Is it true that Japaneses really dont like Koreans??

Question

I am asking because i am Korean and once i had a pen pal from Japan. She said her anstors were korean and they considered her korean, Her parents didnt want her to say she was because of what they would think of her family... Is this common? because i really want to visit but i dont want to be judged for being a certain race, and them judge me before knowing me becase of it.
I didnt even know it was like that.But i am not saying that everyone is like that i know, but i just got to know.

Answer 1

i don't care if my friends are korean or japnese. but i have Korean friends living in Japan (actually, my friends were born and raised in Japan but their grandparents are from Korea), and they didn't tell me that they are Korean until couple years later because they thought i won't talk to her anymore...

Japanese forced Korean (who lived in japan) to change their names into Japanese, not to talk in Korean... many bad things... so i know some Korean especially old people (maybe 70s or 8s) don't like japanese. my friends' grandma told me little bit.

but i think most younger generation like me don't care about that anymore

you shouldn't worry about race or nationality, wherever you go, you will find nice friends and encounter some racism.

that's what i learned when i came to the states

Answer 2

There are some, of course. But mostly it's a bit like the British attitude to the French!

There's been bad behaviour, bad blood, and bad feelings between Korea and Japan for a LONG time now, and a minority of Japanese people feel that Japanese are superior to Koreans. (The governor of Tokyo is one of them, he's called Ishihara, and he hates ALL foreigners! It doesn't affect those of us who actually LIVE in Tokyo though, and it doesn't affect the tourists either!)

Then there's the minority who feel - rightly or wrongly - that Koreans blame them personally for Japan's history! Guilt when you've done nothing wrong breeds hostility.

But most Japanese people either don't care if someone's Korean, or they don't let it affect their behaviour. If you're not going to LIVE here I wouldn't let it worry you. If you ARE going to live here, don't be put off by it, just be aware.

Your pen-pal was right in many ways though, because Japanese people will ALWAYS think of a non-Japanese person as a 'foreigner' - even if they're the 3rd or 4th generation of their family to be born in Japan! Being Japanese isn't simply a document stating that you're a citizen - this isn't America! It's more about blood lines ... but it's true that most young (or even not-so-young!) Japanese people are less bothered by all that nonsense! The 'American way' filters through via the media in little dribs and drabs...!

Answer 3

Actually, I find the opposite to be true. I am not Korean or Japanese, but a lot of my students are. My Korean students accept the Japanese students as individuals, but they make a lot of sweeping statements about the people. I understand the history and why they feel so angry, I just think it is a shame that 12-year-olds, who otherwise know very little about history, have already been taught this anger. Most of them also think that the reason there is a North Korea is due to American interference in the Korean War as opposed to realizing that it is due to this influence that South Korea exists as a separate, democratic nation, and not everyone in Korea is under the rule of crazy Kim.

Answer 4

(1) There are lots of problems between Japan and Korea such as territorial issue, compensation for the war, North Korea issue, etc. Then the political tension has yet continued since World War II. Some persons don't like Korea since they know those issues.

(2) Japanese brought many Koreans to Japan to work while colonizing Korea. So they hated Japanese and Japanese also hated them. Some elderly persons who knows it don't like Koreans.

But many younger generation don't have such kind of mind. Actually Korean movies and many things about Korea has been very in for these three years. We call it 'hanryu' that means Korean boom.

An acquaintance of mine who is a woman and a former colleague who is a guy got married with Korean. I believe most of the Japanese you will meet would like you.

Answer 5

As many people have already said. Not all Japanese hate Koreans. Things are changing yes, but there are still many Japanese out there who are retarded.
It's sad.

For example, my grandparents hated Chinese and Koreans. I asked once before why they hated them and my gandmother says, "Because we were taught to hate them"
I guess it was part of the WW2 propaganda that Japan as a society embraced.
Let's face it Japan was like North Korea back then.

