My Top Ten Misconceptions Japanese People Make About Gaijin

Oct 24, 2011 19:15 No Comments

6719
6720

by Satoshi Kawase

When I am around Japanese people there is a odd thing I like to tell them. “The weird thing about Japan is that it’s filled with Japanese people.” Sure, that might seem obvious to you but me coming from New York, one of the most diverse cities in the world, it’s really strange. Consider that in a particular stretch of Manhattan you can walk 20 minutes and go through Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy and the Hispanic portion of the Lower East Side. When you grow up among so many different cultures and ethnicities you realize something ミ other people are really different from you and they are really similar to you too, but differing backgrounds are a poor way to determine which is which.

Most Japanese people living in Japan have a hard time understanding gaijin and it’s easy to see why. In a country that’s 98% Japanese, practically all the people they know are Japanese! A lot of what Japanese people know about gaijin comes from TV, movies, magazines and while all this makes us look like fantastically attractive people, it doesn’t help take out the “gai” (outside) from gaijin. Chances are if you are a Japanese person reading this magazine, you’re got a fair interest in learning about gaijin. Japanese people have a lot of misconceptions about gaijin, and while there are many, here is a top ten of some of my favorites. Enjoy.

10. Gaijin use the word “narcissist”.
Well, not unless you’re an English professor or a romance novelist. Sure, it’s in the dictionary but nobody uses it. “conceited” is the proper term.

9. Gaijin are all good looking.
Yes, the gaijin that you see on television, on ads and in magazines are all good looking, so when you see them on the streets of Tenjin you think they’re good looking too. Trust me, put them on the streets of New York or London and all of a sudden they’re ugly as hell!

8. All blacks people are good at rapping, singing and dancing.
I see a lot of Japanese kids these days who dress very “black” without having ever met a single black person in their lives. From TV, music and movies they know all the black rappers and basketball players but I worry what kind of image they have of blacks without ever knowing of any black politicians, doctors, lawyers or engineers?

7. The 70’s rock group Carpenters is wildly popular.
At Karaoke, don’t ask the gaijin in the group if he can sing the Carpenters. He can’t.

6. Gaijin can’t use chopsticks
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gone out to eat with my gaijin friends and watched as the fork and knife gets plopped in front of them. Most gaijin these days know how to use chopsticks. They are in Japan aren’t they?

5. Gaijin don’t enjoy being stared out
Gaijin will not admit this but they love the attention that they get out in public. Trust me, it makes them feel like a celebrity. As long as you’re not pointing fingers and running away like in a Godzilla movie.

4. All gaijin think alike
I love how Japanese people ask me how gaijin feel about a particular topic. I really enjoy this because I am a gaijin and therefore obviously know how ALL gaijin feel about everything!

3. Gaijin men are very kind and make good boyfriends
This one is true. All cute Japanese girls who believe this should submit a picture and phone number to me. Just drop them off at the Fukuoka Now office and I will get right back to you.

2. All gaijin of a particular area know each other
Bob? Bob Who? Oh white Bob! Yeah, I know Bob.

1. Gaijin are completely ignorant of Japanese politeness
A lot of gaijin claim ignorance when they fully know that they are being inpolite. If youユre on the last train and group of gaijin are being loud and obnoxious be direct like a gaijin and let them know!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

ページトップに戻る