On Sunday, 6 May 2012 12:58:26 UTC+10, mtfe...@netMAPSONscape.net  wrote:
> http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120501ad.html

I knew who the author would be, the moment  saw the
URL.

> 1) Still fighting the "the word gaijin is racist" battle? 

Weellll, it is sort-of. It signals a division of the planet's
population into two: 我我 and the people from 外国, and the 
我我人 have to look Japanese. But it's just the way things are
in Japan. We all know the place is incorrigibly xenophobic.
Most of us treat it as part of life's rich tapestry.
 
> 2) Claiming that he's called by his name without "-san" attached? Never
>    once happened to me, or any gaijin I knew.

Moi non plus. Still I can imagine people with more than a 
passing acquaintance with Debito making an exception just
for him...
 
> 3) He's fighting "the oddly destructive platitude of "ganbatte". Really?
>    Really? *THIS* is a battle to fight?

If you are desperate enough. And speaking of desperation,
is the poor old JT so hard up for copy that it has to solicit
shit like that?

> Oh, and someone should point out that one of the reasons Japanese ask "gaijin"
> if they like  natto is because many Japanese do not.

春麕。

Jim