I often go to Starbucks Coffee at a shopping mall (a “Carrefour”) in Amagasaki City by bicycle. As I am a regular customer, some of the staff know me. Recently one of the staff told me(in Japanese) that the shop there would be open until November 11th then closing and that a new shop would be opening next January at Tsukashin, a shopping mall in Tsukaguchi which is closer to my home and school. I was sad to hear that the shop would be closing but happy to hear another one would be opening in my area!
On another day when I was there with my Japanese wife, a staff member came to me and asked me if I could help him tell a foreigner about the shop closing and the new one opening. I of course wanted to help out. I got up and I told the foreigner the information in English. The staff thanked me for helping and I sat back down at my table next to my wife. She was talking to an elderly couple at the table next to us about what I had just done, in Japanese. I joined in the conversation and was happy to be able to communicate with the couple using Japanese. When they got up to leave, the elderly man said “goodbye” to me in English. That was very nice!
Derek Maeckelburg
Tsukaguchi franchise
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