See a Japan that is off the tourist routes and listen to the host, Paul, aka ExJapTer, along with a variety of guests, talk about what life is REALLY like in the land of the rising sun. Explore, learn, see footage of daily life and enter the conversation about what it is like to live in Japan LONG term. From tourist, to resident, to lifer.
Originally from the United States, I have lived in Japan for more than 14 years and decided there are plenty of things you just don't hear or know about Japan unless you have been here for a while. I hope you enjoy hearing my perspectives, as well as the perspectives of my various guests! I also hope that I can provide solid advice about how to stay sane as a long term resident and also what to expect if you decide to move to Japan with maybe, just maybe the possibility of staying the course.
Comments, questions, and requests are always welcome!
How about you were born in San Francisco and people kept asking you “Where are you from?” And if you replied “San Francisco” they insisted “I mean where are you from originally.” You can say from an African tribe who journeyed out into the world. Just kidding. So the American born and naturalized American get the same question. We can ask back “How about you? Unless you are Native American, those who crossed the Arctic land-bridge into North America, where are you originally from?” End of encounter. You were right Paul. Decent people don’t call you out easily.
so Japan is another unofficial America then? Adding to exoticism and fetishism and allowing racism with preference for white skin? Say you didnt say so,
Am a big fan of your videos Paul, so insightful compared to others. Have been to Japan twice and as an introvert it was paradise. I also had enjoyable interactions with the locals, it really is a mixed bag so although for example the rental difficulties are annoying, westerners should not generalise. Sometimes attitudes can be a generational thing too so i guess it helps if you can learn to live with the occasional kick back. Am sure as a resident the positives outweigh the negatives. Keep up the great work 😊
I feel that a lot of these rules of etiquette have changed over the years. I do remember a very dignified looking lady absolutely losing it in a cake shop because the box of biscuits she had bought as a gift were too near the use by date. I thought she was going to murder everyone in the store 😂
You are Right in all Aspects,except one( my opinion only:):Most people are not even prepared to go by all the situations,paper work, problems,EC.ec.Because all problems and the way to deal with that is Completely New for most of the Foreigners, Excellent they are: Half Japanese...No one can even prepare themselves to have it a little Easier .All New.Even for a short stay I encounter Softbank SIM card problems ,that even Japanese stuff never saw before 😂.Thank you so much for the 👍 Great work of yours
i know that back in siberia where i came from i would have been a janitor, or a street sweeper, or something like that, so i appreciate japan a lot for allowing me to enjoy a lifestyle i might not have been able to afford if i stayed
some people say Shanghai is more easier acclamation than Tokyo for Americans. You forgot to mention Americans are direct So the indirect communication style would be maddening to most.
Paul-san, Again and again you are distinct and true! Excellent presentations! You are really are our ambassador for Japan life. You are honest and clear, no holds barred. Japan as an 'asian starter country' is vitally true. I know that the language (Kanji) can be insurmountable. But that is as it should be! Perhaps it should be viewed as just that, insurmountable! Humanity takes on so many forms, so that we should sometimes stand back and accept it's incomprehensibility. That is part of Life. This is also true of discrimination when one confronts it. We should never accept such behavior but try to understand it in terms of a sometimes failing humanity. I was very sad to hear of your Vietnamese friend, John, and the discrimination that he has to undergo. Equally, I was dismayed and angered by the treatment of foreign women in Japan. God! Are we living back in feudal Japan? The treatment of foreign women indicates a rift that is probably evident in how Japanese men treat their own women. Let me tell you of an incident that happened to me here in America. I am Japanese-American, born in Twin Falls, Idaho. Yet as I was shopping in a Von's grocery store here in Long Beach, CA. a child in a baby carriage strolled by and started mimicking the Chinese language and making his eyes slanted to mock me. This took place in a couple of seconds. You could say it's the upbringing of the child that should be blamed. But, I believe it goes deeper than that. There is an element within each of us that fears the foreign, the intruder, the unknown one. Will we ever get rid of it? Perhaps there is something about self-preservation behind it. Again, I return to the incomprehensibility of it. Thanks ever so much for your risking to be a bridge to Japan. Carry on, brother, Clyde Fugami
Thank you so much for the long and insightful comment. I am equally bothered by your experience as if it had happened to me. All we can do is keep acknowledging that prejudice and stereotyoes exist, and push back against them. Best wishes.
