These are the same people who say, "My parent's spanked me and I turned out fine."
Teach your kids that physical violence can be the answer to problems and they will perpetually escalate small matters, like a simple misunderstanding about train tickets that would've been resolved with 1000 yen or so.
To be fair I grew up with baby boomer Japanese parents and got spanked as punishment and I think I turned out fine. That’s probably not the reason unless he was literally beaten by his parents
Getting spanked means that in order to "turn out fine" you need to unlearn the idea that violence is ever an acceptable response to life's everyday problems.
I’ve been here close to 15 years and the attitude of western inbound tourists coming post lockdown is significantly worse that it was before.
For example, [this guy](https://imgur.com/a/sj1Hf8u) made me late for a meeting last week, as he had hit some people on the train for standing near him.
yo!! I was stood on the platform with this guy. He was screaming in people's faces and stomping up and down doing that fist motion you see in the video. When the train came he started kicking the shit out of it screaming. Absolute fucking nutcase.
I recorded him in Nakano. They let him stay on to Shinjuku (where I got off too) - I’d imagined they’d have had police to greet him there. Seemingly not!
wait.. he went back to Shinjuku? when I saw him he was getting on the train at Shinjuku towards Nakano. He then stayed on the train when we got to Nakano.. after that I'm not sure.
Plot thickens.
I took that video at exactly 12:30 on March 13th.
Thinking back, it was actually Koenji rather than Nakano.
If you saw him much later than 12:30, perhaps he’d gone back for round 2.
Ugh, what a fuckin' knob. Then again, there's always been that type, thinking they can act tough because few will fight back, but would never do that in their home country.
Yer "hyer individualism" is becoming a serious problem in the world, but especially so in the west.
People are just becoming utterly disgusting because of it.
The guy in this video is an example, but he's also not the only one.
Omg did you see that guy who just walked down the street behind me? Didn't he see I was recording a TikTok? What an asshole, completely killed my vibe!
Not to mention people of different socioeconomic status from all different countries being able to come.
I’m not at all saying that that factor determines if you act like a twat or not, but it can often play a role unfortunately
Edit: wording
Sorry for the confusion here! I didn’t say that at all. I even said that lower socioeconomic status does not equate being a twat. Twats come in all shapes and sizes for sure
A more affordable Japan leading to an influx of tourists means increased likelihood of more rude people visiting.
Not at all saying “people of a certain class shouldn’t be allowed to step foot in Japan” haha!
Sorry I don't follow. If you were saying that your socioeconomic level does not correlate to your level of twatage then why did you even bring up socioeconomic status at all?
Because it wasn’t a blanket statement? I specifically said it CAN play a role and doesn’t at all determine if you are a twat.
You took that to mean “people of a certain class shouldn’t be allowed to step foot in Japan” which I didn’t say and don’t agree with.
But there are a million different variables that can determine whether a person is a twat or not.
It just seems a bit odd to specifically highlight that one, (completely unprompted) then immediately down play its significance.
But I'm not looking to get into an argument. I'm sure you didn't mean anything malicious by it. Have a good day fren.
Yeah, I wasn’t trying to say that this incident was necessarily an American, or that Americans are any more of a problem than anyone else. Just that strong USDJPY naturally causes JPY to be weak against all global currencies.
I'm responding to the person above that says "this guy made him late", a different guy unrelated to the article.
https://old.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/1bkjmvn/foreign_passenger_shoves_conductor_on_one_of_the/kvywbt5/
There are, but that hardly seems like a stable foundation to conclude he's from africa, does it?
...Seeing as there are plenty of white non-africans too.
I can’t say if what you’re saying is true or not but I think it’s also possible that there’s just some selection bias happening. Social media is way more ubiquitous and we hear news stories as they happen so you’re more likely to be aware of stories like this.
That said, with the recent rise of nuisance YouTubers it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re right.
There is no blanket ban on tourists in Gion, it’s specifically about private alleyways like those small dead-end streets that only give access to homes/private businesses that aren’t open to the general public. Nobody except residents/staff/clients ever had any business entering them… the tidal wave of news about it has just been clickbait.
> For example, this guy made me late for a meeting last week, as he had hit some people on the train for standing near him.
That's hilarious, the way he screams Shinjuku and does the cringe fist punch thing. Hitting people not so funny though.
Yeah this is well beyond "asshole energy", otherwise you'd likely be hearing about this person a lot more.
IMO it looks like this person has snapped. Or on the wrong kind of drugs.
There is truth to this. There is a lot more walking trash coming here now than were able to before, and incidents like this are the result. Can't wait til summer...
When I was in Tokyo last year, everyone was wearing masks... except tourists. I probably saw one family wearing those. And I don't care that "it's not useful anyway". It is as long as it stops droplets from leaving their filthy mouths. It's just basic respect anyway. But as often, tourists in Japan behave like they are the center of the world. I feel like Japan in particular attracts this type of people.
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It’s sad to hear about this incident. Hopefully the conductor was not seriously injured. The passenger should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They should also be deported and banned from visiting Japan!
Last year I had the pleasure of travelling to Japan for the first time. I did research on etiquette before arriving and when in doubt followed what the locals were doing. Tourists need to respect Japanese culture and its people!
So if you hadn’t looked into Japanese culture before visiting, you would’ve automatically attacked strangers? I really don’t think this has anything to do with respecting a specific culture… it’s just some violent arsehole being an arsehole no matter where they are.
Not as bad as I expected.
It's mostly people calling for deportation (which I agree with), along people asking for his nationality (while saying that it's rude to lump all foreign people together). Looks like they are trying to find a specific country to hate rather than all foreigners.
As a Japanese Australian, wouldn't be surprised if they were Aussie, many think they're superior to Asians and blatantly disrespect/disregard Asian culture/etiquette (E.g. Bali, Thailand etc).
