TOUGHER than diamonds and STRONGER than steel - Abroad in Japan is back! But what do you hate the most in Japan and what did I miss guys? Sorry for the long absence - I've been trying to get fit. Also been filming a ton of videos that'll be out over the Christmas season. Should be a fun month!
i did the mari kart thing. totally jetlagged. i was luigi, of course. but i didn't watnt to dress up. they made me. i did see that chippy and tried to steer towards it. but i've got too many morels for that. sommeone else got it. driving through shibuya was super fun though. some locals were scowling at me i think. and to myself not out loud i thought, huzzah! they hate me not for my skin color but for driving a go kart in a stupid costume. big win. also purikura is popular for the same reason japanese website look the way they do still even though it's not the mid 90s.
As someone in the US who has lived in cities that can't bother to have a supermarket but will damn sure have a liquor store in close proximity I feel that Pachinko hatred.
@pauljs75 As much as that may be true in some other city, I grew up in Las Vegas where the casinos actually do go back into the cities economy. In fact, that's Vegas's largest source of income (big surprise there lol)
Yeah that's why every American has driver license and cars I do think? Cuz honestly I would be fcked if I was living in the USA outside of a big city, and still some big city like LA or San Antonio don't have a good public transportation.
Never seen that, but then i don't live in those souless cities either. I can't fathom why anyone would actually **want** to live in an overly crowded human-zoo
@Aurelian that's not even remotely true. The US is too large to say that all big cities lack supermarkets. Supermarkets take up tons of real estate and cities are much more expensive to put large area commercial stores in. Plenty of large US cities have super markets despite that.
Lived in Japan for a decade and re: Microaggressions -- you nailed it. 10 years of the same boring ass questions from everybody, and if you ever try to steer the conversation to something different (in Japanese, mind you, there are no language issues limiting the conversation topics), they often push it back to basically "yeah yeah, back to you being a gaijin tho." Always gaijin first, person second. That's fine working as an ESL teacher where your conversation is paid for, but dealing with that on a personal level wears on the soul after awhile.
@Calbear712 Thats not even remotely similar to this guys experience. I'm from Canada and have been to more than 20 states over the course of my life and rarely ever get questioned about Canada unless I outright tell them I'm Canadian. I think you're mistaking microaggressions for curiosity, or you're living in some small town in Canada that rarely gets Americans visiting or living because in Toronto literally not a single person cares where you're from. I also have many American friends here who say its pretty much the same with slightly better living standards and free healthcare.
A few weeks ago, me and a friend of mine were in a video game lobby with voice chat and wound up with a Canadian player. To me, this is about the most unremarkable thing ever, but my friend for some reason became obsessed with bringing up all the cultural differences between the US and Canada while chatting with this guy. I was cringing inwardly the entire time. Just treat people like people, don't make a huge deal out of where they come from. Lord...
@Calbear712 I think this generalizes to a lot of 'small, insecure countries neighbouring bigger, more important countries'. It becomes essential to maintaining any sense of independent national identity to obsess over the minor differences between you and your much bigger (better known, more important) neighbour, and convince yourself that those minor differences actually make you the 'better one of the two'. Kiwis do some of this vis-a-vis Australia, and especially America, (while Australians and Americans generally don't even notice New Zealand much, or care, because they don't need to). Scots and Irish vs the English (yes, of course there's more to it than this). Dutch vs Germans. Vietnamese vs Chinese. South Koreans vs everyone. "Please notice us. Please re-affirm that we do, in fact, exist" Canadians constantly like/need to assure each other that this or that aspect of Canada may actually qualify as "world class". Americans just take it for granted.
I mean it's the same thing being non-white in the US. Friends/Family have always gotten the "Wait where are you REALLY from?" Or my female cousins would get, "OMG I wish I could look as exotic as you", or my Dad always gets, "You speak English so well!" Every country has their micro aggressions with foreigners.
One for me that never seems to get a mention anywhere, and most people (even many in Japan) don't even believe when you tell them is how absolutely awful the disability access is. I have been to and live in many diverse parts of the world, including developing countries, and Japan was one of the worst. To add insult to injury it was the second worst when it came to people acting like I am dirty because I use a wheelchair and making it very clear they believe I shouldn't be allowed in many places because god forbid a tiny bit of dirt comes in off the wheels (first place on this went to Thailand, but I do want to stress that, as with anywhere, the majority of people were fine. Thailand beat Japan simply because the aggression was far more in my face).
Thats interesting that you say this. I visited Japan in 2019 for three weeks and found the places Ive been to be quite alright with the wheelchair, especially the trains, those were amazing. I live in Austria now and its not bad at all here and some things are indeed way more accessible but I didnt find Japan to be awful. Can you elaborate which pars stood out to you? I probably haven't encountered them yet
@uberlisk America also does this wrong, I was in a wheelchair for a time, and then crutches, from being hit by a lifted pickup, this also meant I couldn't drive. If you can't drive in the USA or Canada you're basically forced into poverty. Nothing, not even food, is accessible. And in the USA forget about affording healthcare when no one will hire you because you can't get to the office. I live in midwest Canada and not only are there no sidewalks, no nearby public transportation, and no nearby places of employment but the lack of accessibility is so bad that I have genuinely considered rage quitting life because the other option was starvation. It's extremely difficult to get any further than the end of the driveway (not the least because of ice) without worrying about being run over so your social life is toast as well. I'd rather be judged to all hell and back than have to live through the hell that is trying to get accessible transport in the USA and Canada. It truly says something when I can confidently say the 2020 lockdowns measurably improved my quality of life in every single way.
Come to Alberta, I was on crutches for a while and I couldn't even get 50m from my house without being run over by an 8 foot tall pickup truck. I can withstand disapproving glares forever, but not being able to get food, go to a doctor, get a job, or even access the (extremely ineffectual) public transit network (if public transit even existed at all for the area I was going to) and generally being confined to the space behind a driveway I'd take the casual racism over literally starving to death.
It's really fuked up it's like oh sorry that my inability to walk is an inconvenience to you I don't know how someone could be so unempathetic and selfish
The modern architecture is an issue for me as well! I'm big on older styled homes and buildings because of the work and artistry that went into it. Now days the newer buildings are so boring and all the people building them care about is how fast it goes up and that its taller than the last one. Stupid.
My grandmas friend got a Japanese bidet toilet for the cost of a car down payment. Gotta admit I tried it once for the expirence and fell in love with it and went out of my way to use it every chance I could. I swear it’s the best invention of all time
Exactly! Hating on bidets is what separates humans from animals.. Only a uncivilized monster would defend a poop-smeared cyclops over the sanctity of a fresh peanutbutter-free knuckle...
as someone who have lived there while in the military I can concur with the hostess club opinion. I had a military buddy that is always going to them saying he will get lucky but after 4 month of losing all his money it finally hit him like an Isekai delivery truck.
@Former Government Human #4937 A soapie is a one and done experience. hell with the clubs and bars at all, hit up the shops. That's where shit is awesome.
Those rural Pachinko parlours sound a lot like "RSL or Community Clubs" here in Australia.... you drive around the country and through these struggling country towns and the building that is the most modern and looks the nicest is the local "RSL/Community Club" ... mainly because of the pokies (gambling machines) .... though they do serve some nice food/beer in those places as well.
@Solarguy yep same goes for NZ and Canada and the UK and most commonwealth countries. Australia has huge respect for all of our service men and women and our allies.
@Chloethechad I showed my Veterans Affairs ID showing I had been a member of the US Air Force and I was allowed to join the RSL in Karuah, NSW. Two schooners of Tooeys please!
Kinda sounds like how in North Carolina there’s a giant casino at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains surrounded by an incredibly rural and poor Native American Reservation.
Omg the thing about brand new nice (huge) pachinko parlours in Japan's rural areas is so true! Shibukawa had one as well, very bright, huge parking lot (it's inaka you'd have to drive there)...
