Well it happened...

Yep, in Tokyo there were a few bars we tried to go in, but we're told it was full or locals only. Once again, I need to bring up that Japan has no discrimination laws. Many bars (and high-end sushi restaurants) in Tokyo are not foreigner friendly. If they do let you in, they'll ignore you or overcharge you or rush you through your meal to make room for regulars or other Japanese people. I had a friend who just came back from the Sapporo Snow Festival who said he and his friends had a difficult time trying to find a place to eat, simply because they were foreigners.

I don't normally miss the US too much, but things like this make me miss it a whole lot. Japan, up until recently, was a closed society. They didn't allow anyone onto their land who was a foreigner. They all more or less practice the same religion and abide by the same cultural standards. The US is a land of immigrants. We have built a society around accepting people regardless of their racial background. Sure, it's an uphill struggle, but we're definitely not allowed to kick people out of a bar based on the color of their skin.

We did find places to go that were more than happy to have us as customers. So, it wasn't a total bust. It's just disheartening to be told you can't do something and they're only basing their judgment of you on the color of your skin. I could be the politest, quietest American in the world for all they know....

Anyway, here's a REALLY good newspaper article (a little old, but still relevant) about how Japanese society classifies people who are different and tends to shun them.

Outcast Status Worsens Pain of Japan's Disabled

It's a good article and shows that it's not just foreigners Japanese society tries to ignore. The Japanese value obedience and uniformity....anything different than their cultural norms is a bit scary to them.