Comments by "PeterC" (@peterc4082) on "The Japan Reporter" channel.

  1. 100%. But the fact is that Japan's position is weakening. They can't appear racist. They can't for example stop more and more affluent Indians, Chinese and Africans from entering despite perceived racism, as they will need these places in the 21st century to survive. We in the EU are becoming weaker economically and the US is also fading as the global hegemon. Japan will rely on India, China, South America and even Africa for a source of raw materials and exports and even imports, including food. They can't block tourism because it would be bad for their soft power and it's also a good source of revenue, directly and indirectly. Every foolish tourist who visits Japan may later decide to be more likely to buy Japanese goods or culture.
    65
  2.  @jonasw3945 Two things. First they don't need visa because Japanese government wants such tourists there, they could impose visa requirements. For example there is a ban on North Koreans entering Japan. Secondly, even if you don't need a visa, the immigration officer could refuse you entry. That happens. There is no right to enter another country. America is especially nasty for people to enter, as tourists. But other countries can also block people. If Japan thinks there is too much tourism, they can introduce visas, and yet they haven't because likely it's 1. Good business. The Yen is weak and people bring in foreign exchange. 2. It's good for soft power reasons. They export goodwill and these people either return or recommend Japan to others or buy Japanese products.
    36
  3.  @MemesAndLs But they were disruptive. You're just making excuses about the sort of disruption they caused. And which tourists are loud and chaotic? It's usually large numbers of people i.e. tours. Individuals, couples and families are not going to be chaotic and loud. OK young children may be loud, but it's ridiculous to criticise small kids. It's large tour groups which are an issue. Also don't make Japanese into some sort of angels here, they are also obnoxious. People need to stop this Japan weeb worship.
    29
  4. LOL, made to feel welcome. In every country, outside of a war zone or maybe North Korea, you'll be made to feel welcome. I've never been to a country I've never been welcomed in. People in hotels, restaurants, museums, shops etc smile and are polite. Hosts are polite. People are friendly etc. Would you be impolite to a tourist if you ran a B&B? or worked in the hospitality industry? And most people are happy when foreigners come to SPEND THEIR MONEY. It means jobs. And Japan is becoming more and more poor as compared to the 80s and 90s.
    18
  5.  @HeyJuuu  He's not saying that at all. You are.
    18
  6. Some - all of them, and they still are. All tourists are annoying. But if you want foreign exchange and soft power, you bring in tourists. The people who complain are basically the people who don't travel. They have no idea how expensive and how straining it is to travel far and then to have several days to get in as much as possible before flying home and returning to work.
    16
  7.  @MemesAndLs For the racist (Japanese/European/American/Korean/etc) it's not even about people being loud, it's just seeing other race people in their sacred Kyoto or whatever other sacred place relevant people have. Well them make it like Mecca and shut it down for non Shinto/Buddhists.
    15
  8.  @viperxgamez311 Spot on. And let's face it, tourists occupy what - less than 1% of Japan. The tourist hot spots. And who designates tourist attractions. The Japanese government, local, national and business. Japan advertises tourism to other countries because they want tourism. And Japanese get treated in a special way, as though their excrement doesn't smell. If Japanese people don't want tourists, they can force their government to stop entry for foreigners. We'll happily not go. Other countries will take up the foreign revenue and soft power. Some Japanese want their cake and to eat it too. They gutted Western factories in the 80s and 90s with their cheaper labour, now as Korea/China gut theirs they have to get used to a service economy. They should either obey their government or change it and close their country down. But they can't have it both ways.
    14
  9. There are 3 million tourists to Japan every month. What percentage of the 3 mil were 'disrespectful'? And anyone with education knows that tourists don't know the nuance of local etiquette.
    12
  10.  @TheShahkulu  The Tokyos are overcrowded but the country side is empty
    12
  11. Two things. The ones who travel are not the ones who complain. Secondly some people are hypocrites. But I agree.
    11
  12. This is ignored because Japanese are not white to criticise their racism is seen as racist. This will change though. I think PLA will not be so politically correct when they come visit. Let's hope not but Japan should become a little more humble.
    10
  13. What makes you so special? You're probably no different.
    10
  14.  @oki148  Cheap for Americans, dude. The USD is strong to other currencies too.
    10
  15.  @erenyeagerist7681  They behaved this way. It depends on what you find distasteful. If you find people making funny gestures, crowding places, video taping and photographing everything and being nosy and in the way of foreigners then yes Japanese were no better. And let's face it foreign visitors to Japan are well behaved. Out of the millions of people who visit Kyoto every year, there was 1 case of a cigarette being flung at a geisha. You need to learn basic stats to realise how much of a nothing this is. So how many Western women fell pray to Japanese weirdos with Japanese police doing nothing about it? Jealous? Maybe not jealous but a little upset that an Axis power was rebuilt by the Americans while Axis victims were left to rot? Japan was successful for 2 reasons. America needed a successful Japan and gave it protection and 2. The West opened its market to Japanese products and had to close own factories instead. Now the West went further and is collapsing. It opened its markets and closed its own factories to China and now soon the West will be completely lost. There is ZERO jealousy here. There is however an observation that US rebuilt certain countries and those people forgot how lucky they are, mainly Germans and Japanese.
    9
  16. Yes there is a way. You can charge a $1000 entry VISA fee payable per person. Or make it $10,000 per person. That way only rich Americans will visit. Then Japan will have the creme de la creme of the society visit them.
    9
  17.  @Saroku1000  Tourists pay money for that. The host is getting paid for this. If you invite a friend over, sure, they can wash dishes. But to ask a tired, weary traveler who comes from a poorer country, which buys your products (soon won't because will buy Chinese only) and who saved to go on a once in a lifetime trip, and had to sit for 18 hours on a plane and now he gets poor treatment from locals - that is shameful. I think any person with basic humanity will see that as repulsive. Tourists deserve some leeway. Japan tourists are also given leeway in EU and elsewhere.
    8
  18. Japanese tourists did this too. My cousin in Paris would get hounded by Japanese tourists to buy Chanel etc products for them because Paris stores had a limit for Japanese tourists.
    8
  19. If Japan makes money from tourists - they need to put more bins in tourist places. It's easy. The rest of the world has been doing that for ages. Japan is highly educated. They can ask their friends in top EU universities how it's done.
    7
  20.  @xjp1998  Good for you. But you can't ever be fully Japanese.
    6
  21. Dude, the Japanese government has been promoting Japan for decades. Why do you think people come to Japan? Because it is promoted via marketing. Even the exports of anime and manga help it. All of this generates SOFT POWER for Japan and money. What is Japan going to export? And Japan needs all the help she can get because China is on the rise and China is going to be the biggest super power in the world. And they don't like the Japanese for WW2. Japan needs to ask who her friends are. If she wants to spit on our tourists, it's not good for her future. We will remember.
    6
  22.  @felicaamiko Look at Nanking, Manilla, Singapore, Korea etc. A good movie to watch, Bridge over the RIver Kwai.
    6
  23. I feel for you bud. I also feel like they don't want us to visit there.
    6
  24.  @raffaelez9665  Not really sure why people should bend over backwards. At heart this assumes Japanese are easily offended and need to be treated with kid gloves. Do you tell people to be the same when they travel to any other country, even less 'cool' ones?
    6
  25.  @winterlantern5695  I'm Western. I don't like weebs and I don't like those Japanese who portray Japan as some heaven. It's not. I have Japanese friends, some are very close, even closer than local friends. And Japan is not the heaven on earth it is made out to be, that's coming from Japanese people and said to someone who was a bit of weeb himself.
    6
  26.  @Frivals  Then there will be protests from Japan.
    6
  27. Tourist spots are less than 1% of Japan surface area. It's not hard to install more trash cans there. And if they can't cope with that, then stop issuing tourist visas.
    5
  28. There are 3 million tourists to Japan PER MONTH. This guy was one guy who entered a work site, shouted a bit, pulled some nasty pranks. It wasn't that serious. I know they don't teach maths and logic at school, but try to imagine the scenario where out of 3 million people per month maybe 2-3 actually cause a serious nuisance. Now ask how much goodwill and money tourism to Japan generates? Because Japan is on her way out. US and Japan are on their way out. China is rising and China will be the only player in the Pacific and Japan will have to ask whether she wants to make more enemies of foreigners or wants to show herself to be a modern country, like those of the EU.
    5
  29.  @TriddyYT  Japan is famous. Japan MADE herself famous. Japanese always wanted to be in the leading jet set. If you ever see any representation of the world, it's US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, China, Italy, maybe Russia. Rest of us don't matter. We are backwaters. Japan wants to be in the big leagues they have to be international. If you go to Paris or London or NYC you will see that people are mixed and can be loud and sometimes rude. Japan wants to be like that. Old Samurai days are over. So either Japan is insular like say some backwater country or it allows tourists. Japanese can't have it both ways. A few drunk people are not such a big issue.
    5
  30.  @Sourrags7  My Parisian cousin would also be annoyed. Japan tourists hounded him outside boutique shops to buy limited good for him because there were limits on how many items per tourist were sold. That was in the late 90s when Japanese had more Yen to travel. Japanese people should blame their own government. This is what I hate. People hating on innocent tourists who come because they buy the hype, hype which Japanese themselves create. Japan can stop entry for tourists tomorrow. They can allow only business or family only visits and charge $1000 per visa for tourism. Or make it $10,000 per visa. Then the riff raff won't visit Japan. And then many places will close but at least no smelly foreigners, right? :)
    5
  31.  @kathleencove  There is truth to that. It's fine if everyone is charged a higher price because the place is a TOURIST TRAP. It's not fine if the same item costs more for a tourist than for a local in the same shop or restaurant. It's not good to cheat travelers from afar. It happens in many countries but it's bad. It's a grey area. It's also sometimes illegal, eg in the EU it's illegal to do that. Some countries do have a haggling culture and some are developing still. Japan is 1st world, G7, OESCE country. It needs to be more like rich countries than poorer countries.
