[Nyororin]

In reality, the level of crowdedness that the western media loves to show for Japan rarely happens. I recall watching a program following some group trying to make a show about Japan and they literally had to camp out for a few days to get the type of shot they wanted of the famous crossing in Shibuya. As surprising as it may be to some people, most of the time it isn't like that - and in most of Japan it is never like that.

Otherwise... Being in a crowd in Japan is no different than being in a crowd anywhere else. In another revelation that may stun many people, very very few people in Japan will even give you a second glance... Let alone stare at you. This is particularly true in the only place you would ever encounter a huge crowd like that - big cities. Foreigners in Japan are not nearly as rare and fascinating as many people would like to think. Unless you are doing something that will draw attention to yourself (say speaking loudly to someone in a foreign language, dressed inappropriately, acting strange, etc), chances are no one will even notice you.

You're definitely never going to find yourself walking about with hundreds of Japanese people coming toward you staring... Unless, of course, you're so incredibly unique and fascinating that the same thing happens back at home.