Should all Japanese directly address foreigners in Japanese ?

[lexico]

Welcome to the thread, epigene-san!
Of all the interesting things that you said in your first post, I find the following especially worthy of attention.

I almost never meet Westerners. Only those I meet are people I know through work (an environment where everyone is expected to be able to speak at least Japanese and English--so I speak either language and no one minds) and tourists with their eyes glued to maps, standing in the streets of Shinjuku...
I grew up seeing Americans (GIs) who never learned anything more than a few phrases in Japanese after several years or even decades of living in Japan...
I made acquaintance in the past with some married to Japanese, but their Japanese capabilities were limited. So, I ended up speaking English to avoid misunderstandings. I also felt that they would feel their limitations in communicating in Japanese and become embarrassed.

Does everyone mean every Japanese, or both Japanese and foreigners?
From interacting with the few foreigners you'd met or seen thru work, those tourists in Shinjuku, the American GI's, and those married to Japanese, few of them spoke much Japanese, and none like Maciamo or PachiPro. (correct?)

If that was the case, the Japanese are not to be blamed for having the preconception that Japanese is indeed hard to learn, and that Westerners are genuinely handicapped when learning Japanese.

Now this is in comparison to the learned Japanese who were able to accomplish the highly difficult task of culturally assimilating most Western notions either as phonetic loans (normally written in katakana) or calques via classical kanji more than a hundred years ago.
Back then, the Japanese cultural elite learned everything they could about the West, including the Western languages.

But Westerners in general ignored the importance of learning Japanese. (true?)
Then who should be considered superior, just looking at the language situation ?
(historically, in the 1860's-1900's for example)
In other words, Westerners brought it upon themselves in a way; they inherited the sins of their forefathers !
Do you think this kind of explanation is far-fetched ?
But then, why didn't these Westerners not learn Japanese when they had the chance ???
Do you think Westerners at some point in time felt vastly superior to the Japanese (or Asians) in general, and because of it considered the Japanese tongue unworthy of learning ?

and Japanese so hung up on their inferiority of not being able to speak English.

Do you think this feeling of "inferiority" can also be the result of losing WWII ?
(in all the possible connotations of this negative history from the Japanese' view)

Is it possible that this "feeling inferior" came first, and then the "language block" came about as a result of it ?
Again, do you think I am overly stretching my imagination ?
Just wanted to ask you these troubling questions to get it off my chest.

EDIT: I agree with jt's observation because of the reasons I find probable in the above.

What surprises me is when some Japanese people, even after hearing this, continue to be impressed at how well he speaks Japanese ("He sounds just like a Japanese person!"). To me, this sheds some light on the attitude that some (not all) Japanese have towards their language. It's as if the fact that he is ethnically Caucasian should somehow preclude him from being able to speak Japanese like a Japanese person...

Yet I get this sense that there would be some (again, not all) Japanese who would have a hard time accepting that a Westerner -- even one who was born and raised in Japan -- could be a native speaker of Japanese...

Of course, I don't believe that this is because the Japanese people who would feel that way are consciously prejudiced or racist -- it's simply that ethnically Western individuals raised in Japan are extremely, extremely rare while there are countless numbers of ethnically Asian individuals raised in English-speaking countries.

The extreme rarity of a Westerner speaking fluent Japanese in the past may very well be the cause of the misconception in the minds of the Japanese as you say here.

[SkippyDaStudent85]

No, it isn't the most logical thing to do. Think about it a bit.

I see your point. Although it would seem logical that someone in a foreign country would know the language (unless they are completely mental) of the country, you can't just assume they do. That is why I said it is more logical to ask, even if it it barely more logical.

[Elizabeth]

I see your point. Although it would seem logical that someone in a foreign country would know the language (unless they are completely mental) of the country, you can't just assume they do. That is why I said it is more logical to ask, even if it it barely more logical.

Are you talking about asking a Japanese-looking person if they know Japanese or from the perspective of them asking a foreigner ?

[SkippyDaStudent85]

Are you talking about asking a Japanese-looking person if they know Japanese or from the perspective of them asking a foreigner ?

