The Truth
 

I've followed Kevin Cooney for a while now, but this is the first time something he's published has hit so close to home. As I myself don't follow the norm of what is assumed for those who live/want to live in Japan, this article really sticks out to me.

I'm Here, Aren't I? - J-BLOGGERS - jibtv

Thanks for posting, this one is really great and true for where ever you end up!

I liked the article! But you don't need reasons for everything right :mtongue:. I have my reasons anyways :cool:, but it will probably not sound 'right' like said in the article. ;)

Why would someone be offended if they ask you why you came to Japan? I was asked many times and it never bothered me. I felt like some people who live in Japan some negative feelings about it and couldn't understand why someone would want to move out of their home country to move into Japan.

My take on this is that the question becomes a means for self justification. Im sure many japanese have heard the same story over and over about why a "gaijin" is in their country, and with that in mind, it may become uncomfortable for some to have to keep justifying their reasons for being in a country they aren't immediately welcomed in. Granted, not many japanese are openly social anyway, especially not to foreigners. I can see how it may seem like a loaded question at times given the circumstances involved.

I would be surprised if many Japanese have heard the "same story over and over." Japanese who spend lots of time with lots of different foreigners likely don't care why someone came to Japan. It's people meeting a foreigner for the first time who is asking something like that.

Many Japanese are openly social, that is just a stereotype.

Never had an issue with the question myself. My reasons for being here have changed little over the years. I love snow, mountains and skiing and Hokkaido is truly awesome for all 3. Living nearby and working at a ski resort has always been a dream of mine and I got to realise that dream here in Japan. I love the simple lifestyle of living in a rural region and the great community here, most people for reasons similar to mine. It's cheap, safe and a hell of a lot of fun. I've travelled a lot and don't know many other places in the world where I could live a life better than I live here.

To be fair, teachers will ask that question as much as any body else, if not more... I would suspect that teachers have met loads of ALTs. I've had a couple of people ask me if I was here because of anime and manga before, because I think that's the answer they were expecting.

It definitely depends on the way it is asked, by whom it is asked, and when and where it is asked. I've had people ask me mid conversation before, which is obviously rude. If the person shows a genuine interest then it's no big deal. I think that is the case most of the time.

Unfortunately, you sometimes get strange follow up questions. Like the, "what about your own country?"/"Don't they have that over there?" type questions. I think another thing that this boils down to is that a lot of Japanese people are really into western countries... so they may be holding those countries on a pedestal the same way a lot of foreigners do to Japan. If that is the case, then maybe some of the people literally are looking for some kind of justification.

I would agree that it isn't something to get offended about. However, I do think that it can be a rude question given the circumstance.

I honestly don't get this question that much by Japanese, it's usually other foreigners outside of Japan (like during my preparation to move here). People would ask me "Why Japan?," and unfortunately follow that with the question "So are you like into anime and stuff?" 9/10 times.
It's like people wanted me to justify why I was going there, but the connotation of their voice wasn't curious as much as it was resentment.

I have almost never been asked that question by friends at home. Of course all my friends are quite aware of my obsession with snow and skiing and most are skiers themselves so are well aware of the incredible snowfalls of Hokkaido. Most are more than a little envious of my move here. ;)

So really this blog entry doesn't hit that close to home, as he is talking about Japanese curious as to why a foreigner would want to come to Japan, where you are dealing with friends from home wondering why you want to go to Japan.

I am often asked the same question, but there's not much of a mystery as to why Japanese like to ask it. Many Japanese think of America, Canada, or Europe as more interesting and exciting than Japan, and they wonder why someone would leave any of those places for a life in Japan.

In my case I tell them that "I like living in Japan", which is an honest answer. I've lived on both coasts in America (and many places in between), and I've spent time in other countries as well. Japan isn't necessarily better than any of these places, but my likes outweigh my dislikes, and so I remain here.

Of course it's possible that one day I'll visit a place I like more, and if such a thing happens I'll explore the possibility of living there instead.

I don't look at it with that narrow of a perception.

You said it hit really close to home, but those that are asking you why you are moving to Japan are your friends and fellow countrymen, and have a stereotype about people that are interested in Japan.

This is different from topic of the blog post, which was about a foreigner in Japan who is (oddly) tired of Japanese people asking why he chose to move to Japan. As was stated by more than one person here, it probably has to to with some Japanese native's negative feelings (or low esteem) for Japan as living/working destination.

It's not a narrow perception, but a clear one.

I agree with this.

I sometimes am interested in why others move to America, or even Canada. Really I'm just interested in why anyone moves anywhere out of their country.

So am I. It's a pretty big thing to move away from family and friends and all that is known and comfortable in your life to another country. The reasons why people choose to do this also interest me.

well ask them, WHY NOT?

I also don`t get why this is a frustrating question.
It`s no different than moving to a new town and being asked "What brought you here?", etc. People are curious about why someone new came to their area. When you`re clearly different in appearance, it`s just easier for someone to know that you`re not from around there.
Japanese people ask other Japanese people this question ALL THE TIME when they find out that someone is from another area. The thing is, for foreigners, you`re always not from around there.

It`s small talk. People aren`t looking for your life story. The only time I can see it being stressful is if the reason you are there is either stressful or embarrassing to talk about.

Japanese people think more simply"Why are you interested in Japan?"
They are less interested in why he/she left their country of origin.
I don't think many Japanese think of America, Canada, or Europe as more interesting and exciting than Japan.
Some might think that or say that.But foreign students from asian countries also are asked the same question.
Official answer: history,literature.
Ｒeal intention: anime,manga,game.

Jero,a famous enka singer,once said　that he was asked more than thousand times that why he came to Japan and why he got interested in enka. No one cares why he left US.

Jero's case is a little different. He is an young African American man who has a sense of style which is more hip-hop than traditional Japanese. Yet he is a popular enka singer. If he was only asked 1000 times why he got interested in enka, he's be lucky.

His interest in enka is more interesting than why he left the US.