists had surprised why the foreigners wouldn’t be arrested and punished.
    
    I think better you guys shouldn’t show off the privilege to them as like as the protests did show off the placards.
David

My friends and I walked into Shibuya after the Bledisloe cup match. Left about 9:30 or 9:45. I didn’t see any of the protests. There were quite a few people in Shibuya dressed up for Halloween with lots of people taking photos.

When I caught the train (JR but not Yamanote) there were more Japanese dressed up for Halloween on the platform than foreigners.
http://aonghascrowe.wordpress.com Aonghas Crowe

I’ll be more than happy to leave Japan to the Japanese when the 1.2+ million Japanese in America, 1.4+million Japanese in Brazil, 90,000 Japanese in Peru, 100,000 Japanese in Canada, and elsewhere, return to the Motherland.
- fg
  
  You must be a weally weally important person!
- japanobserver
  
  Don’t count on it, make yourself comfortable while you’re at it because you’re in for a long wait.
- Pepper
  
  Wow. Really? That many FIRST GENERATION, recently arrived Japanese?
  
  I don’t think so.
  
  These foreigners that caused the Halloween disturbance are mostly all first-generation, VISITORS who haven’t been in Japan that long. There are a few that have been there since their parents moved there when they were young, but the statistic you’re quoting of long-ago migrants is a whole another story, buddy. You must be seriously racist.
  
  Lets not repeat what they did in the US of A to Americans of Japanese descent.
  
  EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_9066
  
  I am sure the Native Americans are all saying the same thing about the White Man and the Black Slaves they brought to the land, wishing that they would all go back to Europe and Africa.
  
  So you want to start that movement? We’re waiting.
- Doodle
  
  Wow Crowe,
  
  really?
  
  You want to start THAT argument? Here? Now?
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_9066
- http://billowykimono.blogspot.com/ Senor Science
  
  Good God!
  
  Japanese Americans are Americans, not Japanese. I remember meeting some Japanese Americans in the Shinagawa Prince with my Mom when she was visiting, and asking what they thought about Tokyo. They couldn’t wait to go back to California!
  
  Same for Canada, Brazil, Peru, etc.
  
  But never let some good hearted racism get in the way of moral equivalence, especially when your a self important white man in Japan.
- http://aonghascrowe.wordpress.com Aonghas Crowe
  
  Don’t get your knickers in a twist: I was only joking.
  
  While I have no sympathy for drunk foreigners (or besotted salarimen, for that matter) causing other passengers trouble on trains, the racists demonstrating reported above go beyond the beyonds.
  
  Only a few months ago I happened to be crossing the street just as an anti-foreigner demonstration was taking place. I thought, “ah, it’s only the usual noise directed at the poor Koreans,” and proceeded to make my way through the crowd with a “shi’mashen, shi’mashen” (Hakata dialect). Well, to my surprise several people in the mob started yelling at me to go home.
  
  It had to laugh at the irony: “Feckin’ eejits don’t know who they’re jeering at.” I work extensively in the Kyushu-Okinawa region, translating and promoting local businesses, sightseeing spots and Japanese culture. (Go figure.)
  
  Feathers ruffled, I couldn’t help give some though to what these nuts were demanding–namely, that foreigners, especially Koreans and Chinese, either leave Japan, period, or mind their proper place as second-class citizens.
  
  It made me wonder how these same people would react if the same policy were applied to Japanese leaving abroad. There are, after all, far more of them (Japanese) there than us (gaijin) here. One of Japan’s chief disputes with the United States before the Pacific War broke out, by the way, was America’s treatment of Japanese: limits on land ownership, racial quotas, etc.
  
  Incidentally, just this afternoon, I found a jingoistic anti-foreigner, anti-Nikkoso, anti-DPJ, anti-you-name-it flyer in my mailbox. I wish I could post it with this comment.
  
  Anyways, it all boggles the mind.
  
  Why can’t certain people get it through their thick skulls that countries are better places thanks to immigration. The U.S., Brazil, Peru, Canada, and so on, are all better countries because of the millions of issei, nissei, sansei whatever living productive and creative lives within their borders as full-fledged, first class citizens.
  
  Peace.
jonholmes

I find it hard to believe the Times would go to a website to find news on this. Why werent the journalists there?

Sounds like lazy journalism on Japan, like when the BBC used to ring me up for free information. Cheap too.

Hire a Japan-based correspondent.
- Mama Dear
  
  Thank you, dear jonholmes,
  
  I think that was the point some people were trying to say but didn’t quite say it so directly, dear. I also wondered myself why that particular journalist wasn’t there himself to get first hand accounts. Perhaps next year he will.
  
  I hope people just be nicer to each other.
samurainbob

Headline: Minor protest remotely conflict with miniscule mob… no one notices… Film at 11.
Klauscore

Wow, a major police effort and a xenophobic demonstration because of the mere threat of a few drunk foreigners in the subway?

