On our own in a Japanese city for the first time. No college buddies, no tour guides, and no known person who can translate for us what we need said. The only phrase I remember? Sumimasen! Eigo wo hanase masu ka? Yes, sad to say but several hours of the Japanese Rosetta stone ain’t gonna cut it. So, what better way to show the natives that you at least tried than by to say “So sorry, but you do speak in English” in their native tongue? There are words that I remember in Japanese, but it helps me so much if they can speak a little English. And it makes the conversation go faster, because believe you me, they know more English than I do Japanese.
So, Hakone.
