RH comments

I imagine they have a team telling them whether it’s appropriate to mask or not. Any real mask criticism should be directed at Kishida. Keep your eye on his foreign mask-less adventures, whilst he stops tourist enter as they won’t follow the rules. Dooming many small businesses that relied on tourism. I’m sure theyll tax us all to give to large tourism firms that support the LDP later, look forward to that then.

@letsberealistic

Do you expect people to be completely unbiased towards non Japanese?

Yes, 100%. 

I know that they do not at all

and that’s my point.

I agree that it would be wonderful if we could all approach each other in a completely unbiased manner. I understand it feels horrible to be treated differently for appearing foreign. Before opening your mouth you have been assessed as “a foreigner” (whatever that may be). Your desire for a completely unbiased (on physical attributes) society sounds lovely. But also naive and childish. We have adapted a biased approach over millennia because it is effective to a point. Maybe not so much going forwards (one would hope) but has been the difference between life and death for our ancestors. You should consider that you are part of a lineage that has been biased (based on physical attributes) to a point and that is why you are alive today (all your ancestors lived).

I am not saying that is correct or even appropriate anymore but just saying that it should be expected as part of human nature (currently). We can’t just suddenly restructure our hard wired responses.

My point would be that we take that into consideration and rather than fan the flames of hatred and hold high our signs saying “racist!” we act appropriately and respond in a manner that improves the situation for foreigners being unfairly discriminated against because of their appearance.

The US and UK provide excellent examples of how NOT to handle this. One would hope that in Japan the community could learn from the experience of external groups and take a far more intelligent approach.

@letsberealistic

Do you expect people to be completely unbiased towards non Japanese?

Considering the Japanese population is almost entirely Japanese I’m confused as to what lack of common sense would expect anymore to not have to experience a certain amount of racial profiling as a foreigner. The article contains a severe lack of decent data and stats. Especially on crime in the areas involved and what the expectations of a police office might be. Maybe approaching the problem like grown ups and being reasonable about expectations, rather than writing to entice rage and division would be better.