Only in Japan!

The folks in Tokyo seriously need to relax.

In most European cities drunkenness in the public transport system is a completely normal thing for any Friday or Saturday nights. Could anyone imagine “Drunks in the Subway!” as a news story in London or Prague? ROTFL!
- lovely
  
  public drunkeness is completely normal in japan as well. it is just that the sarariman are the ones barfing, sprawling and stinking up the joint. apparently that is okay. you should see end of year parties, new year parties, hanami parties………..
  - Mama Dear
    
    You two are both missing the point, as it were, darlings, please refrain from being nasty, thank you.
http://aonghascrowe.wordpress.com Aonghas Crowe

Don’t get your knickers in a twist: I was only joking.

While I have no sympathy for drunk foreigners (or besotted salarimen, for that matter) causing other passengers trouble on trains, the racists demonstrating reported above go beyond the beyonds.

Only a few months ago I happened to be crossing the street just as an anti-foreigner demonstration was taking place. I thought, “ah, it’s only the usual noise directed at the poor Koreans,” and proceeded to make my way through the crowd with a “shi’mashen, shi’mashen” (Hakata dialect). Well, to my surprise several people in the mob started yelling at me to go home.

It had to laugh at the irony: “Feckin’ eejits don’t know who they’re jeering at.” I work extensively in the Kyushu-Okinawa region, translating and promoting local businesses, sightseeing spots and Japanese culture. (Go figure.)

Feathers ruffled, I couldn’t help give some though to what these nuts were demanding–namely, that foreigners, especially Koreans and Chinese, either leave Japan, period, or mind their proper place as second-class citizens.

It made me wonder how these same people would react if the same policy were applied to Japanese leaving abroad. There are, after all, far more of them (Japanese) there than us (gaijin) here. One of Japan’s chief disputes with the United States before the Pacific War broke out, by the way, was America’s treatment of Japanese: limits on land ownership, racial quotas, etc.

Incidentally, just this afternoon, I found a jingoistic anti-foreigner, anti-Nikkoso, anti-DPJ, anti-you-name-it flyer in my mailbox. I wish I could post it with this comment.

Anyways, it all boggles the mind.

Why can’t people get it through their thick skulls that countries are better places thanks to immigration. The U.S., Brazil, Peru, Canada, and so on, are all better countries because of the millions of issei, nissei, sansei and immigrants of other races living productive, creative lives within their borders as full-fledged, first class citizens.

Peace.

http://aonghascrowe.wordpress.com
- Ajapa
  
  It’s not “shi’mashen” but “sha’meshun” and “DPJ” should be replaced with “Munshatou”.
  - helical
    
    I’m having trouble imagining what you’re trying to do with these posts … is this your way of trying to make Japan Probe posters/readers identifiable when you meet them in person?
    - fg
      
      Ajapa has gone coo coo because of all the horrendous statements on this evil thread. Wake up Ajapa! You must fight!
    - Ajapa
      
      No. It’s minor protest against sentences decorated with fake knowledge. I’m not sure what those people who use foreign words unnecessarily actually intend though. Actually, “shi’mashen” is not Hakata dialect, it is, instead, something similar to “sunmassen” which is a form typical to northern Kyushu. As far as I know, “s” to “sh” transition is not a characteristic of Hakata dialect.
    - Ajapa
      
      fg,
      
      I’m now in mentally unstable state… (seriously) So, I can’t fight, I can’t stand up, I’ll escape to more peaceful place for a while.
    - Ajapa
      
      Off-topic but I must make a correction and give a few clarification.
      
      It seems to be believed that a Hakata dialect speaker indeed uses “she” instead of “se” although this kind of transition is common to several areas in west Japan. I thought that it was rather a characteristic of elderly people and that comedians and few local TV personalities who speak so might want to make them look more rustic. Actually, I don’t hear an ordinary person who has no difficulty in pronouncing “se” speaking in Hakata dialect with replacing sound “se” with “she”, except the case that she/he wants to make it sounds somewhat comical or scornful.
- Sat An De Ville
  
  “Why can’t people get it through their thick skulls that countries are better places thanks to immigration. The U.S., Brazil, Peru, Canada, and so on, are all better countries because of the millions of issei, nissei, sansei and immigrants of other races living productive, creative lives within their borders as full-fledged, first class citizens.”
  
