If the world could be like Japan in the ways of Curtesy, cleanness, and safety. We would be as close to paradise as we could as humans. Don't get me wrong, they have their problems like any other place. But I never stop being amazed of the peacefulness and comfort you get from being here.
Richard Andrews oh my goodness! You said this perfectly! I found the Japanese to be the kindest, most courteous people I’ve ever encountered! As soon as I got off of my flight back to the U.S. airport in Chicago and encountered the rude customs officers I said to myself...yeah...I must be home! Sad.
When I went, my dad forgot a bag of clothes and a bunch of stuff we bought, at a metro exit, which are extremely busy, and we remembered an hour later. We thought it was long gone but we went to go check anyways. When we got there, someone had put it on a bench and everything was still there. I actually couldn't believe it lol
I was sitting in a busy Starbucks in downtown Osaka a few years ago, and a young lady left her MacBook Pro at her table unattended while she (presumably) went to the washroom. Of course, no one took it. It’s a great country.
I spent 8 days in Tokyo (Nov 7-14, 2017) and barely scratched the surface! I love how clean and safe Tokyo is. I love the abundance of vending machines. And of course, I love their train system! I find Tokyo not as expensive as what most people say. I was able to rent and apartment for only $45 a day! The apartment was cozy and has TV, washing machine, water heater, aircon/heater, refrigerator, closet, shower, toilet, 2 single beds. Food prices are reasonable because of the quality. Can't wait to get back later this year!
lalilulelo I always found foreigners tell me that food is expensive in the USA compared to outside. How good is the quality of the food in just an average place
lalilulelo, can you please give me an idea where I can find that deal? My wife & I are dead-set on visiting Japan in January, 2018. That will surely help us much.Would you suggest using airbnb in Tokyo? Thanks for your input about this.
I entirely agree with your list, thank you for sharing Wolter! Japan is my favourite place on earth. I love travelling around the world and still go there every year. It's such a safe, fun place and people are incredibly kind and helpful. Love it.
These videos are amazing concise guides that are super useful. I’m traveling abroad for the first time in May to Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima and after a few of these I feel so much more prepared.
Your children are so blessed that they get to travel with you and your wife the way they do. They are getting such an education. Are they being homeschooled or "unschooled?" Or...do they attend a traditional school? This teacher mom is so curious :)
Yeah. I was thinking the exact same thing. So lucky to be exposed to so many sights and sounds; experiencing different places, culture and food at such a young age. They're going to grow up to be so incredibly well rounded and sophisticated! If they're not already.
@Walters World, If you don't mind me asking how are your kids doing in a Japanese school? I as because I have seen some foreigners in Japan loving Japan but not liking the idea of raising kids there, so I wanted to know your esperience
Nice vid! What shocked me the most was the kindness of the locals. As a solo traveler, at least, I had so many instances of Japanese people approaching me and wanting to practice English or know about the US, etc. In many parts of the world, you really have to make an effort to get to know the locals and have those special moments, but in Japan, it just kind of happens by default. Also, shocking how nicely the Tokyo locals queued up for the metro :)
I found exactly the same thing. I was looking at a map on a street corner and a local approached me to see if I needed help. In that particular case, I didn't, but I did appreciate the gesture. I found the Japanese to very friendly and helpful, whether I needed help at a train/subway station or on the street. If anything, I thought them to be a bit shy, but once the ice was broken, I found them to be, like a post above me put so perfectly. . . the kindest, most gracious people on the planet in my book! (Thx WW Jackie)
Mmmm.... I don’t know. I’ve been living in Japan 23 years and it comes and goes. Sometimes yes other times shockingly bad, but that isn’t so common. Guess it’s because I’m Canadian.
Japanese are the most helpful and kind people in the world. Over the top helpful with foreigners. They would take me to the place I wanted to go if they couldn't communicate with me. And they did that a few times. Different random people I approached in the street.
just my personal tip, stay out late until the subway closes down and enjoy night life. sleep in for your vacation and avoid morning rush hour altogether, have an easy, lazy morning because you will need to recuperate after walking everyday. by 5 PM you should be sitting down for dinner, again trying to avoid all that rush hour traffic and by night fall you should be ready to explore nightlife again. rush hour should be rest hour
It wasn't a problem for us, but the subway shuts down at midnight If you sleep 8-9 hours and spend an hour getting ready and watching TV we would go exploring from about 9-10 AM until 11-12 PM
We'll be happy to get 6 hours of sleep with the jetlag we had :D.... but our shedule was to leave the hotels before 9 am and get back before the last subway and the rush hour is not a problem for us if the train/subway is too packed we just wait for the next one it's just 5 min max so it's not a big deal
I actually felt like the prices were a good shock. Compared to pricey U.S. cities, things felt fairly cheap, especially considering the quality of food/accommodation/service and no need to tip. Rail pass, too, was great value.
Before my son and I visited Tokyo, we found it helpful to learn a few key phases like excuse me, hello, good morning etc. Japan people are very polite but, their English was very limited at best. The food was delicious and very fresh....even the alley restaurants dishes were a culinary perfection. I will definitely like to visit again.
great video! one thing i wanna correct is prices here in Japan are much cheaper than those of most European countries, say, Italy. for instance, a cup of coffee at convenience stores costs less than 1 dollar,though you will never afford in other developed countries. FYI, i've been in Japan whole my life.have a nice day!
Hey they finished construction of the tall building next to Senso-Ji! It was covered in plastic blankets when I last went. Back there in 2 months - happy!!
