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Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
I think Japanese ways may seem very rude to you because we don’t hold the door for the next person. In elevator, we don’t push the button for other people.
There is a book titled “Why native English speakers say hello to foreigners”. Your custom seems to be a mystery to Japanese people.
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only sometimes. Other times Japanese people seem very polite and considerate compared to British people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
I see. I didn’t think gaijin is a short version of gaikokujin.
Ok, I will say gaikokujin.
What do you think about “gaijin-san”? We often say that with respect.
Is “gaijin-san” also bad?
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I think using 'san' helps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
Yes, it happens outside of tourist areas. It meant that people in such places haven’t met many people from foreign countries. If they have opportunity to meet many foreign people, they wouldn’t behave like that.
I apologize as Japanese that most Japanese people need to learn the international manners.
So you have come to Japan? Where did you go in Japan?
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Aww, don't apologise Yuri. To be honest, I've experienced much, much ruder behavior in other countries. At least when Japanese people are 'rude' to foreigners it's usually only by accident.
I lived in a city about 30 minutes by train from Osaka. I'm not sure how big it is by Japanese standards; the population is about 400,000, which seems large to me. I really loved it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
Sorry; I don’t see what you mean well.
You mean your friends living large cities and the cities don’t have many foreign people? Which cities?
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I have friends living in Sendai and Yamagata. Most tourists don't bother to go there, so any foreigners there tend to be there for work. Both live in areas outside the main city centre, so even though it's a big city, they don't see many other non-asian foreigners.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
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Ok
I'll try it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
I don’t think it’s “everyone”.
However, I understand that you would feel everyone is talking like that, and that you can’t help thinking you are not welcome in Japan.
It’s a sad story.
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No, of course it's not 'everyone', I exaggerated. ^^; sorry!
I've never really felt unwelcome, it's just a very strange feeling being in that situation.
My teacher actually explained it very well with this story: when she was first married, she lived in a small town in Japan, and she worked in a bank. Another bank in the town had been having problems with a group of asian foreigners in the area, who had been stealing people's bags. So my teacher's banks put up posters warning people "この地域の外人泥棒に気を付けなさい"、or something like that. But the picture of the 'gaijin' on the poster was an American and looked just like my teacher! So people would see the poster, then see my teacher in the bank, and think she was the thief. When she complained that the poster was misleading, the bank said, "it's just warning about those bad gaijin. Anyone can tell you're a good gaijin!"
They did change the poster in the end, but she said it was very odd doing her job right under this big sign that said that people like her were thieves!
Quote:
Originally Posted by YuriTokoro
I’m sure that many Japanese people love England.
Most of them don’t know the real England and they just have some romantic images about your country, but we really have a romantic notion of your country and many Japanese people go to England every year. I’ve been there two times.  |
へ〜行った事がありますか？イギリスで、どこに行きま したか？(W) Most people around the world seem to have romantic notions of England. I guess only other Europeans don't find us quirky and old-fashioned!