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Yuriko Katsumata
Onsen
Arudou
Debito, a naturalized Japanese person, published a book
called “Japanese-Only”, in which he wrote about his
experience of being refused entry to a bath at an Onsen
facility in Otaru-city, and the process of carrying out a
lawsuit on that issue against Otaru-city and the Onsen
facility. It is wrong to think of him as “non-Japanese”
because he is “Japanese” by nationality. However, the
management did not allow him to take an Onsen. That is, the
sign “Japanese only” that was placed on the entrance of
the Onsen facility means that only persons who look like
Japanese can take a bath.
Why
do the owners refuse non-Japanese from taking an Onsen? They
insist that non-Japanese don’t know the correct manners
for taking a public bath. Actually some bad-mannered persons
might annoy the Onsen’s owners. However, all Japanese are
not good mannered and all non-Japanese are not bad-
mannered. I have had a similar painful experience while
overseas. I had to pay more money than local people when I
took a sauna. The fee for Japanese was set there. Ever since
that, I have made up my mind never to visit that country
again.
I think there is nothing so painful as race
discrimination for a visitor to a foreign country, because
it never can be solved even if they make the effort. No one
should restrict the activities of someone else when the only
reason is that he or she is from a different ethnic group.
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Hitoshi Takami
Onsen
issue
Some ill-mannered Russian sailors have caused disturbances
at some hot spring baths in Otaru, so one onsen owner
forbade all non-Japanese to enter the onsen. But a foreigner
who obtained Japanese citizenship was still refused entry
because his face was apparently non-Japanese so he decided
to sue the bathhouse and the local Otaru city government.
Foreigners want to take a hot spring bath just as we
Japanese do because it’s comfortable to people from all
over the world. There is no reason to refuse foreigners from
entering the Onsen and doing so might be considered racial
discrimination.
But surely the Onsen owner shouldn’t be forced to admit
foreigners to enter his Onsen , because he has a right to
conduct his business as he wants to. If some Japanese
customers who hate non-Japanese stop coming to his Onsen
because he permits non-Japanese to enter, he might lose
money.
I think that nowadays most young Japanese don’t hate
non-Japanese. On the contrary they want to have a chance to
communicate with foreigners, and so to permitting them to
enter the Onsen might in fact bring the onsen owners
additional profit. I’m afraid that if Japanese don’t
allow foreigners to go in the Onsen, other countries might
get an image of Japan as a bad, prejudice, old-fashioned
country.
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Asuna Arai
Japanese
Culture for Non-Japanese
In 1998, a number of hot spring bath houses in Otaru refused
foreign guests and posted signs saying “Japanese Only”.
Arudou Debito and his colleagues, who had actually
experienced such discrimination, filed a lawsuit against the
Onsen owners and Otaru City. Now he is continuing his appeal
in the Sapporo High Court, and a counter claim is being
pursued by one Onsen owner.
The refusal of non-Japanese was the result of the bad bathing
manners of some Russian people, which led to a drop in the
number of Japanese guests. On the other hand, Debito says
that it is racial discrimination and all the people in Japan
should be conscious of the fact and improve the situation in
order to create a country in which inhabitants and travelers
feel comfortable.
I think there seems to be a difference of recognition of the
trouble between both sides. Possibly the Onsen owners did
not predict the development of the human rights problem but
intended only to settle the trouble easily. We have few
opportunities of facing such racial issues in our daily.
Though, on considering much closer global communities these
days, we have to acquire a sense of international
normalization as soon as possible. That also may result in
an expanded Onsen market to get more customers.
I
suppose one of the keys points in international bathing is
how we present Japanese culture as typified by Onsen to
non-Japanese and how satisfied they are with it.
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Miyuki Dempoya
Onsen trouble
In this essay I would like to pick up on some of the
arguments about a Japanese Only policy between Debito Arudou
and the Onsen side. In 1999, a group of international
families was refused to entry to Yunohana Onsen because they
were foreigners. They weren’t satisfied with this and
tried to negotiate with the owner of the bath, but the onsen
side didn’t accept their claim. So Debito Arudou, and two
other members of this group, decided to take the matter to
court.
The owner of that onsen refused them entry for the following
reasons. First, they said their business might be worse if
they allow non-Japanese customers to enter the bath. Some
people feel uncomfortable having a bath with non-Japanese
because some of them behave in a bad manner in the bath,
such as drinking, shouting, putting soap bubbles in the
bath. As a result, complaints from customers could increase
and their regular customers would stop coming, so they would
have no choice but to refuse non-Japanese people.
