As a place for finding Japanese friends and for practicing your Japanese, international parties can’t be beat. Many Japanese people study English and can understand basic English. However, they don’t have much opportunity to speak in English, so they would prefer you to address them in English rather than in Japanese. Japanese people are typically reserved, so rather than striking up a conversation, the majority wait to be spoken to. A conversation will generally cover topics such as your country, job, hobbies and your impressions of Japan.