The Only Thing I'm Gonna Say About Foreigner Crime File

I'm trying to stay out of this "Foreigner Underground Crime File" fuss that's been ricocheting among the ex-pat/English teacher community in Japan. Not because it doesn't affect me, but because I just have too much to say on both ends of the spectrum that I don't even want to get started. This is a fun blog, not a dumping ground for the complexity of political junk that is flowing through my head. But for those of you who have been following this topic and are curious to see WHY such a magazine exists, there's an editorial published today, written by an editor at Eichi Publishing, giving the magazine's response to why they did it:

although the ferocity of this reaction has surprised me, the basic emotions have not. The topic of foreigner crime is taboo in Japan, with people on both sides of the issue distorting the facts and letting their feelings get the better of them...

if we can manage to openly discuss the issue of foreign crime in Japan, we will have the opportunity to address our own problems as well. Sure, we could continue to run away from the topic and remove books from shelves, but in doing so we are losing the chance to become more self-aware. What we need to understand is that by having a conversation about violent and illegal behavior, we’re really talking about ourselves—not as “Japanese” or “foreigners,” but as human beings.

Again, I'm keeping the bulk of my ramblings out of this, but I do believe he's right in saying that this conversation needs to happen. The local and foreign community need to be much more engaging of each other--not just at the top echelons of diplomacy--in order to bridge the cultural divide that keeps the Japanese fearful and the foreign community out of the loop.

Comments

[Jae]

One of my main fears of going to Japan is being treated like an outsider to the extent that I never actually see the country. Much of my encounters with Japan seems to be very xenophobic, and it worries me. I can see where someone living in Japan directly might feel like they're disenfranchised. Japan has never struck me as the bastion of open-armed acceptance of outsiders.

But I'm American, so my perspective is wildly different.

[gwendy]

> One of my main fears of going to
> Japan is being treated like an
> outsider to the extent that I
> never actually see the country.

I think that depends greatly on whether you are talking about visiting Japan, or attempting to live in the country.

[generalization class="gross"]

My experience, as a *visitor* in both Tokyo and throughout rural Japan has been entirely positive. Much of the xenophobia is masked by both their cultural scripts and their genuinine curiosity about all things Western. It likely won't be until you are trying to fit in to their social circles, make efficient use of services, or do business in Japan that you'll feel any distance.

My girlfriend just came home from 5 years in Japan, and while visiting is always a delight, living there was a very different matter.

The Japanese are very happy to meet you. But they are also happy to have you go back home again.

[/generalization]

[ttancm]

I also believe that dialog is necessary and would be beneficial, but I don't believe that supporting or encouraging such dialog was the purpose of that magazine.

He makes some good points in his explanations, unfortunately the vast majority of them have absolutely nothing to do with, nor can they really be used to defend the actual content of the magazine itself.

You don't encourage dialogs that you hope to have positive results by publishing sensationalist, one-sided garbage.