Job Discussion Forums

MTR · Joined: 25 Jan 2009 Posts: 16 Location: Tochigi

I just noticed my spelling error with the word 'surprised'. Maybe I should think about another line of work! Embarassed

seklarwia · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:10 am Post subject:

seklarwia · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:35 am Post subject:

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I really don't think it's going to happen, seklarwia. Elkarlo's experience probably has a lot to do with being quite muscly-looking but Japanese height (he mentioned he was 5'7" in another post) and possibly the vibe he gives off- he mentioned that some of them were fellow-martial artists.

It's by no means a common experience- I have been out to bars, izakayas etc. with foreign guys many times in the 11 years I've been here and I haven't seen that happen once. The Japanese are actually quite shy, and most of them would rather stick a pencil in their eye than actually approach an unknown foreigner and touch them. When they are drunk it could be a different story perhaps, but you are not going to be fending people off all the time.

I had cameras stuck in my face and was stared at like a circus freakshow in China too, and touched in Myanmar (the women seemes to find the hair on my arms fascinating- it's actually very sparse and fine but they seemed to have hairless arms so I suppose it was a novelty for them), but the Japanese are just more used to foreigners and have more natural reserve- in bigger cities even kids don't look twice at foreigners any more. Regardless of ethnicity, we just aren't that much of a novelty here.

seklarwia · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:10 pm Post subject:

Then I'll be really happy if that's the case. Apart from I am already under the impreesion that most of us are not going to be placed in the big cities, especially me since I asked not to be put in one, just near one.

I may have never been to Japan, but after 7 year of involvement in the Japanese summer school held at our uni, where as well as having some living with me, I have the pleasure of taking part in cultural exchange activities with 200+ Japanese each year, I've had the pleasure of being the novelty in my own country. Maybe it is the age since they range from 16-24 normally, but they have never been as shy as I thought they would be. Even my fav "brothers" who spoke no English what so ever only took 2 days before telling me that I was to call them saya-nii and sato-nii and dragging me to their classes where I had the pleasure of being bombarded with questions such as: "How come my English was so good?", "Is that you're real hair?" and my favourites "How comes I look so different to my siblings?", "why do your children look nothing like you?" (1 of my half sisters in 18 years younger and the youngest is 21 years younger, but they often call me mum to annoy me) and "How do you have a white brother?"

Granted, they for the most part left me untouched, but they had no qualms about approaching and interacting with an unknown foreigner.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

That will be partly due to the age group (Japanese teenagers seem to have a thing for asking embarrassing questions in English) and partly due to the situation- they were there on a cultural exchange, right? That doesn't translate to random strangers approaching you on the street once you are in Japan, don't worry.

Anyway good luck with your placement and Japan experience! Smile

elkarlo · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 240 Location: Maryland