Hah, I should mention, I'm a westerner, but I'm ethnically Chinese. I look Chinese but I can't read or speak Chinese. This type of targeting is def an important factor against not going to japan.

Yeah… I heard a lot of either revolting or heartbreaking stories. But also some great and uplifting ones.

I will not lie - the moment that you are perceived as Chinese, a lot of people can become assholes. Unfortunately, there is way too much nationalistic propaganda around.

But it’s also a place full of amazing people too. People who will appreciate you for what you are. I wouldn’t write off the whole country. But you do have to develop a thicker skin, unfortunately.

I think you can satisfy my curiosity. I'm brazilian but as far as I know all my relatives up to my great-grandparents were japanese so I look no different from them. However I don't have a lot of interest in japanese culture and know just a handful of words my mother taught me like abunai. How would I be treated over there? I imagine it would be worse than a foreigner since it's expected that I know some things.