Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity
in Schools and Communities in Japan
Joel Assogba

A

week before my eldest daughter started primary school in 2002,
I went to her school and talked to the principal, vice-principal andall the teachers about the importance of teaching children to respect individuality and accept others who look different as equals, but they
did not take me seriously. About two weeks after school started, she cameback home from school very sad, telling us that one of her classmates told
her to change her natural brown skin into “normal” (hadairo—ochre) color.
I called the teacher and the principal right away to urge them to deal honestly and democratically with the matter, calling us for a face-to-face meeting with the child and her parents, but the Principal refused. The parents
did not take the matter seriously either; when my wife talked to the child’s
mother on the phone, she laughed about the matter as if it wasn’t a serious
problem. Finally, I went to talk to the School Board officials to ask them todo something about the problem. Again, I was disappointed. They evidently
do not think racism is a serious problem in Japan and do not want to act.
My children have darker skin than the other Japanese children, andmany people openly make cruel and racist comments about them: kitanai(dirty), makkuro (black and dirty), baikin (microbe), unchi (pooh), kimochiwarui (disgusting), kurokoge (blackburn), etc. When I go out with them,
156

Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

157

many parents also point at us as gaijin (foreigners). Those people are wrong
because my children are not foreigners in Japan; they are born here and areJapanese citizens just like the other Japanese children. And above all, they
love Japan and the traditional Japanese culture.
I think racism is a very serious disease that Japan needs to cure. Racial
discrimination in society, in public and private institutions, in senior andjunior secondary schools, in primary schools, and even in kindergartens, isevidence that much needs to be done before Japan can experience multiethnic harmony. Education will certainly play an important role in curing thedisease of racism. Racism here is based on the idea that the Japanese belong
to a “unique ethnic group” that is totally different from all the other ethnic
groups in the world. The education system must make a considerable effort
to denounce this myth. To do this, schools must familiarize students withthe reality of the “singleness of the human family,” and explain that all of thepeople in the world belong to the same human race. Because of the importance of the problem, this view should be introduced into the curriculumfrom kindergarten through to the 12th grade, and reflected in every coursea child takes during the twelve years of schooling. This approach would help
to prevent racism. Imagine all the students in Japan learning that Africans,Europeans, Americans, Asians and Australians—all races—are all related.
They would be fortified against the poison of prejudice that they are exposed
to in their homes and in society.
We must teach our children that all human beings come from the sameancestral stock. Every person on our planet belongs to the same species.
This unity, however, does not mean uniformity, but implies a celebration ofdiversity, because once the reality of unity is understood, diversity becomesan asset rather than an obstacle. Imagine what life would be like if all thepeople in the world looked alike, thought, spoke, and felt the same way, if
all flowers were the same color, if all foods tasted alike. Life would simply be
monotonous. We should all understand that “variety is the spice of life” andcherish differences because they are extremely important.
Multiculturalism and ethnic diversity have become important issues inmany countries around the world in recent years, and the Japanese government too must consider them seriously and provide helpful programs fordeveloping the skills citizens need if they are to contribute to, and survive in,an ever-changing and diverse society. Diversity will be utilized to reinforce
Japan’s stature among the nations of the world. It will teach the Japanese to

