How Good Are The Japanese At English? | Street Interview

[@AsianBoss]

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[@Garnishes]

The two boys’ thinking, answers and mindsets are intelligent and matured. Very promising individuals.

[@asianprince8718]

Which two boys? There are two of them.

[@Garnishes]

@@asianprince8718 the pair that could speak english with quite some fluency.

[@asianprince8718]

@@Garnishes One of them wearing eye glasses ?

[@Garnishes]

@@asianprince8718 yep

[@rinaso8103]

@@asianprince8718it was pretty obvious lol there were only these 2

[@NamuWilliams]

This was fun, lol. The young dude with the glasses who rated his English a 7 was spot on. His friend that rated himself an 8 lied. He spoke English at a 10 level for a learner!

[@BoazNGK]

lets just say they are both below avg haha

[@NamuWilliams]

@@BoazNGK And how many languages do you speak?

[@Gabriel-jg5wh]

@@NamuWilliams they're average at best

[@asianprince8718]

@@Gabriel-jg5wh Do you mean the majority of Japanese still have lots to learn to become good English speakers? In the interview, one said that Japanese read and write well. In my recent trip there, I found that their English speaking were much better compared to 10 years ago.

[@rap3208]

Hearing his accent and vocabulary, he probably grew up in the US or stayed there for some years while he was young.

[@Devilchu]

I agree with the guy that said that the "Japanese perfectionism" gets in the way of English learning. When I was an exchange student in Hokkaido many years back I noticed that the fear of failure and the need to do things perfectly (even though you are a beginner) was very strong in the Japanese students I befriended. I sat in on my friend's English class where the Canadian teacher really tried his best to make the students comfortable enough to try and say even just a few sentences, but nobody wanted to speak in front of the others. Everyone was too afraid of making mistakes in pronunciation, afraid of looking stupid infront of the teacher and others in the class. The problem with language learning is that you kinda have to make mistakes in order to get better. Then there's also the big issue of using Katakana to learn English. The Japanese alphabets cannot be used to correctly translate the sounds used in English and yet they still use it when learning. It would be better if they started learning English in kindergarten together with the ABCs. Sorry for the long rant. ^^;

[@hanagakitakemichi549]

I am sorry. Yes we japanese are too afraid of failure. I don't know why. Maybe we were born like that. Sorry for my bad english

[@Devilchu]

@@hanagakitakemichi549 Don't be sorry, your English is great!! :D 私こそ日本語がうまく使えないです。書くより話す方が楽です。

[@Devilchu]

I also have to add that my Japanese friends told me that you learn very early as a child in Japan to be conscious and condiderate of others. "人の目" (hito no me); "the eyes of others" as a concept taught to children make them very self conscious of their actions earlier than most children over here. Of course it is a good thing to be considerate of others but not to the extent of fearing to stand out in any way.

[@cz2301]

when i studied in Tokyo, one day i was talking with my professor's assistant in his studio and the guy was so nervous with the prospect of having to speak English with me (because my Japanese was so poor back then) that he would cough and get red in every single sentence he tried to speak. Even though he was my senior at the university. I felt for him.

[@coconutpineapple2489]

Even in Japanese class, nobody tries to answer. In Japan, people who have his/her own opinion are disliked. We have to ajust others opinions. Making mistakes isn't the matter.

[@crackedhammer4612]

“Ninja, so cool!” He’s right, ninjas are cool

[@FreeMind...]

Samurai too 😁

[@ithikithik]

Naruto is certainly famous outside Japan

[@littledudefromacrossthestr5755]

@@ithikithik not really

[@taekooktrash9607]

@@littledudefromacrossthestr5755 bro literally everyone knows naruto, don't lie

[@littledudefromacrossthestr5755]

@@taekooktrash9607 eh

[@hanagakitakemichi549]

I am japanese. First of all i wanna say my English is super bad. So i am trying my best to write this comment. We can't speak good English because when we were in public schools we just memorized vocabulary. No attempt to learn grammar or real sentences. Japanese grammar also VERY different from english. Our Japanese society and culture is also very different. We don't play many non-japanese games or watch as much non-japanese TV as most other countries do. Also don't forget, the same applies to non japanese people. You guys also struggle learning Japanese right. So also same. Sorry for using too much also. Hmmm i wanna explain more but my english is very limited. I wish i knew English.

[@natatatt]

To be fair, it's similar for us in Canada with the French language. French is one of Canada's 2 official languages, but many of us can't really speak French. French schooling (at least when I was in high school in 2005) focused a lot on French grammar and writing and not much on speaking, so many of us have very poor to no French speaking ability.

[@jpking0]

Your English effort was great! Keep it up, as I am sure you will get better with practice on the internet. What I’ve learned from taking language classes in school is no amount of in-class practice will replace “immersion”. Being forced to communicate and be uncomfortable allows failure, and from failure you strive harder to communicate better. It goes to show we learn better when we’re forced to apply learning outside class, but both are overall necessary! Best wishes on your language journey!

[@asianprince8718]

Takumi San, Non Japanese games? Video games?

[@thybiscuit]

Same, I have never learn english through school and I don't know how grammar works in English, but through immersion I was able to pick-up my third language which is english.

