Yoshi, We’ll done mate. Sadly though, we don’t believe Japan can change. When you are a specialist in history, you’d know that Majority of Japanese, and I am sorry to say, are bigots.
About the mental health issues, it is not just in Japanese. It is true for most east Asian culture here. Basically it is a family issue and we like to keep it within the family and not talk about it with strangers, including doctors, unless it is a private family doctor. One more thing. Not everything you learn from the west works here in the east. So understand them properly then decide if it is suitable for applying it here in Japan. I am a foreigner and have been living here in Japan for nearly 4 years now as a student. I mostly like how things are done in Japan and have adapted to the local life style. Since I am from one of the east Asian countries, it was not a big change, for me anyways.
I really like your take on his video and your own thoughts. You are not simply showing his video, but give your own opinion. Its valuable for me since I am going to study in a University in Tokyo from this September. Keep going, subscribed and liked :)
Refreshing to see someone who can criticize their own culture, it's very rare to find someone who can do that (regardless of where they're from, even here in Denmark). On that note: Do you feel the younger generation are drifting more away from the bad aspects of Japanese culture (social hierarchy, work ethic, stigmatization of foreigners) or is it basically the same?
We young people usually have different mindset than older ones, but in many cases, people in charge are still in their 50s to 60s so I can imagine that many companies still suffer from absurd hierarchy/power distance. But in terms of relationship between Japanese locals and foreigners, I see even old people are pretty friendly, when I travel to rural towns with my foreign friends.
I have a lot of respect for someone doing a reaction video that doesn't involve watching the video. Gives people a reason for people to watch the original and creates a discussion rather than taking views! Good on you.
Thank you!! It’s very nice of you telling me that 😆 I wanna try a lot of new things like vlogging, entertainment TV style outside, travel guide, etc… just anything interesting about Japan that I can share!! Hope to make the contents better and more entertaining for you 😎
i am Korean-American living in Seoul and i absolutely love Japan . before covid, i used to visit there once a year as a my yearly break and would love to go again once this pandemic is over .
Hopefully the pandemic will end soon and you’ll have another good time here in Japan 🍕 I really enjoyed my stay in Seoul a couple of years back, would like to visit there again :)
The reason mentioned in the original video is that the British narrator George says he has heard several Japanese landlords complain that non-Japanese people frequently never pay the rent payment for the last month of the lease contract. They quickly get on a plane back to somewhere in America or Western Europe leaving unpaid bills far behind.
Well foreigners don’t just come from America and Western Europe. They come from all over the place. They come from other parts of Europe, the UK, South America, Asia, etc.
Just got suggested your video and I’m so thankful. This was very informative. I subscribed to the channel and I hope to see more from you in the future.
About the problem of finding a place to rent. Aside from language problems, which could be overcome by going through a rental agency, the biggest problem is the negative impression that previous foreign tenants leave behind. One example is of foreign students leaving a big mess in the apartment when they leave after graduating. The owner have to spend a lot on repairs and clean ups. Another example is foreigners who do not want to follow the rules, especially concerning how to handle garbage disposal. Here in Japan we have a garbage calendar that tells you on what day a certain type of garbage will be collected. I have come across foreigners who just throws, for example, plastic garbage when it is only due for collection next week. So their garbage would occupy the garbage collection box for 1 week and become an eye sore. That garbage is also taking up space from other families who shares that garbage collection box, when they need to throw out other appropriate type of garbage. I am a foreigner myself and I can understand if Japanese property owners are reluctant to rent out to foreigners. But not all foreigners are bad ones. A small minority of foreigners are people who like a clean place to live, like me. As some of you have seen, Japanese neighborhoods and streets are kept very clean.
I found that especially younger Japanese people were interested in what I was doing and often noticed if I was struggling with something and offered help. Others have told me Japanese people do that with westerners but not with each other or other ethnic east Asians.
Thanks man, when I was in my 2nd year of college I became super interested in Japanese culture and also had hopes to learn enough Japanese language to make the move there. I still ponder the idea although as I've gotten older I've realized how much I value my own culture and customs. Regardless I would love to visit both Korea and Japan
I wonder how do japanese people feel about the wests fascination with their culture and country? (your accent sounds a lot like george harrison of the beatles.)
