Should all Japanese directly address foreigners in Japanese ?

[Maciamo]

(2) It looks like foreigners coming to Japan preferred to speak their own language while in Japan. The quickly modernizing Japan's leaders seemed to have devloped a way to ease the process by telling their people to "always address foreigners in their language, not Japanese."

Let me disagree with that. As you said in point (1) : English Rules ! I have never seen a Japanese trying to address a person who was visibly Italian, South American, Chinese or Indian in their own language. In my case, I have never been addressed in French rather than English even by my wife's friends who knew I spoke French (but also English and Japanese, so maybe that's why). The main reason is that most Japanese just can't speak any other language than English. But even when they can, they tend to suppose that all foreigners (Westerners at least) speak English anyway - probably because many Europeans do, and many Singaporians, Malaysians, HKers, etc also do - but many also don't !

[lexico]

Let me disagree with that. As you said in point (1) : English Rules ! I have never seen a Japanese trying to address a person who was visibly Italian, South American, Chinese or Indian in their own language. In my case, I have never been addressed in French rather than English even by my wife's friends who knew I spoke French (but also English and Japanese, so maybe that's why).

Yes, that is noticeably one of the weak links in my argument which still makes me wonder. Before the end of WWII, it was French that ruled ! President Wilson's delegates to the league of nations (?) had to rely on French speaking secretaries to handle international meetings. Also many techincal terms in medicine, law, philosophy, chemistry seem to derive from German.

There must have been Japanese scholars and translators fluent in these languages. There were great westernising movements via Dutch and Portuguese earlier. What happened to those traditions in Japan ? That's really something that I would like to know. When did Japan become English dominated regarding foreign languages and foreigners ? Captain Perry's expedition ?

Why do we not hear much of the Japanese bilinguals or polyglots which must exist somewhere (Yes, on the forum we have misa.j and epigene, but there should be more.) Is it another aspect of Japanese culture to excercise extreme modesty and keep silent ? Is the pressure to confrom so strong in Japan ?

The main reason is that most Japanese just can't speak any other language than English. But even when they can, they tend to suppose that all foreigners (Westerners at least) speak English anyway - probably because many Europeans do, and many Singaporians, Malaysians, HKers, etc also do - but many also don't !

I've heard that, too, and you are probably right in pointing that out. I think knowing why and how this uniform perception is being perpetuated is crucial to the solution. It may turn out that the king isn't naked after all, but all too well dressed. I really don't know what to think of this strange phenomenon???