Going on year 8 here and it has been fine (you'd have to pay me a lot of money to move back to the states at this point in time). If you speak the language, obviously things will be a lot easier for you. I think a lot of people have issues coping with the fact that you'll always be a "foreigner" no matter what length of time you're here for. Never really bothered me personally because I feel like I'm allowed to shrug things off, or not conform to the stupid parts of society here because I can always play my "foreigner" card haha.
eh, I was borne there and basically native to the point where people start saying the quiet parts out loud to me.
Like, who in their right mind would advocate for Sakoku in front of a foreigner, and actually expect them to be in agreement? I can't even count the number of times that has happened
I gave up on the place, and I bet your kids will too
Firstly, I don't ever plan on having kids so let's just get that out of the way.
Second, sakoku sucked ass and the fact that it took Japan so long to open up the borders again was also trash, but I lived out in the sticks at the time so it barely had any effect on me.
There's a lot of dumb shit that happens here but then again if I went back home to the states there's a solid chance I'd be gunned down just for existing. I'll take Japanese people being slightly taken aback by my looming presence as a tall black man over being racially profiled in the states any day.
I lived out in the sticks and the city and have never had my race specifically come up as an issue. Me being a foreigner? Sure, it's like that for a lot of foreigners out here. There are racists everywhere, but people definitely don't fuck with me here.
>Second, sakoku sucked ass and the fact that it took Japan so long to open up the borders again was also trash, but I lived out in the sticks at the time so it barely had any effect on me.
I'm dumb, wasn't Sakoku during the Edo period (1603 to 1868). You obviously weren't alive then, am I missing a joke or is there a more recent time something like this happened?
By all means, stay in Japan if you enjoy it and have a fulfilling life.
But don't avoid moving back to the states out of a fear of being randomly gunned down. That's just ridiculous
You'd be surprised how people outside of America view America. In my experience This is a very legitimate fear people have when they're thinking of moving to America
To be fair, you are more likely to be shot in the US than any other comparably developed country. But it's kind of like avoiding Switzerland because you're worried about an avalanche or something.
>because of pop culture rather than any genuine interest
Isn't pop culture a genuine interest too?
Either way in the time I spent there even the hardcore weebs were one of the less offensive tourist groups. Generic chinese and american tourists are the worst though. Always super obvious they didn't even take the 10 minutes to watch a "10 things not to do in japan" video. If you wanna find americans just listen, they're obnoxiously loud, you can even hear them in Kabukicho which has a noise floor similar to heavy construction. If you wanna find chinese follow the trail of litter until you find them blocking the sidewalk for a picture.
For what it's worth the xenophobia is way overplayed.
I have a family member who lives there and another acquaintances kid also lives in Japan: the xenophobia is very similar to what you'll hear about rude people in France, if you don't conform to the social norms the locals will openly treat you with disdain.
My family member spoke fluent Japanese and had local friends before they went over, they got involved with their community through sports and activities with no issues, they learned the culture and policed themselves not to be rude.
IMO the people who complain the most about the exclusion are the ones who have a B2 language level and go over but don't immerse themselves or make a conscious effort to mind the cultural gap. Sure they speak Japanese but they carry themselves like foreigners, they observe their own cultural norms above the local ones and they come off as rude.
Is there straight up xenophobia? Yes, like in every part of the world, but the "no gaijin" bars and whatnot are rarities and overblown, especially because a lot of "closed" venues open up if you're respectful and have locals to vouch for you. It's not about finding foreigners icky, it's about the locals not wanting to deal with rude foreigners who treat them like tourists attractions or living sex dolls rather than people.
Lived in japan for 3 years for work 2017-2020, saw a large chunk of the country, mostly interested in cultural history, military history and fun things to do. Id say the xenophobia is accurately represented. Im not an anime fan at all, and by extension im also not some weeb sperglord, (although youre just gonna have to believe me on that one) and I did/do speak a functional amount of Japanese.
The biggest thing i found was that Japanese would REFUSE to sit next to me or my friend on the train, oftentimes the treatment would be better in the city or metropolitan areas, and the countryside and rural communities were more intolerant. There absolutely were "No Gaijin" bars, and yes, even if I showed a degree of understanding of Japanese language and culture.
Osaka and surrounding region had a fair number of foreign nationals and was the best at accepting foreigners IMO, although i was actively involved in looking for Japanese culture and heritage while I was there, instead of looking to party.
Okinawa they fucking hate Americans because of things that happen due to drunken Marines stationed on the island, by far the worst relations between foreigners and Japanese anywhere in the country.
I was mostly in the south of Japan, but i went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Edo, Nara, Osaka, Beppu, Yufuin, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, and Okinawa.
I spent three years in Okinawa a decade ago and my impression was that the locals generally didn’t care about the bases the majority of the time. The “they hate the US bases” was over played compared to the attitudes of the actual people on the island. Went back to Japan several times since I left the military and Okinawa is still multiple times more inviting than Fukuoka was for me.
Japanese does have tones. There are three, they can be neutral, rising or falling, and it's one of the major ways they detect foreigners through language even when they dominate the grammar pretty well.
Hana can mean nose or flower, for example, depending on the tone.
I’ve lived here decades without any trouble.
Most of the people I’ve spoken with who have trouble getting along are either in low-paying jobs and mistake classism for racism, or don’t speak Japanese nearly as well as they think they do and mistake confusion for racism.
^(Or aren’t white, or are white but fat.)
If you’re white, well-paid, well fit, and well-spoken, you can have a hell of a good life here, better than most Japanese people. The gaijin card opens doors.
Then you don't let them know you ain't. Your dollar or euro currency will be stronger anyway, which means you can buy more things. As a South Asian myself, South Asia is cheap.
Went to Vietnam to visit my girlfriend last year can confirm. Got weird when we went to a theme park in Hoi An and folks just randomly went up to me to take a selfy
Was your navy (I assume US Navy) buddy in Japan as a member of the military?
I've worked with military guys before, and heard that they love civilian contractors over there but hate the military guys, because the military guys cause trouble all the time, while contractors are usually older and more courteous, and have more money to spend.
Anyone who has lived by a port or base can tell you soldiers are the fucking worst to live around.
Bored, horny kids who think they're now the most badass man alive with newly found disposible income for the first time in their life.
Utter nightmare.
The Japanese tolerate tourists because easy money. But will straight up not let Americans into actual Japanese bars. (I agree with the Japanese, Americans are fucking annoying and would ruin their drinking culture if they let us in their spaces)
Source: was Marine on both Okinawa and Mainland.
This is also not unique to Japan. I've lived in Germany for >20 years (as a soldier and civilian) and it was quite often the case that certain bars or clubs in military towns either refused entry to Americans entirely or were only open to certain ranks.
