Thank you so much for watching! From this month, Japan is open for tourists but it seems like it’s still difficult to come normally I hope it’ll be open completely by end of this summer and meet you guys here in Tokyo!
I love what the 2nd guy said: “they like us as a culture, but not necessarily as a people.” I’ve noticed that too but he summed it up very accurately in a few words
He is correct. Black culture, or at least Black American culture is viewed through the lens of a commodity consumption nowadays, from everything like music, to acting out the black experience, to sports.
Been that way forever. Not to be down, but white american culture stealing from other cultures goes back to 1607. Fashion and accessorizing, religious models, art and music. It's hard to reconcile.
I’m so glad you got the 3 different perspectives of black ppl. The African, Black American, and Caribbean. Yes we are all black, But our cultures tend to shape our worldview’s differently.
@@Aaltorina7061 that has literally nothing to do with the video what the hell are you on about. And you realize every race has people that have a fetish for other races right? Its not exclusive to balck people l.
He didn't get the gang banger culture, but they probably wouldn't be allowed on the streets of Japan very long. Imagine them trying to raid an apple store there. They might get arrested!
He's getting better for sure but I still hate how he nods and turns away when he doesn't quite understand something lol if I were him, I'd try to be more humble and ask "sorry, what does ____ mean?"
@@themikays I've lived in Japan and taught English here so maybe his body language. Looks like he's lost in his head sometimes or just ignores the parts of some English he didn't understand. I'm sure he's working to improve that. Happens to me too when I have a conversation with people in Japanese.
I have the most upmost respect for you to actually ask black people what it's like being black in a culture that isn't their native - it was very insightful and respectfully done while asking serious questions. This is why the world needs to learn from Japan
the last dude was cool. a lot of people don't understand how important it is to respect social standards when you enter other countries and also to be grateful and appreciate the culture you are exploring.
@@carebear67street3 What social rules do we have? Be loud, confrontational, and record everyone who doesn't have the same believes as you to get them fired from a twitter post?
I'm a black America man who lived in Tokyo for 2 years and I loved it. Of course I had some people stair at me and some kids point at me, but nothing to make me in fear of my life. I did get a lot of Japanese people who wanted to take pictures with me. Good video Takashi.
I think most people don't stare out of rudeness, it's just that Asians in general don't see Western people too often. I mean I do the same thing with white people lol.
I love that you interviewed black Africans, too. And what the Kenyan women said was absolutely right and as an African myself, I totally agree. There's quite a huge difference culturally and in basically everything between black Americans and black Africans. Even black Europeans to be honest. So yeah..It would be awesome to get more of the African PEOPLE culture out there and not just the tourists' side of our beautiful countries. :)
@@dragonballz641 it's an important distinction even in many parts of Africa. We can't talk about Apartheid, for instance, without distinguishing between black and white Africans
@@dragonballz641 There are white Africans. Just look at South Africa, for instance. Afrikaners were born and raised there with their own culture unique to Africa.
Forgetting that you are a different color or what color you are is the best feeling ever. I also experience that as a black person. I've always been living in the most white parts of the Netherlands and never have I ever been remembered of being different (not that that's bad! But it means everyone accept you as a person, on the inside)
100% with what the first girl said. "If you're a foreigner and you've been in Japan(or any foreign country) for over 3 years, you're just making excuses to not learn the language"
Exactly, that happens here in Los Angeles California many foreigners just look for excuses and after 40+ years they still don't speak English, I know because my parents have been here since before I was born and still don't speak English and I am 46.
I mean I wouldn't even go on holiday somewhere with at least attempting to learn some conversational language. But if you're choosing to live somewhere, I find it highly rude not to learn the language.
As a Japanese student, I have some messages for the people who are going to come to Japan. 1.Japanese sometimes stares at foreigners, but it's difinitely not for viciousness but for just curiosity. 2.However, they sometimes glare at you if you have bad manners in the restaurants or the train. You could leran some rules in Japanese. 3.If you are not good at Japanese, but you don't have to worry. All Japanese understand the difficulty of learning Japanese. Just you wanna try to understand Japanese and improve the ability, Japanese might realize your effort, and your Japanese also will be improved. Sorry my poor English. I'll be glad if my English make senses.
13:14 this is a tricky one. It really depends on WHERE you are in Japan. Some people have positive experiences which leads them to believe that as long as you act “Japanese” and fit into society, everyone will accept you and treat you totally normally. That’s not necessarily always the case. There will always be a chance of assholes anywhere you are. If you look extremely different, sometimes people will just find reasons to reject you! With older JP people in particular, you never know. I’m not saying what he said is invalid, I’m just saying it’s dangerous to make assumptions because it could really hurt you in the long term.
The whole video is people making assumption though and despite that he is very right and accurate, japanese people will treat you well if you act like them, and even if you are japanese you will be rejected if you don't.
@@Epsilonsama You are a guest but eventually after a while you really aren't anymore. At some point you _live_ there and so your life shouldn't all be about fitting in and assimilating.
According to Japanese culture, you would still be a guest, even if you have lived there for decades, regardless of race. Even being born and raised in Japan doesn't automatically make you Japanese.
well... i just want to say that look at who decides on the rules at the top. if you go to japan you should be aware of how it works for the local citizens first. from an outsider's perspective the picture isn't complete. you get to need to do some work, rightfully about this topic.
The Kenyan women describe my experience well. I'm 6'2 solid with dreadlocks and was ALWAYS treated with a smile and respect. There is that curiosity of seeing a black person (and I'm HUGE by Nippon standard) so I always got stared at. Also the black American comparison (I'm Carribean Canadian) definitely affects perception. My favourite experience is probably when I went to the Samurai Museum and I was chosen for the Samurai demonstration and the presenter looked so excited to interact with me it was great ❤️
Joey (anime man, Japanese himself) says that tall men especially are treated with a lot of respect in Japan. Perhaps if you were quite petite they would perceive you differently. For example, the rapper was quite tiny. Maybe the beautiful dreads help, ig they have a fascination with them tho idk the cultural attitude towards them exactly. I do think it's height and strength though :)
@@jamesnelson5498 Probably because you're less likely to experience it even at home? And you went to the Philippines which has been colonised and brainwashed on idolise Eurocentric standards?
Overall, any foreigner who goes through adhering to the customs, norms, and especially the language of the natives of a country goes a long way as it signifies respect.
@Jj Dillon they mistake them for muslims and are targets of many hate crimes, maybe instead of agressivly defending your point, try to see the other side
As a Jamaican myself that wants to escape this country, the last guy is an inspiration for me to continue working toward my dream of going to Korea to study medicine.
The kenyan duo gave alot of insight nd honestly reassured me. Same with the Jamaican gent. The african american girl with the twists is right, you can't be there 3 years and not speak japanese! The rapper teacher also has alota wisdom, would love to meet him! Thanks for this video, Takashi!
Why do they keep whining about white people... while living in Japan? Sounds like they just have chips on their shoulders that no matter where they go, they can't escape whatever they're hung up on.
@@PraisetheSunn.-. how ?? Cuz he mentioned white people ?? He stated that Japanese treat white people It’s not white people fault So he’s not actually calling anyone racists he’s just saying that Japanese people have bias towards white skin people (which’s true I was born in Asia this is an Asian thing )
@@TulemarBeach and yet everyone accepts him because of his personality and good manners, hmmmmm. And when some-half-baked presumptuous know-it-all wants all the respect in the world, just cus he knows the language better than someone else but has a shitty attitude, than he gets all surprised pikachu face for getting the shitty end of the stick, hmmmmm.
@@TulemarBeach Bro I'm pretty sure he was being humble (japanese culture is based around being humble and not being arrogant). He recited the phone call with the real estate agent pretty well and seems to know cultural greetings when meeting someone so I would give him benefit of the doubt
I find it really interesting how one of the guys made a distinction between black culture and black people. As a white Eastern European I never really thought about it this way. Generally speaking black people are considered very cool in my part of the world but it’s very rare to see a black person there so everything we know is from the movies and social media. This doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t like the people but we really do love the idea of the black culture without actually having the chance to know the people at the heart of it. I also found the comment about differentiating Black American and Black African people eye opening. I am living in UK right now so met fair share of both and yes, they are very different but I never thought they would mind being mixed up. As a Polish person I get mixed up a lot with being Ukrainian or Russian and while I don’t mind as I know it’s hard to tell, I can see why people would like for this distinction to be made. Very interesting watch!
I’m Black, lived in Japan for 8 years, 4 as a civilian after the military. Japan is great, one of the most peaceful, polite, and respectful people ever ❤️ I was truly in awe everyday. I worked at Espritline for anyone wondering. They don’t provide work visas but yea best experience of my life
The Jamaican brethren got it right snd explained this perfectly. While I have experienced some unfortunate situations in Japan, in pales in comparison to actual racism I have experienced in NY for example.
thats just because japanese hold it in. Overall as far as mindsets, you better believe Japan is a far more racist country than America. Its just that America is a much more violent country. And people are much more open with their opinions. But yea i agree as far as what you might experiece or what might happen to you could be much worse in America. Id rather be black in Japan than white in the middle of an all black neighborhood in America any day
@@nunyabizwacks6711 it's also because Japan is a monoracial country with few foreigners so they don't have the pent up frustration of having to deal with "ethnic" issues like Westerners do
@@nunyabizwacks6711 also " Id rather be black in Japan than white in the middle of an all black neighborhood in America any day" indeed, my family had to move 3 times in my youth because of this very issue. Japanese can't even fathom how lucky they are not to worry about which neighborhood they should move to based on demographics
@@BaldytheBear yeah but Americans aren’t like Japanese people. It is stained with racism going way back and a lot have never dropped the racism. More Americans do dumber shit than Japanese people in general. We never see Japanese people going viral for squeezing lemon juice in their eyes or doing perverted shit for the public or road raging like USA degenerates of all color and backgrounds. That’s why ppl don’t respect the usa when they come to it. Maybe the usa needs to carry its image better how bout that?
The difference between Black African and Black American is something not so often reflected upon, that was very interesting. Good job, Takashi, your videos keep getting better !! Best wishes from a Portuguese viewer! ❤️
@Toyin Olivia Jibowu yes of course, with that i meant Black American from north, central and south America, just like several different ethnic/racial groups in different places in Africa have their own cultures
As a black man that was born in japan(my dad was stationed there) and moved to the states as a baby, I really appreciated this. Very eye opening. I always ‘fantasized’ about going back one day and this was almost motivational. I’d love to experience the dynamics for myself.
It's not too difficult for you to get a VISA for people with Japanese Heritage here. I think it's called an "ancestry" visa or something like that. I know many mixed Brazilians and Filipinos that live and work here on that visa.
I stumbled on this video and I love that your questions are open-ended. As a Nigerian who migrated to UK, I appreciate what my Kenyan ladies said about differentiating Black Americans from Black Africans - because whilst we might look similar, culturally we are very different so it's important to note. In your next interviews, can you ask about their experiences in finding jobs, dating, acquiring properties in Japan. Shout-out to everyone out there regardless of colour or origin, who's respectful of others and accepting of our unique peculiarities
I agree. I am Japanese but I studied in the U.S. and had an African friend while studying. I found out that Africans were a lot more like the Japanese. I felt the same kind of vibes from them. However, the Black Americans were so different. I personally thought maybe the calmness of the Africans came from being at peace about yourself and your culture. But it is only my guess.
I hate that you all feel the need to separate yourselves from African Americans. But, hey. That’s a deeper conversation I don’t think y’all are ready for.
