I related to this a lot. A lot of this reminded me of experiences I had when I lived there. Especially the bit about how there’s often this taboo among expats about criticizing the place, as if to acknowledge any failings in Japanese culture is somehow either disrespectful, or an admission of personal weakness.
I have witnessed grown men at these concerts and they jump up and down and scream at the top of their voice like teen cheerleader girls and they shake miniature pom-poms around. My first thought is what the fuck.?!
I am a black American. Served 6 years in Japan in the US Navy before transferring to Bahrain currently. I quickly became aware of the feelings you put out in your video. Most people don’t want to admit what’s wrong with Japan. Don’t know why but there are always excuses made for them whether that be because of their culture or that they don’t experience other races of people…which I think just isn’t true in today’s time. You cant reason with it bro, I’m sorry you experienced this. But Japanese people will always be protected and given the benefit of the doubt.
Really interesting insight, i thought not only of this but also of the autistic experience, specifically when he mentioned he was sure he didnt miss any social etiquette when talking to the girl, and im sure he didnt. i just thought of the stories people shared through the internet of talking to someone, and coming off as so weird, and not knowing it, feeling like somethings wrong with you, all those feelings. it sounds scary not having a clue why people hate you, and then you realize its something so silly
From my perspective after living in Japan for a year, I think it's hard to find a true friend. It made me feel lonely. Many people will tell you that they are your "tomodachi" but they never really show it. When I worked in a Japanese company, other foreigners seemed to be pushed aside, they often ate alone, they didn't talk to Japanese people. I like to get out of my comfort zone, I can communicate in Japanese, so I tried many times to make friends with Japanese people in the company, I even managed to go out for dinner after work three times but that was it. When I wanted to go to the station with someone after work, they would often say "I have to stay longer, go alone", and then leave the company and go to the station alone 2 minutes later. It was a very lonely feeling that a Japanese person would rather go alone or with another Japanese person than talk to you on the way to the station. I felt like a lot of Japanese people had the attitude of "I'm at work, so I have to be nice to you and talk to you, but you're a stranger to me when I get off work." It was so pathetic that when another foreigner from Europe showed up at the company, the Japanese would tell me "Hey, you must be happy that there's a new foreigner from Europe. You've already made friends with that European guy." I felt like an animal in a zoo that can only be friends with members of its own species. I didn't come to Japan to seek friendship with foreigners. When I left that company they said goodbye to me nicely and of course said "we'll go eat and drink together again" and of course never spoke to me again. It's also funny that most of the Japanese people at work would ask me for my Instagram. They'd say "let's go out for a meal sometime," and I'd say, "Sure, I'd like to go out, let me know when you plan to go out," and of course they never even used their Instagram to invite me to a meeting, but I saw in the stories that they often went out with other Japanese people from the company. For many Japanese people, Tatemae, or the "public face," is very strong. People will pretend to like you and you won't be able to tell who your real friends are. I've dated many girls who, after 3 dates, were already planning their next date, trips together, and one even wanted to marry me, only to block me without explanation a few days later. A Japanese person will never show you true feelings, so the only chance to make friends with a Japanese person is with a Japanese person who doesn't think like a Japanese person. It's hard to find such people, but during my stay I found two such people and I really felt like I was their friend. One of them is now my girlfriend. How to recognize such people. Like I said, Japanese people with tatemae will never be your friends. You need to meet a Japanese person who will show you the honne's "true face". Such a Japanese person will tell you what they think, for example "you look ugly in this, you are stupid, don't say such things, stop doing that, you are an idiot, you should shave your beard, I don't like this movie, I don't like this food, let's eat something else" and things like that. Most Japanese people will not tell you what they think, so if you are from outside of Asian countries and you are raised in a culture where people clearly state their opinions, you will not be able to make friends.
Sadly that can be true. There might be some communities which accept you as a truly belonging member in Japan, but it must be hard work to find one. And, as a Japanese who have an experience of living in the states, I feel that Japanese people are prone to be ignorant about how mentally hard living abroad can be. But I believe if they had had experienced feeling alone outside Japan, they would have been more kind and friendly to you.
I’m living in Malta but I’m from Switzerland.I meet young girl who takes intensive English classes before she start her job in Japan.I teach her how to deal with things in Malta and also I helped her with everything by the time she decide to visit Switzerland,before her departure to Canada for first job.I help with sim, hotel,public transport,I Answear all questions how to visit france 🇫🇷 over border and what to see there.Her school friend lived and study in Switzerland but she Answered her questions ones a Week! After she comeback to Malta from Switzerland and flew to Canada I told her that her Mum and Dad must be proud of her because she doing so well. But that Japanese girl who I helped so much never replied to me anymore.
@@saxophoneplaya Of course geography has many things to do with Japanese mental culture, but I believe culture changes at some point, affected by global network today.
One thing I've noticed in the workplace is that you'll hardly make true friends there. This applies to any situation and anywhere. It gets worse if you're the newbie in the place. And a shy person like me won't be able to make friends easily with someone and fit in. I don't experience racism where I live, but I carry this feeling of not belonging to my own country and to places that should be familiar to me. Just don't worry about not making friends, this is common. Friends come with time.
I'm currently doing my PhD here in Japan, and so far it's been one year. And recently I've been thinking that I don't want to stay in Japan after my studies. I've had similar experiences as you, and I've accepted that I am not Japanese nor is it possible for me to become "Japanese". It's sad since I realized in all countries there is both xenophobia and racism to varying degrees, and often if you move to another country your success of integration/assimilation often depends on if you come from a similar culture and ethnic group (Ex. Like going from Canada to USA, or Canada to somewhere in EU if you look European, or like China/Korea to Japan). I think countries like USA and Canada are unique in that they can easily absorb new people into their existing culture. Although I have some complaints about this since Canada will say things like "we have no culture, we are a post-nation" which I think is damaging for Canadians who aren't connected to any recent immigrant group/roots. To be fair Canada is also not the friendliest country, as people socialize like bears or in bubbles, and those bubbles do not mix. Besides this, I will say Japan is not a "nation" but a "tribe", and I sadly acknowledge that "tribes" do exist everywhere and that this is human nature. Like so far I've had fun in Japan while studying here, I've made a bunch of friends with both Japanese and other international students, I even have a JP gf (which I don't think will work out since she doesn't want to leave Japan), but at the same time I struggle to see myself living here. Anyway, Japan is still a great country and has achieved alot, I will always hold a good opinion of Japan, I will be friends with Japanese, I will still enjoy their culture, like their traditional culture/shrines/temples/castles, but it is not my home, and I will go somewhere else after I graduate. Thanks for sharing your story.
Man this hit me really bad, Im asian, born in asia, studying Japanese. In one hand I totally get the mindset of the Japanese, even understanding it, but in the other hand, yes it is still xenophobia, especially that part "It is because you are not Asian". It made me feel so bad because I actually sympathize with that, most asian countries are very ethnically harmonize and don't get educated about racism as much as in the west, and Japan is even more than that
I only went to Japan for a 2 week vacation, but I did have an experience like this. On my last day, I was on my way to the airport, it was early morning and this train station was almost empty. That's when a middle-aged Japanese man approched me and pushed me pretty hard, with both hands. Somehow I managed not to fall down. And then he just kept walking. Note that it's not like it was crowded and he needed space. It was a conscious effort to attack me. Now, I'm just a skinny girl so I definitely was no match for him. Tbh I was also just surprised and didn't react. I later learned this is called "butsukari otoko" and they usually attack women, apparently they do that to Japanese women too. So at first I thought it was an act of racism (I'm white), but it was most likely an act of misogyny or a mix of both.
Just a Japanese strolling through, I'm honestly sad that xenophobia actually exists while we're not aware of it. I purposely learnt English to base off my personality, but eventually used it as an actual tool to talk with the homies. AND SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, I got really good English scores both in the writing and speaking aspects, to the point where I almost forgot my mother tongue. The reason why xenophobia exists is because of the intrasocial influences to think that the majority of foreigners are seen as creepy. But man, ain't just that. Probably because of the language barrier as well, being someone who used to suck at English back in the olden days kinda got me fearful if I make any mistakes, even misunderstanding some things as well Just to close it off, don't think of it as xenophobia, we aren't just as educated on the language and haven't got used to seeing foreigners (especially white people). So don't take it to heart. We want to be open about stuff, but the language barrier and stuff makes it even harder. Good thing I got outside influences to build who I am today
I am PhD student at Japanese uni and I have gotten weird reactions from Japanese people because I am studying Mandarin (I'm already at a pretty advanced level in Japanese). It seemed like this came from a mix of anti-Chinsee racism and insecurity in their own foreign language abilities. Most of the people in question are essentially monolingual despite years of English education. So, a foreigner learning multiple languages might be perceived as making them look bad.
thank you for sharing your experience in japan. As a person thinking about living in that country, stories and videos like these help me get the full picture and prepare me for the reality that's waiting for me.
As an introvert day to day and extroverted when drinking alcohol I felt like I fitted right in (This applies mostly to Tokyo) Kansai region is completely different and is more friendly in a way you can just approach anyone and they will speak to you and not try to avoid you.
Recently returned from Japan and I often met with teachers there. One thing I was warned not to fall into was the gaijin drinking cycle. Friends from abroad who only ever hang out at bars and parties. I was told it can really depress you.
Man seeing so many comments justify that behavior shocks me. I haven't visited Japan (yet), so I have a limited perspective on the issue, but in my eyes it isn't that hard to be understanding towards people who come from other cultures. Of course one should learn the basic etiquette of a country he or she is moving to or visiting, but as a human being one should also be able to try and understand others, and see that difference does not warrant hostile or rejectful behavior. A foreigner is bound to make some mistakes or do things that might seem out of the ordinary for a japanese person, but is it that hard to understand that they likely don't have any harmful intentions? This is just straight up racism, even if that is somewhat accepted in some parts of Japanese culture.
Assuming it happens to all foreign-nationals is your first mistake. People are accepted or rejected by their own behavior, mannerism, mindset, personality, culture, skill, education etc. If you think that is "straight up racism," Japan is definitely not the country for you. When I was growing up we had a naturalized citizen from Finland serving in the Upper House; an Armenian mathematician teaching at a Japanese university (who later became the Armenian Ambassador to Japan); Georgian, Bulgarian, Mongolian, Russian, Chinese, and Hawaiian Sumo wrestlers; naturalized Brazilian football players on national team; a number of successful Taiwanese and HK-Chinese singers; and a Brit named Peter Barakan hosting a TV show introducing foreign documentaries. There were a number of Americans on Japanese TV as well. There is a Harvard graduate named Patrick Harlan who is also a TV personality, commentator, and comedian. We also have an Uzbek/Uyghur naturalized citizen currently serving as Member of Parliament. She used to work for the Bank of Japan and later the United Nations before running for office. And if go a bit future back, the gentleman who created Cup Noodles (ANDO Momofuku) is originally from Taiwan. The person who founded "Lotte Group" was a Korean migrant to Japan. He made his money selling gum and chocolate in the post-war era. And one of the richest and successful businessman in Japan (SON Masayoshi) is the son of a Korean migrant. He's the founder of Softbank. You should take a look at "GAGA Channel." Gagamaru was a really well-loved SUMO wrestler from Georgia. And then you'll know what type of foreigners are accepted in Japan. Many of the people who are interviewed in his channel are also from various countries.
@@yo2trader539 My point was not that it's wrong for a different country to have different morals and behavioral standards, but that a person should generally be able to understand that one who comes from another culture might behave differently to them, and that the difference in appearance or behavior is not always intentional. It's impossible to act completely identical to how an average Japanese person would, or know the entirety of their etiquettes and morals by heart when you're someone who's still new to their culture. Just like a language, it takes time to adapt to a new culture. Just because some of the people you mentioned in your comment were succesful and accepted in Japan, does not mean that they didn't go through trial and error to learn the Japanese way of handling things. There's also a difference in shunning someone who intentionally acts disrespectful towards or is unwilling to learn your culture and someone who has good intentions at heart. Also in this case there were way less variables at play, FreeBird seemed to be immediately judged based on his appearance alone. If I met someone who was American and they did something which is considered rude here, I wouldn't distance myself or act in disgust/anger towards them. I'd simply inform them of what they did and why we find that thing to be rude and if they aren't willing to change after, then it'd understandable for me or someone else to not like said person. Edit: Also Japanese people tend to romanticize Americans they see on TV (Especially with celebrities), in the same way a lot of Western people do with Japanese media, so that's not always an accurate representation of how a random guy in Japan should act.
@@Thomas48484 Again, you're comparing Japan with another country. Nobody knows or cares how things are done in other countries, just like most American wouldn't care how things are done in foreign countries, including your closest neighbors. And perhaps you were never discriminated in your own country. Japanese visitors have plenty of stories that they can tell you, be it in the US, France, Canada, etc. Sometimes waiters don't even taken your orders. Sometimes they're assaulted on the streets. Sometimes they're made fun with Asian-sounding greetings, or other hand gestures. Sometimes cops pull you over. So when some White American dude talks about Racism based on his experience in a school classroom...it's beyond funny. Doesn't he know Asian people are getting assaulted on the subway in the US just because they're Asian? What kind of bubble is he from? Let me it put more bluntly. Japanese society accepts foreigners who are compatible with and can contribute to Japan. In other words, those who can assimilate culturally and integrate socially. I have no doubt every one of them went through an acclimatization period. Some probably took longer than others. Some probably struggled more than others. But Japanese society only accepts and appreciate those who made the effort. I know many people who left after a few years because they weren't compatible with Japan, or couldn't find a foothold. It could be for family reasons, personality, career ambitions, financial goals, skillset, education-level, social values, sexual orientation, etc, etc. I also suspect liberal/woke segment from Western Europe, North America, or Australia generally won't do that well in East Asia, especially because they're seen as too alien. This is based on my observation of people from Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union who blend in as if they were raised here. They tend to be more socially conservative and respect and value traditions of various cultures including their own. And Slavic speakers are exceptionally good with languages. Of all the people I've met in Japan, the ones who impressed me the most were from Central Asia. There are Uzbeks and Kazakhs who have near-native fluency in Japanese language and culture. But they grew up speaking Uzbek/Kazakh (i.e. Turkic), attended Russian-language schools since childhood, learned English via Russian language, and mastered Japanese in university. Japanese is their 4th or 5th language, yet they able to understand it better than most foreigners from English-speaking counties. They are language geniuses. I also know people who visited on vacation just once, and realized Japan is where they want to be and have stayed for decades, received Permanent Visa, and eventually naturalized citizens. There is an interesting Brazilian teacher who teaches Japanese to Brazilians in Japan. Her ex-husband was a Japanese Descendant (i.e. Nikkei-Brazilian) so they came together to work hoping to save some money. Her Japanese Descendant husband couldn't stand Japan, but she loved it, learned the language, and now she's a language teacher in Japan, while her ex-husband is back in Brazil. So you see, it's not our job to change for your benefit. Neither is it your job to change for the benefit of foreigners. By the way, from what I understand of American history on immigration, I'm pretty certain it was never easy for Irish, Italian, Polish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Mexican immigrants to adjust to America. It took an entire generation or two to be accepted in their newly adopted country that they called home.
