Is that because they don't know english or is this some sort of "french attitude"?

I would imagine that they speak english in areas attractive for tourists? Is that not true?

I guess I will have to wait until technology catches up (automatic voice translation) or book a guided tour when going to Japan, as I have no intention to learn the language just to go on vacation there. Don't get me wrong, I always lern a couple of phrases to be polite. Some Greetings and common polite phrases. I will make sure to write the ones down you provided.

Nope, they are pretty week in english especially spoken languages. Their written should be fine especially the new generation.  Actually the older generation might still depicts the western culture (english is included) and some still dislike the chinese. This is only minority of course.

Correct, they do speak some english so it would not have much problem compare to rural areas. 

There's certain places (can't recall where) where the japanese girls is actively trying to date the Gaijin (foreigner). Please don't assume all the japanese girl are very open. That's not true. Or else you might get slap out of sudden.

Also please note that the japanese are basically very shy and neglected to talk to people especially gaijin even among the japanese themselves. LOL, But after they got drunk with sake, they can talk all the craps.

Hmmmm.... not just the language. Must understand little bit of the culture too. I will talk about it later.

I heard that, but I don't have a problem with different culutures. I believe that as a visitor it is my obligation to inform myself about local customs in order not to offend people. I enjoy exploring different cultures very much.

So far, I haven't heard that Japanese are poor in English simply because they are too proud of their language. I know Germans are. Now you mention French.

You know what we learnt when as a tourist visiting countries that are too proud of their language? When you need to talk to them for direction or information. Try this, never speak in English first. Try to speak in their natives even you don't know, or need to refer a dictionary while speaking. When they find it hard to understand, they'll just initiate English with you.

Or speak to policemen. They'll entertain you in English.

I love to visit Japan one day too. I like their culture being so polite, and manners. I don't know which culture else would be more polite than Japanese. I feel kind of funny and enjoy watching them bow at their superiors. They'll keep their hands straight at hips and bow. To show full respect, they'll bow at 80 ~ 90 degree. Just showing respect, they do at 20 ~ 45 degree. A nod is less formal or simply acknowledging, or greetings. Koreans do the same as well. Chinese just nod.

I seriously doubt the source of your "knowledge". Being German myself, I know for a fact that this is not true. Why else would I choose to hang out in english speaking forums and write articles in english? It may be a problem with education if you cannot find english speaking Germans everywhere in Germany.

That too depends on where you are and what the entry level requirements for a job as a Policemen are in that country.

Good to know. Although I find this a little bit over the top. But other countries other habbits. I don't have a problem learning their rules before visiting their country. Its certainly the right thing to do. I am just not sure that I could eat the food, but I guess I would be able to manage during a short visit.

Andre

My Travel Photos

 Well, that was word-of-mouth from someone I know. Personally, I didn't experienced that.

This one I can prove you wrong. It's indeed many of them don't speak English even working for international company. I used to call the support team when comes to custom made software or any network facilities or policies managed by them, the headquarters. When I mail them, they will get someone that writes English to response. If I placed international calls, I'll have to get my German colleagues to speak to them. My colleagues confirmed that many indeed doesn't speak English.

Usually visitors are treated well with hospitality as tourism is a good source of income. But not all visitors had pleasant experiences. My friend witness with his own eyes in China. It was an open park and quite a lot of people there. A lady visitor was enjoying the scene. Her handbag was hung on her shoulder. A guy came with a knife and stabbed her at the waist. The lady was so in pain and covered her wound with her hands. The knife were still at her abdomen when the guy ran off with the handbag. Nearby policemen whistled and chased the guy. That guy better run, not for the bar, but his life. I bet if the policemen caught that guy, he would be shot instantly on the spot.

I'll do this. Just look around what food that people ordered the most or what other people are eating. Then point the food to the waiter saying "Can I have that one please?" 

Hi Prch,

So , where's the proof? I did not quite get it. Why should andre be wrong??? Why should it not be a problem of education?

People in East Germany HAD TO learn Russian as first foreign language. They did not have another choice. In the 50s, 60s and early 70s they did not even have the opportunity to learn a 2nd foreign language. Later they were offered Basic Courses in French or English (depended on the teacher's education). So, many did not have the opportunity to learn English (let alone practice *g*)

As for West Germany they had more or less a ridiculous school system (sorry, my personal opinion) and now this system is spread over whole Germany. The pupils can choose either a language orientated education OR a science orientated education which means you are  just taught the basics in English as well.

So as far as I estimate the situation it is indeed a problem of education and nothing to do with pride.

BTW what languages do you speak?

Anyways, I guess this thread went off-topic, cause originally it was dedicated to Japanese *g*

Injuries of 6-8 cm from waist or stomach can be fatal. That guy deserve to be shot.

Prch wrote:

I'll do this. Just look around what food that people ordered the most or what other people are eating. Then point the food to the waiter saying "Can I have that one please?" 

I'll do that too. Any crowded store should be edible i guess. I only need to point my finger at the menu or any dishes that smells good and then pay for it.

