Anyone who is planning to head to Japan should be aware of one word: gaijin. Loosely translated, it means foreigner. Sometimes, it is wrongly translated as "alien," as I saw when I applied for my work visa where a sign said "Aliens, please wait for your number to be called" While funny at first, this sign had a deeper meaning than I realized then: in Japan, westerners are really aliens. Compared to the Japanese, they walk differently, look differently and dress differently.
To help try to abate this problem of being labeled as an "alien," I will share some advice on how to become more intertwined with the Japanese society.
1.Learn the language
While this may seem as obvious, most foreigners coming to Japan can say one or two words that get tossed around a lot, such as "konichiwa" or "sayonara." While these words are useful, even if you spare one hour a day trying to learn the language, it will make your experience much more interesting.
2.Research in advance
There are so many places to see in Japan, and it would take a lifetime to be able to experience them all. For this reason, if you plan to journey to the land of the rising sun, have an idea in mind what you want to see. If you go to see the city life, figure out beforehand if you want to go to Tokyo or Osaka, or some other big city. If you want to more of Japan's history, have in mind the places you want to see in Kyoto. Once you set foot in Kyoto, you will see that the place is a lot larger then you had in mind, and the distance between temples and other attractions is further than one imagines.
3.Talk to the Japanese
While this may pair along with my first tip, I think it's important enough to stress again. Most Japanese take English while in middle and high school, so they are able to sometimes to communicate with you in English. But don't rely on this alone. By trying to pick up the language, you will not only impress the Japanese (who will, most certainly, say that your Japanese is "jouzu," or skillful), you will also have a more rewarding experience.
