Handbags at dawn!
Posted by The Fake Tepido Naruhodo on November 14th, 2010
Ken Joseph Jr (never heard of him before!) decided to drop a quick flame on Mr Arudou’s (or is it Arudow?) Facebook page. Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions, but it looks to me like Mr Joseph was rather drunk when he made these posts.
I must say, however, that I was disappointed to see that my cousin Orudo Debiru is not too popular in that circle.
I did find Mr Arudou’s posting of what appears to be a scanned-in print-out of screenshots rather endearingly quaint, but it was interesting that Mr Joseph’s apologies were not even mentioned, let alone accepted by Mr Arudou during the exchange.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Dude,
Dedicating a whole blog to bash somebody shows some hidden admiration, jealousy or just being a bitch, dont you think so? I mean I could understand dropping some hate here and there, but WTF…LOL? Do you have a life? Seems like you picked up some Japanese characteristics I have observed here… that is constant ijeme until somebody submits or cracks. I see gaijin doing that shit sometimes, it looks weird when they do it. The gaijin community here is quite strange sometimes.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
The sad thing is that Dave focuses on the “personal attack” (something he loves to do but hates when it happens to him) instead of the much more relevant content of Ken’s message. That Dave’s actions are, as often as not, counterproductive to the issue of discrimination in Japan. It would be one thing if he could claim 2 steps forward for every one step back, but he can’t even make that claim. At best he’s breaking even, at worst he’s hurting the people who actually understand how to work within the system to effect real change (something he has consistently failed at doing largely because of a lack of understanding).
You would think a man who has earned the enmity of so many for “no reason” would start looking at himself and asking “maybe it’s not them, maybe it’s me”. But self awareness doesn’t seem to be high in Dave. Anyone who questions him is obviously a “Chrysanthemum Sniffer” or “apologist”.
While he’s never blogged about it I suspect that that was the straw that broke his marriage’s back. I suspect that his ex-wife started to nag him in that way only someone you’ve been married to for a long time can about growing up, focusing on his career and family, and stopping his useless efforts that are only costing the family money (which would also explain his attempts to cash in on his efforts – to prove her wrong).
November 15th, 2010 at 7:50 am
Some more critical comments have been posted at my blog They range from reasonable to bizarre.
I’m not sure how my name came up in a Debito thread about some odd comments from Ken Jospeh. It’s not like I and he have any argument in common.
BTW- Have you guys at Tepido noticed that a number of Debito supporters seem to have a very binary view of Debito-ish topics? Such as, if one criticizes the veracity of some of Debito’s claims regarding alleged examples of anti NJ racism or xenophobia- that you are therefore ‘in denial’, trying to sweep racism under the rug or even that you must have been compromised by the man..
This denial thing is of course the ultimate dogmatic non-argument: “If you disagree with me it is because you are in denial about the truth”. It ranks up there in the ‘popular auto-response’ stakes with the ‘apologist’ mantra you might get saddled with for the temerity of stating that there is much you like about this country. Go figure.
November 15th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Mike,
Debito.org attracts a lot of different young people, but I think that’s the key word: they’re young. They have political fire in their bellies and they don’t appreciate anyone telling them to study all the empirical evidence and weigh it carefully before making broad judgments. Conflict and shock value prevail; analysis is boring. If they want to go into battle guns blazing, if they want to feel like they’re useful now rather than thoughtful later, if they want to post seemingly derogatory/racist/bigoted/myopic/ill-prepared comments right away about “Japan” on a blog, most of them seem to think it’s okay. Shoot first, ask questions later. Japan is a democracy with free speech. “It’s all about me, me, me, and my feelings as victim.” And you know what? Generally, they’re right. They can say whatever they want. But here’s the funny part: what happens if shooting from the hip isn’t politically effective? What then? Debito Arudou can’t afford to admit it publicly, but I sense that he’s very frustrated that he has little to show for his activist efforts to date. He’s not being invited to Tokyo to consult with the government unlike other non-Japanese. Many (most?) well-known writers and academics, as well as Japanese politicians and bureaucrats, continue to ignore his work. And those few well-known or respected authors that do acknowledge his existence on the internet, with one or two minor exceptions, only do it to criticize his tactics, too. If I were him, I would be disappointed that after 15 years of agitating the public, this is what I’m left with: internet supporters with names like “PKU”, “Tacit Blue,” and “Peach.” Why else would he feel the need to post FaceBook messages from his private account onto a public website, after Ken Joseph, Jr., had already apologized? He needs to prove that he matters.
