The Asian Wall Street Journal | Letters to the Editor
June 9-11, 2000
In his editorial page comment “Mr. Mori’s Divine Blunder (June 7), Michael Judge writes: “…many Japanese still see themselves as culturally-if not racially-superior to their Asian, European, African and American brethren.”
As a Japanese, I am surprised at this description of Japanese as having some sort of superiority complex over other nations and races. I wonder how Mr. Judge came to his conclusion? Did he undertake some nationwide poll asking the Japanese about their racial and cultural attitudes, as was done earlier this year by the National Advisory Commission on Human Rights in France, where it was reported that more than two-thirds of French people have racist tendencies?
The lack of popular uproar toward past xenophobic statements made by certain third-rate Japanese statesmen is deplorable. However, to conclude that this is due to a Japanese superiority complex over other culture or races is simply a sweeping generalization that ignores the present reality and diversity of popular Japanese attitudes.
Ko Unoki, Tokyo.
Comments