In JAPAN with the “right foot” / Avoid the “dame-gaijin”

Today we want to talk to you about something that has to do, in a certain way, with business. Let’s say with your work, with your opportunities too, although it is more general, it is not only limited to business but to life in general in Japan. And it’s something that maybe you can let go of a little grimaces and long faces at first because of the expression, but it all starts with this very simple expression that is “dame gaijin”. Here in Japan foreigners are called “gaikoku jin” or shorter gaijin. Practically “gai” is outside and “jin” is a person, so a person who comes from outside. On another occasion we talked about the term gaijin and its repercussions, its uses, etc. and it is not what we want to dedicate this occasion. On this occasion we simply want to focus on the daily use of this phrase.

In this case, “gaijin” refers to foreigners specifically, and “dame” is a word or phrase used to draw children’s attention to tell them, for example, don’t do this. It can also be one when someone is denied something, or lacks talent in a specific activity. It is a word that is used in many contexts, but in this context of “dame gaijin” it is very specific, this type of phrase may not be heard as much or found as much in textbooks, obviously not in official Japanese courses and well the term dame gaijin, refers to the question of a foreigner whose only grace is being a foreigner.

What happens is that many times foreigners arrive in Japan with many expectations, many dreams, and there are some who are definitely going to work hard to achieve them, to learn, to contribute their knowledge, but unfortunately there are those kinds of people, in this case foreigners, who believe that for the simple fact of being foreigners they will have the world at their feet, as if somehow you can get to Japan with little mirrors and exchange them for gold. At first it would seem that there is a certain complicity with Japanese society because the conception they have of foreigners is in general someone someone brilliant, someone who knows many things or knows from other parts of the world, but little by little they get to know the person and the only thing they realize at the end since the only difference is that he is a foreigner.

There is this kind of mysticism, although obviously there are differences between bigger cities and smaller cities, where it’s almost like a rock star. You are something new, exotic, be it totally foreign or even as a Japanese with a mixture of different races. A type of idyllic image is created where those who have a mixture can speak English perfectly or if that foreigner must be very assertive in their way of thinking, leaders, much stronger in character than the Japanese, or if they are from certain countries, they have more facility for science or research. All these stereotypes, which many times can be true, but unfortunately later become the field of abuse of some foreigners who have given the majority a bad name. And that’s where the term “dame gaijin” comes in.

Dame gaijin is that person who believes that without any effort, for the simple fact of being a foreigner, he will make it big in Japan, all the girls will run to his arms or all the boys will run to his feet, everything the world is going to give him the red carpet, he is going to appear on television, on NHK to be interviewed, he is going to be an extra in the movies or even the leading role, a catwalk model because he has very long legs and Japanese women don’t have long legs, and all this kind of stuff creates an unhealthy expectation. They also feel that because of this they will achieve everything, that they will be able to change jobs as if nothing had happened and their smile will save them from any situation they find themselves in, and these are ideas that may work for them in a job, an interview work, during the first months, weeks of work, in which they still shine for the fact of being foreign but like all good metal they begin to lose their little plate and the copper remains.

The people around him will realize that he doesn’t know how to do anything, he begins to lose the charm. It’s a bit like maybe even a relationship with another person, the first time you see her, she has such a beautiful smile and so on. but then he chews with his mouth open and you start to see the “buts”, he starts to lose the charm.

We tell you all this not to blame anyone or make anyone feel bad, but rather to be cautious because it is, unfortunately, very easy to become a dame gaijin. You feel that your position puts you in a different status, that if you know several languages, English, Spanish, you are learning Japanese, and there is this belief that for that reason you will always be one foot ahead, one step ahead, that the rest of the Japanese and no! Actually, there are many Japanese who speak your language and English perfectly, apart from Japanese. Many foreigners want special treatment for this simple reason, but many Japanese also speak other languages ​​and are very good at other things that maybe you are not so good at, so they may hire that person not because they are foreigners but because of everything. what they do. Because it is also important to know what the company wants from you, why it is hiring you.

