Because I am a westerner?

Question

In was in Japan last week, I enjoyed it, and I tried my utmost to respect social customs, but in a few situations I was offended myself.

Often throughout the people seemed to avoid being near me, if I was on the train, the other end of the train seemed far more packed. I was even in a restaurant and the people sitting next to us actually got up and moved to another table. At first I thought it was because I might have smelled (high humidity), but these even happened when I just had a shower. Can someone please explain this?

Answer 1

As a westerner who lived in Japan and visits often I can say that it is probably not because you are a westerner. I never really had this problem at least.

It is hard to say what was going on not knowing you or the people in question. Maybe you were loud and did not realize it. Maybe your appearence was scary.

Maybe you are too sensitive. The table might have been drafty or had poor light. Maybe they just wanted privacy who knows. As far as the train that's just how it goes some times. People tend to pick a door to enter and sit near that door. It may have just been the law of averages. Again I don't know. Is it possible you were just self conscious?

I know I sometimes move when I have the chance because I like my own space. So if I was in a restaurant I may have moved too. This does not mean I don't like the other people but why sit next to someone when you don't have to?

The only thing I do know is I have not had that experience nor have I witnessed it among other foreign guests and visitors I have been with.

Answer 2

I think it's just that they don't like Westerners, as you have rightly guessed. But so what.

Exactly the same thing happened to me when I was traveling in a European country. Someone even threw a can at me. I took it to mean they didn't like Japanese, (probably because of what happened between that country and Japan during the wartime. ) But I didn't care at all. I didn't give a d**n.

It often happens some people don't like some particular country. But so what. I would say don't let something like that get to you!

Answer 3

You are stranger to Japanese.

You admit you are taller than them. You maybe neither look like Japanese.

They are instinctively scared by you even if YOU HAVE NO INTENTION.

You don't have any right to condemn their instinct because Japan is their country.

Don't be too self-confident in Japan. Your invisible offensive attitude to Japanese let them have their counter offense.

Get used to receiving with their eyes. They don't have any hostility to you. They just don't want to be involved with stranger who don't look like Japanese and/or speak Japanese instinctively.

Answer 4

They gathered from your looks that you may speak english.

Any japanese would feel helpless if they were spoken to in english.

and we are too shy to speak crazy english.

so the japanese ran away in a panic.＼(◎o◎)／！

Answer 5

You answered your own question. I have noticed this as well a bit while in the chinatown area of Australia. I'm from the USA. It's because of what you are. It's rude and not very nice, but do not dwell on it.

It's possible that the other side of the train was more crowded because people went through that door more. And perhaps the sun was in the eyes of the party that moved tables.

Answer 6

Japanese people don't like a lot of noise. So, in a public places like restaurant or train , if they find some one making the slightest of noise , they just run far off .. heheehe.. The noise could be as minimal as that of a high volumed iPod.

The vice versa is  also true.

Answer 7

All of that depends on the person. I know in some Japanese restaurants the tables are so close, I'd move elsewhere too if I saw empty less-crowded space.

And well on the train, I was explained to by Japanese teacher in Japan that people that avoid sitting next to you are because they are either 1)avoiding an English conversation or 2)scared-ish. Which I think is a bit true, I found myself ending up next to a younger Japanese person most of the time; older ladies like sitting next to foreigners too. They're always smiling at me and my friends. The older men seemed to be the ones attempting to find another area to go to. But I  got over that quick. The train is a place to go into a zone away from life. ^_^.

Answer 8

No one other than those people themselves can explain why they avoided you. The reason depends on each person. But I don't think it's the case that Japanese people try to avoid all westerners. If you are too tall (as some westerners), you may have scared them.

>It seems superficial since they are very nice when they are doing a service for you.

But on the above point,

Well, Japanese workers are trained to be very nice to customers who pay for them. So do not take it in a wrong way. When they are giving you nice service, it's for money.

Addition:

Well, Japanese do not want to sit close to strangers at a restaurant. I don't know how close you were. But those people at the restaurant may have moved even if it was ME as a Japanese if I sat too close.

Answer 9

Nobody was afraid of you. They just didn't care about you. We all really don't know what you look like so may be they just didn't like how you looked. Who knows? Depending upon where from the West your from may be they too visited the West some time ago and received similar treatment. So they reciprocated it back. I remember when I came to the US I got the Asian stereotypes thrown at me left and right.