Befriending "gaijin" in Japan

(Wow... I never know how to start off a thread...)

Okay, well...
I recently moved to Japan, from Canada, on Working Holiday VISA and though I have a fair amount of Japanese friends here, I'd actually like to meet some foreign people (face-to-face) who are in the same situation as me in Japan.

Where do you meet people? Somehow, I'm under the impression that just walking up to someone who looks foreign and saying "Hi! I'm from Canada! Wanna be friendzzz!!!" is kind of awkward...so...

Any suggestions?

I'd recommend not going out of your way to meet fellow foreigners at all. You're only here for a short while; maximize the experience.

True. It is my 5th time here though... However, I plan on staying for a year (hopefully they will extend my VISA 6 more than the initial 6 months)... and after that, longer. (I'm living with my boyfriend of a few years so...)

Oh, yes! Now I remember! I knew I recognized "pika la" in connection with some past threads, but couldn't remember just what.

I thought you two were getting married.

Anyway, more on topic......you may as well just walk up to folks and chat them up, then.

Yes, I remember you, too.

In addition to chatting up with people in the streets, have you tried this one?

Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese
I think you qualify, even if you're not married officially.

I think you could rely on online social networking sites, I don't know which ones are best for people living in Japan... If Japanese girls can meet gaijin through these sites then surely gaijin can meet gaijin... You might even try posting on Craigslist, but as usual, I offer up a bit of caution when meeting people online, always keep yourself safe by not giving out any information until you feel comfortable the other person isn't a creep.

A long time ago people thought meeting others online was weird and anti-social, now it's more accepted, if not simply ubiquitous---- it's just that with social networking sites, they know what type of music you listen to before they meet you.

You can also go where other gaijin go to hang out, look through the magazine Metropolis (It's online, and free), it holds several parties a year, and from the pictures there are many many gaijin thre as well as Japanese, which I think is a great combination...

It will also keep you clear of the grim confines of places like Gas Panic, which though now is simply a haven of awkward Eikaiwa teachers looking to meet easy Japanese girls, it still seems to have this legendary mythology to it... but you wouldn't be interested in a place like that anyways!

ps. I also remember you!

To some of you who responded to his question.. What's wrong with wanting to meet gaijin. nothing! People are different no matter if they are from your own country. They each have a special something to share.

I've seen alot of this with japanese people.. they come to american and they want to disassociate from anyone or anything Japanese. that's kind of stupid.

pinson27 said:

To some of you who responded to his question..

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He's a she.

And I'm the person you're talking to. Use my name.

What's wrong with wanting to meet gaijin. nothing! People are different no matter if they are from your own country. They each have a special something to share.

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And there's plenty of time to meet them and pal around with them once back home again. The problem with meeting them here while on a short and usually once in a lifetime visit such as a working holiday is that there is a tendency to end up spending most of one's time hanging out with fellow foreigners and later ending up with regrets for not having maximized the opportunities while here.

I've seen alot of this with japanese people.. they come to american and they want to disassociate from anyone or anything Japanese. that's kind of stupid.

Click to expand...

I've also known lots of Japanese who went abroad to study English. The ones who actually manage to markedly improve their English are the ones who intentionally chose areas where they would be unlikely to meet up with other Japanese. All the others came back and regretted spending all their time hanging out with the multitude of Japanese around them instead of taking advantage of the opportunity. Japanese are equally likely to end up living in a little "Japanese bubble" overseas as foreigners are likely to end up living in a little "gaijin bubble" in Japan.

I find your assessment of the situation "kind of stupid".

pika la said:

(Wow... I never know how to start off a thread...)
Okay, well...
I recently moved to Japan, from Canada, on Working Holiday VISA and though I have a fair amount of Japanese friends here, I'd actually like to meet some foreign people (face-to-face) who are in the same situation as me in Japan.

Click to expand...

I don't recall your former visa situation but last I heard, weren't you working towards taking Japanese classes at language school ? Or even working a real job ? The former would be the obvious way to meet foreigners....

Mike Cash said:

I've also known lots of Japanese who went abroad to study English. The ones who actually manage to markedly improve their English are the ones who intentionally chose areas where they would be unlikely to meet up with other Japanese. All the others came back and regretted spending all their time hanging out with the multitude of Japanese around them instead of taking advantage of the opportunity.

Click to expand...

I totally agree with your statement. I chose the area where I know I don't see a living Japanese when I chose my 2 and 4-year colleges. Even though I can pass as an American from the way I speak, I noticed my Japanese got an American accent to it (which can be either good or bad depending on the situation).

My first study abroad was Shizuoka. Other than the English teachers at the school I went to, and the other three students, it was all Japanese. Bar none the most useful 3 months I had.

After moving to Tokyo, I did pretty well to emerge myself in somewhat bilingual groups. Yeah, you talk funny to other people, but it's not as bad of a gig as some make it out to be. You can actually learn a lot of Japanese from other gaijin that speak Japanese well.

Thanks for the suggestions, AND for remembering me!
(Btw, decided on living in Japan for a longer period together first..no rush right? The working holiday is much better for me than the Student VISA..as school fees are so expensive.)

Anyways, I'll give it some time and searching...
I'm the opposite ... in my HOME country I surrounded myself with mostly Japanese people and thus I have less of a "Canadian"-ness and am often asked how long I've been in Canada, or where I came from haha. But here everyone I know is Japanese...and so I feel like I would liek to speak English and utilize sarcasm on occasion ^^

THANKS!