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CITIESCHIBAATYPICALRESERVATIONPEOPLEHAVEABOUTCOMINGTOJAPANISTHATTHELANGUAGEBARRIERISTOOMUCHTOOVERCOME.SOFIACOPPOLA’SLOSTINTRANSLATIONHARDLYHELPED.THEFIRSTFEWTIMESISAWTHATMOVIE,IWASCOMPLETELYBLOWNAWAY–ITHADTHEEFFECTOFMAKINGMEWANTTOIMMEDIATELYGOTOJAPAN(POSSIBLYWITHTHEINTENTIONOFTRACKINGDOWNANDMARRYINGSCARLETTJOHANSSON’SCHARACTERCHARLOTTE).BUTTHELASTTIMEIWATCHEDIT–ABOUTTHREEYEARSAGO–SOMETHINGHADCHANGED.THEDEPICTIONSOFTHEJAPANESESEEMEDCARTOONISHANDFACILE,ANDBOB’S(BILLMURRAY)INABILITYTOFUNCTIONINTHEWORLD’SBIGGESTCITYSEEMED,ATBEST,UNLIKELY.WATCHITAGAIN:HEDOESAQUITEPHENOMENALAMOUNTOFMOANING.ISTILLLOVEALOTOFTHINGSABOUTTHATFILM(MAYBECHARLOTTE,TOO)BUTNOWWE’REACTUALLYINJAPAN,ITSEEMSQUITERIDICULOUS.FORATEST–ANDBECAUSE,HONESTLY,THEREISN’TAGREATDEALGOINGONINFUNCTIONALCHIBACITYWHENTHESPORTSTEAMSAREPLAYINGAWAYFROMHOME–WEDECIDEDTOSPENDTHEDAYSEEINGHOWHARDITISTOGETALONGSPEAKINGONLYENGLISH.THESHORTANSWERIS:NOTVERY.URBANJAPANDOESHOLDSOMECHALLENGESFORTHEAVERAGEWESTERNER–ESPECIALLYTHEIMPREGNABLEKANJICHARACTERS–BUTMOSTTHINGSCANBEOVERCOMEWITHABITOFPATIENCEANDCOMMONSENSE.HALFOFTHEBRANDSONTHESTREETAREIMMEDIATELYRECOGNISABLEDAY24OCTOBER9THCHIBACITY,CHIBATHESTARBUCKANDTHECRAB(THEINFAMOUSYELLOWMANDTHECAFFEINATEDGREENCIRCLEAREDEPRESSINGLYVISIBLEONEVERYOTHERSTREET)ANDTHEMAJORITYOFPEOPLEINSERVICEJOBSHAVEACURSORYGRASPOFENGLISH.FAILINGTHAT,ABITOFPOINTINGANDSMILINGGETSTHEJOBDONE.THEONLYTIMEWEFOUNDANYREALDIFFICULTYWASTRYINGTOUSEACARDTOPAYINASHOP:THEPOSCAMEUPWITHABAFFLINGARRAYOFKANJITHATTHESHOPASSISTANTCOULDN’TEXPLAIN.WEPAIDINCASHINSTEAD.OUTONTHESTREET,SIGNPOSTSTOALLMAJORPOINTSOFINTERESTAREINBOTHENGLISHANDJAPANESE.LIKETHETERRIBLYMODERNTRAVELLERSWEARE,THOUGH,WESTUCKTOTHEGPSONOURPHONE.THATLEADUSTOTHECINEMA,WHEREWEBOUGHTTICKETSFORTHELATESTPLANETOFTHEAPESINSTALMENT(THEENORMOUSPICTUREOFAFURIOUSCHIMPANZEEWASADEADGIVE-AWAY)ANDWATCHEDTHEENTIRETHINGINENGLISH.WEKNOWFROMEXPERIENCETHATRUSSIAANDCHINAAREFARMOREDIFFICULTTOCOPEWITH-ENGLISHISMUCHMOREWIDELY-SPOKENINJAPAN,THOUGHOFCOURSENOWHERENEARASMUCHASIN,SAYGERMANYOREVENMEXICO.BUTTHENJAPANESEHASTHENOT-INCONSIDERABLEADVANTAGEOFHAVINGBORROWEDMANYWORDSFROMENGLISH.OCCASIONALLYTHEYPOPINTOSENTENCES,ANDSUDDENLYTHEWHOLEPOINTBECOMESCLEAR,OURBRAINSSEIZINGTHECLUESWITHBOTHHANDS.IWRITEALLTHISASTHOUGHTHEWORLDSHOULDKNOWENGLISH,ASTHOUGHIT’SEVERYONEELSE’SFAULTFORNOTSPEAKINGOURLANGUAGE.BUTOFCOURSETHAT’SNOTTHECASE–IDON’TCAREWHATBILLMURRAYSAYS.
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