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If I were to come/go to Japan, I would like to study at the university, either in Tokyo, or (in) Osaka, and, to work, I would like to get involved in/with the Japanese party politics (my favourite political parties in Japan are: the Constitutional Democratic Party/CDP; Komeito, on the center-right of the Political Spectrum; and the Japanese Communist Party/JCP).
One thing I learned about Japan from watching another channel (Rachel & Jun) is that homes don't appreciate in value. They're not treated as investments, but as commodities. So their resale value drops, which is similar to the depreciation you'd see when selling a used car in America.
Are you seeing the housing crisis in Europe because the upper class is buying up "investments" and no one can afford to live??? How is THAT sustainable????
@@Makingnewnamesisdumb Japanese houses are built different, often intended to only last a few decades. Due to natural disasters, homes are just periodically taken down and rebuilt. Therefore, the older a house gets, the cheaper it is. However, the land can still retain value based on location, but usually only urban land appreciates in Japan nowadays.
I wouldn’t even call this a “reaction video”-it’s more like a _meta-awareness video,_ where you, as someone inside a culture, become aware of things that you couldn’t really be aware of unless and until someone _outside_ the culture points it out. As such, it’s even more fascinating.
Finding larger sizes, my nephew lived in South Korea, and he's 6', and he'd have to buy clothes through online, ship them to my address in the U.S., then I rebox them up and then I'd ship them to him in South Korea, so having a family member be an intermediary in the shipping process helps.
Isn't it expensive to ship though? From my experience living in Mexico, it cost my parents $75 to ship me my replacement debit card after I lost it. But I know Mexico tries to discourage importing from the US. Is shipping to Asia cheaper?
I lived there for seven years before the fact that I could never retire there--as a foreigner--hit me. Like, you pay into the national pension program so all of your native Japanese colleagues around you could retire, but you can't. It was a bad deal so I left.
I'd like to know the answer to that one. Most countries when you become naturalized as a citizen you have the same access to services as everyone else.
@@chellybub the pension system isn't set up to support you as much (at least in the US.) You still would need to save up because when you receive benefits from SSN you only get a small amount
I plan to retire here but I don't pay taxes and such since I get paid in a foreign income. My plan to is live in the country side and grow my own food. Helps to be married and save money on the side.
@@junrosamura645 how do you not pay taxes even with foreign income? Once the money enter the country shouldn’t it be taxed? Or Japan doesn’t have that law?
I moved to Japan a month ago and it took 6 hours to finish an application to open a bank account. Im very grateful to live here but the amount of paperwork I had to do just to apply was insane.
i think my biggest problem for me would be the limited space to write my full name. i already have this problem in my own country because i have an unusually long full name. the name limit in my country is 6 words. i have 5, but in the registry they considered my last name (which is hyphenated) to be two separate names. if it wasn't for that, my full name would even be longer by an additional name xD
I love Japan. I always like visiting it as a tourist, but I could absolutely never live there. I have light autistism and social anxiety, so I’d probably just die from all the stress and paperwork…
Regarding the rent prices, from my experience, what is most annoying is the up-front payments. It is insane to pay 5~7 rents. It makes it hard to make life changes. Maybe I can afford a higher rent or in a different neighborhood, but the up-front is so high that in the end, it is better to stay than move. And also, most of these taxes are not refundable. It is different than most America and Europes countries. But wait, the part of the work is that the building owner can deny a foreign or someone with pets to rent. So it reduces the available places to live. In many countries, some laws protect people against discrimination. In Japan, the laws protect the landlords. This is sad.
For those who watched this and are second guessing moving to Japan. One of my mottos has always been to hear what people have to say, but at the end of the day, create your own experiences and form your own opinions. Don't live your life wondering what something would or could have been like. If something doesn't go how you wanted it to, at least the curiosity has been explored and you'll feel happy with your decision.
True, one should pursue their dreams for sure, but at the same time, they should try to be smart about it. Some people get in some trouble by not doing some homework/research before making a big move and end up in a bad situation that lasts a few years. I think that if someone is especially tight on money, they should be wise about it and calculate their next step instead of just jumping off the plane. That's just my personal take on it (and that's coming from someone who grew up at the limit of poverty, but now is on her 6th year working in Japan).
@@coralie288 Yeah I totally agree with you. But for someone who's prepared to go. Don't feel like you're a burden if you're not "offering anything". Just by having a regular job in Japan you'll be contributing to it's society.
That's just giving domestic film an "unfair" advantage, but if you go to non English speaking countries, many of them do the same. In France, many cinemas don't even show Marvel or Disney because of the sheer number of indie films there.
I’d actually really like to hear your perspective as a Japanese person living in Japan, Shogo. :) A lot of content creators who moved to Japan eventually make the “why (not) move to Japan” video, so I think it’d be interesting to hear what a Japanese perspective on the whole situation is. :)
Paolo's videos are really informative and for many people to know the knowledge of the values in Japan and the social life and also what living in Japan is like. I always like it when Shogo does a Japanese reaction video with Kazu. Thank you so much for a wonderful reaction video Shogo!
About Japan attitude to modern technology ( like digital paperwork) , what stay in a big contrast again Japan beeing leader in computer and high tech industry, I've heard great metaphore : " Japan is the country, where blueprints for most advance super high tech cyber AI robot will be sent to you, via FAX" :D
When I was younger, living in Europe, over here usually products, films and such always came last after everyone else seemed to have already had it. Especially compared to the USA. But with console video games, Europe missed out on quite a lot of titles that either never got a European release or years later. Quite some produced in Japan that never made it to the rest of the world. Nowadays it seems that most releases of technology, films and games get about the same release date. One thing however, services like Netflix tend to have a way smaller amount of shows available in Europe compared to the USA. Mostly a licencing thing but it is annoying :)
I can kind of confirm that. But also the Netflix releases differ inside Europe. I once was very exited to watch "Violett Evergarden" here in Austria only to find out that it was just released in our naighbour country Germany. It took a few weeks till it was also on Netflix AT. But overall I feel like the popculture grew closer worldwide since I was younger.
Meanwhile Xbox One lost a significant advantage in my country as it was launched here almost a year after that in the USA whereas that time lag for the PS4 was much smaller (like within a few weeks/months)
Japan might be a super-aging country, but so are many others. Despite the fact that Japan is number one, other aging countries are not far behind, yet they have embraced the digital age and moving to solutions which reduce excess paperwork and increase online contractual work. That's something that requires explaining.
perhaps has something to do with the culture of respect towards and catering to elders in the sense of not wanting to introduce changes that inconvenient / confuse them
Im from Germany and I always complain about the high costs for medical treatments here in Japan 😅 in Germany „almost“ everything is covered a 100%. Besides that, I felt like hospitals here are not clean at all, sometimes I felt like I’m in Southeast Asia. Maybe that’s a Kobe thing though. But it‘s contradictory to the average Japanese cleanliness.
I’m also from Germany. You need to remember that you do pay less for medical insurance here compared to Germany. And the cleanliness depends a bit on where you are. Some clinics here I felt are cleaner than in Germany and vice versa. I would say on average they are probably around the same.