I think generally we are always happy to hear people from other countries liking and having an interest in Japanese culture! For example sometimes in TV they make a program out of foreign tourists on their visit to Akihabara and I’m sure anime fans here are very proud of it haha That’s funny to hear! He was my guitar hero when I was in middle school :)
Living in europe with lots of people from japan around i can state that japanese people are often as fascinated with european cultures, exotic and all that.
Thanks for this reaction to Chris Broad's video. Chris's reflections were well-founded and well explained, as were yours. Excellent! It is so important that people do reflect and react intelligently and openly to the kinds of problems that arise simply because of cultural differences. Facing the difficulties that we humans do, we need seriously to avoid thoughtless narrowmindedness. Thanks again!
I'm worried about getting an IT job in Japan because of the restrictions. And the another thing is that we know that Japan has an extreme work culture. When Japanese companies offered burmese students to work in Japan, they said that foreigners like me were not be forced to work too hard, but I think the job opportunities will be scarce if we could not do as much as Japanese workers.
I often hear IT industry has better and more casual work environment but I don’t personally really how long they work in a day. If you could find a job in a multicultural company, chances are you’d be more likely to keep your work/life balance I believe!
Given that the average human starts to make more and more errors after an 8 hour workshift i think "working a lot because working long shifts" is a myth. Sweden made an experiment in an clinic having people working 6 hour shifts instead the usual 8 or 9, they did need to hire more people but it turned out cheaper in the long run due to fewer errors made, so if you have an work enviroment where it is easy to make an error and that results in high costs then it seems less is more.... Aside there is the concept of giving lazy but smart people jobs, they will find you ways how to do the task quicker and with less work involved, naturally.
Really liked the video, it was more of a video analysis than a reaction which I honestly appreciate. Great work! As a side note, I really can't understand this "keep silence, keep peace" mentality, is it truly peace if we are just avoiding our problems? Not talking about it doesn't make them go away.
Thank you for saying that!! My opinion is more like we should of course talk if that is a severe issue which will impact our relationship for a long time, but not minor problems that you can forget in a few days and do not happen again over and over. But I know in most cases it is healthier to talk about them haha I guess it is also because I grew up hearing Japanese sayings such as ”言わぬが花”(some things are better left unsaid) ”口は災いの元”(The mouth is the source of all disaster).
Yeah I agree, I've been to japan and had a fantastic time, I am alright with my japanese but my wife spoke zero, the language barrier was difficult though I did make one friend in my short visit :D, My rule with my wife and I generally try to always talk about any issues so they dont amount to large issues. "Most problems start small… let’s keep them that way" maybe a western concept when at least it comes to love :D though don't talk about problems during emotional times - thats petrol in the fire
Apparently Japanese land loads are also worried foreigners won’t pay last months rent before leaving. Although I can’t prove that with statistics, I live in America and people leave there apartments without paying their last months rent and have to get taken to court pretty frequently. Not everyone does it but It’s common enough that most people at least know someone who’s done it.
Thank you Jono! I’m thinking of creating variety of contents such as daily vlog/lifestyle, introducing unique activities and experiences you can have in Japan!!
@@Jono1982 I will probably make a vending machine hunting video then as there are so many different kinds here. Let’s see how many types I can encounter in one day haha
@@yoshikoji8038 i'd like to know where the vending machines are located, what the vending machines stock, how much the stuff inside the machines costs, what are the most popular products sold inside the machine and most important of all how to dispose of your rubbish i've been told that bins (trash cans) are rare in japan
what a crazy accent you have, i really like it. just have this video open on my side monitor and if you aren't looking you kinda sound like a tired british guy.
Dayshaさん、ありがとう😊 Awesome! I’d say kanto such as Tokyo and Saitama have more opportunities for job, socializing but always super busy, on the other hand, Kansai area such as Osaka and Kyoto offer more relaxed quality life and traditional culture!!
I used to live in an apartment near Daimon Station on the way to Tokyo Tower. It didn’t have the thinnest walls ever but DO NOT underestimate the reach of a western fart.!! Never got to meet my neighbors…))
Great video, and I'm glad you can speak out against your native culture where you see wrong, god knows I can definitely do that about my own. The only thing I disagree on is relationship stuff; communication is key and reaching a mutual understanding and in my experience solves more problems than it causes, at least when not done in an accusatory manner. I also absolutely *detest* Japan's more lax attitude towards relationship infidelity, that just baffles me.
So many of the issues can be solved by learning a bit of the language, and I think it's crazy to move somewhere without being able to at least communicate basic things. I'd like to live in Japan for a year or two at some point, but when that happens depends on how quickly I can become somewhat fluent.
