language problems make Japan tough
 

There seem to be slightly more Japanese trying to speak English these days, despite Pacific flotsam types hoping to find a job hawking their native language leaving the country in droves, tails between their legs, thanks to the tailspin of the oversaturated English language schools, but it still seems Japan is a tough place to get around easily, and every little thing is expensive and complicated. There aren't enough signs in English (that count) (and why should there be, I guess), and people run off if you start speaking to them and they don't understand. I also get the recurring impression Japanese would really rather not have to hassle with foreigners unless they absolutely have to. Foreigners are no longer the interesting oddities or potential contacts they once were 2 decades or so back, of course.

Do other readers here think Japan is a challenge to get around? - and I don't mean to the ultra touristy spots.

Korea by comparison seems a more welcoming yet equally exotic destination and the countryside is gorgeous from what I have seen. People care and offer help and support there still, like Japan did so many decades ago.

Generally Japan is easier to get around today than 20 years ago. More English terms are now use natively and more Japanese can speak fluent English.

I haven't been to Korea in many years so cannot comment.

I love Japan. I have no trouble getting around there. I find the people helpful and polite and welcoming.

I bought a kimono for my niece in a department store in a nontourist city. None of the clerks spoke English and they helped me find the right accessories, helped me try it on to see if it was the right size, explained the sizing. Laughed when I called my sister to wake her up to talk about the kimono. I've eaten in restaurants where no one spoke English and loved every minute of it. I've been to many places where I'm the only westerner and had a great time. Now, I didn't travel to Japan 20 years ago, so I can't compare, but it is my favorite country to visit. Yes, it's terribly expensive, but so is Europe.

My next trip I'm going to rent a car and see if I can find my way around the countryside without getting hopelessly lost and wrecking the car.

righthand steerung wheel, leftside driving
 

You won't find driving easy there at all if you are American or you drive in a country where they drive on the lefthand side of the road. Do be very, very careful, the signs are in Japanese!

Interetsing you like japan - you must come from a very cluttered country! :)

Nice to hear the department stpore people treated you well. Foriegners who have stayed in Japan often claim the Japanese are great when an exchange of money is involved or it's business; people claim that the man on the street is totally indifferent to foreigners now and would prefer they left.

Funny how impressions differ. Have you visited Korea?

Where they are openly hostile to foreigners, as opposed to just indifferent?

As I live in Japan, I don't really think Japanese are all that great (in terms of service) when it comes to shops. Sometimes they're good, but a lot of the time (this happens especially when you have some young person and their baito) I don't feel it's particularly good (part of this is cultural - like asking for substitutions or for a menu item to be changed a little).

If you don't speak Japanese, Japan can be a difficult place to get around. Most people would rather not deal with foreigners who don't speak Japanese (for obvious reasons). A lot of signs everywhere are in English and a fair number of restaurants have English menus, but most people aren't good at speaking it. There also are some cultural differences - I would never ask some random person on the street for directions - most people ask train station attendants, cops, or convenience store employees.

smells like Troll.

Agreed.

Perhaps the OP would like to open a thread in the UK forum and inform everyone based there how "they won't find it easy driving in mainland Europe at all as they drive in a country where they drive on the lefthand side of the road."

What an insightful thread. Thanks OP :td:

I think chamade is French for greenery.

To OP:

Just looking at a few of your past posts and they seemed to be insightful.

As for crowded and hard to drive on the left side and other thoughts:

1. I take a taxi so much in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia that I sometimes get on the wrong side of taxi in my home town.
2. I joke with my Japanese friends that I have no problem driving in Japan since I have a Suburban. I will just drive down the middle of the road like a bus. But I never did rent a car there.
3. As for courtesy related to exchange of money thing; I feel it is real and historical, where the merchant class occupied a particular strata in society. And the way they behaved and made money is passed on.
4. Many places in the world are crowded, India, China etc. So living in an urban sprawl is the anomaly by the numbers. Just judge the frenzy last summer fuel prices caused. It was interesting to stand near the Caltrain ticket machine and see how suburbanites struggle with it as the train pulled into the station.

So likes and dislikes are purely personal and affected by our up bringing. If we view these behavior and conditions in their respective environments and histroical backdrop, they are pretty normal.

If you are an expert on Korea, why haven't you post there at all?

Challenge to get around?
No, never really had any major problems getting around Japan, and that was even before I learned the language. Also considering virtually every train station sign is translated in Japanese and Romaji, with more signs also adding Chinese and Korean to it, no I don't consider it a challenge to get around much.

Try putting some foreign language signs on public transportation in some parts of the US and you get groups of people protesting why tax payer money is going towards such a thing, everyone should learn English blah blah...protests.

As for people running off, I can't speak for your situation, but I can tell you from numerous observations of obviously foreign people lost (and my own experiences) and asking a japanese person, the Japanese person would always stop, spend some time on the matter, even if they don't know where the place is at, study their phone, a map and attempt to communicate an answer. One time I got totally lost somewhere north of Ikebukuro in some neighborhood, at night, not many lights, I saw this kid walking with his bike and I asked where the station was, he said follow him and showed me right to the station (that would NEVER happen where I'm from). So no I've never had a problem.

I've never been to Korea, but I know a lot of Korean people here in Japan, and not many of them speak English, if the topic is strictly about language problems making it though to get around.

I agree with railroadtycoon.

On my trip in 2000, I went to Koyasan for the first time. As I was settling down in my assigned temple, one of the monks told me that there was another American guest, a young man who didn't speak Japanese. Would I mind having dinner with him instead of joining the rest of the guests, who would be hearing a lecture on Buddhism in Japanese?

I agreed to keep the young man company during the multi-course gourmet vegan dinner. It turns out that he had landed at NRT just three days before and had found his way to this rather remote part of Japan without knowing any Japanese.

On my various trips over the past thirty years, I have frequently run into people like that young man at Koyasan, someone who knows no Japanese and gets around just fine.

I, too, am amazed by the concessions that Japan makes to English-speaking visitors and even residents, especially compared to the way that many North Americans have conniption fits if they see or hear Spanish.

As I headed to Noto Hanto on the JR Thunderbird, I made a major mistake. I assume the Kagaya ryokan was at Kaga Onzen. Not finding what would be a big hotel at a small station, I turned to the station master. He didn't speak English and I don't have much Japanese. Mrs. SJUAMMF has a little more Japanese. Not only did he pointed out where we needed to go, rebooked us on the next train; he called the hotel and told them we will be late. The hotel then sent a van to fetched us and arranged a late dinner.

It is true that culturally well mannered Japanese don't look strangers in the eye. This is not equivalent to being cold at all. This is their cultural behavior.