It was from the point of view of anyone dealing with foreigners, in general. Let me clarify my statement.

I see your point. Although it would seem logical that someone in a foreign country would know the language (unless they are completely mental) of the country, you can't just assume they do. That is why I said it is more logical to ask, even if it it barely more logical.

Let's say that I am a Japanese person. I see someone who seems obviously foreign (say a VERY caucasian American, like me IRL) to the country. Now, as someone with common sense, I would like to think the American knows Japanese, being as he is in Japan. Being the same person of common sense, I cannot assume he knows Japanese because not everyone who travels to a foreign country knows the native language of that country's people. For this reason, it would make slightly more sense to ask him if he knows Japanese and have to apologize than to assume he does and address him as such.

[Mike Cash]

I see your point. Although it would seem logical that someone in a foreign country would know the language (unless they are completely mental) of the country, you can't just assume they do. That is why I said it is more logical to ask, even if it it barely more logical.

That wasn't quite my point. My point about it not being the most logical is that the answer to the question soon becomes evident even if you skip it.

If you just start out talking to the person in Japanese and things go well, then yes, he understands.

If he stands there with a blank look on his face, then no, he doesn't. Switch to English and try again.

Asking them if they do or do not understand Japanese is a needless step.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

"Lexico san" "Glenn san"　Arigatou gozai mashita .
I'm sorry to have troubled you.
I feel a feeling of resistance to "choice 2".
I seem to talk with a person inferior to oneself.
It is rude for a stranger.
With the foreigner who worked together in an office, I talked as common language by broken English and computer language.

My curiosity seems to have interrupted you.
I'm sorry.

[lexico]

No trouble at all, Hiroyuki Nagashima-san!
Thanks for participating, actually.
Your participation is probably the most important one we have.

With the foreigner who worked together in an office, I talked as common language by broken English and computer language.

I don't know the actual details, so this is my impression only.
Please correct me if I guessed wrong.
I am assuming that you speak Japanese as you mother tongue, and the foreigner is proficient in English.

1. As professionals, you and your foreign coworker needed to communicate.
2. When deciding upon a common language, you had two choices.
3. The two choices were Japanese and English.
4. You and the foreigner weighed both languages by comparing your English proficiency and the foreigner's Japanese proficiency.
5. It turned out that your English was better than the foreigner's Japanese.
6. The two of you agreed to speak English rather than Japanese because it would help work proceed more efficiently.

Did I guess correctly?

I feel a feeling of resistance to "choice 2".
I seem to talk with a person inferior to oneself.
It is rude for a stranger.

I would like to ask you these questions.
It may be common knowledge for the Japanese, but foreigners can only guess.
If you can give your ideas, then it will help greatly to understand and hopefully solve the issue raised by this poll.

People of all cultures have their own way of dealing with guests.
I understand that the Japanese are also educated to be polite to guests.
In your opinion, how is the Japanese way of hopitality different from other countries' hospitality?
Since this can be a broad topic, let us concern ourselves with only these two simple situations.

"When the guest/stranger is Japanese."
1. Is using simple, polite gesture, together with polite words, considered acceptable in Japanese culture in general?

"A Japanese person meets a foreigner (US citizen, American, European, African, Asian, Australian) as total stangers on the street or in a shop."
2. What is the standard way for a Japanese person to greet the stranger who looks like a foreigner?
What are the first things to say/do to the foreigner?

3. Do many Japanese think that speaking Japanese to a foreigner is impolite?

4. Do many Japanese think that asking a foreigner's Japanese ability is rude?

5. Is it emabrassing for a Japanese to say, "I cannot speak English."

6. Do many Japanese think that a foreigner will be embarassed to say, "I cannot speak Japanese" ?

7. Do many Japanese wish to practice English with an English speaking person?

8. Do many Japanese think that the Japanese language is unique, and difficult to learn for Japanese themselves? (speech, reading, writing, etc.)

9. Do many Japanese think that a foreigner (Mongoloid, Negroid, Caucasian,) speaking Japanese is bad, unusual, surprising, suspicious, or intimidating?

