Last week, a simple hashtag — #gaijinconfessionfriday — kicked off an outpouring of guilt and humor on Twitter from Japan's foreign residents.
Expats admitted to feigning a lack of Japanese ability in certain situations, wearing bathroom slippers beyond the toilet and questioning the sincerity of the old "you can use chopsticks" compliment.
In a matter of hours, the hashtag was trending on the nation's list of popular hashtags and local Twitterati were coming together to post, retweet and just laugh at common struggles and insights.