Silly things Japanese people have said to you

[dk]

I'm sure most of us have had our moments where a Japanese person has said something to you that just cracked you up bad. Post them if you remember or they happen to you again.

I met a girl yesterday who called the "Red Hot Chili Peppers" black pepper. I was laughing for about 15 minutes. :D

[Fonze]

Only thing I can think about is the english on some of the shirts.
I've sent shirts back home and they tell me wtf.

[dk]

Yeah, a Japanese girl once came to a church youth group function wearing a T-shirt that said "Marijuana: The happy smoke!" on the front hehe. She had no idea. The youth group leader made her change her shirt...

[DoctorP]

I had a woman friend, who is about 35, smokin' hot, and still single. She wore a shirt one day that said "Jump on this!"...I couldn't speak for several minutes because I was cracking up and she was like "what???". When I finally asked her if I could "jump on this" she turned really red and said she didn't realize the message she was conveying. She made me take her home so she could change!

[dk]

Great story DocP! :D

[DougP]

I always enjoy watching segments on japanese tv where they are practicing english or are trying to pronounce it. Watching one japanese person trying to teach another english is painfully funny to watch. It would be like learning how to speak japanese from Larry the cable guy. :D

samutaimuzu ai turai tu supiku ingurishu. LOL

[dk]

ai laiku buraku pepazu wwwwww

Sorry, still cracking up about that hehe. We were having a discussion on what kind of music we listen to. She really had no idea whatsoever about music, it seemed. I never understand that. How can someone not know anything about what music they like? lol...

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

She made me take her home so she could change!
So, she did wanna get ya back to her place...:thumbup1:

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

Where to start...

We nicknamed one of our co-worker's husbands "Buster" one night while out drinking, and he thought we had been calling him "bastard" the whole night. He had some not nice things to say, but chilled when we explained it to him.

[DougP]

Well after some time of getting to know my extended family I started talking a little more about mine. Mainly my parents and my brother. My last name(now my wifes also) has always mustered a chuckle from people when my wife says it. ピケット　But what got a lot of supprised looks among the family was my father's first name, Gary. ゲリ　げり(下痢) Yup when you say his name in a japanese accent it sounds just like an actual japanese word. The word for diariah. :D

[P_chan]

My sister-in-law has this shirt she always wears that says "shut my mouth, out a secret." Just always thought it was kinda funny.

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again. I was visiting my wife's cousin (who is filthy stinking rich) and he was a really funny guy. Well, he got drunk! His wife (who is blood related to my wife) asked me if I was religious. I told her no. Well, about 5 minutes later her husband says to me "My name is jesus". That one brought a good little laugh but that wasn't the funniest part. About 15 minutes later, long after we were off the subject of religion, there was a slight pause in the conversation. He blurted out "My friends call me christ!" That was the funniest thing I heard in a long time and I couldn't stop laughing. I think he was proud of the fact that he made me laugh so hard. About an hour after that he got tired and went and took a nap lol! But he came back about an hour after that and started acting goofy again!

[Ammoyankee]

Yesterday at my daughters birthday party, two of our longtime friends asked if they could bring the wife's mother along. Of course, having known this couple for many years and having met her parents on several occasions before we said sure. So, at the party, I asked the mother who is somewhere around 65 years old, how father was doing and what he was doing today since the weather was nice and she replied "Oh, Sunday his day off and I think he home playing with himself". Of course my wife and the womans daughter who understand english failry well, kinda of looked at each other and didn't know what to say. As for me, I chuckled and my wife told me to "shut up'! The old woman was none the wiser!

[Chopper]

Well...this beautiful Okinawan girl I am working with one day suggested that she will be intersted to see where I am living. Thinking that this is an OK sign, I suggsted to invite her for dinner the next off day (Saturday). She said Ok and sooner after few minutes she told me she is busy that day and would love to go out after two days. Well...I waited long 48 hours and on the appointed date she ignored me as if we dont have any appointements. Thinking that she might have forgotten, I informed her about our appointement and said she is too busy again. ...I am thinking this Okinawan girl is weired. / Or is it me?

