Most, if not all research on communication apprehension (CA) in Japan has been theory driven. While a theory driven approach may be useful to help understand certain aspects of CA in Japan, a ground-up approach offers the opportunity to understand in depth, the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of those who suffer from CA. This paper reports the results of a focus group where Japanese students were able to talk freely about the impact of apprehension on their daily lives. After categorizing and analyzing the results from a series of focus groups, the impact of communication fear on the everyday lives of the Japanese participants shows that many of them appear to live double lives, one as successes of the Japanese educational system, and also as victims of fear communication. The paper closes with suggestions for future research, including which kind of treatment program or programs is best suited for Japanese populations. Contains 24 references; 2 charts of data are attached. (Author/RS)