    5
  32.  @ivanteo1973  No I won't behave better than I already behave. I won't behave better than Japanese abroad. I'm sorry. I don't need to go there, the world is huge.
    5
  33.  @brandonnguyen9680 Are you a weeb?
    5
  34.  @valentindimitrov8275  They can charge for the visas. Visa free entry but a payment is required. Actually no such thing as visa free, it's all visa on arrival. Charge $10,000 per person as visa fees to go to conservation of Japan traditions which are in danger from the presence of unwashed foreigners. Easy.
    5
  35.  @TheShahkulu  They are even more overcrowded. Or maybe the're just used to Japanese faces, seeing a few others raises their blood pressure. I don't know. :)
    5
  36.  @Yamato-tp2kf  I'm a professional (MD) and a scientist with publications. I don't do any such stunts. But I also can read stats, and when 3 million people visit a country every month, it's iRRATIONAL to draw a conclusion based on single outlier cases. Whats 1 out of 3 000 000 people? Tourists sometimes do bad things. I know of cases of backpackers murdering each other, these were either Americans or Australians but not in Japan. NOW THAT'S A CRIME. If you speak to educated Japanese people they will not be hating on tourists. It's usually uneducated people who have never traveled who complain and hate monger tabloid media organisations.
    4
  37.  @Saroku1000  Just to add, while you will never be fully Japanese, a Japanese person can be fully European in any EU country. Maybe in the countryside people will give them looks but in bigger towns/cities, an Asian looking person will be accepted as one of our own. That's even among right wingers. As long as people see the immigrant is trying to assimilate to a reasonable degree, nobody will mind. And that reasonable degree may just be, be tolerant of local practices. I think we just have to realise that Japanese are not us, Europeans. We can't hold them to our standard. I would be in favour of $100K visas for tourists to Japan as well. Let's keep her pure and Japanese only. Have a good day.
    4
  38. Americans are by the large tolerant people.
    4
  39.  @hannesRSA  A Saffer? Dude, Japan has a problem and needs money. This is not about undocumented migrants but about paying tourists who offend Japanese sensibilities.
    4
  40.  @muralk3153  It's the Japanese who are wealthy. Japan is No 3 most rich country in the world with very high standards of living. Most tourists save for a long time to come. But to come you have to be reasonably wealthy too. Paupers don't go to Japan for a holiday. So reasonably rich people come, people with enough disposable income to buy tickets, book hotels, spend money on food, transport, car hire, etc.
    4
  41.  @elenik845 No. That's not true. If you look at visa agreements around the world you will see that reciprocity does not exist much of the time. For example visitors from the UK, Japan or Germany enjoy visa free travel to South Africa but South Africans cannot get visa free entry into the UK, Japan or Germany, and need expensive visas and interviews. Secondly even within the EU it's not the case that a country must ALLOW ALL EU countries to be on the same visa terms. For example the US gives visa waiver to some EU countries but not other (usually poorer) EU countries. A country like Poland only received US visa waiver a couple years ago, but had been in the EU and the free movement zone of the EU since 2004. Same for Canada. So I disagree. But do the research.
    4
  42.  @NoctLightCloud  Because people don't change behaviour suddenly. That's the realistic and pragmatic view. If you want to WELCOME people in and say FEEL AT HOME, that's what people understand, because that's how WE welcome tourists, we say feel at home, those are not empty words. So it's rational to accept that most visitors will behave as they do at home, or a little more subdued. It's irrational to be angry at other people who come from other cultures. It's rational to vote for a different government if you think your government is inviting too many visitors. Some people here expect tourists to walk on eggshells in Japan. Well that's unrealistic and unwelcoming.
    4
  43.  @NoctLightCloud  Thanks for sharing that. Why did it bother you that some guy shouted that. He was excited to be there. Such a thing would NEVER bother me. Unless he was spitting in my face when shouting or shouting in my ear, I wouldn't care. Note that I also would not shout this way, I keep a low profile but I also realise other people are a little different and emotionally driven by different things. Destinations aren't always as pictured in promotional materials. That's just the reality of life. Travel is relatively cheap these days and people travel. Why do we need to tolerate each other? Well there is always something you may be doing which someone else finds annoying. You never know if you're behaving well or if others are just too polite to say anything. As for that guy who shouted it would be wrong to generalise that all tourists shout because from your story it seems that only one person was shouting and you and his daughter weren''t. And if he shouted a few times but was a quite fellow for the rest of his stay, would he be a bad or a good tourist? I think people need to give each other some leeway and tolerance. Have a good day.
    4
  44.  @Kaarver  You're speaking of idealised situations but it's difficult to change behaviour. I work as an MD. I can assure you that it's very difficult to change how people behave, even in terms of very important issues. A tourist is unlikely to change behaviour beyond the most obvious things. Tourists are short time visitors. They save money, they go on their dream vacation to Japan and they leave to never return. If Japan wants to promote Japan to only wealthy people who may be more cultured or maybe not, maybe Japan needs to charge for tourist visas. A visa is required for all visitors, even if visa free, you are issued a visa at the airport. Maybe Japan needs to charge for such a visa, you pay when purchasing your ticket or as a mere formality, using your credit card, and passport number and voila you're now allowed entry. $1000 visa per person per visit. If that still does not work, charge $10,000. Easy peasy. But changing behaviour is very hard. Japan needs to put more bins where tourists frequent and maybe get used to some diversity. After all European classical music is played in Japan but it's not Japanese. That was widely accepted. That's my take as someone who deals with a diverse group of patients on a daily basis.
    4
  45. What is fair is to give pensioner discounts for local pensioners. But one should not charge more for the same service rendered. Tourists need to stop visiting Japan. Japanese people don't want tourists there so let's respect them and visit countries which want you to come.
    4
  46.  @3ndeavor  Guess what, many countries have seen fluctuations in their currencies. SO I know very well what it feels like. The only country which has a stable currency is America because America runs the world (at this stage) and USD is the 'reserve currency' and people have agreed to that. Everyone else's currency fluctuates. It's pathetic of Japanese people to be so jealous that some foreigners can now afford to come and spend their money there. And I'm sorry why do you say HOME? People are not coming into their homes, they're visiting public sites which are NOT OWNED by Japanese people but by the Japanese state and the state has given visas to these tourists and in fact spends millions on promoting Japan.
    4
  47. How about stopping tourism. That would be easier.
    4
  48.  @rpoutine3271  You're kidding. In Paris they would hound people to get them to buy stuff from LV for them.
    4
  49.  @lacucaracha111111  Entrance exams for tourists? Are you serious? Just charge $10,000 per visa. To get the visa you pay with MC or Visa (pun intended) and you're OK to go to Japan. The money can be shared with residents of geisha districts to help them get over the deluge of foreigners. Those foreigners are no doubt scary to some Japanese folks.
    4
  50.  @kennedysan1045  I think this is not really the case. These videos and comments draw on weebs. They defend Japan vehemently. This isn't a general sample of the world's population. Japan has a bad rep among many people too, I know people who think Japan has a fetish for children and adults exploit schoolgirls. Not everyone worships Japan. But here many weebs come and they all worship Japan. Some may even be racist.
    4
  51.  @gotakazawa408  If people have to walk on eggshells in Japan then Japan is not worth going to. Of course people should not be disorderly but it seems that many Japanese people are not very reasonable when it comes to short term tourists. It is a country which seems unfriendly, whether on purpose or by accident.
    3
  52.  @user-px4so1zd6x  I don't know what the person means. But I think he means: tourists come with money and spend it on things. Local people don't have as much money to spend because average local Japanese person is not same as average tourist. Tourists can be statistically wealthy, because rich people travel, average people stay at home. Maybe some Japanese don't like higher prices because tourists spend and tourist attractions are becoming expensive because of too many tourists. Maybe some people are jealous? Don't worry about it.
    3
  53.  @missplainjane3905  Do you understand different between tourist and immigrant? Please check dictionary.
    3
  54.  @missplainjane3905  YES. WE do. But remember this is TOURISM and NOT IMMIGRATION. This is a family who come to Japan to see geisha, anime, samurai and Mt Fuji. Then they go home. They leave a lot of money behind and then tell everyone how cool Japan is. They maybe even buy some more Japan products.
    3
  55.  @Sarah-t43  Yes Japanese were known to be nuisance. My Parisian cousin complained about them standing outside LV and other such stores asking him to buy stuff for them because such stores had limits on items sold, of course they'd pay but it was still a PITA. Sarah, 3 million is a lot of people. How many loud and rude youtuber tourists will make a significant number? 10? 100? 1000?
    3
  56.  @rodolphegilles  French are OK. Just too much Russophilia.
    3
  57.  @milktothefifthpower  It's not bad in other Anglo countries. And in the EU, in the cities, it's also fine, you'll be accepted, even in Eastern Europe.
