I just started watching Jdramas and was wondering if there existed any such Jdrama out there that has minority races in the lead or where they are signifcant members of the cast. I mean there are many people living in Japan that are not native Japanese, like Brazilian migrant workers, or people from other Asian countries like India, China, Pakistan, Vietnam, Singapore working in Japan. I remember hearing a vague reference to a James Yamada in Nobuta Wo Produce, as he seemed to be a Japanese-American kid, but that's all. Does anyone know of a drama that deals with issues such as racism and race relations within Modern Japan- I don't mean historical war dramas, but dramas about contemporary Japan. Thank you.

altec wrote:

I just started watching Jdramas and was wondering if there existed any such Jdrama out there that has minority races in the lead or are signifcant members of the cast. I mean there are many people living in Japan that are not native Japanese, like Brazilian migrant workers, or people from other Asian countries like India, China, Pakistan, Vietnam, Singapore working in Japan. I remember hearing a vague reference to a James Yamada in Nobuta Wo Produce, as he seemed to be a Japanese-American kid, but that's all. Does anyone know of a drama that deals with issues such as racism and race relations within Modern Japan- I don't mean historical war dramas, but dramas about contemporary Japan. Thank you.

truthfully there are a variety of "minorities" in japan but if your conception of japan is one that perceives japan as a host country to numerous ppl of non-japanese descent...you are sorely mistaken...japan remains the MOST racially homogenous nation in the world..with Germany a close second.

Well, there are dramas concerning the Japanese-Korean relations. Rondo and Tokyo Wankei come to mind.

I've seen a few secondary characters like in Trick and Shomuni, but they are 95% of the times idiots.
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tabana wrote:

I've seen a few secondary characters like in Trick and Shomuni, but they are 95% of the times idiots.

LOL....that's some racist shiet right there, man....

like in Tiger & Dragon...i know it's a comedy...but the one chinese dood there is a blathering idiot

have you seen Tiger & Dragon, tabana?

dochira wrote:

Well, there are dramas concerning the Japanese-Korean relations. Rondo and Tokyo Wankei come to mind.

good examples...how bout Friends (2002) with kyoko fukaka...i think korean actor won bin is in that one as well.

Tu_triky wrote:

good examples...how bout Friends (2002) with kyoko fukaka...i think korean actor won bin is in that one as well.

That would be one also.

Edit: There was one with the Manchurian-Japanese relations, Ryuuthen no Ouhi-Saigo no Koutei with Tokiwa Takako and Takenouchi Yutaka.

dochira wrote:

That would be one also. Edit: There was one with the Manchurian-Japanese relations, Ryuuthen no Ouhi-Saigo no Koutei with Tokiwa Takako and Takenouchi Yutaka.

you're absolutely right...i never saw it in completion...but i saw a few minutes of it as shown on lcoal terebi in los skandolous...didn't have something do with somebody being part of the royal (imperial) japanese family?

Tu_triky wrote:

you're absolutely right...i never saw it in completion...but i saw a few minutes of it as shown on lcoal terebi in los skandolous...didn't have something do with somebody being part of the royal (imperial) japanese family?

If I recall the story correctly, the Japanese wanted to restore good relations with the Japanese and Manchurians in the puppet state of Manchukuo. They figured they should have the puppet leader (Takenouchi) get married with a Japanese nobility (Tokiwa).

Thanks for the info on the dramas. Where did you get the info about Japan being #1 in homogeneity and Germany the 2nd? So there really aren�ft many dramas, or a lack thereof, that tackles Race-relations as a social issue in present day Japan? I suppose it�fs because, as you said, Japan is dominantly homogenous.

dochira wrote:

If I recall the story correctly, the Japanese wanted to restore good relations with the Japanese and Manchurians in the puppet state of Manchukuo. They figured they should have the puppet leader (Takenouchi) get married with a Japanese nobility (Tokiwa).

thanks for the info, brutha

manchukuo....i'm sure this one went over well in the chinese black market for VCDs and DVDs....

altec wrote:

So there really aren�ft many dramas, or a lack thereof, that tackles Race-relations as a social issue in present day Japan?

Well, there have been a few jdramas with Korean actor Won Bin. I don't think they are mainly about race-relations, but certainly attitudes of japanese vs. koreans are explored in some of those dramas.

