The React First Kit

The prompts

Six of them, in the order they appear in the video. Say them out loud. Nothing needs typing.

1. Turn the AI into someone who can wait

Real people cannot do this. Three seconds of silence and they rescue you.

Say this first, every time

Let's talk in Japanese. I'm a beginner.
Speak slowly, use short sentences, and stay in Japanese.
If I go quiet, wait seven seconds before you say anything.
After seven seconds, ask me again in easier Japanese, or give me two options.
Never switch to English, and never finish my sentence for me.

Seven seconds is where you start, not where you stay. What matters is what happens after the seven: it does not sit there in silence, and it does not rescue you in English. It asks again in easier Japanese.

Then you shrink the number. Seven, then five, then three. Three is the one that counts — that is roughly when a real person steps in and takes the conversation off your hands.

2. Three minutes of reactions only

Three minutes a day

Talk to me in Japanese for three minutes about anything — a recipe, a movie, your day.
Speak slowly, but keep going. Don't wait for me to respond.
I'm going to practice あいづち (Japanese backchanneling) while you speak.
If I go quiet for more than five seconds, keep talking anyway.

Do not try to follow it. You are not practicing listening. You are practicing responding to something you only half-caught, which is the thing that keeps a conversation alive.

Three minutes a day for a month, and you can check it yourself: while the other person was talking, was there a stretch where you said nothing? If those stretches are gone, you moved.

3. Pick one situation and run it in English first

This is the scene from the video. Take a different one from the thirty below and swap in your own details.

English first

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a hotel front desk.
I have a reservation, but you can't find it and the hotel is full tonight.
Don't give in right away. Refuse two or three times, then find me a room.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

The second to last line is the one people leave out. Without it the AI says of course, right away, and there is nothing left to practice.

English first is not a detour either. Whatever you cannot say in English, you will never say in Japanese. Get the content out of your head first, then translate it.

4. Turn it into Japanese and cut it to three

Your own words, in Japanese

Turn everything I just said into natural Japanese.
Then make a table of the words and phrases I'll need for this exact situation.
Keep it at N5 level. Add furigana.

Three phrases. Not ten. For the hotel scene they came out as:

でも、予約しました。メールが、あります。But I did book. I have the email.

もう一度、見てもらえますか。Could you look once more?

すみません、ゆっくり言ってもらえますか。Sorry, could you say that slowly?

Keep the third one whatever your situation is. That one lets you ask a real person for what you asked the AI for in prompt 1.

5. Get those three into your mouth

Out loud, not on paper

Let's practice the three phrases from the table.
First, read each one slowly and let me repeat.
Then read it again at natural speed.
Finally, say the English and I'll say the Japanese.
Correct my pronunciation and rhythm, not my grammar.

No grammar corrections here. The moment someone corrects your grammar you stop moving your mouth and start thinking again.

6. Put the reactions on top and run it in Japanese

The same scene, second time round

Let's do the same roleplay again, in Japanese this time.
I'm a beginner, so speak slowly and stay in Japanese.
If I go quiet, wait five seconds, then ask again in easier Japanese.
Don't give in right away. Refuse two or three times, then find me a room.

Five, not seven. It is your second run at the same scene, so you should be quicker. If you are not, put it back to seven. No drama.

When you are stuck for the words: すみません、ゆっくり言ってもらえますか
When you are out of moves: 困ります。どうしたら、いいですか

And if it falls apart, use English. You told the AI not to switch. Nobody told you that. Ask how to say the one thing you are missing, then go back to Japanese and carry on.

Then: もう一度、同じ会話をしてください
Five times, ten times. Nobody at a real front desk will do that for you.

30 situations

Every one of these has to be solved with words. Pointing will not finish any of them, and nobody says yes to you straight away. Pick the one that is closest to happening to you.

Open one and you get the whole setting: who the AI is, what it refuses, and what makes it stop refusing. Copy it as it is and paste it under prompt 1.

For the second run, in Japanese

Let's do the same roleplay again, in Japanese this time.
I'm a beginner, so speak slowly and stay in Japanese.
If I go quiet, wait five seconds, then ask again in easier Japanese.

Run every one of these in English first. When you go again in Japanese, these three lines replace the first line of the setup. Everything under it stays exactly as it is.

Before you go

1Ask a hotel whether they can work around something you don't eat. Don't take the first answer.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a small ryokan and you're answering the phone.
I'm staying next month, and I'm calling to ask whether the kitchen can leave shrimp out of the set dinner.
Say no the first time. The menu is fixed weeks ahead and the chef decides it.
Start looking for a way around it only after I ask again and tell you what happens if I eat it.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

2Ask a small restaurant that doesn't take bookings from abroad to hold two counter seats.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You run a six-seat restaurant, and you're answering the phone in the middle of prep.
I'm calling from abroad to hold two counter seats for the 14th.
You don't take bookings from people you don't know, and you say so twice.
Agree only when I give you something that makes me real: the hotel I'm staying at, a number that reaches me, or the exact time I'll walk in.
You're busy. Keep your answers short.

