You know LEGO. We all know LEGO. These plastic brick toys have been world famous for over 70 years. There are toys, models, robots, animated movies, visual art, and more. For most people they are a childhood toy; something fun and creative to play with on a rainy day. But LEGO are not just simple blocks. Behind the popular toy is a deep history of cutting-edge technology, manufacturing, research, design, and engineering. 

Materials

The LEGO company originally made toy blocks from wood. Eventually they shifted to plastic in 1947. Different types of plastic were tried, but eventually LEGO chose ABS plastic (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) as its main material. ABS has been LEGO’s only plastic for over 50 years, but recently they are changing this. Since 2018 they started using a bio-based plastic made from sugarcane. The company is planning to completely change to an eco-friendly plastic by 2030 and is already ahead of schedule.

Finding a good material for LEGO is difficult. The LEGO quality standards for materials are some of the highest in the world. LEGO pieces must be precise, strong, and last for a long time. LEGO manufactures over 36,000,000,000 parts in a year (1,140 bricks/second) with a success rate of 99.999982%. Each piece is so strong one brick can support 375,000 bricks. To break the bottom brick, you would have to build a LEGO tower 3,591 meters high. Independent testing and in-house company testing shows that the life of a LEGO piece is between 2,000 to 3,000 uses (maybe more, depending on the piece). 

Design and Engineering

LEGO pieces are not only strong, they are well-designed. For each piece the maximum size variation is 0.004mm (that is less than the width of a human hair). In 1958 LEGO designers and engineers created, and still use, a special “universal system” for piece design. This means EVERY piece from EVERY set since 1958 will fit together with ANY other piece from ANYWHERE in the world.

To create the pieces and sets LEGO designers create and customize special 3D imaging software, modified versions of CAD, and even virtual reality models. Recently LEGO has also been training AI to design pieces, sets, and to package the toys. 

The People

LEGO Designers have backgrounds in engineering, CG modelling, design, fashion, art, architecture, and more. The application process is very difficult, very competitive, and candidates must be highly qualified. LEGO often scouts and recruits people from PhD programs and high-tier universities worldwide to become designers and LEGO creators. 

Q1: How many bricks are needed to break one LEGO brick?

A. 2,000-3,000

B. 375,000

C. 3,591

Q2: What were the first LEGO blocks made from?

A. Sugarcane 

B. Plastic

C. Wood

D. ABS 

Q3: What is special about LEGO’s “universal system”?

A. Every piece is almost perfect in size and shape.

B. Every possible piece fits together.

C. Every piece is made from eco-friendly plastic.

--- Scroll down for answers ---

A1. B

A2. C

A3. B

When we think about the winter holidays and Christmas, images of Santa Claus often come to mind. Popular characters dress in Santa-themed clothes. Many people cosplay at holiday parties as Santa and/or Mrs. Claus. Santa’s classic red-and-white colors are used in decorations, advertisements, and more. But did you know that Santa wasn’t always dressed in red-and-white? 

The character of Santa Claus has roots in many traditional stories and characters from across Europe and Central Asia. The stories and characters of Father Time, Sinterklaas, King Frost, Wotan, and Father Christmas all added to the story and character of Santa Claus. A 4th century Christian priest (Saint Nicholas of Myra) is the base for a lot of the personal background and character of Santa Claus. Many people think that the red robes of Saint Nicholas are the source of Santa’s famous outfit. The real story is much more recent. 

Many older images of Santa Claus are very similar to what we see now. An older man, dressed for cold winter weather, usually with a long cap and white fur. The colors are usually very different though. Often Santa is dressed in all white, white-and-brown, or white-and-grey. There are even purple versions! And yes, if you search there are some Santas wearing red, but they are rare. 