Thank You, Mark for the great video! I really enjoyed watching some of the cool places you and your family visited in Tokyo. Tokyo seems to be a beautiful city. I would love to visit Tokyo someday! 😊
Thank you for the awesome video! I plan on going to Japan with my family as a tourist, I've been there numerous times for business trips but I always find myself confined in my hotel room. Hopefully the 2 1/2 weeks I plan on being there will be magnificent!
I live in Japan and agree with pretty much everything you said . Also, If you’re on a budget there are plenty of cheap places to eat too:) Japanese fast food restaurants are a plenty and ¥100 Sushi 🍣 ✌️. As always great vid 👍
I disagree. I went to Japan on a budget and still had a great time. I even came back with money with a couple hundred dollars which I was not expecting.
UK is stupid expensive ofc you found it cheap lmfao. but if you wanan eat at actually nice places and nice restaurants you have to spend more like michelin star places etc
Small police stations are called "Koban". It is Japanese original police system aims at prevent the crime. Needless to say, a police officer works at the Koban will deal with the crime . But Japanese police considers that the prevention has a great effect on the public safety. I think Koban system is one of the reasons why Japanese city well-known for safety.
Seems like pretty fair and accurate views - I can tell that you really enjoy visiting Tokyo! Though I am originally from the city, having lived in the UK for nearly three decades I now get some of those shocks (e.g. toilets, cleanliness) :D
I actually don't find Tokyo to be too expensive. There are plenty of places where you can eat inexpensively. Subway travel is easy and not expensive. There are plenty of nice hotel rooms for $80-$120 a night you can find that include breakfast. However, these rooms are small so if you're traveling as a family of four you might need two rooms. But for the solo traveler or for couples Tokyo is not bad at all. On par with most smaller European cities. I think NYC is more expensive.
I just came back from my Japan trip and everything you said on the video was very accurate :) We actually bought the toilet seat on Amazon right when we got back lol. Missing Japan already.
Love Japan. Along w/ Spain it's my favourite country to visit. Although you did touch on it, if I had to add another Tokyo/Japan shocker it's how nice people were. Prior to Japan, Ireland and Mexico were my #1 and #2. Japan just went took all that to another level. Everyone I met was incredibly nice and helpful despite my little phrase book with 10 Japanese words and terms. A nice surprise and I hope to get back to Japan and see more (I was only in Tokyo and Kyoto) next time. I barely scratched the surface in Tokyo.
I would like to mention an interesting truth . Even tokyo is the 3rd, smallest prefecture in Japan(we have 47 prefectures.Tokyo prefecture is a little bit bigger than grater London ) ,but we still have wild bear in tokyo. (Okutama area) It takes 2-3 hours from tokyo station by local train.
I'm in Tokyo right now! It's an outstanding city. The thing that shocks me the most is the peacefulness of the city, despite the millions of people. Especially in the public transport. Also, when there's a lot of people on the streets, noone bumps you. Everyone walks very consciously, and mind the others.
All Things Japanese By Sashi, I’m going to invest in some Japanese toilet tech. I spend a lot of time in the bathroom, e.g. in the morning about 1.5-2.0 hours on average. Usually watching TH-cam, catching up on news, trying to wake up with a cup of coffee (or two), etc.
I wouldn't let that deter you. . . I know two words of Japanese, konichiwa and arigatou gozaimasu. Only once in a 26 day trip did I have a problem and it was in an unimportant situation which was quickly resolved with the use of the Microsoft Translator app. Japanese people were very friendly and helpful and eventually it all worked out!
Funny, I'm vising Tokyo at the moment myself. It's been a ton of fun and a great trip for me. One shock you missed is just how dense the metro system map is, even coming for a large city it will be a bit intimidating. Lucky it's also really easy to navigate the system and everything is really well signed.
Great video! I watch all your videos before I visit a foreign country. I’m going to Tokyo in 4 months to visit my daughter stationed at Yokota Air base.
I lived in Japan for 2 years, and in my view, you made good points and gave a lot of good advice. I’d like to add one thing, your debit card will probably work at the Japan Post ATMs. Also, Tokyo is cheaper than a lot of big cities, and can be done cheaper than a lot of European and North American big cities.
Tokyo or Japan is not expensive at all, except for apartment lent or the price of buying houses. foods and transportation is pretty cheap compared to other famous big cities in the world.
I was there last July, and going back this April. One other suggestion, check out a baseball game if any of the teams are in town during the season - an incredible experience!
thats my hometown! on the average, it'll take about a good 2 weeks to be able to see the major tourist sights in tokyo. but in order to see everything, it'll take about a good 6 months...thats how long it took me the last time i lived there...
Ahh....Japan ....Tokyo...yes, the cleanest place ever! The kindest, most gracious, helpful people I’ve EVER meant! You’re so correct, no crazy cell phone users on the oh - so - clean trains and subways, they text but not talk, they consider that rude....as of course it IS! Can’t wait to return! I traveled last year as a solo female. No tour guide, knew no one but fabulous! Safe! If I am so blessed to be able to return however , I will take a profession tour. Oh, and by the way...I saw lots of women in kimono.
I like your videos, most of your facts are totally correct. And you talk from your experience traveling to different places, other than some other people who create Top 10 lists, who just look something up on the internet without verifying it by going there themselves. If you want to save money in Tokyo or any other famous city anywhere in the world there is a simple but strange trick, search for a women, who has a little child these most of the time exactly know where to get the cheap high quality ingredients to make food.
I agree with you on most points except for public transportation (being cheap). To go to a nearby place from point A to point B, train tickets here are cheaper than most countries. But, there is no "one day pass" that you can buy to hop on and off trains. Plus, you will sometimes have to use 2 - 3 different train companies to get to destinations in Tokyo requiring you to pay the base fare (+ distance) each time.