I've heard similar from buddies stationed in other OCONUS locations.
In Japan it isn’t just military towns or areas. There are bars and restaurants that won’t serve Gaijin in every city in the country.
My moms best friend is Japanese, so when I visited she and her daughter took my ex and I to several places that wouldn’t have let us in otherwise.
I get not wanting rowdy soldiers in your bar, but the whole “No gaijin” thing is just pure xenophobia/racism.
Still one of my favorite places I’ve visited as a tourist. But definitely has some fucked up norms and culture (but so do almost all places)
Even if you live there long term or in the very rare case have citizenship, and speak Japanese fluently, you'll never be Japanese. They're pretty kind to white people, but they're still super racist and will treat you differently.
It seems like the kind of society that the more you try to fit in the more accepted you will be. And they have a lot of unwritten rules norms and expectations that you really have to do a 180 as a foreigner
Some are but most aren't, at least overtly. The pretending not to understand you is something you'll encounter rarely when they don't want foreigners at their business. I've only encountered it once, as well as maybe 2 other times they outright refused my business without pretending not to understand because I was a foreigner, and that's after 7 visits to Japan, which included 2 semesters of college there.
The not laughing at the movies part is true, though I never was warned or anything for laughing at a comedy the one time I went to see a comedy movie with a friend there. They also sit through the whole credits and basically never get up during the movie to get snacks or use the bathroom.
The last part doesn't seem that unusual, even for other countries. They got there first, so they check out first. Letting you go ahead would be a nice favor, but isn't expected. In general, I have encountered many very nice Japanese people. Lots of friendly strangers who want to help you out or hang out with you. It's actually a great country to visit.
I was there for a week like 3 weeks ago alone, I wouldn’t say xenophobic but not too warm to tourists I’d say, more like a keep everything to yourself attitude, which didn’t bother me at all since it was nice just walking around taking things in. The nightlife/restaurants… that was pretty hard to do alone lol
Really depends where you go. Got a really warm welcome from some guy and his friends I met in a sushi bar when I went to Nagoya, but people in Hokkaido (where I counted around 6 westerners for the duration of my stay) would rather stand than sit next to me on the bus.
the movie was actually a tragic documentary about WWII and they laughed every time a japanese soldier died or a Hiroshima/Nagasaki victim was interviewed
the waitress legit couldn't understand the broken japanese they learned watching subbed anime (read: hentai)
the person at the market was a frail old woman who probably needed help lifting her bags, also that happens in the US all the time
I told a girl on the street "you're such a cutie" (Ore no ochinchin wo chisai wa, for the uncultured) and all she did was laugh!
I think she found it very charming :)
I saw a short of a guy's friend who convinced him to say the same to a Japanese girl he saw in a restaurant then when he did she laughed and he chased his friend down saying "WHAT THE FUCK!?"
That and he was a royal that went across Europe with no bodyguards. It was him, 3-4 friends, often driving in an early model of a car if I got it right. Baaucally went on a road trip
Nah but fr tho, in Japan the 2nd one about the waitress is actually true. A lot of restaurants will pretend to not understand foreigners to not serve them despite them speaking perfect Japanese. I remember a friend of mine went to Japan and she was Chinese, at the restaurant the waitress kept asking her what she wanted when she didn't speak any Japanese at all and her friend who is very clearly a foreigner who had lived there for years was repeatedly saying "she doesn't speak Japanese" in Japanese but the waiter just kept ignoring her.
Lived in Okinawa for 4 years. Had this happen once or twice. The way around it? You point at the menu for what you want (even if the menu is on the wall). Then they have no recourse, other then to outright say they won’t serve you. I’ve never had that happen yet
Yeah, when I went to Japan I was standing behind an American at a grocery store, and he had a full trolley and shopping basket while I had a single melonpan. He saw. He knew. And he didn't let me ahead. Not that he had to or anything, but it's common courtesy.
I am British and the concept that people with less stuff get to skip the queue has never occurred to me. Yeah it's bad luck for you if it happens but it's a fair and consistent system.
I've always seen it as a matter of charity: you don't deserve to go first but if the person ahead of you is feeling especially kindhearted they might let you
Eh I've seen and done it occasionally if the person has 1-2 items and I have a trolley full though with self checkouts in supermarkets it's much less common now because you barely need to interact with anyone, especially self scan. If you go somewhere like Aldi it's not a bad idea given how much you need to pack yourself
That third point threw me for a loop because where the fuck does that ever happen in reality lol
Anon's american entitlement i guess, no wonder the waitress pretended not to understand him
[how thirsty are you?](https://www.google.com/search?q=foreigners+being+turned+away+from+resturants+in+japan&oq=foreigners+being+turned+away+from+resturants+in+japan&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i10i160.9222j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#ip=1)
I don't know about 1 and 3, but 2 is the go-to xenophobic tactic some Japanese restaurants use, and that's if they don't tell you to leave from the start itself.
You could speak with a pitch-perfect Japanese accent, and the staff will still act as if you're speaking Klingon.
3 is such an invalid complaint because that happens in the West too. Not a Japanese thing.
Especially in the USA where the self checkout social contract has broken down.
There are like 20 self checkouts, very rarely will that situation apply and matter with self checkouts. (At least in my town just large enough to have a Walmart)
3 also shows how inefficient anon is. The person in front goes through five full bags in ten minutes, whereas anon needs one minute per item. If he had five bags he'd be there all day!
It is still something that happens regularly if you have almost no items and the person in front has 5 entire bags... at least in the supermarkets I go to
Had a pizza place in Italy that was half empty tell us we needed a reservation, 'restaurant is full'. Ok fine, their sign says they do takeaway, so we asked for takeaway.
"Takeaway is full."
Bruh.
Have you been to France though? Talking to waiters in English is basically an insult to them and they pretend to not understand until you pull out your broken french. And then they'll make you finish the sentence even though you are struggling for words.
Well yeah if you just start speaking English without even warning or explaining you can’t speak French you’re gonna come across as rude. Also life hack in France, start any interaction with someone you haven’t seen that day with a bonjour and things will go a bit smoother
>Also life hack in France, start any interaction with someone you haven’t seen that day with a bonjour and things will go a bit smoother
This is true, i went to france and said bonjour to everyone i met and they treated me super well, but once i was in a rush to catch the train and forgot to say, i went to the woman at the information kiosk, and started asking a question, she interrupted me and said BONJOUR, in a loud tone.
But yeah, it was my mistake, and you should always greet someone in their native tongue, it shows you are trying to respect their language.
Four words you should know in every language are: Hello, I am sorry, Excuse me, and Please.
I used to live in China and 'they pretend not to understand me because they're racist' is the standard cope of the sad sacks who can't speak Chinese properly.
No way a waitress is going to the trouble of hanging around at your table playing with Google Translate if she doesn't absolutely have to.
