How has Japan changed you as a person? 

Get "TOKYO COMPLETE GUIDE" now! takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide

After just 2 weeks in Japan as soon as I got back to the USA I immediately missed the polite and high-quality service.

After almost 10 years here, the social isolation is a very common issue I’d say. I love living here, but it can be really difficult and frustrating as well regardless of your level of Japanese ability. Many foreigners and even Japanese people seem to struggle with the lack of meaningful relationships and reliable friendships (and not people to get drunk with). Most of the friends I made throughout the years left after 3 or latest 5 years, which can be really hard when it happens repeatedly. People who stay long term usually have either a Japanese spouse or found a strong niche community based on their interests or stay for their work. Personally, I find it very tiring how everyone is constantly so drained from work and other obligations that meeting someone requires at least 1 month of calendar blocking in advance - just to find out last minute that they cancelled again. Friendships also can stay on a small talk level literally for years, which as a European honestly feels very shallow to me. Overall, without a Japanese spouse, the feeling of being an eternal foreigner/outsider can make it also very difficult to develop a sense of belonging.

The common responses of becoming more respectful, patient, and considerate of others is really something we should learn to do more today.

Since 1970 I've lived in Japan for more than 20 years now, off and on. I raised my son here as a single mom. We crossed the Pacific 3x on Norwegian freighters, back and forth between Japan and Canada. I am now a senior living in Kyoto, a retired English teacher and a color pencil artist for conservation. Japan has had a huge impact on my life, more than I can comment on here. 🥰

Hey thanks again for having me 😊 it was a lot of fun!

We grew up washing hands when we got home (southern U.S) and I love that in Japan it's the standard at home.

I love your interviews!! You’re a great interviewer cause you always make it about the person (interviewee), and you listen to them too!! In addition, you ask GREAT questions!! I love your series!! Keep doing them!!! 💯💯💯

I've lived in Japan for 8 years (so far) and I can relate to every single one of these. Outstanding vid.

Those new graphics are a new impressive touch and helps follow along with the people you’re talking to

After 18 years here I'd say I'm a bit quieter and less outgoing than before. Being a typical Aussie, who usually start a chat with anyone, I found that many Japanese are less open to strangers talking to them. I'm less likely to do it nowadays because of the surprised or shocked looks I got. Food; my god! I've become so hooked on the food here that I miss it terribly each time I go abroad - a complete reverse to 18 years ago when I missed my big, fatty, Aussie meals. Final change; I'm starting to lose my native language :( After 18 years of speaking baby English to be understood, I'm starting to forget common English words and phrases that I stopped using. I'm sure my family in Oz wonder what's going on with me when we speak on the phone (lol). Great place! I'm happy in Japan. But living anywhere has it's pros and cons.

“I care about the people around me more.” Thanks for the video Takashi san! I love all of their answers.

Great advice on learning WHY you say a word. Helpful for many non-Western languages.

Thank you so much for the video Takashi. I am planning to apply for the JET program this year and I understand that a lot of JET participants think Japan is a fantasy land but for me I want to know what I’m getting into and that includes the not-so-glamorous aspects of the culture, so I really appreciate these videos because they really teach me a lot.

I love these types of videos so so much. I feel like here in Australia we're somewhere in between. It was really nice to hear the stark contrast between what I thought this video would be like and what the reality was! Thank you!

Love this!! The change for everyone all makes a lot of sense.

EXCELLENT piece! So informative to see their development and understanding. Interesting to see their evolution the longer they stay in Japan. Thank you for this thoughtful segment.

A gold mine of information with so much variety. Loves every bit of it and while heartedly appreciated it!

Your interviews are so interesting. The contrast between Japan and other cultures is fascinating. Love this ❤❤❤

Takashii this is the best video you have made so far in my personal opinion, and I like a lot of your other videos. The questions, answers, and variations within them were excellent. For me, this is one of my top 3 reasons of wanting to work in Japan for a year, and potentially end up living there longer. I want to become a better person in different ways that Japan would definitely help foster within me, so this video for me was an awesome source of information. Thank you :) Good learning tool recos in there as well

Love this! Idk what it is it feels different from your past videos but this is great. Crisp! Can’t wait to watch your next one 🙏🏼

Shower twice a day - one in the morning, one at night lol

I love this channel. It always has such interesting content and people.

Thank you for your videos. I used to live in Japan and I enjoy watching your videos because they show the real state of things and I think they are useful for those people who plan to move to Japan.

I’m from Canada and our family always wash hands when we get home.

I just love this video!!! It was good to hear about Japan from expat from different countries.

Thanks for another great upload Takashii. I love your channel. It's always nice to hear first hand experience from people and not some marketing.

Long time fan here! I teach English and my advanced students will love this one. Thanks, Takashii!

Thank you for making this! This video was really interest in and answered some questions I wondered about, like how I might feel after living in Japan for a while.

