When you visit Japan, you may have a problem that English is not spoken at tourist spots.
You may also be concerned about the problem of English education in Japan.
Japan is an attractive tourist destination for many foreign tourists, but the challenge is that Japanese people do not speak English.
This results in a lack of communication with foreigners.
However, there are ways to overcome the language barrier at tourist destinations and enjoy Japan to the fullest.
In this article, we consider the lack of English communication in tourist areas and the problem of English education in Japan, and offer some advice on how to fully enjoy the sights.
The Problem of Not Being Able to Speak English at Tourist Spots
The lack of English communication in tourist areas is one of the problems for foreign visitors to Japan. Especially in rural areas, English is sometimes barely understood. The following factors may be the cause of this problem.
Problems with English education in Japan
English education in Japan has focused on aspects of grammar, reading and writing, but not so much on the acquisition of practical conversational skills. As a result, many Japanese are not accustomed to speaking English.
Since they are left with few opportunities to actually use English, it is difficult for them to improve their conversational skills.
This educational problem has led to difficulties in communicating in English at tourist destinations.
Lack of English support at tourist attractions and difficulties in providing guidance
Japan has many attractive tourist destinations, but many tourist destinations also face challenges with regard to English-language support. In the tourism industry, there is a lack of English-speaking staff and guides, making it difficult to meet the needs of foreign visitors.
Foreign tourists may experience difficulties if they have to rely on non-English speaking Japanese for local guidance. In particular, foreign tourists often feel inconvenienced because it becomes difficult to communicate in situations where daily conversation is necessary, such as traffic information and ordering at restaurants.
This makes communication difficulties at tourist attractions even more serious.
Advice for Enjoying Tourist Attractions
In order to overcome the English language barrier at tourist destinations and enjoy Japan to the fullest, please pay attention to the following points.
1. Use online translation apps
There are many useful online translation apps available for smartphones and tablets. Even if you do not speak the local language, you can use the apps to communicate by translating. However, the accuracy of the app’s translation is not perfect, so you may not be able to convey exactly what you want to say to the other person.
2. Preliminary research on tourist information
Do sufficient advance research on the tourist attractions you will be visiting. Official websites of tourist attractions and tourist guidebooks may have information in English. It is also a good idea to refer to the experiences and advice of other foreign tourists through social networking sites and traveler review sites.
It is recommended to download and translate tourist information on your cell phone or tablet. This is a good idea even if Wi-Fi is not available at the sightseeing spot. If the Internet environment is poor, you will not be able to use the translation function locally.
3. Using a guide who is fluent in English
Hiring a guide who is fluent in English can help you solve problems at tourist destinations. You can enjoy communicating in English while understanding the local culture and history.
Having a guide also allows you to interact more with the local people. Foreign tourists often visit Japan because they are interested in Japanese culture and customs, but if they lack communication with the local people, they will not have a deep understanding of that culture.
Because of the language barrier, foreign tourists are unable to fully enjoy their original purpose of experiencing and interacting with Japanese culture.
Summary
The lack of communication with foreigners caused by the inability of Japanese people to speak English is a major challenge for the Japanese tourism industry.
In fact, English is not spoken in many tourist destinations. However, there are ways to understand and overcome this problem.
Use online translation apps, do some advance research, and use guides who are fluent in English to get the most out of your visit.
You can overcome the language barrier while enjoying the charms of Japan.
More to the point, since you are sightseeing, try to speak to people actively while using a translation app.
You may not be able to understand the language as well as you would like, but you will be able to communicate with people more or less. We wish you a more enjoyable trip.
