Gaijin Greets

[Davey]

okay after surfing on some sites i found this artice on www.icestormcity.com

the gaijin dilemma

It's the stuff of nightmares for the gaijin in Japan. The thought of it is enough to send them running to the toilet. The reality of it is enough to cause profuse sweating and the breakout of an itchy rash in the nether regions.

The dilemma is whether to acknowledge fellow gaijin walking along the street. Don't let any gaijin tell you it's not a dilemma. In fact, the ones who pretend not to notice their fellow gaijin are the ones with the loudest voice in their head and the biggest knot in their stomach. It's written all over their face.

Their internal dialogue usually goes something like this: "Oh what a nice day, I think I'll go and.....oh **** is that a gaijin up ahead? Or just a Japanese person with blonde hair? ****, it IS a gaijin. What shall I do? Acknowledge? Smile? Completely ignore him? If I smile and he doesn't, I'll feel like an idiot, and maybe it looks like I've just arrived in Japan yesterday and I'll look all naive and lost, but actually I've been here nine years and I know everything. But hey, I'm friendly, why shouldn't I say hello? Maybe he's nice. He probably won't even look at me; pretend I'm not even here, pretend he hasn't seen me. ****, he's getting closer. Hey, he's looking the other way in a most unnatural fashion - so he's definitely seen me! He's looking all over the place, everywhere except AT ME. So he's going through the same hell as me right now. Moving into the critical zone now...I'll go for it....Hello"

Other gaijin: "Hello."

How difficult was that? Don't be such a ponce, and say hello to your fellow gaijin. Smile too, if it ain't too much effort.

so my qeustion about this is: DO gaijins greet each other, do you greet other gaijins? and what do you talk about.....

im going to japan myself, and i would like to greet gaijins, but i dont want to look stupid LOL

 

[RockLee]

I didn't go up to some other foreign guy...hell I was on vacation..what do I care about other foreign people not like we're special or something like that. Once this American stood next to me at a place waiting and asked where I was from...that's the only time I talked to a foreign guy in Japan. If you are acting like a foreigner..u are one. If you act as you live there..people won't even notice you lol..at least in my case

 

[Alma]

so, foreigners are so rare in Japan? :? I think it could be funny sometime, but sometimes not, it depends on the situation...
when will you be in Japan? I would greet you if I see you... but I think maybe I will say hello to everybody and start conversation:''heeeeey... I am sooooo glad I am finally in Japan....'' yeah everybody will know I am there

 

[Davey]

haha yeah, alma same would I, you I think I would embarrass my girlfriend with being TOO happy LOL...

like I understand in some major city's it's not comon, but what about when you are in a place where you almost never see another gaijin...:?

I will be going from July 13th, till August 15th... we talk to each other after it then alma

But rock is it that people always see you as a gaijin even in your life in Japan for 20 years? or am I wrong... I will be acting like a bloody tourist LOL.. taking pictures of cute girls ( when my girl isn't watching of course.. just pictures more not LOL)

 

[Alma]

Have fun there. I am going in September, and I just realised that I would be surrounded with other gaijins, cause it will be people from all over the world on the institute I am going... nevermind so that I will greet every Japanese I see LOL

and you, be as happy as you want, and we all expect big report on how there's been when you come back

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Hmmm Gaijin avoiding is a national sport in Japan amongst other gaijin. I swear!

Although on more than one occasion I stuck my neck out to help a fellow gaijin out if they looked especially lost, confused or dumbstruck. Usually on trains or at shops.

heh

 

[RockLee]

Hmmm Gaijin avoiding is a national sport in Japan amongst other gaijin. I swear!

Although on more than one occasion I stuck my neck out to help a fellow gaijin out if they looked especially lost, confused or dumbstruck. Usually on trains or at shops.

heh

hehe, I forgot about that...some dude asked me directions...but he realised soon enough he wasn't the only foreigner hahaha

 

[Kamakiri]

Haha - that article is pretty funny. I'm always explaining that situation to my friends. Unfortunately, I guess I'm the gaijin that would look the other way and not say hi. It's not that I'm not friendly - in America I'm always talking to people everywhere I go. In Japan, though, I'm here to study Japanese...not to make friends with people I pass on the street. It's also a little creepy for me, being a 22-year old girl, when strange gaijin come up to me out of no where saying things like "oh, are you lonely here? I am - you should come to my apartment and we can hang out! By the way, my name is Hunter" (this really happened...and the guy came into the store because he saw me through the window). ok, buddy - just cause we're both white doesn't mean I'm going to your apartment. I've had 3 gaijin guys come up and talk to me out of no where - I didn't even see them coming! It's really intimidating.