Xenophobia and racism exist in every country. This is my opinion. I think underrated countries like Taiwan are more accepting and less toxic than the popular ones, such as South Korea and Japan.
It’s easy to become complacent or have a passive aggressive behavior towards Japan. Working in Japan is different, absolutely different but a lot has to do with the business culture and the social structure. It is 180° different from that of a western country. Even if you learn conversational Japanese, and you work a regular job (not a RUclips influencer), You will receive no favor from the Japanese for having done so. The cultural differences between Japanese groupthink and English/American pragmatism are significant and can affect understanding one another in various ways: 1. Group Orientation vs. Individualism: Japan emphasizes harmony and collective decision-making (groupthink). Japanese culture often values consensus and avoids direct confrontation to maintain group cohesion. Western ideology focuses more on individualism and personal responsibility. Direct communication and self-expression are encouraged, with decisions often made independently or based on personal merit. 2. Indirect vs. Direct Communication: Japans communication is often indirect, with emphasis on subtlety and reading between the lines. People avoid saying “no” directly and use soft language to maintain harmony. Western communication tends to be more direct and straightforward. People value clear, concise expression of opinions, and directness is seen as a sign of honesty and efficiency. 3. Formality vs. Casualness: Japans social interactions are more formal, with significant attention given to hierarchy, titles, and politeness, especially in language. Western interactions, even in professional settings, are often more casual. First names are used more frequently, and there’s less emphasis on rigid social structures. 4. Conflict Avoidance vs. Open Disagreement: Japans conflict is generally avoided, and when it arises, it is handled delicately to avoid disruption. Disagreements are often downplayed. While Western conflict is not sought out, it is seen as a natural part of discussion and problem-solving. Open disagreement is more common, and debates can be direct. 5. Long-term vs. Short-term Focus: Japans decision-making often has a long-term focus, with consideration for how it affects the group or society over time. Western decisions can be more short-term, practical, and based on immediate results, reflecting a pragmatic approach to problem-solving. Understanding these differences is key for a person with a Western mindset as it helps bridge the gap between the collective, indirect Japanese culture and the more individualistic, direct communication style in English-speaking countries. Moreover, they have earned the right to think the way that they do as this has been their country for over 3000 years. And guess what, this isn’t your western country so you must change your thinking otherwise, your time in Japan will be met with toil and struggle, which will eventually push you to leave. Just say’n….
You said "Conflict Avoidance vs. Open Disagreement: Japans conflict is generally avoided, and when it arises, it is handled delicately to avoid disruption. Disagreements are often downplayed". BS. You must be a newbie. I've lived here in Japan for 30 years. Haven't seen any worse office bullying anywhere else in the world.
@ No newbie, sorry to BURST 💥 your bubble! A-Holes exist in all societies throughout the world. However there are large swaths of professional organizations throughout JAPAN of which offer a welcoming and warm work environment. Of course, not everyone can be pleased. You will find it more pleasing if you remove the chip from your shoulder and stop comparing JAPAN with a western culture. Take a chill pill and stop being so darn judgmental of others and focus on yourself.
My parents are both immigrants from Bangladesh, I was born in Sweden and in all my years living here I have never experienced the racism you describe, in fact i would lowkey say i haven't experienced it at all. Maybe some old people staring at me in smaller towns but that's the extent of it. So yeah that's kinda crazy ngl
Fwiw (I wasn’t there) the teacher herself didn’t sound racist but she was very honest with you 😅 Probably had a しょうがない attitude about her students and didn’t want to try to disrupt the classroom 和
If you are still interested in learning Korean check out the Sejong Institute, I took it there and absolutely loved it and its all different people in the class. My class had people from USA, South America, India, Europe etc. I'm not east Asian and felt really comfortable in the class.
As someone who wants to go to japan, study and continue my life there, something just makes me feel sad about that decision because of how Japanese people might treat me there, some might try to talk to me or some would just ignore me. That makes me feel sad because I'm more of an extrovert so I can't stand being alone for a second. My parents say that in the future Japanese people might start talking to foreigners casually. I honestly believe that and I hope that happens soon! Great vid btw 😁😁😁
yeah I lived in Japan and I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. and just as JJMcCullough said the worst part of all is you MUST NOT criticize anything that happens to you by any means, because if you do IT'S YOUR FAULT, and both the locals and the gaijin all take this stance. it's a weird cult-like mentality.
Frankly, the way you think...is too alien for most Japanese people. The interpretation of events is also very American, and interesting and funny from a Japanese perspective. "You're Non-Asian" isn't just your appearance. It's referring to your culture, mannerism and mindset. In terms of cultural proximity, we see people from China and South Korea and think that their behavior and mindset is from an alien planet. We see Americans and think they're from another galaxy. And obviously, Japanese people only appreciate and accept foreigners who are assimilated culturally. I have a suspicion that your experience may not have been different even if you were Asian-American. It's not because you're a foreigner, it's because you're an American. I've studied and worked with Russians, Turks, Mongolian, Uzbeks, Kiwis, Malaysians...but they're far more assimilated than you were. Turks, Mongolians, Koreans are almost near-native speakers. And people former Soviet Union and Slavic-countries in general have excellent language training in their home countries, and have enormous flexibility and integrate incredibly well into Japan. Americans usually can only survive in an English speaking expat bubble. A Japanese person will never assume that things in the US will be the same as in Japan. After all, they're fully aware they're living in a foreign country. The way you assume that you should be treated just like how you would be in the US, or complain how behavior and norms are different from what you know back home....sounds American. A very alien mindset in Japan. People in Japan have zero obligation to you. I took Mandarin in college as a second-foreign language, and there was a South Korean student in my class. We all studied and struggled together for two years. She was born, raised, and educated in South Korea, and came to Japan for her undergraduate studies. It's not like she was particularly in to Mandarin or Chinese culture. But a second foreign language was mandatory in my school, so she chose Mandarin/Chinese hoping to improve her understanding of KANJI. She took Japanese in her highschool in South Korea. She wasn't a native Japanese speaker, but fluent enough to be accepted as a full-time student in Japan. She struggled with KANJi more so than native-Japanese speakers...but she got along perfectly with everybody in class. We used to hang out after class almost every week. Sometimes our Chinese professor joined us in our "study group" (aka drinking party) gathering too. She knew all the best affordable Korean restaurants in Tokyo, and she's the reason why I still enjoy マッコリ (makgeolli). I think it helped her that there were certain common phrases and words that she recognized in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Learning KANJI definitely helped improve her Japanese reading/writing. By the time she finished university, she was near-native in her Japanese. What made it even more interesting was our "Chinese" professor was actually an ethnic-Korean or 朝鮮族 from Northeast China (aka Inner Manchuria). He explained to us about various minorities in China, and how they're educated, what languages they learn, or how the Chinese university exam system works, etc. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known that a significant portion of Chinese nationals living/working in Japan are ethnic-Koreans and Mongols, or that some of them study Japanese in high-school, or that it's one of the elective languages for university exam in China.
I'm not American and I can see the American mindset here. When you are in another country, you will always act differently from the standards of what is considered normal for that country. And this is valid for any place, even for different regions within one county. It's a set of factors.
I hear you! I went through similar experiences in Japan & elsewhere. Racism & other forms of prejudices exists everywhere at various degrees. I'm of mixed Japanese and Chinese decent born in the Philippines. Both of my parents' families moved to the Philippines a generation or two before the start of WW2. There will be people who read this will say how is that possible? Those people most likely never left their social bubble/never left the city or state they reside/don't know how the world works. Enough of my rant. I move on. I immigrated to the USA with my family. Growing up I was shunned at my Catholic school because my parents were not doctors, being the FOB (fresh off the boat), give hefty donations to the school & treated bad for being of Asian decent. My army experience (enlisting in 1988 and becoming an officer in 1992) the racism level was up a rank. I had fellow soldiers who witnessed how I was treated just say "you were just born the wrong race. But we accept you." I visited the Philippines with my family. My cousins who are Filipino (born and raised there) tell me "you can never be one of us no matter how hard you try; Japanese boy." "Japanese boy" was said in a sneering way. My brother was about to say something and my dad pulled him aside and had a talk with him afterwards. Fast forward in time to Japan. It was 2014. I had already had a combat tour in Afghanistan, lived in Germany, did stuff in Afghanistan and Iraq as a PMC. Before arriving my uncle who retired from a Tokyo company and moved to the Philippines for cheap living gave me what to expect. I experienced "bad Japan" in my first year of living here. My group was harassed by Bozozoku every other night. My workplace had local communist protesters. Kyoto is the capital of communism in Japan btw. Yes there are communists in Japan. There was little to no English support (a motivator to learn 日本語。We lived in the countryside of Kyoto Prefecture. There was a sign put up in the apartments we moved to saying "American soldiers go home." I heard about there was Japanese language lessons offered and I sign up at town hall. The gentleman who worked there said to me in perfect American English "We don't teach the likes of you. " The likes of me?" When I told him my family if originally from Chiba-ken; it only fueled his hatred in my direction. Yes hatred not dislike. It's countryside Japan. My group are the first Americans since the post WW2 occupation. A year and half later I had a private tutor for a year before I got transferred to work in Eastern Japan closer to Hokkaido. I started to experience "good Japan" after traveling outside the area I lived. I ventured to Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Hamamatsu, Tokyo, Chiba-ken, Saitama-ken, Sendai & Sapporo just to name a few. I found my nichè in gaming, fitness & martial arts (started martial arts in the military & still continue in Japan). As an American living in Japan for the past 10 years; all I can say is take the good with the bad. Don't bother with people in the honeymoon period. If they break away from their delusions they will either leave with a bad taste or adjust to life here. I still find myself saying to myself time to time "why Japanese people why....." Learning the language is a slow burn for me but I learn. I have co-workers married to local national have been in Japan longer than me and the only word they know is konnichiwa こんにちは。That's just my life. I like K-pop too. I like heavy metal & goth more.
I wonder how these experiences relate to gender, like how would some of this stuff go as a woman. It's just a thought i have because most of the time i hear of these experiences it's from guys
I have a feeling this is more gender related than race. I lived in Japan for many years, and I saw a lot of separation by gender. Like when you go out to do karaoke, you often only see groups of just girls, or just guys. If it was a class full of guys, I don't think they would have treated him that way.
Yeah I think like 90% of the “discrimination” stories people have in Japan are from guys… never heard of a woman (white woman at least) being treated like this. I think they view us as less of threats, cleaner, etc
A girl got spit at by some young guys who were acting like “ thugs “ kind of. I felt so bad when I watched that video. Some Japanese people are ruthless. I’ve already heard and seen so many videos and stories about their experiences. Not all Japanese people are like that but sadly their are a lot who are. I don’t want to be ignorant because I never even went there to even say anything I’m just going off of what I seen in video as it’s physically happening.
i'm a canadian and i LOVE japan and japanese culture. it may not have been a plan of mine to life there years ago but seeing the declining state of my country it is becoming more appealing by the day. i'd rather live in a place where i am ignore but safe rather than a place where i am not ignore but unsafe.
I am sorry this happened xS i have found the only place i tend to make friends is at language exchange events.. because the people who attend these want to learn english they tend to be open minded and friendly towards foreigners.
this is very similar to what im experiencing now. i live in china and just like you, study in foreign studies university, so there are more foreigners here than chinese people. all of my classmates are not chinese and they are nice, very welcoming and friendly. my japanese classmates though? every time i speak to them i feel like an intruder, they look down on everyone who is not asian. this japanese girl (who i considered to be my friend) would just organise all those fun activities and she ONLY invites koreans/japanese. in your video you said that "that's because you are not asian" but trust me they hate other asians as well, just not so openly. this nation is so racist it feels illegal. i actually confronted my classmates about it and they said "oh it's because they are not clean" and yeah, "they" is basically everyone besides japanese people it feels almost comical on the contrast to how chinese people treat foreigners and we literally live in china///// i wish we could talk about this more openly because i dont see why i cant share my concerns with others w/o coming off as rude. they'd be talking about chinese people having no manners (living off of chinese government money btw) and then only speak japanese to others like if you don't know it you are not even worth talking to sorry for any mistakes english is not my first language!
also a lot of ppl here say that its "only natural" very "normal" and "its their culture" but i dont think being racist can be accepted as a norm in 2024. sure blame foreigners for not knowing the etiquette but in my case i dont even live in japan and i still need to follow their rules???
I've never been to japan before, but I'm currently doing the whole immersion thing (your videos and a few other channels are my exceptions though) and I gotta be honest, the more I learn about japan on a more deeper level the less I'm starting to like it. Definitely going one day tho. I'm possibly even whiter than you are so hopefully I'll have some funny discriminatory stories to share. Great video
@@kos2919 What the fuck? No. I learn more about the fucked up aspects of their culture, the strict copyright laws (judging from their youtube videos) and the prevalence of the rotten filth that is the yukkuri scene. I am not some weeb, just a guy. Like I literally went into it *knowing* about the xenophobia, the justice system, the work hours and not even being a particularly big anime fan. The more I learned after that is what is making me a little averse
@@PunishedSpindle300 "Man went to other country, still shocked that they're different than his" And? What so different than an Asian guy like me coming to USA, got shocked with gang culture in Boston, and yet still enjoying my time there. Growing up means knowing the value of other countries can be quite different. It's not our job to dictate them. This isn't pre-WW2 colonizing mentality anymore.
As a non-Japanese Asian person. I think using the word "racism" might not be literally correct. Japanese also discriminate against other non-Japanese Asian people too (which are the same race as Japanese). You are discriminated not because of you're white but because of you're non-Japanese (regardless of your race). They will only be nice to you if they can get money for you (e.g.as a tourist). But when you hear Japanese talking to each others or interview about foreigners, more often than not, they likely to have discrimination opinions and negative attitude against foreigners. You'll hear these a lot if you watch Japanese-only language media.