I'm a Japanese in Tokyo but cannot agree more with your list. Most of what you pointed is the flip side of what you think would be better for the people in Japan. Yet for MOS, have you tried spicy mos cheeseburger? It's not too bad. (My true favorite is AS classic burger in Roppongi hills) . Didn't know Malins was so good will give it a try. (Marmaid in Akasaka is good too?). If you live in the area try Ayano's bar in Imoaraizaka and you can meet interesting music and people.
I agree on the hate for 4/12 of your list, will probably try once: 4/12, and love: 4/12. I’m with Connor on the bidets, I’m Filipino, so it’s a given I love Karaoke, I enjoy most of the skewed/weird humour in some of the variety shows, and I still can’t forget the fluffy, creamy strawberry sandwich I had in a subway shop near Tokyo station. Also, loved this video Chris!
Seeing this video made me realise how much I missed the ‘sit down in a room’ format, not that actual ambitious videos aren’t as good, but there’s something nice and cozy about just listening to Chris rant about random things (and ofc as per every Chris video the production is still insanely well done lol)
@Cassa Love I know those. this was just a literal observation of this video. in other videos he more often is sitting at the barstool. for the tatami like room he could use the other part of the studio the office part. that already has most there.
@sirBrouwer I think he's referring to Chris' old videos, where he sits in his apartment and it just feels like he's chatting with friends. Perhaps Chris can put a tatami room set in this studio?
Great video Chris, I agree with most of these points. probably 9/12. By the way did you know Japan is only country with 4 distinct seasons? hahaha I HATE it when people say that, it's so not true, they do realize we have actually lived in another country before right?
Ha! The water spraying toilets are great. Half of my family in Europe now has them! I've only been dragged into a hostess club twice -- and both times I felt I'm wasting my money. But back then I felt I'm wasting my money if I paid 20 Yen more for the direct train to my destination versus changing trains to save the 20 Yen...
Gorgeous episode! I am exchange student in Japan for, completed three months now. The funniest thing in Japan are elderly people's karaoke rooms where the karaoke hostess (Mama) asks everyone to sing in front of 12 people. My host family's friend brought me once into there. It was funny, but a bit embarassing, as I can't sing that well
I completely sympathize with all of this. Gambling has ruined so many lives. I've watched it change over the years going from straight forward machines to machines that I simply can't figure out. If you're epileptic or have trouble in sensory overloaded places, it's just Hell. People have some weird idea that Vegas is exciting. Yeah, if you have plenty of money and only a few days to do things it probably is. I'm here all the time. Every casino is practically the same. Only the theme, cost and quality differ. We do demolish a lot of historical sites and then replace it with a modernized building. We also like having our buildings look alike. This is the least helpful way to point out a place. "It's the beige building." Who needs Google Maps when you can get such fine directions as that? Small talk thankfully isn't a social necessity. If a person came up to me and started chatting they tend to want something. Chris, I'm cynical enough for both of us. If you're happy that's great. You look like you're in better health than you were in your early videos. Keep it up and the next JAJ video will have slightly less despair.
Grew up there, and even went to their public school, so I had to roll my eyes whenever people say "wow your japanese is really good!" Tanks, I've heard that hundreds of times, quite literally lol
CREEPY NUTS has to be one of my favorite Japanese Hip Hop bands for sounding so different with their music and composing a song for hypnosis mic. I reccomend their album INDIES COMPLETE
@@elephantsforever just give it a listen. It takes anyone with an internet connection minutes to access almost anything. Burn those minutes today on some japanese music. why not?
I assumed the band was chosen because of their name only and were likely obscure. I checked it out based on your recommendation and i was actually pretty impressed. They have a very unique sound.
@Insiainutorr T Fair point but I think you have misunderstood what everyone was saying, also "evil" is a very harsh word, but I understand that English isn't your first language.
@Daenack Dranils Dont know anything about you or your life but if an issue persist check the one thats always there in those situations.. you... Also there is zero chance youve met even 0.1% of japanese... might have been unlucky...
three reasons why japanese doesn't make good friends: first, they makes zero efforts to speak other languages and anyway when we try to speak japanese they laugh at our accents and they don't forgive bad pronounciations secondly, they refuse to show their feelings no matter how polite, kind and respectful we are. just because they refuse to put us in their friendship circle (in fact it's only when they get drunk, it's pathetic) and thirdly, they love to criticize the others in their back. they judge them without knowing them, they don't give us any chance. they don't tell our mistakes, how can we improve ourselves. i like japan, for what it has naturally, but i do not get why its locals are so well seen in the world.
Definitely true about the small talk. When I go to more rural restaurants and say, “gochisousama deshita,” they always proudly clap like I did something so amazing. When I order anything using nihongo aside from saying kore with a point, they always light up and seem highly surprised or act confused as if there was no way the monkey could speak.
For me while i really like japan I struggle to adapt to the working culture here and will probably return to my home country for that reason. I really love japan tho so I will make sure to come for vacation once a year if possible.
Have studied and worked in Tokyo and have family in the countryside now. I could only check 2/12 on this list, and that is Pachinko and Mario Kart. Haven't wasted my money on hostess clubs, so can't check it. Thanks to Dogen, I can only laugh when getting 日本語上手ed.
@Nebula One wonder bread isn’t even sweet, I don’t eat much sugar at all and it just tastes like bread. Even then tho the US is required to disclose ALL ingredients in what they sell, that includes the sugar required to bloom yeast.
Europeans don't know how to not buy Wonderbread. How do you go to a grocery store, buy the most processed crap bread you can find, and complain about the bread tasting bad? There is good bread in America. We personally don't eat crap bread because I guess we know how to look for good bread. There is literally ZERO sweetness in the bread we eat because we go LOOK for good bread. I mean, in a grocery store you have a billion bread options and a bakery. There's no excuse. We have every type of bread here, and if you don't like your bread, get some you like. Seriously, not hard.
@Vojta Ruzicka I need to go to Europe and try some bread then. I don't really see the bread here as sweet, but maybe you Europeans got something special. Where everything between the bread pronounced in taste and not reduced by the taste of bread Lol
Honestly as someone living in a not so great city in the UK honestly having glass boxes everywhere is far better than old, uncared for and out of date buildings everywhere. Yet to this day my biggest issue won't be gambling or weird photos but the obviously fake video of a p sound spreading COVID 😭
I think the issue with glass boxes is more that they lack unique style. London has some legitimately good "glass towers" for example the Gherkin. Obviously they're better than gross old Brutalist concrete tower blocks you see everywhere in the UK but replacing iconic buildings (capsule tower) with boring copy paste buildings is not only just bad architecture but it legitimately harms tourist industry because you're reducing the unique identity of a place.
I never have had such a "wtf is that?? I have to try it!" moment than I had seeing fruit sandwiches. Like, what a delicious abomination. It's like the next step up from a Twinkie.
As a Caucasian who moved to Hawaii 20 years ago, I can relate to the feeling like an outsider part. What you call micro-aggressions, I call covert racism. I’m leaving Hawaii because I’m tired of this attitude towards outsiders and white people that permeates every aspect of society here.
I came back from my vacation in Japan a week ago and I LOVED it, but one thing I will always hate is the amount of plastic waste that is generated. So many tiny snacks, cutlery, and products are layered in needless plastic and most of it ends up in the garbage. Although I love myself some Japanese snacks, I can't help but wince every time I open a bag to find a bag within a bag containing a single piece of candy.
Many plastic-wrapped products in Japan can be recycled. For example, if you buy bento from convenience store, after finish eating, you can peel the plastic layer on the upper side of the bento, and throw it out, but the rest of the bento box can be recycle. In this way, we do not need to wash the box, and recycle, just need to peel the protective plastic and 99% of the product can be recycled. In Japan, yes they use so much plastic, but their recycle rate is also one of the highest in the world. So it's fine.
I think this is partly due to cleanliness/presentability culture in Japan - if a thing is not perfect then it must be faulty! So the packaging is all about protecting the product and keeping it perfect...
