The Japanese travel a lot - at least they do in the US. You'd think that the experience of travel and immersing themselves in other cultures would open their minds (and hearts) in many ways.
BUT... the last time I was up at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a Japanese tour group was there. Japanese tourists were everywhere - always together in groups, whether small or large. I tried several times to make eye contact and say a friendly 'hello', but they persistently avoided meeting anyone's eyes. It was as if the rest of us at the lodge and on the hiking trails were invisible or nonexistent as far as they were concerned. I found the whole thing a very strange experience, mainly because I am a friendly, outgoing person who generally encounters no difficulty in striking up conversations with strangers.
They didn't converse or have social interaction with anyone but people in their own group. They stayed together exclusively. The bus on which they traveled was operated by a company solely dedicated to transporting Japanese tourists all over the US and Canada, using only Japanese (but of course English-speaking) drivers and tour guides.
It was as if everything possible had been done to *insulate* the Japanese tourists from any contact and interaction with the people living/working in the visited areas, and with other tourists frequenting these places. I found this 'insulation' odd, disturbing, as well as rather scary and even insulting. It was as if contact with ordinary Americans like myself would somehow contaminate and soil these Japanese tourists.
And what's even scarier is the thought that 'these' are the Japanese who are travelling the world and supposedly experiencing other cultures. They may be travelling, but they're doing so in a carefully-wrought glass bubble. Very sad.
I hope that my perception is *not* accurate, but I fear that it may well be. *sigh*