November 15th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Mike, yes, the comments on your post are interesting. I’d like them and you to get away from the dead girl and her family, however, as it’s a bit unbecoming to be squabbling over what her father said, and how he said it.
Yes, there are a lot of people at debito.org with binary opinions, including Mr Arudou himself, as “If you’re not for us, you’re against us” (wasn’t that Mr Bush’s line?) seems to be a prevailing opinion.
Greg, good point, and perhaps Mr Joseph’s comments hit home when he said that he (and the others he worked with) had achieved something arguing as a foreigner in the corridors of power, whereas Mr Arudou is very much a one-man-band whose defining moment, the Otaru Onsen case, failed to produce any legal precedent or have any other positive effect of Japanese justice.
November 15th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Mike, I see we’re now being cyber-bullied by Peach.
Your academic qualifications are being called into doubt as he/she searches for information to cyber-stalk you with, and you seem to spend alot 
of time posting here – isn’t it just the thrice or fourth time, though, for you to post?
I too am not spared the dreaded bullying (but I started it, so I deserve it, nya-nya-nya) and on my site s/he has noticed that my data is not sourced, surely insinuating that I do nothing but sniff the chrysanthemum and make up the data to make Japan look good. Fortunately my 10,000,000 yen stipend from the Ministry of Statistics escaped the Jigyo-shiwake, which means that I can pay off goo Research and all these other companies I link to as usually the first link on each page to publish fake surveys, and as it only takes me five minutes to cut-and-paste each survey daily and then run it through Google Translate, so I can dedicate all my time to posting once every three days or so on here.
S/he finishes off with:
Ooh, burn!
PS: LB, I hope you’re not feeling too depressed about being left out of this gyaku-gire!
November 15th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Wow some of you really like the kool aid, thats all I got to say.
November 15th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
I like Kool Aid without that nasty bile aftertaste.
To each his own, I suppose.
November 16th, 2010 at 12:35 am
@Tepido
I decided to drop the discusion of the suicide case as you suggested above. In return, I’ll suggest that posters here refrain from making references to Debito’s personal life. Everyone has baggage.
Speaking of which, if someone wants to querstion my qualifications it’s pretty easy. My story is well-known. I was born intto a well-to-do family, my father (“Daddy”) ran a series of sweatshops manufacturing WMDs, staffed by immigrants, for a company called Military-Industrial Complex Corp. (a subsidiary of Walmart). When I failed to graduate from junior high school, Daddy put me in charge of one of his factories “in order to build character”.
However, after wasting much of the family fortune on booze and floozies, as well as abusing the workers which led to regular run-ins with the police (paid off by Daddy), I was shuttled off to Japan where I could cause ‘less trouble’. With my family’s connections and vast wealth I was able to have an ‘academic’ position arranged for me at a national university here, under the university-stipulated condition that I ‘tow the nationalist line’. A degree and ‘qualifications’ were duly manufactured.
The Daily Yomiuri newspaper took note of this, saying, “Just what we need! An uneducated, unqualified hack! We can get him to write ESL columns. That’ll boost circulation!”.
The rest is bloggery.
November 16th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
LB, I hope you’re not feeling too depressed about being left out of this gyaku-gire!
Geez, go out of the country for a few days and all hell breaks loose. Didn’t even get an invite!
Oh well. Still catching up, but I will have to admit by being amused that under “activities” on his Facebook page he lists “Debito Arudou”. I am guessing that “being a massive wanker” wasn’t one of the options available to him?
@Jim – I would come up with a pithy response full of scintillating sarcasm, but I’m busy and you’re not worth it, so you’ll have to settle for a “fuck off, bozo”.
November 18th, 2010 at 9:53 am
bring it, dueche. Are you an annoying brit or aussie? “Wanker”?. you brits are an annoying bunch, but have loads in common with japanese- overthink everything and sometimes plain goofy. Probally explains why a bunch of rock throwing colonist were able to beat that azz!..ha ha. sizzle.
November 18th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Nice use of stereotyping and generalizations there, Jim. You managed to slander at least 2 island countries there. That bile flavoured Kool Aid must really be doing wonders for you.
“you brits are an annoying bunch”
Hrmm…Debito seems to think of himself as a pseudo-Brit when he isn’t yelling how Japanese he is, as well. Maybe you are on to something?
