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Be nice to foreigners

36 Comments

A sign at Saitama's J.League club Omiya Ardija tells people not to discriminate against foreigners.

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36 Comments
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I hate this sign. It'd be like having signs in the southern US saying "Love Black People" or signs all over the world saying "Be Friendly to Muslims". All races and persuasions need to be respectful to all other races and persuasions, including their own.

I'm not in love with this sign either. But it is not the same as saying "love black people" or "be friendly to muslims" as you suggest. Those examples specifically mention certain ethnic or religious groups - and ignore the obvious fact that there are many many many "black" and "muslim" citizens in the USA. The sign above lumps everyone who is not a Japanese citizen together.

Why not just say, "Be Respectful to All Fans"

The sign is most likely a response to various incidents in Japan where foreign players (not fans) have been targeted for mockery and abuse. Its a clumsy way to go about it, but I suggest they are trying to be proactive in admonishing their fan base that such behavior will not be tolerated in their stadium.

9 ( +10 / -2 )

I hate this sign. It'd be like having signs in the southern US saying "Love Black People" or signs all over the world saying "Be Friendly to Muslims". All races and persuasions need to be respectful to all other races and persuasions, including their own. Why not just say, "Be Respectful to All Fans"

8 ( +19 / -10 )

I think a more accurate translation would be "Let's get rid of discrimination against foreigners".

7 ( +8 / -1 )

It is of course very nice to be proactive against racial discrimination. So thank you for that ! But at the same time it's really sad that we, as a society, should still have to struggle with these kind of basic issues.

6 ( +6 / -1 )

it is interesting last night i was watching a TV show, where the participants were using artificial big nose while speaking about foreigners, it was very childish and offensive, especially where the people have already criticized a similar commercial, i am always struggling to under understand the jokes of these people. The ignorance of the Japanese society about the foreign culture is horrible. this is very much important if you want to make joke with somebody or with some cultures you should know them first, you should respect them first. and you should have also a stomach if some body make joke with you.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

This good sign is a good sign.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

So by that rational, you'll adopt the approach to non-Japanese people, of which you yourself are one, and give yourself a hard time for being what you are?

How the heck you came to that conclusion is beyond me. No one is condoning racism in any form.

I have spent many years in Japan - wish I had stayed there longer actually - and it is a different culture and a different people. If you want to stay in Japan - like any other place that is not of your own culture - you may want to try and understand them and their customs. No matter how clumsy, this sign is an attempt at showing goodwill.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

We take it for granted that having good manners in J.League club Omiya Ardija!

2 ( +5 / -4 )

That it needs to be said at all is, on its own, a damning enough indictment.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@Harevy, totally agree. We're a species only divided by our own fallacy based prejudices.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I have a better sign idea "Be Nice" Period

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@LeChatBotte

"...like any other place that is not of your own culture - you may want to try and understand them and their customs..."

Having understood, we are then free to live the way our conscience dictates and make a new future with better customs all the way around. Thankfully, there is generally no law against that in Japan. As for that better future, there will be sharp disagreements. But that doesn't mean that there aren't empirical arguments to be made. As for "own culture," it's all just effects. So there will be new effects to the new ways of living that we will create. We may oppose you in the process.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

if a condition of exclusion based on 'race' exists in the place you reside and you 'don't like it' you should move on.

UK9393, I think the emphasis should not be on"move on", but on "Japan is not a racist country". And comparing Japan with USA is not fair because the two countries have totally different histories of foundations.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Seems a lot of people come to Japan harbouring a lot of expectations that are not always met and start lamenting about it.

I have moved - twice - to a foreign country myself and adapted to the local customs. As the saying goes, it's not about what Japan can do for you. Second, you would like for it to improve and are welcome to help the place improve with your own awareness initiatives. If not, like people say here in the US, if you don't like the place, you should go to a place that makes you happier.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Japan in 2014, folks.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

well said, every jleague club should have this

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The "Welcome Foreigner" sign was less offensive than this one. Start by making it a crime to ban entry to foreigners to your business.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

you have a beautiful country and it is a shame not to visit for foreigners

1 ( +2 / -1 )

One doesn't see signs like this, nor are they necessary, in Japan's baseball stadiums. What is it about soccer that brings out the worst in people?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

'My point was, it doesn't say "Be nice...." like some silly kindergarten campaign.

Well, the pictures below the slogan....'

