Charisma Man...

I am on my 8th month in Japan.  I'm still a newbie here.  I'll admit that.  I hope one day I can say I've lived in Japan so long I know it all.  Meanwhile, I'm still learning.  Maybe, I'll always be learning.  I like to learn.  One of the things I didn't know about prior to coming to Japan was the concept of Charisma Man.  Today, I'll educate those who may not know.

Charisma Man is a comic strip about a blonde-haired Canadian "geek" who moves to Japan and gains instant celebrity based solely on the fact that he is western.  Charisma Man's nemesis is Western Woman, who unlike the Japanese women in the comic, can see that he is indeed just a geek in Japan.

See below:

(Click for big)

Although it is a comic strip, Charisma Man is quite accurate.  I've seen Charisma Men in real life.  In fact, I am astounded when I see sometimes grotesque men with beautiful Japanese women.  But then I am making judgments based solely on appearances.  He could be the nicest man in the world and she could be a total bitch.

The problem with some Charisma Men is that like their print counterpart, they really hate western women.

Now let me just say that not every western man is a Charisma Man and not every one hates western women.  That would be making a gross generalization.  But there are some out there who seem to hate the western woman for no reason other than the fact that she is immune to his false charm.  Fortunately, I work with a lot of great men and although some of them may only be here to date Japanese women, they have never treated me terribly just because I am a western girl.  Unfortunately, this is not the case for every western woman in Japan.  Some of them have been treated horribly by Charisma Men, sometimes right in front of my very eyes.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that if you as a western man come to Japan, you can either be totally cool or a total Charisma Man.  I'd suggest being cool to everyone (and not just Japanese girls).  I mean that is the philosophy I'm trying to live by: "Be excellent to each other."  And before you men (or even women) treat a western woman like she isn't worthy to clean the spit off your shoe, try to remember that while living in a foreign country may be easy for some, for others it can be the most difficult thing they've ever done in their life.  The last thing anyone needs while trying to cut it in a place that can be incredibly difficult to live in is just another person kickin' her while she's down.

This is my PSA.  Thank you for your time.

"Be excellent to each other."