[Bones]

Hey Chopper,

I don't know if she's weird, or not. But when I first met my wife, we set up a date. I got all dressed up in a suit and tie, she never showed. Since I was already dressed, decided to go to the Bowling Alley, on Kadena. Vented my frustration on some of the people she worked with, and asked them to pass on my message.

Turns out, they had a security exercise going on at the Gate.

She was just as mad at me, as I was at her, when we got together again the next day. Then we just laughed it off, and we've been together ever since. That would be about 19 years ago. So, keep an open mind. :old:

NBTP

[Muku]

Hey Chopper,

I don't know if she's weird, or not. But when I first met my wife, we set up a date. I got all dressed up in a suit and tie, she never showed. Since I was already dressed, decided to go to the Bowling Alley, on Kadena. Vented my frustration on some of the people she worked with, and asked them to pass on my message.

Turns out, they had a security exercise going on at the Gate.

She was just as mad at me, as I was at her, when we got together again the next day. Then we just laughed it off, and we've been together ever since. That would be about 19 years ago. So, keep an open mind. :old:

NBTP

Great story, I have a few to add but would rather hold off for now as if I choose to write them here there are chances that they would get back to the "source" and I would have to do more explaining than I really want to spend the energy on right now.

[L Boogie]

There's an Okinawan guy that hangs out on Gate 2 Street cursing at people and asking for money.

The first time I ever saw him, he was trying to play a guitar and he had obviously never had lessons. He was playing random strings singing "Hey b**** give me a dollar, so I can get coca cola!"

If you don't give him a dollar for coca cola, he calls you a mother******.

I find him so obnoxiously hysterical that I always give him a dollar.

And whenever I do, he says "You numba one people!"

[Muku]

If you don't give him a dollar for coca cola, he calls you a mother******.

I find him so obnoxiously hysterical that I always give him a dollar.

And whenever I do, he says "You numba one people!"
If I call you a mother ****er will you give me a dollar too! :old: :rolleyes: :D

[Bones]

Another one that just came to mind. Any of you who have been here long enough, and as a pedestrian standing at an intersection, you've heard the sounds that sound like a mechanical cookoo clock.

I remember asking my wife what that sound was for, and one of the islanders told me:

"It's for deaf people. When they hear that sound, they know that it's safe to cross the street."

I knew that she meant "blind people", but I thought that it was hysterical anyhow.

NBTP

[DoctorP]

My wife has provided me with quite a few over the last 13 years, but today was pretty good.

She was watching some drama, and the husband had died. The wife didn't know what to do with the body. My wife then turned to me and asked "When you die, who do you want me to do?"

I looked at her with a straight face and said "Anyone as long as they are nice to the kids and can make you howl like a wolf!"

It took her a minute but she realized her mistake!

[N3philum]

I met a girl who had a shirt on that read "Horny"

we asked if she knew what it meant, we asked if she was horny, if she was horny all the time or just sometimes.. then we explained what horny was. was a bit embarrassed but took it in good humor.

[okisteve]

On a par with marijuana in church: a teacher in my daughter's Kumon was wearing a jacket that had a picture of some animal wearing a bikini that said something like "Patsy's Blue Nudist Camp".

A well-endowed Chinese girl in my language course was embarrassed when I explained the meaning of her Disney cartoon T-shirt, "Mickey and Minnie are a perfect pair".

[Muku]

A well-endowed Chinese girl in my language course was embarrassed when I explained the meaning of her Disney cartoon T-shirt, "Mickey and Minnie are a perfect pair".
I know what you meant, you know what you meant.....but, you might want to think twice next time before explaining about a t-shirt that has English written on it that only has a double meaning to people with perverted minds:p.

If she had been flat as a board I doubt you would have made the same comment right?

Whether you were the teacher or another student it could be taken as sexual harrassment. I have had a couple of friends have that charge thrown at them for things similar to this. Nothing came out of the charges or should I say accusations, but it was rather embarrassing for them to have to explain themselves infront of quite a few people and discuss penis size, hand size, vagina size, and breasts to a bunch of middle age women and men.