[@rigelr5345]

私も日本語を習いたい！毎日、日本語を勉強していますが、日本語の文法はとても難しい！

[@InTeCredo]

When I was at the university, I used to tutor many Japanese students on English lessons. They kept requesting me rather than go to any of available tutors. Why? I am deaf, and communicate through writing back and forth with them. This way, they felt more confident when writing than when speaking, and they also kept the written communication for the future referral. Over the time, they gave me lot of beautifully wrapped presents as the token of their appreciation.

[@patrickm4529]

one thing I experienced in Japan is that regardless of their english ability, a lot of them are actually doing their best to communicate with you when u need help (sign language, google translate, etc.), it's their effort that matters, and that's what makes travelling in Japan a very delightful experience even though there are language barriers.

[@MP0121]

The language barrier never stopped me from visiting Japan. It is a kind country. I can't wait to visit soon!

[@asianprince8718]

M P, I think it's a good idea to know a few words that the locals use a lot when visiting new country.

[@user-mm3dy6sj6w]

imagine visiting US with no english skill whatsoever, we'll die out there

[@user-tl1bw4wp1c]

The Japanese people are good, but their government is evil

[@IKEMENOsakaman]

It really depends on where you go. Younger people in Tokyo (especially Roppongi, Shinagawa, Bunkyo area) can speak English relatively well. If you talk with older people in, say, Tokushima, then you will need a miracle to be able to communicate in English.

[@user-he9nk2ys4r]

I think it's the same as Korea

[@cz2301]

When i visited Helsinki, years ago, the older generation also couldnt speak English but Japan is something else

[@marukoamv2424]

Basically if any of the Japanese older people in their 40-60’s especially from the townnable to speak fluent English. Then hats up to them

[@Goodbye_Horses]

disagree, many young people in even large cities speak little to no english

[@MyRadicalKanjiWorld]

@@Goodbye_Horsesas someone who lives in Tokyo and has been to every clinic under the sun, I 100% agree. Nothing is in English, not even on paper, and the thing is that Japan knows it’s on a sinking ship but it just doesn’t care.

[@theuglyfisherman5488]

I went to Japan in 2019 with my son. We had a great experience while in Japan. Although not many spoke English we it forced us to learn and speak few Japanese words to get around and communicate. I think it’s more respectful for foreigners to learn their culture and language. It’s also good if they learn English.

[@carrieannmcleod5219]

It's been quite a long time (20+ years) since I visited Japan but I was impressed by how many people knew English, although their pronunciations needed work. That's understandable since there are sounds in English and Japanese that are not in the others' language. I had a few students (high school/college?) that wanted to practice their English with me. I was happy to help since my Japanese was non-existent (except for hello, goodbye and how much). The people were so helpful. I remember taking the train to Kamakura and was confused as to which platform I needed to go to and a young woman took me by the arm and physically walked me to the correct one. Even if she had directed me in English, I would've been so confused since I had to go up/down and right/left. It took some minutes out of her day to direct me but I was very thankful for her assistance.

[@nswrth]

"my japanese was non-existent"😂😂😂

[@yukuhana]

2:03 She speaks English quite naturally and even using the word "like" every other word. It really makes me wonder where she learns English from.

[@ShosinMelotic]

I noticed that. When I try speaking German, I knoe they use filler words like "denn" and "gern." Usually, I just have a LONG pause if I cannot think of a word or just say "uh" because adding those filler words will mess up my sentence order and make me think twice as hard

[@6oingnorth]

I agree but you see the two dudes after her, they also use like a lot! Perhaps that could be a direct translation of something. My guess is ‘nanka’ which they use often in between phrases to construct their thoughts better, I noticed

[@mikiohirata9627]

She must have studied in US most likely as home stay program student where she picked up using " like" a lot. And it also coincide with Japanese phrasing of " Tsu u ka, or Toka ".

[@mello15]

Netflix? Lols

[@FN-ib8wd]

@@ShosinMelotic Wie lange lernst du schon Deutsch?

[@kayin5696]

The two that said "7 and 8" and then they speak really good english! I think they can give themselves more credit, lol Esp the one that said 8. They were amazing haha. The person who said "I cant find anything fun in Japan" made me laugh 😆

[@RonLarhz]

Idk what her idea of fun is. Japan literally have it all. Diving/surfing water sports, anime, arcade, karaoke, bowling/pool, snowboarding stuff, onsen... Even with baboons, and lots of different cafes and even sex related entertainments.

[@krischen7470]

@@RonLarhzIt's really not hard to realize that foreigners enjoy Japan, because they don't have to suffer from the infamous work culture and social pressure.

[@asianprince8718]

When I visited Japan, I used English to communicate with them. I found that their English abilities have been much better nowadays ( I was also there visiting with my family in the early 90s, some of them weren't able to speak English, so we had to find assistance). Not only their young people, their elder people were also able to speak English to help. However, many of their big shops, like BIC Camera, have people who can speak English and Chinese, and Korean. That makes tourists' shopping easier. So many of their shops have people who can aid you in Chinese. And, many of their restaurants have menus in many languages.😀 In conclusion, their English have been getting better as Japan is a country where many foreigners love to go.