What I get from this is, like you walked into a group of very close friends, partners in crime, and you're not. But there in Japan its not really like that but it manifests like that. Thank you
Recently I was reading Based on a True Story: A Memoir by Norm Macdonald and found this quote; "Then the cat slung the dead mouse into the short hay and strolled away. This last moment was what surprised and frightened me the most. This whole endeavor had nothing to do with food. And this is when I learned that hardscrabble truth: There is a difference between what a thing is and what it appears to be" It is a pattern that to grow, one must sacrifice purity and innocence for the sake of disruption and corruption. The void that these corruptions leave is where we can adapt and learn. Many Japanese don't want corruption of their little burble and mask, and are willing to use violence (as not all violence is physical) to defend appearances. But as the cat of the quote just follows its nature and not human moral, social norms follow history and geography. As such, the reasoning of 'you are not Asian' makes sense by no making any sense. But what is our paper in this amalgamation of factors that define culture? What can we do as members of other culture? Well, maybe we can find answers in the way Norm Macdonald presents us the cat; ' I see the cat, who’s licking himself and swatting horseflies with his tail as he lies beneath an improbably large maple tree that is blighted and dying. I look up the tree and see there is something up high too, hiding in one of the crooks of its reaching branches. Something that is watching. And the back of my head hits the headrest as I see that the thing in the tree is me."
I feel like this is more of a 'being a minority' thing than a Japan thing, but it is certainly easier to be a minority in Japan than the US, Aus etc. Overall, great video, though the thumbnail was a bit clickbaity.
Lumping everything outside as one thing "foreign culture" is very American. They are interested in Korean culture, that doesn't mean they are interested in any other culture, or even "foreign cultures" in general. You're just a random foreigner from a culture they have zero interest in, and thus treated so.
I know nothing about japanese customs, but the girl tried to get away from you the whole class, and you ask for her number in the end, the result was kinda predictable 😂
I would comment “yayyy” over a new video coming out but with the subject matter i decided that might not be the best idea (And im guessing this is about that one story you told on stream that one time?)
I can agree that they were being racist but the whole “the koreaboos don’t wanna talk to me” situation is hilarious. 😂 the teacher was flat out like “naw but you ain’t asean tho”
The only qualms that I have about this is the 'asian' definition. This 'asian' doesn't have anything to do with the geographic Asia. It is only whether a person has Mongoloid features or not in Western and japanese people's heads. So that leaves out half of Asia who are identityless aliens in Japan for no reason at all. And I am N1 level in Japanese, can imagine the pain right!
A lot of the time I’ve noticed that when something seems outrageous or gross it gets called American. So while English is used to make products seem a lot better than they actually are. There’s this other layer that associates it with the ‘barbarians’ from the west. Written English or loan words are okay, prestigious in some cases. However the people who speak the language natively are not seen the same way. I guess paper is less intimidating than the real thing.
I’m really sorry that you experienced that. I would have cried in the bathroom I’m not gonna lie 😭 I’m such a people pleaser as it is so I can’t even imagine being treated as if I was some alien. I would be so hurt I really have to admit to that😣
I remember being ghosted as in trying to ask for help in japanese to a local and being absolutely ignored and I was like shit this stuff does happen, but also some japanese people were really happy to talk with me
I learned Korean before coming to Japan, I can second that being a Korean learner in Japan as a foreigner (especially male) is straight up pain in the ass. Most ironic part is that I do have some Korean friends irl (and chat with them in Korean) but I 100% cannot blend in Korean-study group in Japan (oh and some of the groups would just refuse male or non-Japanese/non-Korean to join in first place). If I didn't learn Korean in my home country I will never be able to learn Korean
I am Sri Lankan, and I have a part-time job in a Convenience store. I do speak Japanese fluently. Man, I was shocked one day. When I gave the remaining money to a lady customer she refused to take it in her bare hand. She asked me to keep the money on the Table. Then she took it. I was shocked and upset. She came again to the store. I did not go to help. One of the Japanese lady crew members did the bills. But this time, that rude customer took the remaining money and receipt from her. Man, I was totally down. I had a big respect to the Japanese before I came to Japan. There are a bunch of foreigners in Sri Lanka too. We never ever do this kind of thing to foreigners. This is so Rude :/
I'm sure your employer taught you to use the tray for handling money. Whether you're in a Japanese bank, department store, hotel, or postal office...it's the same. It would considered poor manners to give money by hand in Japan.
@@yo2trader539 I have never seen that in the convenience store. I have been here almost 5 Years. People are in a hurry. They have no time to collect money one by one.
Lived in Japan 7 years love it. Had similar problems but than had more fun’s than hatters caz was always A nice and smiley to everybody. But had a lot of hate when I was with Japanese girlfriend. Everybody were saying to her that what is she got to do with me and do I pay her money to be with me? But they didn’t know I speak Japanese and could understand. Plus I think confidence and your spirit strength are important in that country! They sense it very well that’s why they stare a lot on you. But if you don’t give afraid looks they will avoid you. I have a lot of stories from Japan. Bad and good. Best time in my life I think…😊
The description of I guess this woman who didn't talk to you or like... away from you. it remind me of myself sometimes. because sometimes I am like that, but not because... "I do not like you" necessarily.... but like... "I am uncomfortable around people." (I am like... shut in person) so this description of yours.... very open up my mind -Part of the description thing you gave, not all of it.
Thank you for sharing this story, and I am sorry you were treated so awfully in your time studying abroad. I still hope you keep the same interests and you can achieve your goals.
The weirdest part is that none of your foreign friends understood. That is very weird. In the other classes, do you feel like the students didn't treat you as oddly? I hope other classes of majority Japanese classes treated you more warmly.
Nothing to do with racism. Why would you take the teacher's opinion as gospel? University girls, especially those vacuous enough to be into K-pop, are some of the most judgmental people around. You were not chad enough for them and they don't even want to be seen near you, let alone interact with you. You are the human equivalent of Paris syndrome to them, serving as a stark reminder of the disappointment of reality. It's possible to overcome inherent nature with charm and social grace, obviously aided by knowing the language, but basically you jumped into the deep end and drowned. It would have been the exact same experience as a male of any race or nation with what you were/are working with. Japanese beta men get the same treatment they just recognize their place.
if they stare, YOU stare and make a "eww" face. Make them feel like you AND oun the place. If respect is not in the vacabulary, MAKE THEM SUFER YOUR PAIN ✨😈 BUT, be patient! it is the country they were born in. it is the culture. be nice but let them know you are a human, not a dog.
My friend went to China for a few months to help students who wanted to attend Oxford in UK and the students thought my friend is black but he is Pakistan lol one girl did fancy him
If I can play devil's advocate and be pretty blunt here from someone with almost the polar opposite experience: it sounds like you might have gone into this with the mindset that other students were expected to carry your own burden (largely the language gap), who simply had zero interest in doing so. Especially in Japan, regardless of your identity, you're not going to do yourself any favors if you seem like you aren't always totally prepared; this is why Japanese classmates, colleagues, co-workers, etc. will often overreact if they need to ask for something like English help. Honestly, you really shouldn't expect classmates to help you, especially if they're under no obligation and you're clearly not ready to be there. The teacher's reaction is definetly bizarre and unprofessional though. Actually, my first thought was why you hadn't asked the teacher for assistance the moment you felt like you were behind. The teacher's response was certainly racist; although the student's reaction wouldn't exactly be out of character if you were Japanese. Which university did you go to? Some parts of the country are a lot more discriminatory than others, so I'm just curious.
I appreciate a view from another angle because it does boggle my mind that they’d treat him so badly. Keep in mind that these are young Gen Z kids, those that are supposed to be curious about the outside world and willing to meet different friends, not elderly who lived through WWII and war with US. I’m also curious what parts would be more discriminatory??
This is an aspect of life you have to accept. All you can do is improve your Japanese, try to conform better, and be more open socially and work on yourself. If you can't do that and don't enjoy the life there, then just move back home. You don't have to live in this negative setting if you don't like it. Best of luck
I mean you know it's funny how some people say that "Japanese people are so polite and so thoughtful" of others and yet they don't understand how their actions affect foreigners. I like Japanese, but I feel when I watch them being polite (on youtube) I really feel like it's not genuine. It doesn't come from a real place in their personality but rather it's just a social dance that they do. Obviously this doesn't apply to all japanese but I think that if you want to be considered polite then it's because you actually feel like being polite. And being polite by definition means making sure you don't make people feel bad. So from that perspective, the japanese who hurt others by their distaste and apathy are not really polite. Also like that girl being mute was utterly rude. Like you're talking to her and she's ignoring you. Like I'm sorry but in what culture is that acceptable or ok? It's obvious that these girls were very immature and don't really represent the polite and thoughtful Japanese.
As a black dude with gauges and a septum piercing I completely understand you my guy I am the coffee cup💀💀also fuck em I do me and me alone Japan here I come
Youll be fine. Your copper colored. Ive been to japan twice three months each and only had two bad experiences. Just stay positive and be direct with the women. Hit clubs if you wanna meet women or starbucks. They thought i was a celebrity or a CEO out there 😂😂 maybe thats why
He and other westerners want all countries to obey their rules and views. It never crosses their minds that different countries have different laws and costumes, it's a mental disease
I think you’re conflating racism with people being awkward around someone from a foreign background. Especially if they grew up in a country in which 98% of folks share the same heritage. It’s uncomfortable to collaborate with people you can’t communicate with, you said yourself that your Japanese wasn’t great at the time. It’s awkward, and I don’t think it comes from your race, gender, or ethnicity. You suddenly showed up in their class halfway through the semester, and perhaps they were anxious that they’d have to try communicating with a foreigner on top of learning Korean. I feel like you might’ve read into the situation a little too much, however it’s your lived experience, and I appreciate you sharing it. It’s good that people speak up about their experiences. I’ve lived in Japan for 8 years, and I can’t say I’ve been privy to any direct racism.
Being uncomfortable with people who don’t share the same heritage as you isn’t a result of racism? Visibly recoiling from someone and refusing to help them isn’t a result of racism? Running away from someone without saying a word after grabbing someone looking terrified isn’t a result of racism? Continuing to be stared at and avoided repeatedly and then having it confirmed by someone from there that it’s because of your race is not a result of racism? Ok Jan 🙃
@@Princetonian4eva Please read my post again. Being afraid that you can’t communicate with someone (especially when that’s what you’re supposed to be doing in a class), shows disdain towards socially awkward situations, regardless of that person’s background. Certainly not towards the person for being Caucasian. Racism, as I understand its definition, is harboring prejudice towards a certain race or group based on their skin color, background, or ethnicity. Perhaps the definition of racism must be agreed on before further conversation can be had, however that itself is an intriguing topic I’d love to discuss.
sucks that it happened for you man, but thanks for sharing I just came back from a trip where id get funny stares and people on the subways would avoid me (I don't even look east asian one bit lol) but more times than that, I had a lot of people approach me and strike up conversation too! Especially when drinking or at venues haha. I know there's a lot of negative experiences with foreingers in Japan like this, but we can also sit back and use this as a learning experience to teach them about what makes us different ,but also educating ourselves on the nuances of Japanese culture and how to better approach Japanese people
I mean let’s be real, these dudes are only 156 years fresh out of a 2.5 century long isolation period. Give the little guys a bit of time to catch up, their uncertainty of other cultures is deeply engrained in their DNA. Anytime I catch this kind of energy in Japan I just remember that fact and brush it off like a little kid that won’t eat broccoli because it’s green. Japan will be truly amazing and as diverse as America and the rest of the world a few centuries from now when they’re forced to intermingle with other cultures at a maximum rate because of their declining birth rates and god awful economy. 🙏😂
i lived for a few months in japan as an exchange student, and had both great and awful experiences. i just know that even though i really loved my stay there, i also did feel like an outcast sometimes and i ended up appreciating my home country even more. ps. fuck those girls from the korean class fr like?? you just wanted to learn for gods sake 😭 and the fact that people always find ways to justify racism in japan is literally the worst and will make this a never ending circle
I’m sorry. But fuck that shit, bro. That kind of shit pisses me off. I went there this past Golden week, and fortunately, I didn’t experience that. But if I did, that would have ruined everything. I’m sorry you went through that, man.
Wow, that was sad to hear. I hope, when all this was happening, there were those who supported you and with whom you could discuss and talk about this situation. Yea, sometimes people act… unpleasant. And maybe that’s sometimes not even about racism itself. Maybe it’s just about that topic of some people which are.. too closed and can't accept anything too- different _(I mean, one asian people studying other asian culture and language. That is.. not that far, you know)_ Anyway, we are with you! And we will understand your thoughts and feelings. ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
it is unfortunate to an extent (perhaps I only say this because it negatively impacts me, though not as bad as other races, I'm sure) that Japan is like this but it's only natural, unfortunately. this is why they are so great, their desire to remain insular and distrustful of non natives has kept their culture stable.
And after what I learned about what they did to Japanese culture with the new Assassin Creed (Rewriting history, altering wikipedia content, altering actual college entry, disrespecting the broken Torii, using family symbols without permission, putting Chinese architecture in supposed to be Japanese country, using Chinese musical instrument for the soundtrack, etc etc) I can see why they're so distrustful toward foreigners. When Disney already butchering SEA cultures with Raya The Last Dragon, of course they have the gall to ruin culture of their strongest ally in Asia.
@@kos2919Assassin’s creed has always rewrote history. The first game presents an alternate history of the crusades, the second of Renaissance Italy, etc. Because in the game, the true history has been kept a secret by the Templar order so they can control people, and find the pieces of Eden. It has never tried to be completely accurate to real life history, and this is even notes in the first game with Desmond asking Vidic why things about the Crusades seem inaccurate to which he responds that the real truth has been altered over time and only the animus shows what actually happened.
@@kos2919 You may as well call every alternate history story “cultural appropriation” by that logic. “Cultural appropriation” is just one of those stupid concepts people misuse all the time, I’m a leftist but if there’s one thing I would criticise about the left it’s the consistent misuse of this term.
i dont know its racism or not, but i have a couple experience in train that they dont want to sit beside me (not just me but all my friends from SEA have this experience too) and choose to standing and go away
Incorrect. You definitely do not know this guy, check his videos and he has literally an entire 30 minute video teaching Japanese, but also speaks it in other instance. He also does culture related videos on Japan, such as three parts of Iceberg videos, so I think he’d know Japanese etiquette to a decent amount due to culture. Japan is a nice country, he never said it was horrible, but it’s right and okay to criticize certain aspects of another country’s society even as a foreigner. Also every country has some racism. Not sure why you are upset from the title it didn’t really imply half that stuff.
