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You will notice that my title isn't a question but a statement. So after meeting up with my friend in Tokyo, I mentioned about some microaggressions he might notice like the fake cough, fake cough attack, teeth sucking, spitting on the ground nearby foreigners (usually an older businessman type thing). etc.
I didn't tell him to actively look for these things but that we will just enjoy the trip and that we will notice it when it does inevitably happen since we were walking around the area around certain areas of Tokyo all day.
While we were walking, we noticed the fake coughing thing at least 3 different times. My friend actually noticed that a Japanese man walking in the opposite direction of us, actually made eye contact with him and AFTER that started raising his hand up to his mouth to cover up a cough...but the thing is he held his hand up to cover his mouth super early and didn't actually cough until he was next to my friend passing by.
I don't know about you guys, but when I hold up my hand to cough it is a fast motion. I feel a cough coming and I quickly reach my hand up to cover the cough within a split second, but this Japanese guy was walking for at least 2 seconds holding his hand over his mouth but suddenly coughed loudly right next to my friend. I noticed this too, but my friend noticed that he didn't wind up his fake cough for him until after he noticed us foreigners walking toward him.
We didn't get angry or say anything to him. We actually both just laughed when it happened because it was so obviously timed for us. I don't let it bother me when it happens when I'm outside walking alone in Japan as well. I just like to share these experiences because a lot of people repeatedly refuse that these things happen.
Another potential microaggression that had me and my friend busting up at a Sukiya in Tokyo:
It could easily be a coincidence that of all the parts of the wall to have a tear going on...it is right in the face of the Caucasian gentleman in the nice suit. Looking closely at his eyes, there is a good chance that he could be a Japanese man wearing western style clothes, but if someone did rip part of his face off, that would mean he is anti-foreign culture in general. It looks like the man with the mustache and the other man with the boots and cane are Japanese. The Japanese people wearing the Japanese style clothing and the Chinese man wearing the Chinese style clothing look totally fine.
Yes, this isn't something I'm calling 100% intentional, but just thought it would funny to share it on here. My friend and I were busting up about it.
I didn't tell him to actively look for these things but that we will just enjoy the trip and that we will notice it when it does inevitably happen since we were walking around the area around certain areas of Tokyo all day.
While we were walking, we noticed the fake coughing thing at least 3 different times. My friend actually noticed that a Japanese man walking in the opposite direction of us, actually made eye contact with him and AFTER that started raising his hand up to his mouth to cover up a cough...but the thing is he held his hand up to cover his mouth super early and didn't actually cough until he was next to my friend passing by.
I don't know about you guys, but when I hold up my hand to cough it is a fast motion. I feel a cough coming and I quickly reach my hand up to cover the cough within a split second, but this Japanese guy was walking for at least 2 seconds holding his hand over his mouth but suddenly coughed loudly right next to my friend. I noticed this too, but my friend noticed that he didn't wind up his fake cough for him until after he noticed us foreigners walking toward him.
We didn't get angry or say anything to him. We actually both just laughed when it happened because it was so obviously timed for us. I don't let it bother me when it happens when I'm outside walking alone in Japan as well. I just like to share these experiences because a lot of people repeatedly refuse that these things happen.
Another potential microaggression that had me and my friend busting up at a Sukiya in Tokyo:
It could easily be a coincidence that of all the parts of the wall to have a tear going on...it is right in the face of the Caucasian gentleman in the nice suit. Looking closely at his eyes, there is a good chance that he could be a Japanese man wearing western style clothes, but if someone did rip part of his face off, that would mean he is anti-foreign culture in general. It looks like the man with the mustache and the other man with the boots and cane are Japanese. The Japanese people wearing the Japanese style clothing and the Chinese man wearing the Chinese style clothing look totally fine.
Yes, this isn't something I'm calling 100% intentional, but just thought it would funny to share it on here. My friend and I were busting up about it.