  Because Japan is Japan. Isn’t that what attracted you to it and find it fascinating, in the first place? If Japan opened up and let loose and mixed its cultures with others, it will no longer be unique, individual nor independent. Is that what you want? A Japan that will no longer be so Japanese? I wouldn’t. Those “new” countries that were “invented” in the Americas are the way they are because of forceful imperialism. Sure the old natives speak the new languages like English and Spanish now, but do you think, deep down, they’re happy about it? Those conquered peoples? No.
bibby

wow, just spent a little while reading this, and from a sociology/anthropology viewpoint it’s so interesting!
Many of these ideas are the result of elements within the ‘global’ society we now live in. People who live in one country and go to visit another rarely bother to investigate or even cursorily find out what one should and should not do in the different country ie communication, morals, values, behaviours, which often leads to conflict. People who imagine that they can transplant one cultural affectation ie halloween from one culture to another and not meet some form of resistance are kidding themselves. Traditionalist elements of one’s makeup will generally rebel against ‘foreign’ influence, meanwhile other elements such as commercial enterprise ie macdonalds are perfectly acceptable. One could try and explain it but there isn’t really one simple answer for why some things are easily transferred into one culture from another (ie acculturation).
While i personally have the opinion that unlawful or even drunkeness and harassment on public transport is wrong in any culture, creed or country regardless of who is doing it and when, one can always point towards another element and exclaim “what about this!?” It really is futile. Interesting to watch, but futile.
I think that the idea of halloween has similarities (at least in the dressing up aspect) to the japanese fan dressing up (i think someone mentioned it but i forgets its proper name, apologies) and going to a convention, in that it’s also similar to a comic or sci fi convention in the U.S. I wonder why people must argue about differences and neglect to celebrate similarities – are we not all wonderfully different and yet the same due to our humanity?

Many thanks for the next installment in my society and culture class!

One last little personal note. I’m an Australian (please, no stereotypes, I have not once said g’day, mate, or crikey once) and trick or treat halloween festivities is being marketed extensively through major retail chains here. I oppose this, as the y do not promote the true nature of Halloween, nor do the majority of Australians follow this idea. It has no real basis in our history, and many simply pervert it for their own means. Kids came to our door the other day saying ‘trick or treat’ and did not have costumes, treat bags, and one was clearly heard saying ‘i’m hungry, gimme some chips’. We had nothing because we do not celebrate it and pleasantly said ‘no treats kids, sorry’. They were polite, but in years past we have had eggings, toilet paper throwing, abuse hurling and harassment. Sadly, when one wants to transplant a cultural affectation into another culture it shouldn’t be done for purely material gains.
- Sat An De Ville
  
  Yeah but what KIND of Aussie are you? English? Italian? Abbo? What? Yes it makes a difference and it is very important.
alex

as a half japanese/american, i find both groups of people embarassing. ugh.
David

“One fellow was wearing a cardboard box with Japanese writing on it. It might have been some sort of Halloween costume. The blurry video stream didn’t allow much opportunity to read the messages, but I can at least make out a line about the Japanese police being awesome:

Robo Douche *PICTURE CAPTION*

Maybe this guy thought it would be funny to mock both the police and the 2-channelers by pointing out how the police don’t take much action to stop the foreigners?”

Your guess about this guy’s intent is most likely as poorly conceived as the label you gave the picture. The other writing contained things like:

“Love and Peace” (front)
“Lets drink till morning” (front)
“I love Japan” (back)
“I love America” (back)
“Please say ‘Trick or Treat!'” (back)
“FUN” (back)

He was giving out candy to anyone willing to take it. Why did you call this guys a douche? Maybe you thought it would be fun to mock someone who was at this event as a way of condemning his actions and motivations without knowing either. Good call writer-douche.
Steven

Lots of people dressed in costumes in Shibuya. Sadly, being an American the only loud trouble makers I saw were other Americans. An idiot Mario character decided to climb and shake a light pole to the chanting of other lame Americans. It’s embarrassing. Get drunk but behave yourself.
damedesuyo

TOO many references here to American and Halloween being an American festival. This whole Yamanote party is bull and will only isolate foreigners more, thanks guys.

Why not celebrate Halloween at a reserved bar or something? I think most people get a kick out of anti-social behaviour. This “party” will just convince Japanese people more that foreigners can`t integrate into the Japanese society.
- Sat An De Ville
  
  We all hope that foreigners DON’T integrate into Japanese society – otherwise Japan will no longer be Japan, it will have to be renamed as some other “new” country like the ones in the Americas.
Andy

The anti-foreign Japanese are certainly a troublesome faction of Japan’s populace. But it’s not as if this behavior isn’t done in other nations, the United States included. I, myself, am of Malay and Danish heritage, and have witnessed the ugly side of American and European bigotry and xenophobic backlash toward non-Caucasian peoples. I’ve visited Japan several times, and whether I had a good experience or bad experience with Japanese people is a fallacy and moot when trying to extrapolate sweeping generalizations on 120+ million people from the limited encounters I’ve had. I’ve dealt with awesome progressive-minded Japanese as well as archaic bigots. Big deal, idiocy and prejudice aren’t the sole monopoly of one group of people.
I’ve been reading Japan Probe for several years now, and many if not most of the commentators seem to fall in 2 camps. The first being the sort of knee-jerk reactionary foreigner in Japan that patronizes Japanese people in their own little cookie-cutter stereotypes whether consciously or subconsciously and like to berate about “Backwards Racist Sexist Weird Perverted Nihon-jin”. The other sort being the type that feel as if they’re entitled to speak about Japan due to their experience while having only a limited (at best) grasp of Japanese social dynamics and character. Only a handful of commentators on Japan Probe are in the minority of sensible and level-headed individuals that assess these postings on a case-by-case basis.
Even though I’m not Japanese and my grandfather suffered from the Japanese occupation of Malaya back in WW2, I see no need to perpetuate this nonsensical dribble for the masses that are quick to jump on the anti-Japanese bandwagon. Those right wing extremists do not speak for the rest of Japan just as much as white supremacists represent Canada, Australia, the United States, etc.
Andy