[@hanagakitakemichi549]

Thank for visiting Japan. We will practice English harder next times 😊

[@asianprince8718]

@Takumi Kitamura 北村匠海 Dear Sir, Thank you for your kindness. I have a few pieces of advice on improving quality tourism in Japan in the future: 1. Start hiring robots that can translate to help foreigners. Recently, in my trip to Japan, I did see some Pepper Robots on display in subways, telecom shops, and some streets where you could see many tourists walking. I was expecting robots to become mainstream now, but it seems that it is not happening in 2022. There should be robots with touch screens that can help translate different languages. Hire them, and hopefully they will become as common as vending machines in the future. 2. When we traveled in Japan, we were very shy to approach people in the streets because we were afraid that they might not be able to help us in English. As more and more foreigners are going there, there should be more information desks where they can help people in many languages. Well, a great example would be Shibuya, it was very easy shopping there with many helps. 3. When dining or taking subways, miscommunication could be very common when no one there understands English. They usually replied "nothing" when they did not know how to respond. It would be good idea if they knew more common English words like "not available", "sure", or "no worries." We could not understand if they said nothing. Nothing could indicate many meanings. We had to use gestures, and it sometimes did not work well. Thank you! A RI GA TOU

[@hanagakitakemichi549]

@@asianprince8718 ahhh 😅 i wanna write many things but my english is really bad. I really hope many Japanese will learn English more serious in future. Japanese are fine but the only problem we have is we are too afraid to learn nor speak English. What we learnt at school are totally different when we use it in real life. When i was a student my teacher only taught me memorize vocabulary, not making a sentence. I don't understand why our English study system very bad. I wish i could speak English so then it makes me easier to express my opinion to you. I am sorry if you had difficulties of communicating English with native Japanese. 🙏

[@mctripp2893]

@@hanagakitakemichi549 your English is very good! Keep it up!

[@helgapataki7618]

The “7 and 8” boys did greater than their self-rating, and the woman who mentioned “shrines and temples” spoke well. Props also to the long-haired man in black who gave an intelligent response.

[@cheskar.]

loved the answers and humility from them. i liked what the girl said about learning japanese as well. i relate to them, though, because back in our school, we have a mandatory language class**. mandarin for elementary and middle school; nihongo for high school. nothing really stuck to me except the basics (ones you use as a tourist and convos). we learn and deliver better if we are immersed in an environment where using the language is a way to survive/get on with life. ** i'm from a multilingual country, so that language class is basically learning our 4th language.

[@FungusUSMC]

She reminds me of my cousins that were born and raised in Japan (I'm 1/4 Japanese). It makes sense when growing up there, they're so used to everything Japan offered and likely take things for granted. Then they come to the US and love all kinds of fun things that I found mundane or boring. That's when I realized I took my own country for granted too because I was born and raised in the US.

[@manuelt.113]

I was in Japan on May 2023, and sadly this is a real issue there. Most of the people (even the younger ages) don't speak English which makes the trip there a little bit difficult. But they are so helpful with you, no matter the language gap and one way or another you will communicate.

[@davidr7405]

Japanese people are so modest, they often undersell themselves. I visit Japan for its culture, food and hospitality!

[@hanagakitakemichi549]

Thanks you

[@Audibleknight]

I feel like technology has made incredible advancements in recent years to help address this issue. Something like having Google Translate easily accessible on a smart phone is something of a pipedream back 30-40 years ago. From the camera feature to the conversation feature these tools can go a long way in helping to communicate.

[@Raja-bz4yw]

He immediately said ninjas. So cool. I loved his answer 🤣🤣🤣

[@Adeno]

A long time ago, I used to do Uber driving to make money. There were times when I'd pick up Japanese tourists and other nationalities and sometimes, they didn't speak English that well. During those times, I tried to speak what little Japanese I learned from anime and Japanese movies lol! Then they would cheer up and we'd all be happy. Then sometimes we'd end up talking about anime and then we'd find common shows we loved growing up haha! I agree with the people in the interview. It's hard to learn a language if you only use it in a school setting. A school setting is different from a real life scenario. For example, there are many times where people would say things differently in real life than what is taught in schools. It's better to learn from both school and real conversations or media. English isn't my native tongue, but as a kid, all the books I read, the video games I played, all the cartoons and movies I watched, were usually in English. I learned 90% of the English language from comics, movies, and video games, while school taught me the technical stuff about it. I'm sure I'm not 100% perfect when it comes to the English grammar, but hey, it's functional enough lol! When it comes to trying to learn a different language and you're watching a show using that language, I think it's better to watch the subbed version. This way, you can at least read the translation while hearing the actual words and then you can copy the way it's being said. If you can pronounce the words and reproduce the tones, the inflections of a phrase, then you have a better chance at being understood by someone who speaks it as their native language. I think it would be interesting to find out how many people in the US and other parts of the world can speak super basic Japanese just because they keep watching subbed anime and movies lol! I think the results would be surprising, especially when it comes to the younger generation who are being exposed to Japanese anime and movies almost every day.

[@aznkwokboy5074]

As someone who just came back from a trip to Tokyo, definitely don't be discouraged about traveling there if you don't know any Japanese. The only Japanese I knew was please and thank you. But most people will understand at least very basic English, combined with your body/hand gestures to understand what you're talking about. And even if they don't understand you, they will try their best to help you. Pretty much everyone you encounter will be a nice and kind soul.

[@trishayable]

I've only been to Japan twice, but I've noticed most of them can't speak English and would speak Japanese to me when I had no idea what they were saying. They were the absolute friendliest people though, and went far out of their way to help me when I asked for directions. Japan is an amazing country with amazing people.

