Japan gets a lot of things right that the world doesn't. BUT what's the one idea you'd steal from Japan and take back home? And what did I miss?! Let us know below!
This may sound odd, but if I had to choose, I'd most likely take some of the architecture. Not talking about the neon lights or the stereotypical stuff but the residential places mostly. It just seems interesting. Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
AMTRAK ! PLEASE TAKE NOTE !.....Not that Amtrak can actually do so as, the U. P. iss Yellow & BNSF among others get to set ground rules ( Literally) that hold up Amtrak.
As an Australian, the concept of a train being early, rather than late, is wild to me. Our buses are another thing entirely and I swear half the time they aren't following a schedule as I cannot tell when they're running early or ridiculously late.
I am a 75-year-old Japanese person. I have never felt uncomfortable eating alone, and I don’t think the restaurant staff feel uncomfortable either. Of course, I eat with friends, lovers, and family at restaurants. However, when I want to eat the food I really crave, I eat alone. Japanese people may be particular about their meals.
hello 75-year-old japanese person. i'm swedish but it sounds logical to me. i would eat alone all the time, lol (and i already do, well mostly, at home, so it's not weird or anything)
It's likely because you lived your life entirely with others, so you don't mind having alone time. It's a sort of balance for all humans to want to socialize but also want some privacy. For western culture, perhaps people aren't as close knit as one would think, outside of close friends and family, hence eating alone is something of an oddity. But the Japanese has a sense of kinship among fellow citizens in a way, even if they are strangers, they know similar customs or culture, something that works as an identity and interests among them. But it's that sense of 'identity' that sometimes they might prefer to be alone, as communities and groups are too 'stale' sometimes with their one track mentality or ideology as a group rather than as a individual. The nail that sticks out gets hammered, basically.
Japanese here. I do like the train system here, but I have spent some time abroad, and I found it nice that people help moms with strollers there. I saw many times on Boston T, the driver(?) waited for the babies and mothers get on the trains, even if it delayed. I thought it would be nice if we could do that in Japan.
oh I have bearly seen strollers on JP transport ( I feel like lots of parents carry the children), but yeah, that is generally something nice. Honestly, I am from Austria and idk about the punctuality (it's quite ok here) but at least when it comes to getting onto and off a train, I think I prefere the austrian way. We stand left and right to the doors, let ppl exit and then just enter whenever you have space. Same with like exit-staircases or escalators, ppl don't really form a specific like one-by-one, they just come together like a zipper but it works really quickly. I JP, you always have to pay such close attention to the markings on the floor about where to stand, and ppl stand for like 15min in spot, just to form the line to enter the train, even though we all have reserved seats anyway and so on... idk about that one hahaha So yeah, I feel like it's hard to say if one country does it overall better than another, there are different positive or less-positive "rules" that developed everywhere.
I know what you're talking about, as we used public transit in New Orleans and saw one of their tram operators using an elaborate system to bring a wheelchair bound person on board and lock them into place. It cost some time, but was a kind gesture and it's probably necessary for a lot of people. My experience is that Japanese parents try harder to use the transit on its own schedule. I know helping and delaying looks compassionate, but the families in Japan are more mindful of others, especially in how small children act. The kids are very responsible in how they handle themselves in public. We couldn't stop talking about how well-behaved they were when we visited.
As for Dining Alone, I agree with you as a Japanese. Strictly speaking, not all restaurants in Japan welcome solo customers. In upscale restaurants and prestigious Japanese restaurants, it is normal to have more than one person in the restaurant. However, many of the more common restaurants welcome single diners. A drama series called "Solitary Gourmet" in which a man eats alone in a restaurant, has become very popular and has continued for more than 10 seasons.
@@thomgizziz It's certainly not uncommon or anything, especially depending on what kind of restaurant you're going to. But it is definitely a thing that in many countries, going to a restaurant is considered a group or at least duo activity, so you MIGHT get side-eyed by others.
My understanding is that eating out has long been a more normal thing in Japan. In the US going to a restaurant wasn't what you did for a meal, it was for an event or occasion. I think this has changed to a degree, but there are still elements. That also makes sense with more upscale restaurants being less friendly to it because those would be more for the events and occasions than the regular restaurants. And, no, it isn't that you can't go to a restaurant alone in the US, but there absolutely is a stigma to it.
As a Finn I loved living in japan because everyone was so time oriented, its the same in Finland. We hate being late and usually arrive to meetings ecs 15-30 min early. However out trains definetly won't have the same rules being on time :D My biggest culture shock in Tokyo was seeing someone vacuum metro station! With a small portable vacuum! The train and metro stations are so dirty everywhere else in the world.
Well, in Helsinki the trains tend to be on time, except when it has just snowed for the first time. Also the regional trains close to Helsinki tend to be on time. However it can be different with Inter-City trains and I don't personally have experience with other regional trains, but I'm a frequent user of I, P, K trains in Helsinki and the Pendolino from Lahti to Helsinki
Fun fact: the trains (subway) get cleaned normally when the are at the terminus , it just shows how careless people are littering everywhere in no time
Im from a tiny town in finland where the bus comes every 30 mins to an hour. If lucky. Sometimes they can be 10 to 20 minutes late or not come at all. Many times i shivered in rain or snowstorm
One of the most admirable aspects of Japan's approach to strikes, particularly when compared to places like the UK, is their consideration for the public. Instead of halting train services altogether, they operate the trains without collecting fares, leaving the barriers open and not checking tickets. This ensures that the general public isn't inconvenienced, while the companies still feel the impact of the strike. It's a commendable demonstration of their unique and thoughtful approach.
How does that work though? Do the workers not get paid but keep working for free during that time? Because the purpose of a strike is both side suffer until they come to an agreement.
@@RexZShadowthat's not the purpose per say, it's the unintended side effect of not being able to really hit them where it hurts without anti-protest laws cracking down on you. If bus drivers wanted to protest by letting on all customers for free, they'd be fired and put in court for fraud or something. Blanket laws be like that innit, no real loopholes
Japan excels at the solo dining culture so much, that there's even a TV series about it, called Kodoku no Gourmet (Solitary Gourmet). Its about a lone travelling furniture salesman, and the "plot" for every episode is just him, after work, trying out the best cuisine of every town he comes across. The series acts as a kind of commercial as well, as the restaurants and dishes featured in every episode are real.
omg i need to check that out, have you seen Samurai Gourmet about the retired man doing a similar thing? i absolutely loved it so i need to check out this other one!
Not mentioned here, but I did rather like how cheaply I, a foreigner with the train pass, could travel alone. Clean suitable hotels with private lockable sleeping rooms averaging 25 USD made it easy to stay under $100us a day budget. (Business hotels and traditional hotels for the win) which would make it remarkably easy to travel just for food.... Actually Japan is probably the only nation I would want to be a cheap tourist in my old age in. I might plan to spend a month or two a year there when I retire.
As a Japanese who lived in the UK for 10yrs, I find your views on Japan very interesting. I don’t know if my friends in Essex would agree with your views on certain things, but it is refreshing to know there are British guys like you who appreciate our society that much. Love your work, keep it up.
@@nix2939 I love it. But now days it is far too expensive. London was always a bit pricey, but now it’s crazy. I would love to go back, but would need to earn decent amount just to survive there…
@@gooner7768 I agree. There are a lot of people in other parts of the UK (like myself) who would never be able to live anywhere near Central London. Glad you liked it though
@@missplainjane3905 it’s incomparable.. The country is growing so there is excitement, but things like sense of hygiene and the quality of food, housing is still 30 years behind, of the western countries.
The amount of production value/plain old hard work you put into each & every one of your videos really sets you apart in a world where people just hit "record" & then "upload" & call it a day. As soon as one of your videos starts, the audio, the cuts, the top-tier announcer voice, everything tells me I'm in the hands of a professional, & it's such a rare & satisfying experience. You were made a storyteller my friend, keep up the good work & enjoy!
As someone who grew up in Hong Kong where public transport can be late by maybe a minute or two (especially in more rural areas) but is usually not, when I first moved to the UK to go to uni, I was astounded to learn that trains can just not appear and that is the normal
A lot of my friends studying overseas reflect that too, they tell me they've taken our public transit system for granted haha. Personally I think our public transit is pretty decent after having traveled to many different countries.
Yeah for all the hype about trains always being on time I have ran into a lot of them not being on time when I lived in toyko. I have even had occasion to see them not show up because they were broken. Now either I have the worst luck in the world or their claims of being on time 99.9% of the time are media hype that doesn't accurately reflect reality. The trains are more punctual than the UK but they aren't the magic that people claim.
I'm from Switzerland and even as a European, I don't get how other European countries can be so terrible at this. I mean, the Deutsche Bahn is an absolute mess. Their trains regularly stop in the middle of nowhere, the passengers aren't informed what's going on and they're made to sit there for hours. They can't even get off because the doors are locked (because the train isn't anywhere near a station). The Swiss government has had a lot of arguments with the German, French and Italian governments over this matter. The thing is, inside Switzerland, trains are very punctual (just like in Japan). However, sometimes a train comes from another country. For example there are trains that go all the way from Hamburg via Basel to Zurich. So, usually once they arrive in Zurich, they have massive delays. Customers who don't know this issue (including most tourists) blame Swiss trains for it but it's actually the people in Germany who cause the delays. I don't know exactly what's wrong with their system but even most Germans hate it because it's such a mess.
@@RainbowYak Yeah it's much more likely for trains in Germany to be not on time than to actually be on time. Even if it's just 5 minutes. But often it is much more than 5 minutes.
for me, the biggest thing is definitely the respectful social culture :) sounds really nice to be able to have your peace in public (more often than in other countries)
I think it'd also be nice that when people talk on their cell phone, they're trying to be quiet and polite about it, and not make their conversation the business of every person within a 200 meter radius.
@@TheLongestChannelNameThoughtOf Oh god, yes! The damn phone calls you can hear at the other end of a bloody train... I'm living in Germany, where technically the stereotypes actually are sort of similar to Japan. Nobody should be a bother to other people in public and people do give those who disturb the peace quite pronounced death glares... but somewhere along the way being considerate of other people has been completely lost, I assume a casualty of unshackling us from a authoritarian, strictly hierarchical society where the enforcement of norms was much more draconian. So the people acting out just... don't give a shit. I wish we could as a society just try and find a compromise between individual freedom... and not being an asshole to our entire fucking environment.
