Guava

Who is questioning the veracity of the OP's story?

I am sorry, when I sit in a J or F cabin, I certainly do not actively survey the cabin or the FAs and try to compare their level of attentiveness towards other pax vs. me. That just seems weird. Why do you care so much about how others are treated vs. you? Was there something negative about the service you received in particular that prompted you to notice your different treatment vs. other pax?

Did you use the FA call button or was that malfunctioning? Or did they ignore your call button entirely? Do you think that lesser service is due to somekind of racism or could it be simply the FA was not as professional as some other peers?

So you are saying it's an one off incident. Then, doesn't that disproves somekind of systematic ill treatement of gaijins in general on JAL since you weren't bothered enough to complain in your 11 to 14 other JAL flights? How does that support the OP's one off incident then since he/she appeared to be "mis-treated" on a single flight as well and that subsequents flights weren't as bad. If so, does everytime a UA or AA or DL flight has a less than attentive FA makes you think about racism too due to your skin tone?

mosburger

I think Korean carriers are the most "exclusive" of non-Korean premium passengers, maybe then followed by Japanese.

The Chaebol and Keiretsu execs are, however, an extremely loyal customer group who clock up huge mileage and normally also have a co-branded airline credit card. So its quite obvious they get preferential treatment over the odd non-national.

That said, I personally have never had a bad experience with JAL. It used to be my main airline in the 1990s and I still value them highly. Probably one of the reasons I majored in Japanese

reubencahn

You can read the posts before mine and come to your own conclusion but when someone writes they don't believe the events happened as set out by the OP, that's questioning veracity.



I don't think I wrote that I surveyed anyone. Rather, I wrote that it was obvious to me that Japanese passengers received better treatment. On any flight, I can see the passengers around me. I can see whom the FAs visit. I can see whom they don't. And I know how the FAs treat me. Do I care? Only when I don't get what I want with reasonable promptness. That's what led to my letter in the one incident.



Yes.

I don't know. As I wrote in my post, I have put this down to discomfort with language and, in the one instance, travelling on an award ticket. I would not, and did not, accuse JAL as a whole of racism. I shared my admittedly anecdotal information about differing treatment of passengers. If I believed the entire airline were racist, I wouldn't continue to fly it.




If you read my post, you'll see I did not describe a single incident. I described a pattern with one particularly bad flight involved. I'm not trying to support a conclusion of racism, and the word racism doesn't appear in my post. I can imagine other reasons for the differing treatment including language, as I mentioned above, or a sense that western passengers are less demanding or less comfortable with overly solicitous service. My objection was to people, in my reading, attacking the OP's description of events as inaccurate because they didn't like his/her conclusion of racism.

peloton

I spend 80% of my time in Japan and 20% in the US. I am an American married to a Japanese. First, I can't comment if the original poster experienced discrimination or incompetent service. But both are wrong for premium on a Japanese airline.

First an aside... how was the OP dressed? Japanese have certain stereotypes about neatness and Americans and other Westerners. Japanese, especially people in Tokyo, even wear ties and sport jackets on the weekends. If OP was in a premium cabin in jeans, t-shirt and had bare feet, I can see FA's feeling not so good about it.

Now for the more macro situation. Discrimination is legal in Japan. Yes, it's unconstitutional but not illegal. There are no laws against it. In housing, health clubs, restaurants, hotels, they can just shake their head no if you are a foreigner and THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. A person who meticulously blogs about this is Arudo Debito.

Japanese often will not swim in the same pool or hot spring as Western people. I was prohibited from joining a health club because I am a foreigner on the outskirts of Kobe and they even handed me a letter in both languages explaining that I couldn't join because I was a foreignger.

Being married to a Japanese woman, I have seen with her and her peers significant negative attitudes towards other Asians. Older Japanese often feel that "gaijin" are "dirty" (hence not wanting to swim with them).

My wife can not take my Western name in Japan without having her family history record obliterated. And without her family history she may not get a job as they check to see if you are the "right type of person."

This gets into the secret caste system (look up burakumin on the internet) where people whose families came from butchers or leather workers were considered unclean. Their descendents today still are encouraged to live in certain neighborhoods in Osaka and Kobe (but are encouraged to assimilate in Tokyo)- this is a topic that is NEVER brought up in pubic with Japanese people although the New York Times wrote about it recently.

