Why Americans have a worse reputation in Japan than most foreigners and it's not what you think.

As an Aussie here i have come to this conclusion and it is probably sadly true of most other places.

[@Mryodamiles]

6:10 This is so true lol. I'm thai-american and I spent a few months with my family back in Thailand every year. So many Thai people look at white foreigners and immediately assumed that they are American. There are even funny stories within expat community of thai women who think their brit/aussies boyfriends are American.

[@eottoe2001]

I thought I was the only one who used propane torches to start fires. LOL

[@RealRuralJapan]

We are the elite in our field!

[@paulboden7850]

The abundant variety of grocery produce looked very fresh. Is it mostly grown in Japan? Organic?

[@RealRuralJapan]

Everything except bananas and a couple of other things are local produce at my local shop. Small scale farmers with low tech so everything always has sand and dirt because it isn't coming from a huge agribusiness that has the automated washing, drying and packing processes. Most important thing is it all tastes like it should, is affordable and is fresh ALWAYS. Nothing is certified organic at this shop so that is why i grow most of my stuff but its winter now and i am relying on produce from hothouses etc.

[@monogramadikt5971]

ive actually been shocked to come across groups of loud canadians on my various wanderings through asia, i had just assumed they were a lot more low key until i had seen them in action lol, especially in places like thailand. it would be easy to see how many of them would be mistaken for being american just based up their accents alone

[@GildedOnyx]

Could the sterotype of the loud american come from having our base in Okinawa? I have seen stories of the young soldiers stationed there, causing issues by getting too drunk. Good luck with the rush! Hopefully, it all pans out well for you, and a lot of people get to enjoy your cooking!

[@RealRuralJapan]

Bit of that no doubt and also the hangover from the occupation forces after the war. Most Japanese wouldn't even know Australians and Brits were the majority of occupation forces in some areas of Japan after war. Some undoubtedly played up and the Americans would have got the blowback from that as an example of how this sort of works even back then. American movies and TV does them no favors either needless to say.

[@colinswainson9882]

I’m a kiwi living in Okinawa and for the most part Americans are welcome and loved here , if the Okinawans don’t want anything to do with the Americans they just don’t go to the places or bars the Americans visit . When I used to teach engrish they would ask me to teach in an American accent 😂

[@RealRuralJapan]

@colinswainson9882 Okinawa is a totally different culture than the mainland and without the Americans the economy would implode.

[@valdius85]

There is the same stereotype about American in Europe as well.

[@GildedOnyx]

@valdius85 I'm also thinking it is partly Hollywood and partly due to our military presence across the world. Hollywood pumps out global movies, usually based in america. I think the combination of the 2 is where a lot of stereotypes of Americans come from. we are also raised to be very opinionated and to express those opinions with others, which is conveyed very well through our media. I have also noticed that we tend to speak very loudly, but I have not really traveled, so my opinion on that isn't based on a lot of experience

[@g8trdude225]

Life-long American here, in my late 50s, and have lived in 7 different states across the US (FL, NY, WA, MI, IL, MN, PA), so have seen quite a bit... although I have not travelled much outside of the US. IMO... we do have a preponderance of brash, loudmouthed "clowns" in America. And lately, many here seem to have _even_less_ inhibitions, around loudly airing their strong opinions, and not so interested in really "listening" to the other. Or even trying to begin to understand other views. And then we also have a special class of clown here - the legally armed clown. All I can say, is I APOLOGIZE, as a hopefully decent American, to all those decent non-American folk who end up wrongly lumped in together with the rude Americans. And Steve - best wishes for a successful and enjoyable weekend rush at the Cafe! I've only recently found your content, and am enjoying your shared experiences and perspective. Keep up the good work!

[@RealRuralJapan]

Cheers G8tr

[@jOeLwAlBy]

Part of it is many foreigners here in Japan in general don't adapt well. They don't allow themselves to accept and let Japanese culture change them. They end up being bitter and doubling down on the rudest, selfish and most annoying parts of their individualist home culture because that American, British, Australian or wherever. It's simple things they don't integrate well with like they don't learn to cook and eat Japanese dishes for example despite it being so cheap and try and cook foreign food always. See the same thing in my home country with some of the foreigners living there. They must spend a fortune on imported food.

[@paulsparks4564]

Good video, and I definitely agree with your commentary. The one thing you missed though is that the Americans are frowned upon basically due to the occupation and the historical stigma attached to that. For many years, Japanese, particular in rural areas, the only foreigners they ever met were Americans. I can definitely vouch for a sense of relief and/or friendlier interaction from Japanese, once they learnt I was Australian, and not American.

[@RealRuralJapan]

The Japanese were occupied by Australians, Brits, Canadians and New Zealanders as well so that is no different. A close friend of my family who died recently was an Aussie sailor who spent over a year here in the occupation forces after the war and had many a cool story to tell.