Agree! If its your first time in Tokyo you probably need 6-7 days to cover a good chunk of it. A day trip to see Mt. Fuji is also advisable but best if you can check the weather cause you wouldn't want to go and be disappointed and not see it.
Was that Asakusa? I stayed there for two weeks last year and still didn't see all of it :) Japan definitely has that safe feeling, and people will go out of their way to help you. I totally agree with getting cash from 7 Eleven. I got all my cash from there. I could never figure out how to use those electronic toilets. I love Japan and definitely want to go back, but it may be a while because it certainly is expensive. Tokyo is probably the biggest city I've ever been to. The other Japanese cities I visited were a lot smaller and less busy, but still had the same lovely, helpful, clean feeling of Tokyo
MrWalker1000 Yeah I guess it's similar priced to London (never been to NYC), but the difference is I would never stay in London for 2 weeks, so spending would be quite low compared to Tokyo which is so much bigger and has so much more to do, which is why I would spend so much more there. Also, as Japan is so far from the UK and really expensive to get to, I would want to spend more time in one trip in the country meaning I would want to visit other cities and towns etc, hence why it is so much more expensive to me than London
MrWalker1000 Tokyo is way cheaper than NYC. I've been to Tokyo, and while it's not the cheapest place on earth...it's reasonable if you compare your prices, ask the locals for advice on shopping (particularly restaurants and groceries), and you are willing to take public transport (I recommend avoiding rush hour and traveling after or before the rush hour starts). NYC is pretty ridiculous. It can add up quickly. Not to mention...nowhere near as clean (I pretty much detest NYC...but I really loved Tokyo)
More suggestions. I live about 90 miles west of tokyo and go in to visit sometimes on weekends. Aside from convenience stores, most Post Offices have ATMs that accept many more types cards than a typical bank atm and different bank ATMs are better than others. The symbol for a Japanese Post office is an orange T with an extra bar across the top, usually on an white background & a mostly orange sign. I have experienced a few convenience stores in which the ATMs are only in Japanese, but not very many. Also, hotels in the busy parts of town are more expensive. You can often find rooms in less touristy parts of town (close to the subway or JR) that are more reasonable. I don't know how it took you an hour to get to Asakusa. The Ginza line is direct from Shibuya, maybe it is close to 40-45 minutes, my guess would have been 30-45 minutes, and also the JR line is a separate line tends to be faster and less expensive or the same price as the Metro (There are some metro card deals though; I showed some relatives around and they had a special metro card deal, so we kept away from JR and did the subways. I think that there may also be JR deals.). Also JR lines tend to be above ground so you can see some things along the way. You have to know where to switch though. Also restaurants can be more expensive in the touristy parts of town. The food basements are to be checked out though (Not usually a place to sit and not usually tables, but often you can find somewhere nearby) and as you noted it is easy to get a good quick meal from the convenience stores. When I showed my relatives around, I do not think the bill ever came to much over $10 per person and the restaurants were very good, but in less touristy (but still busy) parts of town.
The thing that really shocked me with the complete lack of bins everywhere I had to Google where do I take my rubbish. There was always somewhere to recycle bottles but not always somewhere for other rubbish. Which just makes it more amazing how clean the places I think if there were no bin in the town I live in they would be rubbish all over the streets. I suggest taking a plastic bag with you to put in any rubbish you have
My husband and I just came back from Japan a few months ago and we loved it there! And it always gets me when tourist say it’s expensive there because we felt like it was the same as living in California. Especially southern Cali. My thing is, if you have the money to travel to Japan on vacation then you should expect to spend money. And that goes for any vacation anywhere (well maybe not Mexico because that’s a pretty affordable vacay). And actually I think Tokyo Disneyland was far cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disneyland. But overall, your vid made me miss Japan. I can’t wait to go back.
I can only imagine how stuffed the subways are in Tokyo. It was a huuuuuge shock for me to be in Rush hour subway in London a couple of years ago, since I live in a small ~100,000 people "city" in Finland. And London "only" has like 10 million habitants where as Tokyo has three to four times more.. Definetely would love to visit Japan some day though.
Say; will it be weird to ask for ramen without the broth since it’s mostly pork based? Can you flavor it with other ingredients and hot oil? Or are there options for broth?
I love the excitement you put in this video Mark. So lucky to be able live here in Japan for so many years now and there’s still a lot to discover😉 Enjoy every trip you do with your family. Keep safe and healthy🤗 @woltersworld
Two days ago I watched a german tv show named "Schulz in the Box". This time he visited Tokyo and worked there as a host boy. And one part of the job was to go around in the neighbourhood with plastic bags and tidy up. It's no wonder that it is so clean everywhere. Another thing to mention was the bars and cafes. There was a cuddle place where you can take a seat and a girl will come to you to cuddle with you. No sex! Just hugging and cuddling. Or a cat cafe where you drink your tea while 20 cats are jumping from table to table.
I always hear about larger people going to the mountains and given a hand towel for a beach towel and being required to go all natural so to speak! Hey for a Midwestern born on tenderloin sandwiches sort of scary! Thoughts?
How would you compare the cost of living in Hong Kong (which I felt very expensive) with the cost of living in Tokyo (never been there)? Which is more expensive?