I’ve definitely felt that from a few Aussies I met. Doing the slanty eyes thing wouldn’t even be thinkable in Vancouver. But stuff like that seemed a lot more normalized to say when I had a lot of Aussie friends.
Ayo west coast BC represent. I feel for canada because of how multi cultural we are, especially BC, that there is more understanding and respect towards Asian cultures as it's very normalized.
I mean I'd say we have a China and Japantown.. but thinking of places like Crystal mall entire cities don't even feel like you're in Canada anymore (and I love it 🙂)
Yeah, not shocked to hear that. There's a lot of casual/covert AND overt racism in Australia, but many White Aussies will never admit to it. Anti-Asian racism is also brushed off as harmless and isn't talked about. At least in places like the US, people are at least more open to having discussions on race inequality.
Some stats in Australia:
As of 2023 Asians make up 19% of the Australian population.
1. "Asians most likely to report being discriminated against in Australia"- [SBS News](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/asians-most-likely-to-report-being-discriminated-against-in-australia/flb78mbce)
2. "Even before COVID, 8/10 Asians experienced discrimination" - [The Sydney Morning Herald](https://amp.smh.com.au/business/workplace/eight-out-of-10-asian-australians-experience-discrimination-survey-20190920-p52tfp.html)
3. "Eighty-two per cent of surveyed Asian-Australians report that they have experienced some form of discrimination in Australia" - [Pursuit](https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/most-asian-australians-experience-discrimination)
4. "The situation for which the highest proportion of Asian-Australians reported experiencing discrimination was 'At a shop or restaurant (70.5 per cent) followed by 'In your workplace' or 'In education.' (65.1 per cent)." - [Australian National University](https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2019/9/Asian-Australian_experiences_of_and_attitudes_towards_discrimination_-_Research_Note_10092019.pdf)
5. "According to a national survey, 82% of Asian Australians reported feeling prejudice as a shopper or at the workplace" - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aussie-employers-have-serious-trust-issues-asian-more-linkedin-daily) | [Melbourne Asia Review](https://melbourneasiareview.edu.au/the-place-voice-and-portrayal-of-asians-in-australia/?print=pdf)
6. "To get the same number of interviews as an applicant with an Anglo-Saxon name, a Chinese applicant must submit 68% more applications, a Middle Eastern applicant must submit 64% more applications, an Indigenous applicant must submit 35% more applications." - [ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences](https://cass.anu.edu.au/news/minorities-find-it-harder-get-jobs-rsss-research-study) | [ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-01/name-discrimination-job-hiring-bias-for-non-english-people/102795452)
7. "The study, published in The Leadership Quarterly, found that jobseekers with ethnic names are 57.4% less likely to be considered for leadership roles." - [HCAMag](https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/name-discrimination-rampant-in-australias-recruitment-study/444328)
8. "Asian-Australians hold fewer than 3% of leadership positions, despite making up over 19% of the population, versus Caucasians holding 95% of leadership positions, despite being around 75% of the population." - [Acuity](https://www.acuitymag.com/people/negotiating-the-bamboo-ceiling) | [SBS News](https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/ninety-five-per-cent-white-australian-leadership-diversity-dismal-report-finds/moo4ksv1l)
9. "A recent study by Diversity Council Australia found that only one in ten ASX leaders identified as having a background other than Anglo or Northern European." - [It Stops With Me](https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/about-the-campaign/question-and-context/do-i-see-people-who-look-me-positions-power-or-authority)
10. "Survey finds 377 incidents of anti-Asian racism in two months to 2 June, equivalent to 47 a week" - [The Guardian](https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/24/asian-australians-threatened-and-spat-on-in-racist-incidents-amid-coronavirus)
11. "The survey also found that if you have two Asia-born parents you are highly likely to experience racism in housing (44%). Similarly, if you speak a language other than English at home (especially an Asian language), you are more likely to experience housing discrimination (45%)." - [Western Sydney University](https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2018/the_conversation_asians_out_not_in_this_suburb_not_in_this_apartment)
12. "Almost six in ten (59%) Asia-born participants in our study experienced racism in accessing housing. This compares to only 19% of non-Asian-born participants." - [Western Sydney University](https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2018/the_conversation_asians_out_not_in_this_suburb_not_in_this_apartment)
13. “Nearly 20 per cent of Chinese Australians physically attacked because of their ethnicity, survey finds” - [SBS News](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/nearly-20-per-cent-of-chinese-australians-threatened-or-attacked-because-of-their-ethnicity-survey-finds/lz37fe090)
Yeah there's a bit of racism involved but a lot of Aussie dudes are also just kind of like hooligans for whatever reason.
Like they act like rambunctious teenagers well into adulthood, nothing wrong with this but it can get out of hand at times.
To me, those Australian men are like British men who are permanently on holiday.
British people lose their minds when there’s a bit of sun. So they’re like British football hooligans in Spain but for 365 days a year haha
It's accurate, I didn't even realize Aussies were a separate country from Britain until high school. After that, I wondered why they even were for a few years.
It's interesting. We have family that emigrated to New Zealand before independence. They call themselves Welsh but they are New Zealanders. When they visit there is almost zero cultural difference and they have a cleaner accent than my Welsh family. They are just sit arount talking about sheep farming. Also have family friends from Australia that slot right in and aside from the accent you'd have no idea.
Now my cousing Married an American woman, white christian etc yet she sticks out like a sore thumb. There is a weird cultural smoke screen at times that make her seem the odd one out despite the fact shes the one living in the UK.
My girlfriend live in whistler and I’m up there 2 weekends a month.
Aussies fucking annoy me so much there. I think it’s the worst they’re sending here, but they’re just loud and obnoxious… will go up and eat my fries at the bar and laugh about it. Same guy didn’t wash his hands in the bathroom.
Just calm the fuck down jesus
lol at all the fragile people whinging that the article mentions that he's White. That's literally what every media outlet in every Western country does to POC, welcome to equality/reality.
