自己紹介 • About
Angry Gaijin
外国人 • Outsider • Professional Complainer
Just another foreigner navigating the beautiful chaos of life in Japan; armed with observations, frustrations, and an unreasonable amount of opinions about convenience store coffee.
"I came to Japan with dreams of temples and tranquility. I stayed for the convenience stores and spite."
— Me, explaining my life choices at 2AM in a Lawson
過程
The Story
I moved to Japan like so many others before me—wide-eyed, optimistic, and profoundly unprepared. The plan was simple: experience a new culture, learn the language, maybe find myself along the way. The reality was... different.
Somewhere between my third failed attempt to open a bank account and my first encounter with the NHK man, I realized something. The frustrations I was experiencing weren't bugs—they were features. And more importantly, I wasn't alone in experiencing them.
This blog started as a way to vent. Late nights after work, writing about the absurdities of the day. The coworker who apologized to me for my own mistake. The ATM that closed at 7PM because apparently machines need rest. The perfectly polite way someone told me "no" without ever actually saying the word.
But it became something more. It became a chronicle. A field guide. A way for other confused foreigners to read something and think, "Oh thank god, it's not just me." Because it's not just you. It's all of us. We're all just trying to figure this place out, one bizarre experience at a time.
Somewhere between my third failed attempt to open a bank account and my first encounter with the NHK man, I realized something. The frustrations I was experiencing weren't bugs—they were features. And more importantly, I wasn't alone in experiencing them.
This blog started as a way to vent. Late nights after work, writing about the absurdities of the day. The coworker who apologized to me for my own mistake. The ATM that closed at 7PM because apparently machines need rest. The perfectly polite way someone told me "no" without ever actually saying the word.
But it became something more. It became a chronicle. A field guide. A way for other confused foreigners to read something and think, "Oh thank god, it's not just me." Because it's not just you. It's all of us. We're all just trying to figure this place out, one bizarre experience at a time.
物語
The Journey
Phase 1
The Honeymoon Phase
Everything is amazing. The convenience stores! The trains! The politeness! I'm never leaving.
Phase 2
The Confusion Phase
Wait, why did my coworker just apologize for something I did wrong? Why can't I open a bank account?
Phase 3
The Frustration Phase
I understand enough Japanese now to know when people are talking about me. This was a mistake.
Now
The Acceptance Phase
The anger isn't gone, I've just learned to channel it into something productive. Thus, this blog so others know they're not alone.
基本情報
Quick Facts
Based In
Tokyo
Somewhere between the last train and first regret
Years In Japan
Enough (12 years)
To know better, not enough to stop caring
Japanese Level
Conversational
Fluent in complaint, intermediate in keigo
Coping Method
Kirin Beer
And the occasional 3AM Lawson run
Written
7 Rants
Each one a tiny act of catharsis
Mood
Mildly Irritated
The default state
理由
Why This Blog
01
Therapy
Writing is cheaper than actual therapy, and sometimes you just need to yell into the void about why your package requires a re-delivery slip when you were literally home.
02
Community
So other foreigners can read this and feel less alone. The gaijin experience is weird, and it helps to know someone else is also confused by the same things.
03
Documentation
Japan is changing, slowly. I want to chronicle these absurdities before they evolve into different absurdities. Future anthropologists will thank me.
04
Entertainment
Because at the end of the day, this stuff is funny. Frustrating, yes—but also genuinely, absurdly, cosmically funny.
質問
FAQs
Q. Why Anonymous?
Because I still have to live here, and Japan is a small world. My coworkers don’t need to know about my 2AM rants about ATM closing times.
Q. Do you actually hate Japan?
Absolutely not. I love it here and that’s why I’m still here. You only complain this much about things you care about. If I hated it, I’d just leave.
Q. Is any of this real?
Every single rant is based on real experiences. Names and some details are changed, but the frustration? 100% authentic, locally-sourced, organic rage.
Q. Can I submit my own rant?
Not yet, but I’m thinking about it. If you’ve got a story that needs telling, reach out. Misery loves company.
Q. Why English?
Because my target audience is other confused foreigners who need to know they’re not alone.