Kain

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
8,265
I do remember tourists acting like that in Kyoto and Tokyo, but they were Chinese. I remember one instance in some temple a Japanese girl was trying to take a photo and a Chinese woman pushed her out of the way to take a selfie lol
 

Skade

Member
Oct 28, 2017
9,352
Ah... Tourists...

No matter how nice some may be, there's always some entitled twats making fools of themselves next to them, and we'll always remember the asshats more.


The french have evolved to tell them to fuck off in a heartbeat (we're considered rude for a good reason : them), i guess japanese people are still too young in the tourism biz and thus still too polite and respectfull.
 

Chiaroscuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,918
That is an disgusting behavior.

But I would like to know the proper etiquette (even if I would probably never be able to go to Japan):
- Is it ok to take wide/group shots (not pictures of specific persons) in public areas? Or does that is also considered rude (even if the photographed people are just small parts of the picture)?
 
OP
OP
The Omega Man

The Omega Man

Fallen Guardian
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,491
This is from yesterday from the Lawson convenience store with the Mount Fuji view that has been implementing measures to try to keep tourists going there just for pictures since tourists don't give a fuck and go into the street to take their golden social media picture, this group of tourists appears to be Chinese as they couldn't understand the officer who said in Japanese that they need to keep circulating, it shows the new wall they put that's only preventing pictures from one side of the street only, tourists taking pictures in the parking lot, crossing the street when the red light is on and creating unnecessary traffic.
Man, I am going to Japan in 4 weeks with my wife and 2 kids for the first time in our lives, I always wanted to visit since I was a kid, so this is my dream vacation come true, I have talked to my family to constantly be aware that we are tourists and to behave accordingly, we do travel overseas once a year to different destinations so we know how to behave when being abroad as it is not our first rodeo, we won't be coming to the part shown on this video for sure.


View: https://www.youtube.com/live/wArVtdk9Cjs?si=VZIRPnuF3gKYoNmc
 

Hercule

Member
Jun 20, 2018
6,054
That is an disgusting behavior.

But I would like to know the proper etiquette (even if I would probably never be able to go to Japan):
- Is it ok to take wide/group shots (not pictures of specific persons) in public areas? Or does that is also considered rude (even if the photographed people are just small parts of the picture)?
I asked my Japanese sister in law the exact same question about taking pictures. She says it's perfectly fine. If taking pictures is forbidden there's always a warning sign. Just don't behave like like this woman or some Chinese tourists who keep filming in temples.
 

Gentlemen

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,079
That is an disgusting behavior.

But I would like to know the proper etiquette (even if I would probably never be able to go to Japan):
- Is it ok to take wide/group shots (not pictures of specific persons) in public areas? Or does that is also considered rude (even if the photographed people are just small parts of the picture)?
unless it's private property it's a-ok. There are usually prominent signs in multiple languages if you're in an area where tourists frequently gather and there's a standing prohibition against being a nuisance with your camera.

the thing to learn from this specific instance is that this woman was just trying to walk to work and the folks nearby treated her as if she wasn't even human.
 

oldboss

Shinra Employee
Member
Nov 9, 2017
1,468
That lady has some issues.

I do remember tourists acting like that in Kyoto and Tokyo, but they were Chinese. I remember one instance in some temple a Japanese girl was trying to take a photo and a Chinese woman pushed her out of the way to take a selfie lol

Yeah Chinese tourists are horrible. When I lived in Japan for a year or when I was in Bangkok for a month, they always stood out. As bad as british / french / murican tourists. Consistently the noisiest of the bunch, no manners whatsoever.
 

Lebron

Member
Oct 30, 2017
3,780
What in the caucacity. You can see her anger being told she's being a creep.


At least she was dressed as a Geisha. I had that happen before for simply being black and thinking I was NBA Legend Steve Francis
 

I am a Bird

Member
Oct 31, 2017
7,634
White tourists found out they might lose the #1 most obnoxious tourist by the Chinese and have redoubled their efforts to win it back.

In addition there are plans for white tourists to knock over a Tori gate, yell at a kabuki theater to speak English, and do that thing where you take a photo of a stranger and invade the hell out of their personal space.
 

Silent

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
2,562
As someone who enjoys making travel videos in Japan, I try really hard not to be a nuisance to the locals. I become really hesitant to even use my camera sometimes and get embarrassed if I'm trying to film a shot and someone happens to look in my direction.

This lady, though, just has no consideration for others. She just treats people as if they exist to serve her needs. I didn't even want to finish the video.
 

Loud Wrong

Member
Feb 24, 2020
15,704
Where I'm from, South Beach, invading women's space to take an unwanted pic is unfortunately a not too uncommon occurrence. And from what I can tell, being a shitty tourist isn't a white thing. I guess your perspective on that changes based on where you currently are.
 