Santa wasn’t always the most popular part of Christmas though. For many years Christmas was a quiet religious holiday. Over the years the nature of the holiday changed, and slowly it became more festive with presents, drinking, singing, and parties. The character of Santa really started to become popular 200 years ago (through stories, books, and songs), and the colors of green and white became the “orthodox” version. Green and white matched many of the other winter decorations and traditions (pine trees, snow, etc.). Santa stayed green for almost 100 years. 

About 90 years ago (in the early 1930’s), red Santas started appearing again. The most famous version was made for the Coca-Cola Company by the artist Haddon Sundblom. The colors of Santa were made to match the Coca-Cola brand, and Santa became a bit fatter and kid-friendly. Coca-Cola was (and is) a popular and famous brand and the company started an aggressive sales campaign. The Coca-Cola Santa spread, becoming a huge hit and in a few years, magazines, television, and other media “locked” Santa into his classic red-and-white colors. Now there is no going back.

Q1: What were original colors of Santa Claus?

A. White and brown

B. Purple

C. Red 

D. All of the above

Q2: Who was the main base for the character of Santa Claus?

A. King Frost

B. Nichola of Myra 

C. Sinterklaas 

D. Father Christmas 

Q3: When did the trend of red Santas begin?

A. 100 years ago

B. 90 years ago

C. 200 years ago

D. 1700 years ago

A1. D

A2. B

A3. B

When I was young, I used to love watching American TV shows and dreamed of America. I wanted to go there someday but traveling abroad was not something anybody could do at that time. Flights were very expensive and there were hardly any opportunities for young people in Japan to learn practical and conversational English in the late 1970’s.

My interest in America and its language grew as I became a junior high school student. I was motivated to study English and was determined to enroll in the YMCA High School Conversation Course after graduation. YMCA was probably one of the very few institutions that offered practical English learning to high school students at that time in Osaka. In my senior year, I participated in the English speech contest hosted by the Osaka-San Francisco Sister-City Association as the representative of the YMCA. Winning the contest gave me a free ticket to California to do homestay for 6 weeks in the coming summer of 1981. There are no words to express the joy and excitement that I felt then.

The experience I had in the U.S. that summer instilled in me a strong desire to study at an American university. As I look back on my life, the funny thing is that I learned more about Japan and myself as a Japanese when I was living in the U.S. I grew to love my country and appreciate being a citizen. The experience made me want to teach English and help young Japanese people have positive experiences in their lives just like I did.

Being able to speak English has blessed me and brought much happiness into my life over the years, and I would like to share one experience I had this summer. The year 2021 was a special year for Japan to hold the Olympics in Tokyo after 57 years even though it was in the middle of the Covid pandemic. I decided to volunteer for the Olympics, and they put me in the Athlete Village where all the athletes from 220 countries stayed. My responsibility was to help the athletes install the smartphone game that IOC created for them. The booth I worked at was inside the cafeteria building, so I must have seen and met most of the athletes and coaches. I had never seen so many different nationalities of people before. Being able to meet and talk with them is one experience that I will always cherish and remember. I learned that it surely is possible that all the people from different nations can be one regardless of politics and religion. How wonderful it would be if all the people in the world could love and respect each other! It is my hope that you strive to improve your English skills and let your light shine in the world by sharing your talents and kindness. I believe that this is something we can do for world peace.

Q1. How did the writer make his dream to go to America come true?

Q2. What was the writer’s responsibility as a volunteer at the Tokyo Olympics?

Q3. What does the writer think we can do to contribute to world peace? 

Scroll down for answers

A1. He won a speech competition that had a homestay in the US as a prize

A2. To help athletes install a smartphone game

A3. You can learn English and share your talents with the world

I have a question for the students of Ritsumeikan University - are you bi-cultural? Have you ever had the opportunity to live (or study) in a foreign country for long enough to become familiar with its culture? As for me, I have had the good fortune to live in England (my home country) and Japan for long periods of time. Therefore, I have become familiar with the cultures of both countries. One of the main advantages of being bi-cultural is that you are able to compare and contrast nations and cultures. Like all countries, England and Japan have attractive points as well as some less-appealing ones. I would like to discuss some of the more attractive points about living in Japan, when compared with England, as well as some of its less-appealing ones. 

