American man makes the sweetest friend in Japan while practicing Japanese by talking to locals

Learning the local language is often a priority for people living in a foreign country, as it helps them connect with locals and navigate daily life. Kyle Metcalf, an American TikToker known as @Im_kyle_metcalf, has taken a unique approach to mastering Japanese: interviewing and befriending Japanese locals. One of his heartwarming interviews with a man from Osaka has captivated audiences online.

"Interviewing people in Japan until I am fluent in Japanese," Metcalf said, approaching a stranger and asking if he spoke Japanese. The man confirmed and agreed to sit with him for a conversation video. "So don't use hard words...." the man requested, explaining that he was from Osaka and spoke the regional dialect. "Do you know that?" he asked. Metcalf responded, "I am learning the Osaka dialect." The man was impressed. "You're learning the Osaka dialect? That's amazing. Which country do you come from?" Metcalf answered, "I am from America." Then, he asked, "Which type of fish is your favorite?" In response, the stranger pointed at his hat, which had an image of a fish on it, and said that he liked the gray fish.

"What will you do after this?" Metcalf inquired. The man was about to go for a walk and invited Metcalf to join him. Together, they decided to try out some Japanese sweets. "They sell them over there. Shall we go there and eat some?" the older man suggested. Metcalf agreed. As they arrived, the old man introduced Metcalf as his new friend to the person at the shop and asked Metcalf if he knew about Matcha. They enjoyed some Daifuku, a popular Japanese confection made of a small, round mochi (sticky rice dough) that is typically filled with a sweet filling. "It tastes delicious," the old man said. Later, at a fruit seller's stand, the man again introduced Metcalf as his friend and explained, "I was sitting at the park. He came and sat next to me. He asked to speak Japanese."

Many people in the comments expressed their thoughts on the sweet interaction. @relativelyrelatable wrote, "Some people are just waiting to make a connection with someone. This was so sweet! He also seemed really excited that someone was trying to learn the Osaka dialect and not just the Tokyo dialect." @the_neth commented, "I can only imagine how incredible it must be to have foreigners really trying to learn the language, but not focusing solely on the dominant/stereotyped dialect used in the biggest city and media, etc."

@terrancepage5 remarked, "Brother is obligated to have dinner at this man's house every Friday night now." @steph143143 shared, "This was one of the sweetest videos. You could tell he really appreciated your company. This is so awesome." @champabaybuccaneers expressed, "I'm trying to learn it, but Duolingo is frustrating and I really don’t know another way other than ones that cost money and I'm not gonna spend money to learn it."

You can follow Kyle Metcalf (@Im_kyle_metcalf) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.