OK - back to the OP. You may have or have not been the recipient of discrimination. My point is that it is endemic to the culture but international staff of JAL and ANA should have it trained out of them.

What to do? In the future, keep in mind the worst penalty for all Japanese is public embarrassment. CALL THEM ON IT WHILE IT IS HAPPENING- loud enough so the next person can hear but in a nice voice.

"Excuse me- I am wondering if there is a reason why I do not seem to be getting the service that others are getting on this flight. I realize I don't speak Japanese but is this because I am a foreign customer? They will turn 15 shades of color, walk away and then the most senior person will come back and start taking care of you I suspect.

I was on ANA C full fare one way once- bought through United's site as it was $2000 cheaper-although it was still a $4000 one way ticket to NY. I was told -not asked that the Japanese meal wouldn't be available to me and had to have a Western meal. I was the only one told this. So I said, "is that because I am the United customer today?" She turned fifteen shades of color left in a huff and then a senior person said I could have whatever meal I want and the crew would have to change their selections but not me as a customer.......damn right......

fly both Japanese airlines a lot- overall it is a privilege compared to US airlines. Remember being a FA is the highest honor a Japanese woman can have-it is more respected in society than her being a doctor (literally). The total opposite to the role in the US. For the most part, Japanese airlines are amazing. But, sometimes the culture intrudes..........Your weapon is to not lose your cool but let them know they are putting themselves in an "embarrassing situaiton" that hurts how others perceive their professionalism.

Mr. Bean

I'm surprised that so many people have said JL (and other Japanese airlines) FAs generally have poor English skills. I would never have thought that.

As I don't know Japanese, I think I would avoid those carriers unless they were the only option. It's just difficult to communicate anything, whether its service in the air or on the ground.

Mr. Bean

Interesting advice. Thanks for sharing your experience in Japan.

davistev

Great Post - thanks for taking your time to write about your experiences in Japan.

PhlyingRPh

Really interesting post peloton. ^

I would have thought that the OP having to get up a couple of times to ask for things would have resulted in significant embarrassment and shame for the FA's.

mosburger

I would not call Japan specifically discrimininating, all of Asia loves hierarchy and a divide between insiders and outsiders.

It doesn't matter if you happen to be in China, Indonesia, Japan or Thailand or on the respective airlines, the philosophy remains the same. Better to become one of the insiders then.

Pickles

Oh how I wish this were true! Clear out the facility, have it to myself...

virmaior

I think this is awesome advice. When I was in Japan in May, we used this technique a number of times. Since the Japanese consider being shamed the worst possible experience, the key is to ensure that you make a scene by complaining.

Non-refundable shinkansen ticket? Complain loud enough that you didn't understand because of language so that regular customers can hear it and watch the cookie crumble.

goavibes

This is exactly with this kind of attitude that some Japanese will keep seeing foreigners as a nuisance. If you booked not refundable Shinkansen tickets you have nobody to blame for but yourself. Shame on you for this kind of attitude

sfvoyage

Creating a scene and causing disharmony in Japan is exactly the type of thing that perpetuates the stereotype of the un-refined, loud, obnoxious ugly-gaijin. The shame is on the gaijin in this type of situation.

sfvoyage

You've got to be kidding?!

I certainly have never come across this declaration from any Japanese friends, news stories or cultural studies during my years living there. I agree that being a FA is not considered a bad job in Japan - as well as many parts of Asia - and perhaps even maintains some level of glamour. But while young girls may fantasize about being a FA one day, I'd highly doubt that the typical parents would, upon learning their teenage daughter would like to become a doctor when she grows up, disapprove and try to talk her into becoming a FA instead...

acregal

I wouldn't say it's the highest honor but it's a job many girls want. There was an article in the New York Times recently saying that being a hostess is in the top 15 of jobs girls want so I'd guess flight attendant is in the top 10. What a good way to meet a salaryman with a good job and become a housewife (definitely applies if he is in first or business class)!

I don't advocate speaking out when you're not following the rules but, if you're being treated differently, it's totally acceptable. I once was at a Jusco in Itami and I had bought some groceries. It was in the evening, so fairly busy. The cashier doesn't say a word, just points at the price when everything is done. I told him I didn't have my contacts in so I couldn't read. The cashier points at the price again. I just walked over to the customer service desk and complained about that (I didn't buy the food or anything).

Technically hotels can't discriminate as it is against the law. The hard part is finding someone to enforce it or suing them yourself. I also believe doctors have similar restrictions.