What NOT to do in Japan 🇯🇵 WORST Etiquette Disaster 

NOTIFICATION SQUAD: Three horror stories in equal measure. But which was the worst mistake of all? You decide. And if you want more of these story time videos guys let me know - hit the like button! That’s often the main way we work out if people like the content or not.

Ken Watanabe asserting his dominance by calling Chris' BS is one of the funniest things I've heard on the channel hahaha

I'm somewhat convinced that the chef was purposely feeding you the worst things on the menu just to see how far he can push a foreigner 😂

Worst I've done in Japan is calling my Japanese host family mum - "mama-san". I was explained that "mama-san" is actually a term they use for mistreses in brothels 😮 It was the honest mistake all was good, the only one bothered at the end was ME since they let me call her that for like 2 weeks 😅

I think the Genkin and Genki mix up is the funniest to me. Just imagine, you're having a great day, nothing can mess it up. Your wife packed you your favorite bento for lunch. Then some English bro rolls in, screws up the toll and when you try to fix it and ask him for money he goes "I'm good" and speeds off. Dude was probably destroyed for the rest of the day

I got second-hand embarrassment from watching this, that was some excellent storytelling

I love that Ken Watanabe obviously knew the lie from the get-go and just sat on that for days, just waiting for the optimum moment to call you out with it. 😂

I would legitimately cry after that first encounter. The stress from blocking other people going on their way, then realizing I didn't pay would just be too much lmao

I was invited to someone's house in Japan, along with a few other people, and took interest in a book he had about Japanese slang language. After a while I found a chapter titled "Japanese Penises", started laughing, and haphazardly showed it to the girl sitting next to me, expecting her to find it funny as well. Then I started reading the chapter, and the first paragraph started by making it absolutely clear that this is a highly taboo topic in Japan, and that people will be extremely embarrased if you bring it up, going as far as claiming that they don't have a word for it if you ask "What's 'penis' in Japanese?" I went from laughing to realizing that I had royally fucked up in about 20 seconds.

This video was an emotional rollercoaster. From the embarrassment of unintentionally screwing over a toll worker because of poor Japanese knowledge, to feeling the need to gag just from hearing what you had to eat whilst being watched by a chef with a bloody katana to the unimaginable shame of lying to Ken mfing Watanabe... truly one of the videos of all time Chris.

That first story was great 🤣 “cash?” “I’m great!”

I 100% believe that Ken did that in a way to express that he thought your japanese was absolutely fine, sort of a "Come on dude, don't lie about it. It's fine. Tell him it's 10 years." That's why he, after that, focused more on japanese conversations rather than english. I've had some people do stuff like this with me, firm moments of "own who you are" and they honestly improved me and my confidence for the better.

My Japanese in-laws ran a bath for me in their house during New Year a few years ago, piping hot with Yuzu lemons freshly picked from their garden. A good long soak, a few cheeky farts, and a good scrub later, I pulled the plug, dried myself and went to the living room to thank my in-laws. With a beaming smile, I said "arigatou", as the last remnants of the water gurgled loudly down the drain. Little did I know that the water was supposed to have been saved for everyone to use, and that they had allowed me to bath in it first as a mark of respect. Ooops.

I have never felt so much empathy with a toll guy. 😂

Honestly I think if you told Ken Watanabe that you have lived in Japan for 10 years, but aren't good at Japanese, he would have understood, because being insecure about your language skills is probably one of the most Japanese things ever.

One of your greatest strengths as a content creator/film maker is your amazing ability to tell a story. This video was superbly entertaining from beginning to end. Thanks for all the amazing content troughout the years, Chris

Chris I think that Ken is honestly trying to help you improve your Japanese skills through conversational Japanese.

I think I would self-combust if I had gotten caught on a lie by Ken Watanabe like that.

That toll incident would literally haunt me 😂 such an innocent mistake but the guilt you’d feel.. damn (love that he donated it to charity🙏🏻)

You know Chris, my respect for you actually skyrocketed after watching this. The level of horror you felt after realizing the genkin vs genki misunderstanding and making up for it by donating to the earthquake fundraiser, to sacrificing yourself to remain polite and respectful to the sushi chef, as embarrassing as the outcomes were, it still showed how much you care. And most of all, your retelling of your time with Ken Watanabe was so brilliantly explained. I really relate to the fear of Japanese people overestimating my speaking ability that even though I can speak it on a conversational level, I always intro myself by saying i can’t speak it. Anyways, the fact that you were able to include the clips from your most cringe moments, and add the blushing effect, and show it multiple times, you’ve got real cojones my dude. I could never do that, like as soon as my most cringe and regrettable moments come into my thoughts i react quite strongly and get rid of them immediately. Thanks for putting yourself out there like that, i hope more people can gain the courage to show their most human sides, it’s what makes them most relatable. Major props to you 🙏

"What's the worst thing you've ever done?" "I lied about how long I'd been in Japan." "Well, that doesn't seem that bad..." "It was to Ken Watanabe." "Oh."

