Love what you got out of your trip Chris. I moved to Yokohama from Hilo almost 30 years ago and still live here. Your insight reminded me of what it was like when I first got here. This video took me back to the Autumn of 1993. Aloha and mahalo from Yokohama🤙🏽
Mahalos for sharing! 🤙🏽 I’m a local to Mainland transplant (Central Oahu to the Midwest)-I definitely feel the exact same way as you after I visited Osaka twice this year for two weeks each (Mar and May)-my Japanese wife was back home in Osaka to take care of family matters and she 100% planned our trip/travel/dining activities and was my translator even though I can read/write some basic Japanese. Mindfulness of others is what impresses me the most about Japan and that’s what I took away when I came back. I try to apply it to the utmost in our lives here in the Midwest and will definitely reinforce it when I return to Oahu to visit family and friends. Keep up the great posts sharing your amazing experiences, Bruddah👍🏽
Mahalo from the mainland! I'm comforted by the fact that I was not the only one with the feelings you experienced in Japan. I was born in the mainland and lasted one day in Japanese School as a 4 year old. I'm a lefty, and the back of my hand was slapped numerous times for trying to write with my left hand. I never learned how to converse in Japanese as a result. Obviously, I went to Japan as a tourist, and couldn't read any of the signs at train stations or even street signs, but the politeness of the people saved me, when they obviously realized I needed help. They could have thought that I was simply an idiot.
@Frank: Hey are you over 50-60? I ask because the lefty thing is not only in Japan. Here in Hawaii, it was the same thing with my Japanese mom when I was a kid. She would literally force the spoon/fork and pencil to my right hand but in private, I preferred left. As a result, I grew up ambidextrous, though I still write a lot better with my left hand than right. Many of my lefty friends are the same way. Nowadays though, when I watch current Japanese TV, I see a lot more lefty young people, so maybe it's not as prohibited anymore!
Depending how close you look like everyone else, they might have thought you were an idiot. But once you started speaking people would figure it out. If you think about it from their perspective, you look just like them and speak terrible Japanese but great English.
When I first retired to Japan, I purchased a Pocketalk. This is a portable language translator that translates both voice and text messages. It really helps people like me that speak no Japanese. It's easy to use and I highly recommend it. Also it translates about 70 languages like Korean, mandarin, or French as examples. I do wish I could speak and read Japanese, but our parents didn't teach us. Glad you had a great time!
I love how you bring so much kindness sincere aloha on your videos. Your comforting voice and talking story is a place for me to come to relax and be swept away from crazy news on the mainland. You’ve got great hair and the cut compliments your already handsome young face. Thank you. Two fold, you let me relive my time as a kama’ aina and you bring peace to my home on the mainland. Mahalo Nui
Stationed for two tours at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (south of Hiroshima) taught me a lot. I gained a much greater respect and admiration for Japanese culture and its people. I recall losing patience with Japanese drivers not turning at red lights and waving and honking to go… later learned why they would not turn. I recall a number of times I made turns at a red light while driving around Iwakuni and receiving waves of stop and “what are you doing looks.” I later asked my Japanese friends why they were waving at me to stop or blaring horns, I learned that turning on a red light was not allowed and could be ticketed. Needless to say I quit turning at red lights and upon returning home I had much more patience and understanding when I encountered those still trying to comply with US driving laws. Mahalo for sharing your journey in Japan. 😊🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
That was really a heartfelt and realistic issue. I feel we can all relate on some level anyway. Thank you for a great video and how adorable is that baby! That's a big head of hair already and so sweet! I wanted to just have the privilege of holding him and hopefully get a snuggle from him! Thank you! Merry Christmas and may God bless you and your family!
I'm Filipino and my husband is Taiwanese and was so happy using the train station and MRT in Japan coz everything written in chinese characters even though its Japanese when they read it... same character same meaning but different language...He was my guide in Japan... next year we will be in 😂waikiki now I needed to search things about hawaii coz I will be the guide...hope I can learn more on yout vlogs
Chris, what I really like about your videos, besides things things I learn, is that, no matter what the topic, they are very thoughtful, and I mean that in a literal sense....full of thought. And in that way I think they cause the viewers to think, rather than just react. Just my two cents.
Appreciate that. I hope that that's what my videos do. Not too much shock value or cinematic images. Frankly, not interested in that type of content. I hope that these videos add value to people's lives and not just entertainment. 🤙
I've traveled to countries where I didn't speak the language and totally understand. "Walk a mile in someone's shoes. "... I was able to help 3 lovely young Japanese girls who spoke no English order and enjoy Starbucks in Times Square NY (before COVID) I took their photos, displaying that first sip reaction. They were underwhelmed 😂 I appreciated that they were receptive to a Black woman assisting them. We ended up taking a photo to show back in Japan. Positive experience for all of us. beautiful vlog. 8:15 9:41
I remember feeling like a fish out of water when I came to Japan in 1998. Even ordering at McDonald's was a stresser trying to tell the clerk I didn't want the set menu, just the Big Mac. Asking for some extra ketchup took another few minutes...Fast forward 24 years and I'm in my element. But, I could relate to everything about your experiences and also about Japanese tourists...Keep up the good videos Papa Chris!!