@@etatsu4520 you might be right, a person who is often sick or needs medical treatments is better of in Germany, if you rarely go to the doc Japan is cheaper due to less health insurance deduction.
Re: hair dye- as someone who’s dyed her hair, I’d be interested in knowing what dyes they were comparing to Japanese dye. In the US, boxed dye that you do yourself is quite a bit stronger than dye you’d get at a salon. So while I’d have no problem believing Japanese dye is 10 times weaker than box dye, I would be skeptical of it being that much weaker than professional grade dye. A little weaker, sure, but not that weak.
I'm not sure about dye strength, but I got my hair dyed at a Japanese salon and it went from pinky purple to gold in around a month to a monthl and a half. My natural colour is a lighter mid brown.
I like how kazu give equal eye contact when speaking to everyone..even the camera. Once to Harumi, then to Shogo and then the camera from 3:12 to 3:31 he doesn't want the camera to feel left out haha.
I'm from Germany(Europe!)and live in Texas. So, in Germany if you have fever you usually go immediately to your doctor. He or her will give you a prescription for fever medication. With this prescription it is doesn't matter what it cost without(without it is round about 6-8€)the prescription, you only pay 5€ for 20 pills in the box. Because in Germany you don't have to pay for a doctor's visit. You only have to pay in a hospital for the food and the bed, that's 10€ per day and the highest price what the health insurance take out of your pocket(in a year) is 300€ for the hospital. That's all. Have a great start to the new week and stay safe 🙏🏻
I always thought that living in japan would be so expensive compared to the us but in San Diego my rent was 1000 for a room in an old house with 6 housemates one bathroom and a small kitchen. Less than 800 for a studio (in a US west coast cit at least) is mythically cheap so it sounds like maybe the rent could be a bonus
The form thing (at 8:36) is truly crazy. If you’re non-Japanese and your name is too long, what exactly are you supposed to do? And you would _think_ that, after about five people could not fit their names onto the form (paper or online), an organization would revise it-especially an online form, even if the backend might require a bit of work-but I doubt, given the top-down, hierarchical bureaucracy in Japan, that’s not the way it works. One thing that Paolo didn’t cover but that I’d be curious about is the return policy, if any, in Japan. In the US, generally, returns are completely routine and very easy within a certain time frame, no questions asked but, apparently, returning items is not a thing in Japan? How true is that?
As a guy who was raised by Grandparents, I understand why they wouldn't trust technology and all, but at the same time it should exist a two tier system, one for regular and aging people, and another for tech savvy, digital natives.
As someone who lives in New York City, small houses and apartments are the norm. Like $2,000 a month for a 400 square foot place is normal here so that alone wouldn't be a problem but getting like 5 months of rent upfront to move it would be an issue. I'm only 5'6 but I'm stocky so yeah the clothing would be difficult. The social conformity is 50/50. Some of my Japanese aquantences even in my karate dojo sometimes are surprised that I'm more concerned about the team and dojo as opposed to just putting my self at the for front and that I'm not combative since people of my skin tone are know for being argumentative. But at the same time I always tend to stick out where ever I go so yeah.
Growing up in America I got all the things I loved (manga, anime, and video games) way later than in Japan. I was always jealous and annoyed by that. Many times these things didn’t even come to America.
I think the physical document thing is a fair thing to be hesitant to change there are a lot of risks that do happen with cyber security and hackers getting access to your vital documentation I think there's an inherent risk of identity theft and financial theft when using digital documentation
With physical documents it is easier lose them as they can be tored/forgotten. IMO Digital documents are safer because the risk of getting hacked is low compared to the amount of unforunte things that can happen to physical documents
To add to the other comments, physical documents have also been forged for as long as they have been around, so it's not like they are guaranteed to be accurate either.
To counter that, my mom had to redo her city paperwork because I fire broke out and destroyed all her documents. That took years to fix since governments move slow. Also, why would anyone care about hackers getting your documents? They can't do much with it unless it has your SSN or some other identifier. I'm always shaking my head at the amount of nonsense I see when stepping into a Japanese bank or government building.
When it comes to rent, I still can't wrap my head around people thinking Japan being expensive. Probably because Australia, where I come from, housing is crazy expensive. And we pay rent weekly or fortnightly, instead of monthly.
The UK is also an ancient island nation that battled constant invasion. Yet how socially different they are. The British really went on the offensive. You cant invade us if we invaded you first!
I've had personal experience with the Japanese ibuprofen since I had to buy it while I was there. Heck, I still have the box as a souvenir. Very expensive.
@@thewastelandworrier Generally, if it fits a carry handbag, probably not an issue. So whole bottle of 240 Ibuprofen? Probably not a problem. A dozen bottles otoh...
These are very legitimate concerns for a foreign person to consider. I often forget that I am considered tall until I am traveling. The bright side is, you're never lost in a crowd...
The theory about lands prone to natural disasters is interesting. Italy is also volcano and earthquake prone region and is a non-Eastern country that places great emphasis on family also, to the extent that saving face is understood in Italian social norms. Japan even has its own version of the Mafia/ Cosa Nostra, the Yakuza. Demographically, Italy also has the exact same problem as Japan in ageing population.
one thing you need to do when releasing movies in Japan is “imprint” the subtitles into the video. So you have to change the video file. Normally you just provide an additional text file. That’s a lot of extra work. PS. I’m looking for a translator for a movie to make Japanese subtitles ( just an Indie Film 🙂)
I think it would be great if Let's ask Shogo made a video with the reasons of why the Japan as whole uses to much paper, forms and such. For instance, what is keeping a person from oppening a bank that requires less paper work and forms or even an internet bank like in Brazil or EUA.
Despite learning japanese culture online and catching up to date news from Japan and learning more about social norms from my japanese friends, I still feel afraid I'll never be accepted when I migrate there cause I'm an "outsider" however I try to be hopeful.
@@Dominik-bl9sw I think the foreigners in Japan who don't understand this state of inherent and permanent exclusion are naïve or lacking in self-awareness.
With the late release one it varies Spider-Man: No Way Home came out 2-3 months later in Japan then America but Thor: Love and Thunder came out at the same time.
I would gladly save up 6 months worth of rent beforehand for a place thats like 800 bucks a month. I pay 1200 for a place that barely works and can't move anywhere nicer unless I double my income due to newer apartments requiring average middle class level income. This also ignores all other factors
The price of a place isn't important, what's important is the ratio of what you can reasonably earn to what the rent costs. If rent was $1mil/mo but it was easy to get jobs that paid $10mil/mo, the rent would seem crazy from the outside but not be difficult for people living there. Meanwhile if the rent was $400/mo but it was difficult to make more than $800, that would be more of a struggle to pay. Big cities tend to have better employment opportunities as well as higher prices, and I think the income to cost ratio in Tokyo is reasonable, but the 6 months rent up front is kinda wack.
