Japan: Things You Should Know Before Coming Here And About Me 

This is one of the most well articulated videos on Japan that I have ever seen, I enjoyed hearing your take on things in Japan.

YOUR FAMICOM IS DISTRACTING THE HELL OUT OF ME

Still watching in late 2018. Still love the channel Luke many years on. 😀

Great vid! Love watching your videos. Know what you mean about repairing rather than playing, it's very rewarding when you bring that system back to life. Fascinating info about Japan!

One of my dreams is coming to Japan to work as a computer engineer, and I expected this video to discourage me... but I'm more excited than ever. The negative points you mentioned about moving to a foreign country were already things I expected, and I have no problem completely taking in and adapting to a different culture. Of course I expect it to be difficult, but I'm at least gonna try to make it over there. I'm hard at work studying Japanese right now, and while it is difficult, it will be worth it. Even if I end up not wanting to live there, at least I'll know I tried it out for myself.

Really interesting video, Luke! I'd love to visit Japan someday. Hit up a few karaoke bars, do some game shopping, try some of the unusual foods and snacks! Will definitely need to save a bit of cash first though, haha.

My friend,who used to be in my Japanese class, was partially sighted and he decided to go through a TEFL course programme and he's now in Saitama teaching English.I tried to see how he could be supported and how good Japanese facilities/trains etc are for blind people.But I didn't find out that much.I think he's coping being in Japan but many people are worried about him.I admire really what he's doing though

i thinks its awesome that you moved to Japan and actually liked it enough to stay for ten years.. that seems insane to me. to live in a place that would take so long to get used to.. when you said youve been there for 10 years i actually got a sinking feeling like it were me there lol.. something about moving to a different country and actually staying permanently sounds scary as hell. but neat that its actually possible!

I've been in Japan for the past 6 months. Hasn't been the most fun experience, so far. This video definitely helped, so thanks.

Thanks for sharing about Japan luke! It was very nice to know about the important facts there! Im glad you're happy with what you do and where you live!

A guy from California who's lived in Japan for 3 and a half years and just stumbled on your video after a really great party lol Everything Luke says is spot on, especially with the relationship part, if your smooth the ladies back home, you'll be fine here, but it's the maintaining of the relationships which is difficult Also its really difficult to make deep connecting friendships with the people, its easy to go out with them but your real bros will probably be the ones in your own country

Nope, the definition of a hoarder isn't just "useless junk", but large amasses of things you find valuable. I collect a lot of things too and there's no shame, but I certainly feel like my tendencies need to be subdued at times before they get too far out of hand. Value aside, man, don't make excuses for your hobbies or passions! Some people just won't ever "get" it, but I also can't say collecting is also part hoarding (which is always a negative). To me, it's all in how you present your items that will decide if it's a hoarding pile or a collection. Cleanliness goes a long way with that. This is a great video though, and an insightful one. I never really wanted to live in Japan but I certainly want to visit and plan to do so and your comments more or less apply both ways.

It's funny because other cultures have the expectation that their culture/customs will be whole heart idly accepted when they come to the US, and they generally are, but as you pointed out(and it's very true) that is not the case abroad. My wife is from another country, so I'm very familiar with this.

China was never colonized by British...British just conquered China and seized HongKong 160 years ago .

What this guy said is right, they will almost never give you a work visa in Japan unless you have at least a 4 year degree.

basically, if your not from japan or 100% set on it as a move. its a travel destination. always loved japan or the thought of it, but yeah , somewhere to go on holidays/vacation

Thanks for the reply. Cant remember when I sub to you but you are one the the most informative channel that I watch everytime you upload. Thanks for the Q and A session

I get called a hoarder ALOT by people for my small collection of old electronics and games, I enjoy keeping old stuff running, but don't keep "old junk", if something's genuinely beyond repair or just crap it will get thrown or parted out. everyone has their own hobbes ;)

I was just in Japan and I found the women there were much more forthcoming when trying to talk to me and know where I'm from ect, just more friendly. But the men wanted no part in talking to us for the most part. Had a amazing time, Tokyo is the place for me, will be moving there within the next 2 years for sure, the busy city life is what I need right now in my life.

thanks for the quick answer, ill think about it and search a bit of information on my own. you really got me interested.

