The problems that people in Japan identify are common to most western countries. People have been brainwashed to accept that companies should have all the profits with low taxes while people receive miserable salaries and prices soar so that companies increase their profits.
Hey Takashi. I want to live in Osaka. I'm passing on my gi bill to get a Japanese education in Osaka. I'm trying to learn how to help Japan because I love your country and want to marry a Yamato woman. Thank you for helping me out
@@justhomashere bro use your GI bill and get a degree in social work (whatever that degree is) I don’t think Japan is going to take kindly to the USA sending their unhoused sidewalk campers to live there. Plus no Japanese girl will marry you till you have a career job my dude. Don’t expect anything other than that as minimal expectation. Nonetheless I do wish you good luck! But remember Japan is a bit more hive minded in terms of social opinions than us so don’t ruin America’s reputation by behaving badly over there.
@@george11419 unfortunately there's not much to learn here. what he's leaving out is the propaganda that's on Japanese news/tv- they are CONSTANTLY being told that the weak yen is the source of all their problems, that they are becoming an economic backwater- pretty much every elder's opinion here is a direct parroting of their 'news' YES prices are going up, but the elders have to understand that it's necessary. Prices haven't moved, in Japan, for a generation- money needs to come out of the hands of their boomers, and companies need to be pressed to raise wages (and they are)
Many professional people in America work from home using the internet instead of always going to the office. Some say they save money on traveling and meals this way and actually have more time to do real work. Many goods come from Asian countries and are cheaper to purchase. Large food sources are produced in modern farms in America and Mexico and Canada. Oil production there is high making gas prices reasonable. Also high technology is used to produce defense products that are sold all over the world. iPhones etc are examples of civilian applications. Japanese products are recognized as being high quality and have a good market in America. I see a few large pharmaceutical Japanese firms making great markets for their superior products in America. Toyota vehicles are popular in America. Learning English is a key method for Japanese people who can profit with this trend and expand selling overseas for profitable returns. The future is young people becoming international aware of this trend for their success. Mr Takashii is doing this with this program being shown worldwide and allowing the people to think on how to share their thoughts.
When the guy mentioned you could get an entire meal - including dessert and side dishes - for just $7, I was blown away. These days, you can hardly get a cup of coffee and dessert for under $10 near copenhagen
they had many years of very low inflation(and sometimes even deflation) since the 90' and yen has depriciated a lot. in 2011 1usd was worth80 yens today it's worth 160.
Same here in Berlin, Dessert and tea/coffe for less than 10€ is not possible. Even a Döner cost nowadays here 7-8€, in my childhood 20 years ago it was 2,50€. Inflation kills wealth
the world is getting sh*t everywhere now, ceo salaries are getting higher, inflation is hitting, people are becoming poorer, population decline and more and more people vote right-wing in countries, which poses a major risk of abolishing democracies. Oh and also just one single whacked-in-the-head politician could cause a nuclear war and the extinction of humanity. It's a sh*t time to live in.
I might get slammed for my comment but I think the main issue is that the distribution of wealth has become more and more uneven throughout the years. The rich get richer while all the hardships of the economy are put on the shoulders of low to mid income people. I'm not even a guy that leans on the left but this is the harsh reality.
It is good to see older folks in the video, who are usually sorely lacking in your videos. Since Japan is a society of elders, including them in all your videos makes sense.
see the key difference? the older ones are happy because they own a house ... the younger generation feels hopeless, stuck in slavery and forever renting
We have them too. Over here in the US we call them Boomers, they are not good people, they do not care about the future of their children or their country because they had their happy life and that's all that matters to them.
I'd say it has more to do with a housing shortage. There are plenty of affordable places to live and buy a home but they are far away from any working areas. Houses near jobs are double or triple the price.
Every single country is going through this level of insane inflation. Some worse than others. But everyone agrees that salaries are to low to survive in most countries these days.
Yeah it's a world wide thing. Between Post COVID economic problems, several active military conflicts involving major internation economies, unchecked illegal immigration and massive inflation it's a perfect storm. It almost feels engineered...
@@Artavasdes127 That might actually be the problem. Because entrepreneurs are looking to Crypto Currency instead of normal investments. Where traditional Investments are tied directly to the work force, Crypto is tied to nothing and provides zero value for society beyond money laundering. So with the excess capitol tied up in completely worthless investments (talking GDP or Work completed) The market has been forced to inflate as people are looking for EASY money.
@@retrofraction I said study bitcoin, not cryptocurrency more broadly. Bitcoin was conceived in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis specifically to serve as a hedge against government money printing and inflationary monetary policy. Additionally, with regard to your money laundering "argument", it is far easier to track Bitcoin transactions on the blockchain than it is to track cash transactions.
Good one, please do more of these videos where we can hear the voices of real local Japanese, not just in Tokyo but other parts of Japan as well. Loved this concept, want more of these content so that foreigners can benefit
Great questions. And a great selection of interviewees who are, as ever, very well informed on society, foriegn affairs, the economy etc. This is not evident is other countries I feel. I thank everyone for their openness and honesty in their answers, and I wish them, and Japan, prosperity in the future. Happy Christmas Takashii and everyone, and greetings from Prague, Czech Republic
I agree with everything you said. That said, I wish he could share how he goes about selecting people. Without it, I can’t reliably use this as a source of research on some of the problems he’s exploring. And I really want to use!
The employees salaries stay the same for years, but no the salaries for the CEO, and rest Executives. And obviously the ones the get the most is the shareholders and owner of the companies. Maybe the keep they salaries the same (C-Os and others Executives, Directors, etc.) but they earned much depending how well is the company for the "good management" and like I said, if they are shareholders. The work class is all poor, the rest is who we can consider, the rich people.
rothschilds that control the entire worlds money supply have power to make and break ecomys...... right now they are breaking them all world wide to usher a even worse system.
You need a tip option for your appreciative foreign (I am in San Francisco California) viewers Takashii. Really liked this one. The range of ages and experience is very helpful for our understanding. Was impressed with the thoughtfulness here. Improving and excellent interviewing skills!
TAKASHii, you apparently do a very good job putting folks you interview at ease. Is it common for Japanese to share such personal details with a new interviewer? I visited Japan for the first time about a year ago and really love the country! Arigato Gozaimasu!
I had same exact experience when arriving in Vietnam for business (even in this year), and then same exact experience from Vietnam to Haneda seeing bright lights, but very quiet. It caught my attention when I heard this interview segment. I'm from Northern California, but work for Korean Company, So I travel a lot from SFO, ICN, HAN, HND back to SFO. Love your channel, keep up the great work TAKASHii...!!
Seeing bright lights before or after landing? Quiet in the airport or in the Tokyo city? I don't find Tokyo is particularly quiet. But I like the Japanese culture of not talking loudly in the public.
I was in Fukuoka in October and will visit Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto in April. I try to be mindful of a different country’s customs and manners before arriving so as to be respectful. Happy New Year to all! 🎉 🇯🇵 ❤
Thanks for this interessting insight. Also you are a great interviewer - let people speak , listen to them and follow up with just fitting and interessting questions. Enjoyed this video!
Japanese for years thought because the country's GDP was #2 they were rich when in fact, they were stagnant. Everyone else got rich and now Japan is in a dire situation of foreign asset ownership, low wages, massive government debt and terminal population decline.
I taught English in Japan from 2000-2001. Even back then people were struggling. My biggest complaint is that foreign teachers weren't treated very well. I don't know if it has changed much?
7:14 In Norway, there is no age limit for public education being free; it is free for life. You can pursue as many degrees as you want. However, this might change in the coming years. I have a premonition that you will have to start paying if you study at the same or a lower level than a degree you already hold-for example, pursuing a second bachelor’s degree after completing one, or obtaining a second master’s degree.
In Ukraine it actually works like you described: first education (bachelor/master degree) is free, but if you want to get the same or lower degree in the diferent field once you have started and abandoned OR completed your first specialization - you pay for education.
@@gumed85 We have one of the worlds biggest funds supporting us. The return of investment is insane. And a educated population helps the economy. (considering we send shit ton of money out of norway to third world contries, it's in no way expensive for us to do this, lol).
Strange for a guy like me to see that in Japan a men looks like that at the age 86 and in my country ( Romania ) people like him looks like that around 60 !! 😄
Very good work Takashii. Your "man in the street" interviews are actually far better than high gloss, annoying, cutesy "ha ha ha ha/ ho ho ho ho..naru hodo ne.." television fare in this country. (33 year expat living in western Japan perspective.)
One thing for sure that I can tell from all of your interviews and from my several trips to Japan is that more than 90% of Japanese people are well educated. The way they speak, the way they think. And since education is a foundation of everything so as bad as it seems to be, Japan will never collapse. And even it does, Japan will come back like everytime in the past. As a Thai, I envy Japan for that
I've been to Japan twice. The weak yen was not any reason I visited it was the culture food and scenery. Regardless if the yen wasn't weak I'd still visit as many times as I can I'm my lifetime
People aren't visiting because of the weak yen, they are visiting NOW because of the weak yen. Japan has been a popular but expensive tourist destination for decades. Now it is popular and cheap.
@ML-sj3gi your not entirely wrong or right. But I truly don't believe people are going to Japan because of the weak yen. Social media has played a factor for the glamorization of that fact but I believe people truly just want to experience other cultures etc... I was supposed to go to japan jn 2020 but you know what happened. I had to wait 3 years to visit one of my bucket list destinations. And at the time the yen was around 130ish. Still like I said I'd visit that place as long as I'm allowed to in my lifetime
@missplainjane3905 First time around basically the Golden Route and second time around was just exploring random cities and locations nothing really specific. It entirely depends on what you are looking for
@@ML-sj3gi actually, in the 2000s decade, Japan struggled with tourism. You can look up old Japanese government reports and initiatives, where Japanese government was concerned that they weren't getting enough tourists compared to Europe. This was back in the early 2000s. Japan has really taken off enormously as a tourist destination. I think because more Koreans and Chinese visit, but also, Japanese culture is popular with younger generation in United States.
I must comment on the really excellent EDITING in this vid. Alas, I would love to have retired in Japan having lived there some decades ago, but it is just too expensive so I ended up in a different part of the world but still very happy.
This was an wonderful compendium and you asked such pertinent questions. Nothing can better explain the stagflationary mess in Japan. Keep up the wonderful work.
