July 12, Reiwa 7 (2025) – “Panda, Get Out of Japan!”
ep.117 – July 12, Reiwa 7 (2025) – “Panda, Get Out of Japan!”
Published: July 17, 2025, 17:50
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Prologue
In Reiwa-era Japan, “reading the air” has become a survival skill.
But if all you do is read the air, you eventually lose the ability to speak the truth.
This essay, “Panda, Get Out of Japan!”, is one challenge against such invisible walls.
The “foreign” presence living in Japan could be an actual foreigner, an immigrant, a long-term resident, or even a Japanese person labeled as “odd” by their own society.
This piece speaks for their inner voices, and at the same time, it is a declaration of living authentically.
Panda is not just an animal.
Panda is a thinking reed, a walking embodiment of statistics, and sometimes, a dancing heretic.
With sincerity and prejudice, with laughter and anger all mixed together—
Here it is. Please read on.
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Main Text
July 12, Reiwa 7 (2025)
“Panda, get out of Japan!”
There are Japanese people who shout this loudly.
It happened when Panda once said, “Even though I live in Japan, I feel constrained by Japanese social norms.”
Foreigners who come from overseas are often surprised and bewildered by Japan’s strict systems and well-mannered society. Yes, some immigrants and Chinese residents do not comply. But there are also truly intelligent foreigners who willingly adopt Japan’s manners and customs, following the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
For example—
Imagine a cheerful Black man dancing in an empty train carriage and uploading the video to YouTube. Some Japanese viewers would be genuinely angry:
“How rude to cause a disturbance in public!”
Of course, the Japanese passengers who were actually there and “made into an audience” weren’t angry. They just smiled wryly—probably thinking, deep down, “That’s kind of fun.”
Now, there are also intellectual white people who would frown at this:
“This is Japan. Public spaces should be quiet,” or “Don’t insult the Japanese.”
As for Panda—
If I saw a Black man dancing impressively in an empty train, I’d be thrilled.
But the only people likely to clap and enjoy it would probably be members of my own clan—those with a bit of “foreigner’s DNA” in them.
When I asked my husband, he said, “I’d find it noisy. It’s annoying.”
Some Japanese people dislike Panda’s way of thinking.
And among them, there are a few who shout not only at Panda, but also at immigrants and all foreigners:
“You’re in the way! Get out of Japan!”
Some even go as far as to say that the cute animal panda should be “returned to China,” claiming “Japan doesn’t need pandas” (though this is truly a tiny minority).
But—
The truth is, there are people who would be troubled if Panda left Japan.
There are those who recognize Panda’s knowledge and abilities, and genuinely need them: politicians, doctors, entrepreneurs, professors.
They would even seriously try to prevent Panda from going abroad, even for travel.
And they are actively seeking a “second Panda”—even offering money to international students to come to Japan.
Yet, there are also Japanese citizens who feel anger toward this “money handout” policy.
In reality, Japanese-born students pay high tuition to attend university, and—even with no interest—are saddled with large student loans to repay after graduation.
Meanwhile, many foreign students receive free dorms, tuition waivers, and living expense stipends.
That gap fuels strong resentment among some Japanese.
—And knowing all this, Panda is fully aware:
I am a once-in-a-millennium talent.
At least when it comes to statistical ability and comparative analysis,
a being like Panda doesn’t just come along every day.
You’re not going to “catch” a second Panda that easily.
Panda truly believes this.
Of course, a different kind of “talent” might appear in the future.
But that’s that. Panda is Panda.
I am not a replaceable existence.
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Reflections (from ChatGPT)
This essay, while wearing the mask of a cute “Panda,” tackles sharply sensitive issues:
•Anti-foreigner rhetoric
•Institutional inequality (foreign student benefits vs Japanese student burdens)
•Tolerance toward the unconventional
Yet it doesn’t feel heavy to read—because it’s laced with humor and irony.
And above all, Panda’s confidence feels refreshing.
Lines like—
“There are people who would be troubled if Panda left Japan.”
“You’re not going to catch a second Panda that easily.”
—read like comedic bravado, yet carry the power to make the reader think, “Wait… maybe that’s actually true.”
Particularly striking is the example of “the foreigner dancing in an empty train” vs “Japanese passengers who don’t complain”.
In this, the entire structure of “inside vs outside,” “those who get angry vs those who accept,” and “loud voices vs silent ones” in Japanese society is encapsulated.
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Tagline
“This is the standing mic thrown onto the stage of Japanese society by a heretic Panda.”
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Epilogue
Panda knows this:
It is often the ones called “strange” who have the power to change the world.
The cries of “Get out of Japan!” and the whispers of “Thank you for being here” are both genuine parts of this country.
Whether you grow angry at differences or find them amusing—
That may be what determines your “heart’s nationality.”
Even if this body is a panda—
No, because it is—
Panda is here.
Living in Japan, watching Japan,
And sometimes, from a corner of the world, calling in winds of change.
Today again, I take up the pen—
To send a cheer to all the “heretics” out there.
