In Japan, pandemic brings outbreaks of bullying, ostracism

where's all the omotenashi propaganda now?

Sad to hear of your these things happening. Could media driven hysteria be ramping up the worst side of human nature? I think so.

Japanese society simply refuses to change. This culture of blame, bullying, and ostracision should have ended already: too much to ask, clearly.

Such a backward culture. In every way it's always "us v them."

If such activities are rampant, then sad when compared to many other societies and for Japan, where sharing and helping as when in Fukushima disaster was the exemplary spirit of the Japanese people.

@zichiMay

"Quite the opposite to countries like the UK, with the nation once a week coming out to applaud the health service. People there have raised millions of yen for the health service."

Although what you stated is somewhat true, there has been bullying/physical abuse of medical workers in the UK:

~ "Spat at and called a "virus spreader", Amy Hall went out to buy her mum flowers for Mother’s Day, only to face abuse for working on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis..."

(Full story here: ~ https://youtu.be/swZDqmXlJyo )

This will be so stupid when they roll out antibody tests that show probably a huge majority of people were already infected with the virus in the past. I mean come on, we had a huge influx of Chinese nationals every month until the ban, and packed trains with no testing and no state of emergency until March....come on...most people were probably already Infected. Hell I had a strange sudden super high fever in January for 5 days, went and got tested for both influenza strains, was negative, and just recovered. People need to understand, lockdown or no lockdown, if the data is accurate, you can't avoid catching this thing.

Bullying in Japan?! That can’t be possible given how often in my decade here I’ve had Japanese people make the blanket statement that, “We Japanese are polite and courteous.”

lol so true.....

As a white guy visiting Japan I do sort of stick out. On a few occasions waiting at a crosswalk or riding the JR Yamanote a few business people have actually switched from Japanese to English to make rude remarks about me - I just kept quiet and ignored them. I love Japan and their people and can't wait to travel back but it has sort of tarnished the wonderful image I had of Tokyo.

Ignorance and lack of empathy at its finest. A lot of countries suffer for this nowadays, in my country people don't want to get involved with nothing and no one with covid 19, I heard on news how doctors and nurses are being banned from their homes by their neighbors, buses transportating patients and personal being assaulted by people throwing stones, is just insane how people can do to reject all of this.

I cannot beleive what am reading here. Most of these people, that is, the nurses, doctors and other health workers spend countless hours countering the spread of C-19, keeping us safe and attending the sick, instead they face discrimination and stigmatizaion?? When or if we get sick THEY are the ones to attend to us and we despise them and their families??

These people at the front line need a standing ovation for their sacrifices and the beautiful job they are doing.

My question is: If Japanese can behave like this to their fellow citizens, what would be the scenario against foreigners??

It is time for Japanese people to revist some of their cultures which I may say do not fit in the present world and are backward.

This is one of the reasons we have an ever increasing cases of "hikikumori" or "social withdrawal", suicides, DV against infants and parents.......

@vinke

3K is きつい(demanding/hard), 汚い(dirty),危険(dangerous) basically something like construction work.

It has nothing to do with bullying or discrimination though. People don't want to have 3K Job because it is tough and wage is not high, that doesn't mean construction workers are discriminated against.

Odd that not a single poster has stated this. Also, your liked article in no way supports your implied assertion.

Presenting straw man arguments is always the first response from those who are emotionally driven and who have an intellectually weak case. They often spend far more time imagining what the other side believe and making it evermore extreme in their heads rather than actually finding out what the views are.

Bullying is very bad problem, however, comparing with that poor people in U.K and U.S are easy to die during the novel virus, bullying is not so serious matter.

Unfortunately this is a sad side of the Japanese culture, happened to many in Fukushima after the meltdown, but not well published. Lack of mental health workers and also the the shame factor.

Imagine what it will be like for Chinese tourists when they get back here.

I reckon by then Japan will be absolutely starving for their cash so most people won’t do a thing. The morons in the black vans wearing western clothes, however, are a different story. (It cracks me up that those imbeciles are all about “preserving” Japan but embrace almost all things western.)

Imagine what it will be like for Chinese tourists when they get back here.

However, this is an article about Japan so I guess it is cool for brownie points and being popular to call corona bullying exclusive to Japan.

Which nobody has done.

> And for our American friends that continue to believe and state that Japan is a more 'racist' and 'xenophobic' country than America:

https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/21/21221007/anti-asian-racism-coronavirus

Odd that not a single poster has stated this. Also, your liked article in no way supports your implied assertion.