[@dayko.]

In my personal experience it is near impossible learning a language if you only learn it in school. I am sure the schools could still do a better job to improve the basics but one has to actively try and learn on their own aswell. I am from germany and was always bad at english in school and was almost scared of english classes (didn't want to randomly get picked and not know what to say infront of the entire class) but then I started consuming a lot of english media mainly watching Twitch streams and am really glad I found a streamer I could understand quite easily (Lirik) and watching him daily improved my english A LOT. I would spend quite a lot of days hearing more english than my own language and since it was only listening there was no pressure on me. It has been 7 years or so since I started actively learning english on my own but I definitely think even after a year I was already close to my current level of fluency (like 75% probably). I can highly recommend learning english because it 1. allows you to speak to a ton of people you otherwise couldn't and 2. also opens the door for a lot of media you otherwise couldn't watch/understand.

[@user-qm7jw]

Simple answer: Japanese people don't need to speak English. In Japan, you can live without having to rely on English. For example, in many countries, when studying at university, you study in English instead of your own language, or rely on English to a large extent, but in Japan, all studies can be done in Japanese. This is actually a great thing, because our language is so well developed. Japan is the only country in Asia, along with Thailand, that was not colonised by the West, so it has developed without much Western influence.

[@jemappelleformage601]

China and Korea were not colonised by the West too but by Japan. Chinese language is however more ancient and original than Japanese and Korean language and much of them were borrowed from Chinese language in the past. There’s also a thing called Japanglish and western borrowed words so there’s definitely western influence in modern Japanese language.

[@vine3335]

水を差すようで申し訳ない。外国語をカタカナで表記するように、日本語は明治時代らへんからかなり西洋の影響を受けてると思うよ。特にイギリス(アメリカ)、ドイツから。

[@camella1978]

Japanese characters are from Chinese kanji.

[@JustJakeTravel]

Wow thanks for this! I'm actually planning on going to tokyo in 22 days so this was helpful!

[@ariohandoyo5973]

Some of the people speaks English well some of them just shy, no worries guys, if you guys so passionate about learning English, you guys can speak English by practicing everyday, i'm an English learner too, love japan from Indonesia.❤️🇯🇵

[@lolam4209]

I haven't been to Japan. My father has. He mentioned that this country has left a vivid impression. They are well-mannered, very clean and hygienic and neat. When they do something, they tend to do it by thinking of others.

[@asianprince8718]

You stayed there for some years before leaving?

[@cz2301]

From my experience of living in Japan, i think that Japan's problem is using katakana, bc it forces them to speak Japanglish. Otherwise, they'd have to learn to speak proper English, like everyone else, and their communications skills would be much better.

[@cjent8]

THIS, bc they read the English in their phonetic, so when they try to speak English sounds almost like another language

[@cz2301]

@@cjent8 exactly, they still need to study and practice the language, but katakana helps to explain why Japan is the worst in Asia.

[@argan_tara828]

Don't worry Japanese! We as foreigners also struggle in learning your very complicated language.

[@NOKMANtube]

Even if it is not perfectionism, they actually do not have to learn English. Japan is a country with a population of more than 120M, has an influential currency, and has a strong market that consumes and money returns to rapidly domestic economy.(Ya, Japan also needs someplace to export their goods and talk to foreign buyers, but they are not as desperate as their neighbors.) People in such countries learn other languages only when they have to find what they need abroad. Likewise, only those who have the reason and opportunity(Abroad Job or Study) to continue to use English in Korea can speak English better than others. People who will get a job here and live here need to study English only for higher SAT and Language test scores Because that's the reality.

[@suginami0]

Why do Japanese struggle to speak English? The guy at 8:09 nailed it. He’s focused on people taking the responsibility to study and work on speaking. The Japanese people in general don’t put an emphasis on speaking. I lived in Japan for about 5 years after college and I’ve visited almost every year in the past 20 years. In fact, I was just there for about 3 weeks from late November to the middle of December. I hate to say it, but the average Japanese persons English speaking level is appallingly bad, to the point of being non-functional. One of the people interviewed at the end said Japanese people are very kind and you’ll get positive feedback, which is very true. It’s just that if you speak in normal English at a regular speed, they’ll understand nothing. You’ll have to speak slowly like the interviewer did. And if they do understand your question, the average person will likely be nearly unable to communicate with you in words. They’ll likely communicate with gestures, or maybe in one or two word answers in heavily accented English. I studied Japanese in college before I went there and I was obsessive about speaking Japanese everyday. It was unbelievably difficult and at times humiliating, but after a year or so I became pretty fluent. And I still speak it fluently 30 years later.

[@gordonbgraham]

Can you read and write Japanese?

[@suginami0]

@@gordonbgraham I can read about what a 6th grader in Japanese learns: about 1,000. I minored in Japanese in college, and I used to be able to write that many, but it's been 30 years since I graduated. Now I could probably write maybe a 100.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@suginami0 So, appallingly bad, then...

