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@davidcelis you really appear to be playing the Japanese tourist game at its absolute highest levels
Does this require mastery of the language? How do you negotiate all the incredible meals you are enjoying?
also where is Mr. Donut on your itinerary
@danilo this is my fifth time here and i still havenβt picked up the language π« im very good with pronunciation but thatβs more of a general skill for me. i only really know some basic phrases and an okay amount of food related words. mostly i rely on tabelog and google maps and aside from that itβs just getting used to being turned away from a number of places that donβt want to deal with foreigners; having two or more options at any given time is key
@davidcelis thank you for this candor, this explains a lot!
being willing to risk rejection is a key I would not have thought of
It's funny, at least on food, because the love of food in Japan is such that you can really break past barriers specifically with the chef if you show you love their work
admiration is the universal currency, but it doesn't work on the gatekeepers BETWEEN you and the chef
@danilo it doesnβt help that businesses in Japan are, in general, SO much smaller. the six-seat izakaya or four spot standing bar may seem like a trope, but then you visit. even if a place has more space, the population density means that itβs simply economical to turn away foreigners when you know that youβll be able to fill up with locals that actually speak your language
@danilo and then of course, on top of that, thereβs the pervasive xenophobia amongst the older generations who are largely still running those kinds of establishments
@davidcelis yeah one time I was flying solo and had to convince the staff of a yakiniku joint Iβd eat enough for a table of two
I held up my end of the bargain π