Personally I think it's funny, :DI just wanted to share with you what or how some people may take it.

[Fonze]

Ya you're right Muku I think that was more of a perverted joke.

[coldnoodles]

When you go to McDonalds drive thru and say Coupon ni-ju-san. And they don't even now what it means. They say what is coupon? Eto coupon (sorry don't know how to write Japanese) no coupon. Here I am repeating ni-ju-san, number 23, after repeating myself too many times and them saying #2, Sorry no have ni-ju-san. HUH? Coupon ni-ju-san and they tell me to go window. :cursing: Here you go to the window and they give you the big menu.. UM hello I have coupons...

Then after you get your food, this one lady asks how much shoapy (sounds like soap but add h). Turned out shoapy was syrup for the ice tea.. :eek:

[Muku]

When you go to McDonalds drive thru and say Coupon ni-ju-san. And they don't even now what it means. They say what is coupon? Eto coupon (sorry don't know how to write Japanese) no coupon. Here I am repeating ni-ju-san, number 23, after repeating myself too many times and them saying #2, Sorry no have ni-ju-san. HUH? Coupon ni-ju-san and they tell me to go window. :cursing: Here you go to the window and they give you the big menu.. UM hello I have coupons...

Then after you get your food, this one lady asks how much shoapy (sounds like soap but add h). Turned out shoapy was syrup for the ice tea.. :eek:

First off I think this happened because they have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You sound like you made the assumption that they could understand you and your mixture of English and, excuse me here, broken Japanese.

They probably understood your saying Number 23 in Japanese but the word coupon is English not Japanese. From there things went down hill I am sure.:rolleyes:

Coupons are not commonly used here in Japan. McDonald's however does give out "warabiki ken". or a discount ticket/coupon. One other thing to remember though is just because you have it infront of you the people inside the store wont know "which" one you are using or from where. Also even if the coupon has クーポンケン written on it the pronunciation would be ku-po-n you may have said it kyupan, and that has no meaning either. Honestly it just sound likes a case of mispronunciation on your part in Japanese.

Your best bet would be to order what you want and then show them or give them the "warabiki ken" at the window when you drive up to pay.


She was asking you if you wanted "shirapu" syrup or liquid sugar for your ice tea.

Nothing personal here but I would bet that they were:cursing: you out too.

[coldnoodles]

First off I think this happened because they have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You sound like you made the assumption that they could understand you and your mixture of English and, excuse me here, broken Japanese.

They probably understood your saying Number 23 in Japanese but the word coupon is English not Japanese. From there things went down hill I am sure.:rolleyes:

Coupons are not commonly used here in Japan. McDonald's however does give out "warabiki ken". or a discount ticket/coupon. One other thing to remember though is just because you have it infront of you the people inside the store wont know "which" one you are using or from where. Also even if the coupon has クーポンケン written on it the pronunciation would be ku-po-n you may have said it kyupan, and that has no meaning either. Honestly it just sound likes a case of mispronunciation on your part in Japanese.

Your best bet would be to order what you want and then show them or give them the "warabiki ken" at the window when you drive up to pay.


She was asking you if you wanted "shirapu" syrup or liquid sugar for your ice tea.

Nothing personal here but I would bet that they were:cursing: you out too.

First off my husband is fluent in Japanese (17yrs of speaking Japanese) and he hates using ku-po-n out on gate 2 and the one across from Foster McD's. He gets pissed off with them and leaves, after showing the coupon into their camera so they see its a coupon.

We get their coupon's monthly, several of them to last for the month! My oldest daughter speaks pretty good Japanese, most people think she is Japanese!! If they can't understand my so called Englinese - I don't see why they can't as many times as I go out to eat, everyone else understands my englinese. They never understood 23, they kept saying combo #2, combo #3.

They get really pissed off if you don't tell them the ku-po-n in the first place and go straight to the window, after ordering. My husband tried pulling it when we first got here.

If you go to Nago or Naha for that matter and use ku-po-n they understand you. In Nago they actually speak fluent in English!!

