foreigners wearing kimonos in Japan

Unruly, exotic and strange. Is that the Japanese view of foreigners?

Jason BallByJason Ball

Some foreigners get fed up with how we’re portrayed in Japan’s media.

Either we’re figures of fun or we’re almost completely invisible.

It’s rare to see a foreign character in a Japanese film or TV show. When we do show up, we’re normally portrayed in a fairly stereotypical way.

This is an awfully narrow perspective. It’s a bit like seeing all Japanese women as geishas or all the males as salarymen.

This week’s Japan Story blog takes a look at the image of the non-Japanese in the Japanese press

Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.