Tokyo - Post Report Question and Answers
Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Like I said, easy to meet expats, can be difficult to make friends with Japanese people if you do not speak Japanese. Japanese are very polite, but not always very open and there are a lot of cultural barriers for those new to Japan. Japanese police, however, definitely target foreigners, especially non-white foreigners, for random searches and questioning. Also, the concept of “politically incorrect” or refraining from saying things that may be perceived as biased or stereotypical is not the same as in the West. While Japanese are more much more sensitive and careful about making statements that could be perceived as “racist,” compared to what it was like say 30 years ago, they can still be very Japan-centric and have a hard time understanding why it’s not OK to be lump all people from one ethnic group together (for example). - May 2025
Japanese people seem very polite and friendly. I have not had any issues making friends with them and have not noticed any issue with different ethnic groups. - Jan 2024
It can be difficult to make close Japanese friends if you don't speak Japanese. Your Japanese friends are most likely to speak English and have lived abroad. Our cultures are also very different from each other. It takes a lot of time and patience to understand the Japanese perspective. - Nov 2020
Not easy at all. It takes years to build a real relationship with a Japanese person. - Mar 2019