3Ask what you're expected to wear to something you already signed up for.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're hosting a tea gathering that I already signed up for.
I'm calling to ask what I should wear.
Say "anything is fine" the first two times, the way people actually do.
Give me something I can act on — socks, nothing on my wrists, no strong perfume — only after I ask a third time.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

4Ask a rental shop whether they have a kimono for your height.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a kimono rental shop.
I'm 190cm and I want to rent one for Saturday.
Tell me the sizes you keep don't go that far, and stop there. Don't offer me anything else.
Mention the one long piece in the back, and that it costs more, only if I ask what my options are.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

5Ask a shop to hold a piece until you arrive next month.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You own a small pottery shop.
I want you to hold a bowl for me until I'm back in Japan on the 12th of next month.
You hold things for three days, and you tell me that.
You'll only agree if I offer to pay now or leave a deposit. Wait for me to offer it. Don't suggest it yourself.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

6Ask a friend in Japan for a recommendation, then turn one of them down.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're my friend in Osaka.
I'm asking you where to eat on Friday night.
Give me three places, and push the one you like best.
When I turn that one down, ask me why. Don't just move on to the next one.
Talk like a friend, not like a guide.

7Ask your teacher to move this week's time, and give a real reason.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're my Japanese teacher.
I want to move this week's time.
Your week is nearly full. Offer me one slot that's clearly bad for me, and say there isn't much else.
Agree only after I've given you two times that work and a reason that's actually true.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

While you're there

8The front desk can't find your reservation and the hotel is full tonight. Get a room anyway.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a hotel front desk.
I have a reservation, but you can't find it and the hotel is full tonight.
Don't give in right away. Refuse two or three times, then find me a room.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

This is the one from the video.

9A ryokan or hotel. Move dinner an hour later than the time they offered.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a ryokan and you're taking dinner times for tonight.
You offer me 18:00. I want 19:00.
Tell me the kitchen serves in two sittings and 19:00 isn't one of them.
Offer 18:30 instead. Move to 19:00 only if I ask again, and stay friendly about it.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

10The front desk answers you in English. Ask them to keep it in Japanese.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a hotel front desk and I'm checking in.
I speak to you in Japanese, and you answer in English because you think you're helping me.
Do it twice more, even after I've asked you once to stay in Japanese.
Switch to Japanese when I ask a third time, and don't make it awkward.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

On the second run, drop stay in Japanese from the three lines above. This scene needs it to keep slipping back.

11Ask a shop or a cafe to hold your bags for an hour while you look around.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a small cafe.
I want to leave two bags with you for an hour while I walk around.
Say you don't really do that, and that there's nowhere safe to put them.
Agree only after I've told you there's nothing valuable inside and exactly when I'll be back.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

12Tell a chef there's something you can't eat, without making it awkward.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're the chef at a counter, cooking in front of me.
I need to tell you I can't eat raw egg.
Ask me whether it's an allergy or a preference, then offer me something that also has egg in it.
Fix it only after I've explained a second time. Keep working while we talk.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

13At a counter, the chef asks what you'd like next. Say what you want instead of おまかせ.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're a sushi chef and I'm sitting at your counter.
You ask me what I'd like next.
Whatever I say, steer me toward おまかせ or today's recommendation. Do that twice.
Give me what I asked for only after I've named it clearly a second time.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

14A shop. Ask where a piece was made, and stay in it for two minutes.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You own a shop that sells handmade knives.
I ask you where one of them was made.
Answer in one short sentence and stop. Don't add anything I didn't ask for.
Keep doing that. This conversation only opens up if I keep it going, so let me carry it for two minutes.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

15A department store. Ask for a size that isn't out on the floor.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work in a department store, in menswear.
I want a size that isn't out on the floor.
Tell me what's on the rack is all you have.
If I ask you to check, find it at another branch and offer to have it sent — but only if I ask.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

16Ask for two things wrapped separately, and say who each one is for.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at the wrapping counter of a confectionery shop.
I'm buying two boxes, and they're for two different people.
Assume they're one gift, start wrapping them together, and ask me which paper I want.
Let me stop you and explain. Then ask who each one is for.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