Just wanted to say thank you for all your amazing content over the years. Your videos always make me laugh and as a fellow Brit who has wanted to live in Japan since I was 10 but sadly can't I live vicariously through you and your view of Japan. I have been watching you since 2014 and it's been wonderful to watch your channel grow and get more entertaining as time goes by. I love learning new things about this amazing country from you and your friends in the most comical yet serious of ways so thank you. 😊
Talked to this older lady once, she said that public transport here in Poland has gotten so much worse over the years, the bus we were both waiting for was half an hour late and it was right after new years so the prices increased (from about 2.5 euros to 3 euros). Apparently buses during the soviet times were actually kinda punctual and tickets were fairly priced
public services like that were one of the things the soviet union was pretty good at, the problem was getting them to actually implement those services.
Similar trends existed across all of the eastern bloc, the way higher focus on heavy industry necessitated better infrastructure, which then affected the civil trains as well. As you're probably aware the same phenomena lead to neglect of consumer-oriented side of economy, which caused the dreaded lack of goods and in general stagnated the development in those countries, so that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Also the price difference (like many things) was covered by comparatively higher taxes, it wasn't necessarily cheaper (compared to average wage, it was noticably cheaper due to inflation but that doesn't tell you much)
The problem with consideration in the west isn’t that most people want to be inconsiderate. The problem is that the people who aren’t considerate ruin it who everyone who wants to be. So, it feels like a lot of people give up on being considerate when others are inconsiderate without any backlash because of the priority that the individual has over the collective.
@@MetalGuitarTimo This, lots of places in the past where harmonious and considerate until malicious powers that be destroyed homogeneity with mass migration. Japan has largely preserved theirs and they do probably put more emphasis on public harmony than anywhere else, but if they go the way of the west it will disappear there too.
Western countries seem to be in a victim culture pandemic. Surprise when the inconsiderate selfish people are masters are playing victim to make themselves immune to criticism and any consequences for the bad behavior.
Dude that last point hits hard! As far as dining alone in America goes, there's always this unspoken pressure you feel when walking into a restaurant where you're expected to have people with you. I would love to visit Japan to feel this foreign atmosphere I so desperately crave!
its most likely the smooth brain new generation types that are in their 20s now and parents were the losers that dropped out in school and had them as teens. and they follow and believe everything mainstream media poops out and celebs @bjgvideos
I’m bothered by dining solo in America too for some reason, and I’ve stuck to the bar area with exaggerated interest in my phone to combat the feeling. I don’t know why I feel that way, and I do know people who don’t feel weird dining solo, but I just can’t help but feel bothered when I dine alone, like I’m causing unnecessary trouble or something. It’s probably ridiculous and if I could shake the feeling I would.
I’d steal japan’s zoning laws for building. The fact that they allow residential and commercial to be to intermixed is one of my favourite things about Japan, because you can explore so many neighbourhoods and usually don’t need to travel far for a quick bite. Edit: A lot of people commenting don’t seem to get that this is what I personally would like to take because my country doesn’t have it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s unique to Japan or not, I would just like the same in my own country. If your country has it then congratulations. 🎊
Mixed used zone regulations is quite common in Asia generally tho, not just japan. No matter which country you visit in asia, you are almost certainly never far away from food
@@MonsieurArlequin the only difference is that in Tokyo is a megacity with functioning public installations. In Asia, if there's a megacity that applies the mixed zoning laws, more often than not it's a complete chaos
Where we live in Singapore, our apartment blocks / shophouse flats sometimes integrate a whole mix of shops and services into them. Even municipal and medical ones like police posts and medical clinics. As long as the floor plan fits, any entity can be housed in that space under an apartment block. That's how neighbourhoods get their value in having amenities and services nearby without having to always travel out to a lone mall in the middle of nowhere, with a compulsory vehicle.
Props for including actual banger metal samples for the burning scenes! I appreciate that you don't skimp on these things. Makes the video very entertaining, and a true piece of hand craft.
Hi Chris- my fiancé and I have watched your channel for years- we were inspired to go to Japan and… here we are!!! We’re having the trip of a lifetime and are currently staying in Kyoto, thank you for all the entertainment over the years. Great video as always! ❤ (Edit) funnily enough- we witnessed a Japanese man urinating in the street in Osaka 😂
With that many bars and the inevitable drunkards, urine in the streets are expected 😅. But even so, from what I remember the streets in Japan don’t smell like urine and human poo like the country I live.
We took a Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo in a torrential downpour and the train was very late arriving. It was our first time in Japan and one of our more seasoned travelers called over a conductor to ask when we’d arrive. That poor guy was sweating sooooo much.
Hi Chris. I just came back from my first visit to Japan and I am so depressed. I would love to go back right away for all the reasons you mentioned in this video. The timing and content of your video is just spot on and has made me feel a little better about being back in a society where little Kidzukai exists. Thank you so much. I look forward to your next video every time. Love from Germany.
That is a real neuroscience thing, the depression comes from your brain literally rewriting itself trying to appreciate the excitement of your trip while also readjusting to returning to status quo. Be kind to yourself and don't rush the adjustment!
Japanese nightlife is definitely one I envy. Being in downtown Sapporo later in the day with people still being out, while feeling safe at that, was an amazing experience for me. I'm definitely going back.
in stockholm (the capital city of sweden) it would be like 99% ghost town after 10PM and you would probably get robbed too, lol. sweden is depressing af
That is what I find amazing about Japan, the fact that the UK went over there and helped them develop trains many years later they have way better ones than we do and on time puts us to shame.
Best not to mention HS2 then eh? London to Birmingham (and my london they mean some dormitory suburb of outer london then catch the local tube in to London proper.. sorry even as an Australian with not even a plan for high speed rail hearing that on the local news made me laugh)
@@Madhattersinjeans I don't think privatisation is always bad but critical infrastructure needs to remain in public hands. The worst are mixed structures like the Deutsche Bahn where you get the worst of both worlds and none of the benefits.
in Italy we have a lot of summer festival per town, around me were a lot of castles and markets and reenactments were a huge thing but still were you to ask an average italian what they thought of their country was usually negative, "We protected ruins while letting the rest ruin itself" said one
A thing I've noticed is just the safety and cleanliness of not just hotels, but hostels as well. Here, taking a hostel is miserable at best, but in Japan there's barely any point to spend more money on a hotel because hostels are so cheap, yet just as pristine
I just came back from visit to japan with a friend. Literally the first train i have to catch is not only late but then also delayed half an hour while im on it because some other train broke down. The trains they have over there are nothing short of a miracle and i already miss them.
I quite literally bought some "wagyu burgers" from the grocery store deli here over the summer and chuckled that it's probably better than regular ground beef but not actually wagyu. Was surprised to see Chris pick up on those products, he is right it was just pretty good normal beef nothing special about it.
Costco in the US has begun somehow importing A5 wagyu from Japan. They're frozen steaks, vacuum packed. Reviews have been good and they're going for $86-115/lb.
I just love Japan and it’s funny because today as I spoke to my boss about our recent trip to Osaka. She asked me why. Why do I love japan. It feels obvious the moment you are back in the states. A layover at the airport. You hear everyone’s conversation. The music is blasting it is mind bending. There is a sort of calm on a crowded train in Japan. You don’t feel obligated to buy something when you walk in a store to look around. The people are so considerate. I recently had back issues. Our Airbnb host showed up when we left to carry my bag to the airport bus for me. As you said, japan is not perfect. But coming home to the crazy politics of hate in the US and another mass shouting abd my wife working at an elementary school behind bullet proof glass just makes me love japan even more. I want to go back. Now
@@krisstopher8259 yes because swiss trains are f**** slow and expensive...one 3 USD trip in Japan costs 30 in Switzerland. And it takes 40 minutes instead of 10.
@@krisstopher8259depends on where you live, for example in my region you can buy a ticket for 26/34/youth/adult prices respectively and it lasts 90 min and this ticket can be used on both buses and trains(trains around here pretty much sucks sometimes)
I feel like an impatient child wishing you posted hilarious and wonderfully choreographed videos like this more often but... Quantity is indictive of the absence of quality. Thank you for choosing quality🎉
Hey Chris, thank you for your videos. I'm learning Japanese (after traveling to Japan this year without knowing any at all) and I love it when you speak Japanese and then translate the phrases, I've learned a lot! keep up the awesome work.
This is my favourite kind of your videos: the long form essay. Informative, researched, personable, and funny. Love it! Solo dining for me, and the tiny restaurants . I’d love to be able to wander the streets and take in such a singular experience.
Wow Chris, you must have had fun with this video. The editing was nuts, and I loved how you incorporated pretty much every aspect of your new set! Can't wait to see more like this
I swear Chris, I binged every Abroad in Japan video posted in the past three years in like two weeks. Seeing this notification was a godsend. I may or may not need to save up for a trip to Japan.
I’ve seen your videos for years now and they’ve gotten so much better since I’ve started watching, the content is great, the filming, locations and editing are all fantastic! Here’s to many more of these! 🍻
I lived in Hong Kong for 20 years and was lucky enough to visit Osaka with my kids. The transport systems in both places are amazing. I relocated to the UK with my family in 2022 and still can’t believe how backwards it is here. There is so much we could take from Asia to improve life here.
I heard about the story and sentiment behind Dawn very recently , and it ABSOLUTELY is something to adopt. A fight against isolation , it's beautiful .
There's something genuine about you that's just hard to put into words. It puts a smile on my face. Cheers, Chris. I hope you will continue to find success on TH-cam and elsewhere in life.
I do love meibutsu, it's a great way to try new things or discover something about an area visiting. Even some of the smaller areas can sometimes have their own, like Takahashi having some sugar dolls (little sugar treats shaped like dolls) to celebrate a museum of dolls. It does exist elsewhere like in Canada as local delicacies or what not , but not nearly to the same level and that's a shame because "hey, try this delicious food and discover something locals are proud of in connection" can be a good motivator to travel slightly off the beaten path or take a look at something one might not do otherwise.
Omg Chris you don’t know how excited I am that you’ve gone back to your old outro music! It’s my favourite outro music EVER and I used to sit playing the end of your videos just to listen to it. I LOVE IT.