    3
  58.  @specialk9999  Acting Japanese is not normal in the EU either but we accommodate tourists and even immigrants. That's the western way. Remember the modern world was created by the West. Japan joined it, it was feudal before. We brought tech to Japan. We brought Mozart, Chopin, etc to Japan. So maybe Japan should also follow our etiquette. Tourists are short time visitors. You can demand of immigrants to behave but tourists no. Japan tourists have been also causing problems for locals eg delays but people seem to be more pragmatic in Europe and rest of the world than some are in Japan. Have a nice day hating on tourists. If you come to my country, you will not be hated on. We only want reciprocity. End of story. And I wonder if Japanese culture taught you to curse this way.
    3
  59.  @Sourrags7  They forgot that. But also remember those times were less PC correct.
    3
  60.  @muralk3153  You made a statement to say that Japanese toilets in general are the cleanest in the world. So you should have some evidence of that. I'm very concerned about hygiene myself and my personal standards are high but for public restrooms I'm willing to compromise and yet I've seen ones which were spotless. In my travels I haven't really seen terrible toilets at worst there were some urine stains on the floor. I don't know why someone would want cleaner toilets than that. Most tourists don't come to Japan for this. I know Japanese have washlets. Remember that Japan used to have squat toilets and Toto was founded to introduce Western toilets to Japan. The Washlet was actually invented by Americans and Japanese Toto bought the patent. The used own staff to work out where the anal region is and they went to a strip club to work out where the female parts were. I have a Korean Hynduai WacorTech and a Japanese Toto at my house. To be honest the toilets are very good but sometimes you still need toilet tissue. When it comes to public washlets I know Japanese women who avoid using them for hygiene reasons, IN JAPAN. They have them at home but public ones they don't like using.
    3
  61.  @GustafUNL  That's not true. If you admit someone into a country LEGALLY they enjoy the same public rights as ordinary citizens. There are international treaties covering that. Of course visitors can't vote in elections and do such things but if a place is public access, it's legal to access it and a right for anyone who is in the country legally. Japan grants entry visas when people enter her, the way you would enter the EU or any other non pariah country. Countries which don't follow the rules eg North Korea are pariah states. Last I checked Japan was not such a country. Japan is free to deport people if she wishes but not deporting a person means she allows the person to access any publicly accessible location a local may access. If you don't like it, take it up with the Japanese government.
    3
  62.  @theFORZA66 I haven't noticed that. As a tourist and as a local when frequenting nearby tourist hangouts. The tourists tend to be OK. Yes they crowd the place up, yes there are queues, yes there is sometimes a bit more litter but then people have jobs. Tourists bring money and tourists come for a reason, because they like the place.
    3
  63.  @3ndeavor  I'm not angry. I just think that Japan needs to be judged by developed nation standards and not given endless excuses. Why does it bother you that I post here?
    3
  64. My friend is a nurse in Nagoya. She also did not find love and even didn't want me although she confessed to me 15 years ago.
    3
  65.  @kathleencove  Kathleen, changing behaviour is very difficult. You're asking me, Peter, why don't we all have love and ponies in the world? Why are some people poor and others rich? Why wars? Etc. Well the world works as it does. Japanese people elected a government. That government markets Japan in the world. It brings in money and it creates SOFT POWER. SOFT POWER is very important and helps Japanese companies sell products and services abroad as Japan has a good reputation but that rep came because of PR. Japanese products to be honest are not that good, but if one reads PR one would think they are perfect. They are average for a developed nation. I've used products from across the globe and I've run across a lot of Made in Japan junk. Anyway I digressed. You see tourists will behave in a certain way. Japan has earthquake proof buildings. They can design earthquake proof garbage cans. And if not, then make the Japan visa $10,000 USD and then only a few people will come and if they litter, well $10,000 will pay for picking up a few items. I actually want Japan to make their country inaccessible. I'm quite sick of this foreigner hate from these kind of youtube channels. If Japan is so perfect, well let it stay like that. I certainly would never force myself on Japan. As for classical music, you take the good with the bad. If you want to be world leader you have to tolerate a bit. Have a nice day.
    3
  66.  @kathleencove  Whose fault is it? The people who want to make a profit obviously. Blame capitalism. Strange that in Europe supermarkets have more or less same price by country, and same for other countries. Maybe this is a Japan problem.
    3
  67.  @samuelademeso9041  100%. They advertise and promote Japan, get the money from that and then don't want the actual foreigners. To be honest everyone doesn't like overcrowding, everywhere in the world. But at least in other countries people control their feelings. Japanese are supposed to be good at controlling their feelings. Supposed to. Thanks
    3
  68.  @AIIIAKS-vn4co  Other countries don't do that. What countries do is charge EVERYONE a higher price. Sometimes there are senior citizen discounts for locals. And of course there are also tourist traps. But a tourist trap will charge everyone a higher price. That's fine. Japan can do what it wants. But we can criticise them for it and show how others don't do that.
    3
  69. Dude, the problem can be solved by not promoting Japan abroad. Stop making stupid shows like Shogun. They can add a $1000 visa. Japanese tourists were a nuisance in the 1990s in Europe. My cousin from Paris would be hounded by Japanese outside LV stores because they had a limit on how many items tourist could buy to save stock for more people, so they would beg him to buy stuff for them as he was a local. Japanese would so the same to us, they need to get used to the global village the way we got used to it. It's the 21st century and not feudal times.
    3
  70.  @biomorphic  Upvoting own comments helps
    3
  71. 3 million tourists to Japan per month. How many of those do you have evidence for to be nuisances?
    3
  72.  @d.c.3534  I have no idea. I think Japan should charge $100K for a tourist visa. What do you think?
    3
  73.  @jplang192  It will ensure quality visitors coming to Japan. That's why.
    3
  74. I have a cousin in Paris. He'd complain how Japanese tourists would beg him to buy goods at LV or other boutiques because there were limits per tourist. This was in the early 2000s or late 90s.
    3
  75.  @TT09B5  Or the whole 'junior idol' thing.
    3
  76. My Parisian cousin would get hounded by Japan tourists to buy things for them (they'd pay) in boutique stores which had limits on how many items they sold to Japanese tourists to save stock for locals. That was in the 1990s.
    3
  77.  @cottoncandykawaii2673  Corporations - which ones? Don't decide whether games are held or not. That's up to the IOC and each country's committee and the government of that country. The view is to promote Japan to the world. That's why Olympic games are held.
    3
  78. Japan should ban loli manga and men will have to make do with adult relations and not cartoon ersatz for wife and offspring. They don't want to ban loli cartoons though.
    2
  79.  @gotakazawa408  I think that's fine. Why do I feel this way, because for an average person, I'm a well adjusted person, I'm an MD, I respect people, I think I would have to walk on eggshells in your country. I think I would have to be weary that every small thing I did I may offend someone and quite frankly I didn't feel this way in any country I've visited. I don't feel this way around visiting colleagues from the US, but I may offend some sensibilities in your country and well why offend people? I'm sure local travel is also good. Japanese people seem pretty easy going abroad, I've made some Japanese friends here and showed them around and even hosted them but I suppose when they're at home they just don't like people like me. That's fine. Have a good day.
    2
  80.  @shawnbell6392  Local people vote in elections. So it means they are happy. This is just some cranks being crank. So much for the Japanese idea of supporting the society. It's a farce.
    2
  81.  @いちにっ-q2n  The problem is that it's the government YOU VOTED FOR and the companies you buy products from and keep your country running well. At the end of the day you Japanese people must decide, if we foreigners are such terrible people, then just ban us. Make the Japan visa cost $1000 or maybe $10,000. Please do that. If you can't do that, don't blame foreign people. We don't vote in your elections. Japan tourists were also a nuisance abroad. We liked them. Have a good day.
    2
  82.  @kennedysan1045  It means they are more or less satisfied. This anti tourist stuff is not most Japanese people. It's just cranks.
    2
  83. It's true. But maybe one day PLA will come as tourists and decide to stay.
    2
  84.  @fattiger6957  This is not rational. If you look at history of say Europe you will find that 90% of people did not leave their village. Maybe 10% traveled to the big town and maybe 1% saw other cultures. Europe was also culturally homogenous. Same for rest of the world. Only real mixed country is the US and that's only from the 1850s when immigrants started to come. Japan has been No 3 economy since the 1980s and has been FILTHY RICH. They are well educated. They have access to foreign products. They buy expensive LV and other foreign products. They listen to European music. They dress like Westerners. They got their system of writing from China. Japan absorbed much from the rest of the world and it's the 21st century. There have been 4 generations since WW2 ended. Don't give excuses. At the same time I think this is probably a storm in a teacup. Some Japanese and some weebs are blowing this up and this Youtuber is making these videos for ad revenue as they draw in engagement.
    2
  85.  @NetBattler  Peoples Liberation Army (Army of PRC, China).
    2
  86.  @NetBattler  If you look at the current geopolitical situation you'll see we live in intersting times. There is a meteoric rise of China. China and her allies want to change the world order. They want to be No 1 super power in the world, and they want to dominate in the Pacific. Russia too, wants to reset the world. The so called Global South is also rising and also wants more say. Countries like EU, Japan even the US are on the decline. 30 years ago China made cheap knock off hand tools, they now put rockets in space. Japan will have to decide if they can withstand a combined China/Russia or be more friendly with the West. Japan can't sail its islands to Europe. They'd like to do that, to be next to the UK. Many people say a WW3 is coming soon. The times currently are dangerous. I think bigger problems will come and maybe the more goodwill between Japan and the West and maybe Global South tourists, the better.
    2
  87.  @orangelightening  You do realise that many foreigners don't speak English? The changes you see are out of necessity. The world changes. The whole world changes. This is the normal flow of civilisation.