I never made the assumption they understood me, its just gets tiring repeating everything so many times. I know they don't understand English or even Japanese from asian's or american's.

Its funny tho when my Okinawan friend wants to go there for lunch and invites me to go. Here we go thru drive thru she does all the ordering, I will bust out laughing when they don't understand her Japanese for ku-po-n - we are always joking about it. They even tell her to pull to the window :eek:

[Tempestuous]

So we know utilizing the coupon otherwise known as a discount ticket causes an issue in the drive through......it has happened more than once.....does the situation improve at all inside the store?


As for the drive thru aggravation my friend and I were just laughing about this. As she went through a drive thru after having some dental work that resulted in a hematoma (sp?) on her face and she wasn't up for showin it off.

anyways she orders a diet coke, easy ice. The gal asks her to repeat it and then says "what was that???" she repeats it a total of 6 times and the girl still repeats it back wrong. Seven is the lucky number! She got the order!!!
we busted up laughing as we are sitting there talking with the car window down and the girl does the exact same thing to the next guy in the drive thru.

Drive thru's are best avoided if possible :)

[ja_Patriot]

Muku,

Do you have a Japanese keyboard or is it software or an on-line site that allows you to type:

クーポンケン

(ku-po-n-ke-n)

If it's an online site, could you post a link. Thanks in advance.

---

Just finally memorized katakana and hiragana, and working on kanji. It's fun getting to read a menu.

And after so many years of marriage, I finally found out why back in the states we'd buy gasoline at Shit-go, per my lovely wife. That's a story coming up.


#

[Muku]

I never made the assumption they understood me, its just gets tiring repeating everything so many times. I know they don't understand English or even Japanese from asian's or american's.

You didnt? Then why were you :cursing:? Because you werent able to make yourself understood right? Who's fault is that? Yours or the people at McDonalds?

So your husband speaks Japanese, and you child too.....DO YOU? You are the one that was communiticating with the people at MC Donalds right?

He gets pissed off with them and leaves, after showing the coupon into their camera so they see its a coupon.
Sounds to me at least that his Japanese isnt as "fluent" as you think it may be.

If they can't understand my so called Englinese - I don't see why they can't as many times as I go out to eat, everyone else understands my englinese.
This is truly an arrogant statement if I ever heard one. :rolleyes: Even people speaking plain English to one another get misunderstood all the time. Not everyone is the same, and imo it's wrong for people to assume that it is the fault of others when a brief look in the mirror works wonders.:)

If you go to Nago or Naha for that matter and use ku-po-n they understand you. In Nago they actually speak fluent in English!!

So does that justify everything that you wrote?

Then go to Nago from now on if you are so inclined. Why do you assume that people everywhere are going to be the same?

They even tell her to pull to the window
Well......what did I tell you? Order what you want then show them the coupon at the window, save yourself the headaches.


@Tempestuous
Drive thru's are best avoided if possible

I know how you feel, it isnt just off base either, the BK drive thru can be a pain in the arse as well.

[P_chan]

First off my husband is fluent in Japanese (17yrs of speaking Japanese) and he hates using ku-po-n out on gate 2 and the one across from Foster McD's. He gets pissed off with them and leaves, after showing the coupon into their camera so they see its a coupon.

We get their coupon's monthly, several of them to last for the month! My oldest daughter speaks pretty good Japanese, most people think she is Japanese!! If they can't understand my so called Englinese - I don't see why they can't as many times as I go out to eat, everyone else understands my englinese. They never understood 23, they kept saying combo #2, combo #3.

They get really pissed off if you don't tell them the ku-po-n in the first place and go straight to the window, after ordering. My husband tried pulling it when we first got here.

If you go to Nago or Naha for that matter and use ku-po-n they understand you. In Nago they actually speak fluent in English!!

I never made the assumption they understood me, its just gets tiring repeating everything so many times. I know they don't understand English or even Japanese from asian's or american's.