I was looking into teaching English in Japan and from the research I've gathered its quite difficult to get over. Like Luke said, you need to prove you have a certificate and a university degree of some sort. Then you have to deal with working VISA's in order get work. There are many agencies that can find positions throughout Japan, that doesn't mean its going to be the best of situations. Expenses are another issue. Culture shock like any other place you visit is a big deterrent.

I wish you would have mentioned how tight living quarters are. Like how, if you own more than a bed, tv, washer/dryer, bath tub, sink, your place looks like a storage room.

That's what I discovered just meeting them on myspace and Facebook. I thought we were becoming pretty good friends writing and talking about various things, sending gifts, just really getting to know each other so when I visit I might have people to show me around. They dropped me as a friend out the the blue, no explanation, no anything. I thought it strange, but just let it go without question.

Hey, i know this is a really old video but i just had a quick question, i am travelling to Japan in April and am a massive gamer (Retro and Current). I'd like to grab a heap of games while im there but my problem is that i am only just starting to learn how to speak Japanese and i struggle to understand if it's written/spoken to me. I have spoken to a few people who have said that you can't get games with English audio or even English subtitles in Japan but I noticed that your copy of Biohazard had an English menu... is it just the menu in English or is there an option for language? If there is an English option, are there many games like this in Japan and if so where is the best place to find them? I assume most stuff at Hard Off etc would be in Japanese... I plan on getting a lot of Famicom etc games with little dialog but i'm also into N64, Dreamcast etc and figure I will struggle finding games for these. Any advice you could give would be awesome. Thanks mate :)

Great info about Japan and clarifying the stereotype. Too bad I have already settled in the states but quite a few years ago I really considered moving to Japan to start a career. Keep up the good work Luke.

How difficult is it to obtain a student visa in Japan? My ultimate objective is to obtain a 4-year BS degree in Computer Science, but I have been disgusted by recent activity in the US, thus bringing back my desire to give Japan a try, in terms of receiving higher education there. I graduated from a technical school as well as high school in Florida and have the A+ computer industry certificate, but my GPA was only about a 3.3. Will that impede my ability to be granted a student visa? Are there any catches with a student visa, other than not being able to work in Japan? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

As someone who has lived "overseas" 1/4th of my life I can definately relate with much of what you said here. I was in Europe rather than the Far East but the "rules" are the same. Try to fit in and adapt to culture and the way of life. Also understand that many people will stereotype you right off the bat for being a forigner.

great video, it was really helpful and now has shown me more about Japan and what to expect wen i go there. Keep up the good work!

I would like to comment on what you said about gaming here in the usa. I guess I am very lucky where I live because gaming here is very hot for all age groups, there are 8 gamestops within 10miles, what I'm saying is I am 41yrs old have a wife and 2 kids and aleast over 100 friends that hardcore game so it is a lifestyle for us. I don't really know anyone, besides some 80 year hermit that don't atleast own 1 game system. Thank you for your japanese video, I enjoyed it very much.

Ya it was very difficult to communicate with the people when I visited. I felt very alone for those 9 days I stayed there, I was able to have a few conversations with people but it was still tough. If I knew the language better everything would of been simple. I do want to build friendships and attempt to get hired for an industry job. I'll keep practicing my Japanese. I'm almost thinking becoming an english teacher might be the best start and slowly learn more of the language living there.

Luke's best video. Wish he'd do more of these.

About the relationships with Japanese women. Japanese women really have complex manuals. Naturally this comes with the cultural difference but the best way is to understand the culture and language so that way you will understand the foundation of their emotions.

Japan is one of the interesting place to be, to know the culture and people..this video is a great insight into it,,thanks a lot

I think it would have been really cool if you made a separate channel about your life in Japan, what you've learned, and just show off some cool locations and maybe give some tips on what/where one could go to kill some free-time etc. when visiting. Anyways, keep up the great videos man. You've helped me out a lot! Oh.... and are people seriously calling your stuff for junk?! You gotta have the best mother-flippin' collection of the world's greatest hardware ever (Written in envy)!

