Walking in crowded Japanese cities!

[japan1234567]

Walking in crowded Japanese cities!
For those who visited or live in Japan, how was/is your experience when dozens of local Japanese people walked/walk in your direction and of course some of them looked/look at you because you look different and because they're questioning themselves form which country you'd come from!

Was/is it for you easy to keep on walking "normally" as nothing is special about it and could you easily focus on your business or on what you were/are intending to do?

Thanks! (this video below is only an example! It says nothing about how crowded other part of cities are)

‪Saturday afternoon at Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo‬‏ - YouTube

[Kayci]

Originally Posted by japan1234567

Walking in crowded Japanese cities!
For those who visited or live in Japan, how was/is your experience when dozens or even hundreds of local Japanese people walked/walk in your direction and of course many of them looked/look at you because you are different!

Was/is it for you easy to keep on walking "normally" as nothing is special about it and could you easily focus on your business or on what you were/are intending to do?

Thanks! (watch an video example below)

‪Saturday afternoon at Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo‬‏ - YouTube

Last week I was walking to the bus station to go back to Hita from Fukuoka. I had just left a Softbank Hawks baseball game. (We won.) and EVERYONE was going home or to dinner.

As I reached the final crosswalk, over a hundred of people around. One drunk guy was with his friends, calling me cute while pointing at me, I gave him an odd look and he screamed, "YES YES YES!"

Thank god in this small town that has not happened. I loved Fukuoka though xD

[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.

[japan1234567]

Originally Posted by 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.

Looking at ist different than staring at! I haven't used the verb "to stare at"
In Europe we look at Japanese tourists because they look different and because of curiosity. It would be good to know how they feel about it

Not to forget to mention the pedestrian zones and streets in European cities are much larger than in Japanese Cities (there are exceptions like some Ginza main streets and so on). Additionally there are bicycles driving near to you on Japanese streets! So, I think you get closer to local people than the case in Europe.

Shibuya movie was only an example and it says nothing about how crowded other part of Japanese cities are.

[GoNative]

I certainly noticed being stared at in country towns in Hokkaido. A friend of mine lived down on the coast in a little town called Iwanai. If we were outside his house having a chat cars on the road out front would often almost crash as the drivers damn near broke their necks staring at us as they went past. A couple of foreigners in a little coastal town wasn't too common! In the town I lived there were quite a few foreigners and our novelty wore off a bit over the years so being stared at wasn't too bad.
I didn't notice being stared at all that much in larger cities and in Tokyo I actually noticed how very little I was stared at.

[tokusatsufan]

Originally Posted by 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.

I did not know that. Now if only there were more informative posts like that here like it used to be.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by GoNative

I certainly noticed being stared at in country towns in Hokkaido.

I agree that you may get some stares out in the middle of nowhere, where there are rarely - if ever - any foreigners. But this guy gave the example of Tokyo. You`d have to be doing something seriously strange to get stares there. If the place is big enough that you`re walking in crowds, chances are you`re not going to get many looks.

[japan1234567]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

But this guy gave the example of Tokyo.

In my thread I mentioned Japan and Japanese cities! I can't of course post videos from all crowded cities and areas in Japan

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by japan1234567

In my thread I mentioned Japan and Japanies cities! I can't of course post videos from all crowded cities and areas in Japan

Either way, what I said still stands. Even the most crowded parts of Japan are not like that most of the time, and most of Japan isn`t all that crowded to begin with. If you are in a situation where you are walking in crowds, they are unlikely to be giving you much attention.

The only issue I can see with walking in a crowd in Japan would be if YOU had some sort of complex (positive or negative) about being around Japanese people. Being unable to behave normally not because you are unaccustomed to crowds, but because that crowd consists of *gasp* Japanese people... That would be your only personal issue.

[japan1234567]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Either way, what I said still stands. Even the most crowded parts of Japan are not like that most of the time, and most of Japan isn`t all that crowded to begin with. If you are in a situation where you are walking in crowds, they are unlikely to be giving you much attention.

The only issue I can see with walking in a crowd in Japan would be if YOU had some sort of complex (positive or negative) about being around Japanese people. Being unable to behave normally not because you are unaccustomed to crowds, but because that crowd consists of *gasp* Japanese people... That would be your only personal issue.

I can't really see any objectivity in your answers! It makes no sense and I'm glad there are other JF member's opinions! Sorry!