This paper examines the representation of Blacks in contemporary Japanese literature and the mass media. It argues that many stereotypes Japanese hold concerning Blacks are in part the product of an uncritical acceptance of Western representations of Blacks and in part a result of power relations which have influenced the type of images of Blacks Japan receives from the West, particularly the United States, and which serve to perpetuate racial stereotyping.
This paper examines the issue of discrimination in Japanese firms. As part of the Japanese social structure, Japanese firms share the value system of Japanese society at large. Japanese firms, whether located domestically or abroad, frequently and systematically discriminate against Blacks in hiring and housing on the basis of racial stereotypes prevalent in Japanese mass culture. The study reveals the type of social prejudices Blacks encounter in Japan through the case study of a six-year African American Tokyo resident.