Growing up with my Japanese American brothers in Gardena. I remember they always say, we are Japanese American,but your from Hawaii…. They said, we are out Hawaiian . Then, one day we were working on a constructing job. I asked Hawaiian boys to help. They said, “were busy!” Wow, now I now. Downey California
Always enjoy your considered content. Thank you. By the way, I really love your video intro jingle. So beautiful. Mele Kalikimaka to you and your family from New Zealand.
Mahalo for sharing ❤ I speak Japanese relatively well, but felt slight discomfort getting a haircut there too. (The discomfort had to do all with me and not with the barber, he was great) Did you get a shave and a massager too?
Cool vid bro. All around the world not just Japanese have this ability with different languages. English most of all. Makes sense right. I REMEMBER! watching you carry your boy.... I'm glad that's in the past. Your turn! Good video . Good dad.
I had a very similar experience from my trip to Japan. They people are so kind. One thing they do struggle with here is our coins. In Japan, all of their coins have numbers printed on them. Here, you'd have to know what a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter are. I'd imagine that causes a bit of stress as over there, there's no paper money until you get to up around $10 U.S., so to them coins are not "small change".
@@HelloFromHawaii The problem I had was my perception when spending. I was riding the train for just "quarters" Gee, where is my money going??? Oh wait, those are dollars! (100 Yen).
I think everyone who loses patience with foreign tourists should go to another non-English speaking country to become more empathetic. I've traveled to Japan and all over Europe and it really brings home the importance of appreciating others that make the effort to learn how to communicate outside of their own country.
Did you also have instances where cashiers speak Japanese to you automatically until you try to reply? How long were you in Japan? When you got back to Hawaii, did you bow to anyone out of habit? When I returned from a 2 week trip Japan (before COVID), I could not wait for coffee so I went to the Starbucks in Honolulu airport. Amazingly, no one was in line to I went straight up to the cashier and bowed. Noticing that, she asked me what I wanted in Japanese! LOL! I realized what I did and replied, "Oh sorry, I'm actually from here!" 😄
Dude, this local boy has been feeling ackward and inadequate for the past 34 years and counting!!! Kanagawa and Shizuoka are nice places compared to Tokyo but Tokyo is the heart of Japan!!! I keep telling people in Hawaii, the Japanese people may look wimpy but they're tuff!!! Beautiful hotel or onsen that you're staying at!!!
Chris, doesn't your wife speak Japanese? Couldn't she have translated whatever for you? Hot tip: Learn Japanese, yeah? The back of your smart phone looks like a google one, at timepoint 07:30. Is it?
@@HelloFromHawaii weʻd love to visit Japan. But with my expierence with Japanese tourists here on the Big Island, they behave a bit stand-offish to locals or for me, filipino. Some are polite and respectful, otherʻs, for maybe communication reasosn want to be left alone. Maybe itʻs a historical thing when the Japanese occupied the phillipines during WW2? My grandma (102) still holds a grudge.
In my recent trip to Japan, I had a question about getting back to Kyoto from Nara so I asked the train employee, who seemed to be getting off work or just coming on. He walked me to the right platform, looked up the time on his clipboard when the next train would come and reassured me I didn’t need a seat reservation for this train. He went out of his way to help me. Japanese people are so gracious when helping tourists. . Sometimes, I feel sorry for Japanese tourists in Hawaii as I am sure, not all locals will show the same kind of grace and hospitality to our visitors because they have not experienced how the Japanese do it back in Japan. I wonder if Japanese tourists find our food, shopping and transportation expensive in Hawaii. Another great video! Thank you!
Mahalo for sharing. I wonder how the Japanese tourist feel too. I'm sure it's very strange. The cost is so high, yet sometimes the service is less than they're used to.
Surprisingly a lot of Japanese do speak and understand English somewhat decently. When I visited japan, I was completely lost as well. So I definitely understand the feeling.
Great video! It's funny (coincidental, not "ha-ha") that in a previous video you purchased shoes there in Japan, so you've both figuratively and literally been walking a mile in their shoes, as to Japanese tourists acclimating while in Hawaii. I've been to Japan, and can totally relate to the culture and language barriers while there- thankfully the people there tend to be nice, and maybe more importantly, patient. These videos of your stay in Japan are both fun and interesting! 👏👏👏
@@HelloFromHawaii Thank you very much for your reply. From what you said and the images in your video, I think I found it. It's on my bucket list now. Great marble-themed lobby if I'm not mistaken.
Hi Chris. Reminds me of when I was travelling in Europe and there was another American family in Germany asking questions, they seemed to expect everyone to speak/understand them. They just kept asking tge
