I don't think it's racist to want to protect your culture. I think racism is just to assume that some difference is due to race without taking into account culture, economics, and other factors, and to treat individuals in a certain way due to racial stereotypes even when they don't fit those stereotypes.
That doesn't mean I agree with the methods and reasoning for Japan wanting to protect it's culture, and there definitely IS some racism and even more xenophobia, like a level that goes beyond wanting to protect the culture and actually looking down on other cultures. I just don't think that makes up a significant amount.
I think most cultures have a concept of "You can be whatever you want and do whatever you want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else" but Western cultures tend to focus on the first half of that statement and Asian cultures tend to focus on the latter half. Not always but definitely more.
Then again maybe it's just stuck a huge contrast from here where everybody is yelling and spitting All. The. Time.
Exactly! See, I feel that kind of overwhelming in your face feeling in the US as much as China even if it's different. Japan actually feels more comfortable to me than anywhere else I've ever been and I say that despite the fact that it's EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE to me. I guess I'd rather struggle to connect with people than struggle to get them off my back, the former feels like I have some control over it while the later just makes me feel like people suck and I don't want anything to do with them lol. I'd rather long for human interaction than long to be alone....lol!
Agreed on this but I suppose there's a somewhat blurry line there where each side experiences it differently. If I'm in Japan restaurant and immediately get shunned into the corner behind the kitchen where they can't even see me (plenty of other tables) and ignore me when asking to be served, I'm gonna see that as racism.
They might be able to spin it as 'we just want it to look Japanese to others coming in and be in a safe environment' or something, but come on lol. In the West you'd probably get shut down for that behaviour.
Perspectives. You're right though, I don't get the feeling it's significant whatsoever. Just little tidbits here n' there.
That's a nice way of putting it. The hyper-liberalism of the West also is not nearly as adopted around the world as people in the West like to believe. Not only is it 'do whatever you want' but it's championed at all costs, rather than socially stigmatised which was, until recently, the norm.
I don't think that sits well in places like Japan. Yeah do whatever degenerate shit you want but... keep it on the downlow, out of sight.
Tbh England (what's left of it) is the Japan of the West in this one regard, the hyper-emphasis on manners, traditions & rules. Be quiet, queue, hold your cutlery in a certain way and so on. But it doesn't go nearly as far as Japan.
In both countries I feel a bit of an alien even though one is literally my home. China has ruined me haha.