Well both of my "what did I miss?" suggestions are minor architectural details... 1) Swappable one-click ceiling light fixtures. All you need to do is unclip the old fixture and clip in the new one. The plug and the clip to hold the fixture are all one piece and stay in the ceiling so you can easily take your light fixture with you when you move, or install it when you move to a new place. 2) This one is REALLY minor--magnetic doorstops fitted into the floor. They're flush to the floor when the door is closed, then pop open to hold the door in place when it's fully opened. So simple, and I've never seen them anywhere else (which isn't to say they don't EXIST anywhere else...).
Interestingly watching this explains to me some what why the Japanese really like Finland, quite a few of these things you've highlighted here are also a thing in Finland: excellent public transit, kidzukai, interesting festivals and wet room bathrooms all things I've experienced in my travels in Finland.
With the festival part, I grew up in a bit of a small city and I always looked forward to a time every September where the carnival came to town. It was a lot of fun and they still do it. It's like a celebration for the harvest. Fun games, questionable rides, a ton of food stalls set up. I honestly really miss that feeling. The state fair here isn't as "together" feeling as what it was back home
That avatar robot restaurant seems like such a dream to someone like me. It's not just for the monetary part but to be able to work again would help me feel so much more "normal" and fulfilled. A lot of my depression comes from feeling like I'm not productive, that could bridge that gap. Plus I'd get to be a cute robot lol 😊. Granted I'd be a wage slave again but I feel so guilty not working. And also having money would be nice then I wouldn't need to rely so much on others more than I already have too.
Heading to Japan in a few days from the USA and I'm bracing myself for the culture shock I will inevitably receive when I return home to the states. BTW, just bought your audiobook and I'm looking forward to listening to Mr. Affable on the plane flight out. :)
I cannot emphasize how great number 2 feels. I've almost never felt unsafe or in danger in Japan. It's hard to describe the sense of wellbeing you feel living in Japan knowing you don't have to worry about people stealing from you, taking advantage of you, trying to improve their lives by making yours worse. Yes, there's the bicycles and umbrellas and a dark underbelly to nightlife, but compared to my home country, where I can't even enjoy nightlife in fear of being mugged or beaten by a belligerent drunk, i'll take Japan every time.
@@garryferrington811 That's ridiculous. There are a few dangerous places in the U.S. (usually the poor neighborhoods with gang activity) but I live in the reasonable-sized city of Austin, Texas and neither I nor anyone in my family has encountered anything more dangerous than a loose dog with a bad attitude (dog attacks can actually be very serious). My friend who owns guns and bows has never had an opportunity to use them other than for hunting, and he's hung out at smoky drunk pool halls and biker rallies. I'm not saying that guns aren't a problem (reference multiple mass shootings), but for most people living everyday lives, guns are totally unnecessary.
@@AndyAlegria tell me you're a dude without telling me you're a dude. Seriously, I lived in Seattle for almost ten years, and several times a year I had to flat out run as fast as I could to get away from a drunk/drugged/crazy man, and this was in multiple neighborhoods: Ballard, The U-district, just a block from my very nice apartment, Belltown (ok, that is a sketch area at night), Queen Anne. I even had to bolt away from someone in broad daylight once in Queen Anne. At least once a week in the U-district I'd get campus police alerts about a new person being assaulted. It was no better in Austin, where some rando wandered into my actual bedroom after my roommate left the room unlocked, and I got choked by a guy at the Costco pump, because he was mad I was trying to get out of my car as he was trying to drive past and he just went full-nuts and stuck his hands through my window when I got back in my car in confusion. When I lived in Dallas where there are areas I would not go after the sun went down. The U.S. is a steaming sh*thole. Contrast that to Denmark, where I could go anywhere, any time of night in Copenhagen, the largest city, and not be molested. Japan sounds even better than Denmark in the safety respect. Currently I live in an upscale college town, and a few months ago a cracked out woman ran at me accusing me of "following" her when I was walking to the grocery store. It's unREAL. The disconnect between people who think the US is safe and those who know it's not is people who hop in their SUVs or monster trucks and drive out to isolated suburbs and never walk anywhere AND are male. If you're female, if you ever walk or use transit, if you live inside city limits near businesses and not in gated enclaves, you *know* you're radically unsafe in the United States. Especially if you've ever lived in a non-s**thole country, like Japan, or Denmark. [edited swears because the algorithm kept complaining when I left them as-is]
@@dreamersmask Okay, I'll poll my female friends in Austin and see what they say. Based on what I've heard, being female anywhere in the world is more dangerous than being male. I wish that weren't the case.
We were lucky enough that when we were in Tokyo a local festival set up in the streets all around our airbnb for 3-4 days - dinner every night was incredible and we got to wander and meet some local stall holders day after day. By the final night they were feeding us so much food, what ever we ordered was somehow doubled (without our knowledge). The atmosphere, the people, the food - one of my favorite, totally unplanned memories of Japan.
Lived in tokyo and festival food is almost always worse than getting food elsewhere and it costs more too... it just shows that when you are primed to think something is amazing you do even if it is crap.
I recall an apology from the rail network in my city after a driver left the train unattended so he could go to the bathroom, and it rolled out of the station on its own before hurtling through the city at speed (the original stop was near the top of a hill at the edge of the city) only stopping when rail opreators redirected it into crashing into a freight train. Nobody told he freight train operator but he was smart enough to GTFO when he saw a train speeding toward him. True story, happened in Melbourne Australia back in the 90's.
I'm from Worcester in the UK and we've actually got a decent Ramen shop called Maneki Ramen. I always love going there, it's amazing having a tiny bit of Japan in the Shire.
Do you know that Worcester sauce is one of the most popular sauce used in Japan? Im a Japanese and I knew the name "Worcester" from this sauce and didint even know that its name came from a city in England.
@@attaccante-9799 yes 🙂 my Brother and I went to Japan in 2019 and the food was incredible, some of the best meals I've ever had! We were very lucky to go! Yes, Worcestershire sauce was made in 1837 by Lea and Perrin and it's still made in Worcester today. Although there are different variations made around the world 🙂 what part of Japan are you from?
@@mrroganjosh6877 wow so the sauce is surely one of your noted products. I (we) love to use Worcester sause on tonkatsu (fried pork) and Okonomiyaki (kind of Japanese pan cake). Im living in Osaka City, and I can say100% of Osaka citizens should know this sauce ; )
The dining alone thing and it not feeling anything out of the ordinary was something that I noticed very quickly on my first trip over from the UK. My wife had to go back to the hotel as the long flight had knocked her sideways so I went into a restaurant in Ginza by myself and it was great, never even gave it a thought that I was there alone. Same as the next day at the fish market. As for other things, the bathroom is a very good example, we actually have a wet room as our bathroom, and aside from it being harder to keep clean than other bathrooms I have had (damn textured vinyl flooring), its great not having a cramped shower cubicle, the whole room is the shower. Just need to add the right toilet seat what for the spraying of the things... soon....
So you are a foreigner that the second you leave your own country you are okay with doing things that you wouldn't do at home... that isn't a good quality. You feeling weird about going into restaurants alone doesn't have much to do with others it has to do with your values, morals and beliefs... it is your perception about what is acceptable and not what others are pressuring you to do. You were able to throw that all away because you went to another country because you don't care about them and feel no pressure to conform, which is a terrible thing.
people say Japanese society is to much strict to rules, but when i got back to my country east Europe i really missed rules of japan everything was in their place
I would love a reliable transit system where the buses and trains actually arrive on time and I don't have to head out to work an hour early just in case the train breaks down or the bus company doesn't have enough drivers to send out that day because the execs are stealing all their wages
When you made the comment about people not being proud of where they are from in the UK, I paused for a moment and thought - I am proud of my town. Then I unpaused and you mentioned Shropshire. Guess where I live? Yeah. Shropshire! Come visit Shrewsbury - it's nice! (I'm originally from Dorset, but you've already been there for the fossils! Proud of Dorset, too!)
Being able to walk into any restaurant alone in Japan was honestly the one of the best parts about my trip, I dread times where I don't know what I want to eat in the states because I don't want that look of shame (disgust) when I do it here. Ps. Matsunoya was the biggest saving grace I had near my hotel in Itabashi.
Really great video! Everything seemed on point. I really like the new and expanded studio, and the slightly larger variation in scenery it brings. As for what I would steal from Japan, I think I would have to go with more localized festivals. It feels like Norways traditional festivals are slowly loosing importance, but I say we need to reverse that! More local variation! And also, edible ramen would be nice
SUGOI DESU NE, INDEED! This was such a good video! If only the rest of the world had amazing festivals and bidet toilets everywhere. The new studio looks fun too! Nice job on the “living room”. 👏
Here in my town I have been wanting to bring up the idea of a annual festival kinda like japan does where we can all just meet/hang out. Also in hopes that all our small business owners can get more customers. I think the festival would bring more people out towards our town and make us thrive astronomically more!
There are annual festivals in every country but the thing is most people don't care. It is like the person that moves to be close to the ocean and then never goes. It is just a thing that is around you and you are used to it. The difference here is you have a major weeb that fetishizes a whole culture and people to the point that he hyper focuses on things that most people would ignore and no this isn't a good thing.
my town I grew up in had a scarecrow festival every year and a may day festival, I really really miss them because it was such a fun community event, especially scarecrow fest where everyone would build scarecrows to put in their front garden on a theme and sign up with the council to be on the town tour map for the parade so everyone would see their work then we'd have the main festival on the villiage green
Being from England you should know that English words have definitions. "Envy" is when you want what someone else has, but "jealousy" is when you're worried someone's trying to take what you have. This is why English is much more powerful than many other languages, and also why it chases other languages down dark alleys, hits them over the head, and goes through their pockets, looking for good words to steal.
Food quality and the work ethic within the food sector. It truly is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. It again comes from their upbringing, being one of showing respect (and having self-respect), putting in the work and taking the time to truly learn techniques.
@@BoredInTheComments Well its that more japanese think of their jobs as an art and craft, something to pour your heart and soul into, and not just a soulless job
@@BoredInTheComments As in apparently they can live in the city they work, more or less. Our waiters etc here don't even get minimum wage, far less, that's why tips are most needed.
I'm mixed british/taiwanese, and similarly whenever I go back to Taiwan the most striking difference I always appreciate is just the cleanliness. In the UK there's bins basically every 20 ft from each other and still rubbish all over the place and gum and crap covering all the pavement. Walk around Taipei or Kaohsiung, you might not even see a bin for several blocks but still nobody just drops trash on the floor. The biggest differences are sometimes just attitudes.