A lot of people seem to forget that "recycling" is just one of a three step process: reduce, reuse, recycle. Use less plastic items in general. Use a single object as much as you can (a box, a bottle, a bag, etc). Then when its at the end of its life or no longer needed, recycle it (if possible). Even if you assume that plastic recycling is highly efficient (its not), and that most plastic is recycled (its not, even if its put in the recycling bin), and that no items are lost during the recycling process, you are still generating more waste just to recycle those plastic objects. If only in the form of fuel and the electricity to run the processing plants. Much better to just use less, if possible. That being said, pandemics do rather complicate matters. I live in an area with a ban on single-use plastic bags for groceries, but during the pandemic they didn't want workers handling people's reusable bags so they had to put a hold on that for a bit or else have the customers bag things themselves. (which, honestly isn't a tall order, but its an example of how single use plastics are very useful in times rife with infectious disease. All the more reason to reduce our usage when we can because all resources are finite and we want to minimize waste as much as we can.)
Never been to Japan but there is this store that specializes in foods from Asia-Pacific that I go to once in a while. I noticed the same thing, whatever Japanese candy or snack you buy, you have to fight through layers of packaging to get to whatever you are going to eat in the end. I am sure the Japanese get surprised by the absence of packaging when traveling :-)
No.3: When I was in japan for a brief hour or so, I didnt wanted to use the Bidet because I was afraid to make a funny sound and some old japanese man would probably here it. So as an American I just used the entire supply of Japanese toilet paper
Video Challenge: What would you do to make the most of a 2 week visit to Japan if you were a clueless, English only speaking tourist (one of a trio) on a tight budget for 2 weeks? LOL Oh, and one of you is a below the knee amputee with allergies to peanuts 🤪
The chopsticks thing is definitely a holdover from a bygone era. I think the vast majority of western people can use chopsticks now but back in the 1970s and '80s, that certainly wasn't the case.
Haha I actually had the discussion about MOS Burger yesterday. One of my friends was talking about how delicious it is and I had about the same sentiment as you. I usually will avoid MOS Burger even when free 😂😂😂.
I haven't watched Chris in a while, his healthy transformation is almost as remarkable as David Mitchell's transition from a man who had completely given up on himself to a happily married father.
The glass buildings are a universal issue. It’s happening here in Australia too, absolutely depressing; making the world into this homogeneous cultureless thing it’s becoming
You missed one of my pet peeves: "Don't walk up or down the escalator. It's very dangerous!" It creeped up in JR stations sometime between 2000 and 2005 I believe.
@Dom O You may not have heard the Japanese non-stop announcement playing at the same time telling people not to walk up or down the escalator, while signs indicating to stand left and walk right (or opposite in the Kansai region) are disappearing. Luckily, most Japanese don't follow the "recommendation".
Creepy Nuts is honestly such a great duo, their music checks every vibe. Some songs fit perfectly for a summer day and some fit perfectly for a cold fall/winter night
You should do a show on micro aggressions focused on foreigners, or foreign-looking Japanese, done in a non-blaming fashion for a Japanese audience. This is something every society needs to work on. Do it with some of your Japanese friends, so you can exemplify case examples with someone who helps demonstrate the problem, followed by an explanation, followed by an example of how to communicate better.
I’m not sure which apps would be best, keep searching as you are doing well. I would update your post in this way: What Japanese learning apps do you recommend? The ones I’ve tried so far were 100 times too easy. For example, in the second sentence you would use ‘were’ instead of ‘was’ as you were speaking of multiple apps. ‘Was’ would be correct if you had only tried a single ap so far. Apps were…. Ap was…. Also English has both the word ‘to’ which you would use for destinations, if you said you were going ‘to the park’ or ‘to work’ or ‘to the restaurant’, but English also has the word too, which you would use when talking about quantities, such as too much ramen, too little sushi, but also too easy (quantity of difficulty). I hope this has helped some, and that my explanations made sense.
HOW ABOUT graduating to produce a feature length movie? You have a good ensemble cast; Natsuki, Rissoto, and Joey. You just need a good script. I suggest a UFO oriented story in which Natsuki experiences an Alien Abduction. He gets on the Shinkansen bullet train, and arrives on time - but 24 hour later! He doesn't realize it, but keeps insisting it's Thursday, when it is actually Friday. He is referred to a psychiatrist and under hypnotic regression reveals his abduction experience, shown to us in flashback. Go for it - no copywrite is claimed here - use it. NATSUKI'S JUSTICE DELICIOUS UFO ENCOUNTER.
I’m surprised the go kart thing is allowed it seems to break Japanese customs of propriety and order let alone being a major safety hazard for cars and pedestrians. A real head scratcher.
I've lived in Peru for 13 years and I really empathised with your point about repeated conversations. But I also found it really useful for practicing the language at first. And then I just learned to kind of lean hard into it, really push back. Yes, I speak Spanish just as well as you. Yes, your food is good, but have you been to this spot? No? You're missing out. No, I didn't come here for some chick but if you're free can I have your number? I think every culture tends to do this in its own way. It's up to you to take control and change things up.
@Wom Bat That depends. If your English is accented, you might still get asked. And likewise, if your name is foreign enough sounding. Like for me, who pronounces my first name the Dutch way, I'll often be asked if it is German. But it doesn't happen every day, either, since it isn't like I wind up meeting new people often enough in situations where names are exchanged and that sort of small talk happens. It also tends to be more a case of people genuinely being curious, rather than trying to fill the empty spaces with meaningless conversation. And, well, there are things that bother me far more, like people not pronouncing my name correctly ;)
@Denysse Alferez Not here in the US. We are so culturally and ethnically mixed that you could be speaking any other language and it doesn't even phase us lol. I have so many Cambodians, Laotions, Chinese, Indians, Spanish and Portuguese and Haitain and French that it's just normal and if they speak English, we don't asks questions. It's just normal.
@Bob The Builder I have non-white friends who get "your english is good" on a regular basis even though they were born and raised in the US. it's a good litmus test for the prejudices of your local community.
I think in Peru if you start using slang those type of small talk would stop. Though maybe people would think you are manyado if your spanish is really good.
I've never lived in Japan but I had to conduct business there quite frequently. One thing I was warned about, by a Japanese friend of mine in HK, was Japanese delaying tactics. I would be wined and dined with absolute courtesy, yet any business matter was delayed until the very last moment when your Japanese counterparts knew you had to make a deal but time was not on your side. I'm not knocking it - good business practice - but it pays to be aware.
So I'm watching Spy x Family for the first time, intro was playing, looked down on phone & realised that the intro song was done by a band called Mixed Nuts. Went here immediately & was slightly disappointed that it wasn't the band mentioned in this video. Still, Creepy Nuts is one hell of a name.
6:00 I find it amazing that Chris managed to eat every single chip at Mos burger at 7:04 considering how much he would have struggled to eat them. That is, every. single. last. one of them. Trust me, I know he did (I don't need to see him eating them to know he did)
I agree with you on the Pachinko point, I MUCH prefer Medal Games, while yes they are also a form of gambling, the tokens/medals are for amusement only, allowing them to be far more complex, far more interactive and far, more, fun. One of the best Medal Games I've played is called "Monopoly the Medal 2nd Edition", though good luck finding one.
If these little irritations are your top 12, bro, you're living a blessed life. I'd list: A government that sees the people as its servants, not its charges, and feels no accountability to them whatsoever until there's a media scandal (like any gov, to be fair). Institutional corruption, bullying, discrimination and stupefying incompetence. Individual face-to-face lying and insincerity for the sake of 'wa'. Belligerent oyaji ('uncles') who roughly shoulder-barge young women in the street out of raw spite... I could go on. Still my chosen home, though. Been here 21 years. The good more than makes up for the bad.
We have 4 seasons has to be one of the strangest small talk conversations. How does it even come up. Like the US does too where I'm from. Is this uncommon in most of the world?
