Offended By Me Speaking Japanese

I live in the US in an area where their are few Japanese. I do know some Japanese, maybe enough to have a low level conversation. I went to a local Sushi bar and low and behold the owner was Japanese, so I tried to speak to him in Japanese. Just saying konichiwa and asked him how long he lived in this state. kono georgia de donno gurai sunde imasuka? Well maybe I could has said it more perfectly but he was obviously offended by my trying to speak Japanese. I felt embarrassed didnt say another word ate my food and left.

What gives??

should I ask if it is ok for my to try to speak japanese and explain first?

Anyway this is one of the reasons why I never ever speak Japanese. I just practice to myself or in a chat room

Offended in what way? Did he ignore you? Swear at you?

Could it be that he was not Japanese or could not speak good Japanese himself?

I've found that many people of Japanese ancestry living in the US do not know how to speak Japanese.

Who knows, maybe he was born and brought up in the US. Or maybe he was not from Japan, as someone else has pointed out. So maybe he did not understand the question.

Another thing - I don't know how the place was set up, but in some restaurants with a counter-top table, so that you face the chef, some chefs *might* chat with the customers. On the other hand, there are some "tough attitude" chefs that consider chatting with customers to be part of the waiter/waitress job, not theirs, they just cook like professionals do, nothing else :).

Without knowing what exactly happened (offended in what way, I don't know), these are a few things I can imagine - but I hope you don't get discouraged by this incident.

I've found that many people of Japanese ancestry living in the US do not know how to speak Japanese.

I agree with this. I am Japanese American from the west coast and I'd hazard to say that most Japanese Americans don't speak Japanese. So the first question I'd want to know is how do you know he speaks Japanese? And assuming he speaks Japanese, how was he offended?

I also agree with Paul. Just because it was a shishi restaurant and the owner looked lika an Asian, that doesn't mean he was Japanese. I personally know a Chinese who owns a sushi bar.

I am from Georgia too and all the sushi places I have been to are run/staffed by Koreans. So it's possible he was Korean.

OTOH if he was Japanese, maybe he wasn't in the mood to attempt a conversation, especially if it seemed like you were a student trying to practice your Japanese while he was busy working. Now that I live in Japan I'm approached sometimes by people who want to practice English, and it's usually really annoying since 9 times out of 10 I am busy doing something else...or else it comes across as insulting, because it can mean they assume that even though you live in the country, you can't speak the language.

So there are quite a few reasons why I can think a sushi chef in America wouldn't be up for speaking Japanese.

I agree with the others about the possibility of him not being able to speak Japanese, but even if he was, I can still relate to that.

As suggested, as far as I know, no matter the nationality, a lot of people who live abroad live there for a reason, and often that reason is to be surrounded by people who don't speak your native language. This has happened to me often when I try to start a conversation with a fellow Japanese I spot while traveling overseas. Or they'd already be fluent in the local language and can be tired of having people come up to you and expect to use you as a free language teacher.

Another reason might be that when you unexpectedly say a few phrases in a foreign language, the other party tends to miss what's going on. They wouldn't expect it to be another language they know, so they'd think you were mumbling something unimportant and will ignore you until you repeat it a few times, which is quite embarrassing according to my experiences of trying to speak German, French, Thai or Vietnamese in which I don't speak very well.

To be brutally honest, I have no problem understanding why some people would react negatively to your attempts to engage them in inane conversation for the purpose of practicing your rudimentary Japanese. Have you considered that when you behave that way they might feel that you are objectifying them? Consider what you said, how you said it, why you were doing this, and how sensitive you were to the other person from the outset. Don�ft give up trying to learn Japanese! But do try to understand that not every Japanese person in the world is going to want to help you. (If the chat room doesn�ft do the trick, shell out some bucks for a tutor.)

There is still another reason...he may have been offended by the question "how long have you been here" . Some immigrants get offended because, although they do know that they look foreign, they consider themselves as full citizens of their new country. One of my friends get asked that question before she even open her mouth and it drives her mad as not only her but her MOTHER were born in North America! Ironically I don't get asked--at first--as I look kind of white. In other words, if you want to practise a language DON'T ASK personal questions!

I think it's a little harsh to say that the chef taking offence is Anthem's fault. Yes, he might not be Japanese, or yes, he might not like people to bother him while he's working, but I think that the chef's negative reaction to the question was the chef's problem and not yours, Anthem.