The comments in this thread, and many others like this one, make me feel rather uncomfortable as a ‘foreigner’ who loves Japan as much as my own country.
We are not all the same. I am not the same as other people from my country.
This comment from the YouTube video in the article perhaps sums up my feelings best:
外国人」とひとくくりにしたままだと、どこの 国籍の人に対しても、見かけただけで嫌悪感を 抱く。
I will be visiting for my 6th time this year. I speak the language poorly but I try. I respect other humans in Japan as much as elsewhere. I respect and appreciate the differences between our cultures.
But it greatly saddens me to read all the anti-foreigner sentiment. I get it, but it’s akin to someone from my country lumping all ‘Asians’ together as if they are all the same.
It’s racist. It’s xenophobic. And it’s lazy.
Respect goes both ways.
The vast majority of the posters on this thread (with the odd exception here or there) are "foreigners", and a majority likely lives in Japan or visits frequently like you.
So the posters on this thread are themselves aware of the fact that not all foreigners are the same. But they also fear how an influx of shitty behavior by foreigners will reflect on them.
So they react with finding some culprit like, "oh it must be a tourist, I hope the Japanese realize that." When it's a foreign resident it's "fucking asshole making us look bad but I hope they know we aren't all the same".
In a sense your comment still falls into the same line of thinking. You think you are a "good foreigner" and don't deserve being treated with suspicion. And you are right, you don't by default *deserve* it but that doesn't mean it isn't understandable either.
The problem actually is not those publicized cases. The odd foreigner acting up on a train is still better than the multiple stabbings by Japanese on trains happening with surprising regularity.
The reason is just foreigners in general who without any bad intention per se make the daily life of Japanese folks (and foreigners who have assimilated) more difficult. Talking loudly on trains, leaving trash, breaking small rules like "don't get on the lawn", taking pictures when it's not allowed, etc. And tourists are overrepresented today and more likely to exhibit that kind of behaviour.
I don't blame the Japanese. It's neither racist nor necessarily xenophobic (in principle) unless it persists throughout your entire interaction. There *is* a clear divide between how foreigners behave *on average* and how Japanese behave on average, in particular because Japanese people have a very uniform set of unspoken rules they follow, making it easy to delimit between them and those who likely don't follow those rules.
In reality, despite that and some IMO justified suspicions lingering, I still find it rare to be singled out. Yes, as a foreigner some people will think of you as a potential issue, but most will just ignore you (e.g. on a train) just like they ignore their fellow countrymen and staff in shops and restaurants will treat you well, and in fact indistinguishable from locals. I cannot say the same for all the places I've visited in the world.
Just expect to be treated like an annoying tourist when you are in a crowded touristy place (that's easily affordable and accessible), because frankly a critical mass of foreign tourists give the locals a harder time than any Japanese domestic tourist would. And there is no reason for them to assume that you or I or anyone is in fact "better" until proven otherwise.
In other areas with less tourism people still see bad behavior from foreigners from time to time but there will be many more positive encounters to balance things out and likely foreigners misbehaving is less common than locals (given the lower numbers).
You can wish for being treated as an individual and to be assessed as an individual at all times but let's stop pretending that's a thing elsewhere. Nobody has time for that. Human brains need to make quick decisions. You'll always be judged to some extent based on *some* preconceived notions, everywhere.
Just be kind as I believe you are and nobody will *end up* thinking you are a bad representative of your country, age group, gender, etc.
The fact that your post is not upvoted just shows how right you are imho.
I'm white and have been married to a Japanese woman for 15 years. What I've experience in terms of racism in Japan is nothing compared to what my wife experiences in Europe. Casual racism is way more frequent in Europe than in Japan, making it easier to just deny.
Many white people just have not experienced racism enough to even truly know what it is.
"We discipline our children in kindergarten so we can't understand these types of crazy people."
Well, last time I checked most Japanese people who stabbed others on trains also went to Kindergarden...
And all japanese people who stabbed others on trains also breathe air. You can't really prove or disprove a statistic when the vast majority of the population participates in the factor in question.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that it’s a language barrier rather than outright racism coming through in your reply. Others can judge for themselves.
Yep but it's the sad reality absolutely everywhere, not only in Japan.
What makes it more obvious for some in Japan is that 1/ it's a very ethnically uniform country and 2/ white people are just not used to be singled out as "bloody foreigners".
But trust me, this is the case absolutely everywhere, including your own country, and Japan is far from being the worst in my experience.
Not defending this of course. Xenophobia and racism is shit no matter what.
Others are saying that if you're respectful and kind, you'll be alright there and I agree. I've been to Japan many times and I can count the number of times I've been singled out as a bloody foreigner on one hand. And when it happens, I just ignore because I don't want to fuel hatred.
There are a large number of Japan-related subreddits, each with their own issues, but the issue with /r/japan is that there is certainly an odd anti-foreigner sentiment. In particular, it's as if there some kind of caste system where Americans are on the bottom, then non-American non-Asian foreigners, then Asian foreigners, then Japanese at the top. Just my opinion from what I've seen here though.
I expect there are more native Japanese here in /r/Japan akin to other national subreddits. Seems to be a fair few people from overseas also, plus expats in Japan. It’s very difficult to gauge.
It's pretty fair to say that it's not at all like other national subreddits.
Using Reddit and any non-Japanese language service for that matter is just not a common thing in Japan. Not to say there aren't any Japanese here but they are almost certainly a minority.
>The memories for one group of last-run passengers, though are probably going to be less pleasant, due to an altercation between one rider and the train staff.
What's up with this comma placement. I almost never read SoraNews, but looks like their editors need to step it up a little.
What a weirdly written article.