6:30 "Salaries for young people are low. You can't live on a pension alone." These statements could be about America. Her sister must live in a very wealthy area, because much of America has a far worse quality of life than the Japanese with a far below living wage, no health care, terrible schools, gun voilence, etc.
Yes. Most 1st gen eastern Asian immigrants have much higher income than average Americans and live in wealthy communities. It's because of the culture and US immigration policies.
Quality of life was a surprising phrase to use, wonder what the exact words were. Quality of life is typically calculated as much higher in Japan, but of course you can earn higher salaries in the US if you’re skilled.
I think America is on its way to becoming an aged society in few decades, thanks to English language getting immigrants to integrated from countries which speak English was never a problem, but MAGA movement seems to now have taken a racist overtones, where not only is it important that you are smart but its is also important that you are white and christiant, all those countries also are declining in population by the way.
I was thinking that too because, when you compare quality of life between Japan and the states these days, if you are middle class/working class, Japan is WAY BETTER. It may not be perfect here, but at least my healthcare isn't tied to my job and I'll never have to be afraid of getting randomly shot.
Great interview. Keep it up Takashii. It highlights the critical issue of wages staying stagnant for decades. Yes, every time I visit Japan, I’m surprised by how cheap everything is, including food, clothes, etc.
I love your videos and lots of great responses here. My family lives in Los Angeles - my wife’s parents live in Tokyo and since Covid they don’t like to travel. We have two young kids so travel here one to two times a year to visit them. They live right in the middle of Tokyo and we love it and would love to live here in the summers and teach our boys Japanese culture. It’s a wonderful country and culture and Japanese people should be super proud. And I look for you when I am out and about and hope to run into you one of these days.
As an American, I knew of Japan’s economic hard times but I don’t have a grim view of Japan or its future. I do not nor do I think most people hold the view that Japan is a poor country. They are just having hard times. I sympathize with the Japanese people. Thanks for the video- Also, people travel to Japan because they love Japan and Japanese people.
Great discussion and I love the mix of people. So informative. Also the advice for foreigners to work remotely in Japan is a great way to see if Japan suits well without burning bridges etc. Thanks!
Excellent interview Takashi-san, I'm Australian with a Japanese wife, she has lived with me here in Australia for 35 years but as we get older, she wants to live back in Japan because the medical system is much better in Japan. I also would love the opportunity to live in Japan as her spouse but concerned if I set up my retired life in Japan, if something happened to my wife and she dies, then I could be forced to go back to Australia. Also, the amount of paperwork and stuff at all levels of Government in Japan is intense so if I survived my wife who has heart condition, I don't think I could survive in Japan on my own as a retired person. I do have Australian friends living in Japan as well but up in rural mountain locations. In 2 years time, I can get an Australian Government pension paid to me in Japan so it's very tempting.
Do it my friend while your wife is in good condition. Hopefully the Japanese medical system will boost her life expectancy for decades. I believe you need to be a resident in Japan at least 5 years, that will also give you time to become fluent. Learning Japanese was not difficult when living there.
@@doncallangher6177 Thanks for your reply Don, yes but I think as a spouse, the time to get permanent can be shorter provided the right paperwork has been completed. She's always raving how good the Japanese hospital and medical system works lol. Yes one of the things I'd want to do in Japan is to go through a Japanese language school so as I can somehow communicate with her family. I've been over there numerous times but no longer than 6 weeks at any one time so just as my Japanese was starting to pick up, I had to head back home to ordinary life. I would not expect to work over there so I'll be a retiree. It's just the fear of packing up my life and property here that makes me a bit hesitant, going somewhere for a holiday or family visit is different to actually living over there.
Talk to a good lawyer (immigration & financial) set up a trust, rent out your Australian properties which you can have relatives locally be boots on the ground, then meet your wife half way. She uprooted for the 35 yrs, so it sounds only fair plus the opportunity to bond w/ her side of the family. Make her happy & if the worst happens, god forbid, you can have the property go to her or you have the propety to go back to. if there is a will, there is a way. All love, man!
Good/bad Healthcare in both places, there is no cure or unique treatment for heart failure in Japan. Sounds like she and maybe you just want to move there. Id work that out, goodluck.
People in Japan are worried about weak yen, but you can still live comfortably in Tokyo with 40man and rent has hardly raised here, but I visited the states last year and it seems like almost everything has doubled. People say in most major city's even 80,000 USD is hard to live off of. So I'm not sure if just comparing a yen vs dollar exchange rate is the best way to judge your economy. It's more about the ratio between an average income vs the needed income to live comfortably.
The metrics to use here are Purchasing Power Parity and Wealth Inequality. US is highly unequal. It's has the highest rate of poverty among advanced countries by far.
It is just plain sarcastic that if I move from Spain to Japan, I would lose money. Plus I would have to pay any medical expenses that I require 'cause their jewish hc system, simply absurd. (Well, actually I can do as the girl says at 18:04 . If I could stay all year it wouldn't be a bad option, xDDDD)
I find it a bit odd when people say living comfortably is ''buying what you want whenever you want'' I'd say comfort when it comes to living in a house/apartment is more about having enough to live and knowing that you will be fine for weeks to come if things go by normally, buy quality not quantity just to stave off boredom, you should be careufl with money even if you don't have to look at the price of items. I live in a very rich country and even here the situation is the same as in japan when it comes to costs and wages, it's a global phenomenon
Buying whatever you want whenever you want doesn't mean indulging in careless shopping sprees. It means not having to worry about your essential needs even if you buy something for no other reason than your own pleasure.
Great video! I love how you surveyed people of different ages and occupations, it gave even more validity when they were sharing same concerns about Japan's future. Very interesting subject, I didn't know so many people are worried about it. Your English is seriously impressive btw. Thank you for including subtitles!
I see a lot of these Japanese decline in videos but Japan still looks like such a nice place to live. Nice people, safe, healthy and clean environment, modern, convenient, efficient, etc.
Because they're clickbait oversimplification. Japan is poorer on paper, but the cost of living in countries like the US is insane. Had I not moved to Japan after graduation, I'd probably still be living with my parents struggling to afford healthcare.
About shibuya sky/tokyo skytree , you can also go up in the metropolitan goverment building which is free, incase you don’t manage to get tickets for the others or can’t/dont want to afford them
I'm currently in Japan on a long vacation of 3 months. I came to see if I would like to live here, before pulling the trigger. I work remotely for a company in Europe, so the time is a bit inconvenient sometimes, but overall I have the whole first half of the day for myself. Prices are also great if you earn in Euros, but it's only cheaper then expensive countries. In general I spend here almost the same I do when I'm in Belgium. I've been to many places before, and I would say Tokyo is my 2nd most favourite place to live. Everything is really convenient. I have Japanese background, so I know a bit of the language, which is a major thing for living in Japan. I'm used to live on bigger apartments, and the size of most houses in Tokyo are extremely small. I decided not to stay long-term here since for me, Kyiv is still the best place to live. In general, I do agree that the vibes here are not comparable with the "booming" places in growing economies, but Japan has so much to offer with safety and quality. Would pick Tokyo any day compared to any other city besides Kyiv. I would also say, living in the country-side can also be extremely enjoyable, compared to Tokyo.
I think that order and safety are much more important than wealth because that is happiness that money can't buy. Thank you for such honest interviews I agree with previous comments that it keeps getting better! It is such a special thing to be able to listen to people from another side of the world as if you are talking to them in real life. This is really a special privilege of the 21st century.
I've lived in Japan since 2009; it has been remarkable to notice elements of the decline. Most notably has been seeing less children more and more. It has also been the closure of family businesses in my neighborhood, again in some cases due to no children to continue the business. Salary stagnation is most notable, I'll be in a wine bar in Yokohama and hear repeatedly how it's troubling to see little rise in pay while the price of items is increasing. What's interesting though is how many don't really know what can be done, or more importantly, who will do it. "Things must change" I hear a lot, but when I ask whom should execute the change I get mostly "the government" but they're not sure they can do anything. I hear a lot of "shoganai" in these conversations, a sort of quiet resignation that things are stuck. I won't claim to have all the answers but I can definitely say the old angry oyaji at the top do not help matters in the slightest. They seem stuck in a delusional reverie that Japan is still number 1 and nothing needs to change. I remember a yochien (pre-K) in Tokyo getting hit with noise complaints from elderly residents because they couldn't stand the noise of happy children at play. These are the same people crashing their cars in the front of a flower shop or Lawson because they confuse the accelerator for the brake; there the death of a woman and child in Ikebukuro with this precise issue. It sounds ungrateful, these are the people who built Japan after the war into what it is... but they also ran it into the ground... and their bitterness seems to be their only refuge. I really hope that the younger generation of leaders entering the Diet and industry can finally shake Japan out of it's topor. Because this is such a wonderful place, I will forever be gaijin, I have no delusions of being Japanese in any sense of the word. I am a guest and this is their country, but I am happy for this to be my home, and I want to see it succeed.
Thank you so much for this kind of topics and videos, it's amazing to know what locals think, even more so when I'm planning to relocate in a few months to Tokyo as a student and to pursue life there. My main concern is the general concern of declining population, where all prices increase, as well as maybe not being accepted on many places due to being a foreigner when searching for a better job, but I guess those things will improve in the upcoming years, at least I like to think that, even if it becomes a problem, since I live in Uruguay right now, I think Japan will be an improvement in all means
Indeed what the elderly man said is true - on my first trip to Japan in the 1990s, it was so expensive for me coming from Singapore .. exchange rate was ¥1000=SGD18, now it's SGD8.71. You can get a good meal in a mall restaurant for ¥1500 whereas in Sg, it's easily double. Thankfully, we have hawker centres in Sg. I've been going Japan every year for the past few years and going again in 2025. Hotels are very expensive though. If the Japanese think they're overrun by tourists, imagine being in sg where the population is 3.5 million but the number of tourists is 12mil.
This is how the Japanese government discusses the population issue: "We should DO something!" "Should we... DO something?" "We should DO something!" "Should we... DO something?" "We should DO something!" "Should we... DO something?" "We should DO something!" "Should we... DO something?" "... we should do something!"
"Everyone, we deeply apologize for not doing something! Please forgive our inadequacy" (Bow for 45 seconds in silence, 60 degree bend) ...Proceed to not do something
The problem is the "something" they would have to commit to is anathema to the Japanese mindset - which is to allow those in skilled labor positions from other countries to gain Japanese citizenship.
