Many people perceived that they will be facing communication problems when traveling in Japan. Many Japanese may not be English speaking, even they said they know English, their knowledge in English may actually limited. But after returning from my tour of south Japan, I can said that despite all the communication barrier, Japan is easy to travel. Communication is of little problem, people are normally willing to help when ask for direction.
How I traveled in Japan, without knowledge of Japanese. The three words did help me during my trip in Japan. The three words are:-
1. Sumimasen （すみません）which generally means sorry to bother you. This word help you to start the conversation with stranger, especially visitor like us. Please not "Susimasen" as my wife always confused!...it is nothing to do with Japanese food, susi.
2. Hai (はい) which means yes or in agreement. This is to acknowledge that you understand or agree with what they said.
3. Arigatou （ありがとう), which means thank you. This word is to thank them for their help, and also to end the conversation.
With the three words, I had traveled from Tokyo to Fukuoka, Nagasaki,Mojiko, Shimonoseki, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Okayama, Kurashiki, Kojima, Hemeji, Kobe, Maiko, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, until Narita airport. So you can travel like me with the 3 words, without any tour guide.
So why worry about communication, with the three words you can travel anywhere in Japan.....
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