I’ve been bombarded with negative news and stories about foreigners in Japan (mainly on Twitter). Though I’ve never been to Japan I feel like this is overblown and generalizing that all foreigners in Japan are bad. So I want to ask to Japanese people: Do you have any positive stories or experiences where a foreigner did some good things for Japanese people?
(Non-Japanese people can chime in as well if they have a story)
I think only a small number of Japanese people bring social media echo chambers into their real lives or personal views. Being able to separate “online discourse” from “real life” is actually one of the sensible traits of Japanese society, in my opinion.
Through my own business, I’ve worked with many foreigners, and I’ve also hired foreign employees based on recommendations from our parent company. Some of them were extremely capable, while others, unfortunately, tended to push their own egos too strongly. That’s exactly why, on a personal level, working with foreigners isn’t really any different from working with Japanese people.
In the end, it comes down to the individual. I think most ordinary Japanese people understand that.
"I think only a small number of Japanese people bring social media echo chambers into their real lives or personal views. Being able to separate “online discourse” from “real life” is actually one of the sensible traits of Japanese society, in my opinion."
That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard on Reddit.
Genuinely baffled by it hahaha.
I think the biggest difference would be the level of cooperation.
I remember doing a physical exercise that demanded a lot of cooperation with two groups - one entirely Japanese and one multinational. I remember thinking doing a task was pretty impossible, but a year later I did the same with Japanese group and we all succeeded.
Naturally, if a person with foreign roots has went to a Japanese primary school, we can expect something similar from them.
There are a lot of stories about convenience store staff (mainly Nepalese) who saved Japanese elders from getting scammed as they were buying prepaid cards they were instructed to give the serial number of to the scammer. Lots of interviews and awards given by the police in front of the cameras. Just two examples:
外国人コンビニ店員、ニセ電話詐欺防ぐ…「言葉伝わらなかったかも」○×シートでやりとり：地域ニュース : 読売新聞 https://share.google/ZL3i40lj2J3rRDs6m
【お手柄】 特殊詐欺の被害を防いだのはネパールからの留学生 コンビニのアルバイト従業員に警察が感謝状 2人は日本語に不安も連携プレー《新潟》（2025年10月15日掲載）｜TeNY NEWS NNN https://share.google/PQfjBFl3rsPQt5sH7
Reddit isn't exactly a great place either. You always see these defeatist attitudes about how Japan treats foreigners, and I’m against that kind of mindset that just drives a wedge between Japan and the rest of the world.
I try to actively look for things like mentors for foreigners in Japan or people who are actually contributing to their local communities. You don't get that kind of positivity on Reddit, so I don't consider it a source of "truth" and don't put much stock in it. Besides, if you post a real opinion or the truth on Reddit, you just end up getting downvoted anyway.
somehow a lot of foreigners struggle with accepting that Japan is just a normal country with normal people. the vast majority of Japanese will have neither positive nor negative experiences of foreigners doing something. because they have their own lives and own issues and own things they focus on.
also understand that millions of foreigners visit Japan every year and a handful produce headlines that will excessively be posted on social media. if social media bombards you with negative views, the reasonable thing is to get off social media.
The front page headline in the Japan News (English version of the Yomiuri Newspaper) today is about foreign residents' contributions to their communities, with a focus on the labor shortage and elderly care workers from other countries, and accepting foreigners into Japanese society.
I regularly speak to my Japanese neighbors and they often say positive things about everyone....other than Chinese people. Whenever I hear complaints, it's almost always about Chinese people.
[removed]
Yes, I think there is distinction. Today I had a conversation with my neighbor about their fears of China invading Taiwan. And even between Chinese mainlanders, how some disagree with their government. But also they told me there are illegal taxis driven by Chinese, and warned me how to spot them. I think they consider Singaporeans, Taiwanese, and Malaysians separate, but maybe I'll ask next time.
I'm sure some of my neighbors worried about me too when I bought a house on their street, but we're mostly friendly now.
Iirc, isn’t the concept of a Chinese race actually created fairly recently like during the 20th century? For the most part in history our ancestors are Han and I hope we can bring that back.