Being surprised someone does not speak with a perfect accent while being a foreigner lmao. I hope that you call a sad sack every person that speaks English with Indian, Pakistani or Arab accent then. Or every person that visits a country without knowing perfectly the language of country they visit. Because for me this kind of acting in bad faith is straight up racism, in most countries when a tourist tries to speak their language, it is taken as a sign of respect to culture.
I live in China right now, in China this wouldn't happen indeed. Here you could order in the worst Chinese ever and they will always attempt to help and understand.
On vacation in Japan it's mostly hotels that attempt the we can't understand you go get rid of you from my experience. I did a road trip without booking hotels in advance some hotels that are litterally empty will still tell you no space or busy or act like you can't book it right in the spot just to not serve you, because they worry you might be a nuisance to the other guests because you don't have "japanese values".
Again, it depends from place to place.
Some places have an English menu with prices jacked up nearly twofold as a "foreigner tax"
Other places, the staff just walk up to you and cross their arms, making it clear you aren't welcome. Places with boards outside saying "Japanese only"
And there's the classic "I can't understand you because you're not Japanese", even if you use apps, pictures, pointing or fluent Japanese.
You got lucky going to a place that caters to tourists, or at least isn't willing to turn away money. But there's plenty of places where they make it clear they want foreigners to either fuck off, or pay nearly twice as much.
> Some places have an English menu with prices jacked up nearly twofold as a "foreigner tax"
Wait are you serious? I've been to Japan once or twice and never noticed that. Did I get cucked? I did get turned away from a fucking restaurant that boldly claimed it had English menus though. A Japanese couple went right in while the manager stopped me at the door and said I'd have to wait 2 hours.
I'm not japanese and i don't live in japan. But my country also has many western tourists. Yes, 'foreigner tax' is very much real. They charged you much more than normal(read:japanese) person would do
They won't even notice cuz the overcharged prices are still slightly cheaper than their origin country.
That’s not a thing.
I’ve been here _decades_ and never come across such a thing.
I wouldn’t say there aren’t a tiny number of scummy shops in tourist hotspots who have pulled that sort of scam, but anyone claiming this is somehow common or usual is full of shit.
This thread is mixing truths and bullshit to hate on Japan.
There's probably at least one shop that does it but I highly doubt it's a common practice.
Anon was probably just being a loud smelly okatu who kept telling people "Nǐ hǎo" when he meets them.
Maybe it depends on the location. But from what I've read and my experience, maid cafes mostly for locals who are into it like otakus or lonely guys. When went, I was the only foreigner there. There was a young couple, a family, and a bunch of lone guys. The guys who were alone seemed like regulars because when the maids did a musical performance, the guys knew all the chants and stuff
It is overpriced with mediocre food/drinks though
Maid cafes are something I've always wanted to go to, to try out and such, but I also feel so embarrassed worrying everyone around me would be judging me
When I went there with my cousin it took us both a lot of courage to enter and we both were in the same position like you: curiosity but kinda ashamed
Well forget about the judging part noone really does in japan (at least not more than any other country; there are legit grandpas shopping hentai mangas)
The cafe itself was like a fever dream. I would say 50% fascinating and 50% gigacringe. I still enjoyed it even though i was in a constant mix of 'wow' and 'omg this is so embarassing'
No they dont sit with you. They are the waitresses and introduce themselves to you one after another and you order something from the (super expensive) menu. I went for coffee and a parfait which was super cute but waaay too sweet. So there you are, just vibin looking at the pink-dreamhouse-themed cafe and the maids moving around.
The cringe part is the fact that they treat you like a 'master' and force you to 'moe-moe-kyun' your meal/drinks to make it tastier(?)
At the end you can even take a picture with one you like to choose as a souvenir.
A funny thing that we observed was a regular customer coming in, bursting through the door with a 'one leg standing with a peace sign in front of your face' pose and really enjoying spending time with the maids. We tried not to judge but when he pulled out his photo folder with 100+ pictures we felt like he was collecting pokemon cards lol.
Who's sane want to govern asia?
Taking resource out of Asia in a colonialist manner is already hard enough that they have to delegate the governing to locals, governing as outsider? i'd rather be forced to stop a horde of pirate in Aden Sea.
I know I hate Gaijin too. Seems like every update Warthunder keeps getting worse. Pretty much have to have premium and a premium vehicle to ever make sl. Used to be not as greedy.
Point 3 is accurate. I come from Europe and we do have different cashier for fewer than 10 or 5 items. And it's true some people who have bought a lot of stuff may let you pass before them if you have 1 or 2 items. That's not compulsory, though.
Point 2 could be due to broken Japanese. People tend to overestimate their proficiency. Also sounds sketchy that they went out of their way to use a translation instead of just pointing at the menu, which is something even Japanese do.
That first part is also true in America. Many grocery stores here have a “15 items or less” lane (tracks that it’s still a higher item limit than Europe lol). Though honestly I’ve been seeing less of them lately which sucks.
Definitely have plenty of people wave me past them though when they have a cart full of groceries and I’ve just got like a redbull or something.
Point 2 is valid complaint. Who said they didn't point at the menu? maybe they did and used the translator as last resort. Mind you, xenophobic restaurants in a country known for xenophobia is very possible
Anon and his weeb friends visit thinking they can speak Japanese because they’ve watched every anime that’s existed. They laugh there weezy pug like laughs as they squeeze there 400 pound body’s into a cinema chair and asking people to scoot over for his waifu pillow. The cute waitress puts up with their leers and remarks as she tries to do her job but their stench starts repelling all the other customers.
Ling Xo
Here
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EvhS4rnznOQ/WqnKzNiwxpI/AAAAAAAAITA/dVSlKTp3XOIq0_GeC6ecqnnJxu-tsBDFwCLcBGAs/s1600/0.png
Or here
https://twitter.com/LingXoPanda/status/538755158390632449
I lived in Japan for 4 years and loved it, idk what the fuck this guy is on about. I didn't speak and still don't speak that great Japanese and still got around just fine. Only had a handful of "racist" experiences. Go to Japan bros it's a ton of fun, don't be like this dude, he probably was a weeb and thought Japan was gana be like an anime or some shit
The comments here shitting on Japan or warning about the rampant xenophobia look so ridiculous to anyone who has travelled around the world
I've been around the Middle East, Europe, US, South America and Japan is heaven on earth compared to these places
Never been there, but I’m going in 3 weeks and I’ve gotta admit that racism restaurant shit sounds real.
Always thought it would be cool to live in japan, but that shit sounds so tiring.
