Middle easterners in Japan

[Murs]

First Post! :-)


Hi people, I'm from the UK and have been considering a trip (or work perhaps) in Japan for a while now.

But...

I was just thinking how are middleastern people seen over there?
I am of Kurdish origin (born in Turkey), how am I going to explian what a Kurd is to a Japanese person!. Anyway, like the guy in the thread about Hispanics I have a few qualms about myself over there. The reason being is that from my Asian friend, some have given the views of their parents of middle eastern people as kinda dangerous? also the whole gaijin thing. Though I attach nothing to a religion, im not Muslim if that matters.

However, a good few years back a certain Turkish football player was quite popular over there, Ilhan Mansiz was his name, and played for Kobe (?) so maybe I'm over thinking things.

Sorry if this is patronising, but just needed to straighten a few things. All responses welcome.

[frostyg02uk]

Of course your unsure even i was when i first went there admittingly.
Well first off welcome to the forum, hope you have fun here.

Before i knew an Indian man who worked in Japan for a year and he loved it there and had nothing but praise for it but he had perfect english.....and that was before 9/11 so things might change. Considering your from Turkey your not really middle eastern either your a part of Europe now so if anything see yourself as an example, many Japanese people have never met someone from Turkey so maybe you can be the one to educate them better making many misconcepts disappear. Im glad your not a muslim too because trying to be a good muslim in Japan i imagine would be very, very hard. There are not mosques which i know of and of course no halal meat to be bought, amoung many other things

[Murs]

Well ethnically I'm kurdish, so they may have heard "kurd" in northern Iraq and some how think I'm a rebel lol only kidding (though a family member was one *shock*).

I guess I am probably jumping to conclusions here. Thanks for the post, it's good to get any sort of reponse from anyone who's been there.
btw, no one remember that football player I was talking about? ilhan mansiz (google it if needs be, I can't post URL's b'cos im new apparently)

[RockLee]

Dude, I've seen Kebabs in Japan, owned by Turkish people. So I doubt you'd have a hard time.

[pipokun]

Ilhan left Japan just after a few games. But don't worry no stone from supporters of Vissel Kobe, no matter how much you look like him.

Go to Wakayama, and you can find a Turkish Museum commemorating the Ertugrul frigate disaster in Kushimoto.