労働力不足は大嘘です。 外国人労働者は利権です。 そして、その新聞記事はプロパガンダです。
中国人だけじゃないですからね。 他の外国人も良くないです。 正直、外国人には来て欲しくないですし、住まないで欲しいです。
A car sped through a red light. Some people often start crossing the street the moment it changes. I saved a kid from getting hit by a car. If I didn’t want junk food that day, then I wouldn’t be there and there would be a dead kid.
Annoys me to hear the government use residents as scapegoats to deflect from their domestic problems. I’m just trying to live like anyone else here.
Asking Japanese
Read OPs post again and practice reading comprehension.
Oh ya sorry
Well, no. We take it for granted that foreign tourists should be able to enjoy sightseeing with good manners, and if they don't, it will simply be remembered as a foreigner with bad manners.
I’m curious if you see Japanese folks who have bad manners the same as foreigners who lack manners, or if fellow Japanese are judged more harshly because they know better?
That’s a good question, in most cases Japanese with bad manners are judged more harshly, as Japanese expect foreigners to not know the rules, or expect disregard of rules because of different cultures. I am Japanese but look white(mixed race), people are way more forgiving me for, not following rules, being late, compared to my Japanese friends/co workers.
However when it comes to different things, (not manners) there are double standards where some stuff are fine for a Japanese to do but judged more if a foreigner did.
I agree with this answer.
It may seem that foreigners are highlighted more prominently because they attract public attention, but in reality, the pressure of social conformity is far more severe among Japanese people toward one another.
Worked and have been involved with international Japanese tourism, and Japanese tourists were terrible in the 1980-90s. It is actually very similar to the Korean tourism boom in 2000-10 and Chinese boom of 2010-20.
The big difference then vs now though, is that Japanese Companies actually employed paid guides and invested in other infrastructure/services to facilitate Japanese tourists.
Whereas now, all Companies just pocket the venue and don’t give back to the local communities that their business depends on.
It’s so misplaced to be blaming foreign tourists, when the problem is corporate greed.
I know there are Japanese people with bad manners too, but the ratio of who don't follow Japanese manners (although they may not be malicious and are simply ignorant) are higher for foreigners than Japanese.
Also, because nuisance foreign streamers are so prominent, I don't see Japanese streamers with such bad manners.
Forgot about Hezumaryu?
多くの日本人は、彼の活動を支持しています。 だから、彼は奈良市議に当選したんです。 彼は、鹿に暴力行為をしている中国人に注意しました。 多くの日本人は中国人に対して怒っていましたが、中国人は危険なので、日本人は彼らに注意することが出来ませんでした。 しかし、へずまりゅうさんは恐れることなく中国人に注意しました。 中国人が危険なのは、日本では周知の事実です。何故なら日本と中国の両国で中国人に日本人が殺害される事件が何件も起きてます。中国人は幼少時から反日教育を受けていて日本人を憎んでいるので日本人に危害を加えるのは平気なようですから、中国人は危険だと日本人には認識されています。
Hmm yeah or that time he harassed a child, or when he harassed elderly and homeless people.. the videos at Nara were altered by the way.
Funny, just this evening there was a bunch of young people sitting on the pavement in front of Mac Donalds and eating. This was not the first time I saw such people. The ratio Japanese vs foreigners is like 90% Japanese.
It's usually foreigners who sit in inappropriate places at shrines and temples, but Japanese people don't do that very often.
It is true, that tourists often sit down, and there really are not enough benches and oftentimes they do not know it is not ok to sit there.
Ignorance is no excuse for bad manners.
But, it kind of is though. Ignorance of small, unspoken societal rules is kind of the only excuse for not knowing about what is “good manners”. Because what is considered ‘good’ and ‘bad’ manners is a list of subjective criteria that can be different everywhere.
It might be subjective criteria, and that is why we judge foreigners have worse manners than Japanese.
For example, if a Japanese person were to sit in an inappropriate place in a Western church, you would probably feel that it was bad manners, right?
No. I would assume they did not know. Not that they’re ill mannered. Again, ignorance would be the excuse for breaking an unspoken social norm.
