Is it difficult to learn Japanese?

It's difficult to answer this question. Japanese people usually think that Japanese is very difficult for foreigners to learn. But, in fact, it's no more difficult than many other languages. Each language has its own special problems for learners. And Japanese has some features that take time to master. But many foreigners have learned Japanese very well.


It's probably hardest to master the different levels of speech. The kind of language Japanese use differs according to the relationship between the speakers. It's not very easy to get a feel for this.

Reading and writing is the other difficult part of Japanese. In order to read and write, you have to learn quite a few characters. There are about a hundred phonetic characters, called kana, and at least 2,000 different Chinese characters, or kanji, to learn.

Do many Japanese travel abroad?

Yes. Many thousands of Japanese travel abroad each year. Some of them travel for business and some for pleasure. The airlines offer all kinds of travel packages and tours. Many Japanese travel in groups. They prefer it, because they feel more secure that way. They have guides who speak Japanese. Others like to be on their own and travel by themselves.

Japanese travel just about everywhere these days. Warm places with good beaches are expecially popular. Honeymoon couples like to go to Hawaii and Micronesia - they're foreign and exotic, but not too far away.

Many honeymooners travel in groups too. Japanese preference for group travel may seem strange to foreigners. But they're an island nation. They can't drive to other countries. Going abroad for the first time is a big step. And the security of the group can help.

How often do Japanese use soy sauce?

All the time. Japanese keep it on the table as westerners do salt and pepper. And they reach for it automatically when the food is served. It's an essential part of a Japanese meal - as basic as rice. Many people use it on western food too. There are jokes about Japanese who carry their own soy sauce in pocket containers when traveling abroad.

How do they use it?

At the table, in two basic ways. They might pour it directly onto the food, like pickles for example. Or they might pour some into a tiny sauce dish and dip pieces of food into it.

Do they every cook with soy sauce?

Yes, shoyu as Japanese call it, is a basic ingredient in many dishes. Suiyaki, yakitori, and teriyaki are some of the dishes that use shoyu in the cooking or preparation. And shoyu can be used as one of the ingredients for marinating before cooking.

How often do Japanese eat rice?

It depends on the individual. In the past, most Japanese ate rice three times a day. These days, they're eating it less often. Rice still is Japanese staple food. But many of them now eat a western breakfast - toast and eggs instead of rice, fish, and pickles. And they might eat noodles for lunch instead of rice. But most people still eat rice with dinner every night.

How do they cook rice?

Most people have an electric rice cooker - for Japanese it's an essential appliance. First, you wash the rice well, and then put it with the water into the cooker. You turn it on to start the process, and the cooker turns off automatically when the rice is done. Almost all cookers have a thermal device which keeps the rice warm all day.

Do they eat a lot of rice?

Yes, when they eat it, they do eat a lot of it. Most Japanese eat more rice at a time than westerners do. Three or four refills of a rice-bowl would not be unusual, especially for men or teenagers.

Do Japanese bargain in Japan?

No. They don't have the custom of bargaining with small merchants and shopkeepers that you find in other countries in Asia. The prices in japanese shops are firm. The clerk or storekeeper would be smewhat offended if a customer tried to haggle. Japanese in general don't like to argue about prices, especially in public.

There are some reward for a good customer. It's called omake. This is the custom of a small shopkeeper giving something extra to the customer. But the important thing is that they never ask for it. It's up to the shopkeeper to decide when and for whom to do it.

Well, omake might be a bit more of whatever the customer is buying. For example, if you're buying fruit, the clerk might throw in a few extra pieces. Or you might be given a tiny discount, or a small gift of something else that's sold there.

Japanese Cab Drivers

The cab drivers do not usually speak English. Few japanese cab drivers speak English. But there's no problem. Just tell the desk clerk at your hotel where you want to go. Ask him or her to write it in Japanese on a piece of paper. Then give the paper to the cab driver to read.

How can we pay if the drivers don't speak english?

That's easy. All cabs must have meters. You can just read the meter to see how much you owe.

Are the cab drivers used to foreigners?

Many of them are. But you should remember two things when you take a cab. Don't open or close the door yourself - the driver does it automatically. And you might not be taken right to your destination. You might have to walk a block or two from a main road after you're let off.

How do Japanese take a bath??