You asked an innocent question without meaning to be rude. If the chef was a kind person with a sense of humour he would have answered (if he could speak Japanese) or laugh it off (if he couldn't speak Japanese). There is a great sushi place back home that I used to go to (I live in Japan now) where the chef was quite happy for me to try to speak in Japanese. He actually got a kick out of it!

Whatever the reason for the chef's reaction, I think it's better not to overthink it. You can't control who will take offence to your well-meaning attempts at conversation. Accept it and move on, and find a sushi place where the chef actually wants to keep his customers!

To be brutally honest, I have no problem understanding why some people would react negatively to your attempts to engage them in inane conversation for the purpose of practicing your rudimentary Japanese. Have you considered that when you behave that way they might feel that you are objectifying them? Consider what you said, how you said it, why you were doing this, and how sensitive you were to the other person from the outset. Don�t give up trying to learn Japanese! But do try to understand


Well, I have trouble understanding it, as described....the person is not only running or working in a customer service business, but one which actually runs on the premise of a dispensation of Japanese culture....its a Japanese restaurant therefor a kind of Japanese shop front, providing a Japanese experience...every reason I have read here which may in fact be true and explain this, are very poor form under the circumstances, to be rude and truly embarrass this person by silence.

Oh, he/she "objectified" the staff member, now?
That just renders me speechless...is like straight from the diase of some college academic, but in this case, we are guilty of 'objectifying" a staff member in a Japanese restaurant by attempting basic friendly conversation, in, of all things, Japanese.

I will say that even judging from my own area, where one of the local shop precincts is heavily Vietnamese/Chinese owned, and I am a regular at a couple of the shops, that surpringly rude unfriendly staff are not unusual.Perhaps not the rule, but not unusual. They tend to speak very poor English , which is one thing , but can be worked through, but also cant be bothered in general. Ive more than once countenanced laying a complaint.

OP, imo, you did nothing wrong to deserve being basically humiliated, maybe your worst offence was being a little perky and running into some waiter with sh** on his liver.

Ok, i could be wrong but didn't the Opening Poster ask "how long will you stay in georgia" now how long HAVE you stayed in georgia..

then it could sound kinda like "when are you getting out of my country" racism type stuff..

Anyone that speaks japanese fluently, feel free to correct me..

The quote "kono georgia de donno gurai sunde imasuka?" that the OP said does sound a bit unnatural from a Japanese perspective, but (if pronouced correctly) is comprehensible and can only be interpreted as "How long have you been living in this Georgia?" and not "how long will you stay in georgia."

And even if someone asked you, "How long will you stay in georgia?" I think it's unlikely for an average Japanese adult to assume it meant, "when are you getting out of my country" racism type stuff. I mean, don't we ask this question all the time?

"How long will you stay in Georgia.." Does sound very strange to me and mildly annoying, if not insulting, as it appears to suggest that the cook is only here temporarily. I, a foreign born Canadian, have been asked many times--and in turn have asked others-- " so-how do you like..."(the town / region we are presently in). Obviously the wise answer is " its great, I just love it.." or something bland like that..

Imaging the following:
You own a small restaurant in the suburb of tokyo..
One day, it is a sunny afternoon, a tiny and friendly japanese comes to your restaurant, wearing a "I love NY" shirt, and asks you in broken but understandable english: "hau long do yo lif hiel in jappan?"

Would you feel offended?
I wouldn't... definitely not.
I would engange in a slower than normal english conversation with him (or her)...
But for me this part of customer relations and I'm not some fancy sushi master...

Maybe he was just in a bad mood. Nothing that you should really lose sleep over...

well its nice to know that you very interested in learning japanese! dont stop there my friend.try talking to other japanese who are leaving in your area.that sushi bar is not the only place where you can find a japanese. the point is if you fail in your first try to have a conversation using japanese then try again.
dont mind the reaction of the sushi bar owner and besides not all japanese behave that way(if he is really japanese).and try to open a converation aside from ur first question.maybe it will click! gudluck!oganbatte kudasai..akeramenai de kudasai! (i dont know if its correct but just keep on trying!(-�Q-)

I'm native Japanese.

maybe that man is not a Japanese.(I think Korean)

when someone talking Japanese to me in US. normal people will glad right?

and working person in Sushi restaurant, usually they are Korean or Chinese......

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

How everyone feel "what is important work for Sushi Master?"

of course include making Sushi.
and other important point is "they MUST makes good communication"

that is Japanese common sense.

Anthem, please don't be hate Japanese.