[andylaurel]

I was just about to write that I have never heard a foreigner speak Japanese without an accent that (even I) can pick up on, but then I watched that Scottish comedian's video. He was amazing.

I don't hear myself speaking with an accent, and when I listen to other foreigners speak Japanese I cringe at their poor pronounciation. I do however, realise that I also have a terrible accent.

Only the Japanese people close to you will keep it real with you. I'm told by all my students that my Japanese is really good, and that I barely have an accent, but they are just being polite. When I ask my girlfriend, she tells it straight. 'You're pretty bad' is what I get.