[Bakudan]

I can field this one perfectly. The reason for these signs is not because Japan is racist against people from outside the country. Japan is a society that is dominated by ritual. For instance, Onsen or hotsprings have a certain order in which to get into them, in order to keep them sanitary. Americans are used to getting into the tub and THEN washing themselves. This would cause the water to become soapy and merky over time. Japanese custom is to wash and rinse BEFORE soaking. You will notice that most of the signs say that it is OK to have people from other countries into the establishment as long as they are with Japanese natives. The reasoning behind this, is that Japanese people will be able to inform peoples of non Japanese speaking origin, on how to properly enjoy the place, without messing anything up. Not everyone in Japan speaks foreign languages. This makes it difficult for a shop owner to tell a foreign visitor that they are not following the guidelines of the establishment. As such, people of any origin, should follow the rules of their respective visiting place. Even though they may not know any better, due to inability to read Japanese, it is still not acceptable to break the rules that are set forth by the establishment owner. Hope this sheds some light on the subject.