Japanese Often Rude to Gaijin

[Outta Sight]

Formerly living in Tokyo, I noticed that sharing a sidewalk with a "J" can be hazardous to your health. Time and time again, I would have been knocked off the sidewalk completely if I had not stopped and turned sideways (and I'm not fat) so some "J" could walk by and not make any eye contact. They could be walking alone or with someone, but they have no problem running into you. I'm not talking about the high-population areas, but areas where you pass someone every minute or two. It seems as if they don't even recognize you as a person, but perhaps some inanimate object. If a "J" has some sort of relationship with you, they are polite, but if they don't, it's like you don't exist. Not to mention those who walk their dogs and just let them take over the sidewalk and you have to stop and move out of the way so they can pass - again while making no eye contact. "J" have a reputation of being shy around strangers, when it's really rudeness!

[JaSan]

Outta Sight wrote:

Formerly living in Tokyo, I noticed that sharing a sidewalk with a "J" can be hazardous to your health. Time and time again, I would have been knocked off the sidewalk completely if I had not stopped and turned sideways (and I'm not fat) so some "J" could walk by and not make any eye contact. They could be walking alone or with someone, but they have no problem running into you. I'm not talking about the high-population areas, but areas where you pass someone every minute or two. It seems as if they don't even recognize you as a person, but perhaps some inanimate object. If a "J" has some sort of relationship with you, they are polite, but if they don't, it's like you don't exist. Not to mention those who walk their dogs and just let them take over the sidewalk and you have to stop and move out of the way so they can pass - again while making no eye contact. "J" have a reputation of being shy around strangers, when it's really rudeness!

Hey you have to take into account that situations differ not all of Japan is like you say and not all J (nihonjin) folk do as you have mentioned. But i see your point as foreigners do experience situations they would not have in thier respective countries.
Im half Japanese and i dont give way to anyone i see wont move out of my way and if they have a problem its their right to say so. But ill be waiting to respond.

[do-mo]

First of all, stop calling us "J", you paranoid.
You should have wider view, it is not because you are a 外人, that is just how unhappy people walk.. You should understand them since you are one of them, writing your 愚痴 up here..
I think you are trying to make racism out of small things that happens to you daily.
Enjoy the culture difference.. if you can't go back home with your super wide street. If you have one, you pasant.

Outta Sight wrote:

Formerly living in Tokyo, I noticed that sharing a sidewalk with a "J" can be hazardous to your health. Time and time again, I would have been knocked off the sidewalk completely if I had not stopped and turned sideways (and I'm not fat) so some "J" could walk by and not make any eye contact. They could be walking alone or with someone, but they have no problem running into you. I'm not talking about the high-population areas, but areas where you pass someone every minute or two. It seems as if they don't even recognize you as a person, but perhaps some inanimate object. If a "J" has some sort of relationship with you, they are polite, but if they don't, it's like you don't exist. Not to mention those who walk their dogs and just let them take over the sidewalk and you have to stop and move out of the way so they can pass - again while making no eye contact. "J" have a reputation of being shy around strangers, when it's really rudeness!

[TNMTMAN]

Well, you deserve it. Try bathing once in a while. And stop picking your nose in public.

[Dreamgirl]

Outta Sight wrote:

Not to mention those who walk their dogs and just let them take over the sidewalk and you have to stop and move out of the way so they can pass - again while making no eye contact.

No eye contact bothers me a lot too. That dog was rude! At least he did not pee on your shoe, which has happened to me many a time. Many dogs will take a dump on the sidewalk, and then just sit nearby waiting to see who is first to step in it.

[ggrooe]

Japanese and Westerners are both very rude. They should kill each other to make earth a better place to live for humankind.

[ggrooe]

do-mo wrote:

First of all, stop calling us "J", you paranoid.
You should have wider view, it is not because you are a 外人, that is just how unhappy people walk.. You should understand them since you are one of them, writing your 愚痴 up here..
I think you are trying to make racism out of small things that happens to you daily.
Enjoy the culture difference.. if you can't go back home with your super wide street. If you have one, you pasant.
<quoted text>

Japanese is very rude. I hate them. They all are 5 years old spoiled babies. They should use their technologies to fix their brain (oh yes, I suspect their brains are broken).

They think their country is the best place to live. But when they go to other countries, they will realize that their country is the worst place to live in. That's why many Japanese especially women want to leave the country forever.

But don't worry, by the statistics, Japanese will be extinct soon, And the world will become much better place to live in.

[shoo]

The Japanese are more often rude to the Japanese. I am Japanese and my parents are both Japanese, and I don't like Japanese. ggrooe said they are 5 yr old spoiled babies and I feel the same way. They don't even say "excuse me" or "sorry" when they push me out on the train or any other public spots. Even at a bench or something at a shopping center, and suppose you will say, "is it ok if I sit?" they will ignore you totally.(not all the time but it happens.) I personally think that most of the people out there (especially in Tokyo, Chiba and Saitama area) are having mental problems. They just don't speak up.