Yeah they stuff it in bushes... I get that there is a difference but when you over exaggerate it just makes you an unreliable narrator which people will ignore once they find out that you have basically lied and gaslit them.
I totally agree that most of the world should implement more festivals in their local towns my town had a culture festival once and it was the most fun the city had in ages. It really brings everyone together and brings happiness and some joy for the people
They had those cat food delivery robots in an Italian restaurant at Frankfurt airport. They worked surprisingly well and people seemed to be quite deligthed by them. Having the whole bathroom floor being a self contained wet room with all "shower floor" and a drain is common place all over Finland. I find it so useful. You just shower and then dry the floor without having to worry about water or moisture damage.
I think that might be a UK thing. Bathrooms aren't equipped for like a gallon of water in the USA but you can certainly get the floors wet without concern
Wow I have always dreamed to travel and discover Japan. Discovering your channel recently has made me want to go there even more now. Entertaining, educational and inspiring videos. Keep it up Chris.
I think some people in the UK rail industry are starting to see point #1 and I've seen some emerging trend of designs in the UK similar to that of Japan. For example the Class 800 train is made by Hitachi, HS2 railway systems is very similar to Shinkansen (viaducts and tunnels, no level crossing, all in-cab signalling), and Crossrail 2 may use a large underpass to connect two existing stations together with a potential underpass shopping centre.
I don't know why people don't take notes when a country gets it right. The US I understand. We want more cars, more gas, more consumption (like guns.) But Canada's pretty sensible. Why always copy the US?
Japan invested a lot into their railway system and against what economists were telling it to do The UK a few years back scrapped an investment plan for the same reasons that Japan decided to ignore. They mainly say it won't turn a big enough profit so it's not cost-efficient, easily forgetting that a public transport system is made to ensure ease of access for the populace, not to pad investors' off-shore accounts
After living in Japan for 4 years, there are definitely some things I miss (and some I don't). For me personally, the thing I miss most is onsen (and associated affordable massages!) I would also like to steal the call buttons most restaurants have to summon the server. Sometimes it can be really frustrating trying to get your server's attention here in the West.
He didn't even mention the no-tip culture, but that is not a small thing and, I think, desperately needed in the U.S. so the wait staff can live affordably.
@@AndyAlegria Indeed! But as he's British, it's probably not something that struck him as strongly, as while we do tip in the UK, it's not always, it's voluntary, and no where near as much. Just less of a thing in general.
The festival part was touching, firstly because I recently visited Hiroshima and entirely by chance we arrived and stayed for their Flower Festival during Golden Week and it was brilliant! Secondly because quite a lot of us in Victoria, Australia are pretty pleased with where we live. I'd recommend Melbourne to anyone and love it here, and my old hometown of Beechworth has a lovely little underwhelming Easter "Golden Horseshoes" festival that brings the town together and is a hit with the interstate family. Then again depending on my mood I might answer the "What's it like?" question much the same because of that don't-be-too-serious it's-all-just-a-laugh self-deprecation thing that we think of as genially modest which we also have here.
The quality of this video is just phenomenal. Not only the video is interesting in and of itself but also the knowledge snip bits between cuts are very cool. You've come a long way chris, I am truly happy for you.
As an American whose lived in Jacksonville, FL with a large population, that's incredibly so incredibly spread out it's insanely difficult to get around without a vehicle: the public transit in Japan is a NEED for giant cities like this. As someone who currently is surrounded by more cornfields than people (and grew up in a small area): the sense of community and pride that the Japanese culture has in their rural areas is also something I would LOVE to have. However, I'll settle for some wagyu beef.
Most US Towns and Cities can’t copy the Japanese Transit systems because NIMBYism, zoning, and high construction costs usually prevents Vertical Housing like Apartments (with 1st floor mom/pop businesses) being built to build up population density to make Public Transit a worthwhile pursuit. That said, some Japanese buildings need to be built longer - it’s weird to go to shops that have 4 floors because of being in a small building.
Hey Chris! Thank you for continually putting out interesting and enjoyable content. It's always a joy when I get a notification that you've put out a new video. Cheers! 🥂
We had vending machines all over Europe in the early 20th century, entire restaurants, 24 hour open shops, etc. We still have some in the Netherlands, but it's a shame and also quite silly that they're almost gone.
In what way? they are extremely space and human resource effective, especially if their payment and logistics are fully automated with smart tech like I have seen are@@kaltaron1284
It think they are even more common now than they used to be, at least here in Finland, ever since they added mobile and card payments as viable options, and they automatically keep track and inform suppliers of shortages/errors. Ofc they aren't nearly as common as in Japan, but they are everywhere
The one thing I would steal is Natsuki! Joking aside the cinematography in this video has no right being this good! Only Chris can make a '12 things about' video look this good! 26 minutes of pure cinema quality content, thank you Chris for your never ending supply of educationally, comically enriched films!
Hi Chris. What I want to tell You as a train driver, even here in Czech republic (far far away from Japan but not so far from England) train leaving late is acceptable but leaving early is not. Departure time is here divided up to HALF minutes and I personally had to stop in request station when nobody wanted to leave, nobody was waiting, just to not leave early. 🙃
The one thing I would definitely steal is their sense of aesthetics. With the temples and shrines especially it feels like so much of the country is constructed to accentuate the nature around it, which made virtually every place I visited feel unique. A far cry from the innumerable department store parking lots I've seen here in America lol
As a 6'2" tall man I had a rather "interesting" issue with the bathroom in Kurashiki. The tub had a bulwark at the ceiling, so half of the ceiling was lower than the rest of the bathroom. In an already low ceiling. I had to shower sideways. But I love the idea of a wet room, it makes cleaning and preventing flooding in your home.
I see AbroadInJapan, I play it! Great job as always, Mr. Broad. Your acquaintance Rachel, of Rachel and Jun, covered a Japanese toothpaste which repairs cracks in tooth enamel!
Japan gets a lot of things right that the world doesn't. BUT what's the one idea you'd steal from Japan and take back home? And what did I miss?! Let us know below!
This may sound odd, but if I had to choose, I'd most likely take some of the architecture. Not talking about the neon lights or the stereotypical stuff but the residential places mostly. It just seems interesting.
Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
Vending machines being EVERYWHERE and selling more than just drinks.
Hot canned drinks from vending machines. That always seemed wild to me.
AMTRAK ! PLEASE TAKE NOTE !.....Not that Amtrak can actually do so as, the U. P. iss Yellow & BNSF among others get to set ground rules ( Literally) that hold up Amtrak.
Not exactly idea, but their punctuality is a good one
As an Australian, the concept of a train being early, rather than late, is wild to me. Our buses are another thing entirely and I swear half the time they aren't following a schedule as I cannot tell when they're running early or ridiculously late.
i doubt our train system even has a system. Sydneys is just it runs if it runs
I was in Japan in the Summer. Busses and Trains WILL show up on time lol
@@accelerator6910 Yeeep
As an American, the concept of a train at all is wild.
Don't get me started on the bus system in Melbourne.....
I am a 75-year-old Japanese person. I have never felt uncomfortable eating alone, and I don’t think the restaurant staff feel uncomfortable either. Of course, I eat with friends, lovers, and family at restaurants. However, when I want to eat the food I really crave, I eat alone. Japanese people may be particular about their meals.
hello 75-year-old japanese person. i'm swedish but it sounds logical to me. i would eat alone all the time, lol (and i already do, well mostly, at home, so it's not weird or anything)
@@krisstopher8259yeah sometime you just want time for yourself nothing wrong with that.
It's likely because you lived your life entirely with others, so you don't mind having alone time. It's a sort of balance for all humans to want to socialize but also want some privacy.
For western culture, perhaps people aren't as close knit as one would think, outside of close friends and family, hence eating alone is something of an oddity.
But the Japanese has a sense of kinship among fellow citizens in a way, even if they are strangers, they know similar customs or culture, something that works as an identity and interests among them. But it's that sense of 'identity' that sometimes they might prefer to be alone, as communities and groups are too 'stale' sometimes with their one track mentality or ideology as a group rather than as a individual.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered, basically.
@@kingofherosking3510 and EAT not talk, lol
私は78歳の日本老女です 好きな時間に大好きな物を誰にも気兼ねなく食事できる日本に生まれて感謝❗
Japanese here. I do like the train system here, but I have spent some time abroad, and I found it nice that people help moms with strollers there. I saw many times on Boston T, the driver(?) waited for the babies and mothers get on the trains, even if it delayed. I thought it would be nice if we could do that in Japan.
oh I have bearly seen strollers on JP transport ( I feel like lots of parents carry the children), but yeah, that is generally something nice.
Honestly, I am from Austria and idk about the punctuality (it's quite ok here) but at least when it comes to getting onto and off a train, I think I prefere the austrian way. We stand left and right to the doors, let ppl exit and then just enter whenever you have space. Same with like exit-staircases or escalators, ppl don't really form a specific like one-by-one, they just come together like a zipper but it works really quickly. I JP, you always have to pay such close attention to the markings on the floor about where to stand, and ppl stand for like 15min in spot, just to form the line to enter the train, even though we all have reserved seats anyway and so on... idk about that one hahaha
So yeah, I feel like it's hard to say if one country does it overall better than another, there are different positive or less-positive "rules" that developed everywhere.
We do though.
I know what you're talking about, as we used public transit in New Orleans and saw one of their tram operators using an elaborate system to bring a wheelchair bound person on board and lock them into place. It cost some time, but was a kind gesture and it's probably necessary for a lot of people.
My experience is that Japanese parents try harder to use the transit on its own schedule. I know helping and delaying looks compassionate, but the families in Japan are more mindful of others, especially in how small children act. The kids are very responsible in how they handle themselves in public. We couldn't stop talking about how well-behaved they were when we visited.
As for Dining Alone, I agree with you as a Japanese.
Strictly speaking, not all restaurants in Japan welcome solo customers.
In upscale restaurants and prestigious Japanese restaurants, it is normal to have more than one person in the restaurant.
However, many of the more common restaurants welcome single diners.
A drama series called "Solitary Gourmet" in which a man eats alone in a restaurant, has become very popular and has continued for more than 10 seasons.
Actually, that sounds like it could be a good show.
