Why do gaijin often ignore each other?

Question

I'm sure someone else has probably asked this as well, but I have noticed it too. Why when we see another foreigner in Japan do we ignore each other?

Granted, I live on a military base so my situation is different than say an english teacher or company worker who comes over here, but when I am no where near a base and see another foreigner, its like we both go out of the way to avoid each other. I can admit I do it too. But I usually don't think about it until afterwards.

I have been in this situation numerous times, and I feel guilty afterwards, like I should have made an effort to say hello, and wonder if they thought the same thing. What is your opinion on this?

I agree that not every gaijin will speak English, maybe thats another reason why we don't speak because we don't want to assume every non japanese speaks English. In my case I'm not a snob although I am a little insecure (but that's in general ^-^). Maybe its just because when your in another country you just want to experience everything and make it special in your own way, even if that means blocking others like yourself out? I don't know............does that make sense?

Thanks for all your thoughtful answers! Many of you had good ideas on why this happens.....I can't decide who answered best so I will leave it up to a vote! (^-^)

Answer 1

When I was there, I made an effort to meet other foreigners. Every once in a while, I needed to have a Gaijin night just because living there can be kinda tough. I always liked meeting other Gaijin.

Like already mentioned, some might be insecure.
I have one friend who wanted to learn Japanese so he didn't want many Gaijin friends. Some might be intimidated. I don't know.

It was always nice for me to meet other foreigners because we could relate.

Answer 2

\(^∇^)/ Ohhhh, I've been dying to ask this myself but I thought no one would answer!(*^o^*)
I've been here a long time and I ALWAYS reply, stop and talk, greet or help other foreigners *IF they address me-ALWAYS! They usually are asking for help at this point...
I also always greet any foreigner I pass, who doesn't run across the street or duck into a shop or just try to right out avoid me-really they do! ♡^_^♡　I even tried the "Hello!-Konnichiwa!" waving my hand greeting to some and was totally ignored! ha! Surprise, surprise! I NEVER assume all foreigners speak English. (A nice group of gaijin from Spain were really friendly at a gallery exhibition I recently attended so....not all gaijin ignore...)
Hmmmmmm, I must say this is a GREAT Q. and had you not asked I would have eventually asked it myself. It's a mystery, I have NO IDEA WHY most 'gaijin' ignore each other?!?
I for one can honestly say that I do not ignore other gaijin. (So, if you ever see me twikfat, stop me for a chat!(*^o^*) I'll even treat you to coffee! he he)
～You shouldn't feel 'guilty' though, really! Everyone has their own reasons I suppose, I just wish I knew what they were!(^_-)-☆
♡GREAT Q.!! Thanks for asking it.♡

Answer 3

I didn't ignore other foreigners when I lived in Japan, but they sure ignored me! It seemed natural to me to give a little nod or smile to other foreigners I saw on the street, but this usually failed to produce any reaction. Even if I actually said something like "Good morning" or "Nice day, huh?" the other person would often pretend like I wasn't there.

These were usually people I knew to be English-speakers, either because I heard them talking or because they were obviously US military (my town was near an American base). But even if there had been a language barrier, the polite response to someone greeting you in another language isn't to act like you didn't hear them!

The only explanation I could think of for this behavior is that some foreigners are afraid they'll attract more attention to themselves in public if they talk to other foreigners. I sometimes got the feeling that other foreigners were afraid I'd blow their cover, like they were blending in with the Japanese crowd but that if they even LOOKED at me everyone would realize that there were two big ol' gaijin on the street.

For some reason this behavior seemed limited to other white gaijin, though. The few times I encountered black people in Japan they always acknowledged me and sometimes stopped to talk. Maybe they realized that there was no way a black person was blending in with the crowd in Japan, or maybe they were just more friendly.

Since it always ticked me off when other foreigners ignored me, my opinion is that if you see a foreigner smiling or nodding at you or who says hello, at least give them a little nod back. But if they're trying to avoid eye contact with you, I guess you should just let them. You'll only feel angry when they ignore you.

Answer 4

I prefer to ignore other gaijin for two reasons, first, the obvious one that they may well speak German or something instead of English - I've known French people here, Idon't think they'd appreciate being accosted by some idiot yapping in English! Second, if the person doesn't speak English, or doesn't speak it well, they might start speaking Japanese - which I am far too thick to understand, so I'd prefer to avoid such a situation!

I've had Americans come up to me, usually in Daiso, and start asking where something is, or if I think it's a good place to shop, and when I answer them in a friendly way but with an ENGLISH accent they instantly lose interest! Strange, they didn't act like that when I was living in America!

Answer 5

I notice this all the time. I think it's because we want to have the feeling that we are the only ones enjoying this slice of paradise.

When we see other gaijin around, we get reminded that we actually aren't the only ones here and it loses that special quality.

It's like having the latest pair of shoes. When you start seeing more and more people with the same shoes, then you get annoyed and the shoes that you like so much tend to lose their value.

Answer 6

I think a lot depends on where in Japan you are living, and how often you run into other gaijin.

The town I lived in didn't have many gaijin - and we made a point to say "hi" to every one we ran across. But when I was in Tokyo, there were times that there seemed to be so many gaijin that I couldn't say "hi" to all of them even if I wanted to.

Also, isn't it a bit presumptuous that we assume that all gaijin will speak English? The town I lived in had a high population of Brazilians and Russians, and we spoke to each other in Japanese.....

Answer 7

YES!!! I have been wanting to ask this question for a few days now. I used to always say hi and give a nod to gaijins, and most of them ignored me. Now I dont say hello but I do give a little nod of acknowledgement. Any responce? No.
They are all snobs. I mean I live a normal Japanese life, all my friends are Japanese , and I am not at all interested in the English community one spec, I dont even know if there is one in my town. Anyway we had obon matsuri in town today and my little sister came to visit, we walked past this group of foreigners twice, both times they completly snobbed us! Whats their problem?? Do they think they are all that because they live in Japan? Well so do I and I would smile back if someone smiled at me.
Because all of all these experiences, I dont think I like gaijin in Japan, the majority of them anyway. Ocassionaly a non english speaking foreigner and they are usually friendly.

Answer 8

I think it's like living in america ,some people ignore you and some don't,but i wouldn't really know this, but i have friends who are gaijin and live in japan, they have never talked about this though.

Answer 9

i will wink at a foreigner but thats about it. I always try to get as much infos about wherever i am going before i leave because the last person i want to meet or hang out with abroad, is someone from back home.
i feel that traveling around the world to hang out with fellow countrymen is a waste of money!
the only way to discover a country is by meeting and experiencing with locals

Answer 10

Personally, I feel like I wouldn't acknowledge random people I pass on the street back home so why should I over here? I am definitely not "insecure" in fact just the opposite--I don't feel the need to connect with someone simply because they are the same color skin as myself. I don't even respond to the random Japanese folks who say hello to me at this point. Nationality is a myth, we're all just humans.