LING 343: Intercultural Discourse

San Francisco is a bustling city filled with people from all parts of the world. San Francisco boasts the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. In a 2009-2013 census, 40.4% of the participants said they spoke a language different from English at home. The people of San Francisco are bringing the languages around the world to this city, however the government officials ruling this city are slow to adapt to the residents of this city. In a city with so many different cultures melting into a small 46.89 square miles, San Francisco’s population is incredibly multilingual, however the official signage on streets, maps, public transit ways, and government-regulated signs remain in English.

The BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) connects most of the Bay area from Oakland to Berkeley to Richmond and of course San Francisco. On one given weekday, January 19 of 2019 for example, there were approximately 395,860 riders alone. Aside from the BART, public transportation in San Francisco is widely used and well connected with over 21 different public transportation services available. I have ridden public transportation everyday for the past month and only have ridden the new BART trains once out of an approximate 65 rides. These new trains have automated screens displaying the upcoming station, the word “next” has smaller translations in 4 different languages, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Spanish. Interestingly the top 4 languages spoken other than English in a census from 2009-2013, are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. While these new screens are a step in the right direction towards a multilingual city, they aren’t fully implemented on the subway system, on all types of public transportation, nor translate any important information such as stop names or directions. Aside from these baby steps, I wasn’t able to find any variation in language in any government-issued signs.

Korean label on BART train

The residents of San Francisco recognize the multilingual landscape and that’s why businesses and restaurants often have different languages on signs. The Missions District is a prominent Spanish-speaking area. When I was in the Missions District, I noticed a Chinese butcher shop and was intrigued because I assumed that most of the surrounding area couldn’t read Chinese. When I entered I noticed that aside from the meat, all the side products such as condiments or prepared foods were Chinese or Mexican companies. On the signs for the meat itself, underneath the English label there were Spanish labels. I noticed that a customer and an employee of the establishment were having an interaction entirely in Spanish. I spoke to the employees in Mandarin. This shop, like many others around this city, remained true to their identity as a Chinese-owned establishment, yet adapted to the environment they were in and realized that they needed to use Spanish to attract the consumers of the area. The placement of English on the signs served as universal baseline to guarantee that no matter what language you natively speak, there was a way to convey the information needed. English was used not because it reflected the linguistic landscape of the Missions District, not because the owners of the establishment use it, but because it is the official language of the country.

                                                                                                                      

Leeman and Modan identify political, social, economic factors to makeup the linguistic landscape of a city. While San Francisco’s political powers haven’t recognized the multilingual landscape, the social and economic powers of the people and business owners have and have changed the signs as well as the use of spoken language to reflect that.

 

 

 

Works Cited

“GCT-PH1 – Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County – Census Tract”. 2010 United States Census Summary File 1. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 27, 2019.

Leeman, J & Modan, G. (2009), Commodified language in Chinatown: a contextualized

approach to a linguistic landscape. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 13(3), 332-362.

“Ridership Reports.” Bay Area Rapid Transit, www.bart.gov/about/reports/ridership.

 

US Census Bureau. “Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English.” Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English, 28 Oct. 2015, www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html.

Carson Fleming

Ling 343

Linguistic Landscape of Dublin Transportation

Dublin, Ireland is a small but growing city. In the recent years it has developed into a multicultural city. In the Dublin city center there is a wide range of different people and cultures. Although Dublin is growing into a more cultural and diverse city, it has also managed to preserve the Irish language and history. Throughout the country there are multiple traces of Irish history ranging from the transportation signs, to the Gaelic games, to the Irish languages being taught in schools. The majority of people in the city speak English, but Irish is still common in the older generations and in the country side. The linguistic landscape of Ireland shows a social and political preservation of Irish language and heritage, while also mixing in a modern multicultural landscape.

Using the bus transportation, I have noticed that every sign has English and Irish translations. The directions on where to go and the emergency exits on the bus also have both of the languages. The Irish translation is a reminder of the preservation of Irish culture and history. The signs support a multilingual community allowing a traditional older generation to have an Irish translation and a younger, multicultural generation to have an English translation.

   

I walk to work every day and throughout my commute I have noticed that on busy street crossings there is a sign on the ground that tells you which way to look. It either says look left or look right with arrows pointing in each direction. I found it interesting that there are directions specifically made to help Americans and other visitors who are not familiar with the flow of traffic. This example helps to show that Dublin is a multicultural city, making a reminder on the road to specifically help those who are not familiar with the traffic flow.