What about. If you have solid previous written work references ? Do they count or does only a college degree matters ?

I've lived and traveld through Asia for 7 months. And I know what you mean. Living in a foreign non western country is hard and is a roller coaster ride.

Luke, the true saying is "jack of all trades, master of none, but often better than a master of one!"

I love when you make videos like this. Please keep uploading them

You're very courageous to live in Japan. As for me, I would never try to settle there. I have been there, speak the language quite casually. My wife is Japanese and we leave in my home country, which is France. Although there are very nice places, the food is awesome and the culture really draws me in, I found that getting along with Japanese people was real hard in Japan when you're a gaijin. You'll always be one. The harder you try to fit in doesn't count in the end. I have lived in other countries than my own, I know what you're talking about when you say try to do like people do there, but hey, when you arrive in Narita and they take your picture because you're foreign (happened to me 5 years ago), then , you're pissed with sucha a country...

10 years!?!?! Wow, that's pretty awesome! I'm new to your videos, within the past few days, so I had no idea.

Some great insights into Japanese life there. Fascinating stuff. Thank you.

This is interesting I live in Puerto Rico an island just like Japan but smaller, in this place we accept anyone who comes we dont discriminate in here, we have a lot of asian people most of them chinese, also indians, arabs and others. They work like anyone else and roam the streets as part of us. The only ones who create their own communities are the chinese. Our native language is spanish and that doesn't seem like a problem to them. They communicate the way they can.

You pretty much nailed the foreign factor especially in Japan where things go very different from what we western people do or think. I found especially on emotional levels so many difference and indeed you should be careful what you do or say not to embarass people. i've been in a few difficult situations with this hehe. it's hard, it costs a lot of time and effort but Japan is really rewarding =D the Dutch were the first people to trade with the Japanese by the way. I have been to Dejima

my good life long friend made the move to japan he's a rock star there , more then he would ever be here. great video bro you remind me so much of him , great guy

Very well made. You're an incredible communicator. I live in Bangkok, Thailand 3 years and counting, and I echo everything you stated about living in a foreign country. Thanks for sharing your views and experiences on Japan.

Looks like a blast city in the background. What arcade games are you playing? I went to Akihabara last year and went to the HEY arcade, I'm really into shooters.

thanks for the video man, u really are motivated me to go thier w/c is my childhood dreams sopposed to be and my siblings. ill go to japan not to look for a job(if i get lucky why not lol!) but to visit the place like akihabara,osaka gaming stuff,super potato.for collections and try obscure foods etc. were planing to go there maybe this 2016. thx man thumbs up for this video.

Great vid Luke there are some but not nearly enough vlogs out there containing a more realistic window into the life of a foreigner living in Japan... By the way bro diggin the look without those 1990's style Captain hook hoop earings you used to rock haha

Luke, It's really great you're still rocking away with the vids man. Sorry it's been ages since I've posted a comment on one of your videos. This one is so informative and it's great seeing how things are going in your life! My wife and I plan on visiting Japan in 2014, and I can't wait to check out some of the places/ styles you've touched on. Thank you!

Hi Luke; from 21:00 what you say is spot on how I feel. I came to the US from the Netherlands and I thought it would be a cakewalk. But then the real (Californian) culture comes into play and you go from the honeymoon feeling to 'is this really the best thing?'. And if you're all alone it's adapt or fail. Anyway after 11 years this is my home (citizenship and all) and I'm not thinking about going back.

I have a question for those that have depression or any other kind of mental illnesses. Would they still be able to get any help, or will it still be scary? I'm just asking cuz I have a depression disorder.

Great video, Luke. Really well done. Definitely a favorite. Lots of good and interesting info! Thanks!

I learned alot from this video, and I have decided that it's probably best that I go to Japan for visiting purposes only.