On the other hand, Debito says the following. Refusing entry
because of looking like foreigners is racial discrimination.
Also, it is strange to reject all foreigners because of the
bad manners of a few foreigners. It invades our personality
and brought us mental anguish. Debito says he has lived in
Japan for a long time and understands Japanese language and
customs. In addition, he has acquired Japanese nationality.
Nonetheless he was refused to entry. It is illogical and he
is not satisfied this.
In conclusion, I think that Debito will win the lawsuit.
First, any customer has the right to go and use this
facility because the onsen is a public place. Second, some
Japanese also have bad manners, so it is unreasonable to
refuse the entry of all foreigners because a few of them
behave badly in the bath. Finally, international society is
fast approaching, so shops and facilities in Japan need to
interact with non-Japanese customers. If the population of
non-Japanese increases more than ever, the shops and
facilities which accept them will profit more. Also, I
believe that the onsen will be better by taking in the
viewpoint of non-Japanese.
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Keita Tokunaga
Onsen problem
In 1999, an international family was
refused entry to the Yunohana Onsen. Arudou Debito,
who was American and changed his nationality to Japanese,
tried to talk over this problem with the owner of this Onsen,
but this didn’t go well. In the end, the onsen refused to
change their policy.
The owner of the Onsen says that most Japanese,
especially the elderly, seem not to be used to foreigners.
Japan is an island country, so Japanese may not be used to
communicating with people who come from other countries.
Some Japanese might get panicked when foreigners speak to
them. So they can’t be relaxed when foreigners enter the
bath and talk loudly. What’s more, the owner insists that
some foreigners’ manners seems to be bad. The customs in
Japanese baths and other countries’ baths are different.
So
when foreigners enter the bath without knowing Japanese
bathing style, it makes some Japanese uncomfortable.
That’s why the Onsen side refuses to admit foreigners.
On the other hand, Debito says it is racial
discrimination. Judging people only by their appearances,
for example the color of their hair, eyes, and skin, the
Onsen decides whether or not they know how to take a
Japanese bath. Furthermore, all foreign people don’t have
bad manners. Only very few foreigners act impolitely in the
Onsen. If foreigners know how to have a Japanese bath and
show good manners toward Japanese, the majority of them
ought to behave civilly and don’t bother the locals, so
there is no reason why the Onsen owners should refuse
foreigners.
I think that we should not separate Japanese
and foreigners only for reasons of ‘race’. A Spa is a
place where everyone feels relaxed and healed. I hope that
the day will come when everyone can relax and enjoy
themselves in Onsen regardless of race.
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 Mayu Maekawa
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Masayo Fukuhara
Plaintiffs
will win.
In 1999, non-Japanese family was refused to entry the
onsen in Otaru, because it has Only Japanese policy. So they
appeal this problem in court.
In Onsen side, they have many reasons why they
refused non-Japanese people to enter Onsen in Otaru. First,
many Japanese customer don’t feel comfortable. Old people
who often use Onsen can’t generally relax with
non-Japanese, because they don’t get used to non-Japanese.
Second, non-Japanese don’t know Japanese customs, for
example how to use Onsen and what is prohibited in Onsen.
Sailors from Russian sailors can’t mainly use correctly.
Third, they think it will be harder to solve a trouble when something
happens with non-Japanese customers. If Japanese makes
trouble,
it’s easier to negotiate about it. But It’s more
difficult to do with non-Japanese because both of them
can’t communicate well.
In contrast to Onsen side, David says they will win
at the court. First, it is strange to judge only by their
appearance. For example, all people who look like a
non-Japanese will be
refused even though they were born in Japan and have lived
there for a long time. Also, what Onsen side do is the racial
discrimination. It’s against Article 14 in Japanese
Constitution. This article tells that all people must be
dealt with equally. So what it does improves the racial
discrimination in Japan. It’s dangerous for all Japanese
because we are considered to be discriminatory nation.
Third,
all customers who can use correctly, otherwise they are
Japanese, have a right to use at every space. So it’s
strange to be prohibited because of just non-Japanese, and
it’s wrong to be admitted to enter because of Japanese.
In conclusion, I believe the plaintiffs will win.
Their insistence has to be admitted to protect their rights
of equality in Japan. And now Japanese must adjust
internationalization, otherwise Japan will be abandoned.
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Sayaka Takei
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Kei Kawasaki
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Saori Inafuku
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Chung Sung Woo
(Tom)
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Kazushi Yuasa
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Fumitaka Katamura
I
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