The linguistic landscape of Dublin shows a historical context of Irish history and a language that has been preserved throughout the years. The Irish translations throughout the city and on all forms of transportation and signs emphasizes the sociohistorical context of the language. As the article mentioned, the linguistic landscape is seen as a representation of space that are subjective representations rather than the physical environment (Leeman & Modan, 2009.) The linguistic landscape of Dublin addresses the complex social issues and past of Ireland in a subtle way.

After the famine of the nineteenth century in Ireland, the language was close to being extinct. A large portion of the population was wiped out, and the language was almost forgotten. However, an organization called The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language, made an effort to preserve the language. The organization managed to push for the language to be learned in primary and secondary schools (Monaghan, 1899). Through Irish being taught in schools to translations throughout the city, it is obvious the state has made efforts to protect the language. Not only for those of different generations and background, but also for the history and preservation of the past of Ireland.

The linguistic landscape of Dublin shows a modern and growing multicultural city and a historical preservation of the past. Although Dublin is a fast growing city filled with multiple different cultures, there is still a past that has shaped Dublin into how it is today. By preserving the past language and acknowledging those who still use the language, there is a way for the present and past to connect.

 

References:

Monaghan, C. (1899). The Revival of the Gaelic Language. PMLA, 14, Xxxi-Xxxix. doi:10.2307/456448

Leeman, Jennifer, and Gabriella Modan. “Commodified language in Chinatown: A contextualized approach to linguistic landscape 1.” Journal of Sociolinguistics 13.3 (2009): 332-362.

 

Linguistic Landscape in New York City’s Koreatown: 

 

For my project on linguistic landscapes, I choose to analyze Manhattan’s Koreatown. Koreatown is a small area comprised of just a few blocks, compared to the city’s more well-known and large ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown and Little Italy. Centered in Midtown, Koreatown is located right beside the Empire State Building and a few blocks away from Penn Station. According to the Asian American Federation Census Information Center, New York City is home to a large and growing Korean population. Currently, New York City is home to over 100,000 ethnically Korean residents, 67% of which reside in Queens and 19% of which reside in Manhattan. Although Manhattan’s Koreatown has a significant concentration of Korean residents within Manhattan and compared to Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx, Koreatown is a misnomer when considering the actual demographics of New York City.

Although Koreatown is small, it is very dense with businesses. Many of the businesses that I observed while walking around in the area appeared to be small and Korean-owned. Although there were a few large multinational corporations such as CVS and Panera Bread, many of the large businesses with a presence in Koreatown such as Pinkberry and H Mart were either founded in Korea or founded by ethnically Korean people living in other countries. Compared to the example of DC’s Chinatown, highlighted by Leeman and Modan, which dealt with a wave of gentrification aiming to make the area appealing towards English-speaking tourists seeking a commodified brand of exoticism, Manhattan’s Koreatown seems to be more of an established center for Korean-owned businesses and services targeted towards Korean people. Although the area is very easy to navigate as an English-speaking person, Koreatown has a large amount of Korean signage and advertisements. Many of the signs that I observed while walking through the area featured Korean writing either exclusively or more prominently than its English counterpart.  While walking through Koreatown, I passed a newspaper box with “The Korea Daily”. Although the sign labeling the newspaper was in English, the paper itself was written exclusively in Korean. Like the rest of New York City, Koreatown has a blend of cultural and linguistic representation. While walking the streets of Koreatown, you hear many different languages. Additionally, although Korean and English appear to be the most dominant languages represented in the area, there are many signs written in Japanese as well. Much of the advertising for food in the area markets itself as broadly Asian food or Asian fusion cuisine. 

Similarly to most of Manhattan, Koreatown is dense with businesses that experience significant tourist traffic. However, unlike Leeman and Modan’s example of Washington DC’s Chinatown, Koreatown seems to have less of an emphasis on commodifying Korean language and culture to market it towards an outside audience. Although Koreatown is not the largest center of Korean residents in the New York City metro area, the prominence of Korean-owned businesses at both the small and large scale and the robust presence of Korean language in the linguistic landscape is evident of how Koreatown functions as a cultural center for Korean people in Manhattan. 

 

 

Works Cited:

 

Asian American Federation Census Information Center. “Profile of New York City’s Korean 

     Americans: 2013 Edition.” Asian American Federation Census Information Center, 2013, 

     www.aafny.org/cic/briefs/korean2013.pdf.

 

Leeman, J & Modan, G. (2009), Commodified language in Chinatown: a contextualized

     approach to a linguistic landscape. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 13(3), 332-362.