I eat by myself all the time in restaurants around the world... it isn't the unobtainable thing you all seem to think it is.
Marry me so that we don't have to eat alone!
@@thomgizziz It's certainly not uncommon or anything, especially depending on what kind of restaurant you're going to. But it is definitely a thing that in many countries, going to a restaurant is considered a group or at least duo activity, so you MIGHT get side-eyed by others.
My understanding is that eating out has long been a more normal thing in Japan. In the US going to a restaurant wasn't what you did for a meal, it was for an event or occasion. I think this has changed to a degree, but there are still elements.
That also makes sense with more upscale restaurants being less friendly to it because those would be more for the events and occasions than the regular restaurants.
And, no, it isn't that you can't go to a restaurant alone in the US, but there absolutely is a stigma to it.
As a Finn I loved living in japan because everyone was so time oriented, its the same in Finland. We hate being late and usually arrive to meetings ecs 15-30 min early. However out trains definetly won't have the same rules being on time :D
My biggest culture shock in Tokyo was seeing someone vacuum metro station! With a small portable vacuum! The train and metro stations are so dirty everywhere else in the world.
Well, in Helsinki the trains tend to be on time, except when it has just snowed for the first time. Also the regional trains close to Helsinki tend to be on time. However it can be different with Inter-City trains and I don't personally have experience with other regional trains, but I'm a frequent user of I, P, K trains in Helsinki and the Pendolino from Lahti to Helsinki
Fun fact: the trains (subway) get cleaned normally when the are at the terminus , it just shows how careless people are littering everywhere in no time
Im from a tiny town in finland where the bus comes every 30 mins to an hour. If lucky. Sometimes they can be 10 to 20 minutes late or not come at all. Many times i shivered in rain or snowstorm
@@slv6470I feel your pain, I have done the same too many times here in Cornwall UK
One of the most admirable aspects of Japan's approach to strikes, particularly when compared to places like the UK, is their consideration for the public. Instead of halting train services altogether, they operate the trains without collecting fares, leaving the barriers open and not checking tickets. This ensures that the general public isn't inconvenienced, while the companies still feel the impact of the strike. It's a commendable demonstration of their unique and thoughtful approach.
That's actually kind of rad, not gonna lie.
That way of striking is illegal in most of Western Europe and the US. So we would not be able to copy them unless laws change.
How does that work though? Do the workers not get paid but keep working for free during that time? Because the purpose of a strike is both side suffer until they come to an agreement.
@@RK-cj4oc yea we got sh-t laws (eu and the us). they only make the rich f-cks richer and everyone else suffers
@@RexZShadowthat's not the purpose per say, it's the unintended side effect of not being able to really hit them where it hurts without anti-protest laws cracking down on you. If bus drivers wanted to protest by letting on all customers for free, they'd be fired and put in court for fraud or something. Blanket laws be like that innit, no real loopholes
Japan excels at the solo dining culture so much, that there's even a TV series about it, called Kodoku no Gourmet (Solitary Gourmet). Its about a lone travelling furniture salesman, and the "plot" for every episode is just him, after work, trying out the best cuisine of every town he comes across. The series acts as a kind of commercial as well, as the restaurants and dishes featured in every episode are real.
omg i need to check that out, have you seen Samurai Gourmet about the retired man doing a similar thing? i absolutely loved it so i need to check out this other one!
wonder if they need someoen to act in a spin off "solitary gaijin gourmet"
Something similar in anime form was Wakakozake, just an office lady walking into a restaurant and ordering a drink and some food and then eating it
Not mentioned here, but I did rather like how cheaply I, a foreigner with the train pass, could travel alone. Clean suitable hotels with private lockable sleeping rooms averaging 25 USD made it easy to stay under $100us a day budget. (Business hotels and traditional hotels for the win) which would make it remarkably easy to travel just for food.... Actually Japan is probably the only nation I would want to be a cheap tourist in my old age in. I might plan to spend a month or two a year there when I retire.
@@TheRealMarxz100% would volunteer my services
The ten-minute explanation of kizukai by the professor is what makes this video extra special. Always banger content, Chris!
As a Japanese who lived in the UK for 10yrs, I find your views on Japan very interesting. I don’t know if my friends in Essex would agree with your views on certain things, but it is refreshing to know there are British guys like you who appreciate our society that much. Love your work, keep it up.
What do you think of the UK?
@@nix2939 I love it. But now days it is far too expensive. London was always a bit pricey, but now it’s crazy. I would love to go back, but would need to earn decent amount just to survive there…
@@gooner7768 I agree. There are a lot of people in other parts of the UK (like myself) who would never be able to live anywhere near Central London. Glad you liked it though
@@missplainjane3905 India. I hate it.
@@missplainjane3905 it’s incomparable.. The country is growing so there is excitement, but things like sense of hygiene and the quality of food, housing is still 30 years behind, of the western countries.
The amount of production value/plain old hard work you put into each & every one of your videos really sets you apart in a world where people just hit "record" & then "upload" & call it a day. As soon as one of your videos starts, the audio, the cuts, the top-tier announcer voice, everything tells me I'm in the hands of a professional, & it's such a rare & satisfying experience. You were made a storyteller my friend, keep up the good work & enjoy!
As someone who grew up in Hong Kong where public transport can be late by maybe a minute or two (especially in more rural areas) but is usually not, when I first moved to the UK to go to uni, I was astounded to learn that trains can just not appear and that is the normal
A lot of my friends studying overseas reflect that too, they tell me they've taken our public transit system for granted haha. Personally I think our public transit is pretty decent after having traveled to many different countries.
Britain once had the most comprehensive railway system on earth. Oddly, they threw it away in disgust.
Yeah for all the hype about trains always being on time I have ran into a lot of them not being on time when I lived in toyko. I have even had occasion to see them not show up because they were broken. Now either I have the worst luck in the world or their claims of being on time 99.9% of the time are media hype that doesn't accurately reflect reality. The trains are more punctual than the UK but they aren't the magic that people claim.
I'm from Switzerland and even as a European, I don't get how other European countries can be so terrible at this. I mean, the Deutsche Bahn is an absolute mess. Their trains regularly stop in the middle of nowhere, the passengers aren't informed what's going on and they're made to sit there for hours. They can't even get off because the doors are locked (because the train isn't anywhere near a station). The Swiss government has had a lot of arguments with the German, French and Italian governments over this matter. The thing is, inside Switzerland, trains are very punctual (just like in Japan). However, sometimes a train comes from another country. For example there are trains that go all the way from Hamburg via Basel to Zurich. So, usually once they arrive in Zurich, they have massive delays. Customers who don't know this issue (including most tourists) blame Swiss trains for it but it's actually the people in Germany who cause the delays. I don't know exactly what's wrong with their system but even most Germans hate it because it's such a mess.
@@RainbowYak Yeah it's much more likely for trains in Germany to be not on time than to actually be on time. Even if it's just 5 minutes. But often it is much more than 5 minutes.
for me, the biggest thing is definitely the respectful social culture :)
sounds really nice to be able to have your peace in public (more often than in other countries)
I think it'd also be nice that when people talk on their cell phone, they're trying to be quiet and polite about it, and not make their conversation the business of every person within a 200 meter radius.
@@TheLongestChannelNameThoughtOf Oh god, yes! The damn phone calls you can hear at the other end of a bloody train... I'm living in Germany, where technically the stereotypes actually are sort of similar to Japan. Nobody should be a bother to other people in public and people do give those who disturb the peace quite pronounced death glares... but somewhere along the way being considerate of other people has been completely lost, I assume a casualty of unshackling us from a authoritarian, strictly hierarchical society where the enforcement of norms was much more draconian. So the people acting out just... don't give a shit. I wish we could as a society just try and find a compromise between individual freedom... and not being an asshole to our entire fucking environment.
always amazed by the production value of every Abroad in Japan video. Truly reflects Chris's dedication for film production.
@@akiyajapanThey've always been very good. One of the main reasons the channel has grown. Also bear in mind that Chris is self-taught.
@@alexanderg1935he hasn’t edited the videos himself for years. He has editors like everyone else.
@@EricaInTokyo an editor is credited in the description Marcus Canning, but also Chris himself
@@EricaInTokyo Chris still does a lot of editing.
Gotta use that film degree somehow
Just wanted to say thank you for all your amazing content over the years. Your videos always make me laugh and as a fellow Brit who has wanted to live in Japan since I was 10 but sadly can't I live vicariously through you and your view of Japan.
I have been watching you since 2014 and it's been wonderful to watch your channel grow and get more entertaining as time goes by. I love learning new things about this amazing country from you and your friends in the most comical yet serious of ways so thank you. 😊
Talked to this older lady once, she said that public transport here in Poland has gotten so much worse over the years, the bus we were both waiting for was half an hour late and it was right after new years so the prices increased (from about 2.5 euros to 3 euros). Apparently buses during the soviet times were actually kinda punctual and tickets were fairly priced
Westerners have an idyllic view of Poland because it's socially conservative.
public services like that were one of the things the soviet union was pretty good at, the problem was getting them to actually implement those services.
I was in Warsaw in 1980 and did not have such a good experience with public transport, but mine may be an isolated case.
Similar trends existed across all of the eastern bloc, the way higher focus on heavy industry necessitated better infrastructure, which then affected the civil trains as well. As you're probably aware the same phenomena lead to neglect of consumer-oriented side of economy, which caused the dreaded lack of goods and in general stagnated the development in those countries, so that wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Also the price difference (like many things) was covered by comparatively higher taxes, it wasn't necessarily cheaper (compared to average wage, it was noticably cheaper due to inflation but that doesn't tell you much)
@@nikobellic570 You pulled that completely out of your ass.
The problem with consideration in the west isn’t that most people want to be inconsiderate. The problem is that the people who aren’t considerate ruin it who everyone who wants to be. So, it feels like a lot of people give up on being considerate when others are inconsiderate without any backlash because of the priority that the individual has over the collective.
and also immigration. some cultures just dont fit together
@@MetalGuitarTimo This, lots of places in the past where harmonious and considerate until malicious powers that be destroyed homogeneity with mass migration. Japan has largely preserved theirs and they do probably put more emphasis on public harmony than anywhere else, but if they go the way of the west it will disappear there too.
@@MetalGuitarTimo very much that!