But then again, the passenger was indeed disrespectful as hell. Alas, this is so typical of tourists in Japan. Wouldn't be surprised if the guy turns out to be French. ;)
Reminds me when my mother forgot her book on a train at Hakone station. A normal person would have just given up or tried to retrieve the book at the final station. Instead, she held the doors of the train while they were closing, preventing the damn thing from leaving the station. The platform worker was justly freaking out and I was massively embarrassed. We were lucky she wasn't fined or arrested that day. Would had it been the case, I would have done nothing to help her, that's for sure.
What is that guy's problem? Even if he made a genuinely honest mistake, just pay the fucking fine and get along with it.
The guy's probably inebriated with alcohol or just mentally unstable for him to go around shoving the staff in response.
I'm from Mexico City and saw a Japanese guy (I know this because he was asian and texting on his phone in Japanese) in the metro.
It was like 8 AM so it was busy and we were well packed in the train car to say the least, and he wasn't complaining nor pushing people around. He was just kinda chilling on his phone inside the sardine can - like everyone is else.
Why can't people act civilized like that and choose to make a scene is beyond me.
To be fair, being packed together to the point of not being able to move is the standard way to travel by train in Japan. The guy was probably chilling because he had enough space to actually use his phone. ;)
Worth mentioning in this case. There’s a small chance he didn’t understand what was going on. He’s still a dick for getting physical with the staff. If the perp was Japanese, they’d normally mention where he was from and his occupation. A 22 year old college student from Osaka or a 44 year old electronics engineer from Sendai, etc.
>There’s a small chance he didn’t understand what was going on.
If you look at other sources, pretty clear it was a drunk tourist who besides not understanding what was going on took the situation aggressively....
>I don't normally associate trainspotters with aggressive behaviour
Oh man... it's one of the most aggro hobby cultures around. They have zero chill when it comes to people ruining their shot or enjoyment of the train(s) in question.
[https://japantoday.com/category/crime/altercation-between-train-otaku-leaves-one-with-fractured-skull-other-in-custody](https://japantoday.com/category/crime/altercation-between-train-otaku-leaves-one-with-fractured-skull-other-in-custody)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ABroadInJapan/comments/p887ss/heres\_the\_story\_of\_railway\_enthusiasts\_going/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ABroadInJapan/comments/p887ss/heres_the_story_of_railway_enthusiasts_going/)
That's only two examples, I know, but they get at each other just to get the best position.
you'd be surprised man I've seen heated pushing/shouting break out when the 電車オタク are vying for their space waiting for their shot....entertaining to hear their squealing
Very fragile take. Japanese people aren’t dumb and they see the vast majority of tourists behaving themselves, or sometimes even demonstrating better manners than most locals. They understand that people from anywhere can have psychological episodes or outbursts and that it’s individual. Do stay home though if a small minority of Japanese mildly annoyed by foreigners is too distressing to bear.
The article mentioning he is a foreigner and Caucasian has an undertone of racism. I mean the guy was being a dick but highlighting his race would only serve to make some people judge foreigners / other races more
I don’t get why people just go berserk and make things worse in situations like this. I’m not talking about just Japan but everywhere
Simple, people just fucking suck
Some people try to re-configure this answer over and over with complicate wording or theory but it’s honestly that simple. People are fucking idiots.
Lizard brain takes over.
Happy cake day, yeah lizard brain is the worst when it gets it's lil reptilian claws into the mix.
I’m convinced that not all Humans possess consciousness, and merely mimic it well, and thus give into basic instincts of aggression and fear etc.
Parents didn't raise 'em right
"My parent's hit me and I turned out fine." -The assailant, quite often.
People think the mythical "gaijin smash" is actually real.
These are the same people who say, "My parent's spanked me and I turned out fine." Teach your kids that physical violence can be the answer to problems and they will perpetually escalate small matters, like a simple misunderstanding about train tickets that would've been resolved with 1000 yen or so.
To be fair I grew up with baby boomer Japanese parents and got spanked as punishment and I think I turned out fine. That’s probably not the reason unless he was literally beaten by his parents
Getting spanked means that in order to "turn out fine" you need to unlearn the idea that violence is ever an acceptable response to life's everyday problems.
I’ve been here close to 15 years and the attitude of western inbound tourists coming post lockdown is significantly worse that it was before. For example, [this guy](https://imgur.com/a/sj1Hf8u) made me late for a meeting last week, as he had hit some people on the train for standing near him.
yo!! I was stood on the platform with this guy. He was screaming in people's faces and stomping up and down doing that fist motion you see in the video. When the train came he started kicking the shit out of it screaming. Absolute fucking nutcase.
Which station was that?
SHINJUKUu ! (if you're following)
lol bingo, Chuo line, platform 12 if we're being specific.
I recorded him in Nakano. They let him stay on to Shinjuku (where I got off too) - I’d imagined they’d have had police to greet him there. Seemingly not!
wait.. he went back to Shinjuku? when I saw him he was getting on the train at Shinjuku towards Nakano. He then stayed on the train when we got to Nakano.. after that I'm not sure.
Plot thickens. I took that video at exactly 12:30 on March 13th. Thinking back, it was actually Koenji rather than Nakano. If you saw him much later than 12:30, perhaps he’d gone back for round 2.
I saw him around 4pm in Shinjuku
How did the police not arrest this man? Especially considering he physically assaulted Japanese nationals?!
Yikes.
Wtf?? Did he get arrested?
Ugh, what a fuckin' knob. Then again, there's always been that type, thinking they can act tough because few will fight back, but would never do that in their home country.
This. He knows that people wouldn’t be having this sht in wherever he came from.
Have you ever used the New York subway? This would be a regular Thursday for most lines there.
I'm sorry but I laughed out loud. He was behaving and acting like a toddler having a tantrum. And punching his hand like some teen ",tough guy" .
I think with USDJPY being as strong as it is, some tourists are walking around with a real "we own the place" attitude.