    2
  88.  @NetBattler  Why be interested in culture of people who don't like you?
    2
  89.  @orangelightening  Who is in agreement that there is too much tourism? Who decides that and based on what? Actual government agencies backed by real research decide that. So far, they didn't decide that.
    2
  90.  DanteS-119  Anywhere there are tourists or even out of town people there are nuisances. When people with plates from out of town drive often they change lanes erratically or drive slowly - it's all a nuisance. Yes having lots of people who wander around slowly, don't know the nuances etc is an inconvenience but Japanese also travel abroad. The whole world travels and everyone is a nuisance. Japanese people are not special. They are not gods. They also cause problems abroad and we endure it. If Japan wants to be in the modern developed and international club it has to behave like that. Maybe education campaigns for Japanese people should be created. Because it seems some Japanese people can't do what we do in our home countries. Why can't they? Your view may be biased if you are a foreigner in Japan. You probably put the Japanese on a pedestal, I want to treat them equally and fairly. That means they don't get a free pass when they are highly developed. Have a good day.
    2
  91.  @Saroku1000  Thank you for the insight.
    2
  92.  @twist777hz  Don't worry, we won't come to Japan. You can keep it Japanese. You're still welcome in EU as long as you behave yourself. OK?
    2
  93.  @samsam658  Welcomed "most of the time" so even well mannered tourists are not welcome some of the time. What is well mannered? I've never had to tell me to be well mannered in any country but here for Japan I am supposed to be well mannered. I don't understand this.
    2
  94.  @specialk9999  Most tourists don't act like jack aaaaa... they act like normal people. Most people are normal. This is just a tiny portion of people who do that. I travel the world and I am a dual citizen and I often see places with many tourists and I very rarely see a tourist behave poorly. Maybe near bars young men can get drunk, but that's all and that's rare. People come with little kids, they don't behave badly. If this is too much for Japan then ask for $10,000 tourist visa fee. That way only the super rich will visit. End of story. Blame Japanese government and blame Cool Japan 2020 campaign.
    2
  95.  @specialk9999  Except there is a divide now. Have you not paid attention to geopolitics in the past 10 years. China and Russia with India want to rebuild the world. They want less West/Japanese dominance. And they now have resources to do it. China is becoming rich and highly developed while Japan is declining. EU is declining. US is also slowly declining. Third world countries which side with Russia/China/India are slowly on the rise. People remember WW2 and the way they were treated and maybe Japan will be forced to pay reparations to China, they never did that or they will be in Chinese sphere of influence once US pulls back.
    2
  96.  @5kplamse  Obey Japanese samurai in Japan.
    2
  97.  @kathleencove  Japan is having an economic crisis because these traditional export industries are no longer enough. When last did you see Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi, Aiwa, Pioneer, Sharp etc home appliance? It's all Korean and Chinese now. Japan music? Weebs only listen to that. Japan has no movie industry to speak of. Cars? Well now Chinese, Malaysia, Vietnam etc make cars and EVs. They make better EVs than Japan. Japan is becoming complacent and rich like how EU went. You see the Japanese government promotes tourism heavily. Why do you think that is? Do you know more than the actual Japanese government? Thanks.
    2
  98.  @muralk3153  Believe it or not but I've lived many years on this earth and I've met many Japanese people and they are average people. I've also lived in a communist system, a capitalist European system, an apartheid system, a modern EU based capitalist system and a post apartheid system. Anyway, what you say is the standard response. I can understand homogeneity. But some points. Japanese people are not different to other people. They are not a different species. Everyone gets uncomfortable around strangers. This is a common human trait. There is nothing special about it. Nobody expects ALL Japanese people to have to interact with foreign tourists. There are some people in the hospitality industry, retail and tourist industries who will have to interact with foreigners in a limited way. I did not claim all Japanese people are rich. But the country of Japan is filthy rich. This is on the back of European and US and other people becoming poorer because we closed our factories to buy Japanese products. Japanese tourists used to and still visit foreign locations. People there don't produce TV documentaries and put up NO JAPANESE signs. As for spotlessness of Japan. It's not true that other countries are messy. People don't come to Japan to see clean streets but to see Mt Fuji, temples, eat food, buy gadgets or mementos, see geishas, see samurai, etc. They don't come for the clean streets. I think some people and you are giving Japanese people too much charity. On the one hand Japanese people have clean streets and are taught to carry their own rubbish, but they are also unable to ignore foreign tourists who bring in money. I don't understand this. This is a sophist tactic, where Japanese make themselves incompetent in some areas and super capable in others. They then excuse their hypocrisy. That yes it's OK for Japan to steal jobs from the West and it's ok for Japanese tourists to come to Europe - because for as dirty as we Europeans are it's Japan which copies us and not we copying Japan. So all in all I think Japanese people just have to be modern. 1. Not everyone expects them to speak with foreigners. Anyone with basic education will know this. Japan is highly educated. 2. Tourists bring in revenue. Japanese also travel abroad. They are just as much a nuisance for us but we tolerate Japanese tourists. I've shown my town to Japanese people. They enjoyed it. I don't expect random Japanese to show me theirs but I do expect that there are no "NO FOREIGNER" signs and that TV stations don't produce bigoted TV shows. Japanese people are educated and as humans should be able to adapt to some tourists in tourist spots. All places had to do that. Do you think residents of Rome, Paris, NY, etc are happy with Japanese tourists? Or should they kiss them because European and US cities are a little bit less clean? Japanese people DO NOT GET A SPECIAL PASS from me. They would if they were a poor underdeveloped country, but they are well educated, rich and highly developed. This isn't the 1850s anymore. Let's mot make fools out of Japanese people. They are competent and need to live up to the standard. Besides the Japanese government encourages tourism. Blame them. Don't blame tourists. Thank you. Have a good Sunday or Monday.
    2
  99.  @muralk3153  I'm not American. Unfortunately my people did not steal any land, well not for > 2000 years at least. And if you want to play the game of early human settlement then what happened to the prehistoric people of Japan and how well do Ainu fare in Japan? Point was that Japan was rich because we (West) opened our markets to Japan while the Americans actually built Japan. Americans did not have their civilians mass R=ed and killed by Japanese in WW2. They nuked Japan over Pearl Harbor, a military target. That was a war crime and a terrible sin. But anyway, that's beside the point. I brought up the loss of jobs because Japan owes a lot to the West. Now that Japan is a little bit, a tiny bit poorer that it was, built on the backs of our local job losses in the West and transfer of tech in the 19th and early 20th centuries,, there seems to be an ANTI-TOURIST sentiment perpetuated by some media, some establishments and so on. And you bring in clean streets as though people should be worshiping Japanese people and people like me don't know what clean streets are. You even arrogantly said that people can take something home -- to do with clean streets? What exactly? Japan can teach 'dirty' foreigners cleanliness? I think you overstepped your boundaries there. Japanese do cause a nuisance abroad. Busses full of tourists taking pictures even of people and private places. Asking people to buy stuff for them at Luis Vuitton in Paris and going into private people's homes in the UK to take pics. That's what some Japanese tourists did in the 80s and 90s. But guess what, these people maybe came once in their lives and wanted to get what they could never to return. There was a stereotype of the typical Japanese tourist. But we didn't hate them. Japanese people should not be cleaning any litter abroad. That's not their job. Also when there are travelers from afar one should be accommodating and tolerant. Maybe install more trash cans in tourist spots. That's what we do in Europe and elsewhere. That's a virtue. We respect people who saved money, sat for 20 hours on a plane and then in a strange land have 1-2 weeks to see as much as they can before leaving and leaving their money behind and generating soft power for Japan. Japanese people always like Europe and the West - they love Chopin, Mozart, our dress, our art, our cuisine, our tech, our history, but not us when we visit. That's what gets me. I've already said that I don't know what sort of tourists the PLA will be but if people want to not be friendly to tourists including Western ones then maybe they need to be with North Korea. (As for littering, my family and I, never liter. I always throw rubbish away or carry it with me in any country I'm in. That's not a uniquely Japanese thing. What will Japan teach me?) Have a good day.
    2
  100.  @PokeNachos  I don't understand what showing respect means. If a country has NO FOREIGNER signs in restaurants (I know it's only some but still) what sort of respect is required here? The thing about this thread is that it's 1. filled with kids. 2. filled with weebs. Mostly Japan can do no wrong. I know, I was a weeb in my younger years too.
    2
  101.  @antonsiberian  How many tourist spots around the world have you visited? Is say Paris a faceless tourist hole? Or Singapore? Or Cape Town? Or Prague?
    2
  102.  @Frivals  Exactly. They can simply not let people in the way the US does it. Also they can charge for visa, eg $1000 per visa per person.