@@joythewriter5023 It's not a bad thing. Black Americans are now pretty much a different ethnicity than black Africans. The culture is different. It is the same way each country in African has a different ethnicity/culture even though they are the same race. Same way white Americans are different ethnicity/culture as white Europeans. Not really much of a deeper conversation.
I'm GLAD you did this video!!! I just started to watch your videos and wanted to see this perspective especially. I'm African-American myself and just wanted to see their perspective from their vantage point.
Very nice video. Thanks for uploading. My Dad was "Black in Japan", in the 70s. For around 4 years. He really had a great time. From his views "being Black in America is totally different than being Black in Japan". I'd expect the stares. It's curiosity. I think the same would happen if Takashii went to a small remote village, in a Country, in Africa.
@@AAA310 What are you talking about? I only said I think, the stares of curiosity would be the same if Takashii went to a remote Village in an African Country vs a Big City in an African Country. Big Cities are usually used to seeing diverse faces. Small Cities, Villages, not so much. I'm only referencing the stares that Black people get in Japan. That's all! I have no idea what angle you are coming from.
@@youtubeuserzzzz no it would be the same in a big city in africa because they would still he all africans. Sick of everyone dehumanizing africa like its just a bunch of people living in huts
@@AAA310 Clearly you and I are NOT on the same page. I have an African Passport. So I have NO idea about you mentioning a Hut. But I'm still sticking by comment. A comment you seem NOT to comprehend very well. Have a nice day.
@@youtubeuserzzzz In reference to your statement on if he went to Africa that heavily racist thing to say .... nah just shitting with you you're right I'm an African and obviously Africa is black majority seeing white people or any race was an amazing sight, as a child I would stare so much and I thought African albino people were white people till I was 13 but you know after a while people don't care they might try to cheat you tho but it's all good
Did you agree with what the lady said about how she felt bothered seeing young Japanese teens wearing dreads? Im very curious, I felt that because of the power of the internet and globalization these days, people shouldn't really be taking offense like that, just for someone admiring parts of another's culture. Kind of like how an American might admire Japanese culture so they learn to cook the traditional food as well as maybe watch some of the anime or decorate their home with Japanese artifact. Any thoughts on this sister? Thanks!!
@@vernievuitton yes cuz I actually admire the fact that like Japanese people are wearing dreads it like “wow we love this style of hair” instead of a negative reaction towards it. Like I mean you don’t see Japanese people getting upset with foreigners liking their culture like summer festivals, anime’s etc
@@vernievuitton I feel like decorations and anime is different because that doesn't make a Japanese person. While hair styles are something black people have been ridiculed for and not been able to get jobs for a long time. And also because the fact that a majority of races or just places (obviously not even single person) don't fully accept black people, but are fine taking our styles that we HAD to do even when they weren't popular. But personally people can do what makes them happy, I'd just inform them of what I think.
My man, I love this channel. You're quickly turning into the "Channel 5" of Japan for me. Your interviews are clearly less intense but no less important. True, honest, on the ground interviews with unbiased responses.
@@maazuponvelocity Some of the best aspects of Andrew Callaghan's interviews are he allows the person being interviewed to have the stage completely, encouraging them with inquiring questions, which I believe Takashii emulates very well!
I think it really depends on where you are in Japan. I lived in Sapporo for 3 years, and not only felt welcomed, but fully embraced. But I have friends living in other prefectures and they say their treated horribly. I think it’s also the attitude and perspective you come with. I naturally have people gravitate around me with my friendly nature, so I think that’s why I never had an issue.
I agree, in fact I thought those two ladies from Africa were quite lovely. The man from Jamaica as well, all their positive and understanding outlook served them wel
People of all races that live in areas where the education is low/bad seem to become ignorant. Maybe that's why you and your friends have had different experiences?
Definitely. I will assume this is Tokyo, and Tokyo is in no way representative of all of Japan. It's a massive city that, while very homogenous by Western standards, still has tens of thousands (if not more) expatriates, not to mention all the tourism. That doesn't exactly compare to some rural town in Tohoku, or a smaller city somewhere else in the Japanese countryside. Not to say all rural people are closeminded or racist of course, but it is definitely true A LOT of Japanese people outside Tokyo (along with Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Sapporo, Kyoto and Fukuoka) have never seen a non-Asian person IRL ever
Great video! I'm latino and here are some questions: - Do you miss "latino" physical contact? (the way we greet each other, how we treat friends) - Was it hard to get used to the food in Japan? - What's the main difference between Japan and your home country?
All these people still live in Japan, so they not gonna be inclined to speak negatively about their host country. They would have different answers if you interviewed them after returning to America
@@therealjayz8036 imagine going to a different country and being upset that their culture is different than what you are used to. How privileged you must be.
"Balanced" meaning "not moaning because that's all black people do according to literally any other race". Literally everyone hates us. I just wish people were honest about it.
This was awesome 👌 watching. I enjoyed being with people of all cultures. Treat people how you want to be treated, and I guarantee you'll be happier in your life!!
the first two people described my experience and opinions so well ! the people are so quiet and there . 90% of my experience was pleasant , the culture surrounds respect and kindness . however , there is still a race issue .. they aren't out there with their racism , but it's moreso passive racism . depending on the kind of place you want to live as a black person , japan might be a good place for you or may not . the only bad experiences i've had are people being scared of me or distancing themselves from me when we are closed spaces such as the train or on an elevator .. sometimes in a store . there were also alot of teenagers who i met that were rlly openly kind and respectfully curious . i actually met a long time friend there . i know that my experiences around the world will be the same in some aspect . there will be ignorance everywhere , i try not to let it ruin my mindset :)
Hmmm so if every place black go, they experience racism, maybe they should go back where they came to feel more comfortable. That would be probably be best for both sides.
When are muricans gonna learn that culture is not genetic. You all just want to feel special and gatekeep shit. But no. If that American woman was born and raised in Japan her whole life, she would have Japanese culture. Because culture is literally nothing to do with genetics. It’s just what you do. So she can stfu about dreads, that’s not owned by black people.
@Todd MacGregor I'll keep it honest. I'm going to Japan/Korea to have Asian offspring and just make a living there. I know I'll get some hate, but that's just some. I'm American, I'm tall, I have light caramel skin due to the fact that I'm half-black and half-white, I'm educated, fairly young, and very naturally fit. I've also got a lot to offer down there if you know what I mean lol. I love their culture, food, and people and I want to feel connected to it in more ways than one. I might change my mind, who knows. Europes always an option.
With the first person you interviewed, your subtitles say "skeptical" but I think she said that she "felt like a spectacle". Just thought I would clarify! Thank you for your videos!
Very smart people you interviewed! I wish more people realized that stares aren't necessarily malicious, they are very often just curious and if you put an effort into being part of the community by learning the language and wanting to be there, being discriminated is incredibly rare. Too bad social media conditions people into thinking you must be hated as x or y person and thus end up causing exactly that.
Because being able to stay there with years can't be handled by a snowflake nor people with no sense so personally I think there's just a higher chance of them to be smart and can think straight.
@@slader6079 Rather than malicious or curious I'd say it's cautious. When I say this some may say that they're cautious because they have a bad bias at the first place but I find it not the case. It's natural to be cautious to something you don't see often, and assuming it's malicious doesn't really make any sense as it's just a big generalization with no solid related evidence to back it up.
Malice isn't required when it comes to being disrespectful. In America, it's considered rude to stare at people with deformities, no matter how "curious" you are. Staring means they see them as something different than fellow humans, otherwise, there wouldn't be anything to stare about, it's literally just a different skin tone. Americans don't typically stare at Japanese people, and if they did, it would be considered socially dehumanizing and disrespectful.
I wouldn’t say being discriminated against to be very rare at all. In fact, it’s quite common. Obviously there are different levels of discrimination. From someone purposefully shifting away whenever you sit next to them in the train to someone just refusing to let you enter their store. Either way it happens in a lot of subtle and not-so subtle ways.
This question was excellent! I'm Black and I want to visit Osaka. I love the questions you ask people on your channel. Keep up the great work. Thank you.
I've never met an unintelligent, or unthoughtful African. I lived in Japan for 30 years. I find Africans to be very serious and respectful . Africans remind me of Germans. I think the African father is a father who doesn't try to be his child's friend; he is a father who demands respect. I think America has ruined everyone who lives in America. Carribean blacks are also wonderful. Being a white Australian, we could learn some valuable lessons from Africa on how to be fathers and raise children. my Japanese wife would always be shocked when i pointed out Africans in our neighbourhood. How do you know they are Africans she would ask. Well the African always dresses neatly: long skirts, sensible shoes, hair impeccable, but the American black, white yellow or brown dresses down, Anyway, I'm babbling, but it does make one feel proud when they hear an articulate, thoughtful compatriot giving their opinions.
9:20 she raised excellent point, people need to differentiate between black people In general because there're many black ethnicity/race/tribal around the world for example I'm pretty sure most of people especially the westerner/eastern foreigners don't know that there's also Afro-Arabs in the gulf countries and they belong to famous arab tribals too
Yeah, she raised a good point! I still think it's important to understand though that the reason why people use the term "black" is b/c it's associated with the way that people (outsiders) view black culture/people. If you have dark enough skin or look a certain way, no matter if you're from Kenya, Germany, or the US, you'll be considered black by others even though the actual black culture is very different in those places.
@@P0k3D0nd3M4cG do (foreign) people though? At least in the US, if you're East Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Korean), ppl call them Asian, and very few are able to differentiate nationalities unless they have family there (although I'd say the ppl that can tell the difference is increasing every year). In addition, most foreign ppl don't usually consider South Asia or Southeast Asia when describing Asian identity, much less ppl that live in Central and West Asia (Middle East).
@@glow64 it depends on where you grew up. In most of the states where it matters (ie Hawaii, CA and NY, the states that have virtually all of the US' Asian population), most people are cognizant of the different Asian ethnicities and can identify who's who. A Californian is more than likely not going to get a Chinese and Filipino person mixed up. The only problem Southeast Asians with roots from smaller countries like Laos is that they might get lumped in with Filipinos. People can largely physically identify the differences between the Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese & Vietnamese, and Koreans. In the US, anyone with monolid, almond shaped eyes is ascribed Asian heritage. Due to the inherent multi-ethnic composition of the population, colloquial ethnic labels are based purely on phenotypic expression.
Fucked up that so many people look down on English teachers in Japan when it’s a good job opportunity for English speakers moving there. He was mad chill
@@freezeYT- Facts! Teachers aren't given enough credit. It's the easiest job for a foreigner to get in Asia. Having lived in South East Asia for 2 years, met a lot of global friends doing teaching. Some of us were directed in STEM fields, teaching where I come from is sadly a low-paying job.
The second dude seemed so genuine and had some intelligent points and reasoning for them. Could imagine him being a very pleasant person to hang around with.
Stereotypical black american. Of course he had to promote his shitty rap career, and of course he had to shit on white people while talking about how well he is treated by everyone
Its beautiful when you see people embracing eachother no matter where they are from or what language they speak. Its something all human beings should work towards.
I loved that the two ladies gave a disclaimer for black tourist 😭✨ because I am someone watching this video planning to visit Japan. It’s nice to know that you won’t be treated as lesser for being black.
@@Mhmmz I went to Cancun last month and I loved it ! Visited playa del Carmen the people there were really nice too. Had a few conversations with some locals it was a great time fr 😂 didn’t want to leave
my friend, you are most expert to comfortably stimulate thoughtful conversations. i very much enjoy your work in video and look foreard to enjoy the next one.
