"Konichiwa" or "Hello"? Bilingual playboys have differing opinions when it comes to what language one should use when approaching girls in Japan.
I've attempted it in both languages extensively. For me, it has constantly been much better to approach Japanese women in English. Bear in mind, I am not a typical foreigner so your situation could require a modification of strategy. My reasoning is as follows.
Differentiating Myself and Circumventing Social Expectations
By appearance alone, I am not much different from the average Japanese man. If I begin to speak in Japanese as well, the chances that I will be lumped together with all the other Japanese men in this country will be even higher. This is not a good thing as most Japanese men who approach women they don't know do a horrible job of it.
By simply saying "hello" instead of "sumimasen", I immediately let the girl know that I am not Japanese, thus placing myself in a different category where the cultural expectations of Japanese culture do not apply. I also avoid any negative knee-jerk responses to being hit on in Japanese.
English-speaking asians are also somewhat intriguing to Japanese people due to our relative rarity. That extra bit of intrigue definitely has bought me a couple extra moments to work my charm on multiple occasions. If you're a non-asian, I still recommend using English initially because it will make any Japanese that you drop later in your interaction will be that much more of a welcome surprise.
Quick Filtering and Reliable Responses
Whether a Japanese girl is interested in me or not, utilizing English offers me excellent feed back that will inform me of where I stand. This is due to the fact that approaching in English is far more polarizing than doing so in Japanese. Her feedback to your opening will have more clear indications of whether she is interested or not. It also makes her to put effort into the interaction, which is never a bad thing. On the occasions where the conversation strikes a lull due to her absence of English capability, I can switch to Japanese and keep it going.
More Action, Less Excuses
My Japanese is pretty damn good. But even as good as it is, it's not my first language. It still takes a non-trivial amount of mental effort to converse in Japanese, even when sexy times with a beautiful Japanese girl is on the line. I believe in making things easy on yourself, and that's why I always approach in English.
Furthermore, even though the level of English penetration in Tokyo, the most international of all cities in Japan, is pretty bad, your average girl on the street will understand basic English greetings. My advice is to just use the first English greeting that comes to mind and let the chips fall where they may.
A Final Word
As with any advice, do not take this as gospel; go out and try it for yourself. Let me know how it works for you. I'd also love to know if this works for bilinguals in other countries.
I've attempted it in both languages extensively. For me, it has constantly been much better to approach Japanese women in English. Bear in mind, I am not a typical foreigner so your situation could require a modification of strategy. My reasoning is as follows.
Differentiating Myself and Circumventing Social Expectations
By appearance alone, I am not much different from the average Japanese man. If I begin to speak in Japanese as well, the chances that I will be lumped together with all the other Japanese men in this country will be even higher. This is not a good thing as most Japanese men who approach women they don't know do a horrible job of it.
By simply saying "hello" instead of "sumimasen", I immediately let the girl know that I am not Japanese, thus placing myself in a different category where the cultural expectations of Japanese culture do not apply. I also avoid any negative knee-jerk responses to being hit on in Japanese.
English-speaking asians are also somewhat intriguing to Japanese people due to our relative rarity. That extra bit of intrigue definitely has bought me a couple extra moments to work my charm on multiple occasions. If you're a non-asian, I still recommend using English initially because it will make any Japanese that you drop later in your interaction will be that much more of a welcome surprise.
Quick Filtering and Reliable Responses
Whether a Japanese girl is interested in me or not, utilizing English offers me excellent feed back that will inform me of where I stand. This is due to the fact that approaching in English is far more polarizing than doing so in Japanese. Her feedback to your opening will have more clear indications of whether she is interested or not. It also makes her to put effort into the interaction, which is never a bad thing. On the occasions where the conversation strikes a lull due to her absence of English capability, I can switch to Japanese and keep it going.
More Action, Less Excuses
My Japanese is pretty damn good. But even as good as it is, it's not my first language. It still takes a non-trivial amount of mental effort to converse in Japanese, even when sexy times with a beautiful Japanese girl is on the line. I believe in making things easy on yourself, and that's why I always approach in English.
Furthermore, even though the level of English penetration in Tokyo, the most international of all cities in Japan, is pretty bad, your average girl on the street will understand basic English greetings. My advice is to just use the first English greeting that comes to mind and let the chips fall where they may.
A Final Word
As with any advice, do not take this as gospel; go out and try it for yourself. Let me know how it works for you. I'd also love to know if this works for bilinguals in other countries.
About the Author:
Beautiful Japanese girls can be tricky. They certainly were to me, and I'm Japanese-American. Fortunately, I figured out how to lead a life of romantic abundance in the land of the rising sun. Learn everything I wish I'd known back when I was a college graduate on my blog about getting laid in Tokyo.
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