Foreigners

Gaikokujin

The post-WWII terms forced both foreigners and foreign investment into Japan. While there was a degree of Westernization previously during the Meiji Restoration, it came too with the forced end of isolation. Japan to this day faces a thread of resentment towards foreign countries deciding its destiny; however, that is not to say it's entirely unwelcome.

Japanese business fully appreciates foreign investment opportunities and their entry in other markets worldwide. The bubble economy of the 80's drove so much development in Japan as a result of this. However, while Japan appreciates foreigners for their business, the overwhelming cultural belief is that foreigners are not and cannot ever be Japanese. Though today the polite and more common word for foreigners is 'gaikokujin,' basically meaning 'person/people from another country,' there are still those who refer to them as 'gaijin,' literally meaning 'outsiders.' Immigrants from other Asian countries, no matter how well they integrate, will always be considered 'less than' them. This is in part due to the grudges held by both sides for the conflicts of the 20th century.

Westerners face separate challenges. Tourism is of course welcomed, so long as they can show respect and behave in the face of a more collectivist culture. However, immigration in the long term can receive more mixed receptions. More recently, the behavior of social media influencers from the West disrespecting cultural sites for clicks has caused a downward swing of cultural attitudes towards tourism, however this trend is not one that would be reflected in the Japan of 2012 that we see on Velvet Room MUSH.

Younger Japanese tend to be more welcoming of foreigners, but older generations are often skeptical without proof an individual is trying to integrate. Some small businesses put up the signs 'Japanese Only' in part because they don't want to deal with the idea of unruly foreigners who don't know the customs or the language. As another example, immigrants may have a difficult time finding housing because of beliefs Japanese citizens might hold on whether non-Japanese can sort their garbage properly.

Half-Japanese

Interracial marriage is more likely to happen in the modern era than it was previously, but it too can be stigmatized. Many families pressure their children to marry someone who is Japanese in order to make certain any progeny engage with society properly.

Half-Japanese or 'hafu' face their own challenges. Many of them were raised in Japan, fully know the language and the cultural customs, but face stigmas and stereotypes for having different hair or skin colors. A woman that looks 'white' might be expected to know perfect English when she might have only spoken Japanese her whole life. Girls with blonde hair might be pressured by school rules to dye their hair black so as not to stand out in their school system.

Bullying is common in Japanese schools towards hafu, because to stand out in a collectivist society means you are not being a part of it correctly. To quote a common Japanese idiom, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down (出る杭は打たれる).