Hate crimes based on coronavirus in Japan are exceptionally low compared to other countries that were hard hit by the coronavirus, especially countries like Italy and the United States. You simply cannot ignore factual statistical numbers and verifiable anecdotes, no matter how hard you may want to try.

I'll accept your data on hate crimes - I know that there has been a nasty spike in the UK directed at Asian people.

However, this is different to the type of bullying and harassment that you get in Japan where those who should be applause are shamed and shunned along with their families. And as the article highlights, this has a long history in Japan.

If you seek to dismiss by responding, "yeah, but other countries have problems too" you will never learn.

So I suggest that the Japanese focus on the type of bullying that is endemic in its country and work out how to address it, rather than responding "yeah, but".

Other countries will continue to address the problems that they face.

In America Republican's are threatening the lives of healthcare workers, so it's not just Japan, it's the world. I truly believe that the internet has fed the bullies of today, being able to sit in your home and post whatever you want makes it so easy to be a bully. I've seen many sites that are filled with nothing but people picking on others just because they can.

People who have had this virus should be made to fill like everyone has your back, to make sure that the world is rooting for you, not shunning them or making fun of them or worse, threatening them. As one scientist has said, "it's the people who have the virus today and survive that make is that we can make a cure in the future!"

Good luck to all and please stay safe and most important BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER!

bec

Is it specifically Japanese?

Actually yes it is. The mob mentality is very strong here and if you do not see that you either do not live here or have not been here long enough to notice.

カドノアリサ様,

状況をお伝えいただきありがとうございます。

宜しくお願い致します。

Dear Arisa Kadono,

Thank you speaking out.

Please take care.

@Tom

Here is the loss of taste and smell information.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200413132809.htm

I have a guy working for me whose wife is a nurse in Chiba ken. They are getting a hard time (unfortunately). They were having a really hard time getting protective equipment for a while and his main concern was that.

There is still alot to learn about this terrible virus. These are strange times!

Not one person in this string has explained, or given a link about how someone with a lift fever and claimed to lost smell...what about taste by the way...how did they get a test as the daughter of a bar owner...not a high class restaurant, not a Michelin Star venue, not a famous talent...how did she get the test? What about her parents? The other workers?

This to me and tons of others on line is quite typically fake news fodder.

my eye doctor and dermatologist in Tokyo cannot get tests. This feels like someone writing something to bring up the personal bullying that occurs all over Japan with kids, the schools, the workplace and to the public by the politicians and bureaucrats.

We need actual proof that this simple woman was able to get tested yet us others, including doctors etc., cannot.

Feel free to vote me down, but read between the lines.

Yes, bullying Is evil, but I don’t believe this story.

My opinion only

@InspectorGadget

Good examples of those who are shunned include the those holding 3K jobs (dirty, dangerous, demeaning), mental illness and the family member of those who suffer from them, victims of crime, the Ainu community and less so now, those engaged in leatherwork or the funeral industry etc.

Yeah. This just baffles me. I see the people doing the dirty&dangerous jobs as actually quite brave and strong, the people with mental illness & victims of crime should just be able to get help and be understood, and then, the Ainu - I've never been able to understand why they're shunned in Japan. I think their culture is so fascinating, the crafts etc. they produce are incredibly beautiful. I have nothing than respect for them. I wish some Japanese reading these comments could shed some light into the reasons why people in these aforementioned groups are discriminated against?

@savethegaijin

Did I read this correctly...

So there's another story right next to this one, speaking of a shortage of hospital beds...

But the woman in the article had a fever for one day and a loss of smell and was hospitalized for three whole weeks.

Meanwhile last week we had stories of hospitals turning away stroke and heart attack victims because of the fear of covid/lack of beds. That woman could have easily gotten over it at home, three weeks in a hospital???

As far as I've understood, there's a law in Japan requiring the hospitalisation of anyone found with a highly contagious disease/virus, despite how strong or weak the symptoms may be. This could also be one reason why there's so little testing, and why others are turned away from hospitals.

It really doesn't take much in Japan for Japanese people to bully someone. The wind blowing or the sun rising would be enough to cause bullying and ostracism.