I lived in japan for a year and a half because of the military and I have to say the Japanese people are the most welcoming and respectful people I’ve ever met. They would always be kind no matter if I’m shopping, dining, walking around or I’m taking the trains. There was this old Japanese couple that saw me looking completely lost in the train station because it was like my 2nd week there. They literally walked me to my train. Got on it. Rode it with me until MY stop. Then got on a train to go BACK the way we came so they could go home. I didn’t ask them, they did it themselves. Edit: I’m black btw for the rude commenter
I keep telling people Japan is way ahead of Murica as far as racial tolerance, but many have no idea, they never lived there. Visiting as a tourist is totally different. I lived in Tokyo 20+ years.
Good interviewing channel No music, no distracting editing and the interviewer lets the person speak their mind as much as they want. Splendid Mr. Takashii
The African ladies made a statement that I’ve never heard anybody in the US say; “we need to differentiate between Black Americans and Black Africans”. As an American, I hear “African-American” more than “black American”, and whenever somebody does mention a person born in Africa, the first thought is a black African, despite there being white Africans as well. I just appreciate hearing a perspective that’s not heavily Americanized for once.
@@TheMrcassina Tuareg are a subgroup of Berbers or Amazighen. With that said, I personally refer to the non -African black people in America as black Americans. Forgot to also mention that ethnicity and skin colour are not the same thing at all. For instance, Touaregs/Tuaregs (Kel-Tamasheq) are black and Berber. There are many black Berber groups like the Tamasheq (Tuareg) and the Zenaga. There are black Arab groups in Mali, Niger republic, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Mauritania, etc.
@@bobstarolani2854 I am using terminology that is derived from the Western world in order to describe "skin colour". In the African continent, we do not do that. We use someone's ethnicity for instance Yoruba, Berber (Touareg), Igbo, Hausa, Arab, Fulani, Songhai(Zarma/Djerma), Mande (Mandingue, Bamanakan, etc.) etc. etc. to define people. With that said, I am quite aware that no one is actually black or white. Different shades of Brown for black people (even in some cases darker shades of beige) and for white people, different shades of beige.
We say that in the US all the time. I'm Black rarely say "African-American". Where I'm from in the US (east coast), just about none of us who are Black say "African-American" when talking to each other. In fact, I only use it in a more formal setting, and usually only if non-Black people are present. I'm not a young man and I actually pre-date the term "African American". It didn't start until the 1980's as more of a political stance. Jesse Jackson coined the term because he thought that gave us more of a sense of African heritage. But most of us have zero recent ties to anywhere in Africa. We've been here hundreds of years and just consider ourselves Americans who are Black. A large percentage of us don't even have 100% African ancestry. My family has been racial mixed for generations.
I found this interesting and a good mix of black cultures, America, Kenya and Jamaican and so they are not just from 1 culture group. Interesting answers, good interviews..well done Takashi-san
Although the way he said he was trying to escape Ja made me feel some kinda way. Altho he may not have meant it that way, but more as a way of expanding his worldview.
the Jamaican guy and African women were really the best ones. people should really stop importing their westernized perception of society and experiences in another country onto Japan, a whole different country with different sets of societal rules and etiquettes.
This was a good video you interviewed a variety of Africans African-American, Kenyan and Afro-Caribbean. It's nice that you highlight the positive experiences too. I'm Afro-Caribbean by the way; I'm a Trinibagoian 🇹🇹
I'm gonna roast you bro. That phrase is so wrong. I'm trinidadian. It's two different countries with two different cultures the reason I can tell you this is a lady from Tobago told me this. If your from Trinidad your Trinidadian if you're from Tobago you're tobagoian. You just let our islands down.
@@Ant-um7ym You're not wrong but you're not right neither. We're two different islands yes but one country, one prime minister, one anthem, one flag etc... One country not two LOL. It's not wrong for us to say we belong to both islands (Trinibagoian). You seem to be confusing the difference between islands and countries. YOU let your twin island country down and roasted yourself.
@@S.T_the_Trini not really I'm sharing with you how people from Tobago don't consider themselves trinibagoian. That term is used to represent both countries but to say you are trinibagoian is as a person is wrong. You can't be both either you're from Trinidad or Tobago. If you still think I'm wrong then which culture did you grow up most with.
@@Ant-um7ym That was one woman's view. You're still saying Trinidad & Tobago are two countries. Let me ask you something. What is the national flag of Tobago?
I had a friend and coworker from America that was African American and he ended up opening his own English school and married a Japanese woman. He seemed super happy. I remember him saying he had no desire to return to the U.S. unless it was to visit family.
You have no idea how much we in the u.s idolize Japan We have conversations about Japanese culture and how much better their society is and everything is perfect even the poor communities are nice with almost no crime Even the u.s healthcare system is modeled after japans healthcare system though it works in Japan but in the u.s not working well because we have lots of non workers in our society that scam the welfare system
@@jakesmall8875 Because compared to a lot of other countries Japan is the closest to perfection. No country is without it's problems, but Japan definitely is a good example of what society should strive to be, especially in America. The thing that annoys me is that in America everyone keeps talking about how great America is, God bless America, America is number #1 but as soon as people show admiration for another country that's better to live in, Americans get all offended. And no, the US healthcare system is modeled in it's own way and it doesn't work because corporate greed and corruption. Japan's healthcare system was wonderful, I was covered for everything and payed practically the cost of a Burger King meal for their services. To your point again, most people idolize Japan because of anime, video games, manga, car culture, the women, fashion, customer service, food, samurai/geisha history, cleanliness, friendliness, etc. When people actually live in Japan, like myself, they'll see it's not all perfect and there are issues the country needs to work on like death from overwork, bullying, and suicide rates. However, compared to the U.S. I understood why my ex coworker felt safer and happier in Japan and refused to return to the U.S.
@@jakesmall8875 Obamacare sucks and no it's not from Japanese health system it's from the heritage foundation. Again it's corporations that set the prices for medication and services, already been proven, you can even Google it. That illegals excuse is so bs. And by illegals you mean people from around the world right?
@@brianc21324 I mean let’s be fair here depending on the amount of money and power influence you have any country in the world can be the perfect country because you can do whatever you want with enough money and influence. If you’re Chinese super rich and in the communist party you can basically be untouchable.
@@Wingzero90939 Money can make you happy but not others. Some countries people can still be rude and nasty to you regardless of how much money you have. I'd rather live in a country where I'd get treated by locals kindly and welcoming regardless of my financial status. Remember money can't buy everything.
Thank you for this. Asking this kind of question would be avoided by a lot of people, but sometimes asking the direct, difficult questions is the only way forward to creating a conversation and widening people’s perspectives. I got pretty emotional watching this video and seeing you ask in such a matter of fact way without presenting a bias or a particular tone. I felt you got a wide ranging amount of perspectives from different African cultures, and it was just wonderful. Subscribed. Thank you again.
I love Japan. As a former Marine, I was stationed in Okinawa. It's a beautiful place and I enjoyed my year and a half over there. My aunt lives there and I can't wait to go back to see her. I used to be fluent in Japanese, but as they say; if you don't use, you lose it. Great interviews and the feedback was spot on! 👌🏾
Bring that last man from Jamaica 🇯🇲 back for a full interview!! This man is sharing a lot of great advice, game, and gems 💎 about Japanese 🇯🇵🇯🇵 culture. The fact he said that you should behave better as a guest in Japan 🇯🇵 is very knowledgeable!! I want to see more of him. 💯💯💯💯
Right. He's very knowledgeable. I understand what the woman meant when she said that on the phone. It's because some foreigners tend to not respect Japanese social rules, etc. that's why sometimes Japanese ppl might be more careful when dealing with a foreigner (bc of previous bad perceptions/experiences from other foreigners). But if they see that you behave and won't cause trouble, they will think you're alright, accept you and will have no problem at all with you.
@@hanien6230 Yes -- especially if you speak the language they almost forget what color skin you have or what culture you come from because they know that speaking Japanese almost conditions people into having the same mentality (deference to mutual respect, honorifics, social status, reputation, etc.).
Love how the Jamaican gentleman took all the positive stereotypes and made them work for him. 🥰 It’s very easy to put a negative connotation on everything. I’m Afro Puerto Rican Latina and my husband is 4th generation Japanese from the Bay Area. His family is phenomenal but no one is fluent in Japanese. I came across this channel while looking for channels that teach Japanese, but this one popped up and really love it! 🤗 I love seeing you reach out and put these things on the front lines for people to learn from. Ps….We went to Tokyo in 2018 for the first time and it was the best trip! Thanks for sharing. I’m totally going to tune in for the Latinos in Japan videos as well! Thanks Takashi! Arregato!! 🙏🙏🙏 Y Gracias! 😉
@@jaabani For sure!! 👍👍👍 🫶🏽Good point on being offended too. I try not to get offended bcus only I can control my emotions. Plus, offense can lead one down a negative path you don’t want to be on.
Crees que la mayoría de gente que tiene problemas respecto a la raza son Americanos porque es lo que ESPERAN del otro? Que todos tengan mentalidad de redneck o algo así?
I agree with the last man and the two African ladies. I am white Australian and have travelled overseas often. I like to wear a patch of the Australian flag on my jacket or backpack to let local people of the country I am visiting where I am from. I always try to be as polite and respectful as I can be because I feel like I am representing my country and I want to do so in a positive way. I have been to Japan and I found the people there very quiet but very friendly and helpful.
LOL this interview take me back. I studied abroad in Japan back in 2018 (Around 2 years). One of my closest friend is a black person from UK. We have this running gag about how everytime I met a Japanese and whenever we talked about him I only specifically said he is britan (イギリス人), and afterward he will show up in person be like hi i'm the dude his talking about nice to meet you. Some people's face are funny as hell cuz almost all of them assume it's going to be a white dude while me and my friend just share a look and laugh our ass off afterward. Though he did said during his time in Japan at first he kinda feel like a cage animal being shown around since sooooo many people are either staring or pointing at him. He get used to it eventually but still, that's an experience I don't have to go through. (I'm from Taiwan if anyone is curious)
@@killswitchdn4284 honestly me too but probably won’t be as shocked if a black dude came out. The face of those people is like their world was turned upside down
People do that to all people from "Western countries" when they aren't white. White people will be the first to do that to ya ime ;) even if they've lived in a melting pot all their lives, Japan/other mono-cultures at least have an excuse for their ignorance.
I've never been to Japan, but what I've noted with my observations towards Japanese folks, is the homogeneity of their socieety, so when they meet a foreign individual, the first response is curiousity, that's appreciated, I haven't noted the malice that Black people are constantly exposed to in Eurocentric societies. As indicated in the vid, unless you violate societal norms and taboos, you can generally live and go on with your life as any ordinary Japanese citizen does.
@@clarencegilkie7369 True love comes from inside, not from looks or ethnicity. But I guess that's a foreign concept to people who fetishize entire races 😐
Violate societal norms you mean like sagging your pants below your genitals, gang violence, loud music from cars, offensive language, loud cat calls to unsuspecting women, drinking and gambling on the street. So you're saying Japan black people have to act white or be ostracized so weird.
That was a very great and informative video! I'm actually interested in going to Japan (and maybe live there some day) and these videos are really helpful. So far every video I've seen has been positive which makes me optimistic and excited to go to Japan!
I’ve been to Japan as a black person and didn’t feel like I was being judged at all. As someone that have grew up in a mixed background, I feel a little uncomfortable in certain part of the U.K. but I tend to ignore the ignorance. When going to a foreign country, it’s best to learn the basic language so you can communicate.