@@Honda_Kiku You right, I am new here. I am not going to criticise the guy teaching Japanese while not being fluent. After all, it is RUclips and nobody is forcing me to watch it. But from my own experience, even N1 is barely enough to enjoy life in Japan and have Japanese friends who talk to you and don't look at you like a foreigner. I moved here more than 2 years ago with N1 and I am so glad I studied it before. Even though I felt a wall from the people, when I start talking to them, it literally melts away. Language is the most important skill when moving to Japan, not cultural or anime knowledge. N1, by the way, is somewhere around B2 in English. And the biggest hole in the system is that you don't have to speak to pass the test. So when I say N1, I mean that you can speak and know commonly used words.
I kinda dont blame them tbh. I say this has to do with race and history. Any country that accepted any other countries rule got taken over and lost their culture , system, and their rights. And lets not forget those who gotten taken over by force. They were left far worse when given their independence back. Also some tourist are plain rude and want you to change your culture to fit them. Its better to stay on the fence than get stepped on. Also I should mention how the USA has literal military bases on their own country. And how whenever a soilder steps out of bound aka sa women and is being a toxic bully, japan never does anything for their own country people.... I can see why they have a dislike for them.
I don't need to have a such high expectation to them, considering how many times thr people from my country caused an atrocious that slowly but surely puting an end to their Blacklisted country
You can hardly blame them, the majority of foreigners in Japan take no effort to learn the culture or manners of Japan, they simply stick to their Western ones. How would you feel if somebody came to your country and disrespected your culture and acted rude? You wouldn't like them and would want them to leave, and that's exactly how it is Japan.
I will note however, I am not trying to speak for the Japanese as I am not Japanese myself, this is just my personal stance that I've developed from what I've seen and have guessed as most logical.
I don't know why RUclips recommend me this video but as an ASEAN dude, I felt that so many of this kind of videos (where western cultured westerners) always complain the same thing when they came to Japan. They did a cultural mistake, but still think that it's not their fault they did that. Also I doubt his incapability to learn Korean is because of hostility toward him in class (pretty obvious they're wary at him, but from his story, not go "mean girls" at him). Also you're just learning Japanese, why you have to saddle your brain with learning an extra language in a country where the basic language for education is not your main language? This is like learning to ride a horse, while also trying to balance on top of that horse with a unicycle, that you barely knew how to ride. Just master the Japanese language first and spend more time with Japanese people who's NOT racist toward you.
You know, when I see entitled, whiny comments like this, or frankly depressing anecdotes concerning the xenophobic nature of Japan such as this video, I have to wonder if some people, specifically people who have racial slurs in their language referring to someone as a hungry ghost, actually see them that way. You're bad mouthing people all over this comment section for entering into foreign cultural spaces and being put off by hostile behaviors or undesirable outcomes, and yet here you are doing it. In my opinion it's honestly alot less cringy that most european racial slurs, at least against Asians, center around demeaning a person's physical appearance, where Asian racial slurs against Europeans attack them on a metaphysical level. And I don't want anyone to think I condone racial slurs of any kind, but it's something to consider. Westerners have lost much in the rejection of their traditional metaphysical structures and institutions, the same seems apparent in stories such as the one presented in this video or the behavior of this particular poster. Arrogant, ignorant, and lacking in empathy, marking this person as anathema to their own cultural values even as they proport to be a representative of that culture. Clearly the lesson is simply that there are assholes in every country, and it does well to remember this when visiting other countries. Why someone would feel the need to come into a comment section of a perfectly reasonable video where someone vents about a fairly universal negative experience (that of being othered by a group) is beyond me. Are you offended that people are pointing out racism in Asia, or are you offended that people would expect Asia to be less racist? You seem to be offended by both things, and I don't really understand why you would bother to claim such a prospective as valid or rational. I suspect that your motivations are either racist or based in your own personal traumatic experiences. Either way, you're acting as a poor ambassador for wherever you're actually from, assuming you aren't some weirdo or bot that's invaded this space to sow discord and malcontention.
@@ProsecutorZekrom No, the cultural mistake is to use this one bad experience to paint the whole country as a terrible place to live. Also like I said before, sure you can learn more than one language but he's doing it in Japan, while also learning Japanese. This balancing act is grade A stupid.
@@kos2919 When did he say Japan was a terrible place to live? He said that there are some racists in Japan, just like there are in every country, and that idealising it too much is a bad idea, just like any other country. Again, there is no issue with learning more than one language at the same time. In fact, learning Korean in a Japanese classroom helps with both languages.
@@ProsecutorZekrom He came to Japan expecting lily and roses. Got pricked with a thorn and immediately made a video about racism in Japan. That guy DID idealized Japan. Dude got so shaken with what happened in that class he made sure it's recorded in a youtube video lol
What you experienced was xenophobia, NOT racism. Racism is a uniquely European thing. Prejudice towards outsiders in Asian, Hispanic or African societies has less to do with race and more so with the fact that you’re a perceived stranger, outsider/threat. It’s an unfortunate thing, but I try to make a distinction between xenophobia and actual racism. Because they are very different.
@@OatmealGrillBlazer There is a view in a lot of asiatic countries that other cultures are barbarians because they are different to them. Japan is a monoculture, and when you are there you are not japanese unless you are ethnically and culturally japanese. This is and has been true to almost every culture in human history and is very natural. You can still try to connect with people of different cultures by showing you understand their etiquette and customs, which will get you friends and accepted in foreign lands, but you will never be them. When i will travel to Japan, i will go to their shrines, eat their food, and drink like they do. That is how you make friends there, just like everywhere else.
@@owea dude was there to learn Korean and got singled out for his race. its pretty racist chief. Being a monoculture does not excuse treating foreigners like shit. fwiw Japan is taking in plenty of foreign labor because the Japanese themselves are in a population crisis lol
@@ShaiyanHossain taking foreign labor is self offing, Japan is Japan because of the japanese, the less they are, the more Japan becomes something worse, not a single country on earth is multicultural, wealthy, safe and capable of creating beauty, be it architecture, drawing, painting, animating and making games. Not a single one. UK took migrant, how are they doing? Germany, Canada, France... You should travel there
Im confused? You live in a place where you are the exception. Then complain that you stick it because your different. As a white man that lives in asia i can tell you what she said is not racist, its just a fact. In fact I say the oposite and hear the same back all time. Now if these people said something offensive, that would be racist. Its just different for them. 😂
Maybe i'm a weirdo but i don't see any problem with the way Japanese people acted upon you. I mean yeah it might seem rude but it's mostly a cultural difference thing.
Isolated stories never seem that bad. In fact that's why some people don't believe in racism at all. It's really the cumulative weight of years of being the inferior "other" that gets to you.
I mean.... If no one in my European class would want to interact with the new Asian student because they're not European..... Idk sounds like it's kinda a problem and certainly not a kind way to treat other human beings. I'm most certain that Japanese people would not appreciate being ignored or isolated based on their race.
@@bringoutthet8212 Well it was kinda my point. Their culture isn't the same so they might seem rude to you by just being normal according to their standards. And it goes both ways.
@@antre_du_retro But if they did the same to other Japanese it would be seen as bad. Why is it okay if it's a foreigner? Just because this is a normal way they react to foreigners doesn't mean it's not bad behaviour. If it's custom in my country to scam foreigners you'd not be like "Well! It's their culture ☝️🤓" It's indeed very weird it's somehow okay because it's the usual reaction. Why is being exclusionary based on race a norm that's only bad when it's not Japan?🤨
@@bringoutthet8212 I dont think antre_du_retro is implying that how the Japanese classmates reacted was okay, they're just stating objectively how/why it is
"people don't owe you anything" feels like a bit of an excuse. If you had a guest in your home would you feel it's acceptable to ostracize them? I feel, and this isn't only Japan, small culturally isolated societies fall into an echo chamber. It's ok to stare and be afraid of the foreigner because other people do it, it's not.
Why is not wanting foreigners a bad thing? Japan is good because it is majority japanese, look at the US, UK and Canada to see japan's future if they go the "open mind" way
@@toya_senpai2470 I live in the US in a community with a high amount of migrants. The Afghan family that moved into my neighborhood is not a threat to my way of life.
@@FreeBirdJPYT check out a public school, wait until the rest of the afghan family comes over or just travel to Canada. I don't mind this happening to the US, UK and Canada since the denial and the castration of pattern recognition is their own responsibility but Japan can't become like you, no way. Also, is the US today, for you, better or worse than how it was 15 years ago? Compared to other countries you visited, can the US still be called first world?
@@toya_senpai2470 what's wrong with the US? our country is founded by immigrants, we are a major superpower with the world's strongest economy and military, a lot of the world's greatest accomplishments were made by immigrants living in the US, we are a nation founded by immigrants looking for a better opportunity, a second chance in life, we may not be a perfect nation, but we have a lot of redeeming qualities.
@@OatmealGrillBlazer I have to say it in a very roundabout way, but alright. Are you satisfied with how safe the streets are in your city? How well behaved the people are? Can you trust the people around to not steal your belongings? Are you satisfied with the entertainment made and supported by the companies in the "greatest nation"? Do you watch any new American show/cartoon? Have you gone to NY and Japan? How do your metro's compare to Japan? Or the cleanliness of the streets, stores and buildings? Are "Americans" well behaved and polite like the majority of the japanese? Why does Japan have such low crimes all around? Can you voice your opinions on the crimes happening in your city? Why can't Japan do their own thing? Why must every country do what US/Americans approve? What about different cultures, beliefs and costumes? In your honest opinion, if Japan were to be more like the US, would it be better or worse? Why do you think so? You don't have to answer, just think about it
@@toya_senpai2470 1. overall I'm satisfied with my city, the area I live in is doing a lot better financially compared to 20 years ago thanks to immigration. 2.what does politeness have to do with immigration? everyone can be polite regardless of their background. 3. the reason why crime happens, it's not because of race or immigration status, it's due to socioeconomic factors like poverty, if we're dealing with crime we should tackle the root cause of it like poverty, a bad home life, bettering the education system, and having better job opportunities 4. I don't really care what Japan does, I could care less what the Japanese government does, my main issue is how some (not all) Japanese people are rude to non-japanese people, foreigners are people just like you and me, they deserve the same respect and dignity like anyone else
being singled out for your race in a negative manner IS racism. if a Japanese person gets the silent treatment amongst white classmates, is it racism, oh wait that's exactly what happened to Japanese Americans with the internment camps
@@completebilingual Racism is racial discrimination, not foreign discrimination. It would be racism if they were treating white foreigners poorly and black foreigners well. This is just xenophobia. Racism does exist in Japan, however what was discussed in this video was not racism
this is literally the experience of a black person in a almost completely white class. not saying its good or anything just sometimes necessary for white people to realize what actual racism feels like. helps with developing empathy yk?
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
I related to this a lot. A lot of this reminded me of experiences I had when I lived there. Especially the bit about how there’s often this taboo among expats about criticizing the place, as if to acknowledge any failings in Japanese culture is somehow either disrespectful, or an admission of personal weakness.
My favorite Canadian!
Wait, what? JJ lived in Japan!?
I feel like I'm always missing out on the most important bits of lore
oh hey, it's JJ
The K-pop stans in japan are like the western weeaboos who ONLY use japanese anime as their look at Japans culture.
@@fijiflower-real exact
I have witnessed grown men at these concerts and they jump up and down and scream at the top of their voice like teen cheerleader girls and they shake miniature pom-poms around. My first thought is what the fuck.?!
I am a black American. Served 6 years in Japan in the US Navy before transferring to Bahrain currently. I quickly became aware of the feelings you put out in your video. Most people don’t want to admit what’s wrong with Japan. Don’t know why but there are always excuses made for them whether that be because of their culture or that they don’t experience other races of people…which I think just isn’t true in today’s time. You cant reason with it bro, I’m sorry you experienced this. But Japanese people will always be protected and given the benefit of the doubt.
man black in japan is bad..they racist like koreans im white they did not sit next to me or go same elevator like im stink
Imagine a room full with 20 western guys ... and then a japanese girl walks in...!
that sounds like hell for her
she'd get assaulted
first we have to prove that the room actually exists
I don't think it would be nearly as bad
This is literally how it feels being black in a semi well off area in American suburbs. i hated high school
Really interesting insight, i thought not only of this but also of the autistic experience, specifically when he mentioned he was sure he didnt miss any social etiquette when talking to the girl, and im sure he didnt. i just thought of the stories people shared through the internet of talking to someone, and coming off as so weird, and not knowing it, feeling like somethings wrong with you, all those feelings. it sounds scary not having a clue why people hate you, and then you realize its something so silly
From my perspective after living in Japan for a year, I think it's hard to find a true friend. It made me feel lonely.
Many people will tell you that they are your "tomodachi" but they never really show it.
When I worked in a Japanese company, other foreigners seemed to be pushed aside, they often ate alone, they didn't talk to Japanese people. I like to get out of my comfort zone, I can communicate in Japanese, so I tried many times to make friends with Japanese people in the company, I even managed to go out for dinner after work three times but that was it.
When I wanted to go to the station with someone after work, they would often say "I have to stay longer, go alone", and then leave the company and go to the station alone 2 minutes later. It was a very lonely feeling that a Japanese person would rather go alone or with another Japanese person than talk to you on the way to the station. I felt like a lot of Japanese people had the attitude of "I'm at work, so I have to be nice to you and talk to you, but you're a stranger to me when I get off work." It was so pathetic that when another foreigner from Europe showed up at the company, the Japanese would tell me "Hey, you must be happy that there's a new foreigner from Europe. You've already made friends with that European guy." I felt like an animal in a zoo that can only be friends with members of its own species. I didn't come to Japan to seek friendship with foreigners. When I left that company they said goodbye to me nicely and of course said "we'll go eat and drink together again" and of course never spoke to me again.
It's also funny that most of the Japanese people at work would ask me for my Instagram. They'd say "let's go out for a meal sometime," and I'd say, "Sure, I'd like to go out, let me know when you plan to go out," and of course they never even used their Instagram to invite me to a meeting, but I saw in the stories that they often went out with other Japanese people from the company.