Actually, international bank cards work fine at the ATM's of Japan Post, which you show in the picture. Which is convenient when you visit small towns, while they might not always have a 7/11 (as far as I know, ATM's in other konbini's don't work), they do usually have a post office with ATM. Supposedly you can also use them at ATM's of Citigroup, but those are rather few and I never bothered trying. At other banks they indeed don't work. Also, I never thought Tokyo was really that expensive. Accommodation might be small (which obviously can be a problem with kids), but it's a huge lot cheaper than other major world cities like NYC, Hong Kong or any big city in western Europe. As a single traveller I never had a problem to get a decent hotel room in central Tokyo (usually Ueno or Ikebukuro), often even including (Japanese) breakfast for somewhere between 50 and 70 euro's. Try that in Manhattan! Same for food, while you can even get a decent meal for as low as 500 yen, for about double or triple that amount (about 8-12 euro's) there's a HUGE variety in restaurants. Local transportation indeed isn't that expensive, just as entry prices for most museums. And for shopping: you gotta love the 100 yen stores, which have a surprising variety and level of quality! I wouldn't say it's a cheap city per se, Japan obviously isn't like Southeast Asia, but compared to any western city it's pretty good value. And indeed, Tokyo isn't that representative of Japan, though I would say Kyoto (amazing sights but annoyingly touristy) is even worse in that aspect. I do love the city, and during my 14 visits to Japan I spend around 50 days in total just in or around Tokyo (daytrips galore!). But there's just so much more to see in Japan, and one thing that keeps it interesting is the pride the people everywhere seem to have in their local culture and heritage. When you visit Japan again, make sure to go to less travelled places like Hokkaido or Tohoku. And make sure to visit some matsuri (traditional festival), I'm sure your kids would love it!
Also to be prepared for - only the main through routes have names: smaller streets are unlabelled. This can make the fine detail of navigating quite problematical. There is a numbered block system but it really does take some working advice. Street maps are all in Japanese (of course) and even the orientation of the map can be unclear. Best advice: pay careful attentions to directions such as "Take subway exit E" and notes on landmarks. Have lots of patience and give yourself time. Few people speak English but if pushed to ask preface your request with something that sounds like "sully ma say" - much more likely to be successful. Whatever, it is all worth it to see this amazing city. Hope you all love it as much as I have on my three visits
There's a ramen museum at Yokohama station. If you like trains. There's the train museum in Omiya Saitama which is a 30 minute train ride from central Tokyo.
hi from Tasmania Australia Walter :) it said in the writing in this video "do not smoke on the street" I was just wondering if it is illegal to smoke cigarettes in public in toyko?
If the world could be like Japan in the ways of Curtesy, cleanness, and safety. We would be as close to paradise as we could as humans. Don't get me wrong, they have their problems like any other place. But I never stop being amazed of the peacefulness and comfort you get from being here.
Richard Andrews oh my goodness! You said this perfectly! I found the Japanese to be the kindest, most courteous people I’ve ever encountered! As soon as I got off of my flight back to the U.S. airport in Chicago and encountered the rude customs officers I said to myself...yeah...I must be home! Sad.
Ken narville They are polite in general but there are citizens that aren’t. They are human and have their moments too.
@@wwjackie7751 have u seen work from death videos in japan? The dark side
no way. i prefr to keep my humanity instead to behave like a mindless machine
@@maegalroammis6020 what mindless machines? Have you even been to Japan?
I was SHOCKED by the security. People literally left their smartphones unattended to claim tables and chairs at mall food courts.
lol, I believe you
When I went, my dad forgot a bag of clothes and a bunch of stuff we bought, at a metro exit, which are extremely busy, and we remembered an hour later. We thought it was long gone but we went to go check anyways. When we got there, someone had put it on a bench and everything was still there. I actually couldn't believe it lol
I was sitting in a busy Starbucks in downtown Osaka a few years ago, and a young lady left her MacBook Pro at her table unattended while she (presumably) went to the washroom. Of course, no one took it. It’s a great country.
I love Tokyo.
Great Video Mark.
Take Care,
Marcos
+Vlog18rodas thanks M!
I spent 8 days in Tokyo (Nov 7-14, 2017) and barely scratched the surface! I love how clean and safe Tokyo is. I love the abundance of vending machines. And of course, I love their train system!
I find Tokyo not as expensive as what most people say. I was able to rent and apartment for only $45 a day! The apartment was cozy and has TV, washing machine, water heater, aircon/heater, refrigerator, closet, shower, toilet, 2 single beds. Food prices are reasonable because of the quality.
Can't wait to get back later this year!
lalilulelo I always found foreigners tell me that food is expensive in the USA compared to outside.
How good is the quality of the food in just an average place
Quin Duvoltar aren't Japanese locals friendly?
It's well known Japan is one of the most expensive places in the world
Jorge Diaz it's not all you have to do is save some money. You don't have to be a millionaire to visit Tokyo
lalilulelo, can you please give me an idea where I can find that deal? My wife & I are dead-set on visiting Japan in January, 2018. That will surely help us much.Would you suggest using airbnb in Tokyo? Thanks for your input about this.
gettingwiser I'm guessing you mean 2019. But you'd wanna check out cheap places to stay on airnbnb.com I've found deals like those there.
I was actually shocked about how cheap Tokyo was. Our budget was 10,000 yen a day (circa £60) and I always had money left over. Its an amazing place!
Carlena P where did you go to eat?
I want to go to tokyo and your budget of £60 per day helps me alot to have my own budget
I was shocked at how massive the metro/subway system was! Thank you for sharing!
I entirely agree with your list, thank you for sharing Wolter! Japan is my favourite place on earth. I love travelling around the world and still go there every year. It's such a safe, fun place and people are incredibly kind and helpful. Love it.
These videos are amazing concise guides that are super useful. I’m traveling abroad for the first time in May to Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima and after a few of these I feel so much more prepared.