This is amazing. We NEED and MUST have cross cultural discourse and healthy conversation for the human race. Excellent work and effort you put into these Takashii
Japan is thousands of years old, these cross cultural ideas bs comes from the US, they don’t give a shit about it, like every other country outside US..
What a jewel of a gentleman, the man from Jamaica was. His words were heart-felt and kind and therefore were worth hearing! I completely agree: As a guest, learn to behave then learn to behave even better to be a good guest - or words to that positive and respectful effect. Good luck to that person.
I am black and I visited Japan for a month and I got so many compliments and women saying I look cute. People were really fascinated with me and honestly I loved the attention lol
That's just it, isn't it? You have a different skin tone, carry yourself a different way, dress different to the societal norms (in this case Japanese norms), and give of a nervous vibe (because of fear of judgment). How can you not feel discriminated against when this is the things people see when they first look at you. Sometimes people CAN'T be nice when they're going through their lives and encounter a black person on the street. They look shocked, they might look disgusted. Let me make it clear that this person IS a weak person, but sometimes not out of evilness, sometimes it is just out of surprise and the fact that they are not able to compute the things they see. Sometimes I wish America wouldn't be so omnipresent. They fucked black culture up in a big way.
Respect and Kudos for interviews on a challenging subject is confronted with ease, whereas the UK (where I was born to Guyanese Parents) it's quite the opposite: good content, please keep it coming.
I really respect the effort you make to interview people in a language that you learned, and help the lot of us understand how different kinds of people feel towards different social interactions.
Your interviews are WAY MORE IMPORTANT to the world right now than anyone might think/know. There's the humanity wave moving around right now; Its ONE WORLD, Different People. Mutual respect is the key. Every human should strive to expand their world view and be citizens of the ONE WORLD!
Yes, but own your own expectations of others. As an example, I don't consider myself racist in anyway, but I have little time for example for hip hop "culture"...and the world seems to expect me to appreciate it as an expression of "black culture"...but I really don't, nor would I associated it with black people per se. This is just an example. Or like japanese people..........a culture i find super interesting anf fascinating.......but I'm not interested in enabling a lot of the things in their culture that have to do with limiting the freedom of the individual. So I might be respectful of certain things in front of a japanese person but I have little time for BS I find offensive to me as a human. Or like other BS like me being white portuguese and some african people having trouble with me because my country as a colonial past....or brazilians etc........I have no time for hypocrisy. If you REALLY believe in equality and respect for al.............OWN YOUR EXPECTATIONS of other humans and be honest about what is your projection and cultural programming.........and what is healthy human interaction.
That was really good!!! Loved how relaxed these interviews seemed to be and hiw in turn you seemed very much more relaxed. 🤷♀️maybe it's just you getting more experiance anyways great job!!!
I like this interview. The interviewer was very respectful and a good listener. Obviously we shouldn’t reduce an entire people’s perspective to such a small sample group , but this was a nice look into how some people felt in a real way. Thumbs up ! 👍🏽
I like his topics and I like that he at least gets these conversations going. It might be with a small sample of people, but look at how many of us are watching! There’s still hope for me to visit Japan in this lifetime, I think I’d enjoy it so much.
My father was invited to Japan to speak about his book regarding the importance of communication. I have been invited there for skate tournaments, break dance competitions, soccer, and basketball. In these settings there was so much honor, and respect. Outside of those experiences there are several times both of us have been, misjudged, mis-appropriated, and discriminated upon by the same culture for no reason other than the color of our skin. My experience with this has led me to believe this: Like every single other country in the world, Japan has decent people and assholes, and like every single other country the decent deal with people based on the content of their character and the assholes continue to exhibit logistical fallacies. Regardless where one is from it is all our responsibility mind ourselves to proper behavior, because failure to do so, in a very direct way, makes you an asshole that is ruining the world. Seems like too many people in all cultures are okay with the latter, and that is, by my logic, THE ACTUAL PROBLEM. Bless.
@@adammwakikoti2759 There are cultures where xenophobia is practiced regularly, and it has many forms. You just tried to summarize the entirety of human history as “some people are just dicks.” What’s considered proper behavior in one place isn’t in another.
Man I wish this was longer. Just based off the different perspectives that we got, there was a lot of valid information to take in. I would even be in favor of a part 2 to this because I think this is quite an interesting topic. Certainly a video I would come back to especially since visiting is not only my dream but possibly even living there in the future!
This was very well done and very insightful, thank you for going out and conducting these interviews! Dispels some of the myths and eases some of my anxieties on traveling!
I loved this im from America like the 2nd black person you interviewed right outside of DC. Really gave me alot of motivation to come to Japan and learn the culture ❤️🇯🇵
God Bless you for your service and sharing this information and I humbly appreciate your continued efforts to show the beautiful spirit of welcoming all foreign peoples to visit or live in Japan I love your insights
I suggest you make a video about the etiquettes and norms in Japan that tourists should take note of while visiting your country, that'll be cool and helpful for many
7:36 I was waiting for someone to say this because it's actually so true. I grew up in Ireland and I didn't see many black people growing up and when I went on holiday with my family to Florida as a child I was so shocked and confused at the sight of black people being everywhere. It's a lot different nowadays due to immigration being a lot more common here and I actually have two mixed race friends who also grew up in Ireland but when I was a kid it was rare to see anything other than white people.
Same but on the flip side. I grew up in a community of black (mostly dark brown) people, so when I saw a white person for the first time, I would stare. So I don't think it's a black thing. If the people aren't use to seeing someone who is VERY different appearance wise, they will stare curiously. Some will give you a scowl-ish look (cause some people don't like foreigners, what can you do?) while others will be curious and even friendly. People react differently to new faces and it's to be expected if the place they're visiting is not racially diverse.
same as a person who used to live on a tiny island, anytime i saw a black person or white person i would STAREEE. because they were just so new to little me lol
Yaaasss! Big up my Caribbean people! That Caribbean humour, that Caribbean warmth! That Caribbean way of thinking. Lovely! Love from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹
This video is really good, my friend who is Black-American wants to go to Japan so badly.... but he is worried of the racism, so I am going to share this to him to show it's ok. He is trying to understand Japanese Culture a lot, he got a good idea from some of his friends and such. He told me that "He mostly got interested about that culture because of anime, but a big part of it was interacting with you." Saying that he wanted to learn MY culture of where I came from and how my life is, so he went ahead and started studying. We did date before, it only lasted a few days. No racism or anything bad, but we are SUPER close friends that we both felt uncomfortable. We still are really good friends, and he wants to help with my biological family's business. So he wants to come with me when I do go back home, so he is super excited. We just have to wait a bit longer on my side for my biological family to give us the ok, but everyone cant wait till the boarders are fully open. 😁💖 so if we do bump in to each other, maybe you can asked my friend some questions including me of how we see Japanese People in the US. Not like typical "oh they are super nice!" And such like that, but how we saw them as "foreigners" in US.
@@aaronblack2101 we have tried dating.... only last 3 days, we felt it was too much best friend type of vibes... 😅 we have been best friends since we where 14 online, so we felt like breaking a "Bro Code" or something. At least we tried, just too uncomfortable for us.
I mean let’s not act like when a non black person moves into a predominately Black Country or neighborhood that people aren’t staring watching their actions leaving them to fend for themselves until they feel like they’re worthy to be accepted. It’s a human thing not necessarily always someone being hateful
@@babyt556 😅 yes which I do agree, we grew up in very tough areas. He grew up in Brooklyn, and I grew up..... well.... everywhere. My adopted dad was military, so for both of us we never really had a deep connection of support with family/friends. We had VERY FEW family and friends support, so it's very hard to find someone that's not judging us every single second or move you do X.X
Thank you so much for watching!
From this month, Japan is open for tourists but it seems like it’s still difficult to come normally
I hope it’ll be open completely by end of this summer and meet you guys here in Tokyo!
Could one with other foreign races like Latinos s or Brazilian or British please when get a chance.
Ask, Japanese people how they feel about blacks in there country. Also, the different type of blacks.
日本語plz
@bigmike obama you the racist type the world hate.
by the way you look awesome , God bless
I love what the 2nd guy said: “they like us as a culture, but not necessarily as a people.” I’ve noticed that too but he summed it up very accurately in a few words
Yup, that struck me too.
He is correct. Black culture, or at least Black American culture is viewed through the lens of a commodity consumption nowadays, from everything like music, to acting out the black experience, to sports.
Been that way forever. Not to be down, but white american culture stealing from other cultures goes back to 1607. Fashion and accessorizing, religious models, art and music. It's hard to reconcile.
He said that about american people. and that's a lie in my opinion.
@@ChipChocolatePR Not a lie. Much truth was said.
I’m so glad you got the 3 different perspectives of black ppl. The African, Black American, and Caribbean. Yes we are all black, But our cultures tend to shape our worldview’s differently.
I just want blacks to stop having fetish with Japanese or White women
@@Aaltorina7061 that has literally nothing to do with the video what the hell are you on about. And you realize every race has people that have a fetish for other races right? Its not exclusive to balck people l.
I am glad he did too. Because it's interesting how all three differed in their opinion and how much was similar.
He didn't get the gang banger culture, but they probably wouldn't be allowed on the streets of Japan very long. Imagine them trying to raid an apple store there. They might get arrested!
@@philthestampede Asian women don't like black men
You’re getting better at interviewing people and asking good questions. I’ll happily keep watching.
Facts. Great questions for sure.
Not just asking good questions, but also reacting the answers naturally (active listening)!
He's getting better for sure but I still hate how he nods and turns away when he doesn't quite understand something lol if I were him, I'd try to be more humble and ask "sorry, what does ____ mean?"
@@sekaijin8193 what makes you say he doesn't understand at times?
@@themikays I've lived in Japan and taught English here so maybe his body language. Looks like he's lost in his head sometimes or just ignores the parts of some English he didn't understand. I'm sure he's working to improve that. Happens to me too when I have a conversation with people in Japanese.
I have the most upmost respect for you to actually ask black people what it's like being black in a culture that isn't their native - it was very insightful and respectfully done while asking serious questions. This is why the world needs to learn from Japan
the last dude was cool. a lot of people don't understand how important it is to respect social standards when you enter other countries and also to be grateful and appreciate the culture you are exploring.
They brought down the west single handedly.
Tell that to the people who come to America 😩
@@carebear67street3 fr dog😂 if we said anything like that we’d be crucified😂
@@carebear67street3 What social rules do we have? Be loud, confrontational, and record everyone who doesn't have the same believes as you to get them fired from a twitter post?
@@webber7300 , I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! 😳🧐
I'm a black America man who lived in Tokyo for 2 years and I loved it. Of course I had some people stair at me and some kids point at me, but nothing to make me in fear of my life. I did get a lot of Japanese people who wanted to take pictures with me. Good video Takashi.
Got a feeling most have just not seen a black person before
@@urekmazino6800 They have. They just don’t like black people. This video is massive cops
stare unless you mean something you climb on
I think most people don't stare out of rudeness, it's just that Asians in general don't see Western people too often. I mean I do the same thing with white people lol.
I'm Japanese but people stair at me.🤣
I love that you interviewed black Africans, too. And what the Kenyan women said was absolutely right and as an African myself, I totally agree. There's quite a huge difference culturally and in basically everything between black Americans and black Africans. Even black Europeans to be honest. So yeah..It would be awesome to get more of the African PEOPLE culture out there and not just the tourists' side of our beautiful countries. :)
your not a black African your just African plus your home country Black is a western term
@@dragonballz641 it's an important distinction even in many parts of Africa. We can't talk about Apartheid, for instance, without distinguishing between black and white Africans
@@dragonballz641 There are white Africans. Just look at South Africa, for instance. Afrikaners were born and raised there with their own culture unique to Africa.