For many Japanese people, Tatemae, or the "public face," is very strong. People will pretend to like you and you won't be able to tell who your real friends are. I've dated many girls who, after 3 dates, were already planning their next date, trips together, and one even wanted to marry me, only to block me without explanation a few days later. A Japanese person will never show you true feelings, so the only chance to make friends with a Japanese person is with a Japanese person who doesn't think like a Japanese person. It's hard to find such people, but during my stay I found two such people and I really felt like I was their friend. One of them is now my girlfriend. How to recognize such people. Like I said, Japanese people with tatemae will never be your friends. You need to meet a Japanese person who will show you the honne's "true face". Such a Japanese person will tell you what they think, for example "you look ugly in this, you are stupid, don't say such things, stop doing that, you are an idiot, you should shave your beard, I don't like this movie, I don't like this food, let's eat something else" and things like that. Most Japanese people will not tell you what they think, so if you are from outside of Asian countries and you are raised in a culture where people clearly state their opinions, you will not be able to make friends.
Sadly that can be true. There might be some communities which accept you as a truly belonging member in Japan, but it must be hard work to find one.
And, as a Japanese who have an experience of living in the states, I feel that Japanese people are prone to be ignorant about how mentally hard living abroad can be. But I believe if they had had experienced feeling alone outside Japan, they would have been more kind and friendly to you.
I’m living in Malta but I’m from Switzerland.I meet young girl who takes intensive English classes before she start her job in Japan.I teach her how to deal with things in Malta and also I helped her with everything by the time she decide to visit Switzerland,before her departure to Canada for first job.I help with sim, hotel,public transport,I Answear all questions how to visit france 🇫🇷 over border and what to see there.Her school friend lived and study in Switzerland but she Answered her questions ones a Week! After she comeback to Malta from Switzerland and flew to Canada I told her that her Mum and Dad must be proud of her because she doing so well. But that Japanese girl who I helped so much never replied to me anymore.
Tatemae
Honne 😮
@@saxophoneplaya Of course geography has many things to do with Japanese mental culture, but I believe culture changes at some point, affected by global network today.
One thing I've noticed in the workplace is that you'll hardly make true friends there. This applies to any situation and anywhere.
It gets worse if you're the newbie in the place. And a shy person like me won't be able to make friends easily with someone and fit in.
I don't experience racism where I live, but I carry this feeling of not belonging to my own country and to places that should be familiar to me. Just don't worry about not making friends, this is common.
Friends come with time.
I'm currently doing my PhD here in Japan, and so far it's been one year. And recently I've been thinking that I don't want to stay in Japan after my studies. I've had similar experiences as you, and I've accepted that I am not Japanese nor is it possible for me to become "Japanese". It's sad since I realized in all countries there is both xenophobia and racism to varying degrees, and often if you move to another country your success of integration/assimilation often depends on if you come from a similar culture and ethnic group (Ex. Like going from Canada to USA, or Canada to somewhere in EU if you look European, or like China/Korea to Japan). I think countries like USA and Canada are unique in that they can easily absorb new people into their existing culture. Although I have some complaints about this since Canada will say things like "we have no culture, we are a post-nation" which I think is damaging for Canadians who aren't connected to any recent immigrant group/roots. To be fair Canada is also not the friendliest country, as people socialize like bears or in bubbles, and those bubbles do not mix. Besides this, I will say Japan is not a "nation" but a "tribe", and I sadly acknowledge that "tribes" do exist everywhere and that this is human nature. Like so far I've had fun in Japan while studying here, I've made a bunch of friends with both Japanese and other international students, I even have a JP gf (which I don't think will work out since she doesn't want to leave Japan), but at the same time I struggle to see myself living here. Anyway, Japan is still a great country and has achieved alot, I will always hold a good opinion of Japan, I will be friends with Japanese, I will still enjoy their culture, like their traditional culture/shrines/temples/castles, but it is not my home, and I will go somewhere else after I graduate. Thanks for sharing your story.
If you think someone coming from China or Korea to Japan integrate better, you really have no idea about Japan.
Weak
Man this hit me really bad, Im asian, born in asia, studying Japanese. In one hand I totally get the mindset of the Japanese, even understanding it, but in the other hand, yes it is still xenophobia, especially that part "It is because you are not Asian". It made me feel so bad because I actually sympathize with that, most asian countries are very ethnically harmonize and don't get educated about racism as much as in the west, and Japan is even more than that
Being socially brave in japan can often times be a detriment. Those who don't speak up and just stay in their lane are typically rewarded.
I only went to Japan for a 2 week vacation, but I did have an experience like this. On my last day, I was on my way to the airport, it was early morning and this train station was almost empty. That's when a middle-aged Japanese man approched me and pushed me pretty hard, with both hands. Somehow I managed not to fall down. And then he just kept walking. Note that it's not like it was crowded and he needed space. It was a conscious effort to attack me. Now, I'm just a skinny girl so I definitely was no match for him. Tbh I was also just surprised and didn't react. I later learned this is called "butsukari otoko" and they usually attack women, apparently they do that to Japanese women too. So at first I thought it was an act of racism (I'm white), but it was most likely an act of misogyny or a mix of both.
Just a Japanese strolling through, I'm honestly sad that xenophobia actually exists while we're not aware of it. I purposely learnt English to base off my personality, but eventually used it as an actual tool to talk with the homies. AND SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, I got really good English scores both in the writing and speaking aspects, to the point where I almost forgot my mother tongue. The reason why xenophobia exists is because of the intrasocial influences to think that the majority of foreigners are seen as creepy. But man, ain't just that. Probably because of the language barrier as well, being someone who used to suck at English back in the olden days kinda got me fearful if I make any mistakes, even misunderstanding some things as well
Just to close it off, don't think of it as xenophobia, we aren't just as educated on the language and haven't got used to seeing foreigners (especially white people). So don't take it to heart. We want to be open about stuff, but the language barrier and stuff makes it even harder. Good thing I got outside influences to build who I am today
I am PhD student at Japanese uni and I have gotten weird reactions from Japanese people because I am studying Mandarin (I'm already at a pretty advanced level in Japanese). It seemed like this came from a mix of anti-Chinsee racism and insecurity in their own foreign language abilities. Most of the people in question are essentially monolingual despite years of English education. So, a foreigner learning multiple languages might be perceived as making them look bad.
thank you for sharing your experience in japan. As a person thinking about living in that country, stories and videos like these help me get the full picture and prepare me for the reality that's waiting for me.
As a black guy, I wish all white people from america could live in Japan for one week just to see how it feels to be us sometimes.
This ^
It won't do a thing , even in Japan you'll find people like this white man entitled and arrogant.
As a black girl in Utah the way the Japanese treated him is EXACTLY how I was treated here!
Blacks destroy every city they are a majority in. They bring it on themselves
I hate to break it to you but white people also face discrimination: most especially if you’re GAY.
As an introvert day to day and extroverted when drinking alcohol I felt like I fitted right in (This applies mostly to Tokyo)
Kansai region is completely different and is more friendly in a way you can just approach anyone and they will speak to you and not try to avoid you.
If they stare, just wink and blow them a kiss. I always do that and they don’t dare to stare back☺️🎉
I smile wink and give a short bow. I love the reactions.
Recently returned from Japan and I often met with teachers there. One thing I was warned not to fall into was the gaijin drinking cycle. Friends from abroad who only ever hang out at bars and parties. I was told it can really depress you.
Man seeing so many comments justify that behavior shocks me. I haven't visited Japan (yet), so I have a limited perspective on the issue, but in my eyes it isn't that hard to be understanding towards people who come from other cultures. Of course one should learn the basic etiquette of a country he or she is moving to or visiting, but as a human being one should also be able to try and understand others, and see that difference does not warrant hostile or rejectful behavior. A foreigner is bound to make some mistakes or do things that might seem out of the ordinary for a japanese person, but is it that hard to understand that they likely don't have any harmful intentions? This is just straight up racism, even if that is somewhat accepted in some parts of Japanese culture.
@@Thomas48484 THANK YOU!
Assuming it happens to all foreign-nationals is your first mistake. People are accepted or rejected by their own behavior, mannerism, mindset, personality, culture, skill, education etc. If you think that is "straight up racism," Japan is definitely not the country for you.
When I was growing up we had a naturalized citizen from Finland serving in the Upper House; an Armenian mathematician teaching at a Japanese university (who later became the Armenian Ambassador to Japan); Georgian, Bulgarian, Mongolian, Russian, Chinese, and Hawaiian Sumo wrestlers; naturalized Brazilian football players on national team; a number of successful Taiwanese and HK-Chinese singers; and a Brit named Peter Barakan hosting a TV show introducing foreign documentaries.
There were a number of Americans on Japanese TV as well. There is a Harvard graduate named Patrick Harlan who is also a TV personality, commentator, and comedian. We also have an Uzbek/Uyghur naturalized citizen currently serving as Member of Parliament. She used to work for the Bank of Japan and later the United Nations before running for office.
And if go a bit future back, the gentleman who created Cup Noodles (ANDO Momofuku) is originally from Taiwan. The person who founded "Lotte Group" was a Korean migrant to Japan. He made his money selling gum and chocolate in the post-war era. And one of the richest and successful businessman in Japan (SON Masayoshi) is the son of a Korean migrant. He's the founder of Softbank.
You should take a look at "GAGA Channel." Gagamaru was a really well-loved SUMO wrestler from Georgia. And then you'll know what type of foreigners are accepted in Japan. Many of the people who are interviewed in his channel are also from various countries.
@@yo2trader539 My point was not that it's wrong for a different country to have different morals and behavioral standards, but that a person should generally be able to understand that one who comes from another culture might behave differently to them, and that the difference in appearance or behavior is not always intentional.
It's impossible to act completely identical to how an average Japanese person would, or know the entirety of their etiquettes and morals by heart when you're someone who's still new to their culture. Just like a language, it takes time to adapt to a new culture. Just because some of the people you mentioned in your comment were succesful and accepted in Japan, does not mean that they didn't go through trial and error to learn the Japanese way of handling things.
There's also a difference in shunning someone who intentionally acts disrespectful towards or is unwilling to learn your culture and someone who has good intentions at heart. Also in this case there were way less variables at play, FreeBird seemed to be immediately judged based on his appearance alone.
If I met someone who was American and they did something which is considered rude here, I wouldn't distance myself or act in disgust/anger towards them. I'd simply inform them of what they did and why we find that thing to be rude and if they aren't willing to change after, then it'd understandable for me or someone else to not like said person.
Edit: Also Japanese people tend to romanticize Americans they see on TV (Especially with celebrities), in the same way a lot of Western people do with Japanese media, so that's not always an accurate representation of how a random guy in Japan should act.
@@Thomas48484 Again, you're comparing Japan with another country. Nobody knows or cares how things are done in other countries, just like most American wouldn't care how things are done in foreign countries, including your closest neighbors.
And perhaps you were never discriminated in your own country. Japanese visitors have plenty of stories that they can tell you, be it in the US, France, Canada, etc. Sometimes waiters don't even taken your orders. Sometimes they're assaulted on the streets. Sometimes they're made fun with Asian-sounding greetings, or other hand gestures. Sometimes cops pull you over.
So when some White American dude talks about Racism based on his experience in a school classroom...it's beyond funny. Doesn't he know Asian people are getting assaulted on the subway in the US just because they're Asian? What kind of bubble is he from?
Let me it put more bluntly. Japanese society accepts foreigners who are compatible with and can contribute to Japan. In other words, those who can assimilate culturally and integrate socially. I have no doubt every one of them went through an acclimatization period. Some probably took longer than others. Some probably struggled more than others. But Japanese society only accepts and appreciate those who made the effort.
I know many people who left after a few years because they weren't compatible with Japan, or couldn't find a foothold. It could be for family reasons, personality, career ambitions, financial goals, skillset, education-level, social values, sexual orientation, etc, etc.
I also suspect liberal/woke segment from Western Europe, North America, or Australia generally won't do that well in East Asia, especially because they're seen as too alien. This is based on my observation of people from Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union who blend in as if they were raised here. They tend to be more socially conservative and respect and value traditions of various cultures including their own. And Slavic speakers are exceptionally good with languages.
Of all the people I've met in Japan, the ones who impressed me the most were from Central Asia. There are Uzbeks and Kazakhs who have near-native fluency in Japanese language and culture. But they grew up speaking Uzbek/Kazakh (i.e. Turkic), attended Russian-language schools since childhood, learned English via Russian language, and mastered Japanese in university. Japanese is their 4th or 5th language, yet they able to understand it better than most foreigners from English-speaking counties. They are language geniuses.
I also know people who visited on vacation just once, and realized Japan is where they want to be and have stayed for decades, received Permanent Visa, and eventually naturalized citizens. There is an interesting Brazilian teacher who teaches Japanese to Brazilians in Japan. Her ex-husband was a Japanese Descendant (i.e. Nikkei-Brazilian) so they came together to work hoping to save some money. Her Japanese Descendant husband couldn't stand Japan, but she loved it, learned the language, and now she's a language teacher in Japan, while her ex-husband is back in Brazil.
So you see, it's not our job to change for your benefit. Neither is it your job to change for the benefit of foreigners. By the way, from what I understand of American history on immigration, I'm pretty certain it was never easy for Irish, Italian, Polish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Mexican immigrants to adjust to America. It took an entire generation or two to be accepted in their newly adopted country that they called home.
Xenophobia and racism exist in every country. This is my opinion. I think underrated countries like Taiwan are more accepting and less toxic than the popular ones, such as South Korea and Japan.
It’s easy to become complacent or have a passive aggressive behavior towards Japan. Working in Japan is different, absolutely different but a lot has to do with the business culture and the social structure. It is 180° different from that of a western country. Even if you learn conversational Japanese, and you work a regular job (not a RUclips influencer), You will receive no favor from the Japanese for having done so.
The cultural differences between Japanese groupthink and English/American pragmatism are significant and can affect understanding one another in various ways:
1. Group Orientation vs. Individualism:
Japan emphasizes harmony and collective decision-making (groupthink). Japanese culture often values consensus and avoids direct confrontation to maintain group cohesion.
Western ideology focuses more on individualism and personal responsibility. Direct communication and self-expression are encouraged, with decisions often made independently or based on personal merit.
2. Indirect vs. Direct Communication:
Japans communication is often indirect, with emphasis on subtlety and reading between the lines. People avoid saying “no” directly and use soft language to maintain harmony.
