Sticking out

[GaijinPunch]

Okay, here's one (well, two really) of my few interesting stories that don't incriminate me. They're nothing major, but it can help people that haven't been to Japan identify with how out of place you can be.

My first experience to Japan was as an exchange student in September of 1996, in the bustling city of Shizuoka. It's by no means inaka, but it is pretty far from Tokyo. Anyways, it's time for the first day of school. To get to school, I have to take a bus to Shimizu station, then a train two stops to Shizuoka station, then a rather lengthy bus ride to school. I'm 6'3" and haven't quite acclimated to my new surroundings. So, I'm getting off the train and BAMMM, I hit my forehead on the way out. I didn't fall to the ground, but it was a pretty big smack. Despite not being in Tokyo, the trains at rush hour are packed just as tight. Finding a friend would be a chore if you got seperated.

Anyways, I mosey on to the bus stop, wait about 10 minutes, get on the bus and take the 45 minute or so ride. When we get to school, part of our orientation is to have a Q&A w/ the Japanese students. The first question I was asked was, "is your head okay?". I had heard stories about sticking out, but being picked out of about 300 or so people on a train platform was pretty impressive I thought.

Fast forward about 16 months later. I've graduated and am going to move to Tokyo to figure out what on Earth I'm going to do with my life. I've arranged to live with an old friend from college and his roommate, in Meidaimae. It's a handful of stops passt Shinjuku and Shibuya on the Keio and Inokashira lines, respectively. I go from Narita to Shinjuku and call my friend to get better directions. He says to come to Meidaimae station and call from there, which I do. My friend's roommate comes and picks me up and takes me back to the apartment, where my friend is having an English lesson. His student looks a bit surprised. When I'm out of earshot she says to my friend, "I just saw him in Shinjuku station."

[Revenant]

Usually I never stick out like that, but then I am a 6' Native American with a build more similar to that of most Japanese men. I have what is called a universal face, and have been mistaken for Korean, Filipino (landed a job for that), Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Brazilian, and most strangely, Italian (???). Anyways, I usually pass for just another Japanese, unless someone takes a closer look at my face, in which they give a 'Is he Japanese?' look of confuzzlement.

[Kara_Nari]

Yeah, I dont stick out like a sore thumb, im bigger than most koreans/japanese, I have freckles, but still I can pass as being somewhat asian.
However as soon as im with another foriegner, they dont make the mistake, its rather apparent that I too am not one of them.
I often hear people whispering amongst themselves 'is she a foreigner or korean'? Same in Japan. I just cant see it myself though.

Your stories are great! Thats amazing that people really did recognise you. Are you blond haired as well?

[GaijinPunch]

Are you blond haired as well?

Not really. Pretty brown for the most part, but with blue eyes and rarely shaven. I probably had ear rings in at the time too.

[Pachipro]

Interesting stories there GaijinPunch. Thanks for sharing them.

[budd]

i saw a guy (british) that was 8 feet tall in narita airport
contrasting the reactions of other foreign people with those of the japanese was fun

[GaijinPunch]

8 feet tall? Damn! That's crazy. You know, I saw a woman that was about 6'7" or so at a park (Ior's birthday actually) in Austin when I was in college. I felt bad for her. You can imagine all the guys staring at her.

[epigene]

Originally Posted by GaijinPunch

Not really. Pretty brown for the most part, but with blue eyes and rarely shaven. I probably had ear rings in at the time too.

Do you look like Johnny Damon? My favorite baseball player!!

[GaijinPunch]

Unfortunately, no. John Lennon w/o the glasses and some added scruff is more like it.

[Kara_Nari]

Tall people amaze me, we had one customer come in one night to a restaurant I was working at, and he was about 7.5-8 feet tall, I think he was German. His head was an odd shape, and when he was holding his knife and fork it honestly looked like we would if we were playing with a kids tea set. I can imagine it must be rather uncomfortable, having to bend all the time not to get hit in the face, sitting in a chair at the table was difficult too, he had to slouch down, and then nobody could sit opposite because his legs were so long.

When I was at work one night, the Korean womans basketball team came in, this was back in NZ, these women were sooo tall, the tallest I had ever seen! I was used to being taller than most asian women, but I came up to their armpits! Even their coaches and trainers were shorter than them (men).

[lostparrot]

I will be in Japan next year and I know I will stand out, a 350lb white guy, yeah I'll stand out all right lol!!