Are you linving in rural area of Japan

Question

For those who live in rural are of Japan, like a northern are of Japan.

Do you feel stare from Japanese people??

because, I am already used to seeing non-Japanese, so I do not feel special when I see people with non-Japanese-looking.

but, when I was little, seeing foreigners in my city was rare, and when I saw them, I remeber I was staring at them with curiosity.

But, recently, many non-Asian people show up on TV, and I was thinking if Japanese are seeing foreigners with less curiosity compared to ,for example year 1995.

Answer 1

I live in Gunma Prefecture, rural Japan. I lived in this area 15 years ago for a year and have been here this time for a year and a half.

15 years ago people were more apt to point and stare. Now they seem to do it less often. I think the children do it less because there are foreign born Assistant Language Teachers in every elementary school and junior high school now. Fifteen years ago I was the only Caucasian foreigner within 100 miles.

I remember walking along the street and having children stop and point (pointing at people with a finger is considered impolite but children are forgiven) at me and say, "ah...gaijin da!" Now they simply smile or shy away.

The pointing/staring thing rarely bothers me anymore. There are times though when I will be standing at a street corner waiting to cross and three or four cars will also be waiting at the red light. It is an odd feeling to have four carloads of adults and children staring at you -their faces pressed against the windows, eyes unblinking, faces emotionless. I want to say to them, "I am not so different, I am not so strange....please don't stare, it is rude in my culture". But really, they don't have any knowledge or concern for what is correct in my culture and it is unreasonable for me to expect any different.

As foreigners we receive a lot of positive attention from strangers all of the time. A little pointing and staring is minor I think.

People stare a lot less now.