I definitely don't mind helping people out, though. If I saw a gaijin in trouble, I would definitely lend a hand.

 

[ArmandV]

The only gaijin I talked to (for any length) was an Israeli hostess at a Roppongi nightclub and a girl we thought was Japanese (turned out she was Japanese-Canadian) in an Internet shop in Kyoto . Any other gaijin people were either from our group or too far away.

 

[hintgiver]

I agree, gaijin need to talk with one another. I mean most often when I am in Japan people would come up and ask for directions. Whenever I would see another gaijin on the street, we would nod to each other and say "hey what's up" and one guy we actually had a nice short conversation.

However, two of my friends came to Japan to visit me one time. And the four of us were in a large yaki-niku place. We were off in with all the regulars... but there was a table in the back with a lot of gaijin, like us. One of them, a girl with blond hair, went to the bathroom. and on her way back she laughed really loud at a joke she heard from their table and me and my best friend looked over and smiled and she gave us a dirty horrid look like "what are you gaijin doing here... I am going to kill you!" Ha ha' him and I got really spooked and got a good laugh out of it but I mean wow... to have someone give you a dirty look like that.

but I think gaijin should be nice to each other. in Japan, in the US, anywhere

 

[mad pierrot]

but I think gaijin should be nice to each other. in Japan, in the US, anywhere

I concur.


The 2 basic reactions when one gaijin passes another on the street; avoiding eye contact and eye contact. I always give eye contact. If acknowledged, I give the "nod" and smile. That's my standard reaction whenever I bump into a fellow expat in another country.



Works well for me!

 

[hintgiver]

The 2 basic reactions when one gaijin passes another on the street; avoiding eye contact and eye contact. Works well for me!

I think you missed one, I think another reason a gaijin might avoid another is that one gaijin has been in Japan for a while and has not been able to find a store that sells deoderant... and the gaijin might be pretty ripe if he hasn't had any deoderant and is in hot Japan weather

 

[Gord]

When I'm not getting dirty looks from gaijin, I'm getting ignored by them. One time I decided to ask a pair of gaijin for directions. They asked if I was looking for some "easy p***y" and when I said no, they asked me what I was doing in Japan. I told them I've always liked Japan and they said "no seriously, why are you here?"

A few weeks ago a few girls looked very confused so I asked if they needed any help. One of the girls, extremally bitchily, said "no, we dont".

I work at a bar and I do meet some cool gaijin but for the most part, alot of people are here for the wrong reason and it's hard to be around them. I fail to see the point of talking to someone just because you're both not from Japan. Usually they put their head down or look away when I walk by. I don't go running up to japanese people and talk to them, so I see no reason to do it when they're white. I don't do it back home, I won't do it here

 

[Wang]

The dilemma is whether to acknowledge fellow gaijin walking along the street. Don't let any gaijin tell you it's not a dilemma. In fact, the ones who pretend not to notice their fellow gaijin are the ones with the loudest voice in their head and the biggest knot in their stomach. It's written all over their face.

I think that would be aweful if you have these kind of problems. Fortunately for people who are or look mostly like oriental people we don't stick out of the crowd much in Japan and have the option to blend in.

 

[TwistedMac]

ever been on a trip on a bike?.. no not that one, one with more horsepowers... I mean a motorcycle. there's this thing, where on the freeway etc, whenever you pass another bike, both honk... it's like.. what? we both own a bike and like doing trips on it, big deal? we're not soulmates! we are not unique snowflakes in an inferno of fire...

It gets old fast, yet people insist on doing it.. it's the "you and me, buddy" sentiment... I'm guessing that can take root where you stick out of the crowd aswell.

 

[RockLee]

ever been on a trip on a bike?.. no not that one, one with more horsepowers... I mean a motorcycle. there's this thing, where on the freeway etc, whenever you pass another bike, both honk... it's like.. what? we both own a bike and like doing trips on it, big deal? we're not soulmates! we are not unique snowflakes in an inferno of fire...

