Isn’t it xenophobia more than racism?
Japan has a very homogeneous population, so xenophobia and racism are quasi indistinguishable.
The people defending this as ‘not racism’… way to miss the point. If this was some BBQ joint in Texas with a sign that says closed in Spanish but open in English you wouldn’t be posting these comments
The odds of a Texas BBQ joint not having any Spanish speaking employees is exceedingly small.
It doesn’t say “if you are of that race we are open”. It says you must understand the language. So learn it - you’ll need it anyway to live there - or go elsewhere, where staff can serve you on your language, provide a menu on your language etc.
A hate system where you can upgrade your status by learning is not racism. Also not necessarily a hate system in the first place.
Is that why I see the word “gaijin”(i probably spelt it wrong in English) being used? (Assuming Xenophobia is here)
The better version is: ’ No gaijin ’ xD
and yet japan is still viewed as an utopia by reddit weebs, despite japan being really racist
I went there recently. The organization and efficiency are truly astounding. I felt like the best parts of Japan and the best parts of the US fused together could make a utopia. But it’s never gonna happen because those best parts are direct results of the cultural mindset that leads to each one’s dark ends as well. They’re both sides of their respective coins, unfortunately…
The US has ‘best parts’? Really can’t imagine anything good about them lol
If you dont have any staff who speak those languages I kinda get not wanting to provide service to people who only speak them, though it would probably be better to just say “no foreign language service available”
Yeah but then I can’t be racist by generalising an entire country could I now.
Guess who’s reading this, lol
Anyway, this is blatantly
racismxenophobia and don’t give me the “yes but what if they don’t have anyone who speaks english or chinese?” That’s fair but in that case you put something that says “sorry we don’t have any english speaking staff” or tell me directly but anyway, it shouldn’t be that hard to order tbh, yeah i can’t talk but we are in 2026 with such translation tools, i can scan, look at what it says and then point at the various menu entries with my finger, to pay i can just look at the numbers lmaoEdit: corrected racism in to xenophobia
“Lmao” your ability to use software to translate for you doesn’t change the intent behind this sign. Japan is racist AF despite their polite society, and there are a growing number of restaurants and other establishments with signage that outright says some version of “no foreigners/no white people.” You will probably get a frosty reception in this establishment if you enter it because you decide you were too clever to be deterred.
The Cardinal Rule: Don’t fuck with the people who handle your food
I have worked with a Japanese company for almost 2 years and never ever again. The racism, incompetence and ass covering is astounding. The way they treat women is also appalling but no one talks about this.
I’ll never understand why western people love Japan, but vilify China. My experience in working in China is a total opposite of Japan.
You found that the Chinese weren’t racist or sexist? I agree with you about Japan, but China was hardly enlightened. They were mostly just louder and more obnoxious, where the Japanese were overly formal and quiet.
Both cultures also had a lot of superstitions, like words or phrases you shouldn’t say, or lucky or unlucky numbers.
Japan, where racism doesn’t usually get the same criticism it does elsewhere for whatever reason…
They get an easier pass because their products are top-notch. Toyota basically invented Six Sigma/a globally used process for manufacturer defect elimination. A Japanese automaker invented QR codes. They have Nintendo, anime, etc. They changed and continue to impact the world in highly recognizable ways, not by merely cheap products (China), cheap labor (India), etc.
They get an easier pass because the US needed a vassal state in the Pacific.
lol Nintendo
Tldr if your good enough at engineering you can be as racist as you want to be unless you’re white.
I guess I should’ve said that I wasn’t dismissing it, but was trying to find possible explanations. My understanding is that their xenophobia is more from a sense of caution rather than a more traditionally racist view like, “Inferior being!” That’s just a total hunch, though.
Not true but I love the apologist point of view you took. Japanese have always been clear they were the best up until white people showed up with advanced technology and showed them first hand they weren’t. Shits racist as fuck and you can suck their little jap phallice all you want but just admit it’s some racist shit in the same way you can understand that what I just said was racist. In short please stop being dumb.
Still racist
I mean, genuinely, how? It’s not saying you need to be Japanese to enter, just that you need to be able to read Japanese. IMO, learning the local language of a country you plan to visit is a basic courtesy that too many people don’t bother with.Okay, I take it back. I was thinking too much from the perspective of an American who’s been scolded for not spending enough time learning the language of places I visited. Thank you to the people who pointed out that what I said was ignorant without just piling on insults, I’ll try to be more thoughtful in the future.
Jim Crow literacy tests have entered the chat
“No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish”
why no dogs…?
Because normally dogs shouldn’t be in restaurants.
How dare you. I prefer having my obviously untrained dog with me everywhere.
Never heard of a restaurant posting a sign on the door saying they’re full.
Japan will put signs out saying they’re full and to queue from x position. Some will list an approximate time. If they take reservations and are full for the day, it will usually say that. Especially in urban areas, we can have some quite small restaurants.