First, I love travelling by train and Japan has perhaps the best railway network in the world – far better than England’s. Unlike my home country, you can usually rely on Japanese trains to arrive on time. The passengers tend to be considerate to others such as not using their mobile phones or speaking loudly while on board. Furthermore, Japanese trains are usually clean because passengers almost always dispose of their rubbish at the end of their journey. Unfortunately, the English tend to leave their rubbish on the seats and tables in the train. 

Next, there is little vandalism in Japan. Japanese people tend to respect other people’s belongings which I am afraid is not always the case in England. Did you know that a recent public cycle-sharing scheme in the northern city of Manchester was stopped because more than half of the bikes were either vandalised, stolen or thrown into the city’s canal? As an Englishman, I am not only deeply saddened by this thoughtless vandalism, but also perplexed by this behaviour. Why are the English and Japanese so different in this regard? It is a complex question, which I cannot answer with any great depth here. However, I suspect the answer is deeply rooted in the differing education systems, cultural and social norms. 

Now, I would like to discuss a few things that I dislike about Japan when compared to England. Firstly, I hate the habits of slurping and sniffing. Although I can barely tolerate the culture of slurping noodles, I loathe it when the Japanese slurp their tea and coffee. However, what is even more annoying than slurping is sniffing. I dislike it when people sniff constantly, especially in enclosed spaces such as restaurants or on public transport. When I was a child at school, if I sniffed a teacher would usually offer me a tissue. I am sorely tempted to do the same with Japanese ‘sniffers.’ Just seeing the reaction would be worth the effort!

Another thing that I dislike about Japan is the regular absence of polite ‘small talk’ in everyday situations. In England, neighbours, shop assistants, café workers and so on, often initiate friendly conversation by asking “how are you today?”, “terrible weather, isn't it?”, “are you busy at the moment?” or something similar. However, in the block of flats where I live in Kyoto, some of my Japanese neighbours do not even acknowledge me, not in the lift or in the foyer of the building. It appears that I do not exist to them. I wonder why this happens? Have I upset my neighbours in some way? I do not think so, as I pride myself on being a polite and considerate one. Nor is language a hurdle as I can speak Japanese – not perfectly, but I can communicate pretty well. In addition, although I often go to the same cafes in Kyoto and am served by the same people, there is little effort on their part to converse with me. I have often initiated ‘small talk’ but it has usually ended in failure. Although Japanese service is efficient, I consider it cold, as if being served by an android. Therefore, Japanese service often lacks the warmth of customer service that can sometimes be found in England. 

In conclusion, being bi-cultural is a blessing in many ways, not least because it enables you to compare and contrast. It allows you to appreciate the finer points of a country, but also be conscious of its less pleasant ones. Therefore, being bi-cultural helps you to manage your own expectations when travelling, so when I arrive back to my home country I am mentally prepared for disruptions and annoyances on the railway. In contrast, upon my return to Japan, I look forward to travelling by train, as it is so often a pleasant way to travel. That is unless someone is sniffing next to me during the journey! I hope that you will be able to become bi-cultural in the future and discover the many pleasures, as well as occasional annoyances, which other countries and cultures may offer.

Q1. What are the two main good points about living in Japan?

Q2. What are three main bad points about living in Japan? 

Q3. What are the reasons for the differences between England and Japan regarding vandalism? 