Aonghas Crowe,
Whether your comment was an attempt at a joke is totally inappropriate and indicative of your own shallow character. While I enjoyed living in the United States and Canada, homogeneous nations like Japan, Denmark, etc. haven’t the space or history that expansive territories (Canada, Australia, Latin America, United States) forcibly taken from the indigenous peoples had when European colonists settled there. Now, I do agree that Japanese society and its government needs to adapt itself to an ever-changing political and international climate toward foreign visitors and those who wish to be naturalized Japanese. For a respectable economic and cultural nation like Japan, this is a must, but a process that civic-minded Japanese accomplish by themselves and not knee-jerk “holier than thou” foreigners getting a kick out of taking a stab at Japan.
Hekye Matsura

The Japanese people know very well what foreigners want from all Asia,as all Africa an old america.
We study what they did to the Amerindians,Africans and some asians.
I guess it’s important to improve the relationship with all countries,but it doesn’t matter the japanese people want strangers here.
- longus dickus
  
  why do i smell chinese blood in you? seriously, why?
http://mindtaker.blogspot.com/ Drunken Economist

Carlos is right, the Japanese are racists, and I say they have every right to be. And you’re not gonna change them or their country. Maybe it took him 30 years to realize that, it only took me 3 of residing there in the 90s. But seriously kids, listen to the lifer. You’ll be gone, he’ll still be there.

If you make enough trouble in ANY HOST COUNTRY, you deserve whatever shit you catch from the locals.

Pardon my French, ladies….
- longus dickus
  
  Mentok Mindtaker BSc, ME! PHD! PCP! LSD!
  Mind taker, heart breaker, Drunken Economist, Snarky Farker, and guy who doesn’t brag about how many dead sheepskins are in his collection. Afflicting the comfortable, especially the worst generation in the history of homo erectus, ‘Baby Boomers’.
Hekye Matsura

The Japanese people know very well what foreigners want from all Asia,as all Africa an old america.
We study what they did to the Amerindians,Africans and some asians.
I guess it’s important to improve the relationship with all countries,but it doesn’t MEAN that the japanese people want strangers here.

chigaimashita yo
kay

i have an idea….. all the non-asian should just pretend to be asian for the day. put on some yellow paint.. black straight hair… i think the japanese would be fine with that.

its not like they can complain about it since they already do it to other cultures.
- longus dickus
  
  just in case but “yellow asians” are the minority of asian population.
  
  aside that all” asian is a culture matter” and stupid racism with spliting the world into colored people.
R. Richardson

So strange news. A small group of Japanese was protesting Halloween? Too weird. Halloween is not considered a major holiday. No one in America takes a working or school break because of this. Even more ironic, Tokyo is known to have some people who wear the Halloween-like costumes throughout a year.

Well, as long as the foreigners are not stupid enough to dress like Western nuns and priests on Halloween, everything may be fine. If their costumes are like these, then they are not meeting Halloween’s standard. In America almost no one dresses like a nun or priest on Halloween, otherwise it will offend people very highly. This is very wrong. Due to the foreigners’ rudeness, reckless, childishness, and inconsideration, Japanese were assuming that they were trying to proselyte (convert/change) them into Christians. 99% of Japanese people are the Buddhists. The wars in the Middle East is permanently damaging Christianity’s and Judaism’s reputations.

Halloween and Christianity are not well connected. Some Christians think that Halloween is completely incompatible with the Christian faith.
- Static
  
  “In America almost no one dresses like a nun or priest on Halloween, otherwise it will offend people very highly.”
  
  When I was in college, I seen a guy dressed up as a pregnant nun (and I lol’d hard, for the record), who was being followed around by his best friend dressed up as a giant penis. Then again, I’m Canadian and went to college in Ottawa.
- The Overthinker
  
  “Due to the foreigners’ rudeness, reckless, childishness, and inconsideration, Japanese were assuming that they were trying to proselyte (convert/change) them into Christians.”
  
  What gives you that idea?
  - Sat An De Ville
    
    The Bible, I guess. The good lord always knows! hahaha
- weirdo
  
  99% of Japanese people are the Buddhists.
  
