4 ms·

I’ve only been in Tokyo for three months, and have already caught myself in this self-awareness paradox: you have to be extremely self aware that you don’t offe

I’ve only been in Tokyo for three months, and have already caught myself in this self-awareness paradox: you have to be extremely self aware that you don’t offend others around you, yet your own needs / wants come later. I recognize that it could potentially have negative effects on one overtime, but I see this as a fair trade off for the abundant safety and civility in Japan.

exelius 8y ago
Welcome to being a minority. It can be just as bad to be one in the US without proper support. Life is hard for everyone.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
shankr 8y ago
This is how I feel living as a foreigner in Germany. It's not Japan specific. Most of the migrants share similar feelings, especially those who come from developing countries.
timr 8y ago
As the other commenters note, this is part of what it means to be a minority; internalizing this is one of the personal benefits of extended travel. That said, a lot of people go through this when they're new to Japan. People are so unusually polite/friendly that it makes you self-conscious of your own habits. Eventually you become more familiar with what you're seeing, and you're able to relax and be yourself. I think it took me about six months to stop worrying about offending people -- perhaps not coincidentally, this is when it became easier to make Japanese friends. (Also, it's essential in order to learn the language. You have to be willing to barge ahead with communication, regardless of politeness. This is still a challenge for me.)
- exelius 8y ago
  I feel that it can often help that foreigners (especially Americans) have a reputation for rudeness that has become accepted as “cultural difference”, such that people are not as offended when a gaijin does something that would be considered offensive coming from a Japanese person.

4 ms·

I’ve only been in Tokyo for three months, and have already caught myself in this self-awareness paradox: you have to be extremely self aware that you don’t offe

by olingern 8y ago

exelius 8y ago
Welcome to being a minority. It can be just as bad to be one in the US without proper support. Life is hard for everyone.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
shankr 8y ago
This is how I feel living as a foreigner in Germany. It's not Japan specific. Most of the migrants share similar feelings, especially those who come from developing countries.
timr 8y ago
As the other commenters note, this is part of what it means to be a minority; internalizing this is one of the personal benefits of extended travel. That said, a lot of people go through this when they're new to Japan. People are so unusually polite/friendly that it makes you self-conscious of your own habits. Eventually you become more familiar with what you're seeing, and you're able to relax and be yourself. I think it took me about six months to stop worrying about offending people -- perhaps not coincidentally, this is when it became easier to make Japanese friends. (Also, it's essential in order to learn the language. You have to be willing to barge ahead with communication, regardless of politeness. This is still a challenge for me.)
- exelius 8y ago
  I feel that it can often help that foreigners (especially Americans) have a reputation for rudeness that has become accepted as “cultural difference”, such that people are not as offended when a gaijin does something that would be considered offensive coming from a Japanese person.