While I would love to visit Japan, I also wonder what it would be like actually living there (dealing with day-to-day things like banking, working, commuting, etc.). Hearing about people from abroad feel about living in Japan is extremely educational. Thank you, TAKASHii!

hey! Love the new intro and motion graphics! 👍🏼 The editing overall feels a lot cleaner too! Great work, Takashii!

The guy from Orlando sounds Australian.

3:50 totally agree. I was so amazed by how people are so caring for each other and helping each other so casually when I moved to the US...which I never expected.

Thanks again Takashii! Always fun when we hang out 😄 Everyone asking about the rice cooking….. 🍚 So I grew up in Oklahoma/Texas (USA) and in southern food we do have rice of course but it’s not sticky rice and it’s not a daily part of our staple meals. So I didn’t see a rice cooker until I was 19 in university living with my Japanese and Korean friends, my family usually just used the stovetop or microwave (gasp)🤣 I felt like those methods was easier to mess up rice like too wet or too dry,,,, etc… After living in Japan rice is of course a huge part of our daily meals so after almost 10 years I mess up a lot less, and yes now I have a rice cooker, 🍚🤍

I really love your videos. You present a great picture of life in Japan, please continue.

I've only been in Tokyo for two days, and I'm already getting a taste of what everyone talks about! Being somewhat introverted, I come from a culture where there was always something happening, even if I wasn't directly involved. In Japan, it's easier to feel isolated, and I can see how that might affect the population growth.

Your channel is so excellent. I learn so much. I study geopolitics, economics, but I gain the greatest insight from your show and a few others, whether on Japan, China,Korea, France or elsewhere. Thank you.

日本に滞在していた時（2023年6月〜8月）、私は日本人であることの意味を理解することができました。その本質は、他者第一、自己第二です。ブラジルでは日系人の妻と結婚していますが、日本人は非常に特異な社会生活の形を持っています。日本は私に何を変えたのでしょうか？私が間違った場所で生まれたことを確信させてくれました。私はこの国をその本質で知ることができたこと（一般の市民が日常生活を送る方法）に永遠に感謝し、いつか妻と子供と一緒に戻り、日本の素晴らしい国の発展に貢献したいと思っています。

Takashi I love your videos. I learn a lot about Japan from you.

My time in Japan taught me respect, humility and to appreciate education. An Australian friend overheard my conversation talking about this subject and he just rolled his eyes and guffawed but it's very true.

I'm going to Tokyo for 10 days next week, and I've been watching a ton of your videos lately! Thank you for all of them!

Love your videos! Would love to hear from foreign families (with or without kids) living in Japan. I can imagine the experience being quite different!

Thanks again for another insightful video 👍🏼

“benevolently ignore” HAH! well put

最後に皆さんおじぎをしていたのが好きです。

Excellent work Takashii!

Congratulations, this channel always gets good interviewees.

love you content Takashi. Very insightful! love the bowing snapshots from each interviewee at the end :D

Love these videos.

I'm American and I wash my hands when I get home ☺

WOW!I Love your channel and the way you ask all these interesting questions. It will be really nice if you'd make a video on Japanese fashion and what are cultural "no-no" when on a trip to Japan.

Orlando, FL represent! LoL And love the Taking Back Sunday shirt lol brought me back to my teenage years

Video was great, please keep doing what you do takashi-san! :)

This is a really helpful video. I am just finishing up a visit to Japan and have been happy with my Japanese, but am also ready to take it up a level. I'd appreciate any recommendations for dramas to watch and music channels (maybe on Spotify?) to follow, to mix it up. Arigato gozaimashita. Minna san, ganbarrimashyou.

He may have been living in Orlando FL USA as an American citizen prior to Japan but based on his accent he was not born there... nor in the USA. Normally I would say it doesn't matter. But in the context of Takashi's insightful interviews and questions its important to know where people are coming from... figuratively and literally... because it often shapes why they answer his questions the way they do.

very interesting, thanks for bringing it up. I really appreciate

As a foreigner working based in Tokyo, everyone in this video has mentions a ton of strong points and truth to Japan (at least in Tokyo). Great video!

Coming home and not washing your hands is CRAZY for me. Same for coming home and not taking off your shoes. I guess that is a common point between japanese and arab culture

As much as I'd love to visit Japan I'll never be able to. Although I hope that this one RU-vidr The Kiffness does a concert. He's this offhand musician who makes music with animal sounds mostly with cats

There are places in the U.S. that aren’t aggressively extroverted. The Midwest is a region where it’s not unusual to be an introvert. The U.S. has many variations in perspective and culture. Minnesota is very different from New York, Florida and California, as they are different from each other. Variety is the key to the US citizen’s personality.

Very interesting video. So many different experiences, but they also share certain opinions.

One of my favourites!