Today….OMG I was trying to get a bank account in Chiba, and I have everything they required for paperwork, hanko, IDs, you name it, but they couldn’t help me because I didn’t speak Japanese. I told them that the information was online and that I knew all the risk associated with having a bank account, yet they still told me it was the rule to speak Japanese to have a bank account and understand fully. 🤦🏻♀️ How in the world am I going to ge paid?!? There are ways around it. I’m sure Im not the first foreigner to encounter this, it’s just so inconvenient. Japan is not made for foreigners, and if you are afraid to stand out or triggering to not be part of a group, you will have a harder time to adjust. Do yourself a favor and learn basic Japanese before coming (although you don’t really need it if you live in a place like Tokyo).
Earlier yesterday I was reading a few of the comments on this video, mainly one relating to housing (something about pricing/value and words like investment or commodity). I think when I saw the thing about that, I realized I haven't really thought much about homes in other countries that could be owned or rented, etc. I'm unsure how to write it out too, and with little I know about topics in finance, economics or real estate but yes, wanted to say I'm learning a but from some of the comments too
the whole being asked to drink with your coworkers thing would probably get me really worked up were I to live or move to Japan I feel like here in the west it´s that there are a certain number a lot of people who really only spent as much time with their coworkers as absolutely necessary including myself
7mon of rent 😭. Geez I can barely save up for first and last here in the US. Plus, I'm fat 😂 At this point my main concern for ever moving to Japan is my autistic son... I still want to visit, but I am worried about the conformity thing. He tries, but he has difficulties
Definitely agree with the Paper-heavy Society aspect. I had suffered so much in the first few weeks when I arrived in Japan, everything was too much paperwork for me and I had to carry around a very inefffective Hanko stamp.
Also, another thing about middle names, I prefer my middle name as my name is a name-sake from my aunt. And many MANY places have mixed us up. Pharmacies, banks, doctors, insurance companies, to name a few. So i learned from a young age to go by my middle name to separate myself from her so no issues would arise as those are serious people mixing us up. Imagine getting medicine that someone else is supposed to take. Luckily, i caught it while at the pharmacy, and they were able to find my actual order.
I’ve been noticing the way Japan has 2 sides to her personality, the modern and the traditional cultures, and how the two are held together by their mutual respect for one another.
Already with #1, that's significantly cheaper than anything we can legally build in Canada. People say they want to avoid shrinking spaces, but I'd rather have a 1DK for $800/month than a detached home for $2500/month.
The point on rent, it also depends on where you are moving from. If you are moving from Kansas in the USA, then yes. $780 for that amount of space in Tokyo is expensive. However, if you are like me from New York City, getting a bedroom. dining room and a kitchen for that price is quite a bargain.
Very interesting once again Shogo and family. I would be frustrated with the late release thing, say films (movies in the USA-I'm from England). My wife and I are big film fans, so missing out or waiting another year etc for a release would just not do. Also, the paper thing-the rest of the world uses tech for this sort of thing: get with the programme! (Pun intended). Look forward to the next vid.
In the US, hospitals are where uou go for elective surgeries or emergency medicine. Most primary care physicians have offices in smaller clinics, for routine exams and annual physicals, non emergency stuff. Getting medicine online is sometimes possible through Doctor On Demand, but that wasn't a very popular option before the pandemic. If you had covid symptoms for example, you wouldn't go to a hospital. You would get a covid test at a clinic or a drugstore pharmacy, and then contact your pcp for a prescription but you'll still have to pick it up at a local pharmacy. Most have drive through pickup so you wouldn't have to go inside the building with an active case of covid
I'm from Trinidad. Our population is 1.4M. Points 3 and 4 are very similar to our standards though. That's kind of encouraging, as I one day soon want to make my way to Japan.
About the later releases, this is something I experienced in Korea as well, but it most strongly impacted movies that were localized (were dubbed in the local language).
"Japan is such a small country that's why the small rooms" is such a common saying. Meanwhile in the 1.6 x smaller UK "You get a mansion (in comparison), and you get a mansion". Sometimes it feels like Japan makes the rooms so small so people get too clostrophobic to stay in the small home and feel more comfortable working overtime at work and young adults in the rush for their own privacy when you add the thin walls rush to an overpriced 1dk room and the cycle repeats. But I forget my home Island nation is geographically in a much, much better place where natural disasters and volcanos are concerned.
About the hair color situation, it could be genetics. I was a hairdresser for 20 years and I remember in my training we learned that red headed people had more resistance to hair color so they needed stronger chemical products. It could be that Japanese genetics creates a situation where they don’t need such strong products because of the way their hair grows i.e. less dense or not as coarse.
Japanese often complain about getting Western movies late, but in the West, we rarely get Japanese movies at all, unless it's Godzilla or Ghibli. I often read about some interesting Japanese movie, and then I just have to hope to find it online, because it will never come to a theater near me. Maybe a theater in NYC or at an international arts festival, but Japan mostly doesn't even try to make recent things available outside of Japan.
Regarding rent, price is about what one pays for in NYC, perhaps a little cheaper in Tokyo. The thing no one mentions is that your living cost is cheaper. Food, public transportation, electricity, and other dailies are MUCH cheaper, healthier, convenient, and accessible than living in NYC for example. Most foreigners who complain about price are the typical low paid teachers or interns. Those with actual careers can afford living anywhere in Tokyo.
In Kansai, not sure about any other areas, 4L store has big men sizes but the selection looks like it is for Yakuza and is expensive. The hardest was socks and shoes. 26 cm is max I wear 30cm or 12 inches. I could find shoes if I searched all over but socks not so easy. It is cheaper to live outside of the main city of a prefecture. I had no problem setting up a banking account at Japan Post Bank. I have a short name so easy for me. Houses, the building itself depreciates due to earthquakes and harsh weather. The land retains its value.
First apartment shown is much bigger and costs much less then the average houses and apartments in SD. It’s like $1200 a month. The way they reacted to a apartment that was 780 is cute
Probably why Japanese movie releases were delayed because one of the favtors being considered is the target audience and cultural relevances, where some scenes were altered/modified to suit a certain cultural taste and so that they can relate to that movie, and it may took months or years to create that version. Like in the movie Inside Out, where the animated vegetable for the baby in Japanese version isn't broccoli but green peppers because brocolli is a very favorite food in Japan.
The example with painkillers seens to be correct that it is more expensive in Japan, I am from Slovakia, EU, we have accessible healthcare (not great not terrible, going to a doctor is normal, staying home sick is normal), so ibuprofen 200mg doze tablets in a pack of 24 are available for 2.89€ in eshop, 2.80$, so round 3$ means its over 400% more in Japan
I would suggest that one more factor pushing Japanese drug prices higher than those of some other countries relates to the aging population. As we age, we become riddled with aches and pains. With Japan’s population being so advanced in age, it seems likely that there is simply a higher demand for painkillers and other common medications. With comparatively more resources devoted to the production of these medications, prices would naturally be higher.
