So there you are.

You asked for a recommendation for a good izakaya, then you introduced yourself, and now you're wondering how in the world you're going to get this Japanese person to join you (and your companions) for some good times!

Useful phrase to the rescue:

よかったら一緒に行きませんか？
よかったら　いっしょに　いきません　か？
Would you like to come with us [me]?
Literally: “if you'd like (=if it's good) + together + won't go + か?”

Or maybe you asked a Japanese person for directions to the nearest station. You didn't really need directions. You just wanted an excuse to talk to someone. And now you want them to join you for a trip to [wherever].

You'll have to use a slightly longer phrase in this situation:

今から _______ に行くんですけど、よかったら一緒に行きませんか？
いま　から　_______ 　に　いく　んです　けど、　よかったら　いっしょに　いきません　か？
We’re [I’m] about to go to _______. Would you like to come with us [me]?
Literally: “now + from + _______ + に + go + んです + but, + if you’d like (=if it’s good) + together + won’t go + か?”

You'll notice that the second half of our sentence is the same as the first phrase we saw. We're just adding the necessary context to the invitation in the first half of the sentence.

Maybe the [wherever] that you want to invite this person is Harajuku. In that case, you could say:

今から原宿に行くんですけど、よかったら一緒に行きませんか？
いま　から　はらじゅく　に　いく　んです　けど、　よかったら　いっしょに　いきません　か？
We’re [I’m] about to go to Harajuku. Would you like to come with us [me]?
Literally: “now + from + Harajuku + に + go + んです + but, + if you’d like (=if it’s good) + together + won’t go + か?”

Or maybe it's an izakaya you'd like to go to together. You could say:

今から居酒屋に行くんですけど、よかったら一緒に行きませんか？
いま　から　いざかや　に　いく　んです　けど、　よかったら　いっしょに　いきません　か？
We’re [I’m] about to go to an izakaya. Would you like to come with us [me]?
Literally: “now + from + izakaya + に + go + んです + but, + if you’d like (=if it’s good) + together + won’t go + か?”

Ask for help/directions → awkwardly introduce yourself → invite person to join you for fun times → make countless Japanese friends.

Easy in theory, perhaps. But so are waking up early, going to the gym, and eating healthy food.

If I wanted to connect with locals using the phrases we've introduced so far, I would probably go into it thinking that I was going to make a fool of myself. I could even tell myself that that's my primary goal―make a fool of myself by trying to use these Japanese phrases.

Who know, maybe it would work. And at least you wouldn't have to wonder if you might have pulled it off.

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💀 💀　QUIZ　💀 💀

Here are the phrases we've seen so far:

行きませんか？（いきませんか？ // won't go?）

よかったら（if you'd like）

今から（いまから // from now）

に行くんです（にいくんです // go to）

一緒に（いっしょに // together）

けど（but）

原宿（はらじゅく // Harajuku）

居酒屋（いざかや // izakaya）

Can you form sentences with them?

How about: "Would you like to come with us [me]?"

That would be...

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よかったら一緒に行きませんか？
よかったら　いっしょに　いきません　か？
Would you like to come with us [me]?
Literally: “if you'd like (=if it's good) + together + won't go + か?”

How about: "We’re [I’m] about to go to Harajuku. Would you like to come with us [me]?"

That would be...

🐺 🐺 Thinking Space 🐺 🐺
🐺 🐺 Thinking Space 🐺 🐺
🐺 🐺 Thinking Space 🐺 🐺
🐺 🐺 Thinking Space 🐺 🐺
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🐺 🐺 Thinking Space 🐺 🐺
🐺 🐺 Thinking Space 🐺 🐺

今から原宿に行くんですけど、よかったら一緒に行きませんか？
いま　から　はらじゅく　に　いく　んです　けど、　よかったら　いっしょに　いきません　か？
We’re [I’m] about to go to Harajuku. Would you like to come with us [me]?
Literally: “now + from + Harajuku + に + go + んです + but, + if you’d like (=if it’s good) + together + won’t go + か?”

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Of course, approaching someone on the street is not the only way to meet new people.

Let's think about another potential situation.

You're at an izakaya with your fellow travelers, enjoying all kinds of delicious food and drinks.

You would have liked to have approached a Japanese person on the street and invited them to join you, but it was just too scary.

But you're feeling a bit braver now. You've had a few beers (or maybe a few juices, if you're not into booze), and you and your friends are talking, laughing, and having a great time.

An idea dawns on you. You'll just call out to the group of Japanese people sitting at the table next to yours and invite them to join you.

You turn and say:

こんにちは！よかったら、一緒に飲みませんか？
こんにちは！　よかったら、　いっしょに　のみません　か？
Hi! Care to join us? // Hey! Would you like to drink with us?
Literally: “hello! + if you’d like (=if it’s good), + together + won’t drink + か?”

I've never worked up the courage to ask a stranger on the street to go to an izakaya together.

I have, however, shared drinks with many people who were sitting nearby in an izakaya after asking them to join my friends and me. Maybe it'll work for you, too.