I understand why you feel Japan is a racist society. That is the classic image.
I was stationed at Yokota Air Base for 7 years, 1999-2007. I did two tours in Iraq during that stretch, but my wife lived there during my deployments.
How long have you guys spent living in their culture?
I have to disagree strongly with your statement. That is simply not true. Japan is not a racist society. That aspect of Japanese militarism and propaganda has been seen as dishonorable for almost 80 years.
They are a homogeneous society, no doubt about it. It is not racism, but simply self-sufficiency as much as possible. Protectionism is the norm throughout the world, even becoming popular in the US in the last 7 years. Native goods and services are preferred due to the need to remain less vulnerable to more powerful nations in the region, mainly China. They are not committed to free trade like the USA has been since the 80s, and honestly, they did not understand why the US never limited Japanese trade. They simply sold us everything we wanted to buy.
McArthur's five year administration of the islands crushed the old ways straight out of them. One obvious reason was the militaristic class was completely decimated by the war. They were forced to repudiate their militaristic past, and turn their swords into plowshares.
The image of Japanese businessmen and executives disrespecting American workers and culture is a media creation, based on the fear their factories and business/worklife culture would overtake us and take over our economy.
Those overseas acquisitions by corporations like Sony overstressed the Japanese banking system and too many bad loans (they thought their postwar economic miracle would keep going forever into the future - the 2008 Financial Crash happened two decades early in Japan), plus their demographic time bomb that hit there first (our own demographic timebomb is beginning to go off) sunk their economy for the last 30+ years. They are very prosperous, but not with the perceived dominant image, or exponential growth, they carried in the 80s.
I remember in the 80s, lots of Americans were furious because the Japanese government did not apologize for the atrocities during the war. The Japanese people feel a tremendous burden of shame and dishonor about what their armies and Navy did in World War II. They avoid the topic because it would be dishonorable to even acknowledge the topic n their culture. No honorable person could discuss their shame without losing their entire reputation. A person's honor is worthmore than life in Japanese culture. in Japanese culture, their actions of disavowing the culture that caused those atrocities is the apology.
The Chinese still create Japanese boogeymen as a jingoistic tool to create loyalty to and fervor for the Communist system, which takes credit for the defeat of the Japanese. That sense was still very alive in the 80s here in the good ole USA, partly because so many people who fought against and were indoctrinated against the Japanese during the war were still alive, and just retired. I was a teen during that period and remember movies and news shows told us the Japanese were going to be the biggest economy in the world and put us out of business.
A lot of America's image of Japanese racism and hostilitiy was overblown to say the least. It was based on their outcompeting American auto companies. The millions of Toyota and Nissan cars and trucks are no longer delivered by those immense superships that delivered 5000+ cars each day to both coasts (they scared American workers and voters to death for good reason: they were more comptetitive than what US factories were building at that moment). They are now built in TN, SC, and IN by American workers. The Japanese automakers put the Japanese factory workers aside in favor of American labor.
They do have a right-wing xenophobic party, but they are a very small fringe party,and have no authority or place in any government. They do speak about a return to Japan's glorious military history. They scream at microphones while swinging katanas. They are viewed with suspicion and disdain by almost everyone in Japan.
I would live there today ,if I could. My wife and I spent months living on the economy whenever I had leave. We have spent about six months there during five vacations in the 16 years since we returned stateside.
My wife learned Japanese within a little more than a month, and she helped me become fluent. She loved driving in Tokyo. I never liked driving in Tokyo.
The Japanese people love Americans above all peoples (this might have changed a bit, given the image of American xenophobia in recent years). Japanese people cherish the friendship of Americans. It is about respect for American culture, and the people too.
I met scores of government officials. They are extreme Americanophiles. Businessmen are also completely enamored with American people. One Japanese millionaire in the Tokyo Roppongi DIstrict (the main party district in Tokyo) offered me $10,000 for a night with my wife on his arm. Having a blond with big boobs was a HUGE sign of prestige for him. He was going to take me along too. It wasn't an Indecent Proposal. He simply wanted her for arm candy, and for all the business executives to see him dance with her and have her at his table. I said no, and my wife said, "$25,000". We ended up partying with this guy taking us to the poshest clubs in Japan until about 9am Sunday morning. My wife played celebrity for the night, and I was entertained by the man's daughter who had a thing for Americans.
My wife and I frequented a Mom and Pop, hole in the wall, Ramen place. Ramen, over there, is a complete meal, and the food is the best I have eaten still to this day. They welcomed us by name and gave us preferred seating and food every time. We have visited them five times since we returned to the USA in 2007.
I met thousands of Japanese people throughout the islands. Middle class Japanese are not racist either. The only racists I met were in Okinawa, and they hate Americans because of horrific crimes committed there by American servicemen. I investigated my share of them for the Air Force. It was bone-chilling stuff, the worst you can imagine, and the locals understandably wanted all military bases removed.
I made a score of lifelong Japanese friends, and dozens of wonderful acquaintances in the Tokyo area.
They are the best people I have ever had the pleasure to know. We return to visit at least every three years. The only place I would not be welcomed with open arms would be Okinawa. The funny thing is Okinawans are often looked down upon in Japanese culture. They are the hillbillies of Japan, and far more xenophobic than any other Japanese people I ever met.
