Yamato Damacy Episode 13: Interview with Arudou Debito

Jeshii and Rahman interview Arudou Debito of www.debito.org about his website, his work, his activism, and the man behind it all. Part 1 includes an intro, Debito's Japanese passport, what cases he has filed, the 2ch case and the Bengodan case.

Thanks to the Good Shape Cafe in Roppongi for letting us tape there!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• japan
• japanese
• humanrights
• equality
• interview

[joebevis92]

can somebody explain to my why this guy is hated so much

and why people here in the comments section are insulting non-japanese people in english

[jeshii]

I'm not going to try to explain why people hate him so much, but sorry about those comments. Anyone know how to ban people from the comments section? It would be nice if

Ainokami1986 and nattokirai2009 could take them discussion elsewhere.

[JazzMatic]

At the end of the day, in real life, the way people treat you, it doesn't count for shit whether you are 'officially' Japanese or not, you are still a fucking gaijin so accept it and shut the fuck up!

[jeshii]

Say it loud and say it proud!

I am a fucking gaijin! :P

[jimaku205]

Arudou is not a civil rights activist, he's a cult leader.

Try criticizing him on his blog.

You'll be banned.

Arudou hates everybody who don't worship him.

[jeshii]

I have pretty mixed feelings about this whole thing, but I've got two main things that I'm fairly certain about:

1. Debito is just trying to do good in his own way. I respect him for that fact.

2. The other side of the 2chan thing is all the people who enjoy it. It's like any other popular internet site, there will be slander and scandal. But I think he made a lot of enemies out of some good people unnecessarily on that front. It's not how I would do it.. But, that's not his style. So be it.

[arivas713]

arudou debito, shmardou shmebito. This guy is quickly becoming the sharpton of Japan--he views himself in the same light as MLK or Mandela--please, i'm not a hater, i hate haters, but this guy has his self-righteous ego so far up his ass that you can see it bulging in his gut.

[TerhiTheFinn]

Debito-haters are losers. You don't have to agree with him or like his personality, but if you call him bad names you're just being an idiot. Everything he does is well within his rights and honestly a lot of his haters really exaggerate what Debito does and says. He doesn't say that all Japanese are racist, for instance, as a lot of people claim. Don't over-dramatize this guy.

[TerhiTheFinn]

@NickJGR29 You don't speak for the Japanese people. Only the Japanese government does that, so stop proving Debito right about racist Japanese.

[novajoke]

@jeshii

Thanks for your videos and comments. Why would you want to complain "Japanese only" signs posted in Kabukicho, hostess bars, so called "clubs"(aka sex clubs, massage), etc. etc. yeah it's unthinkable back in the States but there are thousands of thousands of places in Japan where people are welcome regardless of race, color, etc. etc.

If I go to a biker bar back in the States and talk about how Hondas are better than Harleys I wonder how they would react???

[NickJGR29]

And about 2ch, Hiroyuki and 2ch is not illegal. Debito just doesn't understand the difference between Civil Laws and Criminal Laws. Yes there are idiots in 2ch, but it is you and what you've done that made those idiots go mad on you!! Serves you right.

[NickJGR29]

As a Japanese, I hate Debito from my heart. Yes there is racism in Japan, but it's far far far less than in the U.S, his original country. DEBITO is just an anti-Japan activist. This is clear when you see his website. All he did was to make people hate Japan, and to make Japanese people hate foreigners. If you don't like Japan, gtf out and go back to the U.S!! We don't need you!! We hate you!!!!

[dreamboy316]

Debito AKA DAVID is a known troublemaker and whines for publicity, nothing more. i've lived in japan and know many others who still live there, and no one takes that fat weaboo seriously.

[Se1sai]

...Debito seems to be pushing things a little too far, even complaining about the term "gaijin", and this only portrays him in a bad light in Japanese eyes by not abiding to the accepted standards of social behavior and conformism of his nation.

I am particularly interested in knowing jeshii's opinion on the matter, have your feelings changed about it? Do you feel, like I do, that Debito could have given a better image of foreigners by stopping after the onsen case and just be glad he won?

[Se1sai]

I used to support Debito on his endeavors but, the more I know about Japan the less inclined I feel to continue to do so.

Sadly, he seems to just be reinforcing the bad image Japanese have about gaijins. He was in his whole right to demand service at Yunohana onsen as a Japanese citizen, and I'm glad he won the case, but outside of that...