Eight percent of Japanese people are fluent in English, and only 15–28% have some conversational skills — the figure is imprecise because many poll respondents seldom try. By comparison, conversational proficiency rates in Germany and France are close to 60%; only one in ten Dutchmen does not speak English.
Japan is relatively English-friendly — especially in touristy areas or in major cities like Tokyo or Osaka. What is this? You'll find plenty of English signs and romaji translations, which are the roman spellings of Japanese words (such as “arigatou”).
You'd really be surprised how many people in Japan know English, whether they speak it fluently or simply know key phrases that will help you when you're stuck. This is especially the case in more touristy areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Harajuku.
There are plenty of opportunities in a lot of industries, even if you only speak English. In fact, a lot of foreigners, who've lived here for more than 10 years, can't speak Japanese. There's a catch, though: you're closing a lot of doors if you don't bother to learn at least conversational-level Japanese.
Language: In some hotels you may find they have limited numbers of English speaking staff. If you do encounter language barriers, be polite; they are very proud and will get embarrassed if they can't help you which might result in them avoiding even attempting to speak English (even when they can).
Do you need a visa to live in Japan? British citizens do not need a visa to enter Japan, and they are welcome to stay for up to 90 days without a tourist visa. If you're planning to work in Japan, on the other hand, you will need to apply for a visa.
Well, travel costs in Japan are cheaper than in most Western countries with similar service standards and living costs, but they are about twice as expensive as other Asian countries. Different experiences, modes of transportation, and classes of hotel meals in Japan can make a big difference in costs.
English is a compulsory subject in junior high and high schools. There are also elementary schools that introduce English education from intermediate grade classes. In some high schools, apart from English, students are also allowed to take courses in Chinese, Korean, French, German, etc.
Most police officers in Japan do not speak English. Therefore, a visitor must bring an interpreter. Visitors should check with the police station about the visiting hours and other requirements before any visit is made.
Japanese is considered challenging for English speakers due to its distinct grammatical structure and writing system, but difficulty varies by learner.
The salary for an English teacher in Japan is often between 200,000 to 600,000 Yen per month ($1,700 to $5,000). Of course, Japan is an expensive country; its economy is robust and powerful. However, these salaries are more than enough to live a great lifestyle, especially if you're living in rural Japan.
🇯🇵🌏 Tokyo stands out as the most English-friendly city, with a plethora of English language services and the highest number of international schools. 🏙️📚
While Japan sits at the top of many general safety rankings, travelers to the country still need to be aware of potential dangers and how best to react to them. Japan is prone to natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
China is a vast, complex country with 1.4 billion people and dozens of languages and dialects spoken across its provinces. While English is taught in schools and many younger Chinese people can understand basic phrases, fluency is not common—especially outside major cities.
Is $100 A Day Enough For Japan? As a budget traveller with careful planning, $100 a day is enough for travelling to Japan on a budget. Some day, you will even spend less than that. You can expect to spend around $50 on food (about 3 meals a day) and maybe $15 on transportation.
In Japan tipping is not customary. If you insist on leaving a tip this may be seen as rude - and can cause acute embarrassment even if you think someone should be rewarded extra for their work. Instead, thank your hosts politely, and be respectful.
So, Is $5,000 Enough for a Week in Japan? Yes. If $5K (per person) is your travel budget, in most seasons you should be able to make this work for a Japan trip. This of course assumes that you're not booking five-star hotels and $400 sushi dinners every night.
If you do not already have a job offer, it's still possible to move to Japan. In order to do this, you will need to be able to prove you are able to financially support yourself and your family. There is also a start-up visa designed for people who wish to move to Japan to start a business.
It would be really difficult and your world would be extremely constricted. Even though many Japanese people speak some English, they often don't feel comfortable speaking it. They might not tell you that but they will let you know in subtle ways that it is difficult for them.
While Japanese restaurants have a reputation for limited English communication, many establishments in Tokyo are increasingly accommodating English-speaking guests. This is especially true for fine dining restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide, where English service has become more common.
Is it hard to get around Japan if you only speak English?
But my conclusion is that you can go easily as long as you have enough English to read things. Japanese people don't speak practically any English, so it doesn't matter if you're not super fluent, but the Japanese are surprisingly well-prepared to receive tourists.
