For our Japanese readers : Things you should not say to Westerners

[Brooker]

From my experience, the problem of many Japanese is asking too simple questions, which sound both naive and stupid, and may be offending

People do this everywhere. An (East) Indian American friend of mine who was born in Chicago and moved to Idaho (not known for being racially diverse) would get stupid questions like, "Do you worship cows?" OR "What tribe are you from?"

When I was in Japan, I found the silly questions I heard to be kind of cute, funny, and charming, but that's because I wasn't in Japan long enough to be annoyed by it. @Maciamo... You've been in Japan long enough that these things bother you. I'd say just answer, "Yes, we do have four seasons where I come from," and move on. It's all part of being a foreigner in any foreign land. And as a diplomat to your home country(ies), it's best to take such questions in stride rather than to get upset about them, because it's not going to change no matter how long you live in Japan (or anywhere else).

[Mycernius]

People do this everywhere. An (East) Indian American friend of mine who was born in Chicago and moved to Idaho (not known for being racially diverse) would get stupid questions like, "Do you worship cows?" OR "What tribe are you from?"

Every time I have been to Canada I have been asked 'oh you drink tea don't you, not coffee'. They get a bit of a shock when I tell them that I drink neither. My cousin, whose Canadian, visited Europe. She got 'Canada? That the north part of the US isn't it?' She was not amused I do it to her on ocassion to wind her up. She just calls me a limey after that

[Brooker]

She got 'Canada? That the north part of the US isn't it?' She was not amused I do it to her on ocassion to wind her up.

Yeah, they're usually pretty touchy about that. But Canadians can be pretty easy to wind up.

She just calls me a limey after that

Clever come back on her part *insert sarcasm*.