What's it like?... Being a Black Woman in Japan

Before arriving to Japan in 2003, I constantly searched the web and read books trying to answer the many questions I had about Japan. I wanted my first experience going outside of the borders of the United States to be a positive and memorable experience.  I wanted to learn about another culture, learn another language, and meet as many people as I could.  I didn't want my experience to be filled with four months of derogatory comments and racist reactions from people judging my skin color.  So, I searched the web in attempt to learn a little about Japan from several diverse perspectives.  Though I found several informative "being in Japan" blogs and website from the white-male and female perspective, with the exception of Black Tokyo a web forum developed for those interested in learning about Japan from a Black perspective, I found a more diverse perspective to be lacking. Thus, the Creation of Sista in Tokyo, August 2003.

Since I first begin blogging August of 2003, I have been asked several questions via e-mail, personal conversations, random meetings and interactions, etc...  Interestingly, the most popular question that I have received has not been about Japanese culture or Japanese people (directly), instead it has been on my experiences of being a black woman in Japan.  Thus, I have decided to devote a series of posts to answering "What's it like to be a Black woman in Japan?"

For me Japan is:A Sociologist's and Anthropologist's Playground-  While I am neither, I often find myself attempting to answer a lot of questions and analyze a lot of situations about Japanese society and culture. The culture is filled with so much background music (my choice analogy).  I mean, it's like an onion; a continuous layer of culture/history/traditions/language.... One after another. I find it stimulating, amazing, and at times frustrating.  For me, it provides a constant mental challenge and I love it.  From a my perspective, I realize that in Japan- first I am viewed as a woman, then as a foreigner, then as a black foreigner from the United States.  And ALL of these factors play a role in your interaction in Japan, although not all on a daily basis.

For instance, one day I went to the bank to transfer money from Japan to the United States.  Now, I have been to this bank about 5/6 times since arriving and I always interact with the same two people. On this particular time, the male banker at the foreigner exchange desk was being a complete ASS to me.  I felt his questions were simply uncalled for.  He wanted to know why I had to send money to the US, which is a normal question.  I told him that I had personal finances to take care of.  He asked, "Like what?"  I told him I had monthly bills in the United States.  He asked,"What kind?"  I told him, "Student Loans..."  He responds, "This is a lot for student loans.." <Sista in Sendai's face morphs into WTF?--Excuse me Mode>  I respond in English, "HUH?"  He continues in Japanese, "How are you going to pay them from Japan?"  <Sista in Sendai heavily sighs, increasingly becoming visually annoyed>  "Do you know of internet banking?  I will pay over the internet."  He says, "Okay...  So, what else will the money be used for?"  I said, "What else?  (Are you kidding me?) I am applying to law school the application fees are expensive."  He responds, "Okay.  So from your American account you will use this money to pay your university fees over the internet?  I respond, "Yes."  He responds, "Just a moment please...  Could you please write 'personal finances' on this line."   (Mind you, this conversation took about 20 minutes)

While he was processing my transfer I was annoyed.  Now this may not be a big deal to some of you.  However, I was annoyed in so many ways. The first reason being that I had never been asked so many questions like that during my previous visits.  And, if this was normal routine, I would probably still be annoyed.  Another reason I was annoyed was at myself and my lack of advanced language ability.   I could only respond with simple grammar.  I couldn't say something like,"Excuse me, why is this an issue?  Or, why have you chosen this particular time to ask me all of these crazy questions?  Or, why does it matter how I am going to pay school fees when my money reaches the US?"  I was annoyed because I wasn't in the US where I spoke the language and knew the rules.  I was in Japan where I was a foreign woman, in a bank attempting to transfer money, being asked question after question in Japanese and there was really nothing I could do but simply tell him what he needed to know so that my money could get to the US.   I thought about writing a formal letter of complaint, I thought about withdrawing my money and taking it elsewhere, but who's to say I wouldn't have experienced the same stuff there?  Thus, important lessons were learned that day.  In Japan, pick your battles wisely. Now I don't care what anyone says, I feel that I was treated unfairly. Do I feel that it was because I was a black woman?  No.  I honestly feel that I was treated unfairly because I was a foreign woman trying to transfer a lot of money, and I only spoke simple grammatical Japanese.  Another lesson learned:  Learn the language if you want to be taken seriously and function in Japan.

I feel that Japan is a Sociologist's and Anthropologist's dream because from that one incident I learned a lot.  When I shared this with my Japanese friends, they instantly refused to feel that there was any unfairness involved.  When I explained to them that they hadn't asked those questions before, they admittedly said, "Sometimes Japanese people act like that to foreigners- it's not good.  "Just don't worry about it."  Another lesson learned:  Many Japanese are often in denial when it comes to dicrimination and mistreatment of foriegners in their country...  They either refuse to believe it... Or, just don't want to...

So, some days in Japan are so wonderful that it makes me wonder if I will ever return back to the U.S., yet other days make me miss home... Whatever the case, conflict and struggle will be wherever you go. How you choose to react to the conflict-- that's on you.

More "Being a Black Woman in Japan" to come...

Takara

Comments

[kikiandlala]

In that link you posted on black tokyo rants,regarding Bobby. One guy Pierrot le Fou made some interesting comments regarding how difficult it is for Japanese who have not been abroad for a long period of time to place themselves in the shoes of others. The lack of experience and also the interpretation of expereinces that are shared, are framed by this.

Oh yeah regarding Bobby, I agree his material is definitely degrading. Unfortunately Japanese game shows do that to all comers and have actually toned their act down from years past. Check out this link on Nasubi

http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/%7Eedjacob/nasubi.html

Also check on the internet for Japanarama

[inasm]

Hey Kara,

Craziness I can completely relate to! I had several of those same types of experiences even living in Africa, where I was clearly a Black woman. I was a woman, a foreign woman and then a Black foreign woman. Communication is the key. If you can converse on a sophisticated level, there would not have been that degree of questionning. You are better than me, I would have been visually annoyed which would have probably said the man that I was up to no good...or something like that. A word to the wise.....step up on your language skills...You'll desparately need them!

[idivdamin]

A fairly balanced account. However the Japanese do hold openly racist attitudes towards blacks. They despise dark skin as a matter of fact. They would of course say that everyone not Japanese is suspect. Look at the treatment of Koreans, even Koreans born in Japan for example. Those who spin the image of "multicultural diversity" as this nice, touchy feely wonderful thing are indeed naive. The reality, in Japan and elsewhere, is a lot different.

[Joe Diaz]

I think that if your ugly and have no money this situation of discrimination is going to happened anywhere in the world...because it is sad to say but everyone in this world is shallow....on the other hand if you are good looking and have alot of money for example had it been a black "model looking" woman or man...with a lot of money....the japanase or any other race will treat her or him with respect. i don't think it is about race. i think it is about how well you dress, how well you talk, how educated you and sadly but true how good looking you are.

[Is Capture His Heart A Scam]

You're so awesome! I do not think I've read a single thing like this before. So wonderful to discover someone with a few unique thoughts on this issue. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is required on the web, someone with a little originality!