Japanese people have a reputation for loving to take photos. In Japan, it's not uncommon for complete strangers to ask you to join in their photo just so they can be in a picture with a "gaijin."
But we must be careful about stereotypes since, as everyone knows, they're not always true. Not all Japanese people love to take photos. As a matter of fact, some Japanese people more than love to take photos. As many gaijin in Japan know, the combination of a mad-about-taking-photos Japanese and an innocent gaijin can be a recipe for unwelcome celebrity-hood.
My most recent celebrity-hood started when I joined a local bicycle club on an organized ride. One of my Japanese friends is in the club and he invited me to go with them to ride across the Shimanami Kaido. This seaside highway links the Inland Sea islands of Mukaijima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima, Omishima, Hakatajima and Oshima, and connects Hiroshima Prefecture on Honshu to Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku. The Shimanami Kaido is 60 km long and includes seven bridges that connect the islands.