Comments by "Gordon Graham" (@gordonbgraham) on "How Japanese Elders Feel About Foreigners Living In Japan" video.

  1.  @AoChile  Few people are "really honest" when being interviewed on video
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  2.  @tournaline3448  I'm also fluent in Japanese and have lived in Japan for more than 30 years. In my experience, Japanese who are racist or against foreigners living in Japan have no hesitation nor concerns about saying so. It's not like they'd get any blowback like people do in America.
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  3.  @Amins88  Which is cool
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  4.  @Gamerad360  True. The proof is in people's actions. The fastest growing demographic in Japan is bi-national children.
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  5.  @mealovesyu  That’s true. People wrongly assume “honne” and “tatemae” apply all the time in Japan when in fact it’s pretty much the same as it is in the West, such as complimenting a friend’s child on their piano playing or saying your hair looks great when it doesn’t. Westerners learn those terms and believe they apply in all situations, when Japanese can be more frank about things like immigration or social issues like gay marriage. They won’t hesitate to tell you their honest opinion because there is no fear of reprisal for having alternative views in Japan.
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  6.  @tayshow5642  It’s a good place to look. Japanese women make great mothers. They take their role as homemakers seriously. As a someone married to a Japanese woman with whom I’ve have 5 kids, I couldn’t be happier with my choice in a mate.
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  7. @@amadahy5598 Where do you live now? Is it racist af, too?
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  8.  @optimisticnihilist3417  I guess that depends on the level of skill of the chef. If his/her food tastes like sh*t shovelled then I suppose they wouldn't get the respect of a skilled craftsman.
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  9.  @Theiscariotsin  What is painful about it? Are you hurt by Westerners marrying Japanese women?
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  10.  @IdealConflict  It’s been my experience of living in Japan for more than 30 years that in general most Japanese are accepting or even welcoming to foreigners who make an effort to assimilate by learning the language and following the customs..and that far too many foreign nationals mewl like a kitten sucking on a hind teat about things like not being able to advance in the workplace while being functionally illiterate. Either that or they arrogantly tell their Japanese counterparts, neighbors or friends how they’re doing everything wrong and that their way is superior. Most Japanese tire of that arrogance pretty quickly.
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  11.  @ender8759  It depends on your skills and your level of Japanese. Of course, if you can only read AND write at an elementary school grade 3 level it most certainly would be difficult to find work in Japan. Just as it would in America, Canada, Australia etc. if you could only read and write English at a grade 3 level. Like anywhere in the world, your ability to find a job largely depends on your "human capital"...meaning what you know and what skills you have that people are willing to pay you for.
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  12.  @unixtreme  It took me all of 20 minutes of standing in line to apply for permanent residency. I was sent a notice in the mail 2 weeks later that it was accepted. That was in 1998, ten years after I'd moved here. I'm curious why your lawyer was thrown by your income when being financially self-sufficient is one criterion for permanent residency. Was yours your lawyers first time handling a permanent residency case? And "not too stoked about foreigners" seems an odd position to have for an immigration lawyer specialising in such things. I'm still skeptical about your comment...It's dubious
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  13.  @lisakimchis  I see. I wonder why a lawyer was necessary for attaining permanent residency. There are guidelines regarding permanent residence not laws. You can’t petition the government through court to obtain permanent residency. I think I smell a fib
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  14.  @mariothibau1070  pre pandemic Japan had 30 million visitors most of whom were from China, many of whom spend big on made in Japan Those pre-pandemic numbers are returning. Japan also has endless lines throughout Asia for their 3~5 year work visas. When those laborers no longer spend they take from the public coffers.
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  15. I live in the Japanese countryside...the people are welcoming and lovely here
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  16. No one is happy about it. They have to eat that fish...not you
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  17.  @firstnamelastname4427  True. Most foreign Western men in Japan are working as ALTs (assistant language teachers) or in "conversation schools" for which the salary is low with no opportunity for advancement. In general, Japanese women are practical about their choice in men. A stable job with a good salary is a must. Foreign men in finance do very well in Japan. ALTs are seen as dead-end McJob grunts equivalent to someone working at McDonalds.
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  18.  @optimisticnihilist3417  I have no idea. I’ve never worked in the restaurant industry. There are quite a number of foreign run restaurants which are quite popular. I frequent an Indian restaurant that is always crowded.
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  19. You want to imagine racism and xenophobia...and are disappointed you didn't get that?