Scroll down for answers

A1. The train network and the lack of vandalism

A2. Lack of polite small talk, slurping and sniffing

A3. The differing education systems, cultural and social norms

A sunny autumn day like today is a liminal time, an in-between state, when something is at its birthing stage. A fresh new beginning has just begun to open its tight bud into a slow blossom. Tsubaki camellia flowers strike a pose, wearing soft pink petals like a multi-layered evening gown. Fresh new leaves, a very dark matcha green, offer up the soft buds of flowers with a very distinct contrast. Deep autumn is just around the corner. Fresh new amber orange and red in their fantastic colors vie for attention. Two years ago, in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic halted the world to an almost complete stop, I discovered a secret joy. I was afraid to say it. Too many people all over the world were suffering. Many lost loved ones. Some stood at death’s door. Others battled awful symptoms. Some luckily won over the corona virus with a sniffle and a sneeze. But no doubt, countless people suffered in their own way. In the midst of all of this, I carried this secret joy. I could not share this with anyone. It didn’t feel right to voice it out loud when so many were suffering.

Like last year, I made my way to the spot where I discovered this joy. The afternoon sun was warm on my face. I couldn’t help but hum my favorite song. Can a day be as perfect as this? Everywhere I looked there were hints of autumn colors. I quickly made my way to my destination – Nanzenji temple. Last year, I had the temple to myself, a breathtaking but simple architecture – so still, ever gentle. Standing in this open space with hardly anyone around, I breathed in refreshing air, and I breathed out the stress of the frightening 24/7 news cycle of illness, death, doubt, and strife that had become a part of everyday life. What had this temple witnessed over the many centuries of its existence? Now, it became my oasis. It offered me a quiet, calming joy, almost like an extended helping hand. Since then, I have been savoring this soothing feeling of being surrounded by this breath-taking beauty and the joy of having it all to myself.

But lo and behold… What is this? Who are they? What is going on? Stop, stop, stop! Cameras clicked, loud laughter echoed in the chilly air, buzz of non-stop conversation whirling around my head, cars honking, the burned smell of rubber spewing out dark fumes from tour buses, the high-pitched voices of young tour guides mindlessly carrying high their little flag. No, this can’t be. A heavy feeling found a place in the pit of my stomach. The once high feeling slowly but surely dissipated to an increasing low. The serene Nanzenji, a place of quiet calm, the seat of Zen, was overrun once again. “Life as usual,” “Back to Normal,” “With Corona,” threatened my secret joy, this rare moment of quiet, the essence of Zen. Experiencing history, tradition, and ritual of calm in temples like Nanzenji is what I had been savoring within these two years of the pandemic. I knew that it would not last long. 

Now, on this beautiful day, I am once again one among thousands, making an autumn-foliage pilgrimage to Nanzenji. Disappointed, I weakly hold up my camera, trying to capture that perfect shot of what my eyes behold. I try my best to ignore the mass of people. Click! I frown at the shot of a passerby’s tip of his white sneaker that invades my picture. Delete! The sun shines through the dark orange leaves. Ah, beautiful. I point my camera at that perfect shot, the side view of the temple peeking through the colorful foliage. I wait to click. A person in front is taking forever to get his own perfect shot. He finally moves out of my way. I hurriedly point the camera back at the leaves and the edge of the strikingly regal wooden temple. The sunray now has shifted. I lower my camera. Irritably, I walk through the over-crowded temple ground. 

Lovers walk hand in hand. Families talk, run, pose for one another. Selfie sticks swim through the crowd. A young girl quickly readjusts her front bangs with one free hand and then smiles into her smart phone held six feet away. Taking in these images like a slow-moving picture, my secret joy slips through my fingers. I walk heavyhearted on to the side-street away from the crowd. Wait. What is this? The sun-ray beckons me ever so quietly. I follow it. I hear the whispered invitation through a rustled wind moving through the colored leaves. I look through a half open door. This moment – a re-encounter with this knowing joy, it is here. It never left. I just needed to look closer. The discovery, the joy of seeing the beauty in the very small things, ever so quiet, very subtle, but definitely present, quickened my heartbeat. This small temple, posing now so elegantly before my eyes, may not be the grand and beautiful main attraction, but it imbues a beauty of its own, waiting quietly for that moment of mutual discovery. The secret of finding joy in the small things, present everywhere, always ready to be seen and discovered, made this autumn day… well… perfect.

