By Wonsuh Song
The streets of Tokyo today feel more global than ever. With the post-COVID boom in international tourism, cafes and restaurants across the city often make one wonder: is this really Japan?
Amid this shift, an amusing phenomenon is becoming increasingly noticeable—the speed and accuracy with which Japanese service workers now assess who is a foreigner. Just a few years ago, staff would speak Japanese to everyone by default. But now, they often switch to simple English—“Tax-free?”—as soon as they sense the customer might be from abroad. Their English may not be fluent, but the willingness to engage is clear.
I’ve lived in Tokyo for many years, yet I myself have started being mistaken for a tourist. Not long ago, I stopped by a local café with my family. I wasn’t wearing makeup, had thrown on a casual outfit, and happened to be wearing a T-shirt that said “DUBAI.” Before I could say a word, the staff spoke to me in English—even though I was speaking Japanese with my family.
Sometimes, even when I go shopping with my husband and we’re clearly speaking Japanese, the staff still ask him, “Tax-free?” Just by standing next to me, he gets mistaken for a tourist too.
What’s curious is that this kind of misidentification happens mostly with women. Men, with simpler wardrobes and no makeup, are often automatically assumed to be Japanese. But for women, the lack of makeup—or an overly glamorous look—paired with international fashion can be enough to mark them as a foreigner. Language is secondary; appearance comes first.
Through moments like these, I feel Japan is becoming more international. It’s not yet a truly multicultural society, but the way locals now interact with foreigners—with less awkwardness and more openness—is a sign of progress.
The idea that “one layer of makeup can change your nationality” may sound like a joke. Yet it captures something very real about the evolving social landscape of Tokyo today.
Wonsuh Song (Ph.D.)
Full-time Lecturer, Shumei University / NKNGO Forum Representative
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