TOKYO – If Bill Murray’s character in the recently released movie “Lost in Translation” feels like an American fish out of water in Tokyo Bay, he’s not alone. Murray plays the part of Bob Harris, a Hollywood actor visiting Tokyo to film a TV commercial. He quickly finds himself feeling so isolated, lonely and out of place in the land of the rising sun that he plots a “jail break” back to the United States.
It’s easy to see why English-speaking travelers find the language barrier in Japan so daunting. The spoken language at first seems like a string of guttural and nasal-sounding gibberish.
And the written language is built around characters that bear no resemblance to the Roman alphabet upon which Western dialects are based.
But any foreigner who comes to Japan with plenty of humility, patience and persistence will find that the language barrier is not insurmountable and that Japan is a country full of wonders – even if they are enjoyed at least partly in ignorant bliss. After all, the pleasures derived from touring the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, visiting a Shinto temple or attending a baseball game in the Tokyo Dome are universally understood.
I spent almost a week in Tokyo in mid-August, accompanying my wife and her boss on a business trip. The one thing we agreed upon most was that everyone we encountered in Tokyo – and there are 12.5 million people in the metro area – was beyond polite, kind and caring, even when it felt like there was no getting over, around or through the language barrier.
The highlight of our language-barrier follies occurred on our second day in Tokyo. We had walked from our hotel about five blocks into the heart of the Akasaka business district, where restaurants, bars and even a few massage parlors line the narrow streets. One of 23 distinct wards that are like small cities of their own, Akasaka – at least this part – was off the beaten tourist path. We were with the locals.
After finally settling on a tiny restaurant we walked through the door and slid around a small table. When the waitress plunked the menus down before us, we knew we were in trouble: no pictures of various dishes and no English translation (menus at many restaurants in Tokyo have both). Neither the waitress nor anyone else in the joint spoke a lick of English, and I had left all my guide- and phrasebooks back at the hotel. The two phrases that I had mastered – konnichi wa (hello or good day) and arigato (thank you) – were useless here.
So we asked for paper and pencil, and then we drew pictures. Of a chicken, of a cow. And we made animal noises – moo-moo, bok-bok-bok, gobble-gobble-gobble – and did the chicken dance. Blank stare. Maybe cows don’t go “moo-moo” in Japan? Maybe chickens don’t dance?
Finally, after a few comical minutes, we took the waitress outside and pointed to some of the plastic food items on display in the restaurant’s front window. This is a fairly common way for non-Japanese speakers to order a meal in Japan, as is pointing to pictures of those same fish, noodle or vegetable dishes on menus. Many of the people in Tokyo may not speak English, but they understand the written language, so writing down what you’d like if there’s no English translation on the menu is another solution.
Our lunch ended up consisting of cold noodles and chicken teriyaki with rice. It was wonderful.
Almost everywhere you go, you will find the English language in Tokyo. The names of buildings, businesses and major attractions are almost always written in English alongside Japanese lettering, if not written exclusively in English. Atop one of the brightest buildings in the fashionable Ginza shopping district is a name recognized worldwide: Sony. At the traditional Kabuki-za Theater, you can rent headphones that carry an English narration so you can follow the stage action. Pamphlets at nearly all the major attractions, including the Tokyo National Museum where the main attraction was titled “Alexander the Great,” are available in English.
And at the Tokyo Dome, just as in ballparks across America, baseball fans buy tickets from scalpers, belt out the words to “Take me out to the ballgame” in English and enjoy cold beer and hot dogs.
The subway system is also a Godsend to Western travelers. Not only is it convenient and affordable, but the names of all 13 subway lines and each subway station are listed on maps and in the stations themselves in both Japanese and Roman characters. Without being able to read and pronounce the names of the lines or stations, navigating Tokyo would be nearly impossible for English-speaking tourists.
My most frustrating experience with the subway was my very first experience outside of our hotel. I couldn’t figure out how to get the ticket machine to accept my 1,000-yen note. A perfect stranger tried to help, and then the man working the ticket booth came out and helped as well. Together they got me on my way. And then, with my head buried in a map, I didn’t notice when every last passenger disembarked because the train was going out of service. A woman tapped me on the shoulder and gestured to the now-empty rail car. The translation was clear: Get off the train.
Still, plenty of opportunities exist for things to get lost in the translation. A sign at a small museum on the grounds of the Imperial Palace’s East Garden encouraged visitors to take a brochure: “Read at your disposal,” the sign said, instead of “Read at your convenience.” At one restaurant where we ate and drank sake, an item on the menu was listed as, “Potato of the oven.” That’s long-hand for baked potato.
Not that the Japanese are unhelpful when it comes to helping dumbfounded, or just plain dumb, American tourists. Quite the opposite. We didn’t encounter a single unhelpful person in our travels. Everyone went out of their way to point us in what they thought was the right direction toward the Meiji Shrine, help us work the subway ticket machines, or tell us that the Tsukiji Fish Market was closed for the holiday.
In fact, people wanted to be so helpful that they occasionally wouldn’t tell us when they didn’t know where something was located. We got turned around three times in the pouring rain by people trying to help us find the Meiji Shrine. One man stood in the rain in silence with us for what seemed like 10 minutes before we finally went our separate ways.
