My stepson, who married a Japanese girl from a small town—a village really. He’s 6’5” and really sticks out like a sore thumb. The people there would openly stare at him—even bringing out the kids to have a look. He took to singing aloud, “Hey, hey we’re the gaijin, always waling around...”
Hanamizu, your FR name, is Japanese, I believe, for the Dogwood tree.