Absolutely Outstanding

The Take Back Sunday American has more than a tinge of an English accent

living in japan for almost 5 years and their answers are very relatable.

The Taking Back Sunday guy has a really strong Australian accent. He sounds like a guy who grew up in Aus and then spent time in America before moving to Japan.

It is amazing how they all radically become or sound like a totally different person when they speak in Japanese, especially the guy from London. They even totally change their body language.

I passed you in Toronto the other day and knew you looked familiar. Later, I realized it was from your videos.

These videos are so useful, ありがとごさいます

Interesting channel, subbed also coz I LOVE Japan and love all Asian countries 😇

I've had difficulty back here in the US at an American school. In Japan I was at a #1 ranked school. Now, in my head I often compare the school here to the one in Japan. It's difficult for me. I took things for granted in school in Japan. Things worked the way they were supposed to work. It's hard to understand why things are so difficult here at my school in the US.

Over two decades ago, my husband received a fellowship to live in Japan for a year. We moved into a Japanese neighborhood. My 2 sons went to an international school. We all loved it. Had my husband been able to get a job there, we would have definitely moved back there. We have been back to Japan about 5 times since then for a visit. Also, we have discovered that as older citizens, it is difficult to move back there, hence we are planning on moving to Portugal. But if it was not so difficult to live there again as retired adults, Japan would be our choice of places to live.

You should interview at the open base events in Atsugi or Yokosuka. They only happen maybe twice a year though.

Thanks!

You don't have to live for years to be influenced and changed by Japan, I just went on a backpacking trip and when I got home I stopped throwing trash outside but take it with me, I started recykling EVERYTHING at home and I started love to bath instead of showering! (Goo onseens!!!) xDD I'm also a lot more considerate towards others, and learned how to QUE peacefully and not aggressivly!!! hehe Sweden is perfect to come back to when you been japanasized! We share lots of the traits and customs so it's normal to behave like that and encuraged. Thankfully!

Looking forward to seeing how or if you'll be covering the recent lawsuit in race discrimination in Japan.

cant believe this channel has already more than 1.9 million subs. what a feat

Mayday san! I never wouldve imagined seeing you interviewed by Takashi. A very plesant surprise

That was excellent! Are there differences for foreigners living in Tokyo vs. Osaka, Iwate, or other places in Japan?

Honestly great interview good questions and answers. How does the topic idea arise?

I stopped in the middle to order the Tae Kim book. And maybe I need to explore more Japanese TV.

Look at those new motion graphics ^^

11:38 spot on. And right after that, YES! Low tech for a reason. I think the little bits of exposure to different people via the old way of doing things is really good for society as a whole. You need to talk to people from all walks of life to be a well-rounded society. If people are not getting together because of work, time, family, etc. And if things are always delivered, or done in a non-human way. Then this little bit of interaction is better than nothing.

i love your interview so much, can know japan better, from all aspects. hhh

Amazing video! Japan made me prouder of my African roots. We have a lot in common, especially the importance of family, taking off shoes indoors, snack gifting, respect for elders, and "Shoganai" mentality but for some reason Japanese identify with European culture. Japan made me more punctual, patient and respectful of public property.

BRAVO-YOUR BEST SHOW YET---------

The safety and public transportation of japan are the primary things that makes me want to go there

Takashii! I'm a recent fan! you gotta come to LA! you could do a lot of interesting interviews here! There's a big Asian community in LA!

love these videos, do you have one about sports culture in Japan? My understanding is baseball is very big, but i don't know how big, or what the other sports are. I assume football/soccer and....badminton? Is it something people do or watch to relax? Do people wish they had more time to be active? so many questions

Excelent. Thank you.

10:49 You can usually see it in the eyes, small mannerisms and which words they choose to use. For me personally, it wasn't hard to tell right from the beginning as a Finn, since we have the exact same thing here. However, I don't think it should be that hard to learn if you just pay attention to their body-language, instead of their words

Good insight

17:55 I was just thinking that, the context is more important than the definition that is true with most languages even English to a small extent.

moved to Fukuoka in 2020...in summary, life at work sucks even for some foreign companies, life outside of work is amazing. Mainly it has to do with the lower than average salaries and now that the yen is weak, it's hurting a lot more. IF you're able to work remotely and get your salaries in a western currency, and live here, it's the dream.

much respect to the guy with Taking Back Sunday t-shirt!

しかし、ここで外国人を見るたびに、彼らは恥ずかしがりません。自信があるようでとても羨ましいです。

Good cross-cultural topic 👏👏👏 Thanks for the societal documentary 💯

I really liked the first black guy. I think many people could relate to his experience. Also, I never drink alcohol, but for 24 years, I go to every nomikai. It is a great way to know people. And no one cares of you drink alcohol or not.

The pink girl described very well the young japanese people with respect to friendships with forigners, I feel the same.

thank you for your videos