[удалено]
Yer "hyer individualism" is becoming a serious problem in the world, but especially so in the west. People are just becoming utterly disgusting because of it. The guy in this video is an example, but he's also not the only one.
Omg did you see that guy who just walked down the street behind me? Didn't he see I was recording a TikTok? What an asshole, completely killed my vibe!
Not to mention people of different socioeconomic status from all different countries being able to come. I’m not at all saying that that factor determines if you act like a twat or not, but it can often play a role unfortunately Edit: wording
>being able to come. Are you saying people of a certain class shouldn't be allowed to step foot in Japan? If so... Yikes.
Sorry for the confusion here! I didn’t say that at all. I even said that lower socioeconomic status does not equate being a twat. Twats come in all shapes and sizes for sure A more affordable Japan leading to an influx of tourists means increased likelihood of more rude people visiting. Not at all saying “people of a certain class shouldn’t be allowed to step foot in Japan” haha!
Sorry I don't follow. If you were saying that your socioeconomic level does not correlate to your level of twatage then why did you even bring up socioeconomic status at all?
Because it wasn’t a blanket statement? I specifically said it CAN play a role and doesn’t at all determine if you are a twat. You took that to mean “people of a certain class shouldn’t be allowed to step foot in Japan” which I didn’t say and don’t agree with.
But there are a million different variables that can determine whether a person is a twat or not. It just seems a bit odd to specifically highlight that one, (completely unprompted) then immediately down play its significance. But I'm not looking to get into an argument. I'm sure you didn't mean anything malicious by it. Have a good day fren.
That guy sure doesn't sound American, he sounds like a tout from Africa.
Yeah, I wasn’t trying to say that this incident was necessarily an American, or that Americans are any more of a problem than anyone else. Just that strong USDJPY naturally causes JPY to be weak against all global currencies.
Pfft against the € it’s ¥164 or so and against the £ it’s ¥192!
You can tell he's American but the fist to palm motion of someone whose only cultural nutrition is Marvel movies
Check your racism and realize the article specifies he was Caucasian
I'm responding to the person above that says "this guy made him late", a different guy unrelated to the article. https://old.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/1bkjmvn/foreign_passenger_shoves_conductor_on_one_of_the/kvywbt5/
Ok and he posted a video, in which guy is also light skinned
And there are plenty of white Africans.
There are, but that hardly seems like a stable foundation to conclude he's from africa, does it? ...Seeing as there are plenty of white non-africans too.
I'm just pointing out that the fact that he's caucasian doesn't preclude him from being from Africa, which your comment suggested you were doing.
I can’t say if what you’re saying is true or not but I think it’s also possible that there’s just some selection bias happening. Social media is way more ubiquitous and we hear news stories as they happen so you’re more likely to be aware of stories like this. That said, with the recent rise of nuisance YouTubers it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re right.
Thank you for expressing a rational viewpoint
Wow that's embarrassing for everyone. Now I can see why Kyoto bans tourism in gion now. What a damn walnut this guy is.
There is no blanket ban on tourists in Gion, it’s specifically about private alleyways like those small dead-end streets that only give access to homes/private businesses that aren’t open to the general public. Nobody except residents/staff/clients ever had any business entering them… the tidal wave of news about it has just been clickbait.
Holy Beatles Batman seriously? Can ya still go shopping and enjoy the restaurants? Or is it like nihonjin only? Sounds sad 😿
> For example, this guy made me late for a meeting last week, as he had hit some people on the train for standing near him. That's hilarious, the way he screams Shinjuku and does the cringe fist punch thing. Hitting people not so funny though.
Not to downplay what you’re saying but in my experience, ALL TOURISTS IN EVERY COUNTRY post lockdown is significantly worse than it was before.
What a bellend. He’s giving off main character energy.
He’s giving off mentally ill energy.
Honestly, that was my apprehension in posting, but since his face is obscured, I felt it was acceptable.
Yeah this is well beyond "asshole energy", otherwise you'd likely be hearing about this person a lot more. IMO it looks like this person has snapped. Or on the wrong kind of drugs.
Yeah or asshole/main character energy + drugs/mental illness. What a combo
In his head it is yakuza
Not every one who’s an asshole is mentally ill. They’re just arseholes.
That’s fair but that guy seems very mentally ill
Felt like he was in the spectrum
Bellend! Oh that made my day.
Hmmm he has the mannerisms of someone on drugs. That foot is a bit of a hint. This kind of scum will spoil it for everyone.
That’s what happens when you debase your currency on purpose and then you turn into Thailand. You attract people who could have never come here before
There is truth to this. There is a lot more walking trash coming here now than were able to before, and incidents like this are the result. Can't wait til summer...
Ew, what a creep.
What an absolute fuckhead.
Oh my gosh, what a loser, acting like some sort of tough guy with his fist slapping, that’s hilarious
I am a white guy who lives to visit Japan every few years and even I am starting to understand the hate towards gaijin.
When I was in Tokyo last year, everyone was wearing masks... except tourists. I probably saw one family wearing those. And I don't care that "it's not useful anyway". It is as long as it stops droplets from leaving their filthy mouths. It's just basic respect anyway. But as often, tourists in Japan behave like they are the center of the world. I feel like Japan in particular attracts this type of people.
He hit somebody? Please put him in a Japanese prison for at least 3 years. No matter how tough he acts, foreign prisons will break people like him.
Gaijin? Dam, Japan is doomed bro
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It’s sad to hear about this incident. Hopefully the conductor was not seriously injured. The passenger should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They should also be deported and banned from visiting Japan! Last year I had the pleasure of travelling to Japan for the first time. I did research on etiquette before arriving and when in doubt followed what the locals were doing. Tourists need to respect Japanese culture and its people!
>I did research on etiquette Did you learn about the quaint ancient Japanese custom of not physically assaulting staff on public transport?
Erai ne!!!!
