Why Japanese Avoid Sitting Next to Foreigners on the Train

This is just based on my experience and what I often hear from Japanese people, so it doesn't necessarily true everywhere in Japan.

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This channel covers important social issues, recent trends and cultural norms in Japan. I usually interview Japanese people, but sometimes talk about cultural things just like this video.

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Big thanks to Tiffany for sharing her thoughts.

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[nobitaextra]

03:41 Sorry, it's risk "averse", not risk adverse. I don't know why I put that..
BTW, what do you personally think about the gaijin seat?
How often is it actually though?

[Jivolt]

I worked with a guy that went to Japan quite often. He was 6’ 4” and had long hair in a pony tail. He said that the Japanese would always come up to him and ask him “rock star?”

[mnywmn]

I'm American and a little muscular. A young lady sat next to me after there were no other seats. She happened to speak English and we had a conversation. She told me I looked like a gangster.

[MegaPollen]

On the train while I was in Japan, an older lady needed a seat, but no one would give up their seat. So I got up and gave her my seat. She was so kind and sweet about it. And then when the train became more empty, she beckoned me over to sit next to her.
We started to have a chat, me with my google translate and broken Japanese and herself with her broken English.

She told me that she learns English from the announcements from the train that are in English, and she showed me a little book that she had been hand writing English in.
I was so touched by her, I drew her a Koala (I'm from Australia) on some paper and put my home address details and email. (We were talking for a while, and we were both thought it would be a great experience for us to be letter buddies.)

We have been now been sending letters to each other for two years now. 😊

Edit: Thank you everyone for the likes and comments on this!
This is a 100% true story, and I was really proud of myself for talking with her and making a friend.

Stay safe everyone and be kind. 💕

[qwertyuiopzxcfgh]

6:20 "...but it's a fear towards something unfamiliar"

Isn't that literally what "xenophobia" means? Xeno, from ξένος (Xénos), meaning "strange/foreign/alien", and phobia, from φόβος (phóbos), meaning "fear".

[ericktellez]

In my experience, in the US is just casual convo if you talk to someone, in Mexico you run the risk of learning someones whole damn life and get invited to a carne asada later lol.

[MrHopran]

When the train is virtually empty and someone sits next to you: "Oh f*** why me?"
When the train is crowded and people will rather stand than sit next to you: "Oh f*** why me?"

[damasake]

Introverted foreginers: "I see this as a win"

[camomoose]

I love japanese people explaining how their countrys actually not xenophobic.
Its hillarious.
Like:
No! You dont understand! We just avoid Foreigners as much as we can!
And we dont let them into certain testaurants...and we dont let them rent certain apartments...
But come on!
They smell weird!
What else should we do?

[rexkingdom]

i remember one time when I was on the train in japan there was this group of teenagers that kept starring at me and I understand Japanese and heard them say something like "Go say hi if you think she is pretty" so when we got off the train I went over and said hi to him and now we are long-distance friends

[liinchen_queenii]

I studied at a Japanese university. Me and my (French) friend went to Osaka during the holidays and asked a woman for directions because we were lost. She tried really hard to explain things in English until she actually realised we talked to her in Japanese. You could clearly see that she was relieved we could communicate in a language she’s comfortable with but I didn’t feel offended at all. She was so considerate to try to explain things to us even though she was uncomfortable and I really appreciated that.

[joshuapogar]

When I visited Japan I was avoided quite often on trains. I'm a light weight white man but I have a full beard. It didn't bother me at all. One time, however, a little old lady sat so close to me she was almost touching me and looked so proud of herself. It was cute to think that she may have a story to tell her friends that she sat next to a foreigner on a train.

[sebbo-py]

Nonono you guys don't get it its not that people in Japan are racist they just don't want to be near you because you look different and smell different and are from a different culture and different cultures are violent and risky to be around. But its not racism. Right.

[waynem]

I had an old old old lady sit down beside me on a train and she squeeze by bicep and laughed and talked to me in japanese and pointed on her phone to try to explain things. It was a heart warming experience.

[kreempa.i.]

“Every country has different train manners”

New York: aight imma head out

[MrTakeo]

i remember when i offered a sit for pregnant japanese in cable car. She started crying and very thankful to me keep saying ty. idk why she started crying, maybe she was in pain :/

[brentschellekens]

"We're not avoiding foreigners, we just don't want to bother them. Take it as consideration, not racism"
That has to be the largest humble brag bullshit I've ever heard. Just admit they're wrong for doing it so we can move on, THANKS!

[chiropteran]

To be fair, i avoid sitting next to anyone if possible

[Baksa]

Once I rode a train to Saitama for one hour. The train was crowded but nobody sat next to me! I thought it was because of my body odor, but when I got out of the train I realized that my zipper was open all the time. I was really embarrassed and told all my Japanese colleagues about it.

[skwnjur]

I am a muslim, I wear a hijab. A couple years back I went to Japan to visit my brother. On the bus a kid, he was sitting, was staring at me but I was used to stares and I ignored it. Then he got up and offered me to sit in his seat, maybe because I was holding shopping bags. Even if it was as small as offering his seat, I still think about how nice that kid was :)