Correct use of titles is considered very important in Japan. In most situations, leaving off the title is considered very bad manners when addressing someone. There are cases in Japan where conflict started and end up in a fight just simply because of honorific problem. Maybe they think they got insulted.

E.g. Shiba and Yamada are co-worker and they just knew each other. They went to pub to drink sake.
Their age are similar but Yamada is few months older than Shiba. Shiba call him Yamada-kun but Yamada insist him to call him Yamada-San since he's older than him and he should respect him. But Shiba think their age differences are no different and insist on calling him Yamada-kun. They end up in a fight at the end. Hmmm... weird but true.

San

San is the most common honorific title, used when addressing most social outsiders, for example, non-family members. San is often translated as "Mr.", "Ms.", "Mrs.", and the like. San may also be used in combination with things other than the name of the person being addressed like food (sakana-san), entities or animal (pochi-san).

Han is the kansai dialects that sometimes being used. It's same as San.

Kun

Kun, is an informal and intimate honorific primarily used towards males. It is used by persons of senior status in addressing those of junior status, by males of roughly the same age and status when addressing each other, and by anyone in addressing male children. In business settings women, particularly young women, may also be addressed as kun by older males of senior status. It is sometimes used towards male pets as well.

Schoolteachers typically address male students using kun, while female students are addressed as san or chan. The use of kun to address male children is similar to the use of san when addressing adults. In other words, not using kun would be considered rude, but, like san for members of one's own family, kun is traditionally not used when addressing one's own son (unless kun is part of a nickname: Akira-kun—Akkun) or when referring to one's own child in conversations with others.

Calling a boyish girl kun can be reffering her as tomboy too.

Chan

Chan is the informal, intimate, diminutive equivalent of san, used to refer to female children, close friends (primarily female, but also male), and other persons with whom one is intimate (boyfriend or girlfriend ). Chan may also used for adults as a title of affection. Similar to kun, chan is not necessarily optional when referring to the female children of others, and it is traditionally avoided when referring to one's own daughter. Chan can also be apply to cute stuff like doll or animal too.

Although traditionally honorifics are not applied to oneself, some young women occasionally develop the habit of referring to themselves in the third person using chan. For example, a young woman named Maki might call herself Maki-chan rather than using a first person pronoun like watashi. Chan is also used for pets' names and when referring to animals, such as usagi-chan (rabbit-chan) when speaking to small children.

In the same way that chan is a version of san, there is also chama from sama, typically used for an older person. Non-standard variations of chan include chin, and tan.

___________________

I will write more later. There's still some common japanese honorific left out. Kinda tired now.

Wow. I didn't even know. Thanks for that very informative posting. I guess one should really learn a few rules before going to Japan in order not to offend anyone.

I only knew "San" anyways, so I guess I would not have offended anyone. I think as a rule of thumb you should always go with the most formal title and wait for the other person to offer you to call them different. Thats the way it works in Germany too. We have two forms of you.

Formal: Sie

Informal: Du

You can't go wrong saying Sie. If you become friends, you will be offered Du anyways.

good luck with learning the lingo.

Well, from all the arguments mentioned above, for me one thing is important, when you visit a new place try to learn a little of their dialect. I find that when a foreigner visits my place and then speaks my dialect, I feel comfortable helping that person even if he is hard up in pronouncing the correct words.

Yoi ichinichi o (Have a nice day!)

Learning a little of the language of the places you are going to visit should form part of your SOP when travelling.  It is important to know even just the basic conversational expressions and greetings.  And, it is best to learn the language when you are about to go there, otherwise, if you learn early, and then don't practise, you will forget it.

Ok, ok Sie and Du. But Sie seems like asking people to die in chinese.

Anyway, lets continue the honorific ...

Senpai and kōhai

Used in an academic or other learning environment, or in athletics and sports clubs, and also in business environment. Senpai = senior and kohai = junior.

Sensei

Sensei address to teachers, practitioners of a profession such as doctors and lawyers, politicians, and other authority figures, manga artist, novelists, musicians, artists and instructor. (E.g. Tachibana-Sensei)

There's other honorific such as Sama, Dono/Tono, Iemoto, Hekka, Kakka, Renshi, Kyoshi, etc which i think you can skip it. I don't think you would got a chance to use it anyway.

Summary for Japanese Honorific Title (Important)

1. Use honorific San to be save. It applied to both gender, old and young.
2. When address a person, try to use his/her family name instead of given name. If you address them by given name especially just meet, they will think it would be rude or weird. Some of them might not mind. The Japanese family name are on the front compare to westerner.
E.g Amano Kozue

Amano (Family name)
Kozue (given name) 

So the correct addressing is Amano-san unless you are familier with him/her.

Great learning some Japanese culture. One thing that I can't forget with Japanese attitude is their loyalty to their country and to their native land that is why it is hard for them to speak English because for many years, they never liked to learn any other language except their own.

Over the years we have had Japenese Exchange student's stay at our home. They have so many different cultures then Australians. I used to love them staying. They where so friendly and always kept in contact still to this day. I remember one of there cultures was the amount of time they spent in the shower. They would wash turn of the water wash again turn of the water and so on this is their culture. We would worry as we would often run out of hot water and all of us then had to have a cold shower.