  Speaking out of your anus is not normal behaviour, you should consult your Doctor about this condition.
Hinomaru

It is ridiculous to criticize people celebrating Halloween and the rightwing loonies are in the wrong. But at the same time, the gaijins also shot themselves in the foot. I believe James said that JR announced no ‘partying’ in the train. You broke the rules and brought an avalance to yourself. Stay at the bar and nightclubs or better yet, just stay home if you aren’t mature.

For the few gaijins to act rude, bad mannered and think they can get away with it in Japan to a point resulted in the rightwingers to complain. How would you feel, if the Japanese acted the same way in your country? Your police would not take that nonsense and beat the sxxt out of them. The Japanese police was pretty considerate and tolerant.

The guy said that Japan is racist cause of one experience. Sorry to hear that it happened, but you cannot condemn a whole group ofr people. I hope you do not go thru it again, as that was not right.

That guy can say that, so I will copy him, see what you think.
When a white guy spoke to me in ‘retarded’ english, does that make it appropriate for me to label all white guys as racist, if a mexican police pulled me over to demand me money, does that mean all mexicans are dishonest, if you see a black man wearing good cloothes, does that mean all blacks sell drugs and rob liquor stores? In the previous guy’s comments, it appraently is so.

YOu can blahblah this, Japan is bad and what not, but the bottom line is you are in Japan and Japan’s rules flys. You are acting like radicals (similar to the anti- whaling groups) and the more you act in such a manner, the less the Japanese will be willing to change and the less the incentive to do so.

In terms of whaling, the anti- whaling group created more let’s eat whale meat japanese, where if they would have used their heads and not got radical, the whale eating culture would have died with the old folks.

Its the same thing, you poured gasoline, instead of water into the wildfires because of your arrogant behaviour thinking that you can get away with any behaviour (which you know as well as I do, you will not act such a manner in your country and you will not tolerate Japanese to act in such a manner in your country).

This blog is pretty much a pro- Japan blog and if you cant handle people telling you Japan is cool and you’re wrong, you need to stop looking and go somewhere else. No body told you to read this blog nor did anyone force you to go to Japan. Can’t handle it, just stay home and save all of us your whining and lame excuses.
- japanobserver
  
  Thank you sir! You deserve a medal for such a succinct summary of many concerns.
k9

i am realized how important to get accurate information because of this topic. as long as i know, the story is as follow.

1, some mob of foreigners made fuss in the public transportation last year(halloween)and they announced on a website to be held same party this year too .
2,some small but crazy right wing group of japanese was trolled by the notice of the paty and did show us ludicrous overreaction against foreigners then rejected by police.

if it is correct, i think common people will feel that both of them are wrong or stupid and it is not big story for anyone right?

however, i personally enjoyed this topic learning more western culture because my poor knowredge about halloween was “halloween = grin face of pumpkin”.

have a nice day everyone!
http://cyantan.wordpress.com Cyan

Has anyone posted a video of said event on the internet yet?
Hinomaru

I don’t think I am the right candidate for the medal. It does not matter what nationality I am, because the only thing relevant are that unacceptable behaviour took place and the use of your lame excuses of racism as a cover up.

This is pretty much a pro- Japan web site that even though at times it is critical with Japan, overall it compliments Japan.
If that was not the case, you sure wouldn’t see a lot of anti- Japan comments (yes, even racist ones).

There are lots of ‘gaijins’ who behave well, even better than the ‘locals’, but at the same time you have lots of ‘gaijins’ that takes advantage of Japan’s passiveness and ‘act out’ in ways they would not behave in their own countries. Even though Halloween is an American festival, it sure wasn’t only Americans who were ‘acting up’.

Talk about taking the medal, it would be the Aussies and the Kiwis, not the Americans. If I was a coloured man, I sure don’t want to be there.

I read on the web site some Aussie killing an oriental guy, cause he thought the guy was a ‘Jap’, which turned out to be a Filipino.
How about the child (haafu Japanese and Kiwi) who had the living sxxt beat out of him cause Japan hunts whales and the Indian students who were getting harrassed and the Aussie police just sat there and did nothing. Sure looks like the 1960’s lynching of the Black man to me. I guess you can’t expect too much from a former penal colony.

The bottom line is don’t try to shift the blame on the Japanese, when the ‘gaijins’ were at fault for ‘acting up’ in such a manner. If you don’t want to be fingerpointed, don’t make yourself an open target. You had the choice of quit drinking or to stay home but failed to choose neither.

