Japanese job-seeker applicant rejected because of foreign name

17 comments

1. this stuff is way too common unfortunately

2. Shouldn’t it be illegal for them to outright say that?

3. Yep, sounds like Japan.

4. > “We will take it seriously and improve our practices in the future. We realize we did a very shameful act.”

   Translation: We got publicly caught off-side. So, we will actually do nothing. Got it.

5. As a Japanese, even though I don’t think most Japanese hate foreigners, they tend to be afraid of people who are different from them in terms of appearance, language, culture, etc.

   Would you call this racist? I don’t know what the specifics are. If this is the case, then we probably don’t quite understand what racism is.

   I apologize for being insensitive to racism.

6. I did not give a “foreign looking name” to my son on purpose because of this.

   Back in the day, when I had just arrived to Japan, I believed in keeping the roots for me and my family and also so my kid could feel proud of where he came from. However, reality over the years has taught me to take the pragmatic approach and be practical.

   If my son wants to change his name later in life he can do that, if he wants to keep his foreign citizenship he can too.

7. This happens all over the world, usually disguised as rejection based on something else. Luckily they were transparent here so she could call them out directly.

8. Japan is just a big kid really.

   A lot of good things about this country but if they want to keep up with the rest of the world going forward they have to lose this weird nervousness towards literally anything not Japanese.

9. Every time I get a post from this sub it’s just people complaining about Japan being racist

10. Happens everyday.

11. Japan has issues like anywhere else, some serious, including racism, but do people honestly think things here are worse than in the rest of the developed world right now? I don’t. I read the international news and, all in all, feel lucky to be here.

12. Gonna get the downvotes by people who don’t read the article.

    Girl is a Japanese citizen. Person or department processing her application fucked up. Forms like that require you designate your citizenship, place of birth.
    Also, human error plays a part, non kanji, Japanese citizen surnames are extremely rare, so although prejudiced (someone shouldn’t have applied cos this locals application method, stamp! Application denied!) it was not likely done with ill intent.

    It’s wrong that it happened and depending on application rules has every right to appeal and reapply. Admin needs more diversity training etc.

    If it was ill intent, then the applicant should pursue an official complaint via lawyer etc

    Context is important before you get your dose of rage dopamine

13. American companies for one, does this all the time and nobody bats an eye. At least in my experience, I’ve never been treated so by the japanese companies I crossed path with. I believe some may, but we wouldn’t wanna be working for them either so isn’t it a win win?

14. Shameful stuff.

    Sadly not only in Japan, I have friends in France who have seen so much of this.

15. nothing to see here… nothing new

16. I would suggest using a recruiter specialized in foreign names.

17. “Oh.. Anyways”

    This happens in most countries in the world