Bullying in Japan Reaches Highest Level on Record

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/76/

Bullying, ostracism and malicious gossip are forever in the gut of Japanese social life. It is no surprise that the pandemic is bringing out the worst in seemingly ordinary people. Bullying medical personnel and patients is only going to make the pandemic worse. The last thing anyone needs is harassment. A final thought. The pandemic is ubiquitous. It can easily bring down the bullies and gossips.

Tokyo-EngrToday 12:36 pm JST

Haha - I know this is the internet and facts may not matter....but downvoted for showing a fact ??? (Abe's acknowledgment of health care workers)

Come on......if you are against someone making outright false statements is not the best way to bring people over to your point of view.....

Not only did Abe acknowledge the health workers, he also supported the WHO. That makes him better than the buffoons in the White House and 10 Downing Street.

It seems his handlers have upped their game since that hideous "home video".

@starpunk.......fully agree

Tokyo-EngrToday 07:30 am JSTAnyone who insults a nurse now is subhuman and a coward.

Those 'protestor' zeros in America have been harassing nurses too, claiming the virus is 'made up'. They are idiots!

Haha - I know this is the internet and facts may not matter....but downvoted for showing a fact ??? (Abe's acknowledgment of health care workers)

Come on......if you are against someone making outright false statements is not the best way to bring people over to your point of view.....

I feel even better about tipping our grocery and bento delivery people now. I realize it's a non-tipping culture. But, I present it as a gift to thank them for their hard work during the health crisis.

fillmore2

If you want to blame someone, blame your ...... government, and PM Abe, not her, not those who are infected...

And employers who insist that their workers come in each day (fortunately, I'm not employed by such).

Additionally (not in reply to fillmore), other countries experiencing "bullying" of any sort related to COVID-19, does not invalidate the issues Japan has with bullying.

may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic.

perhaps being rejected over and over again for testing is what is discouraging people from seeking out help?

@kurisupisuToday

I’ve yet to see PM Abe publicly thank nurses and doctors in Japan-why is that?I

He actually has. I have seen him do this several times during his press conferences on TV (was in Japanese).

It was the first thing he did in his speech April 7 (English translation below)

https://japan.kantei.go.jp/98_abe/statement/202004/_00001.html

I am not a fan of Abe but I actually heard him thank the health care workers on more than one occasion.

This is just sad and heartbreaking.

Nurses and doctors are the people putting their lives' at risk and they are suffering for it.

And it is not limited to Japan but happening the world over!

And my sympathies with Arisa, she works in a high risk environment and got infected for no fault of hers.

Loss of smell and a low grade temperature! Something seems off here. Major sick people cannot get tested...so how can the daughter of a bar owner get a test?

How do we call this comment? Is it a more subtle form of bullying?

If you have nothing to say against the content of a message start questioning its trues or the motives of the messenger.

While I condone neither, I would say the events described in this story slightly differ to attacks on Chinese in other countries. This "othering" is of members of the same community. The attacks on Chinese at least have a context of underlying racism and politicians, talking heads, etc. blaming China for the virus. This willingness of some Japanese to become judge and jury over members of their own community with no outside encouragement is actually quite frightening.

Ever try wearing something a little different our out of the ordinary in the US? You get mocking comments and sarcasm left and right from people to your face.

I must say I have never encountered anything but positivity from Japanese about all the hobbies and activities I have tried during my time here. This lack of mocking gives you a real sense of freedom.

Back when I was sick with what may have been Corona, when I finally decided to go to the hospital because my symptoms became too unbearable and my breathing was just too difficult, my wife's friend told me that if I were hospitalized or confirmed to have Corona (didn't qualify for testing even with pneumonia), that I shouldn't mention her name because she needs to keep her job. So I can believe the article that some won't seek medical attention.

*look at

You only have to log at how cruel and heartless Japanese were during the war. These character traits still remain, to an extent.

I never understand these types of reactions from the Japanese people, lack of empathy.

Just as you (us) will never understand some strange, cold responses in lots of occasions, even after living here for a decade or so.

"first world" Japan ≠ white, europe, west

No country is perfect but the dummy things some Japanese adults make me question their integrity all the time!!How do they except the students to understand that bullying isn’t a good thing while they are the ones leading the line?This is disgusting!!

I’ve yet to see PM Abe publicly thank nurses and doctors in Japan-why is that?

Bullying in Japan? Never!

Quite the opposite to countries like the UK, with the nation once a week coming out to applaud the health service.

