日本人は辛いよ It Ain't Easy Being Japanese

Check out an edited summary of this in my follow up vid here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-cpTzHnWk

長い英語での動画レスですみませんm(_'_)m
次からの動画は日本語に戻りますね♪
This is a one off - it's all in English, and 26 minutes long but many people have asked for my view on Bobby's questions "can a gaijin ever be accepted as a Japanese" and there has been drama triggered by the excellent responses of Hirokochannel.

I don't like to lecture, especially about something as personal as "how to fit in in Japan", and that is why I plan to take this vid down in a few days. I think people need to really live life here and reach their own conclusions. But to the extent that my experience can inform, here it is.

This channel will resume normally scheduled programming shortly....

Peace

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• bobbyjudo
• japanese
• gaijin
• tough
• being
• cultural
• assimilation
• 日本人
• 外国人
• 辛い

[kanadaze]

Thanks for the vid man, I like your perspective.

[Hikosaemon]

@kanadaze My pleasure, thanks for sitting through that (and the terrible sound!)

[konoha4dawin]

it's almost as if foreigners think that if they try being as japanese as they can they will magically start transforming into a japanese person -.-

[Hikosaemon]

@konoha4dawin I don't think that's it. It's generally people who believe you should try to fit in to the country you are in. The hope is that it makes life easier, which is true to an extent. I don't think it's a desire to change what you are - it is a desire to be accepted among others for who you are.

A lot of people don't seek that acceptance, and hang out in English pubs with their gaijin mates and rip on guys going native. Some of those guys are happy like that, some are miserable

[Hikosaemon]

@konoha4dawin Some guys who try very hard to be accepted tend to go more extreme one way or the other - they either carve out a long stable life here, or they suffer complete breakdowns. In the end of the day, I don't like to see people suffer breakdowns, and I can't stand whingers or people who rip on others, but whether you seek acceptance or not, if you're happy doing your own thing, then that's fine with me.

[mybelovedsushi]

Thanks for the great vid but please please never make a vid in a noisy area again. I thought you were on a runway! That cam picks up evey single sound and I really strained to catch what you said. As for that, well done, its about time someone said it ey? Lets be grateful we dont have to pit up with as much 'job crap' as the natives.

Keep vlogging!

[Hikosaemon]

@mybelovedsushi yep... when I posted this, it was so long and the sound was so bad, I was embarrassed to post it but wanted to put it up as a response and left a note I would only leave it up for a week. I got a lot of positive feedback however asking me to leave it up so I have, but rest assured, I will never make a 30 minute long vlog walking beside a highway ever again. :)

[DJmixmastermicro]

No... Think about an even bigger social historical problem: Are Japanese Americans, Asian Americans, or any Asians in Western countries totally accepted as "real Australian", "real American", "real Canadian" even if they were born or raised there? Simply no.. Because racial discrimination has been going on in Western countries for centuries and keeps going on.. People keep thinking White=West.. Its that simple.. Sure there may be some grey areas, mixed people, but mostly overall, No.

[DJmixmastermicro]

@Turigamot. Are you delusional? Im AM talking about the present. Your ignorance and arrogance is truly astounding.

[dondopa]

IT AINT EASY BEING CHEEZAY

[Shaehl]

@DJmixmastermicro Unless you're living in a middle of no-where small town, this isn't really the case. In any sort of urban area Americans of whatever ethnicity are generally accepted as "just another person", not "that japanese guy" or whatever. There are exceptions of course, but that's definitely not the norm.

[2bfreeism]

Great vids!!! oh my Mama(white gaijin) went through this similar situation by bringing me up in the ordinary Japanese school system. She was the only gaijin there so she tried very hard to become a "Japanese mother" that even some Japanese thought she was more Japanese than Japanese themselves...hehe But you must not forget who you are as a person, or you'll go mentally insane and miss out on having fun!

[yanyanyanyan70]

やまとだましい！

[kelveto]

This is an extremely well-delivered explaination considering the background noise you had to deal with. Thank you. We appreciate it much. I don't know if I can actually do what you do. I, too, can't talk down to people.

[DJmixmastermicro]

@Condeycon. Oh yes how predictable, a WHITE man declares that there is no more racism against minorities in America. Everything is just equal now because a white man says so. Please say that again as you just keep shooting yourself in the foot. LOL