Melpomene

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jun 9, 2019
18,804
As someone who enjoys making travel videos in Japan, I try really hard not to be a nuisance to the locals. I become really hesitant to even use my camera sometimes and get embarrassed if I'm trying to film a shot and someone happens to look in my direction.

This lady, though, just has no consideration for others. She just treats people as if they exist to serve her needs. I didn't even want to finish the video.
I get nervous and self-conscious taking pictures of birds here, and I live here. it's absolutely fucking insane to me that someone can have so little self-awareness and so much self-absorption they're willing to behave like this as a tourist.
 

Humidex

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,936
This is from yesterday from the Lawson convenience store with the Mount Fuji view that has been implementing measures to try to keep tourists going there just for pictures since tourists don't give a fuck and go into the street to take their golden social media picture, this group of tourists appears to be Chinese as they couldn't understand the officer who said in Japanese that they need to keep circulating, it shows the new wall they put that's only preventing pictures from one side of the street only, tourists taking pictures in the parking lot, crossing the street when the red light is on and creating unnecessary traffic.
Man, I am going to Japan in 4 weeks with my wife and 2 kids for the first time in our lives, I always wanted to visit since I was a kid, so this is my dream vacation come true, I have talked to my family to constantly be aware that we are tourists and to behave accordingly, we do travel overseas once a year to different destinations so we know how to behave when being abroad as it is not our first rodeo, we won't be coming to the part shown on this video for sure.


View: https://www.youtube.com/live/wArVtdk9Cjs?si=VZIRPnuF3gKYoNmc

Looking at the screen, it does nothing. They will have to erect an billboard on the roof of that Lawson store to really stop them from shooting in the area.
 

Red

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,370
You telling me people living their lives in other countries aren't just actors dressing up in Disney world style suits for the benefit of white tourists????
 

zero_suit

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,773
they're behaving like they are at the zoo. I'd say racist white woman.

this seems absolutely insane to me. who does this to a stranger going about their day?

I've never been to Japan, is this area in Kyoto a popular tourist spot? I see a lot of people filming?
I was in Kyoto last month. Every area is popular lol.
 

Tuppen

Member
Nov 28, 2017
2,110
omfg, I was in Tokyo last year and there was a wedding happening at the Meiji shrine (that shit had to be mad expensive lol), and some lady came up and literally was like, trying to join the procession, and taking pictures on her phone too. It was so fucking embarrassing. Jesus christ, please just be normal.
This reminds me of when I got married in Stockholm many years ago. It was a beautiful summer's day in a touristy spot and lots of tourists, many Japanese, took photos of us and in some cases also insisted on having their photo taken with me and my wife. It was a fun day so I didn't really mind though but it's a bit weird with the random Japanese women in our wedding album.
 

LazyGradient

Member
Nov 9, 2020
531
Disturbing. Might as well tackled the entertainer.

Irony is that I dabble a bit in like street photography and the idea is to try to catch things in its natural environment without being a part of the picture, this asshole basically made the whole thing about her.

But this is not an entertainer. She should not be photographed at all without consent. And Kyoto has laws on street photography.
 

Chiaroscuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,918
But this is not an entertainer. She should not be photographed at all without consent. And Kyoto has laws on street photography.

That is somehow related to what I asked. I love street photography (but always ask for consent if the picture has a person as the main focus. What are the laws of Kyoto/Japan about street photography?
 
Oct 25, 2017
4,939
That lady has some issues.



Yeah Chinese tourists are horrible. When I lived in Japan for a year or when I was in Bangkok for a month, they always stood out. As bad as british / french / murican tourists. Consistently the noisiest of the bunch, no manners whatsoever.
from my 6 trips to Japan. Ive noticed different cultures bring a different problem with their tourists. I notice a lot of indian tourists trying to cut lines. Chinese tourists block a ton of throughways to pose for photos. White people at restaurants getting frustrated at a language barrier they somehow didnt expect to happen.
 

LazyGradient

Member
Nov 9, 2020
531
That is somehow related to what I asked. I love street photography (but always ask for consent if the picture has a person as the main focus. What are the laws of Kyoto/Japan about street photography?

Well it's forbidden to photograph Geisha in certain areas or even to take street photos.

? Geisha's are by definition entertainers, no? I didn't mean in the Mickey Mouse/street entertainer sense. But looking up the laws looks like street photography is explicity banned for the most part because of incidents like this.

Yeah sorry, I found entertainer to sound a little like what you mentioned. But you're right that they're entertainers.
 

julia crawford

Took the red AND the blue pills
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
37,992
Irony is that I dabble a bit in like street photography and the idea is to try to catch things in its natural environment without being a part of the picture, this asshole basically made the whole thing about her.

Having known the community for many many years, i think anyone who's into street photography as an actual hobby and art would have the fundamental awareness that behaving like this is not ok at all, except perhaps the biggest of assholes (Winogrand wannabes mostly). There are so many ways to take pictures that don't offend or antagonize, and most of all, if it's illegal or just uncool, just don't heckin do it.

