What conversations did you hear in Japan, but the locals thought you didn't speak Japanese?

It is always on me (usually on the train), although it has been 2 years. Twenty years ago, most Japanese people were at least 4 years old or under 18 years old and were confident that foreigners could not speak Japanese. Now, in any case, in Nagoya, they have become increasingly uncertain. Nowadays, only the elderly talk about me as if I were not there, but they usually remain polite and usually mention my height (for the elderly, I am very tall. ) Young people usually don't talk about me like I'm not there. Usually they start asking each other about their English level. Strictly speaking, it's none of my business, but this situation has always existed, and usually only people I know notice that I'm there. But my impression is that these children are usually children or people outside the city.

I think most working-age adults in Japanese cities will see many foreigners. Many of them live and work in Japan, and they don't notice me at all. If I wear a black suit, I think they may not even look at my face, so they will not notice that I am a foreigner anyway.

The worst thing I heard from the Japanese is that when I was outside Japan, the Japanese didn't think that the local people couldn't speak Japanese, so I heard all kinds of things. When I was surprised by some businessmen who kept talking about me in front of me, I only spoke Japanese once, and I was shocked (just politely asked them when I was leaving) that they would win. Don't make that mistake again.

Children are very interesting. Children under four will talk about me with their mothers. I often hear such questions as "Why does that man have green eyes? Is he a monster? " ? Or a slightly better "Is he from TV?" ? Or these days, some older children will try English on me or dare not talk to each other (although usually these are children traveling in the countryside, where there are few foreigners).

To be honest, although I have never felt depressed, it is just confusing. Really, if you are making a false assumption that they can't understand you, then this joke seems to you to be the default.

PS: I have never used English in Japan. No one can understand this assumption (there are too many English speakers in Japan), but I must frankly say that it is an assumption that I use Japanese outside Japan. Maybe no one will understand this. Usually I want to scold my children or guide them in other ways. I will never talk about someone in front of them unless I feel that someone has put forward some clear and real danger.