You did a good job. I enjoyed your video. The word insular ( island people ) also applies to me. It is universal. We are conservative , respectful and slow to change.
Honestly, I want to go to Japan just for the good cars, good scooters, and good merchandise. I hope I will be mentally able to take the challenges there!
Props to you, you're like an antithesis of what i imagine a japanese person would be like, obviously you have been exposed to a lot of outside culture and influence but it's just so nice seeing a japanese person so open-minded. Great video.
Hi, I am Australian my wife is Chinese and we are planning a trip to Japan, none of these issues this English guy speaks of would bother either one of us. Love the idea of no ball games in parks, Australians run riot in parks much to my displeasure, love the rule based culture in Japan. If I were to live long term in Japan it wouldn't be in Tokyo, but my greatest fear would be earthquakes.
The rules take is an interesting one. Rules do contribute to order, sure. But how does any of those rules make life more comfortable and why? >Once you'll understand how society works here in Japan ...well how does it?
This is a very fair balanced view . There are so many good things about Japan ( safety , no big drugs issues, fun loving craziness ) . Also mental health services in the whole of Asia are generally poor . It’s ideological for Asian cultures. Yes I can imagine it’s difficult to get a job if you don’t speak Japanese . But it’s difficult to get a job in Taiwan if you don’t speak Chinese . I’m stared at in Taiwan but I know there is no hatred towards me . It’s just curiosity .
I have always wanted to visit Japan but I am nervous because I have adhd and I get worried alot so I feel like I won't be able to live there but at least I will be able to visit!
We Indians also take off our shoes before entering our homes. And we bow as well while saying Namastey. Culturally, there are similarities between us🇯🇵🤝🇮🇳 So I can understand why the Japanese might not take kindly to a foreigner there, but then we are welcoming and helpful like you😁😁
I am a international student here in Japan and we have very bad experience with Indian master students. I should say, they gave us a very bad impression of Indian students. Most of us are from east Asian countries too, so we were really shocked at how this group of Indian master students disrespect their Japanese hosts. For example, one of them got drunk so bad he had alcohol poisoning. An ambulance had to come to the dorm. It had never happened before with other nationalities. In another case, Indian students snuck in girls from outside (non-students) into their rooms. I heard that they got kicked out of the dorm after they were discovered.
@@zam023 That's really sad to know. Yes the current generation has certain rogue and disrespectful elements. Especially the Indians that go abroad for studies, because they generally come from a monetarily better background which may or may not translate to good values. They should be ambassadors of their countries and the value system abroad, but sadly tend to ignore this for few cheap thrills. Please accept my apologies on their behalf!🙏🙏👍
Seriously , authority in Japan doesn't see it as an issue when foreigner doesn't want to move there, it won't mind you have 12 or 120 reasons not move to Japan, they only concerned serving Japanese interests, not any foreigner. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Im born and raised on Guam and there are still some Japanese traditions still practiced, mostly in Saipan where they play a gigantic version of Daruma Otoshi. We call our slippers "zori" and sometimes we do wear them with white socks lol. Of course Saipan had a much better time than Guam during the 40's. Many of our most strong, smart, caring, and village leaders were executed unfortunately.. Nowadays we respect Japanese people (always have since 1400's) but we welcome Japanese with open arms to our island to share everything we have to offer.
The reason i mentioned all that was to say Im glad it wouldnt be too much of a culture shock to us as we learn to eat with chopstick IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER the fork and spoon lol.
Hiya So I am so fascinated with Japanese culture, traditions and customs and have pondered if I could live in Japan. I have a friend of mine who is originally from the states who lives in Japan who walks/bikes around Japan and speaks Japanese. My question though is since I am half Asian would I still be treated differently since I am still a foreigner, the friend said they may just assume I speak Japanese and just start talking in Japanese (which I intend to learn by the way) as well as since I am going for a game design degree Ive also heard that its pretty cutthroat. Id like to hear your thoughts! Thank you
DO watch Cheers channel's web series What's your Status in an episode there is a beautiful roast about the work culture which considers working over time a virtue .