Yeah, quite the opposite. Verbal and physical bashings towards anyone looking Chinese or remotely East Asian and those with Chinese friends have soared in the UK. This includes SE Asian nurses working for the NHS. Ironic given that some of the perpetrators would previously have had words like 'terrorist' or 'Ebola' thrown at them.

Japan is certainly not the only country where medics are ostracised and threatened because of the virus.

Many French people applaud doctors and nurses every night at 8 in the streets of Paris, but others have the

same hateful irrational behaviour that is described in this paper. The offenders should be treated with utmost

severity.

And for our American friends that continue to believe and state that Japan is a more 'racist' and 'xenophobic' country than America:

https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/21/21221007/anti-asian-racism-coronavirus

Again, bullying is hardly unique to Japan or worse than many other industrialized nations, in regards to coronavirus especially. While I'm not saying bullying doesn't exist in Japan, and never have, I am not one to single out Japan in particular as 'worse' than other countries. Hate crimes based on coronavirus in Japan are exceptionally low compared to other countries that were hard hit by the coronavirus, especially countries like Italy and the United States. You simply cannot ignore factual statistical numbers and verifiable anecdotes, no matter how hard you may want to try.

"We Japanese are polite and courteous.”

I too am extraordinarily humble.

A group-centered culture is more susceptible to bullying. And as even Seiji Ozawa points out, the nail that stands out tends to get hammered down.

I know this gets lobbed at Japan all the time, but the US has it too. Ever try wearing something a little different our out of the ordinary in the US? You get mocking comments and sarcasm left and right from people to your face.

A veteran nurse in the northern island of Hokkaido said the mother of one of her coworkers was suspended from work. The husband of another was told at a job interview he wouldn't be hired because of his wife’s job.

I find that this sentence tells it all. If you know Japan well, you would understand right way that it summarizes so well what Japan's society really is and its oppressive nature.

Random acts of hatred. Omotenashi. The paradox that is Japan. 

Omotenashi is purely business to sell a service. This is money motivated. There isn't any sincere part in it.

Japanese need to learn to respect one another. It is uncivilized as a society to treat others less fortunate than themselves in this way.

Furthermore, Japanese are extremely xenophobic as well, and in order to gain acceptance from the international community this needs to stop.

Ok so what I get from the Japan apologists is that when a positive thing is said about Japan, they call out loud the Japanese uniqueness. But otherwise, they would insist on saying that other counties have the same issue. Hypocrisy at its best.

And I don't even see what's the news here. Anyone having lived here long enough with an objective view and who knows Japan's past is not surprised to know that there are a lot of, oh yeah a lot terrible individuals in this country who hide behind fake smiles and literally have serious mental issues.

now you can understand why the real number of infected people is hidden. people prefer to hide than facing bullying and discrimination.

Either way, most people wouldn't get tested under Japan's stringent testing rules. So it'd be a waste of time and energy to even try.

stop blaming her and people who are infected, who's fault is this?

when government test so few,and the virus infection spread all over Japan,

those people who faces the public will get infected, and then they get bullying again,

If you want to blame someone, blame your ...... government, and PM Abe, not her, not those who are infected,

I know pandemic brings out the worst in people,but this is not acceptable,

Ok, let me know if this comments are out of the bounds again?

"Apart from a fever on the first day and a loss of smell, Kadono had no major symptoms", and she was in the hospital for three weeks??

Bullying is the culture here. But I feel people here may not be so forward in asking about someones personal business but they sure like to gossip about it.

Random acts of hatred. Omotenashi. The paradox that is Japan. Shoganai. Sigh.....

Did I read this correctly...

So there's another story right next to this one, speaking of a shortage of hospital beds...

But the woman in the article had a fever for one day and a loss of smell and was hospitalized for three whole weeks.

Meanwhile last week we had stories of hospitals turning away stroke and heart attack victims because of the fear of covid/lack of beds. That woman could have easily gotten over it at home, three weeks in a hospital???

Japan can be a really COLD\DARK place for far too many of its people...…..this article reflects badly on the dark aspects of J-society....

Japan must do MUCH better with respect to ijime, this is just awful on so so many levels & nationwide 24\7\365!

And while we are at it we need to fix aspects of sempi-kohai & the ole  uchi-soto thingy!!

Quite the opposite to countries like the UK, with the nation once a week coming out to applaud the health service. People there have raised millions of yen for the health service.I never understand these types of reactions from the Japanese people, lack of empathy.