    2
  103.  @emippe226  America built Japan. The modern world was basically invented in the West, it started with the British. But the foundations of the modern world are largely Western and Japan got all of that for free. India did not get it. China did not get it. Japan got it for free. Japan was feudal, agreed to ally with the Western powers and got the tech transfer. What did they do to deserve any of that? Did Japan have gold? Diamonds? Nope. Then came WW2. Japan decided it needed to enslave Asia to become what they are now. They lost. They were treated very amicably. Of course America bombed them terribly, Americans also bombed the Germans and later Iraqis. But America then assured security for Japan and allowed Japan to have access to resources and Western markets. Slowly Western brands like GE and Philips and Blaupunkt died out and Japanese took over. Then when it became too much Americans made some changes to this agreement which put some natural limits on Japan. After all the modern world is run mostly by the US, they assure the security of the global trade. Russians and Chinese are challenging that now. Russia is a war monger but China is doing things peacefully. But people need to know that much of Japanese tech is Western in origin. Even Toto Washlets are originally American. The original patent was in the US and Toto purchased it to get Japanese people to ditch squat toilets. Just think 30 years ago squat toilets were still a thing in Japan. Maybe even later than that. I don't have hate for Japan but some people there have hubris. That's not good. Tourists should be tolerated. If not, then just have an entry visa regime but the that will destroy Japan's image and Japan relies on her image for sales. Japanese people hate tourists but tourists are there because their government wants them there. Tourists mean soft power. With a rising China and an endless supply of resources China can get from Russia and weakening USA, can Japan really afford to lose their softpower? I only want Japanese to be more like Americans and Europeans and other people who are more tolerant of tourists. I'm not even saying they need immigrants, just tourists.
    2
  104.  @kathleencove  I'm from the EU Kathleen, I'm an MD by profession. Racially I'm white and hold dual citizenships. Pronouns are he/him, if you want that. That's all I will say. I think people who are invited into a country by the government should be treated fairly and accorded respect. This goes for all countries.
    2
  105.  @dottieland7061  Europe is hardly a mess. Secondly this is about tourism.
    2
  106.  @muralk3153  When you say best public toilets, can you provide a scientific peer reviewed study to prove this. Because as a scientist I have no idea how you would judge a best toilet. I find toilets all over the world to be very good, well it depends but many if not most are more than acceptable. As for the washlets I know Japanese people who refrain from using the public ones. Because Italians and Spanish haven't had NO FOREIGNER signs for decades even when tourism is low and did not have TV stations which blame foreigners. They also don't employ mayors who blame foreigners even when the foreigners are less than 1% of the population as Tokyo had. Because these countries where applicable also apologised properly for WW2 and did not raise protests and force action when monuments to Japanese atrocities are erected in non Japanese cities. Bali is a beach setting. I have no problems with the authorities fining individuals for bad behaviour. I have problems scapegoating all tourists and creating prejudice against all visitors. If someone behaves badly there is the police to manage them. What do you mean the West has done far more damage? How long did Japan occupy China/Korea? About 10 years or so. What did they do in Nanking and other places? The Japanese even executed German (their allies) civilians. Mark Felton has a film about that. A sign saying NO FOREIGNERS allowed and your explanation illustrates. One is Japanese people pretending to be incompetent, and the other reason is racism. Again prejudice against all people is WRONG. Why do you support this. It's not modern and developed. If you can't speak other languages, put a sign saying, ONLY JAPANESE LANGUAGE SPOKEN HERE, COME WITH YOUR OWN INTERPRETER. What if a foreigner speaks Japanese? Or has an interpreter? Or uses AI on their phone which is pretty good these days? Come on. This is 2024 and not 1850 when Japanese people saw these strange men for the first time. (I know they met other Europeans earlier). I am criticiall of many Japanese because they are developed. Please don't say rational people because that implies that other people are not rational. That's implicit racism already. Please try to see the nuance here. Japan on the one hand you claim is made up of rational people, but people who put NO FOREIGNER signs in their establishments. Really? Is that rational? No, that's just bigoted. And in fact wicked if the person who put such a sign was rational. What do you mean those who condemn Japan for the past of WW2 are indulging in the same today? What does this mean? I'm against wars of aggression. I support Ukraine and NATO in helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression. I haven't gone into a town with a sword to have a head cutting competition. Anyway if you love your Japan you will want them to get their act in order. If they don't want tourism they have to be equal to all visitors, local and foreign. If they want fewer foreigners impose restrictions on tourist visas. I don't mind that. Japan however is reluctant to do this because it creates a negative view of their country and hospitality. Look how Japanese are welcomed in Europe, Brazil and US. No issues. But Japan does not reciprocate. Does not even try. It's quite sad. Have a good day.
    2
  107.  @antonsiberian  It's a discussion. People come to Japan because JP government makes the place seem welcoming but it's really not the case. It seems many Japanese are too insular, even in 2024. Maybe the JP gov should stop lying. I don't know.
    2
  108.  @antonsiberian  Who am I to judge them? Well then how come the Japanese government encourages and promotes tourism abroad? What was the whole Cool Japan campaign? Of course I can judge. If a matter pertains to me, as I am a target of Japanese ad campaigns, it matters. Tourist hotspots should be accommodating to different cultures and should have an international feel to them in terms of amenities. If you want more tourists and tourists do 2 important things: 1 BRING IN MONEY. 2. GENERATE SOFT POWER. Both are needed by Japan. The Yen is low, well tourists actually increase the Yen's value. They buy stuff and in so buy Yen and drive up its price. They leave their money behind in Japan and don't use Japanese amenities, eg don't use hospitals or police. That benefits Japan. Tourism creates work and helps people meet other people and maybe expand their horizons. I understand some people don't like tourists but I don't like TV stations throwing fuel on the fire and I don't like NO FOREIGNER signs or signs 'teaching' foreign tourists not to eat and walk the streets at the same time. That's just crazy to me. Not the walk and eat but the gall and the attitude and arrogance to teach people who your government advertised to to now behave because some locals will be offended by walking and eating. Well then maybe Japan must become like North Korea. Eh?
    2
  109.  @muralk3153  Head cutting competition was what occurred in Nanking during WW2. Japanese officers had a competition who could cut off the most heads of Chinese POWs. Their scores would be sent back home to Japan and published in at least one newspaper. My point was that the West had colonised countries, and I am aware of that. But Japanese colonisation was far more brutal. Look up what Japanese did in Nanking and you'll see that it was Weterners even a German guy who helped save Chinese women and children from Japanese soldier rampages. Remember that Japan went into China with her army. China never invaded Japan. Yet China gets a bad rep because of anti-Chinese propaganda. Japanese were worse colonisers than Europeans were. At least by the 1920s.
    2
  110.  @muralk3153  1. You gave your anecdotal speech, I provided my anecdotal speech. What is your point? You made a blanket statement, I never made one. You're creating a strawman. You said Japanese toilets are the cleanest in the world based on your own views. I said you did not give proof of the claim. I then told you what two of my friends say and that is as WOMEN they don't use the feminine wash on public washlets. I don't know if it's just irrational or maybe they've encountered UTIs from this or maybe they and their circle or other Japanese don't. I never bothered to ask them. By the way are you a man or a woman? It may explain your lack of understanding of female hygiene issues. The washlet was patented in the US. You can read the wikipedia article about it. Toto bought the patent. You can read Wikipedia about it. Why do you say I have negative bias? Why must I, a well educated, multilingual, WHITE guy have to experience racism for there to be racism? Why is it about me? There are NO FOREIGNER signs in Japan. That's racist on its own. You said that maybe the proprietors had a negative experience with foreigners. So that means ALL foreigners are bad by default? Dude that's the conclusion of your reasoning. I'm not sure what giving aid, means. Most countries give aid. So are you saying that Japan can buy the right to allow some of their people to have xenophobic attitudes? That makes no sense. Come on. Where did I say Japan as a country was arrogant. Some Japanese obviously are arrogant if they prejudiced against foreigners. I know people who married Japanese and had those Japanese families totally estrange the person who married the foreigner. Is that acceptable behaviour? Have a good day.
    2
  111.  @muralk3153  Yes but only Japan attacks cities which create WW2 memorials to Japanese war crimes. I would like Japan to be more open to criticism and be like the West and other nations.
    2
  112.  @muralk3153  What dislike of Japan? You're the one who dismissed my own anecdote about actual Japanese women who dislike public washlets. Does that mean I dislike Japan? You need to stop reading things into people's comments. What evidence do you have that I dislike Japan? I dislike NO FOREIGNER signs. Does that mean I dislike Japan? What's the logic here? Why are you attacking me? If you can't argue the points, don't attack the interlocutor. Come on.
    2
  113.  @Soviet-federation-m7n  You're quite rude.
    2
  114. I suppose it's just the way they do things. They repeat what they think works for them.
    2
  115.  @SpikoDreams You have a healthy, kind and civilised view of tourists and visitors. Tourists are people who have traveled often very far, have spent a lot of money, spent time traveling in discomfort, are tired, spend their holidays and money in the country they visit. They have to return home to go back to work in their 9 to 5 and sometimes longer hour job. The world is big. They could go anywhere, or go to a local destination in their own country or just stay at home and relax, but they chose to come to my country, I am happy with that. For me, they don't have to try to speak the local language. As long as they have basic civility - like not spit in my face, hit me or damage my property, they are 100% welcome. Non travelers don't know how difficult it is to travel. Travel is expensive. Travel is not comfortable. Travel is disruptive.
    2
  116.  @FiZc  Japanese workers are more expensive and not better to European workers in Eastern Europe. Sorry Japan, we will take it all away from you.
    2
  117. Dude, Johni and Logan were two cases. Japan has 3 million tourists every month. Vast majority are normal people. Also don't expect people to walk on eggshells. People behave the way they do at home and most of the vsitors are middle class and reasonably wealthy. They behave well.
    2
  118.  @renegadesigma  I've traveled to many places and for the most part I've seen well behaved tourists 99% of the time. In fact I'd say 99.9% of the time. Out of 1000 people, maybe one was badly behaved - as loud, or littering or drunk. I think much of this is Japanese people joining the international society. They have to adapt. We've put up with multi-culti tourists and I think they need too as well. It's a good experience for them to be less insular. If you go to London you will see people from every culture and country there, same for Paris, I don't know why Tokyo must not be like this. Japan is rich and famous and not a backwater. It must be cosmopolitan and Japanese people must agree. Japanese people are welcome and respected in EU and other countries, Japan must reciprocate, if Japan wants to be in our clubs. And Japanese people want to be in our clubs. By clubs I mean G7, OSCE, etc. Japan even has liaison office with NATO now.
