Japan is hosting the Rugby World Cup. Fans from all over the world are attending, and a percentage of them have been rowdy. On TV Tackle, one of Beat Takeshi’s television programs, the issue of poorly behaved foreigner tourists was once again a topic of discussion.
There has been footage of rugby fans causing chaos, smoking in non-smoking areas, and generally being noisy.
https://twitter.com/a/status/1175394691358937095
https://twitter.com/a/status/1175353206785708032
Japanese people like to think of themselves as above doing things like this. For the most part, that’s true. Trains are quiet. There is no singing, let alone human pyramids.
札幌ドームへ向かう東豊線、イングランドのラグビーアンセムであふれてます。#RWC2019 #RWC札幌 pic.twitter.com/QmQ4FRrpS7
— 吉谷 吾郎 (@nitta_shiyo) September 22, 2019
Scrolling through comments on blogs and Twitter, people in Japan attribute the bad behaviour to a difference in how people are raised. But don’t believe go wild when Japanese sports teams win championships, too? One of Japan’s most famous sports curses came about after Osaka baseball fans stole a Colonel Sanders statue from KFC and chucked it in the Dotombori River. And it’s not just sports: Halloween in Shibuya last year resulted in Japanese people overturning a small truck and leaving trash all over.
That doesn’t give visitors the ok to do the same, of course. Good manners aside, considering how the Japanese authorities can hold people in custody for up to 23 days without charging them for a crime, I’d advise visitors to do everything they can not to piss off the police. Rugby fans should celebrate; they should not cause problems and destroy property, whether that’s in Japan or anywhere else.
Japanese TV is once again focusing on the bad behaviour of foreigners. Back in 2002, it did the same for the Japan-co-hosted World Cup, warning locals of an impending invasion of soccer hooligans, hell-bent on fighting and wrecking stuff.
On TV Tackle, the panel discussed whether or not stores and restaurants should have signs that read 外国人観光客お断り or “No foreign tourists allowed” to help avoid any trouble. I guess that means if you are a foreign resident in Japan, you’ll always need to show your resident visa status to get in?
This show covered similar ground to one last year (the YouTube video has since gone). In particular, more fascination with drunk foreigners in Golden Gai. https://t.co/VZfvIWw7EM
— Mulboyne (@Mulboyne) October 16, 2019
The Japanese government started an omotenashi campaign to welcome foreign visitors. “Omotenashi” refers to selfless Japanese hospitality that aims to give the guest an excellent and memorable experience.
https://twitter.com/a/status/1184304965726007298
These clips show misbehaving foreigners. At the start of the second clip, a bar owner is upset that the foreigners are banging on the table. He’s unable to communicate and seems to give up.
For reference, here are some of the Golden Gai signs featured on the show. pic.twitter.com/PJVmGIODux
— Mulboyne (@Mulboyne) October 16, 2019
One panelist discussed whether the Japanese government had actually thought through what would happen if large numbers of tourists started visiting, while another wondered if Japan actually has a culture of omotenashi. After all, this is a country that banned foreigners from entering, save for only specific ports, for well over 200 years.
There are certainly problems caused by tourism. Just look how geisha and maiko are swarmed in Kyoto as they go to work.
舞妓さんの写真を撮りたいために、祇園で横行する観光客の迷惑行為。こうした行為は、外国人観光客が増えると共に悪化しました。そこで京都市はこうした行為に対し、ある対策を始めました。（映像提供：日テレNEWS24）https://t.co/Rg25KWJ7rR pic.twitter.com/pMzCfxqG8f
— Yahoo!ニュース (@YahooNewsTopics) October 15, 2019
But there have also been good things about tourism.
https://twitter.com/a/status/1183366412875657222
Foreign fans cheering for the Japanese rugby team.
🇯🇵🏈 #Japan #RWC2019
Morning Japan!
Canada players volunteer to clean up mud on a road in Kamaishi, northeastern Japan, on Oct. 13, following the cancellation of their Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Namibia due to the powerful typhoon #Hagibis.
VCG Pics pic.twitter.com/owo1CWxMl5— CCTV Asia Pacific (@CCTVAsiaPacific) October 14, 2019
People helping strangers.
https://twitter.com/a/status/1177944725334249473
Simple, yet moving and unforgettable kindness.
The best post-match interview we’ve ever done 😂
The Japanese fans are on incredible form after their history-making win over Scotland #JPNvSCO #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/Nz9O88N5Fx
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 13, 2019
Respect and sportsmanship.
One reason why the Irish have been so welcomed at Rugby World Cup in Japan… They join in the Japanese tradition of the fans cleaning the ground after a match such as last week v Russia in Kobe pic.twitter.com/vNIcigWfBE
— liam heagney (@heagneyl) October 9, 2019
And good traditions rubbing off and being adapted by others.
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