If the world could be like Japan in the ways of Curtesy, cleanness, and safety. We would be as close to paradise as we could as humans. Don't get me wrong, they have their problems like any other place. But I never stop being amazed of the peacefulness and comfort you get from being here.
Richard Andrews oh my goodness! You said this perfectly! I found the Japanese to be the kindest, most courteous people I’ve ever encountered! As soon as I got off of my flight back to the U.S. airport in Chicago and encountered the rude customs officers I said to myself...yeah...I must be home! Sad.
When I went, my dad forgot a bag of clothes and a bunch of stuff we bought, at a metro exit, which are extremely busy, and we remembered an hour later. We thought it was long gone but we went to go check anyways. When we got there, someone had put it on a bench and everything was still there. I actually couldn't believe it lol
I was sitting in a busy Starbucks in downtown Osaka a few years ago, and a young lady left her MacBook Pro at her table unattended while she (presumably) went to the washroom. Of course, no one took it. It’s a great country.
Although Tokyo is an expensive city, I think one thing that might shock you if you are coming from a Western country is how affordable the food can be. Sure, you can spend a lot of money on premium sushi, but if you just go for what the average working class Japanese eats, for example udon, soba or beef rice, it's actually cheaper than going to McDonald's in America.
Depends on what you're referring to. For genuine branded clothing, NYC is cheaper than Tokyo. For hotels, it's quite similar. And with regards to cheap food in Tokyo, it actually doesn't taste nasty. You can get fairly decent udon or soba for about ¥300. Of course, the catch is you have standing room only, and don't expect any English menus. You buy a ticket from a vending machine (Japanese only, with pictures if you are lucky), and hand it to the chef working behind the bar. And speaking of food prices in America, it's not the worst. Australia is most certainly more expensive than America.
Having lived in Japan for over half a year, I find most of the food to be very affordable. If you shop around online the hotels can be reasonable too (if you’re not picky on which metro station you’re near). If you look for online reviews in English a lot of the recommendations will be for expensive fine-dining experiences, there seems to be a selection for that due the huge number of options and luxury or business travellers. You can still travel Japan on a shoestring budget, just wander around and look at the food on display at restaurants near department stores and train stations. It will be more expensive near tourist attractions but you can get really good set menus and lunch discounts if you don’t mind gesturing at pictures to order. Actually many Japanese people do understand some English but they appreciate any effort to speak Japanese. They will offer you English menus if they have one.
I spent 8 days in Tokyo (Nov 7-14, 2017) and barely scratched the surface! I love how clean and safe Tokyo is. I love the abundance of vending machines. And of course, I love their train system! I find Tokyo not as expensive as what most people say. I was able to rent and apartment for only $45 a day! The apartment was cozy and has TV, washing machine, water heater, aircon/heater, refrigerator, closet, shower, toilet, 2 single beds. Food prices are reasonable because of the quality. Can't wait to get back later this year!
lalilulelo I always found foreigners tell me that food is expensive in the USA compared to outside. How good is the quality of the food in just an average place
lalilulelo, can you please give me an idea where I can find that deal? My wife & I are dead-set on visiting Japan in January, 2018. That will surely help us much.Would you suggest using airbnb in Tokyo? Thanks for your input about this.
Your children are so blessed that they get to travel with you and your wife the way they do. They are getting such an education. Are they being homeschooled or "unschooled?" Or...do they attend a traditional school? This teacher mom is so curious :)
Yeah. I was thinking the exact same thing. So lucky to be exposed to so many sights and sounds; experiencing different places, culture and food at such a young age. They're going to grow up to be so incredibly well rounded and sophisticated! If they're not already.
@Walters World, If you don't mind me asking how are your kids doing in a Japanese school? I as because I have seen some foreigners in Japan loving Japan but not liking the idea of raising kids there, so I wanted to know your esperience
Mmmm.... I don’t know. I’ve been living in Japan 23 years and it comes and goes. Sometimes yes other times shockingly bad, but that isn’t so common. Guess it’s because I’m Canadian.
