‘Bumped Into Me On Purpose’: Indian Expats Open Up About Racism In Japan
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The man shared that many Indians living in Japan cook for themselves as they don’t prefer meats.
The person was called out by some Japanese girls during a train journey. {Photo Credit: Instagram)
As a growing trend, many Indians have relocated to Japan in recent years. Most of them are employed in engineering, management, finance and IT sectors that demand skilled workers. While adapting to life in Japan, Indian expats face different challenges due to the cultural differences and language barrier. One such man has now opened up about how the locals treat the Indian community staying in the country. The person was approached by a Japanese vlogger who asked him, “How is it living in Japan as an Indian?” In response, the Indian man spoke about his food preference before mentioning some instances of facing racism.
“Many Indians don’t eat pork or beef and quite a few are strictly vegetarian. And since they can eat chicken or other meats, they have to cook for themselves to survive. We often just end up eating Kappa Maki (cucumber rolls),” the man said in a video dropped on the Instagram page, ‘Riki With Japan Mates’.
He then went on to recall how he “experienced racism two or three times” while staying in Japan over the “past two years”. “Some random old guy started picking a fight with me. Another guy purposely bumped into my shoulders,” the Indian-origin man said.
“One on the train, I was not even talking, but a group of high school girls were loudly laughing. Though I didn’t say anything to them, one of them told me to shut up. I’m the type of person who can’t let things like that slide. ‘Oh, are you being racist right now?’ — I just said it straight on their face,” he shared further.
The interview created a stir on social media, with many users commenting about going through similar situations while living as an outsider in Japan. One of them shared, “Had the same experience, bumped hard into my shoulder at least three times and being yelled at in the street by a racist remark.” “I’m also an Indian living in Japan. I know how you feel brother,” added another.
One user felt that “being a vegetarian, she wouldn’t be able to survive in Japan.” “No matter where you go, racism exists. Good people are there too,” explained an individual. The Instagram video has garnered over five lakh views and more than 20,000 likes.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India