Japanese people are weary of you if the colour of your skin is different to theirs. It's not that strange and it's understandable. If you live in a country and a civilization where you're used to living amongst 'your own', it's obviously going to throw you through a loop and cause you to react in varied ways when you see somebody or something different that you do not see day to day.Just doing day to day things and getting around Japan felt strange to begin with. People would stare, pass comments (not so subtely) and disregard you. It felt like being in a society where there was some not-so-secret code that everybody knew but you. This didn't deter me or make me feel insanely uncomfortable. If anything it made me want to mix it up amongst the locals more. Not imposing myself on them or trying to intimidate them. But by asking them questions, smiling, offerring my seat to them on subways, bowing at the right times. Trying to show the locals that aside from our cultural differences and appearances - I'm human like they are and I'm not whatever rude and obnoxious person they've built me up to be in their minds. I did it all in the hopes I could change Japanese peoples' perception of westerners. Their basis of what we're like is often based on what they see and hear in films, MTV and TV - which we know pander very often to stereotypes and a westernized form of living and being.
The craziest thing was that in clubs, pubs and bars - this was never an issue. Possibly because these social hotspots attract so many different people, that Japanese people expect to see at least one foreign face. Clubs and pubs in Japan are very westernized and most of Japan's cultural quirks seem to not apply within them - so it doesn't feel like there's some form of protocol when you're in a club, as it does when you're out on the streets, on the subway or in a shop. And as a result you feel much more at ease, because you don't feel like an outcast. Japanese folk in clubs seem to want to get to know you purely because you're not Japanese. Many even wanted pictures with my mates and I, and wanted to dance with some of us. It's such a wierd contrast to when you're out and about. People not getting in elevators if you're in them and not sitting next to you on trains and subways - to wanting to talk to you, dance with you and be in your prescence.
I'm all about breaking stereotypes. And I hope in the 2 weeks I spent in Japan, that I did just that for at least one Japanese person whom I spoke to.
2 comments: