Clearly, Japan is a café culture. The last time my friend Bob returned from a solo trip to Japan, I asked him about his travels and he contributed his observations about Japanese cat cafes to my blog.
This time, he stopped in at several English-conversation cafes in Tokyo, where he was a top attraction, I'm guessing, being so good in English and all.
What did you like about going to English-conversation cafes in Tokyo?
Tokyo’s English-conversation cafes give you a chance to interact with Japanese people in ways you might not otherwise.
Why were these conversation cafes started and why are they so popular?
The cafes were established to allow Japanese people to practice speaking English, a valuable commodity because although students might learn to read and write in their school English classes, they don't always get much practice time in conversational English.
The Japanese residents who visit the cafes want to get better at speaking English either because they want to travel or live abroad or because they use English at work. The cafes are a cheaper way to practice speaking than private lessons, and probably a more fun one at that.
What did you talk about with the people at the English-language cafes?
We talked about whatever was on their minds. At three of the cafes-Norton Place, Leaf Cup and Com 'Inn-teachers or “chat hosts” led the conversations. They provided guidance on the use of English and ensured that everyone had a chance to talk.
In some cases, the conversation leaders, usually native English speakers, suggested the topics, such as whether there is equality between men and women at work. (The consensus, at least among the group I joined, was that things are improving for women in the workplace in Japan.)
In other cases, there was no agenda and the topics were open to whatever came up. Travel, movies, dating, food. Virtually anything. Almost every conversation turned, at some point, to the March 11 earthquake.
People talked about where they were when the quake occurred, how they felt at the time and how they got home from wherever they were that day. Or the next day.
Ironically, during one conversation about the earthquake, the room shook from a moderate aftershock. After murmers of surprise, the conversation continued.
What’s it like to walk into one of these English-language conversation cafes?
When I walked in, I was asked at the reception area if I was a new teacher. This was probably because few foreigners were coming by in the months after the earthquake. That had caused a big drop-off in tourism.
When I said I wanted to join the conversation, I was always welcomed.
More about Bob's experience in my next post.
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