Western communication tends to be more direct and straightforward. People value clear, concise expression of opinions, and directness is seen as a sign of honesty and efficiency.
3. Formality vs. Casualness:
Japans social interactions are more formal, with significant attention given to hierarchy, titles, and politeness, especially in language.
Western interactions, even in professional settings, are often more casual. First names are used more frequently, and there’s less emphasis on rigid social structures.
4. Conflict Avoidance vs. Open Disagreement:
Japans conflict is generally avoided, and when it arises, it is handled delicately to avoid disruption. Disagreements are often downplayed.
While Western conflict is not sought out, it is seen as a natural part of discussion and problem-solving. Open disagreement is more common, and debates can be direct.
5. Long-term vs. Short-term Focus:
Japans decision-making often has a long-term focus, with consideration for how it affects the group or society over time.
Western decisions can be more short-term, practical, and based on immediate results, reflecting a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
Understanding these differences is key for a person with a Western mindset as it helps bridge the gap between the collective, indirect Japanese culture and the more individualistic, direct communication style in English-speaking countries.
Moreover, they have earned the right to think the way that they do as this has been their country for over 3000 years. And guess what, this isn’t your western country so you must change your thinking otherwise, your time in Japan will be met with toil and struggle, which will eventually push you to leave.
Just say’n….
You said "Conflict Avoidance vs. Open Disagreement:
Japans conflict is generally avoided, and when it arises, it is handled delicately to avoid disruption. Disagreements are often downplayed". BS. You must be a newbie. I've lived here in Japan for 30 years. Haven't seen any worse office bullying anywhere else in the world.
@ No newbie, sorry to BURST 💥 your bubble! A-Holes exist in all societies throughout the world. However there are large swaths of professional organizations throughout JAPAN of which offer a welcoming and warm work environment. Of course, not everyone can be pleased. You will find it more pleasing if you remove the chip from your shoulder and stop comparing JAPAN with a western culture.
Take a chill pill and stop being so darn judgmental of others and focus on yourself.
My parents are both immigrants from Bangladesh, I was born in Sweden and in all my years living here I have never experienced the racism you describe, in fact i would lowkey say i haven't experienced it at all. Maybe some old people staring at me in smaller towns but that's the extent of it. So yeah that's kinda crazy ngl
Fwiw (I wasn’t there) the teacher herself didn’t sound racist but she was very honest with you 😅 Probably had a しょうがない attitude about her students and didn’t want to try to disrupt the classroom 和
If you are still interested in learning Korean check out the Sejong Institute, I took it there and absolutely loved it and its all different people in the class. My class had people from USA, South America, India, Europe etc. I'm not east Asian and felt really comfortable in the class.
so you trashed the Genki textbook?
that's a preview for a later video
Test
I find it hilarious that people are judging his ability to assimilate when he was already been stared at and avoided before he even did anything. 🤷♂️
As someone who wants to go to japan, study and continue my life there, something just makes me feel sad about that decision because of how Japanese people might treat me there, some might try to talk to me or some would just ignore me. That makes me feel sad because I'm more of an extrovert so I can't stand being alone for a second. My parents say that in the future Japanese people might start talking to foreigners casually. I honestly believe that and I hope that happens soon! Great vid btw 😁😁😁
yeah I lived in Japan and I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. and just as JJMcCullough said the worst part of all is you MUST NOT criticize anything that happens to you by any means, because if you do IT'S YOUR FAULT, and both the locals and the gaijin all take this stance. it's a weird cult-like mentality.
Frankly, the way you think...is too alien for most Japanese people. The interpretation of events is also very American, and interesting and funny from a Japanese perspective. "You're Non-Asian" isn't just your appearance. It's referring to your culture, mannerism and mindset.
In terms of cultural proximity, we see people from China and South Korea and think that their behavior and mindset is from an alien planet. We see Americans and think they're from another galaxy. And obviously, Japanese people only appreciate and accept foreigners who are assimilated culturally. I have a suspicion that your experience may not have been different even if you were Asian-American. It's not because you're a foreigner, it's because you're an American.
I've studied and worked with Russians, Turks, Mongolian, Uzbeks, Kiwis, Malaysians...but they're far more assimilated than you were. Turks, Mongolians, Koreans are almost near-native speakers. And people former Soviet Union and Slavic-countries in general have excellent language training in their home countries, and have enormous flexibility and integrate incredibly well into Japan. Americans usually can only survive in an English speaking expat bubble.
A Japanese person will never assume that things in the US will be the same as in Japan. After all, they're fully aware they're living in a foreign country. The way you assume that you should be treated just like how you would be in the US, or complain how behavior and norms are different from what you know back home....sounds American. A very alien mindset in Japan. People in Japan have zero obligation to you.
I took Mandarin in college as a second-foreign language, and there was a South Korean student in my class. We all studied and struggled together for two years. She was born, raised, and educated in South Korea, and came to Japan for her undergraduate studies. It's not like she was particularly in to Mandarin or Chinese culture. But a second foreign language was mandatory in my school, so she chose Mandarin/Chinese hoping to improve her understanding of KANJI.
She took Japanese in her highschool in South Korea. She wasn't a native Japanese speaker, but fluent enough to be accepted as a full-time student in Japan. She struggled with KANJi more so than native-Japanese speakers...but she got along perfectly with everybody in class. We used to hang out after class almost every week. Sometimes our Chinese professor joined us in our "study group" (aka drinking party) gathering too.
She knew all the best affordable Korean restaurants in Tokyo, and she's the reason why I still enjoy マッコリ (makgeolli). I think it helped her that there were certain common phrases and words that she recognized in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Learning KANJI definitely helped improve her Japanese reading/writing. By the time she finished university, she was near-native in her Japanese.
What made it even more interesting was our "Chinese" professor was actually an ethnic-Korean or 朝鮮族 from Northeast China (aka Inner Manchuria). He explained to us about various minorities in China, and how they're educated, what languages they learn, or how the Chinese university exam system works, etc. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known that a significant portion of Chinese nationals living/working in Japan are ethnic-Koreans and Mongols, or that some of them study Japanese in high-school, or that it's one of the elective languages for university exam in China.
I'm not American and I can see the American mindset here.
When you are in another country, you will always act differently from the standards of what is considered normal for that country.
And this is valid for any place, even for different regions within one county. It's a set of factors.
Yeah, you're insufferable.
I hear you! I went through similar experiences in Japan & elsewhere. Racism & other forms of prejudices exists everywhere at various degrees. I'm of mixed Japanese and Chinese decent born in the Philippines. Both of my parents' families moved to the Philippines a generation or two before the start of WW2. There will be people who read this will say how is that possible? Those people most likely never left their social bubble/never left the city or state they reside/don't know how the world works. Enough of my rant. I move on. I immigrated to the USA with my family. Growing up I was shunned at my Catholic school because my parents were not doctors, being the FOB (fresh off the boat), give hefty donations to the school & treated bad for being of Asian decent. My army experience (enlisting in 1988 and becoming an officer in 1992) the racism level was up a rank. I had fellow soldiers who witnessed how I was treated just say "you were just born the wrong race. But we accept you." I visited the Philippines with my family. My cousins who are Filipino (born and raised there) tell me "you can never be one of us no matter how hard you try; Japanese boy." "Japanese boy" was said in a sneering way. My brother was about to say something and my dad pulled him aside and had a talk with him afterwards. Fast forward in time to Japan. It was 2014. I had already had a combat tour in Afghanistan, lived in Germany, did stuff in Afghanistan and Iraq as a PMC. Before arriving my uncle who retired from a Tokyo company and moved to the Philippines for cheap living gave me what to expect. I experienced "bad Japan" in my first year of living here. My group was harassed by Bozozoku every other night. My workplace had local communist protesters. Kyoto is the capital of communism in Japan btw. Yes there are communists in Japan. There was little to no English support (a motivator to learn 日本語。We lived in the countryside of Kyoto Prefecture. There was a sign put up in the apartments we moved to saying "American soldiers go home." I heard about there was Japanese language lessons offered and I sign up at town hall. The gentleman who worked there said to me in perfect American English "We don't teach the likes of you. " The likes of me?" When I told him my family if originally from Chiba-ken; it only fueled his hatred in my direction. Yes hatred not dislike. It's countryside Japan. My group are the first Americans since the post WW2 occupation. A year and half later I had a private tutor for a year before I got transferred to work in Eastern Japan closer to Hokkaido. I started to experience "good Japan" after traveling outside the area I lived. I ventured to Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Hamamatsu, Tokyo, Chiba-ken, Saitama-ken, Sendai & Sapporo just to name a few. I found my nichè in gaming, fitness & martial arts (started martial arts in the military & still continue in Japan). As an American living in Japan for the past 10 years; all I can say is take the good with the bad. Don't bother with people in the honeymoon period. If they break away from their delusions they will either leave with a bad taste or adjust to life here. I still find myself saying to myself time to time "why Japanese people why....." Learning the language is a slow burn for me but I learn. I have co-workers married to local national have been in Japan longer than me and the only word they know is konnichiwa こんにちは。That's just my life. I like K-pop too. I like heavy metal & goth more.
I was raised in Japan as a foreigner and actually used to get bullied when I was a kid, no joke ...
I wonder how these experiences relate to gender, like how would some of this stuff go as a woman. It's just a thought i have because most of the time i hear of these experiences it's from guys
I have a feeling this is more gender related than race. I lived in Japan for many years, and I saw a lot of separation by gender. Like when you go out to do karaoke, you often only see groups of just girls, or just guys. If it was a class full of guys, I don't think they would have treated him that way.
Yeah I think like 90% of the “discrimination” stories people have in Japan are from guys… never heard of a woman (white woman at least) being treated like this. I think they view us as less of threats, cleaner, etc
I've known a few that have had bad experiences. A good handful of western girls in my university were treaded really creepily by Japanese guys
A girl got spit at by some young guys who were acting like “ thugs “ kind of. I felt so bad when I watched that video. Some Japanese people are ruthless. I’ve already heard and seen so many videos and stories about their experiences. Not all Japanese people are like that but sadly their are a lot who are. I don’t want to be ignorant because I never even went there to even say anything I’m just going off of what I seen in video as it’s physically happening.
@@Sakura_1-h4hthat sounds absolutely terrible. I couldn’t imagine something so terrible like that.
i'm a canadian and i LOVE japan and japanese culture. it may not have been a plan of mine to life there years ago but seeing the declining state of my country it is becoming more appealing by the day. i'd rather live in a place where i am ignore but safe rather than a place where i am not ignore but unsafe.
yes they did not sit next to me in train or elevator
I am sorry this happened xS i have found the only place i tend to make friends is at language exchange events.. because the people who attend these want to learn english they tend to be open minded and friendly towards foreigners.
「我慢しなさい」
「しょうがない」
私：😅🥲
this is very similar to what im experiencing now. i live in china and just like you, study in foreign studies university, so there are more foreigners here than chinese people. all of my classmates are not chinese and they are nice, very welcoming and friendly. my japanese classmates though? every time i speak to them i feel like an intruder, they look down on everyone who is not asian. this japanese girl (who i considered to be my friend) would just organise all those fun activities and she ONLY invites koreans/japanese. in your video you said that "that's because you are not asian" but trust me they hate other asians as well, just not so openly. this nation is so racist it feels illegal. i actually confronted my classmates about it and they said "oh it's because they are not clean" and yeah, "they" is basically everyone besides japanese people
it feels almost comical on the contrast to how chinese people treat foreigners and we literally live in china/////
i wish we could talk about this more openly because i dont see why i cant share my concerns with others w/o coming off as rude. they'd be talking about chinese people having no manners (living off of chinese government money btw) and then only speak japanese to others like if you don't know it you are not even worth talking to
sorry for any mistakes english is not my first language!
also a lot of ppl here say that its "only natural" very "normal" and "its their culture" but i dont think being racist can be accepted as a norm in 2024. sure blame foreigners for not knowing the etiquette but in my case i dont even live in japan and i still need to follow their rules???
dont get too fancy, racism exists in china too. true though, it is not as vocal and obvious as in jp.
Aren't Chinese Asians too? Why they don't accept you?
@@1regre777 This is not normal not even in Japan. I wish I knew what these girls thinking.
I'm confused. Are you saying that a Japanese girl studying in China has no right to decide with whom she wants to hang out?
You're entering koreaboos kpop bts fans Korean class , unless you're jin, jun kook you're not welcome
I've never been to japan before, but I'm currently doing the whole immersion thing (your videos and a few other channels are my exceptions though) and I gotta be honest, the more I learn about japan on a more deeper level the less I'm starting to like it. Definitely going one day tho. I'm possibly even whiter than you are so hopefully I'll have some funny discriminatory stories to share. Great video
Because you treat Japan not as a country with it's good and bad and more like a theme park where everyone is there to make you happy.
@@kos2919 What the fuck? No. I learn more about the fucked up aspects of their culture, the strict copyright laws (judging from their youtube videos) and the prevalence of the rotten filth that is the yukkuri scene. I am not some weeb, just a guy.
Like I literally went into it *knowing* about the xenophobia, the justice system, the work hours and not even being a particularly big anime fan. The more I learned after that is what is making me a little averse
@@PunishedSpindle300 "Man went to other country, still shocked that they're different than his"
And? What so different than an Asian guy like me coming to USA, got shocked with gang culture in Boston, and yet still enjoying my time there.
Growing up means knowing the value of other countries can be quite different. It's not our job to dictate them. This isn't pre-WW2 colonizing mentality anymore.
@@kos2919 What the hell are you yapping about man 🤣
@@PunishedSpindle300 what is this "yukkuri" scene? i have never heard of it before.
As a non-Japanese Asian person. I think using the word "racism" might not be literally correct. Japanese also discriminate against other non-Japanese Asian people too (which are the same race as Japanese). You are discriminated not because of you're white but because of you're non-Japanese (regardless of your race). They will only be nice to you if they can get money for you (e.g.as a tourist). But when you hear Japanese talking to each others or interview about foreigners, more often than not, they likely to have discrimination opinions and negative attitude against foreigners. You'll hear these a lot if you watch Japanese-only language media.
What I get from this is, like you walked into a group of very close friends, partners in crime, and you're not. But there in Japan its not really like that but it manifests like that.