It's an unfortunate truth that people like the woman in the OP (as well as the common touristy assholishness) are simply destroying the social human fabric of these places that would be worth photographing in the first place.
 

Soi-Fong

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,577
Illinois
This is why white people and to an extent Americans are made fun of in other countries. As a brown person, it's sad seeing this cracker make a fool of themselves.
 

titanblade

Member
May 24, 2024
168
It's easy to frame this kind of situations as just racism, but I've witnessed it with different people enough times to understand that is really more about people who don't give a fuck and theme park mentality. The kind of people that are responsible for why "we can't have nice things", essentially. They probably do this short shit on a regularly basis at home when they feel they won't get any repercussions for their actions.
 

deimosmasque

Ugly, Queer, Gender-Fluid, Drive-In Mutant, yes?
Moderator
Apr 22, 2018
15,277
Tampa, Fl
I feel bad for that person. All they're trying to do is go to work. And this white lady can't stop but running in front of her keeping her from going to work.
 

oldboss

Shinra Employee
Member
Nov 9, 2017
1,468
from my 6 trips to Japan. Ive noticed different cultures bring a different problem with their tourists. I notice a lot of indian tourists trying to cut lines. Chinese tourists block a ton of throughways to pose for photos. White people at restaurants getting frustrated at a language barrier they somehow didnt expect to happen.

Haha yeah definitely! The worst french tourists always expect everyone to speak french to them, where ever they are in the world. Boggles my mind.

When it gets really bad I intervene, just for the sake of the person that's trying to make sense of what they're saying. Otherwise I stay away.
 

J-Skee

The Wise Ones
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,701
That woman is piece of shit.

I have a question though if anyone can help me out. When I went to Japan a few years ago, I needed to get to an ATM shortly after arriving at my destination. I'm there & a guy walks in after me to use the other machine. He looks over to me & yells "Cute baby! Extra large cute baby!"

I.... never knew how to take that. Was I being insulted? Complimented? I'm still very confused by it.
 

Blader

Member
Oct 27, 2017
27,056
Really bizarre. Goes beyond angering, it's just fucking bewildering to even begin to understand why someone would behave like that or think what they're doing is normal.

IIRC, didn't they close off sections of Kyoto to tourist specifically because of weirdos like this?
There are also a bunch of signs up asking people not to harass geishas.
 

Buckle

Member
Oct 27, 2017
42,775
Oh jesus christ..

The second hand embarrassment I always feel from stories like this is enough to kill me.
 

Japanmanx3

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
6,188
Atlanta, GA
Would've thought she was at a runway photoshoot smh. Imagine stalking in broad daylight like you're at the Zoo. No shame. No couth. Moron.

And her other friend standing behind her trying get pictures is no better.
 

KillerMan91

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,438
videos like this is why we need the yen to be stronger. so we avoid people like this lol
I don't think weak yen really affects tourism that much from US and Europe. Trip to Japan for many people from Europe or US is something they have been planning for long time and are willing to spent money for it as it might be once in a lifetime trip. It's rest of Asia where weak yen drives ''shopping tourism'' to Japan (especially from China, Taiwan and South Korea). You can do weekend trip from Seoul to Tokyo just to shop.
 

Sunster

The Fallen
Oct 5, 2018
10,424
that is the exact face they use on South Park all the time lmao

maxresdefault.jpg
 

Chiaroscuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,918
Earlier this week, someone showed me a TikTok of a dumbass who basically almost ruined his wife's marathon run by placing himself in front of the finish line and sending their kids to hug mom. Now I see this.

TikTok is hellbent on making me mad this week damn
The one where the husband looks at the crowd after she runs past and shrugs going "what was up with that ? "

That one pissed me off lol

This happened in a small city of my country, but later news clarified it with the family (at least this is her version, she is defending her husband after the media backlash).

The husband didn´t acted alone or by impulse, it was agreed with his wife (the runner) in the day before that the children will wait for her BEFORE the finishing line so they could cross it togheter as a family (as a family achievement).

That was agreed because:
1) It was a half marathon from a small city, without any money prize or qualification to another competition.
2) She didn´t really prepare for this particular competition, while she is a long time street runner, she wasn´t really convinced she standed a chance.

She changed her mind at last minute because:
1) She was at first place with a second runner less than 30 seconds after her;
2) She was running too fast because it was a downhill to the finish line and thought she would not stop and decide to dogde the kids.

And the husband wasn´t aware the second place was merely seconds before her, he couldn´t see the other competitiors.

Anyway, that was the story the family told. Still not really a nice thing to try.
 
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DarthSpider

The Fallen
Nov 15, 2017
3,092
Hiroshima, Japan
Fix the fucking yen, price out the riffraff, problem solved. Japan is a circus at the moment and the lady in the video is trash. The locals don't deserve it, and long-term residents like myself are feeling less and less welcome in certain areas because of it.