Your children are so blessed that they get to travel with you and your wife the way they do. They are getting such an education. Are they being homeschooled or "unschooled?" Or...do they attend a traditional school? This teacher mom is so curious :)
+Cynthia Ava they go to a normal school. We did homeschool for a time though.
Yeah. I was thinking the exact same thing. So lucky to be exposed to so many sights and sounds; experiencing different places, culture and food at such a young age. They're going to grow up to be so incredibly well rounded and sophisticated! If they're not already.
@Walters World, If you don't mind me asking how are your kids doing in a Japanese school? I as because I have seen some foreigners in Japan loving Japan but not liking the idea of raising kids there, so I wanted to know your esperience
worldofelegance15 He doesn’t live in Japan... His kids don’t go to school there...
Nice vid! What shocked me the most was the kindness of the locals. As a solo traveler, at least, I had so many instances of Japanese people approaching me and wanting to practice English or know about the US, etc. In many parts of the world, you really have to make an effort to get to know the locals and have those special moments, but in Japan, it just kind of happens by default.
Also, shocking how nicely the Tokyo locals queued up for the metro :)
jak488 kindest, most gracious people on the planet in my book!
I found exactly the same thing. I was looking at a map on a street corner and a local approached me to see if I needed help. In that particular case, I didn't, but I did appreciate the gesture. I found the Japanese to very friendly and helpful, whether I needed help at a train/subway station or on the street. If anything, I thought them to be a bit shy, but once the ice was broken, I found them to be, like a post above me put so perfectly. . . the kindest, most gracious people on the planet in my book! (Thx WW Jackie)
Shock Number One. Tokyo is very foreigner friendly.
Mmmm.... I don’t know. I’ve been living in Japan 23 years and it comes and goes. Sometimes yes other times shockingly bad, but that isn’t so common.
Guess it’s because I’m Canadian.
Japanese are the most helpful and kind people in the world. Over the top helpful with foreigners. They would take me to the place I wanted to go if they couldn't communicate with me. And they did that a few times. Different random people I approached in the street.
Being polite is not friendly 😐
After being in Iceland and Reykjavik, nothing can shock me as far as cost.
Or Norway 😂
Same bro!
I love Tokyo! ❤️
And Japan in general.
just my personal tip, stay out late until the subway closes down and enjoy night life. sleep in for your vacation and avoid morning rush hour altogether, have an easy, lazy morning because you will need to recuperate after walking everyday. by 5 PM you should be sitting down for dinner, again trying to avoid all that rush hour traffic and by night fall you should be ready to explore nightlife again. rush hour should be rest hour
It's hard to sleep in in japanese hotels they start cleaning at 9-10 am... and nightlife is waaaay too expensive in tokyo (sit down fee)
It wasn't a problem for us, but the subway shuts down at midnight If you sleep 8-9 hours and spend an hour getting ready and watching TV we would go exploring from about 9-10 AM until 11-12 PM
We'll be happy to get 6 hours of sleep with the jetlag we had :D.... but our shedule was to leave the hotels before 9 am and get back before the last subway and the rush hour is not a problem for us if the train/subway is too packed we just wait for the next one it's just 5 min max so it's not a big deal
lol it the train is every 5 minutes its not rush hour ;)
depends on where you're going if you go to the outskirt of tokyo those trains takes longer to come even in rushhour ;) ;) ;)
I actually felt like the prices were a good shock. Compared to pricey U.S. cities, things felt fairly cheap, especially considering the quality of food/accommodation/service and no need to tip. Rail pass, too, was great value.
Before my son and I visited Tokyo, we found it helpful to learn a few key phases like excuse me, hello, good morning etc. Japan people are very polite but, their English was very limited at best. The food was delicious and very fresh....even the alley restaurants dishes were a culinary perfection. I will definitely like to visit again.
great video!
one thing i wanna correct is prices here in Japan are much cheaper than those of most European countries, say, Italy.
for instance, a cup of coffee at convenience stores costs less than 1 dollar,though you will never afford in other developed countries.
FYI, i've been in Japan whole my life.have a nice day!
+yasu hase I did find Japan a lot cheaper than I expected. It was only Tokyo where my wallet felt the pain :)
Wolters World well it is a megacity. The question is how does Tokyo compare to London or NYC in prices
cappuccino in Italy is only 1 euro
easy to say as a rich guy
Thank you....your video has really helped ease some of the anxiety that I've been having about going to Tokyo this April.
Nice video, Tokyo is by far my favorite Metropolis~ great vid Wolter!
Hey they finished construction of the tall building next to Senso-Ji! It was covered in plastic blankets when I last went. Back there in 2 months - happy!!
You are amazing!
This country is very strange but fascinatingly
+Caracta X. Thank you
Thank You, Mark for the great video! I really enjoyed watching some of the cool places you and your family visited in Tokyo. Tokyo seems to be a beautiful city. I would love to visit Tokyo someday! 😊
+Diana Batista it is well worth visiting Diana
😊
Thank you.
Great video, I'm visiting Japan shortly and this video has me even more excited about the trip!!
Thank you for the awesome video! I plan on going to Japan with my family as a tourist, I've been there numerous times for business trips but I always find myself confined in my hotel room. Hopefully the 2 1/2 weeks I plan on being there will be magnificent!
I live in Japan and agree with pretty much everything you said . Also, If you’re on a budget there are plenty of cheap places to eat too:) Japanese fast food restaurants are a plenty and ¥100 Sushi 🍣 ✌️. As always great vid 👍
+青鬼TV thank you!
You shouldn't even be in Japan on a budget you need to spend money
I disagree. I went to Japan on a budget and still had a great time. I even came back with money with a couple hundred dollars which I was not expecting.
