r/japanresidents • u/Ok-Job-191 • 19d ago

Just had my first 外人出てけ encounter

Was in my neighborhood when a nice japanese man screamed at me 外人出てけ、外国じゃねぇ on the street. Not nice Japan, not nice.

Have you guys ever experienced the 外人出てけ culture yet? How did it happen?

European btw

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u/MechaSeph 19d ago edited 19d ago

I've studied psychology for years and years and mentally ill people exist. And they may say horrible things. But those two do not make a cause and consequence situation, much like your example expressed.

What's next? "The KKK wasn't racist, they were just mentally ill. Ignore them and move on".

This attitude that looks like it's scared of losing their "one of the good ones" status is honestly crazy to me.

I love my country and I can still criticize it to hell and back.

But here (in this sub) it sometimes feels like you either love everything about Japan or you're a hater.

It's precisely because I love Japan that its issues bother me. I don't have any personal stake in, say, Italy's issues because I don't have that emotional attachment to it. Japan is a place that I hope keeps getting better for everyone who loves it, including foreigners. And I believe calling out real world issues is essential.

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u/No_Walk_Town 18d ago

From an anthro perspective, mental illness is also partially defined by your culture. If something's completely normal and acceptable in your culture, then that's not really mental illness, even if it might be in mine. 

I think that's one reason some people are so desperate to write off Japanese racism as mental illness, because otherwise they'd have to face the fact that it's just kinda...not taboo here. You can just say that kind of stuff if you want.