In case you didn't see until the end, Yamamoto Sensei (山本先生) said that we talked a lot about Japanese food etiquette, but please don't worry too much. She'd like you to enjoy eating food in Japan. Except for passing food between two sets of chopsticks or sticking your chopsticks straight up into rice (which are associated with funerals), I don't think any of the stuff will really get you into any trouble if you don't do them. Also, for those with special food diets, there are links in the description to help you out, including a link to a website that you can use to print out phrases (point-and-speak cards).
Hey I just wanted to point out that the behind the scenes you put up at the end always intrigues me. It'll be really awesome if you could put up behind the scenes vidoes or make a second channel or something you know. I don't know if you would read this but just an opinion. Cus I have seen other channels do that and it's really fun. Watching bloopers and what it's actually like in real life then it is in the videos. I think it makes the viewers more close and its always fun to watch. Thanks for all the hard work you put it. Awesome family and love you all. ( waiting for your wife's face reveal) 😁
@@mr.moasunepimchen4907 He actually does have a second channel! ru-vid.com/show-UCnOo8dtBgwJbdwl4HxqPHwgvideos It has less formal/more vloggy style yet still extremely well produced vids!
@@mr.moasunepimchen4907 I do have an X channel :-) ru-vid.com. Although, I don't post much behind-the-scenes stuff there. The place where I do that the most is Patreon (but honestly, I don't post bloopers there that much either, but I do sometimes do behind-the-scenes, director's commentary, and discussions) www.patreon.com/lifewhereimfrom
@@LifeWhereImFrom It was just a suggestion but thank you for replying 😁. I'll surely support the channel but I'm pretty sure there will be many people among your viewers who won't like to spend, so for them it'd be kinda cool if you could do a bloopers kind of compilation or something like that you know, here in the main channel. Always excited to see vidoes from your channel. Thanks again for all the hard work you put in. Good luck.
imagine eating sushi with friends and you tell them they broke their chopstick the wrong way and they ask why and you just pull out a slick note from under the table like whats up
9:10 "can't you just roll it up like this, and use it as a rest?" * confused look * "What do you mean? (Why would you want to be so vulgar (in comparison to the elegant method I've just shown you)?) " :) beautiful
Usually they give you hot towelette in bars. So mostly people put the oshibori on their face to freshen up. Then use to wipe their hands. But you can not do that in restaurants.
This was such a lovely video to watch that goes beyond so much more than learning about Japanese culture.. The interaction between your Sensei and you is such a model for the art of conversation. If we all focused on learning and appreciating the rich diversity between our countries, religions, class and generations, the world would be such a better place.
The table service is the same in Australia. We have wait staff/waiters. Some do have certain tables but you can call over any member of staff if you need something whilst you're eating. One time, in a busy casual restaurant I had about 5 different staff checking in with us and waiting on us, it got very confusing. (I think it was during a shift change.)
It is annoying when I go to the US as an Australian to feel like nobody wants to help/serve me without the incentive of a tip on offer. North Americans need to get rid of the barbaric old-fashioned habit of tipping and get businesses to pay full wages to staff like we do in Australia and Japan. Tips should just be the extra thank you for exceptional service, not the 10% that you have to give everybody.
Definitely one of the best episodes for someone that knows a bit about Japan. I feel the RU-vid/media space it getting crowded with basic info and not delving a bit deeper.
I love watching your videos, they're so informative. I've actually been living in Japan now for almost a year, and your videos had a big impact on my decision to come here instead of any of my other options. Your videos took a lot of stress and worry away, and gave me a lot of knowledge and information before my move. Always looking forward to your videos, you made life where you're from so interesting I had to come see for myself!
Cool. I love how Japan really embraces cleanliness and politeness. Some of the eating etiquette I knew of and some I wasn't aware of until now. And you're going great with your drawing Greg. I like the newer one of your cat better. Keep it up. And Ms. Yamamoto is really nice.
I really enjoyed this type of video you made with your sensai. Can you make more like this? It´s soooo great if you´re learning japanese!! It´s more like a real experience you can remember everything better.
Great video! The ONE thing you forgot to mention is how to ask for the bill. When i went to japan, i noticed people would take two fingers and cross them into an “x”, and the waiter would then bring them their bill. I tried it once, and i didn’t even have the chance to say “okaikei onegaishimasu (bill please)” before the waiter would be rushing over with the bill. Japan life hack for foreigners!
Ex GF from Japan always used to complain about staff "bugging" us while we ate.(Coming by asking if everything is ok, do we need anything?, filling water glasses) Here in the US it's normal for the staff to come your table......but in the Asian countries the staff does not come to disturb you while you are eating to ask you if you need something. If you need something....you call the staff over and you tell them what you want or need. So when in Japan (or many other Asian countries) don't sit there waiting for the staff to come ask you if you want or need something, or if you're ready to order. Call the staff over when you are ready. I've seen westerners sit down at the table and wait, wait, and wait.....because they don't understand how it works in Japan.