*I'm so glad someone else said it. Modern day architecture in Japan (or anywhere for that matter), and worse, tearing down the old buildings to replace them. Half the reason I love Japan is their architecture. I fucking LOVE the dingy, dilapidated buildings, the tiny alleyways, the old retro signage. If that's gone, what on earth is the point? It's just the same as anywhere else in the world. It's literally stripping the culture of Japan in favour of some universal culture. Actually makes me sick.*
We walked, attracted by the crazy noise, into a Pachinko parlour in Kyoto and the security guy at the door told us emphatically that this is not for tourists and literally kicked us out. My hero.
@Alexander Gräf It's 100% xenophobia. A lot of places don't like non-Japanese people because they think it's bad for business. Even if you're born in Japan and speak fluent Japanese, they will still consider you a foreigner if you don't look Japanese.
Flying back to Thailand from Detroit, I love the Tokyo airport stopover! Those wonderful warm spray bidets are fantastic after sitting on the aircraft for so many hours! Only using an unhygienic paper tissue wipe just doesn't do the job!
uhh, there's a reason go-karts in the US are always inside a closed track at the kiddie arcade centers.... who thought go-karts on the streets of Tokyo was a good idea?
18:47 Man this entire rant resonanted with me SO much, this is happening everywhere too. The genre "modernism" and it's subgenre "functionalism" is literally ruining cities all over the world EXACTLY the way you put it, in japan it has completely taken over and it's honestly such a shame :/
The thing is it isn't modernism as that's about trying new things and being experimental, it's something truly bloody awful aka post post modernism, as a Eldrich reaction to post modernism and the bastardised offspring of modernism.
@Crunchy_Pudding That's still not an excuse for just a plain tower. You can make something nice, yet still make it functional since normally most of the weight/stress bearing structure isn't on the outside.
@Robin Reliant It's way more than "instagram urges". These are free-range prisons that these prisoners will have to look at any time they're outside. No wonder Japan has an otaku and birth rate crisis. I'd never go outside if my region looked like this, either.
@Crunchy_Pudding Just saying that the Nakagin Capsule Tower endured these same conditions 50 years and the Harajuku Station 95 years. So I think safety and functionality is not the main reason for dull architecture and city planning.
I met my in-laws in 2019, I've been married with their daughter for three years now, and they know I-ve been visiting Japan regularly since the '00s. They still compliment me on my use of chopsticks.
I did the Maricar thing, it was magical and amazing, and I honestly recommend it for a unique perspective on the city. As for the bad rep: A) seriously, don't fuck up, and pay attention to your driving (oh and get a foreign driver's license before you go) B) as demonstrated by the microaggeession topics, you're always going to be a gaijin, so just lean into it. They're going to treat gaijin the same no matter how many people do Maricar so might as well indulge.
In game design we actually created a pachinko game and learned about how big it is in Japan. Was really fun and by far one of the easier games I've ever had to make. Those fruit sandwiches honestly don't look that bad because they are sort of like fruit cakes. I much prefer fruit and whipped cream over way too sweet icing that has no flavour besides white sugar.
@Cuteopia x The United States Government is worse than that, they are trying to take our guns away. 90% of Americans who never heard the will get sent to prision without warning. Basically Current government is corrupt with Kamala Harris behind the puppet Joe Biden and their cronies love seeing us Innocent Lawful Americans get killed basically. Democrats and the Woke agenda is worse than Nazi, Communist, Fascists', Racist combined. Basically, we Americans are going to have it worse than you of the UK. All I ask is that you pass this message and ask them to not come to the US as a Tourist or Immigrant. Since our stupid government ain't doing anything for our safety, it be best to have foreign help to close our borders as this will easily kill a nation. If the US gets into a second US Civil War, it will also be best to let us Americans fight this war since it be the only way to save the US.
TOUGHER than diamonds and STRONGER than steel - Abroad in Japan is back!
But what do you hate the most in Japan and what did I miss guys?
Sorry for the long absence - I've been trying to get fit. Also been filming a ton of videos that'll be out over the Christmas season. Should be a fun month!
i did the mari kart thing. totally jetlagged. i was luigi, of course. but i didn't watnt to dress up. they made me. i did see that chippy and tried to steer towards it. but i've got too many morels for that. sommeone else got it. driving through shibuya was super fun though. some locals were scowling at me i think. and to myself not out loud i thought, huzzah! they hate me not for my skin color but for driving a go kart in a stupid costume. big win. also purikura is popular for the same reason japanese website look the way they do still even though it's not the mid 90s.
Then leave
You look so much better dude!
There are many more things I hate about living in the US.
TOUGHER than diamonds and STRONGER than steel - The Ekiben are back!
As someone in the US who has lived in cities that can't bother to have a supermarket but will damn sure have a liquor store in close proximity I feel that Pachinko hatred.
@pauljs75 As much as that may be true in some other city, I grew up in Las Vegas where the casinos actually do go back into the cities economy. In fact, that's Vegas's largest source of income (big surprise there lol)
Yeah that's why every American has driver license and cars I do think? Cuz honestly I would be fcked if I was living in the USA outside of a big city, and still some big city like LA or San Antonio don't have a good public transportation.
Never seen that, but then i don't live in those souless cities either. I can't fathom why anyone would actually **want** to live in an overly crowded human-zoo
@Aurelian that's not even remotely true. The US is too large to say that all big cities lack supermarkets. Supermarkets take up tons of real estate and cities are much more expensive to put large area commercial stores in. Plenty of large US cities have super markets despite that.
Small town midwest: two bars, a general store, and a saloon. Population 25, and half the town has the same last name.
Lived in Japan for a decade and re: Microaggressions -- you nailed it. 10 years of the same boring ass questions from everybody, and if you ever try to steer the conversation to something different (in Japanese, mind you, there are no language issues limiting the conversation topics), they often push it back to basically "yeah yeah, back to you being a gaijin tho." Always gaijin first, person second. That's fine working as an ESL teacher where your conversation is paid for, but dealing with that on a personal level wears on the soul after awhile.
@Calbear712 Thats not even remotely similar to this guys experience. I'm from Canada and have been to more than 20 states over the course of my life and rarely ever get questioned about Canada unless I outright tell them I'm Canadian. I think you're mistaking microaggressions for curiosity, or you're living in some small town in Canada that rarely gets Americans visiting or living because in Toronto literally not a single person cares where you're from. I also have many American friends here who say its pretty much the same with slightly better living standards and free healthcare.
A few weeks ago, me and a friend of mine were in a video game lobby with voice chat and wound up with a Canadian player. To me, this is about the most unremarkable thing ever, but my friend for some reason became obsessed with bringing up all the cultural differences between the US and Canada while chatting with this guy. I was cringing inwardly the entire time. Just treat people like people, don't make a huge deal out of where they come from. Lord...
Good. You should go back.
@Calbear712
I think this generalizes to a lot of 'small, insecure countries neighbouring bigger, more important countries'.
It becomes essential to maintaining any sense of independent national identity to obsess over the minor differences between you and your much bigger (better known, more important) neighbour, and convince yourself that those minor differences actually make you the 'better one of the two'.
Kiwis do some of this vis-a-vis Australia, and especially America, (while Australians and Americans generally don't even notice New Zealand much, or care, because they don't need to).
Scots and Irish vs the English (yes, of course there's more to it than this).
Dutch vs Germans. Vietnamese vs Chinese. South Koreans vs everyone.
"Please notice us. Please re-affirm that we do, in fact, exist"
Canadians constantly like/need to assure each other that this or that aspect of Canada may actually qualify as "world class". Americans just take it for granted.
I mean it's the same thing being non-white in the US. Friends/Family have always gotten the "Wait where are you REALLY from?" Or my female cousins would get, "OMG I wish I could look as exotic as you", or my Dad always gets, "You speak English so well!" Every country has their micro aggressions with foreigners.
One for me that never seems to get a mention anywhere, and most people (even many in Japan) don't even believe when you tell them is how absolutely awful the disability access is. I have been to and live in many diverse parts of the world, including developing countries, and Japan was one of the worst. To add insult to injury it was the second worst when it came to people acting like I am dirty because I use a wheelchair and making it very clear they believe I shouldn't be allowed in many places because god forbid a tiny bit of dirt comes in off the wheels (first place on this went to Thailand, but I do want to stress that, as with anywhere, the majority of people were fine. Thailand beat Japan simply because the aggression was far more in my face).