ALL 130 million people of Japan lack empathy? ALL UK residents applaud health services once a week? Or do you have an issue using "many" or "some" in your wording?

That's in that kind of situation we recognize who are the smart and clever people.

But when the media will also stop to fuel fear for 24 hours a day about corona, things will start to change.

Funnily enough, my husband was messaging a friend yesterday, who casually mentioned his wife, a nurse, was getting some grief from the neighbours about bringing the virus into the street. When my husband asked why he was being so blasé about it, his friend told him it had happened before, when other infections, like measles, were prevalent.

Really? Because in my country,Italy which was hardly hit by this tragedy we all stand united with our health system,we praise and respect our doctors and nurses and we treat them like heroes rather than bully them.

As you want to compare Italy to Japan, there were many incidents of racist xenophobia and attacks against others because of the coronavirus panic. This article doesn't solely focus on bullying against healthcare workers. No nation has been perfect in its attitudes towards either healthcare workers or civilians.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51370822

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-prompts-hysterical-shameful-sinophobia-italy-200218071444233.html

now you can understand why the real number of infected people is hidden. people prefer to hide than facing bullying and discrimination.

Is it specifically Japanese? I've heard similar stories out of Russia, Poland, India, Korea, HK and China. In relation to covid-19 that is.

I was just talking to my dad yesterday and he was talking about the same exact thing happening in the U.S. One of my family's favorite Chinese restaurants' owner was beaten up while he was entering his shop early in the morning. After he got up, he saw his shop ransacked with graffiti painted all over the wall talking about coronavirus.

Another person with coronavirus had all house windows and car damaged because the neighborhood found out he had it.

However, this is an article about Japan so I guess it is cool for brownie points and being popular to call corona bullying exclusive to Japan.

sorry it is time to wake up from Disneyland trip! bullying and discrimination is JAPANESE culture. the worse is that this VIRUS is man made for evil purpose. fight back with light!

@vanityofvanities

You do realize that what you write is just as bad as those who say "all Japanese" are this way against nurses or COVID victims right?

a culture that rejects anything deemed to be alien, unclean or troublesome

Yet even now a peek into Mr. Donut shows customers grabbing their own donuts, with a flimsy plastic cover the only change.

The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers.

This is sad but not surprising.

The thin arguments that this behavior is not to be brought out and ended is medieval!

I cannot believe that this type of behavior continues! Instead of giving support, caring, and listening to scientists! Does anyone believe people wish this on themselves! Learn from New York City as an example. They cheer the healthcare professionals and celebrate every patient who leaves COVID 19 free!

Discrimination is a human nature. It is everywhere. I used to work at an American company. Inside the office, racism was strictly controlled, and I did not feel much prejudice. One day I was walking a street after work and I came across an American with whom I worked together. I greeted him smilingly but he ignored me. I experienced the same thing with a female American too. I never went to America in my life. So I decided at that time. It is not good for me spend a lot of money travelling to America and meet discriminations.

This problem is happening in many countries. That's a fact

Japan really ought to get itself into counselling to start treatment for multiple personality disorder.

On the one hand, it’s all manners, politeness, omotenashi, political correctness, and neutrality.

Below that facade, there’s a whole lot of bullying, harassment, passive aggressiveness, and opinionated a-holes.

While both of those things can definitely exist at the same time for some individuals, it becomes more problematic when it defines a whole culture.

Sure, you quickly learn when people are being genuine, and when they aren’t, but that’s no consolation to anyone on the receiving end of all the negative stuff.

People who are sick, or disabled, or mentally ill, should not be treated as outcasts. Neither should their families feel any shame, or regret, or that they are causing trouble for society.

Now nurses, who are trying to help people, and business owners who have been affected by a virus, are being targeted with the same kind of brush.

Just be nice to people. Try and understand the issues, show a bit of empathy, and be genuinely nice.

I think you can have a bullying culture without it automatically extending to blame the victim like this.

The word I would use for this kind of behaviour is "backward". Many cultures have a history of burning witches or having freak shows in the circus or shunning lepers, but have moved on from such things, partially thanks to science and rationality, possibly even Christian morality too. Looking upon others as unclean is clearly backward.

For a society like Japan that is ageing and runs to the doctors at the slightest sniffle to shun nurses is two-faced beyond belief.

Japan has really got to get control of its bullying culture.

