{"id":26977,"date":"2022-06-15T15:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T15:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/?p=26977"},"modified":"2023-05-31T02:22:02","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T02:22:02","slug":"do-i-need-japanese-to-live-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/blog\/do-i-need-japanese-to-live-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I need Japanese to live in Japan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve done your research, picked a city you think you\u2019d love, and even started hunting online for good schools or jobs in the land of the rising sun. There\u2019s just one question burning in the back of your mind as you scroll past an intimidating block of indecipherable kanji: <\/span>do I need Japanese to live in Japan?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the subject of much debate, even among longtime <\/span>gaijin<\/span><\/i> living in Japan. And while there\u2019s no\u00a0<\/span>way to ever answer this question with certainty, in this article you\u2019ll learn where we stand and why.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do I need to know Japanese for life in Japan?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The short answer here is no, but you <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> should. And that \u201cno\u201d comes with a few caveats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer ultimately depends on what you\u2019re looking to gain from your life in Japan. If you speak English and don\u2019t mind living in Japan\u2019s English-speaking, gaijin-friendly bubble, having little or no Japanese can be manageable most of the time. You\u2019ll still be able to meet new people, experience unique moments, and navigate much of Japan just fine. However, you are likely to encounter difficulties with the administration side of things, such as registering your address at the ward office<\/a> and setting up a bank account<\/a>, or getting a phone contract.<\/span><\/p>\n

So while it is true, that you don\u2019t <\/span>need<\/span><\/i> to learn Japanese to live in Japan, you\u2019d be doing yourself a huge disservice. Not learning steals so many potential experiences and will keep Japan a bit smaller than you might like. Seeing the difference between your potential no-Japanese challenges in big cities vs. the countryside is a good start to realise this effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Big cities vs. the countryside<\/b><\/h2>\n

In massive cities like Tokyo, you\u2019re more likely to find English-speaking Japanese. But even then, they are somewhat few and far between. Big city-dwellers are used to tourists and how to handle non-Japanese speakers (even if their English skills aren\u2019t the best). You\u2019ll usually find most customer service staff have at least one person who can help you. But, that goes out the window once you decide to visit your first <\/span>inaka <\/span><\/i>(\u7530\u820e – countryside).<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not uncommon to wander into restaurants with no English menu and no English-speaking staff. This sounds like a trifle. But if you\u2019re someone with dietary restrictions or allergies – if you\u2019re vegan or <\/span>gluten-free<\/span><\/a>, for example – it\u2019s going to be hard for you (this is tough even if you do speak Japanese).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine being presented a menu entirely in hand-written <\/span>kanji<\/span><\/a>. No pictures. Google Translate doesn\u2019t pick up handwriting well either. You might not even know what kind of restaurant you just stepped into since the signage is entirely in kanji too. Picture playing a guessing game like this: you firing off a list of Japanese dishes that you <\/span>do<\/span><\/i> know and hoping you hit the right one to the chagrin of a confused server.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This problem extends to just about every area of life in rural areas. And to be frank, it applies to life even in the cities, too. Banking, visiting the doctor, navigating around town, making local friends, getting help fixing a tech problem – everything will be significantly harder for you without the language skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"students<\/p>\n

Why you should learn Japanese in Japan<\/b><\/h2>\n

In case the doom and gloom above didn\u2019t convince you, let\u2019s pivot to some of the positives. Learning another language is such a beautiful experience full of lifelong gifts you\u2019ll be so thankful for. We know it\u2019s not easy. But it\u2019s worth the effort a thousand times over. Here are just a few reasons to put in the work:<\/span><\/p>\n