It's ironic how I've never gotten any racism or criticism about my choice of fashion or makeup style from actual Japanese people. It's usually other Americans lol.
Kinda topical. I find it interesting how Asian people I've interacted with here in Japan seem to notice my race a lot less than others like Americans.
For example, I was meeting someone for the first time near a small train station. He asked me what I was wearing. I told him, but in my mind I was like, "I'm black, I'll be the only black person there in like a square mile radius, you'll spot me immediately lol."
Another time a guy invited me to sit with him during one of his college classes. He said it'd be fine because the teacher wouldn't even notice. I was like uhhh I think he'd notice a random black girl he's never seen before suddenly appear.
A lot of people have shown genuine delight in my cosplays even when they aren't "black" characters.
I can go on.
Is there some selection bias due to the people that would interact with me to begin with being less focused on/ negative towards race? Yes. However, me going kinda viral and getting a lot of support from Japanese people for my Jfashion is some evidence that it's not just selection bias.
It's jarring how differently I'm perceived online/in anime spaces as opposed to irl/Asian spaces.