Don’t use racism as an excuse to justify your behaviour when you got caught wiht your hand in the cookie jar. It makes you look like a fool.
- forma penal colony member
  
  OK, I’ve read over a lot of these comments and laughed and sighed at many. But I just had to respond to this one. I gotta few points to make here…
  1. I agree, the intended behaviour for the train was inappropriate – not the sort of thing I’d get into. I’m all too happy to ‘poo poo’ the ahlloween train party.
  2. Now, as an Australian I have to take issue with your assertion that I am more offensive and likely to start trouble on a train. Don’t get me worng, we are far from perfect and I’ve met many Australians on my travels that i’d rather not associate with. But that being said, the whole halloween thing in Australia is not that big. Yeah sure, we do it, but your average ‘Aussie’ is not going to stuff around organising a train trip to party.
  3. It’s true that there have been a number of issues regarding discrimination directed at Indian students in Australia. In fact, some have even been murdered. There are minority elements of racism in Australia that can only be discribed and revolting and unforgivable. But in Australia bad things in the culture are owned and reported on (also see indigenous policy, etc.. etc.. for examples). The Australian media does not act to hide these facts from the world and these issues are widely discussed in Australia. Issues of invasion, occupation, slaughter and mass rape would not be as tabboo in Australia as they are in Japan, for example.
  4. And remember too, Australia largely, unlike Japan, has a very mixed population. In fact, 1 in every 4 new borns in Australia now has an Asian (and this partly includes Indian) background. We stopped race-based (i.e. white) immigration almost 40 years ago.
  5. Because Australia is a country built on migration, the fact that we were a penal colony almost 200 years ago has very little to do with anything. Most Australians (including the many non-whites) arrived long after the convicts.
  6. In any case, what was Japan doing in the 1800’s? Would it really be fair to judge modern Japanese society on what it did in the 1800’s??
  7. I agree that Japanese racism shouldn’t be blamed for the silly idea of throwing a party on a train. However, describing Australia as a backward penal colony is outdated and only serves to contradict your argument.
  8. Who cares if this sight is pro japan or not. In my experience ‘we gaijin’ both love and not so love japan – we ware this on our internet sleeves and we express that openly. I personally take this approach with all cultures (my own included) I encounter.
  9. But to pass me off as an uncivilised dick who can’t understand that it’s inpolite to throw a large party on a train becasue I’m too busy lynching an Indian Student in my Penal Colony is not just outdated, simplistic and ignorant, but it’s also …dare I say it…racist.
  
  Fight with facts my man.
south asian

I never affirm the activists.
Most Japanese will not welcome the Yamanote Party.
It doesn’t matter if the participants are Japanese or foreigners.
SWater

According to my observations, Halloween is a kids’ event in the United States. None of my colleagues are excited about Halloween. They only talk about it if they cannot find a specific costume their kids want to wear or if they have to go home early to supervise their kids’ trick-and-treat tour in their neighborhood.

People working at super markets, drugstores, and other local shops sometimes wear a light costume to welcome local kids in the evening, but they do not do so for partying by themselves. Of course, there are a lot of private Halloween parties for adults, but I have never seen a Halloween party in the public space like the Yamanote line.

I am just wondering where these foreigners are from. Are they mainly Australian and Brits? Richard Lloyd Parry of The Times seems to be the only journalist who is interested in this topic. If they are American, why do they suddenly become Halloween enthusiasts once they come to Japan?

Do they miss the United States so much that they cannot help acting like 10-year old kids? Are there any self selections such that childish Americans who love animes and games choose to come to Japan? Or are English teachers on average immature compared to the average American?
Victor

Radicalism is always dangerous and harmful.
I think both sides are wrong, the foreigners that
disrespect japanese culture and way of living doing
crazy parties at a public place, in wich if it were
in their countries they would certainly be arrested.

And on the other side those few japaneses who were
protesting not about the party itself, but about
the behave of the foreigners in general (wich everyone
knows that every nation has it’s “black sheeps”)
in an extremist way.

Sorry about any grammatic mistakes committed.
I don’t live in Japan, and I’m brazilian, I’m just
giving a neutral view of the fact (I think).
James

I hope none of you who are foreigners in Japan abuse the extreme generosity and kindness innate in Japanese manners. I’ve seen many cases of rude and rowdy white Americans in Japanese restaurants here in New York.

Let us remember that Japan is not your country, and even if you love the country and the culture and pay taxes as a legally and lawfully employed alien, it’s still not your country.

Respect the culture and the laws of the country you are visiting or residing in. Perfection doesn’t exist and if racism exists in Japan, it exists here in America. Or are there any of you white Americans in this forum who never used racist epithets towards Asians in America – or to refer to them?

Again: respect the hosts and the host country’s culture. Japanese people are famous for being extremely well-behaved in any country they visit.

PS: I am not Japanese.
- Kwyjibo
  
  Or are there any of you white Americans in this forum who never used racist epithets towards Asians in America – or to refer to them?
  
  I never did. Neither for any other races. And pretty much none of my evil white American friends did either, at least when I was around. Any other questions?
- jedi
  
  “I’ve seen many cases of rude and rowdy white Americans in Japanese restaurants here in New York.”
  