It's never too late to learn a new language, including Japanese.

I don’t know man, being bodied by Ken Watanabe from across the room sounds like a highlight to me. The man knows enough about you to call you out, that’s a life goal right there 😂

The best part is that after being caught out by Ken Watanabe, in the background at 27:56 the kanji reads "許されざる者", in other words "The Unforgiven!" You will never be forgiven for lying to the almighty Watanabe.

The language learning thing is completely normal. In the beginning you study hard to be able to communicate with other people without too many problems. Once you've achieved that, diminishing returns mean it's incredibly difficult to stay motivated to keep learning and take it further.

Nice to see more content regarding your experiences/anecdotes. Thanks for the content, mate!

I applaud you Chris. Such a simple and straightforward video idea, yet the cinematography makes the scenarios look so immersive. Especially the highway incident, it's like I was REALLY THEREEEEEE wooooo

The sushi story reminds me of the time I went to Hakodate morning fish market the first year I lived in Japan and wasn't yet used to all raw delights. My friend ordered us each a mixed sashimi bowl and while she "mmm"d and "yum"d, I pushed the food into my mouth with the mental mantra, "Just eat it; don't think about it." That was 30 years ago and now I'll eat pretty much anything.

I am in hospital in Gifu prefecture. Just got my gallbladder taken out thanks to japans great healthcare. Been feeling pretty crummy but this right here. This video he managed to make me smile and laugh at a time that my lonely, sore bones really needed it. Thanks Chris

Lying must have felt the worst. Toll and food story is something that can happen to anyone but lying to your hero and being caught red handed must have felt million times worse

I love the stories told here. Embarrassing mistakes are so relatable and it’s nice to hear someone else’s 😂

The cook at the fancy restaurant was either really nice that he wanted you to taste new things, or really sadistic knowing a gaijin will struggle with the texture of certain dishes 😂

I think you’re being hard on yourself for the 3rd one. I’m sure Ken understood the situation even by finding out everything. When you don’t practice your second/third language much, it’s quite hard to keep up. Plus, focusing on your RU-vid channel these past years and to a _broader_ audience (bad joke), it was inevitable that English was to be used. Keep it up Chris. ⭐️

These videos are coming at a perfect time with the new JET programme members about to move to Japan in the next 2 months :)

Can't stop laughing at the term "farmyard slop bucket".

The second story is why I usually go for B-kyuu gourmet when I am in Japan. Twice I have been to Sushi places where you sit by the counter (not by any means high end places, but really good tasting Sushi) and it's indeed a bit stressful having the chef staring at you and waiting for your next order. I played it safe both times and stuck to tuna. The conveyor belt sushi is way more relaxing for the average gaijin I think haha.

The sushi incident is something I would see myself doing, not because I would be bold, but because of my sheer ignorance and wanting to be nice to everyone. Honestly just thinking of how he struggled to chow down the geoduck I think I would immediately gag and puke on the bar. Oh and the snail in the coffin was absolutely hilarious!

I've not laughed that hard in a while hearing about that toll booth situation. Thanks for sharing that gem Chris 😂

Thanks for a bit of self-derrogatory humor and fluent storytelling, Chris. Love your interaction with Ken Watanabe - who is NOT scary which is why he got scary at you (but I understand wobbling a bit in the face of one's hero). The spinning coin shot of that episode is precious🍀

I keep thinking about the Ken Watanabe thing and just cringing out of my skin in second-hand embarassment. Takes a lot of guts to retell a story like that.

ANOTHER VIDEO SO SOON?!?! CAN THIS WEEK GET ANY BETTER?!?! LETS GOOOO!!!

Chris, I really appreciate the way you framed this. As you said, you're not a Mr. Perfect, and you could've just shown that through the three mistakes you listed (which honestly, anyone could've made) but the way you also opened up about your level of speaking Japanese not being where you want it to be, and about feeling embarrassed and ashamed for not studying as dutifully as you couldve felt really personal. I'm sure it wasn't easy to talk about -- kudos to you! It really demonstrates how nobody is perfect, despite how easy it can be to make yourself seem that way on RU-vid. Very proud

Your stories are so relatable!! I traveled to Japan three times now and have experienced some situations where I felt a very similar kind of embarrassment.