Anyway, I think living in Japan as a foreigner is hard.
But visiting you shouldn't have too many serious problems.
The younger generation is changing things and Korean movies and music is beginning to spread in Japan. (finally)
So things are starting to change although it's still slow.

Speaking in Korean in Japan will probably have people looking at you awkwardly, maybe even sometimes with open hatred, but don't pay attention to them. Remember that there's always stupid people and smart people.
Hang out with the smart crowd and you'll educate the stupid ones.

Answer 6

I've heard that too. When I was growing up in Japan (as a foreigner) my Japanese girlfriends said they didn't like the Korean kids in my class. But when I asked why, they didn't know. Their parents told them this stuff. My husband said it has something to do with WW2 and a dispute over islands. That could be it. Personally, I think Japan is great, but so is Korea. I don't get the hate.....

Answer 7

I think that it is an older stereotype that is starting to wear thin. Being full Japanese, I realized that a lot of the older generation, (or more traditional families) still will follow this train of thought, like my grandparents and great-grandparents, but my parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. don't have a general negative idea of all Koreans.

And as for the idea that the Japanese thing that they are superior to all other asian ethnicities, I think that every Asian thinks that their ethnicity is better than the rest...

Answer 8

ha! im korean too. my family says that japanese people are ugly and EVIL!!! but i dont thik that way...
korea and japan were fighting against each other not too long ago for a small island close to korea.
fellow canadians and americans, koreans are very iggnorent and have no manners to anyone. koreans dont like japan because of past history and the conflicts.
but not always...
they made a series where both koreans and japanese staff produced together (called friends)
and held the friendly korean japanese music... show....
overall - i think yeah for some but not alot... they hate between each other, but they dont show it to their face...

Answer 9

This is hard to explain.

Japanese are very polite to foreigners.

However, Japanese tend to put Europeans on a pedestal (you have it made if you are blond and blue eyed). Japanese tend to look down on other Asians.

Japanese think their culture is superior to all other Asian cultures which tends to irritate other Asians.

Your friend is correct. Japanese would tend to think less of a Korean living in Japan. However, young Japanese tend to be more open minded.

I lived in Korea for 4 years (3 in Seoul, 1 in Taegu) and currently live in Japan (2 years).

Answer 10

The feelings are mutual. The Japanese are very competitive with other Asians so they tend to be overaggressive and a little problematic.

The Koreans and Chinese never forgave the Japanese for the World War II crimes they committed. There is still hatred today.

Answer 11

Not all Japanese, however, I have to admit the number of those ant-Korea is increasing even now.
For me, I like Asian people, of course Korean too, I like Korean movie star and singer, like Choi JiWoo or BoA.

I am not sure when it was, however, Korea started to intensify the "anti-Japanese policy" several years ago.
The President repeated to criticize Japan, and also citizen hold anti-Japanese rally, gave an insult to Japanese flag and tear our PM's picture, etc.
Japanee people were watching those action in Korea though TV. After a short while, one anti-Korea book "嫌韓流" written with cartoon was published in Japan. Young Japanese started to know how Korea teach history to the people, and found it was one-sided, found only bad side of Japan. Korea say that Japan destroyed and took everything from Korea. But it is not true. Japan build the basis of today's Korea as well.
Anyway, today there are tons of anti-Korean in Japan. But don't worry, if you travel to Japan, no one do harm to you. Japanese is not "gong ho" people.

There's always 2 sides of a coin in history. The more Korea continue anti-Japanese attitude, the more Japanese won't accept Korea. Actually there have been pro-Korea wave in Japan under the favor of　Korean soap opera for long time. But Korea broke this wave in Japan by themselves. The broadcasting of Korean soap opera is decreasing in Japan day by day.

I recommend you to check one Korean's book, Kim WanSop　김완섭, (金完燮) he writes true history with datas. Korea govenment prohibited to release his book in Korea (Isn't Korea a land of liberty?).