Embarrassing stories of foreigners in Japan?

Question

What's the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you in Japan? One of mine happened last night (one among many)!

My family and I were at a yakiniku restaurant about 30 minutes from the base and long story short, when it came time to pay the bill we were 60 yen short! And they didn't accept credit cards! My husband went out to the car to look for some change....to no avail. Finally he had to drive back to the base to get more money while I waited there. So embarrassing! We didn't know what else to do.

So now I will always try to keep extra yen in my car just in case. But it made me wonder about other people's embarrassing stories.....care to share yours?

Answer 1

For me it was the communal baths. Imagine a 12 year old Australian girl living in Japan, having to go to her first school trip. 20 naked girls, one room, one pool-like bathtub. I think it was the most revealing experience ever and certainly it stops you from viewing your body negatively as everyone is stark nude and so use to it that no one cares.

I was feeling really weird, as the minute I walked into the change and locker room I could already see naked girls. Then everyone just walked into the bathhouse, washed sitting down owith buckets and then jumped into a deep bathtub. Oh and guess what? Teachers use the same bath rooms as students!!!!!

Answer 2

I don't know if this counts but here goes... I was on my second trip to the Philippines, and when they were searving cosher meal, I had a hard time opening my orange juice. The package had too much glue on it or something. I pulled it so hard it end up exploding all over my crotch. I LOOKED LIKE I PEED MY PANTS!!! Well, I didn't have a change of cloths in my carry on luggage, and there wasn't much I could do in the plans bathroom, so I had to ride for an hour with a sticky dicky.
The next stop was in Japan where I ended up having to buy a new pair of pants, and boxers, but I didn't have any yen. I ended up having to pay $478.36 on my credit card. I tell you walking around a busy airport looking like a retard who just wet himself is pretty embarrising!!!!
I also have a few embarrasing stories that took place in the Philippines, Mexico, Canada, and all over the states... might be a good chain.

Jer

Answer 3

That's a pretty funny story, I have had a situation very similar to yours. How about going through a toll gate by accident and not evening have yen to pay for the tolls. Mind you, I speak no Japanese at all. I felt really dumb cause I got lost looking for something near the base. I think I ended up heading towards Nagoya for some reason. I'm really really bad with directions. They made me fill out some forms and let me make a U-turn to go back. Pretty Embarrassing

Here is another situation which really isn't embarrassing but I was very embarrassed. I offered my seat to an older women in a kimono on the train. The seat could fit one person nicely but she took my arm and made me sit next to her. She didn't speak any English so I couldn't refuse. The seat was very cramped and I was turning red because I didn't think Japanese people were this nice especially to a gaijin.

Going out of a hostess club cause my friend worked there. I was drunk and wanted to get some air. Then there were 4 police officers patrolling the area. They started talking to me in Japanese. I said Omise because I thought they wanted know what I'm doing there. Then I think they thought I was an overstay Filipino worker there. I was like dam what did I get myself into. Then I just showed them my ID and everything worked out fine. They were even hanging out with me for a while practicing their English on me.

Answer 4

Yeah, well listen to this!!

I was eating w friends at a little isakaya. I went in the restroom. It was Japanese style. There is a bendable aluminum hose that came out of the wall, at the time I did not know what exactly it did, but of course it was part of the toilet. Well, I was doing my business and to steady myself I was resting my hand on that hose. I flushed the toilet and started to stand up, but as I did so, the weight of my hand on the hose caused it to PULL OUT OF THE WALL causing water to SPRAY ALL OVER THE BATHROOM ala an open fire hydrant!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily there was a small towel hanging by the sink--I grabbed it and wrapped it around the hose, thereby managing not to get completely soaked--the water was then not squirting straight up but was steadily running down into the toilet and on to the floor. If there hadn't been a drain in the floor, the water would have been running under the door in about 30 seconds.
I ran out and said something to the barkeep in fractured Japanese (toire wa. . .dame desu!!), then returned to my table and told everyone what I had just done.
Before that accident I ate at that place all the time, but afterwards I was too ashamed to go in there again!!

Answer 5

They mustn't like US military at that restaurant as I'd have thought they'd have just waived the 60 yen or let you come back later!

My embarassing story: when getting my first spouse visa, I realised the night before when checking what I was going to say that the word for housewife was shufu but shofu was prostitute. I spent all the time on the train to the immigration office thinking "it's SHUFU not SHOFU! I can't get that wrong!" Of course, when the officer asked me what she did, I picked the wrong one...