November 19th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Me and Debito aint cut from the same cloth, so no need to sterotype me. You are the first person, however, that Ive ever come across that devotes his whole blog to follow (stalk) somebody. A bit weird and a showcase of your own insecurity. I mean, at least Debito puts up original material, you dont have to agree with it, but it invokes many good debates. All you do is cut/paste his shit, then ridicule. What is your occupation? You wouldnt happen to be an Eikawai teacher with low self esteem?
November 19th, 2010 at 6:43 am
Was Jim Jones ever in Japan? Seems some of you are adding some seriously spiked shit to your kool aid. Defending all things Japan, when Japan is clearly not defending you, the gaijin, and others even promoting naturalization. Thats the Kool Aid I speak of.
November 19th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Who here has been “Defending all things Japan?” Japan is just as screwed up as any other country on the planet. It is just screwed up in its own particular fashion.
Are things perfect here? Hell no!
Are things perfect back “home” (where ever that might be)? Hell no!
You don’t like something where you are? Change it, adapt to it, ignore it, whinge about it, or pack up and leave. Those pretty much cover all of your options. Debito prefers to whinge. Some of us would rather point out that life it too short to merely whinge about.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Debito aint whinning. Where is he whinning? Your doing all the whinning over here…attacking him? WTF is that logic? Then you say “Change it, adapt to it, ignore it, whinge about it, or pack up and leave. Those pretty much cover all of your options”
So what are doing to try and change it? I notice how you carefully added pack up and leave, sort of contradictory, dont you think? Havent I heard that one before from our gracious host. Cant find a job? Kuni Kaeri! Dude your full of it. Debito is about the only one out there trying to change it for us. When I read a blog, I want to get something from it. We dont get shit from except whinning and jealousy about Debito.
November 19th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Hi Jim,
Do you wake up in the morning and think that “Japan” is out to ruin your life? From the time you leave your front door to the time you get to the office, how many times are the “Japanese” preventing you from earning a living and enjoying yourself in Japan? In all seriousness, what exactly is the problem that is so life-destroying every day on the scale of human injustices that something has to change?
And please, it’s necessary to use profanity, or attack anybody. I’m genuinely interested in what is so terrible on a day-to-day basis that makes some people so angry that they start talking about “injustices” and “racism” and “discrimination” as if we’re back in the deep South in the USA or South Africa before Nelson Mandela. Whenever I ask this question, I can never get a straight answer with hard details and carefully researched facts. Maybe you’ll be different.
Greg
November 19th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
“And please, it’s necessary to use profanity, or attack anybody.”
Oops! Sorry about that. Obviously I meant to write “…it’s NOT necessary….”
November 19th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Wow, more contradictions. Koolaid is working I see. List examples? Debito has done it for us, but gee, if you havent expereinced what most of us have here, you must either be living a sheltered life or in some serious denial. Denial of housing, constant rejection for work, stares, bullying, ijeme, immigration issues at Narita, and a host of other things that Debito has painstakingly catagorized for you. Im not a distant supporter of Debito, I live what he blogs about everyday. Then you ask not to use profanity, but you dis Debito all the time while using it. Um..dude, you stuff is weak, too weak. I suggest leaving your comfort zone and heading out to hello work etc, get some real life expereince.
November 19th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
“Then you ask not to use profanity, but you dis Debito all the time while using it.”
I have no idea where you read me using profanity while I “dis” Debito, but okay. Whatever.
Regarding the “painstakingly categorized” laundry list of grievances, life in Japan must be terrible for you. I understand completely that it has to be Japan’s fault because non-Japanese can never be mistaken or exaggerating or lying or deluded or argumentative or bored or rationalizing their own shortcomings. And journalists (right?) can’t possibly be looking for provocative stories to sell newspapers. If there’s a complaint from a non-Japanese (any non-Japanese), we should automatically assume the Japanese are to blame. Evidence, context, research, perspective — none of that stuff is really necessary on Debito.org. Just sporadic newspaper clippings confirming our bias that “Japan” is out to get us. That makes perfect sense. And if 2 million non-Japanese aren’t revolting in the streets, it must be because there’s something wrong with them. Didn’t they read Debito.org’s blog roll?
Decades living in Japan, I still haven’t experienced a fraction of what a limited number of newcomers seem to experience (or, at least, claim they experience) on Debito.org. But hey, you’re absolutely right. Like you said, “you stuff is weak, too weak.”
Greg
November 19th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Jim,
Greg’s right, and I think that’s the problem for a lot of people. The vast majority of us admit that racism/nationalism happen. We recognize that fact.
