Very Appropriate Color of Hair and Eyes
A yesterday's Newspaper in Japan presented an interesting letter to the editorial from a reader, a corporate worker at his late 30's.
According to the letter, an international exchange body in a local city tried to hire an English teacher for an English conversation course.
They specified a type of teachers they wanted: a foreigner with blond hair and green or blue eyes.
(A Japanese regulation in principle forbids discrimination in employment, but there are various cases and conditions in its application.)
The classified advertisement had been posted on a billboard of the facility where the international exchange body had its office for half a year.
But, due to some complaints pointing at racism hidden in the expression of the advertisement, the body pulled it back, according to the letter to the editorial.
* * *
You can easily reason the motivation of the international exchange body for specifying such physical conditions.
Japanese people are well aware that the mainstream of civilization of the contemporary world is the American/European Civilization. They like a typical of British or Americans, or otherwise the AngloSaxons for future relationships probably mainly in business and culture popular or classic.
(Of course, there are some influences of Hollywood.)
* * *
A traditional image of a beautiful woman in Japan is that with a porcelain-white skin and glossy and abundant black hair, though a Western type of beauties has been popular especially after WWII.
(A brown skin is also liked by youths as a symbol of a lively and sporty life under the Sun. Much golfing or drinking alcohol has the face of a Japanese businessman burnt.)
I mean if all the "white" men in America have a black skin, and all the "black" men in America have a white skin, there will be surely some diehard Japanese who want to hire a foreigner with blond hair and green or blue eyes for their preference.
* * *
Anyway, there are many Japanese who are against a classified advertisement wanting a foreigner only with blond hair and green or blue eyes.
And, it is also a fact that such voices made an international exchange body feel ashamed.
* * *
But, why are there such various colors for a human skin?
From a theological point of view, it is for the glory of the God to appear.
(We will leave the color of a skin, when we leave this world. But, meanwhile we have to make the best use of it, even for mental health.
And, I like the colors of your hair and eyes, for confirmation, which seem to be a God's choice.)
"WHAT WE SEE NOW IS LIKE A DIM IMAGE IN A MIRROR"