Half the city wants to practise English, and you'd like to stop pointing at menus. Here's how language exchange works here, where to find one, and how to make it more than a lesson. (If what you really want is friends rather than practice, Buy Me a Matcha is built for that: friends-only, English-only, one-on-one over a matcha.)
You meet someone who speaks the language you're learning and is learning yours. You split the time: half in Japanese, half in English. Nobody pays, nobody is the teacher, and everyone is a bit bad at something, which takes the pressure off.
It's also one of the easiest ways to meet Japanese people who actually want to talk to foreigners. That's rarer than you'd think.
Regular evenings in cafés and bars, usually with a small entry fee that includes a drink. Some are structured (switch partners every 15 minutes), some are basically a friendly bar night. Search Meetup and Instagram for "language exchange Tokyo" and try two different ones before deciding.
Both match you with people learning your language. Great for daily practice by text and voice. The trick is moving from chatting to an actual coffee once you've talked a few times, otherwise it stays a pen-pal forever.
Most Tokyo wards have an international association (国際交流協会) that runs Japanese classes taught by local volunteers, often for free. The volunteers chose to spend their evening meeting foreigners, so they're some of the friendliest people in the city. Search your ward's name plus "international association".
If you're studying, check for international or language exchange clubs at your school and at nearby Japanese universities. Many welcome outsiders to their events.
Buy Me a Matcha shows you people in Tokyo who speak English and want new friends. You match, you pick a café, you go. The Japanese practice can come later.
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