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Recently
I was reminded of my days in Japan, where I spent a total of
3 years over a 5-year duration during the first half of the
90s. I was a
student for a while learning the language and then had a
couple of jobs teaching English in different parts of the
country. What
struck me was how Japan is an absolutely homogeneous
establishment and how it seems to take pride in its
homogeneity.
I was
a novelty in Japan from day one.
You must have read countless stories of how foreigners
are treated in Japan. Starting
from being stared at in public places, hassles of renting
apartments, there are outright cases of being discriminated in
the workplace by not offering jobs at all or only low-paid
jobs.
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 I
am also reminded of situations where I thought
I was being treated in a special manner when I kept getting
invited to all these clubs and parties for their international
events. These
gatherings are mostly dominated by women of all ages and
children who are all trying to learn more about the world.
In fact, I was even offered money (apart from free
transport and food) to join some of these gatherings.
A search would be made to find every single foreigner
in the area and they will all be pulled to this event to
educate the Japanese about our cultures.
It was indeed a lot of fun but I felt that I was being
used, that I was an object of curiosity, and that I was a prop
(considering the number of pictures that they would take of
me).
I recall
that several other foreigners that I met were asked to wear
their traditional clothes for the event.
It was quite amusing to be in these gatherings,
especially with all the kids around you who looked as amused
as they would be in Disney
Land.
The women were rather shy and some of them would try to
talk to us if they spoke some English.
Overall, it was fun, but I always felt like an object
going to these events. Why
did I continue to go then?
Well, the people appeared to be more pleasant than they
were in other places. Secondly,
I met some people who were genuinely interested in foreign
people and I made some excellent friends.
Over
the years, Japan has made a lot of progress in accepting
foreigners and appreciating other cultures.
It also appears that the Internet is having an impact
since the Japanese people are no longer solely dependent on
the Japanese media to get their information about the rest of
the world. I
understand that MYNIPPON community has a sizable number of
Japanese who are committed to knowing the world on their own.
Recommended links: Life of a Japanese salaryman
Dissolving
stereotypes of Japan What
to expect on your trip to Japan?
Discovering
Japan Heian
shrine
How to introduce my Japanese boyfriend to my parents
What is the future of Japan
Transition of Japanese society and business
Transformation of Japanese business
What is the future of Japan in the world |