Thank you
Recently I was reading Based on a True Story: A Memoir by Norm Macdonald and found this quote;
"Then the cat slung the dead mouse into the short hay and strolled away. This
last moment was what surprised and frightened me the most. This whole
endeavor had nothing to do with food. And this is when I learned that
hardscrabble truth: There is a difference between what a thing is and what it
appears to be"
It is a pattern that to grow, one must sacrifice purity and innocence for the sake of disruption and corruption. The void that these corruptions leave is where we can adapt and learn. Many Japanese don't want corruption of their little burble and mask, and are willing to use violence (as not all violence is physical) to defend appearances. But as the cat of the quote just follows its nature and not human moral, social norms follow history and geography. As such, the reasoning of 'you are not Asian' makes sense by no making any sense.
But what is our paper in this amalgamation of factors that define culture? What can we do as members of other culture?
Well, maybe we can find answers in the way Norm Macdonald presents us the cat;
' I see the cat, who’s licking himself and swatting horseflies with his tail
as he lies beneath an improbably large maple tree that is blighted and dying. I
look up the tree and see there is something up high too, hiding in one of the
crooks of its reaching branches.
Something that is watching.
And the back of my head hits the headrest as I see that the thing in the
tree is me."
I feel like this is more of a 'being a minority' thing than a Japan thing, but it is certainly easier to be a minority in Japan than the US, Aus etc.
Overall, great video, though the thumbnail was a bit clickbaity.
To be honest this isn't about Japan, you would get a similar experience in any part of the world in a room full of female K-POPers.
Lumping everything outside as one thing "foreign culture" is very American. They are interested in Korean culture, that doesn't mean they are interested in any other culture, or even "foreign cultures" in general. You're just a random foreigner from a culture they have zero interest in, and thus treated so.
Yeah, forget human decency if you’re not interested in someone’s culture
Not problematic at all 😂
Weebs will defend anything japan does
I know nothing about japanese customs, but the girl tried to get away from you the whole class, and you ask for her number in the end, the result was kinda predictable 😂
I would comment “yayyy” over a new video coming out but with the subject matter i decided that might not be the best idea
(And im guessing this is about that one story you told on stream that one time?)
@@Joseph_417 yes exactly
I can agree that they were being racist but the whole “the koreaboos don’t wanna talk to me” situation is hilarious. 😂 the teacher was flat out like “naw but you ain’t asean tho”
The only qualms that I have about this is the 'asian' definition. This 'asian' doesn't have anything to do with the geographic Asia. It is only whether a person has Mongoloid features or not in Western and japanese people's heads. So that leaves out half of Asia who are identityless aliens in Japan for no reason at all.
And I am N1 level in Japanese, can imagine the pain right!
A lot of the time I’ve noticed that when something seems outrageous or gross it gets called American. So while English is used to make products seem a lot better than they actually are. There’s this other layer that associates it with the ‘barbarians’ from the west.
Written English or loan words are okay, prestigious in some cases.
However the people who speak the language natively are not seen the same way. I guess paper is less intimidating than the real thing.
I’m really sorry that you experienced that. I would have cried in the bathroom I’m not gonna lie 😭 I’m such a people pleaser as it is so I can’t even imagine being treated as if I was some alien. I would be so hurt I really have to admit to that😣
I remember being ghosted as in trying to ask for help in japanese to a local and being absolutely ignored and I was like shit this stuff does happen, but also some japanese people were really happy to talk with me
I learned Korean before coming to Japan, I can second that being a Korean learner in Japan as a foreigner (especially male) is straight up pain in the ass. Most ironic part is that I do have some Korean friends irl (and chat with them in Korean) but I 100% cannot blend in Korean-study group in Japan (oh and some of the groups would just refuse male or non-Japanese/non-Korean to join in first place). If I didn't learn Korean in my home country I will never be able to learn Korean
I am Sri Lankan, and I have a part-time job in a Convenience store. I do speak Japanese fluently. Man, I was shocked one day. When I gave the remaining money to a lady customer she refused to take it in her bare hand. She asked me to keep the money on the Table. Then she took it. I was shocked and upset. She came again to the store. I did not go to help. One of the Japanese lady crew members did the bills. But this time, that rude customer took the remaining money and receipt from her. Man, I was totally down. I had a big respect to the Japanese before I came to Japan. There are a bunch of foreigners in Sri Lanka too. We never ever do this kind of thing to foreigners. This is so Rude :/
bro, that ur mistake, if I remember in a lot of places om Japan the cashier cant give money direct to customer hands.
I'm sure your employer taught you to use the tray for handling money. Whether you're in a Japanese bank, department store, hotel, or postal office...it's the same. It would considered poor manners to give money by hand in Japan.
Yes some japanese people are racist - but just when you have an obvious racist situation against you - reply back !
@@Pincherfods33 Yes they can. Bcz of COVID there were some restrictions, but not now..
@@yo2trader539 I have never seen that in the convenience store. I have been here almost 5 Years. People are in a hurry. They have no time to collect money one by one.
Try being a foreigner with a tattoo in the Kansai country side who’s Fiancés parents don’t want you there
Lived in Japan 7 years love it. Had similar problems but than had more fun’s than hatters caz was always
A nice and smiley to everybody. But had a lot of hate when I was with Japanese girlfriend. Everybody were saying to her that what is she got to do with me and do I pay her money to be with me? But they didn’t know I speak Japanese and could understand. Plus I think confidence and your spirit strength are important in that country! They sense it very well that’s why they stare a lot on you. But if you don’t give afraid looks they will avoid you. I have a lot of stories from Japan. Bad and good. Best time in my life I think…😊
The description of I guess this woman who didn't talk to you or like... away from you. it remind me of myself sometimes. because sometimes I am like that, but not because... "I do not like you" necessarily.... but like... "I am uncomfortable around people." (I am like... shut in person) so this description of yours.... very open up my mind
-Part of the description thing you gave, not all of it.
Thank you for sharing this story, and I am sorry you were treated so awfully in your time studying abroad. I still hope you keep the same interests and you can achieve your goals.
Wtf? Tom Macdonald makes music about being against racism. So what up?
Yeah, that was a big miss.
The weirdest part is that none of your foreign friends understood. That is very weird. In the other classes, do you feel like the students didn't treat you as oddly? I hope other classes of majority Japanese classes treated you more warmly.
I took a class in Mandarin Chinese where most of the students were Japanese and it had a similar vibe.
Nothing to do with racism. Why would you take the teacher's opinion as gospel? University girls, especially those vacuous enough to be into K-pop, are some of the most judgmental people around. You were not chad enough for them and they don't even want to be seen near you, let alone interact with you. You are the human equivalent of Paris syndrome to them, serving as a stark reminder of the disappointment of reality.
It's possible to overcome inherent nature with charm and social grace, obviously aided by knowing the language, but basically you jumped into the deep end and drowned. It would have been the exact same experience as a male of any race or nation with what you were/are working with. Japanese beta men get the same treatment they just recognize their place.
So, did you get the girl's Line eventually? /s
of course not
if they stare, YOU stare and make a "eww" face. Make them feel like you AND oun the place. If respect is not in the vacabulary, MAKE THEM SUFER YOUR PAIN ✨😈 BUT, be patient! it is the country they were born in. it is the culture. be nice but let them know you are a human, not a dog.
Hey man cheer up, sorry for the bad experience, it can be like that in a homogenous country, hope you're feeling better
My friend went to China for a few months to help students who wanted to attend Oxford in UK and the students thought my friend is black but he is Pakistan lol one girl did fancy him
appreciate you adding your perspective
If I can play devil's advocate and be pretty blunt here from someone with almost the polar opposite experience: it sounds like you might have gone into this with the mindset that other students were expected to carry your own burden (largely the language gap), who simply had zero interest in doing so. Especially in Japan, regardless of your identity, you're not going to do yourself any favors if you seem like you aren't always totally prepared; this is why Japanese classmates, colleagues, co-workers, etc. will often overreact if they need to ask for something like English help. Honestly, you really shouldn't expect classmates to help you, especially if they're under no obligation and you're clearly not ready to be there.
The teacher's reaction is definetly bizarre and unprofessional though. Actually, my first thought was why you hadn't asked the teacher for assistance the moment you felt like you were behind. The teacher's response was certainly racist; although the student's reaction wouldn't exactly be out of character if you were Japanese.
Which university did you go to? Some parts of the country are a lot more discriminatory than others, so I'm just curious.
I appreciate a view from another angle because it does boggle my mind that they’d treat him so badly. Keep in mind that these are young Gen Z kids, those that are supposed to be curious about the outside world and willing to meet different friends, not elderly who lived through WWII and war with US.
I’m also curious what parts would be more discriminatory??
This is an aspect of life you have to accept. All you can do is improve your Japanese, try to conform better, and be more open socially and work on yourself. If you can't do that and don't enjoy the life there, then just move back home. You don't have to live in this negative setting if you don't like it. Best of luck
dang bro how can they not like you, you look a handsome anime character,im cooked if i visit Japan lol
I mean you know it's funny how some people say that "Japanese people are so polite and so thoughtful" of others and yet they don't understand how their actions affect foreigners. I like Japanese, but I feel when I watch them being polite (on youtube) I really feel like it's not genuine. It doesn't come from a real place in their personality but rather it's just a social dance that they do.
Obviously this doesn't apply to all japanese but I think that if you want to be considered polite then it's because you actually feel like being polite. And being polite by definition means making sure you don't make people feel bad. So from that perspective, the japanese who hurt others by their distaste and apathy are not really polite. Also like that girl being mute was utterly rude. Like you're talking to her and she's ignoring you. Like I'm sorry but in what culture is that acceptable or ok? It's obvious that these girls were very immature and don't really represent the polite and thoughtful Japanese.
As a black dude with gauges and a septum piercing I completely understand you my guy I am the coffee cup💀💀also fuck em I do me and me alone Japan here I come
Youll be fine. Your copper colored. Ive been to japan twice three months each and only had two bad experiences. Just stay positive and be direct with the women. Hit clubs if you wanna meet women or starbucks. They thought i was a celebrity or a CEO out there 😂😂 maybe thats why
Can I come? :(
Harry Kane experience in Japan
Your refusal to learn about your cultural mistakes is not the problem of the locals.
Wow. You weren't even there.
He and other westerners want all countries to obey their rules and views. It never crosses their minds that different countries have different laws and costumes, it's a mental disease
maybe you can explain a little more.
What do you mean by "cultural mistakes"?
@@pencielist in their vision you should behave according to their laws and world views. Indirect colonialism, Japan is a vassal state after all
I think you’re conflating racism with people being awkward around someone from a foreign background. Especially if they grew up in a country in which 98% of folks share the same heritage. It’s uncomfortable to collaborate with people you can’t communicate with, you said yourself that your Japanese wasn’t great at the time. It’s awkward, and I don’t think it comes from your race, gender, or ethnicity.
You suddenly showed up in their class halfway through the semester, and perhaps they were anxious that they’d have to try communicating with a foreigner on top of learning Korean.
I feel like you might’ve read into the situation a little too much, however it’s your lived experience, and I appreciate you sharing it. It’s good that people speak up about their experiences.
I’ve lived in Japan for 8 years, and I can’t say I’ve been privy to any direct racism.
Being uncomfortable with people who don’t share the same heritage as you isn’t a result of racism?
Visibly recoiling from someone and refusing to help them isn’t a result of racism?
Running away from someone without saying a word after grabbing someone looking terrified isn’t a result of racism?
Continuing to be stared at and avoided repeatedly and then having it confirmed by someone from there that it’s because of your race is not a result of racism?
Ok Jan 🙃
@@Princetonian4eva Please read my post again.
Being afraid that you can’t communicate with someone (especially when that’s what you’re supposed to be doing in a class), shows disdain towards socially awkward situations, regardless of that person’s background. Certainly not towards the person for being Caucasian.
Racism, as I understand its definition, is harboring prejudice towards a certain race or group based on their skin color, background, or ethnicity.
Perhaps the definition of racism must be agreed on before further conversation can be had, however that itself is an intriguing topic I’d love to discuss.
I wonder if you went to the same university as I did 😅.
sucks that it happened for you man, but thanks for sharing
I just came back from a trip where id get funny stares and people on the subways would avoid me (I don't even look east asian one bit lol) but more times than that, I had a lot of people approach me and strike up conversation too! Especially when drinking or at venues haha. I know there's a lot of negative experiences with foreingers in Japan like this, but we can also sit back and use this as a learning experience to teach them about what makes us different ,but also educating ourselves on the nuances of Japanese culture and how to better approach Japanese people
I mean let’s be real, these dudes are only 156 years fresh out of a 2.5 century long isolation period. Give the little guys a bit of time to catch up, their uncertainty of other cultures is deeply engrained in their DNA. Anytime I catch this kind of energy in Japan I just remember that fact and brush it off like a little kid that won’t eat broccoli because it’s green. Japan will be truly amazing and as diverse as America and the rest of the world a few centuries from now when they’re forced to intermingle with other cultures at a maximum rate because of their declining birth rates and god awful economy. 🙏😂
SA KO KU 😮
DEEP ANALYSIS
The Dutch and Germans were in Nagasaki. And Japanese have been trading with Chinese and Koreans...even before historical records exists.
@@yo2trader539 Well I stand corrected!
i lived for a few months in japan as an exchange student, and had both great and awful experiences. i just know that even though i really loved my stay there, i also did feel like an outcast sometimes and i ended up appreciating my home country even more.
ps. fuck those girls from the korean class fr like?? you just wanted to learn for gods sake 😭 and the fact that people always find ways to justify racism in japan is literally the worst and will make this a never ending circle
I’m sorry. But fuck that shit, bro. That kind of shit pisses me off.
I went there this past Golden week, and fortunately, I didn’t experience that. But if I did, that would have ruined everything.
I’m sorry you went through that, man.
Wow, that was sad to hear. I hope, when all this was happening, there were those who supported you and with whom you could discuss and talk about this situation. Yea, sometimes people act… unpleasant. And maybe that’s sometimes not even about racism itself. Maybe it’s just about that topic of some people which are.. too closed and can't accept anything too- different _(I mean, one asian people studying other asian culture and language. That is.. not that far, you know)_
Anyway, we are with you! And we will understand your thoughts and feelings.
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
I feel like that where i live already, and i lived here all my life lmao, without the "racism" part tho
it is unfortunate to an extent (perhaps I only say this because it negatively impacts me, though not as bad as other races, I'm sure) that Japan is like this but it's only natural, unfortunately. this is why they are so great, their desire to remain insular and distrustful of non natives has kept their culture stable.
Yeah, racism isn't natural.
I'm so sick of people trying to justify it by saying it's part of human nature or some bs.