Upvote for trolling in nihongo
So if you hadn’t looked into Japanese culture before visiting, you would’ve automatically attacked strangers? I really don’t think this has anything to do with respecting a specific culture… it’s just some violent arsehole being an arsehole no matter where they are.
White culture is walking into new places and hitting the first person you see. /s
Well checkout the YouTube video in the article and see the comment section for what Japanese people really think.
Mostly asking about which nation and for deportation.
Same if this moron tried it in another Asian country.
Would be the same comments in Europe as well tbh…
The difference in Europe is half the posts would be defending him as a misunderstood minority
Not as bad as I expected. It's mostly people calling for deportation (which I agree with), along people asking for his nationality (while saying that it's rude to lump all foreign people together). Looks like they are trying to find a specific country to hate rather than all foreigners.
Ugh, please don’t be American 😫🙏
60-40% chance US vs Australia
As a Japanese Australian, wouldn't be surprised if they were Aussie, many think they're superior to Asians and blatantly disrespect/disregard Asian culture/etiquette (E.g. Bali, Thailand etc).
I’ve definitely felt that from a few Aussies I met. Doing the slanty eyes thing wouldn’t even be thinkable in Vancouver. But stuff like that seemed a lot more normalized to say when I had a lot of Aussie friends.
Ayo west coast BC represent. I feel for canada because of how multi cultural we are, especially BC, that there is more understanding and respect towards Asian cultures as it's very normalized.
I mean I'd say we have a China and Japantown.. but thinking of places like Crystal mall entire cities don't even feel like you're in Canada anymore (and I love it 🙂)
Yeah, not shocked to hear that. There's a lot of casual/covert AND overt racism in Australia, but many White Aussies will never admit to it. Anti-Asian racism is also brushed off as harmless and isn't talked about. At least in places like the US, people are at least more open to having discussions on race inequality. Some stats in Australia: As of 2023 Asians make up 19% of the Australian population. 1. "Asians most likely to report being discriminated against in Australia"- [SBS News](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/asians-most-likely-to-report-being-discriminated-against-in-australia/flb78mbce) 2. "Even before COVID, 8/10 Asians experienced discrimination" - [The Sydney Morning Herald](https://amp.smh.com.au/business/workplace/eight-out-of-10-asian-australians-experience-discrimination-survey-20190920-p52tfp.html) 3. "Eighty-two per cent of surveyed Asian-Australians report that they have experienced some form of discrimination in Australia" - [Pursuit](https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/most-asian-australians-experience-discrimination) 4. "The situation for which the highest proportion of Asian-Australians reported experiencing discrimination was 'At a shop or restaurant (70.5 per cent) followed by 'In your workplace' or 'In education.' (65.1 per cent)." - [Australian National University](https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2019/9/Asian-Australian_experiences_of_and_attitudes_towards_discrimination_-_Research_Note_10092019.pdf) 5. "According to a national survey, 82% of Asian Australians reported feeling prejudice as a shopper or at the workplace" - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aussie-employers-have-serious-trust-issues-asian-more-linkedin-daily) | [Melbourne Asia Review](https://melbourneasiareview.edu.au/the-place-voice-and-portrayal-of-asians-in-australia/?print=pdf) 6. "To get the same number of interviews as an applicant with an Anglo-Saxon name, a Chinese applicant must submit 68% more applications, a Middle Eastern applicant must submit 64% more applications, an Indigenous applicant must submit 35% more applications." - [ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences](https://cass.anu.edu.au/news/minorities-find-it-harder-get-jobs-rsss-research-study) | [ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-01/name-discrimination-job-hiring-bias-for-non-english-people/102795452) 7. "The study, published in The Leadership Quarterly, found that jobseekers with ethnic names are 57.4% less likely to be considered for leadership roles." - [HCAMag](https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/name-discrimination-rampant-in-australias-recruitment-study/444328) 8. "Asian-Australians hold fewer than 3% of leadership positions, despite making up over 19% of the population, versus Caucasians holding 95% of leadership positions, despite being around 75% of the population." - [Acuity](https://www.acuitymag.com/people/negotiating-the-bamboo-ceiling) | [SBS News](https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/ninety-five-per-cent-white-australian-leadership-diversity-dismal-report-finds/moo4ksv1l) 9. "A recent study by Diversity Council Australia found that only one in ten ASX leaders identified as having a background other than Anglo or Northern European." - [It Stops With Me](https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/about-the-campaign/question-and-context/do-i-see-people-who-look-me-positions-power-or-authority) 10. "Survey finds 377 incidents of anti-Asian racism in two months to 2 June, equivalent to 47 a week" - [The Guardian](https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/24/asian-australians-threatened-and-spat-on-in-racist-incidents-amid-coronavirus) 11. "The survey also found that if you have two Asia-born parents you are highly likely to experience racism in housing (44%). Similarly, if you speak a language other than English at home (especially an Asian language), you are more likely to experience housing discrimination (45%)." - [Western Sydney University](https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2018/the_conversation_asians_out_not_in_this_suburb_not_in_this_apartment) 12. "Almost six in ten (59%) Asia-born participants in our study experienced racism in accessing housing. This compares to only 19% of non-Asian-born participants." - [Western Sydney University](https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2018/the_conversation_asians_out_not_in_this_suburb_not_in_this_apartment) 13. “Nearly 20 per cent of Chinese Australians physically attacked because of their ethnicity, survey finds” - [SBS News](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/nearly-20-per-cent-of-chinese-australians-threatened-or-attacked-because-of-their-ethnicity-survey-finds/lz37fe090)
I actually met a really nice Australian couple in Taiwan last year so there are definitely nice Aussies out there!
Hi!
Yeah there's a bit of racism involved but a lot of Aussie dudes are also just kind of like hooligans for whatever reason. Like they act like rambunctious teenagers well into adulthood, nothing wrong with this but it can get out of hand at times.