Their is huge difference between white Americans and Europeans also
@@askellpositive white Americans always roasting white Europeans on TikTok lol
Forgetting that you are a different color or what color you are is the best feeling ever. I also experience that as a black person. I've always been living in the most white parts of the Netherlands and never have I ever been remembered of being different (not that that's bad! But it means everyone accept you as a person, on the inside)
I think some black people are made to feel guilty about that
I like how you conducted the interviews in a very respectful, open-minded way, and unassuming way.
I agree! He is very calm and is a good listener AND almost importantly asks good questions 👍🏻
@@Lukas-xf1ew 👍🏽
Yes!!!!
Yet the girl in the pink shirt gets offended when he asks if she speaks Japanese. I hate her attitude attitude
Yes! I respect people like him!
100% with what the first girl said. "If you're a foreigner and you've been in Japan(or any foreign country) for over 3 years, you're just making excuses to not learn the language"
white americans are called racist for having the same opinion
Yes!! she's 100% right!
True that’s me lol
Exactly, that happens here in Los Angeles California many foreigners just look for excuses and after 40+ years they still don't speak English, I know because my parents have been here since before I was born and still don't speak English and I am 46.
I mean I wouldn't even go on holiday somewhere with at least attempting to learn some conversational language. But if you're choosing to live somewhere, I find it highly rude not to learn the language.
As a Japanese student, I have some messages for the people who are going to come to Japan.
1.Japanese sometimes stares at foreigners, but it's difinitely not for viciousness but for just curiosity.
2.However, they sometimes glare at you if you have bad manners in the restaurants or the train. You could leran some rules in Japanese.
3.If you are not good at Japanese, but you don't have to worry. All Japanese understand the difficulty of learning Japanese. Just you wanna try to understand Japanese and improve the ability, Japanese might realize your effort, and your Japanese also will be improved.
Sorry my poor English. I'll be glad if my English make senses.
Arigato Gozaimasu! ^_^
Your English was great!
Thank you for your explanation!
That's everywhere. No worries
As a person who first language is English, you did a really good job explaining it all here. Easy to follow
Totally made sense 🙂
Sadly this was not my experience
13:14 this is a tricky one. It really depends on WHERE you are in Japan. Some people have positive experiences which leads them to believe that as long as you act “Japanese” and fit into society, everyone will accept you and treat you totally normally. That’s not necessarily always the case. There will always be a chance of assholes anywhere you are. If you look extremely different, sometimes people will just find reasons to reject you! With older JP people in particular, you never know. I’m not saying what he said is invalid, I’m just saying it’s dangerous to make assumptions because it could really hurt you in the long term.
True but you a guest in a foreign country so when in Rome...
The whole video is people making assumption though and despite that he is very right and accurate, japanese people will treat you well if you act like them, and even if you are japanese you will be rejected if you don't.
@@Epsilonsama You are a guest but eventually after a while you really aren't anymore. At some point you _live_ there and so your life shouldn't all be about fitting in and assimilating.
According to Japanese culture, you would still be a guest, even if you have lived there for decades, regardless of race. Even being born and raised in Japan doesn't automatically make you Japanese.
well... i just want to say that look at who decides on the rules at the top. if you go to japan you should be aware of how it works for the local citizens first. from an outsider's perspective the picture isn't complete. you get to need to do some work, rightfully about this topic.
The Kenyan women describe my experience well. I'm 6'2 solid with dreadlocks and was ALWAYS treated with a smile and respect. There is that curiosity of seeing a black person (and I'm HUGE by Nippon standard) so I always got stared at. Also the black American comparison (I'm Carribean Canadian) definitely affects perception. My favourite experience is probably when I went to the Samurai Museum and I was chosen for the Samurai demonstration and the presenter looked so excited to interact with me it was great ❤️
did the hoes go for you?
I'm a white guy, got stared at continuously when I was in the Philippines. Not a problem, never took as racism or hate. Unlike some folks!!
Joey (anime man, Japanese himself) says that tall men especially are treated with a lot of respect in Japan. Perhaps if you were quite petite they would perceive you differently. For example, the rapper was quite tiny. Maybe the beautiful dreads help, ig they have a fascination with them tho idk the cultural attitude towards them exactly. I do think it's height and strength though :)
@@jamesnelson5498 you are the God father of racism why do you think you matter in this subject?
@@jamesnelson5498 Probably because you're less likely to experience it even at home?
And you went to the Philippines which has been colonised and brainwashed on idolise Eurocentric standards?
Overall, any foreigner who goes through adhering to the customs, norms, and especially the language of the natives of a country goes a long way as it signifies respect.
Only if they make sense.
@Jj Dillon or, they do everything and still get discriminated against, like the Sikhs
@Jj Dillon victims of violent crime
@Jj Dillon they mistake them for muslims and are targets of many hate crimes, maybe instead of agressivly defending your point, try to see the other side
@Jj Dillon just search up Sikh hate crimes in America, you will see, there many
As a Jamaican myself that wants to escape this country, the last guy is an inspiration for me to continue working toward my dream of going to Korea to study medicine.
@GJ 🤣 south obviously
Omg same!
@GJ why would they go to North Korea? Do you not know what North Korea is?
Yeah my dream is to visit a lot of contries.
@@danielledreckett323 like where else?🤣
The Kenyan lady represented us black Africans beautifully and truthfully
Yes, she did!
irrelevant but thank you for your opnion@Mansory811
omg i just knew she was one us the minute she spoke haha KE to the world
@@SourceHades”beautifully and truthfully” of course that’s the good side.
@@SourceHades 😂😅
The kenyan duo gave alot of insight nd honestly reassured me. Same with the Jamaican gent. The african american girl with the twists is right, you can't be there 3 years and not speak japanese! The rapper teacher also has alota wisdom, would love to meet him! Thanks for this video, Takashi!
That’s twisted.
Let the hunger games begin !
Why do they keep whining about white people... while living in Japan? Sounds like they just have chips on their shoulders that no matter where they go, they can't escape whatever they're hung up on.
@@PraisetheSunn.-. how ?? Cuz he mentioned white people ??
He stated that Japanese treat white people
It’s not white people fault
So he’s not actually calling anyone racists he’s just saying that Japanese people have bias towards white skin people (which’s true I was born in Asia this is an Asian thing )
@@PraisetheSunn.-. like you really speak for all white Americans 🙄GTFOH
These discussions are what the world needs. We can be beautifully different and still love one another.
That is so God damn true!
The last gentleman who was interviewed is the epitome of what all foreigners and guests should be like. Very empathetic, mindful and respectful.
But he has lived there for 10 years and only knows, "a little" Japanese. Hmm......
@@TulemarBeach and yet everyone accepts him because of his personality and good manners, hmmmmm.
And when some-half-baked presumptuous know-it-all wants all the respect in the world, just cus he knows the language better than someone else but has a shitty attitude, than he gets all surprised pikachu face for getting the shitty end of the stick, hmmmmm.
@@Dexiray bro, calm down, I was just repeating what he said.
@@TulemarBeach Bro I'm pretty sure he was being humble (japanese culture is based around being humble and not being arrogant). He recited the phone call with the real estate agent pretty well and seems to know cultural greetings when meeting someone so I would give him benefit of the doubt
@@forest7178 yea he doesnt seam like show off guy in that manner
I find it really interesting how one of the guys made a distinction between black culture and black people. As a white Eastern European I never really thought about it this way. Generally speaking black people are considered very cool in my part of the world but it’s very rare to see a black person there so everything we know is from the movies and social media. This doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t like the people but we really do love the idea of the black culture without actually having the chance to know the people at the heart of it. I also found the comment about differentiating Black American and Black African people eye opening. I am living in UK right now so met fair share of both and yes, they are very different but I never thought they would mind being mixed up. As a Polish person I get mixed up a lot with being Ukrainian or Russian and while I don’t mind as I know it’s hard to tell, I can see why people would like for this distinction to be made. Very interesting watch!
I’m Black, lived in Japan for 8 years, 4 as a civilian after the military. Japan is great, one of the most peaceful, polite, and respectful people ever ❤️ I was truly in awe everyday. I worked at Espritline for anyone wondering. They don’t provide work visas but yea best experience of my life
doo the bitches go for black guys more out there? asking for a friend
Nah mad racist who tf are you tryna convince?
@@iideadlyog 😂
@@iideadlyog lol
Never come there again
The Jamaican brethren got it right snd explained this perfectly. While I have experienced some unfortunate situations in Japan, in pales in comparison to actual racism I have experienced in NY for example.
thats just because japanese hold it in. Overall as far as mindsets, you better believe Japan is a far more racist country than America. Its just that America is a much more violent country. And people are much more open with their opinions. But yea i agree as far as what you might experiece or what might happen to you could be much worse in America. Id rather be black in Japan than white in the middle of an all black neighborhood in America any day
@@nunyabizwacks6711
it's also because Japan is a monoracial country with few foreigners so they don't have the pent up frustration of having to deal with "ethnic" issues like Westerners do
@@nunyabizwacks6711 lol wtf it is not true at all, not from my experience anyway and trust me you can’t experience racism anywhere worse than USA.
@@nunyabizwacks6711 And judge by many of your comments in the channel you are just a hater with no proof or evidence to support your claims.
@@nunyabizwacks6711
also
" Id rather be black in Japan than white in the middle of an all black neighborhood in America any day"
indeed, my family had to move 3 times in my youth because of this very issue. Japanese can't even fathom how lucky they are not to worry about which neighborhood they should move to based on demographics
"You are a guest in their country so you should behave even better" truer words have never been spoken before.
Yes, I approve of that message.
take that migrants.
That is good advice. I wish the same for foreigners or immigrants of all backgrounds would be that way in the US, too.
@@skywalker6648 I wish the same. That was such a good message but we don’t get the same respect here in the states
@@BaldytheBear yeah but Americans aren’t like Japanese people. It is stained with racism going way back and a lot have never dropped the racism. More Americans do dumber shit than Japanese people in general. We never see Japanese people going viral for squeezing lemon juice in their eyes or doing perverted shit for the public or road raging like USA degenerates of all color and backgrounds. That’s why ppl don’t respect the usa when they come to it. Maybe the usa needs to carry its image better how bout that?
Loved the Jamaican guy: such a personality! Such a great Japanese accent, such a great attitude. He would be welcomed anywhere.
The difference between Black African and Black American is something not so often reflected upon, that was very interesting.
Good job, Takashi, your videos keep getting better !!
Best wishes from a Portuguese viewer! ❤️
@Toyin Olivia Jibowu yes of course, with that i meant Black American from north, central and south America, just like several different ethnic/racial groups in different places in Africa have their own cultures
instagram?
@@helenalopes5382 i want to visit Rio de janeiro, your country has beautiful nature.
@@heliton6929 Are you a troll or just ignorant? She is Portuguese, therefore from Portugal, in Europe. Not Brazil.
@@heliton6929 Rio is very beautiful but I'm from Portugal, not Brazil.
As a black man that was born in japan(my dad was stationed there) and moved to the states as a baby, I really appreciated this. Very eye opening. I always ‘fantasized’ about going back one day and this was almost motivational. I’d love to experience the dynamics for myself.
Were you able to retain a Japanese citizenship?
@@BrotherlyLove12 probably not
Your mum is single ?
@@BrotherlyLove12 according to my parents, yeah. But I’m not really sure how it works or if it’s even still valid
It's not too difficult for you to get a VISA for people with Japanese Heritage here. I think it's called an "ancestry" visa or something like that. I know many mixed Brazilians and Filipinos that live and work here on that visa.