Founded in 1965, Singapore is a relatively young country. Because of British colonization, Singapore’s official language is English, and every child is required to receive English education. However, because a large number of people moved from China in the 1960s, Chinese and Cantonese became two important everyday languages. And because Singapore was once subordinated to India and Malaysia, Indian and Malay became the “third and fourth” mother tongue of Singapore. I believe that because Singapore’s entire population is moved from other territories, it will lack a mature universal language system in a short period(within a hundred years). Instead, it will adopt bits and pieces from other language system and use them as the base. Multilingualism, then, has become a necessary step for Singapore to move forward in every aspect. 

The existing multilingual environment reflects Singapore’s multicultural phenomenon. This short paper mainly talks about two aspects: 1. Multi-language and multi-culture are inseparable. 2. Multi-language has the most fundamental meanings in many domains in Singapore.

Walking in Singapore, you can find that your senses are receiving different linguistic stimuli. Vision: You will see signs in English, Chinese, Malay, and Hindi. Hearing: You will hear the first four languages, as well as the dialects of various local areas, and more importantly, the 40-year-old, more mature Singaporean fusion language: Singlish. Smell and taste are more tricky because they are not strictly spoken or written languages. But in a broad sense, I think that the food that corresponds to smell and the taste is also a silent language—because it brings together the memory of the whole nation. The ingredients, cooking methods, seasonings, and the use of utensils all tell the history, habits, and preferences of different races. Unlike in a mono-ethnic country like China, where culture and language do not need to be deliberately integrated; unlike in the United States, cultures and languages are always separate and difficult to reconcile. Singapore is a strange country: people of different skin colors and different cultural backgrounds come to this small place in Southeast Asia to flee from home or try to conquer this island. However, after a few decades, everyone begins to integrate in an orderly manner and create a mutual future for themselves. There is no doubt that this multilingual environment in Singapore comes from the harmonious coexistence of various cultures. Even though Singapore’s official language is English, there are still four different languages on the subway sign (see the examples in the picture). Unlike many other places, it can only be used in English or in up to two languages. Singapore’s largest population is Chinese, so Singapore has every reason to write only English and Chinese on the sign. However, this country chooses to include texts from four different cultures in the sign to express its fair treatment of every culture.

In the past two weeks or so, I have traveled to some major areas of Singapore. After seeing different architectural styles, architectural purposes, crowds, and language, I think there is a saying in the sample paper that is consistent with Singapore’s national conditions: “We argue that linguistic landscapes, like other landscapes, are subjective representations rather than the objective physical environment.”(Leeman)

Basically, the difference in language is almost equal to the difference in the race. This difference is linked to many things in Singapore: your living area, your child Education, your lifestyle, your political welfare, etc. For example, Singapore has a quota system for schools: a school must receive a fixed percentage of people from each races. For example, Singapore’s prime minister needs to alternate among races. If this year is am European, and the next one will be a Malay, then a Chinese, an Indian. Looking forward to the future, I see a monolingual Singapore with all cultural intricacies mixed in. I believe that Singapore can adopt diversity in every aspect.