158

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i c

accept and respect diverse views, welcome debate, listen, discuss, negotiate
and compromise for the common good of the world. We all know that recent advances in information technology have made international communications more important than ever. Japanese citizens who can speak many
languages and understand many cultures will make it easier for Japan toparticipate globally in areas of education, trade and diplomacy.
Japan must make it possible for women and men of the world’s many
ethnic groups, religions and cultures to live together, to encourage different people to accept and respect one another, and work collaboratively tobuild an open, resilient, creative and thoughtful society. To set an exampleof honesty, I travel all over Japan to give lectures and read my self-publishedchildren’s books at schools and community centers.
Objectives of the Program
I started the program in 2001. As difficult and widespread problems of bullying and racism are in Japanese schools and communities, they are also
problem that can be solved. As a father of three young children and an author of children’s books, I started taking actions to fight against bullying andracism, first in my neighborhood and my children’s primary school, thenthings extended to my city, prefecture and eventually all over Japan.
In addressing the serious problems of bullying and racism, I started topromote a set of appropriate attitudes and skills under the program, namely:a. Promote values and attitudes for a peaceful society:
1. Self-esteem (accept the intrinsic value of oneself and love
oneself )2. Respect for others
3. Empathy (love others, understand others’ opinion, help others
when they are bullied)
4. Belief that everyone can make positive change
5. Commitment to social justice, equality, peace, non-violence
and respect for life
6. Sharpened awareness among children and adults about the
problems of bullying, racism and violence in schools, communities and society.

Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

159

b. Help participants develop the following skills:
1. Capability to analyze the nature and origins of bullying, racism
and violence; and their effects on both victims and perpetrators
2. Capability to create frameworks for achieving non-violent,peaceful, diverse and creative schools, communities, andsociety
3. Capability to search for alternative non-violent skills withineach person
4. Peaceful personal conflict resolution skills.
Through lectures and seminars that I plan with the collaboration of
Parents-Teachers Associations (ptas) and Education Boards, I try to getboth adults and children in schools and communities involved in creatinga society free of bullying and racism. I encourage teachers to make antibullying and anti-racism a part of their curriculum and identify bullies andracists early on, before they become set in their ways. Finally, I help children
learn that by taking care of each other, speaking out against bullies and racists, and working together, they have tremendous power to make a difference in their schools, neighborhood, town and communities.
The program targets a wide range of audience including young children(pre-school), children in school (primary, junior and senior secondary), tertiary level students (college and university), their parents and educators,
concerned government officials, and the general public. The program isopen to all who are interested.
I use a variety of materials for the activities under the program. I use my
self-published books, posters, and newspaper articles in my activities. The
following is a list of such materials:
a. Children’s books:
1. The Rainbow’s Kids (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2001)
2. Wind of Freedom (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2002)
3. What Color are Burdocks? (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2004)
4. I am not a Foreigner (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2006)
5. Respect for Life (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2008).
b. Book to promote peace among adults:
Peace (Chiba: Daddy Publishing, 2005)

160

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i cc. Posters
1. Multicultural Japan (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2003)
2. Bullying: Zero Tolerance (Chikugo: Daddy Publishing, 2007)1.
See Annex A for this poster.

Pedagogy/Teaching Method
I employ different pedagogies for different sets of participants. For the adultparticipants I use the following teaching module:
1. I give a thirty-minute talk on the issue of discrimination
2. I divide the participants into small groups, and ask them toread one of my articles on the issue of racism and answer a setof comprehension questions (see below)
3. I ask the participants to discuss the problem of racism in small
groups, using a set of questions for discussion (see below)
4. I ask one participant of each small group to stand up and sharewith the whole group the outcome of their discussion.
One of my articles on the issue of racism in Japan2 is very popular among
adult participants. I ask participants to read the following article, answer thecomprehension questions, and exchange ideas about the problem of racism
using the questions for discussion:
Unconscious racial arrogance and disdain for ethnic minorities are pronounced throughout the world. It is more evident incountries where different races live together, but I believe racism
is a worldwide attitude and is perhaps strongest in areas where,
because of little contact with other races, it has neither beenbrought to the surface nor challenged.
In Japan, the part of the world where I have been active asa human rights activist for almost a decade now, racist attitudes
run strong—in my judgment far stronger than in Western countries. Japanese children who are not ethnic Japanese experience
racism from a very young age and can even be subject to crueltreatment by their peers and adults. Many of them are bullied
at school.
Seven years ago, a Japanese-born daughter of a Peruvian acquaintance was bullied by her classmates soon after she beganattending a public elementary school in Gunma. She had beentaunted and ridiculed because of her different looks. Some se-Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

