As I read Wayne Wilson's Nov. 6 letter, "Teacher can't swim in a pool," I felt that Japanese people were being blamed for discriminating against foreign people. Actually people are not discriminating, and I think Wilson should think about this more carefully. If he has lived in Japan such a long time, he should understand the Japanese. Some older people are naturally xenophobic. Some people may discriminate against foreigners even now, but I think most Japanese have a good impression of foreigners, and don't want to discriminate.
So, why can't foreign people with tattoos swim in a pool? I think the main reason is cultural differences. People here are scared of people who wear tattoos. Tattoos remind us of yakuza, rock stars or gangs in a film — all of these are not familiar to Japanese. Even if tattoos are acceptable in foreign culture, they are not in Japan. Ordinary people don't have them. Tattoos may be getting more popular among young people, but they are still not acceptable to older Japanese people.
Wayne has to understand that Japanese are not discriminating against foreign people because of how they look. People are just scared. If he really wants to swim in a pool, he should hide or remove his tattoos. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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