Cool, this was pretty interesting. If there is a lot more to mention regarding living in Japan as a foreigner, it would be cool to see this as a weekly series or something. It would be very interesting. I have no intention on moving to Japan but it's still so interesting to hear about these little things you don't really hear about easily otherwise.

very cool video im from france and i have been living in US for 7 years now and im at the point myself where i really consider it my home and wouldn't change anything .

Hey man I am from MI too! I lived in Warren which was 2 miles north of detroit. I appreciate the advice when going to japan as my wife and I will visit there in the next few years (If money holds up,of course). I am TRYING to learn the language and it's not easy in the slightest. Actually doing better in learning german (which I hope to also visit in my life time). Thanks for this vid. I am sure it will come in handy for anyone who is interested in visiting the land of the rising sun!

Really enjoy these videos about the Japanese culture and history. Hope you can do more of these, even though you focus on Gaming.... maybe do some more bike-rides and show off some stuff ? :)

That was great, one of your videos I enjoyed the most. And your attitude, man, is just commendable.

Very good and informative video Luke. Thank you for uploading this.

I agree with the investment part, when I was unemployed for 2 years helped me survive by selling most of my old collection. Though got a job and slowly built back up.

How did you deal with homesickness if I might ask? For me the last month was horrible, I litterly was sick. Never believed you could really get sick from homesickness. However I am glad I did it, you learn so much about other countries but you learn a lot about yourself as well.

luke i have a question about japan, what is the state of indie games over there? from what i see, it seems like indie games arent really done too much and the ones that are, dont really take off except on rare occasion, seems like the thing for devs is to make it to a big company and work for them rather than do it on your own but i can be wrong

Amazing video Luke, you are like my role model. I've visited Japan twice and loved it both times, however when you say fit in I think I might have fit in too well (because of my korean looks) so a lot of times people wouldn't think I'm a foreigner D: But I absolutely loved every second of it. Like you said, I just felt so accepted in Japan. Going to Akihabara was like a revelation to me. But I also went out to the country side and really enjoyed the culture and history. Keep doing what you love!

thanks for the heads up ive always wanted to visit japan.

Ugh, game collecting is getting tougher on everyone nowadays. Most Nintendo stuff (like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask) will run you around £30 (~$60 I guess) and "classic" games are also ramping up in price. Kinda tough when you're interested in getting into collecting games but never have enough money to actually start it off for a long time.

Hey Luke! I live in Japan and wanted to say you made a cool video here. Very informative. I've been an English teacher for 3.5 years here. I really wanna do something different!

Great video Luke. Fascinating cultural insight.

I saw your Swedish candy-testing-video and now i find out you live in Japan. As a Swede who has been to Japan 5 times and plan to move there, i feel we should hang out! Couse you seem like a cool and relaxed dude and so am i. Lol. Keep up the good work and maybe i will see you over there in the land of the rising sun! ; )

You are a bit like Barney from "How I met your mother" because even when he talks about work u never know what he actually does for living ;-D Very cool video, I liked a lot to listen to it!

My now wife moved from Japan to the UK , we have been married for a long time & I have been wanting to move to Japan for a while now , but my wife just doesn't want to do it, as she likes it here so much & says she really doesn't fit in back home in Japan anymore ,& she was born there! I would love to move one day before I get too old, but I doubt I will ever be able to persuade her..:-(

Very cool video! I always wanted to see Japan

Well spoken and very insightful Luke! Cheers, Mark V.

This is going to sound like a kind of general question, but if one was to visit Japan, where would be the best spots to both sightsee and not feel like a total gaijin?

im looking to go to japan on a holiday in the not so distant future. i cant speak japanese and dont want to be offensive. in your opinion what is my best way aboout this? can you recommend anything to help?

I would love to check out Japan and see what it's really like. There's only so much you can get from books, lol.

Chip and Dale rescue rangers ; ) that was an ace game , I used to love the music on the last level on that game .

My question is, what initiated your move to Japan 10 years ago?

That demo in the back kept looping and distracting me xP but I heard it all Luke and I still won't back off from my dream.

would love to see more of these video's really opens up eyes, thanks alot luke!

