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**CxofxJFm** · 03-04-2010, 07:18 AM

People will definitely appreciate you trying to speak Japanese. It's just a pet peeve of mine; I know plenty of foreigners here who insist on using Japanese even when it's obvious that the person they're talking to has better English.

This goes anywhere you travel, if you speak perfect english and so do they, they may be insulted if you try your crappy broken Japanese on them, I know a few Japanese sensei that have this attitude (I speak english dude, why are you trying to talk to me in japanese?), and most of the Chinese I know over here hate it when someone trys to speak chinese to them, when they speak perfect english. Additionally if you were hoping to practice Japanese, most people you talk to will be trying to practice their english on you :-P. I've struggled with Japanese in restaurants before, to blank on a work (like atataka for my noodle soup) to have them just say, 'do you want it hot or cold?' in English

Definitely a cash society. You can't use credit cards, really

Last time I was there this seemed to become less true, most of the shops in the malls seemed to be taking VISA, and I saw quite a few promotional commercials about how visa was easier than cash, though this could be tokyo area only as I didnt get to go too far from my hotel in ikebukuro. That being said I would become uncomfortable with less than niman en in my pocket. And not every ATM will take a western bank card, but if you can find one that does, withdrawing yen directly will get you the best exchange rate.

03-04-2010, 07:18 AM	#16
CxofxJFm Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 464 Senior Member	People will definitely appreciate you trying to speak Japanese. It's just a pet peeve of mine; I know plenty of foreigners here who insist on using Japanese even when it's obvious that the person they're talking to has better English. This goes anywhere you travel, if you speak perfect english and so do they, they may be insulted if you try your crappy broken Japanese on them, I know a few Japanese sensei that have this attitude (I speak english dude, why are you trying to talk to me in japanese?), and most of the Chinese I know over here hate it when someone trys to speak chinese to them, when they speak perfect english. Additionally if you were hoping to practice Japanese, most people you talk to will be trying to practice their english on you :-P. I've struggled with Japanese in restaurants before, to blank on a work (like atataka for my noodle soup) to have them just say, 'do you want it hot or cold?' in English Definitely a cash society. You can't use credit cards, really Last time I was there this seemed to become less true, most of the shops in the malls seemed to be taking VISA, and I saw quite a few promotional commercials about how visa was easier than cash, though this could be tokyo area only as I didnt get to go too far from my hotel in ikebukuro. That being said I would become uncomfortable with less than niman en in my pocket. And not every ATM will take a western bank card, but if you can find one that does, withdrawing yen directly will get you the best exchange rate.
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