Media company asks “What’s it like to be black in Japan?”

The general consensus is that racism in Japan is less blatant than in the US

Jasmine said: “I don’t think our Blackness really interferes too much or hinders opportunities. But it was really difficult to explain this to my family. They were annoyed and said, ‘Racism does exist!’ ’ and try to fight me on that.”

Athol, who has called Japan home for most of his life, said it was easier for him to forget about race. But his twin brother, who lives in Los Angeles, doesn’t have that option.

“I’ve been here for almost 16 years,” he said. “So I was left out of the black experience in America. At first, I never thought about it. Now, I really have to try to stay connected.”

He later added, “We haven’t experienced the same meanness, and the color doesn’t matter.”

Arthell points out that not all blacks have the privilege of leaving their state, let alone their country, which limits their worldview.

“We have to have empathy (for them),” he said.

One prompt asked participants about whitening products. Thankfully, most said they didn’t feel pressured to use them. But Raimu and Aisha talked about being bullied as children because of the color of their skin.

“I asked my mother why she married a black man,” Raimu said in Japanese. “Why was I born with this skin tone? But now I respect myself and love my skin tone.”

Sadly, Raimu said that during her trip to Nigeria, she saw a lot of people bleaching their skin. They mistakenly believe that lighter is more popular.

Steven got to the heart of the matter.

“We need honesty here,” he said. “Most Japanese were scared of us at first.” He added that the fear started very early, when parents pulled their children away in front of black people.

As a gay man, Steven has been able to make a name for himself as a dance teacher and entertainer. These tend to be freer spaces where LGBT+ and people of color don’t carry as much weight.

“Many Japanese have a bad image of Africa,” Chipa said. “Before, I used to be very emotional. Now, I feel a responsibility to break down national stereotypes. I hope Japanese people will be more curious to discover the good side of Africa.”