    2
  119. No, not everyone is foreigner. Japanese are also foreigner. Before Japanese came there were people on these islands, for example Ainu. These are true Japanese. Japan is also a country of immigrants.
    2
  120. You've said this so well. Thank you.
    2
  121.  @kathleencove  Oh I see you're an expert now. I didn't know. Point was that Japanese engineers are capable of solving far more complex. Actually cans which close on their own or are weighed down are very easy to implement. You're making up excuses.
    2
  122.  @AlwaysPim  Maybe they should replace them. Maybe instead of irrational responses they should learn from other countries where there is more terrorism. Or maybe they just don't care.
    2
  123.  @kathleencove  I haven't seen differential pricing for tourists. Only thing I've seen were discounts for pensioners, eg local pensioners. That's also a questionable practice. That's not to say that does not happen, maybe it does. I just haven't seen it. I wish you'd stop the personal attacks. You need to interact with other people charitably and politely.
    2
  124. In Switzerland, you can't really tell a white foreigner from a white local, ok by dress maybe or car license or if he opens his mouth but it's not as obvious. In Japan, every non (short) East Asian looking fellow is a gaijin. It could be the former CEO of SONY Corp but it's still a gaijin.
    2
  125.  @denmaakujin9161  This is silly. How about just asking people not to come to Japan. Charge $1000 per visa. I'm all for it. I say let's stop ALL FOREIGN TOURISM to Japan. Japan is too precious to corrupt with us foreigners.
    2
  126. I don't see anything wrong there. The employee is a salaried worker who has to follow general rules and 9 out of 10 times if a foreign race person buys stuff it's just better to make sure the sizes are correct. The woman was just taking a survey. You didn't have your residency permit stamped to your chest. Again 99% of foreigners in Japan are likely to be tourists or short term business travelers. Most working people don't have time to consider the rare exception and nobody is there to be microagressive to you. And let's face it, you Americans can be obnoxious too. Poms and Yanks are some of the worst. Japan has a xenophobia problem (as do many other countries), even pandering to racism as in these video reports, but these two examples were ordinary behaviour. I would not have been offended.
    2
  127.  @ii4826  But you put NO FOREIGNER signs. Tell me why Japan government advertises to foreigners eg Cool Japan and then if foreigners come to spend money some people hate on them? Maybe stop. We don't have to come to your country. Besides the earthquakes would be too dangerous anyway. You are welcome in the EU, as long as no war here.
    2
  128.  @windblownleaf6450 Japan is a collectivist country. Japanese emperor wants tourism and Japanese people should fall in line. Nuff said.
    2
  129. We need to ban Japanese products in response because you took our jobs in the 1980s. Damage to us was also huge. Do you want to play that game?
    2
  130. Women decide if they will fall pregnant. Unless you think guys will get pregnant.
    2
  131. Dude, the Japanese government advertises tourism. They want tourists. If their own government wants this then who are you or the Japanese Reporter to complain or TV stations. Japan is about collectivism. It's all about harmony and the state itself. Ordinary Japanese who complain about tourists are being the dirty gaijin here. They are behaving in an a-Japanese way. If the government says you take in tourists and you host them, you do so. It's for the good of the society as a whole. If it wasn't then the government whose head is the Japanese emperor would not want tourism and facilitate it. The Japanese who complain are weak and soft, and the Japanese of the 1940s would commit mass suicide if they saw how p-ssified people have become. If the government ordains it, individual Japanese man or woman, you OBEY and you FOLLOW. End of story. What I see is bad behaviour from the Japanese. If you don't want tourists, petition your government to stop tourism. Otherwise you voted the government in, you live with it. Pathetic behavour.
    1
  132.  @gordo6908  Well the effects continue. In the old days there was pressure to marry and have kids. Now it's about the lifestyle. If the guy marries, how can he continue to fap to that?
    1
  133. To replace the population they would need to import foreigners for like >100 years.
    1
  134.  @rsuriyop  Don't live in Japan. Weebs.
    1
  135.  @doderiolarkisso4038  They can isolate but PLA maybe will still visit.
    1
  136.  @missplainjane3905  You don't even need Fr citizenship. You get Permanent Residency in any EU nation and you are like a Frenchman. EU is one big coutry. How? Well find a job. Be born there. Sometimes political asylum.
    1
  137.  @MrL702  It won't appreciate much.
    1
  138.  @ii4826  Yes. And one guy out of 3million. Most media does not know. And most media treats Japan well abroad. Generally people have a favourable view of Japan. So people sometime expect high standards.
    1
  139.  @chariothe9013 This is not about immigration, it's about TOURISTS. Have you been to the Notre Dame in Paris? It's an actual church, it's sanctified. Yet you have 1000s of tourists walking through it during Mass and they take pictures and talk and so on. There are signs asking them to be respectful, but we don't see people especially Catholics moan about how terrible this is. We don't do this. Some of these Japanese people need to get over their superiority complex. Japanese tourists themselves behave poorly abroad. Not necessarily by littering but by crowding up and being intrusive and disruptive. But they get a pass. They should do the same here or they should simply stop all tourism.
    1
  140. The same is said for Europe and even US. The rest of the world is catching up. The West had an advantage with the Industrial Revolution but now even Chinese make CPUs and India is sending rockets to space.
    1
  141.  @captainobvious9188  You Americans have it best. You guys print US dollars because you are the world reserve currency for now. Chinese will one day take that over, but for now your Fed can just print dollars.
    1
  142. Japanese want to be lonely because they're perfectionists.
    1
  143.  @dottieland7061  Why can't Japan be like Europe? Japan wants to be European and copied almost everything from us but didn't copy the best = tolerance and individual value.
    1
  144.  @kathleencove  That really isn't my problem.
    1
  145.  @muralk3153  Are you saying people work 24/7? I engage with people here about topics which take my fancy. And I'm sorry what do you mean deep insecurity about being belittled? Are you ok? Why the personal attacks?
    1
  146.  @muralk3153  Did I say they were unhygenic? I told you that Japanese women I know, ok it's one particular mother and daughter, mom in her 60s, daughter in her 30s, avoid public washlets as they consider them unhygienic. They're Japanese people, living in Japan. Anyway where did I say there were unhygenic per se. Secondly, I did say that they're not always effective. There seems to be misunderstanding here.
    1
  147.  @28-r8b  Nobody is entitled but once they let you in, you are entitled to be afforded protection. There are international treaties governing that. Also read what your passport says. This is about Japan letting people in LEGALLY and then some Japanese complaining about tourists. Maybe they should rather complain about their government instead.
    1
  148.  @GustafUNL  Last I checked, I did not attend Davos. No I'm not a globalist.
    1
  149. Japan is not competitive. You were more competitive than European worker, but China/Viet worker is better than you. Look you are living beyond your means. You will have to become poor like before Meiji.
    1
  150. You're a weeb. If you're going to Japan 9 times already and you feel ashamed and you think ordinary civil behaviour is not enough, then you are not well adjusted. Maybe speak to a counsellor. Because there is something wrong here if you are this careful. And if ordinary Japanese or your friends are this easily offended, then maybe you should not be befriending these people. This sounds like the Stockholm Syndrome.
    1
  151.  @Annimausi1985 Japanese love Germans. It's because Germans are perceived to be superior to other whites by Japanese and often Germans think themselves superior to other Europeans. Japanese also think themselves superior to other Asians and so you two fit each other. We know the history of how Japan copied Prussian militarism and had a hard on for those NSDAP boys you had in the 30s. But once you go into obatarian-magnet you start to sound like a weeb. Yes normal and polite (civil) behaviour and not one inch more is what's required. If Japan requires additional sensitivities then the problem is with Japan. It's good you can afford to travel to Japan so much. Being wealthy also means you dress well and so you are maybe the good tourist, the Duits and also the well dressed one. Poorer people who maybe get to go to Japan once in their lives and who aren't German, may receive a more negative reception from some Japanese people. We've hosted Japanese and Germans in Cape Town. And both were friendly but I suspect they'd be less friendly if I was either in Germany or in Japan.
    1
  152. Because overcrowding if it's their own people, is OK. It's racism, they don't want to breathe the same air as the foreigners.
    1
  153. Japanese tend to be racist. Why? Because you can see their media has a feel of the zeitgeist there and knows what buttons to push. They pander to the hate of the other, the distrust of the other. The Japanese government wants tourists but many people seem to hate on them. Surely a logical person would then vote in such a government which would reduce tourism. But that doesn't happen. Japanese get a major shock when they visit Paris and see how rude French can be. I do not find French to be particularly rude but anyway. Still it's even a diagnostic entity in the science of psychology. If you like Japan maybe you should not visit then. It may disturb you when you see it's not all roses and unicorns over there, either.
    1
  154.  @ryanscottmurphy86 It should. Japanese are polite, but who isn't. I've been to many countries and lived in several and to be fair, it's very rare to find a rude person.