Because whatever the government does is pointless. Economics has nothing to do with birth rates no matter what ppl say. No amount of 4 day work weeks, better work-life balance, free childcare, maternity leave, or whatever else shit countries have been doing has even had a minuscule impact on birth rates. No developed country in history has ever improved its birthrate by government action.
Thank you for this great set of interviews. It was very interesting to hear the interviewees' thoughts and opinions. I visited Japan for the first time in 2024 and liked it a lot. I will return!
I'm an economist and former Wall Street analyst. The problem was the culture to not admit failure on bad bank loans. The banking industry had to work out bad loans for over 30 years; it killed growth. It happens in the USA, we write them off (like 2007) and growth returns after a few painful years. Having a hangover of bad loans really is a huge problem for the entire country.
If you Don't mind, Would you please explain, what did you do in 2007 in USA? I am not Economist. But i am interested about topics. And what Japan should do according to you? Sorry for my bad English.
I guess economist is like cardiologist /surgeon , in order to clean the path of blood（funds）. However, the whole strategies of well being a person/country are much more complicated in dimensions and levels.😂❤
Japan and USA are not in the same position of food chain in global trading and economy. USA has much more higher structures position in globe food chain.
Economy is like weather. Higher pressure pushes fund to low pressure area. If we can use equations and super computing power , we can prevent crisis and break the cycle of it. I am waiting the mathematics genius/ financial genius to solve this 👌.
Around the world are experiencing increasing of basic necessities such as rice, fuel, oil, water, food, and housing. The sky rocketing cost of living is undeniably worrying. 😢
I have several conclusions after watching this video. First, I’m from the Eastern European bloc, and when I heard that Japanese people are considering working remotely for the USA while maintaining the Japanese cost of living, I felt that something is seriously amiss. In Eastern Europe, we’ve been doing this for many years, and it’s surprising to see Japan facing such decisions now. It’s really sad to hear that some people won’t even consider starting a family because of their weak salaries. This highlights how serious the economic struggles have become. Another point I’d like to mention is how impressed I am by the lady at 18:30. She is incredibly sharp and well-informed about economics, leadership challenges, and possibly even the geopolitics of her region. On top of that, I have to say she is very beautiful. Congratz.
Great video, thank you… I recently visited Japan, and had an amazing trip, though due to the language barrier it was difficult to connect with anyone other than in a customer service context. It is good to get a sense of what some of the average people are feeling.
Well, as the saying goes: "Grass is Greener the Other Side." Each & Every country has its own strengths and challenges. I believe in Japan and Japanese People 100%. They have inspired me a lot. Their Respect for Public Spaces, Discipline, Hard Work and many more...will sure help them to face current challenges well and come back strongly. Their Old School Bureaucracy, Slow Decision making process, Lack of Creativity & Entrepreneurship in New Age Technologies...need to be addressed. Best Wishes.
Some things really reflect what I see as an Autumn-season traveller, and I'm in my 30's - I mountain trek a lot in Japan, the people that I observe passing by me are often middle-aged adults or old folks, and nary young adults of my age in sight. Although this is not the case if you go to more populated trails like Mt Takao, or Mt Oyama (in Kanagawa). I wonder if they "lack energy" in this case. I myself never got to see what the bustling era of shopping arcades in sub-urban towns feel like, but for the last few years I've visited, seeing entire streets of shophouses just closed and shuttered, really makes me worry about Japan's future and population woes.
My family just came back from a two week vacation in Japan. It was great! Everyone is polite, everywhere is clean and safe. Yes, it’s more affordable due to the exchange rate. I believe Japan economy will continue growing steadily and avoid the bubbles. I like your videos so much which provide me with another channel to learn about Japan. Thank you
I m Chinese and I feel all East Asian countries especially Japan, China , South Korea, are all going towards the same situation : aging population and low birth rates. And Crash of Real Estate market. Now the birth rate of China is even lower than Japan how crazy is that.
Not that crazy for me, because i have learnt that China implimented one child policy for decades. My country Indonesia learnt from China and adopted the 2 child policy in the 80s and our birthrate is around that nowadays, it's stagnant. So, when China has lower birthrate now than Japan, i'm not shocked because of the policy. I am shocked that Korea has lowest birthrate since their economy seems doing well and they don't have repressive measurement for childbirth in the past.
I am also from China. This is normal. The fertility rate will be adjusted according to population changes. This is a cycle. Generally, after rapid population growth, it will be saturated. This is a generation with low fertility rate, and then it will tend to stabilize. Like Europe, the fertility rate has been low for a long time.
@ it tells you low birth rate is not because of “repressive measures”. It’s the result of economical development, the society got richer, the cost of raising a child goes higher. China, Japan Korea have similar culture of strong emphasis on children’s education, therefore there is an ARMS RACE for education nobody wants their kids to be behind in school. If without the “one child policy”, our population would have exploded to 2 billion already. That’s a huge burden to the country and the world. Because natural resources are limited , land, space, water, food, electricity etc etc. but now the low birth rate is dragging down the economic growth.
Those folks absolutely nailed the American view of Japan. Safe, clean, orderly, polite and affordable. I don't know anywhere in the world you can visit to get all of those things. I recently made my 1st trip there and likely go back. They do need to have more kids because, oh my goodness, Japanese babies are unbelievably cute.
You have a very naive and shallow view of Japan.. Its not that great, trust me... There is a reason there are so many problems in Japan. There is a reason mental health and quality of life is so low in Japan... It is really easy for American's or European's to go to Japan and enjoy their nicer things on our stronger dollar and easier way of life.. Foreigners as a whole, rarely last long living in Japan as an integrated Japanese.
@16:00 mark the woman felt uncomfortable with foreigners that aren't respecting their culture and resort to retreating into safe spaces. Seems like Johnny Somali is just one of many.
@ChiyoTachi You cannot expect foreigners to act like Japanese people. Same anywhere else. If that is causing you to retreat to a "safe space" your society has much more pressing issues.
Germany shares a lot of parallels. Both lost in the 2. WW. Both had an economic boom. Both love bureaucracy mixed with old tech(Fax-Maschine or paperwork) Both stagnating (Please correct if anything is wrong)
@@Jimihendrix1834America has been like back in 2007-08. Things got really good in 2017-18 & then the pandemic came & things got worse. Many family owned businesses closed down & never recovered.
I do agree some of the foreigners were incredibly rude in public and I feel very embarrassed to watch while I was in Japan. I , as a foreigner, hopefully have tried my best to follow the rules and culture and not to be rude 😮😅
I think more of the foreigners who come and say everything is so cheap-while wages are stagnant. Reminds me of the Americans I met in Mexico and how they were amazed that the prices were so cheap. But never thought to ask the average wage of a Mexican.
Love your videos Takashii. Your English and poise with the microphone is so much better. I had the pleasure of visiting S.Korea and Japan for a month last year. You make the US look like a developing country. Everything was so clean, safe, excellent transportation, friendly hard working people that respected laws.
Visited the same countries this summer. Didn't realize how relaxed I could be not having to look over my shoulder every second due to crime. I miss the calmness and order of Japan and S Korea because I immediately felt the anger and stress after coming back to the US.
I was stationed in Okinawa from 97-00. I always noticed the civilian people who worked on base drove nicer cars compared to the ones I saw off base. Now I understand why. Our starting pay for them was $12-$15(telecommunications) an hour, back then. Sad to hear that one kid making $8 per hour today and even sader, most all of them talking about just making enough to buy something to eat.
We( as a family ) had a focus on Japan in the 70' s , because of our passion for judo, and my brother's subsequent visits to Japan! There was a blooming industry back then!!, the japanese work ethic !!,,and factories working in shifts, just in time delivery of subcontractors in factories , all things we in Europe looked on with great admiring curiosity, then the collapse of your economy! Which economist called " japanization , low growth, massive government debt,and so on, something that indeed spread to Europe, printing money like toilet paper,? Rich people getting richer and the majority becoming poor! Still, the best and most reliable cars in the world, wouldn't drive anything but a japanese car!
I’m curious, two of the retired working on pensions mentioned housing no longer was an expense as they owned their homes. Does Japan have property tax? My home is paid for as well, but property tax has become a huge expense I will never be free of even in retirement.
The simple version is: yes, but it is generally quite low compared to say the US. There are complicated reasons for this but the short answer is that appraisals are typically at about 50% the real market value, and because houses are depreciating assets in Japan, those values are also not as high as one would think. Usually most of the tax is on the land the house sits on, not the house, as land is what has value in Japan; houses are more or less worthless after just a few years. For someone owning a typical modest Japanese house in Tokyo in an average neighborhood that they have owned long enough to pay off the mortgage - i.e. 35+ years- they might be looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $2000 a year once you add all the various forms of property tax together (and often substantially less - I know people who live in the 23 wards of Tokyo (i.e. Tokyo proper) who pay less than $1000 a year in property taxes). And once you get outside of Tokyo and a small number of other metro areas, property taxes are even lower than that, because again the house itself typically has very limited value, so low land prices = very low property taxes.
Just to give an example, I pay 160,000yen in property taxes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government every year. I've lived in the house in central Tokyo since it was new 15 years ago. The tax hasn't changed at all. The house value when new was about 70million yen with land value accounting for 70%. It's now worth about 110million yen. Land value is 90%. Property tax hasn't changed.
plenty of children in Tokyo, maybe not so many in central area, but if there are kids anywhere in Japan, it's in the bigger cities it's really when you go to the smaller towns and countryside when you realize how few children there are in Japan also, I'd say at least 20-30 percent of kids or babies I've seen in Tokyo are foreigners or half Japanese the future looks bad but I don't think Japanese people are anywhere near going extinct because even if this trend continues there will still be tens of millions of young Japanese people in a few decades Japan doesn't need to import immigrants because Japanese work until very old age unilke most of the developed nations who retire at 65 or younger even I think it's way worse for Japan if they start importing millions of immigrants who will irreversibly change Japan into a non Japanese country my country, Croatia is doing far far worse there is only 3.7 million people in this country, but already it's about 30 percent Bosnian, Serbian, Albanian, Romani(Gypsy), Nepalese, Indian and Filipino among many others In my short life of 29 years I have seen my area change from almost 95 percent local people to people who moved in from other parts of the country to now mass immigration of people from the other side of the world, that's just 29 years... in a few decades even more young people will leave the country and more immigrants will come, it will no longer be Croatia as it was until recently many European countries will unfortunately face the same fate by the end of 21st century
I don't think there is anything bad with controlled and minor migration but with mass migration the loss of culture and extinction of everything a nation is, is really inevitable and that is sad I hate seeing any culture and nation going extinct because that is what makes us beautiful, the diversity of each region and continent what's even worse is that after horrible times of empires and world wars Japan has finally built a country that everyone appreciates and loves and now their population is going down and are thinking about importing millions of people who will change that completely same goes for most of Europe and many other countries bad economy is almost everywhere nowadays, all of the countries complain about worsening standards of living and prices going up the world is going to shit and unfortunately our generation will get to witness it
@@momojinsei most of your migrants are fellow europeans bosnian ukranians polish etc they share similar culture to Croats your country doesn't have the same problem as say Germany, France and especially the UK with mass muslim migration which has brought in groomong gongs zeehadi related issues etc
yeah, people like to overstate things. Narratives like “all Japanese are blah blah blah” or “99% of Japanese are blah blah blah” are pretty much exaggerated.
