So its 3:00 am on a Saturday and rather than sleeping, I find myself thinking about this city I live in… Tokyo (or for the few of you who must, Tokio). And as I stand on my balcony looking at the lit-up buildings around me, I catch a glimpse of the new Tokyo Sky Tree being built off in the distance, and my mind wanders off. I find myself thinking how much this city has changed in such a short time.
The first time I made my way out to Tokyo was in the spring of 2005. It was my first trip to Japan, and I was determined to make the best of it. I spent from 6 a.m. every morning until 1 or 2 a.m. exploring the city, taking in the sights, visiting the attractions, and learning whatever I could. But looking back now, Tokyo seems like a completely different place. It has undergone a great number of changes in both appearance and culture.
The first thing that struck me, was how the people have changed.
5 years ago, I couldn’t stand alone in a Tokyo train station looking at a map, without someone coming up to me and asking me if I needed help. In fact, my favorite memory of my trip was a Japanese woman who helped me get from Haneda Airport, to Tokyo station, then helped me find a locker, and even went so far as to take me all the way to Shibuya station so that I could meet my friend.
A Japanese friend once told me, that in Japan when you ask for directions, people don’t tell you, they take you.
And this was the case for much of my travels throughout Tokyo. However, here I am 5 years later, and I can’t help but notice the drastic and almost shocking difference in how people react to a lost foreigner (or “Gaijin” as we are called).
At first I thought I might just be imagining it, or maybe it was just me… So I put my theory to the test. I gathered 3 friends and we went to 5 different stations throughout the day. Some major stations and some smaller stations. One by one we would stand in front of the train map looking dazed and confused, and it was around the time of hitting the 3rd station of the day that my worst fears were realized…..
Nobody seemed to care about the confused, lost, gaijin.
So I went home and put myself to work on this issue. I looked up articles, I checked culture books, and I even talked to about 20+ people, ranging from long-time gaijin colleagues to Tokyo-born natives, and came up with what could be considered an explanation:
It’s actually quite simple. Japanese are famous for being some of the most inviting and hospitable people on the face of the planet. And a large part of this is tied directly into the Japanese mindset. For Japanese people, gaijin are guests. Therefore they feel obligated to assist in any way they can. However, over the last 5 years, Japan has been aiming more and more for globalization and development of a strong English skill set. And there lies the problem: English and therefore gaijin, have become more of a stress for Japanese people than ever before. The average Japanese person has basic understanding of the English language, but mostly in the areas of reading and writing. They are not provided with many opportunities to speak, and therefore speaking in English is already a source of great stress for most. Add to this, the social pressure being placed on them to globalize, and the mix of these factors creates a stress that causes the majority of Japanese to shut out gaijin as a way of managing stress.
I think that this is a near-perfect example of why a strong understanding of Japanese culture is important for anyone who has a strong interest in spending any significant amount of time in Japan. A great number of gaijin who have lived here for an extended period of time, tend to find themselves becoming frustrated and irritated with these types of situations. Many think that when Japanese choose not to sit next to them on the train, that it’s an act of racism, while it may actually be simply them managing stress by eliminating a possible responsibility. Once they sit beside a gaijin, they are responsible for him (in their minds at least). And as I mentioned before, they don’t just tell you where to go… they take you there.
Understanding these cultural points can really help to reduce your own stress in Japan and make your stay more enjoyable. And while its true that everyone has there own personality, and this cultural-based analysis may not apply to every Japanese person out there, it should at the very least, provide you with a little more insight into the Japanese mind~
I will continue my write-up on the changes in Tokyo next week, so if you have any questions, please feel free to comment!
Goodnight (Oyasumi)
The first time I made my way out to Tokyo was in the spring of 2005. It was my first trip to Japan, and I was determined to make the best of it. I spent from 6 a.m. every morning until 1 or 2 a.m. exploring the city, taking in the sights, visiting the attractions, and learning whatever I could. But looking back now, Tokyo seems like a completely different place. It has undergone a great number of changes in both appearance and culture.
The first thing that struck me, was how the people have changed.
5 years ago, I couldn’t stand alone in a Tokyo train station looking at a map, without someone coming up to me and asking me if I needed help. In fact, my favorite memory of my trip was a Japanese woman who helped me get from Haneda Airport, to Tokyo station, then helped me find a locker, and even went so far as to take me all the way to Shibuya station so that I could meet my friend.
A Japanese friend once told me, that in Japan when you ask for directions, people don’t tell you, they take you.
And this was the case for much of my travels throughout Tokyo. However, here I am 5 years later, and I can’t help but notice the drastic and almost shocking difference in how people react to a lost foreigner (or “Gaijin” as we are called).
At first I thought I might just be imagining it, or maybe it was just me… So I put my theory to the test. I gathered 3 friends and we went to 5 different stations throughout the day. Some major stations and some smaller stations. One by one we would stand in front of the train map looking dazed and confused, and it was around the time of hitting the 3rd station of the day that my worst fears were realized…..
Nobody seemed to care about the confused, lost, gaijin.
So I went home and put myself to work on this issue. I looked up articles, I checked culture books, and I even talked to about 20+ people, ranging from long-time gaijin colleagues to Tokyo-born natives, and came up with what could be considered an explanation:
It’s actually quite simple. Japanese are famous for being some of the most inviting and hospitable people on the face of the planet. And a large part of this is tied directly into the Japanese mindset. For Japanese people, gaijin are guests. Therefore they feel obligated to assist in any way they can. However, over the last 5 years, Japan has been aiming more and more for globalization and development of a strong English skill set. And there lies the problem: English and therefore gaijin, have become more of a stress for Japanese people than ever before. The average Japanese person has basic understanding of the English language, but mostly in the areas of reading and writing. They are not provided with many opportunities to speak, and therefore speaking in English is already a source of great stress for most. Add to this, the social pressure being placed on them to globalize, and the mix of these factors creates a stress that causes the majority of Japanese to shut out gaijin as a way of managing stress.
I think that this is a near-perfect example of why a strong understanding of Japanese culture is important for anyone who has a strong interest in spending any significant amount of time in Japan. A great number of gaijin who have lived here for an extended period of time, tend to find themselves becoming frustrated and irritated with these types of situations. Many think that when Japanese choose not to sit next to them on the train, that it’s an act of racism, while it may actually be simply them managing stress by eliminating a possible responsibility. Once they sit beside a gaijin, they are responsible for him (in their minds at least). And as I mentioned before, they don’t just tell you where to go… they take you there.
Understanding these cultural points can really help to reduce your own stress in Japan and make your stay more enjoyable. And while its true that everyone has there own personality, and this cultural-based analysis may not apply to every Japanese person out there, it should at the very least, provide you with a little more insight into the Japanese mind~
I will continue my write-up on the changes in Tokyo next week, so if you have any questions, please feel free to comment!
Goodnight (Oyasumi)