17The tax-free counter. Your passport is back at the hotel. Sort it out.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at the tax-free counter of a department store.
I've already bought everything, and my passport is back at the hotel.
Tell me you can't do it without the passport. Say it twice, politely, without moving.
Then give me the one thing that would work: come back today with the passport and the receipt, before you close at 20:00.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

18Your restaurant booking isn't in their system. Get a table anyway.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a restaurant that is fully booked tonight.
I have a booking for two at 19:00 and it isn't in your system.
Tell me there's nothing you can do. Say it twice.
Then offer me the counter, if we can wait twenty minutes and be out by 21:00.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

19A taxi takes a route you don't recognize. Ask about it without accusing anyone.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're a taxi driver in Kyoto and I'm in the back.
We've turned off the road I expected, and I want to ask about it without accusing you of anything.
Answer the first time in three or four words, sounding a little put out.
Explain properly — the road works, what it saves — only if I ask again and stay polite.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

20You left something on the train. Describe it at the station office.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at a station office.
I left a paper bag on the train about an hour ago.
Before you look anything up, ask me which line, which direction, roughly what time, what colour the bag is, and what's inside. One question at a time.
Then tell me nothing has come in yet, and what I should do this evening.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

21A pharmacy. Explain how you feel well enough to get the right thing.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're a pharmacist, and I've come in feeling unwell.
Don't recommend anything until you've asked me when it started, whether I have a fever, and whether I'm taking anything else. One question at a time.
If my answer is vague, ask again instead of guessing.
Then give me one product and tell me how to take it.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

22Something arrived with an ingredient you can't eat. Have it made again.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're a waiter in a small restaurant.
The dish I ordered came with the ingredient I told you I can't eat.
Apologize, then explain that it's already in the sauce, and offer me something different instead.
Have it made again only if I ask a second time and stay calm about it.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

23Something you bought yesterday was broken in the box. Get your money back.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at the counter of an electronics shop.
I bought a small speaker yesterday, and it was already cracked inside the box.
Offer me an exchange. Then tell me the maker handles anything beyond that. Turn down the refund twice.
Give me the money back only when I ask for it directly and show you the receipt.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

24A workshop. Ask the teacher to slow down and show you once more.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're teaching a pottery workshop with eight people in the room.
You've just shown a step at full speed, and I didn't follow it.
You're watching everyone, so tell me to copy the person next to me, and move on.
Come back and show me again slowly only after I've asked you directly.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

People, before and after

25Write to the hotel afterwards and thank one person by name.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You work at the front desk of the hotel I stayed at last week.
I'm sending a message to thank one of your staff, and I only half remember his name.
Read my message the way a busy front desk reads it, and ask me which person I mean and which night it was.
Reply the way a hotel replies: short, warm, formal.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

26Tell a shop owner the piece arrived safely and where you put it.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're the potter whose bowl I bought in Japan.
I'm writing to tell you it arrived safely and where I keep it.
Ask me about the room: what's next to it, what light it gets, whether I use it or look at it.
Keep asking until I've actually described my home to you.
Talk like the person who made it, not like a shop.

27Your friend's mother gave you a present. Thank her in a message, then again on a call.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're my friend's mother, and you sent me a present.
I'm thanking you, first in a message and then on a call.
Wave it away twice. Say it was nothing, that you had it lying around.
Ask about my family and how I've been, and let me thank you again inside that conversation.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

28Turn down an invitation without going silent on the person.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're a friend inviting me to a barbecue on Sunday.
I can't go, and I don't want to go quiet on you.
Ask me again after I say no. Then suggest another day.
Let it go only when I've turned it down and offered you something else instead.
Talk like a friend, not like a guide.

29Say you didn't understand, three times in a row, without apologizing each time.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're a neighbour explaining the rubbish rules on my street.
Talk at normal speed, and use the words you'd actually use.
When I say I didn't understand, make it slightly simpler and carry on. Don't stop, and don't ask whether I'm okay.
I'm going to say it three times, and I'm not going to apologize each time.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

30You're asked why you study Japanese when you only visit. Give the real answer.

Copy the whole setup

Let's roleplay in English first. You're someone I've just met at a standing bar.
You ask me why I study Japanese when I only come here twice a year.
Push back twice: everyone speaks English now, and it's a lot of work for the amount I'd use it.
Drop it only when I've given you a reason that is actually mine.
Be a real person, not a polite assistant.

The React First Kit

Start here

Safe with anyone

Once those come out on their own, add three more

The prompts

1. Turn the AI into someone who can wait

2. Three minutes of reactions only

3. Pick one situation and run it in English first

4. Turn it into Japanese and cut it to three

5. Get those three into your mouth

6. Put the reactions on top and run it in Japanese

30 situations

Before you go

While you're there

People, before and after

When it doesn't work

Tried one and it went sideways?