@@sexystealthninja i hope that will never happen or they will end up like sweden that's basically mad max now
Western countries seem to be in a victim culture pandemic. Surprise when the inconsiderate selfish people are masters are playing victim to make themselves immune to criticism and any consequences for the bad behavior.
Dude that last point hits hard! As far as dining alone in America goes, there's always this unspoken pressure you feel when walking into a restaurant where you're expected to have people with you. I would love to visit Japan to feel this foreign atmosphere I so desperately crave!
Where? I'm American too and I've never once encountered that. I'm in my 40s and I eat out solo all the time.
@@BJGvideos I concur. I have friends who seem bothered by this, but I'm like, "Why?"
@@bobbywhite5319 I haven't even seen anything to be bothered *by*.
its most likely the smooth brain new generation types that are in their 20s now and parents were the losers that dropped out in school and had them as teens. and they follow and believe everything mainstream media poops out and celebs @bjgvideos
I’m bothered by dining solo in America too for some reason, and I’ve stuck to the bar area with exaggerated interest in my phone to combat the feeling. I don’t know why I feel that way, and I do know people who don’t feel weird dining solo, but I just can’t help but feel bothered when I dine alone, like I’m causing unnecessary trouble or something. It’s probably ridiculous and if I could shake the feeling I would.
I’d steal japan’s zoning laws for building. The fact that they allow residential and commercial to be to intermixed is one of my favourite things about Japan, because you can explore so many neighbourhoods and usually don’t need to travel far for a quick bite.
Edit: A lot of people commenting don’t seem to get that this is what I personally would like to take because my country doesn’t have it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s unique to Japan or not, I would just like the same in my own country. If your country has it then congratulations. 🎊
Hello. It's like living in villages so you get to know easily some of your neighbours. Nantes is like this, plenty of villages making a big city.
Mixed used zone regulations is quite common in Asia generally tho, not just japan. No matter which country you visit in asia, you are almost certainly never far away from food
@@MonsieurArlequin the only difference is that in Tokyo is a megacity with functioning public installations. In Asia, if there's a megacity that applies the mixed zoning laws, more often than not it's a complete chaos
Where we live in Singapore, our apartment blocks / shophouse flats sometimes integrate a whole mix of shops and services into them. Even municipal and medical ones like police posts and medical clinics. As long as the floor plan fits, any entity can be housed in that space under an apartment block.
That's how neighbourhoods get their value in having amenities and services nearby without having to always travel out to a lone mall in the middle of nowhere, with a compulsory vehicle.
form-based codes in the U.S. are similar, but uncommon. my hometown of Cincinnati started form-based zoning a decade ago.
I came from Zurich, Switzerland and been living here in Tokyo for alnost a decade now. Even I still marvel at their public transport system !😊
Props for including actual banger metal samples for the burning scenes! I appreciate that you don't skimp on these things. Makes the video very entertaining, and a true piece of hand craft.
When you did the Austrailian impression about wagyu burgers and showed Joey I choked on my water. Damn it Chris!
he gets points for correctly refering to it as Maccas too
"What's the matter mate, got no fackin' friends?"
This video gets 10 extra points just for that
@@Vaderoid that one was also amazing. If Chris and Joey did a feature length movie, I'd watch it
What impression? That was the man himself 😉
Hi Chris- my fiancé and I have watched your channel for years- we were inspired to go to Japan and… here we are!!! We’re having the trip of a lifetime and are currently staying in Kyoto, thank you for all the entertainment over the years.
Great video as always! ❤
(Edit) funnily enough- we witnessed a Japanese man urinating in the street in Osaka 😂
Have a great trip!
And as long as it's not over an ATM I can let it go, haha
With that many bars and the inevitable drunkards, urine in the streets are expected 😅. But even so, from what I remember the streets in Japan don’t smell like urine and human poo like the country I live.
@@JasonB808 Americans don't say "poo" -- ever.
We took a Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo in a torrential downpour and the train was very late arriving. It was our first time in Japan and one of our more seasoned travelers called over a conductor to ask when we’d arrive. That poor guy was sweating sooooo much.
Hi Chris. I just came back from my first visit to Japan and I am so depressed. I would love to go back right away for all the reasons you mentioned in this video. The timing and content of your video is just spot on and has made me feel a little better about being back in a society where little Kidzukai exists. Thank you so much. I look forward to your next video every time. Love from Germany.
That is a real neuroscience thing, the depression comes from your brain literally rewriting itself trying to appreciate the excitement of your trip while also readjusting to returning to status quo. Be kind to yourself and don't rush the adjustment!
@@kevingault2333 Thank you :)
You didn't experience all the things in this video... also you are about objective about your trip as a parent is of their dumb child.
Japanese nightlife is definitely one I envy. Being in downtown Sapporo later in the day with people still being out, while feeling safe at that, was an amazing experience for me. I'm definitely going back.
in stockholm (the capital city of sweden) it would be like 99% ghost town after 10PM and you would probably get robbed too, lol. sweden is depressing af
That is what I find amazing about Japan, the fact that the UK went over there and helped them develop trains many years later they have way better ones than we do and on time puts us to shame.
The punctuality of Japanese trains comes at a price of course. And it's not always perfect esp. on the minor routes.
Britain had Dr. Beeching, unfortunately.
Best not to mention HS2 then eh? London to Birmingham (and my london they mean some dormitory suburb of outer london then catch the local tube in to London proper.. sorry even as an Australian with not even a plan for high speed rail hearing that on the local news made me laugh)
@@TheRealMarxz And don't forget the price tag.
@@Madhattersinjeans I don't think privatisation is always bad but critical infrastructure needs to remain in public hands.
The worst are mixed structures like the Deutsche Bahn where you get the worst of both worlds and none of the benefits.
in Italy we have a lot of summer festival per town, around me were a lot of castles and markets and reenactments were a huge thing but still were you to ask an average italian what they thought of their country was usually negative, "We protected ruins while letting the rest ruin itself" said one
That's a funny quote. 😅
A thing I've noticed is just the safety and cleanliness of not just hotels, but hostels as well. Here, taking a hostel is miserable at best, but in Japan there's barely any point to spend more money on a hotel because hostels are so cheap, yet just as pristine
I just came back from visit to japan with a friend. Literally the first train i have to catch is not only late but then also delayed half an hour while im on it because some other train broke down. The trains they have over there are nothing short of a miracle and i already miss them.
The Wagyu beef segment hits spot on, had me chuckling as you mockingly did the accents for UK, USA and Australia 😁
I quite literally bought some "wagyu burgers" from the grocery store deli here over the summer and chuckled that it's probably better than regular ground beef but not actually wagyu. Was surprised to see Chris pick up on those products, he is right it was just pretty good normal beef nothing special about it.
US has an accent?
Joey catching strays
@@meejmuas8686like obviously genius
Costco in the US has begun somehow importing A5 wagyu from Japan. They're frozen steaks, vacuum packed. Reviews have been good and they're going for $86-115/lb.
I just love Japan and it’s funny because today as I spoke to my boss about our recent trip to Osaka. She asked me why. Why do I love japan. It feels obvious the moment you are back in the states. A layover at the airport. You hear everyone’s conversation. The music is blasting it is mind bending. There is a sort of calm on a crowded train in Japan. You don’t feel obligated to buy something when you walk in a store to look around. The people are so considerate. I recently had back issues. Our Airbnb host showed up when we left to carry my bag to the airport bus for me. As you said, japan is not perfect. But coming home to the crazy politics of hate in the US and another mass shouting abd my wife working at an elementary school behind bullet proof glass just makes me love japan even more. I want to go back. Now
You don't feel pressured to buy in stores because when the shop keeper see you are Gaikokujin, he runs away.
As a Swiss citizen living in Tokyo, I approve of the train message.
so you moved from one place with 99% train accuracy to another with 111% train accuracy? lol. i envy you so much
@@krisstopher8259 yes because swiss trains are f**** slow and expensive...one 3 USD trip in Japan costs 30 in Switzerland. And it takes 40 minutes instead of 10.
@@RuffyUzumakii7 sounds like sweden lol
@@RuffyUzumakii7 appreciate what you got or change to driving a car and being stuck in traffic!
- a swiss person
@@krisstopher8259depends on where you live, for example in my region you can buy a ticket for 26/34/youth/adult prices respectively and it lasts 90 min and this ticket can be used on both buses and trains(trains around here pretty much sucks sometimes)
I feel like an impatient child wishing you posted hilarious and wonderfully choreographed videos like this more often but... Quantity is indictive of the absence of quality. Thank you for choosing quality🎉
Hey Chris, thank you for your videos. I'm learning Japanese (after traveling to Japan this year without knowing any at all) and I love it when you speak Japanese and then translate the phrases, I've learned a lot! keep up the awesome work.
This is my favourite kind of your videos: the long form essay. Informative, researched, personable, and funny. Love it!
Solo dining for me, and the tiny restaurants . I’d love to be able to wander the streets and take in such a singular experience.
Wow Chris, you must have had fun with this video. The editing was nuts, and I loved how you incorporated pretty much every aspect of your new set! Can't wait to see more like this
I swear Chris, I binged every Abroad in Japan video posted in the past three years in like two weeks. Seeing this notification was a godsend. I may or may not need to save up for a trip to Japan.
Time to listen to the entire podcast
"There's a mosquito on your face," if you know you know.
You do. You need to. Coming up on my 4th trip, this time for 6 months, and still need more.
I’ve seen your videos for years now and they’ve gotten so much better since I’ve started watching, the content is great, the filming, locations and editing are all fantastic! Here’s to many more of these! 🍻
I lived in Hong Kong for 20 years and was lucky enough to visit Osaka with my kids. The transport systems in both places are amazing. I relocated to the UK with my family in 2022 and still can’t believe how backwards it is here. There is so much we could take from Asia to improve life here.
But, sovereignty, innit?
I heard about the story and sentiment behind Dawn very recently , and it ABSOLUTELY is something to adopt. A fight against isolation , it's beautiful .
There's something genuine about you that's just hard to put into words. It puts a smile on my face.
Cheers, Chris. I hope you will continue to find success on TH-cam and elsewhere in life.
I do love meibutsu, it's a great way to try new things or discover something about an area visiting. Even some of the smaller areas can sometimes have their own, like Takahashi having some sugar dolls (little sugar treats shaped like dolls) to celebrate a museum of dolls. It does exist elsewhere like in Canada as local delicacies or what not , but not nearly to the same level and that's a shame because "hey, try this delicious food and discover something locals are proud of in connection" can be a good motivator to travel slightly off the beaten path or take a look at something one might not do otherwise.