Japan is a beautiful country... that will never change. Japanese culture and its spirit behind it is one to behold... the Japanese garden, tea ceremony, buildings without nails, etc amazes many... Everything Japanese do is an art... Don't lose that spirit. Japanese strive for perfection... the japanese sword. Toyota and Honda cars are still two of the best cars made... still very popular worldwide... testament to Japanese engineering.. Japan is safe... no matter where you go. Japan does not have street crime and violence like the US... no Why? rubbish on the streets, no grafitti on building walls... testament to the spirit of respect for one another. Homelessness is rare. 2 months ago, on vacation in Japan, many times we sat next to young Chinese couple from China. I would ask them if this was their first time .. most said it was their 3rd or more times. Why? Besides beautiful Japan, wonderful culture, delicious Japanese food, Japanese people are very polite and friendly... and they are very helpful... Many go out of their way to help solve your problem. Japan had some great thinkers and achievers... in the past - Miyamoto Musashi, Akira Kurosawa, Akio Morita, Soichiro Honda, Goro Yoshida, Yasunari Kawabata, Where are their succeesors today? The potential is there... perhaps asleep... awaken it. Remember, if you do well,.. your country does well. Think outside the box... be creative... be original... Ganbare!
Your own comment illustrates the built-in contradiction that creates Japan's entire problem. "Stay the same. Think outside the box". C'mon. That's impossible. If they don't let go of the past they won't have a future. There's a reason women won't marry and have children.
rodney, you mean the urinating in the streets after drinking all night, or the lack of intimacy in marriages, bullying, or the fact that many children don't go visit their parents, or just what is it that you don't understand yet about Japan?
To the old man saying foreigners are coming because prices are incredibly cheap.... you are very wrong. Holidaying in Japan is one of the most expensive regions. Also... we come to Japan to enjoy tranquility and respectful culture. The first thing we think about is not "ahhh prices there are really cheap". If we wanted that.... we would go to Vietnam or Thailand.
@@yuukineeko8699 depends on one's perspective... I'm a Brit living in Hong Kong. When I go to Japan I get a break away from all the loudness and bad manners in Hong Kong... so from MY perspective... its a heaven. Im sure if I LIVED in japan i would start seeing things.... so i choose to keep japan as a regular holiday destination.
Polish wages depending on the profession are the same or higher. This is a bit of a shock because in 1990 in Poland average monthly earnings were $108.
I would hope so after all those tens of billions of EU funds flowing into the country every year over the past two decades. Soon enough you'll become a proper EU member and share the burden of propping up the forever poor shitholes who vote in politicans who embezzle the EU hush money instead of investing them.
The UK should really pay attention. Feels like we've been in the midst of the Lost Decades since 2008. Complete stagnation on many metrics. Living in parts of London is prohibitive for anyone unless they're in finance, and that's with much higher wages than spoken about here... Absolutely no chance to own property for most people there.
Acute observation. In fact statistics bsck this up. All of Europe never recovered from 2008 while the US went into hyperdrive from 2011 or so. Then came the euro-crisis, brexit. Europe def feels like a miniature version of Japan - no to low growth, aging quickly, general sense of being passed by (China, developing world). Def feels like a bleak future. Im glad to live in one of the rich ones. Looking at the UK you guys seem to turn into the 3rd world mate.
@@mysterioanonymous3206 UK is just ahead of Germany and France, so buckle up. Europe is stagnating just like Japan, but it began about 20 years later than Japan.
@@andybliss5965 My thinking exactly. Crazy thing is, Japan has always been, and still is, far better for innovation than Europe currently. All UK/Europe has at the moment is tourism, education and finance. And even education is propped up by foreign students paying exorbitant fees (at least in the UK), who take their expertise elsewhere when they're done anyway.
Thank you for a very informative and useful information about Japan and the people's perspective. I just recently visited Japan and truly appreciate this video. By the way, I enjoyed Takamatsu very much and looking forward to attend World Expo there this year.
I lived in Japan 20 years ago (for a year) and have been visitng every few years since then. I love the country, however nothing has changed for the better with regards to the gerontocracy running the country. The weak yen should spur a focus on exports, put upwards pressure on wages - but I doubt that will happen for cultural and inflexible policy reasons.. Thanks Takashi for your great video and i hope more Japanese are as open-minded and informed as you. (Currently on vacation inTokyo 😅)
Japan cities used to be advanced in Asia Now it’s the other way around as more Asian cities like Shanghai, Singapore , KL , shenzhen , Chengdu , Hanoi, Bangkok , Beijing start to take over
And up coming cities like johor I think Japan has been too stagnant for years and been stuck in its old ways compared to many Asian countries which has moved to ai and technology
This is one of your best work! You are doing a more 'proper' job as a journalist compared to many US reporters. These are great interviews! Keep going!
I'm hoping in the future that the Japanese government will get their act together to make Japan's economy more better soon!! I love Japan & I've learned so much from watching so many great videos from this channel!
Use the code 'TAKASHII' to get an extra 10% discount: www.klook.com/en-US/tetris/promo/japan-must-visit/
To live in Japan for a while I would have to get a job in the United States that allowed me to work from Japan.
The problems that people in Japan identify are common to most western countries. People have been brainwashed to accept that companies should have all the profits with low taxes while people receive miserable salaries and prices soar so that companies increase their profits.
Hey Takashi. I want to live in Osaka. I'm passing on my gi bill to get a Japanese education in Osaka. I'm trying to learn how to help Japan because I love your country and want to marry a Yamato woman. Thank you for helping me out
@@justhomashere bro use your GI bill and get a degree in social work (whatever that degree is) I don’t think Japan is going to take kindly to the USA sending their unhoused sidewalk campers to live there. Plus no Japanese girl will marry you till you have a career job my dude. Don’t expect anything other than that as minimal expectation. Nonetheless I do wish you good luck! But remember Japan is a bit more hive minded in terms of social opinions than us so don’t ruin America’s reputation by behaving badly over there.
please make a video how can foreigners can start/open a business in Japan? like opening a shop or like opening a chicken farm, what should be done?
I really enjoy these more serious conversations. They are important ones to have!
And learn from.
@@george11419 unfortunately there's not much to learn here.
what he's leaving out is the propaganda that's on Japanese news/tv- they are CONSTANTLY being told that the weak yen is the source of all their problems, that they are becoming an economic backwater- pretty much every elder's opinion here is a direct parroting of their 'news'
YES prices are going up, but the elders have to understand that it's necessary. Prices haven't moved, in Japan, for a generation- money needs to come out of the hands of their boomers, and companies need to be pressed to raise wages (and they are)
These are good interviews. Keep exploring these day to day topics.
Many professional people in America work from home using the internet instead of always going to the office. Some say they save money on traveling and meals this way and actually have more time to do real work. Many goods come from Asian countries and are cheaper to purchase. Large food sources are produced in modern farms in America and Mexico and Canada. Oil production there is high making gas prices reasonable. Also high technology is used to produce defense products that are sold all over the world. iPhones etc are examples of civilian applications. Japanese products are recognized as being high quality and have a good market in America. I see a few large pharmaceutical Japanese firms making great markets for their superior products in America. Toyota vehicles are popular in America. Learning English is a key method for Japanese people who can profit with this trend and expand selling overseas for profitable returns. The future is young people becoming international aware of this trend for their success. Mr Takashii is doing this with this program being shown worldwide and allowing the people to think on how to share their thoughts.
@@chuckxu5910 1500 yen/hr only apply to major cities and some nightshift jobs. in rural area, minimum wage is still 1000 yen/hr
Income going down for takashii....he made about 10 million dollars though he should be happy.
When the guy mentioned you could get an entire meal - including dessert and side dishes - for just $7, I was blown away. These days, you can hardly get a cup of coffee and dessert for under $10 near copenhagen
they had many years of very low inflation(and sometimes even deflation) since the 90' and yen has depriciated a lot. in 2011 1usd was worth80 yens today it's worth 160.
I hope you give the government more money so they can fix the problem.
If you can give over 90% of your salary all your problems will be gone.
Same here in Berlin, Dessert and tea/coffe for less than 10€ is not possible. Even a Döner cost nowadays here 7-8€, in my childhood 20 years ago it was 2,50€. Inflation kills wealth
Welcome to Malaysia a cup of coffee in Capital just cost $0.75
Seattle about same
Same problem everywhere. Costs go up wages stay the same.
An oversimplification of the problem but I feel it’s accurate.
Wages in Japan have remained the same for 30 years
the world is getting sh*t everywhere now, ceo salaries are getting higher, inflation is hitting, people are becoming poorer, population decline and more and more people vote right-wing in countries, which poses a major risk of abolishing democracies. Oh and also just one single whacked-in-the-head politician could cause a nuclear war and the extinction of humanity. It's a sh*t time to live in.
@ with raising costs on necessities skyrocketing it’s a bad situation for sure.
I might get slammed for my comment but I think the main issue is that the distribution of wealth has become more and more uneven throughout the years. The rich get richer while all the hardships of the economy are put on the shoulders of low to mid income people. I'm not even a guy that leans on the left but this is the harsh reality.
@@TurntableTV why should you be slammed for this, this is the truth. the rich need to get taxed more and the working class needs welfare.
