About a month ago I experienced for the first time in about 5 years a Japanese shop assistant in a McDonald’s hamburger shop in Umeda, Osaka speaking to me in English. “Good afternoon Sir, Would you like to see the English menu?” Although I have no problem to use Japanese everyday as I have been able to speak it pretty well for about 30 years, I must admit that it was really nice to hear someone speaking to me in English in Japan. It was not the first time of course. It happens at the airport often and once at a Mr. Donut shop in Okamoto and also at a furniture shop in Kobe too. But I have to be honest, each time it really feels good to hear someone speaking English in Japan and trying to help a foreigner. It warms the heart in a way that nothing else can do!
It made me realize how great it would be if such ability were promoted here and more Japanese tried to do it. In the current economic situation, it would actually be very good for Japan to take such determined steps to welcome foreign visitors and make them feel more at home. Japan can really benefit from the economic stimulus that foreigners can bring.
Japan has so much to offer: Beautiful scenery, polite and wonderful people and clean and excellent transportation. I really want to see Japan strive more to draw in foreign guests. I think much more can be done in this area and I hope that business owners who serve the public will realize the great 0otential benefit potential if they encourage their employees to speak English or Chinese etc.
So we at the Smith’s Schools of English are ready and waiting to help those who want to drive this part of the economy up to its maximum potential. We want to make Japan as friendly for visitors as possible. Let’s get started!
Hope to see you soon!
Yup- McDonald’s often has English speakers. The McDonald’s in Otsu has quite a few English speakers, and the rest I am slowly teaching!