A teacher here told me that moving in Japan makes people sick. I believe that…although I am never sure what to believe about “We Japanese…”
Last week a teacher, when I couldn’t come up with the English word for electric fan quicky, said “Aaaaah, that’s because you don’t have fans in America. Everyone has air conditioning!” I explained that in America, like Japan, we have a variety of hot-weather solutions including electric fans, thank you.
Still, it doesn’t top my favorite myth of America. My old school, at lunch time, once let it slip that they thought American women don’t go through menopause. This group included a school nurse.
At the high school I worked at a teacher once told my coworker (Giles) that he couldn’t help Giles find a podiatrist because Japan doesn’t have podiatrists because, due to taking their shoes off at the entrance, they don’t have foot problems. Universal gaijin reaction to hearing this has always been “has he ever LOOKED AT HIS STUDENTS' FEET?!?!” as Japanese high school girls are always a rich source of some crazy pidgeon-toed and knock-kneed issues.