Roppongi English: Part 8

This is my final post of a series of posts in which I presented excerpts from Roppongi English, an English conversation book for Japanese women hoping to hook up with foreign men. I’ve already posted the comic book part, so this post will just be a few amusing scans from the non-manga portion of the book.

Part 8: When to say “No”

[The book doesn't just teach Japanese girls how to give in to the demands of foreigners. As the above scan shows, it also teaches girls how to avoid sex through excuse-making.]

[This little blurb warns girls that there are many guys out there who think that a date guarantees sex. It teaches readers the phrase "date rape" and instructs them to simply say "no" to such men. Unlike Japanese men, foreigners will likely be turned off by a girl saying "no," as the next image explains]

[The above image explains to girls that they should stop the common Japanese practice of saying "no" and "stop" to express pleasure during sexual intercourse, as native English speakers will actually think you want them to stop. The author suggests using "Yes!" or "Oh!" as replacements. What a fine cultural lesson!]

Final thoughts

One could almost take the availability of this book on the shelves of a major retailer as a sign of Japan’s tolerance towards international relationships. Would a book that encourages local women to engage in sexual relationships with Western men go over well in other Asian nations such as China and Korea? One could argue that the book was actually written by a Japanese person, and that it unfairly portrays foreigners as sex-crazed date rapists who cheat on their girlfriends. However, I would argue that, while the book may be written by a Japanese person, the inclusion of chapters about fighting and abnormal sex are actually extremely practical. After all, isn’t the aim of this book to prepare Japanese girls for the kind of relationships that are born in Roppongi’s shady bar scene. I’ll certainly be recommending this book to any Japanese girls who want to learn English for the purpose of picking up some hot Brad Pitt-esque foreigners in bars. Also, if you’re a foreigner who wants a good laugh, you should probably order it from Amazon or find it in the ESL section of your local Japanese bookstore.