[GoNative]

Yeah I'd agree. Racism towards westerners is pretty limited but the Chinese and South Koreans aren't so well tolerated.
Not sure of the exact reasons for this but it may be a bit of a hangover from the past. Let's face it when you are about to go and invade a whole lot of countries like Japan did in the 30's and 40's you generally use a lot of governement propaganda to demonise and denegrate those you're about to go and kill, torture and enslave. It makes it easier for the general populace to stomach that kind of behaviour if they think very little of the people your invading. Hitler of course used similar propaganda to get his people behind the atrocities he went on to commit. Not sure if this is right but maybe a plausible reason.

I think I'm also right in saying that Japan doesn't really have any laws against racial villification. So the media and politicians can be as racist as they like without no recourse available to those on the receiving end. And gosh some Japanese politicians have come out with some amazingly racist comments over the years!!