Japanese are the most helpful and kind people in the world. Over the top helpful with foreigners. They would take me to the place I wanted to go if they couldn't communicate with me. And they did that a few times. Different random people I approached in the street.
just my personal tip, stay out late until the subway closes down and enjoy night life. sleep in for your vacation and avoid morning rush hour altogether, have an easy, lazy morning because you will need to recuperate after walking everyday. by 5 PM you should be sitting down for dinner, again trying to avoid all that rush hour traffic and by night fall you should be ready to explore nightlife again. rush hour should be rest hour
It wasn't a problem for us, but the subway shuts down at midnight If you sleep 8-9 hours and spend an hour getting ready and watching TV we would go exploring from about 9-10 AM until 11-12 PM
We'll be happy to get 6 hours of sleep with the jetlag we had :D.... but our shedule was to leave the hotels before 9 am and get back before the last subway and the rush hour is not a problem for us if the train/subway is too packed we just wait for the next one it's just 5 min max so it's not a big deal
I actually felt like the prices were a good shock. Compared to pricey U.S. cities, things felt fairly cheap, especially considering the quality of food/accommodation/service and no need to tip. Rail pass, too, was great value.
All Things Japanese By Sashi, I’m going to invest in some Japanese toilet tech. I spend a lot of time in the bathroom, e.g. in the morning about 1.5-2.0 hours on average. Usually watching RU-vid, catching up on news, trying to wake up with a cup of coffee (or two), etc.
Nice vid! What shocked me the most was the kindness of the locals. As a solo traveler, at least, I had so many instances of Japanese people approaching me and wanting to practice English or know about the US, etc. In many parts of the world, you really have to make an effort to get to know the locals and have those special moments, but in Japan, it just kind of happens by default. Also, shocking how nicely the Tokyo locals queued up for the metro :)
I found exactly the same thing. I was looking at a map on a street corner and a local approached me to see if I needed help. In that particular case, I didn't, but I did appreciate the gesture. I found the Japanese to very friendly and helpful, whether I needed help at a train/subway station or on the street. If anything, I thought them to be a bit shy, but once the ice was broken, I found them to be, like a post above me put so perfectly. . . the kindest, most gracious people on the planet in my book! (Thx WW Jackie)
I entirely agree with your list, thank you for sharing Wolter! Japan is my favourite place on earth. I love travelling around the world and still go there every year. It's such a safe, fun place and people are incredibly kind and helpful. Love it.
Thank You, Mark for the great video! I really enjoyed watching some of the cool places you and your family visited in Tokyo. Tokyo seems to be a beautiful city. I would love to visit Tokyo someday! 😊
great video! one thing i wanna correct is prices here in Japan are much cheaper than those of most European countries, say, Italy. for instance, a cup of coffee at convenience stores costs less than 1 dollar,though you will never afford in other developed countries. FYI, i've been in Japan whole my life.have a nice day!
Before my son and I visited Tokyo, we found it helpful to learn a few key phases like excuse me, hello, good morning etc. Japan people are very polite but, their English was very limited at best. The food was delicious and very fresh....even the alley restaurants dishes were a culinary perfection. I will definitely like to visit again.
These videos are amazing concise guides that are super useful. I’m traveling abroad for the first time in May to Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima and after a few of these I feel so much more prepared.
Small police stations are called "Koban". It is Japanese original police system aims at prevent the crime. Needless to say, a police officer works at the Koban will deal with the crime . But Japanese police considers that the prevention has a great effect on the public safety. I think Koban system is one of the reasons why Japanese city well-known for safety.
I live in Japan and agree with pretty much everything you said . Also, If you’re on a budget there are plenty of cheap places to eat too:) Japanese fast food restaurants are a plenty and ¥100 Sushi 🍣 ✌️. As always great vid 👍
I disagree. I went to Japan on a budget and still had a great time. I even came back with money with a couple hundred dollars which I was not expecting.