American tourists seem to stick out in Tokyo, and while some people shied away from us, others were drawn to us. One Japanese man came up to us at the Sensoji Temple and asked if we were from the United States.
“We are,” we said sort of sheepishly.
“What state?” he asked.
“Colorado,” we answered.
“Ah,” he said slowly. “Do you know who killed JonBent?”
We chatted for a few minutes, and then he thanked us for letting him practice his English on us.
I only had one experience in which I couldn’t break through the language barrier. I had walked into the National Theater and found myself in a line of people, apparently for the next show. But I couldn’t find an usher or anyone in line to explain what the production was. So in frustration, I turned and walked out .
But if that was my worst experience, then visiting Tokyo was a wild success. In the end, not a thing was lost in the translation.
Evan Dreyer, a former editor at The Denver Post, is a freelance writer who lives in Denver.
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TOURING TOKYO
Because of Tokyo’s subway system, getting around the city is a breeze. Thirteen public and private subway lines connect the city. Japan Railways also operates above-ground commuter trains and a bullet train that takes travelers to such places as Mount Fuji and all across the countryside.
At 160 yen (about $1.40) for most one-way trips, the cost of the subway can’t be beaten. The train cars are spotless, free of litter and graffiti, and if you can avoid the peak rush-hour times, you won’t feel too crowded. One-day or one-week passes offer unlimited travel at an even better discount.
You will need a good map for the subway system and the city in general. I planned the trip from home using a map from Fodor’s Tokyo CityPack series. I got a better map from the Tourist Information Center at Narita Airport. The centers, run by the Japan National Tourist Organization, can be found across Tokyo and are staffed with English-speaking employees.
I had only four full days of actual sightseeing time, so I wasn’t able to see everything I wanted. Here are the highlights:
Central Tokyo
Hotel New Otani: This is where we happened to stay, but it’s also home of a historic 10-acre traditional Japanese garden, complete with waterfall. The hotel offers a traditional tea ceremony, something every tourist should experience.
East Gardens of the Imperial Palace: The palace itself is off-limits to tourists, but the East Gardens are lush green, vast and meticulously cared for. The series of moats and rock walls that were built in the 1600s and still surround the site are just as impressive as the gardens.
The Roppongi District: This is where foreign tourists come at night to sing karaoke and drink.
Western Tokyo
Shinjuku Subway Station: This is perhaps the busiest subway station in the world, with more than 1 million passengers daily. During the rush hour, subway workers forcibly push passengers into the trains before the doors close to make as much room as possible in each car. Many of Tokyo’s high-rises are built here, because this part of the city seems to better withstand earthquakes than other parts.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building: This complex of two office towers offers one of the best views of sprawling Tokyo from its 45th-floor observatory.
The Shinjuku District at Night: This is where all the neon is – more than in Las Vegas, more than in New York’s Times Square. It glows here, and with the nonstop flashing of pretty lights, delicious aromas wafting from restaurants and sidewalk cafes, and the sounds of laughter spilling out of the bars and nightclubs, this is the place where the Japanese come for fun.
Northern Tokyo
Tokyo National Museum: This world-class museum boasts five buildings that offer exhibits of Japanese art, artifacts and other antiquities, some dating back more than 1,000 years.
Asakusa District: Some of the best shopping for souveniers happens here, the heart of “old downtown” Tokyo. Thousands of small stalls line the narrow streets leading to the Sensoji Temple.
Sensoji Temple: This Buddhist temple, more formerly known as the Asakusa Kannon Temple, dates to the seventh century and is hailed as one of the most popular temples in the country. Incense is burned and ceremonial waters are drunk outside the temple, giving the temple square a religiously festive atmosphere.
South/East/Tokyo Bay:
Kabuki-za Theater: The colorful costumes, well-orchestrated fight scenes and simple sets are what make this a must for any visitor. English narrations are available via headphones to make the experience even more enjoyable.
Sapporo Beer Hall: What can I say? This is just a giant, high-ceilinged hall where people come to socialize, eat, smoke and – what else? – drink beer.
One final note on the attractions: If you can see a baseball game in the Tokyo Dome, do it. The 55,000-seat dome is home to the Yomiuri Giants and the Nippon Ham Fighters. We bought tickets from scalpers outside the ballpark and saw the Giants play the Hanshin Tigers. They love their baseball in Japan. The energy was so intense it felt like we were at a revival. Even if you’re not a baseball fan but you love people and new experiences, this one is well worth the price of admission.
Quick tips:
Guidebooks: Read lots of them. The best ones I found were Fodor’s and Frommer’s. They’ll help you with everything from guided tour packages to hotel accommodations to daily sightseeing recommendations.
Phrasebooks: Get one. I used the Lonely Planet’s and it was very helpful.
Currency: The exchange rate is about 114 Japanese yen per U.S. $1. Major credit cards are accepted everywhere, and most major hotels will exchange dollars for yen.
Meals: Get out of your hotel and eat what the locals eat: noodles, fish and vegetables. Not only will you eat healthfully, but you’ll eat cheaper, and that’s no small thing in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
– Evan Dreyer