161

nior students called her “strange foreigner” and raked their shoes
against her heels in the schoolyard. The girl told her homeroom
teacher, but no serious action was taken against the bullies.
A Japanese grade-school boy who had an American ancestor was abused by his teacher in Fukuoka about five years ago.
The teacher pulled the pupil’s nose until it bled. He also told him
to jump off a high-rise condominium and die because he wasn’t
a pure-blooded Japanese. The confused child was quoted as asking his parents if he was “dirty’’ because he had foreign blood.
Initially the school refused to confront the issue until the boy’s
parents became vocal.
The issue of racism, although serious, is not openly discussed in Japanese-language media. Worse, the media often
exaggerate crimes committed by foreigners and portray themas troublemakers. Also, it is not uncommon to hear some TV
personalities and politicians making racist comments in public.
Once I was watching a popular talk show on television, and I was
astonished to hear a Japanese celebrity saying something like,“Japan used to be a pure-blooded nation, but unfortunately foreigners of all kinds are now mixing it with dirty blood.”
In Japan, there is a myth that says Japan is inhabited by asingle race, the Japanese. But now this myth must be challenged,
because the nation is increasingly becoming multiracial.
A nation in which people are discriminated against by ethnicity, which infringes on basic human rights, can never be considered a true member of the global community. The failure ofpoliticians, educators and parents to solve the problem of racism is debasing human dignity. This issue casts the question ofwhether Japan is capable of being a society of coexistence.
The following are the comprehension questions after reading the article:• What are pronounced throughout the world?
• What is more evident in countries where different races live
together?
• Is racism a worldwide attitude?
• Why is racism perhaps strongest in areas where there is little contact with other races?
• What happens to Japanese children who are not ethnic Japanese inJapan?
• What happened to a Japanese-born daughter of a Peruvian’s acquaintance in Gunma?

162

•

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i c

What happened to a Japanese grade-school boy who had an
American ancestor in Fukuoka?
• Is the issue of racism serious in Japan?
• Is the issue of racism openly discussed in Japanese-language media?
• What do the media exaggerate?
• What is not uncommon to hear on TV?
• What is the myth about race in Japan?
With a certain degree of understanding of the article’s main points having been achieved, I ask the participants to discuss in their small groups
questions classified into several objectives:• To analyze the situation of racism in general and in Japan,• To help them think of concrete steps in addressing the issues, and• To assess the activity.
For the purpose of analyzing the situation of racism in general and inJapan, I ask them to choose questions from the following list:• Do you think that racism is a serious problem in Japan? Why (orwhy not)?
• Do you think Japan is really a mono-racial nation? Why (or whynot)?
• Have you ever been a victim of racism? Talk about your experience.
• Why do you think some people are racists?
• Do you think racism is a “disease”? Explain.
• Do you think racism is a crime? Why (or why not)?
• Do you think racists should be punished by the law? Why (or whynot)?
• How can the problem of racism be solved?
• Have you ever witnessed racism or discrimination? Talk about it.
• What do you think of being indifferent to the problem of racism?
Why?
• “The world is dangerous not because of those who do harm, but
because of those who look at it without doing anything.” (Albert
Einstein) What do you think of this quote? Explain.
• “The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.” (Mother Teresa)
What do you think of this quote? Explain.
• “Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”(Martin Luther King, Jr.) What do you think of this quote? Explain.

Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

•
•

•

•
•

•
•

•
•

163

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things thatmatter.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) What do you think of this quote?
Explain.
“Man’s nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known
to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature.” (Mahatma Gandhi) What do you think of this quote?
Explain.
“Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools
or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools
they need to live lives of security and dignity. On this International
Human Rights Day, let us continue to work together to develop andnurture in future generations a culture of human rights, to promote
freedom, security and peace in all nations.” (Kofi Annan) What do
you think of this quote? Explain.
“You can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but
not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea.” (Benazir Bhutto)
What do you think of this quote? Explain.
“All human beings, whatever their cultural or historical background, suffer when they are intimidated, imprisoned or tortured. . . We must, therefore, insist on a global consensus, not only on
the need to respect human rights worldwide, but also on the definition of these rights . . . for it is the inherent nature of all humanbeings to yearn for freedom, equality and dignity, and they have an
equal right to achieve that.” (Dalai Lama) What do you think of thisquote? Explain.
“The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate
human rights.” (Shirin Ebadi) What do you think of this quote?
Explain.
“Human Rights for everyone is the necessary foundation uponwhich all of us may build a world where everybody may live inpeace and serenity and plenty.” (Michael Douglas) What do you
think of this quote? Explain.
Talk about the following activists: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin LutherKing, Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Aung San
Suu Kyi.
Could you name more peace activists and talk about them?

164

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i c

In order not to limit the discussion to the knowledge level, I also ask
them to respond to a number of questions that relate to ways of taking action on the issues:• What would you do if you heard a friend or a family member makea racist comment? Why?
• What can you do to help solve the problem of racism?
• Do you ever discuss the problem of racism? Where? With whom?
• Do you think it is important to discuss the problem of racism? Why(or why not)?
• Why do you think the Japanese media don’t tackle the problem ofracism?
• Is promoting the concept of “one nation, one race” good or bad?
Why?
• Is promoting multiculturalism good or bad? Why?
• Do you think the Japanese government should promote multiculturalism and diversity? Why (or why not)?
• How can the Japanese government promote multiculturalism anddiversity?
• Do you think Japanese schools should promote multiculturalismand diversity? Why (or why not)?
• How can Japanese schools promote multiculturalism and diversity?
• Do you think the Japanese media should help fight against racismin the Japanese society? Why (or why not)?
• How can the media help fight against racism?
• Do you know that March 21 is the International Day to fight against
racism?
• Have you ever taken part in any activities on March 21 to fightagainst racism?
• Have you ever taken part in any activities to promote human rights?
Why (or why not)?
• From now on, would you like to organize any events to fight against
racism, or to promote human rights? Talk about your plans.
• Do you think it is important for parents to talk about racism andhuman rights with their children? Why (or why not)?
• Do you think it is important for teachers to talk about racism andhuman rights with their students? Why (or why not)?

Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

165

At the end of the activity, I ask the participants to assess the whole exercise with a general question: What do you think about today’s activity? I ask
them to express their responses verbally.
While participants hardly raise questions on the definition of terms thatare mentioned in the questions such as multiculturalism and cultural relativism, they are free to use their own electronic dictionaries to find their
meaning.
Helping Children Understand and Fight Against Racism/Bullying
Racism is certainly not a part of human nature. A new-born child does notinstinctively have prejudice against others. Prejudice and racism are learned
from the society that raises the child. These attitudes are derived from fear
and ignorance, and it is only by combating fear and ignorance that we will
ever achieve a truly multicultural society based on mutual respect.
One of the best things we, parents and educators, can do to help ourchildren understand and fight against prejudice is to ask questions and listen
to them as they talk about their bullying experiences at school, on a team, orin the community. If we, ourselves, are committed to helping end prejudice,discrimination and racism, it is also good to let our children know that. If
we have taken, are taking, or want to take some actions to help eradicate
these serious social problems, we must let our children know about them. It
is always good to let them know that we have questions, feelings and hopes
about these topics, too.
The other day, I had the opportunity to exchange ideas on bullying, discrimination and racism with a group of multicultural children and their parents. I could not hold back my tears when I heard some of them talk about
their painful experiences:
When I was going to the neighborhood park with my little brother last
week, a group of junior high school girls called us ‘strange foreigners’ andgiggled,” said a 10-year-old Japanese-born Brazilian girl. “I was so sad; I wish
I looked like ethnic-Japanese kids to avoid rude comments.”
I was playing with a friend in the schoolyard the other day, and a groupof boys spat on my face,” said a 13-year-old Filipino-Japanese boy. “They told
me to go back to my country, or die.”166

