I love being me, I don't follow fads or what's in style. It sickens me, too many people copy each other and there is no originality. I love DIY, Punk, Metal, Goth, Alternative etc etc.
honestly its kinda inevitable when abroad because even the things locals wear may be very outdated in your country. i notice that a lot but its all so subjective that i gave up trying to figure it out lol
I’ve lived in Japan 18 years and 2 things mentioned here raised my eyebrows. Japanese people in their groups walk 3/4/5 abreast blocking the pavement, often making me step into the street or squeeze through even though they see me walking towards them. And mate cmon, drunk sleeping on the train is like a national pastime here but apparently they only seem to notice these things if foreigners do them lol.
Yeah, I've been in japan for business numerous times and boy did i tell you JP person is often as bad as the foreigners itself, and of course not all of them are like that but the ratio is pretty much the same. I almost got scammed 3 times, being stopped by a thug (or just some yankee jp because they're looking so young), ridiculed while walking, getting ignored in a restaurant and many2 more, still a beautiful country tho.
one time, i was riding a bus and a group of friends were talking really REALLY LOUDLY. they were not moving at all also when people are trying to get in as well 😭 at one point, a japanese lady told them to move and the group of friend looked at her ridiculously. it was so intense, as a foreigner i was so nervous 😭
Omg yes!! Currently living in Kyoto and this happens to me every single day, it's like the awareness of their surroundings is defenitly not their forte 🤣
@@W4kT3k Aaa I get this. I just many times feel it's not good for me to say them because I don't know much so it will sound bad :(. Also heard many times some will ignore you if you speak japanese
@@nothere3982 I've lived in Japan since 1988. No one has ever ignored me when I spoke Japanese. On the contrary, if I speak English, I more often than not get a look of confusion in return.
@@Jordy120 Your absolutely right there. I went to japan before the pandemic and traveled around by myself for a month and I took time before the trip to read up on how to behave so you don't offend people and memorized some phrases that I knew I probably would use on a daily basis. Things went so smooth and I never had any problem getting help or directions. Now I'm studying japanese so next time I could even have some basic conversations. I'm really looking forward to that. :D
As a foreigner that's lived in Japan over 20 years, I can say almost all these things are very common among Japanese people also. Especially the whole part about not inconveniencing others, that's common place in Tokyo where people walk around with their head in their phone and don't even look up, even if they are not emersed in their phone they will stand in the middle of isles blocking you from passing or walk on the wrong sides of streets, block streets without a care for anyone. To even suggest its not super common among Japanese themselves is absurd.
@@yo2trader539 Good for you. In Aomori for work right now, going to stop in Iwate where I own some property and drop off some stuff on the way back to Tokyo. But sure, can prove you wrong easily. Dealing with trolls is not really worth the time though.
@@oxAkatsubakixo I’ve had PR 永住 since 2006, I know some people who want citizenship but I’ve never considered it myself. The process is similar to getting your PR, just more in depth from what I’ve heard.
I live in Tokyo, and nearly everything they mentioned about foreigners I saw the same thing being done by the Japanese. Salarymen throwing up on the trains. Old men being aggressive to service people. Women throwing their elbows into someone to get a seat on the train. Teenagers being loud in restaurants. People walking three across on a sidewalk. Bicyclists who ride like demons on the sidewalk, or bike against the flow of traffic. Japanese men and women speaking about vulgar topics in public. I love Japan and the people, but the Japanese forget that when you point a finger, three fingers are pointing back at you.
yea i hate the obsession with japan to the point where logic and common sense are ignored. Half the things notable about japan really dont differ from europe, people in europe dont worry about theft and leave their children outside stores and let them play wherever but then you see the same thing in japan and people are like oh my god so incredible, so unique. I mean the uk has less road accidents and fewer murders than japan and they dont feel the need to lock people up for 30 days just for some menial 'crime' and the small viallages arent delepedated and baron.
@@Yukichan-mi1jp Feel like the only people who find this type of content genuinely interesting are those who have never spent a meaningful amount of time in Japan. The culture surrounding Japanese learning is similarly perfectionist and out of touch...
Though her Japanese has a bit of an accept, especially noticeable on the は. I guess she might be Japanese-American or something and moved to Japan at an early age.
She would be a Japanese diaspora from the US. Japanese and Japanese-Americans are ethnically the same, but their expressions and behavior are quite different.
And like right this moment a Japanese man listening to his music excessively loud on his train through headphones. Or the Japanese people who didn’t stand up And give up their seat for a very pregnant lady.
Almost 7 years here. Same. Everyone does the same things, just that foreigners stand out more. And then the reasoning will always be “oh, ofc, they aren’t Japanese”
@@strand.san13i wonder if it was me the very pregnant lady you saw. Because it happened to me too many times. Not always, but even once it’s too many times since I had my right to the priority seats.
I think it is not a good mindset to assume a non-Japanese person did something (banana peel on train) just because she never saw a Japanese person do it. Elderly or mentally ill people also exist in Japan.
One of pet peeves is when people stop in the streets and around stations here in London too - especially during the work commute. I found that bit hilarious yet eye-opening. Something about being a tourist makes people forget that the space they're touring is someone's day-to-day life. Common sense will make you a joy to have around wherever you go. I do love that here strangers will help you if you struggle. And boy do the British say sorry for everything. We say sorry to each other even if we're the ones that got bumped haha. With love from the UK!
I was super self conscious about never eating ANYTHING inside trains as i’ve always read that it’s considered rude… until i saw japanese people in several different occasions eating the most digusting bentos i’ve ever seen in my entire life and leaving the plastic cases at the seats and on the windows frames. I still didn’t have any proper MEAL inside a train, but i already consider a quick snack to be unproblematic 😬
Man people just standing around blocking other people is something that drives me crazy that so many people in the US do here, like my whole life I’m used to that my family always tries not to be in people’s way in public places and then I’ll go out with friends and constantly have to get them to stop standing in other people’s way. I can’t imagine how annoying it’d be in Japan where avoiding it seems to be much more standard in the culture.
It's the same here in germany too. I get so mad when people walk in the middle of the sideway so you either have to walk on the street to pass them or ask them if they could move a bit. I don't get what's so difficult about staying on the right. Maybe it annoys me so much because I always do my best to not bother anyone too :/
It's actually probably worse in Japan, people walk around super busy areas with their faces in their phones here and will just stop on a dime out of nowhere
When I went to Shinjuku during the cherry blossom season, there was a group of Chinese people who took out their cameras in the middle of the street and spent a long time taking pictures of the cherry blossoms, even though it was already crowded with people. And they were causing a traffic jam. It took more than 30 minutes to go 100 meters and probably affected hundreds of thousands of people.
I went to see the cherry blossoms in Ueno, and everyone was stopping and taking photos, Japanese people and foreigners alike. It was so crowded, it was almost impossible to make any headway.
been living in Japan for almost a decade. people here in general wants a clean and admirable public image, but within they are like mini godzilla. if your in japan you definitely knows what i mean.
all about the imagine even if that causes the countryside to be abandoned and year after year rises in suicide, depression, poverty, burn out and a declining population.
I had an negative incident happened to me in Japan when I went to visit. I was going through the train turnstile and a Japanese man came up behind me and pushed me pretty hard. He was very rude and yes I let him know. He walked on ignoring me. There could be rude people everywhere.
3:58 I’m a little confused here with the Big Mac story. The customer asked for a Big Mac in a wrapper instead of a box. Because it was “crowded,” she gave the Big Mac to the customer and told him to do it himself, then he “unfolded” it at the counter. So, was the Big Mac in a box at that time? Did they put it in a box with a wrapper for him to transfer it to a wrapper himself? I worked at McDonald’s for many years and was a manager for much of that time, so that’s why I have questions about how all this went down. If he asked for the Big Mac to be put in a wrapper ahead of time… then just tell the kitchen staff to put the Big Mac in a wrapper when they make it. Even if it’s busy. We received special requests all the time. Yes, they slow down production, but that’s part of the job. If they asked for it to be put in a wrapper after it had already been prepared… I mean, I get that a Japanese person might not want to be a bother, but it’s still an easy request for the staff to take care of. The only occasion where I think having the customer do it themselves is the right call would be if the customer had already touched the food. In that case we would not be allowed to take it back to the kitchen and they’d have to do it themselves. It’s a health code thing. I imagine it’s probably similar in Japan. Unwrapping and rewrapping food at the counter is kind of rude. But if it was a To-Go order and the customer had asked for a wrapper instead of a box when they ordered (and the request was understood by the staff!) and the staff didn’t bother to honor that simple request… I can understand the customer’s mentality. They wanted to get out of there as soon as they had their food, they probably didn’t think they should have to look for an empty table just to switch their food into a wrapper before they leave when the kitchen staff could have placed it in a wrapper to begin with. But again, I don’t know all the details, but I really wonder how that actually went down.
i couldn't make sense of this part either!!! you don't pass off your job to the customer just because it's busy... the other customers willingly wait their turn when there are people being served before them. it takes maybe a maximum of 8 seconds to wrap up a burger and get away from the counter, so i don't feel that the customer did anything wrong here, especially when they must have been shocked by the situation to begin with.
YOU receive special requests all the time at your workplace, but customizing orders in Japan is less common and often not allowed, especially in quick service food environments. I was just at a Japanese burger chain maybe a week ago with a friend who was visiting and she is used to the "have it your way" American service. I was trying to help her order and explained that she needs to just pick something off the menu and she picked a promotional burger with cheese in the patty, but wanted to add lettuce and tomato. They wouldn't do it an suggested a different burger which comes with veg on top, so she asked for that burger with the cheesey patty and the cashier was getting so flustered. Then another employee chimed in (in flawless English) saying "sorry, we don't really do that here" and suggested my friend could order a salad and put some of it on the burger if she wanted to. It wasn't a language/ communication issue, but it's just not well received to customize orders unless you're specifically at a place where customization is the concept of the business (i.e. Cocos Curry where you choose the curry base, spice level and individual add ins for your dish).
I agree tho, I feel like the costumer asked her because they thought the employee would do a better job at wrapping, but she's complaining about how messy it got
Why did that one lady blame foreigners for the banana peel if she didn’t even see a foreigner place it there? Not saying that it doesn’t happen, but once I got blamed for littering at a Kyoto train station (not openly, they were just talking shit about me and pointing) when I didn’t even do it! I just happened to be the only foreigner sitting there and there was trash placed right next to me (which I didn’t even notice until they started pointing).
Because all Japanese are perfect, so if anything goes wrong, blame the nearest foreigner. I once told my manager that I saw a man run out of a department store, being chased by security. The first thing she said was, "It must have been a foreigner." She had no idea that she was being insulting, as well as xenophobic. I never talked to her after that unless it was absolutely necessary.
I think it’s very much depends on common sense. Even in other countries outside from Japan, doing those sort of things is still very much rude. However since it is not as strict as in Japan, there will be more people doing it, which is annoying….
im going to japan in october and the main rule i have for myself is to be respectful to everyone and respect the japanese culture, being a visitor i know i am a guest and i know i have to follow the rules and laws of japan. im learning japanese so that way i can communicate, but i know if i want to take pictures i rather be respectful and ask then to go do it. i love all your videos by the way.
