John R. Yamamoto-Wilson wrote:
> Jim Breen wrote:

8>< schnitt

>> Having said that, he's fallen out with many of the gaijin-of-
>> influence in Japan allegedly for reasons like his personality,
>> which many say is obnoxious, total lack of tact, bull-at-the-
>> gate approach to many issues, etc. etc. 
> 
> Well, yes, but I get the distinct impression that gaijin-of-influence in
> Japan tend to be a bit like Lenny Henry ("the white man's black man").
> Of course someone who actually tackles the issues is going to cheese
> them off.

I do not consider myself a gaijin of influence, nor do I play one on
daytime television.  If I kissed up to the homeboys, I am sure my bank
account would look completely different and I might have dyed my hair
blonde, gotten some blue contacts, and be reading National Enquirer
stories on Fuji Terebi at ten in the morning and inventing stories about
Hollywood stars (no ... wait ... that job's been filled ...) instead of
what I _am_ doing.  I am satisfied with the way it has turned out and I
am pretty sure I have the respect of the host nationals who I want to
respect me.

BUT ... I have got to say, I read some of his stuff and sincerely wonder
which parallel universe Debit lives in.

On my planet, in 23 years of residence, I have never been denied access
to an onsen.  And, that includes ryokan I've stopped off at without a
reservation.

I've never been stopped by the police in an airport for an ID check.
But, I have been stopped by a detective at Haneda and asked if I could
help explain to someone else (a Canadian, IIRC) why they wanted to look
at his -- and he _was_ acting in a way that made them think he was
shoplifting.  (Okay, the cop was one of my neighbors when I lived in
Ota-ku and we drank at the same izakaya, but why let facts ruin a good
story.)

I _have_ been refused entry at some places, often without asking for
admission, but they were mostly hourly service businesses that offered
the STD of the Day on their menu.  And while some of the door people are
rude, there is always a friendly chimpera who wants to steer you to a
friendlier place, even if you're just taking a shortcut through the area.

I've never been stopped when on my bicycle for an ownership check -- and
I have commuted in town and toured by bicycle and motorcycle on all four
main islands and a whole slew of the smaller ones.

For the most part, I get access to the information I am looking for --
except for taxation.  Of course, like any large system, Japan has its
share of assholes who want to protect their little sinecure.  In such
cases it is best to remember the Japanese proverb that there are ten
thousand roads that lead to the Buddha.  No need to keep running head
first into the same closed door.

And it ain't because I have any special connections with anyone.  But, I
do act politely and treat the host nationals like human beings, even
when they're not letting it be an exchange between equals.

I've come to believe that some people go through life leading with their
chin (the English one, not the Japanese one, which is another discussion
altogether).  Debit has always seemed like someone who refuses to let
civility and common sense get in the way of a good political cause.  He
also seems to have things happen to him that I haven't seen happen to
anyone else who wasn't responding to being in a hole by digging it deeper.

> I can see that someone who shoots off as much as he does is going to
> miss the mark sometimes, but the fact that he's shooting at all gets him
> a higher rating than most "gaijin-of-influence" in my estimation, and
> certainly higher than the people who moan about Japanese racism from one
> side of their mouths and then take sneering side-swipes at "Debito-san"
> from the other (which seems to be a standard pattern among quite few
> foreigners).

The way he goes about things and the constant "shooting off" does more
to engender hard feelings where none need to exist -- or to cause
serious issues to be dismissed simply because he's the one bringing them
up and he's bringing them up in that same old worn out way.  I find him
tiresome and out of touch with reality.

As far as Japanese racism ... what's the problem with simply
acknowledging the fact and getting on with things?  ("Ah, Nanani-san,
you're a racist bastard?  Why, so am I.  You want to head down to the
yattai and catch some miso chashuumen and couple of oyuwari?  Yes?
Okay, meet you outside.").

No need for a web site.

No need for the hair shirt.

Trip up the bastards one at a time.

CL