Just in Tokyo by Justin Hall
Page #28
This is a browsable copy of the original pdf
hosted on Rikai.com

If you enjoy this work,
please consider donating to the author
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed
under a Creative Commons License.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 67
  • Back to Rikai...
  • Rikai Sitemap
    • 28 - Just In Tokyo
    Some Traveler's Japanese
    sumimasen - sorry my large bag just nearly knocked you over on the
    train.
    sumimasen - please distract yourself from typing on your mobile
    phone long enough to move out of the way so I can get off this
    subway car seconds before the doors close.
    wakarimasen - I am unable to speak any of your language except to
    say `I do not understand" and if you say anything more I might repeat
    this word even if I'm better off shutting up and nodding and reading
    your facial expression to try to figure out what you're saying but the
    jet lag is kicking in and all I wanted to know is if you have a room that
    doesn't smell like forty years of accumulated cigarette smoke.
    dozo - older lady carrying two large canvas shopping bags; you are
    standing up in a crowded subway car as young men and women
    who have seats fiddle with their mobile phones ignoring you. Locals
    will force you to stand in spite of your age, but I am a foreigner and I
    will stand up to offer you this seat. Please, please, take it!
    domo - thank you, you have said many things to me that I do not
    understand, and it would probably be okay if I said nothing, but domo
    is a small gesture of my appreciation for this delicious muscat grape
    yogurt drink that I have just successfully purchased from you in this
    very fluorescent-lit convenience store.
    arigato - domo just sounds too short, so I will say arigato to you, the
    eager waitress who just handed me a hot towel.
    domo arigato - I am grateful, o subway station manager, that you
    have let me through this gate even though I lost my ticket and I could
    have been lying about it and I can't speak your language but you
    figured out from my worried expression and gestures that I am a
    good person and I just want to leave your station.
    konnichiwa - I've heard this one Japanese greeting and so I'm going
    to say "good afternoon" all day and all night long as my international
    gesture of friendship.
    ohayo - let's smile, bow slightly, perhaps awkwardly, and say "good
    morning!" because it's easy to remember and fun to say.
    In Japan,six newspapers are printed for every ten people, nearly
    three times the rate of newspapers per person in America.