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i c

My best friend invited me to his home after school. His father asked
me where I was born. When I replied ‘Japan,’ he laughed and uttered: ‘if you
were born here, why are you black?’” said a 7-year-old African-Japanese boy.
How would you feel if something like this happened to you?” I asked everyone, after these kids shared their sad stories with us. The children replied:“I would be very scared, and wouldn’t go out anymore,” replied a 7-yearold ethnic-Japanese boy.
“I would feel very sad, lonely and depressed,” replied a 12-year-old ethnic-Japanese girl.
“I have never exchanged ideas about racism or prejudice before,” replied a 14-year-old ethnic-Japanese girl. “Today, I heard painful stories fromvictims and I felt very sad. Now I will think about these problems a lot. It isvery important to talk about bullying, discrimination and racism, instead ofhiding them. We all have to stand up against these serious social problems.”
Most Japanese children sympathize with victims of racism after hearing
their sad stories, but the problem sometimes is with many Japanese parents
and teachers who say they live in mono-cultural neighborhoods, and thinktalking about racism to their children is useless.
When these adults say they do not have cultural issues in their communities, they are defining “culture” in a narrow sense, thinking only of racial and language differences. Some issues are just less visible. For instance,
there is discrimination against other Asian ethnic groups in Japan. One of
my friends is Korean Japanese. She told her children not to tell anyone atschool that they are of Korean origin because she did not want them to beteased. Most Japanese of Korean or Chinese origin having been born here
and speaking no other language but Japanese; visually and often in theirliving habits, they cannot be distinguished from ethic-Japanese. Still theethnic-Japanese do their best to ostracize them. To avoid discrimination,these people often use tsumei (“pass name”: a Japanese full name instead ofa Korean or Chinese one) and hide their ethnic background. These hidden
diversities can be a springboard for people to think about the need for an-tiracism and multicultural education.

“I’m not racist. I treat all people with respect and dignity, and I expect
my children to do the same. Why do I have to do more?” a Japanese motheronce asked me after a workshop session on cultural awareness.
Of course, there are many Japanese people who are not actively racist.
But the question is: how many Japanese parents and teachers are actively

Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

167

anti-racist? There’s no such thing as being passively anti-racist. It is notenough to set a good example. Nor can we shield children from bigotry. A
society that continues to discriminate against racial and ethnic groups nurtures prejudice in each new generation. If we avoid these subjects with ourchildren, we actually run the risk of strengthening prejudices we want themto reject. Children are barraged by images and ideas we don’t control on theplayground, on television, and in school. However free from prejudice wemay be, our children, even very young children, can absorb the biases theyencounter outside of our homes.
We must teach our children to be critical thinkers, specifically about
prejudice, bullying, discrimination and racism. Critical thinking is when we
strive to understand issues through examining and questioning. Young children can begin to develop these skills, to know when a word or an image
is unfair or hurtful. This is also a time when children are in the process ofdeveloping empathy.
Here are some suggestions for parents and teachers to develop criticalthinking in children:• Ask children to name words that hurt feelings. Then, talk about
which words are okay to use when you are angry with someone, andwhich ones are not.
• Teach children to express their feelings by naming offending behaviors rather than labeling people.
• Encourage children to think and talk about images they see inbooks, on television, and in movies. Use age-appropriate books andstories to help children begin to understand struggles for justiceand equity.
• Find moments to talk about fairness and empathy: “If that happened to me, I would feel terrible. How would you feel if that happened to you?”• Find opportunities to talk about similarities as well as differences.
If children are nonverbal, observe and respond to their curiosity.
For example, if a group of children are touching the head of a child
whose hair is very different from theirs, you can say, “She has curly
hair and you have straight hair. But you are all beautiful kids, andyou all have natural beautiful hair.”• Model the behaviors and attitudes you want children to develop.
Pay particular attention to situations that can either promote preju-