They talk about respect other people and so but then they ride a bicycle and forgot about all that xDD They are the most aggressive people in the world while riding a bicycle, I swear. When I was in Japan I was walking normally and then a bicycle came fast as f*ck by my side. Like if I change my way in that moment that would be a massacre. It happened to me more than 5 times and I was there just for a week x'D
@@rapthor666 Not in mine xD That's why I was so surprised, specially being a place like Japan, "the kingdom of kindness". (I don't travel a lot outside my country so it was the first time I saw something like that.)
I had the same experience when I was in Osaka and Kyoto for 3 months recently. Just don't make a sudden step to the side without looking, otherwise a bicycle could hit you anytime... quite scary. 😂
I would sum it up into 2 categories: Good Foreigners - Those who realise they step into another culture Bad Foreigners - Those who think they step into a themepark
That's normal where I'm from so I can see that happening! It's not considered rude generally speaking, only bothersome to them, and anyone can do it them included.
The Western culture of honestly saying whatever is on your mind. This is unacceptable in Japan. If you are Japanese, you never tell the restaurant even if the food is bad. If possible, they eat everything and leave the restaurant as soon as possible. It does not mean you get a free meal when you say the food is not tasty. I would never say such a final word to a restaurant.
My friend got me crazy with standing in the middle of crowing walking path in the train, at the end i gave up. Now on the sleeping in priority seats drunk, sorry but in two weeks i used trains and shinkansen in ungodly hours and the only ones drunk and using more seats were japanese. They didnt even take their stuff to give a seat to the standing people (in shinkansen mostly)
The Japanese are quite respectful already. The wouldnt have a problem in the USA or Europe. They should indeed try to get some information about Muslim countries if they decide to go there.
@@minnie8370 The US has a culture of tipping (for better or for worse) and Japan does not, so if they were to come to the US without knowing that, they would be considered rude for not tipping. It's important to always look up the customs of the country you are visiting.
No, they don't watch them, but they're \good at reading the atmosphere, so they can adapt their behavior to the locals without having to watch how to videos.
@@user-bc2vv5km3f Yes, you do. The Japanese aren't any more or less respectful than anyone else. You're just people. and the same way that Americans, or Europeans, or...whatever...Has cultural difference from Japan, it's the same the other way around. You can't say "Our cultures are different, and these are the things you do wrong when visiting Japan" Without also realizing that things which are normal in Japan aren't normal in other parts of the world.
You are SOOO correct, Cathy! Foreigners would benefit greatly by watching your videos on Japanese customs, manners and expectations BEFORE they visit Japan.
Somethings, like the standing in the middle of the road thing are things Japanese people do just as much, if not more. Its just more noticeable when foreign looking people do it.
The first time I went to Japan, I was constantly annoyed by the behavior of my fellow Americans. I think some hotels realize foreigners may be loud and obnoxious as it seemed like I often ended up on a floor with a lot of overly loud foreigners. That was almost 20 years ago, though.
Still happens now. Us Americans are rude. It's where the term "ugly Americans" come from. Wish more of us understood we, in a way, represent who we are as a country when we visit. Far too many behave like spoiled brats. I've seen similar with Chinese tourists as well
I think we're naturally more attuned to notice 'our own' people while abroad. While living in a tourist hotspot in the UK I was this way with Americans while my Swedish husband was that way about Swedes. Meanwhile the locals noticed that Americans were always the most enthusiastic about learning and experiencing things and always the first to jump in to help (e.g. holding doors open, helping people with prams lift them into buses, etc), while the loudest were Spanish and the rudest/most oblivious were the groups Chinese tourists. But at the same time it seemed pretty universally acknowledged that there are good and bad amongst all groups, so those stereotypes existed but weren't taken that seriously.
This is why I’m doing research about Japan, in not only places to visit, but also manners, customs, and etiquette. Looking back 20 years ago, I’m completely embarrassed about my younger self, so I’m learning how to be more polite. I want to prove that there are good Americans out there, not just bad ones. I will be reviewing my notes on how to behave on a train, what to do at a shrine and temple, and some Japanese table manners (and some words to say.) All of this research is making me a better person (it’s lengthy, but worth it.) As for the photo-person thing, I was given that perspective at some comic-book conventions (I cosplay as Godzilla.) I know it’s polite to ask before taking a person’s photo. For people taking photos without permission, I saw videos of people doing that with the geishas and makio, and it’s a huge problem (it’s making those people late for their jobs, and they don’t like all the paparazzi attention.) Everyone needs to see it from their perspective. I know lots of people don’t consider it, but it’s a real eye-opener.
I think a good point to make is that nowadays visiting Japan requires a lot of money. So people either save up for a long time and invest into that trip and are grateful just to be there and are probably familiar with the culture, or they're entitled rich people who don't care where they are.
There are also the people who save up money for a long trip, but think that Japan is like an Anime or a big Cosplay convention. Sometimes they're just as bad as the classic ugly American.
Some of the worst Japanese I have come across have been on buses and trains, the ones that refuse to move out of the way when you are entering or leaving.
When I clicked on this video I thought this was going to be a ranking of specific foreigners in japan. I expected people to be giving their opinions on foreign youtubers who live in japan.
Funny, in my country we got old folks from japan that stay in the middle of the sidewalk taking photos. I guess its only a problem when its in your country! 😅
Many people fooled by the appearance of Japan’s clean, polite and fancy toilet but if you go to Japanese bookstores in Japan. There’s an anti-foreigner section. Imagine this happening in Germany 🇩🇪 Japan is one of the world’s most xenophobic countries (the weak are bullied, the strong obey)
Not once have i encountered such a thing. The only thing i ever encountered are Japanese only places such as a karaoke bar. If you as a foreigner speak even just a little bit Japanese they usually let you in. Not saying what you said is false but its definitely not the norm based on my experience and research. @@User_37821
The boys at 5:21 are super handsome! Foreigners must stay polite! We have such different cultures, that, as an American, I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing. But I will try my best to be polite if I ever do visit Japan or any other country.
I have always wanted to visit Japan but I know that I would always be worried about offending someone even if I studied as hard as I could before visiting. I want to travel to a place to relax and also not bother the residents of where I go, so I just don’t go. Thankfully the net has many nice vlogs about places.
I’m American and I absolutely hate when people just start taking to someone right in the middle of a grocery store aisle or like even in the middle of a road in their car. Sometimes they are not even having a conversation, they just are standing there in the aisle all up in the way. I’m not the only American who complain about this either. I don’t know why people do this.
For the woman who said she went to Hawai'i, I'm sorry that happened to her since there are people in Hawai'i who do that and we try to stop that from hapepening. I hope it doesn't discourages her from coming again.
did that girl just say that she saw a banana peel and for sure that couldn't come from a Japanese person? that's wild that they think Japanese people can do no wrong.
@@anjel130 like fr. Don’t get me wrong I love Japanese people but there are shitty people everywhere. It’s like she’s saying that only foreigners will do those kind of shitty things and that’s just crazy.
That's the pervasive mindset here. "We were raised properly and can do no wrong. We've constructed a perfect society with perfect people. It must have been that foreigner." Gets tiring 😂😂
@@orobas7785 yeah that’s just wild imo. To point a finger at someone else right away without thinking that it could be “our” people too just doesn’t sit right with me. You walk to shibuya and there’s trash, loud and drunk Japanese everywhere. 🤷🏻♀️
At a station in Tokyo a blind man was trying to go down the stairs. I knew that would be difficult for him so I led him to the elevator. He really appreciated it! I bowed to him when he said thank you, but then I realized... Yeah... LOL
There's no right side of the path to walk in Tokyo. you just have to give up and accept you are going to have to dart all over the sidewalk/street because no matter which side you choose, someone will ALWAYS find a way to be in your way lol. it could be the quietest street with only one other person walking your way and there'll still be a good chance they'll be walking right at you. left side, right side, right down the middle begging to be hit by a car, doesn't matter lol
I spent a year in Japan and agree. Actually, if you watch a lot of different channels where Japanese people get interviewed, they give answers that are mindblowing considering the things they say foreigners do, they themselves do all the time. That goes for blocking sidewalks by randomly stopping in the middle of it (shoutout to random ojii-sans who do this all the time), cyclists disregarding signs or traffic lights, being loud in public, being rude to staff, eating in trains and whatnot. Japanese people do all these things every single day but I guess they simply ignore them. The fact that those two girls said it could not have been a Japanese person with the banana peel is so funny to me. Same for the priority seat thing. This is another example Japanese people constantly bring up; "Foreigners sit down on priority seats, we would never do that". Mate, not only do Japanese people sit down on them when the trains have plenty of other seats free, they sit down on them when the train is packed and do not make way for people who clearly need them. In my entire year in Japan I have seen maybe two Japanese people give up their seats for others that had that red cross thingy on to show they have physical problems. I remember giving up mine once for an older woman and not only did she thank me when she sat down, she also tapped my shoulder when going out to thank me again. That should tell you enough about how often this woman must have the exact opposite experience.
Of course, Japan is a country that is 99% Japanese, so there are probably some Japanese who would do such a thing. The problem is that foreigners are few compared to the Japanese, yet it happens often enough that they stand out.
@@VanillaCoke1956 Totally agree!! I've been to Japan over a dozen times in the past 15yrs and have NEVER seen a foreigner sitting in the priority seat on the train - I have seen plenty of young Japanese males/females sitting on the seats when there is an elderly person standing right in front of them! I also had an experience on public transport (bus) when an elderly woman thanked me for offering my seat to her. Once seated, she rummaged through her bag and passed me a lolly - she couldn't thank me enough!
@@lizawithaz9524 Unfortunately, many Japanese people think that they are - by default or birth right - different from everybody else on this planet and can not do any wrong. It's one of the very few things that irk me about the country I otherwise love to bits. Some people genuinely have grown up being taught that their bodies are different, that seasons are different (although on some level I actually DO understand why they say Japan has 4 seasons!) and whatnot. Once you get to talk to someone more deeply about certain topics, they just look at you like deer in headlights.
12:10 Your voice actually went hypersonic, the dogs around my building began to howl. 😮 It's a wonder the cheeky photographer was able to hear anything when she left. 🥴 Unfortunately there are many people who appear to have been wired to be selfish and inconsiderate, and a lot of those are aggressive and seem to have a chip on their shoulder. And a lot of these people are traveling nowadays, with the full intention of inflicting themselves upon whichever country and culture they go to. So sad! 😢
11:34 This story reminds me of a school friend who had a part-time job here in Sweden. One day, he approached me and asked, "Do I sound angry to you?" I replied, "No, what happened?" He then proceeded to tell me that his boss had called him for a chat, asking if everything was fine. My friend assured him that everything was okay and inquired if he had done anything wrong at work. The boss then informed him that some of his co-workers believed he was angry when speaking to them. This confusion arose because my friend, being from the Middle East and speaking Arabic, had unintentionally incorporated Arabic intonation into his Swedish, making his speech sound harsher and louder than usual. In a regular conversation, these words are typically softer, unless the speaker is upset. I found this quite amusing and shared a laugh with him. I explained that since I also arrived in Sweden a long time ago, I didn't perceive his way of speaking as hostile. However, for an ethnic Swede who hasn't had much exposure to multicultural environments or encountered foreigners who speak broken Swedish, it could be easily misinterpreted. I think this is also the case here 😅
In Germany, especially Berlin, American tourists are perceived most negatively: loud, cheeky, uneducated and arrogant. This is followed by young tourists from the British Isles, France, Spain and Italy, who lack any manners. The worst thing is the mess they leave behind. A group of Japanese high school students left the best impression. They were staying in the same hotel in Leipzig. Her behavior was exemplary. On the other hand, I experienced German package tourists on the Canary Islands, it was just embarrassing and disgusting.
