I am going to introduce myself to you guys. I am Japanese but I don’t think I am typical Japanese. You know most Japanese especially girls are always together in school, traveling, eating lunch, moving to another classroom, and even going to toilet. When I was invited to go to toilet together by my classmates, I was really shocked because I thought everyone doesn’t want to go to toilet with others. I said NO to them, of course. However, they started to pick on me since then. I didn’t know why I was bullied but I think I should have gone to the toilet with them at that time. Unlike me, Japanese people prefer to be in group not alone. Also, Japanese education has a lot of group works and they would rather share ideas with their peers and make a group decision. For example, in a class of twenty Japanese students, not many people want to stand up by themselves and read out an English textbook. But put everyone in groups of three and make them read it in turns, they do comfortably.
Next, I was born and raised in Kansai but I don’t like Kansai. There are two reasons. When I was a junior high school student, I had a crush on someone who comes from Kanto. He is cool and handsome, so lots of girls were chasing him. One day, I just happened to be passing by and heard that he doesn’t like a girl of Kansai because we use dirty language. I was so sad and I decided not to use Kansai dialect anymore since then. And also, people in Kansai area tend to speak too much and are very offensive and I am a sensitive person so I take things very personal. They need to learn how to listen more.
Third, most of men believe that Japanese women are quiet, reserved, and cook for a husband or boyfriend. Moreover, if a woman gets married, she quit her job and will be a homemaker. This is a stereotype of Japanese women. I hate this thought but it still exists. My grandmother always tells me that I should marry with someone else soon and that is a happiness of women. When I was a third grade of high school, I decided to go to university to study language. However, she opposed that I go to university. Her thought is women don’t need much education and we should learn how to cook and sew instead. Also, women get married at an early age and have many children.
Finally, I’m heterosexual. In Japan, if couples go on a date, it is a natural that boyfriends pay the whole money.
This is a stereotype of men in Japan. It is unhappy for men but girls are lucky and I love this thoughts. Most of Japanese women think that boyfriends treat them to meals. Indeed, lots of Japanese men pay the entire money of dating. However, my ex-boyfriend from high school never pays for any dates and I bought him clothes. I did a part-time-job in high school but he didn’t have a job, and he’s super jealous. I literally spent all of my money on him and the first day I ran out I was so hungry. I honestly just feel like the guy I take care of him financially. Therefore, we broke up because I was disappointed with him. However, if there isn’t a stereotype of men paying all the money for dates in Japan, probably we didn’t break up.