Its funny tho when my Okinawan friend wants to go there for lunch and invites me to go. Here we go thru drive thru she does all the ordering, I will bust out laughing when they don't understand her Japanese for ku-po-n - we are always joking about it. They even tell her to pull to the window :eek:

It was probably your pronunciation. I have a hard time with that. Oh and the fact that you speak japanese with a english accent doesn't help either.

[Trueno]

It was probably your pronunciation. I have a hard time with that. Oh and the fact that you speak japanese with a english accent doesn't help either.

I have to agree to that...I am asian and they don't understand my English either so I understand what noodles was saying, especially out from Foster. My buddy's start cursing at them making matters worse.

Noodles - You don't sound like you were complaining, you were just telling us what happens when you and your family go thru drive thru @ McDonalds.

Enough said...I understood you.

[ja_Patriot]

Silly Japanese things….

Noodle, your experience isn’t unique so you have my empathy. Everyone here has a dose of that "treatment" almost everyday, maybe except Muku and a few others.

And the Japanese aren’t being rude or silly, they just honestly don’t follow you.

It’s because of their orderly, linear thinking in the way they are brought up. Conformity and harmony with society. Anything out of ordinary rattles them. Even the Japanese do that to themselves.

“Aka, ao, kiro…” As you may know, that’s the beginning of a Japanese nursery song about traffic lights. All cute, except “ao” means blue. I asked my wife about it and she say they’re programmed as kids to see “blue” when the green GO traffic light turns on. Kids don’t question why blue is green.

In those Japanese TV games shows, you see contestants write down different answers in kanji on their little placards, and somehow all of them get it right. I asked my wife how this was so, she says that there are probably up to ten different ways to write answers with the same meaning.

You can just imagine Alex Trebek hold ten correct answer cards in his hand for every clue in Jeopardy.

It’s all in a day’s living in Japan.


#

[Muku]

Muku,

Do you have a Japanese keyboard or is it software or an on-line site that allows you to type:

クーポンケン

(ku-po-n-ke-n)

If it's an online site, could you post a link. Thanks in advance.

-#
Check your PM's if there is anything else you need please do not hesitate to ask.:D

[Muku]

“Aka, ao, kiro…” As you may know, that’s the beginning of a Japanese nursery song about traffic lights. All cute, except “ao” means blue. I asked my wife about it and she say they’re programmed as kids to see “blue” when the green GO traffic light turns on. Kids don’t question why blue is green.

:D :D :D

Man do you have that one right! Good post btw, not just this but everything else you included as well.

[P_chan]

I always rag on my wife about the whole 'blue' traffic light thing!

[okisteve]

I know what you meant, you know what you meant.....but, you might want to think twice next time before explaining about a t-shirt that has English written on it that only has a double meaning to people with perverted minds:p.

If she had been flat as a board I doubt you would have made the same comment right?

Whether you were the teacher or another student it could be taken as sexual harrassment. I have had a couple of friends have that charge thrown at them for things similar to this. Nothing came out of the charges or should I say accusations, but it was rather embarrassing for them to have to explain themselves infront of quite a few people and discuss penis size, hand size, vagina size, and breasts to a bunch of middle age women and men.

Personally I think it's funny, :DI just wanted to share with you what or how some people may take it.

Well, fortunately the Chinese still have a sense of humor, and BTW, I am 110% sure the original T-shirt designer knew all about double meanings. You had to see it... Maybe the manufacturer of that particular T-shirt just ripped the design off thinking it was cute. And if she had been "flat as a board" I would not have hesitated explaining it to her either.

Have your friends been accused of sexual harassment here in Okinawa? By Japanese or by Americans? (hmm, let me guess). Well, I do know one English teacher who could have crossed the line so far that a Japanese woman should have punched him out. But of course they would not even complain so that brings me back to my first assumption....

Incidentally, this whole thread is pretty offensive, bordering on racist. How about a post only for Okinawans: "Funny things Americans have said to you."

[DoctorP]

Incidentally, this whole thread is pretty offensive, bordering on racist. How about a post only for Okinawans: "Funny things Americans have said to you."

