A dialogue among a group of

students who travel to Japan and

encounter culture shock related
to food
Character:
Ly (stu1)
Trân (stu2)
Khánh (stu3)
Teacher ( ms Vân)
Mr.Kudo (tour guide)
service + MC ( Nam Anh )

MC: a college of Viet Nam that cooperation with japan

university invite a group of student to visit their
country, to know more about their heritage, food and
culture before go to their country to study abroad
From Hanoi to Tokyo
● MS VÂN: Here we are in TOKYO. After all, step
in line and be quiet, wait me for a while
● LY: I feel so freezy
● TRÂN: Yes, because we're in December, the
coldest season in Japan
 ● KHÁNH: I really want to come to Japan the got
the best scene,the entertainment and the culture
history of their glory samurai to now gotta go buy
my favorite things right now
● TRÂN: Hey stop wait for the teacher and
MR.KUDO they’ll guide us
● MR.KUDO: Hi everyone, I'm MR.KUDO, your
tour guide today. This must be the first time you
guys come to japan.
● ALL STUDENT: Yes
● MS.VÂN: Ah MR KUDO you got just the exact
time. You guys must feel cold and hungry now.
right ?
● MR.KUDO: Ah how about the local restaurant
which very famous near here, just a couple minutes
for walking .
● LY: Yes I’m very starving and need place to get
warm
● KHÁNH : Why we just can go to a the center or
some where crowded or have the enormous seen
● TRÂN: Hey I would love to try the Japan cuisine
beside that LY is starving
● MR.KUDO: Ok guys let follow me
MC: After pass 3 corners and 2 block they finally
get to the restaurant destination ( KHANH felt a bit
uncomfortable when he was not approved)
 ● MR.KUDO: ah yes this definitely the ones
● MS VÂN: Alright kids get in
● SERVICE: (open the door ) Welcome
● LY : OMG ! I will die if we keep walking like this
● SERVICE (MC): Here is yours seats
● MS VÂN: MR KUDO you know well about this
can you please suggest some kind of food and help
us order
● KHÁNH: (get noise) I don’t want in here I want to
go the shopping mall or museum hhh.
● MR KUDO: Be quiet ! in Japan you must be
respectful to other people. Be nice and i’ll guide
you to the place you want to be after this meal. OK
Let’s start with some sashimi. It’s a popular dish
here. We will eat it raw to feel the freshness of the
seafood.
MC: The food is ordering
● TRÂN : This is the first meal in Japan! I can’t wait
to try it , I’ve heard and seen it on the internet . I
hope it lives to the hype
● LY: What ! Sashimi, I had never ate raw fish
before. Is it fine to eat ? I’m not sure about my
taste. I’ve never eaten them before.
● MS VÂN: What about ramen ? It’s like noodle and
pho in Vietnam. I’m sure that you can eat it.
 ● KHÁNH What if I don’t like the food? Should I
just pretend to eat it?
● MS VÂN: It’s important to be respectful, but you
don’t have to pretend. Just try a little bit of
everything.
● MR KUDO: Don’t worry, we’ll help you. Ramen
is a dish that is quite easy to eat and nutritious in
Japanese dining experience. About sashimi, you
can try a piece to see if it’s good. If you afraid ,it’s
ok to not eat
● TRÂN: I’m excited to try new things, but I hope I
don’t offend anyone with my table manners.
● MS VÂN: As long as you’re polite and show
respect, you’ll be fine. Japanese people appreciate
the effort.
● LY: I can’t believe how different the food culture
is here. It’s a whole new experience.
● MR KUDO: That’s what makes traveling so
exciting. We get to learn about different cultures
and try new things.
MC: KHÁNH felt like he ruined everyone’s
discovery trip
KHÁNH: I’m sorry everyone. I just find everything
new here and I can’t adapt it quickly. Beside that, I’m
so looking forward to seeing the samurai so that I was
impatient and impolite.
MR KUDO : It’s ok son. This is not the first time I
have encountered this situation. Let’s choose a dish
with me, come here.
MC :We can see that the fact that countries have
different cultures makes it difficult for foreigners who
approach them for the first time to adapt immediately.
This will cause a culture shock. Their behavior will
unintentionally make local people feel uncomfortable.
Besides, local people also have to understand the
feelings of foreigners and consider themselves as them.
If I go to their country, will I adapt and accept it or not?
In the recent play, we can see that Vietnamese students
are not familiar with walking, raw food and Japanese
behavioral culture. However, Japanese people are very
polite, so Mr. Kudo did not get angry and gently
reminded the student's attitude because he had
experienced many such situations and understood the
student's feelings. Then she understood and admitted
her mistake. Therefore, the most important thing in
cross-cultural contact is understanding and empathy