Thats interesting that you say this. I visited Japan in 2019 for three weeks and found the places Ive been to be quite alright with the wheelchair, especially the trains, those were amazing.
I live in Austria now and its not bad at all here and some things are indeed way more accessible but I didnt find Japan to be awful. Can you elaborate which pars stood out to you? I probably haven't encountered them yet
@Astro_Alphard Move to Ontario
@uberlisk America also does this wrong, I was in a wheelchair for a time, and then crutches, from being hit by a lifted pickup, this also meant I couldn't drive. If you can't drive in the USA or Canada you're basically forced into poverty. Nothing, not even food, is accessible. And in the USA forget about affording healthcare when no one will hire you because you can't get to the office. I live in midwest Canada and not only are there no sidewalks, no nearby public transportation, and no nearby places of employment but the lack of accessibility is so bad that I have genuinely considered rage quitting life because the other option was starvation. It's extremely difficult to get any further than the end of the driveway (not the least because of ice) without worrying about being run over so your social life is toast as well.
I'd rather be judged to all hell and back than have to live through the hell that is trying to get accessible transport in the USA and Canada. It truly says something when I can confidently say the 2020 lockdowns measurably improved my quality of life in every single way.
Come to Alberta, I was on crutches for a while and I couldn't even get 50m from my house without being run over by an 8 foot tall pickup truck. I can withstand disapproving glares forever, but not being able to get food, go to a doctor, get a job, or even access the (extremely ineffectual) public transit network (if public transit even existed at all for the area I was going to) and generally being confined to the space behind a driveway I'd take the casual racism over literally starving to death.
It's really fuked up it's like oh sorry that my inability to walk is an inconvenience to you I don't know how someone could be so unempathetic and selfish
The modern architecture is an issue for me as well! I'm big on older styled homes and buildings because of the work and artistry that went into it. Now days the newer buildings are so boring and all the people building them care about is how fast it goes up and that its taller than the last one. Stupid.
My grandmas friend got a Japanese bidet toilet for the cost of a car down payment. Gotta admit I tried it once for the expirence and fell in love with it and went out of my way to use it every chance I could. I swear it’s the best invention of all time
I agree. A toilet that 's simultaneously an entertainment center, what's not to love?
Exactly! Hating on bidets is what separates humans from animals.. Only a uncivilized monster would defend a poop-smeared cyclops over the sanctity of a fresh peanutbutter-free knuckle...
as someone who have lived there while in the military I can concur with the hostess club opinion. I had a military buddy that is always going to them saying he will get lucky but after 4 month of losing all his money it finally hit him like an Isekai delivery truck.
Four months it took him??? Dang, that man had some confidence... probably unwarranted but still!
@Former Government Human #4937 A soapie is a one and done experience. hell with the clubs and bars at all, hit up the shops. That's where shit is awesome.
Should have just gotten a soapie for $100 and guaranteed happy ending. Girls aren’t bad either.
Those rural Pachinko parlours sound a lot like "RSL or Community Clubs" here in Australia.... you drive around the country and through these struggling country towns and the building that is the most modern and looks the nicest is the local "RSL/Community Club" ... mainly because of the pokies (gambling machines) .... though they do serve some nice food/beer in those places as well.
Came here to say this. Pokies are a scourge and Australians piss away more money on gambling than any other country by far. It’s sad to see.
@Solarguy yep same goes for NZ and Canada and the UK and most commonwealth countries. Australia has huge respect for all of our service men and women and our allies.
I am imagining an army of Crocodile Dundees at the slots xD
@Chloethechad I showed my Veterans Affairs ID showing I had been a member of the US Air Force and I was allowed to join the RSL in Karuah, NSW. Two schooners of Tooeys please!
Kinda sounds like how in North Carolina there’s a giant casino at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains surrounded by an incredibly rural and poor Native American Reservation.
Omg the thing about brand new nice (huge) pachinko parlours in Japan's rural areas is so true! Shibukawa had one as well, very bright, huge parking lot (it's inaka you'd have to drive there)...
ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎁🎁🎊🎊.
I'm a Japanese in Tokyo but cannot agree more with your list. Most of what you pointed is the flip side of what you think would be better for the people in Japan. Yet for MOS, have you tried spicy mos cheeseburger? It's not too bad. (My true favorite is AS classic burger in Roppongi hills) . Didn't know Malins was so good will give it a try. (Marmaid in Akasaka is good too?). If you live in the area try Ayano's bar in Imoaraizaka and you can meet interesting music and people.
Mos burger social media manager has entered the chat.
I agree on the hate for 4/12 of your list, will probably try once: 4/12, and love: 4/12. I’m with Connor on the bidets, I’m Filipino, so it’s a given I love Karaoke, I enjoy most of the skewed/weird humour in some of the variety shows, and I still can’t forget the fluffy, creamy strawberry sandwich I had in a subway shop near Tokyo station. Also, loved this video Chris!
Seeing this video made me realise how much I missed the ‘sit down in a room’ format, not that actual ambitious videos aren’t as good, but there’s something nice and cozy about just listening to Chris rant about random things (and ofc as per every Chris video the production is still insanely well done lol)
Damn
Chris is looking great
100% this.
@Cassa Love I know those. this was just a literal observation of this video. in other videos he more often is sitting at the barstool.
for the tatami like room he could use the other part of the studio the office part.
that already has most there.
@sirBrouwer I think he's referring to Chris' old videos, where he sits in his apartment and it just feels like he's chatting with friends.
Perhaps Chris can put a tatami room set in this studio?
siting in a room? but he was clearly at a ramen shop. behind the counter.
Oi you know what I can say, even though he talks about all these seemingly terrible things, he always makes it sound like a comedy! Well done mate!
Great video Chris, I agree with most of these points. probably 9/12. By the way did you know Japan is only country with 4 distinct seasons? hahaha I HATE it when people say that, it's so not true, they do realize we have actually lived in another country before right?
Ha! The water spraying toilets are great. Half of my family in Europe now has them!
I've only been dragged into a hostess club twice -- and both times I felt I'm wasting my money. But back then I felt I'm wasting my money if I paid 20 Yen more for the direct train to my destination versus changing trains to save the 20 Yen...
Gorgeous episode!
I am exchange student in Japan for, completed three months now. The funniest thing in Japan are elderly people's karaoke rooms where the karaoke hostess (Mama) asks everyone to sing in front of 12 people. My host family's friend brought me once into there. It was funny, but a bit embarassing, as I can't sing that well
I loved how Chris changed locations as he went through the list, his videos are so entertaining!
Its like he was walking around and said “oh yeah, add that shit to the list so i can rant real quick”
I completely sympathize with all of this. Gambling has ruined so many lives. I've watched it change over the years going from straight forward machines to machines that I simply can't figure out. If you're epileptic or have trouble in sensory overloaded places, it's just Hell. People have some weird idea that Vegas is exciting. Yeah, if you have plenty of money and only a few days to do things it probably is. I'm here all the time. Every casino is practically the same. Only the theme, cost and quality differ. We do demolish a lot of historical sites and then replace it with a modernized building. We also like having our buildings look alike. This is the least helpful way to point out a place. "It's the beige building." Who needs Google Maps when you can get such fine directions as that? Small talk thankfully isn't a social necessity. If a person came up to me and started chatting they tend to want something.
Chris, I'm cynical enough for both of us. If you're happy that's great. You look like you're in better health than you were in your early videos. Keep it up and the next JAJ video will have slightly less despair.
Grew up there, and even went to their public school, so I had to roll my eyes whenever people say "wow your japanese is really good!" Tanks, I've heard that hundreds of times, quite literally lol
CREEPY NUTS has to be one of my favorite Japanese Hip Hop bands for sounding so different with their music and composing a song for hypnosis mic. I reccomend their album INDIES COMPLETE
@Sojiro Damian I was actually really impressed by the beats they rapped to. The sound is very clean and well done.