I stumbled on this video and I love that your questions are open-ended. As a Nigerian who migrated to UK, I appreciate what my Kenyan ladies said about differentiating Black Americans from Black Africans - because whilst we might look similar, culturally we are very different so it's important to note.
In your next interviews, can you ask about their experiences in finding jobs, dating, acquiring properties in Japan.
Shout-out to everyone out there regardless of colour or origin, who's respectful of others and accepting of our unique peculiarities
I agree. I am Japanese but I studied in the U.S. and had an African friend while studying. I found out that Africans were a lot more like the Japanese. I felt the same kind of vibes from them. However, the Black Americans were so different. I personally thought maybe the calmness of the Africans came from being at peace about yourself and your culture. But it is only my guess.
Yes, you can totally tell that the first lady was an "African American" woman.
@@chubbieminami3274 and it is not a wrong guess
I hate that you all feel the need to separate yourselves from African Americans. But, hey. That’s a deeper conversation I don’t think y’all are ready for.
@@joythewriter5023 It's not a bad thing. Black Americans are now pretty much a different ethnicity than black Africans. The culture is different. It is the same way each country in African has a different ethnicity/culture even though they are the same race. Same way white Americans are different ethnicity/culture as white Europeans. Not really much of a deeper conversation.
I'm GLAD you did this video!!! I just started to watch your videos and wanted to see this perspective especially. I'm African-American myself and just wanted to see their perspective from their vantage point.
Very nice video. Thanks for uploading. My Dad was "Black in Japan", in the 70s. For around 4 years.
He really had a great time. From his views "being Black in America is totally different than being Black in Japan".
I'd expect the stares. It's curiosity. I think the same would happen if Takashii went to a small remote village, in a Country, in Africa.
You assume all of africa is remote small villages or something? There’s literally ainu villages in Japan
@@AAA310 What are you talking about? I only said I think, the stares of curiosity would be the same if Takashii went to a remote Village in an African Country vs a Big City in an African Country. Big Cities are usually used to seeing diverse faces. Small Cities, Villages, not so much.
I'm only referencing the stares that Black people get in Japan. That's all! I have no idea what angle you are coming from.
@@youtubeuserzzzz no it would be the same in a big city in africa because they would still he all africans. Sick of everyone dehumanizing africa like its just a bunch of people living in huts
@@AAA310 Clearly you and I are NOT on the same page. I have an African Passport. So I have NO idea about you mentioning a Hut. But I'm still sticking by comment. A comment you seem NOT to comprehend very well.
Have a nice day.
@@youtubeuserzzzz In reference to your statement on if he went to Africa that heavily racist thing to say .... nah just shitting with you you're right I'm an African and obviously Africa is black majority seeing white people or any race was an amazing sight, as a child I would stare so much and I thought African albino people were white people till I was 13 but you know after a while people don't care they might try to cheat you tho but it's all good
Good job, as an black American living in Japan for six years I 100% agree. Just treat others the way you want to be treated! ありがとうございます
Did you agree with what the lady said about how she felt bothered seeing young Japanese teens wearing dreads? Im very curious, I felt that because of the power of the internet and globalization these days, people shouldn't really be taking offense like that, just for someone admiring parts of another's culture. Kind of like how an American might admire Japanese culture so they learn to cook the traditional food as well as maybe watch some of the anime or decorate their home with Japanese artifact. Any thoughts on this sister? Thanks!!
@@vernievuitton yes cuz I actually admire the fact that like Japanese people are wearing dreads it like “wow we love this style of hair” instead of a negative reaction towards it. Like I mean you don’t see Japanese people getting upset with foreigners liking their culture like summer festivals, anime’s etc
@@eromangasensei9406 Yess absolutely agree!
@@vernievuitton 100% agree as well!😁😁😁
@@vernievuitton I feel like decorations and anime is different because that doesn't make a Japanese person. While hair styles are something black people have been ridiculed for and not been able to get jobs for a long time. And also because the fact that a majority of races or just places (obviously not even single person) don't fully accept black people, but are fine taking our styles that we HAD to do even when they weren't popular. But personally people can do what makes them happy, I'd just inform them of what I think.
My man, I love this channel. You're quickly turning into the "Channel 5" of Japan for me. Your interviews are clearly less intense but no less important. True, honest, on the ground interviews with unbiased responses.
I mean its a completely different format imo
@@jana731 too different
@@maazuponvelocity Some of the best aspects of Andrew Callaghan's interviews are he allows the person being interviewed to have the stage completely, encouraging them with inquiring questions, which I believe Takashii emulates very well!
@@ScarletGaming420 true
Oh no
Takashii, I appreciate your interviews! - It would be incredible if all countries had a channel like yours.
I think it really depends on where you are in Japan. I lived in Sapporo for 3 years, and not only felt welcomed, but fully embraced. But I have friends living in other prefectures and they say their treated horribly. I think it’s also the attitude and perspective you come with. I naturally have people gravitate around me with my friendly nature, so I think that’s why I never had an issue.
I agree, in fact I thought those two ladies from Africa were quite lovely.
The man from Jamaica as well, all their positive and understanding outlook served them wel
Nah mate, we may look and wonder, but we will never go KKK on you like another certain race that like to project their own racist tendencies on Asians
People of all races that live in areas where the education is low/bad seem to become ignorant. Maybe that's why you and your friends have had different experiences?
I think black Americans usually feel mistreated wherever they go even when that may not be the case. They have that victim mentality ingrained in them
Definitely. I will assume this is Tokyo, and Tokyo is in no way representative of all of Japan. It's a massive city that, while very homogenous by Western standards, still has tens of thousands (if not more) expatriates, not to mention all the tourism. That doesn't exactly compare to some rural town in Tohoku, or a smaller city somewhere else in the Japanese countryside. Not to say all rural people are closeminded or racist of course, but it is definitely true A LOT of Japanese people outside Tokyo (along with Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Sapporo, Kyoto and Fukuoka) have never seen a non-Asian person IRL ever
Great video! I'm latino and here are some questions:
- Do you miss "latino" physical contact? (the way we greet each other, how we treat friends)
- Was it hard to get used to the food in Japan?
- What's the main difference between Japan and your home country?
@@MH-kj6kn Way too many, very unspecific questions to the Latin-american experience.
@@kanizmajorys2572 also here? Hahahaha omg.
@@kanizmajorys2572 hahahaha common hahahaha
@@Amaphola182 I wouldn't worry too much about trolls.
@@pliskin124 for me it's like having fun at Saturday night hahaha😉
Possibly one of the most balanced cross-cultural interviews I've watched.
That first girl though. Imagine going to a place like Kenya as a non black person, you will probably have the same experience.
All these people still live in Japan, so they not gonna be inclined to speak negatively about their host country. They would have different answers if you interviewed them after returning to America
@@therealjayz8036 imagine going to a different country and being upset that their culture is different than what you are used to. How privileged you must be.
"Balanced" meaning "not moaning because that's all black people do according to literally any other race".
Literally everyone hates us. I just wish people were honest about it.
@@mrelba9176 They hate us because we’re God’s people.
This was awesome 👌 watching. I enjoyed being with people of all cultures. Treat people how you want to be treated, and I guarantee you'll be happier in your life!!
the first two people described my experience and opinions so well ! the people are so quiet and there . 90% of my experience was pleasant , the culture surrounds respect and kindness . however , there is still a race issue .. they aren't out there with their racism , but it's moreso passive racism . depending on the kind of place you want to live as a black person , japan might be a good place for you or may not . the only bad experiences i've had are people being scared of me or distancing themselves from me when we are closed spaces such as the train or on an elevator .. sometimes in a store . there were also alot of teenagers who i met that were rlly openly kind and respectfully curious . i actually met a long time friend there . i know that my experiences around the world will be the same in some aspect . there will be ignorance everywhere , i try not to let it ruin my mindset :)
Hmmm so if every place black go, they experience racism, maybe they should go back where they came to feel more comfortable. That would be probably be best for both sides.
100
When are muricans gonna learn that culture is not genetic. You all just want to feel special and gatekeep shit. But no. If that American woman was born and raised in Japan her whole life, she would have Japanese culture. Because culture is literally nothing to do with genetics. It’s just what you do.
So she can stfu about dreads, that’s not owned by black people.
@Todd MacGregor I'll keep it honest. I'm going to Japan/Korea to have Asian offspring and just make a living there. I know I'll get some hate, but that's just some. I'm American, I'm tall, I have light caramel skin due to the fact that I'm half-black and half-white, I'm educated, fairly young, and very naturally fit. I've also got a lot to offer down there if you know what I mean lol.
I love their culture, food, and people and I want to feel connected to it in more ways than one. I might change my mind, who knows. Europes always an option.
Sorry but Asians can't be racist
With the first person you interviewed, your subtitles say "skeptical" but I think she said that she "felt like a spectacle". Just thought I would clarify! Thank you for your videos!
Very smart people you interviewed! I wish more people realized that stares aren't necessarily malicious, they are very often just curious and if you put an effort into being part of the community by learning the language and wanting to be there, being discriminated is incredibly rare. Too bad social media conditions people into thinking you must be hated as x or y person and thus end up causing exactly that.
Because being able to stay there with years can't be handled by a snowflake nor people with no sense so personally I think there's just a higher chance of them to be smart and can think straight.
more often than not stares are malicious, especially when they person clearly isn't trying to interact with you
@@slader6079 Rather than malicious or curious I'd say it's cautious. When I say this some may say that they're cautious because they have a bad bias at the first place but I find it not the case. It's natural to be cautious to something you don't see often, and assuming it's malicious doesn't really make any sense as it's just a big generalization with no solid related evidence to back it up.
Malice isn't required when it comes to being disrespectful.
In America, it's considered rude to stare at people with deformities, no matter how "curious" you are.
Staring means they see them as something different than fellow humans, otherwise, there wouldn't be anything to stare about, it's literally just a different skin tone. Americans don't typically stare at Japanese people, and if they did, it would be considered socially dehumanizing and disrespectful.
I wouldn’t say being discriminated against to be very rare at all. In fact, it’s quite common.
Obviously there are different levels of discrimination. From someone purposefully shifting away whenever you sit next to them in the train to someone just refusing to let you enter their store.
Either way it happens in a lot of subtle and not-so subtle ways.
This question was excellent! I'm Black and I want to visit Osaka. I love the questions you ask people on your channel. Keep up the great work. Thank you.
As an East African, so glad to be represented by such intelligent sisters!!
Asian girls don't like black men
Same
beautiful too!!
I've never met an unintelligent, or unthoughtful African. I lived in Japan for 30 years. I find Africans to be very serious and respectful . Africans remind me of Germans. I think the African father is a father who doesn't try to be his child's friend; he is a father who demands respect. I think America has ruined everyone who lives in America. Carribean blacks are also wonderful. Being a white Australian, we could learn some valuable lessons from Africa on how to be fathers and raise children. my Japanese wife would always be shocked when i pointed out Africans in our neighbourhood. How do you know they are Africans she would ask. Well the African always dresses neatly: long skirts, sensible shoes, hair impeccable, but the American black, white yellow or brown dresses down, Anyway, I'm babbling, but it does make one feel proud when they hear an articulate, thoughtful compatriot giving their opinions.
@@shackleberry1066 The US prioritizes individualism over collectivism. Individual freedoms and liberties are put far above social harmony.
