How can a foreign female blend in in Japan?

Question:

I'm a little taller than most Japanese girls (I'm 5'9) and my hair is light brown and really long (up to my elbows). It might just pass as dyed hair though (I'm 17 btw).

Answer:

I know how you feel. I am 5'7" and I have always wanted to blend in better. So, here is what I do. Note: This is not a "how to blend in" guide, just my personal habits that have helped me not get pointed at as much.

Assuming that you have been to Japan, you know that when girls dye their hair "brown" it comes out auburn. So, I chose to die my hair a dark auburn. This is actually a personal choice. I don't live in Japan anymore and still dye it. But I did like the added benefit of being mistaken for a Japanese person from the back.

Second, I almost never wear heels when I am there. There are enough cute ballet flats that you never have to sacrifice fashion. Black and white converse tennis shoes are also very popular for someone your age.

Third, stop dressing like an American. The foreigners I know who I would say "blend in" don't dress like they are still in America. They adapt to Japanese fashion. For the most part that means dressing nicer than we normally do here.

Fourth, don't look at people. You will notice that Japanese people on the trains or on the street are most often looking at the floor or straight ahead or out a window. Always act like you belong where you are, are going somewhere important, and are completely involved in what you are doing. This is one of the main differences between tourists and gaijin who live there. The later are going about their everyday life and the former are trying to look at everything and take everything in. I usually read when on the train to avoid getting stared at and to assure people that I will not try to talk to them in English (Something which friends have told me makes them avoid contact with foreigners).

Lastly, you never really will. I am a Japanese translator and interpreter. I have been mistaken for a Japanese person over the phone and by people standing behind me, but you are never not going to be obvious in a crowd. People are really never going to stop trying to take your picture or staring at you.