I've been in the U.S. once as an exchange student at Penn State Univ, and the second time as a Japanese teacher in Georgia. That's why, I understand your opinion about the Japanese who are shy to others. Regarding this point, I prefer the American way.

I've never sent mails to strangers before. Because you said in the paper, the net is a good tool to communicate with people you don't know, I decided to send a message to you.


I found your challenging spirit trying to be NAKOUDO or a bridge between Japan and U.S. I admire your contribution over these two countries.

I have same observation about avarage Japanese tendency against different cultures,especially people. It seems the result of long history.

But recent flood of international business and information are changing many people steadily. Your action will take part accesing them in great.


I agree with your opinion about behavior of Japanese people to strangers. I have been in the U.S. for eight years and come back to Japan last June. I started living at what we call "mansion". When I first used an elevator there, somebody happened to shared it. I just tried to say hi with smile, but she just ignored me and did not try to see me. I have encountered many similar experiences afterward. Then I decided not to greet strangers here, because I am now in Japan.

I also check my e-mail every morning since I left my family there due to educational problems.


i live in hatano city kanagawaken.49years old ,have 4 doughtours 14, 19, 23,25 , pharmasist work every day . can't use english well,but want to have many country friend and have two penpals finland ,indnesia. i think interchange of cultur don't need diffcult thing ,it is kind heart very important. our all of family have penpal my husband chinese 1th doughtour singapole 2th doughtour singapole and u.s.a. 3th doughtour czech 4th doughtour singapole penpals. we have chinese friends in japan , they studied very hard ,finished graduate school this march, work each office . i hope your study work hard and enjoy japanese life.


I completely agree with your opinion stated on the newspaper Asahi, that is, Japanese complex for English. Because I myself feel it and I've missed so many channces to communicate with English spoken people.I am one of the beginners of INTERNET. I mean I'm not a new one to touch INTERNET but I haven't ennjoy it.I started 3 year's ago but I coudn't find good friend to exchange messages and comments about various subjects in English.I like English and one of the reasons to start INTERNET is to use English.


I'm Japanese female in CHIBA.I think our conciousness of 'international' is getting change especially between young people.When I wanted to exchange E-mailing with Non-Japanese on the web,I find many message which want to Non-Japanese penpal.It was hard to find foreign penpal that time.Now,many young Japanese wants to know what's going on in the world.I enjoyed mailing and chatting.I don't speak English so well,you know our English education system.but I don't afraid to exchange on the web,and say hello to foreigner in Japan.

Yes,we Japanese are a sort of conservative and hesitate to say hello.When a stranger say hello,even he/she is a Japanese,I think 'Is he/she attempt to trap me?' I think it's in commen,typical Japanese thinking.

For example,when I see somebady's lost the way or someting wrong,If he/she is a Non-Japanese,I would ask `What's up? You need my help?' but he/she is a Japanese,i wouldn't ask,because I know they would say' No thanks' or ignoreme.And if I lost my way or some problem happen to me,I'd ask somebady to help.I wouldn't wait someboady called to me ,if I really need help,I would choose the one which looks kind. Is it difficult to understand the conciousness?


I also love E-mail. In my case it's not a lifeline like you,but one of communication tools with my friends. E-mail doesn't bother any people. People can send and read E-mail when they like. And I can feel him/her closer where he/she lives farther from me. For example,I have a friend who lives in Bali,Indonesia(He is Balinese.) We sometimes send E-mail each other now. It's like a chat. However, when we didn't use E-mail, we seldom sent letters.

I agree with your coment"We can communicate even if our English is not perfect." Please guess what language the Blinese friend and I use in E-mail. Yes,English... Indonesian and romaji-Japanese. His English often has mistakes,but I understand what he want to say. It can be said the same thing with my English and Indonesian. I think he understands me,because he sends a respons to me.

Why we Japanese are unsociable with the people who meet first? The first reason,we rarely have such a sociable talking experience with unknown people when we are children and youths. So that after we bacome adults, we don't think we can be social people suddenly. Circumstances and Experiences,I think. Now, why did Japanese make such Circumstances ??? It's hard to think and say here now...


As you wrote, we think that we shoud not make a mistake when we speak english or rather we are afraid of making a mistake. we should get rid of this idea,maybe. You say american are more social than japanese. Apparently that's right. Butsometimes I hear that human relationship in your country is superficiel. Anyway I appreciate american's frankness when I first travelled in america last year.


I am 46 years old. I am a house wife.

I went to Seattle this summer with 11 elementary school teachers, 2 junior high school students and 2 pupils including my husband. I visited Microsoft Corporation. There were many computer systems which were demonstrating many programs in The Microsoft Museum. We could touch the key boards and operate the computers freely.

However we hesitated a little except the students & the pupils. The reason why some of us didn't understand English so much and the others didn't know any computer systems. The students and the pupils never hesitated. they enjoyed very much even they didn't know English and any computer systems.

I am afraid that I fail something. From when ? I am not sure but I think from when I started to prepare a junior high school's entrance examination. Winning the competition was all my life. I believed that it was my parent's hope and my school teacher's. I lost my purpose why I wanted to enter the school. If I didn't forget the purpose, I wouldn't be afraid anything.

Computer network is more popular a country side than a city in Japan. Transportation is not convenient in the country side. Meeting people each other freely is difficult. So they need Computer network as a communication way.

When I was a kid, adults communicate with each other like American. From when the high economic growth started, the communication way changed.


I am a student of Aoyama University in Tokyo, studying English literature and linguistics at the night course of that university - my majour will be linguistics from the next year, but so far I study both.

Yes, as you said that Japanese peope are very shy - probably becasue culture background support that, do you think so? Not open enough, and still conservative - probably you feel that. Although, generally, young generation tends to be more open, and speak English better than before, but are they internationally minded?

Anyway internet is new in Japan, and people here still use more telephone and letters than internet when they have communication with others. I am sure that you are few years or more ahead of Japan. Do you think so?


I think the shyness of Japanese people is due to the education system. Japanese students hardly have any training for discussion. So they are very poor at expressing what they are thinking. In addition, young people today read very few books, so they don't have things to say to others. Exchanging E-mails is good for them, for they have to begin by expressing them- selves and their country.


I am 35 year-old housewife and live in Odawara City in Kanagawa prefecture with my husband and two children, aged 0 and 3.

In future when my children go to school, computer will be one of their necessary skill for their daily communication because it will be essential to widen their horizon. I think that your trial of E-mail exchange plan between the U.S. and Japanese students was really important first step for making basic communication know-how. If you got any message from your colume reader who shows his successful case to set-up the Email communication, I think it should be introduced in the newspaper because many people must be interested in such information for starting the same way in their local area.

For myself, I like to communicate with people in overseas for my preparation to restart my career in near future, however, I don't know to whom I should contact at first. I guess many people who have Internet device may not know the key person to communicate, same as I. I wish I could easily join such an international communication circle soon.


I agree with your opinion on Asahi Newspaper, yes ,we, Japanese, are too timide to make mistakes, specially people who studied "English literature" in their universities. System of the education may be wrong. My major was Pharmacy and I need English.

My friend Alethea in Seatle sends me E-mails even she does't have a P.C. but through the city library . She and I are in our sixties. Infra of Internet is very poor in Japan. I want to exchange many E-mails,but I don't have many E-mail friends in Japan.


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