9:20 she raised excellent point, people need to differentiate between black people In general because there're many black ethnicity/race/tribal around the world for example I'm pretty sure most of people especially the westerner/eastern foreigners don't know that there's also Afro-Arabs in the gulf countries and they belong to famous arab tribals too
Yeah, she raised a good point! I still think it's important to understand though that the reason why people use the term "black" is b/c it's associated with the way that people (outsiders) view black culture/people. If you have dark enough skin or look a certain way, no matter if you're from Kenya, Germany, or the US, you'll be considered black by others even though the actual black culture is very different in those places.
@@glow64 then why are they able to differentiate asians
@@P0k3D0nd3M4cG do (foreign) people though? At least in the US, if you're East Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Korean), ppl call them Asian, and very few are able to differentiate nationalities unless they have family there (although I'd say the ppl that can tell the difference is increasing every year). In addition, most foreign ppl don't usually consider South Asia or Southeast Asia when describing Asian identity, much less ppl that live in Central and West Asia (Middle East).
@@glow64 it depends on where you grew up. In most of the states where it matters (ie Hawaii, CA and NY, the states that have virtually all of the US' Asian population), most people are cognizant of the different Asian ethnicities and can identify who's who. A Californian is more than likely not going to get a Chinese and Filipino person mixed up. The only problem Southeast Asians with roots from smaller countries like Laos is that they might get lumped in with Filipinos. People can largely physically identify the differences between the Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese & Vietnamese, and Koreans.
In the US, anyone with monolid, almond shaped eyes is ascribed Asian heritage. Due to the inherent multi-ethnic composition of the population, colloquial ethnic labels are based purely on phenotypic expression.
@@dareal5401 races? You mean ethnicities
The dude @3:40 made my day, he's a rapper with a school teacher side hustle. Then he went on to plug in his details. Classic act! 🤣
Gooota do it bro. Ain’t nobody else gonna do it for me lol
Fucked up that so many people look down on English teachers in Japan when it’s a good job opportunity for English speakers moving there. He was mad chill
@@jtheprotagonist6769 Word! Need to check out your music fam.
@@freezeYT- Facts! Teachers aren't given enough credit. It's the easiest job for a foreigner to get in Asia. Having lived in South East Asia for 2 years, met a lot of global friends doing teaching. Some of us were directed in STEM fields, teaching where I come from is sadly a low-paying job.
sounds like a school teacher with a rap side hustle...
Hey Takashi
I like watching your channel so I’m a black guy living in Dubai so I’ll soon come to visit Japan.
I Hope to see u bro .
The second dude seemed so genuine and had some intelligent points and reasoning for them. Could imagine him being a very pleasant person to hang around with.
Stereotypical black american. Of course he had to promote his shitty rap career, and of course he had to shit on white people while talking about how well he is treated by everyone
He's gotta be from PG county
Indeed.
Racist
Its beautiful when you see people embracing eachother no matter where they are from or what language they speak. Its something all human beings should work towards.
Absolutely. 💯
I loved that the two ladies gave a disclaimer for black tourist 😭✨ because I am someone watching this video planning to visit Japan. It’s nice to know that you won’t be treated as lesser for being black.
Come to Brazil
@@observador88 😂😂😂😂
Mexico hospitality top notch too especially outskirts if curious.
@@Mhmmz I went to Cancun last month and I loved it ! Visited playa del Carmen the people there were really nice too. Had a few conversations with some locals it was a great time fr 😂 didn’t want to leave
@@laybackndwatch You need to go to Brazil. Its fantastic
my friend, you are most expert to comfortably stimulate thoughtful conversations. i very much enjoy your work in video and look foreard to enjoy the next one.
I lived in japan for a year and a half because of the military and I have to say the Japanese people are the most welcoming and respectful people I’ve ever met. They would always be kind no matter if I’m shopping, dining, walking around or I’m taking the trains.
There was this old Japanese couple that saw me looking completely lost in the train station because it was like my 2nd week there. They literally walked me to my train. Got on it. Rode it with me until MY stop. Then got on a train to go BACK the way we came so they could go home. I didn’t ask them, they did it themselves.
Edit: I’m black btw for the rude commenter
So… are you white or are you black?
@@josiahjacinto4156 I actually spent 4 days in Manila it was a fun time
I keep telling people Japan is way ahead of Murica as far as racial tolerance, but many have no idea, they never lived there. Visiting as a tourist is totally different. I lived in Tokyo 20+ years.
hey do we want
@@youravghuman5231 lol what. Americans are the most generous people in the world.
Good interviewing channel
No music, no distracting editing and the interviewer lets the person speak their mind as much as they want. Splendid Mr. Takashii
The African ladies made a statement that I’ve never heard anybody in the US say; “we need to differentiate between Black Americans and Black Africans”. As an American, I hear “African-American” more than “black American”, and whenever somebody does mention a person born in Africa, the first thought is a black African, despite there being white Africans as well. I just appreciate hearing a perspective that’s not heavily Americanized for once.
To be fair there are also a lot of other ethnicities like Arabs, Berbers, Tuareg
@@TheMrcassina Tuareg are a subgroup of Berbers or Amazighen.
With that said, I personally refer to the non -African black people in America as black Americans. Forgot to also mention that ethnicity and skin colour are not the same thing at all. For instance, Touaregs/Tuaregs (Kel-Tamasheq) are black and Berber. There are many black Berber groups like the Tamasheq (Tuareg) and the Zenaga. There are black Arab groups in Mali, Niger republic, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Mauritania, etc.
@@izirenokhamafe6416 And no one is "black or white. We are all different shades of brown skin. Thanks.
@@bobstarolani2854 I am using terminology that is derived from the Western world in order to describe "skin colour". In the African continent, we do not do that. We use someone's ethnicity for instance Yoruba, Berber (Touareg), Igbo, Hausa, Arab, Fulani, Songhai(Zarma/Djerma), Mande (Mandingue, Bamanakan, etc.) etc. etc. to define people.
With that said, I am quite aware that no one is actually black or white. Different shades of Brown for black people (even in some cases darker shades of beige) and for white people, different shades of beige.
We say that in the US all the time. I'm Black rarely say "African-American". Where I'm from in the US (east coast), just about none of us who are Black say "African-American" when talking to each other. In fact, I only use it in a more formal setting, and usually only if non-Black people are present. I'm not a young man and I actually pre-date the term "African American". It didn't start until the 1980's as more of a political stance. Jesse Jackson coined the term because he thought that gave us more of a sense of African heritage. But most of us have zero recent ties to anywhere in Africa. We've been here hundreds of years and just consider ourselves Americans who are Black. A large percentage of us don't even have 100% African ancestry. My family has been racial mixed for generations.
I found this interesting and a good mix of black cultures, America, Kenya and Jamaican and so they are not just from 1 culture group. Interesting answers, good interviews..well done Takashi-san
🇯🇲 🇯🇲 🇯🇲 Jamaica represent! Proud to see another Jamaican man being a good example!!
Str8 uppp
Do u want to get high Mon?
Although the way he said he was trying to escape Ja made me feel some kinda way. Altho he may not have meant it that way, but more as a way of expanding his worldview.
the Jamaican guy and African women were really the best ones. people should really stop importing their westernized perception of society and experiences in another country onto Japan, a whole different country with different sets of societal rules and etiquettes.
Not all Africans are "black" and us but Jamaicans definitely are.
This was a good video you interviewed a variety of Africans African-American, Kenyan and Afro-Caribbean. It's nice that you highlight the positive experiences too. I'm Afro-Caribbean by the way; I'm a Trinibagoian 🇹🇹
Afro Caribbean 🇭🇹x🇺🇸 🤙🏾
I'm gonna roast you bro. That phrase is so wrong. I'm trinidadian. It's two different countries with two different cultures the reason I can tell you this is a lady from Tobago told me this. If your from Trinidad your Trinidadian if you're from Tobago you're tobagoian. You just let our islands down.
@@Ant-um7ym You're not wrong but you're not right neither. We're two different islands yes but one country, one prime minister, one anthem, one flag etc... One country not two LOL. It's not wrong for us to say we belong to both islands (Trinibagoian). You seem to be confusing the difference between islands and countries. YOU let your twin island country down and roasted yourself.
@@S.T_the_Trini not really I'm sharing with you how people from Tobago don't consider themselves trinibagoian. That term is used to represent both countries but to say you are trinibagoian is as a person is wrong. You can't be both either you're from Trinidad or Tobago. If you still think I'm wrong then which culture did you grow up most with.
@@Ant-um7ym That was one woman's view. You're still saying Trinidad & Tobago are two countries. Let me ask you something. What is the national flag of Tobago?
I had a friend and coworker from America that was African American and he ended up opening his own English school and married a Japanese woman. He seemed super happy. I remember him saying he had no desire to return to the U.S. unless it was to visit family.
You have no idea how much we in the u.s idolize Japan
We have conversations about Japanese culture and how much better their society is and everything is perfect even the poor communities are nice with almost no crime
Even the u.s healthcare system is modeled after japans healthcare system though it works in Japan but in the u.s not working well because we have lots of non workers in our society that scam the welfare system
@@jakesmall8875 Because compared to a lot of other countries Japan is the closest to perfection. No country is without it's problems, but Japan definitely is a good example of what society should strive to be, especially in America. The thing that annoys me is that in America everyone keeps talking about how great America is, God bless America, America is number #1 but as soon as people show admiration for another country that's better to live in, Americans get all offended. And no, the US healthcare system is modeled in it's own way and it doesn't work because corporate greed and corruption. Japan's healthcare system was wonderful, I was covered for everything and payed practically the cost of a Burger King meal for their services. To your point again, most people idolize Japan because of anime, video games, manga, car culture, the women, fashion, customer service, food, samurai/geisha history, cleanliness, friendliness, etc. When people actually live in Japan, like myself, they'll see it's not all perfect and there are issues the country needs to work on like death from overwork, bullying, and suicide rates. However, compared to the U.S. I understood why my ex coworker felt safer and happier in Japan and refused to return to the U.S.
@@jakesmall8875 Obamacare sucks and no it's not from Japanese health system it's from the heritage foundation. Again it's corporations that set the prices for medication and services, already been proven, you can even Google it. That illegals excuse is so bs. And by illegals you mean people from around the world right?
@@brianc21324 I mean let’s be fair here depending on the amount of money and power influence you have any country in the world can be the perfect country because you can do whatever you want with enough money and influence. If you’re Chinese super rich and in the communist party you can basically be untouchable.
@@Wingzero90939 Money can make you happy but not others. Some countries people can still be rude and nasty to you regardless of how much money you have. I'd rather live in a country where I'd get treated by locals kindly and welcoming regardless of my financial status. Remember money can't buy everything.
great! reading between the lines, all these folks are great. they know they are guests and respect the host country
She said she felt like a “spectacle” not “skeptical”. Great interviews!
Yes, and she said 50, not 15.
Thank you for this. Asking this kind of question would be avoided by a lot of people, but sometimes asking the direct, difficult questions is the only way forward to creating a conversation and widening people’s perspectives. I got pretty emotional watching this video and seeing you ask in such a matter of fact way without presenting a bias or a particular tone. I felt you got a wide ranging amount of perspectives from different African cultures, and it was just wonderful. Subscribed. Thank you again.
I love Japan. As a former Marine, I was stationed in Okinawa. It's a beautiful place and I enjoyed my year and a half over there. My aunt lives there and I can't wait to go back to see her. I used to be fluent in Japanese, but as they say; if you don't use, you lose it. Great interviews and the feedback was spot on! 👌🏾
Americans always gotta mention they were marines lmao
@@Rodemu Nobodies always gotta' stop by someone's comment to troll. What's wrong Rodemu? Daddy didn't play catch with you? 😥
@@Rodemu Americans love to mention. Served the country, hero, veteran and other pathetic shit lol.
