Problems with man that lives on my island

I've been living in Japan for the last 2 and a half years on this small island. I'm not sure for how long but i've noticed this for the last year or so but there is this really creepy guy that i usually see on a bicycle on my island. hes probably mid 40s or early 50s but i sometimes see him in the middle of the day durring working hours (if i leave work to go to the bank or something) so i'm thinking that he's either not all there or that there is something wrong with him to make him not have a normal job. anyways whenever he rides past me on his bicycle he stares at me heavily then will go a bit passed me and turn around and pass me again. This has happened several times and it really creeps me out. I'm an American female with blonde hair so i realize that i stick out on a small island in the country side of japan but i still don't think its normal. This happens almost everytime i run into him. The last time was actully at the supermarket where he followed me and a friend around the super market. I finaly got so sick of it that i said to my friend in a medium voice "why wont he go away" and he did leave after that though i don't know if he heard me or not. He was making me really uncomfertable though and i'm sure i didn't do much to hide that fact outwardly.

anyways this really frightens me and i really don't know what i can do about it. Hes not approched me directly so i realise that there is nothing that i can do on a police level but i'm not sure what means i can take to protect myself from him if something were to ever happen. I'm not sure if he knows where i live or not but its a small island and i'm the only foreigner so i'm sure it wouldn't be hard for him to find me. and my apartment is old so i only have a single lock on my door with a metal chain latch (i'm not sure how easy it would be to pick it open or something). I've only got 6 months left on my current contract so my school wont let me move untill then. My question is i guess if there is any advice people have for me when it comes to protecting myself. I don't want anything bad to happen to me but i'm not sure what i can do here to protect myself. I know that carrying weapons in Japan is a big nono and i'm not even sure i would know where i could pick up anything like peper spray either.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thank you so much

The least you can do is to carry some security tools like alarms. Ask for "bohan goods" at your nearest "home center" or search the internet to purchase on-line. If you can't read Japanese, you can ask a friend for assistance. While you're at it, you can discuss this issue with the friend. Discuss it with both female (because they understand you better) and male (because they may be able to protect you physically). Don't keep it to yourself.

You should consult at a Koban, too. They may not be able to do anything about it, but it's better than to say nothing. If it's a small island, the police might know the guy.

That said, there are always one or two weird guys that encounter a girls life, and often they do no more harm than to just stare. Keep your chin up, be sure you say hi to all the neighbors you can trust, and don't walk alone after dark. Also, be sure no stranger is around when you're opening your door, and keep it locked even for a few seconds you leave for the garbage. You can also pretend to phone someone when you see anyone suspicous coming after you.

Hope you have nicer days while you're there.

Something that is recommended in possible stalking cases is to vary your routine- without going too far out of your way, try not to always follow the same route at the same time.

Since you are in a small community, is there someone in authority you can turn to for support? In a small community if this guy feels like other people know what he is doing he may be embarrassed enough to stop.

I would suggest to report to the police and your school. He might be already reported by someone before and your school might do something about it for you. Living in a fear like this for 6 months is too long.

Sira and Uco are 100% right. By the way even men are bothered by other men and it has nothing to do with them being gay or attractive. Obviously this doesn't happen near as often as to women but it does happen. I lived for a while in a small place and there was what was called uncharitably in these politically incorrect days a few "village idiots". These guys were around 30, were unkempt and wild eyed and did follow people around asking lots of questions, like small kids. My parents had working experience in the fields of police and health care and after confronting these guys concluded that they where harmless. They befriended them and gave them odd jobs to do around the house and made us kids(my siblings and I were in our early teens)play soccer with them, go fishing etc. to teach us not to be afraid of different-looking people. The sad truth is that "strange" people are often harmless while smartly dressed, good looking, smooth talking ones can be criminals.

first of all thank you for all of the good advice! I did get one of thouse buzzer things (actully my school bought it for me! lol)

So I talked about it to my school and we went to the police today. I've been told that if i see the man again that i should call them and that they will try to find him and tell him that hes making me uncomfortable and that he should leave me alone. They said that this usually will get weird people to stop. so we will try this and see if it works. in the mean time though i'll be not walking by my self home ever again i think. I'm definately sick of spending all of my free time at home though because i'm afraid of the creepy man. They have told me that i should go places while i'm accompanied by my boyfriend but he lives two hours away and can't be with me all the time. plus i don't like the idea of having to totaly rely on someone else i do like doing things for myself. but i have many good friends who can help me if i need them so hopefully from now this crazyness can stop.

as far as him being just a slow guy. I'm not phased by people who are mentaly disabled. and there are several on my island as well and i have been approched by them before but they don't scare me like this guy does he is different. there is something menacing about they way he looks and his actions towards me.

Now this comment was removed my the admins but someone refered to all japanese men being like this and i just want to go on the record by saying that this is rediculous nor my opinion at all. actully my boyfriend (and reason why i'll stay in japan for another 4th or even 5th year) is Japanese and I have many male coleagues from my school that i consider to be good friends. Japanese people are just like people from any other countries and for sure i've met my fair share of weirdos back home in America.