Common Misconceptions about Japan
7–11 minutes
Japan is unfortunately subjected to a lot of stereotypes. Taking a contemporary Japanese studies course has really opened up my eyes to a lot of misconceptions about Japan that were taught to me in America. Not only that, but it has also taught me a lot of ideas Japan pushes that helps create a certain narrative of the country that is perceived by the citizens and by foreigners. Now, I’m not Japanese. I’m not an expert on Japan or Japanese culture, so I’m purely speaking on my experiences as a foreigner, specifically.a Black foreigner, in Tokyo. Some of this may vary from urban to rural areas as well as person to person, but I really wanted to clear up some misunderstandings I’ve learned. I’m really tired of TikTok telling one thing that completely contradicts what I’ve learned while here.
- Japan Hates Tattoos
This one honestly I believed at first. I’m very heavily tattooed. I have a sleeve on my right arm. I have tattoos on my back and my leg. I was so paranoid about coming to Japan, because every internet source was telling me that Japan hates tattoos, because they’re associated with the yakuza (organized crime). I was totally trying to figure out how to wear long sleeves all summer. The reality is, no one cares.
Again, I’m speaking from my experience in Tokyo, but no one seems to really care about tattoos. A lot of students have told me they think they’re cool. It may be mostly with the older generation who have a distaste for tattoos, but most young people do not really bat an eye at tattoos. In fact, near campus is a park. I once saw a Japanese dad who was watching his kid’s soccer game. He had more tattoos than me and was casually wearing a tank top with both arm sleeves on display. It’s truly not a big deal. Now, when I visit shrines, I do try to be a little modest out of respect. And I can’t go to a public onsen with tattoos, so I’d have to rent a private one, but some onsens are tattoo friendly. I typically can’t go to the pool or beach either, but I’ve found a long sleeve swimsuit to cover up my tattoos.
I’m also clearly a foreigner, so people don’t really bat an eye at me having tattoos. This may be different if you are East Asian looking, but I can’t really speak on that. Because I’m a foreigner, people stare at me regardless if my tattoos are covered or not. So if you have tattoos, you truly don’t need to panic like I did. Tokyo is also really diverse, so it’s almost expected to see foreigners. If you go to a rural area, then maybe you may want to cover up. - Japan Hates Foreigners
From my experience, people in Japan tend to keep to themselves regardless if you’re a foreigner or not, but no one has outwardly been rude to me or bared me from any establishments. I did have one woman move when I sat next to her on the train, but I’ve heard of that happening a lot where they don’t want to sit next to foreigners (it’s fine. I didn’t want to sit next to you either).
I think really want the concern is, some Japanese may feel like their English isn’t good and foreigners will try to talk to them in English. That’s not always the case, of course. If you’re in a touristy area like Shibuya or Akihabara, a lot of people either speak a little English or may use Google translate to communicate. I do speak Japanese, so it usually surprises a lot of people. A lot of restaurants will have English menus. The one time I did go to a restaurant without an English menu I was with my club, and my friends just translated for me. And the people of my club were so welcoming to me to begin with.
The other reality is in Japan, the real main concern is not to be considered めいわく(meiwaku) or a nuisance/bother. You don’t want to do anything that causes a disturbance to other people or disrupts daily life. Unfortunately, some tourists just do not respect other countries when they visit. For example, there was a famous Lawson’s convenience store that had a view of Mt. Fuji. Recently, Japanese officials placed a barrier over the building, because tourists kept disrupting traffic trying to take pictures, littering, and smoking when they weren’t allowed to. While it sucks, I understand it. Just be respectful when you visit another country. You don’t have to like or understand all the rules, but you aren’t exempt from them, because you’re a tourist. - Japanese People are shy
I don’t like when people generalize an entire country/group of people. It’s not fair to categorize people into one box. There are shy Americans like there are some shy Japanese people. I’ve learned that Japan is just not a country of small talk like America is, so some people seem quiet to me. Additionally, the language barrier may make some people hesitant to talk to me. But, I have met some really outgoing individuals here.
Also, have you ever been to an izakaya or a bar? Some Japanese people can get pretty rowdy and loud when drunk. - Japanese People are nice and follow the rules
Again, another stereotype. Don’t get me wrong! A lot of people I have met here are amazing and so kind, welcoming, all of the above. But like how some Americans are rude, I’ve met some rude people here too, and it’s typically at the train station.
One thing I will NEVER get over here is how people will cut and push you to get on the train first. It makes me so mad when the train is obviously full, it’s hot, and I’m tired from standing all day, yet people continue to push and push you to get on the train. I once just said nope I’ll catch the next train. Another time, I had to get off the train early in order to catch my breath, because it was so crowded I started to get dizzy. But the people here do not care. No one says sorry or excuse me. Sometimes, I do say excuse me to get by and people act like they can’t hear me. Once when I was on the train, this lady just shoved past me without saying excuse me. I had to catch myself, cause I almost blurted out, “So you can’t say excuse me?” I try to remind myself that I’m not in America and I can’t always react how I usually would at home. - Japan is a modest country
I think this one is a little iffy, so I’m going to do my best to explain my experience. Sexual content is so common here, and it kind of baffles me. What I mean is, it is so common to find porn magazines, manga containing sexual scenes, and stores that sell adult items. I literally saw a store at Akihabara that had on their billboard what items were sold on each floor. However, a lot of these stores and content generally are targeted towards men. When I visited Sophia University with my professor, she told me how she tends to overhear students bragging about having hookups.
There is also a thing here called Host Clubs. I refuse to go to one. But basically, they target lonely women and it’s a serious problem here in Japan for both men and women. Women go to these clubs where they pay for attractive men to flirt and drink expensive alcohol with them. However, a lot of women go into debt by attending these clubs, because of how much money you have to spend there. Then, a lot of these men end up with health issues from drinking so much with their clients. My professor did a lot of well known research about these industries, and it’s really sad that this problem isn’t talked about more often.
I think in terms of modesty, I think it’s like America. Some people dress conservatively. Some don’t. I just think when it comes to sex and pornography, I feel like it’s more out in the open than back home? I feel like in America it’s kinda hush hush, delete your search history and don’t tell your mother type of thing. - Japan is a homogenous country
This is quite literally the biggest and most harmful lie anyone says about Japan. We’ve talked about this so much in my Japanese studies classes. Japan is not all the same. Everyone does not look the same. Everyone does not act the same. Everyone does not have the same background. Saying Japan is homogenous truly is harmful and denies the existence of many minority groups in Japan.
In Japan, there are people with disabilities. There are indigenous and minority groups groups like the Ainu, Buraku, Zainichi Koreans, and Okinawans. There are people who identify as LGBTQIA+. There are people who are mixed with one parent being Japanese and the other from another country or ethnic group. There are Japanese people who were born abroad but later grew up or moved to Japan. There a foreigners living in Japan. There are foreigners with Japanese citizenship.
As I’ve learned in my Japanese studies class, even the Japanese government tries to push this narrative of homogeneity. It serves its purpose in a political agenda, but it is such a harmful idea, because it actively denies the existence or underrepresents the many minority groups living in Japan. This means that sadly, the issues these communities face, go unnoticed and aren’t talked about enough.
Again, this is just what I’ve learned so far in my two months being here. I know my experiences may be different from person to person and from place to place. Overall, I’ve had a pretty positive experience in Japan. No country is perfect. Each country has its own fair share of problems, but taking the time to truly educate yourself on the place you’re visiting will really help open your eyes and see just how normalized certain stereotypes are. Travel with an open mind and be ready to challenge the narratives you were taught growing up.
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