"The majority of Japanese shut out gaijin as a way of managing stress"

[Ganma]

* I have been punched in the face for doing absolutely nothing, other than walking into a bathroom stall where a guy taking a piss had forgot to look the door. That was clearly a good enough reason to beat me up, even though I said "sumimasen", and left peacefully. I was too drunk to fight back, so he managed to hit me four times in the head, before his buddy came in and pulled him away. I wonder how long he would have kept going, if he hadn't stopped him.

He was probably pissed at the thought of you having seen his mini-chin.

[Stucky]

They way I see it, foreigners are still treated like something "rare".

I visited Kansai Gaidai for a little while ago. It was a really embarrassing experience. The school is nice enough, but the way foreigners are treated like "gods" is ridiculous.

No matter how geeky or socially retarded a guy looked, he always had a couple of cute Japanese girls hanging around him. And nearly every guy had this extremely confident smug on their faces. You would think that the Japanese students of a university with so many foreign students, wouldn't care that much when they see a new foreigner, but no. From the moment I entered campus, I was shamelessly stared at from beginning to end.

If foreigners aren't rare anymore, how would you explain all the confident "loser white dudes", who you love so much? :P

Foreigners aren't rare anymore in Tokyo, and also the Japanese see a lot of bad behavior from them there. They're probably more jaded and less impressed by things, including foreigners. But outside Tokyo, in the much smaller cities and in the countryside, I think the rare factor is still in place, so cue the staring and fawning. And the girls in university might be coming from areas where they rarely see a foreigner, never mind get close to one, get to know one, etc. So every foreign guy is to them ... I don't know, like seeing Brad Pitt or an attractive Hollywood star... (I'm not sure who young Japanese women think is attractive)

[Ikemen-of-d00m]

Foreigners aren't rare anymore in Tokyo, and also the Japanese see a lot of bad behavior from them there. They're probably more jaded and less impressed by things, including foreigners. But outside Tokyo, in the much smaller cities and in the countryside, I think the rare factor is still in place, so cue the staring and fawning. And the girls in university might be coming from areas where they rarely see a foreigner, never mind get close to one, get to know one, etc. So every foreign guy is to them ... I don't know, like seeing Brad Pitt or an attractive Hollywood star... (I'm not sure who young Japanese women think is attractive)

Ah, I guess there are to kinds of "rare". I'm not thinking about the "omg, it's a foreigner! I've never seen one of those before"-rare. I'm thinking about the "aww, I also want to have gaijin-friends, and maybe even a gaijin-boyfriend/girlfriend"-rare

Kansai Gaidai is located between Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, and it takes about 30 minutes to get to each of these cities. And even if some of the students come from smaller places, it doesn't change the fact that they SHOULD be used to having foreigners around them.

As for Tokyo, even though people are getting used to foreigners, you can still experience a lot of stares and "awkward" situations. The first time I was in Tokyo(less then 2 years ago), it took me about 30 minutes before a bunch of middle-school students(and their teacher) wanted to take pictures of me. This was my first time in Japan also, so you can bet I was surprised.

But as I wrote earlier in thread: these things seem to be quite random. Others experience none of these things. I guess I'm (un)lucky to have experienced both the bad and the good things.

[maraboutslim]

On another note, I do notice lately, that Japanese will ask me for directions. I can remember when I never had to bother with trying to explain to someone where anything was in Japan.

Yeah, one of the main benefits of being a gaijin is people don't bother us with stuff like that. I remember when an old lady asked me to help her use the ATM machine. I obliged but was pretty surprised she picked me!

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I visited Kansai Gaidai for a little while ago. It was a really embarrassing experience. The school is nice enough, but the way foreigners are treated like "gods" is ridiculous.

FWIW, having read this post, I put in an application to work at Kansai Gaidai (any position at all is fine)....

[BigInJapan]

FWIW, having read this post, I put in an application to work at Kansai Gaidai (any position at all is fine)....

Did you apply for the missionary position?
(Sorry I tried, but I just couldn't resist...)

[Ikemen-of-d00m]

FWIW, having read this post, I put in an application to work at Kansai Gaidai (any position at all is fine)....

Good luck

And if you don't get the job, you might as well stay in the Kansai-area. A former classmate of mine spent about 4 months in Hokkaido, trying his best to get laid. He is not ugly, nor is he socially inept. However, he only got laid once, even though he went out drinking every other day, and always treated women. And the time he got laid, he needed a wing-man.