You see waaay more Japanese people, especially men taking up the priority seats on trains and buses than foreigners. When my wife was pregnant I had to constantly ask some dead-eyed salaryman to gtfo.
I think instead of placing everybody in a category of being a good or a bad foreigner, it basically just depends on the person. Japanese people can be rude, they can be kind. Foreigners can be rude, they can be kind. In my country some of the most 'annoying' foreigners are Japanese/Chinese people but that doesn't mean all foreigners are bad and all the original residents don't ever make mistakes. Being rude and inconsiderate is something that transcends countries if you ask me.
About blocking the streets, spaces.. It's everywhere in the world and I was just wondering if in Japan it's because the spaces are smaller compared to other countries and the foreigners are used to that bigger space. Or because they are on holiday, feeling more relaxed they are just not aware of their surroundings.
I live around Kansai area and I've literally seen japanese people eat cup ramen and whatever and leave the food wrappings and food cups at the side of the seats. I've even seen a guy helping his friend shave the hair on his arms with those disposable razors and then toss those used razors to the side. Japanese people OF ALL AGES talking loudly and old men drinking strong zero or any beer on the train is also a VERY common sight. And during rush hour, EVERYONE blocks the train doors and refuse to move in even though their stop is more than a few stops aways and then run and rush everywhere the minute the doors open or when the plane just landed. Very impatient and rude. Also most of the "daring fashion" i've seen are worn by japanese.. Many Japanese guys also think, just because I'm a foreigner, it's ok to hug and break all personal boundaries and ask for sex and curse and swear, which makes me beyond uncomfortable. So i wonder why many of them always say "foreigners this, foreigners that". It's really frustrating, especially when as a tourist, I've visited Japan a couple of times for a few weeks each time and fell in love with all that is Japan but as a resident, I felt like everything was just a facade and very hypocritical. I'm not saying ALL japanese are like this. I've met so many kind people and colleagues who've helped me through so much. But it would be better if they acknowledge that their people can also be just as much of a nuisance to the society just like anywhere else in the world.
Yup this is why I downvoted the video. This interviewer is living in "anime land" thinking she's a part of the Japanese population and not the same gaijin they hate. Garbage content.
@@soullessnight6539 I didn't say anything about niceness or kindness. I'm talking strictly about politeness. I'm 68 and I've been observing human beings for all that time in multiple countries. I can be pretty sure when people are being sincere or fake, and since you weren't with me, you don't get to pass judgement on anything I experienced. Maybe you need to learn to read humans better.
I hate when people stand right in the way of traffic too. Even at work clients will come in and just stand RIGHT IN THE WAY! I don't understand why people are so blatantly rude.
I'd like to hear more about how Cathy said she's heard alot about the ulterior motive in men recently Like was it only recently that it happens more/did something change? Do they come out and say stuff or is it more about a vibe or how they approach them, Etc?
On my first trip to Japan I had a similar situation as the woman with the suitcase. I was in a subway station at the top of the stairs (no lift) with a suitcase & a stroller. A man walked up to me said something (I don't speak Japanese) and carried my stroller (and baby) down the stairs for me! So nice =) I can't wait to go back to Japan in February!
4:51 As a waiter, How could you had a attitude like that? Customer feedback to you that "the food taste bad" and your thought was "well then don't come".😆 The customer told you this issue in hope you could told this to the cook or manager. I can only say that - If you can't take feedback or criticize or scolding then don't be a waiter. 2:13 "Reading the air" is a Japanese thing, in Japan is hard man. There are times where Japanese will beat around the bush so it's hard to guess what they want or don't want, like or don't like & yes or no. it's not direct, you have to really pay attention.
North American's are always the loudest. There's a lot exchange students at my uni and you can hear them 30-50 metres away. American's on holiday treat everything outside of their country like it's a theme park.
There should be a requirement to travel to certain countries. And if people are being unmindful then they should just kick em back to their home origin
I've always been a bit reserved. When I was stationed in W Germany in the Army I didn't like to draw attention to myself and tried to respect the local culture. A lot of people today don't seem to grasp that concept. Also, I've never really been "trendy", I even still use a flip phone.
I ask this not as an effort to prod you, but as a genuine question: When wearing a literal costume on the street, how can you be surprised that people all around will just whip out a camera and take your picture? If it were Halloween, would you feel the same about it? It feels like the way a brooding Goth person would act, when they act angry because they see someone staring at their facial piercings and purple Mohawk. I’m just not sure how I could dress in an attention-getting costume, go out in public, and feel bad that a bunch of people took my photo without me specifically telling each person that they have my permission.
Im traveling to asia for the first time this year and im planning to come to japan in the next few years as well and i am SO SCARED that i will forget about a habit or a custom and disrespect them, its like my worst nightmare... I already get the sweats when i make a mistake while speaking japanese 😭
Gomen, sumimasen and pull the "gaijin card" if necessary. Don't shout on trains and watch the flow of pedestrian traffic a bit. You'll be fine! Don't worry too much but be thoughtful
Also, Japanese people, myself included, usually speak only Japanese and are not very good at English, so I would appreciate it if you could use Google Translate. Japanese people will be surprised if you suddenly speak to them in English. Also, I think it would be easier to communicate if there are illustrations or maps 😀
Todo es respeto, si vas con buenas maneras te recibirán con buenas maneras, si tu a la gente les pones el movil en la cara y empiezas a sacarle fotos sin pedir permiso, da igual si eres japones, inglés o del congo belga, esta mal. No cuesta nada pedir permiso y después decir gracias.
Claro, como yo lo veo es como si dijeran que japon es un país especial y por eso todas esa "reglas" pero no es cuestión de etiqueta básica y sentido común. Una persona que saca fotos a la gente de esa forma lo va a hacer en cualquier parte del mundo y dudo que sea una persona que vea este tipo de videos.
I wish we were that way in US, while a lot of us would find it rude here, lotsa people have really bought into the idea that just cause you're in public means they can take a photo or video whenever they want and post it online
40-50 years old Japanese salarymen that are not working and hiding behind "tatemae" are pbly the rudest, loudest and most ill-mannered people you can pass by in Japan, solid 2nd would be the elderly. Just my 2 cents. Also, in my 8 years in Japan, I saw most of the bad behaviours described in the video coming from Japanese people? Having good manners and common sense should not be a foreigner/not foreigner problem anyway
For me the most rude behavior I saw when traveling for a short while was just being flat out ignored in a residential area of Tokyo by an old woman when asking for directions in Japanese to a nearby place due to the weird address system. She listened to me and then just walked away. I also got “yelled at” non verbally through glass by a middle aged woman at a mall in Tokyo for standing around by a window to her store while waiting for my friend. And in 旭川市 I was in line at a grocery store with a woman in front of me and an old man behind me and the old man shouted “はやくやるよ” at the woman/store and more staff had to come over to the other registers. My general impression though as a Japanese speaking person is that people were overwhelmingly nice and helpful. Especially outside of Tokyo. Lots of people would come up and chat to me when they saw I was reading Japanese at museums, an old woman came over and tried to help me add money to my metro card in Sapporo but she couldn’t figure out the machine either so she called another person over, lots of friendly conversation and even free food from restaurants after chatting for a while. I mean put into perspective, I used to live in San Francisco and you’d have stories 100x worse from a single weekend in SF. My heuristic is if you speak Japanese and behave normally, Tokyo and old people are the rudest followed by unprepared or unaware tourists (it doesn’t matter how much you yell Chinese at the bus driver, he’s not going to start understanding)
I have been watching your channel and others in preparation for a long holiday in Japan. I studied Japanese a little at university and I have been practing my Japanese daily after my wife and I purchased our tickets. However, I get the sense from your content that the Japanese people do not really want foreigners in their country. Also, I have heard there a lot of establishments that do not want foreigners and will not serve them. Are there any resources avaiable so we can know where we are welcome and where we are not?
Japan, as with any country that has a strong cultural identity, expects that visitors at the very least attempt to abide by the societal expectations, none of which are particularly obtuse or intrusive. Don't smoke on the street, don't take sneaky photos of people, don't be noisy, etc. I saw one clip of an American guy hollering at staff in a Japanese McDonalds, demanding (in English) to speak to the manager, and generally raising all hell in the restaurant. Don't bring that guy's attitude and you'll be fine. If something is wrong, do your best to communicate in Japanese or use a translation app, there's never a need to start a fight with fast food staff (or anyone really). As for non-foreigner-friendly restaurants, I've heard of these existing in Okinawa, but this is mostly due to, again, bad attitudes/experiences/crimes from a few of the military personnel stationed there. It's unfortunate, but such instances soured the image there. I've never seen a no-foreigner restaurant on the mainland, and I've been everywhere from Osaka to Hokkaido.
my boyfriend normally has a booming voice, like his normal voice is just loud and we've been to Japan before. Now I'm worried we were annoying people in Japan D;
1:46 talking loudly is one thing, but I think it's extremely strange for anyone other than seniors not to be ok with swearing in normal english conversations, so unless it's outrageously loud (which is its own problem), keep to your own conversation
I kind of get it. Japan seems like a polite language, so swears can be taking exponentially worse and be seen as lack of education. For example in Spanish you can normally swear, but in a local language I speak swears will not sound as tough even when they have as a big degree of importance. Language morphs how a swear is taken and how they are interpreted
Just a cultural difference, I definitely think it's overreacting to specifically dislike it but I could see Japanese people being uncomfortable with it. In Japanese, you don't really swear outside of really casual conversations with your friends, even then not usually in public where people can hear, and even then there aren't many swear words in Japanese. I'm no prude, I'm a native English (but half-japanese) speaker who swears all the time, but I can get Japanese people being off put by it, if they haven't encountered many English speakers and then all they hear coming out of their mouths are swear words.
@@raf8418 every one can do whatever they want given it is in their country. Dont you know the 'Foreigners must act according to the rules I do not follow' Act. It is international. Japan is not different from your country whatever it is.
Rude tourists/foreigners will not care if they are being rude, so they will continue being rude regardless anyway. There are really no consequences (other than cold stares) for being rude in Japan, unless they really break the law.
Random notes of my experience in Japan: - Everyone's in a collision course with you lmao (even while walking on the correct side of the sidewalk). I swear if I didn't side step I would've bumped into sooo many people lol. - Foreigners who don't know how to read the air are annoying AF. I'm pretty sure I blended in better than most foreigners even as a pink haired tattooed girl wearing completely out of style clothes just cause I could understand how everyone acted. - Sad, but yeah... Japanese people are so respectful they won't ask if everything's okay even if you are openly crying while walking in the streets (happened to me like 4 times during my stay). I still don't hold it against them. It's just an extreme of being respectful. - Opposite of that last note, people would help me with my luggage everywhere I struggled with it. I wouldn't even ask for help and any man would approach me respectfully and lift it up or even offer to walk me all the way to my hostel.