10. Is complementing on someone's skill in anything (including language) considered okay when you it many times?

11. Is complementing someone many times ever considered rude or sarcastic?

I'm sorry I'm asking you so many questions.
I hope you can answer some questions, even just a few.
I hope to understand Japanese culture better with your answers.

EDIT: I failed to include one important question.

12. Do many Japanese know that many foreigners speak at least some Japanese, and would very much like to practice their Japanese ?

These foreigners have come a long way to learn more about Japan including its language. Some of them can get very upset when Japanese hospitality takes away that chance (very expensive, too) by speaking English with a Japanese person. (Sorry to say this. But this seems to be the main motivation of this topic.)

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

1. As professionals, you and your foreign coworker needed to communicate.
2. When deciding upon a common language, you had two choices.
3. The two choices were Japanese and English.
4. You and the foreigner weighed both languages by comparing your English proficiency and the foreigner's Japanese proficiency.
5. It turned out that your English was better than the foreigner's Japanese.
6. The two of you agreed to speak English rather than Japanese because it would help work proceed more efficiently.

There were two cases in my work.
The case that a foreigner does not understand Japanese.
When I send an email, I can use translation software.
I came so that an engineer heard explanation about a tool of Y2K from Taiwanese IBM when I did work of Y2K.
Because they cannot speak Japanese, they engaged a student of Sophia University as Japanese interpretation.
However, she gets impossible to tell an engineer my explanation because she did not understand a computer term.
I quoted a language of a computer and explained it to them.
I felt it then.
Even if English is proficient, it is useless when there is not knowledge of a technical term.
By the way, the student who asked for interpretation was a Japanese, but Japanese was strange.
The case which worked with the foreigner who spoke Japanese.
He completed a Japanese training course of Tokyo University.
In addition, he graduated from an American university.
He understood English and Japanese and a native language with a Malaysian.
I managed a system of joint enterprise of an American oil-related company and a Japanese company.
Japanese accounting person in charge and he often caused a trouble.
The computer system used an American thing
The accounting person in charge makes a request him by system improvement so that this system is different from the Japanese accounting.
However, most firstly he refuses it.
He explains a reason of refusal to the accounting person in charge next.
The reason is because work of system improvement of a factory is given priority to.
The accounting person in charge is angry.
Talks are done among him with the accounting person in charge with me.
There was often such a case.
The accounting person in charge did not gradually ask him for work.
If the accounting person in charge did this request to me.
I answer it in this way.
Now system improvement of a factory is given priority to.
I confirm whether improvement of an accounting system needs it immediately.
I confirm whether there are not other measures when I cannot do accounting system improvement.
In this case I understood that a problem could be settled by doing a revision on documents.
I do a promise to accept a request of the accounting promptly after system improvement of a factory was finished.
Firstly, in the case of a Japanese, I do not say "NO".
It is a premise to respect a viewpoint of a partner.

[lexico]

Your experience tells me that real language situations are much more complicated than simple small-talk, especially in professional settings.

The case that a foreigner does not understand Japanese...Because they cannot speak Japanese, they engaged a student of Sophia University as Japanese interpretation.
However, she gets impossible to tell an engineer my explanation because she did not understand a computer term.
I quoted a language of a computer and explained it to them.
I felt it then.
Even if English is proficient, it is useless when there is not knowledge of a technical term.

I understand that technical jargon has nothing to do with proficiency in conversational language whether English or Japanese.
Without a basic and clear understanding in the specialized field, an otherwise fluent speaker of English or Japanese cannot perform as usual.
In this case your technical knowledge proved far superior to the language skills of the interpreter.

the student who asked for interpretation was a Japanese, but Japanese was strange.

If the Japanese interpreter were not trained spedifically for technical interpretation, then it is understandable that the English translation might not not have been accurate enough at natural speed, or even impossible.

Or could the interpreter have been a foreign-born Japanese who returned to Japan rather late to acquire full fluency?

Or was the highly techincal nature of the task overwhelming for a college student?

The case which worked with the foreigner who spoke Japanese.
He completed a Japanese training course of Tokyo University.
In addition, he graduated from an American university.
He understood English and Japanese and a native language with a Malaysian.
I managed a system of joint enterprise of an American oil-related company and a Japanese company.