I don't know how many Okinawan's would post here, but you could start the thread...I think it would be quite funny! And I know that there are quite a few things that I have heard Americans say, or try to say, in Japanese that was absolutely hilarious! As a matter of fact, I can post quite a few things about myself.

[Koopa Troopa]

Silly Japanese things….

Noodle, your experience isn’t unique so you have my empathy. Everyone here has a dose of that "treatment" almost everyday, maybe except Muku and a few others.

And the Japanese aren’t being rude or silly, they just honestly don’t follow you.

It’s because of their orderly, linear thinking in the way they are brought up. Conformity and harmony with society. Anything out of ordinary rattles them. Even the Japanese do that to themselves.

“Aka, ao, kiro…” As you may know, that’s the beginning of a Japanese nursery song about traffic lights. All cute, except “ao” means blue. I asked my wife about it and she say they’re programmed as kids to see “blue” when the green GO traffic light turns on. Kids don’t question why blue is green.

In those Japanese TV games shows, you see contestants write down different answers in kanji on their little placards, and somehow all of them get it right. I asked my wife how this was so, she says that there are probably up to ten different ways to write answers with the same meaning.

You can just imagine Alex Trebek hold ten correct answer cards in his hand for every clue in Jeopardy.

It’s all in a day’s living in Japan.


#


Alot of you guys try to use your American view points when dealing with the Japanese. For one, coldnoodles in the drive thru. If your pronouncation isn't exact then they won't follow anything you say. My friend would play pranks on the drive thru people. He'd speak in a thick, Southern accent when ordering and when they told him to go to the window he'd speak perfect Japanese. Then when they replied in Japanese he would reply in English and when they replied in English he went back to Japanese.

I've already ranted about this in the rant thread but what gets my buttons doing is when they just don't even realise I'm speaking Japanese.

My friend asked me why Americans say the traffic light is green. I told her because it is and she tried to argue it. At the next light I stopped and asked if that light was green or blue... She finally realised it was green and had this look on her face like her world just ended.

Also she asked me why Americans like Skylines.. I told her it's because Americans like slow cars.

[Muku]

Silly Japanese things….

Noodle, your experience isn’t unique so you have my empathy. Everyone here has a dose of that "treatment" almost everyday, maybe except Muku and a few others.


Dont get me wrong here please......I have gone beyond the stage of getting pissed off at things like her experience. Saves on hair dye.:old:

What bothered me about noodles post was not what she experienced in the drive thru, but her response to by reply. I gave her some good advice, of course it is her choice to accept it or not, however her response came across to me as one attempting to arrogantly justify themselves.

People, us fopreigners, including myself have to take a look into the mirror once in a while and realize that many of the misunderstandings that occur with Japanese people here are "our" fault as well. I get bothered when people make the assumption that it is "always" the Japanese persons responsibility to understand "you" the foreigner. That is the pinacle of arrogance.

They have no more responsibility to understand "you", used as a generalization here, than you have to kissing my butt:eek: zero. That statement is not directed towards anyone in particular but used to make a point only.

[Muku]

Alot of you guys try to use your American view points when dealing with the Japanese.
Just curious here; You don't? What did you do or what got you beyond that point?



My friend would play pranks on the drive thru people. He'd speak in a thick, Southern accent when ordering and when they told him to go to the window he'd speak perfect Japanese. Then when they replied in Japanese he would reply in English and when they replied in English he went back to Japanese.

Your friend was just acting like an asshole :thumbdown: He is lucky it wasnt me in the drive thru window taking his order, :72:

[okisteve]

This is Japan, not America even though you people living in SOFA style forget that sometimes (often). It's their country. The local language is Japanese, not English (or Murican). Do I need to say it again?

[Muku]

This is Japan, not America even though you people living in SOFA style forget that sometimes (often). It's their country. The local language is Japanese, not English (or Murican). Do I need to say it again?

I agree with you, the only reason I am posting anything here now is because Coldnoodles "thanked" you for this post, which I find ironic as hell because she is the one that made the comment that;

don't see why they can't as many times as I go out to eat, everyone else understands my englinese.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[okisteve]

Well, whatever. I can cut 18-year old green Marines some slack because of where they have been and not been, but the guys here living for many years high off the hog and putting down the Okinawans make me sick. "Late for tee time"... that was good.