It is good to see older folks in the video, who are usually sorely lacking in your videos. Since Japan is a society of elders, including them in all your videos makes sense.
He’s lucky to find them. Usually they don’t want to be near cameras.
Sadly, the older ones in this video were less wise than their younger counterparts.
The older ones are pretty backwards and lowkey racist. Very presumptuous. A lot of exactly what the younger generation complains about
@@earlysda Not the 86 year old man! He's full of wisdom and I would love to have a conversation with him.
老害
Great interviews! Your interviewees were very thoughtful with their comments and responses! Please do more episodes like this.
You have a great interview style. People really open up when answering.
see the key difference? the older ones are happy because they own a house ... the younger generation feels hopeless, stuck in slavery and forever renting
We have them too. Over here in the US we call them Boomers, they are not good people, they do not care about the future of their children or their country because they had their happy life and that's all that matters to them.
I'd say it has more to do with a housing shortage. There are plenty of affordable places to live and buy a home but they are far away from any working areas. Houses near jobs are double or triple the price.
Your interviews are getting better and better. Wish I could give a lot of likes. This was so interesting.
Every single country is going through this level of insane inflation. Some worse than others. But everyone agrees that salaries are to low to survive in most countries these days.
Yeah it's a world wide thing. Between Post COVID economic problems, several active military conflicts involving major internation economies, unchecked illegal immigration and massive inflation it's a perfect storm. It almost feels engineered...
Study bitcoin.
@@Artavasdes127 That might actually be the problem. Because entrepreneurs are looking to Crypto Currency instead of normal investments.
Where traditional Investments are tied directly to the work force, Crypto is tied to nothing and provides zero value for society beyond money laundering.
So with the excess capitol tied up in completely worthless investments (talking GDP or Work completed) The market has been forced to inflate as people are looking for EASY money.
@@retrofraction I said study bitcoin, not cryptocurrency more broadly. Bitcoin was conceived in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis specifically to serve as a hedge against government money printing and inflationary monetary policy.
Additionally, with regard to your money laundering "argument", it is far easier to track Bitcoin transactions on the blockchain than it is to track cash transactions.
in Japan wages are the same as in 2005, and are not forcased to increase much in the next 5 years, so its really bad for them
Good one, please do more of these videos where we can hear the voices of real local Japanese, not just in Tokyo but other parts of Japan as well. Loved this concept, want more of these content so that foreigners can benefit
I'm a foreigner who just got my visa approved and these interviews are very insightful! Thank you for sharing.
This channel is one of the best you can find for its diversity, content and consistency thanks for sharing bro 👍
Takashii I have watched all of your videos and this is by far my favorite. I appreciate the diversity in the ages of the interviewees.
Great questions. And a great selection of interviewees who are, as ever, very well informed on society, foriegn affairs, the economy etc. This is not evident is other countries I feel. I thank everyone for their openness and honesty in their answers, and I wish them, and Japan, prosperity in the future. Happy Christmas Takashii and everyone, and greetings from Prague, Czech Republic
I agree with everything you said. That said, I wish he could share how he goes about selecting people. Without it, I can’t reliably use this as a source of research on some of the problems he’s exploring. And I really want to use!
It would be a shame to see immigration destroy this culture as it’s done in so many other countries.
@@joebaz You shouldn't expect that from YT voxpops.
"Prices going up, but salaries still the same" That's the problem - but its a problem that's worldwide with every advanced country.
That's called liberalist governments
The employees salaries stay the same for years, but no the salaries for the CEO, and rest Executives. And obviously the ones the get the most is the shareholders and owner of the companies. Maybe the keep they salaries the same (C-Os and others Executives, Directors, etc.) but they earned much depending how well is the company for the "good management" and like I said, if they are shareholders.
The work class is all poor, the rest is who we can consider, the rich people.
far worse in Japan though
@@Wavetheory85😂😂😂 go visit, India ,Pakistan, Bangladesh and Philippines and then say the same thing.
rothschilds that control the entire worlds money supply have power to make and break ecomys...... right now they are breaking them all world wide to usher a even worse system.
You need a tip option for your appreciative foreign (I am in San Francisco California) viewers Takashii. Really liked this one. The range of ages and experience is very helpful for our understanding. Was impressed with the thoughtfulness here. Improving and excellent interviewing skills!
Found it: labeled “Thanks”. Works.
TAKASHii, you apparently do a very good job putting folks you interview at ease. Is it common for Japanese to share such personal details with a new interviewer? I visited Japan for the first time about a year ago and really love the country! Arigato Gozaimasu!
I had same exact experience when arriving in Vietnam for business (even in this year), and then same exact experience from Vietnam to Haneda seeing bright lights, but very quiet. It caught my attention when I heard this interview segment. I'm from Northern California, but work for Korean Company, So I travel a lot from SFO, ICN, HAN, HND back to SFO. Love your channel, keep up the great work TAKASHii...!!
Not sure what you are saying. That Vietnam is in the same predicament as Japan ?
Seeing bright lights before or after landing? Quiet in the airport or in the Tokyo city? I don't find Tokyo is particularly quiet. But I like the Japanese culture of not talking loudly in the public.
I was in Fukuoka in October and will visit Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto in April. I try to be mindful of a different country’s customs and manners before arriving so as to be respectful. Happy New Year to all! 🎉 🇯🇵 ❤
Thanks for this interessting insight. Also you are a great interviewer - let people speak , listen to them and follow up with just fitting and interessting questions. Enjoyed this video!
Japanese for years thought because the country's GDP was #2 they were rich when in fact, they were stagnant. Everyone else got rich and now Japan is in a dire situation of foreign asset ownership, low wages, massive government debt and terminal population decline.
How else would they own everything and you will own nothing ! Agenda 2030!
I taught English in Japan from 2000-2001. Even back then people were struggling. My biggest complaint is that foreign teachers weren't treated very well. I don't know if it has changed much?
**laughs in neoliberalism**
Who exactly has got rich?
Japanese people were incredibly rich in the 90s only behind americans think about how much richer americans also were compared to nowadays
7:14 In Norway, there is no age limit for public education being free; it is free for life. You can pursue as many degrees as you want. However, this might change in the coming years. I have a premonition that you will have to start paying if you study at the same or a lower level than a degree you already hold-for example, pursuing a second bachelor’s degree after completing one, or obtaining a second master’s degree.
Why thats horrible.
In Ukraine it actually works like you described: first education (bachelor/master degree) is free, but if you want to get the same or lower degree in the diferent field once you have started and abandoned OR completed your first specialization - you pay for education.
Nothing is free
@@gumed85 True but still its sad.
@@gumed85 We have one of the worlds biggest funds supporting us. The return of investment is insane. And a educated population helps the economy. (considering we send shit ton of money out of norway to third world contries, it's in no way expensive for us to do this, lol).
The 86-year old guy at 1:21, wow, I think he looks and seems decades younger. I hope to be like him if I ever get to that age (not likely though).
Was thinking same exact thing, on both accounts.
I thought the woman with 2 kids in her 50s looked 30 - incredible genes and/or a great cosmetic surgeon. 📿🙏📿
no he doesn’t
Strange for a guy like me to see that in Japan a men looks like that at the age 86 and in my country ( Romania ) people like him looks like that around 60 !! 😄
It's all about the eyes. His eyes look his age.
Today is the first day I ever hit the like button during the commercial. You are so professional and likeable that I enjoyed the commercial.
Thanks!
Very good work Takashii. Your "man in the street" interviews are actually far better than high gloss, annoying, cutesy "ha ha ha ha/ ho ho ho ho..naru hodo ne.." television fare in this country. (33 year expat living in western Japan perspective.)
Lovely people, informative & eye-opening video.
Nice work! 👏🏻🙏🏻🙂
One thing for sure that I can tell from all of your interviews and from my several trips to Japan is that more than 90% of Japanese people are well educated. The way they speak, the way they think. And since education is a foundation of everything so as bad as it seems to be, Japan will never collapse. And even it does, Japan will come back like everytime in the past.
As a Thai, I envy Japan for that
I've been to Japan twice. The weak yen was not any reason I visited it was the culture food and scenery. Regardless if the yen wasn't weak I'd still visit as many times as I can I'm my lifetime
People aren't visiting because of the weak yen, they are visiting NOW because of the weak yen.
Japan has been a popular but expensive tourist destination for decades. Now it is popular and cheap.
@ML-sj3gi your not entirely wrong or right. But I truly don't believe people are going to Japan because of the weak yen. Social media has played a factor for the glamorization of that fact but I believe people truly just want to experience other cultures etc... I was supposed to go to japan jn 2020 but you know what happened. I had to wait 3 years to visit one of my bucket list destinations. And at the time the yen was around 130ish. Still like I said I'd visit that place as long as I'm allowed to in my lifetime
@missplainjane3905 First time around basically the Golden Route and second time around was just exploring random cities and locations nothing really specific. It entirely depends on what you are looking for
Don't know about your country but many people in Hong Kong definitely enticed to visit Japan due to the weak Yen.
@@ML-sj3gi actually, in the 2000s decade, Japan struggled with tourism. You can look up old Japanese government reports and initiatives, where Japanese government was concerned that they weren't getting enough tourists compared to Europe. This was back in the early 2000s. Japan has really taken off enormously as a tourist destination. I think because more Koreans and Chinese visit, but also, Japanese culture is popular with younger generation in United States.
I must comment on the really excellent EDITING in this vid. Alas, I would love to have retired in Japan having lived there some decades ago, but it is just too expensive so I ended up in a different part of the world but still very happy.
This was an wonderful compendium and you asked such pertinent questions. Nothing can better explain the stagflationary mess in Japan. Keep up the wonderful work.
6:30 "Salaries for young people are low. You can't live on a pension alone." These statements could be about America. Her sister must live in a very wealthy area, because much of America has a far worse quality of life than the Japanese with a far below living wage, no health care, terrible schools, gun voilence, etc.
Yes. Most 1st gen eastern Asian immigrants have much higher income than average Americans and live in wealthy communities. It's because of the culture and US immigration policies.
i’m thought that was odd also. tokyo and urban areas look much nicer than most of US suburbs, stroads etc
Quality of life was a surprising phrase to use, wonder what the exact words were. Quality of life is typically calculated as much higher in Japan, but of course you can earn higher salaries in the US if you’re skilled.