[@Devilchu]

@@gordonbgraham Not even the Japanese themselves remember how to write kanji since we all write using phones nowadays. The phone also helps you choose the correct kanji so you only need to be able to read them. My Japanese friend forgot how to write the kanji for dormitory aka "ryou" (寮) which is a pretty early kanji(within the first 600) that you learn before you turn 12. I also forget how to write them all the time. Speaking and reading is more important though.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Devilchu Japanese are required to submit hand-written resumes when applying for work. I was required to submit a 2000 word hand-written essay on 2nd language acquisition and its most effective corresponding pedagogy as a condition for entering the teaching licensing program at Rikkyo University where I obtained my teaching certificate. Japanese need to know their kanji...unless they want their resume thrown in the trash can. PS. That’s the kanji for dorm. Any high school student can read that.

[@jacksontaylor290]

9:50, best part!

[@ThinkAndSaySomethingStupid]

Japanese does not need to study English. They can develop their own advanced technology, create many typical dishes, compose a variety of films, comics.... People should study Japanese to learn those things from them.

[@jeff__w]

The questions (and answers) were interesting but I think it would have been better to just ask pretty basic tourist questions, like “Where is the nearest metro station?” or “What’s a good restaurant around here?” Then we’d have a better idea of how well those who were less proficient in English might (or might not) answer-and it would give those English speakers who are thinking of visiting Japan an idea of the extent to which they can get away with just speaking English.

[@asianprince8718]

Japan has many good restaurants with delicious meals, such as places in Shibuya. Do you like miso soup? I drank it when visiting there.

[@peachii7926]

1:36 I cracked our laughing when she said dEsTineEsHON in the most japanese accent

[@yiwenqin1636]

come and test the pedestrians on the street of Shanghai, that would be so much fun!

[@meodrac]

What made me really interested in learning English are video games. Consuming media in the language really helps. I found that reading books, watching shows, and playing games in English is what really pushed my proficiency from passable/conversational to near full fluency. I was taken aback that during college, when asked about speaking in English that very few actually were able to think in English as I thought it was the norm. I'm currently learning Japanese in my own way in my free time. It's proving difficult due to the difference in the alphabet and lack of time to do so. I'm trying to actively study the alphabet hiragana and katakana first and foremost, while passively learning words phonetically or in romaji form at the same time.

[@cmja09]

I believe the sentence structures are very different japanese vs english. I'm a filipino and it is easy for us to learn english because the language structure is similar.

[@Devilchu]

Yes, exactly! There's a guide somewhere on the internet that shows you which languages will be more or less difficult depending on the language group you belong to. For me, as a Swede, English is not that difficult since the Scandinavian languages are all in the Germanic language group(same as English, German, Dutch etc.). For us belonging to the Germanic language group I believe the most difficult languages to learn were Chinese, Arabic, Indian and Japanese. Meaning that the reverse must be true as well. So for native Japanese speakers English & German will be some of the most difficult languages to learn. We should keep this in mind before judging them poorly for their English.

[@Puppy52]

I like visiting Japan because there are many choices for shopping and everyone is usually polite and nice! Also it is convenient in the city😁

[@asianprince8718]

I like Japan because it has amazing cultures. Anime, video games, food, dressing style, tech, shrine and katana. I always wanted to buy a katana there in Asakusa.

[@dot4515]

This made me love and appreciate more my job as an English teacher. This video broaden my perspective on how Japanese people view the English language. I believe that Japan will improve immensely in terms of their English knowledge in the coming years.

[@jcunson6551]

I love Japan! Plain and simple! ❤️🇯🇵

[@rany6542]

While advanced English is necessary if someone wants to study or work in English speaking countries, I don't think random people on the street needs to feel embarrassed if they couldn't speak English. I also agree with what the lady said in 5:18. I don't think it is too much to ask for a foreigner to learn basic Japanese if they want to live in Japan for an extended period of time.

[@Rhetzelle]

Why do I always think of Engrish in anime 😂

[@cowheadcow]

Nice vid. My experience was that plenty of Japanese people can speak English, and an English speaker could get by just fine thanks to English signage. That said, knowing a little bit of Japanese went a looong way. If you're spending the time, money, and energy to visit, you might as well dedicate some to the language basics.

[@yongling9825]

When I was traveling with my family in Hokkaido back in July 2018, it seriously wasn't easy whenever we wanted to interact with the locals as none of us actually knew Japanese. Personally, I'm very limited to the most basic greetings. Whenever the thought of visiting mainland Japan (this is where I'd like to go if I do revisit the country) comes to mind, I feel reluctant about going to Japan again because of my non-existent Japanese proficiency. At some point, I have to know some Japanese if I want to stand any chance of going about in Japan sufficiently smoothly.

[@maxrebo8455]

I had to speak my lousy Japanese almost everywhere I went in Fukuoka, Oita and Tokyo last month. If someone responded in English that was ok, but I never expected it except at tourist information centres and major attractions, airports or some staff at Tokyo Disneyland. Bearing I worked as an English instructor twenty years ago, things are the same, it’s practically a language spoken by enthusiasts and more often than not those folks aren’t working in customer frontline roles. As people say, ‘This is Japan.’ The mentality will never change.

[@mariavirginialim5928]

the guy who said "Don't worry", so cute. I mean, like he still try to speak in English for comforting the foreigners.

[@kamra8462]

Thank you! I will be going to Japan in March and this helped!

