What is it like living in Japan as a foreigner?

**What is it like living in Japan as a foreigner?**

Lived in Japan for a year as a student. The most horrible time of my life. Had no language barrier problems, even though that's what they wanted to convince themselves into believing. I was the top of my class and was mistreated and discriminated against, for that. I took perfect scores several times, and the first time it happened, my Japanese homeroom teacher went around screaming in madness, saying, “Can you believe this? She took perfect scores. Not a single mistake!?” Later on, they even cut off my marks, hid the positions’ list, threw me at the last row of the class, etc. And behaved as if I didn't exist. They wanted to drive me away back to where I came from. They so openly mistreated me, even the classmates were confused and a phillipine-Japanese classmate asked me, “why does she always scream at you? did you do something?”. For heaven’s sake, don't let me hear about the “Japanese are the most polite” crap. Admit it. They are not. There are things you cannot see, or experience when your skin is white, and you're just there as a tourist. Their treatment of you vastly differs depending on what race you are of, your looks, abilities and skin color. The Chinese got away with almost anything and were given special treatment. Students from developing countries were taken for idiots. Westerners had it better but were despised for speaking English. One Ukranian classmate who was married to a Japanese woman, quit school after the homeroom teacher started screaming at him the way she did to me, for being unable to have a perfect attendance and submit homework because of his busy work schedule, while a Chinese girl only came to school twice a week and still got away with it.

Along the way, I got severe depression and now I am taking medications. My Japanese teacher, knowing my depression and seeing how weaker I have become, told me to wait until I get back to my country, in case I want to kill myself. I was once told by my other Japanese homeroom teacher, “You're too honest and straight forward, it hurts other people’s feelings” - This was her way of telling me to keep a low profile and perhaps, score less? I already lost more than half of my hair, my weight went from 46kg to 35kg and I still have trouble sleeping and trying to get the meaning of my life back. The thing is, I grew up having Japanese visitors at home for years. My family always welcomed them as guests, and yet, seeing their true colors after living there was a huge shock which I am honestly happy about. Obviously I want nothing more to do with them. Nothing at all.

In my opinion, considering my own experience, the student exchange program is slavery. Japan sucks us foreigners dry, in exchange for their crappy visa. They use foreign students to do their dirty work, which THEY are supposed to do. Such as cleaning public places, picking up trash all over there, dancing on the roads for festivals, begging for money when an earthquake hits one of their cities, which they call volunteer/charity work. That's not why I paid a fortune and joined the school for. Be extremely cautious when you choose a language school. They may tell you that the cost covers everything, but that’s a big lie. **You will still be expected to pay for many other things including text books, occasions, meals during extracurricular activities, and all the unnecessary things. And you won’t get any help or advice from them regarding studies unless you suck at it and they personally like your stupid helpless self.** Not to mention the dormitory was in horrible condition. **Not worth the amount of your time and money.** *And if you get terribly sick from overworking? Or if your employer refuses to give you the company’s contact number for you to contact them in an emergency?* ***According to the school, It's your damn fault.*** When I finally wanted to quit school, the school had me pay for another month, just to blackmail me saying, “book your ticket to leave within one week and show us or we won't refund your money”. And the principal’s farewell for me? “Make sure to give us all your money before you leave!” Not to mention they were so hungry for money they mistakenly charged both the school and me before I left, for the same thing, and the officials came to me asking to pay the bills which I already paid. I am honestly disgusted. They do not have a drop of humanity, decency or manners.

It may seem like a dreamland for you before you go there, but I assure you, the reality is quite different.

Btw, this school I went to was Kyushu Japanese Language school (KLS) in Kagoshima.

## Source

https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-living-in-Japan-as-a-foreigner?top\_ans=16406645