How to make friends in Japan
Hello, this is my first time making a Reddit post.
I’m currently studying abroad in Japan and I have been here for a month.
I am in senior high school, but everywhere I go all people at my school do is stare at me. Every time I ask my host family about it, they say that they’re just curious and want to talk to you. So I have always approached them and talked to them in Japanese.
I have no friends here and no one to talk to because no one speaks even a little bit of English.
I am from Oklahoma and people there always talk to each other whether you know them or not. I was prepared that Japan is the complete opposite but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I try to speak in Japanese with them, but they still don’t have any interest in me.
The only other person that speaks English at my school is a teacher that came from Canada 27 years ago. He told me that even tho he speaks Japanese fluently, there are still teachers that refuse to talk to him or just don’t acknowledge him. I’m scared because he said this school is not a good school even if it’s a private school.
I’m trying to get my class changed so maybe I can be in a different class and that could help. I’m going to switch to his English class because I really don’t know what else to do. Every time I mention it to my parents, they brush it off. No one is taking it seriously, but I’m do frustrated. I am very polite here and I try to be as positive as possible.
About a week ago we had a sport festival at my school and apparently it took a long time preparing. While everyone started preparing they didn’t tell me what I could do to help even tho I asked multiple times. I just tried to help where I could.
Before the school day was over, I asked what we would be wearing the next day and they said “the normal school uniform.”
When I came to school the next day everyone (except for me) was wearing the PE uniform. I just thought maybe they didn’t understand what I asked as my Japanese is not that good.
This proceeded to happen 3 times out of 4 days. The third time I was really hurt because I kept asking people and they told me the wrong things.
When I had asked someone with Google Translate why no one told me that we were wearing the other uniform she read it out loud and every single girl in the room laughed. It was humiliating and I just speed walked to the bathroom and started crying. I was so embarrassed. No one apologized or anything.
I really don’t know what else to do as we have school Monday through Saturday. I don’t belong here and I know I won’t, but being treated as such really hurts.
For all the Japanese people, what can I do to make more friends or be more involved?