Great-Living While Black, In Japan | All Things Considered | NPR
In the wake of the 2020 killing of George Floyd, African-Americans and others mounted ongoing street protests.
But African-Americans living abroad felt the anguish as profoundly as their families and friends back “home.”
Some have chosen to live in Japan, one of the most homogeneous nations in the world. Despite being in a smaller minority in Japan than in their home country, they express feelings of safety and freedom.
Yet, racism in the U.S. still plays a role in their lives. In this short film, several African-Americans living in Japan discuss how their encounters with police and racism in the U.S. played into their decision to live abroad and how leaving the U.S. changed their perceptions of who they are and their connection to the country of their birth.
• Read “This Is A Film About What It’s Like Living While Black, In Japan” at
FEATURING
Rivonne Moore; Henry Moreland Seals; Tamru Grant; Ebony Bowens; LaTanya Whitaker; Tyrone Jones II
CREDITS
Director/Producer/Cinematographer: Shiho Fukada, Keith Bedford; Editor: Shiho Fukada; Consulting Editor: Marlo Poras; Supervising Producer: Nicole Werbeck; Video Producer: Nikki Birch; Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins; Audio Engineer: James Willetts; Subtitles by Renee Klahr; James Baldwin footage (1963) provided by CriticalPast; Data on shooting deaths as of August 8, 2021, provided by Mapping Police Violence
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Japanese and English subtitles are now available.
日本人は、日本人か外国人の２択な感じがする
Unexamined life is not worth living. Enjoy a life that doesnt have judgement… You are better off in Africa
We aren’t similar to people in other countries , so in Japan foreign people gets attention
日本人だけど、差別意識は周り含めて一切無いと思うよ
珍しがられることはあるかもしれないけど
俺はアメリカいきたい
The worst "racism" you'll get in Japan is getting stared by a kid(based on my dad who has been living in Japan for 16 years now, and me who's half)
私の娘も今日黒人の方を見て背が高い！
羨ましいと言っていましたよ😄
非常に興味深い事です。私たちの暮らす日本でも差別はないとは言えないが、彼が言ったようにこの国には無知からくる差別がほとんどだ。日本国民が少しでも本当の事を知ることが出来るといい。
japanese people make japan great,because work hard,because follow rules,and simply you are visitor,if you dont like live in Japan so you can leave voluntarily no one is keeping you here,simply good thing on Japan is invisible pressure to adapt to the Japanese system,and this ensures that Japan is still a very safe and nice country
They trying to say there's less racism in Japan. My wife went through HELL in Japan because they THOUGHT she was half Japanese as a child.
この人たちの告白を聞いてると胸が痛くなるな。
そこに居るだけで警察呼ばれるとかありえんやろ
This is so awesome! I can't wait to move!
As a Japanese living in Japan, I find their experience in America unrealistic and unbelievable. (Especially the behavior of police officers)
Are their experiences actually common in America? Or is it exaggerated to fit the program?
日本生まれ日本育ちの純日本人です。
動画を見てて心を痛みました。
日本に行きたい人、私に質問がある方はどうぞ。
反日的な言動や行動含めオラついた攻撃的な態度をとったり泥棒や
違法薬物の取引と言った犯罪をしなければ日本人は憎悪の目を向けることはしない。
たまに日本人はジロジロ見てくるから嫌だという外国人の声もあるけれどそれは外国人をあまり見たことがない、
言わば物珍しさ故であって多くの場合は人種が違うだけで敵意を持つことはないと思う(根っからの外国人嫌いもいるにはいるけど割合は少ないかと)
まあ日本でも「差別がない」とは「口が裂けても言えない」のだけどこの動画を見てアメリカに比べたら
日本はまだマシな方なのかなと思えてしまったよ…
Damn, that's a crazy nigga. Just don't call me racist because I'm black myself. Japan is a country of fucking archaic beasts, where whites cannot merge with this ethnic group because of their culture, the historical genesis of which implied racism not only between other races, but also within Japan, despise each other because of the specific caste system. In your eyes they will smile at you and talk sweetly to you, and behind your back they will pour shit on you and sharpen a bayonet-knife in order to arrange a second Nanjing. I'm already silent about specific establishments that only allow Japanese people.
As a Japanese, I can say Japanese people are often reluctant to intract with foreigners, but we don't discriminate someone against their race. Japan is a closed country, so foreigners would attract attention, but it's not because they're black. It's because they're not Japanese.
( Sorry for my broken English.)
Im japanese. We don't need whites and blacks at all. We Asians are discriminated against all over the world. please don't come
Living here for ten years. Of course i get the empty seats and it grates on me but sometimes people sit next to me. It depends on where you focus your energy. I have been here so long that when I see a foreigner I stare.
If you really reject racism, give the land back to the Native Americans and return to Africa. That is a rational and legal decision.
As long as blacks do not return to Africa, blacks in America are also racists. We cannot criticize them. You are just complicit in asking whites to give you their share.
ようこそ
Maybe you're not addressing the cultural crime problem some people have in america. . The very people who are the focus of this video
日本人は日本人かそれ以外かで分けるから白も黒も黄も関係無い
悪人ではなく善人である雰囲気さえ出しとけば問題なく日本で生きていけるよ
言葉の壁は高いけど物価が安いし給与も低いけど良い国だと思うよ
The only way its going to get messed up is if you have some ignorant black people move there and fulfill the stereotype
I made a similar video on my channel. Black men need to leave amerikka and brexit Britain 🇬🇧
I so much want to leave racist Britain 🇬🇧
The Japanese treat you with respect because there is not many of you in Japan You are not a threat to their culture you did not bring with you the American black ghetto culture with high crime built on twerking, drugs and rap full of violence , you have assimilated well and you are a wonderfully citizens , things might change if more blacks will come to Japan , your privilege of being unique will be no more in your favor and more racist situations will appear , it is sad but our brain is build like that we form certain stereotypes in our heads and we follow them because it is easier for us (less energy consumption for brain,) , mental laziness is our human crime no matter what race you belong to
黒
White cops treat you based on the reputation of your people, play the blame game all you want
Thank you for sharing your stories- they each were very touching. Thank you NPR
日本を住みやすく思ってもらえるのは嬉しい
僕ら日本人も日本以外の出身の人にもっと寛容に隔てなく接していけるように努力しないといけないね。
This was so powerful to see as I have been wanting to Visit Japan. Now I KNOW I WILL visit Japan with my family. Thanks for sharing…
田舎は知らんけど都会なら基本他人に興味ないし、わざわざ見ることもないから快適かもね