This is an excellent video that I wish existed before I went to Japan. I learned a lot of these things before going but not all in one place. Even after doing research there were still things I learned in this video. Great work!
Thanks for this informative video and respect to Yamamoto for taking the time to explain the etiquette of the "right" way to eat in Japan and what not to do. I am learning about Japanese culture as I am planning to visit Japan in the next couple of years or even sooner.
As an American who grew up in a Chinese family I was blown away when I discovered furrikake in my 30s. Here was a way to spruce up something I've eaten every day of my life! I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread! Now you tell me it's for kids!?!?!? Well, judge me all you want, I still think it's delicious!
Many opportunities for naughty behavior appear. "Do not stab your food." Me: But what if it's moving? As always, that was great. A lot of little lessons. Delicious looking food. Where I'm from, the noodles we use in soup tend to be shorter, probably because that way there's no slurping.
THANK you so much fo this vid!!! It's rare for me to learn anything in Japanese vids I don't already know but this had lots of specific Japanese food terms I have been needing for YEARS!
I noticed several times in the video that sensei mentioned having looked up the rule, and explains the rule according to that research, suggesting that either she was not previously aware of the rule or was not actively abiding it. How important is it for foreigners to follow rules that seem to be obscure even to natives?
From West Covina, California and I enjoyed your video very much! I wish I had watched it before going to Japan 2 years ago... it would have saved me embarrassment 🤦🏻♀️
I always grew up with, you drink the miso soup first then "eat around the plate". Also, yeah, furikake is more like for kids. They even have Doraemon furikake.
Really interesting video! Recently I went to Japan and I watched a lot of your vids before I went and they were very helpful especially the family restaurant and mall one! ^_^
Great video as always. Something I noticed while eating in Japan was that most restaurants we visited require every person in your party to order something even if it’s only a drink. We didn’t want to waste food and eat too much so we would share dishes, but a few places would refuse to serve us until we all ordered something. This was most confusing at a vending machine ticket restaurant that literally stopped my wife and daughter at the door since they didn’t have tickets. They were just going to have a taste of what I was eating. It can be difficult to understand this with the language barrier so it took a couple of times for us to understand.
What you're pointing out is generally how it goes in many restaurants. It's expected that everyone is ordering at least something. I think this is especially true with restaurants that are a vending machine, where a quick turnaround is expected. If you go to family restaurant chains and don't order anything, I think it's more acceptable, although ordering something small like a drink is probably preferable.
Life Where I'm From , thanks for the reply. It makes sense, but it’s so different in America that it took us by surprise. I was genuinely perplexed when the man at the restaurant held his index fingers up in an X and rushed up to my wife and daughter saying “no no no”. He eventually got the point across and they ordered drinks, but it was a bit surreal at first.
Loved this video. I've always kind of wondered what it was all like! In South Carolina we all kinda just make our plates and go sit down somewhere to eat 😂 if we are at a dinner and more manners need to be had we definitely follow through but for just regular eating everything comes on one plate and you eat quietly and politely lol
Last year, the servise in many resturants asked us for alergys. We got to a resturant, who the servis dont speak english, but she bring her mobilephone with a translator and showed us the text :)
@@SnackFoodFun You can do it at Ramen places in The States, but unless you're eating in Little Tokyo or a densely-populated Asian area, you're gonna want to keep it quiet. 😋😋
My friend from Japan (we went to technical college together) told me at the conclusion of your meal to place your chopsticks back into the paper wrapper that they came in. So, there's that!
Thank you so much for addressing food allergies! I’m allergic to wheat and it does make me sick eating it. I’m going to Tokyo Japan in March! I wanted to ask, or was considering is it even possible to ask, if any of the restaurant that I go to. And ask if they have anything that could be possibly gluten free. Thank you so much for the video! I’m SO excited, this will be my first time going to Japan! 😊🇯🇵
Ty for leaving the halal and vegan tips (site) in desc, but I have a question, I’m Muslim and I wanna go to Japan when I’m older, how are japanese ppl towards foreigners and Muslims?am I ok 2 go there?
The way he said “She’s RigHt” made it sound like he got mad at his wife for being wrong and now he realizes she was right and now he has to apologize 😂
Alright I found you pretty informative, but I came across a video on the different types of chopsticks in different Asian countries. Like Chinese have cooking chopsticks, Japanese chopsticks are more pointed probably because they eat a lot of fish with small bones, basically what is commonly made of and certain chopsticks for certain foods like ones made more for fish or for sweets. It would be nice if you could cover it and maybe how to hold and eat with it. Thanks 😊
I eat vegetables first too... get it over & Done with 🙊... heading back to Japan end Jan..simply my fav place to visit.. losing extra 3kg before my trip
