It’s funny how the leader of that agency overcame the problem of not being able to read, but that just adds an unecesary step to the process of translating. Be glad that you know how to read and write, which are the most essential aspects of translating… but don’t neglect practicing your speaking skills.

Thanks for sharing this anecdote!

@ Tom Curran –

the way avenge annoying solicitations like this
is to ask the offending Japanese if they are married. If they say yes,
ask “to a Japanese?” and watch the reaction. It’s as though
you’ve just offered them animal porn or something.

an old-timer like me knows all the tricks !!

Once upon a time I worked in Yoyogi and found myself trekking off to the edge of where Akasaka meets Roppongi for a certain client, which usually meant that I’d grab lunch in Akasaka. I’m assuming that these people are so used to talking to expat-types who don’t even make the slightest effort to learn the language of their borrowed surroundings. I got the blank stare many a time there.

This contrasts with my normal surroundings a mere 10-minute taxi ride away in Yoyogi, where not only is Starbucks safe, but I was once randomly approached in Japanese by some guy on the streets asking me directions.

Oh, and I’m totally stealing that 列島の距離 line.

@Noo you sound like a funny character.
Reminds me of people who say “列島の距離ですか”？ when asked ”日本長いですか？”

＠Tom Curran I really feel for you buddy. But I think I know what your problem is.
Despite your high fluency in Japanese and years of experience and no doubt
high linguistic prowess, you give off what I would call a “gaijin aura”.
I don’t mean big clouds of a butter-like gas substance, but just a look/feel that
Japanese people interpret as you being a non-speaker of Japanese.

To reinforce my hypothesis, Japanese people always engage me in Japanese as though
they expect me to understand. It’s not because I have an oriental gait or that
I have chopstick-shaped eyeballs, it’s just that I have an aura that says “this guy
is white and stupid but he can understand our language”. It must be the way I stand.

I think Mr.Ginnnerstrong alluded to the same thing when saying “I’m a big white guy, and I know that I tend to give off a vibe of being big, strong, and not too bright.” It’s a vibe, an aura, whatever you want to call it.

Tom – I hear you, loud and clear. It can be so frustrating.

…and sometimes people I have known for 10 years will still marvel at my ability to use chopsticks at dinner…but then its my turn to do cartwheels in the middle of the floor and thrash my head against the wall in complete disbelief over their ability to use a spoon when the dessert comes out

Gotta laugh these things off (especially in rural areas) though, otherwise we’d go mad…

“Does he undestand what he is saying?”.

Priceless.

The strange, awkward questions that us foreigners receive about our Japanese language abilities are actually statements. Although it does happen in certain instances, the Japanese are not the types who will voice their true inner feelings and say, “Shut the **** up gaijin! Don’t even TRYYYYYYY to speak OUR golden tongue!” Having dealt with them in the US, Europe, and Japan for around 25 years now, I can say that they are the LAST people on the face of the Earth who want us to obtain fluency. The closer you get, the more they pound you down. Don’t even get me started on the スタバ staff who will pull 知らんぷりs no matter how good your Japanese is. I used to work in-house and was told by the boss to only use Japanese (which happened to be right up my alley). Lunch hours ended up being more stressful than work because the restaurants in the area were not too keen on a big white boy speaking Japanese and tried their best to ignore me. To this day, I dread ordering food (PTSD???).

I now do my best to avoid contact with the Japanese which isn’t easy considering the fact that I live in Tokyo. Like most foreigners in Japan, I am often approached by Engrrrrrish vampires who attempt to force conversations despite an obvious lack of eye contact on my part. If I am pushed into a corner, I either recite the alphabet at the top of my lungs, give a mini lecture about the meaning and importance of 郷に入っては郷に従え　 , or simply go “yakie” on them. Believe me, my stuff beats RAID hands down.

Should I blame the Japanese for their racist tendencies or the spineless foreigners who perpetuate these types of problems by not standing up for themselves?

Probably the most mind-bending case of cognitive dissonance I’ve encountered was when I was going to a movie with a Japanese friend. We were seeing the subtitled version of an American film; my friend asked if I would prefer to see the dubbed version, since I’d probably have trouble reading the subtitles.

I noted that I would be able to listen to the original English dialog if the subtitles gave me any trouble.