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  20. What PR would a lawyer have to "handle" in Japan?
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  21. Japan became the 2nd largest economy in the world with next to no immigration. How does having an influx of immigration equate to economic relevance? Japan currently offers 3~5 year work visas for any labour shortages. All forecasts indicate that 50% of current jobs will have been made obsolete within the next 20 years. An influx of permanent foreign labour would only mean greater strain on the public coffers in the near future. That's not a very prudent solution to economic concerns.
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  22. You realize there are prisons in Japan, right?
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  23. Japan has 47 different dialects. Speaking of TV, most Japanese shows have subtitles, some because of the strong dialects
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  24. Tokyo is also wonderful. "Best" is a subjective word
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  25. Shogo panders to a Western audience that salivates over negative aspects of Japan. He said Japan is the worst place to raise children in the world. How utterly idiotic that statement is. He also claimed he would be leaving Japan...that video is now 2 years old. He's not going anywhere. He knows where his bread and butter is...making videos that pander to a Western audience and feeding them what they're hungry for...Japanese culture from the inside with a slice of "the Japanese are ugly people" on the side...just the right mix for his duped audience.
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  26. I've lived in Japan since 1988 and have raised 5 kids here. I've found that those interviewed above tend to represent the sentiments of most Japanese I know. I've never had the experience of Japanese telling their kids not to go near mine. That's just not true. As is most of the piffle you've peddled on here. Certainly, there may have been such isolated incidents but you're being disingenuous by implying that that is what everyday life in Japan for most foreigners is like. You're just regurgitating memes of xenophobia which are extremely rare. I have to question if you've actually lived in Japan at all let alone for 15 years. As you hide behind anonymity one can't confirm. I'd say you're lying. I mean who brings up "Comfort Women" after a few beers drinking with co-workers?!! This is clearly a red-flag for bs.
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  27.  @nsp477  There's racism everywhere. Japan is no exception. It's just not as prevalent as you're claiming. You're full of crap, guy. You're an internet meme
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  28.  @猫神-i6s  The guy is clearly full of crap. 彼は明らかに嘘をついています
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  29.  @fuwafuwa271  who isn't
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  30. Do you think everyone in Japan is oblivious to the fact that they were not only victims of the two Atom bombs but of the firebombing of dozens of cities? Everyone knows. Everyone also knows of the very real threat that North Korea, Russia and China pose.
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  31.  @le_dude5912  When you say “everyone” you mean foreigners not Japanese…sensitive SJW foreigners…or co-workers sensitive not to ruffle your feathers. You’re not referring to the majority of people in everyday conversations. “Everyone” uses gaijin
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  32.  @le_dude5912  I’ve lived in Japan for more than 30 years. Everyone uses gaijin here. Including gaijin. Those on camera here are being intentionally polite. It’s basically “keigo “ which people don’t use in daily life exchanges. So yeah, people will use keigo in certain situations, however, the common everyday expression used by the majority, including by foreigners themselves, is gaijin
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  33. You're talking about "balance" while only focusing on one aspect of Yasukuni Shrine. Ironic
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  34. There are prisons in Japan. Also, if you’re a teacher you’d better obey the traffic lights. I recall seeing my daughter’s junior high ALT going into the curtained off porn section at the local video store while with my daughter. Some foreigners are oblivious and make it bad for the rest of us because we stick out
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  35. You can rent a one room studio apartment in Tokyo for as little as ¥30,000 ($250) per month. Cyber cafes cost more. There is also recourse for the homeless in terms of welfare and government subsidised housing. Japan has an estimated 3,500 homeless among a population of 125 million. In comparison Canada has a population of 40 million with an estimated 250,000 homeless.
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  36.  @ernestestrada2461  That's simply not true. There are a surplus of vacancies which is why rent is so low. While there are in fact "shiki-kin" and "rei-kin" for most rental contracts, there are many that requirer no down payments or records of employment whatsoever. There is also subsidised government housing and assistance from the government and NPOs. There are currently over 2,500 NPOs that deal specifically with poverty and the homeless. Also, homeless rates and unemployment rates are two different categories. There is plenty of content on the Internet regarding Japanese slums. Why was one documentary taken down and not another?
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  37.  @BLACKSTA361  I've lived in Japan since 1988 and that's pretty much how it has worked for me.