[Muku]

Well, whatever. I can cut 18-year old green Marines some slack because of where they have been and not been, but the guys here living for many years high off the hog and putting down the Okinawans make me sick. "Late for tee time"... that was good.

Thanks for editing that, :D

I can as well, but when people that supposedly are or have family members that they "say" can speak "fluent" Japanese and then get into a hissy fit about a person at a damn McDonald's drive thru that is arrogance at it's best.

I agree with you too about "some" Americans.......:o :mad:

[coldnoodles]

This is Japan, not America even though you people living in SOFA style forget that sometimes (often). It's their country. The local language is Japanese, not English (or Murican). Do I need to say it again?

I agree...thats why I don't think its silly what the Japanese people say to me, its just the way they speak English. People could laugh and make fun of the way I speak Japanese and English for that matter. English is my 2nd language. When you are in the States and speak a different language people think differently of you. They may think its funny or silly the way you talk to others.

I don't care what others think if I can't speak perfectly Japanese here in Japan, atleast I do try compared to other American's I have seen here that are totally rude to Japanese people here. I am use to being around Asian people, not use to being around American people.

Since I am not as perfect as Muku - the Japanese restaurants we eat at - I speak Japanese, most times I don't understand them - they speak too fast, but they do try for me to understand - thats why I keep going back to the restaurants. (The food is awesome, service is awesome, people are awesome, and they keep welcoming you back).

For the drive thru damn I wasn't complaining or anything its a normal thing here. I know they don't understand me and I don't understand them. Muku expects to put the blame to someone... So I blame the intercom system there is too much static which makes it harder for people to understand from both directions. :thumbup:

[Muku]

Since I am not as perfect as Muku - the Japanese restaurants we eat at - I speak Japanese, most times I don't understand them - they speak too fast, but they do try for me to understand - thats why I keep going back to the restaurants. (The food is awesome, service is awesome, people are awesome, and they keep welcoming you back).

For the drive thru damn I wasn't complaining or anything its a normal thing here. I know they don't understand me and I don't understand them. :thumbup:

You know if you read your post that brought all of this about I would have read it a whole hell of a lot differently if you had not used the :cursing: smilie in the following sentence;
Sorry no have ni-ju-san. HUH? Coupon ni-ju-san and they tell me to go window.:cursing: Here you go to the window and they give you the big menu.. UM hello I have coupons...


That means pissed off btw and came across to me as someone who was frustrated at the person behind the "speaker" for not understanding what you said.

Muku expects to put the blame to someone... So I blame the intercom system there is too much static which makes it harder for people to understand from both directions.
Until you wrote this, YES, I blamed you, for any number of reasons, the biggest being your reply that came across to me as being arrogant and attempting to justify your miscommunication with a part-time worker at McDonald's no less.

You came across as being expected to be understood.

Now then if you had written about the damn speaker system I would have laughed WITH you and agree wholeheartedly as they truly are a pain in the arse, the speakers that is. :)

[Koopa Troopa]

Just curious here; You don't? What did you do or what got you beyond that point?


I have enough Japanese friends to understand that Japan and Okinawa is a fantasy land where the norm we as Americans see doesn't exist.

[DougP]

So is it now taboo to laugh at the horrifically funny english t-shirts people are unknowingly wearing sometimes? :D I think that should be ok. I mean, I feel as if its ok to laugh at Americans wearing t-shirts with messed up Japanese on them or that have incorrect kanji tattoos :)

...just my 2 円：）

[Ammoyankee]

This is Japan, not America even though you people living in SOFA style forget that sometimes (often). It's their country. The local language is Japanese, not English (or Murican). Do I need to say it again?

So non-sofa people aren't a$$holes? I am SOFA and have spent a considerable amount of time on the island and while I do understand the young "GI's" tend to behave negatively at times I have also run across many Americans who live here that suck equally as much. Especially those who more than likely got booted out of the military and just so happened to have a local wife and could stay on island.
They act like everything belongs to them because they now "live" here and many have no respect whatsover for the local population either...