I think the privacy regarding students seeing you out and about is not just a foreigner in Japan thing, it's a teacher thing. I get that from my students in Australia, and it hasn't mattered whether I've been working in a small town or a capital city - students are going to see you and they always comment, "Hey, I saw you at ~~ the other day!" I think the younger ones are just so surprised you have a life outside of school they always blurt it out when they see you in "real life", haha
Honestly, asap. I started using one within a month of being here. I know they are trying to phase them out, but honestly whenever i use mine there seems to be a sense of relief or happiness on the part of the Japanese that I have one instead of signing my name. I will even ask which they prefer and when they realize I have a hanko they ask for that.
My understanding, when it comes to apartments not wanting to rent to foreigners is that it has nothing to do with any inherent racism. Japanese apartments often have extensive lists of rules and regulations when it comes to, for example, trash disposal, pets, common spaces, etc. These rules are written in Japanese and often foreigners can't read them or don't bother to have them translated. This can result in a lot of annoyance by other tenants. Makes sense to me. Foreigners who speak and read Japanese well, rarely have a problem renting.
Unfortunatly not true. When we hunted for apartments our agent phoned owners and even when he told them my wife was Japanese, it didnt matter. No foreigners.
I use to live in Japan for a few years. Housing discrimination based on “race” or group is racism. Requiring a “guarantor” for renting, who is usually of Japanese descent, is racism. That’s about as on the nose as you can get 😅. Considering that there are also “Japanese Only” establishments, and the opportunities for advancement in Japanese companies “hits a ceiling” for foreign residents, you literally are defining overt systemic racism in a culture. 😞🤷♂️ The Japanese have a long standing history of discrimination against even other Asians such as Koreans, Chinese, and Okinawans 😳. NOW, that being said, the racism in Japan is not nearly as antagonistic or violent as in other countries, like say the United States, comparatively. 🧐 However, I’ve come across quite a few who wish to romanticize or justify the situation, and it’s not a valid defense. To make generalized sweeping judgments, or in this case, policies based on your perception of a people is racism. 😤 All that being said, the Japanese are generally more polite and “civil” as a culture. The chances of you being physically harmed or even approached are very low, especially comparatively 🙂. I enjoyed and appreciated Japan, and many are welcoming there 🤗👍. We just should call it for what it is, when racism is presented, and Japan seems to be trying to address concerns 🙏.
@@ExJapTer hmm. My son and his Japanese wife have moved multiple times and never encountered this. Now that they have bought a condo, he even serves on their Board of Directors. None of the places they lived have been "ex-pat" buildings.
I, myself, have never experienced racism in Japan outside of being refused service at some “Japanese Only” establishments…which is racism 😂. It’s also not as simple as a “language barrier”. I lived there and interacted fine knowing a handful of words at the time. Yoshi (restaurant owner) was accommodating and welcoming every time, as were most others. The ones who weren’t, sometimes it’s just as simple as they don’t like foreigners, but I digress. The absence of personal experience with racism does not mean the absence of reality. The discrimination faced by foreigners in Japanese housing is well documented locally and internationally. There is a bias there, and discriminatory practices. Terms like “gaijin” and “hafu” with their sometimes negative depictions exist for a reason. There are also, to my recollection, no laws preventing discrimination towards foreign born residents in Japan. Other Asians have received it very bad over the years, especially Chinese, Koreans, and even Okinawans. My experience with racism was mild, but I do remember the “Japanese Only” signs, ESPECIALLY when you are hungry and just trying to find somewhere to eat 😭😅.