[@paulsparks4564]

@@RealRuralJapan Agree but the British Commonwealth Occupation Force from the UK, India, NZ and Australia numbered around 40,000 troops whereas it is estimated that over 1,000,000 US troops served in Japan during the occupation.

[@RealRuralJapan]

@paulsparks4564 Same ratio as the people who live here more or less nationality wise and all the bad things the Aussie and Brit soldiers did back then also got blamed on the Americans. The fact most people don't even know we were there in such big numbers says a lot.

[@AdachiCabbage]

What's funny is that we do that in the USA. If you are from South America you are called "Mexican." Doesn't matter what country, "Oh those Mexicans are taking our jobs!" Heavy discrimination where I live with people spray painting "no Mexicans" here too. Americans don't even like Americans. We discriminate based on race, mentality, gender, etc. But the thing is, in the USA if you are a POC, you get treated worse than white Americans or lighter-skinned folks due to outstanding long-lasting racism and discrimination. It doesn't matter if you are born there, you are discriminated against. I had a friend who was denied a job because he wasn't white by said job using a loophole to avoid being sued. It came out that black Americans had to pay more for houses than white Americans. But in other countries like Japan, you get lumped together. It is "nonnative vs native." It can feel good, as a poc, than being treated badly in the place you were born and raised in. I can't say for the UK, Australia, etc., or anyone white, but as a black person that's my perspective.

[@RealRuralJapan]

If people stopped watching so much TV, garbage movies and consuming popular music all of this would largely go away. Where there is conflict there is money and power to be had and everyone is the target for manipulation. It is easier to blame the powerless for the work of the powerful because most people are just too busy or lazy to think for themselves most of the time. Only when the vast majority realize everyone is the target and stop buying into whole thing with their money at the box office or whatever will things turn around for all IMO.

[@murraycrosbee5873]

I have found that many Americans who visit Japan are usually very loud and, therefore, stand out more than other foreigners. I have found this to be the case in hotels and public transport in Japan. Other foreign groups, not as much. New Zealanders like myself seem to be known because of rugby and our national team.

[@RealRuralJapan]

That is because you can differentiate by accent but if i got loud on a train with my Aussie accent with Aussie mates we would be seen as loud Americans but almost all Japanese who saw us. So, while Americans can be loud the other loud nationals would get lumped in with them making the loud Americans look even worse and far more numerous. That is the gist of what i am trying to get at.

[@jamesbeach5445]

i went to Japan in sept/oct and i noticed americans to be very loud ignorant and rude they definantly stick out over other Gaijin

[@RonaldoSanchez-g1y]

The trouble with America is we have too many cool hand lukes, men raised by single mothers. From all kinds of colors. And without the guiding influence of a father, these men think they have to be the loudest voice in the room.

[@AdachiCabbage]

And that's the father's and partially the mother's fault unless the father died. My cousin was with a man who told her after losing a baby that he was 'glad' because he had too many already. Guess what? She tried and had another one with this scumbag. So both her daughters have no father and the mother isn't raising them either. The scumbag has FIVE kids (both boys and girls) with other women. My cousin has two kids, different fathers, none of them around. With a father dying, there is nothing anyone can do in that situation and the mother usually raises the kid by herself or with some help from the uncle/grandfather/etc. But it doesn't replace a dead parent. It can mess up a person emotionally and mentally.

[@krystofk.2279]

Well, this sounds weird to me. I know a few people raised without a father and am one myself but I see it as exact opposite. The people who were raised without father are more often staying longer in schools or the "preschool" (got no idea how it's called) and thus are more in line to behave according to the societal norms by being raised by many different people in their lives. Of course all of us have problems and would probably need help from therapists (abandonment issues etc), but generally it doesn't seem to me as a cause but more as an excuse. I don't mean that in a bad way and I might be wrong of course. Also, I'm from Czechia. Maybe the different educational systems might make the change idk :/

[@RealRuralJapan]

@krystofk.2279 I used to deport criminals from Australia and got to know quite a few and let me tell you without any hesitation that almost all of them had a single parent household growing up. This would be the same in your country and to say it could even be a benefit having only one parent growing up is pretty poor judgement.

[@krystofk.2279]

@@RealRuralJapan oh I never wanted to say it's benefiting in any mean. I said that we have issues. Mostly abandonment issues, of course. And you might find it hard to be confident in life. But the people I've met with single parent were generally nicer people. More understanding and empathetic. That is according to my life experience and POV. I know I might be wrong, but it still seems as an excuse to me. But I don't know my country has, after a quick check, same crime rate as Japan. So it might be just hard to meet someone who'd be charged with something. That might play the role in my experience I guess. Anyway it's interesting to hear that someone had an exact opposite experience than me. So, thanks for the comment!