Is it specifically Japanese? I've heard similar stories out of Russia, Poland, India, Korea, HK and China. In relation to covid-19 that is.

What says is still true and he didn’t say it was only Japan.

Apart from fear of infection, experts say the prejudice against those even indirectly associated with the illness also stems from deeply rooted ideas about purity and cleanliness in a culture that rejects anything deemed to be alien, unclean or troublesome.

> Prejudice against those not viewed as mainstream or “pure"

That is the reason or excuse for many of Japan's social issues!

@hiragino4410; You said:

Every country has its share of stupid people. There are also good people in Japan who praise health workers in Japan.

I would like to modify what you said. I believe that most people in Japan praise the health workers here (literally all that I deal with or I am friends with do so).

Unfortunately everywhere the loudest and most obnoxious get in the news (the squeaky wheel gets the oil as we used to say)

Different countries, different cultures! Which is normal. But this just strengthens my opinion of the shallowness of MANY (not all) of the Japanese people. You can see it here, in the shops, in the parks, public places. STAY HOME was the ‘request’ by the Japanese Government. Maybe many have, but from my living room window I can see hundreds, everyday ignoring the ‘request’. Now bullying of front line workers and people who have gotten sick! Come on Japan where is your sense of empathy! Stop being so selfish and thinking rules don’t apply to you.

National and global crises often bring out the best in people... But they always bring out the worst too.

William77

Really? Because in my country,Italy which was hardly hit by this tragedy we all stand united with our health system,we praise and respect our doctors and nurses and we treat them like heroes rather than bully them.

Every country has its share of stupid people. There are also good people in Japan who praise health workers in Japan.

大分）医療従事者らに拍手で感謝　中津市役所

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN586T1NN58TPJB001.html

石川）新型コロナ治療に奮闘の医療従事者へ感謝の拍手

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN4T6VTVN4SPISC015.html

In Japan, pandemic brings outbreaks of bullying, ostracism - more than usual.

@Akie

Wrong correlation. The relationships between bullies and liars are the positive one.

This is an interesting observation you make. I like some of your observations. However this seems like something that would evolve from the CCP.

What one should ask those who bully nurses is;

"Who do you expect to take care of you if, God forbid, you get this virus?"

Not only is it cowardice to bully in this way but it also completely illogical and demonstrates levels of ignorance beyond belief.

oldman_13Today  07:28 am JST

Of course the media loves to sensationalize these sorts of things, what country hasn't experienced their share of people being bullied from coronavirus, such as hate crimes and assaults (cough, United States, cough cough).

Time to reopen the world, enough is enough.

Really? Because in my country,Italy which was hardly hit by this tragedy we all stand united with our health system,we praise and respect our doctors and nurses and we treat them like heroes rather than bully them.

This morning I saw how a young female bar owner who wasn't allowing customers in the bar because of the lockdown, but she was having live-streaming events in the bar where she could communicate with customers, and people could offer donations.

She was terrorized by what the police assume are Japanese suspects. They spray painted and put something disgusting on her door locks.

So what happened to "One team" slogan??? Just a load of hot air...

I read this yesterday on another news source and many people were wondering how she got tested in Japan with only two symptoms.

Loss of smell and a low grade temperature! Something seems off here. Major sick people cannot get tested...so how can the daughter of a bar owner get a test?

This is Japan.... nothing changes here unless forced from the outside.

Apart from fear of infection, experts say the prejudice against those even indirectly associated with the illness also stems from deeply rooted ideas about purity and cleanliness in a culture that rejects anything deemed to be alien, unclean or troublesome.

Prejudice against those not viewed as mainstream or “pure

The above paragraphs sums up the mentality of most Japanese people.If they can discriminate against their own including the very nurses and doctors who risk and put their lives on the line to save the sick,what about you as a gaijin?

For those gaijin that look into retiring here after years of paying into the pension scam,good luck with that.Wait and see if there'll be anyone to take care of you.

>

Mizuame said "A group-centered culture is more susceptible to bullying. "

Wrong correlation. The relationships between bullies and liars are the positive one.

A group-centered culture is more susceptible to bullying. And as even Seiji Ozawa points out, the nail that stands out tends to get hammered down.

Pandemic bullying ? Japan isn't even close. Wrong govt.

Notive the article didn’t say the government was doing the bullying?

What do you mean ? Is it super human if you do it later time ?

The poster means that bullying nurses at any point is unacceptable, but doing it now when nurses are risking their lives to save other people from the coronavirus is particularly egregious.

