English version
I’m from the countryside, and actually, until I became an adult, I never had any foreign friends. I wasn’t very good at English either, so I didn’t have much experience talking properly with people from other countries.
But one day, I decided to study English and started going to an English conversation class. In that class, there were classmates from China and Taiwan, and for the first time, I had the experience of interacting with people from other countries.
After class, we would often go out for drinks or meals together, and we became really close. Even now, I’m still good friends with them. Actually, it was those friends who inspired me to think, “I want to try going abroad.”
From this experience, I realized how powerful “connecting with people through language” can be. So, if you’re living in Japan now and struggling to make Japanese friends, here’s one thing I highly recommend: try learning a language other than Japanese.
For example, even if you go to a Japanese language school, there might be no Japanese students there. But if you are an English speaker, why not take a class in French, German, or another language that is not your native language? Many times, Japanese students also attend those classes.
And Japanese people who are interested in such languages usually have an interest in other countries’ cultures and people, so there’s a good chance you’ll become friends. Therefore, if you want to make Japanese friends in Japan, I recommend this somewhat unexpected but very effective method: learning another foreign language.
Please give it a try!