At least there aren't any caricatures with enormous noses, Afros etc. Progress of sorts.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

why Saitama only ? I was discriminated at a stadium in Tokyo. Despite we paid for front row ticket an Idiot ask us to seat on 6th row corner seats. Later we talked to them in Gaijin way and gor our seats. Japan later lost that match.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I't is interesting last night i was watching a TV show, where the participants were using artificial big nose while speaking about foreigners, it was very childish and offensive, especially where the people have already criticized a similar commercial'

Spot on. I would like to add that my Japanese coworkers and friends cringed in embarrassment when they saw a respected Japanese company using such idiotic stereotypes. Moronic late night TV delivers what you'd expect. It seems many childish and insular people love to accentuate ( often offensively to some ) the differences between Japanese people and 'outsiders' - be they cultural, linguistic or physical. Elementary school stuff. Not all Japanese people have this perspective and those who do are frankly a waste of time and energy for non-Japanese living here. In my experience they are not worth speaking to. There are plenty of grown-up, worthwhile people here.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

the participants were using artificial big nose while speaking about foreigners

Ali Khan, They meant well. How do you suppose they should change their faces when they wanted to play roles of westerners? I think many Asians have cosmetic surgeries to get a westerner's nose.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Yes be nice to FOREIGNERS or they will leave your soccer teams and see how well you can do without any good, decent soccer players from ALL OVER THE WORLD.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

At least they have admitted it is a problem

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nice to know. Omiya Ardija is my favourite Japanese side.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

PC Police whine so much over small things.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Lechat: So by that rational, you'll adopt the approach to non-Japanese people, of which you yourself are one, and give yourself a hard time for being what you are? WOW! That's dedication to prejudice of self. I disagree with bigotry based on any one of those indicators some others like to make themselves feel better by. It's fallacy based in fear and ignorance. The wider the group we belong to, the bigger our tents the better the world is for it. Spread the word. Don't hide in the dark.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

The Cat

like people say here in the US, if you don't like the place, you should go to a place that makes you happier.

When you write this, well, one can only conclude that you are advocating that if a condition of exclusion based on 'race' exists in the place you reside and you 'don't like it' you should move on. That's supporting the act by inaction. I am glad Martin Luther King had no such aptitude to fall silent. The US, where I have lived, is the last place on earth that would see people move on due to prejudice, the American people I know from the US fight injustice tooth and nail, no WAY do they slink of into the night.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

A country with a monolithic culture is going to be non sensitive to any other culture than their own. Even in Japan today if you are born in the country and speak the language and have one or two foreign parents or lets say one parent who is 100% Japanese that kid will never be accepted because his or her face or hair looks different and it starts in preschool all the way to the work place and this is total discrimination but most Japanese don't see it that way because they are Japanese and its a monolithic culture that excludes anything outside of it weather you were born their and speak the language and you have one foreign parent you don't fit in and you are NEVER FULLY ACCEPTED JUST TOLERATED this is why they can make big nose jokes because they don't understand it.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@Tina, you can not live in a bubble such as that, Japan has racists that are Japanese, you can not hide or refute this fact. There will be, for the foreseable future, a percentage of racists in most every place where there is a human population. THAT includes Japan. Just ask the Ryukyuan people or the Ainu, for starters.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

What they don't seem to get is that the existence of signs like these not only puts the fact of the societal problem of inherent racism on display, but it only enforces by failing to address the problem. By saying, "Be nice to foreigners" or "don't discriminate against foreigners" it automatically sets up an 'us and them' mentality, not an all-inclusive 'us' -- in this case, fans in general. Why not "Be nice to one another"? or "Let's not harass each other"? It's self-defeating because it asks Japanese people to treat non-Japanese in a certain way BECAUSE they are non-Japanese.

-5 ( +6 / -10 )

It is of course very nice to be proactive against racial discrimination. So thank you for that ! But at the same time it's really sad that we, as a society, should still have to struggle with these kind of basic issues.

Milanese -- how in the world is having a sign like this in the year 2014, in a supposedly "International country" being "proactive". Horse left the barn a long time ago on discrimination in Japan, and it is the worse off for it.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

Way to go! Japanese government should also step up and listen to the UN. "The UN's human-rights committee demanded that Japan add hate speech to legislation banning racial discrimination."

I think hate speeches are legal only in Japan. Are there any country that overlooks hate speech?

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Well as long as people don't discriminate at Saitama's J.league club Omiya Ardija all is well! They can do their discrimination all over the other parts of japan right. ?

-10 ( +3 / -11 )

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