can you specify this...really?

I was doing a bit of a walk about today, mostly because i was a bit bored of all my regular haunts...and came across in the search a sim advertised, stating "for japanese people only". It tweaked my brain (not a lot does lately lol) and im curious now...

1) can you really specify what race can live somewhere?
2) how do they know you are that race (language might give it away i guess!)
3) why do that? isnt that a bit insular?
4) whut if the person renting a home or plot of land there IS japanese BUT their partner isnt?

Why not .. if you pay tier on a plot . you call the shots.

If you own a SIM (Or any amount of land) you can limit it to whoever you want and LL is fine with it. You could say 'only black, gay nazis allowed here' if you wanted.

They can meet you, request a picture, just look for you, check your profile, etc.

Because they can

OMG YOU DIVIDED BY ZERO!>?!?

huh? divided what by zero?

I lived in that neighborhood once. Wasnt fun!

I'd hazard a wild guess that this is a case where you shouldn't attribute to malice what is probably just a really bad translation. I have a resort that is intended to be for gay people primarily. And although I don't discriminate and open it to anyone, heaven help me if I tried to express the concept politely in Japanese.

I would guess that it's a lot more about language than it is about race. People like being somewhere where they can understand people. It is insular, but that's the point. It sounds like this landowner wants to create an oasis in SL for Japanese people to feel at home without constantly confronting a language barrier.

To the best of my knowledge, Japanese is not a race.

Thats what those guys have been doing for thousands of years with no real invasions on their small islands.Its not really Xenophobic its just that their all third or 4 th cousins.Not like us Brits who have been shafted by every Tom DICK or Harry over the years.

Japanese is not a race. They are people who live or were born in Japan.

ooo pardon moi...oops NOT a race...happy now people lol

jeeez all that reading and the only contribution to a genuine question and wanting to understand is to pick someone up on how they have couched their question...I can understand mentioning that if you had something to ADD other than picking apart whats written..us this whats meant as *forum police*? those that have nothing to say but pick at other peoples spelling/grammer/poor turn of phrase?

sheesh

In real life they have in Japan they have sex clubs for Japanese only because they don't want outsiders watching them do it.
It is privacy and comfort issue.
They would feel embarrassed and inhibited if outsiders were there.
Just like there is black, Hispanic ,gay or lesbian only spaces or there use to be in real life or until some places decided they need to be inclusive to everyone.
Sometimes you don't want to include every one in certain acts especially private ones.
I don't know about anyone else but there are certain things I don't want to include everyone
involved in my real life, same way with Second Life.
Some things some people of certain groups don't want outsiders of your culture or sub-culture that may not understand or aren't uncomfortable watching.

I've seen signs like those up at some Japanese sims. I think they have a problem with a lot of people who like certain aspects of the Japanese culture. So your average Japanese person walking about a sim would find himself getting into a fight with another guy pretending to be a Ninja. Would you call wanting to avoid that insular?

im not condoning it either way- im asking the question to find out ...

interesting replies so far ty

Err... yes, and the Chinese live, were born, or originate from China. Chinese aren't a race either?

i think you might be right about the translation thing...gawd i couldnt begin to say anything correctly in japanese...

i wasnt thinking mailiciously though...just curious

nooo chinese arent a race but oriental is

The hundred meters is not a race either it's a sprint.

Asian is racial. Oriental is furniture.

I'd also say the sign probably means "People of Japanese origin would be more comfortable here than those who aren't" (for any number of reasons)

And, as someone who's moved from one country to another, I agree that it's annoying as heck to have someone pretend to have knowledge of your culture when in fact they don't. Be that by dressing up as Ninja and shouting haiiiii-AH! , wearing lederhosen or dressing up as the opposite gender.

Can't really blame a group for wanting to be with their genuine peers instead of pretenders. I wouldn't stomp my feet if such a group conversed only in their language and I have to make do with a babbler. When in Rome...

However when public places become exclusive, hateful or discriminating toward visitors of any ilk I take my business elsewhere.

It was late, what can I say? hehe

Trout is on a roll this week. You win this thread, too, Troutie!

Faith:

To answer your questions...
Yep, anyone can do whatever they want with their land here. The Equal Housing Opportunity Act doesn't apply to SL. If you want to be insular or racist or misogynist or just plain ornery, you can.

Why would Japanese people want to limit a sim to fellow japanese only? That's a long story, but the Japanese culture tends to be quite insular. It is very much "us" and "them". Japanese refer to non-Japanese as "gaijin", a term meaning "foreigner", but carrying quite a negative connotation. The Chinese have a similar tradition, but their term translates to "foreign devils".

Countering this, the Japanese are also an exquisitely polite people. This is due to the crowded nature of their country. There is little room and little privacy, and politeness is an essential lubricant for society. So, while a Japanese may secretly look down his nose at you and your foreign appearance and manners and dress, he will never say so to your face, or give any indication that he is not delighted with your company.

I like and admire the Japanese and their culture. It has acquired a Western veneer which tends to hide the fact that the culture and mindset are still wildly different from that of Eurpoeans and Americans. That difference can pop out and surprise you.