Tokyo Real Estate

I know many gaijin (the Japanese word for "foreigner") who can tell a tale or two about the fun and games they have had looking for an apartment.
When I first arrived in Japan looking for a place to stay, I would be shown around to a few places during a day. After I made a decision on a place, the estate agent would then call the landlord (in front of me) and ask whether they would let a gaijin stay in the apartment. I was rejected a few times just because I was a gaijin. The feeling is absolutely depressing.

After a few years of moving around, I took on the new tactic of making the estate agent call the landlord *before* we set out to look at the apartment. This was good as we didn't have to waste our time but hearing him talk on the phone saying "no gaijin? ah, I understand..." was still depressing.

This was one of the reasons why I decided to buy a house. You can read more in that article on how gaijin and pets are treated the same with "no gaijin or pets" printed on the apartment floor plans and how you need to pay (depending on the rent) fees like 1,540,000 yen up front before you move in.

Apart from this apartment seeking experience which I don't have to go through anymore, I personally don't experience any other forms of racism in Japan - much better than what I expereinced back in London.
Whats racism like in your region?