And after what I learned about what they did to Japanese culture with the new Assassin Creed (Rewriting history, altering wikipedia content, altering actual college entry, disrespecting the broken Torii, using family symbols without permission, putting Chinese architecture in supposed to be Japanese country, using Chinese musical instrument for the soundtrack, etc etc) I can see why they're so distrustful toward foreigners.
When Disney already butchering SEA cultures with Raya The Last Dragon, of course they have the gall to ruin culture of their strongest ally in Asia.
@@kos2919Assassin’s creed has always rewrote history. The first game presents an alternate history of the crusades, the second of Renaissance Italy, etc.
Because in the game, the true history has been kept a secret by the Templar order so they can control people, and find the pieces of Eden. It has never tried to be completely accurate to real life history, and this is even notes in the first game with Desmond asking Vidic why things about the Crusades seem inaccurate to which he responds that the real truth has been altered over time and only the animus shows what actually happened.
@@ProsecutorZekrom So you're fine with cultural appropriation. This is Raya The Last Dragon or Disney's live Action Mulan all over again
@@kos2919 You may as well call every alternate history story “cultural appropriation” by that logic. “Cultural appropriation” is just one of those stupid concepts people misuse all the time, I’m a leftist but if there’s one thing I would criticise about the left it’s the consistent misuse of this term.
I understand that Japanese culture is rigid, but this isn't even that.
i dont know its racism or not, but i have a couple experience in train that they dont want to sit beside me (not just me but all my friends from SEA have this experience too) and choose to standing and go away
short paraphrase: I don't know Japanese and I don't know Japanese etiquette, why I'm avoided, why no one wants me here. Correct?
Incorrect. You definitely do not know this guy, check his videos and he has literally an entire 30 minute video teaching Japanese, but also speaks it in other instance. He also does culture related videos on Japan, such as three parts of Iceberg videos, so I think he’d know Japanese etiquette to a decent amount due to culture.
Japan is a nice country, he never said it was horrible, but it’s right and okay to criticize certain aspects of another country’s society even as a foreigner. Also every country has some racism. Not sure why you are upset from the title it didn’t really imply half that stuff.
@@Honda_Kiku You right, I am new here. I am not going to criticise the guy teaching Japanese while not being fluent. After all, it is RUclips and nobody is forcing me to watch it. But from my own experience, even N1 is barely enough to enjoy life in Japan and have Japanese friends who talk to you and don't look at you like a foreigner.
I moved here more than 2 years ago with N1 and I am so glad I studied it before. Even though I felt a wall from the people, when I start talking to them, it literally melts away. Language is the most important skill when moving to Japan, not cultural or anime knowledge.
N1, by the way, is somewhere around B2 in English. And the biggest hole in the system is that you don't have to speak to pass the test. So when I say N1, I mean that you can speak and know commonly used words.
@@Honda_KikuHe clearly said in the video his Japanese was bad and he didn't know the etiquette
Wow. I didn't know Japanese people were above-human and none of the usual behavior humans in general display didn't work in Japan.
I kinda dont blame them tbh. I say this has to do with race and history. Any country that accepted any other countries rule got taken over and lost their culture , system, and their rights. And lets not forget those who gotten taken over by force. They were left far worse when given their independence back. Also some tourist are plain rude and want you to change your culture to fit them. Its better to stay on the fence than get stepped on. Also I should mention how the USA has literal military bases on their own country. And how whenever a soilder steps out of bound aka sa women and is being a toxic bully, japan never does anything for their own country people.... I can see why they have a dislike for them.
@@l.o.v.edrive3466 I wasn’t trying to rule anybody, I was just trying to learn Korean 💀
so now we treat all americans bad?
I don't need to have a such high expectation to them, considering how many times thr people from my country caused an atrocious that slowly but surely puting an end to their Blacklisted country
It was your haircut bro
マッシブアグレッションですね
You can hardly blame them, the majority of foreigners in Japan take no effort to learn the culture or manners of Japan, they simply stick to their Western ones.
How would you feel if somebody came to your country and disrespected your culture and acted rude? You wouldn't like them and would want them to leave, and that's exactly how it is Japan.
Exactly what I was looking for
@@xY1N Glad to know others agree
I will note however, I am not trying to speak for the Japanese as I am not Japanese myself, this is just my personal stance that I've developed from what I've seen and have guessed as most logical.
@@Yuyukos_Husband same here other Asian ethnicities lives in Japan but still not sure what's up with Europeans and Americans
I can’t blame them for having that image but I can blame them for being raised ignorant enough to judge one individual based on his appearance…
I don't know why RUclips recommend me this video but as an ASEAN dude, I felt that so many of this kind of videos (where western cultured westerners) always complain the same thing when they came to Japan. They did a cultural mistake, but still think that it's not their fault they did that. Also I doubt his incapability to learn Korean is because of hostility toward him in class (pretty obvious they're wary at him, but from his story, not go "mean girls" at him).
Also you're just learning Japanese, why you have to saddle your brain with learning an extra language in a country where the basic language for education is not your main language? This is like learning to ride a horse, while also trying to balance on top of that horse with a unicycle, that you barely knew how to ride. Just master the Japanese language first and spend more time with Japanese people who's NOT racist toward you.
You know, when I see entitled, whiny comments like this, or frankly depressing anecdotes concerning the xenophobic nature of Japan such as this video, I have to wonder if some people, specifically people who have racial slurs in their language referring to someone as a hungry ghost, actually see them that way. You're bad mouthing people all over this comment section for entering into foreign cultural spaces and being put off by hostile behaviors or undesirable outcomes, and yet here you are doing it. In my opinion it's honestly alot less cringy that most european racial slurs, at least against Asians, center around demeaning a person's physical appearance, where Asian racial slurs against Europeans attack them on a metaphysical level. And I don't want anyone to think I condone racial slurs of any kind, but it's something to consider. Westerners have lost much in the rejection of their traditional metaphysical structures and institutions, the same seems apparent in stories such as the one presented in this video or the behavior of this particular poster. Arrogant, ignorant, and lacking in empathy, marking this person as anathema to their own cultural values even as they proport to be a representative of that culture. Clearly the lesson is simply that there are assholes in every country, and it does well to remember this when visiting other countries. Why someone would feel the need to come into a comment section of a perfectly reasonable video where someone vents about a fairly universal negative experience (that of being othered by a group) is beyond me. Are you offended that people are pointing out racism in Asia, or are you offended that people would expect Asia to be less racist? You seem to be offended by both things, and I don't really understand why you would bother to claim such a prospective as valid or rational. I suspect that your motivations are either racist or based in your own personal traumatic experiences. Either way, you're acting as a poor ambassador for wherever you're actually from, assuming you aren't some weirdo or bot that's invaded this space to sow discord and malcontention.
The “cultural mistake” was being white.
Also, it’s very much possible to learn more than one language.
@@ProsecutorZekrom No, the cultural mistake is to use this one bad experience to paint the whole country as a terrible place to live. Also like I said before, sure you can learn more than one language but he's doing it in Japan, while also learning Japanese. This balancing act is grade A stupid.
@@kos2919 When did he say Japan was a terrible place to live? He said that there are some racists in Japan, just like there are in every country, and that idealising it too much is a bad idea, just like any other country.
Again, there is no issue with learning more than one language at the same time. In fact, learning Korean in a Japanese classroom helps with both languages.
@@ProsecutorZekrom He came to Japan expecting lily and roses. Got pricked with a thorn and immediately made a video about racism in Japan.
That guy DID idealized Japan. Dude got so shaken with what happened in that class he made sure it's recorded in a youtube video lol
What you experienced was xenophobia, NOT racism. Racism is a uniquely European thing. Prejudice towards outsiders in Asian, Hispanic or African societies has less to do with race and more so with the fact that you’re a perceived stranger, outsider/threat. It’s an unfortunate thing, but I try to make a distinction between xenophobia and actual racism. Because they are very different.
its not really a racist thing more a cultural view from most asian countries
ok and? just because it's a culture view it doesn't excuse it, it's racism you're just discriminating someone because they're not your race
@@OatmealGrillBlazer There is a view in a lot of asiatic countries that other cultures are barbarians because they are different to them. Japan is a monoculture, and when you are there you are not japanese unless you are ethnically and culturally japanese. This is and has been true to almost every culture in human history and is very natural.
You can still try to connect with people of different cultures by showing you understand their etiquette and customs, which will get you friends and accepted in foreign lands, but you will never be them.
When i will travel to Japan, i will go to their shrines, eat their food, and drink like they do. That is how you make friends there, just like everywhere else.
@@owea dude was there to learn Korean and got singled out for his race. its pretty racist chief.
Being a monoculture does not excuse treating foreigners like shit. fwiw Japan is taking in plenty of foreign labor because the Japanese themselves are in a population crisis lol
@@ShaiyanHossain they should not even accept foreigners, it never ends well
@@ShaiyanHossain taking foreign labor is self offing, Japan is Japan because of the japanese, the less they are, the more Japan becomes something worse, not a single country on earth is multicultural, wealthy, safe and capable of creating beauty, be it architecture, drawing, painting, animating and making games. Not a single one. UK took migrant, how are they doing? Germany, Canada, France... You should travel there
12:55 or maybe they didn’t let moments like these define their Japanese experience
Im confused? You live in a place where you are the exception. Then complain that you stick it because your different.
As a white man that lives in asia i can tell you what she said is not racist, its just a fact.
In fact I say the oposite and hear the same back all time. Now if these people said something offensive, that would be racist. Its just different for them.
😂
@Oldbettie This guy is just your typical brainwashed left winger. A self hating clown. Pay no mind to him
Maybe i'm a weirdo but i don't see any problem with the way Japanese people acted upon you. I mean yeah it might seem rude but it's mostly a cultural difference thing.
Isolated stories never seem that bad. In fact that's why some people don't believe in racism at all. It's really the cumulative weight of years of being the inferior "other" that gets to you.
I mean.... If no one in my European class would want to interact with the new Asian student because they're not European..... Idk sounds like it's kinda a problem and certainly not a kind way to treat other human beings.
I'm most certain that Japanese people would not appreciate being ignored or isolated based on their race.
@@bringoutthet8212 Well it was kinda my point. Their culture isn't the same so they might seem rude to you by just being normal according to their standards. And it goes both ways.
@@antre_du_retro But if they did the same to other Japanese it would be seen as bad. Why is it okay if it's a foreigner?
Just because this is a normal way they react to foreigners doesn't mean it's not bad behaviour.
If it's custom in my country to scam foreigners you'd not be like "Well! It's their culture ☝️🤓"
It's indeed very weird it's somehow okay because it's the usual reaction. Why is being exclusionary based on race a norm that's only bad when it's not Japan?🤨
@@bringoutthet8212 I dont think antre_du_retro is implying that how the Japanese classmates reacted was okay, they're just stating objectively how/why it is
"people don't owe you anything" feels like a bit of an excuse.
If you had a guest in your home would you feel it's acceptable to ostracize them?
I feel, and this isn't only Japan, small culturally isolated societies fall into an echo chamber. It's ok to stare and be afraid of the foreigner because other people do it, it's not.
Why is not wanting foreigners a bad thing? Japan is good because it is majority japanese, look at the US, UK and Canada to see japan's future if they go the "open mind" way
@@toya_senpai2470 I live in the US in a community with a high amount of migrants. The Afghan family that moved into my neighborhood is not a threat to my way of life.
@@FreeBirdJPYT check out a public school, wait until the rest of the afghan family comes over or just travel to Canada. I don't mind this happening to the US, UK and Canada since the denial and the castration of pattern recognition is their own responsibility but Japan can't become like you, no way.
Also, is the US today, for you, better or worse than how it was 15 years ago? Compared to other countries you visited, can the US still be called first world?
@@toya_senpai2470 what's wrong with the US? our country is founded by immigrants, we are a major superpower with the world's strongest economy and military, a lot of the world's greatest accomplishments were made by immigrants living in the US, we are a nation founded by immigrants looking for a better opportunity, a second chance in life, we may not be a perfect nation, but we have a lot of redeeming qualities.
@@OatmealGrillBlazer I have to say it in a very roundabout way, but alright.
Are you satisfied with how safe the streets are in your city? How well behaved the people are? Can you trust the people around to not steal your belongings? Are you satisfied with the entertainment made and supported by the companies in the "greatest nation"? Do you watch any new American show/cartoon? Have you gone to NY and Japan? How do your metro's compare to Japan? Or the cleanliness of the streets, stores and buildings? Are "Americans" well behaved and polite like the majority of the japanese? Why does Japan have such low crimes all around? Can you voice your opinions on the crimes happening in your city?
Why can't Japan do their own thing? Why must every country do what US/Americans approve? What about different cultures, beliefs and costumes?
In your honest opinion, if Japan were to be more like the US, would it be better or worse? Why do you think so?
You don't have to answer, just think about it
@@toya_senpai2470
1. overall I'm satisfied with my city, the area I live in is doing a lot better financially compared to 20 years ago thanks to immigration.
2.what does politeness have to do with immigration? everyone can be polite regardless of their background.
3. the reason why crime happens, it's not because of race or immigration status, it's due to socioeconomic factors like poverty, if we're dealing with crime we should tackle the root cause of it like poverty, a bad home life, bettering the education system, and having better job opportunities
4. I don't really care what Japan does, I could care less what the Japanese government does, my main issue is how some (not all) Japanese people are rude to non-japanese people, foreigners are people just like you and me, they deserve the same respect and dignity like anyone else
you clearly don't know what racism is
Overt? or Covert? Take your pick.
being singled out for your race in a negative manner IS racism. if a Japanese person gets the silent treatment amongst white classmates, is it racism, oh wait that's exactly what happened to Japanese Americans with the internment camps
@@completebilingual your reply doesn't make any sense
@@Daniel-s7e4n
Racism isn't just the obvious.
@@completebilingual Racism is racial discrimination, not foreign discrimination. It would be racism if they were treating white foreigners poorly and black foreigners well. This is just xenophobia. Racism does exist in Japan, however what was discussed in this video was not racism
that good need to force baka gaijin out
welcome to reality
it done for the protection of 和
stop using google translate it sucks
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this is literally the experience of a black person in a almost completely white class. not saying its good or anything just sometimes necessary for white people to realize what actual racism feels like. helps with developing empathy yk?
@@KoiWrez that’s why I added the preamble about my background
@KoiWrez umm no. It’s really not. I guarantee you’ve never experienced true racism. You’re just a wanna be victim.