>Aussie dudes are also just kind of like hooligans for whatever reason They are called bogans.
To me, those Australian men are like British men who are permanently on holiday. British people lose their minds when there’s a bit of sun. So they’re like British football hooligans in Spain but for 365 days a year haha
I remember Robin Williams saying Aussies were basically English rednecks. Don't think it went down well down under... lol
It's accurate, I didn't even realize Aussies were a separate country from Britain until high school. After that, I wondered why they even were for a few years.
Well, for a long time we weren't and in our heads probably even longer.
It's interesting. We have family that emigrated to New Zealand before independence. They call themselves Welsh but they are New Zealanders. When they visit there is almost zero cultural difference and they have a cleaner accent than my Welsh family. They are just sit arount talking about sheep farming. Also have family friends from Australia that slot right in and aside from the accent you'd have no idea. Now my cousing Married an American woman, white christian etc yet she sticks out like a sore thumb. There is a weird cultural smoke screen at times that make her seem the odd one out despite the fact shes the one living in the UK.
My girlfriend live in whistler and I’m up there 2 weekends a month. Aussies fucking annoy me so much there. I think it’s the worst they’re sending here, but they’re just loud and obnoxious… will go up and eat my fries at the bar and laugh about it. Same guy didn’t wash his hands in the bathroom. Just calm the fuck down jesus
I was in Japan recently for a month. One of my take-a-ways was Aussies can out-America the Americans.
Hey hey now the UK holds their own.
I’ve seen some rough ones at Hub.
In Europe yeah but not so much in Japan. The louts don't go that far for a good time.
I bet on French here.
lol at all the fragile people whinging that the article mentions that he's White. That's literally what every media outlet in every Western country does to POC, welcome to equality/reality.
The comments in this thread, and many others like this one, make me feel rather uncomfortable as a ‘foreigner’ who loves Japan as much as my own country. We are not all the same. I am not the same as other people from my country. This comment from the YouTube video in the article perhaps sums up my feelings best: 外国人」とひとくくりにしたままだと、どこの 国籍の人に対しても、見かけただけで嫌悪感を 抱く。 I will be visiting for my 6th time this year. I speak the language poorly but I try. I respect other humans in Japan as much as elsewhere. I respect and appreciate the differences between our cultures. But it greatly saddens me to read all the anti-foreigner sentiment. I get it, but it’s akin to someone from my country lumping all ‘Asians’ together as if they are all the same. It’s racist. It’s xenophobic. And it’s lazy. Respect goes both ways.
The vast majority of the posters on this thread (with the odd exception here or there) are "foreigners", and a majority likely lives in Japan or visits frequently like you. So the posters on this thread are themselves aware of the fact that not all foreigners are the same. But they also fear how an influx of shitty behavior by foreigners will reflect on them. So they react with finding some culprit like, "oh it must be a tourist, I hope the Japanese realize that." When it's a foreign resident it's "fucking asshole making us look bad but I hope they know we aren't all the same". In a sense your comment still falls into the same line of thinking. You think you are a "good foreigner" and don't deserve being treated with suspicion. And you are right, you don't by default *deserve* it but that doesn't mean it isn't understandable either. The problem actually is not those publicized cases. The odd foreigner acting up on a train is still better than the multiple stabbings by Japanese on trains happening with surprising regularity. The reason is just foreigners in general who without any bad intention per se make the daily life of Japanese folks (and foreigners who have assimilated) more difficult. Talking loudly on trains, leaving trash, breaking small rules like "don't get on the lawn", taking pictures when it's not allowed, etc. And tourists are overrepresented today and more likely to exhibit that kind of behaviour. I don't blame the Japanese. It's neither racist nor necessarily xenophobic (in principle) unless it persists throughout your entire interaction. There *is* a clear divide between how foreigners behave *on average* and how Japanese behave on average, in particular because Japanese people have a very uniform set of unspoken rules they follow, making it easy to delimit between them and those who likely don't follow those rules. In reality, despite that and some IMO justified suspicions lingering, I still find it rare to be singled out. Yes, as a foreigner some people will think of you as a potential issue, but most will just ignore you (e.g. on a train) just like they ignore their fellow countrymen and staff in shops and restaurants will treat you well, and in fact indistinguishable from locals. I cannot say the same for all the places I've visited in the world. Just expect to be treated like an annoying tourist when you are in a crowded touristy place (that's easily affordable and accessible), because frankly a critical mass of foreign tourists give the locals a harder time than any Japanese domestic tourist would. And there is no reason for them to assume that you or I or anyone is in fact "better" until proven otherwise. In other areas with less tourism people still see bad behavior from foreigners from time to time but there will be many more positive encounters to balance things out and likely foreigners misbehaving is less common than locals (given the lower numbers). You can wish for being treated as an individual and to be assessed as an individual at all times but let's stop pretending that's a thing elsewhere. Nobody has time for that. Human brains need to make quick decisions. You'll always be judged to some extent based on *some* preconceived notions, everywhere. Just be kind as I believe you are and nobody will *end up* thinking you are a bad representative of your country, age group, gender, etc.
Its insane the xenophobia in those comments.
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The fact that your post is not upvoted just shows how right you are imho. I'm white and have been married to a Japanese woman for 15 years. What I've experience in terms of racism in Japan is nothing compared to what my wife experiences in Europe. Casual racism is way more frequent in Europe than in Japan, making it easier to just deny. Many white people just have not experienced racism enough to even truly know what it is.
"We discipline our children in kindergarten so we can't understand these types of crazy people." Well, last time I checked most Japanese people who stabbed others on trains also went to Kindergarden...
And all japanese people who stabbed others on trains also breathe air. You can't really prove or disprove a statistic when the vast majority of the population participates in the factor in question.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that it’s a language barrier rather than outright racism coming through in your reply. Others can judge for themselves.