I enjoy watching a Japanese reaction to a foreign youtubers reaction to life in Japan. It's kind of like their video is being reviewed by the teacher - no wonder foreign youtubers get annoyed with it :)
It’s just one of my opinions as a Japanese but many times they teach me a lot about Japan or social issues here which I didn’t even know! Also, they’ve been youtubeing in Japan for a long time and I get huge inspirations on making contents so hopefully they are not annoyed with it 😂😂
14:50 as a western person learning japanese, I don't actually think the language itself is "that" hard. It's just that learning the kanji is a massive bottleneck and like an insurmountable wall. To the point that it makes me doubt the sanity of all japanese people who go through the pain of learning them and then force next generations to do the same.
I was almost hoping for a joke when it came to the cure for depression. "You should be happier" was just PPPPPlain funny as a cure for depression. Though an optimistic attitude does help for a healthier lifestyle.
In Europe RC is standard, but there are much more layers added to it, there is inside and outside insulation, double or tripple glass windows. So your energy consumption for heating is very low and you don´t hear your neighbours. In Japan even in a concrete-build mansion you can hear your neighbours walking and talking. It´s alwyas interesting how Japanese people defend the fact that landlords (or employers) discriminate foreigeners. "It´s because they are afraid of dealing with other cultures and etiquetts", they say. In Europe and elsewhere we call it rasism. When nobody wants to seat next to me in the subway because I am a foreigner, it´s also rasism, but this happens to me very frequently in Japan. In my country it is punishable by law and prevention of it is a big issue in public discussion and a subject to teach in schools. Not so in Japan. Thank you for your "Stuck in the past" analysis. Yes, it´s the problem of education and absolute lack of critical duscussion culture in Japan. If nobody questions things, if nobody can speak out openly and frankly his own oppininion nothing will change. And that´s why Japan is static and not moving forward. In my observation things are getting even worse, elder generations of Japanese were more open minded. As for making friends it´s not only about speaking English. It´s actually what you mentioned when you talked about relationships. There is no other culture where silence is so much appreciated as in Japan. People in any other cultures I know of, even in Asia, are more outspoken and tend to say their opinion directly. Japanese communication is entirely different in that aspect, you don´d discuss, or question, you just accept things mostly as they are. It´s all connected to "wa", the harmony, which is more imprtant than anything elese. Even when a foreigner speaks Japanese it is very difficult to communicate for him/her. If your English fried would have left Japan in the corona time to visit her relatives in the UK, she would not be allowed back to Japan for almost a year. Sorry, but that´s not how a country treats its residents.
This is in response to your subway comment. So if I don't want to sit next to you I am racist? So in the west, you use the "racism" excuse to squash my freedom to choose. Is that what you they are doing in the west. I don't want to sit next to you maybe because you have body odor, or you make me uncomfortable. That is my right, and you have no right to take that away from me. If it makes you uneasy, suck it up. The other person is also feeling uneasy, so please understand that. To me, this is the problem in the west. If things do not go your way, you call it racist, even if it takes "freedom" away from the person (the person you call a racist). It is so pathetic.
As a military brat, Dad in Air Force stationed in near Tokyo, me and a friend decided to take the train down to the Ginza. We got on early, and were seated. As the train filled later down the line two very elderly Japanese ladies in dark kimonos, got on, looked around and seeing them Dale & I got up and offered them our seats. Dale was blond & blue eyed, I was a 6'1" 15 year old. After one and twenty bows they sat down. I looked around, we stood out like neon signs, one with a yellow shirt the other baby blue and as far as you could see were dark haired, dark suited, white shirted Japanese men, seated, glaring at us. Being teenagers we were oblivious. Later a friend said after I described the scene that we made them lose face even thou few , then, would have offered the ladies their seats. Another time my Dad was golfing with some Japanese generals and one hit a ball into the water hazard, the caddies were all women. The general pointed to the lake and his caddie, who was about 4'5" took off her shoes, waded out, ducked under like she was diving for pearls and retrieved the ball, soaked to the skin and sloshed around the course hauling golf bags taller and heavier than themselves. Definitely different customs. I remembered this no matter where I went.
@@haku8645 i was about to say all japanese looks the same, no wonder why there isn't so many immigrants on that island, but of course hirohito ressembles him even more !! what a coincidence, is the sun gonna rise again in japan and stop the spread of China into a superpower !!!