I mean immature and ill mannered people who aren't mindful and respectful should not be tolerated. I mean they had they're chance to be a child years ago no
I was struck with the comments by the last woman in the "bad" half of this video (with the blond bangs). in my words, she and her friend hope outgoing foreign visitors might influence Japanese people to be more outgoing. I respect the cultural tendency to be reserved, and I admire some of the socially beneficial "rules" in Japan. Many individuals in my country are reserved, too. I hope on my next trip to Japan I run into more people who are interested in casual conversation, though, because I think our Japanese friends have a lot of good and interesting things to say.
Here's a difference between Japanese and American thinking: American--"It's the wee hours, a woman with kids or elderly person isn't going to be riding the train, I'll just lie across these priority seats," Japanese--"You should NEVER sit in the priority seats." Though having said that, I see Japanese people sitting in the priority seats ALL THE TIME. Though if an older person or a pregnant woman got on the train, they WOULD get up and offer that seat to them.
What’s the difference between street photography and “sneaky pictures?” I’ve been a street photographer in Japan for the past two years but don’t try to creep on people or lurk in the shadows. I usually am very visible in public spaces. Is this not OK?
I also do candid street photography in Tokyo as a hobby, it's not illegal but many people just don't like it. They can technically file a civil suit against you if they find out you posted the photos online and they complain that it hurts their reputation, otherwise you just have to decide if you're okay with doing something the other person probably isn't okay with as long as they don't see you doing it. I would absolutely stay away from photographing children though, I've heard that can get you in a lot of trouble
There is a big difference between taking a picture of a street filled with people vs. taking a picture of a specific person. If people end up in your picture of a crowded area, then that's unavoidable and understandable, but taking pictures of a specific person without their permission is rude and creepy.
@@KM32856 What I mean by “street photography” is capturing moments that happen in public areas (streets) with a camera. It’s an art form that has been around almost as long as photography itself. The point of it is to capture candid moments, but of course not being creepy about it.
even in the USA, a famous art photographer was sued by the subject in his street photography . Rare in America but it happens. Google : Philip-Lorca diCorcia street photography lawsuit.
A lot of these things are kinda common sense tbh, or maybe those parts are just similarities between my native culture and Japan? Also, "foreigners" aren't just a mass of people with same ideas, views, cultures and values either, so it isn't very helpful when they simply lump it into this one big umbrella term, which could mean American, French, Russian, Kenyan, Chinese, Armenian, Turkish or whatever else (you get the point). And I would also disagree with the conclusion of one of the ladies who said that "foreigners are carefree", I'd say if she was referring to the west then more like "careless" given the current day and age, which is really not a good thing given the state of affairs in the west as a whole. The only way one can truly be carefree is when they're dead, sorry but that's kinda true lol. In order to live a good quality life, you still have to have boundaries of sort and some kind of core and structure. Those things do not really mix all that well with being "carefree" and removing those things ultimately results in decadence and destruction of societies and cultures. I dunno, maybe a lot of Japanese people really have been wired to believe that living in the west is some kind of utopia of freedom, all the while these western societies are actually on the trajectory to losing more of their freedoms and a collapse of their cultures.
Carefree isn't synonymous with absolute chaos and disorder. You can be carefree while still having a lot of structure and self-discipline. They mean the traditional sense of carefree in that a lot of foreigners don't put a ton of value into the judgement of others. Certain folks do, true, but not nearly the way Japan does it. She speaks of the absolute tyranny of the majority and how in Japan, Japanese people are generally not allowed to buck the trend or to go against the thought of others and society. Much of the West is about the individual while the East is about the family and ultimately, society. Much of the constraints in Japan are not codified. You won't find them in laws or rules. They're enforced silently by society and the consequences for bucking those trends can be even more far reaching than if you had just broken a law. While in the West, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, in Japan, the nail that stands out is struck back in line with the rest.
As to the "loud Americans" bit, many of the Americans you'll meet in Japan are military. Quite a few of them have either deployed or spent a considerable amount of time shooting guns or standing near jet engines or both. Our hearing isn't anywhere near what it used to be and it comes off at times as if we're yelling, shouting or a bit loud. I usually apologize in advance at times as I know I can be loud but I have difficulties hearing myself so it gets difficult in knowing if the other person can hear me or not. The range of human voices is often one of the first things affected in hearing loss.
I'm sorry but there are also many Americans who are not in the military who don't adjust the level of their voice to the situation. It might be hearing loss for some, but for most it's just culture. Americans tend to be louder than those from other countries 🤷
@@___Laura What I said isn't mutually exclusive with "rude Americans." I just gave an explanation for one likely cause behind it all from personal experience having lived in Japan as a civilian as a child and later on as a serviceman stationed there. Tokyo has a major military base near it and everyone from several prefectures away in other military bases also heavily visit Tokyo. The ratio of civilian and military Americans is quite close to potentially higher for servicemembers. The drunkard who took up those seats at night on the subway was probably a military member as an example. The guy who said the food tasted bad was also more than likely a servicemember. My time near jet engines for years as well as operating machineguns from out of a helicopter has pretty much screwed my hearing. I was smart enough to wear hearing protection nearly all of the time so it's nowhere near as bad as many of the Army and Marines who may not have been fortunate enough to have hearing protection while fighting a couple of decades in a ground war. Guns are loud as hell and hearing loss is one of the leading disabilities of infantry as well as the Air Force surprisingly enough although for a different reason more related to my own. Having worked with and been around folks from around the world, I wouldn't actually rate Americans as the loudest folks out there. Several Eastern Europeans, quite a few Middle Easterners and even Greeks and Italians all tend to be very loud, boisterous peoples and talkers in general. Compared to the Japanese, yes, Americans can be on the louder side. Internationally speaking, we're probably more middling than towards the top. Australians tend to be a bit louder and more boisterous than Americans and both speak English. The Aussies I was with for a bit while I was stationed in Japan often were confused as Americans which was a bit funny for us. If they hear loud English, even though it sounds more British English, it's automatically assumed to be American. It's our stereotype which we've more than earned but it's not always true.
@@jimmersion3808 Military folks are stationed there with their families. Unlike the anime stereotype, they aren't walking around everywhere in uniform or some mix of fatigues and regular clothes. They have regular civilian clothes on when they're walking about and most of them do not have the jarhead hair cut either.
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"foreigners do not seem to mind and wear fashion that is already out of style for a while"
Ah yes, my greatest superpower
the trick is to wear clothes that were never *in* style
I love being me, I don't follow fads or what's in style. It sickens me, too many people copy each other and there is no originality. I love DIY, Punk, Metal, Goth, Alternative etc etc.
*sings* we never grow out of style
tank top with shorts and fannypack and proudly obese.
honestly its kinda inevitable when abroad because even the things locals wear may be very outdated in your country. i notice that a lot but its all so subjective that i gave up trying to figure it out lol
-"Who was the best foreigner you've ever seen?"
- "So I saw this Skinhead." 💀
I had to look up what a skinhead was 😅 I think she thought it meant “bald person” like I did, someone who wears skin instead of hair
😊
Cathy's voice enters "only dogs can hear it" frequency when she talks about the worst foreigner at the end 😂
12:10
- The friendly timestamp elf
I’ve lived in Japan 18 years and 2 things mentioned here raised my eyebrows. Japanese people in their groups walk 3/4/5 abreast blocking the pavement, often making me step into the street or squeeze through even though they see me walking towards them.
And mate cmon, drunk sleeping on the train is like a national pastime here but apparently they only seem to notice these things if foreigners do them lol.
Yeah, I've been in japan for business numerous times and boy did i tell you JP person is often as bad as the foreigners itself, and of course not all of them are like that but the ratio is pretty much the same. I almost got scammed 3 times, being stopped by a thug (or just some yankee jp because they're looking so young), ridiculed while walking, getting ignored in a restaurant and many2 more, still a beautiful country tho.
one time, i was riding a bus and a group of friends were talking really REALLY LOUDLY. they were not moving at all also when people are trying to get in as well 😭 at one point, a japanese lady told them to move and the group of friend looked at her ridiculously. it was so intense, as a foreigner i was so nervous 😭
Exactly
Omg yes!! Currently living in Kyoto and this happens to me every single day, it's like the awareness of their surroundings is defenitly not their forte 🤣
Yes that's exactly what I was thinking. Like, you see a banana peel and instantly you think foreigner as if a Japanese would never do that.
Unfortunately Cathy, there are too many people who don't care enough to learn about other countries culture or social conduct, they're rude.
It doesn't take much time to learn some basic phrases. That time will create smiles on the locals when you interact.
@@Jordy120 I couldn't agree more, I'm just saying too many people can't be bothered, too selfish.
@@W4kT3k Aaa I get this. I just many times feel it's not good for me to say them because I don't know much so it will sound bad :(. Also heard many times some will ignore you if you speak japanese
@@nothere3982 I've lived in Japan since 1988. No one has ever ignored me when I spoke Japanese. On the contrary, if I speak English, I more often than not get a look of confusion in return.
@@Jordy120 Your absolutely right there. I went to japan before the pandemic and traveled around by myself for a month and I took time before the trip to read up on how to behave so you don't offend people and memorized some phrases that I knew I probably would use on a daily basis. Things went so smooth and I never had any problem getting help or directions. Now I'm studying japanese so next time I could even have some basic conversations. I'm really looking forward to that. :D
As a foreigner that's lived in Japan over 20 years, I can say almost all these things are very common among Japanese people also. Especially the whole part about not inconveniencing others, that's common place in Tokyo where people walk around with their head in their phone and don't even look up, even if they are not emersed in their phone they will stand in the middle of isles blocking you from passing or walk on the wrong sides of streets, block streets without a care for anyone. To even suggest its not super common among Japanese themselves is absurd.
I highly doubt you've ever lived in Japan.
@@yo2trader539 Good for you. In Aomori for work right now, going to stop in Iwate where I own some property and drop off some stuff on the way back to Tokyo. But sure, can prove you wrong easily. Dealing with trolls is not really worth the time though.
Just curious. I heard getting japanese citizenship is hard, is that why you’re still a foreigner even if you’ve lived for 20 years there?
@@oxAkatsubakixo I’ve had PR 永住 since 2006, I know some people who want citizenship but I’ve never considered it myself. The process is similar to getting your PR, just more in depth from what I’ve heard.
@@outsideln Thanks for the info man! 👍🏻
I live in Tokyo, and nearly everything they mentioned about foreigners I saw the same thing being done by the Japanese.
Salarymen throwing up on the trains.
Old men being aggressive to service people.
Women throwing their elbows into someone to get a seat on the train.
Teenagers being loud in restaurants.
People walking three across on a sidewalk.
Bicyclists who ride like demons on the sidewalk, or bike against the flow of traffic.
Japanese men and women speaking about vulgar topics in public.