Unless your contract specifically, explicitly says that your role is to be the public face, that is, technically it is a foreigner who is going to smile at the camera, they are going to take pictures while you present the product, your role is probably not going to be be that Perhaps from time to time the company will use you for meetings or when it comes to internationalizing the project, they will even dress you in a tie and they will have you sitting in a meeting even if you do not say anything but they will give you a international presence. But they are not expecting everything to be like this, and they cannot expect that everything will be solved like this, nor can they pretend to say “I don’t know the work etiquette of Japan” or “I don’t pick up the garbage in the end of the working day”, and other different customs that exist within the Japanese working world. There is an expectation that eventually one will also join them, if not you run the risk of becoming a “dame gaijin” again.

If you start to feel that things are losing their charm or rather you are losing their charm, we recommend that you talk to the people you are working with, it is fair to say here in Japan that you do not know how to do something or that you cannot do it in complete, you need a team. Japan is a society that is very accustomed to teamwork in general, except in very specific circumstances, but no one is going to see it wrong if you ask the team for help, they will not see it as wrong if you say “I know how to speak perfectly English, French , Italian, German, etc. but I don’t know anything about promotion, marketing, I need someone next to me so that we can do marketing things” In other words, the fact that it is the link to make the connection between international companies and Japan does not make me a marketing expert, so working together with someone, that person can better understand the culture of these countries through your experience with the language, and you can learn from this person on marketing issues within Japan, and make a very good feedback where eventually the two will be able to do this work and be able to multiply the efforts.

Many times we have found questions in different forums or videos, about whether Japanese men or women would go out with a foreigner or not. There is a lot of the idea, especially in some social communities where they believe that the Japanese are always behind foreigners, that all they want is someone to learn English, and the truth is that it is not true. If a foreigner can attract attention because they look different. But it’s like when we all have a blue ball suddenly there’s a red one, which one do you think everyone is going to start saying they want? Also, if you know a little English and perhaps that person is a foreigner who speaks English, you will want to practice it, and not because you want to have free lessons, but simply for the pleasure of knowing how much you have learned that language and communicating with the person who speaks to you. interested. And of course, like any good toy, like a whole ball, after a while, the red ball is exactly the same as the blue one or I even like it less because it doesn’t float well or it’s harder, I don’t know, it has something that I no longer convinced you Not because the red ball is bad, but because the only difference is the color. The fact that if women or men in Japan are going to go out with foreigners or foreigners, the reality is that they are going to go out as much as with any other person.

Obviously, you have the advantage of drawing attention right off the bat, because you look different. Use this to your advantage, “I’ve already attracted attention, I’ve already stood out from everyone else for the simple fact of how I look, now, to give body to that thing” As the person who has already entered your business, give him the attention that require, this will depend on whether it continues with you or not, on what you have inside, on what you are as a person. Not because you are a foreigner. The fact of wanting to pretend that the whole world is going to be at your feet, even romantically, because you are a foreigner, without giving any background to the relationship, makes you a “dame gaijin”

Within the conception of dame gaijin, it is common to believe that one is exempt from certain commitments to society, for example when one lives in certain areas, we often get together among neighbors to clean the street, clean the community building , cleaning schools, etc., and many times there is this idea among Japanese that foreigners do not like to participate in this, not because it is discrimination, it is a generalization, but it is very common that they do not like to participate in this and they avoid it. It happens many times that society is seeing you in more detail, you are the “rock star”, obviously everyone is seeing you, if you go and pick up the garbage with everyone else, everyone is super happy, but if you don’t go you also notice yourself by your absence.

That the fact of being a foreigner, the fact of knowing another language, knowing more cultures, be an extra that puts you in a better position but not the basis of your position, because that loses its shine very quickly. Let them be surprised and say “they work very well in the office, he knows a lot about sales, an excellent accountant, he is great with partners and clients, and besides he speaks so many languages, he is a foreigner and besides he is handsome” Who does not like it have an employee! And not the other way around.

All societies, all countries, have this type of person, so in case you ever hear the “dame gaijin” comment, don’t take it personally, it’s not against all foreigners in general, but against a very stereotype. specific to a foreigner who feels deserving of something without any kind of effort.