Q1 Why was the writer afraid to verbalize her secret joy? 

Q2 Where was the primary place where the writer found this secret joy?

Q3 Why did the writer feel that the secret joy was slipping away?

Scroll down for answers

A1 Too many people all over the world were suffering. 

A2 Nanzenji temple.  

A3 Because many visitors and tourists are once again overcrowding historical sites of Kyoto.

This summer, my friend and I finally started planting a food forest. We have been preparing the site for the food forest for several years. For example, with an excavator, we dug a pond at the top of the site so that we can keep the trees in the forest well-watered after they are planted.  We also dug swales on the land which will act to retain the moisture in the soil rather than allow it to run off. I live on a small island in the Pacific Northwest which gets a lot of rain during the winter months. However, many people are surprised to learn that during the summer it doesn't rain at all, so it will be necessary to water the trees for a few years so that they can establish themselves. 

You might be asking yourself, "what is a food forest"? To answer that question, we should first look at the concept of "permaculture." According to Bill Morrison, who made up the term in 1978, permaculture is: "The conscious design and maintenance of agricultural reproductive systems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way." In this sense, permaculture combines the sense of permanent, or sustainable, and the practice of agriculture. 

These days, as the mass effect of "consumer culture" is increasingly viewed as unsustainable, the focus has expanded to include sustainable cultures, such as indigenous cultures, which can be considered models of land stewardship. Just as a natural forest matures to a point where it becomes a self-sustaining culture of plants, a food forest is intentionally planted with edible trees, perennials, annuals and shrubs which mature and become self-sustaining. In other words, after a certain time, the plants work to support each other just like plants found in a natural forest, creating an integrated self-sustaining eco-system that, in the case of a food forest, provides sustenance. The overall idea is to work with nature, not against nature, to achieve this aim. Unlike monoculture, in which a farmer plants one crop and then intensively battles nature to protect the crop against insects and other plants, a food forest is intended to be a habitat for insects, birds and other plants and animals. The idea is to create an abundance which is shared. 

To give our food forest a fighting chance to establish itself, we put in posts, and we're going to put some screening net around the site to protect the young trees from deer. Unfortunately, deer like to rub their bodies against trees and when the trees are still small that damages the bark and the trees die. Deer also like to eat delicious young leaves, so it's necessary to keep the deer out until the trees have established themselves and grown taller. In the future, when the site has become an established forest, we will be able to take down the screen netting, so that the deer can also take part and contribute to the forest. One of the very first trees we planted was at the top of the site, where the clearing meets the natural forest that surrounds it. This area is higher and drier, so we planted an Italian pine tree there. This pine tree produces lots of pine nuts. We're looking forward to the day the Italian pine tree will be just one of many trees in a thriving food forest in which we can share in the benefits.

Q1. What is the purpose of swales?

(a) They help the land stay moist by absorbing rain

(b) They help prevent floods by allowing water to move flow freely.

Q2.  True or false: The word permaculture is a combination of two words, permanent and agriculture.

Q3.  Food forests are planted to benefit:

(a) only humans

(b) the entire eco-system? 

Scroll down for answers 

A1: a

A2: True

A3: b

How do you like to start your day? Me, the first thing I like to do is to get up early and turn on the TV. I always watch Shirashiga Terebi on the Biwako Broadcasting Company at 6:50 am. It begins with live camera shots of various parts around Shiga prefecture. You can find out about the latest local events, the traffic, water levels, and the weather—all live and 365 days a year. For example, this morning I found out that today’s a good day for hanging the laundry outside. You can’t see any famous Shiga announcers because it’s actually an AI voice that gives the news. I like the “Moyo-Moyo” song afterwards, too, sung by a little grebe.

