Let me be clear from the start: I’m not writing this to brag or act superior. I’ve lived here in Japan for nearly twenty years, and that’s not a badge I’m waving around. I’m writing this because it genuinely breaks my heart to see foreigners in Japan increasingly becoming targets of criticism — over visa issues, over manners, over a whole host of things. I’m saying this for your sake, and for the sake of every other foreigner trying to make a life here.
So let me ask the question that’s been on my mind for a while now: how exactly are you getting by? I’m talking about foreigners who live and work in Japan, who have built their entire lives here — and yet can’t speak a word of Japanese. I’ve actually met people from English-speaking countries who’ve been here for decades and still have nothing. Zero. And this isn’t something you can just brush off with “oh, English is enough to get by.”
Sure, some Japanese people will smile and tell you how cool it is that you speak English, and act like that’s perfectly fine. But while you’re busy feeling good about yourself, think about how you look to the Japanese people who actually speak decent English themselves — or better yet, to fellow native English speakers who put in the work, passed the JLPT, and are out there doing their jobs entirely in Japanese. Do you really not see it? Can you honestly not connect the dots?
You’re lazy. Plain and simple. And on top of that, you’re disrespecting Japan — whether you realise it or not.
Now, I want to be clear: I’m not some Japan apologist. There’s plenty about this country that frustrates me too. But what I’m talking about has nothing to do with loving Japan. It’s about the basic mindset and attitude that anyone living in a foreign country should have — and if you can’t speak the language of the country you’ve chosen to live in, that mindset is simply not there. And that attitude, whether you’re aware of it or not, seeps out of you. People see it. And that’s exactly why tensions that have been simmering for years are now boiling over.
Japan is no longer the shiny, untouchable “developed nation” it once was. Everyone is struggling right now. And in the middle of all that, you’ve become the perfect target for people who need somewhere to direct their frustration. Think about it — over thirty years of economic stagnation, skyrocketing prices, a future that feels like it’s closing in. Ordinary Japanese people are barely scraping by. So when some foreigners can’t speak the language, don’t follow basic social norms, and are seen as enjoying the same rights funded by Japanese taxpayers — or worse, receiving welfare benefits on top of that — do you really expect people who are already exhausted and anxious to just look the other way?
I’m not telling you to pass JLPT N1. I’m asking something far more basic: have you ever genuinely tried to learn enough Japanese to function in daily life? And if you say you’ve tried but can’t — honestly, that tells me you’re probably not cut out for immigration, even if you might do just fine as a tourist. Be real with yourself. There have been moments where not speaking Japanese made your life harder, haven’t there? How long are you going to keep stumbling through conversations, throwing in English words, just barely getting by each time? That should embarrass you. It really should.
Why come to Japan and make zero effort to learn the language? I’d be willing to bet most of you don’t listen to Japanese music, don’t watch Japanese films, and have no real interest in Japanese culture at all. And that’s exactly why people tell you to “go back where you came from.” Look — nobody’s saying you have to love Japanese culture. That’s a personal thing, and you can’t force it. But if you have no interest in the culture and won’t even bother learning the language, can you really blame Japanese people for thinking you only came here for the money? You’re not obligated to embrace the culture — but meeting people halfway with the language is the bare minimum. That’s what gives you the right to stand tall and say you belong here.
At the end of the day, the surge in anti-foreign sentiment we’re seeing right now comes down to two things: Japanese people, beaten down by a country that feels like it’s lost its future, lashing out at the wrong target — and foreigners like you, who have no intention of ever learning Japanese. Both.
And finally — don’t get me wrong. I didn’t write this because I hate you or want you gone. It’s the opposite, actually. I know better than most how hard it is to live in a foreign country. But the world isn’t fair, and people who won’t make even a basic effort have no ground to stand on when they ask for equal treatment. You chose to live in Japan. Own that choice. And the first step in owning it is learning the language. A single word, a single sentence in Japanese — it can change your entire experience here. Trust me on that. Start now. It’s not too late.