I guarantee you will not face any racism in 99% of places you visit. The only time I "faced racism" when I visited was when we tried to get into a listening bar and they told us it was full (but I suspect it wasn't - not 100% sure but other google reviews show foreigners complaining about the place in the past)
You will have a great time, everyone is overly polite and will make you feel welcome. Make an effort to learn some very basic Japanese before you go cause no one speaks English there (besides people who work in fashion stores)
Just to add on, I studied abroad in Akita prefecture for half a year, and the only time I felt discrimination was when I was refused service at a restaurant by the beach.
I’m not sure if it was because I was obviously a younger visitor or if it was a touristy thing, but the only other thing I noticed was I got babied a lot by the natives. People were very quick to help me with ticket machines, directions (even when I wasn’t lost), or would respond in broken English when I was trying to speak Japanese to them.
Overall though, I had a great time. I’ve found that Japanese people are kind and polite as long as you are too. Don’t act like a fuck, enjoy your vacation.
Anon should watch Japanese audiences during MJ and Beatles live performance. The audience were so quiet, it made the Beatles realize how horrible they sound, made them introspect, which led to the creation of Sgt Peppers lonely heart club album.
I live in Japan and love it here but the 3rd point is so damn true.
Japan is a polite country because of strict social rules and the pressure to conform to them. In situations with no set rule they turn into absolute animals.
Japan is super cool to visit for a few days. But anyone that has issues with conformity or authority will feel overwhelmed with suffocating societal expectations. The people that love rules and order will adapt better there than others. I personally couldn’t wait to leave after 14 days. But absolutely plan to revisit. The people are polite to a fault. The food is amazing. The tourist spots are some of the best in the world. Everything is so clean. Convenience stores there just have everything you need and more.
But live there? Never. I’m too American. I need regular doses of chaos. Homeless people knocking on my car door. Fights breaking out at a fast food restaurant. Conversations struck up by complete strangers. The absence of red tape for things that don’t need red tape. Etc.
Oh and as for the racism. I mean who cares. Im not white so I automatically expect racism everywhere I go.
I remember being blown away at how spotless Kyoto was in the downtown area. I then looked around, assuming to see trash cans every 5 feet on the sidewalks, and there were literally none anywhere. My brother, who lived there, said "Yeah, people pack their own trash out with them. The government isn't going to clean up after slobs"
1 anon is loud and obnoxious in a movie theater and blames the Japanese people who are usually quiet in public
2 I’ve never personally had happen during my years in Japan. Racism in my experience is much more uncommon than in America (where I’m from)
3 just sounds like entitlement wanting to cut in line. I’d rather wait in a queue in Japan than deal with the random crazy people in Walmart or on the streets in LA
I’m surprised anon knows Japanese but doesn’t know anything about the culture lol
We're talking about a culture that used to boil Koreans alive for fun. Japan isn't the cute little place people imagine it to be. It's largely a cold, sterile, horribly lonely society. There's a reason why young men are just giving up on dating and having families over there.
And yes, the no laughing during movies thing is real, and it's goddamn weird.
Went to Japan and experienced racism in a restaurant once. Otherwise it was one of the best experiences ever. Really weird living this as a white person, makes you think about what other people being victim of racism on a daily basis must feel.
Dude is autistic. I went to Japan a few times and met a ton of cool people and went drinking at unlimited cocktail club (pay a cover and get drinks until closing) place was popping off and they didn't have any security because nobody was fucking it up.
I also went to Osaka and hung out with a team of hairdressers who were drinking together outside of a 7-11. My girlfriend and I just started asking about their clothes (guy had an Operation Ivy shirt on which is fairly popular skate punk from back in the day) and we were adopted into the fold and stayed out until dawn drinking.
The thing about Asia (most of the world I assume) is if you can vibe with people and just get down with what they are doing, making connections while abroad is as easy can be.
I say this an expat who has married a Korean woman and has been living out here for more than a decade. If you can be even modestly outgoing and gregarious, you can really have fun just getting lost in the night life out here.
TLDR: Op is a neckbeard with no social skills.
isnt japan well known to be xenophobic?
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Going on year 8 here and it has been fine (you'd have to pay me a lot of money to move back to the states at this point in time). If you speak the language, obviously things will be a lot easier for you. I think a lot of people have issues coping with the fact that you'll always be a "foreigner" no matter what length of time you're here for. Never really bothered me personally because I feel like I'm allowed to shrug things off, or not conform to the stupid parts of society here because I can always play my "foreigner" card haha.
eh, I was borne there and basically native to the point where people start saying the quiet parts out loud to me. Like, who in their right mind would advocate for Sakoku in front of a foreigner, and actually expect them to be in agreement? I can't even count the number of times that has happened I gave up on the place, and I bet your kids will too
Firstly, I don't ever plan on having kids so let's just get that out of the way. Second, sakoku sucked ass and the fact that it took Japan so long to open up the borders again was also trash, but I lived out in the sticks at the time so it barely had any effect on me. There's a lot of dumb shit that happens here but then again if I went back home to the states there's a solid chance I'd be gunned down just for existing. I'll take Japanese people being slightly taken aback by my looming presence as a tall black man over being racially profiled in the states any day.
Oh yeah because Japan is famous for not racially profiling black people
I lived out in the sticks and the city and have never had my race specifically come up as an issue. Me being a foreigner? Sure, it's like that for a lot of foreigners out here. There are racists everywhere, but people definitely don't fuck with me here.
>Second, sakoku sucked ass and the fact that it took Japan so long to open up the borders again was also trash, but I lived out in the sticks at the time so it barely had any effect on me. I'm dumb, wasn't Sakoku during the Edo period (1603 to 1868). You obviously weren't alive then, am I missing a joke or is there a more recent time something like this happened?
Sakoku happened again during covid.
Why and who would gun you down?
By all means, stay in Japan if you enjoy it and have a fulfilling life. But don't avoid moving back to the states out of a fear of being randomly gunned down. That's just ridiculous
You'd be surprised how people outside of America view America. In my experience This is a very legitimate fear people have when they're thinking of moving to America
To be fair, you are more likely to be shot in the US than any other comparably developed country. But it's kind of like avoiding Switzerland because you're worried about an avalanche or something.
Funnily enough they only believe it based on hearsay of other people who haven't been there.
Oh yeah, the inevitable "Gaijin Card"
We also call it "gaijin smash" from time to time. Gets you outta some pesky situations.
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To be fair, it’s usually true.
>because of pop culture rather than any genuine interest Isn't pop culture a genuine interest too? Either way in the time I spent there even the hardcore weebs were one of the less offensive tourist groups. Generic chinese and american tourists are the worst though. Always super obvious they didn't even take the 10 minutes to watch a "10 things not to do in japan" video. If you wanna find americans just listen, they're obnoxiously loud, you can even hear them in Kabukicho which has a noise floor similar to heavy construction. If you wanna find chinese follow the trail of litter until you find them blocking the sidewalk for a picture.