@Zach weyrauch it's great isn't it, rap in a different language is always fun to hear
@@elephantsforever just give it a listen. It takes anyone with an internet connection minutes to access almost anything. Burn those minutes today on some japanese music. why not?
I assumed the band was chosen because of their name only and were likely obscure. I checked it out based on your recommendation and i was actually pretty impressed. They have a very unique sound.
I have one problem with Japan, all the mayonnaise. It makes my stomach turn so much 😅
I was in Japan for 4 months in 1995 and almost every conversation was exactly as you describe. Good to know some things haven't changed!
@Insiainutorr T people are allowed to complain about getting treated like an outcast in every single conversation. grow up
@Insiainutorr T why do japanese people assume every non-japanese looking person is the same? quite insane aint it
@Insiainutorr T Fair point but I think you have misunderstood what everyone was saying, also "evil" is a very harsh word, but I understand that English isn't your first language.
@Daenack Dranils
Dont know anything about you or your life but if an issue persist check the one thats always there in those situations.. you...
Also there is zero chance youve met even 0.1% of japanese... might have been unlucky...
three reasons why japanese doesn't make good friends:
first, they makes zero efforts to speak other languages and anyway when we try to speak japanese they laugh at our accents and they don't forgive bad pronounciations
secondly, they refuse to show their feelings no matter how polite, kind and respectful we are. just because they refuse to put us in their friendship circle (in fact it's only when they get drunk, it's pathetic)
and thirdly, they love to criticize the others in their back. they judge them without knowing them, they don't give us any chance. they don't tell our mistakes, how can we improve ourselves.
i like japan, for what it has naturally, but i do not get why its locals are so well seen in the world.
Definitely true about the small talk. When I go to more rural restaurants and say, “gochisousama deshita,” they always proudly clap like I did something so amazing. When I order anything using nihongo aside from saying kore with a point, they always light up and seem highly surprised or act confused as if there was no way the monkey could speak.
Going by comments you have highlighted your treatment. It happens all over the world sadly.
@無理だぞ small brain
@無理だぞ i would appreciate it if you would go outside
@TheRealMonsoon Sorry, i ain't not grass muncher. Please get your booster shot gaijin~
@無理だぞ didnt ask, go outside
Lived in Tokyo almost 5 years now and agree with every point except Karaoke. Karaoke is bomb. Fruit sandwiches are so disappointing.
For me while i really like japan I struggle to adapt to the working culture here and will probably return to my home country for that reason.
I really love japan tho so I will make sure to come for vacation once a year if possible.
You should colab with Martina aka King Kogi. She's a Canadian that lives in Japan and she has a really funny sense of humor.
The number of times Chris complains about Connor makes it clear this can only be love.
Or true hatred.
Are they roommates or something?
Stop this sexual harassment
Only love can hurt like this
ofc he's ironmouse
But... What if the go carts, through sheer happenstance (serendipity, perhaps), take out every single Mos burger location?
I’m surprised the sexism, toxic work culture and peer-pressure after-work culture, as well as sexual harassment didn’t make your list.
I very much enjoyed watching this therapy session. Please make more
Have studied and worked in Tokyo and have family in the countryside now. I could only check 2/12 on this list, and that is Pachinko and Mario Kart. Haven't wasted my money on hostess clubs, so can't check it. Thanks to Dogen, I can only laugh when getting 日本語上手ed.
"Britain invented it, America ate it, and Japan completely fucked it" love this line, made me laugh my head off!
That was my favorite line!!
@Vojta Ruzicka
European what? Europe is NOT a country!
@Nebula One wonder bread isn’t even sweet, I don’t eat much sugar at all and it just tastes like bread. Even then tho the US is required to disclose ALL ingredients in what they sell, that includes the sugar required to bloom yeast.
Europeans don't know how to not buy Wonderbread. How do you go to a grocery store, buy the most processed crap bread you can find, and complain about the bread tasting bad? There is good bread in America. We personally don't eat crap bread because I guess we know how to look for good bread. There is literally ZERO sweetness in the bread we eat because we go LOOK for good bread. I mean, in a grocery store you have a billion bread options and a bakery. There's no excuse. We have every type of bread here, and if you don't like your bread, get some you like. Seriously, not hard.
@Vojta Ruzicka I need to go to Europe and try some bread then. I don't really see the bread here as sweet, but maybe you Europeans got something special. Where everything between the bread pronounced in taste and not reduced by the taste of bread Lol
Absolutely the most entertaining chess boxing matchup so far, and the health motivation is awesome, way to go man!!
Honestly as someone living in a not so great city in the UK honestly having glass boxes everywhere is far better than old, uncared for and out of date buildings everywhere. Yet to this day my biggest issue won't be gambling or weird photos but the obviously fake video of a p sound spreading COVID 😭
I think the issue with glass boxes is more that they lack unique style.
London has some legitimately good "glass towers" for example the Gherkin. Obviously they're better than gross old Brutalist concrete tower blocks you see everywhere in the UK but replacing iconic buildings (capsule tower) with boring copy paste buildings is not only just bad architecture but it legitimately harms tourist industry because you're reducing the unique identity of a place.
I never have had such a "wtf is that?? I have to try it!" moment than I had seeing fruit sandwiches. Like, what a delicious abomination. It's like the next step up from a Twinkie.
I think Emmymade made them on her channel
As a Caucasian who moved to Hawaii 20 years ago, I can relate to the feeling like an outsider part. What you call micro-aggressions, I call covert racism. I’m leaving Hawaii because I’m tired of this attitude towards outsiders and white people that permeates every aspect of society here.
ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎁🎁🎊🎊...
I came back from my vacation in Japan a week ago and I LOVED it, but one thing I will always hate is the amount of plastic waste that is generated. So many tiny snacks, cutlery, and products are layered in needless plastic and most of it ends up in the garbage. Although I love myself some Japanese snacks, I can't help but wince every time I open a bag to find a bag within a bag containing a single piece of candy.
Many plastic-wrapped products in Japan can be recycled. For example, if you buy bento from convenience store, after finish eating, you can peel the plastic layer on the upper side of the bento, and throw it out, but the rest of the bento box can be recycle. In this way, we do not need to wash the box, and recycle, just need to peel the protective plastic and 99% of the product can be recycled. In Japan, yes they use so much plastic, but their recycle rate is also one of the highest in the world. So it's fine.
I think this is partly due to cleanliness/presentability culture in Japan - if a thing is not perfect then it must be faulty! So the packaging is all about protecting the product and keeping it perfect...
A lot of people seem to forget that "recycling" is just one of a three step process: reduce, reuse, recycle. Use less plastic items in general. Use a single object as much as you can (a box, a bottle, a bag, etc). Then when its at the end of its life or no longer needed, recycle it (if possible).
Even if you assume that plastic recycling is highly efficient (its not), and that most plastic is recycled (its not, even if its put in the recycling bin), and that no items are lost during the recycling process, you are still generating more waste just to recycle those plastic objects. If only in the form of fuel and the electricity to run the processing plants. Much better to just use less, if possible.
That being said, pandemics do rather complicate matters. I live in an area with a ban on single-use plastic bags for groceries, but during the pandemic they didn't want workers handling people's reusable bags so they had to put a hold on that for a bit or else have the customers bag things themselves. (which, honestly isn't a tall order, but its an example of how single use plastics are very useful in times rife with infectious disease. All the more reason to reduce our usage when we can because all resources are finite and we want to minimize waste as much as we can.)
the way they bag FRUIT smh
Never been to Japan but there is this store that specializes in foods from Asia-Pacific that I go to once in a while. I noticed the same thing, whatever Japanese candy or snack you buy, you have to fight through layers of packaging to get to whatever you are going to eat in the end. I am sure the Japanese get surprised by the absence of packaging when traveling :-)
No.3:
When I was in japan for a brief hour or so, I didnt wanted to use the Bidet because I was afraid to make a funny sound and some old japanese man would probably here it. So as an American I just used the entire supply of Japanese toilet paper
Video Challenge: What would you do to make the most of a 2 week visit to Japan if you were a clueless, English only speaking tourist (one of a trio) on a tight budget for 2 weeks? LOL Oh, and one of you is a below the knee amputee with allergies to peanuts 🤪
The chopsticks thing is definitely a holdover from a bygone era. I think the vast majority of western people can use chopsticks now but back in the 1970s and '80s, that certainly wasn't the case.
