Quote Originally Posted by Sadana View Post
Awesome! Thanks for finding that one!
Well, kind of like people in the States, you get some who are fluent at more than one language and many that aren't. I've met both on Atomos.
Yeah it varies widely. Most Japanese only learn English in school (previously about 6 years worth, now they get a little more exposure earlier). The older they are the more likely they are to have forgotten it, unless they work in a job where they would use it (like at a hotel). Conveniently for FFXIV, most will be better at reading and writing than speaking (since the tests prioritize vocabulary and grammar over conversation).

But the majority of Japanese I know could not, for example, easily read and follow this entire thread. (When I'm in Japan I'm mostly in a more rural/suburban area with very few foreigners, so most people have no day to day use for English. My wife is Japanese and her English is getting pretty good, but most of her family and friends have difficulty with it. Especially when speaking.)

On the other hand, if you went to Tokyo and mostly stayed in foreigner-friendly areas, or hung out with college students at a top university, your impression will be very different