I don't normally do. Back when I was living in Europe (UK, France and Germany mostly), I tended to associate with people of all nationalities and backgrounds and dated women from a dozen different countries of origin or so, not necessarily on purpose, just because it happened that way and I never thought twice about it.
But here since Japanese society is so homogeneous, unless you actively seek foreigners, you end up always dating Japanese women. At first I had nothing against that but after 5 years and going on dates with about 30 different Japanese women, a sense of drabness, uniformity sets in. Same hobbies, same conversations, even their bodies tended to be similar...
For some reason I could never make any sort of emotional connection, or even be my natural self in their presence. All my interactions with Japanese people in general, be it on the workplace or in everyday life are characterized by a complete lack of spontaneity. I know it's a cliché to say so, but it's a cliché that turned out to be true in my case. When I travel abroad, I'm reminded that in most countries it's OK to make small talk with people in the streets, shops, public places, and then I come back here to be confronted with the same soulless robotic behaviour everywhere I go, there's something indescribably sad about it. I remember meeting my first real girlfriend as a student in the metro just because she was reading a book I had already read and that made me feel like I could talk to her and how that sort of thing could never happen here because all social interactions are coded, compartmentalized. I know part of it has to do with the fact that I'm a foreigner and as such will never be one of them no matter how hard I try. So recently I've started thinking that life would be easier with someone who knows what it feels like to be an outsider.
