In my experience, it's just the opposite in the countryside. Show even the slightest interest in speaking Japanese and respecting Japanese culture and norms, an

In my experience, it's just the opposite in the countryside. Show even the slightest interest in speaking Japanese and respecting Japanese culture and norms, and you're shown a warm welcome, much warmer than a random Japanese stranger would be given, and much warmer than in the cities where people have gotten weary from repeated bad experiences with clueless tourists.