Omg Chris you don’t know how excited I am that you’ve gone back to your old outro music! It’s my favourite outro music EVER and I used to sit playing the end of your videos just to listen to it. I LOVE IT.
Your videos production value and quality are through the roof! Informative, funny and beautifully shot.
Well both of my "what did I miss?" suggestions are minor architectural details...
1) Swappable one-click ceiling light fixtures. All you need to do is unclip the old fixture and clip in the new one. The plug and the clip to hold the fixture are all one piece and stay in the ceiling so you can easily take your light fixture with you when you move, or install it when you move to a new place.
2) This one is REALLY minor--magnetic doorstops fitted into the floor. They're flush to the floor when the door is closed, then pop open to hold the door in place when it's fully opened. So simple, and I've never seen them anywhere else (which isn't to say they don't EXIST anywhere else...).
Chris really has become one of my absolute favorites on TH-cam. Production quality is top notch.
Interestingly watching this explains to me some what why the Japanese really like Finland, quite a few of these things you've highlighted here are also a thing in Finland: excellent public transit, kidzukai, interesting festivals and wet room bathrooms all things I've experienced in my travels in Finland.
but with the added benefit of fins understanding gender roles YIPPE
it seems most countries who enforce ethnic homogeny are the nicest on Earth
@@dima_r6ethnically homogeneous countries are nice if you're not anyone else
@@TH-cam.Commen-taterNot really, I felt more "accepted" in Japan than my own country 😂😂
More like "cultural homogeny"
@@dusk2308wym ”gender roles” you mean gender equality? “Gender role” is actually telling women to stay in the kitchen lmao
amazing content and well made.
I love your commentary - you have a great speaking voice and you explain everything very well !
This video was 🔥. The quality of the information, the photography, the jokes. Top notch work.
With the festival part, I grew up in a bit of a small city and I always looked forward to a time every September where the carnival came to town. It was a lot of fun and they still do it. It's like a celebration for the harvest. Fun games, questionable rides, a ton of food stalls set up. I honestly really miss that feeling. The state fair here isn't as "together" feeling as what it was back home
That avatar robot restaurant seems like such a dream to someone like me. It's not just for the monetary part but to be able to work again would help me feel so much more "normal" and fulfilled. A lot of my depression comes from feeling like I'm not productive, that could bridge that gap. Plus I'd get to be a cute robot lol 😊. Granted I'd be a wage slave again but I feel so guilty not working. And also having money would be nice then I wouldn't need to rely so much on others more than I already have too.
Heading to Japan in a few days from the USA and I'm bracing myself for the culture shock I will inevitably receive when I return home to the states. BTW, just bought your audiobook and I'm looking forward to listening to Mr. Affable on the plane flight out. :)
Yeah i bet the culture shock will be insane. Have fun 😁
Be sure to practice your Sumimasen and gomenasai 😁
I cannot emphasize how great number 2 feels. I've almost never felt unsafe or in danger in Japan. It's hard to describe the sense of wellbeing you feel living in Japan knowing you don't have to worry about people stealing from you, taking advantage of you, trying to improve their lives by making yours worse. Yes, there's the bicycles and umbrellas and a dark underbelly to nightlife, but compared to my home country, where I can't even enjoy nightlife in fear of being mugged or beaten by a belligerent drunk, i'll take Japan every time.
Try the US, where you have to carry a gun.
@@garryferrington811 That's ridiculous. There are a few dangerous places in the U.S. (usually the poor neighborhoods with gang activity) but I live in the reasonable-sized city of Austin, Texas and neither I nor anyone in my family has encountered anything more dangerous than a loose dog with a bad attitude (dog attacks can actually be very serious). My friend who owns guns and bows has never had an opportunity to use them other than for hunting, and he's hung out at smoky drunk pool halls and biker rallies. I'm not saying that guns aren't a problem (reference multiple mass shootings), but for most people living everyday lives, guns are totally unnecessary.
@@AndyAlegriabesides, Glock 21 is a bitch to conceal carry. Hell, even open carry is uncomfortable
@@AndyAlegria tell me you're a dude without telling me you're a dude. Seriously, I lived in Seattle for almost ten years, and several times a year I had to flat out run as fast as I could to get away from a drunk/drugged/crazy man, and this was in multiple neighborhoods: Ballard, The U-district, just a block from my very nice apartment, Belltown (ok, that is a sketch area at night), Queen Anne. I even had to bolt away from someone in broad daylight once in Queen Anne. At least once a week in the U-district I'd get campus police alerts about a new person being assaulted. It was no better in Austin, where some rando wandered into my actual bedroom after my roommate left the room unlocked, and I got choked by a guy at the Costco pump, because he was mad I was trying to get out of my car as he was trying to drive past and he just went full-nuts and stuck his hands through my window when I got back in my car in confusion. When I lived in Dallas where there are areas I would not go after the sun went down. The U.S. is a steaming sh*thole. Contrast that to Denmark, where I could go anywhere, any time of night in Copenhagen, the largest city, and not be molested. Japan sounds even better than Denmark in the safety respect. Currently I live in an upscale college town, and a few months ago a cracked out woman ran at me accusing me of "following" her when I was walking to the grocery store. It's unREAL. The disconnect between people who think the US is safe and those who know it's not is people who hop in their SUVs or monster trucks and drive out to isolated suburbs and never walk anywhere AND are male. If you're female, if you ever walk or use transit, if you live inside city limits near businesses and not in gated enclaves, you *know* you're radically unsafe in the United States. Especially if you've ever lived in a non-s**thole country, like Japan, or Denmark. [edited swears because the algorithm kept complaining when I left them as-is]
@@dreamersmask Okay, I'll poll my female friends in Austin and see what they say. Based on what I've heard, being female anywhere in the world is more dangerous than being male. I wish that weren't the case.
Absolute commendations on the production quality and level of detail that went into this video Mr. Broad - 10 years on and you keep getting better!
We were lucky enough that when we were in Tokyo a local festival set up in the streets all around our airbnb for 3-4 days - dinner every night was incredible and we got to wander and meet some local stall holders day after day. By the final night they were feeding us so much food, what ever we ordered was somehow doubled (without our knowledge). The atmosphere, the people, the food - one of my favorite, totally unplanned memories of Japan.
Lived in tokyo and festival food is almost always worse than getting food elsewhere and it costs more too... it just shows that when you are primed to think something is amazing you do even if it is crap.
I recall an apology from the rail network in my city after a driver left the train unattended so he could go to the bathroom, and it rolled out of the station on its own before hurtling through the city at speed (the original stop was near the top of a hill at the edge of the city) only stopping when rail opreators redirected it into crashing into a freight train. Nobody told he freight train operator but he was smart enough to GTFO when he saw a train speeding toward him.
True story, happened in Melbourne Australia back in the 90's.
Wtf he really forgot to put it on park. 😂
The sad irony is that England used to have a lot of the things on the list and it's all been lost
Thanks!
I'm from Worcester in the UK and we've actually got a decent Ramen shop called Maneki Ramen. I always love going there, it's amazing having a tiny bit of Japan in the Shire.
Do you know that Worcester sauce is one of the most popular sauce used in Japan? Im a Japanese and I knew the name "Worcester" from this sauce and didint even know that its name came from a city in England.
@@attaccante-9799 yes 🙂 my Brother and I went to Japan in 2019 and the food was incredible, some of the best meals I've ever had! We were very lucky to go! Yes, Worcestershire sauce was made in 1837 by Lea and Perrin and it's still made in Worcester today. Although there are different variations made around the world 🙂 what part of Japan are you from?
@@mrroganjosh6877 wow so the sauce is surely one of your noted products. I (we) love to use Worcester sause on tonkatsu (fried pork) and Okonomiyaki (kind of Japanese pan cake). Im living in Osaka City, and I can say100% of Osaka citizens should know this sauce ; )
@@attaccante-9799 Amazing! We went to Osaka and loved it! I definitely want to go back one day! Okonomiyaki was one of my favourites!
Great to see Yuki being featured after so many years 😊
The dining alone thing and it not feeling anything out of the ordinary was something that I noticed very quickly on my first trip over from the UK. My wife had to go back to the hotel as the long flight had knocked her sideways so I went into a restaurant in Ginza by myself and it was great, never even gave it a thought that I was there alone. Same as the next day at the fish market. As for other things, the bathroom is a very good example, we actually have a wet room as our bathroom, and aside from it being harder to keep clean than other bathrooms I have had (damn textured vinyl flooring), its great not having a cramped shower cubicle, the whole room is the shower. Just need to add the right toilet seat what for the spraying of the things... soon....
So you are a foreigner that the second you leave your own country you are okay with doing things that you wouldn't do at home... that isn't a good quality. You feeling weird about going into restaurants alone doesn't have much to do with others it has to do with your values, morals and beliefs... it is your perception about what is acceptable and not what others are pressuring you to do. You were able to throw that all away because you went to another country because you don't care about them and feel no pressure to conform, which is a terrible thing.
people say Japanese society is to much strict to rules, but when i got back to my country east Europe i really missed rules of japan everything was in their place
this mightve been the funniest abroad in japan video, great job!
I would love a reliable transit system where the buses and trains actually arrive on time and I don't have to head out to work an hour early just in case the train breaks down or the bus company doesn't have enough drivers to send out that day because the execs are stealing all their wages
When you made the comment about people not being proud of where they are from in the UK, I paused for a moment and thought - I am proud of my town. Then I unpaused and you mentioned Shropshire. Guess where I live?
Yeah. Shropshire! Come visit Shrewsbury - it's nice!
(I'm originally from Dorset, but you've already been there for the fossils! Proud of Dorset, too!)
As someone who has been trying to move there for 9 months, yep! It's lovely and people must know as the competition is so high!
hahahah YES
Being able to walk into any restaurant alone in Japan was honestly the one of the best parts about my trip, I dread times where I don't know what I want to eat in the states because I don't want that look of shame (disgust) when I do it here. Ps. Matsunoya was the biggest saving grace I had near my hotel in Itabashi.
Who is giving you these looks?