I saw a white and black guy in Great Teacher Onizuka for a few minutes each, I've seen several dramas with a few americans or europeans however they are usually only shown for about 2-3 minutes.

altec wrote:

Thanks for the info on the dramas. Where did you get the info about Japan being #1 in homogeneity and Germany the 2nd? So there really aren�ft many dramas, or a lack thereof, that tackles Race-relations as a social issue in present day Japan? I suppose it�fs because, as you said, Japan is dominantly homogenous.

i've studied japan academically i've learned it to be such....if you want references...

"For 2,000 years since the founding of the country, Japan has been a racially homogeneous nation"

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/kaleidoscope/volume1/group.html

"Japanese consider themselves a culturally and racially homogeneous country, but there are a number of important minority groups: including Ainu, Chinese, Koreans, Nikkeijin and Okinawans"

http://www1.odn.ne.jp/aaj50390/SAinfo.htm


"The following facts seem to explain why crimes are few in Japan:
(a) The police are competent and the arrest ratio is high. Chart 11 that shows the relationship between the arrest rates and crime rates (murder rates) suggests there is negative correlation between those rates; (b) Japan is racially homogeneous and there are not many foreigners in the country; (c) the closeness of family members helps in the prevention of crimes by youths; (d) the unemployment rate is low"

http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/japan/socsec/maruo/maruo_3.html


"Japan is almost totally "Japanese" racially and culturally. This is shown by the strong emphasis on "in-group" and "out-group" status. Those who are part of the "in-group", such as members of ones own family, are treated differently than those in the "out-group"

http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/jd14.html

"But seeking a more international company culture in the era of globalisation presents special difficulties for Japanese companies. Japan is the most racially homogeneous industrialised nation on the planet, so contact with foreign cultures - and their languages - is difficult."

http://www.cbronline.com/article_cbr.asp?guid=83CE95B1-FEA8-4D6F-80BA-DCF2523B15B0

"Japan, where a racially homogeneous population has formed the overwhelming majority, is being transformed by an influx of foreign workers and foreign residents Through an examination of various issues including racial and bureaucratic discrimination, the symbiosis with different cultures as well as visions of a "multiethnic Japan" for the twenty-first century are examined."

http://www.nira.go.jp/publ/seiken/v10n02.html

"Countries like Japan and Scandinavia, that are racially homogenous, have never (though they have other problems) been crippled by racially generated strife -- as have the U.S., Britain, and France, and lately Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Switzerland, which used to be racially homogeneous, but now contain large "undigested" populations of foreign Third World laborers, primarily people of color, who have been imported to do the unpleasant work that their own citizens no longer wish to do. "

http://www.wbai.org/lsb/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3033&Itemid=25

Tu_triky wrote:

LOL....that's some racist shiet right there, man....

Yup.

Tu_triky wrote:

...like in Tiger & Dragon...i know it's a comedy...but the one chinese dood there is a blathering idiot have you seen Tiger & Dragon, tabana?

No. Haven't DL it yet, but will soon.

Tu_triky wrote:

[b]"The following facts seem to explain why crimes are few in Japan: ...(c) the closeness of family members helps in the prevention of crimes by youths; ...

That's true. A lot of horror stories over here compared to Japan. I check almost daily Japanese news and I've never heard of kids murdering their parents, because they had a bad exam or a guy torching his house, because his mom didn't want to eat his miso soup.
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tabana wrote:

That's true. A lot of horror stories over here compared to Japan. I check almost daily Japanese news and I've never heard of kids murdering their parents, because they had a bad exam or a guy torching his house, because his mom didn't want to eat his miso soup.

LOL....good point mah friend....it "never" happens

WOW- Tu_triky, you have provided a wealth of information here. Thankyou. I have taken yours and others recommendation and am downloading "Friends" (2002) right now. Thankyou again.

altec wrote:

WOW- Tu_triky, you have provided a wealth of information here. Thankyou. I have taken yours and others recommendation and am downloading "Friends" (2002) right now. Thankyou again.

no problem...you brought up an interesting point though...japan is SLOWLY becoming multi-racial...but the level of multi-racial infiltration is far behind most Western nations.

I remember that Yoon Son Ha played quite a big of a role along with Fukada Kyoko in Fighting Girl.

http://jdorama.com/artiste.1360.htm
http://jdorama.com/drama.569.htm

altec wrote:

Does anyone know of a drama that deals with issues such as racism and race relations within Modern Japan- I don't mean historical war dramas, but dramas about contemporary Japan. Thank you.

The movie "Go" comes to my mind. Not sure if that's what you are looking for, but it might be an interest to you. It's about racism. It's pretty good and has gotten awards of some sort.