I love Japan and the people, but the Japanese forget that when you point a finger, three fingers are pointing back at you.
yea i hate the obsession with japan to the point where logic and common sense are ignored. Half the things notable about japan really dont differ from europe, people in europe dont worry about theft and leave their children outside stores and let them play wherever but then you see the same thing in japan and people are like oh my god so incredible, so unique. I mean the uk has less road accidents and fewer murders than japan and they dont feel the need to lock people up for 30 days just for some menial 'crime' and the small viallages arent delepedated and baron.
Yup this whole video is filled with hypocrites. The interviewer is a gaijin who thinks she is Japanese.
@@Yukichan-mi1jp Feel like the only people who find this type of content genuinely interesting are those who have never spent a meaningful amount of time in Japan. The culture surrounding Japanese learning is similarly perfectionist and out of touch...
Bunny girl, she speaks Japanese the whole time, then out of nowhere, PERFECT English!
Though her Japanese has a bit of an accept, especially noticeable on the は. I guess she might be Japanese-American or something and moved to Japan at an early age.
I have watched her videos before and I think she is a native English speaker.
She would be a Japanese diaspora from the US. Japanese and Japanese-Americans are ethnically the same, but their expressions and behavior are quite different.
She's American
@@Mwoods2272 yeah, i checked her channel. Apparently, she's born in Hawaii
As someone who has been here for 5 years, I've seen everything mentioned in the video from both Foreigners and Japanese. 50/50 really.
And like right this moment a Japanese man listening to his music excessively loud on his train through headphones. Or the Japanese people who didn’t stand up And give up their seat for a very pregnant lady.
Almost 7 years here. Same. Everyone does the same things, just that foreigners stand out more. And then the reasoning will always be “oh, ofc, they aren’t Japanese”
@@strand.san13i wonder if it was me the very pregnant lady you saw. Because it happened to me too many times. Not always, but even once it’s too many times since I had my right to the priority seats.
I think it is not a good mindset to assume a non-Japanese person did something (banana peel on train) just because she never saw a Japanese person do it. Elderly or mentally ill people also exist in Japan.
Some Japanese just don't care.
Again, 'we are the perfect people' complex. we can never do wrong complex
@@sidleerling6206cultural (collective) narcissism
Chances are it was a black guy, be real
@@vergil8833 in Japan? Youre delusional
One of pet peeves is when people stop in the streets and around stations here in London too - especially during the work commute. I found that bit hilarious yet eye-opening. Something about being a tourist makes people forget that the space they're touring is someone's day-to-day life. Common sense will make you a joy to have around wherever you go. I do love that here strangers will help you if you struggle. And boy do the British say sorry for everything. We say sorry to each other even if we're the ones that got bumped haha. With love from the UK!
So true! I'm British & I'm always saying sorry even if the other person bumps into me lol.
in germany, germans do it themselves, in their own cities and towns, which is really wild to see.
😅 Funny yet heartwarming insights from the other side of the pond. Yeah... people are funny... anywhere around the world ya' know.
I was super self conscious about never eating ANYTHING inside trains as i’ve always read that it’s considered rude… until i saw japanese people in several different occasions eating the most digusting bentos i’ve ever seen in my entire life and leaving the plastic cases at the seats and on the windows frames. I still didn’t have any proper MEAL inside a train, but i already consider a quick snack to be unproblematic 😬
right, ive seen dirty old fucks eat nato like 2 seats from me, stank out the entire train and ive only visited.
Man people just standing around blocking other people is something that drives me crazy that so many people in the US do here, like my whole life I’m used to that my family always tries not to be in people’s way in public places and then I’ll go out with friends and constantly have to get them to stop standing in other people’s way. I can’t imagine how annoying it’d be in Japan where avoiding it seems to be much more standard in the culture.
It's the same here in germany too. I get so mad when people walk in the middle of the sideway so you either have to walk on the street to pass them or ask them if they could move a bit. I don't get what's so difficult about staying on the right. Maybe it annoys me so much because I always do my best to not bother anyone too :/
Same in Australia, they will just stop in the middle if the Shopping Centre (Mall) and have a conversation completely oblivious to thier surroundings
Especially a group of friends who block the entire pavement/sidewalk, and you have to walk around them. I find it so rude and annoying!
Tokyoites do this: elbow them, or gentle shove but make it look accidental
It's actually probably worse in Japan, people walk around super busy areas with their faces in their phones here and will just stop on a dime out of nowhere
When I went to Shinjuku during the cherry blossom season, there was a group of Chinese people who took out their cameras in the middle of the street and spent a long time taking pictures of the cherry blossoms, even though it was already crowded with people. And they were causing a traffic jam. It took more than 30 minutes to go 100 meters and probably affected hundreds of thousands of people.
Damn they really wanted those pictures 😭😭
They were Koreans and you are a Korean troll.
I went to see the cherry blossoms in Ueno, and everyone was stopping and taking photos, Japanese people and foreigners alike. It was so crowded, it was almost impossible to make any headway.
been living in Japan for almost a decade. people here in general wants a clean and admirable public image, but within they are like mini godzilla. if your in japan you definitely knows what i mean.
all about the imagine even if that causes the countryside to be abandoned and year after year rises in suicide, depression, poverty, burn out and a declining population.
I had an negative incident happened to me in Japan when I went to visit. I was going through the train turnstile and a Japanese man came up behind me and pushed me pretty hard. He was very rude and yes I let him know. He walked on ignoring me. There could be rude people everywhere.
🙄🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ of course he ignored you. Japanese arent good with confrontation generally.
Only delinquents and yakuza are comfortable with it.
Maybe he was racist against foreigners? Unfortunately there are some right wing people in Japan too.
it is fast pace n Japan. Time is gold.
@@matriksist so that gives others the right to push another person? NO
@@tsdfghjkl I most certainly not slowing down anything. There were plenty of other empty turnstiles he could’ve went through. He was just being rude.
3:58 I’m a little confused here with the Big Mac story. The customer asked for a Big Mac in a wrapper instead of a box. Because it was “crowded,” she gave the Big Mac to the customer and told him to do it himself, then he “unfolded” it at the counter.
So, was the Big Mac in a box at that time? Did they put it in a box with a wrapper for him to transfer it to a wrapper himself? I worked at McDonald’s for many years and was a manager for much of that time, so that’s why I have questions about how all this went down.
If he asked for the Big Mac to be put in a wrapper ahead of time… then just tell the kitchen staff to put the Big Mac in a wrapper when they make it. Even if it’s busy. We received special requests all the time. Yes, they slow down production, but that’s part of the job. If they asked for it to be put in a wrapper after it had already been prepared… I mean, I get that a Japanese person might not want to be a bother, but it’s still an easy request for the staff to take care of.
The only occasion where I think having the customer do it themselves is the right call would be if the customer had already touched the food. In that case we would not be allowed to take it back to the kitchen and they’d have to do it themselves. It’s a health code thing. I imagine it’s probably similar in Japan.
Unwrapping and rewrapping food at the counter is kind of rude. But if it was a To-Go order and the customer had asked for a wrapper instead of a box when they ordered (and the request was understood by the staff!) and the staff didn’t bother to honor that simple request… I can understand the customer’s mentality. They wanted to get out of there as soon as they had their food, they probably didn’t think they should have to look for an empty table just to switch their food into a wrapper before they leave when the kitchen staff could have placed it in a wrapper to begin with.
But again, I don’t know all the details, but I really wonder how that actually went down.
i couldn't make sense of this part either!!! you don't pass off your job to the customer just because it's busy... the other customers willingly wait their turn when there are people being served before them.
it takes maybe a maximum of 8 seconds to wrap up a burger and get away from the counter, so i don't feel that the customer did anything wrong here, especially when they must have been shocked by the situation to begin with.
YOU receive special requests all the time at your workplace, but customizing orders in Japan is less common and often not allowed, especially in quick service food environments. I was just at a Japanese burger chain maybe a week ago with a friend who was visiting and she is used to the "have it your way" American service. I was trying to help her order and explained that she needs to just pick something off the menu and she picked a promotional burger with cheese in the patty, but wanted to add lettuce and tomato. They wouldn't do it an suggested a different burger which comes with veg on top, so she asked for that burger with the cheesey patty and the cashier was getting so flustered. Then another employee chimed in (in flawless English) saying "sorry, we don't really do that here" and suggested my friend could order a salad and put some of it on the burger if she wanted to. It wasn't a language/ communication issue, but it's just not well received to customize orders unless you're specifically at a place where customization is the concept of the business (i.e. Cocos Curry where you choose the curry base, spice level and individual add ins for your dish).
Exactly! Being respectful is like being impractical in Japan.
@@grungehamster8 getting a burger for takeout is not a special request lmao....
I agree tho, I feel like the costumer asked her because they thought the employee would do a better job at wrapping, but she's complaining about how messy it got
Why did that one lady blame foreigners for the banana peel if she didn’t even see a foreigner place it there? Not saying that it doesn’t happen, but once I got blamed for littering at a Kyoto train station (not openly, they were just talking shit about me and pointing) when I didn’t even do it! I just happened to be the only foreigner sitting there and there was trash placed right next to me (which I didn’t even notice until they started pointing).
@@raf8418 never saw a racist (ultra right wing politic party) campain with black suited men complaining about foreigners ?
Because all Japanese are perfect, so if anything goes wrong, blame the nearest foreigner. I once told my manager that I saw a man run out of a department store, being chased by security. The first thing she said was, "It must have been a foreigner." She had no idea that she was being insulting, as well as xenophobic. I never talked to her after that unless it was absolutely necessary.
I think it’s very much depends on common sense. Even in other countries outside from Japan, doing those sort of things is still very much rude. However since it is not as strict as in Japan, there will be more people doing it, which is annoying….
im going to japan in october and the main rule i have for myself is to be respectful to everyone and respect the japanese culture, being a visitor i know i am a guest and i know i have to follow the rules and laws of japan. im learning japanese so that way i can communicate, but i know if i want to take pictures i rather be respectful and ask then to go do it. i love all your videos by the way.
あなたはとても勤勉で海外に行く旅行者としては合格だと思います💯👏 われわれ日本人はシャイな人が多いですが片言の日本語でいいので話してください、 きっと助けてくれるよ😊
@@umfz-ck3mf 美霊しい子ですね、ももさん。
well, in my Country you would be considered "eXtREMelY RiGHt WinGEd" for that Statement hahaha
but Yes, that should be the very basic!
Actually is just basic etiquette, don't bother anyone and that's it.
That should be common sense anywhere in the World not just Japan
They talk about respect other people and so but then they ride a bicycle and forgot about all that xDD
They are the most aggressive people in the world while riding a bicycle, I swear. When I was in Japan I was walking normally and then a bicycle came fast as f*ck by my side. Like if I change my way in that moment that would be a massacre. It happened to me more than 5 times and I was there just for a week x'D
Sure it wasn't Amsterdam or Utrecht? But bicycles are 'something special' in most big cities...
Oh yeah, happens all the time here. They never ring their bicycle bells to let you know they're coming either and almost completely run me down lol
@@rapthor666 Not in mine xD That's why I was so surprised, specially being a place like Japan, "the kingdom of kindness". (I don't travel a lot outside my country so it was the first time I saw something like that.)
I had the same experience when I was in Osaka and Kyoto for 3 months recently.
