An alien in Japan

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I strolled around the bakery with my tray looking at all the delicious pastries and buns, trying to decide whether I should buy something sweet or savoury. Eventually I decided on both. I loaded up my tray, carefully selecting my items with the special tongs provided and lined up to pay just like all the other people before me, feeling quite proud that I had read and actually understood all the signs on the food items. When I got to the counter I placed my tray down and smiled at the lady serving me. I watched her put everything in a bag and then put the prices into the cash register, she then picked up a calculator, punched in the amount I had to pay and thrust it in my face. It was not until then that I realised she had not said a single word to me, whilst the women on the other two cash registers happily chattered away with their customers. I was so shocked at suddenly having a calculator in my face that I paid my money, picked up my bags, uttered a quiet “Arigatoo Gozaimashita” and left the shop.

During my walk home I became quite angry that the shop assistant had been so rude, not only by putting the calculator in my face but by going through the whole transaction without any verbal communication.

Throughout my first two months of exchange in Japan there have been many experiences similar to the one above that have shocked or surprised me, even made me angry. However, after deeper thought as to why I was treated in such a way I have come to more of an understanding not only of Japanese culture but also of my identity as a foreigner in Japan.

Firstly, I should explain that my looks are typically those of a Westerner (or the Japanese image of a Westerner). I am white, with blue eyes and blonde hair, so there is no question that I am a foreigner in Japan. I definitely stick out in a crowd. Also, Hakodate is a much smaller place compared to some other cities in Japan, and the Japanese to Foreigner ratio is very small in comparison. I get stared at everywhere I go, and at first it was very intimidating, but I thought that I would soon get used to it. However, now I have come to an understanding that the solution is not to simply get used to it, as I don’t think anyone can ever become used to being stared at, but it's more of comprehending and appreciating why you are being stared at; once I understood this it became more tolerable.

After my initial anger (in the above situation at the bakery) had subsided I began to think about why the shop assistant had treated me in the way she did. I realised that what I considered to be rude was in fact her way of being polite. I wasn’t thinking in a Japanese mind-frame so to speak. Suddenly I found myself having to change my view on what is the norm. The shop assistant assumed that I didn’t speak Japanese and was trying to make it easier for me by showing me the amount I had to pay on the calculator. In doing so she was trying to avoid any embarrassment on my behalf. This realisation had a profound effect on me. It was the first time I truly became aware of the problems that can arise due to miscommunication between cultures. I became conscious of the fact that I still have a long way to go before I completely understand and appreciate this.

From what I have experienced so far, the local attitude towards foreigners in Hakodate is mixed. There are people who stare at me curiously, people who want to get to know me and practice their English and people who keep as much distance between them and me as they can. In fact, one afternoon when I was walking home from the shops an old lady coming in the opposite direction crossed the street and then came back over to my side once we had passed each other. The only reason I can think of her doing this is to avoid any contact with me. It got me thinking as to why Japanese people treat foreigners with caution.

I am a firm believer in equality and treating people the same no matter what they look like or what they believe in or who they are. However, growing up in Australia has definitely helped me to come to this belief. Coming from a country that is as multicultural as Australia is, and then being submersed into a country where the majority of people are born and bread in that country is very difficult. Since being in Japan I have realised that everyone is looked at as either being Japanese or non-Japanese, if you are not Japanese you get treated differently. Sometimes this can be welcoming, but the majority of the time I want to be treated the same as everyone else. I believe the best way to immerse yourself in the Japanese culture is to live as a Japanese lives, and do as a Japanese does. However, if you are not treated the same as a Japanese person this becomes difficult and at times frustrating.

I've heard about the concept of the Japanese “us and them mentality”. I would definitely agree that this mentality exists, to some extent, in Hakodate, and at first I found it hard to come to terms with. However upon reflection of this concept I began to wonder if the reason why I find it disagreeable is because I am just not used to it. As I mentioned before, Australia is a multicultural society and although it can’t be said that there is no discrimination or special treatment in Australia, it does not exist in the same form that it does in Japan.

I think the main way this discrimination differs is in Japan foreigners as a whole are treated differently and with caution, whereas in Australia the majority of the time it will only exist towards certain groups of foreigners. Not that this is in any way better though. In Japan it isn’t just Western foreigners, like myself, who are treated differently. One of the other exchange students here in Hakodate is from China and although she does not stick out in a crowd as much as I do she has also noticed people treating her differently.