今朝は伊勢佐木町😊毎週土曜日が楽しみ I agree with your analysis. Yokohama was open for western countries 160 years ago. People have had various experiences with foreigners since they grew up. First American, English, French and Dutch consulates were located in the old temples in the small village of Kanagawa, Yokohama. It's relatively easy for foreigners to live in Yokohama. Structure of the Japanese language is quite different form western languages. So it's difficult for westerns to learn Japanese. These 70, 80 years all Japanese junior high school students study English for three years. Some smart students use English. Recently traffic signs are written in English all over Japan. Maybe it helps foreigners to live easily. PEACE✌
Japan is Number 1 on my bucket list and definitely my dream tourist destination, hopefully next year! In general I like to be well informed and prepared and those algorithm vids do help in a sense since the last thing I want to do is be considered rude or obnoxious by the locals. There are just so many unspoken customs and language/cultural specific ways to speak that can come across as super intimidating. But learning in your video how understanding and forgiving Japanese people can be has put my worries to rest. Guess I'm over-thinking it.
Not a native English speaker, but totally agree and feel the same changes in my Japanese/English speaking style after switching from a Japanese company to a Japanese language school. Try to use simple words and concise structures to reduce misunderstandings for my foreign students and colleagues with different language levels and cultures.
I've just returned from watching Suzume in the cinema and loved every moment. It was really emotional for me. Daijin was such an interesting character!
I've lived in Shiinamachi Tokyo for around 6 months and love the place. However I didn't truly feel like I was in Japan until I visited Toyohashi. Beautiful with low tourist population.🔥
@@ExJapTer I write serialized Yuri Paranormal Romance light novels. My current serial is loosely inspired by “The Peony Lantern.” Stylistically, it is a cross between Iruma Hitoma (Adachi to Shimamura) and Iori Miyazawa Lori (Otherside Picnic). Who would recognize if you read yuri otherwise proably not.
I find your videos very informative and helpful. Thank you for making the video! I enjoy learning more about Japanese culture, customs, and etc. Looking forward to your future videos! Stay awesome! 😎👍
Realizing him speaking about the slave trade because you were there must have been an odd realization, especially since he roped every single person into it. Japan has some high difficulty level social encounters 😅
I think that I have heard all of these superstition-based etiquette before, but you explained them well and succinctly. I think that this would make a great series of videos - explaining other etiquette, along with a brief explanation for the background of each. It could help us try to avoid 'blowing ourselves up' on the social 'minefield' while visiting Japan.
Actually, a video about what sorts of things are "ignorable" for most Japanese vs things that will grate on the Japanese nerves, would be an interesting video.
Hey, I just came across your channel. THANK YOU for non-annoying RU-vidr content. Just facts. I've been here in Japan for a couple of years. You have experience, though, and I like how you don't shill for Japan or views like so many of the other RU-vid grifters. Professional and big on content/experience. So refreshing to see a channel like this. I hereby bless you with 1,000,000 subs within the next five years!
The type of content I do is likely to be only appreciated by a small niche audience, and I have no intention of changing what I do. It would be awesome if that resulted in 1 million subs, but I doubt it will. But thank you, I appreciate your comment! To be fair, I do think there are some other good Japan youtubers out there, but agree that most of the YT Japan content is very repetitive.
I HAVE filmed in the trains before, but out the window, or of parts of the interior with no other passengers visible. I don't think it is 'illegal' per se, but it is more likely you might have people ask you not to film them. Personally I wouldn't film other passengers, because my feeling is most Japanese would find that more creepy than if you were just out filming on the streets.
The food mystery I'm wondering about is the Japanese obsession with white bread. You see bakeries that sell only one product--white bread and people are lined up as if it's the most gourmet delicacy you could ever wish for. Here in the States, white bread has been for at least several decades, looked down on as sort of cheap and low quality. What's with that?
Yes, there seems to be a strong aversion to other, 'stronger tasting', types of bread. At first I thought it might be due to it being most similar in (lack of) taste to white rice, except adding all sorts of mixtures to white rice (like brown rice, red beans, etc) is totally normal.
Thank you for your stories and for the drive and views of Mt Fuji! Your last story in particular brought back memories of the early ‘90’s when I used to teach English in Osaka at a company for its employees. Although at that stage I had already been living in Japan for about 6 years, one of my students always walked me to the station after the class. I always knew it was their way of saying thank you and showing their appreciation by ensuring I was able to get home okay. Thanks again!
