Quote:
Originally Posted by masaegu
１．日本に来たばかりだ
２．日本に来たところだ
There is a difference. Saying #2 can be totally inappropriate depending the situation.
The key factor from the native speaker's perspective is this: "How long is your intended stay?"
If it's a week, you can say either one during the first day or two. Here, the difference is minimal to non-existent. The two expressions are interchangeable. However, on Day 3 or 4, neither one would sound proper.
If it's a year, while #2 can only be said during the first few days, #1 can be said for as long as a few weeks from your arrival.
To answer your original question, the two are pretty much synonymous but not always interchangeable.
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Thanks. That comports with what I said above, and makes me feel more confident in my guessplanation.