Being white in rural Japan gets me a lot of stares. Mostly from kids and old people. Kids almost always say “Herro” because that’s how they pronounce it. I ignore them. I used to reply but then it got tiring. Sometimes I’ll reply with a full sentence about something totally random and they look extremely puzzled 😂 I always get some fun out of that. 

I used to be weirded out a little but now I don’t pay any attention. I speak English and I’m loud and I don’t care. 

Sometimes the old people even run up to me while pointing at me and saying “foreigner”. I can’t tell if they are excited or disgusted 😂 I just pretend like they don’t exist and pay no attention. They usually walk away awkwardly.

Then there’s the kid who whispers about me to their parent. And the parent hushes them and explains it’s not polite to talk about people who are right there. I nod in agreement 😂. Occasionally I’ll say hello in Japanese and they get quiet because they realize I know what they’re saying 🤣 

The kids are the best. I pick up my kid from school and large groups of kids stare at me and talk about me. They marvel at how my son and I have conversations in English. Occasionally some run up and practice their English on me. 

There are also adults who speak some English. But that’s about it. They can say a sentence but it’s impossible to hold a conversation with them. I usually reply with a word or two and end it there. Even if they try to carry on, the moment I open my mouth to form a full sentence they are extremely lost and confused. 

The joys of rural Japan 😆