Offended By Me Speaking Japanese

Hi again,

please don't forget about Japanese.

Japanese shop owner has one same spirit "Customer is GOD"
IF japanese staff working in restaurant, then everyone use a smile and maybe talking to you "nihongo jouzu desune(your Japanese is very well)"

Many Japanese feels "they are Korean"

that's really bad accident.

Anthem, please enjoy Japanese food in TRUE Japanese reataurant and learn Japanese.

we are Japanese! many people wanna to talk to you or someone who interested in Japanese culture and Japanese pop-culture.

from Far East Island.

I agree with other posts that the chef was probably not Japanese.

I get asked where I'm from. And I tell them NY, cause honestly I was born and raised in NY. And it seems like everyone in the south just assumes that I'm from Japan somewhere.
But I've had some people ask after I've already responded NY, "oh I mean before that". and then I throw in the I was born in NY. and they insist on knowing as if they'd get enlightened somehow by knowing where my parents are from. It goes in one ear and out the other. I can't tolerate that kind of thing.

In Australia here - I avoid asking that question entirely (where are you from?). You can normally tell from someone's accent (or lack of) whether they are born here, been here long time or fresh of the boat.

If I absolutely want/need to ask I word it "where is your family originally from?" - that leaves the conversation open to them to then tell me about themselves if they wish.

It seems that generally, the Japanese culture is much more polite than the english culture, especially in north america. Many seem very interested in our western culture as we are in theirs. Our's is much more casual and not generally surrounded with concerns of ettiquette (for instance having bathroom conversations when eating = not as commonly viewed as offensive/impolite as in Japan) and they are not as freely expressive of their opinions as we are.

I get excited when I hear someone trying to speak english and trying so hard because I understand that for many, learning a new language, and adjusting to a different culture, can often times be difficult. In addition to that, the english one is backwards. So I'm sure many of them feel the same way when we try to speak their language because not all native english speakers try to do that.

With many of the Japanese speakers that I've spoken to, they seem very considerate and polite. They can also be shy or reserved though (especially older native Japanese speakers living here). But please do not be deterred. In my experience with many of the Japanese speakers I've had conversations with (watashi no nihongo ga amari dewa arimasen), they try to be as helpful as possible in your learning, especially when they detect a sincere interest in learning about their language and/or culture.

So the person may not have actually been Japanese but looked similar, I have had times when trying to speak to someone in Japanese when they were in fact a different ethnicity and they didn't respond until the third time I spoke in Japanese (because they weren't sure what I was saying) and then said "Huh? I'm korean (or some other ethnicity)."

Please do not get discouraged, they are also very reserved when it comes to facial expressions in Japan, so some living in the western culture may subconsciously (not realizing it) respond with limited expression. Don't take it personally, they try very hard not to make us uncomfortable, but cultures can differ in ways that you don't even consider because it's normal to you. Sometimes it can be easy to be discouraged or conclude that they don't like you because of the contrasting differences in our cultures. Don't be discouraged, keep trying, that's how you learn!

Ganbarimasu kudasai. Keep up the good work and efforts. Most Japanese speakers will surely appreciate it!

"I live in the US in an area where their are few Japanese"

I'm a Japanese who lives in the US.
Majority of Sushi/Japanese restaurants are owned by other Asian people, and if there aren't many Japanese in your area, it's very likely that sushi chefs aren't Japanese either.

Where I live, the nearest Japanese restaurant is owned by Vietnamese.

At one of the Japanese restaurants,
even one restaurant owner lied that he was Japanese at first, and later he admitted that he was lying. ( this was in Indiana)

Yes, I was also thinking about the possibility that the chef could be of other race and pretended that he's a Japanese. If that's the case it could explain why he decided to keep mum. Some people think that by pretending to be (in this case) Japanese it gives them more credentials as they are in the Japanese food business.

Some people may not be able to tell the difference between a Japanese, Korean or Chinese. In my travels to Japan I've often been mistaken as a Japanese by the Japanese themselves - until I speak.