"you people" is a broad description...

[Koopa Troopa]

So is it now taboo to laugh at the horrifically funny english t-shirts people are unknowingly wearing sometimes? :D I think that should be ok. I mean, I feel as if its ok to laugh at Americans wearing t-shirts with messed up Japanese on them or that have incorrect kanji tattoos :)

...just my 2 円：）


It's never taboo :thumbup:

[Muku]

Especially those who more than likely got booted out of the military and just so happened to have a local wife and could stay on island.
They act like everything belongs to them because they now "live" here and many have no respect whatsover for the local population either...

"you people" is a broad description...

That's a hell of a generalization dont you think? I know of abslutely no one that was former military living here now that was kicked out and continued to live here.

In fact, at least when I was in the military many years ago, people that were married to Japanese people and were "kicked" out were not allowed to separate on island and "had" to go back to the states first. Times may have changed but I dont like the assumption that you made here.

I have also met many "younger" military people, both men and women that were extrememly well behaved and a pleasure to know. So I guess it must be the 10% thing.

So is it now taboo to laugh at the horrifically funny english t-shirts people are unknowingly wearing sometimes? I think that should be ok. I mean, I feel as if its ok to laugh at Americans wearing t-shirts with messed up Japanese on them or that have incorrect kanji tattoos

I havent read anything about anyone saying it was a taboo here have you?

[DougP]

Nope I just wanted to make sure that if I post something in the future about a funny english shirt I'm not attacked and hailed as a hate monger. That's all :)

[Muku]

Nope I just wanted to make sure that if I post something in the future about a funny english shirt I'm not attacked and hailed as a hate monger. That's all :)


Please post them, I actually get a big kick out of them as well. :thumbup:

[DoctorP]

I'll throw one more log on the fire concerning the McD (or any other resturant) drive thru. I think that the problem here is the same as the problem in the US when it comes to the drive thru...not always will you run into the smartest person in the bunch. On many occasions, whether it was me, or my wife ordering, we had to continuously repeat the order, only to have to come to the window to repeat it again. This happens quite often at KFC btw!

The problem is not that they can't understand my Japanese, or my wife's Japanese, but that they are not very bright to begin with.

Now...go into the resturant, and it is a different story. Just today we were pressed for time and I had to run over and pick up lunch at McD's for the family. I went to one in Ishikawa to save time, and there was no drive thru. The girl immediatly changed the menu over to the English side...which I did not take any offense to, as that is just good customer service. I proceeded however to place my order in Japanese, and found that there was no problem whatsoever. My order was taken quickly, and there were no errors, despite there being many special issues (i.e. no pickles, no mustard, etc...).

What I am trying to say is that every Japanese person is not bad...but just like America, there are good workers and bad ones....unfortunately you find a lot of bad ones in lower paying jobs.

[Koopa Troopa]

I hate when they don't want to talk Japanese.. Like that slag at Wendy's

Guy A: choko furoshti onegaishimasu
Wendy's lady: I'ma so ry. We aru ato
Guy A: itsu nan desuka?
Wendy's lady: Eto...... Ano...
Guy B: Nihongo daijyobu
Wendy's lady: Eto...... Ano.... just moment *gets manager*

So she wastes our time trying to figure out how to say "I don't know" in English instead of just talking Japanese... We're not the most fluent but between the two of us we can keep a conversation going.


I also hate it when they give me the evil eye for refusing their eigo menyu

[OkiMike]

I also hate it when they give me the evil eye for refusing their eigo menyu

I wanted to comment towards the end of this because this last statement reminded me partly of how I used to view Japan when I first moved here back in 2001.

I always had this sneaking suspicion that the locals were upset when I would try to learn and use their language, even to the tiniest extent. And I believed that they looked down on my in my inability to speak it properly.

In time I realized that these were actually just my own insecurities being projected onto them by my overactive imagination. In general, they were happy to oblige me the time and courtesy of attempting what (at least to them) seems impossible: a foreigner speaking Japanese.