3:25 If I had to pay that much a month, I would might as well invest in an abandoned home and live there. 6:28 Okay, had to laugh at that one! 7:10 That country needs a infrastructural overhaul to speed things along! 8:14 WHAT?! It wasn't enough?! What are these people demanding? The Lord of the Rings trilogy? 13:48 "A disaster deluxe combo"...For a small country, it receives a lot geological activity! Typhoons, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes! Oh, my! 18:25 You're right. It does matter on how fast you metabolize the medicine in your body. 21:00 To add on, the US has these locations called Urgent Care facilities. It's basically another level of care between the doctor you actually go to for checkups and going to the hospital for life threatening emergencies. The only difference is that you can go to these facilities almost 24 hours a day like a hospital. That depends on your location. 22:26 Not just clips, but sometimes the entire movie! Somehow people manage to get there hands on the raw file of the entire movie days before the official release!
Also having to go to the dentist 3-4 times for a simple procedure just because of insurance isn't the best experience. If you can find the right dentist, they'll accept doing your procedure or surgery in only one appointment! ^^ (Still expensive in Japan, my boyfriend has to pay over $600 for one tooth.)
The size difference is the same if you are from a smaller country moving to a bigger, western country. There I absolutely can’t find adult clothes that fits me so I always shop at the youth section, unless the adult section offers XS.
The last point with the having someone else in other country to help u buy/subscribe or whatnots, I kinda don't really agree. I mean, of course if you have someone like that for you, that's great. But I don't like to trouble others so i always never ask people to help with something and if I absolutely have to, I feel very uncomfortable. I think it depends on everyone's situation as well.
Oh! The point about the health insurance and how everyone just goes to the hospital when you are sick is very helpful! In my country (Singapore) hospitals are where you go when it's something quite major and we have clinics instead, for regular ailments like the common cold or the flu. We didn't realise there's no such segregated system in Japan! How interesting! I wonder what it's like if tourists to Japan need to seek medical attention (our daughter had to be hospitalised and warded overnight once many years ago when we were travelling in Hiroshima but we just used our travel insurance to cover it in the end).
My wife and son picked up respiratory viruses back in 2018 and we saw a GP at a clinic in Shinagawa. My son later developed an allergy to a medication he was prescribed and needed to be taken to a hospital emergency department, and recovered after some anti-histamines. We took him to the same GP for a review. Small clinics are a thing but perhaps more likely in areas where there are foreigners.
Yeah, for hospitals in the US, doctors pretty much shrug their shoulders at you if its anything less than an emergency. Even with health insurance for lower end "middle class" (verses Poverty levels and free health care), it costs like $6,000 out of pocket before the insurance you pay for kicks in, so you dont even want to go to the hospitals cause if you are not able to cough up the money, you can go in debt super fast. If you are under that line and are considered poverty, then most things are free depending on the insurance company you signed up for. HOWEVER, you are only allowed to go to doctors your insurance covers, so finding a doctor is a little harder. Let alone a doctor who can help you with your personal issues. It's kind of like cinderella and the glass slipper for health care here. And the more morbid "cut off part of your foot so the shoe fits" for the poorest "non-poverty" people.
I have a question about the drinking party after work. What happens if you're alergic to alcohol drinks? Also just to correct something, in most European countries we have Free Health Care so what Harumi-san said isn't for all of us.
Wow! On average 780 a month in Tokyo? One bedrooms in big cities in the USA (Like New York or San Fransisco) are often 2,000 or more! And still require first/last months rent and a deposit. Almost seems cheaper to move to japan 😭
I think that the reason for the delayed release dates for movies etc. is due to the difference in language. They tend to release the sub and dubbed versions at the same time. It would be entirely possible to release subbed version first, but I don't think the market for that is overly high. It's much easier to watch a dubbed movie and understand the dialogue in your own language, than it is to be reading the subtitles through the movie with no way to pause or rewind if you missed something.
Short version: Japan is an extremely foreign country, and if you expect things to be the same there as they are in your home country--surprise, they're not. If you really want to relocate somewhere, you should prepare for all of the culture shock and adjust ahead of time as much as possible. With an eye toward moving to Japan, for instance, I legally changed my name. It doesn't cost much and will save a lot of headaches when I move there.
You can get 16x Ibuprofen 200mg in the UK for about £0.35, the more expensive brands are around £3.00 for 16, though they are generaly still just 200mg of Ibuprofen. $15 for 24 seems like a crazy markup.
Shogo-San, So with buying clothes on Amazon, as a foreigner living here... In America I wear a Medium/Large, but here I must shop for XL to be safe. I would say its due to the shoulder width and with socks as well.
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Man is it odd to see Kazu without his mask on. I thought he was a different person.
If I were to come/go to Japan, I would like to study at the university, either in Tokyo, or (in) Osaka, and, to work, I would like to get involved in/with the Japanese party politics (my favourite political parties in Japan are: the Constitutional Democratic Party/CDP; Komeito, on the center-right of the Political Spectrum; and the Japanese Communist Party/JCP).
One thing I learned about Japan from watching another channel (Rachel & Jun) is that homes don't appreciate in value. They're not treated as investments, but as commodities. So their resale value drops, which is similar to the depreciation you'd see when selling a used car in America.
How could that be sustainable?
Are you seeing the housing crisis in Europe because the upper class is buying up "investments" and no one can afford to live??? How is THAT sustainable????
@@mallowtonmouse it at least makes economic sense.
@@Makingnewnamesisdumb Japanese houses are built different, often intended to only last a few decades. Due to natural disasters, homes are just periodically taken down and rebuilt. Therefore, the older a house gets, the cheaper it is. However, the land can still retain value based on location, but usually only urban land appreciates in Japan nowadays.
@@mallowtonmouse not just Europe, the same thing is happening in every city in the US.
I wouldn’t even call this a “reaction video”-it’s more like a _meta-awareness video,_ where you, as someone inside a culture, become aware of things that you couldn’t really be aware of unless and until someone _outside_ the culture points it out. As such, it’s even more fascinating.
Finding larger sizes, my nephew lived in South Korea, and he's 6', and he'd have to buy clothes through online, ship them to my address in the U.S., then I rebox them up and then I'd ship them to him in South Korea, so having a family member be an intermediary in the shipping process helps.
Isn't it expensive to ship though? From my experience living in Mexico, it cost my parents $75 to ship me my replacement debit card after I lost it. But I know Mexico tries to discourage importing from the US. Is shipping to Asia cheaper?
I lived there for seven years before the fact that I could never retire there--as a foreigner--hit me. Like, you pay into the national pension program so all of your native Japanese colleagues around you could retire, but you can't. It was a bad deal so I left.
I'd like to know the answer to that one. Most countries when you become naturalized as a citizen you have the same access to services as everyone else.
@@chellybub the pension system isn't set up to support you as much (at least in the US.) You still would need to save up because when you receive benefits from SSN you only get a small amount
I plan to retire here but I don't pay taxes and such since I get paid in a foreign income. My plan to is live in the country side and grow my own food. Helps to be married and save money on the side.
can you elaborate? I pay into pension
@@junrosamura645 how do you not pay taxes even with foreign income? Once the money enter the country shouldn’t it be taxed? Or Japan doesn’t have that law?