I've just come back from japan and actually found it very cheap! (I'm from the UK)
UK is stupid expensive ofc you found it cheap lmfao. but if you wanan eat at actually nice places and nice restaurants you have to spend more like michelin star places etc
Small police stations are called "Koban". It is Japanese original police system aims at prevent the crime. Needless to say, a police officer works at the Koban will deal with the crime . But Japanese police considers that the prevention has a great effect on the public safety. I think Koban system is one of the reasons why Japanese city well-known for safety.
You'd be shocked at how often I was nodding along to things you said! Absolutely spot on. My favourite city on the planet (to date!)
+QWERTYOP80 thank you :)
Probably in my top three countries to visit
Seems like pretty fair and accurate views - I can tell that you really enjoy visiting Tokyo! Though I am originally from the city, having lived in the UK for nearly three decades I now get some of those shocks (e.g. toilets, cleanliness) :D
I actually don't find Tokyo to be too expensive. There are plenty of places where you can eat inexpensively. Subway travel is easy and not expensive. There are plenty of nice hotel rooms for $80-$120 a night you can find that include breakfast. However, these rooms are small so if you're traveling as a family of four you might need two rooms. But for the solo traveler or for couples Tokyo is not bad at all. On par with most smaller European cities. I think NYC is more expensive.
he's just rich
I just came back from my Japan trip and everything you said on the video was very accurate :) We actually bought the toilet seat on Amazon right when we got back lol. Missing Japan already.
Love Japan. Along w/ Spain it's my favourite country to visit.
Although you did touch on it, if I had to add another Tokyo/Japan shocker it's how nice people were. Prior to Japan, Ireland and Mexico were my #1 and #2. Japan just went took all that to another level.
Everyone I met was incredibly nice and helpful despite my little phrase book with 10 Japanese words and terms.
A nice surprise and I hope to get back to Japan and see more (I was only in Tokyo and Kyoto) next time. I barely scratched the surface in Tokyo.
I would like to mention an interesting truth . Even tokyo is the 3rd, smallest prefecture in Japan(we have 47 prefectures.Tokyo prefecture is a little bit bigger than grater London )
,but we still have wild bear in tokyo. (Okutama area) It takes 2-3 hours from tokyo station by local train.
井上KONG o
Grater.
I'm in Tokyo right now! It's an outstanding city. The thing that shocks me the most is the peacefulness of the city, despite the millions of people. Especially in the public transport. Also, when there's a lot of people on the streets, noone bumps you. Everyone walks very consciously, and mind the others.
"Japan has evolved past normal human when it comes to toilet" LOL
All Things Japanese By Sashi, I’m going to invest in some Japanese toilet tech. I spend a lot of time in the bathroom, e.g. in the morning about 1.5-2.0 hours on average. Usually watching TH-cam, catching up on news, trying to wake up with a cup of coffee (or two), etc.
Really enjoyed this vid. Makes me want to visit. Thanks
All new info for me. Awesome, as usual. Thank you .
Love it! We really had no idea that there is not that much English spoken, or understood! Always great prep Info! Best for the New Year!
+Ron Mosely it's ok too. People will be so helpful and friendly
I wouldn't let that deter you. . . I know two words of Japanese, konichiwa and arigatou gozaimasu. Only once in a 26 day trip did I have a problem and it was in an unimportant situation which was quickly resolved with the use of the Microsoft Translator app. Japanese people were very friendly and helpful and eventually it all worked out!
Funny, I'm vising Tokyo at the moment myself. It's been a ton of fun and a great trip for me. One shock you missed is just how dense the metro system map is, even coming for a large city it will be a bit intimidating. Lucky it's also really easy to navigate the system and everything is really well signed.
Great video! I watch all your videos before I visit a foreign country. I’m going to Tokyo in 4 months to visit my daughter stationed at Yokota Air base.
Very nice video. Awesome attitude.
I lived in Japan for 2 years, and in my view, you made good points and gave a lot of good advice. I’d like to add one thing, your debit card will probably work at the Japan Post ATMs.
Also, Tokyo is cheaper than a lot of big cities, and can be done cheaper than a lot of European and North American big cities.
You make wonderful videos about Japan...
Tokyo or Japan is not expensive at all, except for apartment lent or the price of buying houses.
foods and transportation is pretty cheap compared to other famous big cities in the world.
I live in Tokyo and I can say these are some solid tips. Great observation and video!
I was there last July, and going back this April. One other suggestion, check out a baseball game if any of the teams are in town during the season - an incredible experience!
Japan so awesome and beautiful country in the planet!!!! I want to go to Japan!!!!I Love Japan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️😍😀👍💕❤️🇯🇵
Wow! Great presentation. It seems so exciting! ..and creative
I was in Japan back in 1996 and fell in love with it .
thats my hometown! on the average, it'll take about a good 2 weeks to be able to see the major tourist sights in tokyo. but in order to see everything, it'll take about a good 6 months...thats how long it took me the last time i lived there...
Totally agree.The people are also super nice and helpfull.
Have you been to South Korea yet? If so can you do a video? Thank you it’ll be very helpful!
Japan my dream trip 💖💖💖
+Jessica Lains it really is awesome
Book it!
Wolters World very true I been 15 times and counting!!!! 👌
The best place is the castle in Himeji. I have never seen such beauty and simplicity anywhere.
Same it's been my lifetime Goal to want to visit Japan
Hey Walter I’m going to Paris and Portugal next month thanks for the Portugal videos any 1 thing hat I MUST see?
