Comment by _imba_

I was in Tokyo on a short business trip once. I had a interpreter and back to back meetings with Japanese businesses for a few days. At one stage I realised that people are reacting slightly to what I am saying before the content was translated. I asked the interpreter about it and she said that they all had English as a school subject and that most Japanese people under 50 can understand English, and are too self-aware about their accent to even try to converse. I've never been able to verify this and would love a more informed opinion.