UK is stupid expensive ofc you found it cheap lmfao. but if you wanan eat at actually nice places and nice restaurants you have to spend more like michelin star places etc
I actually don't find Tokyo to be too expensive. There are plenty of places where you can eat inexpensively. Subway travel is easy and not expensive. There are plenty of nice hotel rooms for $80-$120 a night you can find that include breakfast. However, these rooms are small so if you're traveling as a family of four you might need two rooms. But for the solo traveler or for couples Tokyo is not bad at all. On par with most smaller European cities. I think NYC is more expensive.
Ahh....Japan ....Tokyo...yes, the cleanest place ever! The kindest, most gracious, helpful people I’ve EVER meant! You’re so correct, no crazy cell phone users on the oh - so - clean trains and subways, they text but not talk, they consider that rude....as of course it IS! Can’t wait to return! I traveled last year as a solo female. No tour guide, knew no one but fabulous! Safe! If I am so blessed to be able to return however , I will take a profession tour. Oh, and by the way...I saw lots of women in kimono.
I would like to mention an interesting truth . Even tokyo is the 3rd, smallest prefecture in Japan(we have 47 prefectures.Tokyo prefecture is a little bit bigger than grater London ) ,but we still have wild bear in tokyo. (Okutama area) It takes 2-3 hours from tokyo station by local train.
Thank you for the awesome video! I plan on going to Japan with my family as a tourist, I've been there numerous times for business trips but I always find myself confined in my hotel room. Hopefully the 2 1/2 weeks I plan on being there will be magnificent!
Tokyo or Japan is not expensive at all, except for apartment lent or the price of buying houses. foods and transportation is pretty cheap compared to other famous big cities in the world.
thats my hometown! on the average, it'll take about a good 2 weeks to be able to see the major tourist sights in tokyo. but in order to see everything, it'll take about a good 6 months...thats how long it took me the last time i lived there...
I lived in Japan for 2 years, and in my view, you made good points and gave a lot of good advice. I’d like to add one thing, your debit card will probably work at the Japan Post ATMs. Also, Tokyo is cheaper than a lot of big cities, and can be done cheaper than a lot of European and North American big cities.
I wouldn't let that deter you. . . I know two words of Japanese, konichiwa and arigatou gozaimasu. Only once in a 26 day trip did I have a problem and it was in an unimportant situation which was quickly resolved with the use of the Microsoft Translator app. Japanese people were very friendly and helpful and eventually it all worked out!
Seems like pretty fair and accurate views - I can tell that you really enjoy visiting Tokyo! Though I am originally from the city, having lived in the UK for nearly three decades I now get some of those shocks (e.g. toilets, cleanliness) :D
I'm in Tokyo right now! It's an outstanding city. The thing that shocks me the most is the peacefulness of the city, despite the millions of people. Especially in the public transport. Also, when there's a lot of people on the streets, noone bumps you. Everyone walks very consciously, and mind the others.
Two days ago I watched a german tv show named "Schulz in the Box". This time he visited Tokyo and worked there as a host boy. And one part of the job was to go around in the neighbourhood with plastic bags and tidy up. It's no wonder that it is so clean everywhere. Another thing to mention was the bars and cafes. There was a cuddle place where you can take a seat and a girl will come to you to cuddle with you. No sex! Just hugging and cuddling. Or a cat cafe where you drink your tea while 20 cats are jumping from table to table.
I just came back from my Japan trip and everything you said on the video was very accurate :) We actually bought the toilet seat on Amazon right when we got back lol. Missing Japan already.
I was in Tokyo last week. Except the hotel room ($$ per square foot) being expensive, I found everything a tourist would want quite cheap. Compared to Australia, the Tokyo metro is insanely cheap, super efficient and easy to use and navigate around the city. Tokyo is like a full size "tech expo"! Not only did our hotel room toilet have more buttons than a vending machine, the toilet seat and the mirror were heated (no fogged up mirror when getting out of the shower-that may be normal in Europe/North America but a novelty for Australians). And Tokyo is proof that a huge city can be clean and safe. It makes New York look like a 3rd world slum city.
Funny, I'm vising Tokyo at the moment myself. It's been a ton of fun and a great trip for me. One shock you missed is just how dense the metro system map is, even coming for a large city it will be a bit intimidating. Lucky it's also really easy to navigate the system and everything is really well signed.
