Image of foreigners in Japan
When Japanese think of foreigners, they think of overly tall, blond Americans or Europeans with huge feet, trying to find their way to the right subway line. Even though some of us aren’t that tall (I’m only 5′9″), they apologize for having such small cars when you sit in the passenger seat, and likewise apologize for living in such a tiny hovel when you visit them at home, whether or not their house is really that small.
It’s also assumed that every foreigner will speak English, and it’s not uncommon to be told “sorry, I can’t understand!” by a Japanese person even though you’re speaking to them in their native language.
In actuality, the vast majority of foreigners living in Japan are not Westerners, but are from both Koreas, Brazil, Peru, and China. Officially, 1.5% of Japan’s population are resident foreigners, although that number doesn’t take into account people who are here illegally, so the number is probably higher.
Isesaki, the city we live in, has a much higher foreign population (3%) than average due to a lot of factories based here, which means a lot more choices when you want to eat ethnic. One of our favorite restaurants is a Peruvian place that serves the most heavenly pollo a la brasa.
At 6′3″ I lived up to the foreigner image in Japan. And I can’t count how many times I bumped my head the first time I visited Japan.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:23 amdo you have Big Feet? and have you replied when asked..”no hablo inglés!”?
rem.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 amGood Post Peter - (please excuse my usually goofing around).
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:35 pmCorrect me if I am wrong, but aren’t Peru and Brazil in the Western hemisphere?
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 pmOr is this line of thought based on culture? If yes, isn’t most of Brazil colonized by Europeans? The same goes for Peru in a lesser degree?
I’ll pad up and go into bat on this one.
Brazil must be sufficiently important to Japan for the Crown Prince Naruhito to go all the way to Sao Paulo to “pay homage” to the descendants of Japanese Immigrants who 100 years ago went there, creating the largest Japanese community outside of the home islands.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vascopress/2594507715/in/set-72157605706947630/
My experience tells me that although great travellers the Japanese are not by their nature a migrating race of people..unlike the Italians,Greeks,Irish,Chinese..and er?..Polish?.
Possibly, I identify a little bit with the people mentioned in Peter’s Post because out of the 1.5% mentioned who are Westerners, my own ethnic group “The Unwashed Woad Besmeared Spam-Gobbling Brits” are in an even smaller minority..I think Americans out number us at least 20-or-30 to 1.
I happen to live in the same prefecture as Peter and very close Ota (aka Little Brazil)…also Tatebayashi where I am, also has a Mosque (I can supply Japundit with a photo) and a wonderful hole-in-the-wall authentic Indian/Bangladeshi Curry House..where I have spent some eye-watering evenings discussing Cricket with the owner and cook (shout-out to Rajiv!!)
Oh-my-Goodness! now I’ve done it.
yours
remora.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:02 amjohan, usually the term “Westerner” has historically been applied to those from Western Europe and their immigrant descendants (but only where they are dominant (i.e., US and Canada)). It is geographic, cultural and to some degree, racial. Peru and Brazil usually get labeled as part of Latin America.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:30 am