Job Discussion Forums

[seklarwia]

[Cool Teacher]

I think Japan is okay I don't think it is so discriminating against gays but don't advertise it too much because some people will still be confused I think.

I think you would never get violence in Japan from being gay.

[cormac]

[Apsara]

[cormac]

[Apsara]

I've been to Xi'an. I think you'll find that various aspects of the culture are different here, and one of those is the level of interest in western foreigners- we are not anything like the novelty in Japan that we are in many parts of China still.

Just as I don't know anything about my neighbours, I guarantee you they know nothing about me either, because I don't know where they would get the information from and I very much doubt they would be interested anyway- I'm not the only foreigner in the housing complex I live in, and this is actually an area of Tokyo which has a relatively low foreign population.

While a cross-dressing foreigner might attract a bit more attention than I do, there is no way that that that information could be transmitted to someone's company unless they were living in company housing or lived just down the road from their workplace and were actually seen by staff.

[seklarwia]

@ cormac:

I don't dispute that the OP won't be able to be as flamboyant as perhaps he wants to be in his own time without encountering conflict. You'll notice I didn't comment on anybody elses post because I agree 100%.

What I disagree with is the way projectrook was passing judgement on the OP for his choice of fashion in his own time.

[cormac]

Apsara, Fair enough.

[Bread]

Yeah, living in the countryside of Japan everyone was always watching me. But in the city nobody cares at all. I don't think my building security guy even recognizes me.

[Sadebugo]

[projectrook]

I in no way had anything negative to say about the OPs sexual orientation. Far from it. What is the truth however is that we all responsible for the choices we make every day. Dressing in a mannar that draws attention is a choice. One can make it or one can not.

If the OP said he was fired for his sexual orientation, then of course I would be crying foul as well. His mention of hate crimes is bothersome to me as well as it is not deserved. However, drawing unneccessary attention to oneself when wrongful repercussions could take place is not exactly a smart thing to do. I keep my tattoos covered because I know it will draw unwanted attention. Do I think it's fair that I have to? Not really. But guess what sportsfans? I made the decision to get tattoos and then later I decided to work in Japan. If I want one more than the other, then I have to deal with the lesser. It's a simple as wearing a shirt that covers them. Same for the OP. If he wants to avoid some problems. Don't put the make-up on.

And for those that are encouraging the OP that he will have no problems in Japan if he dresses the same way with make-up and all, you should be ashamed of yourselves. You are setting him up for more problems and more potential pain. Obviously you have no real experience in such a matter at all. Take the blinders off and look at the world you claim to know so much about. The world judges people, sometimes it's right and sometimes it's wrong. Sometimes it's just and other times unjust.
And for some of you that have lived in Japan a short while and haven't gotten a hold of one of most important things you should have learned by now, "THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING WORSE THAN SHAMING THE COMPANY YOU WORK FOR" If the company feels shamed and you are expendable, you're gone.

Now, to the OP. I hope you are as good a teacher as you say you are. The world needs as many good teachers as possible. But I strongly urge you to make some hard decisions. If you really care about being a teacher, then you might have to sacrifice some things. You mentioned earlier that you wear women's pants and kind of differnet shirts. That I dont see any kind of problem here in Japan. You might get a strange look or two from the older adults and young children, but nothing too bad. The make-up however is just not going to fly here, unless it was done in a cosplay kinda way and even that is less common now.
Now I must apologize for the "restaurant" part of my first reply as it was out of line. Im not going to make an excuse as that would lower the value of my apology. I do however stand by what I said about growing up. Growing up means sometimes not being able to do everything we want.

[Glenski]

Japanese in rural and urban environments will watch you, even if you don't know it. Your building tenants and manager probably know far more about you than you suspect.

Smells from your kitchen.
What's in your garbage.
What time you put out the garbage.
Whether you watch late night TV or play computer games.
Laundry habits.
Supermarket shopping routines.
and more.

[Apsara]

Glenski, the complex I live in is home to at least 400 people, including a number of non-Japanese. It would be bordering on paranoia to think that the neighbours or the deaf old caretaker of this section know or even care about whether I watch TV late or play computer games or when I go to the supermarket. How they would even know I watch TV or play games I have no idea- I haven't noticed any Big Brother cameras in our place, and this is a new building where the walls are thick enough that you don't hear TV or most other sounds from next door or above.

No doubt the neighbours might notice if our washing gets left out in the rain from time to time, but I notice the same thing about them- and then forget about it, just like I presume they do. Cooking smells- you think people would actually pay more attention to the smells coming from my place than anyone else's, and make a note of it for future reference?

Can I ask why you think that the managers and neighbours would be keeping tabs on foreigners to such an extent and whether you have any concrete evidence that Japanese people in urban areas do such things? To me it just sounds a bit paranoid, I'm afraid. I have lived in the very urban environments of Tokyo, Saitama and Yokohama for 12 years now, and I have never noticed any evidence of what you describe. I know about the gomi nazis but have never once encountered them myself.

[natsume]

I agree with Apsara, I highly doubt I am much of a blip on my neighbors' radars, and those I do interact with are quite friendly.

I do pass an elderly couple on the way to work that open up and resort every piece of garbage that is deposited on their block, it is almost like they share an intense form of gomi-related OCD. I thank God I don't live near them.

[yangyoseop]