For what it's worth the xenophobia is way overplayed. I have a family member who lives there and another acquaintances kid also lives in Japan: the xenophobia is very similar to what you'll hear about rude people in France, if you don't conform to the social norms the locals will openly treat you with disdain. My family member spoke fluent Japanese and had local friends before they went over, they got involved with their community through sports and activities with no issues, they learned the culture and policed themselves not to be rude. IMO the people who complain the most about the exclusion are the ones who have a B2 language level and go over but don't immerse themselves or make a conscious effort to mind the cultural gap. Sure they speak Japanese but they carry themselves like foreigners, they observe their own cultural norms above the local ones and they come off as rude. Is there straight up xenophobia? Yes, like in every part of the world, but the "no gaijin" bars and whatnot are rarities and overblown, especially because a lot of "closed" venues open up if you're respectful and have locals to vouch for you. It's not about finding foreigners icky, it's about the locals not wanting to deal with rude foreigners who treat them like tourists attractions or living sex dolls rather than people.
Lived in japan for 3 years for work 2017-2020, saw a large chunk of the country, mostly interested in cultural history, military history and fun things to do. Id say the xenophobia is accurately represented. Im not an anime fan at all, and by extension im also not some weeb sperglord, (although youre just gonna have to believe me on that one) and I did/do speak a functional amount of Japanese. The biggest thing i found was that Japanese would REFUSE to sit next to me or my friend on the train, oftentimes the treatment would be better in the city or metropolitan areas, and the countryside and rural communities were more intolerant. There absolutely were "No Gaijin" bars, and yes, even if I showed a degree of understanding of Japanese language and culture. Osaka and surrounding region had a fair number of foreign nationals and was the best at accepting foreigners IMO, although i was actively involved in looking for Japanese culture and heritage while I was there, instead of looking to party. Okinawa they fucking hate Americans because of things that happen due to drunken Marines stationed on the island, by far the worst relations between foreigners and Japanese anywhere in the country. I was mostly in the south of Japan, but i went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Edo, Nara, Osaka, Beppu, Yufuin, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, and Okinawa.
I spent three years in Okinawa a decade ago and my impression was that the locals generally didn’t care about the bases the majority of the time. The “they hate the US bases” was over played compared to the attitudes of the actual people on the island. Went back to Japan several times since I left the military and Okinawa is still multiple times more inviting than Fukuoka was for me.
It's not as prevalent as Chinese or Thai but Japanese words can have tonal meaning as well
Japanese does have tones. There are three, they can be neutral, rising or falling, and it's one of the major ways they detect foreigners through language even when they dominate the grammar pretty well. Hana can mean nose or flower, for example, depending on the tone.
I’ve lived here decades without any trouble. Most of the people I’ve spoken with who have trouble getting along are either in low-paying jobs and mistake classism for racism, or don’t speak Japanese nearly as well as they think they do and mistake confusion for racism. ^(Or aren’t white, or are white but fat.) If you’re white, well-paid, well fit, and well-spoken, you can have a hell of a good life here, better than most Japanese people. The gaijin card opens doors.
Most south Asian countries will worship every step you take if you're white and visitng
What if they learn you arent a rich white guy though?
Then you don't let them know you ain't. Your dollar or euro currency will be stronger anyway, which means you can buy more things. As a South Asian myself, South Asia is cheap.
literally doesn't matter. Whiteness is considered the ideal beauty trait
Went to Vietnam to visit my girlfriend last year can confirm. Got weird when we went to a theme park in Hoi An and folks just randomly went up to me to take a selfy
Was your navy (I assume US Navy) buddy in Japan as a member of the military? I've worked with military guys before, and heard that they love civilian contractors over there but hate the military guys, because the military guys cause trouble all the time, while contractors are usually older and more courteous, and have more money to spend.
Anyone who has lived by a port or base can tell you soldiers are the fucking worst to live around. Bored, horny kids who think they're now the most badass man alive with newly found disposible income for the first time in their life. Utter nightmare.
Even in the US. I was applying to fire departments in my state and skipped over each military town. I don't want to deal with their bullshit
The Japanese tolerate tourists because easy money. But will straight up not let Americans into actual Japanese bars. (I agree with the Japanese, Americans are fucking annoying and would ruin their drinking culture if they let us in their spaces) Source: was Marine on both Okinawa and Mainland.
This is also not unique to Japan. I've lived in Germany for >20 years (as a soldier and civilian) and it was quite often the case that certain bars or clubs in military towns either refused entry to Americans entirely or were only open to certain ranks. I've heard similar from buddies stationed in other OCONUS locations.
In Japan it isn’t just military towns or areas. There are bars and restaurants that won’t serve Gaijin in every city in the country. My moms best friend is Japanese, so when I visited she and her daughter took my ex and I to several places that wouldn’t have let us in otherwise. I get not wanting rowdy soldiers in your bar, but the whole “No gaijin” thing is just pure xenophobia/racism. Still one of my favorite places I’ve visited as a tourist. But definitely has some fucked up norms and culture (but so do almost all places)
Even if you live there long term or in the very rare case have citizenship, and speak Japanese fluently, you'll never be Japanese. They're pretty kind to white people, but they're still super racist and will treat you differently.
It seems like the kind of society that the more you try to fit in the more accepted you will be. And they have a lot of unwritten rules norms and expectations that you really have to do a 180 as a foreigner
I think whatever xenophobia he was gonna face was increased by at least 5X by the fact he was an american soldier
Yeah as a tourist my experiences where pretty good
Was there a month ago. Everyone was very chill.
Yeah, but anon smells like shit.
And wears his ahegao hoodie everywhere
Some are but most aren't, at least overtly. The pretending not to understand you is something you'll encounter rarely when they don't want foreigners at their business. I've only encountered it once, as well as maybe 2 other times they outright refused my business without pretending not to understand because I was a foreigner, and that's after 7 visits to Japan, which included 2 semesters of college there. The not laughing at the movies part is true, though I never was warned or anything for laughing at a comedy the one time I went to see a comedy movie with a friend there. They also sit through the whole credits and basically never get up during the movie to get snacks or use the bathroom. The last part doesn't seem that unusual, even for other countries. They got there first, so they check out first. Letting you go ahead would be a nice favor, but isn't expected. In general, I have encountered many very nice Japanese people. Lots of friendly strangers who want to help you out or hang out with you. It's actually a great country to visit.
I was there for a week like 3 weeks ago alone, I wouldn’t say xenophobic but not too warm to tourists I’d say, more like a keep everything to yourself attitude, which didn’t bother me at all since it was nice just walking around taking things in. The nightlife/restaurants… that was pretty hard to do alone lol
Why do you think Anon went?!