Ahh....Japan ....Tokyo...yes, the cleanest place ever! The kindest, most gracious, helpful people I’ve EVER meant! You’re so correct, no crazy cell phone users on the oh - so - clean trains and subways, they text but not talk, they consider that rude....as of course it IS! Can’t wait to return! I traveled last year as a solo female. No tour guide, knew no one but fabulous! Safe! If I am so blessed to be able to return however , I will take a profession tour. Oh, and by the way...I saw lots of women in kimono.
Great video. Everything you mentioned is true
Just curious when you went to Japan. Did you get a chance to see any of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic venues being built and prepared?
Great tip about the great food at the convenience stores!
I love all your videos!! I'm a big fan! I was wondering if your were planning on doing one on Colombia any time soon? We are going there.
Hi been to Tokyo a couple of times fantastic city and agree with all your shocks...
I had morning sickness when we went to Japan and got well acquainted with the public toilets. They were all SO clean!
Awesome review Pls visit Bangkok Samui &Phuket island Thailand too
Very accurate. Congratulations !!
I like your videos, most of your facts are totally correct. And you talk from your experience traveling to different places, other than some other people who create Top 10 lists, who just look something up on the internet without verifying it by going there themselves.
If you want to save money in Tokyo or any other famous city anywhere in the world there is a simple but strange trick, search for a women, who has a little child these most of the time exactly know where to get the cheap high quality ingredients to make food.
Thank you so much. It's on my bucket list. Bless you
I have a 19 hour lay over in Tokyo! I’m so excited!
I agree with you on most points except for public transportation (being cheap). To go to a nearby place from point A to point B, train tickets here are cheaper than most countries. But, there is no "one day pass" that you can buy to hop on and off trains. Plus, you will sometimes have to use 2 - 3 different train companies to get to destinations in Tokyo requiring you to pay the base fare (+ distance) each time.
Agree! If its your first time in Tokyo you probably need 6-7 days to cover a good chunk of it. A day trip to see Mt. Fuji is also advisable but best if you can check the weather cause you wouldn't want to go and be disappointed and not see it.
Thank you I've been waiting for this video!!!
Excellent info!
Can you do a video about top ten things to do in Sapporo?
Good guide to a great city like Tokyo.
+Evonne Okafor thank you
My bucket list trip is Kyoto 2022. How easily will I be able to get around not speaking the language?
Was that Asakusa? I stayed there for two weeks last year and still didn't see all of it :) Japan definitely has that safe feeling, and people will go out of their way to help you. I totally agree with getting cash from 7 Eleven. I got all my cash from there. I could never figure out how to use those electronic toilets. I love Japan and definitely want to go back, but it may be a while because it certainly is expensive. Tokyo is probably the biggest city I've ever been to. The other Japanese cities I visited were a lot smaller and less busy, but still had the same lovely, helpful, clean feeling of Tokyo
Yes, Senso-ji temple.
CarlaRose how expensive is Tokyo? It can't be more expensive than NYC or London
MrWalker1000 Yeah I guess it's similar priced to London (never been to NYC), but the difference is I would never stay in London for 2 weeks, so spending would be quite low compared to Tokyo which is so much bigger and has so much more to do, which is why I would spend so much more there. Also, as Japan is so far from the UK and really expensive to get to, I would want to spend more time in one trip in the country meaning I would want to visit other cities and towns etc, hence why it is so much more expensive to me than London
CarlaRose I see . So what if you were to assume you did the same exact thing in one city and the other which one would turn out to be more expensive
MrWalker1000 Tokyo is way cheaper than NYC. I've been to Tokyo, and while it's not the cheapest place on earth...it's reasonable if you compare your prices, ask the locals for advice on shopping (particularly restaurants and groceries), and you are willing to take public transport (I recommend avoiding rush hour and traveling after or before the rush hour starts).
NYC is pretty ridiculous. It can add up quickly. Not to mention...nowhere near as clean (I pretty much detest NYC...but I really loved Tokyo)
More suggestions. I live about 90 miles west of tokyo and go in to visit sometimes on weekends. Aside from convenience stores, most Post Offices have ATMs that accept many more types cards than a typical bank atm and different bank ATMs are better than others. The symbol for a Japanese Post office is an orange T with an extra bar across the top, usually on an white background & a mostly orange sign. I have experienced a few convenience stores in which the ATMs are only in Japanese, but not very many.
Also, hotels in the busy parts of town are more expensive. You can often find rooms in less touristy parts of town (close to the subway or JR) that are more reasonable. I don't know how it took you an hour to get to Asakusa. The Ginza line is direct from Shibuya, maybe it is close to 40-45 minutes, my guess would have been 30-45 minutes, and also the JR line is a separate line tends to be faster and less expensive or the same price as the Metro (There are some metro card deals though; I showed some relatives around and they had a special metro card deal, so we kept away from JR and did the subways. I think that there may also be JR deals.). Also JR lines tend to be above ground so you can see some things along the way. You have to know where to switch though.
Also restaurants can be more expensive in the touristy parts of town. The food basements are to be checked out though (Not usually a place to sit and not usually tables, but often you can find somewhere nearby) and as you noted it is easy to get a good quick meal from the convenience stores. When I showed my relatives around, I do not think the bill ever came to much over $10 per person and the restaurants were very good, but in less touristy (but still busy) parts of town.
Bro, I miss seeing you on the chew. Glad to see you doing good here on TH-cam.
New drinking game: every time Mark says " and the thing is" take a swig 😂 keep up the good work Mark love your videos!