Love your opening statement: regret IS a slippery slope! So long as we actually learn from our mistakes. We're only human at the end of the day.

I was in a business hotel in Sapporo, in the quiet reading/chilling area. Pulled out my phone to browse the web, & I didn't realize I left Instagram open & there was a very loud video of a cat angrily meowing. And in my haste to lower the volume, I accidentally pressed the volume up button instead of volume down. I ended up running out lol everyone was staring at me angrily. 😅

I went to Japan 2 months ago with my family. We had a "GAIJIN SMASH" 2 times since my mom lost her trainticket somehow. Thankfully, on both occasions the guy at the barrier told us that "only today, it's fine".

this literally made my day thank you so much! Congrats for the book Chris, very cool!

The sushi story is genuinely one of my fears about going to a high end sushi place on my first trip to Japan 😬

It takes a lot of humility to own up to your past mistakes I was dying of laughter at the toll road part when you drove away without paying 🤣 Chris is naturally hilarious and a great storyteller thanks for consistently giving us amazing content! Looking forward to the book release!

Chris I have been following you from my college days since 2017. One thing I have noticed the videos you do alone contains the best dry humour so keep up with this soliloquy kind of vids, we love them.

You are a great storyteller, Chris. I can't wait to read your book!

First story takeaway: Chris: “You learn Japanese to better understand Japanese people, I learn Japanese to avoid being a criminal, we are not the same.”

I think it's hilarious that Chris couldn't imagine that Ken wouldn't have done his research on this guy interviewing him. Also, what boss shit is Ken doing that? I'll give props for Chris for sticking it out. I would have probably climbed into a hole somewhere had he done that to me.

Your storytelling is top notch. I laughed so much during this video... thank you for sharing your agonizing sushi experiences with us.

You have a lot of courage talking about all of these experiences - especially the last one

It’s been a while since it’s been a while since we’ve been to Chris’ ramen shop.

That story about the toll got a legitimate "oh no" out of me because I can relate as a Japanese learner. The language has a ton of homophones and nuances that takes time to pick up, rather if you're an avid, or a beginner level. One of the most common phrases you learn in textbooks and such is "genki" so, as a student, you're mind will just automatically think they are asking if you're okay. But the last thing that comes to one's mind is "are they referring to something else" especially in a situation as you have endured at the toll booth.

This is probably my favourite video on the channel, can’t wait to read that book!

These are my favourite of your videos, love your humour! Really lifted my spirits, thanks!

The toll road issue could be solved with cameras in the US they would just capture your license plate on camera and bill you later.

Shoutouts to the editor making this an incredible experience.

I literally got goosebumps from merely looking at the stuff the chef fed you, I would never be able to do that. Thanks for the heads up

That was quite the intricate way to name drop. And humility was feigned by self-deprecating was

It takes some real grace to own up to your mistakes with such humility, and real talent to make them into such hilarious stories. Definitely one of my favourite videos on your channel!

2:45 the only mistake I can relate to, is the first example. I could feel that nerve-wracking, gut wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach. Having all those commuters stuck behind you with no way out, getting more upset and tense by the second and every second feeling like an eternity with little to no hope of escape... Thank God the toll way worker came to you when he did. The other 2 I cannot relate to because I've never had a business meeting at a high-end restaurant with an important businessman. Nor have I had the opportunity to interview Ken Watanabe. 😆

I love these videos. I'm always laughing like a madman the whole time because Chris is so relatable.

That Sushi Restaurant incident feels like the worst one to me. I couldn't even fathom the amount of embarrassment I would feel having everyone, only just a few feet away, hear me vomit all the food I had to pretend to like for a good social standing! 😂😂😂

This has to be one of the funniest videos ever released on this channel. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. Especially during the toll booth story.

I respect Ken for calling you out. Don't be insecure or afraid to make mistakes. Take advantage of that leeway they give you before you waste it. Great video, I love this channel. You inspire me to learn languages and cultures.

Great stories, well told, lots of long words and humorous use of the English vocabulary. Thank You!!!!