A possible reason for this special treatment may be the lack of contact that people in Japan, particularly Hakodate, have with foreigners. Although Hakodate is a very popular tourist spot in Hokkaido, the majority of tourists are from elsewhere in Japan. Therefore, most of the population do not deal with foreigners on a regular basis. For example, this year in Hakodate there are only two exchange students studying at my university. If you contrast this to somewhere else in Japan, say Tokyo or Kyoto, this is a very low ratio.

A good way to illustrate this is to observe the different attitudes and behaviours of people who regularly come into contact with foreigners in Hakodate. For example, my Japanese friends who lived in Sydney last year, the teachers at university who teach exchange students, and the staff at the local youth centre who organize events for foreigners. I have often found that it can be harder for me to understand a conversation with a member of the staff at the youth centre because they speak to me in the same Japanese that they would use with fluent Japanese speakers. However, I much prefer this. Now that I have come to understand this, I realise that it is only natural for people to be curious about and even wary of things or people who are unfamiliar. If I put myself in a similar situation I’m sure that I would act in much the same way. Awareness of this has helped me to tolerate all those stares.

The first thing I thought was how they could change this, and naturally it would be for more foreigners to come to Japan, then maybe they would not be treated with such caution. However, after rethinking this idea I thought of the reason why I first became interested in Japan. It was because it is so different to what I am used to, therefore should I just accept this aspect of Japan as part of the culture? Maybe its better if they don’t change and more foreigners don’t come to Japan, because if they did, would it still be the Japan that I have come to love, even in this short period of time?

Since being in Japan I have found that my identity has changed, or rather how I perceive my identity. When I was in Australia I thought of myself as an individual who had her own thoughts, ideas and future, but I was still a part of the wider society. In Japan, I have got a new sense of the word individual to mean outsider, somebody who isn’t part of the group. Before coming to Japan I learnt in my Japanese language and Contemporary Japan classes that Japan puts great emphasis on the group, and now that I am here I understand it a lot better. Everyone is part of a group or even a number of groups. On a recent outing to a karaoke bar with friends there were a few people there who I didn’t know so we all took turns to introduce ourselves. I noticed that during the introductions the Japanese people told me what university they studied at but didn’t mention what they were actually studying. I found this very strange. In Australia, when introducing yourself, a person is more likely to state his course of study than the university, as this seems more logically important. I recognised, however, that by telling me the university they attend they were affirming one of the groups they are a part of. They were telling me that they identified themselves as a certain university’s student rather than a student who studies education for example.

Although I’ve been told that this group consciousness creates good relationships and interactions between the members I find this concept hard to comprehend. Another way that makes me feel as if I am an outsider has to do with my “Gaikokujintoorokushoomeisho” which translates to Certificate of Alien Registration. The use of the word alien seems very disrespectful and discriminative to me. By using this word the Japanese are subconsciously (or not?) saying that foreigners are outside their group, something that is unfamiliar and strange. I have talked to a couple of Japanese people about the use of this word and most of my university friends agree with me, and even said that they think the government should change it. However, one person who I talked to gave me a different perspective. He noted that in the English language we usually use the word “foreigner”, and asked me whether the use of that word is less discriminative. After all, they have the same meaning. Sure enough, when I looked them up in the dictionary they both mean “outsider”. It made me think about Australian culture, do we in fact place foreigners in an outside group as well?

So you could say that my first impressions (gathered over the last couple of months) have been quite revealing. After observing and experiencing the local attitudes towards foreigners in Hakodate it has helped me to better understand Japanese culture and perhaps more importantly has helped me to come to terms with my new identity as a foreigner. Also, it has made me re-think my view of Australian culture, however I realise that I still have a long way to go before I will completely understand and appreciate the Japanese way of life. And besides, my spaceship isn’t scheduled to return to my planet until next February.

This blog is based on a cultural report that I had to write for my studies. Basically, I was asked to write about my first impressions and how Japanese culture differs to Australian culture, anything I had learnt or thought was interesting.

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Photos

Fitting in
I don't stick out, do I?

Differences
Trying to understand them