The Lurches of Tokyo

While walking to and standing in Shinjuku our first night in Tokyo, Ross and I noticed a few mixed couples. Invariably comprised of a young Japanese woman and a tall, pallid white guy. I mean REALLY tall and with the look of an undertaker who has not gotten sun in a number of years. Not a goth look, just kind of sickly.

We have seen this combination a few other times while trekking through Tokyo. Not something we have seen at the other cities we have been in. Then again, the sight of a gaijin in the Kansei is still somewhat rare.

So we were wondering if being tall and pallid is a part of the mythic gaijin stereotype? Or maybe, because the guys looked so weird, we just noticed them more? A mystery we will never solve; neither of us is particularly tall and I sure as heck ain't pallid!