Job Discussion Forums

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Sorry, you mentioned about the woman you met in the club who was probing you in the bathroom. As to odd conversations at school, it takes all types to be teachers (take it from me, I know Wink

).

Cool Teacher · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 4:30 pm Post subject:

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:59 pm Post subject:

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

TeflingJapan · Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 1

Has anyone heard of this new betting game amongst japaneses ladies (especially students)? You know, how many foreigners one can get in bed...

"Uglies" go for 10 points and "beauties" 5 points.
It's getting ridiculous in my school. I'm even considering moving to another country... Any advice on how to put a stop to this?

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

Are you sure that's new?

wayne432 · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 255

Things like that have probably been done in every country. Replace foreigner with teacher or with many different things... guys or girls.

Anyway, back to the original topic of foreign benefits... yeah, I've seen tons of situations.

I've seen foreigners who lost their tickets just be allowed to walk through the gates (possibly because the guard doesn't want to argue or things the person's Japanese might be bad). Japanese people would immediately be ready to fork over the correct change to buy another ticket... but many foreigners would probably protest that they already paid once, etc too.

Some people I've heard abuse this chance... I've heard of friends who have rode from Kyushu to Kanto for less than 1000 yen, and from Shizuoka to Tokyo for 125 yen. Some people have even gotten away with Shinkansen tickets Surprised

(Taxi cabs are also a possibility).

You could chalk it up to Japanese people thinking that a foreigner doesn't speak crap for Japanese, but it still counts as a benefit (albeit it's pretty wrong if you abuse it... especially if caught).

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

wayne432 posted

Quichia · Joined: 03 Feb 2010 Posts: 17

So,

This may or may not be a problem. But I am an African American (Black, w/e) female and have a couple interviews for Japan.

Does anyone think this would hinder my job placements at all? Granted, they do have my picture. Just wondering. But, I have read that the culture is very (what's the word...) appearance oriented and that they want someone who looks and speaks like a Native-English speaker.

I did an internship in Italy and was, well stared at so much so that I had to ask my bf if there was something wrong with what I was wearing, on my face, did I fall in something etc. It bothered me until I just sucked it up.

Does anyone know of my color being a possible issue?

steki47 · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 1029 Location: BFE Inaka

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:47 am Post subject:

I'm female and not of the white persuasion either, but I got a job over here. The ALT from the nearest junior high to mine is a female from Jamaica. At my training session, there was the group we referred to as the Jamaican contingency as a joke. They made up about a 10th of the entire group.

Colour shouldn't be an issue, but then neither should age. There are probably still a few employers who have strange ideas about what is marketable to customers and what is not and there may be some strange customers who only believe that good English can only come from the stereotypical looking foreigners. But on the whole, you shouldn't have any issues. If they have your picture already, I shouldn't worry. They wouldn't have offered you an interview if your skin colour was a problem.

When you get here, if you are out in more rural areas where there are few non-asian looking foreigners, people may look. But with the exception some old people and very young children, it will be quite subtle and fairly unintrusive. And honestly, it's more likely that they are having a look because you have a foreigner's appearence rather than because you are not white. And of course being a female foreigner will often draw attention more if you are, like me, better endowed than the average Japanese lady. In fact, a bust, being on the heavy side, being super tall, etc will likely draw more looks than skin colour.

I very quickly realised that in the eyes of the Japanese anyone who isn't Japanese (or doesn't look Japanese) is automatically lumped in a single "foreigners" group. I used to get asked if I knew 'X', 'Y' and 'Z' all the time. When I asked if I should know them, the response was normally along the lines of that they simply thought I might because they were foreigners, too. Some of these foreigners that they thought I might know were from places like Ukraine, Singapore and Brazil, so it wasn't as if they even looked like me (although people here think I could pass for Brazilian amongst other things... could be worse, I guess).

Just don't take offense if they assume you are from certain places based on appearence. Instead of asking, "Where are you from?", many will ask "Are you from...?" They honestly don't realise that some people might find it offensive if they get it wrong. Same for if they follow up yours telling them you are from America with, "Then, were you born in...?"

In the larger cities, you probably wouldn't be looked at twice. And even in more rural areas, once you've been there a while, the novelty will wear off... that is the looking foreign novelty will wear off. Things like bust size will still be quite interesting to them. And they will get braver the more they get to know you. Some of the more shy/restraint people I know are only just starting the bust comments, questions and jokes that I'd started hearing from the more daring or liberal a very long time ago.

Quichia · Joined: 03 Feb 2010 Posts: 17

Thank you for the replies!
I figured as much, but you never know unless you experience it and well... I have never experienced Japan first-hand.