As someone with more standout hair than the typical American, at least where I'm from, one of the first worries I had was: "Maybe I should get my hair cut? What if I attract unwanted attention?" 

     This worry permeated on my mind this specific trip to Japan, my hair exceedingly longer than it had ever been in the past. The humidity only helped to make it more of a noticeable mess. However, much to my surprise, I had only one bad experience thanks to my more standout appearance.

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     First the good: People in Japan are incredibly respectful, you do not receive stares as often as you would back in the States. There is a culture of not causing a burden for others I have been told time and time again, and thanks to this, people never try to make themselves stand out too much through their actions. Every time I have needed help, or seemed confused, people have gone above and beyond in ensuring I got what I needed. I feel safe to walk the streets for the most part, more willing to walk to a convenience store late at night-- something I'd never do back where I'm from. I know there have been talk going around of Kyoto becoming increasingly more unwelcoming to tourists, but through my experience, this is mostly not true.

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    The bad: This is where the "most not true" comes into play. I've been scammed out of money, due to my own naiveness, in Kyoto recently. I was approached, singled out by my hair since that was what the guy referred to me by, and due to a series of unfortunate events, lost around a 100 USD worth of money. Something that was entirely my fault, something that could've been avoided if I had walked away and ignored being pursued, as scary as it was. This is my only bad experience so far, and in honesty, it is something I could have avoided if I stuck to a more pessimistic view.

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    Foremost, I think as a tourist one must be respectful and kind. They must learn the cultural taboos, learn to not break them, and not try to apply their own cultural lens. I don't think you're at risk for standing out in Japan, but I do think you must keep your wits about you and treat people with caution foremost. As a person, especially in a group, you are completely safe to walk about-- but always remember to be aware of your surroundings, like all places in this world.