168

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i cdice or inhibit a child’s openness to diversity. Make sure your program reflects diversity in books, toys, games, puppets, music, movies, paintings, and so on.
• Create opportunities for children to interact and make friends withpeople who are different from them, because children learn bestfrom concrete experiences.
• Don’t let racist and prejudicial remarks go by without intervening.
It’s important to let children know from a very early age that namecalling of any kind; whether it’s about someone’s religion, race, ethnic background, or sexual orientation is hurtful and wrong. Eachtime we don’t intervene, we are indirectly giving children permission to make prejudiced remarks.
“When do I start talking about prejudice with kids?” many parents andteachers ask me. “Earlier is better!” I always reply. Children ask questions
as soon as they can talk. Even toddlers wonder about similarities and differences between people. “Your hands are black and dirty,” a three-year-old
Japanese boy said to me the other day. “Why don’t you wash them in thesink over there?” Preschool children ask questions born of basic curiosity
about the world. Simple answers delivered without upset, shock, or anger
will provide them with the information they need. “My hands are black but
not dirty, and my skin is a different color than yours,” I said. “My skin color
won’t come off. Skin color is not dirt; it does not wash away. Skin color islike the different colors of your clothes. When your daddy or mommy puts
your black shorts and your yellow shirt in the washing machine, they still
come out black and yellow. The color doesn’t wash away.” Adults can use an
explanation like this to help little children understand natural differences.
Of course, the answers children require will change as they grow.
Post-activity Feedback
I ask the participants what they have learned in the activity. Based on
my previous experiences the responses generally relate to the following:
1. Racism is a concept that will never disappear. As long as there is any
way to differentiate ourselves from others there will be racism. However wemust not tolerate racism in our communities. (a man in his 40s)
2. Racism is simply a result of ignorance being passed from one generation to another. Education is the only form of anti-racism. (a man in his 30s)

Japan: Fighting Against Racism/Bullying and Promoting Diversity in Schools

169

3. Being split 50/50 between two very different cultures (American andJapanese) I have experienced some very harsh racism throughout my life.
But the key to progression for me is to remain in a state of understanding
and not to allow myself to associate or retaliate to such ignorance. (a woman
in her 50s)
Concluding Remarks
Many people look to politicians, or social activists to eliminate racism anddiscrimination. They certainly can make great contributions toward a justsociety, but we, parents and teachers, also have a vitally important contribution to make. We can talk openly with our children about race, ethnicity, religion, and bigotry. We can answer their questions about these complicatedtopics, and we can begin a dialogue that will continue throughout their lives.
The quality of our children’s future is at stake. In the 21st century, the ability to communicate and work with people from different racial and ethnic
groups will be as essential as computer skills.
In the past, the average Japanese was not likely to have ever had contacts of any significance with an individual of different racial background;however, contemporary conditions are far different. Japan has become a diverse society. People of various ethnic backgrounds stream through Japan,
and people of Japanese origin wander the globe. Individuals of Japanesebackground have fitted into other societies, and when their descendants
come to Japan, speaking only “broken Japanese” or none at all, they have
had to be regarded as outsiders. Some have even become politicians in the
United States, Canada, Brazil and Peru. I believe the old Japanese concept ofshimaguni konjo (insular mindset), which promoted Japan as a “mono-racial
nation,” has been shaken but not completely gone. Japanese children will inherit an even more diverse society from now on. We, parents and educators,
need to help them learn to live and work closely with people whose race,
religion, or culture may be different from their own.
Endnotes
1

This poster is available in www2.saganet.ne.jp/joel/Poster_Joel.pdf

Joel Assogba, “Racism in Japan,” The Japan Times, Shukan ST (22 February2008), available in www.japantimes.co.jp/shukanst/english_news/essay/2008/
ey20080222/ey20080222main.htm?print=noframe2170

Annex A

Annex AH u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i c