Japanese accounting person in charge and he often caused a trouble.
The computer system used an American thing
The accounting person in charge makes a request him by system improvement so that this system is different from the Japanese accounting.

However, most firstly he refuses it.
He explains a reason of refusal to the accounting person in charge next.
The reason is because work of system improvement of a factory is given priority to.

The accounting person in charge is angry.
Talks are done among him with the accounting person in charge with me.
There was often such a case.
The accounting person in charge did not gradually ask him for work.

If the accounting person in charge did this request to me.
I answer it in this way.
Now system improvement of a factory is given priority to.
I confirm whether improvement of an accounting system needs it immediately.
I confirm whether there are not other measures when I cannot do accounting system improvement.
In this case I understood that a problem could be settled by doing a revision on documents.
I do a promise to accept a request of the accounting promptly after system improvement of a factory was finished.

Firstly, in the case of a Japanese, I do not say "NO".
It is a premise to respect a viewpoint of a partner.

Again your experience goes to show that language proficiency (of lack of it) is not the real problem in work situations.
More than language itself, but a general understanding of "communication between humans" seems to hold the key to successful communication.

Although it is difficult to generalize, your two examples offer very good material and insights to help understand our problem, which can involve quite complex situations.
I wonder if the communication skills that you have excercised are something learnable, and whether many Japanese persons share those skills.
Are they (the Japanese) taught these (the communication skills) in school, or during on-job training?

[akeenan]

it annoys me when a japanese person expects you cant speak japanese and then continues to speak english when you answer in japanese... sometimes with some people its like a showdown of languages .

[Elizabeth]

it annoys me when a japanese person expects you cant speak japanese and then continues to speak english when you answer in japanese... sometimes with some people its like a showdown of languages .

That irritates me as well....if I have enough confidence I just continue in Japanese and if the native speaker is pretending not to understand the simplest phrases I put on my best sarcastic tone and querry them -- what about this can possibly be so confusing ? hopefully all without deliberately leaving them feeling too stupid in their own language.

[lexico]

what about this can possibly be so confusing ? hopefully all without deliberately making them feel too stupid in their own language.

The little humor with which you exposed the imposter's little lie sounds quite effective and without malice; what an intelligent and honorable solution of face saving and still getting what you want!

[Maciamo]

That irritates me as well....if I have enough confidence I just continue in Japanese and if the native speaker is pretending not to understand the simplest phrases I put on my best sarcastic tone and querry them -- what about this can possibly be so confusing ? hopefully all without deliberately leaving them feeling too stupid in their own language.

Hey hey, I have done that too.

[SkippyDaStudent85]

I understand what you are saying, but I wouldn't say that I had any "expectations" to burst. I was just saying what seemed most logical.

And I never said being in a country made you able to speak the language. What I did say was that I would like to think someone in a foreign country could speak the language of the native people, but it would be silly to assume that they could automatically. That was why I said asking would be better than just rambling at them in Japanese (or whatever language applies), hoping they understand.

[misa.j]

I voted for the 3rd choice;
They should address them in Japanese and only use gestures or speak more slowly if the person doesn't understand

Assuming that someone doesn't understand what you are going to say is nonsense and arrogant in my opinion.
I hope those Japanese people stop freaking out whenever they see a foreigner, just be natural and speak Japanese to them unless they are asked for other languages.

Why do people who work at the bento shop where Maciamo frequents think that writing things down helps? I think that's plain rude.

[epigene]

I voted for the 3rd choice;
They should address them in Japanese and only use gestures or speak more slowly if the person doesn't understand

Assuming that someone doesn't understand what you are going to say is nonsense and arrogant in my opinion.
I hope those Japanese people stop freaking out whenever they see a foreigner, just be natural and speak Japanese to them unless they are asked for other languages.

Why do people who work at the bento shop where Maciamo frequents think that writing things down helps? I think that's plain rude.

Misa-san, I think you've lived in the US too long to forget how strange people behave in front of persons who look foreign. I think the normally functioning brain of the Japanese becomes "paralyzed" and dysfunctions from "fright" (maybe the word isn't appropriate, but I hope you get what I mean).