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  38. Tatemae
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  39. There are prisons in Japan
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  40.  @le_dude5912  Everyone uses gaijin including gaijin. Japan isn’t the West where everyone is bullied into using ridiculous terms like zhe and zur
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  41.  @Bionickpunk  OK, so we can glean something from their answers and from their actions, such as marrying foreigners
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  42.  @Bionickpunk  OK, that goes for anyone interviewed on the street. Which begs the question, why even interview people on the street and why bother watching the interviews?
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  43.  @mariothibau1070  Yes, Japan takes in highly skilled immigrants that she determines as being beneficial. Those immigrants are fast tracked to permanent residency (there's a point system that factors in skill, utility and financial viability). However, your contention is that Japan should be more lax in its immigration policies. Being more lax won’t help Japan. Being rigorous and selective does.
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  44.  @johnli7818  As someone who lives in Japan, I DO give a shit about the relationship between our neighboring countries
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  45.  @johnli7818  Not at all. My hope is for a prosperous healthy China having a peaceful amicable relationship with a prosperous healthy Japan.
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  46.  @johnli7818  Have you visited the Great Wall of China? How do you think that got built?
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  47.  @MultiDraco999  I think it’s actually easier to apply now, as all the necessary forms can be downloaded online. Also, as unixtreme has indicated one need not even go to immigration in person. Just send an immigration lawyer apparently. I had to go in person and be fingerprinted as a requirement of assurance that I was who I claimed to be. Also, there’s no “fight” to be in, just my being skeptical about an immigration lawyer not being stoked about immigrants, his bread and butter.
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  48. It's basically the Godwin's Law of Asia. Any video however innocuous...invariably there you are...Nanking or Unit 731
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  49. You can buy property in Japan as a foreigner. However, you can't start a business. You can be hired by a company and get a work visa. You can marry a Japanese woman and get a spousal visa. You can get a permanent residence visa after 10 years. But you can't just start a business. You need to have employment prior to moving to Japan.
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  50.  @Save.the.legends  I think if you start a business in a shrinking town local people with be grateful. I think if you start one in a big metropolis, no one will take any notice of whether you're a foreigner or not as there are countless businesses of Iranians, Indians, Vietnamese, Thais etc.
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  51.  @jonirojonironin5353  I've lived in Japan since 1988. How is it different...other than living in Japan one becomes more accustomed to the social mores, learns the language, develops friendships, relationships, has a family, settles down and becomes part of the society in which they live. Those who have come to have successful lives don't spend time on Reddit complaining about "life in Japan" or "the Japanese". Those who have ended up in dead-end McJobs with no chance for advancement tend to resent "the Japanese" for their own failures in life. The difference I suppose is just that. Being a tourist, one is on vacation. Being a resident means working, raising a family etc. What is remarkably different is each foreign residents experience, and that experience is primarily down to each foreigner individually. If one can't read and write at a high school level then advancement in the workplace is highly unlikely, just as it would be in their native countries. Some foreigners, suppose they should be entitled to advance despite being functionally illiterate. Those are the ones you'll most likely find mewling about Japan like some kitten sucking on a hind teat. Those who advance do so for good reason. You won't hear from them on Reddit though. They have no need to have an outlet for their frustrated, failed lives.
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  52. 東京に~
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  53. You also have to consider the fact that all forecasts point to 50% of current jobs being made obsolete by AI and mass-automation within the next 20 years. Perhaps a leaner population is more suited to the new digital economy and that bringing in more people would just mean having to pay more unemployment insurance in the near future.
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  54. I had no issues coming to Japan as a single person of 28 in 1988. All that was needed was verification of employment.
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  55.  @johnli7818  Have you been to Yaskuni Shrine? I recommend it, too
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  56.  @melaninkind8783  too many notifications…and the conversation had exhausted itself
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  57. America needs to stop over-warring
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  58. There's an AI and mass-automation issue to consider. All forecasts point to 50% of current jobs becoming obsolete within the next 20 years. It seems under the circumstances, a reduction in population is prudent at this time.
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  59.  @danketsu-seyo  Can’t send links on YouTube. Just input “ As many as 300 million full-time jobs around the world could be automated in some way by the newest wave of artificial intelligence”. Japan addresses any current shortages in the workforce with 3~5 year work visas, visas for which there are endless lines throughout Asia.
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  60. Make your own videos
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  61.  @le_dude5912  It’s just an observation…buddy. Not “my way”
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