The Community Page has commented at length on socially-sanctioned exclusionary practices in Japan. However, it has rarely touched upon their quantifiable, longer-term effects.
Exclusionism is bad for business. Why? Because non-Japanese residents are not the only ones affected by "no-foreigner" policies. So are visiting representatives of international corporations. This makes for unfavorable overseas impressions, not only of northern Japan (famous for its decade displaying "JAPANESE ONLY" signs), but also of the entire country.
"Most people coming to Japan nowadays are not here for big 'bubble-era' business, but rather as Japan fans. But after a few years and a lot of bad experiences, I often see them leaving as Japan detractors," said Simon Jackson, president of Northpoint Network Inc. in Sapporo, Japan's fifth-largest city, on the northern island of Hokkaido.
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