Just don't make a sudden step to the side without looking, otherwise a bicycle could hit you anytime... quite scary. 😂
I would sum it up into 2 categories:
Good Foreigners - Those who realise they step into another culture
Bad Foreigners - Those who think they step into a themepark
"The food tastes bad." "Don't come then." had me laaaaughin
"Don't come, then" is the WORST attitude to have when dealing with an unsatisfied customer.
That's normal where I'm from so I can see that happening! It's not considered rude generally speaking, only bothersome to them, and anyone can do it them included.
The Western culture of honestly saying whatever is on your mind.
This is unacceptable in Japan.
If you are Japanese, you never tell the restaurant even if the food is bad.
If possible, they eat everything and leave the restaurant as soon as possible.
It does not mean you get a free meal when you say the food is not tasty.
I would never say such a final word to a restaurant.
@@noby5456 Kind of goes to show how "Multiculturalism" doesn't work, huh...
It’s a weird culture thing in Japan, a Japanese youtuber got canceled over an honest restaurant review!
My friend got me crazy with standing in the middle of crowing walking path in the train, at the end i gave up.
Now on the sleeping in priority seats drunk, sorry but in two weeks i used trains and shinkansen in ungodly hours and the only ones drunk and using more seats were japanese. They didnt even take their stuff to give a seat to the standing people (in shinkansen mostly)
Do the Japanese watch videos about manners in other countries before they travel?
The Japanese are quite respectful already. The wouldnt have a problem in the USA or Europe. They should indeed try to get some information about Muslim countries if they decide to go there.
@@minnie8370 The US has a culture of tipping (for better or for worse) and Japan does not, so if they were to come to the US without knowing that, they would be considered rude for not tipping. It's important to always look up the customs of the country you are visiting.
We dont need to watch we just behave and watch how others behave.
No, they don't watch them, but they're \good at reading the atmosphere, so they can adapt their behavior to the locals without having to watch how to videos.
@@user-bc2vv5km3f Yes, you do. The Japanese aren't any more or less respectful than anyone else. You're just people. and the same way that Americans, or Europeans, or...whatever...Has cultural difference from Japan, it's the same the other way around. You can't say "Our cultures are different, and these are the things you do wrong when visiting Japan" Without also realizing that things which are normal in Japan aren't normal in other parts of the world.
You are SOOO correct, Cathy! Foreigners would benefit greatly by watching your videos on Japanese customs, manners and expectations BEFORE they visit Japan.
You do realize not every Foreigner is from Western countries right?
Somethings, like the standing in the middle of the road thing are things Japanese people do just as much, if not more. Its just more noticeable when foreign looking people do it.
I'm in the UK & going to Japan in October. First Time. Really good video. Thank you.
The first time I went to Japan, I was constantly annoyed by the behavior of my fellow Americans. I think some hotels realize foreigners may be loud and obnoxious as it seemed like I often ended up on a floor with a lot of overly loud foreigners. That was almost 20 years ago, though.
Still happens now. Us Americans are rude. It's where the term "ugly Americans" come from. Wish more of us understood we, in a way, represent who we are as a country when we visit. Far too many behave like spoiled brats. I've seen similar with Chinese tourists as well
I think we're naturally more attuned to notice 'our own' people while abroad. While living in a tourist hotspot in the UK I was this way with Americans while my Swedish husband was that way about Swedes. Meanwhile the locals noticed that Americans were always the most enthusiastic about learning and experiencing things and always the first to jump in to help (e.g. holding doors open, helping people with prams lift them into buses, etc), while the loudest were Spanish and the rudest/most oblivious were the groups Chinese tourists. But at the same time it seemed pretty universally acknowledged that there are good and bad amongst all groups, so those stereotypes existed but weren't taken that seriously.
This is why I’m doing research about Japan, in not only places to visit, but also manners, customs, and etiquette. Looking back 20 years ago, I’m completely embarrassed about my younger self, so I’m learning how to be more polite. I want to prove that there are good Americans out there, not just bad ones. I will be reviewing my notes on how to behave on a train, what to do at a shrine and temple, and some Japanese table manners (and some words to say.) All of this research is making me a better person (it’s lengthy, but worth it.)
As for the photo-person thing, I was given that perspective at some comic-book conventions (I cosplay as Godzilla.) I know it’s polite to ask before taking a person’s photo. For people taking photos without permission, I saw videos of people doing that with the geishas and makio, and it’s a huge problem (it’s making those people late for their jobs, and they don’t like all the paparazzi attention.) Everyone needs to see it from their perspective. I know lots of people don’t consider it, but it’s a real eye-opener.
The "americans are rude but im one of the good ones" is old you people are annoying
It constantly baffles me as to why Americans want to publicly broadcast their conversations. No one else gives a s#+t what you have to say dude!
I think a good point to make is that nowadays visiting Japan requires a lot of money. So people either save up for a long time and invest into that trip and are grateful just to be there and are probably familiar with the culture, or they're entitled rich people who don't care where they are.
Yes to the entitled rich people behavior. Or maybe being locked up during the pandemic has made some people forgetting their common sense and manners.
There are also the people who save up money for a long trip, but think that Japan is like an Anime or a big Cosplay convention. Sometimes they're just as bad as the classic ugly American.
Some of the worst Japanese I have come across have been on buses and trains, the ones that refuse to move out of the way when you are entering or leaving.
A few years ago I saw a group of drunk older Japanese men go one by one to pee in the train's coupler corridor.
When I clicked on this video I thought this was going to be a ranking of specific foreigners in japan. I expected people to be giving their opinions on foreign youtubers who live in japan.
Funny, in my country we got old folks from japan that stay in the middle of the sidewalk taking photos. I guess its only a problem when its in your country! 😅
PS: Arigato! This was well done and informative. Yours truly, a new subscriber.
I like how homegirl found her style. Talking about trends and all that. She got inspired.
I’m planning to visit Japan for the first time around December, so this video was extremely helpful ❤
Many people fooled by the appearance of Japan’s clean, polite and fancy toilet but if you go to Japanese bookstores in Japan. There’s an anti-foreigner section. Imagine this happening in Germany 🇩🇪
Japan is one of the world’s most xenophobic countries (the weak are bullied, the strong obey)
I don't think any videos or articles will be helpful. JUST BE YOURSELF.
@@boi7942 Thanks for the feedback…I’ll keep that in mind
Not once have i encountered such a thing. The only thing i ever encountered are Japanese only places such as a karaoke bar. If you as a foreigner speak even just a little bit Japanese they usually let you in. Not saying what you said is false but its definitely not the norm based on my experience and research. @@User_37821
That random taking photos is so funny 😅😅😅
The boys at 5:21 are super handsome! Foreigners must stay polite! We have such different cultures, that, as an American, I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing. But I will try my best to be polite if I ever do visit Japan or any other country.
"confrontational Karen" 🤣🤣
I have always wanted to visit Japan but I know that I would always be worried about offending someone even if I studied as hard as I could before visiting. I want to travel to a place to relax and also not bother the residents of where I go, so I just don’t go. Thankfully the net has many nice vlogs about places.
the second woman is not Japanese
I’m American and I absolutely hate when people just start taking to someone right in the middle of a grocery store aisle or like even in the middle of a road in their car. Sometimes they are not even having a conversation, they just are standing there in the aisle all up in the way. I’m not the only American who complain about this either. I don’t know why people do this.
It starts with home, when you learn manners at home it will be easy for you to learn the manners of other cultures
For the woman who said she went to Hawai'i, I'm sorry that happened to her since there are people in Hawai'i who do that and we try to stop that from hapepening. I hope it doesn't discourages her from coming again.
No point worrying
In NYC especially ppl think coming here they don’t move to the side until I curse at them like it gets me just as angry
did that girl just say that she saw a banana peel and for sure that couldn't come from a Japanese person? that's wild that they think Japanese people can do no wrong.
Literally, that was so bizarre. It just had to be a foreigner no Japanese person can never do anything wrong😅
@@anjel130 like fr. Don’t get me wrong I love Japanese people but there are shitty people everywhere. It’s like she’s saying that only foreigners will do those kind of shitty things and that’s just crazy.
That's the pervasive mindset here. "We were raised properly and can do no wrong. We've constructed a perfect society with perfect people. It must have been that foreigner."
Gets tiring 😂😂
@@orobas7785 yeah that’s just wild imo. To point a finger at someone else right away without thinking that it could be “our” people too just doesn’t sit right with me. You walk to shibuya and there’s trash, loud and drunk Japanese everywhere. 🤷🏻♀️
At a station in Tokyo a blind man was trying to go down the stairs. I knew that would be difficult for him so I led him to the elevator. He really appreciated it! I bowed to him when he said thank you, but then I realized... Yeah... LOL
I feel like what Bunny was saying about people being in the way on the sidewalk happens SO MUCH to me with Japanese people!! SOOO MANY TIMES.
There's no right side of the path to walk in Tokyo. you just have to give up and accept you are going to have to dart all over the sidewalk/street because no matter which side you choose, someone will ALWAYS find a way to be in your way lol. it could be the quietest street with only one other person walking your way and there'll still be a good chance they'll be walking right at you. left side, right side, right down the middle begging to be hit by a car, doesn't matter lol
I spent a year in Japan and agree. Actually, if you watch a lot of different channels where Japanese people get interviewed, they give answers that are mindblowing considering the things they say foreigners do, they themselves do all the time.
That goes for blocking sidewalks by randomly stopping in the middle of it (shoutout to random ojii-sans who do this all the time), cyclists disregarding signs or traffic lights, being loud in public, being rude to staff, eating in trains and whatnot. Japanese people do all these things every single day but I guess they simply ignore them. The fact that those two girls said it could not have been a Japanese person with the banana peel is so funny to me. Same for the priority seat thing. This is another example Japanese people constantly bring up; "Foreigners sit down on priority seats, we would never do that".
Mate, not only do Japanese people sit down on them when the trains have plenty of other seats free, they sit down on them when the train is packed and do not make way for people who clearly need them. In my entire year in Japan I have seen maybe two Japanese people give up their seats for others that had that red cross thingy on to show they have physical problems. I remember giving up mine once for an older woman and not only did she thank me when she sat down, she also tapped my shoulder when going out to thank me again. That should tell you enough about how often this woman must have the exact opposite experience.
Of course, Japan is a country that is 99% Japanese, so there are probably some Japanese who would do such a thing. The problem is that foreigners are few compared to the Japanese, yet it happens often enough that they stand out.
@@VanillaCoke1956 Totally agree!! I've been to Japan over a dozen times in the past 15yrs and have NEVER seen a foreigner sitting in the priority seat on the train - I have seen plenty of young Japanese males/females sitting on the seats when there is an elderly person standing right in front of them! I also had an experience on public transport (bus) when an elderly woman thanked me for offering my seat to her. Once seated, she rummaged through her bag and passed me a lolly - she couldn't thank me enough!
@@lizawithaz9524 Unfortunately, many Japanese people think that they are - by default or birth right - different from everybody else on this planet and can not do any wrong. It's one of the very few things that irk me about the country I otherwise love to bits.
Some people genuinely have grown up being taught that their bodies are different, that seasons are different (although on some level I actually DO understand why they say Japan has 4 seasons!) and whatnot. Once you get to talk to someone more deeply about certain topics, they just look at you like deer in headlights.