How do you like to end your day? Me, after work, the last thing I like to do is to sit back and turn on the TV. I always watch Omi Nyuzu at 6:30 pm on channel 1. I like learning about plants and flowers during the weather report. For example, these days everybody has been sending pictures of Sweet Osmanthus. You can almost smell them from your TV set! I like Motoki Ishii. He seems like a nice guy. Anyone who gets so excited about the weather has to have a warm heart. Actually, sometimes you can see the news announcers at the Otsu Station Starbucks around lunchtime. They are always so busy that I am too shy to say “Hi, I am a big fan of your news program!” By the way, no worries if you happen to come home late after 7:00 pm. They do a shortened 15-minute version every weekday night at 8:45 pm. 

How do you like to get ready for the weekend? Me, Friday night, it’s always the program Omoroshiga. That means Fun Stuff to Do in Shiga. It’s on channel 3 from 7 pm every Friday. It ends at 8:20 pm, but don’t ask me why. On tonight’s program they went to a place called Aisho-cho and visited a hairdresser where you can get your hair done in the traditional Japanese style with lots of pins and topknots. When you’re done, you look like you’ve walked out of a historical drama. They also have a very useful weekly recap of all the news around Shiga at 7:45 called BBC News Weekly. This time they reported that as of late there have been a lot of bugs from the lake flying about and getting into people’s laundry. Mine as well! The announcer is Azusa Minami. I saw her once at Starbucks, too.

The progressive rock band, Pink Floyd sang “We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control” and the musician, Paul Weller sang, “All I see, the more I know. The more I know, the less I understand”. What do you think these artists are saying with their words? Do they sound anti-education? And, for that matter, what is education?

University education, as you should be aware, is more than just learning facts to regurgitate at an end of year/term test. Education is a never ending process that should continue for life. That is what Paul Weller was saying – the more one learns, the more one realises how little one knows. This can be an intimidating thought for some people. For others, it’s an exciting thought – there’s always more to learn! That is how you should be as a university student. The root of the Latin-derived word university means the whole – everything. We should all be curious about everything and not just our own country or area of study, but the whole world. It’s big and there is a lot to learn about it.

I used to conduct a lesson on intelligence in which I asked the question “Who is the most and least intelligent between Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein and David Beckham?” For pretty much everyone the usual answer was to place Einstein first and the students would then often debate who was last between Monroe and Beckham. What do you think? If you said Einstein as first too, you might be wrong as it’s widely believed that Monroe had a higher Intelligence Quotient than Einstein. However, it misses the point. Neither Einstein nor Monroe could mentally calculate the necessary dynamics that made Beckham a world-class football player. Equally, neither Monroe nor Beckham could perform the physical calculations of Einstein, and the other two could not act, dance and sing in a way that made Monroe a cultural icon. There are different kinds of intelligence.

The key is to always have curiosity. Always ask why and never be afraid to say I don’t understand. Your teachers want this. They would rather you said “can you repeat that?” if there is something you do not understand. The mathematician, Charles Proteus Steinmetz said “There are no stupid questions and a person only becomes stupid when they stop asking questions.” So many ideas have come from that one question why…? As the American financier, Bernard Baruch, said “Millions saw the apple fall, but only Newton asked why?”

Education is a life pursuit. Enjoy it and never stop asking questions. Play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Einstein may have said “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. This is true. Always learn. Always ask questions. This is the point of education. Failing that, “It’s good for an uneducated man to read books of quotations” (Winston Churchill).

Photo credit Pixabay@Pexels.com

Q1. Who sang “we don’t need no education”?

Q2. What does the word “university” mean?

Q3 When does education end?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: Pink Floyd

A2: The whole/everything

A3: Never

Every day, we are reading in the news media and experiencing the effects of climate change. Often here in Japan, this may seem unconnected with our daily lives, and it may seem like there is nothing we can really do about it. We may think that one person's actions will not make any difference. But remember, this global problem that will affect our future was caused by a lack of awareness of how our daily lifestyles were creating all the environmental problems we are now facing. Therefore, since we humans are the cause of the problem, we can also be the solution.