Maybe it's a culture here. I remember I spoke to a Japanese salaryman with a formal suit on in the evening (I was wearing my suits like other salarymen out there), saying "Are you in line?" - He was standing around the line for my bus. He didn't say anything but just quickly shook his head like a 3 yr old kid does. At other times, they will be a little upset, panicked or bothered. I know why they do it. I'm also Japanese. They just don't want anyone to speak to them, which breaks their secure & comfortable space. But without saying anything, it will create another frustration.

- So you have 2 options:

1. Ask (speak up) to avoid a trouble but you may be ignored or be treated as a wierdo or something.
2. Don't ask (speak up) to avoid being ignored or be treated as a wierdo but you may have troubles about the seat or getting into the buildings/trains oranything you might be doing.

And don't forget. There more than 30,000 people commiting suicide each year. Also news programs are reporting on killing of family members. Parents kill children, and children kill parents. I hear this kind of news almost every day...


Sadly I was born here and was raised here. I need to accept all this except I have any chance to leave this country. This is a nation wide sick. I am taking that way about those people. they just can't communicate. They even avoid that although they say to themselves "I'm lonely...I have no one who understands me."

[ggrooe]

I like your speech. And please forgive me for the harsh critics I did.

The most problematic habit of Japanese in my place is they are like to disturb other people. In library where you should read silently, I always find that if there are some guys try to concentrate on their reading, other Japanese will come closer and make noisy sound like pretending to cough, kicking the table, make loud noise with newspapers, etc. And the most strange thing is: the ones who get disturbed are not necessarily the ones who are angry, rather the trouble makers are the ones with very emotional faces.

The second most problematic with Japanese in my place is the car drivers. When you ride bicycle or just passing through the road (green sign of course), and if you are foreigners, it is likely (in my case it is very likely if I dress and behave like martial artist :>) some random cars will move toward you with intention to hit you. Oh yes they didn't actually do it. They just show off that they have the ability to hit you.

So for you foreigners, just bring your camera with you when you go out. Take pictures of all cars that try to hit you and send me the pictures if you wish. I will make a blog about this phenomena. I myself have already had some picture of the cars and have intention to publish it in a blog.

Of course you can create your own blog about it. But please share it with others by putting your blog address here. I can be contacted at xrrha [at] yahoo [dot] com (yes that my email address).

shoo wrote:

The Japanese are more often rude to the Japanese. I am Japanese and my parents are both Japanese, and I don't like Japanese. ggrooe said they are 5 yr old spoiled babies and I feel the same way. They don't even say "excuse me" or "sorry" when they push me out on the train or any other public spots. Even at a bench or something at a shopping center, and suppose you will say, "is it ok if I sit?" they will ignore you totally.(not all the time but it happens.) I personally think that most of the people out there (especially in Tokyo, Chiba and Saitama area) are having mental problems. They just don't speak up.
Maybe it's a culture here. I remember I spoke to a Japanese salaryman with a formal suit on in the evening (I was wearing my suits like other salarymen out there), saying "Are you in line?" - He was standing around the line for my bus. He didn't say anything but just quickly shook his head like a 3 yr old kid does. At other times, they will be a little upset, panicked or bothered. I know why they do it. I'm also Japanese. They just don't want anyone to speak to them, which breaks their secure & comfortable space. But without saying anything, it will create another frustration.
- So you have 2 options:
1. Ask (speak up) to avoid a trouble but you may be ignored or be treated as a wierdo or something.
2. Don't ask (speak up) to avoid being ignored or be treated as a wierdo but you may have troubles about the seat or getting into the buildings/trains oranything you might be doing.
And don't forget. There more than 30,000 people commiting suicide each year. Also news programs are reporting on killing of family members. Parents kill children, and children kill parents. I hear this kind of news almost every day...
Sadly I was born here and was raised here. I need to accept all this except I have any chance to leave this country. This is a nation wide sick. I am taking that way about those people. they just can't communicate. They even avoid that although they say to themselves "I'm lonely...I have no one who understands me."

[shoo]

seriously, i have been thinking about bring my camera when going out, and i think i will be doing that on weekends.

it's a very good idea that you create a blog about the phenomena. i will send you my pictures when i can. i should be good for the japanese too because they don't know what they are doing.

ggrooe wrote:

I like your speech. And please forgive me for the harsh critics I did.
The most problematic habit of Japanese in my place is they are like to disturb other people. In library where you should read silently, I always find that if there are some guys try to concentrate on their reading, other Japanese will come closer and make noisy sound like pretending to cough, kicking the table, make loud noise with newspapers, etc. And the most strange thing is: the ones who get disturbed are not necessarily the ones who are angry, rather the trouble makers are the ones with very emotional faces.
The second most problematic with Japanese in my place is the car drivers. When you ride bicycle or just passing through the road (green sign of course), and if you are foreigners, it is likely (in my case it is very likely if I dress and behave like martial artist :>) some random cars will move toward you with intention to hit you. Oh yes they didn't actually do it. They just show off that they have the ability to hit you.
So for you foreigners, just bring your camera with you when you go out. Take pictures of all cars that try to hit you and send me the pictures if you wish. I will make a blog about this phenomena. I myself have already had some picture of the cars and have intention to publish it in a blog.
Of course you can create your own blog about it. But please share it with others by putting your blog address here. I can be contacted at xrrha [at] yahoo [dot] com (yes that my email address).
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