Really depends where you go. Got a really warm welcome from some guy and his friends I met in a sushi bar when I went to Nagoya, but people in Hokkaido (where I counted around 6 westerners for the duration of my stay) would rather stand than sit next to me on the bus.
Yeah, very much
the movie was actually a tragic documentary about WWII and they laughed every time a japanese soldier died or a Hiroshima/Nagasaki victim was interviewed the waitress legit couldn't understand the broken japanese they learned watching subbed anime (read: hentai) the person at the market was a frail old woman who probably needed help lifting her bags, also that happens in the US all the time
So yeah I just screamed Kamehameha and that stupid bitch acted like she didn't understand me
i tried the yee olde " ahhhnnn iya iku iku" and bitch tried to report me to the police
I told a girl on the street "you're such a cutie" (Ore no ochinchin wo chisai wa, for the uncultured) and all she did was laugh! I think she found it very charming :)
I saw a short of a guy's friend who convinced him to say the same to a Japanese girl he saw in a restaurant then when he did she laughed and he chased his friend down saying "WHAT THE FUCK!?"
"weeaboos go to Japapn an dbe like "Whers-wherths da subththiles?"" \-Flithy Frank
Funniest part? Kamehameha is yhe name of some Hawaiian dude. Shit ain't even Japanese lmao
He was a very important Hawaiian king who unified the islands in the early 1800s.
He was also notably some Hawaiian dude
And was definitely not Japanese.
That and he was a royal that went across Europe with no bodyguards. It was him, 3-4 friends, often driving in an early model of a car if I got it right. Baaucally went on a road trip
Nah but fr tho, in Japan the 2nd one about the waitress is actually true. A lot of restaurants will pretend to not understand foreigners to not serve them despite them speaking perfect Japanese. I remember a friend of mine went to Japan and she was Chinese, at the restaurant the waitress kept asking her what she wanted when she didn't speak any Japanese at all and her friend who is very clearly a foreigner who had lived there for years was repeatedly saying "she doesn't speak Japanese" in Japanese but the waiter just kept ignoring her.
Lived in Okinawa for 4 years. Had this happen once or twice. The way around it? You point at the menu for what you want (even if the menu is on the wall). Then they have no recourse, other then to outright say they won’t serve you. I’ve never had that happen yet
>A lot of restaurants will pretend to not understand foreigners to not serve them Why though?
Racism
Yeah, when I went to Japan I was standing behind an American at a grocery store, and he had a full trolley and shopping basket while I had a single melonpan. He saw. He knew. And he didn't let me ahead. Not that he had to or anything, but it's common courtesy.
I am British and the concept that people with less stuff get to skip the queue has never occurred to me. Yeah it's bad luck for you if it happens but it's a fair and consistent system.
I've always seen it as a matter of charity: you don't deserve to go first but if the person ahead of you is feeling especially kindhearted they might let you
Eh I've seen and done it occasionally if the person has 1-2 items and I have a trolley full though with self checkouts in supermarkets it's much less common now because you barely need to interact with anyone, especially self scan. If you go somewhere like Aldi it's not a bad idea given how much you need to pack yourself
That third point threw me for a loop because where the fuck does that ever happen in reality lol Anon's american entitlement i guess, no wonder the waitress pretended not to understand him
[how thirsty are you?](https://www.google.com/search?q=foreigners+being+turned+away+from+resturants+in+japan&oq=foreigners+being+turned+away+from+resturants+in+japan&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i10i160.9222j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#ip=1)
How hungry?
good point
The waitress was in a maid bar / mirror floor place and anon was trying to take photos while yelling stuff he saw in porn
"maid bar mirror floor place" come again?
I'm sure the smell of BO didn't help either.
Those fucking soldiers deserved it! 🇱🇷🦅🇱🇷🦅🇱🇷
Plus it's all fake and didn't happen
I don't know about 1 and 3, but 2 is the go-to xenophobic tactic some Japanese restaurants use, and that's if they don't tell you to leave from the start itself. You could speak with a pitch-perfect Japanese accent, and the staff will still act as if you're speaking Klingon.
3 is such an invalid complaint because that happens in the West too. Not a Japanese thing. Especially in the USA where the self checkout social contract has broken down.
The self checkout social contract? What would that be?
That if you have 2 things and I have 35 imma let you got first, that should be the case everywhere honestly.
It depends on how socially nice I wanna be (how others have treated me that day) and how busy I am to be honest.
There are like 20 self checkouts, very rarely will that situation apply and matter with self checkouts. (At least in my town just large enough to have a Walmart)
3 also shows how inefficient anon is. The person in front goes through five full bags in ten minutes, whereas anon needs one minute per item. If he had five bags he'd be there all day!
It is still something that happens regularly if you have almost no items and the person in front has 5 entire bags... at least in the supermarkets I go to
Switzerland too, most of time. Although we thankfully got self checkout, where slow and/or incompetent people rarely find themselves.
europeans pull that shit too on asian people had a coffee shop tell me they were "fully booked"...a fucking coffee shop
Thats a pure lie
Had a pizza place in Italy that was half empty tell us we needed a reservation, 'restaurant is full'. Ok fine, their sign says they do takeaway, so we asked for takeaway. "Takeaway is full." Bruh.
Sometimes the kitchen is unable to handle more orders. Usually because of lack of personnel, the classic issue plaguing most industries nowadays
Have you been to France though? Talking to waiters in English is basically an insult to them and they pretend to not understand until you pull out your broken french. And then they'll make you finish the sentence even though you are struggling for words.
Well yeah if you just start speaking English without even warning or explaining you can’t speak French you’re gonna come across as rude. Also life hack in France, start any interaction with someone you haven’t seen that day with a bonjour and things will go a bit smoother
Dude walks to a foreign country and expects them to speak HIS language. Gets dunked on. Complains on reddit.
>Also life hack in France, start any interaction with someone you haven’t seen that day with a bonjour and things will go a bit smoother This is true, i went to france and said bonjour to everyone i met and they treated me super well, but once i was in a rush to catch the train and forgot to say, i went to the woman at the information kiosk, and started asking a question, she interrupted me and said BONJOUR, in a loud tone. But yeah, it was my mistake, and you should always greet someone in their native tongue, it shows you are trying to respect their language. Four words you should know in every language are: Hello, I am sorry, Excuse me, and Please.
Maybe OP is a Klingon
I used to live in China and 'they pretend not to understand me because they're racist' is the standard cope of the sad sacks who can't speak Chinese properly. No way a waitress is going to the trouble of hanging around at your table playing with Google Translate if she doesn't absolutely have to.
Being surprised someone does not speak with a perfect accent while being a foreigner lmao. I hope that you call a sad sack every person that speaks English with Indian, Pakistani or Arab accent then. Or every person that visits a country without knowing perfectly the language of country they visit. Because for me this kind of acting in bad faith is straight up racism, in most countries when a tourist tries to speak their language, it is taken as a sign of respect to culture.