12:10
Your voice actually went hypersonic, the dogs around my building began to howl. 😮 It's a wonder the cheeky photographer was able to hear anything when she left. 🥴
Unfortunately there are many people who appear to have been wired to be selfish and inconsiderate, and a lot of those are aggressive and seem to have a chip on their shoulder. And a lot of these people are traveling nowadays, with the full intention of inflicting themselves upon whichever country and culture they go to. So sad! 😢
11:34 This story reminds me of a school friend who had a part-time job here in Sweden. One day, he approached me and asked, "Do I sound angry to you?" I replied, "No, what happened?" He then proceeded to tell me that his boss had called him for a chat, asking if everything was fine. My friend assured him that everything was okay and inquired if he had done anything wrong at work. The boss then informed him that some of his co-workers believed he was angry when speaking to them. This confusion arose because my friend, being from the Middle East and speaking Arabic, had unintentionally incorporated Arabic intonation into his Swedish, making his speech sound harsher and louder than usual. In a regular conversation, these words are typically softer, unless the speaker is upset. I found this quite amusing and shared a laugh with him. I explained that since I also arrived in Sweden a long time ago, I didn't perceive his way of speaking as hostile. However, for an ethnic Swede who hasn't had much exposure to multicultural environments or encountered foreigners who speak broken Swedish, it could be easily misinterpreted. I think this is also the case here 😅
Forgive me the guy walking he hind you at frame 3:48 Is hilarious. I'll stop laughing tomorrow, Thank You Cathy Cat.
i just discovered this channel and am really enjoying your videos cathy!
In Germany, especially Berlin, American tourists are perceived most negatively: loud, cheeky, uneducated and arrogant. This is followed by young tourists from the British Isles, France, Spain and Italy, who lack any manners. The worst thing is the mess they leave behind. A group of Japanese high school students left the best impression. They were staying in the same hotel in Leipzig. Her behavior was exemplary. On the other hand, I experienced German package tourists on the Canary Islands, it was just embarrassing and disgusting.
You see waaay more Japanese people, especially men taking up the priority seats on trains and buses than foreigners. When my wife was pregnant I had to constantly ask some dead-eyed salaryman to gtfo.
The girl at 3:00 speaks amazing english!
Also that headpiece from Cathy at the beginning and the end? Absolutly beautiful!
Oho the girl at 2:38 she would hate Australia 😂😂
I think instead of placing everybody in a category of being a good or a bad foreigner, it basically just depends on the person. Japanese people can be rude, they can be kind. Foreigners can be rude, they can be kind. In my country some of the most 'annoying' foreigners are Japanese/Chinese people but that doesn't mean all foreigners are bad and all the original residents don't ever make mistakes.
Being rude and inconsiderate is something that transcends countries if you ask me.
About blocking the streets, spaces.. It's everywhere in the world and I was just wondering if in Japan it's because the spaces are smaller compared to other countries and the foreigners are used to that bigger space. Or because they are on holiday, feeling more relaxed they are just not aware of their surroundings.
Yes in France people are surely carefree about what others wear. Especialy when others are arabic looking females😱
I live around Kansai area and I've literally seen japanese people eat cup ramen and whatever and leave the food wrappings and food cups at the side of the seats. I've even seen a guy helping his friend shave the hair on his arms with those disposable razors and then toss those used razors to the side. Japanese people OF ALL AGES talking loudly and old men drinking strong zero or any beer on the train is also a VERY common sight. And during rush hour, EVERYONE blocks the train doors and refuse to move in even though their stop is more than a few stops aways and then run and rush everywhere the minute the doors open or when the plane just landed. Very impatient and rude.
Also most of the "daring fashion" i've seen are worn by japanese..
Many Japanese guys also think, just because I'm a foreigner, it's ok to hug and break all personal boundaries and ask for sex and curse and swear, which makes me beyond uncomfortable.
So i wonder why many of them always say "foreigners this, foreigners that".
It's really frustrating, especially when as a tourist, I've visited Japan a couple of times for a few weeks each time and fell in love with all that is Japan but as a resident, I felt like everything was just a facade and very hypocritical.
I'm not saying ALL japanese are like this. I've met so many kind people and colleagues who've helped me through so much. But it would be better if they acknowledge that their people can also be just as much of a nuisance to the society just like anywhere else in the world.
Yup this is why I downvoted the video. This interviewer is living in "anime land" thinking she's a part of the Japanese population and not the same gaijin they hate. Garbage content.
There are many legitimately polite people in Japan, but you can walk into most stores and hear the formulaic fake politeness when they greet you.
@@srellison561you confuse social politeness with kindness. Japanese people are nice not kind. Nicenesses is culturally demanded, it’s fake.
@@soullessnight6539 I didn't say anything about niceness or kindness. I'm talking strictly about politeness. I'm 68 and I've been observing human beings for all that time in multiple countries. I can be pretty sure when people are being sincere or fake, and since you weren't with me, you don't get to pass judgement on anything I experienced. Maybe you need to learn to read humans better.
I hate when people stand right in the way of traffic too. Even at work clients will come in and just stand RIGHT IN THE WAY! I don't understand why people are so blatantly rude.
I see very often Japanese business people sitting in the priority seats pretending to sleep while making elderly people stand.
I'd like to hear more about how Cathy said she's heard alot about the ulterior motive in men recently
Like was it only recently that it happens more/did something change? Do they come out and say stuff or is it more about a vibe or how they approach them, Etc?
On my first trip to Japan I had a similar situation as the woman with the suitcase. I was in a subway station at the top of the stairs (no lift) with a suitcase & a stroller. A man walked up to me said something (I don't speak Japanese) and carried my stroller (and baby) down the stairs for me! So nice =) I can't wait to go back to Japan in February!
The bunny lady is a Karen in the US
her complaints about foreigners were garbage, she's a hypocrite who doesn't live in Japan daily.
インタビューされる側の日本人たちのレベルが、だいぶ偏っている気がします。
この動画を観た外国の方が、これが一般的な日本人の意見だと勘違いすることを危惧しています。
あえて、そのような日本人を選んでいるのなら、その意図には悪意を感じます。
4:51 As a waiter, How could you had a attitude like that? Customer feedback to you that "the food taste bad" and your thought was "well then don't come".😆 The customer told you this issue in hope you could told this to the cook or manager. I can only say that - If you can't take feedback or criticize or scolding then don't be a waiter.
2:13 "Reading the air" is a Japanese thing, in Japan is hard man. There are times where Japanese will beat around the bush so it's hard to guess what they want or don't want, like or don't like & yes or no. it's not direct, you have to really pay attention.
North American's are always the loudest. There's a lot exchange students at my uni and you can hear them 30-50 metres away. American's on holiday treat everything outside of their country like it's a theme park.
Lose the apostrophe.
the hairstyle of the girl in a black shirt is the same as michael kaiser’s! i love it!
There should be a requirement to travel to certain countries. And if people are being unmindful then they should just kick em back to their home origin
videos like these give me hope that one day I will be able to
travel to japan and have a wonderful time
I've always been a bit reserved. When I was stationed in W Germany in the Army I didn't like to draw attention to myself and tried to respect the local culture. A lot of people today don't seem to grasp that concept. Also, I've never really been "trendy", I even still use a flip phone.
I ask this not as an effort to prod you, but as a genuine question:
When wearing a literal costume on the street, how can you be surprised that people all around will just whip out a camera and take your picture?
If it were Halloween, would you feel the same about it?
It feels like the way a brooding Goth person would act, when they act angry because they see someone staring at their facial piercings and purple Mohawk.
I’m just not sure how I could dress in an attention-getting costume, go out in public, and feel bad that a bunch of people took my photo without me specifically telling each person that they have my permission.
Im traveling to asia for the first time this year and im planning to come to japan in the next few years as well and i am SO SCARED that i will forget about a habit or a custom and disrespect them, its like my worst nightmare... I already get the sweats when i make a mistake while speaking japanese 😭
Gomen, sumimasen and pull the "gaijin card" if necessary.
Don't shout on trains and watch the flow of pedestrian traffic a bit. You'll be fine! Don't worry too much but be thoughtful
@@rapthor666Exactly this. No need to worry as long as you make an effort.
just dont talk while on the subway its rude
I think it's okay if you remember "I'm sorry" and "Thank you". I'm Japanese, but I'd be happy if a foreigner said, "Thank you."😊
Also, Japanese people, myself included, usually speak only Japanese and are not very good at English, so I would appreciate it if you could use Google Translate. Japanese people will be surprised if you suddenly speak to them in English. Also, I think it would be easier to communicate if there are illustrations or maps 😀
People that aren't wary of their surroundings and block paths are hella annoying fr
You are the best Cathy! Whenever I visit Tokyo I wish to bump into you just to say hi.
Todo es respeto, si vas con buenas maneras te recibirán con buenas maneras, si tu a la gente les pones el movil en la cara y empiezas a sacarle fotos sin pedir permiso, da igual si eres japones, inglés o del congo belga, esta mal. No cuesta nada pedir permiso y después decir gracias.
Yo soy guapo y las mujeres y homosexuales me toman fotographias. Es parte de mi vida que yo acepto.
Claro, como yo lo veo es como si dijeran que japon es un país especial y por eso todas esa "reglas" pero no es cuestión de etiqueta básica y sentido común. Una persona que saca fotos a la gente de esa forma lo va a hacer en cualquier parte del mundo y dudo que sea una persona que vea este tipo de videos.
I wish we were that way in US, while a lot of us would find it rude here, lotsa people have really bought into the idea that just cause you're in public means they can take a photo or video whenever they want and post it online
@@shrek1onDVDI would take video while walking on public ground for historical footage. That is my main reason for that.
40-50 years old Japanese salarymen that are not working and hiding behind "tatemae" are pbly the rudest, loudest and most ill-mannered people you can pass by in Japan, solid 2nd would be the elderly. Just my 2 cents.
Also, in my 8 years in Japan, I saw most of the bad behaviours described in the video coming from Japanese people?
Having good manners and common sense should not be a foreigner/not foreigner problem anyway
For me the most rude behavior I saw when traveling for a short while was just being flat out ignored in a residential area of Tokyo by an old woman when asking for directions in Japanese to a nearby place due to the weird address system. She listened to me and then just walked away. I also got “yelled at” non verbally through glass by a middle aged woman at a mall in Tokyo for standing around by a window to her store while waiting for my friend. And in 旭川市 I was in line at a grocery store with a woman in front of me and an old man behind me and the old man shouted “はやくやるよ” at the woman/store and more staff had to come over to the other registers.
My general impression though as a Japanese speaking person is that people were overwhelmingly nice and helpful. Especially outside of Tokyo.
Lots of people would come up and chat to me when they saw I was reading Japanese at museums, an old woman came over and tried to help me add money to my metro card in Sapporo but she couldn’t figure out the machine either so she called another person over, lots of friendly conversation and even free food from restaurants after chatting for a while.
I mean put into perspective, I used to live in San Francisco and you’d have stories 100x worse from a single weekend in SF.
My heuristic is if you speak Japanese and behave normally, Tokyo and old people are the rudest followed by unprepared or unaware tourists (it doesn’t matter how much you yell Chinese at the bus driver, he’s not going to start understanding)
@@ilikeshiba
Relatable words.
