As you come into Japan you notice the Bright lights, the language, the difference in cultures.... but most importantly the stares. When I came to Japan, I remember the weight that stares carried the first couple of days as I wandered the streets. It's not that it hurts, but rather that it becomes uncomfortable to be looked at intensively by people you don't know. The greatest impact that I felt from stares is probably during train rides. As you enter into a train, it felt as if almost every person in the train turns their head towards you and fixes it into position. It's probably curiosity that entices the eye to look at foreigners with such passion, but as you enter into a new culture it generates a different feeling from the bearer to the one being looked upon. This feeling, though, disappears very quickly after a couple of days of cultural integration.
A secondary impression that impacted me upon speaking with a Japanese person for the first time, was the effort they put forth into understanding and recreating the English language. This demonstrates the morale that Japanese people have, and made it easier for me to try and communicate with people. Furthermore, if Japanese people know any other language that would increase the amount that can be communicated, then they'll try to utilize it. I remember the difficulty I had when I first tried to use the train station by myself. As I struggled to communicate with Japanese employees, they would make their greatest effort to find someone who knows how to speak English. This all happens, while they treat you with the best costumer service. Applying this only to Japanese employees would be far from truth; If I asked a person in the streets where to go in English, they will try to create a sentence with as much English as they know.
I suppose it does take a while to get used to all the stares that foreigners receive. Especially when eye contact and staring is considered rude in Japan. But on the other hand, as you note, Japanese people tend to try their best to communicate. I appreciate your honesty and the thought you put into your post.
ReplyDeleteI especially like your first photo. But I am unsure as to how you are using your photos to go with your text.
I also like that you changed the color on your blog layout - much easier to read now.
Are you sure you want the disclaimer right at the top of your layout?
Your first photo does well to emphasize your point about stares, but also seems disconnected from the context of your discussion. I would highly recommend venturing out to more public places to help your photographs align with your observations better.
ReplyDeleteAhhh thank you, that's true isn't it. Actually I was thinking more of the action rather than the context, and forgot to incorporate the context into the picture. I'll remember that for next time.
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