[@ReklawEkaj]

I hope and pray to be able to visit Japan some day. I have always loved their country ❤

[@DarkHarlequin]

Ok I'm only 1:45 in but the dude who tried really hard to understand the english question about 'why Japan is a popular travel destination' only to then answer with 0 hesistation 'Ninjas! So cool!' already won the video 😁😁😁 Edit: Most interviewed People trying really hard but having a hard time. That one girl 'I refute the premise of the question! I don't think Japan is that fun!' What a flex 😄😄

[@noelbmagalona]

I love Japan and definitely one of the countries I want to visit. For me Japan is a beautiful country. I also love anime and some of the Japanese songs especially from anime. Also, the respectful and kind Japanese people, when I was in high school I was able to meet some Japanese students and they're fun to be with. Ohayu! 😍 If given a chance to visit Japan, I will try my very best to learn Nihongo and learn about Japan's culture and ways so that once I visit Japan, I will be able to show respect.

[@asianprince8718]

Speaking of Japanese culture, have you seen a samurai or armor or katana in real life? Culture is amazing.

[@frankofudrucker2201]

If I traveled to Japan, I wouldn't expect the Japanese to speak English and would welcome the lucky surprise if I ran into someone who did speak English.

[@user-km7wg6lb1k]

It's Google Translate. sorry. I have had English classes since junior high school. I am in high school now. We have English every day. But Japanese and other subjects are also important. Japanese is a culture that we should cherish. The Japanese language is very deep, and there are subjects of old languages ​​such as ancient and kanbun. There are expressions that can only be expressed in Japanese. Of course, there are some expressions that can only be expressed in English ^-^

[@straberryshinigami15g97]

Yes, definitely. Learning another language doesn’t mean your “losing” of betraying your culture

[@twixie__5651]

I hope you can also do this type of interview for Filipinos back in the Philippines. Do interview around high end places. I noticed that interviews in PH are always on common streets and PH has a diverse people. It would be nice to hear interviews from people from different societal classes since there is a gap between societal classes in the Philippines.😊

[@kuribosan]

Haha, this was so much fun. I’m Japanese and I can say with confidence that our English level is honestly portrayed in this video or maybe even worse😂 We need to do something about it!!!

[@estelagarcia6579]

2:07 I think she doesn’t know about Japan because Japan in fact is so popular. Just from the fact that Japan is so different from other countries, it becomes too attractive for foreigner.

[@xxnike0629xx]

I'm honestly not too surprised. If Japan is like South Korea, then most people will study English grammar for exam purposes in school. So it's very rare (from what I understand) that people in South Korea (and presumably Japan) that people will be able to have a conversation in English; at least not fluently or comfortably. The thing is, this is similar to learning a foreign language in the US. Many of us will (for example) have Spanish classes in middle school that teaches the very basics. Then in high school, you often have a choice of a foreign language course you can take. So unless you (for example) visit said country for a country and stay for a while, or regularly interact with people that speak said language, it'll be difficult to master a language; at least to the point where you can have a conversation, read signs & menus, etc.

[@corner559]

Please do this in China and Korea.

[@teachandplant]

You should look into the way English is taught in Japanese public schools to know the reason why people can't speak English. I don't think the government actually wants people to be global citizens and be connected to the world. That's not really the goal of English education in Japan. (Just my opinion. Please be kind if you disagree 😇) Japanese can most likely tell you the meaning of written English sentences because that's all we do in public schools. Asian Boss, I suggest you bring a high school English textbook used in Japanese public schools and ask people to tell you what is says in Japanese. That would be interesting.

[@gordonbgraham]

The issue is university entrance examinations. The content is native speaker university level for most good universities. The curriculum is far too condensed, attempting to cover the entire English language or what it takes a native speaker into adulthood to acquire in the span of 6 years.

[@camella1978]

@@gordonbgraham Apologeticism aside. That`s untrue. The system began in Grade 5. But here`s the but! They teach English in spoken Japanese. They don`t test speaking and reading aloud. They don`t write essays. It`s virtually non-existent. Compositions exercises are scant and don`t go beyond 3-5 sentences. They don`t do summary but term fill-in-the-blanks as summary. If you don`t test 50% of the language and merely touch on them, you are not teaching English. You are teaching grammar translation. It`s a Japanese class. Not an English class. Failed system that continues since the past 40 years and continues. The previous poster, shokoh, hit the nail on the head. The Japanese government intentionally wants the Japanese citizenry not to interact with the world. You see the same policy during covid when permanent residents were locked out from reentering.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@camella1978 It depends on the school. I have 5 kids, all who have been through the public school system in Saitama, none of whom had English classes until jr high school. I’ve taught at a private high school for more than 30 years. I teach 3rd grade students essay writing. As essay writing has become a component for many university entrance exams many schools have included it in the curriculum.

[@camella1978]

@@gordonbgraham That`s not essay. That`s rudimentary composition. What`s the word count there? I know this for a fact as my present research looks at Japanese English textbooks at senior high school level regulated and authorised by MEXT.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@camella1978 Essay writing includes the format: opinion/ reason (a general statement...such as “smoking is unhealthy” followed by a supporting statement (either an explanation or concrete example) such as “Smoking causes diseases such as lung cancer. A second reason is introduced by words such as “besides” or “moreover”. Each subsequent reason requires a corresponding support statement( example or explanation). An alternative point of view with a corresponding counterpoint is then required to show the reader that the writer has considered both sides of an argument. The APV is either conceded or refuted as a counterpoint prior to students writing a conclusion. Topics such as “the death penalty”, “gay rights” or “immigration” are covered.