I moved to Japan a month ago and it took 6 hours to finish an application to open a bank account. Im very grateful to live here but the amount of paperwork I had to do just to apply was insane.
i think my biggest problem for me would be the limited space to write my full name. i already have this problem in my own country because i have an unusually long full name. the name limit in my country is 6 words. i have 5, but in the registry they considered my last name (which is hyphenated) to be two separate names. if it wasn't for that, my full name would even be longer by an additional name xD
me: laughs as italian
Which bank did you use? 😂 I just ranted on a comment about how I couldn’t open a bank acct because I couldn’t speak Japanese.
… i think Japan needs to calm down on their paperwork… 🥲😅🫠
I love Japan. I always like visiting it as a tourist, but I could absolutely never live there. I have light autistism and social anxiety, so I’d probably just die from all the stress and paperwork…
Believe me, it IS overwhelming! XD (6th year working in Japan)
Regarding the rent prices, from my experience, what is most annoying is the up-front payments. It is insane to pay 5~7 rents. It makes it hard to make life changes. Maybe I can afford a higher rent or in a different neighborhood, but the up-front is so high that in the end, it is better to stay than move.
And also, most of these taxes are not refundable.
It is different than most America and Europes countries.
But wait, the part of the work is that the building owner can deny a foreign or someone with pets to rent. So it reduces the available places to live.
In many countries, some laws protect people against discrimination. In Japan, the laws protect the landlords.
This is sad.
For those who watched this and are second guessing moving to Japan. One of my mottos has always been to hear what people have to say, but at the end of the day, create your own experiences and form your own opinions. Don't live your life wondering what something would or could have been like. If something doesn't go how you wanted it to, at least the curiosity has been explored and you'll feel happy with your decision.
True, one should pursue their dreams for sure, but at the same time, they should try to be smart about it. Some people get in some trouble by not doing some homework/research before making a big move and end up in a bad situation that lasts a few years.
I think that if someone is especially tight on money, they should be wise about it and calculate their next step instead of just jumping off the plane. That's just my personal take on it (and that's coming from someone who grew up at the limit of poverty, but now is on her 6th year working in Japan).
@@coralie288 Yeah I totally agree with you. But for someone who's prepared to go. Don't feel like you're a burden if you're not "offering anything". Just by having a regular job in Japan you'll be contributing to it's society.
It's pretty concerning that the Tokugawa Shogunate personally makes certain that Marvel movies release months later in Japan than in the West.
That's just giving domestic film an "unfair" advantage, but if you go to non English speaking countries, many of them do the same. In France, many cinemas don't even show Marvel or Disney because of the sheer number of indie films there.
I’d actually really like to hear your perspective as a Japanese person living in Japan, Shogo. :) A lot of content creators who moved to Japan eventually make the “why (not) move to Japan” video, so I think it’d be interesting to hear what a Japanese perspective on the whole situation is. :)
Paolo's videos are really informative and for many people to know the knowledge of the values in Japan and the social life and also what living in Japan is like. I always like it when Shogo does a Japanese reaction video with Kazu. Thank you so much for a wonderful reaction video Shogo!
About Japan attitude to modern technology ( like digital paperwork) , what stay in a big contrast again Japan beeing leader in computer and high tech industry, I've heard great metaphore : " Japan is the country, where blueprints for most advance super high tech cyber AI robot will be sent to you, via FAX" :D
When I was younger, living in Europe, over here usually products, films and such always came last after everyone else seemed to have already had it.
Especially compared to the USA. But with console video games, Europe missed out on quite a lot of titles that either never got a European release or years later. Quite some produced in Japan that never made it to the rest of the world.
Nowadays it seems that most releases of technology, films and games get about the same release date. One thing however, services like Netflix tend to have a way smaller amount of shows available in Europe compared to the USA. Mostly a licencing thing but it is annoying :)
I can kind of confirm that. But also the Netflix releases differ inside Europe. I once was very exited to watch "Violett Evergarden" here in Austria only to find out that it was just released in our naighbour country Germany. It took a few weeks till it was also on Netflix AT.
But overall I feel like the popculture grew closer worldwide since I was younger.
Meanwhile Xbox One lost a significant advantage in my country as it was launched here almost a year after that in the USA whereas that time lag for the PS4 was much smaller (like within a few weeks/months)
Japan might be a super-aging country, but so are many others. Despite the fact that Japan is number one, other aging countries are not far behind, yet they have embraced the digital age and moving to solutions which reduce excess paperwork and increase online contractual work. That's something that requires explaining.
perhaps has something to do with the culture of respect towards and catering to elders in the sense of not wanting to introduce changes that inconvenient / confuse them
Im from Germany and I always complain about the high costs for medical treatments here in Japan 😅 in Germany „almost“ everything is covered a 100%.
Besides that, I felt like hospitals here are not clean at all, sometimes I felt like I’m in Southeast Asia. Maybe that’s a Kobe thing though. But it‘s contradictory to the average Japanese cleanliness.
I’m also from Germany. You need to remember that you do pay less for medical insurance here compared to Germany. And the cleanliness depends a bit on where you are. Some clinics here I felt are cleaner than in Germany and vice versa. I would say on average they are probably around the same.
@@etatsu4520 you might be right, a person who is often sick or needs medical treatments is better of in Germany, if you rarely go to the doc Japan is cheaper due to less health insurance deduction.
Just wanted to say thank you Shogo for sharing not only your life, but your friends and and family as well with us! It’s very kind of you ☺️
Re: hair dye- as someone who’s dyed her hair, I’d be interested in knowing what dyes they were comparing to Japanese dye. In the US, boxed dye that you do yourself is quite a bit stronger than dye you’d get at a salon. So while I’d have no problem believing Japanese dye is 10 times weaker than box dye, I would be skeptical of it being that much weaker than professional grade dye. A little weaker, sure, but not that weak.
I'm not sure about dye strength, but I got my hair dyed at a Japanese salon and it went from pinky purple to gold in around a month to a monthl and a half. My natural colour is a lighter mid brown.
I like how kazu give equal eye contact when speaking to everyone..even the camera. Once to Harumi, then to Shogo and then the camera from 3:12 to 3:31 he doesn't want the camera to feel left out haha.
I'm from Germany(Europe!)and live in Texas.
So, in Germany if you have fever you usually go immediately to your doctor. He or her will give you a prescription for fever medication. With this prescription it is doesn't matter what it cost without(without it is round about 6-8€)the prescription, you only pay 5€ for 20 pills in the box. Because in Germany you don't have to pay for a doctor's visit. You only have to pay in a hospital for the food and the bed, that's 10€ per day and the highest price what the health insurance take out of your pocket(in a year) is 300€ for the hospital. That's all.
