Incident 1: Even on busy trains, the seats next to me are empty. I’d say this has happened 100+ times. I’ve mentioned it to other people before, and the most common reply is “Maybe you smell”, and without sounding defensive, that’s certainly not the case. I wear roll-on deodorant and about 3 spritzes of cologne every morning, and shower every day. Another excuse I’ve heard from people is that “Foreigners are bigger”, but I’m an average size, normal BMI and 175 cm tall.
Incident 2: A lady was sitting a seat away from me. She had her handbag on the side toward where I was sitting. She turned to look at me, then picked up her bag and put it on the other side of her. I wish I was making this up.
Incident 3: On one of the rare occasions someone WAS sitting next to me, he moved to an empty seat next to him that was still adjacent to a person, so he wasn’t moving there to get more room, he was moving there to sit next to a Japanese person instead of a white person.
Incident 4: I signed up for AEON Mobile. A Chinese friend of mine came along who spoke less Japanese than me. As I approached and asked about getting a new number, the clerk turned to the girl to speak to her. I told him I spoke Japanese. We sat down to hash out the details and he pulled out a translator. He refused to speak Japanese to me, opting to use the translator, despite the fact I told him 3 times I spoke Japanese.
Incident 5: I went into a sushi restaurant and within 5 minutes of sitting down, 5 of the 6 patrons cleared out. It was a pretty small restaurant. I thought nothing of it and shrugged it off as a coincidence. The exact same thing happened a few months later. I don’t go to sushi restaurants very often. Keep in mind it wasn’t the end of a lunch hour and these people didn’t seem to know each other or be in a group. Some didn’t even seem to be finished bizarrely enough.
Incident 6: Getting death stared by drunk guys in bars. I’m at a loss honestly, it’s probably happened about 3 times where I’ll just get a random death stare from a dude in Kabukicho. Once I was at the 10 yen sushi bar there and the group of dudes behind me just kept staring. Keep in mind they were louder and drunker than we were.
Incident 7: Getting turned away from an Okonomiyaki restaurant. I basically walked into the restaurant and was told it was full. I asked when I should return, they said they didn’t know. I asked if I could make a reservation and they said they didn’t take reservations. So, I waited outside until a group of people left and went back inside to ask, and was once again denied, this time without reason. I left a review on google and the owner replied that they’d look into it and promised to do better.
Conclusion: Are these incidents the worst thing in the world? No. Are they racist? Probably. I see the sentiment on this sub WAY too often that every time a white person cries racism in Japan, they’re either imagining it, or you get the argument that white people are immune from racism because reasons, and it’s always fun because you get the worst of both worlds. You get to face a lack of acceptance in Japan, and you get treated as schizophrenic for having an issue with the way that you’re treated.
I’m curious to hear the community’s sentiments on this.
17 comments
1) gaijin gap. It’s a thing. Japanese people generally don’t like heavy perfumes and colognes though, so they probably do also think that you stink.
I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing these things, but I fear I haven’t often.
I *was* once nearly turned away from an Okonomiyaki joint, but it turned out to have been an effectively private club at which bar hostesses relaxed after or before work: clearly every patron—no one was actually eating—know the host well and vice versa.
In 30 odd years of living here, I’ve never noticed anyone moving away from me on a train, and I, as it happens, *do* often smell, especially after a day of work: I don’t use deodorant or cologne.
Once in a while I do clerks or other workers who try to speak English to me, but, as far as I can recall, they stop after I ask them to speak Japanese.
Have you considered that what you’re experiencing may not be because you’re not Asian?
I don’t get why people get upset if no one sat next to them on the train…imagine sitting in an airplane and complaining that the seat next to you is empty…I just appreciate the extra space.
> 3 spritzes of cologne
I’m white, 175cm, average BMI and I never notice people avoid sitting next to me on busy trains. People sit next to me even when there are other open seats. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen to you, but I don’t think it’s because of your race
4 is definitely common though
>He refused to speak Japanese to me, opting to use the translator, despite the fact I told him 3 times I spoke Japanese.
And some drunks swear they can drive.
Oh, I wish people didn’t sit near me in public transport..
If you are wearing 3 spritzes of cologne I’d also not sit by you.
The Japanese are not used to/do not like strong fragrances. You shouldn’t wear cologne when going to a sushi restaurant. It ruins the experience for the other patrons.
You must be new in Japan.
I have been in Japan for over 18 yrs+ and it always happened to me. I’m around 166cm and white European. 8 out of 10 the seat next to me will be empty. For that reason I have sitting on the train now. I just stand all the way to my destination.
As a fellow white person who has lived in Japan, yeah, maybe so, but get over it. The advantages you have in Japan greatly outweigh not having the pleasure of sitting next to a judgy obasan on the train.
Three spritzes of cologne is too much in the US. Even more so in Japan. If I had to choose between standing and sitting next to someone wearing cologne I’d stand, too.
Congrats, you now know how it feels to be a minority in a country.
This kind of shit exists in every country for a variety of different reasons, even in your home country. You simply never noticed because you’re white.
By the way, most of your anecdotal experiences could easily be explained by other reasons. I mean, how much cologne are you wearing? That strong smell is what could be causing people to avoid you.
And how well do you speak Japanese? You claim to speak Japanese, but maybe it’s not as good as you think it is.
Sounds to me like you’re looking for reasons to be offended. But that’s how these posts almost always go, so.
I think it must be exhausting to carry this around, it was excessive to make a thread about it, and that maybe living here isn’t for you.
“You get the argument that white people are immune to racism.”
Literally never seen that said here.
>Are they racist? Probably.
Sorry, but there is a big difference between someone not wanting to sit next to YOU and not wanting to sit next to a white person. There is a big difference between a restaurant not wanting to serve YOU and not wanting to serve a white person.
Even from this post, which is nothing but text, you’re giving off a negative vibe. If that is the way that you present yourself to the world, no wonder no one wants to deal with you. It’s got nothing to do with your race.
> Incident 6: Getting death stared by drunk guys in bars. I’m at a loss honestly, it’s probably happened about 3 times where I’ll just get a random death stare from a dude in Kabukicho. Once I was at the 10 yen sushi bar there and the group of dudes behind me just kept staring. Keep in mind they were louder and drunker than we were.
I don’t go drinking myself really, but the staring thing can definitely be annoying.
To give one example, I went for lunch with a colleague of mine at this hamburger place that had round tables placed relatively close to each other. There was a full table of salary men diagonally behind me and completely in the view of my colleague and one of the guys was entirely turned toward me as far as I could tell. Completely ignoring whatever his colleagues were talking about and full-on staring at me. I was only seeing this from the corner of my eye and thought it was too ridiculous to be true, but my colleague and I just were just looking at each other going wtf is happening? I actually contemplated confronting the guy, but my colleague was hinting to get the hell out of there. Talking to her outside, the dude was in fact full-on staring at me the ENTIRE time we were there for some inexplicable reason.
Great hamburgers though.
I understand that what you are experiencing is uncomfortable, and perhaps you even feel paranoid in public.
To be frank, this is a common occurrence with expats whom have never lived as a minority in a genetically homogenous society.
What you are describing are relatively light brushes against bias, stereotyping, and nationalism.
You may have noticed a few unsympathetic responses to this post, likely because they are drawing comparisons to their own experiences of discrimination.
For example, what you described is about 1/10th of what it is like to be a black American.
I recommend viewing this as a learning opportunity.
There are plenty of great people in Japan and I’d encourage you not to waste thoughts or energy on those who do not value you.