Tofugu: "Gaijin"

Above, the Sendai ryokan I stayed at. Nearby, some bars did not allow non-Japanese.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tofugu.com has an article entitled, "Gaijin."

In the article, they note:

Gaijin (外人, short for 外国人), or “foreigner” in Japanese, is a complicated word that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

And, they also point out:

But for some people in Japan, “gaijin” can be a hurtful and alienating word. It can mean refusal of service at businesses, a barrier to entry for housing, or even threats of harassment or violence.

The only places in Japan I've seen where non-Japanese were not welcome were at some bars in Sendai. I was taking a walk near the ryokan I was staying at and saw several bars and clubs with "no non-Japanese" signs posted. Personally, I never ran into any problems.

To read the full article, go here.