How Do I Get There? (Yu Jin Yi)

「すみませんが、ちょっと道が分からないので。。」This is probably
the one sentence I used the most frequently in Japan. It means “Excuse me, I’m
not sure how to get here…” and the phrase came in handy when I was lost,
unable to read all the Chinese characters (Kanji) on the map, and didn’t know a
single Japanese word. I guess it would make the random strangers feel quite
annoyed when I stop them and plead them to show me the way—oh well. I
apologize now for causing the trouble as a misguided foreigner. But in turn I will
explain the Japanese kindness I faced here.
Quite a few times have I committed acts of annoyance to random strangers,
only to be faced with constant kindness—sometimes excessive amount of kindness that
actually shocked me. Once, I was trying to find a hair salon in Shinjuku and I asked a
passerby (a guy in his presumably 30s) for the direction. Come to think of it, there was
no way a guy in his 30s would know a specific hair salon in Shinjuku, but anyway the
guy tried his best. He used his cell phone and did some Internet search (though
eventually he failed). After everything possible was done, the guy offered to take me to
the Shinjuku station at least, and made me feel very guilty about asking him for the
directions.
As I said before, he wasn’t the only kind Japanese I met. Regardless of the
gender, age, time, and place I asked for the directions, Japanese passersby would always
answer me very, very, very kindly. Back when I was a 12th grader, I came to Tokyo with
my friend to travel (both of us barely able to say Hi in Japanese). We asked directions to
two women in their early twenties using hand gestures and body languages only, and
they also answered using their fingers to point fervently at a direction—I guess it might
have seemed like a scene in a comedy show, but I was grateful nonetheless.
I asked my Japanese language instructor (who has Japanese nationality) about
this. “Japanese people seem to be very strict about answering questions by strangers—
why is that?” “Hmm, I guess it’s because you’re a foreigner. Japanese people are kind to
foreigners and customers.” I think part of my instructors’ answer was to be modest (she
didn’t want to brag about Japanese’ kindness). It may be that I was just very lucky and
got kind people every time I stopped a random stranger to ask and that I’m making hasty
generalizations. But I don’t think mere “luck” can possibly explain all the kind Japanese
people I met on street.
When you’re lost in Japan, don’t panic. Just ask one of the many available
human navigators—and don’t be surprised if they’re too kind—and you’ll soon be back
on track.