Have a great start to the new week and stay safe 🙏🏻
I always thought that living in japan would be so expensive compared to the us but in San Diego my rent was 1000 for a room in an old house with 6 housemates one bathroom and a small kitchen. Less than 800 for a studio (in a US west coast cit at least) is mythically cheap so it sounds like maybe the rent could be a bonus
The form thing (at 8:36) is truly crazy. If you’re non-Japanese and your name is too long, what exactly are you supposed to do? And you would _think_ that, after about five people could not fit their names onto the form (paper or online), an organization would revise it-especially an online form, even if the backend might require a bit of work-but I doubt, given the top-down, hierarchical bureaucracy in Japan, that’s not the way it works.
One thing that Paolo didn’t cover but that I’d be curious about is the return policy, if any, in Japan. In the US, generally, returns are completely routine and very easy within a certain time frame, no questions asked but, apparently, returning items is not a thing in Japan? How true is that?
Oops! Edit:
“I doubt, given the top-down, hierarchical bureaucracy in Japan, that's the way it works. ”
(If I edit the actual comment, I lose the ❤️.)
Meanwhile I'd to fill an online form (can't remember its from which country) that doesn't allow your first name to have more than 1 word
As a guy who was raised by Grandparents, I understand why they wouldn't trust technology and all, but at the same time it should exist a two tier system, one for regular and aging people, and another for tech savvy, digital natives.
I am definitely moving to japan. Love the people, honor the culture. Can't wait to get there! Your channel has been a great source of knowledge
As someone who lives in New York City, small houses and apartments are the norm. Like $2,000 a month for a 400 square foot place is normal here so that alone wouldn't be a problem but getting like 5 months of rent upfront to move it would be an issue.
I'm only 5'6 but I'm stocky so yeah the clothing would be difficult.
The social conformity is 50/50. Some of my Japanese aquantences even in my karate dojo sometimes are surprised that I'm more concerned about the team and dojo as opposed to just putting my self at the for front and that I'm not combative since people of my skin tone are know for being argumentative. But at the same time I always tend to stick out where ever I go so yeah.
What do you mean by "people of my skin tone are known to be combative"? Explain please. Thanks.
@@abrahamgustavoguitiperez-m2937 reread my comment and you'll see I did not say "people of my skin tone are combative"
Growing up in America I got all the things I loved (manga, anime, and video games) way later than in Japan. I was always jealous and annoyed by that. Many times these things didn’t even come to America.
I think the physical document thing is a fair thing to be hesitant to change
there are a lot of risks that do happen with cyber security and hackers getting access to your vital documentation
I think there's an inherent risk of identity theft and financial theft when using digital documentation
With physical documents it is easier lose them as they can be tored/forgotten. IMO Digital documents are safer because the risk of getting hacked is low compared to the amount of unforunte things that can happen to physical documents
but then those documents are still digitized in the end. so what's the point other than reluctance to change?
To add to the other comments, physical documents have also been forged for as long as they have been around, so it's not like they are guaranteed to be accurate either.
To counter that, my mom had to redo her city paperwork because I fire broke out and destroyed all her documents. That took years to fix since governments move slow. Also, why would anyone care about hackers getting your documents? They can't do much with it unless it has your SSN or some other identifier. I'm always shaking my head at the amount of nonsense I see when stepping into a Japanese bank or government building.
@@junrosamura645 The whole country is resistant to change. Mad.
When it comes to rent, I still can't wrap my head around people thinking Japan being expensive. Probably because Australia, where I come from, housing is crazy expensive. And we pay rent weekly or fortnightly, instead of monthly.
Shogo: "Number one reason is natural disasters"
Me: Welp, I guess we all know what he's gonna say next
Shogo: E D O P E R I O D
You guys are so cute! Love your videos. Love your kimonos and definitely love the notion-when in doubt, blame it on the Edo period!!
The UK is also an ancient island nation that battled constant invasion. Yet how socially different they are. The British really went on the offensive. You cant invade us if we invaded you first!
I've had personal experience with the Japanese ibuprofen since I had to buy it while I was there. Heck, I still have the box as a souvenir. Very expensive.
Ibuprofen is like 2-3 euro for 20 tablets where i live. How expensive was it in Japan?
@@methos4866 I mean the video has example which is 14 dollar (about 12 EU I guess) per 24 tablet. Cripes.
They are less than £1 in the UK. Are there rules about tourists bringing them with them? (in sensible quantities)
@@thewastelandworrier Generally, if it fits a carry handbag, probably not an issue. So whole bottle of 240 Ibuprofen? Probably not a problem. A dozen bottles otoh...
The solution to avoid being forced to drink is to join a foreign company in Japan.
These are very legitimate concerns for a foreign person to consider. I often forget that I am considered tall until I am traveling. The bright side is, you're never lost in a crowd...
The theory about lands prone to natural disasters is interesting. Italy is also volcano and earthquake prone region and is a non-Eastern country that places great emphasis on family also, to the extent that saving face is understood in Italian social norms. Japan even has its own version of the Mafia/ Cosa Nostra, the Yakuza.
Demographically, Italy also has the exact same problem as Japan in ageing population.
Nice! You're reviewing Paulo From Tokyo! Love it Shogo!
The nail that sticks out, gets hammered. - Japanese Proverb.
one thing you need to do when releasing movies in Japan is “imprint” the subtitles into the video. So you have to change the video file. Normally you just provide an additional text file. That’s a lot of extra work. PS. I’m looking for a translator for a movie to make Japanese subtitles ( just an Indie Film 🙂)
I think it would be great if Let's ask Shogo made a video with the reasons of why the Japan as whole uses to much paper, forms and such. For instance, what is keeping a person from oppening a bank that requires less paper work and forms or even an internet bank like in Brazil or EUA.
Shogo! Ive been watching u for so long and seeing ur channel at the place it is at now makes me so happy. you deserve all the hype!
Despite learning japanese culture online and catching up to date news from Japan and learning more about social norms from my japanese friends, I still feel afraid I'll never be accepted when I migrate there cause I'm an "outsider" however I try to be hopeful.
You will never. Period. There is no way a foreigner will be seen equal here. I get along pretty well but I will never feel accepted here in Japan.
@@Dominik-bl9sw I think the foreigners in Japan who don't understand this state of inherent and permanent exclusion are naïve or lacking in self-awareness.
@@yuyutubee8435 fact
Chris Broad said it will never happen. And if that's acceptable price to pay, you're welcome to Japan.
Understood, apologies for lacking self awareness. I'll educate myself.
With the late release one it varies Spider-Man: No Way Home came out 2-3 months later in Japan then America but Thor: Love and Thunder came out at the same time.
I would gladly save up 6 months worth of rent beforehand for a place thats like 800 bucks a month. I pay 1200 for a place that barely works and can't move anywhere nicer unless I double my income due to newer apartments requiring average middle class level income. This also ignores all other factors
The price of a place isn't important, what's important is the ratio of what you can reasonably earn to what the rent costs. If rent was $1mil/mo but it was easy to get jobs that paid $10mil/mo, the rent would seem crazy from the outside but not be difficult for people living there. Meanwhile if the rent was $400/mo but it was difficult to make more than $800, that would be more of a struggle to pay. Big cities tend to have better employment opportunities as well as higher prices, and I think the income to cost ratio in Tokyo is reasonable, but the 6 months rent up front is kinda wack.
