Activate Your Japanese!

What would you do
if you were Xuan?

"There's a Turkish food truck that
comes to the hotel every day."

"Today, I've come for lunch with Ota-san."

I didn't know this place.

What? You didn't?

The food is excellent.

I'm excited.

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Your favorite Double Cheese Kebab.

Wow, thank you!

I love this.

Thanks always.

I don't think I've seen you before.

I'm Kaan.

I'm Xuan.
Your Japanese is very good.

Not at all.

He's been in Japan for 20 years now.

Has it been that long? Wow!

- Enjoy your food.
- Thanks.

Go on. Try it.

What do you think?

It's delicious!

I told you.

So good!

It's the best.

Thank you for bringing me along.

Is there any food you're not fond of?

Food you don't like.

Not really.

"Maybe I don't like umeboshi plums."

You're not picky.

That's good.

"I missed my chance..."

Kaan-san...

- Can we get some drinks?
- Coming.

How about mango juice?

Okay.

"Actually, I kind of want to try 'ayran'."

Two mango juices.

Coming right up.

"I missed my chance again."

"Never mind."

You don't look very happy.
What's wrong?

Yansu...

Don't you like the kebab?

It's not that.

There were things I wanted to say,
but the conversation moved on.

I see.

But why?

Good question...

Hey, are you listening?

Of course.

It's probably because you're quiet
while you're thinking.

That makes the other person think
that you have nothing more to say.

I see.

Then what should I do?

Hmm...

Any good ideas?

Well...

Let's see...

That's it!

"Uun" and "etto" and "soodesu ne"
like you just said.

That's something I can't help saying
when I'm thinking.

I know what to do.
Thanks, Yansu.

If you feel that way...

Delicious!

Meanie!

So...

I've been meaning to ask.

Have you been getting along
with everyone at work?

Yes.

Um… Well...

Let's see...

Monica's been very nice to me.

Okay.

How about the Japanese staff?

Well...

Let's see...

Sumire-san has taught me a lot.

She's a good person.

I'm glad to hear that.

The others?

Is there anyone you can talk to
when you have a problem?

Well...

"Someone I can talk to?"

"Hmm..."

Here you are.

I have to get this.

Kaan-san, if you could...

This is Ota.

What's the matter?

Ota-san asked me if I had
anyone I can talk to.

Do you have someone?

Of course.

I've been here for 20 years.

Why have you been in Japan
for so long?

It was my dream to own
a Turkish restaurant in Japan.

Really?

I managed to make it come true, but then my wife died.

She wanted me to chase my dream
and didn't tell me she was ill.

My wife supported my dream.

So I want to keep working in Japan
for my wife.

I hope you find someone special
in Japan too.

Someone special?

Rei-san.

Can I sit here?

Sure.

How are you doing?

At work.

Um...

I've still got a lot to learn.

Um...

If there's anything I can do...

You know.

What？ Like the other day.

Let's do our best together!

Sorry about that.

Don't be.

It really helped.

You have a good person to talk to.

He's not like that.

Um... I mean...

What's wrong? You look flushed.

"I shouldn't be silent
while I think about what to say."

"Right now, I'm searching for
the words to say to Rei-san!"

"Today's Strategy!"

Sometimes it's hard to quickly think of
something to say.

If you fall silent, the other person will think
that you have nothing more to say.

What will you do if that happens?

Let's look at the strategy Xuan used.

Have you been getting along
with everyone at work?

Yes.

Um...

"Uun..."

"Soodesu ne..."

Monica's been very nice to me.

Okay.

How about the Japanese staff?

"Etto..."

"Soodesu ne..."

Let the other person know
that you're thinking.

Xuan said "uun,"
"soodesu ne" and "etto."

When you use these expressions,
the other person will wait, and in the meantime
you can think of something to say.

You can combine these expressions,
like "uun, soodesu ne," and you can rearrange them too.

Pay attention to
how people are using these expressions, and you can become better at
using them yourself.

Goodbye for now.

Meet senpai from all over Japan, Tsutsu Uraura!

Let's hear about their lives.

Today's senpai is Uno Maria Emilia from Argentina.

Emilia runs a hamburger shop in the city of Hanyu in Saitama.

I want people to learn about
the flavors of Argentina.

She's brought Argentinian flavors to the menu at her shop.

Argentinian people love meat.

They eat meat three or four times a week.
And barbecue on Sunday.

People in Argentina consume more beef than in many other countries.

It's topped with cheese, or with herbs and sauce.

The beef is prepared in a variety of ways.

Argentinian criolla sauce. It has
bell peppers, tomato, and onions.

The authentic lomito is ready to eat.

Acidic balsamic sauce pairs perfectly with the beef.

It's really good.

It's extraordinary.

I'm happy when people
tell me it's good.

Emilia and her family moved to Japan in 2005.

They planned to build a house in Argentina after working in Japan.

Emilia worked at a factory, and her husband worked in road maintenance.

As time passed, their family grew.

We planned to go back to
Argentina after one year.

But that one year has now
turned into 16 years.

They enjoyed the quality of life in Japan.

They decided to settle down in Saitama Prefecture.

To share the taste of Argentina, Emilia started a food truck.

She made hamburgers, a popular choice for barbecues in Argentina.

They became a hit, and in 2021, she opened a full restaurant.

Japanese people are all kind.
I like that.

Today, Emilia gets a visit from a chamber of commerce official.

We want to bring young people
to our shopping street.

Will you join us?

Emilia has been asked to bring her cooking to a local event.

Her cooking has grown famous!

She agrees to join the event.

I want her to succeed.
I know she works hard.

I'm rooting for her
from the bottom of my heart.

Emilia lives in Hanyu City in Saitama.

She loves visiting this local park.

The scenery reminds her of Argentina, which makes her happy.

I'm relaxing today.

Emilia likes this local favorite, nikujiru udon.

Noodles are dipped in the soup, which is full of chicken umami.

It's good. The flavor of Saitama.

I learned Japanese using these.

Handwritten letters from her daughter's preschool teacher.

Through exchanging letters, Emilia learned new Japanese words.

I wanted to speak Japanese with
my kids and their teachers.

I worked hard to write letters.

Here's Emilia's favorite word.

I like this phrase: a smiling face.

If I smile, other people smile too.

Emilia wants lots of people to enjoy her hamburgers and smile.

Good luck, Emilia!