Arudou's writing still needed

Most of the readers who indignantly criticize the writings of Debito Arudou seem to share the same outlook. Arudou, they say, should shut up and accept the good with the bad.

This reminds me of myself 20 years ago, after first arriving in Japan. My first trainer, a Scotsman who spoke six languages and already had eight years in Japan under his belt, offered some unvarnished criticism of facets of Japanese culture that didn't agree with him. A nearby coworker, also a Japan newcomer, muttered that if this guy didn't like Japan, "Why don't he leave?" and I heartily agreed. Having gotten a job in less than a week, one that paid 50 percent more than the one I'd left in New York, who couldn't like this place?

The changes in my attitude since then reflect experiencing the reality of Japanese life. I've been denied apartments more than 20 times because of my race and been treated like a criminal by police and shopkeepers on a number of occasions. My company employs almost no foreign females, who seem to exit Japan quickly after their own discriminatory and unsavory experiences with the local culture.