Tip: NEVER use google translate for Japanese! (Even for travel) It’s so bad!
Google translate isn’t great, but when I was there it was a nice assist to the engineer who spoke just enough English to work in America for our Japanese company.
It’s all advertising anyway. Just do what you do in America, let it work on you subliminally to convince you to buy cartoon themed products you don’t need or want.
i may not need them. But i do want them
Just on my way to the airport for a one month solo trip to Japan without knowing the language, feels kinda scary and exciting at the same time. No expectations, I sometimes just love the feeling of hurling yourself out of your comfort zone and having to adapt I find that those situations are a really good place to grow.
There’s actually a lot of people that know some English there, and if they don’t know it then they frequently use hand signs or gestures to convey to tourists like you what they mean
I was surprised when I travelled, but it makes sense considering America’s massive influence on Japanese culture. It shows when you see places like MOS Burger (like American fast food but Japanese-made, has things like sweet potato milkshakes and shrimp burgers. Super good and cheap btw!) or things like Disney in every toy store
That’s very cool! Welcome to Japan. Where all you going?
Never been to Japan, but here’s a meme describing my opinions on Japan after being an otaku for 10 years
My hovercraft is full of eels
If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?
Oh, yes, just down the road and take a left
There kind of are though? Most signs are in multiple languages (Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese), and for the ones that aren’t, they usually have Romanji appended.
Plus, train stations, etc. Are very ample signage, and important information over the train intercom are in both Japanese and English (ie. “Now arriving at Ueno”). Also, train stations all have their own little jingles. So you can know where you are based on the song, when the train starts moving.
I know only a smattering of Japanese, but it was an incredibly easy country to get around in…
Until you accidentally almost poison your team mate. (The latest Jetlag The Game season was fun)
There was someone local in a state furry chat who kept talking about his Japan was the best, talked a lot of anime quotes, and no amount of people who know what Japan is actually like could convince him otherwise.
He’s apparently stuck there now and drinks most of the time because he didn’t and still doesn’t realize how goddamn racist his assumptions were and how it got him nowhere.
- he assumed everyone would like him cause he’s American and <insert nebulous reasons>
- he thought most people would speak English
- for some fucking reason he thought most of it was like Tokyo or specifically Akihabara(sp?)
So I’m cackling at this like how fucking appropriate
Any TRUE weeb will also know the negative aspects of Japan!
Paris-Syndrome, but Japan.
I might’ve met him or at least someone similar, he wore a kimono to a bar and was disappointed that not every Japanese person asked him about it. He would try to use it as a conversation starter; eventually he drank himself into a stupor and passed out outside of the bar.
Maybe it’ll build character in him
Reminds me so much of this meme about a big guy in a kimono.
Ah, the non-slop version of this meme. Nice work, thank you for your service.
I visited Japan in 2008, before Google Lens was a thing. My Japanese was rudimentary, like A-level. But I got by. I had a problem with my Suica card and the people in the subway station didn’t speak any English and my Japanese certainly wasn’t enough for the situation, but together we fixed it. And another time I wanted to ask something in a store and the woman had to fetch her coworker who spoke English, so that was fine as well. I would guess that today English is more wide-spread, particularly in Tokyo. So I wouldn’t be worried to visit today, when my Japanese is even worse than it was back then. I must say that trying to communicate with a language barrier, while frustrating, is also what brings us together as humans. Most people around the world are decent people and are willing to help somebody in need. That makes for nice vacation memories.
This is why travel develops character
Unless you are in the US. “speak ‘murican!!”
Naw, speak French. It’s way more fun.
At least watching people get upset is more fun.
Not sure about the French part tho.
Especially if you’re the American. Troll the shit out of the Swede who didn’t think French would be needed here
I lived in Japan for 6 years. This is kind of true, but if you can point then you can get what you’re after.
I don’t know, I thought half the fun of Japan was the not knowing what I would stumble on.
Neil Degrasse Tyson said it best on why he hates algorithms, “they don’t let me find anything, they take away the wonder”.