    1
  155.  @ジュニアー05 Hi Junior, thanks for your explanation. In fact I didn't confuse it. I actually said that politeness is a basic thing, people around the world are polite. Maybe Japanese sometimes take it to extremes but that's not helpful, overt politeness which crosses the line is actually inconvenient and impolite and as you say they have an underlying philosophy or dogma which supports this. When it comes to clutching bags I would do such things myself. I tend to not want to inconvenience others and I sometimes go above what's reasonable in my profession, I work as an MD. That's just me though, I have lower expectations for others. What gets me is that the Japanese government encourages tourism and they push soft power overseas. Their emperor and government is pro tourism. In this regard, in line with their Confucian thought they should surely shut the heck up and their media should support tourism and downplay the minor inconveniences. Either they support their state or they are opposed and so this can lead to loss or harmony and disobedience. I suppose nobody is perfect, even Japanese can't be perfectly Japanese.
    1
  156.  @ジュニアー05 Ultimately it's about seniority and authority, isn't it? The JP government promotes tourism. Much to the chagrin of some Japanese locals. But that's too individualistic in approach. The government knows best and wants tourism and the people should go along. Criticism is negation of that. The emperor and the gov are the seniors and for the sake of social harmony and good of all the figure in authority should be obeyed and NOT UNDERMINED. This kind of thing undermines the authority of the government. If the government considers tourism to be necessary, they will permit it and locals should shut up. They're favouring their own selfish comfort over the welfare of the other members of their society, those 10s of millions who don't interact with tourists.
    1
  157.  @ジュニアー05 Yes it's not that much anymore but it's more so than in say Europe and as you say it goes with the Confucian system they have. Apparently the Koreans are even worse. Look gov wants tourism, locals should bear with it.
    1
  158. True. Asian tourists still cause trouble in other parts of the world. Japanese included. They are inconvenient in their way. Locals would also want to be left alone but these tourists come, snap pictures, crowd shops and create queues and cause prices to go up for locals as well in tourist sites.
    1
  159.  @teoleno4019 Japanese are rude too. They crowd up. They don't behave like locals. For example there should be a ban on non Christian Japanese in Notre Dame. In Vatican we should ban all Japanese who are not Christian. If Geishas are sacred to Japan and a foreigner profanes them then pagans profane our holy sites. But even beyond that, the volume of foreign people who walk awkwardly and snap pictures is also bad. I think fair is fair. It is precisely because we European people are so tolerant and have been so kind, that we are taken advantage of. If Japanese want to ban foreigners, we should reciprocate and specifically BAN JAPANESE (exception would be Christian Japanese, as those should also be banned from geisha sites as they also don't consider that culture their own.)
    1
  160.  @cezarstefanseghjucan I think you're confused. Just because they're not stealing does not mean they are not a problem. Most tourists don't steal. What is a tourist going to steal anyway? You can only take 23kg in Economy. If you are first class you are rich. I think you are a weeb and you worship Japan because of anime but you have zero experience of them or their products.
    1
  161.  @cezarstefanseghjucan Japan tourists also caused problems. Better for them not to come. Japanese, stay home and enjoy geisha and junior idol.
    1
  162.  @nathanbutcher7720 Well of course Japan didn't care if it appeared racist. Because Japan was in the US camp and became a US outpost and was built by the Americans. It then became a factory for the Americans, something which China has now become on a greater level. Japanese products used to be junk. Later they became better and Taiwan and HK was said to be rubbish, now some Chinese products are said to be rubbish, although the same Chinese are capable of assembling Macbooks which are very good machines, better in quality than Japanese made Vaio PCs. Point is that Japan didn't have to care because Japan was developed. Now the rest of the world is catching up and Japan no longer produces TVs and computers - there is nothing to see in Akihabara. They still produce some advanced electronics but at the rate the others are going they will surpass that. The thing is that with others catching up and becoming rich and Japan becoming more poor, Japanese will be in a weaker position and will not be able to dictate to others and will need others. They will be kissing Indian peoples' behinds when they visit Japan and they'll open up the geishas to them, once they are sufficiently poor. And they will be poor because Japan is a small country with few resources and had enjoyed the relative advanced tech economy based on US hegemony. That's going away. When I say racism, I don't mean the woke racism of America or Europe. I mean the open racism that is resented by mainland Asians, or rather chauvinism. Maybe racism is a wrong word. And those people have long memories. Anglo people don't understand this. Foreigners in Japan may continue to face xenophobia but once Japan becomes sufficiency poor it will change and they may kiss the backsides of foreign Asians or other formerly less developed nations. They won't change because they're woke, they'll change because they'll have to, to have any meaningful economy at all.
    1
  163.  @squirlmy  The weebs on Yotube are Japan chavuvinists. They'd betray their own for Japan. And Japanese won't give them the time of say because they are gaijin. So work visas are brought in. But 99% of Westerners would never want to work and live in Japan. Japan is dangerous. You have earthquakes there. Secondly it's an alien culture and people. Thirdly you will always be a GAIJIN. Fourthly, you will get paid less, not have equal chances vs your Japanese colleagues and it's an expensive country. It's small and cramped. Japan is a good ally for us in the West. But it's not a country Westerners would want to go to work in. Unless they're weebs. Even Japanese would prefer to work elsewhere.
    1
  164.  @kabob21  I'm not American. Japan has neigbours who have huge grudges against her, Chinese and Koreans. They also have others, Indians who are very touchy about racism against them. Japan can't relocate to Europe or America. She has to make do with them. The idea that tourists to Japan need cultural education is a troll. Tourism is a privilege. People won't come to Japan if Japanese are going to be aholes. I wouldn't. Only weebs will or the ignorant, but once they have one or two rude encounters with those Japanese who are xenophobic, they'll create bad publicity and Japan will be sidelined. Japan already has bad publicity, many people find the whole child obsession there to be problematic.
    1
  165.  @Yamato-tp2kf  I know that being an EU member and being granted a visa free to another country, other EU members are already enjoying visa free entry, does not automatically follow. The EU does not negotiate visa arrangements as a bloc. So Japan could have visa free with one EU member and not with another. The converse is true that if you obtain a Schengen visa it's valid in all Schengen countries but that's an internal EU thing.
    1
  166.  @Yamato-tp2kf  LOL managed by Yakuza. So a G7 country, the 3 or 4th richest country has establishments managed by gangs. What's going to happen if a tourist goes there? The yakuzas may kill him? Maybe kidnap his 8 year old child to work in a yakuza brothel? Really? If Yakuzas are running the show then the Japanese gov needs to clean them up. This isn't a video game.
    1
  167.  @3ndeavor  Good times are over for Japan. The rest of the world is catching up. The days of being the only electronics manufacturer outside of Europe and US are long gone.
    1
  168.  @thadtuiol1717 Spot on. Imagine taking in refugees, giving them work, school etc, for free. And then if a local is nasty, they can report them for racism and then cops come for the locals. In Poland we took in 2 million Ukrainian refugees. Despite bad history between Poland and Ukraine, and Ukrainians being very right wing and sometimes pro Bandera who was a murderer of Poles and Jews, we took in war refugees. And these people have the same protections as locals. They can work. They can go to school. They have free insurance. Japanese - complain about tourists who come to Japan for maybe 2 weeks and bring in money to spend. Japanese are spoilt and narcissistic.
    1
  169.  @ジュニアー05  Thank you. In that regard Japanese are a bit like the English. Poms also smile, never complain and say everything is fine, and then complain behind your back, all the while you give them a pass and brush off their issues. When working with an English person it's important to be weary of this. Japan is a civilised society, a FILTHY rich and modern society. It's the 3-4 most rich country in the world. People there have benefited from globalisation and being rebuilt by the US after WW2. They should show politeness. Service people in developing nations are also polite to visitors. To say Japanese are kind because they smile or appear eager to assist is coming either from weebs or is coming from people who have only been to Japan and few other places.
    1
  170.  @cantinadudes  Because people should not have to bend over backwards. Do you understand that is not the same thing as being a jack-a$$? Why do you insult me? Are you not capable of basic argumentation? I guess not.
    1
  171.  @renegadesigma  No ideal worlds' exist. Did you come from space or something? Most tourists are fine. You must be a kid to be this naive. You are in your 20s, right?
    1
  172.  @cloudsn  Japan is quite narcissistic. Self absorbed. Entitled. All because the Americans built them up the way they built up Germany. And we let them close down our own factories in the West. Japan is not a good tourist destination. But if people want to go and be considered like animals, they can go.
    1
  173. Tipping culture is bad. Still as a hotel employee you get paid very well to be able to just get up and go traveling so many times.
    1
  174.  @backloggamereviews  Maybe if we stopped buying their products and stopped sharing our tech with them they'd become more courteous. Japan like Germany pretends to be a courteous country but the people are like everywhere else, good and bad, and worshiping people isn't good.
    1
  175.  @tawanhua  Well Ainu are pretty much sidelined. Aren't they?
    1
  176. They also have to decide how they will survive with a strong China and no US in the Pacific.
    1
  177.  @BoredInTheComments  Because Japan is a protectorate of the US. And China wants to dominate the area and maybe one day even who knows. install a government in Japan which is pro Chinese. It will depend on how people accept China as their master. Why? Because that's where China is heading. US is currently there but US uses a mix of soft power and hard power. But US influence is waning and Chinese is on the rise.
    1
  178. How old are you? If you can ever visit Japan, you'll be respectful? You should do that everywhere. There is nothing special about Japanese. Be respectful in your own country. If you have to make it a point then there is something wrong with the way you lead your life.