But in the Kansai-area, it only took him 1-2 weeks before he had hooked up with several women. He told me that every gaijin he knew in over there, had a girlfriend/fuckfriend. Now I know the true meaning behind the saying]nicer[/I]".

[iHUMAN]

I can understand it though... Some posters here on FG shut me out as a way of managing stress.

[let`s talk]

I shut nobody out. I have no stress.

[TennoChinko]

Its quite simple.
The brand value of western white dudes fell near to the one of Asian looking foreingners(Japanese never have tried helping Asian dudes since long before as you do know). Or Just Japanese got bored of Western whites. Actually I too got bored of and graduated from porns in which Japanese guys creampie white girls.

I still have that Traci Lords' "Traci Takes Tokyo" video. Classic!

[Stucky]

As for Tokyo, even though people are getting used to foreigners, you can still experience a lot of stares and "awkward" situations. The first time I was in Tokyo(less then 2 years ago), it took me about 30 minutes before a bunch of middle-school students(and their teacher) wanted to take pictures of me. This was my first time in Japan also, so you can bet I was surprised.

But as I wrote earlier in thread: these things seem to be quite random. Others experience none of these things. I guess I'm (un)lucky to have experienced both the bad and the good things.

Maybe it depends where in Tokyo. Some areas are innundated with foreigners and Japanese don't even give us a second glance. However, just a couple of weeks ago I was in a busy area for a few hours doing several errands, didn't see any other foreigners there, and got helped by a cute gal at an ATM. I was on the ATM help phone trying to figure out a problem with my passbook and getting directions to an actual bank branch when she tapped me on the shoulder, took the phone, talked to the bank employee, and then took me outside and pointed me in the right direction. Maybe it does depend on your look(s)...? Attitude? Helplessness?

[Yokohammer]

Maybe it does depend on your look(s)...? Attitude? Helplessness?

Age too.

Twenty-something years ago, when I was still older than some of you young bucks are now, and during the peak of my "fishing craze" (actual fishing ... as in for aquatic creatures), I was sitting on a train from Tokyo to Yokohama reading a Japanese book on fishing when the girl sitting next to me leaned over ... real close ... and asked "do you fish?" When I said I did she cooed "Ooh! I just love men who fish!" (Sidebar: she wasn't exactly unattractive, but the obvious lack of substance upstairs sent me scurrying for the exit at my stop).

Had quite a few experience like that in my young 'un days. Some followed up, some not.

So now I could conclude that either a) Japan has changed and the people aren't as friendly as they used to be, or b) people, and especially attractive young women, don't randomly chat me up anymore because the years have taken their toll and I've become an undesirable old fart. Personally I prefer the former conclusion, but I know there's an element (or two ... or three ...) of truth to the latter as well.

But that's Tokyo. Out here in the sticks where I am now old-fart farmers often strike up a conversation. See! I'm still attractive!

[iHUMAN]

How sad.

[Iraira]

(Sidebar: she wasn't exactly unattractive, but the obvious lack of substance upstairs sent me scurrying for the exit at my stop).

She sounds like the perfect girl to me.

[Yokohammer]

She sounds like the perfect girl to me.

There were better things going on at the time. Everything is relative, as they say.

Come to think of it, a Filipino girl who lives in my area struck up a conversation with me at the station a couple of months ago, so I guess it's not entirely over yet. People are generally a lot more relaxed and less suspicious when you get out of the big cities.

I'm currently looking for a nice goat farmer who might be able to set up an omiai for Greji.

[McTojo]

a Filipino girl who lives in my area struck up a conversation with me at the station a couple of months ago, so I guess it's not entirely over yet. People are generally a lot more relaxed and less suspicious when you get out of the big cities.

I was approached by one of those Philipino girls. I kept my our conversation brief cause' I only date and sniff Japanese.

[Yokohammer]

I was approached by one of those Philipino girls. I kept my our conversation brief cause' I only date and sniff Japanese.

"Approached" ..."one of those" ... hmm.

I should probably point out that the girl who chatted to me wasn't a whore, a "masseuse," or even a bar girl. She works a respectable job in the area, some of it involving the local government.

And just FYI, the preferred term is "Filipino." The country, the Republic of the Philippines, is inhabited by the Filipino people. As an expert on culture you should probably be aware of that.

[Taka-Okami]

Sorry, bit off topic. Was just going through all the goodbye letters and shit from my students when I gave up the english teaching gig 7 years ago and one of them (a 40 somthing year old) wrote:

"Hi, My name is XXX XXX. I like to experimentation animals. "

Had to laugh, as this guy clearly hated gaijin, and I never understood why he came to the classes.