It gets old fast, yet people insist on doing it.. it's the "you and me, buddy" sentiment... I'm guessing that can take root where you stick out of the crowd aswell.

It's a biker thing Mac ! Kinda like those busdrivers, always waving at eachother when they meet eachother ☝ It's maybe some kind of tradition ?


Note: Never seen drivers in a car do it

 

[Tragedy]

Since I am Asian-American, I can pass as a Japanese person. I never say hi to gaijin, in fact, I despise them. Yes, I know that sounds horribly hypocritical. But I do start conversations with Japanese people who are trying to learn English.

 

[thomas]

The 2 basic reactions when one gaijin passes another on the street; avoiding eye contact and eye contact. I always give eye contact. If acknowledged, I give the "nod" and smile. That's my standard reaction whenever I bump into a fellow exapt in another country.

Same here. However, it also depends on where you meet your fellow expat: it's not so uncommon to bump into a few longnoses at TGI Friday's on Ginza. However, I am living in Tokyo's shitamachi area, so gaijin encounters are rather infrequent and usually result in mutual surprise.

 

[PopCulturePooka]

I never say hi to gaijin, in fact, I despise them.

Wow, I'd love to hear more about this.

 

[MotomanInuyasha]

Are there any "black" gaijin in Japan........ from what I have gathered most of them are white. How are the black people treated in Japan ???

 

[TwistedMac]

try www.outpostnine.com for some hilarious stories about a black English teacher in Japan, or go to www.blacktokyo.com for a forum for black people in Japan.

All the aspects are covered somewhere on the net, the trick is finding them

Someone once said "having the information is power"
that is only partly true these days... having it isn't where the power is anymore.. it's about knowing where to find it.

 

[Pachipro]

I've always found it odd that fellow "gaijin" would mostly ignore me or pretend not to see me on the train or in the street as I was always open to saying "hi" or something of that nature.

If eye contact, while passing in the street was made, I always said something like "How ya doin'?" or "Hi". Sometimes I would just nod my head and say something like "Hey" in a greeting. Mostly they just ignored me and didn't say anything. It was a rare occurance that someone would greet me back.

I learned over the years that it was the "gaijin" who had lived in Japan for any length of time that were most prone to do this. I think it was because they looked at other foreigners as "competition" or something like "Hey, what are you doing here? This is my territory." I noticed this mostly in bars where a few gaijin were known to frequent. They especially despised you if you spoke more Japanese than them. You could see it in their eyes and their reactions and the way they totally ignored you. I found it quite hilarious and kind of immature. "Up yours too" I would think to myself.

On the other side of the coin though, the only people who always greeted me back were the military personnel. Even in a bar where they hung out, if you could speak Japanese and were in Japan for a few years they always wanted to talk to you to get information and such. More often than not they would also buy you a drink or two.

Here's to the military personnel who never failed to greet a fellow "gaijin" back and were more friendly in establishments than foreigners who were actually living and working in Japan.

 

[mjl927]

depends...

i don`t usually say `hi` to strangers back home or here. i usually give a smile-and-nod combo if i do make eye-contact, but in my town i don`t see many gaijin that i don`t know. i have met two people waiting for the train by asking for directions (the second time i actually knew where i was going). in other cities we`re usually lost, so we`re looking around instead of at other people - though i guess it would be useful to keep an eye out for other gaijin to ask them for directions...

 

[MotomanInuyasha]

try www.outpostnine.com for some hilarious stories about a black English teacher in Japan, or go to www.blacktokyo.com for a forum for black people in Japan.

All the aspects are covered somewhere on the net, the trick is finding them

Someone once said "having the information is power"
that is only partly true these days... having it isn't where the power is anymore.. it's about knowing where to find it.

Thanks for the links

 

[Davey]

here you are!! well im already back from japan quite a long time now, i saw some gaijins, not that many though.. being the only gaijin in the soccerstadium,besides 3 soccer players themselves.

when i went to some little place near my wife her house... shopping area, i walked there with my wife, when i saw like 4-5 other gaijins site there.. and when they saw me, they were like: HEEEY HOW ARE YOU.. bla bla bla.... it was excually quite anoying.... hahaha

so yeah... saying hello to another gaijin, isnt really necassery, for normal situations, that came my conclusion