I can’t make a general statement on that. There are shared kinds of lack of standards that can be seen in tourists from both the foreign country or Japanese in Japan (like how to behave in dense and busy city that aren’t well understood by those from rural areas). For that I think foreign tourists are getting harsher hit, but at the same time I personally hear that predominantly from foreigners in Japan, so I’m not sure how much of this is relevant to your question.
Then there’s different kinds of manners they break. Ones that I see often among Japanese are, while it may be annoying, by large it’s expected because it’s nothing new. Then there’s new kinds of morale that were introduced by foreigners which majority hadn’t seen before, such as otherwise civil guys where they’re from is seen as loud and whatnot. (I was called out for that from my friend for a while after coming back from the abroad.)
無いですね。
日本に住んでる外国人(特にアジア人)の犯罪が酷いですし、外国人観光客のマナーも酷い。 特に中国人は酷い。 私はTikTokの再生回数を稼ぐ目的で日本に来る外国人を軽蔑します。 日本を旅行したら速やかにお帰り下さい。 あと、外国人観光客は通勤時間の満員電車に乗るのは避けてください。
If you look on YouTube, there are plenty of positive Japanese videos about foreigners in the community. They're in Japanese, but here are some links. There are a lot more. The comments by Japanese people are pretty positive. (At least the ones I've seen)
Living with the Land: An American Farmer Reviving Fields in Japan for 15 Years | Pitchfork Farms
https://youtu.be/Dx2rl24ctLo?si=32utJ4-Eh8cTanvV
A 36-year-old man from the Netherlands in Togakushi in Nagano City.
https://youtu.be/lwONyh5b-10?si=oKqBXKG93jZo4lKK
A rookie forest worker from the United States
https://youtu.be/7Fd9sxuNsTE?si=7wCUpzRfK4J-_lb8
News about foreigners in Myoko.
https://youtu.be/on8E8eDgtPE?si=-rUdFAtQ8_CfVKt1
News about 19 year old Ukrainian Refugee in Japan
https://youtu.be/EfvYiEwraaM?si=-ndvajbCMHOSBZla
My husband is Korean, but he hasn't experienced any discrimination that I know of. He's a hard worker and had an elderly man offer him his farm lol. All the Korean people we know have never mentioned discrimination and seem to be liked by their Japanese neighbors.
This is a little different, but
Japanese person asks a Chinese person awkward questions about China and the Chinese (Has English subtitles)
https://youtu.be/8pH-1w8eUpA?si=uAA96bzKWg_9LBdB (
I remember going to a metro station. A woman was taking 10,000 yen from ATM, when a wind from a coming train blew and the bill came flying. I immediately realized what was happening (in fact, I felt as if it will happen just a moment before) and immediately catched it with my feet by stepping on it and then handed it back it.
[deleted]
(Non-Japanese people can chime in as well if they have a story)
Friom the original post
"(Non-Japanese people can chime in as well if they have a story)"
After the 3.11 earthquake, foreigners who helped out in the disaster area was a common news item. Several of my friends in the area were recognized by prefectural governments.
I'm not Japanese but I believe I have at least a suggestion for this:
David Bull - Canadian - moved to Japan 40-50 years ago wanting to become a woodblock print maker. He has revived not only the interest world wide, but the tradition itself, along with the traditional washi paper making - both of these crafts were disappearing because people had lost interest in both. Both in and outside of Japan.
This all started when he made a cooperation with an American artist who would draw (in the beginning), Nintendo game inspired illustrations, that Dave would convert to woodblock prints. It became so popular that it had the effect I mentioned above - reviving national and international interest in traditional Japanese woodblock printing. Back then he was just one guy doing everything from his house outside of Tokyo. Now he has most of a small building in Asakusa in Tokyo and employs multiple people who are re-learning the crafts of printing and woodblock carving.
Since he needs very high quality hand made washi paper, he is also in contact with some of the few places in Japan that still make paper by hand, working with them to try and keep the quality high enough that it can be used for prints, help them source the wood they use (I forgot he name), and basically buying eough paper that they can sustain their business.