But our point is, how can this be institutionalized by the government when a huge number of us spend decades in Japan and never experience it? That very fact contradicts Dave’s most basic strawman that this is an institutional problem.
I’ve been going into and out of Japan since the early 90′s. I’ve had to get more pages added to my passports because of the sheer number of trips I’ve made into and out of Japan. I’ve lived in Japan for years and traveled extensively staying in large hotels, small hotels, and ryokan and never had a problem or been denied a room. I’ve never been “gaigin carded”. I’ve had exactly 2 problems in Japan, 1 where we were asked to leave a steakhouse in rural Ibaraki prefecture and thought it might be the white thing (it wasn’t, the proprietor had run out of steak, we had a message waiting on us at our hotel, he had actually called until he found where we were staying and invited us back the next night), and 1 time where I was asked not to come back after bathing in an onsen because I have a few tattoos.
But, the voices counter to his message weaken his attempts at fame and fortune as a human rights crusader. So Dave uses his forum to either alter (by creative editing) or silence those voices. And forums like this spring up, people go to other forums to express their counter opinions, and Dave cries “oh no I’m being cyber bullied woe is me”.
Jerry
November 20th, 2010 at 7:25 am
“Debito is about the only one out there trying to change it for us.”
I am pretty sure I would have remembered if I had elected him my personal defender in matters. Instead, in order to stroke his own great ego, he appointed himself the great gaijin martyr. I can assure you, I can fight my own battles just fine, thank you.
“Denial of housing,”
I have heard of that but while being here near 15 years and 3 apartments before moving into my own house, I never experienced denial of housing. I did sue one landlord to court for trying to rip off my security deposit. Fairly successfully as well, in spite of my ‘gaijin-ness.’
“constant rejection for work,”
I have been turned down for jobs but, hey, the economy was tough all over. Was it my ‘gaijin-ness’ or was it because I wasn’t qualified or was overqualified? Pretty sure it was the latter rather than the former. Ended up in a jobs that worked out very well for me. Much better than if I had been offered the other positions.
“stares,”
Nothing I don’t know how to handle and have dealt with before. A good solid wave at the one doing the staring is usually enough to get them to move on about their business.
“bullying, ijeme,”
There are assholes all over the world. I have met quite a few of them. They are also people I don’t continue my association with.
“immigration issues at Narita,”
I really have no idea what this means. I get asked to show my ID once when I go to Narita: Right passed the train gates, same as every other person coming in to Narita, just like (shock and horrors!) the native Japanese! The indiginity of being treated JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! How can anybody stand that?
No wait, now that I think of it, I have had to show my ID 3 times on numerous trips to Narita before: once after the train station, once at check-in, and once again at immigration. JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!
Do the police make checks of people at Narita? Probably. Haven’t seen/experienced it myself. Do they check the natives as well? Maybe. Haven’t seen/experienced it myself.
I do recall one bit of discrimination: Last week, during the APEC thing and there was a cop on every corner in Ikebukuro, I saw 3 boys in blue come up behind a local native that was minding his own business and surround him to ask him a few questions. They didn’t even look at me twice. That’s discrimination, I tell you!
And Jim, please don’t tell me you are an English teacher. I would hate to think that the natives were learning to speak the way you are writing.
November 20th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Scary people indeed. Im sure if I asked you about WW2, you would defend Japan tooth and nail. Thanks but no thanks duechbags, I wont be joining you. Most people in cults always display the same characteristics, they deny, or try and show us the “crystal clear truth” Get thee behind my satan!
November 20th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Scary people indeed. Im sure if I asked you about WW2, you would defend Japan tooth and nail. Thanks but no thanks duechbags, I wont be joining you. Most people in cults always display the same characteristics, they deny, or try and show us the “crystal clear truth” Get thee behind me satan!
November 20th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Hi Jim,
You’re spending quite a remarkable amount of time here for someone who appears to hate this blog. I wonder if you could find the time to point out where we are defending Japan? It’s funny you should mention cults, as I see quite a few brainwashed people over on Mr Arudou’s blog and characteristics similar to the ones you highlight.
It’s a funny old world!
November 20th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Jim,
“Debito is about the only one out there trying to change it for us.”
There are a lot of people doing human rights work in Japan. They just try to avoid looking like self promoting buffoons. In fact I think that was the criticism Ken made that got this whole ball rolling. That Dave’s efforts are largely counterproductive to the people who are working within the system to effect real change.