[BigInJapan]

I kept my our conversation brief cause' I only date, [color="Blue"]sniff arses, and pay to suck the breasts of Japanese oba-sans[/color].

There, fixed it for ya (left the grammar as is though).

And BTW, if you feel you must abbreviate "because", I would put the apostrophe at the beginning, but maybe that's just me (I'm not a self-published author, English conversation teacher, or even a cultural mentor so don't take my word for it...).
And was it my conversation, or our conversation? The mind boggles.

[Taro Toporific]

just FYI, the preferred term is "Filipino."

Filipino people --- Filipina girls

[Yokohammer]

Filipino people --- Filipina girls

The ethnic group is "Filipino," and that refers to both males and females, so "Filipino girl" or "Filipino woman" is correct usage.
"Filipina" is sometimes used, but as far as I can tell it's not official and some Filipinos, especially women, consider it to be derogatory and offensive. So to be on the safe side it's probably better to use "Filipino."

If you do use "Filipina," you wouldn't say "Filipina girl(s)" because it is redundant. You'd just say "Filipina." Wouldn't do that though, for the reason stated above.

[McTojo]

So many interesting stories here on this thread. Made me a little teary eyed just listening to you guys bare your souls like this. I am compelled to bare mine.

I came to Japan when World Cup fever swept through the country damn near overnight! I can't remember the exact year that was, and don't feel like looking it up, either. At any rate, I was treated royally by 99% of everybody I came cross. This was partially because I had purchased a fake cotton team Japan jersey and hung out around Shin-Yokohama on the weekends. I was stopped at random and asked to take pictures with women and men, complete strangers. This had left a huge impression on my mind which caused me to fall instantly fell in love with this country, especially since all of the team jersey's had hinomaru prints on them. So many sexy J-girls were walking around with a hinomaru painted on their cute faces. All this Japan love was everywhere back then. Never had I seen so much solidarity for one purpose in the country before. i was moved!

The OP offered up a salient reason for what he thinks is part of the cause. I was a little disappointed, however, at the responses he received, especially by some of your senior posters on here, but like most posts on this forum the dearth of quality thinkers and contributors is lacking immensely. It's a pity.

Personally, I think the problem is external, somewhere along the lines of what the OP was saying. English could be a stress factor for a lot of people in this country. That coupled with a general lack of self confidence that most language learners struggle with here could play a role in how they view foreigners in general. Learning English used to be pure fun, and even a stress release at times I think. But now, with company's like Rakuten making English mandatory for their employees to learn could have a backlash and may cause many to look at Westerners unfavorably as competitors and no longer the darling little guests that they have to come to endear over the years.

Japan is an effete of its former self, which is directly attributed to so many factors. Economic, future uncertainty, the list goes on.... J-people are more withdrawn and leery of foreign looking people more than they were five to ten years ago.

[McTojo]

There, fixed it for ya (left the grammar as is though).

And BTW, if you feel you must abbreviate "because", I would put the apostrophe at the beginning, but maybe that's just me (I'm not a self-published author, English conversation teacher, or even a cultural mentor so don't take my word for it...).
And was it my conversation, or our conversation? The mind boggles.

Again, somebody is screwing with my post before it's posted.

[Ikemen-of-d00m]

At any rate, I was treated royally by 99% of everybody I came cross. This was partially because I had purchased a fake cotton team Japan jersey and hung out around Shin-Yokohama on the weekends.

Sounds like the Charisma Men at my university who purchased suits, only to wear at the school festival, so that girls would notice them.

*two bucked-teeth girls with too much make-up walks past us*

Charisma Man 1: Hey, those girls said "ikemen"!
Random guy: "Ikemen", what does that mean?
Charisma Man 2: Oh, that is just the greatest compliment a guy can receive! It basically means you are gorgeous beyond measure!

*me facepalming in silence*

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

At any rate, I was treated royally by 99% of everybody I came cross.

When you say you were treated royally, I guess you're talking about how Charles told Camilla he wished he was her tampon?

[Behan]

I came to Japan when World Cup fever swept through the country damn near overnight! I can't remember the exact year that was, and don't feel like looking it up, either. .

I would guess that was 2002.

[Greji]

but like most posts on this forum the dearth of quality thinkers and contributors is lacking immensely.

You're getting close to 300 yourself! Dearthly, dearthly....