The ABC badge which designates English speakers in Akihabara

Students help foreign tourists in Akihabara

A group of Japanese students has started helping foreign tourists in Akihabara find English-speaking shops to make the district more “foreigner-friendly,” the Sankei newspaper (Jan 26) reports. The paper quotes one member of the group as saying, “We would like to change the somber atmosphere in the area since the stabbing rampage last year.”

The student group - “Akihabara Bridge Campaign (ABC)” - is organized by art students of Digital Hollywood University whose campus is located in Akihabara, according to the paper. The group is trying to make Akihabara more accessible to English speakers by requesting that employees at various shops and cafes (including the famous maid cafes) wear an ABC badge to show that they can speak English.

Naoki Mori, 20, who launched the campaign, says, “When we were surveying the image of Akihabara, some people suggested that it would be useful if English could be used more in Akihabara. There are English maps of Akihabara, but direct communication would make the area more welcome to foreigners.”

The campaign started on Dec 12, and 17 establishments are currently taking part in it, according to the paper. A spokesperson for retailer Laox says, “We do have English-speaking employees for foreign customers, but the ABC badge is helpful to make it clear who can speak English.”

On an Akihabara-related website for foreigners, foreign tourists have posted positive messages about the campaign, the paper said.

The student members of the group also wear the badge and are making a public appeal for more participants in the campaign. Gunji Togami, secretary general of the Akihabara Shopping District Promotion Cooperative, told the paper: “Akihabara has been hard hit not only by last year’s stabbing rampage but also by the global economic downturn and strong yen, all of which has resulted in a decrease in the number of foreign tourists. I’m glad that the students are making an effort to help Akihabara.”

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Latest 15 of 33 Total Comments Show All

Muki_Muki at 01:22 AM JST - 28th January

I had a good time last year walking around Akihabara. But, I didn't wander too far from the train station for fear of getting lost. If there were students on the street wearing badges, I probably would have stayed longer and looked around some more.
loltehinterwebs at 03:52 AM JST - 28th January

I thought that hilarious "company:" called "OK English" has already taken care of the problem. lol!
Jeff198524 at 08:13 AM JST - 28th January

This is just coddleing people who are too lazy to learn Japanese.
ichinensei at 09:28 AM JST - 28th January

Yep, I agree with some posters here. I wouldnt want Japan to be suddenly all English speaking. It would be boring. This April I am going to a ryokan that does not have a English website - i'm assuming they dont speak English. I got a friend of mine to book it for me. I look forward to my Lost in Translation moments. In my previous 6 visits, I've never had problems with getting around all over Japan. And yes, there are guides everywhere you go. Even Tokyo has a famous one called Tokyo Free Guide. I think these students are doing it to practice their English. Regardless of what their motives are, I still think it's good for those who need them.
nipandtuck at 11:06 AM JST - 28th January

Great - they could start by putting the JR map at the station in Japanese AND English
eresay at 11:22 AM JST - 28th January

Yeah you're right Jeff198524. Those people coming to Japan for just a one-week holiday should take Japanese lessons until they are reasonably fluent before coming.

Very intelligent post.
whitepocky at 02:13 PM JST - 28th January

Good lord. With all the money and time thrown at ESL in this country, it's amazing that a minority of students have to advertise the fact, with some puny badge, that they CAN speak Engrish. Though I think the badge should read: I rabu Engrish, purisu supiku surori!!
bebert at 03:58 PM JST - 28th January

Not a big deal if they are doing it with the ulterior motive of practicing their English. It helps the tourists, improves the kids' English and encourages dialogue. I thought there was a service in Tokyo where tourists could even schedule an afternoon to sightsee with a volunteer native speaker, with the same trade-off benefit.
DeepAir65 at 04:14 PM JST - 28th January

Most department stores in Shinjuku advertise translators in English, Korea, Chinese etc...

There is also a group called http://englishok.jp/ which have stickers in establisments where English is OK - does not help a majority of the tourists though...

Give them 10 out of 10 for trying
Muki_Muki at 09:15 PM JST - 28th January

People who go to Paris don't bother to learn French. Nor, do they learn Italian to go to Rome. Calling people lazy for not learning the language is stupid. Besides, everyone in Japan took English in the 7th and 8th grade. Hearing people who use the language shouldn't come as such a BIG shock,
ca1ic0cat at 03:55 AM JST - 29th January

If you can't learn enough kanji to get around a train station you really should go home...

Half the fun of Japan is getting lost and then stumbling through the Japanese enough to get un-lost. Found a few great things to do that even the guys in the office didn't know about. But to each his own, I guess. You may laugh, but maybe some day I'll be fluent!
NeoJamal at 08:32 AM JST - 29th January

So pointless

Most foreigners that need Engrish assistance are broke-arse window shopping tourists (who think Toyoko-Inn is a rip-off and stayed 3 nights at some Capsule institution) who by any luck might purchase a cheap digitial camera. On the otherhand Weaboos who like to hoard otaku-ware usually have some command of conversational Japanese (courtesy of anime) that is better than Engrish spoken by the least incompetant of those students or store attendants.
kagunlapell at 08:42 AM JST - 29th January

it can be helpful for tourists who can speak English. Being from a country with tones of English tourists who can't speak anything but it's mother tongue, and sometimes with lots of difficulties due to the large number of pints in their bellies, I can reckon that they will be very happy to listen to this news, and keep traveling around the globe with the idea the rest of us have to master their gibbering.
notimpressed at 05:34 PM JST - 29th January

Its a good idea and those who naysay it are just haters. If you are in japan for a long enough stretch I'm sure you could and should learn some Japanese, but people on a company exchange may not have that sort of time, and tourists almost never speak the language of the countries they visit. Seeing as English is currently lingua franca in this world, actually being able to use it is beneficial for businesses anywhere in the world. Japans record at english failure, compared to other Asian nations just goes to show that the " learn japanese or dont come here/ go home" attitude is rubbish. Its about making an effort to make the place accessable to more people, as well as more welcoming, not just for the people who think they are special because they are obsesed with japan and its language and culture. SOme of us do speak japanese and do not lord it over those who dont. We also have the talent of empathy, where we can see that some peope will struggle,especially when they first get here. This is a good idea, and will hopefuly prevent those store clerks who can speak english from lying, and saying that they can't. ITs a usuable and valuable skill in the world today, and this, I repeat, is a good idea, weather it works or not. Too many people with tickets on themselves, who shout down anything positive, and whine about all the negative things, whose cup will always be all empty with an attitude like that. Good on the students, we should always encourage young people to take initiative and try new ideas. If even a little good comes of it, then its worth it. More power to them.
Squally at 12:12 AM JST - 5th February

Wow get off your high horse people! Sure if you're going to live in japan you should learn the language. But this is more for tourist and hopefully can be very helpful.