We should be out thanking everyone working to keep our daily necessities accessible. Shame on all you who are speaking ill of those who are putting their life on the line for us, for you, for me, for my family, for my friends, for my neighbors! Shame on the bullied! No one asks to be infected and you can take all the precautions you want and still wind up being infected. Don't bully! Sympathy is what is needed.

these sorts of things, what country hasn't experienced their share of people being bullied from coronavirus, such as hate crimes and assaults (cough, United States, cough cough).

Yeah, it’s definitely the media sensationalizing things and not actually what’s happening. Why do you have such a difficult time accepting that Japan is not the perfect place you imagine it to be?

In my area, according the neighbours gossip, there are 3 people who were tested positiv about 4 weeks ago. The gossip at that time was crazy! But no bullying gossip. It was opposite. It was a concerned gossip.

But now 4 weeks later, nobody knows what happen to those 3 people. Are they recovered?

And no gossip or news anymore.

I want to know, why do we never hear when people recovered?

Anyone who insults a nurse now is subhuman and a coward.

Pandemic bullying ? Japan isn't even close. Wrong govt.

Of course the media loves to sensationalize these sorts of things, what country hasn't experienced their share of people being bullied from coronavirus, such as hate crimes and assaults (cough, United States, cough cough).

Time to reopen the world, enough is enough.

Is it specifically Japanese?

Of course not. But Japan had a bullying culture way before covid19.

I totally don't get it. People should feel compassion and empathy over what these people had been through and yet their first instinct is to ostracize and discriminate? Why? Makes no sense!

Fear and ignorance often turns to alienation, hatred, discrimination and violence. Dealing with the virus is hard enough, add in the human factor and things will be exponentially harder to solve.

Bullying in Japan?! That can’t be possible given how often in my decade here I’ve had Japanese people make the blanket statement that, “We Japanese are polite and courteous.”

Michel ReizigerToday  06:58 am JST

Mirai HayashiToday 06:36 am JST

Japan has really got to get control of its bullying culture.

Is it specifically Japanese? I've heard similar stories out of Russia, Poland, India, Korea, HK and China. In relation to covid-19 that is.

No it's not specifically related to Japan, although it does seem to be very much more pronounced here. Japan has a long history of being very protective of the community, while shunning anything which could be a perceived threat or has any kind of air of shame.

Good examples of those who are shunned include the those holding 3K jobs (dirty, dangerous, demeaning), mental illness and the family member of those who suffer from them, victims of crime, the Ainu community and less so now, those engaged in leatherwork or the funeral industry etc.

Add to that, the added ability of internet trolls to anonymously reach out and target people from anywhere, and you have a situation in Japan where people can be easily be re-victimised through no fault of their own.

There is a culture of bullying in Japan even at the work place. Children will do stupid things at school if no one is watching but Adults at the workplace? Awful !!

Why on earth do people want to insult nurses. They are the one trying to save people. In other countries there is high respect for the welfare sector. What happened to the Japanese honor and proud? Does people who do this should be fined or something else. But I'm sure when they get sick they will cry for help from a doctor or nurse.

The pandemic has only aggravated and brought to the forefront all of the existing social ills. Bullying is nothing new in Japan as many readers on this site well know. Japan's feeble attempts to deal with bullying has always been typically too little too late and abe's comments are laughable since his administration has had innumerable cases of bullying prior to this pandemic.

This is really bad and it is happening all over Japan. People need to calm down. All I can think of is "I hope one day they will on the receiving side of some kind of bullying, maybe they will understand it and see how hurtful they were."

Mirai HayashiToday 06:36 am JST

Japan has really got to get control of its bullying culture.

Is it specifically Japanese? I've heard similar stories out of Russia, Poland, India, Korea, HK and China. In relation to covid-19 that is.

Some nurses are unwelcome at restaurants they usually eat at. Some are rejected by taxi drivers.

[...]

The nurses, both assigned to COVID-19 patients, were staying at hotels to protect their families 

Fear is the worst enemy of mankind, irrational fear of course. It makes humans to show the worst of themselves. Thank you for the thorough report. It's sad. For other reasons, I was also bullied in my life (27 and with high magnification glasses). I think, again, that fear, and above all, misinformation (which is huge in this pandemic) and ignorance are the second enemies in this scenario.

Japan has really got to get control of its bullying culture.