I think America is on its way to becoming an aged society in few decades, thanks to English language getting immigrants to integrated from countries which speak English was never a problem, but MAGA movement seems to now have taken a racist overtones, where not only is it important that you are smart but its is also important that you are white and christiant, all those countries also are declining in population by the way.
I was thinking that too because, when you compare quality of life between Japan and the states these days, if you are middle class/working class, Japan is WAY BETTER. It may not be perfect here, but at least my healthcare isn't tied to my job and I'll never have to be afraid of getting randomly shot.
Great interview. Keep it up Takashii. It highlights the critical issue of wages staying stagnant for decades. Yes, every time I visit Japan, I’m surprised by how cheap everything is, including food, clothes, etc.
It's cheap for foreigners. Local people are struggling.
I love your videos and lots of great responses here. My family lives in Los Angeles - my wife’s parents live in Tokyo and since Covid they don’t like to travel. We have two young kids so travel here one to two times a year to visit them. They live right in the middle of Tokyo and we love it and would love to live here in the summers and teach our boys Japanese culture. It’s a wonderful country and culture and Japanese people should be super proud. And I look for you when I am out and about and hope to run into you one of these days.
As an American, I knew of Japan’s economic hard times but I don’t have a grim view of Japan or its future. I do not nor do I think most people hold the view that Japan is a poor country. They are just having hard times. I sympathize with the Japanese people. Thanks for the video- Also, people travel to Japan because they love Japan and Japanese people.
Thank you for this very informative video and thanks to all your guests for their spontaneous honesty
Great discussion and I love the mix of people. So informative. Also the advice for foreigners to work remotely in Japan is a great way to see if Japan suits well without burning bridges etc. Thanks!
7:30 Baby in stroller was a paid actor
Acting all cute; you know he's the reason for price inflation
The timing was too perfect. Your comment made me LOL
😅
The dad looks like a foreigner
Excellent interview Takashi-san, I'm Australian with a Japanese wife, she has lived with me here in Australia for 35 years but as we get older, she wants to live back in Japan because the medical system is much better in Japan. I also would love the opportunity to live in Japan as her spouse but concerned if I set up my retired life in Japan, if something happened to my wife and she dies, then I could be forced to go back to Australia. Also, the amount of paperwork and stuff at all levels of Government in Japan is intense so if I survived my wife who has heart condition, I don't think I could survive in Japan on my own as a retired person. I do have Australian friends living in Japan as well but up in rural mountain locations. In 2 years time, I can get an Australian Government pension paid to me in Japan so it's very tempting.
Do it my friend while your wife is in good condition. Hopefully the Japanese medical system will boost her life expectancy for decades. I believe you need to be a resident in Japan at least 5 years, that will also give you time to become fluent. Learning Japanese was not difficult when living there.
@@doncallangher6177 Thanks for your reply Don, yes but I think as a spouse, the time to get permanent can be shorter provided the right paperwork has been completed. She's always raving how good the Japanese hospital and medical system works lol. Yes one of the things I'd want to do in Japan is to go through a Japanese language school so as I can somehow communicate with her family. I've been over there numerous times but no longer than 6 weeks at any one time so just as my Japanese was starting to pick up, I had to head back home to ordinary life. I would not expect to work over there so I'll be a retiree. It's just the fear of packing up my life and property here that makes me a bit hesitant, going somewhere for a holiday or family visit is different to actually living over there.
Talk to a good lawyer (immigration & financial) set up a trust, rent out your Australian properties which you can have relatives locally be boots on the ground, then meet your wife half way.
She uprooted for the 35 yrs, so it sounds only fair plus the opportunity to bond w/ her side of the family. Make her happy & if the worst happens, god forbid, you can have the property go to her or you have the propety to go back to.
if there is a will, there is a way. All love, man!
Good/bad Healthcare in both places, there is no cure or unique treatment for heart failure in Japan. Sounds like she and maybe you just want to move there. Id work that out, goodluck.
Bro the paper work issue was not too bad when I moved here.
People in Japan are worried about weak yen, but you can still live comfortably in Tokyo with 40man and rent has hardly raised here, but I visited the states last year and it seems like almost everything has doubled. People say in most major city's even 80,000 USD is hard to live off of. So I'm not sure if just comparing a yen vs dollar exchange rate is the best way to judge your economy. It's more about the ratio between an average income vs the needed income to live comfortably.
The metrics to use here are Purchasing Power Parity and Wealth Inequality. US is highly unequal. It's has the highest rate of poverty among advanced countries by far.
This!
It is just plain sarcastic that if I move from Spain to Japan, I would lose money. Plus I would have to pay any medical expenses that I require 'cause their jewish hc system, simply absurd.
(Well, actually I can do as the girl says at 18:04 . If I could stay all year it wouldn't be a bad option, xDDDD)
@@mrnatramand that’s all because we have single family zoning
@@vxvickyYO BRO CAREFUL W THE JEWISH SLAM
I find it a bit odd when people say living comfortably is ''buying what you want whenever you want''
I'd say comfort when it comes to living in a house/apartment is more about having enough to live and knowing that you will be fine for weeks to come if things go by normally, buy quality not quantity just to stave off boredom, you should be careufl with money even if you don't have to look at the price of items.
I live in a very rich country and even here the situation is the same as in japan when it comes to costs and wages, it's a global phenomenon
I agree with this
Irrationally exuberance.
Sorry irrational exuberance.
Buying whatever you want whenever you want doesn't mean indulging in careless shopping sprees. It means not having to worry about your essential needs even if you buy something for no other reason than your own pleasure.
@FrankBrennosTheGreatest it was meant in a splurge way.
Great video! I love how you surveyed people of different ages and occupations, it gave even more validity when they were sharing same concerns about Japan's future. Very interesting subject, I didn't know so many people are worried about it. Your English is seriously impressive btw. Thank you for including subtitles!
I see a lot of these Japanese decline in videos but Japan still looks like such a nice place to live. Nice people, safe, healthy and clean environment, modern, convenient, efficient, etc.
There's trade-offs to everything and every place.
Because western people make it
And also some Japanese think like that too
Because richness is not just about money.
Because they're clickbait oversimplification. Japan is poorer on paper, but the cost of living in countries like the US is insane. Had I not moved to Japan after graduation, I'd probably still be living with my parents struggling to afford healthcare.
@@pigbenis274Stop talking about healthcare. If you're young, your insurance is cheap. How much are you actually spending?
About shibuya sky/tokyo skytree , you can also go up in the metropolitan goverment building which is free, incase you don’t manage to get tickets for the others or can’t/dont want to afford them
Thanks for that information🙏🙌
You can get what from the government building?
Very intestine video ! Just discovered you yesterday and looking forward to check your other videos ! Great interviews , thank you
I'm currently in Japan on a long vacation of 3 months. I came to see if I would like to live here, before pulling the trigger. I work remotely for a company in Europe, so the time is a bit inconvenient sometimes, but overall I have the whole first half of the day for myself. Prices are also great if you earn in Euros, but it's only cheaper then expensive countries. In general I spend here almost the same I do when I'm in Belgium.
I've been to many places before, and I would say Tokyo is my 2nd most favourite place to live. Everything is really convenient. I have Japanese background, so I know a bit of the language, which is a major thing for living in Japan. I'm used to live on bigger apartments, and the size of most houses in Tokyo are extremely small. I decided not to stay long-term here since for me, Kyiv is still the best place to live.
In general, I do agree that the vibes here are not comparable with the "booming" places in growing economies, but Japan has so much to offer with safety and quality. Would pick Tokyo any day compared to any other city besides Kyiv. I would also say, living in the country-side can also be extremely enjoyable, compared to Tokyo.
いいな〜 I wish I had euro... lol
28歳で700-900万も稼いでそれで足りないというお姉さんはすごいね。
大分贅沢な暮らししているからそう言ってるのかな
同じ考えです
True. She was showing off. I wonder what her job really is in the media.
She's doing very well for herself.
生活水準は住んでる場所、職業、それまでの生育環境などを含めて千差万別、人によって違うので、自分基準で人をジャッジするのはよくない。嫉妬はみっともないですよ。
@@darsalome えーと、客観的という単語知ってますか？20代の平均年収調べたことありますか？それに基づいてコメントしましたよ^_^
I think that order and safety are much more important than wealth because that is happiness that money can't buy.
Thank you for such honest interviews I agree with previous comments that it keeps getting better! It is such a special thing to be able to listen to people from another side of the world as if you are talking to them in real life. This is really a special privilege of the 21st century.
You have a very good interviewing style. Love your videos.
It’s quite simple
He just asks questions and lets people answer
Other channels try to debate and argue with people
I've lived in Japan since 2009; it has been remarkable to notice elements of the decline. Most notably has been seeing less children more and more. It has also been the closure of family businesses in my neighborhood, again in some cases due to no children to continue the business. Salary stagnation is most notable, I'll be in a wine bar in Yokohama and hear repeatedly how it's troubling to see little rise in pay while the price of items is increasing. What's interesting though is how many don't really know what can be done, or more importantly, who will do it. "Things must change" I hear a lot, but when I ask whom should execute the change I get mostly "the government" but they're not sure they can do anything. I hear a lot of "shoganai" in these conversations, a sort of quiet resignation that things are stuck. I won't claim to have all the answers but I can definitely say the old angry oyaji at the top do not help matters in the slightest. They seem stuck in a delusional reverie that Japan is still number 1 and nothing needs to change. I remember a yochien (pre-K) in Tokyo getting hit with noise complaints from elderly residents because they couldn't stand the noise of happy children at play. These are the same people crashing their cars in the front of a flower shop or Lawson because they confuse the accelerator for the brake; there the death of a woman and child in Ikebukuro with this precise issue. It sounds ungrateful, these are the people who built Japan after the war into what it is... but they also ran it into the ground... and their bitterness seems to be their only refuge. I really hope that the younger generation of leaders entering the Diet and industry can finally shake Japan out of it's topor. Because this is such a wonderful place, I will forever be gaijin, I have no delusions of being Japanese in any sense of the word. I am a guest and this is their country, but I am happy for this to be my home, and I want to see it succeed.
Thank you so much for this kind of topics and videos, it's amazing to know what locals think, even more so when I'm planning to relocate in a few months to Tokyo as a student and to pursue life there.