Keep in mind this is also ignoring taxes and various other expenses because I could write an entire book if I wanted to
Where is this, NY?
@@RadenWA no this is texas surprisingly
I always enjoy watching your videos. Helps me to understand so much. Hope one day I can visit Japan and make the most of it.
You can't keep me out forever, Japan.
I will buy those boneless chicken servings at 3 am from 7/11.
That is my goal.
As a 5'5" young man, I always have loved Japan for the fact they have things for shorter men. The Miata, being my favorite example!
I'm used to reaction videos always being so negative, that's why I love Shogo's videos because he's always so positive and receptive to learn.
Again a very informative video!.
Today….OMG I was trying to get a bank account in Chiba, and I have everything they required for paperwork, hanko, IDs, you name it, but they couldn’t help me because I didn’t speak Japanese. I told them that the information was online and that I knew all the risk associated with having a bank account, yet they still told me it was the rule to speak Japanese to have a bank account and understand fully. 🤦🏻♀️ How in the world am I going to ge paid?!? There are ways around it. I’m sure Im not the first foreigner to encounter this, it’s just so inconvenient. Japan is not made for foreigners, and if you are afraid to stand out or triggering to not be part of a group, you will have a harder time to adjust. Do yourself a favor and learn basic Japanese before coming (although you don’t really need it if you live in a place like Tokyo).
Earlier yesterday I was reading a few of the comments on this video, mainly one relating to housing (something about pricing/value and words like investment or commodity). I think when I saw the thing about that, I realized I haven't really thought much about homes in other countries that could be owned or rented, etc. I'm unsure how to write it out too, and with little I know about topics in finance, economics or real estate but yes, wanted to say I'm learning a but from some of the comments too
the whole being asked to drink with your coworkers thing would probably get me really worked up were I to live or move to Japan
I feel like here in the west it´s that there are a certain number a lot of people who really only spent as much time with their coworkers as absolutely necessary including myself
Ver great video as always! I love to see how much fun you guys have together and I am so glad you formed a bigger team :)
7mon of rent 😭. Geez I can barely save up for first and last here in the US. Plus, I'm fat 😂
At this point my main concern for ever moving to Japan is my autistic son... I still want to visit, but I am worried about the conformity thing. He tries, but he has difficulties
Definitely agree with the Paper-heavy Society aspect. I had suffered so much in the first few weeks when I arrived in Japan, everything was too much paperwork for me and I had to carry around a very inefffective Hanko stamp.
Also, another thing about middle names, I prefer my middle name as my name is a name-sake from my aunt. And many MANY places have mixed us up. Pharmacies, banks, doctors, insurance companies, to name a few.
So i learned from a young age to go by my middle name to separate myself from her so no issues would arise as those are serious people mixing us up. Imagine getting medicine that someone else is supposed to take. Luckily, i caught it while at the pharmacy, and they were able to find my actual order.
I’ve been noticing the way Japan has 2 sides to her personality, the modern and the traditional cultures, and how the two are held together by their mutual respect for one another.
Already with #1, that's significantly cheaper than anything we can legally build in Canada. People say they want to avoid shrinking spaces, but I'd rather have a 1DK for $800/month than a detached home for $2500/month.
The point on rent, it also depends on where you are moving from. If you are moving from Kansas in the USA, then yes. $780 for that amount of space in Tokyo is expensive. However, if you are like me from New York City, getting a bedroom. dining room and a kitchen for that price is quite a bargain.
About paperwork, my brother spent a year in France. According to him Japan has a lot to learn about bureaucracy and paperwork. 😜
Very interesting once again Shogo and family. I would be frustrated with the late release thing, say films (movies in the USA-I'm from England). My wife and I are big film fans, so missing out or waiting another year etc for a release would just not do. Also, the paper thing-the rest of the world uses tech for this sort of thing: get with the programme! (Pun intended). Look forward to the next vid.
the last segment goes both way's , most of the time we wait from a month to a year or more for any anime movie.
This is my first time seeing Kazu's face!!!
You guys are awesome
In the US, hospitals are where uou go for elective surgeries or emergency medicine. Most primary care physicians have offices in smaller clinics, for routine exams and annual physicals, non emergency stuff. Getting medicine online is sometimes possible through Doctor On Demand, but that wasn't a very popular option before the pandemic. If you had covid symptoms for example, you wouldn't go to a hospital. You would get a covid test at a clinic or a drugstore pharmacy, and then contact your pcp for a prescription but you'll still have to pick it up at a local pharmacy. Most have drive through pickup so you wouldn't have to go inside the building with an active case of covid
I'm from Trinidad. Our population is 1.4M. Points 3 and 4 are very similar to our standards though. That's kind of encouraging, as I one day soon want to make my way to Japan.
The first one isn't THAT bad, in CA a 200sq ft apartment in a not great area is at least 900+.
Loved the video but have to admit I thought you had a guest host with you at first Shogo. Not used to seeing Kazu without a mask. :)
It is interesting that you say Japan does not like change. I work for Toyota but in the USA. The company supports Kiazen.
As a 6’2” who weighs 300 of fat and muscles the clothes and food size are the biggest detriments for me
About the later releases, this is something I experienced in Korea as well, but it most strongly impacted movies that were localized (were dubbed in the local language).
Please do more reaction and free talk videos! They’re very entertaining, thank you Shogo-san
"Japan is such a small country that's why the small rooms" is such a common saying.
Meanwhile in the 1.6 x smaller UK "You get a mansion (in comparison), and you get a mansion".
Sometimes it feels like Japan makes the rooms so small so people get too clostrophobic to stay in the small home and feel more comfortable working overtime at work and young adults in the rush for their own privacy when you add the thin walls rush to an overpriced 1dk room and the cycle repeats.
But I forget my home Island nation is geographically in a much, much better place where natural disasters and volcanos are concerned.
About the hair color situation, it could be genetics. I was a hairdresser for 20 years and I remember in my training we learned that red headed people had more resistance to hair color so they needed stronger chemical products. It could be that Japanese genetics creates a situation where they don’t need such strong products because of the way their hair grows i.e. less dense or not as coarse.
Yeah, I understand about tradition, but surely, Japanese group-oriented society sometimes are too much to handle.
It’s the reason why they are strong. Philippines is too divided that we are still indirt
Very informative 🙌🏻 Thank you guys 💯✌🏻🥰
The mountains limit land usage, which effects price
Japanese often complain about getting Western movies late, but in the West, we rarely get Japanese movies at all, unless it's Godzilla or Ghibli. I often read about some interesting Japanese movie, and then I just have to hope to find it online, because it will never come to a theater near me. Maybe a theater in NYC or at an international arts festival, but Japan mostly doesn't even try to make recent things available outside of Japan.