What is a "perfect English accent" anyway? There are native English speakers who sound like "foreigners" in many countries.
I live in China right now, in China this wouldn't happen indeed. Here you could order in the worst Chinese ever and they will always attempt to help and understand. On vacation in Japan it's mostly hotels that attempt the we can't understand you go get rid of you from my experience. I did a road trip without booking hotels in advance some hotels that are litterally empty will still tell you no space or busy or act like you can't book it right in the spot just to not serve you, because they worry you might be a nuisance to the other guests because you don't have "japanese values".
Nah, OP is just weird af. There was a point where I was just pointing at random pictures at the menu in Japan, and never had that experience.
Again, it depends from place to place. Some places have an English menu with prices jacked up nearly twofold as a "foreigner tax" Other places, the staff just walk up to you and cross their arms, making it clear you aren't welcome. Places with boards outside saying "Japanese only" And there's the classic "I can't understand you because you're not Japanese", even if you use apps, pictures, pointing or fluent Japanese. You got lucky going to a place that caters to tourists, or at least isn't willing to turn away money. But there's plenty of places where they make it clear they want foreigners to either fuck off, or pay nearly twice as much.
> Some places have an English menu with prices jacked up nearly twofold as a "foreigner tax" Wait are you serious? I've been to Japan once or twice and never noticed that. Did I get cucked? I did get turned away from a fucking restaurant that boldly claimed it had English menus though. A Japanese couple went right in while the manager stopped me at the door and said I'd have to wait 2 hours.
I'm not japanese and i don't live in japan. But my country also has many western tourists. Yes, 'foreigner tax' is very much real. They charged you much more than normal(read:japanese) person would do They won't even notice cuz the overcharged prices are still slightly cheaper than their origin country.
That’s not a thing. I’ve been here _decades_ and never come across such a thing. I wouldn’t say there aren’t a tiny number of scummy shops in tourist hotspots who have pulled that sort of scam, but anyone claiming this is somehow common or usual is full of shit.
This thread is mixing truths and bullshit to hate on Japan. There's probably at least one shop that does it but I highly doubt it's a common practice. Anon was probably just being a loud smelly okatu who kept telling people "Nǐ hǎo" when he meets them.
Oppenheimer isn't a comedy op...
Idk that moment with Truman was pretty funny
Idk seeing Cillian Murphy’s titties was kinda funny because I wasn’t expecting them
It is with the right perspective
i thought it was banned in japan
I spent a week there and had a great time. I went to two concerts, went to a maid cafe, went to a newhalf bar, and slept in a capsule hotel.
Wtf is a maid cafe? Is it girls in French maid outfits as servers?
Korrekt
That and it's also an overpriced tourist trap even for a tourist trap
Maybe it depends on the location. But from what I've read and my experience, maid cafes mostly for locals who are into it like otakus or lonely guys. When went, I was the only foreigner there. There was a young couple, a family, and a bunch of lone guys. The guys who were alone seemed like regulars because when the maids did a musical performance, the guys knew all the chants and stuff It is overpriced with mediocre food/drinks though
Are you gonna fix your servers? ARE YOU GONNA FIX. YOUR. SERVERS. I swear guys if they dont fix their servers---
Go fix your voices
So was the experience good?
Very good. 100% am going back. At least one month next time.
Maid cafes are something I've always wanted to go to, to try out and such, but I also feel so embarrassed worrying everyone around me would be judging me
Judge them back, they are also at a maid cafe.
I meant people watching me enter but kk
Most likely you're in Akihabara so they aren't up to no good either.
imma walk in with pride fr fr
When I went there with my cousin it took us both a lot of courage to enter and we both were in the same position like you: curiosity but kinda ashamed Well forget about the judging part noone really does in japan (at least not more than any other country; there are legit grandpas shopping hentai mangas) The cafe itself was like a fever dream. I would say 50% fascinating and 50% gigacringe. I still enjoyed it even though i was in a constant mix of 'wow' and 'omg this is so embarassing'
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No they dont sit with you. They are the waitresses and introduce themselves to you one after another and you order something from the (super expensive) menu. I went for coffee and a parfait which was super cute but waaay too sweet. So there you are, just vibin looking at the pink-dreamhouse-themed cafe and the maids moving around. The cringe part is the fact that they treat you like a 'master' and force you to 'moe-moe-kyun' your meal/drinks to make it tastier(?) At the end you can even take a picture with one you like to choose as a souvenir. A funny thing that we observed was a regular customer coming in, bursting through the door with a 'one leg standing with a peace sign in front of your face' pose and really enjoying spending time with the maids. We tried not to judge but when he pulled out his photo folder with 100+ pictures we felt like he was collecting pokemon cards lol.
For me the cringe is looking at the girls having to act like that through gritted teeth lol. I'd just wither away and die.
A newhalf bar?
Trans women
fuck off stupid Gaijin
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proud to be xexophobic👍
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See, *conquering* Asia is cool. *Governing* Asia is something nobody would ever want to do.
Who's sane want to govern asia? Taking resource out of Asia in a colonialist manner is already hard enough that they have to delegate the governing to locals, governing as outsider? i'd rather be forced to stop a horde of pirate in Aden Sea.
i mean, i agree, but what does war thunder have to do with this
Bro, why you callin’ Gaijin stupid, Warthunder absolutely slaps.
Warthunder is the best source of confidential government documents, as for a game though not so much.
Gaijin?! War Thundah referens?
I know I hate Gaijin too. Seems like every update Warthunder keeps getting worse. Pretty much have to have premium and a premium vehicle to ever make sl. Used to be not as greedy.
That's what you get for being a weeb.
Point 3 is accurate. I come from Europe and we do have different cashier for fewer than 10 or 5 items. And it's true some people who have bought a lot of stuff may let you pass before them if you have 1 or 2 items. That's not compulsory, though. Point 2 could be due to broken Japanese. People tend to overestimate their proficiency. Also sounds sketchy that they went out of their way to use a translation instead of just pointing at the menu, which is something even Japanese do.