+aramakaraka I'm all about destroying livers :)
The thing that really shocked me with the complete lack of bins everywhere I had to Google where do I take my rubbish. There was always somewhere to recycle bottles but not always somewhere for other rubbish. Which just makes it more amazing how clean the places I think if there were no bin in the town I live in they would be rubbish all over the streets. I suggest taking a plastic bag with you to put in any rubbish you have
Very nice you enjoyed Tokyo ! 🍀🇯🇵
One more thing that will shock you: Logan Paul behavior is not welcomed
+sbs2798uu in any country
Everybody hate him he’s useless and stupid
Wolters World well people in usa seems to like him else they wouldnt have made him millionaire out of giving him likes
sbs2798uu who?
The price thing... If you know where to eat, shop & stay it’s not expensive at all. Do your research before going and you’ll stretch your yen.
My husband and I just came back from Japan a few months ago and we loved it there! And it always gets me when tourist say it’s expensive there because we felt like it was the same as living in California. Especially southern Cali. My thing is, if you have the money to travel to Japan on vacation then you should expect to spend money. And that goes for any vacation anywhere (well maybe not Mexico because that’s a pretty affordable vacay). And actually I think Tokyo Disneyland was far cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disneyland. But overall, your vid made me miss Japan. I can’t wait to go back.
I can only imagine how stuffed the subways are in Tokyo. It was a huuuuuge shock for me to be in Rush hour subway in London a couple of years ago, since I live in a small ~100,000 people "city" in Finland. And London "only" has like 10 million habitants where as Tokyo has three to four times more.. Definetely would love to visit Japan some day though.
Say; will it be weird to ask for ramen without the broth since it’s mostly pork based? Can you flavor it with other ingredients and hot oil? Or are there options for broth?
Love your enthusiasm. Hope you have a great time in Tokyo! ^_^
Great job! Thank you!
I love the excitement you put in this video Mark. So lucky to be able live here in Japan for so many years now and there’s still a lot to discover😉 Enjoy every trip you do with your family. Keep safe and healthy🤗 @woltersworld
Two days ago I watched a german tv show named "Schulz in the Box". This time he visited Tokyo and worked there as a host boy. And one part of the job was to go around in the neighbourhood with plastic bags and tidy up. It's no wonder that it is so clean everywhere. Another thing to mention was the bars and cafes. There was a cuddle place where you can take a seat and a girl will come to you to cuddle with you. No sex! Just hugging and cuddling. Or a cat cafe where you drink your tea while 20 cats are jumping from table to table.
schnorpel Lol, the only thing I'd heard of previously was the cat cafe. Awesome!!!!!
*_”Shockingly Awesome”_* is awesome! 👍🇯🇵👍
+Tosh T I tried to use the word shock a bit less on this video
thanks mark tokyo seems to be so an amazing city!!
+Naila Rose it really is. Thanks for watching!
Can’t wait to travel again!
Love your videos help me so much
I always hear about larger people going to the mountains and given a hand towel for a beach towel and being required to go all natural so to speak! Hey for a Midwestern born on tenderloin sandwiches sort of scary! Thoughts?
I felt like this as well, so shockingly clean
How would you compare the cost of living in Hong Kong (which I felt very expensive) with the cost of living in Tokyo (never been there)? Which is more expensive?
This video shocked me... nice one ;-)
Actually, international bank cards work fine at the ATM's of Japan Post, which you show in the picture. Which is convenient when you visit small towns, while they might not always have a 7/11 (as far as I know, ATM's in other konbini's don't work), they do usually have a post office with ATM. Supposedly you can also use them at ATM's of Citigroup, but those are rather few and I never bothered trying. At other banks they indeed don't work.
Also, I never thought Tokyo was really that expensive. Accommodation might be small (which obviously can be a problem with kids), but it's a huge lot cheaper than other major world cities like NYC, Hong Kong or any big city in western Europe. As a single traveller I never had a problem to get a decent hotel room in central Tokyo (usually Ueno or Ikebukuro), often even including (Japanese) breakfast for somewhere between 50 and 70 euro's. Try that in Manhattan! Same for food, while you can even get a decent meal for as low as 500 yen, for about double or triple that amount (about 8-12 euro's) there's a HUGE variety in restaurants. Local transportation indeed isn't that expensive, just as entry prices for most museums. And for shopping: you gotta love the 100 yen stores, which have a surprising variety and level of quality! I wouldn't say it's a cheap city per se, Japan obviously isn't like Southeast Asia, but compared to any western city it's pretty good value.
And indeed, Tokyo isn't that representative of Japan, though I would say Kyoto (amazing sights but annoyingly touristy) is even worse in that aspect. I do love the city, and during my 14 visits to Japan I spend around 50 days in total just in or around Tokyo (daytrips galore!). But there's just so much more to see in Japan, and one thing that keeps it interesting is the pride the people everywhere seem to have in their local culture and heritage. When you visit Japan again, make sure to go to less travelled places like Hokkaido or Tohoku. And make sure to visit some matsuri (traditional festival), I'm sure your kids would love it!
Also to be prepared for - only the main through routes have names: smaller streets are unlabelled. This can make the fine detail of navigating quite problematical. There is a numbered block system but it really does take some working advice. Street maps are all in Japanese (of course) and even the orientation of the map can be unclear. Best advice: pay careful attentions to directions such as "Take subway exit E" and notes on landmarks. Have lots of patience and give yourself time. Few people speak English but if pushed to ask preface your request with something that sounds like "sully ma say" - much more likely to be successful. Whatever, it is all worth it to see this amazing city. Hope you all love it as much as I have on my three visits
There's a ramen museum at Yokohama station. If you like trains. There's the train museum in Omiya Saitama which is a 30 minute train ride from central Tokyo.
hi from Tasmania Australia Walter :) it said in the writing in this video "do not smoke on the street" I was just wondering if it is illegal to smoke cigarettes in public in toyko?