To Maciamo-san:
Regarding the reactions of the "shitamachi" people toward you, I really want to be there and see what happens with my own eyes!! Don't people get used to your presence?

Though I don't know if this works for you and if you have the time for it, why not volunteer and participate in the local "jichi-kai" (community association)? I have heard of a number of Westerners finally being accepted into communities through having their children go to local schools and joining PTA. Since shitamachi tend to be closely knit, you may need to break in through community activities...??

Just an idea... You may have already tried this.

There have been many prominent Japanese-speaking foreigners in the past, but they are still few in number and are considered "exceptional," I think. The problem is you don't see fluent Japanese speakers walking around in the local community or at work.

On what can be done to address the problem, I think it will take time--more international marriages, more Japanese who have overseas experience and can speak English or other foreign languages fluently, more foreigners speaking Japanese so that people lose interest in Japanese-speaking "gajin tarento." In short, more intercultural interaction.

In the meantime, Maciamo-san should willingly stand prominent as the "preeminent gaijin resident" of the community and exercise leadership.

[jt_]

Misa-san, I think you've lived in the US too long to forget how strange people behave in front of persons who look foreign. I think the normally functioning brain of the Japanese becomes "paralyzed" and dysfunctions from "fright" (maybe the word isn't appropriate, but I hope you get what I mean).

I've kind of gotten used to this by now, but I remember how I felt the first time I experienced this sort of reaction to me. There was a small family-run okonomiyaki shop near my apartment, and I thought I would go and give it a try. I had avoided it for a while because I had been afraid that, as a foreigner, my entering the shop might cause a bit of a scene and make people uncomfortable. But I thought, "Oh well, how bad could it be?" and decided to go in.

What happened next, I remember vividly. There was only one empty seat at the table (it was one of those shops with a bar-like seating style). All of the (Japanese) customers turned around to face the door, stared at me with a petrified expression, and then almost immediately started turning to each other saying things like "Oh no, I can't sit next to him! I don't know English!" "You got good English grades in high school! You sit next to him!" "No, no, no -- you're taking English conversation classes, aren't you? You sit next to him!".

I can't describe how terrible this made me feel. I had never experienced (and never thought I would have to experience) a group of adults being so absolutely and completely petrified of me. It made me feel ill and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but I thought it would be rude to just walk out of the shop, so I sat down and ate anyway. Still, I was really too shaken to enjoy my meal at all. Once they found out that I spoke some Japanese (though this was quite a while ago and my Japanese wasn't at the level that it is now), they relaxed a little bit, but this didn't really help. I mean, I felt miserable -- mostly because of what I felt like I had done to these people. I felt like I had ruined their evening just by my deciding to try out this place's okonomiyaki. They had been eating, drinking, and having a good time, until my presence sent the whole place into a panic.

Of course, this was a while ago and I haven't had an experience _quite_ as severe as this one in a while, but it's still there in the back of my mind, reminding me that in certain circumstances in Japan, I have the 'ability' to send people into a panicked frenzy just by virtue of my physical appearance. This is probably to me the biggest downside to living or being in Japan. I don't like making people uncomfortable, and I don't like drawing attention to myself, but simply by virtue of my mere _presence_ as a foreigner, I very often can't help but do just that. This frustrates me a bit.

I think epigene is right, though, that the only thing that can be done about the situation is to give it time. Wait until foreigners in Japan (and Japanese-speaking foreigners in particular), international marriages and the like become more common, and as foreigners become less "unusual", then people will gradually open up to them. Already, now, I think it seems like the younger generation is more comfortable with foreigners than the older generation. As this younger generation grows up (and an even younger generation is born) I'm hopeful that things will gradually change.

[Maciamo]

I can't describe how terrible this made me feel. I had never experienced (and never thought I would have to experience) a group of adults being so absolutely and completely petrified of me. It made me feel ill and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but I thought it would be rude to just walk out of the shop, so I sat down and ate anyway. Still, I was really too shaken to enjoy my meal at all. Once they found out that I spoke some Japanese (though this was quite a while ago and my Japanese wasn't at the level that it is now), they relaxed a little bit, but this didn't really help. I mean, I felt miserable -- mostly because of what I felt like I had done to these people. I felt like I had ruined their evening just by my deciding to try out this place's okonomiyaki. They had been eating, drinking, and having a good time, until my presence sent the whole place into a panic.