    1
  179. They pick up the xenophobia in the environment and culture. Now it's OK to be xenophobic, but then don't advertise to tourists. Stop hosting olympics and football world cups. If Japanese don't want foreigners, their stupid government can stop issuing visas and entry permits. Ban all flights to Japan for non Japanese. Problem solved. That's what gets me. These pathetic TV stations and reporters wanting their cake and to eat it too. If you want tourist money, you need tourists and it's not WW2 where you can threaten people with violence so they shut up.
    1
  180. The problem is that Japan is not making tech for everyone anymore. It must go back to pre-Meiji times.
    1
  181. If they don't demand higher wages than those cost to company savings get passed on somewhere, maybe better return on investment and Japanese people still benefit, eg Japanese investors.
    1
  182.  @kathleencove  Not sure what your point is. I'm not the one producing endless videos about Japan and tourism. Cheers. I can understand you love Japan and Japan can do no wrong. There are people who feel some sort of weeb attraction.
    1
  183. Then ban tourists and isolate like North Korea. I propose a $10,000 visa for all tourists.
    1
  184. Hopefully Christian Japanese will reproduce and make Japan Christian.
    1
  185.  @jay_sooning  This is racist.
    1
  186.  @geobot9k  China gets a bad rep. Meanwhile Japan got original culture from China.
    1
  187. If a country doesn't like you, don't visit it. If people gave Japanese a time out, they'd learn. The anti tourist sentiment is BS. Tourists visit less than 1% of the country. The other 99% parts are pure Japanese, clean and virginal. No dirty, smelly caucasian or other person to disturb their precious balance.
    1
  188. Or maybe locals realising that tourist money comes at a minor inconvenience.
    1
  189. It's not the birthrate. It's the fact that Asia and others are outperforming them. When last did you buy a Japanese product? In the 80s and 90s, all our products were Japanese or Dutch, now it's all Korean, German and Chinese. Even German is made in China. When China makes better anime games (Mihoyo) and Japanese play those, than Japanese can make you know the heyday of Japan is over. In the 90s and 80s Akihabara was about newest tech. Now newest tech is made by Nvidia/Asus/MSI/Apple/etc. Even SONY no longer makes laptops. Who makes OLED panels? Korea and China. SHarp has closed their business. Pioneer/Panasonic/Sony/Hitachi closed their OEM business.
    1
  190.  @kathleencove  Enjoy your trip.
    1
  191.  @brandonnguyen9680 I am part of the reason the world is civilised. People like me built this world. You are a weeb.
    1
  192. LOL, you are worried? Why are you worried?
    1
  193.  @spammus1  Sex work as it is now called.
    1
  194.  @thathandsomedevil0828  Prostitution is the oldest profession.
    1
  195.  @thathandsomedevil0828  I concur.
    1
  196. Thank you for this insightful story.
    1
  197. The problem is the decline of Japanese economy. Because there is now competition from others. How did Japan get so filthy rich? They built stuff faster than American and European workers. But now Chinese/Viet/Thai/etc workers are outperforming them. Chinese and Koreans make better video games than Japan. They make better music than Japan. They make better TV than Japan. They build better ships than Japan. They build better TV/electronics/etc than Japan. What can Japan offer?
    1
  198.  @AsMoDlol  $1000 per entry visa
    1
  199. Make video about Japan in a post-US world. How will Japan respond to a dominant China, when US retreats from the Pacific?
    1
  200. Japanese tourists are terrible too, abroad. And it's your government pushing tourism. But let's face it, there is nothing special about Japan. It's overcrowded with a horrible history in WW2. Japanese workers undecut Western workers and caused closure of Western factories. Japan is not a good friend of the West, Mr Reporter.
    1
  201.  @michaelashby9654 They shouldn't. Nobody should. But tourists being tourists in touristy places is not disrespect. I think you're using a maladjusted not standard version of respect. Tourists are travelers on holiday, they're not at work, they're on holiday, and they come with their own behaviour to enjoy as much as possible in a short a time they have, so they take pictures and maybe occasionally litter, BUT THEY BRING MONEY! Japanese tourists also cause problems for locals when Japanese are the foreigners. But people give tourists a pass unless they are really criminal. In Europe we don't mind if people are a little noisy in tourist places, Japanese should not either, if they want to belong to the civilised world.Tourists only visit less than 1% of a given country unless your country is San Marino, Monaco, Singapore of Vatican City. The Japanese government since their defeat in WW2, has allowed tourism. They promote it. Those Japanese who exaggerate the minor inconveniences of tourists should STFU because they're DISRESPECTFUL to their emperor and his government which wants tourists there. Obey the government.
    1
  202. Japanese are inherently racist. Not all, but at least the ones who make these TV reports and the audiences they pander to. Some even say that when foreigners want to clean up the child abuse comics, it's attacking Japanese child abuse comics, culture.
    1
  203. Keep Japan as it is? You mean keep the child abuse comics... look they banned real child porn at least several years ago. And they still need to apologise for WW2.
    1
  204.  @codesymbi  Thanks to foreigners. Japanese tourists are not the problem. Unless they are being emboldened by Western tourists who do what's allowed everywhere else in the world.
    1
  205. Japan is a country it's best to not visit because I think we Westerners offend Japanese people with our presence and behaviour. We are not as good as them. But we live our little lives in our imperfect countries.
    1
  206.  @darkanghell666  Japanese gov does not have the manners of Europeans. In Europe we can insult foreigners but we at least do it fairly. Japanese will say, all foreigners bad, all locals good. End of story. Europe and the US should sanction Japan. Behave or your Japanese companies are out of our markets. You can see your products to China at 1/10 the price.
    1
  207.  @ImRezaF  In 2023, tourists spent $38.6 BILLION USD in Japan. That's a lot of money for a little trash.
    1
  208.  @ImRezaF  Their debt is 9 trillion USD. Now I don't know how that $4.2 Trillion is calculated and how Japan itself can influence it or it's left to sway in the wind with the others, but 1% of GDP does not come cheap and for little in cost. Never mind that it all adds up to SOFT POWER. And tidying up rubbish would not cost that much. But then ask yourself, do ImRezaF know more than the Japanese government because they are pushing the tourism. By the way Japan sank to No 4 world economy position behind Germany and Germany's economy was already declining.
    1
  209.  @ImRezaF  Because money doesn't come cheap. Did you read what I wrote? Why does the Japanese government promote tourism? Why are you not the Japanese government? I know you're smart and you can work out fractions and yet those Japanese officials won't hire you? Why do you think that's the case? Because maybe that 1.1% adds up? Because maybe to achieve a percent in agriculture you must put in way more? Maybe this is easy money? And why does the fact that others have debt make it fine for Japan to have debt? Do you think Japan likes having this debt?
    1
  210.  @ImRezaF  By the way the US government prints dollars. It can sell its debt. That's why the BRICS are getting peed off.
    1
  211. Some people want tourists to walk on eggshells in Japan.
    1
  212.  @Alpha-Omega-TFOA  Japanese were also a nuisance in 90s and 2000s and we allowed you guys to come. Be tolerant and reciprocate. Ask your parents when they traveled to Europe or US how that was.
    1
  213.  @gotakazawa408  Things will only get worse for Japan as other countries catch up in technology. Already few Japanese products are sold abroad. And once US leaves the Pacific, as is likely, because US is going into isolation phase Japan will be alone to deal with China.
    1
  214.  @cottoncandykawaii2673  Why did they want to host the olympics?
    1
  215.  @cottoncandykawaii2673  LOL? Are you serious? Those corporations employ people. You also invest your savings and retirement savings in these corps. How do you think economies run? LOL. Dude, try to think rationally.
    1
  216.  @sanepillow59  Dude, you're a kid. Countries don't pick and choose. You don't become Samsung by being Sharp. Look at Japan. All their consumer electronics are outpeformed by Koreans and Chinese.
    1
  217. That's nice. In Europe when we see a Thai or a Japanese or Chinese, we assume he is Chinese. We don't even say foreigner, we say Chinese or Asian. And that's that.
    1
  218. But this is exactly what Japanese tourists did or still do abroad. They're also notorious for these tours where they occupy whole busses or take over museums or crowd tourist spots filming everywhere. It seems that as the Yen has gotten cheaper, Japan exports less and now wants to export tourism, some locals are being xenophobic. It's OK if a Japanese abroad does this, but a foreigner in their precious country - oh no! How can they? Well maybe we should stop buying Japanese products? Many already have. Soon Japan will be poor.
    1
  219. Japan, it's not the 1860s anymore. Take Paris and Notre Dame Cathedral. It's a sanctified church and a Mass is conducted all the while tourists stream around the periphery. Strictly speaking for Catholics that's sacrilege but we still permit this or we have to permit this but we don't raise a stink about such things. Japanese have to come to the modern world. Their own tourists also cause problems when they travel in big groups. It's also incredibly inconvenient to have them crowd up places and take pictures and generate queues, but we allow it. We're happy when foreigners come to our world class tourist attractions. Japanese should too. Japanese people: you should obey your emperor and government which promotes tourism. Don't be rowdy and negative. Obey your emperor.
    1
  220. Dude. Japanese government wants tourism. Tourists don't flood all of Japan but only a small number of sites. Less than 1% of Japan is involved in tourism. Japan is about COLLECTIVISM. At the head of their government Japan has their emperor. He and their government have ordained tourism with its ups and downs because they want it that way. Ordinary Japanese who complain are those without consideration and with a lower sense of cohesion. They are the problem. They are more gaijin than Japanese. Obey the Japanese government and the emperor and do it with a smile. That's the true Japanese way. That's Bushido. The rest is weak and not Japanese.
    1