It's quite different from the way westerners do it. The main thing is that they wash themselves outside the tub. The tub itself is just for soaking. They don't ever soap themselves inside the tub. And they're careful to rinse all the suds off before they get into the tub. Other people use the tub after finish bathing, and there mustn't be any soapsuds in the water.

Other people use the same bath water. And yes, it's quite clean, because they've already washed and rinsed themselves before getting into it. The tub is deep, and the water is hot. Japanese enjoy just soaking in it. It's so relaxing.

A Japanese bathroom usually has a tiled floor with a drain in it. There are faucets on the wall close to the floor. They sit on a low stool to wash, and they rinse the soap off with small buckets.

Japanese take their shoes off when they enter a home..

Japanese take off their shoes as soon as they enter. Homes have a kind of entry hall called genkan which can be very large or quite small. They leave their shoes in the genkan. Then they step up from there into the home. Japanese do the same thing in some Japanese-style restaurants too.

There are usually slippers available, and they wear them in　the home. But they take off the slippers too before entering a tatami room, if there is one.

There are many reasons why they don't wear shoes in the home. One is that, if you remove your shoes before entering the home, the floor stays much cleaner. Most Japanese do a lot of living on the floor. They sit there and even sleep there. It's important that the floor be very clean.

Cards so important to Japanese!

Exchanging cards helps us to know who the other person is. It's important for Japanese to know a person's business affiliation or profession. Once they know that, they know how to deal with him or her. Japanese are often called a vertical society. They usually interact with each other according to their relative positions on that vertical ladder.

What does it involve?
Japanese have to make a lot of choices - in the level of language they use, or in how they bow, for example. Once they see the other person's card, they both know what kind of language to use with each other, and who should bow lower to whom.

There are not exclusive social classes. Family background doesn't matter as much as individual achievement in Japan. Almost any man has a chance to make it to the top. That's why the company identification represents potential as well as achievement. It's all on the card.

Japanese shake hands..

Japanese shake hands rarely with each other. When they greet or say goodbye to other they might bow at the same time, depending on the circumstances. But they wouldn't ordinarily shake hands. Of course they know that westerners shake hands. And many of them expect Japanese to. In that case it's quite all right. It's just that in general Japanese don't touch each other much in public.

Are western-style greetings offensive?
Not really. Japanese know that they've got to adapt somewhat to different customs. It's sometimes a bit awkward for them at first. Japanese are not used to the bear hugs and kisses with which westerners often greet each other. But they manage.

Many Japanese who are around westerners a lot don't bow to them at all. Others who are not used to foreigners may bow because it's automatic. But Japanese don't usually expect foreigners to bow in return.

Guests at Japanese home...

Japanese entertain guests at home, but not like in the West. When Japanese want to entertain friends or business associates they normally take them out. That's what entertaining means to Japanese. Japanese believe that a guest will be more comfortable in a restaurant than in homes. Most Japanese live in very small places - perhaps even cramped by western standards. Not all of them have room to entertain at home.

Some homes are suitable for entertaining. Another important consideration for inviting people home is where they live. It may take two or even three hours by train to travel between some suburbs of the large cities. But young people are beginning to visit each others' homes rather frequently.

A Japanese friend might invite foreigners home. Or he or she might arrange for foreigners to visit someone else's home. You'd be very welcome.

Family size in Japan

Average size of Japanese family is between three and four people. Japanese homes are small, and consumer prices are high. Average couples don't have enough room or enough money for a large family. They want their children to have a high standard of living, so they limit the number. with family planning, most couples now have just one or two children. That's why Japanese families are getting smaller.

In the past, several generations would live together. These days it's getting rare to see grandparents living with their children and grand-children, The main reason is lake of space.

Japanese traditionally love and respect elderly people. Many people these days say that they would like to have their parents live with them or at least nearby as in the past. I believe it's good for children and grandparents to be close.

Japanese weddings like!!

It depends on what kind of ceremony it is. Many people have Shinto weddings. It could be at a shrine or elsewhere, and a Shinto Priest is present. The bride and groom wear formal wedding kimono and there's a ritual exchange of drinks fro three cups of sake. These days a lot of Japanese are married in Christian churches, even though they may not be Christians.

Non-Christians are married in churches. That's not strange to us. Japanese enjoy church weddings. They like the long white dresses, veils - everything about the ceremony. It doesn't matter if they're Christians or not.

Wedding reception is similar to what it would be in the West. There's usually a dinner or banquet of some sort, and drinks to toast the bride and groom. There's a wedding cake too!