[@Sjugu]

Insightful documentary. Thank you.

[@mrpanicattack6688]

9:58 the guy who said “don’t worry” hahaha! 😂

[@MyawMyaw01]

Japanese people are really helpful even if they cannot understand or communicate in English. 4 years ago I stayed at a ryokan in a slightly rural area of Kyoto and even though the obaasans and ojiisans in the neighbourhood don't speak English and I, a Filipino, speak broken Japanese they still helped me when I ask for directions and shop owners treated me well.

[@yan3421]

Before the Covid, I used to visit Japan two times every year for my vacation. What attracts myself about Japan is: 1) Short flight time from Shanghai to Japan compares to US or Europe. 2) Japan is quite safe. 3) Japanese food is much better than the food in western counties. 4) service is good 5) Clean

[@Skyscrapers1]

When I was traveling Japan, I really had no idea how I should order foods everytime I was in a bar. I would say Japanese people won't understand even if I speak way too slowly.

[@77AlexS]

I think it would be good to see this question asked to Japanese people outside of Tokyo ;)

[@AmineGdoura]

Yup I agree with the first answer: Ninja is so cool! 😂😂😂

[@asianprince8718]

How about Japanese cuisines ? Samurai?

[@k.i.a6433]

2:39 literally my complete opinion of Japan. 😂

[@aFinalNote]

These guys are so lovely. I know very little Japanese but I hope I can at least communicate a little when I visit this June.

[@CeceliaS69]

As someone with an education background and lots of teaching experience wow these questions are hard as heck for your average English learner. Only advanced learners will not struggle with it. Props to those who understood these difficult questions and answered to their best abilities.

[@asianprince8718]

Are you English teacher? Some said the hardest part of English is knowing when to use plural.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@asianprince8718 Not half as hard as learning all the various counters in Japanese, for example 鳥1羽、ゾウ2頭...etc.

[@CeceliaS69]

@@asianprince8718 More or less. Teaching and learning English is a train wreck at times. These questions are way too complex it should be simplified for the general population especially in a country where English isn't widely spoken on a daily basis. Grammar is tough but speaking wise it's more flexible and forgiving.

[@CeceliaS69]

@@gordonbgraham I know how difficult Japanese grammar is. I took it for 4 years before. Not an easy language to learn grammar wise.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@CeceliaS69 The grammar isn’t hard. Learning how to read and write at an adult level is extremely difficult

[@julienliu]

Japan is so funnnnn!

[@tyrranicalt-rad6164]

Let's talk about them wearing t shirts with English words and phrases they don't understand the meaning of . 🤣

[@ta0paipai]

Even logos - how many people wear the Rolling Stones logo or The Who shirts and don't even know they're bands? Though, the same might be said for a percentage of Nirvana shirts stateside!

[@patrickm4529]

It's just the same as some caucasians who have tattoos of chinese words on their body that they didn't know the meaning of it.

[@ta0paipai]

@@patrickm4529 which is just the same as brown peoples and Asian Americans getting tattoos of Chinese words on their bodies that they don’t know the meaning.

[@gordonbgraham]

Kinda like foreigners who get kanji tattoos they can't read...

[@straberryshinigami15g97]

My favorite one I saw was a shirt that said HOW SOON CAN YOU COME

[@michaelcurtis2778]

I believe that if I travel to Japan, or any other country, I need to learn the native language out of respect. If they wish to speak to me in English, I would definitely be happy to do so.

[@studiomg3212]

Great video and interviews!

[@vanessab6123]

Many Japanese in the comment section say that they don't need to learn English because they want to safeguard their culture and language. I'm not very good at speaking English, but I'm trying hard to improve. Learning English does not mean betraying one's culture, it means opening up to the world to interact with other people and cultures. Not knowing English nowadays means being isolated from the rest of the world

[@straberryshinigami15g97]

A lot of people sound rather stay isolated

[@alpacacomentadora413]

language imperialism

[@straberryshinigami15g97]

what

[@Fakeslimshady]

Learning English exposes you to a lot of bad Western ideas

[@erikochristy8161]

The guy in the black mask is SO my type 😍

[@ImRezaF]

We also need to remember that Japanese and English have two completely different fundamentals. Japanese is an SOV language while English is an SVO language. A lot of people often think learning language is "just memorize, bro". No, you have to completely rewire the way you think. That's certainly how i did when i first learned Japanese. Not to mention, English grammar is also more complex than Japanese grammar. Japanese grammar is pretty straight up: Past tense, Present tense, Future tense. That's it, only 3. While English also has that, then you got slapped with Past Continuous, Simple Past, Present Continuous, simple present, etc. I'm pretty good at conversing in English but to this day i still don't know what on earth was all that for. Like Past Continuous is such an oxymoron. Is it already in the past or is it still happening in the present ? If it's still in the present, why do we even use past tense ?

[@user-rm1cb8gi8r]

😮❤

[@magl3724]

This is an eye opener, please do one for Koreans too, would really like to know.

