>>279529557
The secret is to copy the mannerisms of the JP otaku and just lightly bow when you enter stores and only say excuse me and thank you when necessary, the employees aren't trying to have a pointless conversation with you about things you aren't buying. But the 50 year olds that look like Steven Segal/Kensama and still speak broken Japanese in a foreign accent aren't anywhere near as bad as the post-covid tourists that waddle around like Tokyo is Disneyland behaving literally like Homer Simpson.
It can be embarrassing to walk around during non-rush hour (the tourists are scared of and outnumbered by the crowds) because it's half foreigners in some places, and sometimes people pre-assume you're a dumbass.
But as far as I can tell a lot of it isn't even a language barrier, those kinds of people are super annoying to locals and store/restaurant staff even in their home countries. I speak less Japanese than the 400lb otaku types, and I've only really had pleasant interactions.