  Really? New York? Wow–Is NYC now Japan? You just contradicted your own point.
  - farkyou
    
    hey bro, you need to learn how to read. or are you born squint-eyed?
pixel_bomber

Wow, I’m so glad I decided to take a taxi to the Halloween party we attended. I’ve never been involved in the train party before, but I would have had to go through Shibuya station to get to our destination. I can only imagine my family having to deal with something so ugly.
By the way I attended a large party thrown by a Japanese person, there were more Japanese people than foreign in attendance. Many people showed up in costume and had no trouble on the train. So I’m guessing the organized hate protest was isolated to a small area.
To be honest I don’t think I will celebrate Halloween here next year. Seems like there is just too much drama around it if you are not Japanese.
- ponta
  
  ”I don’t think I will celebrate Halloween here next year. Seems like there is just too much drama around it if you are not Japanese.”
  
  You might want to celebrate Halloween, Japanese and non Japanese together llke here
  Halloween train in Japan
  http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/11/02/halloween-train-in-japan/
  or here
  http://linmoore.blogspot.com/
  
  Keep in mind, Japanese or non Japanese, Hashin fans or Halloween fans, if you hold a crazy party on the train, they’ll be criticized and regulated, and
  Seeking restoration of Sovereignty project or Minuteeman project or Debito-man project, if they bash a specific group of people unfairly, they are just driving a wedge by misunderstanding and prejudice and they’ll be be criticized.
  - ponta
    
    if you hold→if they hold
  - pixel_bomber
    
    Well I’m not really into the party train exactly. I was more concerned about the travel from my home to the private party I was attending.
    Yea I know the previous years stirred the hate groups up, but unfortunately hate groups don’t differentiate between foreigners. I mean will a family with small children expect to be chased and shouted at just like some of the other innocent foreigners seen here? Like I said I’d rather avoid the chance.
Chi

Halloween in the clubs was awesome!

But took a look before going to the club and the mood was grim. It was so weird to experience this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crashcat/4068414295/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r96fyecUeA
Pete C

Funny they picked Shinjuku station to protest. They could’ve headed down the road to the Australia vs New Zealand Bledisloe Cup rugby union match was being held. It was the largest gathering of foreigners I have ever seen in Japan. I suspect, however, Shinjuku station was a smarter choice for it would not have ended pretty for the protesters if they went near the stadium…
fm

I really like this comment form the 2channer.
“There were a lot of people holding the Japanese flag, and if that kind of image gets out on Youtube then everyone is going to think that Japanese people are a bunch of racists who hate foreigners.

Haha,there’s tons of videos about the anti-foreigner groups, I even saw one that protested outside a chinese store and successfully made them close for the day. Not racist? That makes me laugh. Guess what, we already know Japan hates foreigners,even though oddly they bend over when something involves America or Europe.
- ponta
  
  “we already know Japan hates foreigners,even though oddly they bend over when something involves America or Europe.”
  
  And these ultra-nationalists have started targeting Europeans and Americans because of the past crazy party on the Yamanote train.
  Are you happy?
  
  Incidentally there are tones of articles and videos of crazy European and Americans, for that matter, Korean and Chinese, right wingers.Did you know that too?
- SWater
  
  > I even saw one that protested outside a chinese store and successfully made them close for the day. Not racist? That makes me laugh.
  
  Wasn’t that Chinese “store” illegally occupying a sidewalk in Tokyo? I may be wrong, but can you show me the link?
http://www.twitter.com/empathic Amy

I gotta say, though, that no one seems to be in the right here.
If the foreigners see this as a way of “getting back at Japan” then really, why the f* are they here to begin with if they foster such hostile feelings?

(I’m a foreigner myself living in Tokyo, before ya get at me for this)

Sure, Japanese people can be racist. But so can everyone else. So has everyone else. Angel Island, anyone? Ellis Island?

And really, some people were commuting — as silly as that sounds — and I rode the Chuo-sen that night, and there was a party of drunken foreigners going from one end to the other — it’s quite a long line — and what did they do but to invite the Japanese to party with them. It worked, too.
Hippy Hippy Shake

Well beside Americans, who really cared about Halloween until it became a commercial event those recent years in various places in the world ?

Hopefully the Nationialists didn’t made to much fuzz about St Patrick’s Day. We’re safe…
Chris

I’ve been talking with the american guy wearing the cardboard box with Japanese Kanji writing on it.
He and his japanese girlfriend (he told me she helped him for the Kanjis ^^) were really nice.
If I can remember, he told me it was written something like:
In the Front:
“I’m a kind Gaijin,
I like japanese people,
I’m for the peace,
I don’t like work”
And behind:
“Please say: “A treat or a trick” and get some sweet”.

He was really kind, giving some candies and kit kat to everyone.
I was sad hearing that he’s been in Japan for a few years and that was the 3rd time he wanted to do it in the Yamanote sen but he couldn’t do it before cause he was working too late. This year was a Saturday but we couldn’t make it cause of the cops and the fucking racists.
- http://aki-akiaki.blogspot.com/ Aki
  
  “This year was a Saturday but we couldn’t make it cause of the cops and the fucking racists.”
  