Haha I actually had the discussion about MOS Burger yesterday. One of my friends was talking about how delicious it is and I had about the same sentiment as you. I usually will avoid MOS Burger even when free 😂😂😂.
I haven't watched Chris in a while, his healthy transformation is almost as remarkable as David Mitchell's transition from a man who had completely given up on himself to a happily married father.
@Christopher Lee from eating snacks to becoming the snack, character development babyyy.
@Christopher Lee he's participating in a ChessBoxing Match soo
Realizing that you are the baddy is the first step towards positive change!
Happy he was able to pull himself away from crack cocaine and prostitution
He gotta do if he's gonna dominate at chess and boxing.
The glass buildings are a universal issue. It’s happening here in Australia too, absolutely depressing; making the world into this homogeneous cultureless thing it’s becoming
you know, I always thought those fruit sandwiches were basically just Twinkies but with fruit in them.
I'm not gonna lie, fruit sandwiches look amazing lmao. I am a fan of banana and honey rolls, however.
Hi fan 🌲merry Christmas 🎄
Congratulations 🎉🎉 You have been randomly selected among the winners of todays ((GIVEAWAY)) _🎁 message me on telegram 🤙
You missed one of my pet peeves: "Don't walk up or down the escalator. It's very dangerous!" It creeped up in JR stations sometime between 2000 and 2005 I believe.
@Dom O You may not have heard the Japanese non-stop announcement playing at the same time telling people not to walk up or down the escalator, while signs indicating to stand left and walk right (or opposite in the Kansai region) are disappearing. Luckily, most Japanese don't follow the "recommendation".
weird. when i went there you stay on one side so if others wanted to walk up the escalator they could.
Creepy Nuts is honestly such a great duo, their music checks every vibe. Some songs fit perfectly for a summer day and some fit perfectly for a cold fall/winter night
@mugnuz shienk the whole world has more than 3 season brother. I just said those 3
But japan has more than 3 seasons!
@Laesx Nah the manga is named after the ending song c:
I just listened to a song from Creepy Nuts and holy crap its awesome.
@KYOUSHA More like the anime (and manga) got the name from their already existing song lol which yes, is the opening. They're pretty good honestly.
Whelp... Now I feel like a fucking tool for telling friends about how Japanese people told me my Japanese was really good when I visited
I'm so glad you mentioned mos burger. i heard i HAD to try it when i visited
You should do a show on micro aggressions focused on foreigners, or foreign-looking Japanese, done in a non-blaming fashion for a Japanese audience. This is something every society needs to work on. Do it with some of your Japanese friends, so you can exemplify case examples with someone who helps demonstrate the problem, followed by an explanation, followed by an example of how to communicate better.
Unfortunately most Japanese wouldn't watch such content because they lack the self awareness and critical thinking needed to question such behavior.
Actually, he should do an episode on why and how the Japanese people should be shaming and excluding foreigners even more
Why?
Great idea imo
the production quality of this is wild great vid
The production of this episode is stunning! You just never stop, do you? The Chris that keeps on giving!
@Abroad in Japan such a curious thing
They don't call him Abroad in Japan for nothing❗
@Lars Stougaard FALLING FALLING
Very kind comment, Foot Juice.
There's a reason you can't spell Christmas without Chris!
What Japanese learning apps you recommend? The ones I tried was so far 100 times to easy.
I’m not sure which apps would be best, keep searching as you are doing well. I would update your post in this way: What Japanese learning apps do you recommend? The ones I’ve tried so far were 100 times too easy. For example, in the second sentence you would use ‘were’ instead of ‘was’ as you were speaking of multiple apps. ‘Was’ would be correct if you had only tried a single ap so far. Apps were…. Ap was…. Also English has both the word ‘to’ which you would use for destinations, if you said you were going ‘to the park’ or ‘to work’ or ‘to the restaurant’, but English also has the word too, which you would use when talking about quantities, such as too much ramen, too little sushi, but also too easy (quantity of difficulty). I hope this has helped some, and that my explanations made sense.
In America, we have tea houses where you can go for afternoon or high tea and they often serve the fruit sandwiches there lol
I am a 13 year old who wanted to live in japan for the longest time. And your videos really helpful. Thannk you :)
HOW ABOUT graduating to produce a feature length movie? You have a good ensemble cast; Natsuki, Rissoto, and Joey. You just need a good script. I suggest a UFO oriented story in which Natsuki experiences an Alien Abduction. He gets on the Shinkansen bullet train, and arrives on time - but 24 hour later! He doesn't realize it, but keeps insisting it's Thursday, when it is actually Friday. He is referred to a psychiatrist and under hypnotic regression reveals his abduction experience, shown to us in flashback. Go for it - no copywrite is claimed here - use it. NATSUKI'S JUSTICE DELICIOUS UFO ENCOUNTER.
I’m surprised the go kart thing is allowed it seems to break Japanese customs of propriety and order let alone being a major safety hazard for cars and pedestrians. A real head scratcher.
my guy, after 29 years of not having a bidet in america getting one was fucking life changing.
As an introvert, the hostess clubs sound appalling. 😟
Friggen love the toilets. Had the longest shits on my life in japan for the joy of it. I also loved the gokarting in tokyo!!
Agree on all else
I've lived in Peru for 13 years and I really empathised with your point about repeated conversations. But I also found it really useful for practicing the language at first. And then I just learned to kind of lean hard into it, really push back. Yes, I speak Spanish just as well as you. Yes, your food is good, but have you been to this spot? No? You're missing out. No, I didn't come here for some chick but if you're free can I have your number?
I think every culture tends to do this in its own way. It's up to you to take control and change things up.
@Wom Bat That depends. If your English is accented, you might still get asked. And likewise, if your name is foreign enough sounding. Like for me, who pronounces my first name the Dutch way, I'll often be asked if it is German. But it doesn't happen every day, either, since it isn't like I wind up meeting new people often enough in situations where names are exchanged and that sort of small talk happens.
It also tends to be more a case of people genuinely being curious, rather than trying to fill the empty spaces with meaningless conversation. And, well, there are things that bother me far more, like people not pronouncing my name correctly ;)
@Denysse Alferez Not here in the US. We are so culturally and ethnically mixed that you could be speaking any other language and it doesn't even phase us lol. I have so many Cambodians, Laotions, Chinese, Indians, Spanish and Portuguese and Haitain and French that it's just normal and if they speak English, we don't asks questions. It's just normal.
@Bob The Builder I have non-white friends who get "your english is good" on a regular basis even though they were born and raised in the US. it's a good litmus test for the prejudices of your local community.
I think in Peru if you start using slang those type of small talk would stop. Though maybe people would think you are manyado if your spanish is really good.
@Bob The Builder it's a lot harder to tell who's a foreigner and who isn't in the states.
Can you make a video just scrolling through Japan’s Amazon website and/or whatever store you get your hats from.
I've never been to Japan, but I live and die by my Bidet, it changed my life for the better. HAHA
ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎁🎁🎊🎊...
this made me laugh so much. Thank you!
If these are the worst things about japan, its must be really good in Japan. Those are som pretty tame things on that list :)
I've never lived in Japan but I had to conduct business there quite frequently. One thing I was warned about, by a Japanese friend of mine in HK, was Japanese delaying tactics. I would be wined and dined with absolute courtesy, yet any business matter was delayed until the very last moment when your Japanese counterparts knew you had to make a deal but time was not on your side. I'm not knocking it - good business practice - but it pays to be aware.
So I'm watching Spy x Family for the first time, intro was playing, looked down on phone & realised that the intro song was done by a band called Mixed Nuts. Went here immediately & was slightly disappointed that it wasn't the band mentioned in this video. Still, Creepy Nuts is one hell of a name.