First shock in Japan: that, as you said, everyone is very friendly and hepful even though you don't speak the language, second shock: the things that ppl talk about and around you once you are able to speak the language ;)
Love Japan. Along w/ Spain it's my favourite country to visit. Although you did touch on it, if I had to add another Tokyo/Japan shocker it's how nice people were. Prior to Japan, Ireland and Mexico were my #1 and #2. Japan just went took all that to another level. Everyone I met was incredibly nice and helpful despite my little phrase book with 10 Japanese words and terms. A nice surprise and I hope to get back to Japan and see more (I was only in Tokyo and Kyoto) next time. I barely scratched the surface in Tokyo.
Another culture shock and something people should know is that there is like no trash cans anywhere in public. It is extremely hard to find one, which is crazy considering how clean the city is. But it's definitely something to keep in mind in case you decide to buy a drink or a snack. You're gonna be carrying the trash for hours before you find a trash can lol
Germany is on my bucket-list still. I love the sensory overload you get in places like Tokyo and Osaka and then the scaled back, peacefulness of places like Kyoto. Combine that with the most robust and convenient transportation system, amazing food, night life, things to do and see on every corner and the most respectful and polite people that I have ever come across (I'm Canadian and the Japanese beat us by a landslide for politeness) and you have the recipe for success. If Germany (and Western Europe) stacks up and competes with the things I found so special about Japan then I need to hurry up and get my ass over there. Cheers!
Chad Parrish I agree with you it's a great place I just don't like weaboos. Japan has the advantage of being newert in society than most European cities and American . European cities are older so maybe they don't compare much in the same way . Germany and UK have plenof things to do . Italy is also great in all those areas as well .
I like your videos, most of your facts are totally correct. And you talk from your experience traveling to different places, other than some other people who create Top 10 lists, who just look something up on the internet without verifying it by going there themselves. If you want to save money in Tokyo or any other famous city anywhere in the world there is a simple but strange trick, search for a women, who has a little child these most of the time exactly know where to get the cheap high quality ingredients to make food.
Cleanliness, efficiency & safety are all the result of Tokyo being a densely-populated city for a very long time. People empirically know they must behave in certain ways to maintain a large-scale system like Tokyo functional for its people. It may look awesome to visitors but it is a set of behaviours that are expected & enforced on the people by the people who lived/living there that is making Tokyo as it is today imo.
Great video! I watch all your videos before I visit a foreign country. I’m going to Tokyo in 4 months to visit my daughter stationed at Yokota Air base.
Was that Asakusa? I stayed there for two weeks last year and still didn't see all of it :) Japan definitely has that safe feeling, and people will go out of their way to help you. I totally agree with getting cash from 7 Eleven. I got all my cash from there. I could never figure out how to use those electronic toilets. I love Japan and definitely want to go back, but it may be a while because it certainly is expensive. Tokyo is probably the biggest city I've ever been to. The other Japanese cities I visited were a lot smaller and less busy, but still had the same lovely, helpful, clean feeling of Tokyo
MrWalker1000 Yeah I guess it's similar priced to London (never been to NYC), but the difference is I would never stay in London for 2 weeks, so spending would be quite low compared to Tokyo which is so much bigger and has so much more to do, which is why I would spend so much more there. Also, as Japan is so far from the UK and really expensive to get to, I would want to spend more time in one trip in the country meaning I would want to visit other cities and towns etc, hence why it is so much more expensive to me than London
MrWalker1000 Tokyo is way cheaper than NYC. I've been to Tokyo, and while it's not the cheapest place on earth...it's reasonable if you compare your prices, ask the locals for advice on shopping (particularly restaurants and groceries), and you are willing to take public transport (I recommend avoiding rush hour and traveling after or before the rush hour starts). NYC is pretty ridiculous. It can add up quickly. Not to mention...nowhere near as clean (I pretty much detest NYC...but I really loved Tokyo)
Yes, it is a very clean city. Even the garbage trucks are clean, looking like they get washed every day. Odd thing, though - no garbage cans in public. Other things I noticed about Tokyo and Japan: Well-dressed businessmen often have a whimsical accessory like a Hello Kitty sticker on the briefcase. Japanese men seem to have a school-girl fetish. About 5% of people are wearing face masks in public presumably for fear of catching or spreading an respiratory infection. School children are uniformed and well behaved in public.