I feel like that first one is just a nightmare scenario I would never forget and would always find a way to creep into my thoughts at 3 AM. 😣

6 Abroad in Japan videos in a month! Chrismas must’ve come early this year!

Love the new video game insert edits visuals/sound effects. Wow. That's a lot of work! 👍

This makes me love Ken Watanabe even more. Great video, Chris, as always! Thank you! 😊🙏🙌👑😎

I can’t wait to meet Chris in Japan and run away screaming in terror 😂 That toll gaff has got to be the worst, you still haven’t paid them lol

Although it's a sore spot for you, it feels good to know that you have to always be working on your Japanese no matter how long you live here. I've been in Japan for 3 years now and I feel so far behind my friends in terms of Japanese ability.

The Genkin Desu Ka scenario was fucking hilarious and as someone who also moved abroad I’ve had so many similar situations happen to me. Mishearing a word and acting like a complete asshat out of total incompetence.

best video you've done in a while, while I love the travel ones. I really love the stories man. thanks for this.

Japan is awesome but when I visited I definitely made some mistakes. Like getting lost or eating somewhere I didn't like. Like for example I go to this Ramen place and they gave me this huge portion when I wanted a tiny one at the end of the day.. I ate like half of it and I felt so bad leaving food on the table, but they laughed and said it was okay. Even with someone who is "adjusted" to Japanese culture , it feels stressful at times to make sure you following the rules.

I was having secondary embarassment watching this. It was so awkward. My compliments to your resilience of character to be able to share these, thank you for turning your discomfort and inexperience into learning experiences. Great video, maintaining the excellence thats a hallmark of this channel.

Really enjoyable video Chris, great storytelling and visuals

You deserve an award for this video. Brilliant and very funny - especially the sushi mistake!

I love this kind of episode where Chris talks about what's happening behind the scenes. The sense of realness makes me enjoy this episode more.

Oh, gosh, no. Those stories hurt me deep down. I wouldn't even want to try listing the many horrors I've had much less making them funny. What a talent, and that's said seriously. And Mr. Watanabe doing his homework, just wow. A big Hollywood star looking up a RU-vid channel. I would just cry right then and there and drink sake until I am blind...or wish I could....

You are a great human being Chris you are very funny and authentic brother seeing you do funny things brings me alot of joy and inspiration thankyou for recording and sharing your beautiful life experiences in beautiful Japan and I am very excited and looking forward to reading your new book I am sure it will be great peace bro. Keep being you

Meeting Ken would be amazing & scary for me. I watched the vid of you & Ken several times. You are one lucky man to meet & got to have a conversations with him.

Videos like this one where it's just you telling a story are my favorite and the reason I subscribed back in the day! So glad you made another one, it's been a while!

Don't rob a bank, that's considered a faux pas in Japan

The intro was absolutely funny. Thank you for the vid, Mr Affable

Love these back to roots style sort of story telling videos

The toll incident is the worst in my opinion. The mental shame of that would destroy me, perhaps to the point of traveling all the way back that toll just to pay the present toll and the outstanding toll. Ken-san just wanted you to be honest, and that's fair.

I'm seeing a pleasant upgrade in the presentation of these stories. I enjoy the mix of clip-in pngs, custom dialogue boxes and real-life event re-tellings. Fun stuff!

Great videos Chris. You are a true movie star. :) I am coming to Japan in August and found your work very helpful. Thanks a lot!

Rofl, the Genki/Genkin story was so hilarious, and beautifully acted! Laughing so hard. I actually thought the story was pretty much done with a minor level of amusement, but then this massive revelation drops and totally changes everything. Hilarious and Comedic Gold!

Man you’ve really lost weight! Congratulations and great work on the diligence and drive it takes to make such a change! I don’t know you and you know me, but your efforts are recognized by this stranger!

Great video, funny and also learned something new. Have waited for a "home" Video for quite some time!

That are memories I would relieve every day before going to sleep till the end of my days. I'm so awkward and clumsy person, can relate to your feelings. 😅

I don't have a weak stomach but you describing the sushi incident had my mouth doing the upset stomach saliva thing too. Great storytelling as always, Chris!

#2... Me and my crew have been there. Found this little 5 seater bar in Himeji like you described (not expensive though like 20$ a person). And it was all fresh form the market fish and... Other things that were unknown to us. Needless to say we dropped off one by one as the foods got crazier and scarier. We felt so bad.... But it was one heck of an adventure. And the fruits for desert were to die for. I still talk about it 5 or 6 or 4 years later 😋

I think the second story of the sushi restaurant sounds like the most mortifying. I was in Japan in April and we went to an omakase restaurant in Kyoto. Thankfully it was super delicious and I did not feel ill but yeah, it was unnerving having the chef stand in front of us as we ate, watching us expectantly. It’s not too late to improve your Japanese, especially since you’re still living over there!