Working in Japan | Language
Working in Japan Makes You Realize Why Japan Doesn’t Need English
I was one of the ignorant until real-life working experience in Japan changed my mind.
Many have probably heard that English isn’t spoken much in Japan. Still, it often takes an actual visit to Japan for visitors to be truly surprised at the lack of English, even in a supposedly global city like Tokyo.
In her recounting of her visit to the capital of Japan, Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi states that:
“I’ve visited most of Europe, and lots of people don’t speak English, which is okay. Most of this is in the smaller cities, barring Paris, where the locals will choose not to speak in English.
However, the image of Tokyo being so international, a business district, and a place that attracts tourists from across the world — it surprised me how lots of places didn’t even have English menus.”
It’s not just Tokyo. Japanese companies — even so-called global ones, are well-known for having poor English skills. For instance, back when I was working in Singapore, I found it slightly quaint that my Japanese boss couldn’t speak English.