Really great video! Everything seemed on point. I really like the new and expanded studio, and the slightly larger variation in scenery it brings. As for what I would steal from Japan, I think I would have to go with more localized festivals. It feels like Norways traditional festivals are slowly loosing importance, but I say we need to reverse that! More local variation! And also, edible ramen would be nice
Fantastic video Chris! Glad to see this video doing really well
Production quality is through the roof! Awesome video!
At 22:33 you wrote 9 instead of 11.
SUGOI DESU NE, INDEED! This was such a good video! If only the rest of the world had amazing festivals and bidet toilets everywhere. The new studio looks fun too! Nice job on the “living room”. 👏
Here in my town I have been wanting to bring up the idea of a annual festival kinda like japan does where we can all just meet/hang out. Also in hopes that all our small business owners can get more customers.
I think the festival would bring more people out towards our town and make us thrive astronomically more!
Maybe a Sasquatch or Bigfoot festival? It's worked elsewhere. Just a thought, may be good, may not be what you're thinking.
There are annual festivals in every country but the thing is most people don't care. It is like the person that moves to be close to the ocean and then never goes. It is just a thing that is around you and you are used to it. The difference here is you have a major weeb that fetishizes a whole culture and people to the point that he hyper focuses on things that most people would ignore and no this isn't a good thing.
my town I grew up in had a scarecrow festival every year and a may day festival, I really really miss them because it was such a fun community event, especially scarecrow fest where everyone would build scarecrows to put in their front garden on a theme and sign up with the council to be on the town tour map for the parade so everyone would see their work then we'd have the main festival on the villiage green
Man this was really well done. Love how it goes past some surface level stuff to what makes things truly... unique and Japanese.
This channel is a f**king gem! Great editing, directing & subject matter. It's fun, funny, entertaining & eductional. Awesome job Chris & team!👍
Being from England you should know that English words have definitions.
"Envy" is when you want what someone else has, but "jealousy" is when you're worried someone's trying to take what you have.
This is why English is much more powerful than many other languages, and also why it chases other languages down dark alleys, hits them over the head, and goes through their pockets, looking for good words to steal.
Food quality and the work ethic within the food sector. It truly is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. It again comes from their upbringing, being one of showing respect (and having self-respect), putting in the work and taking the time to truly learn techniques.
And, yaknow, decent pay and job security and stuff. :)
@@OllamhDrabdecent pay at resturaunts in Japan? They make around minimum wage as far I know. The good thing is they don't beg for tips.
@@BoredInTheComments Well its that more japanese think of their jobs as an art and craft, something to pour your heart and soul into, and not just a soulless job
@@BoredInTheComments As in apparently they can live in the city they work, more or less. Our waiters etc here don't even get minimum wage, far less, that's why tips are most needed.
I'm mixed british/taiwanese, and similarly whenever I go back to Taiwan the most striking difference I always appreciate is just the cleanliness. In the UK there's bins basically every 20 ft from each other and still rubbish all over the place and gum and crap covering all the pavement. Walk around Taipei or Kaohsiung, you might not even see a bin for several blocks but still nobody just drops trash on the floor. The biggest differences are sometimes just attitudes.
Yeah they stuff it in bushes... I get that there is a difference but when you over exaggerate it just makes you an unreliable narrator which people will ignore once they find out that you have basically lied and gaslit them.
I totally agree that most of the world should implement more festivals in their local towns my town had a culture festival once and it was the most fun the city had in ages. It really brings everyone together and brings happiness and some joy for the people
Great vids. I'm visiting Japan in mid April this year with some mates. Your videos have given us some great tips and ideas for our trip. Cheers
They had those cat food delivery robots in an Italian restaurant at Frankfurt airport. They worked surprisingly well and people seemed to be quite deligthed by them.
Having the whole bathroom floor being a self contained wet room with all "shower floor" and a drain is common place all over Finland. I find it so useful. You just shower and then dry the floor without having to worry about water or moisture damage.
I think that might be a UK thing. Bathrooms aren't equipped for like a gallon of water in the USA but you can certainly get the floors wet without concern
Wow I have always dreamed to travel and discover Japan. Discovering your channel recently has made me want to go there even more now. Entertaining, educational and inspiring videos. Keep it up Chris.
I think some people in the UK rail industry are starting to see point #1 and I've seen some emerging trend of designs in the UK similar to that of Japan. For example the Class 800 train is made by Hitachi, HS2 railway systems is very similar to Shinkansen (viaducts and tunnels, no level crossing, all in-cab signalling), and Crossrail 2 may use a large underpass to connect two existing stations together with a potential underpass shopping centre.
I don't know why people don't take notes when a country gets it right. The US I understand. We want more cars, more gas, more consumption (like guns.) But Canada's pretty sensible. Why always copy the US?
Japan invested a lot into their railway system and against what economists were telling it to do
The UK a few years back scrapped an investment plan for the same reasons that Japan decided to ignore.
They mainly say it won't turn a big enough profit so it's not cost-efficient, easily forgetting that a public transport system is made to ensure ease of access for the populace, not to pad investors' off-shore accounts
@@LudwigVaanArthansand yet the government are happy to waste Billions on HS2. Makes me sad.
Hitachi makes vibrators and trains, hopefully not in the same building. 😂😂
After living in Japan for 4 years, there are definitely some things I miss (and some I don't). For me personally, the thing I miss most is onsen (and associated affordable massages!) I would also like to steal the call buttons most restaurants have to summon the server. Sometimes it can be really frustrating trying to get your server's attention here in the West.
I used to do it by lighting a cigarette. Worked every time. Of course, this was quite some time ago, when I smoked cigarettes.
He didn't even mention the no-tip culture, but that is not a small thing and, I think, desperately needed in the U.S. so the wait staff can live affordably.
@@AndyAlegria Indeed! But as he's British, it's probably not something that struck him as strongly, as while we do tip in the UK, it's not always, it's voluntary, and no where near as much. Just less of a thing in general.
The festival part was touching, firstly because I recently visited Hiroshima and entirely by chance we arrived and stayed for their Flower Festival during Golden Week and it was brilliant!
Secondly because quite a lot of us in Victoria, Australia are pretty pleased with where we live.
I'd recommend Melbourne to anyone and love it here, and my old hometown of Beechworth has a lovely little underwhelming Easter "Golden Horseshoes" festival that brings the town together and is a hit with the interstate family.
Then again depending on my mood I might answer the "What's it like?" question much the same because of that don't-be-too-serious it's-all-just-a-laugh self-deprecation thing that we think of as genially modest which we also have here.
I think your vlogs are awesome because you add little words here and there that helps people like me learn Japanese.
The quality of this video is just phenomenal. Not only the video is interesting in and of itself but also the knowledge snip bits between cuts are very cool. You've come a long way chris, I am truly happy for you.
As an American whose lived in Jacksonville, FL with a large population, that's incredibly so incredibly spread out it's insanely difficult to get around without a vehicle: the public transit in Japan is a NEED for giant cities like this. As someone who currently is surrounded by more cornfields than people (and grew up in a small area): the sense of community and pride that the Japanese culture has in their rural areas is also something I would LOVE to have.
However, I'll settle for some wagyu beef.
Zoning freedoms are issued in Japan that we can’t pass in the US.
Yeah public transportation leaves alot to be desired in the 904... but hey we have duuuvvaaalll😂😂😂
Most US Towns and Cities can’t copy the Japanese Transit systems because NIMBYism, zoning, and high construction costs usually prevents Vertical Housing like Apartments (with 1st floor mom/pop businesses) being built to build up population density to make Public Transit a worthwhile pursuit. That said, some Japanese buildings need to be built longer - it’s weird to go to shops that have 4 floors because of being in a small building.
I wasn’t sure about this video but then it happened you sunk low and said cheeky joke about a year and my doubts went away… 13:30
Every video is SO high quality and he uploads realy freeqent😃. This channel is GREAT!
Hey Chris! Thank you for continually putting out interesting and enjoyable content. It's always a joy when I get a notification that you've put out a new video. Cheers! 🥂
We had vending machines all over Europe in the early 20th century, entire restaurants, 24 hour open shops, etc.
We still have some in the Netherlands, but it's a shame and also quite silly that they're almost gone.
People break into them, at least in the US.
I'm a bit torn about vending machines. They are convenient but also quite a waste of resources.
In what way? they are extremely space and human resource effective, especially if their payment and logistics are fully automated with smart tech like I have seen are@@kaltaron1284
It think they are even more common now than they used to be, at least here in Finland, ever since they added mobile and card payments as viable options, and they automatically keep track and inform suppliers of shortages/errors.
Ofc they aren't nearly as common as in Japan, but they are everywhere
@@kaltaron1284what??????
The one thing I would steal is Natsuki! Joking aside the cinematography in this video has no right being this good! Only Chris can make a '12 things about' video look this good! 26 minutes of pure cinema quality content, thank you Chris for your never ending supply of educationally, comically enriched films!
who
As always Chris, great video and a great theme! Keep up the awesome work on TH-cam, however, I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay in Japan. Cheers!
I am glad to find that you are bringing the British expletive "Bollocks" to a wider audience
Hi Chris.
What I want to tell You as a train driver, even here in Czech republic (far far away from Japan but not so far from England) train leaving late is acceptable but leaving early is not. Departure time is here divided up to HALF minutes and I personally had to stop in request station when nobody wanted to leave, nobody was waiting, just to not leave early. 🙃
The one thing I would definitely steal is their sense of aesthetics. With the temples and shrines especially it feels like so much of the country is constructed to accentuate the nature around it, which made virtually every place I visited feel unique. A far cry from the innumerable department store parking lots I've seen here in America lol
It's odd, but the US, founded on individualism, is the most cookie-cutter nation on earth. Good or bad? You decide.
As a 6'2" tall man I had a rather "interesting" issue with the bathroom in Kurashiki. The tub had a bulwark at the ceiling, so half of the ceiling was lower than the rest of the bathroom. In an already low ceiling. I had to shower sideways. But I love the idea of a wet room, it makes cleaning and preventing flooding in your home.
I love how I can listen to videos like this by Chris while driving. It's almost like a podcast!
This high level content is why I keep coming back here. Well done sir!
I see AbroadInJapan, I play it! Great job as always, Mr. Broad.
Your acquaintance Rachel, of Rachel and Jun, covered a Japanese toothpaste which repairs cracks in tooth enamel!
does it make it grow back too?
Apparently, yes! I could have used that, I'm telling you.