An experience that I believe shifted my perspective on Japanese culture and society was when I was in need of a haircut. To begin, it was already difficult being a foreigner in a completely new environment, without the proper skills of the Japanese language and their communication nuances. It was a challenge to know what to say and when to say it when it came to ordering food or speaking with another Japanese person but, practice helped and eventually became easier for me. When it came time to get a haircut, it honestly stressed me out. Hearing from other KGU international students that finding a place that would even cut your hair was hard to begin with. Then the process of explaining and communicating what you are looking for is even harder. So, this was definitely a worrisome experience.
In Japan, you will never hear someone strictly denying you or saying “no”, rather, you would hear “it’s inconvenient”. A more polite alternative to strong denial within their language. We learned more about this in our Japanese language course and how to be more polite when conversing. I found that Japanese people thoroughly appreciate when you take the time to try and speak the language, even if it does sound elementary to them.
So when I finally decided to go out, after rigorous internet searching for a haircut place and studying on what to say in Japanese, I went to a more local haircut place in Hirakata, close to the school. I walk in and greet the old man working the barbershop and proceed to sit down to wait until he is done with the other guys’ haircut. After about ten minutes, the old man comes up to me and speaks strictly Japanese, no English. I tried to explain to the old man that I was looking to get a haircut, showing him pictures of what I wanted to hopefully ease the miscommunication. Seeming confused by this, he said “un chotto” (“a little inconvenient”). This being the first time I had been turned down by a Japanese person, I was confused and didn’t piece together what he was trying to say/mean due to my heightened stress. I finally understood and walked out that day with no haircut. I later found a place that was recommended to me by friends in Osaka and was able to receive a haircut that I wanted.
There was a certain stigma in some social groups and businesses that didn’t appreciate the fact that I or my friends were foreigners seeking whatever it may be. Whether it be athletic teams, small shops in Kyoto, or even a haircut, there was still lingering tension between native and foreigner. I believe coming to understand that fact was just a segway into a deeper appreciation for the culture and another step into becoming a global citizen. Yes, the experience from the outside may be negative but, the Japanese have always been one to try to preserve what makes Japan unique and themselves. So while I walked out that day without a haircut, I gained a greater respect for the culture and its preservation of history and tradition each day after the fact.
