Being a stupid tourist in Japan

When I arrived to Japan I felt an urge I think many travellers feel as they arrive:

”I don’t want to be one of those stupid tourist Japanese people hate so much!”

Japan is booming. Everyone wants to travel to Japan and thus the internet is full of “stupid tourists” disrespecting the Japanese ways of living. City of Kyoto is closing entire streets from tourists to protect Geishas and Maikos, Mount Fuji has a new control gate to slow down the masses and multiple attractions are implementing higher ticket prices for foreigners.

I’d guess most people who have wanted to travel to Japan have gone through some very comprehensive lists of things to NOT do while in Japan. These include everything from important and somewhat no-brainer etiquette to some very outdated rules and exaggerated examples of cultural taboos.

Before moving to Japan, I did a profound research on the local ways. I was so afraid of being offensive. I was afraid my tattoos would scare the old ladies, that my laugh would be too loud and the worst: I would not be able to tell when I was being offensive. That someone would just look at me and wish that people like me wouldn’t visit their little shops, cafés and shrines.

And then I moved to a small town.

I saw a woman brush her teeth while walking down the street. A young man was riding his ragged and loud bicycle while trying to light a cigarette in his mouth. A senior citizen washed their mouth on the washbasin of a shrine and proceeded to spit in to the holy water. A granny stopped in the middle of the street, sat on the kerb and started to feed a swarm of pigeons. Another old lady came to me, touched the tattoo on my arm, smiled and told me in Japanese that it was scary.

I realized, that like in many things in life, everything was worse online. 

In reality, sometimes Japanese people talk in the train – just quietly about something that has to be said before the next stop. They eat as they walk – when there’s no risk of dirtying someone else’s clothes in a crowd. They jaywalk, they get excited and accidentally talk too loudly, they don’t always say “Itadakimasu” as they’re about to eat. And I’m not trying to say that the problems of over-tourism aren’t real, I’m realizing everything isn’t so simple and straightforward. Even in Japan, life is not black and white.

And I’m just so glad to find out that Japanese people are also only human, just like the rest of us.

xx