With its growing economy and diverse population, Hong Kong provides the perfect environment for cultural diversity. Hong Kong citizens have incorporated many of the different into their daily lives. Throughout the city, there are evidences of cultural diversity especially in the language spoken and the signs.
In Hong Kong, the majority of the population speaks Cantonese followed by English and Mandarin Chinese. The signs around the city also exemplified this as many of the signs have English translation below the Chinese characters. For example, in the public service announcement sign below in image 1, there are Chinese and English translation on it. Being able to read some Chinese, I saw that the translation between the Chinese and English was very accurate with little discrepancy in the meaning. Additionally, in the article, it quoted Landry and Bourhis that “Having one’s own language enshrined on most private and government signs should contribute to the feeling that the in-group language has value and status relative to other languages in the sociolinguistic setting” (Leeman 334). This can be seen all around the signs in the MTR station, supporting a multilingual community. Also, the Chinese characters are displayed above the English translation, showing that although Hong Kong values both Chinese and English, Chinese is valued greater.
Another example of the cultural makeup in Hong Kong is the difference in restaurant ads in different parts of the city. For example, in the more modernized parts of the city, many of the restaurant names, including the menu would have Chinese and English. This is shown in image 2 and 3. However, in the traditional part of the city, the restaurant names might only have Chinese names, shown in image 4. The menus taped outside the restaurant would also be in Chinese unless you request for an English one. The restaurant also resembles the earlier establishment discussed in the article with its use of Chinese, and red and gold in its signage (Leeman 350). In the article, it stated that English is typically used to signify modernity and it can be applied to this situation (Leeman 335). The restaurants that accommodate both English and Chinese were from high-end restaurants, typically in nice part of the city. The restaurants that have only Chinese were typically “street shops,” that serves mainly the locals. This contrast showed that the different culture that Hong Kong supports: the modern world and the traditional world.
Despite Hong Kong using the same writing system as China, it has also incorporated some English words implicitly into its system. In the restaurant ad below shown in image 5, the word strawberry is an example of this. In Mandarin, the word for strawberry is “草莓” (Cǎo méi), so typically it should have been the same writing with a Cantonese pronunciation. However, in the restaurant ad, the word for strawberry is “士多啤梨” (si6 do1 be1 lei4), which is a translation of the English pronunciation for strawberry. This shows that Hong Kong holds English to high regards with Cantonese. This was rather not surprising to me as the two primary languages in Hong Kong prior to the 1997 Handover was Cantonese and English. Also, similar to image 1, the English translation is below the Chinese, indicating that Chinese is valued more. One interesting that I found from this ad was that the English translation of the Chinese were not so accurate. For example, the translation of “冰川甜酸橙花骨” is Glacier Sweet Sour Flower Bone, but they had to adjust the translation to make it sound more appetizing. This shows that Hong Kong put in effort to incorporate English in its culture.
Overall, being able to tour Hong Kong has been a rewarding experience. I was able to see the different incorporation of American culture into Hong Kong culture through the use of language, food, and style of dress. Most of the signs will have English translation to support the multilingual community. Through my experience, I have noticed that whether the sign is public or private, both contains Chinese and English translation. I think this is because English have been integrated deeply in Hong Kong culture.

Image #1: Public Service Announcement

Image #2: Restaurant with Chinese and English

Image #3: Menu

Image #4: Restaurant with only Chinese

Image #5: Restaurant Ad

The United States of American has one of the most racially and ethnically diverse population. The languages used in the United States is even more complex, so complex that there is actually no official language in the United States at the federal level. The linguistic landscape in New York City is especially interesting because linguistic landscapes are so different in different areas of the city. The symbolic force of the Chinese signage is well seen in New York City’s Chinatown but rarely seen elsewhere.

Wandering around central Manhattan, it is very hard to see languages besides English used in signs and advertisements. There are several exceptions of Japanese restaurants displaying the store name in Japanese, but English would most definitely be used in the menus and inside of the stores. New York City is a melting pot of all races, ethnicities, and languages and English, as a global language, serves as the best and safest option when it comes choosing what language to be displayed on signs. It would be very hard, if not impossible, to find a store in central Manhattan that has absolutely no English anywhere.

Figure 1. Japanese Restaurant on Lexington Ave

New York City’s Chinatown, located in lower Manhattan, is a different story. In Chinatown, even American businesses translate their names directly into Chinese and display the companies’ names only in Chinese. On the contrast, these companies display their names only in English or bilingually in mainland China where there are way more Chinese language speakers.

Figure 2. Band of America in Chinatown, name written in traditional Chinese

It is not only the written language itself that shows the importance of Chinese in New York City’s Chinatown’s linguistic landscape. Oral discourse and cultural representations all contribute to making NYC’s Chinatown’s linguistic landscape unique. Like it was proposed in the article by Leeman & Modan that “LL research would be well-served by a rethinking of the concept of the landscape itself, based on the way the term is used in cultural geography”. It is especially true that “landscapes are characterized as representations of spaces that privilege particular subject positions and points of view”.

In Chinatown, Chinese culture can be seen everywhere. From Buddhism and Taoism architectures to KTVs and Chinese Casinos, Chinatown is filled with Chinese elements in every aspect. Chinatown’s signage shows widespread use of the Chinese language and the deep root of Chinese culture. It is this representation that makes New York City’s linguistic landscape even more divided. The Chinese culture in the U.S. is mostly seen in Chinatowns but not in other places. One reason for that is because of the great distinction between western and eastern culture. Chinese culture cannot mix and blend into the American ones. This contrast between American and Chinese culture constitute one of the biggest reasons why the linguistic landscape in Chinatown and other areas of New York are so different.

Figure 3. Taoism architecture is Chinatown

Figure 4. Buddhism Temple in Chinatown with a Chinese Casino Advertisement on top

Figure 5 (top picture) is from the article, it is the On Leong Merchants Association (Washington DC), 1935.
Figure 6 (bottom picture) is On Leong Merchants Association today (New York), 2019.