This has also happened to me a few times. After the first time, I said to myself that I had been unlucky, and gave it another try, but the same happened again and again in this kind of places. So now I have decided not go to to such places (izakaya, okonomiyaki, oden, etc.) by myself. The only kind of bar-like restaurant I found it was ok to go alone in Japan are ramen-ya, kaiten-zushi, or chains like Tenya (tendon), Yoshinoya, etc.

This is probably to me the biggest downside to living or being in Japan. I don't like making people uncomfortable, and I don't like drawing attention to myself, but simply by virtue of my mere _presence_ as a foreigner, I very often can't help but do just that. This frustrates me a bit.

Well, now you understand why I post thread like this.

I think epigene is right, though, that the only thing that can be done about the situation is to give it time. Wait until foreigners in Japan (and Japanese-speaking foreigners in particular), international marriages and the like become more common, and as foreigners become less "unusual", then people will gradually open up to them.

I am bit pessimistic about the prospect for the future. The situation may indeed change as more foreigners learn Japanese, more Japanese speak English, etc. but the image of the foreigners may only change in areas with a high-density of foreigners like Central Tokyo. I think it will take longer for it to change in rural areas or less cosmopolitan cities or suburbs. Then there is always this Japanese attitude of the "soto vs uchi" which doesn't facilitate the integration of foreigners.

[Elizabeth]

I am bit pessimistic about the prospect for the future. The situation may indeed change as more foreigners learn Japanese, more Japanese speak English, etc. but the image of the foreigners may only change in areas with a high-density of foreigners like Central Tokyo. I think it will take longer for it to change in rural areas or less cosmopolitan cities or suburbs. Then there is always this Japanese attitude of the "soto vs uchi" which doesn't facilitate the integration of foreigners.

And even in Central Tokyo I've heard even Koreans and Chinese born and raised in Japan, speaking only Japanese, are treated with extreme prejudice and disregard....much worse than the relative 'hospitality' Europeans and Americans are accorded. So the poll options are a unrealistic and limited not only regarding Japanese English skills but strains of assimilation and accomodation in more outlying areas. And even in Tokyo and other major centers, far from insisting on English or simple Japanese you find some people obviously unused to foreigners who apparently don't even understand how to simplify their speech and who repeat the same explanations over and over in natural language until it becomes a silly game of who gets more exhausted first...

[lexico]

I remember vividly. There was only one empty seat at the table (it was one of those shops with a bar-like seating style). All of the (Japanese) customers turned around to face the door, stared at me with a petrified expression, and then almost immediately started turning to each other saying things like "Oh no, I can't sit next to him! I don't know English!" "You got good English grades in high school! You sit next to him!" "No, no, no -- you're taking English conversation classes, aren't you? You sit next to him!"...I don't like making people uncomfortable, and I don't like drawing attention to myself, but simply by virtue of my mere _presence_ as a foreigner.

What you say reminds me of when I boarded a plane among a few new passengers at Soko Airport (San Francisco) originating from some small city in central US. The plane was half full, all caucasian looking, and they looked rather homogenous as I recall.

As I began wiggling my way to my seat, I couldn't fail to notice the many pairs of eyes turning towards me. I am not much of a spectacle either this way or that, so I was a bit surprised, but I pretended that I didn't notice them lest they should feel embarassed. They almost immediatedly turned their eyes the other way as if they had found something else interesting.

Since this all happened simultaneously and in a forced manner, I understood that it was my Asian feature that grabbed their curiosity. Plain courtesy dictating, "don't stare at people; it's rude." Innocent eyes don't lie, and one little child about the age of 5 stared at me as long as he could for about 10-15 seconds savoring every moment of my visage. I sat alone laughing to myself, wishing them a pleasant flight.
Similar scenes could be seen in the Korean setting some yrs ago (before 1990's), and they usually involved people getting all excited about having to deal with a foreigner. It was more of an unusual experience that they enjoyed more than feared.

