On Chinese social media Xiaohongshu (RED), a post listing the "discrimination" encountered during 3 days in Japan was made, and it has received a response.

The poster first cited two points: "When I checked into a hotel in Kawaguchiko, the front desk staff's attitude was clearly not good," and "When I had lunch in Tokyo, the clerk peered into my (smartphone's) payment screen at checkout to confirm if the payment was successful. But they didn't do such a check for the two people before me."

Regarding an incident in Kamakura, they wrote: "When I passed in front of a surf shop, someone was washing a surfboard inside an enclosure. As I was about to pass, water droplets fell from above, and it seemed someone inside the enclosure laughed. At that moment, I was stunned and couldn't react immediately. I thought about going into the shop to complain, but the amount of water was small, and there was no evidence, so I just left. Now that I think back, I'm really angry, and I regret not having gone in properly to demand an apology at that time."

Furthermore, reflecting on buying ice cream in Kamakura: "After two white customers in front of me finished buying, I looked at the case, pointed to the raspberry flavor, and said 'One of these.' Then, the clerk's attitude was completely different from that towards the previous customers, and even after I paid, they remained standing still. When I showed them my (smartphone) screen and said 'I've paid,' they grudgingly scooped out a single ice cream and handed it to me without a word. Even though they smiled and bowed to the white customers."

And they added, "I'm still bothered by it. Why didn't I say anything at that time? I should have pointed it out properly. It was so sudden that my mind went blank, and I didn't know what to say." They then expressed their dissatisfaction, saying, "The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I wouldn't splash water on a stranger, and if I were running a store, I would never treat a customer like that."

In response to this post, Chinese net users commented, "Subtle discrimination by Japanese people is everywhere. Sharp people detect it immediately," "Japanese people's incomes are getting lower, so their dissatisfaction is accumulating," "Actually, the level of Japanese service industry has become much lower compared to before, hasn't it?" "Indeed, Japanese service industry is incomparable to 10 years ago," and "I've worked with Japanese people for 10 years, and they unconsciously show respect to Chinese people who are fluent in Japanese and have a calm demeanor. Tourists who can't speak Japanese and seem a bit timid are discriminated against."

On the other hand, many opinions were "too sensitive" or "worrying too much," with comments like, "Sensitive people are not suited for overseas travel," "If you're that sensitive, you'll get sick. It's supposed to be a good trip," "You're too sensitive. Regarding eating in Tokyo, some apps might require screen confirmation," "You're really overthinking it. The other person wouldn't know you're Chinese at a glance," and "(Connecting everything to discrimination) You'd probably be 'discriminated' against even in China."

Also, there were opinions like, "That's strange. Everyone was very kind when I was in Tokyo," "I've been in Japan for over 20 days. Everyone I've met has been nice," "It's strange that you, who've only been traveling for a few days, have experienced discrimination more often than us who have lived here for several years," and "Some machines can't confirm if payment is complete on their end, so they check the screen. I don't really understand the situation about being splashed with water, but the people who like surfing around there are all cheerful and kind. You shouldn't overthink it too much."

Furthermore, comments such as, "Discrimination does exist, but it's very rare. It depends on luck. 'The predecessors cut down the trees, and the successors get sunburned' (meaning earlier Chinese visitors harmed the reputation, leading later visitors to face discrimination)," and "In Japan, it's tough if you can't speak English or Japanese. Japan is exclusive, but on the other hand, if they perceive you as someone they resonate with and should help, they will assist very enthusiastically. I have experienced a lot of goodwill from people since coming to Japan," were observed.

In addition, comments such as, "It's okay. The discrimination you receive when speaking Putonghua (Mandarin) in Hong Kong is much worse," "I haven't experienced any obvious discrimination (in Japan) yet, except for last night's Taiwanese. I originally asked a Taiwanese woman to take a photo, but her male companion cut in from the side, took a quick snap, and tossed the camera back. From his words and attitude, I could tell he looked down on me," and "Is there any country that doesn't discriminate against Chinese people?" were also received. (Translation/Editing by Kitada)