My main concern is the general concern of declining population, where all prices increase, as well as maybe not being accepted on many places due to being a foreigner when searching for a better job, but I guess those things will improve in the upcoming years, at least I like to think that, even if it becomes a problem, since I live in Uruguay right now, I think Japan will be an improvement in all means
Indeed what the elderly man said is true - on my first trip to Japan in the 1990s, it was so expensive for me coming from Singapore .. exchange rate was ¥1000=SGD18, now it's SGD8.71. You can get a good meal in a mall restaurant for ¥1500 whereas in Sg, it's easily double. Thankfully, we have hawker centres in Sg. I've been going Japan every year for the past few years and going again in 2025. Hotels are very expensive though.
If the Japanese think they're overrun by tourists, imagine being in sg where the population is 3.5 million but the number of tourists is 12mil.
Holy 💩 !!!!!
This is how the Japanese government discusses the population issue:
"We should DO something!"
"Should we... DO something?"
"We should DO something!"
"Should we... DO something?"
"We should DO something!"
"Should we... DO something?"
"We should DO something!"
"Should we... DO something?"
"... we should do something!"
"Everyone, we deeply apologize for not doing something! Please forgive our inadequacy"
(Bow for 45 seconds in silence, 60 degree bend)
...Proceed to not do something
Something Disease
The problem is the "something" they would have to commit to is anathema to the Japanese mindset - which is to allow those in skilled labor positions from other countries to gain Japanese citizenship.
Because whatever the government does is pointless. Economics has nothing to do with birth rates no matter what ppl say. No amount of 4 day work weeks, better work-life balance, free childcare, maternity leave, or whatever else shit countries have been doing has even had a minuscule impact on birth rates. No developed country in history has ever improved its birthrate by government action.
For sure do not do it like Europe and bring people from Africa and Arab countries. If you do so, you must not wonder about "bad manners".
Thank you for this great set of interviews. It was very interesting to hear the interviewees' thoughts and opinions. I visited Japan for the first time in 2024 and liked it a lot. I will return!
I'm an economist and former Wall Street analyst. The problem was the culture to not admit failure on bad bank loans. The banking industry had to work out bad loans for over 30 years; it killed growth. It happens in the USA, we write them off (like 2007) and growth returns after a few painful years. Having a hangover of bad loans really is a huge problem for the entire country.
If you Don't mind, Would you please explain, what did you do in 2007 in USA? I am not Economist. But i am interested about topics. And what Japan should do according to you? Sorry for my bad English.
I guess economist is like cardiologist /surgeon , in order to clean the path of blood（funds）. However, the whole strategies of well being a person/country are much more complicated in dimensions and levels.😂❤
Japan and USA are not in the same position of food chain in global trading and economy. USA has much more higher structures position in globe food chain.
Thus the problem solving strategies for USA and Japan are quiet different. ❤😂
Economy is like weather. Higher pressure pushes fund to low pressure area. If we can use equations and super computing power , we can prevent crisis and break the cycle of it. I am waiting the mathematics genius/ financial genius to solve this 👌.
Around the world are experiencing increasing of basic necessities such as rice, fuel, oil, water, food, and housing. The sky rocketing cost of living is undeniably worrying. 😢
Excellent interview and it was on point ! Good work Takashi-san
I have several conclusions after watching this video. First, I’m from the Eastern European bloc, and when I heard that Japanese people are considering working remotely for the USA while maintaining the Japanese cost of living, I felt that something is seriously amiss. In Eastern Europe, we’ve been doing this for many years, and it’s surprising to see Japan facing such decisions now. It’s really sad to hear that some people won’t even consider starting a family because of their weak salaries. This highlights how serious the economic struggles have become.
Another point I’d like to mention is how impressed I am by the lady at 18:30. She is incredibly sharp and well-informed about economics, leadership challenges, and possibly even the geopolitics of her region. On top of that, I have to say she is very beautiful. Congratz.
Great video, thank you… I recently visited Japan, and had an amazing trip, though due to the language barrier it was difficult to connect with anyone other than in a customer service context. It is good to get a sense of what some of the average people are feeling.
Well, as the saying goes: "Grass is Greener the Other Side." Each & Every country has its own strengths and challenges. I believe in Japan and Japanese People 100%. They have inspired me a lot. Their Respect for Public Spaces, Discipline, Hard Work and many more...will sure help them to face current challenges well and come back strongly. Their Old School Bureaucracy, Slow Decision making process, Lack of Creativity & Entrepreneurship in New Age Technologies...need to be addressed.
Best Wishes.
Some things really reflect what I see as an Autumn-season traveller, and I'm in my 30's - I mountain trek a lot in Japan, the people that I observe passing by me are often middle-aged adults or old folks, and nary young adults of my age in sight. Although this is not the case if you go to more populated trails like Mt Takao, or Mt Oyama (in Kanagawa). I wonder if they "lack energy" in this case.
I myself never got to see what the bustling era of shopping arcades in sub-urban towns feel like, but for the last few years I've visited, seeing entire streets of shophouses just closed and shuttered, really makes me worry about Japan's future and population woes.
My family just came back from a two week vacation in Japan. It was great! Everyone is polite, everywhere is clean and safe. Yes, it’s more affordable due to the exchange rate. I believe Japan economy will continue growing steadily and avoid the bubbles. I like your videos so much which provide me with another channel to learn about Japan. Thank you
I m Chinese and I feel all East Asian countries especially Japan, China , South Korea, are all going towards the same situation : aging population and low birth rates. And Crash of Real Estate market. Now the birth rate of China is even lower than Japan how crazy is that.
Not that crazy for me, because i have learnt that China implimented one child policy for decades. My country Indonesia learnt from China and adopted the 2 child policy in the 80s and our birthrate is around that nowadays, it's stagnant. So, when China has lower birthrate now than Japan, i'm not shocked because of the policy. I am shocked that Korea has lowest birthrate since their economy seems doing well and they don't have repressive measurement for childbirth in the past.
I am also from China. This is normal. The fertility rate will be adjusted according to population changes. This is a cycle. Generally, after rapid population growth, it will be saturated. This is a generation with low fertility rate, and then it will tend to stabilize. Like Europe, the fertility rate has been low for a long time.
@ it tells you low birth rate is not because of “repressive measures”. It’s the result of economical development, the society got richer, the cost of raising a child goes higher. China, Japan Korea have similar culture of strong emphasis on children’s education, therefore there is an ARMS RACE for education nobody wants their kids to be behind in school. If without the “one child policy”, our population would have exploded to 2 billion already. That’s a huge burden to the country and the world. Because natural resources are limited , land, space, water, food, electricity etc etc. but now the low birth rate is dragging down the economic growth.
Those folks absolutely nailed the American view of Japan. Safe, clean, orderly, polite and affordable. I don't know anywhere in the world you can visit to get all of those things. I recently made my 1st trip there and likely go back. They do need to have more kids because, oh my goodness, Japanese babies are unbelievably cute.
You have a very naive and shallow view of Japan.. Its not that great, trust me... There is a reason there are so many problems in Japan. There is a reason mental health and quality of life is so low in Japan... It is really easy for American's or European's to go to Japan and enjoy their nicer things on our stronger dollar and easier way of life.. Foreigners as a whole, rarely last long living in Japan as an integrated Japanese.
@16:00 mark the woman felt uncomfortable with foreigners that aren't respecting their culture and resort to retreating into safe spaces. Seems like Johnny Somali is just one of many.
@@brianmcnichols8092 you have a very shallow and naive view. There is a reason Japan has such poor mental health and is in decline.
Been there twice now, OMG, the kids, every single kid is amazingly cute.
@ChiyoTachi You cannot expect foreigners to act like Japanese people. Same anywhere else. If that is causing you to retreat to a "safe space" your society has much more pressing issues.
Very neat and lovely sounding sample of people. Would love to live in a place surrounded by such folks.
Germany shares a lot of parallels.
Both lost in the 2. WW.
Both had an economic boom.
Both love bureaucracy mixed with old tech(Fax-Maschine or paperwork)
Both stagnating
(Please correct if anything is wrong)
damn they are going thru the same bullshit we are. the everyday struggle is universal.
but the superrich ppl r geting richer and richer
According to Cross and Switchblade author Reverend David Wilkerson it hits Germany and Japan then America.
@@Jimihendrix1834America has been like back in 2007-08. Things got really good in 2017-18 & then the pandemic came & things got worse. Many family owned businesses closed down & never recovered.
I got quite surprised to see how honest and straight forward they were when addressing your questions, nice video
It would be nice if you interview also people from osaka, kyoto, kobe region, Long Live Japan! 🖖
I do agree some of the foreigners were incredibly rude in public and I feel very embarrassed to watch while I was in Japan. I , as a foreigner, hopefully have tried my best to follow the rules and culture and not to be rude 😮😅
I think more of the foreigners who come and say everything is so cheap-while wages are stagnant. Reminds me of the Americans I met in Mexico and how they were amazed that the prices were so cheap. But never thought to ask the average wage of a Mexican.
Multigenerational interview and great topics! 🎉Thank you Takashi-san!
Love your videos Takashii. Your English and poise with the microphone is so much better.
I had the pleasure of visiting S.Korea and Japan for a month last year. You make the US look like a developing country. Everything was so clean, safe, excellent transportation, friendly hard working people that respected laws.
You must live in the ghettos. I live in Northern California, Marin County, Tiburon to be specific. Most Japanese would kill to live in my town.
Visited the same countries this summer. Didn't realize how relaxed I could be not having to look over my shoulder every second due to crime. I miss the calmness and order of Japan and S Korea because I immediately felt the anger and stress after coming back to the US.
I love Japan, I had the pleasure of visiting the country and it is amazing. Japan has a lot to offer.
I was stationed in Okinawa from 97-00. I always noticed the civilian people who worked on base drove nicer cars compared to the ones I saw off base. Now I understand why. Our starting pay for them was $12-$15(telecommunications) an hour, back then. Sad to hear that one kid making $8 per hour today and even sader, most all of them talking about just making enough to buy something to eat.
We( as a family ) had a focus on Japan in the 70' s , because of our passion for judo, and my brother's subsequent visits to Japan!
There was a blooming industry back then!!, the japanese work ethic !!,,and factories working in shifts, just in time delivery of subcontractors in factories , all things we in Europe looked on with great admiring curiosity, then the collapse of your economy! Which economist called " japanization , low growth, massive government debt,and so on, something that indeed spread to Europe, printing money like toilet paper,? Rich people getting richer and the majority becoming poor!