He is on TV occasionally and I believe quite well liked in Japan. Despite being a long haired bearded foreigner. There are only a handful of woodblock carvers left in Japan, and I believe the actual traditionally trained masters have all died, so he and his apprentices are some of the last people keeping the craft alive. I think Japanese people appreciate this type of dedication and effort.
This is his very interesting and highly nerdy youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@seseragistudio There are some really interesting videos about some of the masters that he would bother until the would show him a little bit of the techniques in their craft.
And this is his webshop: https://mokuhankan.com/
Check out his twitch stream too! You can watch the process live:
https://twitch.tv/japaneseprintmaking
Years ago a Korean student jumped onto tracks in front of an oncoming train to save a drunk who had fallen off the platform. He was killed. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/special/04/4283/
A few years later another Korean guy successfully saved a woman who fell off in the same station.
There is a tv show you can find on YT about that. The name is ridiculous. You 日本に何しに来た。
"You" means foreigner.
Found a lost kid as it was getting dark in my residential area next to the main street. As a mom I knew the toddler was lost. Many collage kids were walking home and didn't notice. I took him to Ito yokado close by and asked for help to find the mom. She ran in close to tears looking for her son. Everything worked out. If I had left the house just 2mins earlier I wouldnt have seen the kid.
Here you go.
Meet a man from Bangladesh who loved izakaya so much opened one himself.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1501738624437992/
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2087141/?cid=wohk-fb-org
I was driving down a wide, busy street the other day and saw someone having car trouble. I did a U-Turn to go help them push their car somewhere safe but by the time I got back to them there were already a group of visibly-not-Japanese people there before me, pushing it to the nearest convenient store.
today an old lady complimented me for cleaning up after my dog, but then she started complaining about Chinese people so I got out of there 😅
J'ai travaillé 4 ans au Japon comme un japonais mais avant la réforme de 2019, c'était trop dur. Je regrette d'avoir travaillé comme un japonais, j'aurais du faire quelque chose à mon compte.
I am japanese catlady. It was over 40 years ago, but when my mother was pregnant with me, she sat on the train with a musician from Ukraine (she said that he might have been in a choir), and they talked about babies in broken Japanese. She said the man gave her something like a small pin badge. "He probably gave it to me for the baby in my belly," my mother said.
I first heard this from my mother when the news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine came out.
There are eight billion people on this earth, and around 7,880,000,000 of those are not Japanese.
As an Australian, I'm not going to take the blame for some random Indonesian, Botswanan, Belgian or German who forgot to take their shoes off at an Airbnb that one time.
No, just no.
飲食店やコンビニで働いてる外国の人たち、みんな親切で丁寧だと思うけどなあ
Every year, there are foreign nationals who receive decorations in Japan.
In the media, you can easily find plenty of programs that introduce foreigners who are active and contributing in Japan.
On social media, people tend to focus on extreme cases, so it’s important to look carefully at the poster’s nationality and also examine their usual views and posting patterns beyond the single post in question.
Oooo I love this. The news gets in my head
Today, I preemptively pressed and held the green button in the elevator so a salary man could bolt to the smoking room.
An hour later, went to pay my tab and the barkeep did the X sign.
There are actually several TV shows in Japan that focus on foreigners living or traveling here (both tourists and residents). I don’t think this kind of programming exists in many other countries—certainly not to this extent in Europe. These shows often highlight how foreigners are perceived in Japan, not just through positive or negative lenses, but as fascinating and ´curious’ individuals. They usually portray foreigners who appreciate Japanese culture, and some of these shows even air weekly during prime time.
Also, most of the time, the foreigners featured are Westerners, rather than Asians
Just before covid, I sat on the train, there was a Japanese woman in front of me and behind her were two foreigners, assuming Americans, one of them were holding the strap and dangled back and forth whenever the train made sudden moves, and his back sometimes hit her's and she was visibly annoyed.
I decided to step in and said in Japanese "you can take my seat" she politely declined and said she's getting off the next stop, the buzz-cut american just looked at me all confused. just before she went off she whispered thank you to me before heading off.
Hopefully I gave her a good experience that there are at least some foreigners who aren't oblivious idiots