I was there last July, and going back this April. One other suggestion, check out a baseball game if any of the teams are in town during the season - an incredible experience!
Hey they finished construction of the tall building next to Senso-Ji! It was covered in plastic blankets when I last went. Back there in 2 months - happy!!
The biggest shock with the IC cards for me was the fact that while you pay a ¥500 deposit for them when you buy one, not only will you get that back when you return it at the station at HND or NRT you also get back any balance left on it to blow on souvenirs or a last bowl of ramen...
I agree with you on most points except for public transportation (being cheap). To go to a nearby place from point A to point B, train tickets here are cheaper than most countries. But, there is no "one day pass" that you can buy to hop on and off trains. Plus, you will sometimes have to use 2 - 3 different train companies to get to destinations in Tokyo requiring you to pay the base fare (+ distance) each time.
Agree! If its your first time in Tokyo you probably need 6-7 days to cover a good chunk of it. A day trip to see Mt. Fuji is also advisable but best if you can check the weather cause you wouldn't want to go and be disappointed and not see it.
what shocked me in Tokyo is that it is rude if you don’t finish your food and you have to apologize to the server or cook. Also when you ride a taxi cab, it is rude if you close the door yourself when you get off, it has to be the taxi driver who should close the door. My cousin who lives there was our guide the whole trip.
The thing that really shocked me with the complete lack of bins everywhere I had to Google where do I take my rubbish. There was always somewhere to recycle bottles but not always somewhere for other rubbish. Which just makes it more amazing how clean the places I think if there were no bin in the town I live in they would be rubbish all over the streets. I suggest taking a plastic bag with you to put in any rubbish you have
More suggestions. I live about 90 miles west of tokyo and go in to visit sometimes on weekends. Aside from convenience stores, most Post Offices have ATMs that accept many more types cards than a typical bank atm and different bank ATMs are better than others. The symbol for a Japanese Post office is an orange T with an extra bar across the top, usually on an white background & a mostly orange sign. I have experienced a few convenience stores in which the ATMs are only in Japanese, but not very many. Also, hotels in the busy parts of town are more expensive. You can often find rooms in less touristy parts of town (close to the subway or JR) that are more reasonable. I don't know how it took you an hour to get to Asakusa. The Ginza line is direct from Shibuya, maybe it is close to 40-45 minutes, my guess would have been 30-45 minutes, and also the JR line is a separate line tends to be faster and less expensive or the same price as the Metro (There are some metro card deals though; I showed some relatives around and they had a special metro card deal, so we kept away from JR and did the subways. I think that there may also be JR deals.). Also JR lines tend to be above ground so you can see some things along the way. You have to know where to switch though. Also restaurants can be more expensive in the touristy parts of town. The food basements are to be checked out though (Not usually a place to sit and not usually tables, but often you can find somewhere nearby) and as you noted it is easy to get a good quick meal from the convenience stores. When I showed my relatives around, I do not think the bill ever came to much over $10 per person and the restaurants were very good, but in less touristy (but still busy) parts of town.
I love the excitement you put in this video Mark. So lucky to be able live here in Japan for so many years now and there’s still a lot to discover😉 Enjoy every trip you do with your family. Keep safe and healthy🤗 @woltersworld
My husband and I just came back from Japan a few months ago and we loved it there! And it always gets me when tourist say it’s expensive there because we felt like it was the same as living in California. Especially southern Cali. My thing is, if you have the money to travel to Japan on vacation then you should expect to spend money. And that goes for any vacation anywhere (well maybe not Mexico because that’s a pretty affordable vacay). And actually I think Tokyo Disneyland was far cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disneyland. But overall, your vid made me miss Japan. I can’t wait to go back.
