The job asks for 5+ years of Java and you are strongest in another language. How do you answer honestly and positively?

Be honest: state your real Java level and what you have actually built, without exaggerating.
Show transferable depth: design patterns, SOLID, SQL, REST APIs, testing, Git, CI/CD, debugging and problem solving are language-independent.
Show evidence of learning fast: a Java/Spring project you built, courses, a concrete example of picking up a new technology quickly.
Map concepts you know to Java ones (decorators and annotations, pytest and JUnit, FastAPI and Spring Boot, pip and Maven).
Say how you would ramp up in the first 3 months and invite a technical exercise.
Avoid apologizing; keep a confident, curious tone.