6:00 I find it amazing that Chris managed to eat every single chip at Mos burger at 7:04 considering how much he would have struggled to eat them.
That is, every. single. last. one of them. Trust me, I know he did (I don't need to see him eating them to know he did)
ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎁🎁🎊🎊...
I agree with you on the Pachinko point, I MUCH prefer Medal Games, while yes they are also a form of gambling, the tokens/medals are for amusement only, allowing them to be far more complex, far more interactive and far, more, fun. One of the best Medal Games I've played is called "Monopoly the Medal 2nd Edition", though good luck finding one.
What kind of monster hates Japanese bidet wands?! They are the only thing that got me through the summer!
Chris! You are looking GREAT my dude! It is amazing to see your health journey and you can definitely see it is paying off!
Most affable
If these little irritations are your top 12, bro, you're living a blessed life.
I'd list:
A government that sees the people as its servants, not its charges, and feels no accountability to them whatsoever until there's a media scandal (like any gov, to be fair).
Institutional corruption, bullying, discrimination and stupefying incompetence.
Individual face-to-face lying and insincerity for the sake of 'wa'.
Belligerent oyaji ('uncles') who roughly shoulder-barge young women in the street out of raw spite...
I could go on.
Still my chosen home, though. Been here 21 years. The good more than makes up for the bad.
We have 4 seasons has to be one of the strangest small talk conversations. How does it even come up. Like the US does too where I'm from. Is this uncommon in most of the world?
Shocking?! I in fact love fruit sandwich :)
*I'm so glad someone else said it. Modern day architecture in Japan (or anywhere for that matter), and worse, tearing down the old buildings to replace them. Half the reason I love Japan is their architecture. I fucking LOVE the dingy, dilapidated buildings, the tiny alleyways, the old retro signage. If that's gone, what on earth is the point? It's just the same as anywhere else in the world. It's literally stripping the culture of Japan in favour of some universal culture. Actually makes me sick.*
We walked, attracted by the crazy noise, into a Pachinko parlour in Kyoto and the security guy at the door told us emphatically that this is not for tourists and literally kicked us out. My hero.
@Hello po reese
ah yes because racism is so great...
It's always a blessing in disguise when they put up their arms in an x meaning no foreigners... they're doing you a favor
@MusicSheep Probably yes. Or just some combination of all of these reasons.
@Alexander Gräf It's 100% xenophobia. A lot of places don't like non-Japanese people because they think it's bad for business. Even if you're born in Japan and speak fluent Japanese, they will still consider you a foreigner if you don't look Japanese.
Flying back to Thailand from Detroit, I love the Tokyo airport stopover! Those wonderful warm spray bidets are fantastic after sitting on the aircraft for so many hours! Only using an unhygienic paper tissue wipe just doesn't do the job!
uhh, there's a reason go-karts in the US are always inside a closed track at the kiddie arcade centers....
who thought go-karts on the streets of Tokyo was a good idea?
When we reached #3, my wife immediately laughed and said “You’ve proven you’re white.”
I want to try fruit sandwiches lol
18:47 Man this entire rant resonanted with me SO much, this is happening everywhere too. The genre "modernism" and it's subgenre "functionalism" is literally ruining cities all over the world EXACTLY the way you put it, in japan it has completely taken over and it's honestly such a shame :/
Modern architecture can be summed up in two words: cost effectiveness. Sadly, it is the same all over the world
The thing is it isn't modernism as that's about trying new things and being experimental, it's something truly bloody awful aka post post modernism, as a Eldrich reaction to post modernism and the bastardised offspring of modernism.
@Crunchy_Pudding That's still not an excuse for just a plain tower. You can make something nice, yet still make it functional since normally most of the weight/stress bearing structure isn't on the outside.
@Robin Reliant
It's way more than "instagram urges". These are free-range prisons that these prisoners will have to look at any time they're outside. No wonder Japan has an otaku and birth rate crisis. I'd never go outside if my region looked like this, either.
@Crunchy_Pudding Just saying that the Nakagin Capsule Tower endured these same conditions 50 years and the Harajuku Station 95 years. So I think safety and functionality is not the main reason for dull architecture and city planning.
Wow Mr Broad for a non japanese english speaking person that is living in japan, your english is very good
This video was hilarious! I love it! HAHA
I hated the first one especially.
I liked the pachingo part it seems fun lol
I love that Chris dips in and out of an American accent for a punchline the same way Americans do the exact same thing with British accents
@Beep boop That might start a war!😂
Except Americans are usually absolutely awful at British accents, or merge them, or just do an Irish accent...
I wonder if Japanese people do the same but with a Chinese accent 🤔🤣
First time I saw Yakissoba or Straverry Pie Sandwich in a Japanese store in my country, I laughed my ass off
#3 Bidets are freakin awesome. I hope he reads this and gets annoyed
Modern Architecture is a blight in any country.
@Azza Johnson and because there are tuxedo idiots up there in the intellectual elite saying that we SHOULD love that shit
It’s winning because it’s generally the cheapest to construct. Copy paste.
Came across this video. Never been to Japan. Just really want to go sometime.
I met my in-laws in 2019, I've been married with their daughter for three years now, and they know I-ve been visiting Japan regularly since the '00s. They still compliment me on my use of chopsticks.
@CleverGirlAAH Snap: To speak abruptly or sharply. I'm not dropping the third nuke bud. Also, you aren't my bud, pal.
@Kermit Easy, bud...
Honestly I would just snap and tell them that they are acting like a cliche.
lol
What's shocking about pachinko is how nobody seems to know that it's a complete scam.
@Noor Azharul Hisham A lot of Japanese I talked to were super surprised at the idea that it's a scam 😆
They know, it's just that they are still addicted to playing it. Same with casinos in other countries.
I'll never understand how those Go Karts are legal. Also, I love rural Japan and bidets 😅
visited 3 weeks ago and went to the site of nakagin capsule tower. i'm really sad about this. : /
I did the Maricar thing, it was magical and amazing, and I honestly recommend it for a unique perspective on the city. As for the bad rep:
A) seriously, don't fuck up, and pay attention to your driving (oh and get a foreign driver's license before you go)
B) as demonstrated by the microaggeession topics, you're always going to be a gaijin, so just lean into it. They're going to treat gaijin the same no matter how many people do Maricar so might as well indulge.
In game design we actually created a pachinko game and learned about how big it is in Japan. Was really fun and by far one of the easier games I've ever had to make. Those fruit sandwiches honestly don't look that bad because they are sort of like fruit cakes. I much prefer fruit and whipped cream over way too sweet icing that has no flavour besides white sugar.
" When I sit down on the toilet, I don't want it to be a 4D experience" 🤣🤣 THIS GUY!
ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎁🎁🎊🎊....
To be fair
"Your accent is very nice"
Is something I hear from English speakers in discord very often.
fruitsandwich looks like something that was hip in the 70's from now discoloured cookbooks
You're insane Chris MOS burger is great
I'd love to see you making a "12 things I hate about the UK" some day, that'd be hilarious
@versnellingspookie yeah, it's like they never heard of seasoning. Chinese take out in the UK was 🔥 tho.
Only 12?
@Cuteopia x The United States Government is worse than that, they are trying to take our guns away. 90% of Americans who never heard the will get sent to prision without warning. Basically Current government is corrupt with Kamala Harris behind the puppet Joe Biden and their cronies love seeing us Innocent Lawful Americans get killed basically. Democrats and the Woke agenda is worse than Nazi, Communist, Fascists', Racist combined. Basically, we Americans are going to have it worse than you of the UK. All I ask is that you pass this message and ask them to not come to the US as a Tourist or Immigrant. Since our stupid government ain't doing anything for our safety, it be best to have foreign help to close our borders as this will easily kill a nation. If the US gets into a second US Civil War, it will also be best to let us Americans fight this war since it be the only way to save the US.
Thats easy the weather...the weather ...the weather ...9 more times recurring LOL
UK Food should be on there