Overall, the linguistic landscape in New York City is very divided. In central Manhattan, the linguistic landscape is represented by the domination of English while in the Chinatown, symbolic force of the Chinese signage is well recognized. New York City is one of the most diverse cities in terms of language, races, and cultures. It is very interesting to see how different linguistic landscapes develop in NYC with a combination of both mixtures and separations.

 

Citation:

Leeman, Jennifer, and Gabriella Modan. “Commodified Language in Chinatown: A Contextualized Approach to Linguistic landscape1.” Journal of Sociolinguistics, vol. 13, no. 3, 2009, pp. 332–362., doi:10.1111/j.1467-9841.2009.00409.x.

“Languages of the United States.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 June 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States.

“Race and Ethnicity in the United States.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 June 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States.

Language Landscape of Singaporean Public Transport matthew beech

Yiqing Hu

Since Tokyo is a metropolitan city that attracts hundreds of thousands of travelers from around the world, many signs on the road multiple languages, such as English, Chinese, and Korean. While you can see different languages, you can also hear multiple languages, not from the tourists, but from the announcers in the street and in the subway. Nevertheless, Japanese is the most prominent language and you can seldom see foreign languages popping on big screen or large façades along the popular streets in Shinjuku and Shibuya. Overall, most foreign languages appear in public spaces where visitors flow rate is relatively high, such as tourist spots and subways. In addition, Tokyo is very friendly to handicapped by providing varied language tools for them, such as braille and whiteboards. Nonetheless, travelers come to experience the exotic Japanese culture so Japanese language remains the sole language of focus in every part of Tokyo in terms of the Japanese characters’ sizes and their central positions.

Foreign languages in the subway and tourist spots are mainly present for practical purpose, not aesthetical. Train announcements are first played in Japanese and then in English. In the case of the train station at Narita International airport, the announcements are played in at least four languages: Japanese, English, Mandarin Chinese, and Korean. Similarly, road signs and directional signs in the subways are also written in Japanese and foreign languages. For example, the sign that denotes exit and transferable line in Akihabara station is written in Japanese with a larger font, English, Chinese, and Korean (See Figure 1).

Figure 1: An exit sign in Akihabara station

There is also warning signs or posters near these crowded public areas in foreign languages. What is different in this case is that each translation is not a direct translation of the original Japanese text. For instance, this sign in Tabata station asks people to not look at their phone while walking (See Figure 2). The largest text in Japanese, describes a common scenario, means “‘We bumped into each other!’ You may have thought that, but others around you think you bumped into them.” The bottom texts in different languages bring out the real underlined meaning. The two larger texts are in Japanese and English. Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean follow up. Interestingly, although they convey the same meaning, their exact meanings are a bit different. The text in Japanese means, “Let’s stop it, walking smartphone (smartphone zombie),” white the text in English reads “STOP: Texting While Walking,” putting an emphasis on “texting.” What is more interesting is that the traditional Chinese translation does not match the simple Chinese translation. The traditional Chinese translation reads, “Focus on your road, don’t be someone whose head is always lowered.” On the other hand, the simplified Chinese boringly reads, “Don’t use your phone when you are walking.” (I do not speak Korean so I cannot examine the Korean translated text.) Designer of this poster has incorporated the respective cultural pop language of “smartphone zombies” in each of the translation.

Figure 2: A poster warning people to not use their phone while walking in Tabata station

           In another sign in front of a popular ramen restaurant called Mutekiya in Ikebukuro, multiple languages are used to inform people from other cultures that lining up to hold a place for friends is considered as cutting line in Japan (Figure 3). Although it is not clear in the picture, this notice is repeated mentioned on the wall in different language. It is written in traditional Chinese, English, Korean, Thai, and French. Similarly, the no smoking warning is also written in these five languages. Note how Japanese is not used in these notices, signifying that these are local norms that Japanese people follow regularly. Even when Japanese is used in the top notice about not cutting the line, the Japanese text is much smaller than the foreign language warnings.

Figure 3: A warning sign in front of the ramen restaurant Mutekiya in Ikebukuro

            Despite the fact that Japanese people have limited space to put as many languages to maximize visitors’ understanding of the situation, they have tried to incorporate a QR code, which you can scan and the system will translate the text into the detected language of the user (See Figure 4). Similarly, the foreign language translations are not literal. While the Japanese language reads “Button for audible walk signal,” the Chinese reads “a prompt tone button specially set for blind people.” The foreign language text usually gives more information that the Japanese text.