Many people may think that adapting our lifestyle to one that is more sustainable and eco-friendly means giving up things that we enjoy.  However, discovering new environmentally friendly activities can actually bring us a sense of joy and a renewed sense of hope. They can also be a gateway to meeting young people all over the world who are exchanging creative and innovative ideas.  The solutions to this issue are connected with three main parts of your daily lifestyle: what you eat, what you buy, and the energy you use. The greenhouse gases we are producing (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) come mainly from these three parts of our life and do not just lead to climate change but are also poisoning and polluting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil from which our food comes.

Here are some simple suggestions that you can try, step by step, to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.1. Eat less meat and buy organic and locally produced in-season food whenever possible. 2. Think “quality” rather than “quantity” when you shop. Be prepared to pay more for something that is durable and well-made and that you can use for a long time. 3. Spend just five minutes switching your energy provider to a company that is using renewable energy to provide your electricity. There are many such small companies now in Japan and you can easily find them on the internet and decide which one is best for you.

Finally, remember that humans are the only species that make garbage (waste) and that often this 'waste' can be made into a resource, such as by composting your leftover food, using old clothes for rags, or to give to younger friends as presents, or reusing plastic bags as many times as you can. Remember, it is YOUR future and you are the ones who can make a difference!

Photo credit Markus Spiske@Pexels.com

Q1: What are the three main parts of our life that are connected to climate change?

Q2: What are the three main greenhouse gases our lifestyles are creating?

Q3: How long will it take to find a utility provider that is eco-friendly?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: What we eat, what we buy, the energy we use for electricity and travel.

A2:  Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide

A3: It only takes a few minutes.

“May I help you?”

Many Japanese students have learnt “may I help you?” as “irasshaimase” in Japanese, but the two phrases are not exactly the same. Imagine you work at a corner shop. When you find customers who are obviously looking for something, you should offer help with the phrase, “may I help you?” While Japanese clerks say “irasshaimase” as a greeting to each customer coming into the shop, “may I help you?” is used for offering help. If the customer does not need any help, you can say, “please feel free to look around” with a smile. Learning the correct English expressions for the service industry is essential if you are to deal politely with foreign customers.

Speaking English while providing service can be tricky. Let me introduce an awkward experience as an example. Once, I was working at a high-end brand boutique at a department store. This was a decade ago in Nagoya, and wealthy people often came to such posh department stores. One day, a foreign lady, who was nicely dressed and looked sophisticated, came into our section and seemed to be interested in our well-designed dresses. I approached her and asked, "May I help you?" in English. She replied, “Yes.” I expected this answer, but I didn’t know how to respond. Do you see? I got a little nervous because I had to continue talking with her with my poor English. I thought, “would it be possible for me to explain, recommend or amuse this customer with my English?” That was my first time to take care of a foreign customer. In contrast to my tension, she was relaxed and just enjoyed looking at the dresses. “You can try it on if you like,” I said, and she smiled and took down two dresses that were hanging on the rack. I can't remember what I suggested or whether I adjusted the dress size for her. I was too nervous. Fortunately, she was satisfied with one of the dresses (and seemingly my attitude, too) and bought it. I was relieved and decided to review some English phrases for customers that I could use next time.

If you are working part-time, you might have opportunities to take care of foreign customers. One of my students asked me an English phrase for a cashier the other day. She wanted to know the phrase, “Would you like to pay by cash or credit card?” By learning like this, if you are well-prepared, you can be a great clerk! Please check out these websites for more useful English for the service industry:

https://www.thoughtco.com/beginner-dialogues-in-a-shop-1210040

https://www.phrasemix.com/collections/english-expressions-that-waiters-waitresses-and-restaurant-s

Photo credit Liza Summer@Pexels.com

Q1: According to the article, what does a Japanese clerk’s “irasshaimase” mean?

Q2: What did the foreign customer purchase in the Nagoya department store?

Q3: How did the author feel when providing service to the foreign customer?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: A greeting for each customer coming into the shop

A2: One dress

A3: She felt nervous.