I often hear foreigners complain that Japanese people will not sit next to them on the train. The perception is that this is some form of discrimination, or perhaps more simply, that we just plain smell bad. Or maybe foreigners feel this is a form of ostracizing, leaving them feel all alone.
I wonder it it's not our own insecurity that provokes these feelings. Perhaps deep down inside, we fear that we really are what the Japanese think we are: "wa"-less gaijin! After all, few gaijin are ready to give up their individuality to join the Japanese way, a life based on harmony through sacrifice and compromise.
Besides, with all the congested trains in Japan, is someone not sitting next to us really something to complain about? I think not. Especially because my problem seems to be the opposite.