Meeting Japanese

Developing friendships with locals can add significantly to your learning experience in Japan. Besides language practice, you can also gain insight into the local culture and society. Middlebury encourages you to meet and talk to local citizens. Being on campus, you will be surrounded by friends your own age, with your kind of background. Real Japan extends far and wide beyond the limit of ICU campus. Talk to strangers on the street and ask for directions, strike up a conversation with someone at a bus stop. Take the initiative to communicate with a wide spectrum of people, all of whom represent some segment of Japan.

Because English is considered the language for “international” communication, many of your Japanese friends will want to practice English with you. The School in Japan is located in Tokyo where you are more than likely to be surrounded by friends whose primary interest in you is to improve their English skills. Now in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the government is encouraging Japanese to speak to foreign visitors in English. All of these, we realize, are going to send you a discouraging message upon arrival in Japan. We understand that it will be difficult for you to convince them that you really want to speak Japanese with them – but don’t be discouraged! Help them understand that you are there to learn the language, and use tactics to communicate your commitment to speaking Japanese. We will discuss strategies to help you “negotiate” this with locals, but remember that  ultimately it is you who will uphold the spirit of the language pledge and use the target language consistently in your everyday interaction with others.

One of the strategies in making friends is for you to join groups, such as sports clubs or local community organizations. They are meeting because they share a certain interest, and you are likely to be welcomed as one of “them.” As a part of our Community Engagement activities, past students have volunteered at local elementary schools, nursing homes, Mitaka City Tourism Office, a Rakugo performance group, organic farms, and publishing companies. This list will grow as you come and help us identify more groups to work with. Come prepared to learn to be a contributing member of the local community, and tell us how we can assist you in that process.

We have created a short video on making local friends, which can be viewed here.