Answer 6

I have the followings. Though encounters may be embarrassing, it is fun and good experience whenever the memory flashes back:

1/ running into the men's toilet
Once I went to a small restaurant with cuostmers which is famous for wrestlers' hot pot in Osaka. The signs of men's and ladies' are not very obvious. With a couple of glasses of beer down, I went into the men's. There was nobody inside when I went in. Nothing weird to me even I saw the men's bowl there. Then I heard the pee sound of a man outside the toilet where I was in. I just let the sound subsided, making sure no other people was in before I ran out, pretending nothing happened. For god sake, it seems that nobody noticed...

2/ Getting on the wrong train and missed the flight
This was my first time to Japan on my own when I was very young. I hopped on the wrong slow train (at that time, the JR system was too complicated to understand to me) and arrived at the airport about 40 minutes before departure. I begged the airline staff to let me in but in vain. I had to sleep at the airport as I ran out of money already to go into town and pay for hotel.
At night , Narita airport will be closed. It happened that there were other 7-8 foreigners like me. The security gaurds grouped us together in an confined area and patrolled around us. This is the most safest sleep I ever had...

3/ Open the door of a common bath when a big fat guy was inside
This was not my fault. The lock worked but it seems that there are always reckless guys who forget to lock the common bathroom/ toilet in hotel or even on a flight. But at that time, I was too young to say anything but blushed and ran.

4/ read the airport shuttle bus shedule incorrectly
This is the most expensive cab trip I every had. Worst is I was with my boss on business at that time. I mixed up the schedule to the two different airports in Tokyo due to too much drinking with customers the night before. It turned out that taxi was the only choice.

Answer 7

I was riding my bike along and 2 school girls were coming up infront of us. Being a gentleman I pulled off the sidewalk for them to go through, there was a large carpark next to the sidewalk. I pulled off the sidewalk and into the empty carpark, and we gave each other nods as we rode past to say dozo and thanks. Little did I know but that carpark was actually 2 seperate carparks, and they were divided by a chain. I flew straight into the chain, and over my handlebars. Infront of 2 school girls. SHAME! They quickly looked away, being good little Japanese girls, and I quickly stood up and appologised for making a scene, lol. Im pretty sure they rode off and giggles that they saw a gaijin fly off his bike. I think I still have a scar on my hand too. lol.

Answer 8

Well, the most embarrassing thing that I've done in Japan is when I was eating soba, I was slurping the soup really loud but when the old Japanese people sipped their soup, it was all quiet. Another thing was before I actually started eating, I thought the hot towel they gave me was food so I...well...I put it in my mouth and I screamed like crazy since it was sooo hot! I was literally crying from how hot it was. I was small and a little chubby so all of the younger ladies were all "Ahahaha, KAWAII!!!" but the old Japanese folks were calling me "Akibono Jr.". I was a kid back then so, yeah. Lol

This happened when I was smaller. Now, I know what I need to do in the future. Nothing really embarrassing happens to me anymore since I pretty much grew up here in Okinawa. I usually just laugh at the foreigners that make a mistake because it sort of reminds me of myself back then.

Answer 9

I went to a yaki-niku place one Friday and at closing time it was just the master and I. The guy told me it was closing time but if I was still thirsty I could accompany him to his favourite late night spot which turned out to be a gay bar. I was trying to explain in poor Japanese that "no offence, but this is not my type of place". The transvestite "mama-san" assured me, "Don't worry we won't rape you, we're not like those American gays". In any case I stayed and had a few beers and they were true to their word. I never went back to that yaki-niku place. Did you know there is whole genre of gay karaoke in Japan? It's got duets with two male parts-no joke!

Answer 10

This evidently was embarassing to my Japanese daughter-in-law and her mother.

While visiting in Japan, I tried to learn some of the local language, and for some weird and odd reason, one "word" that I learned turned out to be eyoeyo (meaning finally, or finish). I thought it sounded cool, and kinda fit in with my attitude of constant impatience.

We were at a store in a very long line and when we got to the register, I said "eyoeyo" in my very loud American voice and everybody stopped and looked at me. I laughed and said it again, pointing to the still long line, and gestured at my relief to finally get to the register, but I guess nobody got my joke. My daughter - in - law and her mother immediately started covering up for me in Japanese and rushed me out the door rather quickly.