I feel so blessed that my passion for Japan overshadows my anxiety at meeting new people and overcoming my fiery independence. I'm willing to *try* to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English. I've even managed to have a fairly fluid conversation with non-English speakers such as those from India, whose accent is often *very* hard to understand when you're not used to it. I make it known ahead of time, prior to anything being discussed that I may need them to speak slowly so I can better understand them at first. Basically, help me help you ^^ and this approach works really well! I'm also very blessed that I know of several Japanese and South Korean families here on Vancouver Island, who are willing to help me whenever I go into their place of business and are willing to let me practice my Japanese or Korean ^^ As for jobs, I'm very adapt in horse care. I've worked as a groom, trainer, and have even owned my own horses in the past and to this day, I still ride on weekends and help with camps where horses are used. I thoroughly enjoy working with them and have built quite the reputation as a caring person when it comes to the horses placed under my care. I've also worked as a camp councilor where horses were used (such as horse camps) and many camp contractors have found that the kids placed under my care, were also very happy with me and with being around me. I encouraged where most would of discouraged them. I have personally found that, if you're willing to make the effort to learn the culture, the language and understand at least *some* of the basic rules and regulations, most countries and their people, become very accepting of you. They may, for a time, view you as an outsider, but over time, this turns to acceptance with every accomplishment you make as a person growing in their culture and country. Whenever I visit my friends' restaurant (Karai Sushi) her mom, whose NOT a hugger by nature and culture, openly hugs me and often times, gives me extra food in my order (because I've openly told them I love their cooking! But sadly, it's also very expensive when you live on disability such as I do :c ) During the height of the pandemic, whenever they wouldn't see me for x number of days, she'd make it her personal mission to check in on me, often bringing me food, snacks, and or a simple hug (my depression was super bad at that time) and on several occasions, she invited me over for dinner and was (pleasantly) surprised when I abided by her culture's rules of the home (no outside shoes on etc). Sadly, when her husband passed away last year, she felt lost in the sea of well wishers. Her daughters later confided in me that their mom felt overwhelmed by it all, so I asked if she'd be offended if I stepped in to help and they said they didn't think she'd be offended but grateful for the help. When we later approached her with the idea, she simply hugged me (rather tightly I might add) and said she was grateful to have me as her 'third daughter' (she'd only had two children). Honestly? I was grateful to help someone who'd been so helpful when I'd needed it the most.
High Suicide Rates in Japan, no shit..i wonder why. Mental health care is VERY important. Seriously Japan, get you shit together. edit: don't get me wrong, i love Japan, but this triggers me so much.
I totally agree with you and I’m ashamed of it. I wish we had more knowledge and awareness about it. I think there were so many lives that we could’ve saved with professional helps. I hope it’s going to change ASAP.
I'm a white American and I totally support you're preference for your own race/citizens. I feel there much is more to consider besides race, such as the ability to socially reciprocate on an equal basis. If a foreigner moves in yet is unable to reciprocate socially, that is a potential detriment to another person's life. In my experience for example, at work Its a very big difference to spend time with someone who has no knowledge of our culture for 8+ hours a day, every day, versus a person who has seen the same 1,000 American movies I have. I feel like that is a valid consideration and there are others, which is why i feel it is important to let individuals choose what they prefer as they are the most knowledgeable about their own needs. In America, our government is letting in millions of people from very violent nations who're not causing problems and we have people chaining themselves to pillars at train stations so as not to be pushed into oncoming trains (New York). I hope nothing like that happens to Japan.
I like Japan, but... the endless rules are not all sensible. Irrational, counter-productive, and harmful rules and laws are very common in Japan (there are plenty other countries too, I could certainly spend days talking about those in mine, but Japan has unusually many) ...and there is a big difference between "peace" and "order and quiet". You can have "order and quiet", that is extremely unfair and oppressive, making it far from peaceful. Japan mainly just focuses on "order and quiet". On keeping up appearances, at the expense of dealing with the actual reality.
and i hope all Japanese are that open minded as you ヨシコジさん。 😭😭。 シンガポールで友達ができた日本人の知り合いは何年位ここに住んでも、あれですね、偏見とか先入観が非常に硬いです😭。 ヨシコジさんが言ってくれたようにシンガポールに住みシンガポール人になれということんじゃないと思う
To be honest, not accepting foreigners as a renter is a terrible example of how racism seems actually acceptable as long as enough do it. And please do not deny that it's racism but " fear for the unknown" because those are actually in core the same thing. I love Japanese culture and i respect the way of life to an extend as a foreigner when i read/hear/see things about it. but some things are seriously wrong socially in this country and the decline of the population is a terrible result of many of them. I guess it's the almost xenophobic island-mentality that still has a great influence here, and in that, Japan is certainly not alone.