Wow that quote is wonderful! The best fun I have in Tokyo is by just running in a random direction.
The old point and grunt, it served me well when first arrived in Asia 20+ years ago. Greetings from Hanoi.
Hanoi is great! Loved driving there
I would feel like I was annoying the fuck out of all the locals if I had to do that. Cannot imagine how stressful that would be.
Depends where you’re at. Tokyo they will mostly speak to you in Japanese, so i would attempt there. But I was in Okinawa for most of it, and most locals were good at English and used you to practice.
Helped many kids fulfill their school projects by letting them ask you questions on the street, in English lol.
It’s no different to seeing someone in your country who can’t speak. You both just figure it out together.
Such a powerful quote. I’ve heard the guy can be a jerk but he sure is inspiring.
I’ve always found him to be a great source of wisdom. While also being a great example of how to not act.
The dude is a self centered egotistical ass who is so full of himself it’s disgusting.
He’s also an extremely well educated speaker who has a very deep understanding of many subjects and a fondness for teaching others.
Aka he’s human.
He’s definitely made good points, not disputing that, he’s just also had questionable takes and questionable judgement in the past, personally I don’t trust him too much because of it.
Such a powerful quote. I’ve heard the guy can be a jerk but he sure is inspiring.
I visited Japan for the first time recently.
It is not the first time I visited a country that spoke another language, but it was the first time I went somewhere that didn’t use the same alphabet I’m used to.
I must say, suddenly beign functionally analphabet is a very strange feeling!
I’m from Bulgaria, but left as a child, when I came back I couldn’t speak the language, only understand a little bit. The crylic alphabet everywhere was really strange for me too. Ultimately, my step mom would walk the city with me and teach me the letters as we saw them on car licence plates. It was like a whole new world opened up when I could read them.
Fun fact, Japanese doesn’t use any alphabet at all!
Hiragana is a kind of alphabet imo. It maps a single character to a single sound.
Inb4 we argue about what counts as a “single sound”.
Syllabaries ftw
I definitely had a “what the fuck have I done” mini panic attack moment entering the Tokyo airport. But basic Japanese to keep manners got me by.
Google translate/lens was absolutely goated for my japan travels. I really dislike google and try foss alternatives all the time but it was like having real life subtitles, good quality and adequate translations.
Yep, this. Even some hotel staff start their own Google translate up.
Yeah, the translation is better than trying to deal with a shopkeeper who doesn’t want to yukkuri the fuck hanashite kudasai or whatever. I have a vocabulary of maybe 800 words but whatever you’re speaking is way outside it.
I’m flying to Japan this Friday. My first time… Dear lord, what have I gotten myself into
It’s a beautiful country, and one of the easiest places I’ve ever been, to get around in. Signage is ample, and if a sign isn’t in English (which they often are), it’s usually going to be in Romanji (Japanese in Latin alphabet). So brush up on your Japanese phonics.
If you’re in Tokyo, the main train line you’ll be riding is going to be the Yamanote line, which is just a big loop around the city. If you can orient yourself relative to where you are on that big circle, that’ll help a lot.
It’s gonna be alright.
Ignore the louts trying to get you into bars or clubs.
Japan has amazing food and drinks, including prepackaged items. Give it a shot.
Google maps is very reliable, including timings of public transport.
Buy knick knacks from museum gift shops.
An important phrase that sometimes gets left out of the courtesy phrase list is “sumimasen”. This means excuse me or sorry. Use it when you need to ask for assistance.
Here is a short video of phrases
Get a data e-sim so you have access to a translator app. Fast internet, fast trains, good food, and vending machines that have beer. Be patient. Be aware that there are very few public garbage bins so arrange your waste accordingly.
The beer vending machines were great
Microsoft translator works great and you can download the libraries to work locally. Google is great for menus and things with pictures and text. Everyone is patient and use the same apps to talk to their phones and show text.
You will make it, put the effort get the reward enjoy Japan.
Tasukete onii-chan!
