I've always been told that they Japanese people, as a collective are shy. Polite, but shy. I believed it whole heartedly before coming to this country, and even in my first few hours here. Now, after having a few more days of experience, I'm not so sure. I've noticed for every few people avoiding eye contact at all costs, there are plenty that will stare at you with curiousity. This surprised me, because I had been lumping a whole society of people into one personality trait. Americans love stereotyping after all.
I've also found it surprising how friendly people are to foreigners. In my experience in other countries, locals seemed to get annoyed at the presence of a big group of tourists. They seemed to just assume that all tourists knew anything about the culture or language. They also assumed us to be disrespectful. It is completely the opposite here. My previous experience shopping in other countries gave me nervous feelings about shopping in Japan. I was afraid I wouldn't understand the storekeepers, or they'd be impatient if I fumbled with money, but that is not the case. Thus far, the shopkeepers have been very polite and willing to help. They don't seem to look down on you at all, even if you don't speak Japanese. Some even try their best to speak English for you. I feel very comfortable in stores and restuarants because of this.
The final thing that surprised me the most is how willing these so called shy people are to pay compliments, or even ask you for a picture with them. This is something I will probably never get used to. People seem to have no problem telling me that I look "kawaii" or even practicing their English with me. This shocked me. I thought that people would be timid around foreigners and try to avoid us, but it seems like just the opposite!
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