I always get gawked at in public because of my appearance. Though I don't like seeing people do triple takes when they see me and just have to look back again and again, it's usually just basic rudeness. When my husband (who is also American) and I are out walking around, we, rather reasonably, speak English to each other. It's important to say here that we are not loud talkers. We speak at a
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est prejudice. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est prejudice. Afficher tous les articles
mercredi 23 novembre 2011
Won't Miss #390 - dirty looks for English
Posted on 08:00 by Unknown
I always get gawked at in public because of my appearance. Though I don't like seeing people do triple takes when they see me and just have to look back again and again, it's usually just basic rudeness. When my husband (who is also American) and I are out walking around, we, rather reasonably, speak English to each other. It's important to say here that we are not loud talkers. We speak at a
lundi 24 octobre 2011
Won't Miss #379 - the "lesser" customer
Posted on 08:00 by Unknown
This woman at Adores gaming center was giving some sort of discount card or ticket to everyone who came in, but didn't offer any to my husband and I. This is despite the fact that we actually patronize their establishments.
Walking down the streets of Tokyo or going into shops, you see people sometimes handing out free samples, tissues, coupons, and flyers. Ninety-nine percent of the time,
vendredi 23 septembre 2011
Won't Miss #369 - facial hair prejudice
Posted on 08:00 by Unknown
Okay, this guy definitely isn't helping the image of facial hair, but give him a break. This picture was taken at a summer festival, not at the office. You'd all look less than ready for Wall Street in 93 degree heat and high humidity at a crowded public gathering.
When my husband came to Japan in 1989 seeking a job, his brother, who also lives in Japan, recommended that he shave off his
lundi 4 avril 2011
Won't Miss #305 - mistrust of imported food
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the bits of marketing that you find appears on some food designed to be fed to infants and toddlers, as well as the odd product for adults, is the fact that the ingredients are made in Japan. When a package says, "made with rice grown in Japan," I wonder why it even matters. I think one of the reasons is that many Japanese people don't trust the safety of food grown in other countries. In
Posted in advertising, attitudes, food, food culture, Japanese culture, prejudice, won't miss
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mardi 14 décembre 2010
Will Miss #265 - (generally) liking Americans
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One thing I learned pretty quickly during my first job in Japan, among which I had a plethora of coworkers from other English speaking countries, was that many people dislike Americans. They haven't been to America, nor are they particularly well-educated about it, but they don't like us. They think we are our politics, our politicians, our business practices, our fast food, our laws, and our
mardi 7 décembre 2010
Won't Miss #263 - blaming foreigners for drug sales
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
If you read a story about a Japanese person who is caught with drugs and arrested, there is a high probability that it will be mentioned that the detainee will be asked where the drugs were obtained and the answer will be, "I got them from a foreigner". The fact that this information is included for routine drug busts (like someone caught with marijuana or stimulants) for small amounts of drugs
lundi 29 novembre 2010
Won't Miss #260 - Caucasian elevation
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
If you're white in Japan, you automatically have value based on skin color alone. Many Caucasian foreigners, particularly men, love being seen as special and relish being the favored pet that is fawned over and spoken to with adoration. They're the best of breed among the kennel of foreigners. If you're black, you're a bit out of luck in the gaijin pet show because many Japanese tend to regard
mercredi 27 octobre 2010
Won't Miss #248 - Softbank
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
My issues with Softbank are two-fold (at the moment). First, if you sign a contract with them and you are not Japanese, you must provide two forms of official identification such as your alien registration card, passport, or government issue health insurance card. If you are Japanese, you only need to provide one piece of official identification or two very flimsy pieces (like student I.D. and
dimanche 15 août 2010
Won't Miss #218 - train seat pariah
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the earliest indications that you are regarded as unappealing in the eyes of some Japanese people is the fact that they will get up and leave their seat if you (a foreigner) sit next to them. There's also the fact that people will choose not to sit next to you if you are a foreigner. Some foreigners believe that this is somehow the result of foreign folks doing something "wrong". They
mercredi 4 août 2010
Won't Miss #212 - English warnings
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
The Japanese sales ethic is all about copious amounts of courtesy. You would be hard-pressed to find a written warning or caution for customers in Japanese which was written in rude language. On the other hand, it is quite easy to find rude or outright profane messages for customers written in English. You also find that many security-related messages are written only in English. In particular,
dimanche 11 juillet 2010
Won't Miss #200 - lack of cultural sensitivity
Posted on 00:16 by Unknown
The flip-side of the previous post about a lack of political correctness is that there is also a lack of cultural sensitivity in Japan. The same attributes which stop Japanese people from overreacting and applying hysterical political correctness to certain words or issues fuels their lack of understanding about what can be seen as or is an offensive portrayal of people from other cultures.
mardi 8 juin 2010
Will Miss #182 - not caring about how I look
Posted on 00:00 by Unknown
Some foreigners complain or are surprised that other foreigners don't care about how they look or walk around dressed like bums when they live in Japan. The thing about living for a long time in a culture where you are objectified is that you stop caring about what strangers think of you. If you're going to be stared at and treated like some sort of animal that has escaped from the zoo anyway,
mardi 1 juin 2010
Won't Miss #179 - Low Glass Ceiling
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A rare female conductor on the JR line points to signal that all is ready for departure. People like to say that the situation in Japan has improved a lot for women over the past several decades, but the glass ceiling is still set quite low relative to Western countries. Women are still barred from doing jobs that men have deemed too dangerous, dirty or physically taxing for them. Whether or not
Posted in gender bias, glass ceiling, Japanese culture, Japanese women, prejudice, sexism, won't miss, work life
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samedi 15 mai 2010
Will Miss #170 - "the advocate"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
For those who can't read Japanese, the shop's name is "Don Quixote". I place the picture here tongue in cheek.Most English speakers know the saying, "necessity is the mother of invention". This saying generally applies to technology, but it also applies to social changes. With only 2% of Japan's population being foreign, Japan has not had much in the way of necessity when it comes to the rights
vendredi 14 mai 2010
Won't Miss #170 - being refused service
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There are several bicycle repair shops in my immediate area, and every time I walk past one of them, I feel just a little irritated. The reason for this is that my husband and I were refused service at this shop. While the "no gaijins allowed" situation isn't as bad as it used to be, it still happens. The main difference between now and 10-20 years ago is that the printed signs in windows telling
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