10: Western Life

I think this one is the best. Japanese people seem to have this sort of fascination with Western culture. Especially in Hokkaido, where so many people have never left Japan, this often leads to some interesting conversations.

It is interesting to me that none of my students want to learn English, but they love the idea of the West. They have random English on their shirts, their lunchboxes, their pencil cases, everything! 

My students, posing with me like a celebrity!

They also use western symbolism in their own fashion without knowing what it means. For example, the union jack and star spangled banner are everywhere, but basically nobody knows that these are actually the UK and American flags. The Canadian flag, sadly, is slightly less prevalent as a fashionable pattern.

I also use my country's symbol as fashion, but I know what it means!

Also, people seem to think Westerners aren’t human! I’ve been compared to a doll, complimented on my American features, and treated with everything from reverence to disgust; all without people even knowing my name. I’m just a human guys, don’t get too worked up about it!

And this concludes my 10 perplexing things about Japanese culture. Sorry it was so irregular, hope you enjoyed!