Still, the best and most reliable cars in the world, wouldn't drive anything but a japanese car!
What an INANE "assessment" of " Europe".
移民は問題ではない、問題は何も言わずにアメリカの指示に従うことだ
Interesting to hear how people think abt these issues. Very good video, thank you.
มันเป็นช่วงที่ยากลำบากของประเทศญี่ปุ่น แต่มันจะผ่านพ้นไปในที่สุด คนไทยรักชาวญี่ปุ่นมาก และพร้อมสนับสนุนตลอดไป
I’m curious, two of the retired working on pensions mentioned housing no longer was an expense as they owned their homes. Does Japan have property tax? My home is paid for as well, but property tax has become a huge expense I will never be free of even in retirement.
The simple version is: yes, but it is generally quite low compared to say the US. There are complicated reasons for this but the short answer is that appraisals are typically at about 50% the real market value, and because houses are depreciating assets in Japan, those values are also not as high as one would think. Usually most of the tax is on the land the house sits on, not the house, as land is what has value in Japan; houses are more or less worthless after just a few years.
For someone owning a typical modest Japanese house in Tokyo in an average neighborhood that they have owned long enough to pay off the mortgage - i.e. 35+ years- they might be looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $2000 a year once you add all the various forms of property tax together (and often substantially less - I know people who live in the 23 wards of Tokyo (i.e. Tokyo proper) who pay less than $1000 a year in property taxes).
And once you get outside of Tokyo and a small number of other metro areas, property taxes are even lower than that, because again the house itself typically has very limited value, so low land prices = very low property taxes.
Just to give an example, I pay 160,000yen in property taxes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government every year. I've lived in the house in central Tokyo since it was new 15 years ago. The tax hasn't changed at all. The house value when new was about 70million yen with land value accounting for 70%. It's now worth about 110million yen. Land value is 90%. Property tax hasn't changed.
Nice video and the people you interviewed are very nice I learned a lot
"I never see children in Tokyo" right as somebody is pushing a stroller down the curb behind him. You gotta love the comedic timing of the universe!
plenty of children in Tokyo, maybe not so many in central area, but if there are kids anywhere in Japan, it's in the bigger cities
it's really when you go to the smaller towns and countryside when you realize how few children there are in Japan
also, I'd say at least 20-30 percent of kids or babies I've seen in Tokyo are foreigners or half Japanese
the future looks bad but I don't think Japanese people are anywhere near going extinct because even if this trend continues there will still be tens of millions of young Japanese people in a few decades
Japan doesn't need to import immigrants because Japanese work until very old age unilke most of the developed nations who retire at 65 or younger even
I think it's way worse for Japan if they start importing millions of immigrants who will irreversibly change Japan into a non Japanese country
my country, Croatia is doing far far worse
there is only 3.7 million people in this country, but already it's about 30 percent Bosnian, Serbian, Albanian, Romani(Gypsy), Nepalese, Indian and Filipino among many others
In my short life of 29 years I have seen my area change from almost 95 percent local people to people who moved in from other parts of the country to now mass immigration of people from the other side of the world, that's just 29 years...
in a few decades even more young people will leave the country and more immigrants will come, it will no longer be Croatia as it was until recently
many European countries will unfortunately face the same fate by the end of 21st century
I don't think there is anything bad with controlled and minor migration but with mass migration the loss of culture and extinction of everything a nation is, is really inevitable and that is sad
I hate seeing any culture and nation going extinct because that is what makes us beautiful, the diversity of each region and continent
what's even worse is that after horrible times of empires and world wars Japan has finally built a country that everyone appreciates and loves and now their population is going down and are thinking about importing millions of people who will change that completely
same goes for most of Europe and many other countries
bad economy is almost everywhere nowadays, all of the countries complain about worsening standards of living and prices going up
the world is going to shit and unfortunately our generation will get to witness it
@@momojinsei most of your migrants are fellow europeans bosnian ukranians polish etc they share similar culture to Croats your country doesn't have the same problem as say Germany, France and especially the UK with mass muslim migration which has brought in groomong gongs zeehadi related issues etc
@@momojinsei I had to purposely mispell certain word or censor them but you should be able to understand
yeah, people like to overstate things. Narratives like “all Japanese are blah blah blah” or “99% of Japanese are blah blah blah” are pretty much exaggerated.
Japan is a beautiful country... that will never change. Japanese culture and its spirit behind it is one to behold... the Japanese garden, tea ceremony, buildings without nails, etc amazes many... Everything Japanese do is an art... Don't lose that spirit. Japanese strive for perfection... the japanese sword. Toyota and Honda cars are still two of the best cars made... still very popular worldwide... testament to Japanese engineering..
Japan is safe... no matter where you go. Japan does not have street crime and violence like the US... no Why? rubbish on the streets, no grafitti on building walls... testament to the spirit of respect for one another. Homelessness is rare.
2 months ago, on vacation in Japan, many times we sat next to young Chinese couple from China. I would ask them if this was their first time .. most said it was their 3rd or more times. Why? Besides beautiful Japan, wonderful culture, delicious Japanese food, Japanese people are very polite and friendly... and they are very helpful... Many go out of their way to help solve your problem.
Japan had some great thinkers and achievers... in the past - Miyamoto Musashi, Akira Kurosawa, Akio Morita, Soichiro Honda, Goro Yoshida, Yasunari Kawabata, Where are their succeesors today? The potential is there... perhaps asleep... awaken it. Remember, if you do well,.. your country does well. Think outside the box... be creative... be original... Ganbare!
Your own comment illustrates the built-in contradiction that creates Japan's entire problem. "Stay the same. Think outside the box". C'mon. That's impossible. If they don't let go of the past they won't have a future. There's a reason women won't marry and have children.
I agree.
rodney, you mean the urinating in the streets after drinking all night, or the lack of intimacy in marriages, bullying, or the fact that many children don't go visit their parents, or just what is it that you don't understand yet about Japan?
Hmmm homelessness is not so rare in Japan. It's just hard to see.
@@krissydiggs krissy, there used to be quite a lot of homelessness in Japan, but it is quite rare now.
interesting insights especially from the elderly.Thanks, Takashi. Keep up the good work and also happy new year to you!
This video was so interesting, thank you for that!
Don’t give up hope. Japanese society is a polite and peaceful structural hard working society. Where there is a will, there is a way.
To the old man saying foreigners are coming because prices are incredibly cheap.... you are very wrong. Holidaying in Japan is one of the most expensive regions. Also... we come to Japan to enjoy tranquility and respectful culture. The first thing we think about is not "ahhh prices there are really cheap". If we wanted that.... we would go to Vietnam or Thailand.
Good point. They live in heaven and we just want to spend some time in it.
trust me brother there is no heaven
@@yuukineeko8699 depends on one's perspective... I'm a Brit living in Hong Kong. When I go to Japan I get a break away from all the loudness and bad manners in Hong Kong... so from MY perspective... its a heaven. Im sure if I LIVED in japan i would start seeing things.... so i choose to keep japan as a regular holiday destination.
Yeah im still in japan right now, taking holiday from 28th desember, trust me its not cheap.
this was really good...more of this please. eye opening
Polish wages depending on the profession are the same or higher. This is a bit of a shock because in 1990 in Poland average monthly earnings were $108.
I would hope so after all those tens of billions of EU funds flowing into the country every year over the past two decades. Soon enough you'll become a proper EU member and share the burden of propping up the forever poor shitholes who vote in politicans who embezzle the EU hush money instead of investing them.
The UK should really pay attention. Feels like we've been in the midst of the Lost Decades since 2008. Complete stagnation on many metrics. Living in parts of London is prohibitive for anyone unless they're in finance, and that's with much higher wages than spoken about here... Absolutely no chance to own property for most people there.
Acute observation. In fact statistics bsck this up. All of Europe never recovered from 2008 while the US went into hyperdrive from 2011 or so. Then came the euro-crisis, brexit. Europe def feels like a miniature version of Japan - no to low growth, aging quickly, general sense of being passed by (China, developing world). Def feels like a bleak future.
Im glad to live in one of the rich ones. Looking at the UK you guys seem to turn into the 3rd world mate.
Y’all just accept a lot of Indians 😂
@@mysterioanonymous3206 UK is just ahead of Germany and France, so buckle up. Europe is stagnating just like Japan, but it began about 20 years later than Japan.
@@bebebaba3442 ultimately same reasons as Japan. Complacency, lack of innovation, bureaucracy, over regulation, unwillingness to adapt.
@@andybliss5965 My thinking exactly. Crazy thing is, Japan has always been, and still is, far better for innovation than Europe currently. All UK/Europe has at the moment is tourism, education and finance. And even education is propped up by foreign students paying exorbitant fees (at least in the UK), who take their expertise elsewhere when they're done anyway.
Good interviews. It was interesting to hear their responses.
One of your best interviews.
Best wishes for Japan, hope to get there soon for vacation.
Thank you for a very informative and useful information about Japan and the people's perspective. I just recently visited Japan and truly appreciate this video. By the way, I enjoyed Takamatsu very much and looking forward to attend World Expo there this year.
Ps. The reason I'd love to go to Japan is for the quiet towns, villages and the people ❤
I lived in Japan 20 years ago (for a year) and have been visitng every few years since then. I love the country, however nothing has changed for the better with regards to the gerontocracy running the country. The weak yen should spur a focus on exports, put upwards pressure on wages - but I doubt that will happen for cultural and inflexible policy reasons.. Thanks Takashi for your great video and i hope more Japanese are as open-minded and informed as you. (Currently on vacation inTokyo 😅)
gaijin
Japan cities used to be advanced in Asia
Now it’s the other way around as more Asian cities like Shanghai, Singapore , KL , shenzhen , Chengdu , Hanoi, Bangkok , Beijing start to take over
By 2025-2030 i aspect more Asian cities to overtake.
Like Indonesia jarkarta etc
And up coming cities like johor I think Japan has been too stagnant for years and been stuck in its old ways compared to many Asian countries which has moved to ai and technology
@@LollipopLop
You visited
This is one of your best work! You are doing a more 'proper' job as a journalist compared to many US reporters. These are great interviews! Keep going!
Thanks for the library that you've created 😂❤
I'm hoping in the future that the Japanese government will get their act together to make Japan's economy more better soon!! I love Japan & I've learned so much from watching so many great videos from this channel!