Pride is the factor that makes it impossible for a gaijin to really integrate into Japan. Most Japanese take pride in having a gaijin friend, but we’re usually seen as a kind of pet – a mascot. We’re proof that the Japanese are superior because we make mistakes and fail to understand the Japanese culture. But gaijin that can show that they do understand – as I managed to achieve occasionally – are feared. We understand the culture of two countries, which most Japanese will never manage, so we serve only to shame the Japanese and the avoid us.