Lesson 2 - Notes:
Directions
(photo
by Incase used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
1. There
are many different
ways for a
Japanese person
to answer
your question “where
is ...“. The answer will
depend upon where you
are in relation
to the place
you are looking for.
To be able
to understand the
possible Japanese responses,
you must learn
many words. In
a real situation, however, the
person will
use gestures
to point out
locations. Even if you
don't completely understand,
you can go
in the
general direction
indicated and ask
another passerby for more
information.
2. You
may be at
a station or
subway where everyone
is hurrying to catch
the next train.
In such situations,
young women may be
the most helpful
in taking time
to give
directions.
3. The
Japanese words machi and
chō
are
sometimes translated
"street," but they
actually refer to
the districts
or shopping
centers of a
city. Except for
a few major boulevards, streets
in Japanese cities
are not named.
4. WhiIe
Americans are accustomed
to giving directions in
terms of blocks,
Japanese think in
terms of corners
(kado).