Regarding rent, price is about what one pays for in NYC, perhaps a little cheaper in Tokyo. The thing no one mentions is that your living cost is cheaper. Food, public transportation, electricity, and other dailies are MUCH cheaper, healthier, convenient, and accessible than living in NYC for example. Most foreigners who complain about price are the typical low paid teachers or interns. Those with actual careers can afford living anywhere in Tokyo.
In Kansai, not sure about any other areas, 4L store has big men sizes but the selection looks like it is for Yakuza and is expensive. The hardest was socks and shoes. 26 cm is max I wear 30cm or 12 inches. I could find shoes if I searched all over but socks not so easy. It is cheaper to live outside of the main city of a prefecture. I had no problem setting up a banking account at Japan Post Bank. I have a short name so easy for me.
Houses, the building itself depreciates due to earthquakes and harsh weather. The land retains its value.
First apartment shown is much bigger and costs much less then the average houses and apartments in SD. It’s like $1200 a month. The way they reacted to a apartment that was 780 is cute
Probably why Japanese movie releases were delayed because one of the favtors being considered is the target audience and cultural relevances, where some scenes were altered/modified to suit a certain cultural taste and so that they can relate to that movie, and it may took months or years to create that version. Like in the movie Inside Out, where the animated vegetable for the baby in Japanese version isn't broccoli but green peppers because brocolli is a very favorite food in Japan.
As someone that lives in Southern California, those rental prices sound amazing🥲
The example with painkillers seens to be correct that it is more expensive in Japan, I am from Slovakia, EU, we have accessible healthcare (not great not terrible, going to a doctor is normal, staying home sick is normal), so ibuprofen 200mg doze tablets in a pack of 24 are available for 2.89€ in eshop, 2.80$, so round 3$ means its over 400% more in Japan
I would suggest that one more factor pushing Japanese drug prices higher than those of some other countries relates to the aging population. As we age, we become riddled with aches and pains. With Japan’s population being so advanced in age, it seems likely that there is simply a higher demand for painkillers and other common medications. With comparatively more resources devoted to the production of these medications, prices would naturally be higher.
"Rent is ridiculous, $780 for a one-bedroom apartment in Tokyo!"
Me: _laughs in Californian_
Japanese people: goes to hospital for fever.
Me, a Mongolian: cures fever with "herbal" traditional medicine.
the medicine issue is absolutely right. Got a cold in Japan and had to take double the amount for any relief.
3:25 If I had to pay that much a month, I would might as well invest in an abandoned home and live there.
6:28 Okay, had to laugh at that one!
7:10 That country needs a infrastructural overhaul to speed things along!
8:14 WHAT?! It wasn't enough?! What are these people demanding? The Lord of the Rings trilogy?
13:48 "A disaster deluxe combo"...For a small country, it receives a lot geological activity! Typhoons, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes! Oh, my!
18:25 You're right. It does matter on how fast you metabolize the medicine in your body.
21:00 To add on, the US has these locations called Urgent Care facilities. It's basically another level of care between the doctor you actually go to for checkups and going to the hospital for life threatening emergencies. The only difference is that you can go to these facilities almost 24 hours a day like a hospital. That depends on your location.
22:26 Not just clips, but sometimes the entire movie! Somehow people manage to get there hands on the raw file of the entire movie days before the official release!
Absolutely love your channel ❤️
Also having to go to the dentist 3-4 times for a simple procedure just because of insurance isn't the best experience. If you can find the right dentist, they'll accept doing your procedure or surgery in only one appointment! ^^ (Still expensive in Japan, my boyfriend has to pay over $600 for one tooth.)
This is why my point on visiting Japan but never living there stands. You're welcome.
The size difference is the same if you are from a smaller country moving to a bigger, western country. There I absolutely can’t find adult clothes that fits me so I always shop at the youth section, unless the adult section offers XS.
The last point with the having someone else in other country to help u buy/subscribe or whatnots, I kinda don't really agree. I mean, of course if you have someone like that for you, that's great. But I don't like to trouble others so i always never ask people to help with something and if I absolutely have to, I feel very uncomfortable. I think it depends on everyone's situation as well.
Oh! The point about the health insurance and how everyone just goes to the hospital when you are sick is very helpful! In my country (Singapore) hospitals are where you go when it's something quite major and we have clinics instead, for regular ailments like the common cold or the flu. We didn't realise there's no such segregated system in Japan! How interesting! I wonder what it's like if tourists to Japan need to seek medical attention (our daughter had to be hospitalised and warded overnight once many years ago when we were travelling in Hiroshima but we just used our travel insurance to cover it in the end).
My wife and son picked up respiratory viruses back in 2018 and we saw a GP at a clinic in Shinagawa. My son later developed an allergy to a medication he was prescribed and needed to be taken to a hospital emergency department, and recovered after some anti-histamines. We took him to the same GP for a review. Small clinics are a thing but perhaps more likely in areas where there are foreigners.
Yeah, for hospitals in the US, doctors pretty much shrug their shoulders at you if its anything less than an emergency.
Even with health insurance for lower end "middle class" (verses Poverty levels and free health care), it costs like $6,000 out of pocket before the insurance you pay for kicks in, so you dont even want to go to the hospitals cause if you are not able to cough up the money, you can go in debt super fast.
If you are under that line and are considered poverty, then most things are free depending on the insurance company you signed up for. HOWEVER, you are only allowed to go to doctors your insurance covers, so finding a doctor is a little harder. Let alone a doctor who can help you with your personal issues.
It's kind of like cinderella and the glass slipper for health care here.
And the more morbid "cut off part of your foot so the shoe fits" for the poorest "non-poverty" people.
I have a question about the drinking party after work. What happens if you're alergic to alcohol drinks?
Also just to correct something, in most European countries we have Free Health Care so what Harumi-san said isn't for all of us.
Wow! On average 780 a month in Tokyo? One bedrooms in big cities in the USA (Like New York or San Fransisco) are often 2,000 or more! And still require first/last months rent and a deposit.
Almost seems cheaper to move to japan 😭
I think that the reason for the delayed release dates for movies etc. is due to the difference in language. They tend to release the sub and dubbed versions at the same time. It would be entirely possible to release subbed version first, but I don't think the market for that is overly high. It's much easier to watch a dubbed movie and understand the dialogue in your own language, than it is to be reading the subtitles through the movie with no way to pause or rewind if you missed something.
Short version: Japan is an extremely foreign country, and if you expect things to be the same there as they are in your home country--surprise, they're not. If you really want to relocate somewhere, you should prepare for all of the culture shock and adjust ahead of time as much as possible. With an eye toward moving to Japan, for instance, I legally changed my name. It doesn't cost much and will save a lot of headaches when I move there.
You can get 16x Ibuprofen 200mg in the UK for about £0.35, the more expensive brands are around £3.00 for 16, though they are generaly still just 200mg of Ibuprofen. $15 for 24 seems like a crazy markup.
Shogo-San,
So with buying clothes on Amazon, as a foreigner living here... In America I wear a Medium/Large, but here I must shop for XL to be safe. I would say its due to the shoulder width and with socks as well.