Figure 4: A sign explains the purpose of the button in Surugatai Road

            In Tokyo, not only “speakable” languages are used to guide people, “non-speakable” languages are also used to help the handicapped. For example, you can see braille in signs as well (See Figure 5 and 6). My advisor had also presented a business card of an NGO personnel

with English, Japanese and braille printed. Although I did not take a picture, stores and ticket windows in the subway offer a whiteboard and markers so you can choose to talk with the staffs in “writings.” These language tools help the blind, deaf-mutes and other handicapped citizens.

Figure 5 (left): Braille on train doors on the Keihintohoku Line

Figure 6 (right): Braille on the exit door in Mark City shopping mall in Shibuya

            If we bypass these details of “foreign” languages and look at the big picture, we will most likely only notice Japanese language around us in Tokyo. In the end, travelers come to experience Tokyo as an exotic place filled with Japanese culture and language. Therefore, most façades on popular streets are usually only written in Japanese or the stores’ Romanji characters (See Figure 7). In turns, the Japanese buildings filled with Japanese elements and Japanese characters provides an authentic feel of the culture and thus the language serves both an informational purpose to show what the store is about and a commercial purpose to attract tourists. Foreign languages, on the other hand, are used to help foreign visitors to be able to navigate around the city in transportation centers and on the road.

Figure 8: Ameyoko Shopping Street in Ueno

 

Tariq Khan

LING-343-1

 

Japan is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries in the world, with 98.1% of the population being ethnically Japanese (CIA Factbook, 2016). Estimates show that there are about 125 million native Japanese speakers (Wikipedia, 2010), in a country of just over 126 million (CIA Factbook, 2016), meaning that over 99% of Japanese people are native Japanese speakers. Only in 2011 was English made a “foreign language activity” of the Japanese school curriculum, and isn’t to be made mandatory until 2020 (Aoki, 2016).

That being said, I was expecting most signage in Japan, even in Tokyo, to be in Japanese, and was worried about how I’d navigate with a limited knowledge of Japanese. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all of the government signs in central Tokyo were in English as well. In subway stations, the different directions (川口左) would have their English translations underneath (Kawaguchi to the left). The digital screens showing route alternate between Japanese and English, and even announcements made over the PA, i.e., “The next stop is Akihabara”, are made in both Japanese and English.

I was curious as to why- after over two weeks in the center of Tokyo, I have yet to have overheard a conversation between Japanese people that wasn’t in Japanese. There are plenty of tourists in Shibuya (the Times Square of Tokyo), and there people would talk in everything from Tagalog to Dutch. My program director told me that Tokyo was gearing up for the 2020 Olympics by making their city more accessible to foreigners, and there were way too many in Shibuya.

However, outside the 23 wards that make up the downtown area of Tokyo, signage is far less likely to have English. I remember a sign in Warabi, a neighborhood just north of Tokyo in which I was temporarily staying, that was in Japanese with a funny looking mascot– my friend told me that he was the Tokyo firefighting mascot. This struck me as a little odd, considering any announcement about fire safety would be pretty important to be understood by tourists as well. Maps in Kita-Urawa, a neighborhood about 40 minutes north of central Tokyo where I am now staying, are only in Japanese. I haven’t seen any foreigners in Kita-Urawa, so it makes sense relative to the high concentration of tourists in Tokyo.

This is all regarding public signage. Even in downtown Tokyo, most stores would have minimal English, unless they were catering specifically to tourists. In Kita-Urawa, it’s nearly impossible to tell what type of store you might be looking at. Even for someone like myself who can read in Hiragana and Katakana, it is difficult to interpret the thousands of possible Kanji adorning the banners hanging from windows everywhere.

Japan has long been known for its xenophobic tendencies, according to my Taiwanese friend. She said Japanese shopkeepers are generally suspicious of Chinese tourists, who aren’t used to the strict manners seen in Japan. They see Chinese tourists, who may be accustomed to spitting on the streets or casually littering, as disrespecting their country. I was shocked to realize that, of the 2.9 million visitors to Japan in April 2019, over 1.3 million were from China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, which are Chinese-speaking countries. In comparison, only about 324,000 were from the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK, which were the major English-speaking countries listed on tourism.jp.com. It would stand to reason that more of the signage would accommodate the Chinese tourists, but I reckon it might be that the Japanese would encourage white, English-speaking tourists rather than Chinese.

Sorry I don’t know how to rotate the images!