Uh...

[BabyLemonade]

One of my dreams is to become an ex-patriot and move to Japan, but I'm a freakishly pale white American girl. I don't think I'd be accepted. Are there any Americans that have moved to Japan in the past? If so, how are they treated?

I'm also new here! Salutations!



....wait...now I don't know if I want anyone to answer that... I've read too much already about how people of Japan don't like foreighners moving to their country... Sorry for bothering you... Maybe I should just visit.

~ S.A.

 

[Mars Man]

Well I came from Al'abama with a mojo much in need, and I'm bound in Shigamura with a pasture full of weeds...HI !! and WELCOME to JREF.

Yes, I have never, nor will I ever tan, and all that remains of my intense redhair has faded to some under-exposed pastel orange. Yet, here I remain. I have been treated as well as a person generally could expect in the circumstances, and have few complaints otherwise.

In by far most cases, the 'native' population in Japan will treat even very white folks with the proper respect that the system provides. (meaning it IS relative, but...)

I don't think you'll have to worry about that, but, what do you think of Japan? What would you perceive as being the scenario in your daily lifestyle once here? MM

 

[xerxes99]

Greetings! I'm american and I've lived in Japan for almost 2 years. People are really quite accepting here generally. At 6'2 and close to 300 pounds I don't exactly fit in here, but I'm accepted fine and have made a lot of friends. You'll do fine.

 

[8bit.vis]

At 6'2

I've been meaning to ask somebody about that, actually. I am 6'3" (190.5cm) myself. Do you have difficulty walking through doors and so on in Japan? Are they smaller than they are in the country where you're from? And also, if I may, how much taller are you than most Japanese in your area? Do you tower over them, or is the height difference an exaggerated internet rumor?

 

[pika la]

I've been meaning to ask somebody about that, actually. I am 6'3" (190.5cm) myself. Do you have difficulty walking through doors and so on in Japan? Are they smaller than they are in the country where you're from? And also, if I may, how much taller are you than most Japanese in your area? Do you tower over them, or is the height difference an exaggerated internet rumor?

Probably sometimes. My friend, female, is only 5`10" and she's already walked into her share of light fixtures and door signs over here. You might have to duck a bit in someb places I think., =)

 

[frostyg02uk]

Im 6ft 4 and traditional houses are out to kill me..i might be brain damaged from the amount of times ive hit my head and in all of the time i spent in Japan i never seen or met anyone taller then me or anywhere near as tall as me.

 

[Glenski]

babylemonade,
I've been here for almost 9 years now, and this is my 3rd time here. You seem to be putting the cart before the horse (and using some improper terminology -- "ex-patriot" instead of expatriate).

Why is it that you want to move here if you have never visited? By all means, come and look around. What you may have learned from books and movies is not usually accurate, and what you don't know about general living here is sure to fill quite a few Hondas. No offense, but I've seen plenty of overly enthusiastic people on these forums over the past decade, and I like to head things off at the pass.

Walk before you run. Test the waters.

How do you plan to make a living here?
What is your current education and work experience?

 

[Zaff]

Well on the height side im 6'6" and I really (except the flight) had no problems or even many people staring at my height. In fact I have MANY more people here in the UK stare at me and quiz me about "ooo how tall are you" than I did in Japan.

 

[basuotoko]

Are there any Americans who have moved to Japan in the past? lol. Yeah, I think there are a few out there...

Sorry, but I just can't help but to chuckle every time I hear some kid say that they want to move away from home and become a permanent resident of Japan. I mean, why Japan of all countries? It's always the same thing: they find solace from watching a lot of anime and playing a lot of video games. Eventually they begin to think that Japan is some kind of fantasy land of like-minded individuals who will understand them like people back home cannot. That's where the cultural inferiority complex begins...

I don't mean to dis you or anything, but just come here and check it out if you're so interested. If you have a college education, you can live here and teach English for a few years. It's not so difficult...

 

[xerxes99]

I don't generally hit my head on doorways in public buildings, but private homes are a problem. My first couple of months in my apartment, I hit my head every day!

 

[Zaff]

xerxes99 I completely feel uour pain, I have so many scars under my hair its unreal. Once ran into a door in school and had to have about 10 stitches :-(

 

[tomorrow_apple]

I've never come across any flat-out racism. It's more of an "odd fascination" that I come across in the Japanese public. Sometimes I get random people eagerly asking me about America, or whether they can test their English on me, etc. It's quite exciting, really.
Unfortunately my Japanese isn't very good which is very disappointing. I would love to live there one day, when I finally brush up on my Japanese. I always have a fantastic time

You should fit in fine

 

[Mike Cash]

I've never come across any flat-out racism.

That's nice.

I would love to live there one day

Ahhh....you've never lived here. That explains the first sentence. (Though xenophobia would probably be more accurate a term than racism).

 

[tomorrow_apple]

I mean I've never lived there on my own. I was an exchange student a few years ago, and lived there for a bit over half a month. To be honest, I found people to be over friendly towards me and other gaijin, rather than unaccepting of me. Some people were a litle awkward, but that's because they didn't understand me or didn't know how to act towards me.

 

[Mike Cash]

Since you were visiting for a couple of weeks you can't expect to have had occasion to seek housing or employment, which are the two areas where xenophobia most commonly rears its ugly head.

It's almost comical to hear real estate agents tell you that a property you're interested in doesn't rent to foreigners...."but this isn't discrimination"....as though saying it makes it so.

 

[basuotoko]

It's almost comical to hear real estate agents tell you that a property you're interested in doesn't rent to foreigners...."but this isn't discrimination"....as though saying it makes it so.

Yes, or the way one of my Japanese friends defended a bar in Hamamatsu that banned foreigners because "they probably had some problems with the Brazilians." I was like, you can't just ban a race (or races) of people because of a problem with a few (whether real or perceived) -- is that not racism?

I was an exchange student a few years ago, and lived there for a bit over half a month.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of study abroad program lasts for two weeks? What do they teach, how to say "hello" and "goodbye"? It sounds like you didn't have too much time in between! My sister did a study abroad program for one month in South Korea, and a girl I worked with "studied abroad" for three weeks in Italy, but two weeks is a first for me. I've taken longer vacations...