The International Schools Review Forum

For those of you experienced in working in Japan....I have a colleague whose husband has been offered a job in Tokyo. They have an adopted Chinese daughter amongst their 4 children. They are concerned that, even though the girl is essentially American through and through that there may be issues. There does still seem to be no love lost between the two nations........

Have you seen that "What kind of Asian are you?" video? I think that holds true for Japan, unless you are obviously on the street speaking Mandarin they visually don't see someone as Chinese. And yes the animosity between the countries goes way back, but on my recent trips to Tokyo I am hearing so much Mandarin in the department stores etc. and you know what? They've hired Mandarin speaking sales clerks to better serve them. My best friend who speaks amazing English is now taking Mandarin courses for her job.

The Japanese also have a good understanding that someone who is of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, etc. decent who grew up elsewhere-there are certainly heaps of Japanese-Americans who don't really speak Japanese well working in Tokyo. I knew a Chinese-Canadian woman who was always being asked if she was Japanese and when she explained that she was Chinese Canadian no one ever had an issue with her.

Your friends daughter will also likely be attending international schools and in the expat social circle in Japan speaking English. They don't have anything to worry about. She also won't be the only adopted student in the school.

Thank you, seashell. Working in international schools myself, I suspected that things would be fine but it's nice to have some confirmation from someone "on the ground" so to speak! Thanks for sharing. XX

It will be fine, first your school is likely to be very international, she wont be out of place. Second, native japanese doing or saying anything that would be remotely considered rude by any standard would just be unheard of with a child.