[@elbyno7904]

The girl that said there are no fun places in Japan, there’s a plethora of things to do in Japan. From Disneyland, to Tokyo, Kyoto, etc. exploring Japan is endless and don’t get my started on their food! 2:05

[@Hoa240]

Japanese students learn English in a very mechanical way. After learning, they don't immediately apply it to become proficient, instead they pick up books to read to practice. Knowledge piles up and then is forgotten, or confused. I started learning English when I was 33 years old and I studied until the beginning and practiced until then so I never forgot it. About 3 months after studying, I met a British person to talk for about an hour. I understood everything they say, they understood everything I say.

[@flashchrome]

That smile says it all :) 03:07

[@pjsneeringer5942]

I'd love to visit Japan, I'm a big history dork! I know VERY BASIC CHINESE and basic French. I attempt to learn "please, thank you,and bathroom! When I visit a country

[@erikandersen3274]

"Why do you think Japan is such a popular travel destination for foreigners?" "Ninja. So cool."

[@elyssasasongko5618]

Honestly, it’s pretty amazing that so many of them knew as much English as they did! In America, we really only speak English 😢

[@asianprince8718]

In America, isn't Spanish another language many people speak? Especially in California? And Japanese and Chinese are very popular languages for college students to choose from?

[@sidorosie2005]

stop lying

[@Niles_Gamit]

In Gujarat India, government school 1st grade student learn 3 languages ​​(Gujarati, Hindi, English) and if student is from non-Hindi speaking states or from village then student learn English as 4th language. Even English is my 4th language or 5th, 6th, I don't know. 😑

[@elyssasasongko5618]

I would say a lot of people can speak a little Spanish, especially in the south. But by and large most people only speak English. We’re not surrounded by other countries who all speak different languages, so it’s really not necessary. And since English is the official trade language of the world, it’s even more unnecessary. As sad as that is.

[@salty_fish11]

Im glad you brought this up as a lot of people in the comments forget that a lot of Americans are monolingual themselves i.e their native tongue, English. This is excluding people who are from immigrant families and probably grew up speaking a second language at home.

[@EmperorCaligula_EC]

I recall in 2006, I was in Narita international Airport, and even the personell didn't speak English. But they were helpful and drew me a map to find my way. ^^

[@ragnarokgamerzz1631]

1:40 they nailed it

[@DanielleBaylor]

These videos really inspire me to keep studying. I always feel bad when someone approaches me but they don't speak English. I want to help, but I can't understand. I still try though 😅

[@nhuphuong060688]

Great efforts! Learning English is difficult for those whose mother tongue is a symbol-based language auch as Japanese, Mandarin, or Arabic. (Hindi speakers are somewhat of an exception since their countries use English as a national language.) But the excessive use of the word "like" drives me up the wall sometimes. This is a bad habit learned from English native speakers.

[@Ufamism]

Man, where was the lady at 2:04 and the guys at 2:26 when I was there? I only met single -word answer peeps (minus one). The guy at 3:10 is what every foreigner wants. We're not going to tease you for grammar (Hell, look at the US), but the fact that you try means everything!

[@zpzc]

i’m japanese i think my english level 10 but i don’t understand first question😂 so i should spend a lot of time study english!

[@DonS90]

英語上手ですね！すごい！

[@zpzc]

@@DonS90 ありがとうございます！ もっと勉強します！

[@justgoabby]

I'm an ESL teacher and I must say, her choice of words in the 1st question is quite difficult for basic level and average English learners. Also there are factors why you could not have understood the question right away. Don't be hard on yourself. Anyway, good luck hopefully you can improve your English more.

[@kawaiipotatoes7888]

atleast you have confidence that's the only thing you need to learn a new language.....

[@zpzc]

@@justgoabby thank you advice!

[@Anny-me9ny]

Japanese people be like “my English is so bad” and then start reciting Shakespeare whereas when I say “my japanese bad” I mean my best effort at formulating a coherent sentence is “忍者が好き”

[@rikokojima]

The two boys have amazing English and incredible insight into the question posed to them

[@sanjaychauhan1116]

I am from india 🇮🇳 and I don't think english is required in Japan .They should speak their own language unlike in india ,speaking in english is considered as a good thing compare to our own language

[@meandyouagainstthealgorith5787]

Japan and United States have similar stress for time. Learning languages takes time at a young age.

[@Shizuoke_pg]

In the textbooks used in Japanese junior high schools, stories about endangered species and peace are written in English. They are not suitable for communication. Many students study English for exams. (I'm sorry because I'm using Google Translate.)

[@jianancosun7034]

rachel looks like pretty beauty, even though wears mask. she can also speak flency english, but still a subtle japenese accent i can hear.

[@gordonbgraham]

I wonder why most English speaking Canadians can't speak French despite having French lessons from elementary school through to and including high school. I'm Canadian. I can count on one finger the number of English speaking Canadians I know who can speak French. I know countless Japanese who can speak English. What is preventing Canadians from learning to speak French. I suggest that it's the same as what is preventing many Japanese from learning to speak English...a lack of need/interest.

[@semin777]

I miss Japan

[@journeyneverends_1]

When I visited Japan, I was really surprised that many Japanese people really can't speak English. In this video, some people said people in Tokyo are not so bad at using English. But as per my experience, you almost can't find any fluent speaker even at expensive hotels. In the hotel I stayed, I was asking about bills but no one at from hotel side understood what I was asking. I was trying to show my google translate to let them understand, but they didn't want to be helped and kept trying to understand by themselves. I think people working as a receptionist should accept the technologies for smoother communication when they can't speak English.