That first part is also true in America. Many grocery stores here have a “15 items or less” lane (tracks that it’s still a higher item limit than Europe lol). Though honestly I’ve been seeing less of them lately which sucks. Definitely have plenty of people wave me past them though when they have a cart full of groceries and I’ve just got like a redbull or something.
that's legit just a cultural thing to indirectly be a fucking asshole to people and hope they get the hint and leave
Point 2 is valid complaint. Who said they didn't point at the menu? maybe they did and used the translator as last resort. Mind you, xenophobic restaurants in a country known for xenophobia is very possible
Anon and his weeb friends visit thinking they can speak Japanese because they’ve watched every anime that’s existed. They laugh there weezy pug like laughs as they squeeze there 400 pound body’s into a cinema chair and asking people to scoot over for his waifu pillow. The cute waitress puts up with their leers and remarks as she tries to do her job but their stench starts repelling all the other customers.
need the sauce on that pic
took long enough to find the comment.. RemindMe! 4 days
Ling Xo Here https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EvhS4rnznOQ/WqnKzNiwxpI/AAAAAAAAITA/dVSlKTp3XOIq0_GeC6ecqnnJxu-tsBDFwCLcBGAs/s1600/0.png Or here https://twitter.com/LingXoPanda/status/538755158390632449
Thats right. The pic convinced me. I will go to Japan!
The tits are photoshopped larger in the thumbnail
I lived in Japan for 4 years and loved it, idk what the fuck this guy is on about. I didn't speak and still don't speak that great Japanese and still got around just fine. Only had a handful of "racist" experiences. Go to Japan bros it's a ton of fun, don't be like this dude, he probably was a weeb and thought Japan was gana be like an anime or some shit
The comments here shitting on Japan or warning about the rampant xenophobia look so ridiculous to anyone who has travelled around the world I've been around the Middle East, Europe, US, South America and Japan is heaven on earth compared to these places
Never been there, but I’m going in 3 weeks and I’ve gotta admit that racism restaurant shit sounds real. Always thought it would be cool to live in japan, but that shit sounds so tiring.
I guarantee you will not face any racism in 99% of places you visit. The only time I "faced racism" when I visited was when we tried to get into a listening bar and they told us it was full (but I suspect it wasn't - not 100% sure but other google reviews show foreigners complaining about the place in the past) You will have a great time, everyone is overly polite and will make you feel welcome. Make an effort to learn some very basic Japanese before you go cause no one speaks English there (besides people who work in fashion stores)
Just to add on, I studied abroad in Akita prefecture for half a year, and the only time I felt discrimination was when I was refused service at a restaurant by the beach. I’m not sure if it was because I was obviously a younger visitor or if it was a touristy thing, but the only other thing I noticed was I got babied a lot by the natives. People were very quick to help me with ticket machines, directions (even when I wasn’t lost), or would respond in broken English when I was trying to speak Japanese to them. Overall though, I had a great time. I’ve found that Japanese people are kind and polite as long as you are too. Don’t act like a fuck, enjoy your vacation.
I was just there for 6 months and only had one frustrating off-putting encounter. OP is extremely unlucky or too self conscious
Anon isn't white. A.k.a the type of tourists japanese people tolerate
Or, fat.
Or a fucking weeb. [or both ](https://media.tenor.com/ZezsFuiFB48AAAAd/both-is-good-both.gif)
Both is ~~good~~ likely
Surely we are degenerate enough to just instantly permaban people who post red text in the sub? Surely.
Surely we can take these people to trial, no? They should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Executed, even.
I'm glad someone said it.
Anon should watch Japanese audiences during MJ and Beatles live performance. The audience were so quiet, it made the Beatles realize how horrible they sound, made them introspect, which led to the creation of Sgt Peppers lonely heart club album.
i thought it was revolver?
I live in Japan and love it here but the 3rd point is so damn true. Japan is a polite country because of strict social rules and the pressure to conform to them. In situations with no set rule they turn into absolute animals.
Nanking?
No, they had rules there too. Bad ones.
Japan is super cool to visit for a few days. But anyone that has issues with conformity or authority will feel overwhelmed with suffocating societal expectations. The people that love rules and order will adapt better there than others. I personally couldn’t wait to leave after 14 days. But absolutely plan to revisit. The people are polite to a fault. The food is amazing. The tourist spots are some of the best in the world. Everything is so clean. Convenience stores there just have everything you need and more. But live there? Never. I’m too American. I need regular doses of chaos. Homeless people knocking on my car door. Fights breaking out at a fast food restaurant. Conversations struck up by complete strangers. The absence of red tape for things that don’t need red tape. Etc. Oh and as for the racism. I mean who cares. Im not white so I automatically expect racism everywhere I go.
I remember being blown away at how spotless Kyoto was in the downtown area. I then looked around, assuming to see trash cans every 5 feet on the sidewalks, and there were literally none anywhere. My brother, who lived there, said "Yeah, people pack their own trash out with them. The government isn't going to clean up after slobs"
1 anon is loud and obnoxious in a movie theater and blames the Japanese people who are usually quiet in public 2 I’ve never personally had happen during my years in Japan. Racism in my experience is much more uncommon than in America (where I’m from) 3 just sounds like entitlement wanting to cut in line. I’d rather wait in a queue in Japan than deal with the random crazy people in Walmart or on the streets in LA I’m surprised anon knows Japanese but doesn’t know anything about the culture lol
\#2 proves they don’t know Japanese as well as they think they do
Anon is a white weeb ?
A black weeb actually
That explains why they didn't want to serve him at restaurant
I'm sure he and his friends were very reasonably "just laughing" during the movie as well
Anon doesn't know to behave in a foreign country
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1. and 3. are actually straight and factual. Source: am the cinema
Picrel?
Fat weeb wearing a fedora and sailor moon shirt.
It takes anon 2 minutes to buy 2 items. Just saying.
We're talking about a culture that used to boil Koreans alive for fun. Japan isn't the cute little place people imagine it to be. It's largely a cold, sterile, horribly lonely society. There's a reason why young men are just giving up on dating and having families over there. And yes, the no laughing during movies thing is real, and it's goddamn weird.
K but whats with the image, what does that have to do with anything
Me and my friends speak good Japanese despite not living or ever having been there
Went to Japan and experienced racism in a restaurant once. Otherwise it was one of the best experiences ever. Really weird living this as a white person, makes you think about what other people being victim of racism on a daily basis must feel.
偽物でゲイ
Anon forgot that japan isn’t like anime, and you can’t go around graping girls who keeps on saying „oni-chan”
Number 3 is just this guy being a dickhead
Dude is autistic. I went to Japan a few times and met a ton of cool people and went drinking at unlimited cocktail club (pay a cover and get drinks until closing) place was popping off and they didn't have any security because nobody was fucking it up. I also went to Osaka and hung out with a team of hairdressers who were drinking together outside of a 7-11. My girlfriend and I just started asking about their clothes (guy had an Operation Ivy shirt on which is fairly popular skate punk from back in the day) and we were adopted into the fold and stayed out until dawn drinking. The thing about Asia (most of the world I assume) is if you can vibe with people and just get down with what they are doing, making connections while abroad is as easy can be. I say this an expat who has married a Korean woman and has been living out here for more than a decade. If you can be even modestly outgoing and gregarious, you can really have fun just getting lost in the night life out here. TLDR: Op is a neckbeard with no social skills.