Re: TIME magazine on Akebono

"Michael Lehmeier" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On 2003-11-20, The dog from that film you saw
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > "PROMETHEUS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>
> >
> >> =====
> >> The YOKOZUNA PROMOTION COUNCIL is made up of older people who are not
in
> >> SUMO. Businessmen, writers, politicians, etc. AKEBONO would not fit
into
> >> this crowd. Besides, it's for Japanese only, not naturalized Japanese.
> >> =====
> >>
> >>
> >
> > is it me, or are a large quantity of japanese people racist in a way our
own
> > racists couldn't manage? - it's as if it's considered perfectly normal
and
> > nobody frowns upon it.
>
> That depends on what your definition of "racism" is.
> Everybody uses a different definition.
>
> It also depends on historical and social reasons for that behaviour.
> That makes applying such labels even harder.
>
> In my experience what sets japanese people apart from us westerners is a
> more intense sense of belonging together.
> If you don't belong to the particular group (be it japanese, or member
> of a corporation) you are automatically suspect.
> By showing respect and the will to adapt you can usually overcome this,
> but by showing ignorance by calling them racist you won't.
>
> Example: if you go to a japanese bank in order to get a credit card, and
> you are visibly not japanese, you may not get one because of that.
> It seems to happen quite often depending on where you live.
> This doesn't happen because they think that you are in any way inferior
> because of your race, but because it clearly identifies you as not being
> part of their society.
> So what do you do?
> Complain, and you show that they were right in their suspicions.
> The better way is to find neighbours who speak in your favour or people
> from the company you work for. Then there usually will be no problem.
> It shows that you are willing to work with them instead of against them.
>
> If they were truly racist, it wouldn't matter how much you adapt.
>
> As for Sumo:
> Don't forget that this is one of the most japanese institutions.
> I guess it would be possible to change that non-native-japanese ban, but
> like so many other things it would take time.
>
> It already worked for admitting non-japanese to the sport.
> As for the Yokozuna Promotion Council, well, I think Akebono's switch to
> K1 didn't exactly help things change.
>
> Bottom line: It's a different culture.
> It really is.
> Applying western-specific (particularly american-specific) terms of
negativity
> is usually a very wrong thing to do.

======

Agreed. Japan is full of complaining Westerners (espercially "English
teachers" - morons) who bitch and whine all day long rather than working at
enjoying themselves and getting pleasure out of life.

It's easy to be a Caucasian in Japan. The odds are always in your favour.

If you can't make it in Japan then the fault is yours.