Jerry
November 20th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
I just finished watching a documentary called “Defamation” about anti-Semitism and the Anti-Defamation League which has many parallels with what Debito is trying to do. I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, the people that would benefit most from watching it are likely to be the people most likely to dismiss it or miss the point that it is trying to get across.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:00 am
“Debito is about the only one out there trying to change it for us.”
There is a large and vocal group of foreigners out there battling for their “rights”. And they have been very successful in getting those “rights” (I use quotation marks as unfortunately a lot of what they seem to view as “rights” would be what the rest of the world would call “privileges”). They have been able to mobilize demonstrations with a significant Japanese membership – necessary since one needs to get the Japanese on board in order to effect changes in the Japanese system. They present their message clearly and effectively in Japanese, the language of the country they live in. They are able to bring national politicians to their side despite not having the right to vote.
In short, they have been very successful at getting what they want, and many other foreigners have benefited from their work. When Debito was suing for the ability to take a hot bath wherever he wanted, they were fighting to get the fingerprint requirement removed from foreigner registration policy. Personally, I never had any problem with having my fingerprints taken, but that’s beside the point. The point is, this group was able to get laws changed to their, and other foreigners’, advantage.
In over a decade of self-proclaimed “activism”, Debito has been able to accomplish… well, what exactly? Nothing so far. Is he likely to ever accomplish anything? Nope. Not if he continues with the same methodology he has consistently used so far. He has a blog populated for the most part with what seem to be 20-something English teachers with a world-view limited to what they saw in their home state in high school, no Japanese following, can’t present a coherent message in English let alone Japanese (not that he even attempts the latter), doesn’t make any attempt to reach out to Japanese or even non-English-speaking foreigners in Japan, and yet you and others think “he’s out there trying to change it for us”?!?
Sure, and the homeless guy living in a tent of blue sheets under the bridge who wanders drunk as a skunk out to the park to rail about the injustice of it all is “battling for the rights of the homeless”. In a sense he is, but he’s not going to accomplish anything, and it probably is not worth pinning your hopes on him.
But what really bugs me is claims by people such as yourself that “Debito has done more for foreigners than anyone else” or “Debito is about the only one out there trying to do anything”. The fact that one could say either of those only serves to show they know exactly zip about the state of foreigners in Japan, or about how to get things done in Japan or any other society. Figuring out how to effect change (if one feels change needs to be affected in the first place) in Japan is really not rocket science. The Koreans have been doing it for years.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:40 am
Jim
”“Debito is about the only one out there trying to change it for us.”
If you want to change, try to change in the right way.
ハロー外人さん への苦情
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/kentanakachan/e/7c3dbe1a68bc2aa2ddf8ac89cdc82d63
You can leave the link on Debito org. Or do you not want to change?
Don’t try to change based on lies, exaggerations, hatred, blocking Japanese and non-Japanese people with common sense.
November 21st, 2010 at 9:13 am
So whats the deal with all the hate for Debito? you never answered that question. Instead you hit me with a bunch of bullshit in defense of all things Japan. Debito is shedding light on things that are usually ignored and accepted as the status quo here.
November 21st, 2010 at 9:17 am
Also, Duechbag, whats the pathetic link supposed to be? Some fucking fairy tale cartoon inspired shit? Its not even in English. That sure helps allot of people. Is that supposed to be some joke? All of you here seem to be a bunch of dweebs that spank to the same tune- kimigayo.
November 21st, 2010 at 10:19 am
Jim, you’ve had your fun. Either quit your childish flaming or I’ll start binning your comments as spam.
November 21st, 2010 at 10:38 am
Jim
“Its not even in English. That sure helps allot of people.”
So as I expected, many of readers on Debito org can’t even read Japanese and yet, they are talking about Japan and the Japanese. Jim, you can’t understand and change Japan without understanding Japanese.
The link is about gajin nose to fool your friends with this disguise. It is called Hello gaijin san.
Some foreigners, especially on Debito org, don’t like it just as some Asian people don’t like chop suey specs
http://www.debito.org/?p=2012
http://www.angryasianman.com/2007/01/chop-suey-specs-again.html
It is understandable.
So I searched for the company that produced it and called and told that some people complained of it. The man responding to me on the phone said that there weres no complaints so far.
To make the company understand why it is offensive, people who don’t like it should send the complaints.
Debito, hearing the complaints from his readers, has done nothing so far.
I thought it was a good idea to leave the link on Debito org so that people could send their complaints to make difference.
Do Debito followers not really want to change but just want to rant based on ignorance, lies, exaggerations, hatred and the blocking of the critical, even cooperative and helpful, comments as Debito wishes ?