The phrase どなたですか？ is polite, but can sound rude depending on when you use it. In this episode, Mariko covers:- How to directly ask who someone is when you need to answer the door or pick up the phone-「うん」 trap — how it happens without noticing, and its damage- why saying いいえ alone sounds cold and impolite

📥 Grammar Note + Interactive Script (free):https://wanderlust-japanese.kit.com/ep11

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wanderlust.japanese

Wanderlust Japanese — real-life Japanese for adults building a life where Japanese matters.

In this episode we go beneath "Japanese people are indirect" and "空気を読む — reading the air." 3 phrases to unlock honest communication in Japanese would make it easier for the people around you to be honest with you. One of them only works because you're not Japanese.

📥 Freeze Ready Kit — five real situations, phrases, cultural context, and shadowing practice: https://wanderlust-japanese.kit.com/freezeready

Calling 110 or 119 in Japan sounds simple — until you're on the call. This episode covers what the dispatcher asks, what you say, how to find your location if you're outside, and what to do when your Japanese isn't enough. Plus one thing most expats haven't checked that matters more than any phrase.

📥 Emergency Japanese Cheat Sheet — free download: https://wanderlust-japanese.kit.com/emergency