I keep watching these videos to get discouraged, to WANT to be in my own country instead of japan, but no matter how many of the flaws I hear (I know of most of them already, I lived there for a year) but I just love it to death. I agree with you so much on the negative/positive parts and for me, the positive point weigh up for the negative points. I just wish everyone going there would realize all these points, it would make it easier for us who tries our best.

Hey man, thank you so much for this video & the one you posted quite some time ago. My brother is heading over to Japan to live to pursue a career in hotel management and I linked him this video just in case & he found it really helpful. Great knowing some personal stuff about you too - awesome video! :D

Hey Luke, a bit of an odd question... but, does potato have a certain meaning in Japan? You had made some videos about an arcade in Akihabara named the "Super Potato". And I had noticed when I was modifying a Dreamcast VMU, that the VMU's PCB chip had 'POTATO' printed in bold on it. So it seems that potato carries some meaning with it, in order for the Japanese to use it in someway related to tech and gaming. Thanks for any response to this curiosity.

This video was VERY INFORMATIVE & eye-opening!! Very interesting stuff! Thanks for this upload!

I know thisis an older vid and you've done a mess of them since this but I wanted to say THANK YOU. This, plus the bike riding video recently and it's Q&A have been a great and useful tool. I appreciate the insight and general honesty you've had in detailing your experiences in japan. One question: Anime seems to imply lots of folk have houses, but IRL it seems like housing is mostly apartments? Or does it vary a lot? (you in apt?)

It's a great country. I've been living here for 6 years, and I don't really regret moving here.

There was a time I would have loved to visit Japan and possibly make a living/make it my home. But after hearing so much about how difficult it can be to get accepted and how you have to "fit in" I sort of grew to fear the idea. I've always been a little different in the sense that I always enjoyed what the majority did not. I don't enjoy the idea of conforming. Our differences I think is what makes us unique. That's not to say that I dont respect the Japanese culture. I think it's fascinating-

Hey Luke, I wanted to know more about how one is able to "live" in Japan... I mean, for you, how did you get your first job when you got in Japan? Did you get it before getting there? Or did you move in there as a tourist, got into interviews and then got a work and a work visa? I'm curious because I wanted to live there, but I'm actually kind of lost about how should be a good start. Thank you a lot for the vid and the answers!

pretty interesting video. hearing from your experiences what you say all seems very reasonable.

Great Video, Luke! You're a great example of someone who moved from the US and made a REALLY successful life elsewhere!

Thanks for the info bro. I have been considering it. I am a huge gamer and really love to import retro.

Japan doesn't let "outsiders" live in Japan. How did you even get accepted to move? The only way I'm getting in is through my mother's friend, who lived in Peru and moved back to Japan with her parents!

hey luke, i wanted to ask you how much time would you say to be spent in japan just for a vacation like a week.. 2 weeks ????

If someone said to me "wow, why don't you grow up and get a life" if i told them i'm into gaming i would be questioning what their problem is.... If i met someone who has a Barbie collection then i won't lie it's not exactly something i would do but i wouldn't hassle them into changing hobbies just so that i can force them into mine or lead a "normal" life with none at all. If they have been doing it for a long time and happy about it then who am i to order them to stop doing it?

Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

A very nice vid! I follow youre channel quite some time now. Im very interested to visit Japan for a holiday! You give some nice tips for a stay! Greets from Holland!

I recently got back from my trip to Japan, was an amazing experience there! I do have my bachelors degree in video game design and computer science. Also have worked for Activision. Hoping to soon find a job in Japan but I believe most industry jobs require more Japanese than I currently have learned.

If you turned off steady shot there would not be that annoying tracking line on the tv behind you.

This was truly worth listening to, while I've heard similar things before it's always good to hear from this point of view. c:

Great video Luke, you made some good points and you definitely have made a great effort to live in Japan for 10 years.

I've been watching your vids for years and I feel like I know you a lot more through this vid. Finally know what you do over there, sorta lol. Japan doesn't sound that great to live in for a foreigner. It makes me appreciate my situation here in the U.S. more. I'd love to visit though.