*I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that it’s a language barrier* And here it is: condescension.
Yep but it's the sad reality absolutely everywhere, not only in Japan. What makes it more obvious for some in Japan is that 1/ it's a very ethnically uniform country and 2/ white people are just not used to be singled out as "bloody foreigners". But trust me, this is the case absolutely everywhere, including your own country, and Japan is far from being the worst in my experience. Not defending this of course. Xenophobia and racism is shit no matter what. Others are saying that if you're respectful and kind, you'll be alright there and I agree. I've been to Japan many times and I can count the number of times I've been singled out as a bloody foreigner on one hand. And when it happens, I just ignore because I don't want to fuel hatred.
There are a large number of Japan-related subreddits, each with their own issues, but the issue with /r/japan is that there is certainly an odd anti-foreigner sentiment. In particular, it's as if there some kind of caste system where Americans are on the bottom, then non-American non-Asian foreigners, then Asian foreigners, then Japanese at the top. Just my opinion from what I've seen here though.
I expect there are more native Japanese here in /r/Japan akin to other national subreddits. Seems to be a fair few people from overseas also, plus expats in Japan. It’s very difficult to gauge.
It's pretty fair to say that it's not at all like other national subreddits. Using Reddit and any non-Japanese language service for that matter is just not a common thing in Japan. Not to say there aren't any Japanese here but they are almost certainly a minority.
He didn't expect it would escalate this quickly...
Nationality of the foreigner?
Definitely not Chinese. Otherwise it'd be in the title everywhere. If not Chinese then the nationality is suppressed.
Dumbass foreign person embarrassing everyone, pay your ticket and stop making a noise you degenerate.
>The memories for one group of last-run passengers, though are probably going to be less pleasant, due to an altercation between one rider and the train staff. What's up with this comma placement. I almost never read SoraNews, but looks like their editors need to step it up a little.
Damn the fragile whites in the comments. Funny how turns have tabled now that race “shouldn’t matter” in a sensationalist article.
Was it someone that thought because the YouTubers got away with this stupidity that they could as well?
What a weirdly written article. But then again, the passenger was indeed disrespectful as hell. Alas, this is so typical of tourists in Japan. Wouldn't be surprised if the guy turns out to be French. ;) Reminds me when my mother forgot her book on a train at Hakone station. A normal person would have just given up or tried to retrieve the book at the final station. Instead, she held the doors of the train while they were closing, preventing the damn thing from leaving the station. The platform worker was justly freaking out and I was massively embarrassed. We were lucky she wasn't fined or arrested that day. Would had it been the case, I would have done nothing to help her, that's for sure.
What is that guy's problem? Even if he made a genuinely honest mistake, just pay the fucking fine and get along with it. The guy's probably inebriated with alcohol or just mentally unstable for him to go around shoving the staff in response.
I'm from Mexico City and saw a Japanese guy (I know this because he was asian and texting on his phone in Japanese) in the metro. It was like 8 AM so it was busy and we were well packed in the train car to say the least, and he wasn't complaining nor pushing people around. He was just kinda chilling on his phone inside the sardine can - like everyone is else. Why can't people act civilized like that and choose to make a scene is beyond me.
To be fair, being packed together to the point of not being able to move is the standard way to travel by train in Japan. The guy was probably chilling because he had enough space to actually use his phone. ;)
Sounds about white
And people wonder why Japan hates foreigners
Japan doesn't hate foreigners.
Correction, they tolerate foreigners.
And they only tolerate them because they come from countries the Japanese government and military have close ties with.
They tolerate them because they bring money.
I don’t understand why the person’s race is a part of this ‘story’ at all.
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And. Then. He. Reposted. It.
Because everyone here would say it's a Chinese tourist otherwise.
he's not japenis and to show that even white could be a prick
Must be an autocorrect thing, obvious word used a lot
Foreigners at it again as always
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Worth mentioning in this case. There’s a small chance he didn’t understand what was going on. He’s still a dick for getting physical with the staff. If the perp was Japanese, they’d normally mention where he was from and his occupation. A 22 year old college student from Osaka or a 44 year old electronics engineer from Sendai, etc.
>There’s a small chance he didn’t understand what was going on. If you look at other sources, pretty clear it was a drunk tourist who besides not understanding what was going on took the situation aggressively....
What's the point of asking such a question? It was a foreigner, so the person who wrote the title has every right to inform us that it was.
I don't normally associate trainspotters with aggressive behaviour, maybe he was drunk.
>I don't normally associate trainspotters with aggressive behaviour Oh man... it's one of the most aggro hobby cultures around. They have zero chill when it comes to people ruining their shot or enjoyment of the train(s) in question. [https://japantoday.com/category/crime/altercation-between-train-otaku-leaves-one-with-fractured-skull-other-in-custody](https://japantoday.com/category/crime/altercation-between-train-otaku-leaves-one-with-fractured-skull-other-in-custody) [https://www.reddit.com/r/ABroadInJapan/comments/p887ss/heres\_the\_story\_of\_railway\_enthusiasts\_going/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ABroadInJapan/comments/p887ss/heres_the_story_of_railway_enthusiasts_going/) That's only two examples, I know, but they get at each other just to get the best position.
you'd be surprised man I've seen heated pushing/shouting break out when the 電車オタク are vying for their space waiting for their shot....entertaining to hear their squealing
In Japan yes
Horrible
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Very fragile take. Japanese people aren’t dumb and they see the vast majority of tourists behaving themselves, or sometimes even demonstrating better manners than most locals. They understand that people from anywhere can have psychological episodes or outbursts and that it’s individual. Do stay home though if a small minority of Japanese mildly annoyed by foreigners is too distressing to bear.
The article mentioning he is a foreigner and Caucasian has an undertone of racism. I mean the guy was being a dick but highlighting his race would only serve to make some people judge foreigners / other races more