[A REPLY TO KINGSURIN's POST of 2 DAYS AGO]:
To those gatekeeping and downplaying / denying racism exists in Japan, generally writing it off as not understanding Japanese restaurant reservation procedures, etc., here's my counterpoint:
I've been here 29 years [since 1997]; I was on the bengodan [legal team] as a specialist in international treaty law for the Otaru onsen lawsuit; I periodically advise clients on racist treatment received in Japan [all pro bono, as I'm not a registered attorney in Japan]; AND I've experienced BOTH racism and general xenophobia in my years here.
RACISM DOES EXIST.
Xenophobia, too.
Hypersensitivity to perceived slights, also yes.
Lack of awareness by foreign residents and tourists to Japanese business practices or even simple things such as some menus listing taxes all-in (e.g the original Japanese menu and some listing pre-tax (e.g. the translated English version) causing misunderstanding of pricing practices... also yes.
But to dismiss #1 as practically nonexistent due to the concurrent existence of #s 2, 3, & 4 [while also taking a swipe at "whites" being white as creating their own racist experiences] is disingenuous and moronic.
The sheer amount of upvotes to such a post only demonstrates that some feel a strong need to defend Japan's greatness instead of admitting it's faults, and while allowing that Japan is a great place to live, it's not perfect and needs improvement.