Now it is definitely a thing of the past. Not many people are either very afraid or hyperconscious of dealing with a foreinger. There are many Koreans fluent in foreign languages, and the same goes for foreigners in Korea. It is always amusing to see a foreigner on TV speaking spanking fluent Korean, but there are so many of them. It's quite natural to see Koreans speak an assortment of foreign languages. There's no governing rule if you're coming this way.

EDIT: I asked my children and nephew in 7th, 4th, and 2nd grade, if they were instructed to address a foreigner in any particular language or manner. They said they don't remember being taught anything in that line. As far as I remember, I don't remember anything myself. This should be only natural. If the majority could not speak a foreign language, it would not make sense forcing them to. If many of them spoke some foreign language, it would still make no sense in telling everyone to speak either English, Japanese, Chinese, or other, because everybody's different. Korean schools don't bother with that problem letting each individual do what seems right at the moment.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

I can't describe how terrible this made me feel. I had never experienced (and never thought I would have to experience) a group of adults being so absolutely and completely petrified of me. It made me feel ill and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but I thought it would be rude to just walk out of the shop, so I sat down and ate anyway. Still, I was really too shaken to enjoy my meal at all. Once they found out that I spoke some Japanese (though this was quite a while ago and my Japanese wasn't at the level that it is now), they relaxed a little bit, but this didn't really help. I mean, I felt miserable -- mostly because of what I felt like I had done to these people. I felt like I had ruined their evening just by my deciding to try out this place's okonomiyaki. They had been eating, drinking, and having a good time, until my presence sent the whole place into a panic.

When I traveled in Germany, I had a similar experience.
When I traveled in the German southeast on a motorcycle in 1995.
The salesclerk solidified with the visitor who was in the shop where I entered in a supermarket.
The others
When I camped in the suburbs of Berlin, it was surrounded by children.
They did a gesture to insult an Asian.
I introduce myself with the machine which I translate for German
They were surprised very much.
They looked in me for curiosity the next day.
It was interesting experience.

[lexico]

When I traveled in Germany, I had a similar experience.
When I traveled in the German southeast on a motorcycle in 1995.
The salesclerk solidified with the visitor who was in the shop where I entered in a supermarket.
The others
When I camped in the suburbs of Berlin, it was surrounded by children.
They did a gesture to insult an Asian.
I introduce myself with the machine which I translate for German
They were surprised very much.
They looked in me for curiosity the next day.
It was interesting experience.

What you say is a real interesting story.
I had a good laugh, and learned something, too.
It appears that those children wanted to connect with an Asian-looking person by saying their children's natural sign of hello=friendly insult!
And I liked part when they came to you the next day because they wanted to know.
It's not all bad, and you seemed to have taken it all with good humor!
My wife's aunt lives in Germany.
I can only imagine what she's been thru in some remote parts of the country.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm amused when I think those German children will keep thinking that all Japanese people a serious bikers, carry a machine translator, friendly, and extrmemely patient and understanding, which is partially true!!
You are a brave man!!

[misa.j]

Misa-san, I think you've lived in the US too long to forget how strange people behave in front of persons who look foreign. I think the normally functioning brain of the Japanese becomes "paralyzed" and dysfunctions from "fright" (maybe the word isn't appropriate, but I hope you get what I mean).

Yeah, I do understand what you mean, and I remember people's reactions when confronted by a foreigner, that's why I posted. What I don't understand is the reason of that. I don't think normally functioning brain of Japanese should get paralyzed or dysfunctioned.

Wouldn't you listen to what the other person is saying when you start a conversation w/ someone? Why don't some Japanese people even pay attention to what language a foreigner is speaking and just try to assume that the foreigner would have a hard time understanding them?

[Maciamo]

Why don't some Japanese people even pay attention to what language a foreigner is speaking and just try to assume that the foreigner would have a hard time understanding them?

That is basically my point.

[DoctorP]

One question for the long time residents (Mike, Maciamo, anyone else)

Do your Japanese friends treat you this way or just aquaintences, shop owners, etc??