  As you know, they were there around the Yamanote-line because of these people.
  http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/10/14/yamanote-halloween-train-2009/
  
  I wonder why he didn’t try to do that in other places.
- ponta
  
  That must be a good guy, and Japanese people don’t even care if gaijin wears Darth Vader on the train:I think people enjoy cos play in Japan (supposing that it was not a rush hour and s/he didn’t make a trouble with other passengers)
  
  But when people, Japanese or non Japanese hold a party on the train (without a permit), that will cause troubles　and will be frowned upon.
  And when a rude party is expected and/or planned, people will guard against it and the cops might intervene.
  
  If the minority did it, it would be likely to foster the prejudice against the minority and it might provoke racists.
  
  Yamanote Halloween Party already got a bad reputation and planning another party will just provoke racists.
  
  Knowing it will provoke the racists, some people might want to enjoy looking at them shouting loudly and want to blame them. Go ahead.
  
  But it seems there are other Halloween parties going on in Japan , Japanese and non-Japanese working together, they will set good examples where community people, Japanese and non Japanese can work and enjoy together.
  
  I think foreigners know a better choice
- dave
  
  More than 300 comments on this article.
  They give to Anti-Foreigner a great tribune to show how gaijin don’t respect the rules of everydaylife in Japan.
  Don’t try to impose your gaijin point of view to the society.
  By the way, it’s so funny to disturb the subway with a stupid halloween fiesta.
  - jedi
    
    Every time someone uses the term “gaijin” they destroy any point they have about Western racists. It’s amazing how many of you don’t get this irony.
    - The Overthinker
      
      So black Americans who use the word “nigger” to refer to themselves also automatically lose any right to claim racism?
    - LB
      
      “Gaijin”≠racist epithet
kurochan

ワシントンDC恒例の桜祭りで､｢これぞ本場の花見だ！｣とばかりに酒盛りやカラオケをはじめたらどうなるだろうか？
山手線パーティーを擁護している方々､誰か来年やってくれないかな？
Peye

These things get often out of hand. So it is best to nip it in the bud. Holloween for small kids is ok. Adults in these costumes look and behave often like idiots. Japan is Japan so be respectful. They properly have enough problems with some of there own people acting stupid.
Weirdo

This may possibly be the biggest shitstorm I’ve ever seen on Japanprobe. It shouldn’t even be such a huge issue in the first place, both were in the wrong in different aspects, move on and don’t feed the trolls.
george

In London they have similar events where party goers high-jack trains for parties. There’s also another kind of event called a “flash mob” which was popular in London about four years ago (maybe now, for all I know) where people would organise massive gatherings at random times and places. For example two o’clock on a Sunday at a small shop on Oxford Street. (These weren’t parties, it should be noted… The point of them was simply to be random.)
I think the mentality behind both the events is anarchic in nature, and I think it’s the same in Japan. They are fun precisely because are wrong, or unexpected.
Of course, they should be stopped, but on the other hand, I don’t really think they can be. Or, if they are, I think this anarchic side of human nature will simply spring up in another place.
Jayne

I sort of agree with the protesters…. if we want to live in Japan we should leave religion and our days like halloween at home. Or at least have the decency to do it behind closed doors. If you want to live in a foreign country you should live like everyone in that country.
http://theghostletters.blogspot.com/ freedomwv

Some people in Japan are still not ready for the rest of the world. Sad really.
- farkyou
  
  why should they be?
mesh

Interesting post. I think the slander against non-japanese in general is far out of line, however I can see why someone would protest a party being held on the yamanote line. It’s bad enough, especially as a girl, getting bothered by drunks on the street, where at least there’s open space to run away. The last thing I’d want is to be cramped with a bunch of them on a train ride. And having any party in Japan means a lot of alcohol, and out of control party animals. It’s a nuisance to those who don’t want to be bothered by it, and the one’s who don’t want to be bothered, wouldn’t have much of a say or option to get away from it, if say the whole train was filled with the entire party. But the racism of the protesters was completely out of line and uncalled for, although if any one has taken a step in Roppongi, I can understand why someone would be well aggravated with foreigners. But as with any sort of prejudice, one must realize not everyone from the US or Europe is some jack ass trying to get a quick lay in some shady bar, or an African trying to lure you into his strip bar. If they wanted to protest the party, which was an obvious disturbance of peace, then they should have protested the party, not anyone’s race.
Buddythedecibwave

um…I thought this country was great…is this really how it is??? Geez, what’s the point of anything anymore. I suppose human beings are only capable of narrow-mindedness and prejudice. I’ve lost faith in humankind…screw this. BTW…not Japanese, but would like an honest Japanese response. PLEASE God PLEASE prove me wrong….

Anti-foreign protests in Tokyo on Halloween night

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