The Only Gaijin in the Village

Today marks the start of my third week living here, so I'd thought I write a quick post on some of my experiences of being one of very few foreigners in the area whilst I take a break from writing up lesson plans.

The main thing I noticed (and one of the first) is that a lot of people stare. I've gotten used to it now, but it was really disconcerting for the first week or so. I've had some people cycle really slowly past me, some stop walking, and some sit on the other side of Starbucks or the train and watch really closely. Just yesterday, I got the joy of witnessing a young man nearly cycle into a lamp-post because he was too busy staring at me as I walked home - it was incredibly hard not to laugh.

I don't notice it as much now, though sometimes it is difficult not to. A lot of students at the school stared at me during the first two weeks, but the novelty of a new teacher has worn off now so things are back to normal.

Sometimes, people come up to talk to me rather than just watch me from a distance. I really don't mind it when they do, and so far they have all been very patient with my near non-existent Japanese. Usually, they want to know where I'm from and how old I am. How old I am is probably the most common question I get at the school as well, so now I make people guess. So far, only one person has correctly guessed 21. Most say 24, with the oldest being 27. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

In the area where I live (Nakazato 中里), a lot of the more elderly residents are the friendliest and say hello to me as I walk past. One gentleman who was working in the rice paddy stopped me for a short conversation, and always asks if I'm having a nice time in Japan whenever I see him now. When I went to Odawara Castle, an older lady stopped me to ask where I was from because I was very tall (she didn't even come close to my shoulder) and asked me a few simple questions that even I could understand in Japanese, and attempt to answer in the same language. A lot of the older people also say I'm cute when I walk past, which is a nice little boost to my self-esteem on the way to work or wherever I'm going.

All in all, it's really not so bad being (very obviously) a foreigner here. Everyone is incredibly accommodating and sweet, and mostly just curious as to where I'm from and why I'm in Japan. I don't feel particularly uncomfortable when people stare now, and any awkwardness is usually quickly dispersed by wishing them a good day. It takes a little while to get used to things, but I'm glad I live in an area where it is easy to adjust.