Posted January 31, 2012
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I'm very curious of how much you foreign guys in Japan actually talk english in the everyday life, if japanese people out of your professional relations see it with good or bad eyes.
With other Asians though, the problem isn't racist, it's just that they assume you to be Japanese. As an example, when I first studied over here, I used to go shopping with a Chinese/Malay girl who spoke and understood less Japanese than I did. Yet every time I spoke to shop staff, they would direct their answers to her - in Japanese - expecting her to answer. They'd get a little frustrated when they found she couldn't speak Japanese.
As for obvious foreigners, they'll assume you can't speak Japanese and will scurry off to find that one staff member who is "learning" English to help you. Even when you speak to them in Japanese.
Thankfully, I don't get that reaction much these days, perhaps I sound a little more native as it were. But I still get the odd Japanese come up to me to try and strike up conversation in English.
But ultimately, your use of a non-Japanese language isn't really going to cause concern. Especially, if you pass through Saitama/Gunma, there's a fairly large Brazilian presence.