Elder people are the worst in Japan indeed.
Thankfully there are also very nice and funny elders X)
6:58 seems very open minded and intelligent!!
I have been watching your channel and others in preparation for a long holiday in Japan. I studied Japanese a little at university and I have been practing my Japanese daily after my wife and I purchased our tickets. However, I get the sense from your content that the Japanese people do not really want foreigners in their country. Also, I have heard there a lot of establishments that do not want foreigners and will not serve them. Are there any resources avaiable so we can know where we are welcome and where we are not?
Japan, as with any country that has a strong cultural identity, expects that visitors at the very least attempt to abide by the societal expectations, none of which are particularly obtuse or intrusive. Don't smoke on the street, don't take sneaky photos of people, don't be noisy, etc.
I saw one clip of an American guy hollering at staff in a Japanese McDonalds, demanding (in English) to speak to the manager, and generally raising all hell in the restaurant. Don't bring that guy's attitude and you'll be fine. If something is wrong, do your best to communicate in Japanese or use a translation app, there's never a need to start a fight with fast food staff (or anyone really).
As for non-foreigner-friendly restaurants, I've heard of these existing in Okinawa, but this is mostly due to, again, bad attitudes/experiences/crimes from a few of the military personnel stationed there. It's unfortunate, but such instances soured the image there. I've never seen a no-foreigner restaurant on the mainland, and I've been everywhere from Osaka to Hokkaido.
my boyfriend normally has a booming voice, like his normal voice is just loud and we've been to Japan before. Now I'm worried we were annoying people in Japan D;
😅😅😅
i'd recommend using "bald person" instead of skinhead lmao
1:46 talking loudly is one thing, but I think it's extremely strange for anyone other than seniors not to be ok with swearing in normal english conversations, so unless it's outrageously loud (which is its own problem), keep to your own conversation
I kind of get it. Japan seems like a polite language, so swears can be taking exponentially worse and be seen as lack of education. For example in Spanish you can normally swear, but in a local language I speak swears will not sound as tough even when they have as a big degree of importance. Language morphs how a swear is taken and how they are interpreted
Just a cultural difference, I definitely think it's overreacting to specifically dislike it but I could see Japanese people being uncomfortable with it. In Japanese, you don't really swear outside of really casual conversations with your friends, even then not usually in public where people can hear, and even then there aren't many swear words in Japanese.
I'm no prude, I'm a native English (but half-japanese) speaker who swears all the time, but I can get Japanese people being off put by it, if they haven't encountered many English speakers and then all they hear coming out of their mouths are swear words.
Don’t worry we don’t care if you cuss in Japan hahaha I think she’s American, and Americans tend to be easily offended by profanity.
a lot of japanese people take pictures of me without asking... it goes both ways.
@@raf8418 every one can do whatever they want given it is in their country. Dont you know the 'Foreigners must act according to the rules I do not follow' Act. It is international. Japan is not different from your country whatever it is.
Rude tourists/foreigners will not care if they are being rude, so they will continue being rude regardless anyway. There are really no consequences (other than cold stares) for being rude in Japan, unless they really break the law.
I recommend locals elbow or shin foreigners who block paths, but do it in a way that seems accidental.
Random notes of my experience in Japan:
- Everyone's in a collision course with you lmao (even while walking on the correct side of the sidewalk). I swear if I didn't side step I would've bumped into sooo many people lol.
- Foreigners who don't know how to read the air are annoying AF. I'm pretty sure I blended in better than most foreigners even as a pink haired tattooed girl wearing completely out of style clothes just cause I could understand how everyone acted.
- Sad, but yeah... Japanese people are so respectful they won't ask if everything's okay even if you are openly crying while walking in the streets (happened to me like 4 times during my stay). I still don't hold it against them. It's just an extreme of being respectful.
- Opposite of that last note, people would help me with my luggage everywhere I struggled with it. I wouldn't even ask for help and any man would approach me respectfully and lift it up or even offer to walk me all the way to my hostel.
you’re lucky with that last part lol, ive never experienced that and neither has anyone i know!
I mean immature and ill mannered people who aren't mindful and respectful should not be tolerated. I mean they had they're chance to be a child years ago no
I was struck with the comments by the last woman in the "bad" half of this video (with the blond bangs). in my words, she and her friend hope outgoing foreign visitors might influence Japanese people to be more outgoing. I respect the cultural tendency to be reserved, and I admire some of the socially beneficial "rules" in Japan. Many individuals in my country are reserved, too. I hope on my next trip to Japan I run into more people who are interested in casual conversation, though, because I think our Japanese friends have a lot of good and interesting things to say.
"Tell me about the best foreigner you met."
"I saw a skinhead"
Here's a difference between Japanese and American thinking: American--"It's the wee hours, a woman with kids or elderly person isn't going to be riding the train, I'll just lie across these priority seats," Japanese--"You should NEVER sit in the priority seats." Though having said that, I see Japanese people sitting in the priority seats ALL THE TIME. Though if an older person or a pregnant woman got on the train, they WOULD get up and offer that seat to them.
No, they do not get up and offer the seat... do we speak of the same Japan?
They are just glued to their smartphones and never look around them.
That bunny girl's English is 👌
I'd say out of the bad people, it's 65 foreign, 35 JP. Especially since a fair amount of foreigners go there to have bad freedom in other countries.
0:00 - 00:02 she started rapping there for a second 😅
that crown is sooooo pretty
I meet Cathy on takeshita street she's very nice in person
What’s the difference between street photography and “sneaky pictures?” I’ve been a street photographer in Japan for the past two years but don’t try to creep on people or lurk in the shadows. I usually am very visible in public spaces. Is this not OK?
I also do candid street photography in Tokyo as a hobby, it's not illegal but many people just don't like it. They can technically file a civil suit against you if they find out you posted the photos online and they complain that it hurts their reputation, otherwise you just have to decide if you're okay with doing something the other person probably isn't okay with as long as they don't see you doing it. I would absolutely stay away from photographing children though, I've heard that can get you in a lot of trouble
There is a big difference between taking a picture of a street filled with people vs. taking a picture of a specific person. If people end up in your picture of a crowded area, then that's unavoidable and understandable, but taking pictures of a specific person without their permission is rude and creepy.
@@KM32856 What I mean by “street photography” is capturing moments that happen in public areas (streets) with a camera. It’s an art form that has been around almost as long as photography itself. The point of it is to capture candid moments, but of course not being creepy about it.
even in the USA, a famous art photographer was sued by the subject in his street photography . Rare in America but it happens. Google : Philip-Lorca diCorcia street photography lawsuit.
A lot of these things are kinda common sense tbh, or maybe those parts are just similarities between my native culture and Japan? Also, "foreigners" aren't just a mass of people with same ideas, views, cultures and values either, so it isn't very helpful when they simply lump it into this one big umbrella term, which could mean American, French, Russian, Kenyan, Chinese, Armenian, Turkish or whatever else (you get the point). And I would also disagree with the conclusion of one of the ladies who said that "foreigners are carefree", I'd say if she was referring to the west then more like "careless" given the current day and age, which is really not a good thing given the state of affairs in the west as a whole. The only way one can truly be carefree is when they're dead, sorry but that's kinda true lol. In order to live a good quality life, you still have to have boundaries of sort and some kind of core and structure. Those things do not really mix all that well with being "carefree" and removing those things ultimately results in decadence and destruction of societies and cultures. I dunno, maybe a lot of Japanese people really have been wired to believe that living in the west is some kind of utopia of freedom, all the while these western societies are actually on the trajectory to losing more of their freedoms and a collapse of their cultures.
Carefree isn't synonymous with absolute chaos and disorder. You can be carefree while still having a lot of structure and self-discipline. They mean the traditional sense of carefree in that a lot of foreigners don't put a ton of value into the judgement of others. Certain folks do, true, but not nearly the way Japan does it. She speaks of the absolute tyranny of the majority and how in Japan, Japanese people are generally not allowed to buck the trend or to go against the thought of others and society. Much of the West is about the individual while the East is about the family and ultimately, society. Much of the constraints in Japan are not codified. You won't find them in laws or rules. They're enforced silently by society and the consequences for bucking those trends can be even more far reaching than if you had just broken a law. While in the West, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, in Japan, the nail that stands out is struck back in line with the rest.
These are locals picking up on what they think is odd about some tourists. This has nothing to do with western countries and collapsing cultures.
Every Japanese and foreigner calling Japan home should find that Johnny Somali before he is deported and give him a taste of old fashioned bushido.
As to the "loud Americans" bit, many of the Americans you'll meet in Japan are military. Quite a few of them have either deployed or spent a considerable amount of time shooting guns or standing near jet engines or both. Our hearing isn't anywhere near what it used to be and it comes off at times as if we're yelling, shouting or a bit loud. I usually apologize in advance at times as I know I can be loud but I have difficulties hearing myself so it gets difficult in knowing if the other person can hear me or not. The range of human voices is often one of the first things affected in hearing loss.
I'm sorry but there are also many Americans who are not in the military who don't adjust the level of their voice to the situation.
It might be hearing loss for some, but for most it's just culture. Americans tend to be louder than those from other countries 🤷
@@___Laura What I said isn't mutually exclusive with "rude Americans." I just gave an explanation for one likely cause behind it all from personal experience having lived in Japan as a civilian as a child and later on as a serviceman stationed there. Tokyo has a major military base near it and everyone from several prefectures away in other military bases also heavily visit Tokyo. The ratio of civilian and military Americans is quite close to potentially higher for servicemembers. The drunkard who took up those seats at night on the subway was probably a military member as an example. The guy who said the food tasted bad was also more than likely a servicemember.
My time near jet engines for years as well as operating machineguns from out of a helicopter has pretty much screwed my hearing. I was smart enough to wear hearing protection nearly all of the time so it's nowhere near as bad as many of the Army and Marines who may not have been fortunate enough to have hearing protection while fighting a couple of decades in a ground war. Guns are loud as hell and hearing loss is one of the leading disabilities of infantry as well as the Air Force surprisingly enough although for a different reason more related to my own.
Having worked with and been around folks from around the world, I wouldn't actually rate Americans as the loudest folks out there. Several Eastern Europeans, quite a few Middle Easterners and even Greeks and Italians all tend to be very loud, boisterous peoples and talkers in general. Compared to the Japanese, yes, Americans can be on the louder side. Internationally speaking, we're probably more middling than towards the top. Australians tend to be a bit louder and more boisterous than Americans and both speak English. The Aussies I was with for a bit while I was stationed in Japan often were confused as Americans which was a bit funny for us. If they hear loud English, even though it sounds more British English, it's automatically assumed to be American. It's our stereotype which we've more than earned but it's not always true.
@@jimmersion3808 Military folks are stationed there with their families. Unlike the anime stereotype, they aren't walking around everywhere in uniform or some mix of fatigues and regular clothes. They have regular civilian clothes on when they're walking about and most of them do not have the jarhead hair cut either.
@@Talishar americans are loud in general even in europe they complain about it
@@___Laurathat's not true at all, Americans are nowhere close to being loud as Europeans like German and British.
They dont know how good they've got it, the grass is not greener on the otherside.