To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft

Foreigners living in Japan will understand. For everyone else, here goes: Some foreigners have a bizarro stigma about other foreigners in Japan. You can read about it here if you like.

Why do foreigners feel this way? Probably has a lot to do with the homogeneous nature of Japanese society. I honestly think that after foreigners have been here a while, even they get surprised when they see other foreigners! Like other foreigners are somehow infringing on the experience or the visual landscape. Or something. Really, it's all quite silly. Feeling that way, I think, is a phase of sorts.

I can remember a few years back, when I did feel sorta that way. Like, if I saw another foreigner, I'd actually try to avoid him or her. (Running was typically involved!) Or if I heard another foreigner speak Japanese, I'd quietly judge them: Is theirs better than mine? Worse? That, or play the Who's-Been-In-Japan-Longer game.

Hogwash! But, I've really stopped giving a fuck. More than happy to chat up other foreigners. In fact, sometimes I think I somewhat seek that out. Figure that they probably understand what my day-to-day existence is like better than people back in the States or regular Japanese folks here can.

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Send an email to the author of this post at bashcraft@kotaku.com.