@@Rodemu shut up. Lol anyway I'm a Marine and was stationed in oki 03!🤣🤣
@@Rodemu I mean unless you’re visiting just to visit, most Americans in Japan are in the military lmfao. Dumb comment.
I absolutely love your videos, they are endlessly fascinating
Bring that last man from Jamaica 🇯🇲 back for a full interview!! This man is sharing a lot of great advice, game, and gems 💎 about Japanese 🇯🇵🇯🇵 culture. The fact he said that you should behave better as a guest in Japan 🇯🇵 is very knowledgeable!! I want to see more of him. 💯💯💯💯
Love the Jamaican guy myself haha I was smoking a joint watching this and I tried to pass it to them like it was a sesh
Right. He's very knowledgeable. I understand what the woman meant when she said that on the phone. It's because some foreigners tend to not respect Japanese social rules, etc. that's why sometimes Japanese ppl might be more careful when dealing with a foreigner (bc of previous bad perceptions/experiences from other foreigners). But if they see that you behave and won't cause trouble, they will think you're alright, accept you and will have no problem at all with you.
@@hanien6230 Yes -- especially if you speak the language they almost forget what color skin you have or what culture you come from because they know that speaking Japanese almost conditions people into having the same mentality (deference to mutual respect, honorifics, social status, reputation, etc.).
You also should behave better as a host!
I don’t like that saying you’re a guest in our country because they aren’t guests if they live there. That’s now their home too.
Takashi is learning so much about the world and relations through his interviews. Amazing.
Love how the Jamaican gentleman took all the positive stereotypes and made them work for him. 🥰 It’s very easy to put a negative connotation on everything.
I’m Afro Puerto Rican Latina and my husband is 4th generation Japanese from the Bay Area. His family is phenomenal but no one is fluent in Japanese. I came across this channel while looking for channels that teach Japanese, but this one popped up and really love it! 🤗 I love seeing you reach out and put these things on the front lines for people to learn from. Ps….We went to Tokyo in 2018 for the first time and it was the best trip!
Thanks for sharing. I’m totally going to tune in for the Latinos in Japan videos as well! Thanks Takashi! Arregato!! 🙏🙏🙏 Y Gracias! 😉
Stereo types are stereo types it just depends on how offended you are.
@@jaabani For sure!! 👍👍👍 🫶🏽Good point on being offended too. I try not to get offended bcus only I can control my emotions. Plus, offense can lead one down a negative path you don’t want to be on.
Crees que la mayoría de gente que tiene problemas respecto a la raza son Americanos porque es lo que ESPERAN del otro? Que todos tengan mentalidad de redneck o algo así?
@@TattoedKiss yes!!!
Caribbean's are already afro descended, no need to throw that in
I agree with the last man and the two African ladies. I am white Australian and have travelled overseas often. I like to wear a patch of the Australian flag on my jacket or backpack to let local people of the country I am visiting where I am from. I always try to be as polite and respectful as I can be because I feel like I am representing my country and I want to do so in a positive way. I have been to Japan and I found the people there very quiet but very friendly and helpful.
LOL this interview take me back.
I studied abroad in Japan back in 2018 (Around 2 years). One of my closest friend is a black person from UK. We have this running gag about how everytime I met a Japanese and whenever we talked about him I only specifically said he is britan (イギリス人), and afterward he will show up in person be like hi i'm the dude his talking about nice to meet you. Some people's face are funny as hell cuz almost all of them assume it's going to be a white dude while me and my friend just share a look and laugh our ass off afterward.
Though he did said during his time in Japan at first he kinda feel like a cage animal being shown around since sooooo many people are either staring or pointing at him. He get used to it eventually but still, that's an experience I don't have to go through. (I'm from Taiwan if anyone is curious)
To be fair, I’m from America and I too would have expected a white dude lol
@@killswitchdn4284 honestly me too but probably won’t be as shocked if a black dude came out. The face of those people is like their world was turned upside down
Wholesome friendship
People do that to all people from "Western countries" when they aren't white. White people will be the first to do that to ya ime ;) even if they've lived in a melting pot all their lives, Japan/other mono-cultures at least have an excuse for their ignorance.
I've never been to Japan, but what I've noted with my observations towards Japanese folks, is the homogeneity of their socieety, so when they meet a foreign individual, the first response is curiousity, that's appreciated, I haven't noted the malice that Black people are constantly exposed to in Eurocentric societies.
As indicated in the vid, unless you violate societal norms and taboos, you can generally live and go on with your life as any ordinary Japanese citizen does.
Asian women love white men
@@clarencegilkie7369 True love comes from inside, not from looks or ethnicity. But I guess that's a foreign concept to people who fetishize entire races 😐
Violate societal norms you mean like sagging your pants below your genitals, gang violence, loud music from cars, offensive language, loud cat calls to unsuspecting women, drinking and gambling on the street. So you're saying Japan black people have to act white or be ostracized so weird.
@@a-r like I said Asian women love white men
@@a-r Dafuq? You habe to be physically attracted to someone in order to love them. So ignoring that sounds disingenuous.
That was a very great and informative video!
I'm actually interested in going to Japan (and maybe live there some day) and these videos are really helpful. So far every video I've seen has been positive which makes me optimistic and excited to go to Japan!
Another good interview from Takashii, thanks.
I’ve been to Japan as a black person and didn’t feel like I was being judged at all. As someone that have grew up in a mixed background, I feel a little uncomfortable in certain part of the U.K. but I tend to ignore the ignorance.
When going to a foreign country, it’s best to learn the basic language so you can communicate.
This is amazing. We NEED and MUST have cross cultural discourse and healthy conversation for the human race. Excellent work and effort you put into these Takashii
This does absolutely nothing people do not change the way they think with this only confirm their bias
Japan is thousands of years old, these cross cultural ideas bs comes from the US, they don’t give a shit about it, like every other country outside US..
What a jewel of a gentleman, the man from Jamaica was.
His words were heart-felt and kind and therefore were worth hearing!
I completely agree: As a guest, learn to behave then learn to behave even better to be a good guest - or words to that positive and respectful effect.
Good luck to that person.
Jamaicans are cool
One of your best! Such great interviewees.
I am black and I visited Japan for a month and I got so many compliments and women saying I look cute. People were really fascinated with me and honestly I loved the attention lol
🧢🧢🧢
That's just it, isn't it? You have a different skin tone, carry yourself a different way, dress different to the societal norms (in this case Japanese norms), and give of a nervous vibe (because of fear of judgment). How can you not feel discriminated against when this is the things people see when they first look at you. Sometimes people CAN'T be nice when they're going through their lives and encounter a black person on the street. They look shocked, they might look disgusted. Let me make it clear that this person IS a weak person, but sometimes not out of evilness, sometimes it is just out of surprise and the fact that they are not able to compute the things they see.
Sometimes I wish America wouldn't be so omnipresent. They fucked black culture up in a big way.
@@ispy7089 hater
@@jaklegend3 shut up lmao
That's because black people are still quite rare in Japan that could change if a large black population was to take root
Great video Aichi bro especially liked what the Kenyan women had to say. Spot on! !Keep it up!
Respect and Kudos for interviews on a challenging subject is confronted with ease, whereas the UK (where I was born to Guyanese Parents) it's quite the opposite: good content, please keep it coming.
I really respect the effort you make to interview people in a language that you learned, and help the lot of us understand how different kinds of people feel towards different social interactions.
Your interviews are WAY MORE IMPORTANT to the world right now than anyone might think/know. There's the humanity wave moving around right now; Its ONE WORLD, Different People. Mutual respect is the key. Every human should strive to expand their world view and be citizens of the ONE WORLD!
Yes, but own your own expectations of others. As an example, I don't consider myself racist in anyway, but I have little time for example for hip hop "culture"...and the world seems to expect me to appreciate it as an expression of "black culture"...but I really don't, nor would I associated it with black people per se. This is just an example. Or like japanese people..........a culture i find super interesting anf fascinating.......but I'm not interested in enabling a lot of the things in their culture that have to do with limiting the freedom of the individual. So I might be respectful of certain things in front of a japanese person but I have little time for BS I find offensive to me as a human.
Or like other BS like me being white portuguese and some african people having trouble with me because my country as a colonial past....or brazilians etc........I have no time for hypocrisy. If you REALLY believe in equality and respect for al.............OWN YOUR EXPECTATIONS of other humans and be honest about what is your projection and cultural programming.........and what is healthy human interaction.
That was really good!!! Loved how relaxed these interviews seemed to be and hiw in turn you seemed very much more relaxed. 🤷♀️maybe it's just you getting more experiance anyways great job!!!
J the protagonist just out here plugging his stuff. Respect the grind.
I like this interview. The interviewer was very respectful and a good listener. Obviously we shouldn’t reduce an entire people’s perspective to such a small sample group , but this was a nice look into how some people felt in a real way. Thumbs up ! 👍🏽
Asian women don't like black men
I like his topics and I like that he at least gets these conversations going.
It might be with a small sample of people, but look at how many of us are watching!
There’s still hope for me to visit Japan in this lifetime, I think I’d enjoy it so much.
EXCELLENT TAKASHI!! I am black from the Caribbean. So thank you for this. It is very encouraging💖
My father was invited to Japan to speak about his book regarding the importance of communication. I have been invited there for skate tournaments, break dance competitions, soccer, and basketball. In these settings there was so much honor, and respect. Outside of those experiences there are several times both of us have been, misjudged, mis-appropriated, and discriminated upon by the same culture for no reason other than the color of our skin. My experience with this has led me to believe this:
Like every single other country in the world, Japan has decent people and assholes, and like every single other country the decent deal with people based on the content of their character and the assholes continue to exhibit logistical fallacies. Regardless where one is from it is all our responsibility mind ourselves to proper behavior, because failure to do so, in a very direct way, makes you an asshole that is ruining the world. Seems like too many people in all cultures are okay with the latter, and that is, by my logic, THE ACTUAL PROBLEM. Bless.
This is the mentality we strive to exude at Wizdom, and we are proud to be represented by Adam. Thanks for sharing.
A bit of an oversimplification, but it is a good action to take.
A bit of an oversimplification, but it is a good action to take.
@@SuperRONDALE I'm not sure what you mean. Care to elaborate?
@@adammwakikoti2759 There are cultures where xenophobia is practiced regularly, and it has many forms. You just tried to summarize the entirety of human history as “some people are just dicks.” What’s considered proper behavior in one place isn’t in another.
Min 3:49!!! That's just gold, Tahahashii you are so cool!
Tokyo is so much fun, so clean, so beautiful as a black person. I loved every single day there
idk about clean
@@purpleey cleaner than the average american city
@@purpleey it’s extremely clean
that last guy is such a wise man... super well cultured
The last guy was awesome, very educated and respectful.
agreed. only one i cared for
ya but he said he only knew a little japanese even though he lived there 10 years. still maybe he was just being humble and overly japanese lol.
@@waterfall3479 He was the only one who casually threw in Japanese during the first part of the interview; I lean on him being humble with "a little".
@@nunyabizwacks6711 what didnt you like about the others?
Why's they gots to be edumacated for you to like thems?
A very interesting vlog. It's nice to hear/know that the Japanese people, are, in general accepting and accommodating, of people, of colour. ❤
Man I wish this was longer. Just based off the different perspectives that we got, there was a lot of valid information to take in. I would even be in favor of a part 2 to this because I think this is quite an interesting topic. Certainly a video I would come back to especially since visiting is not only my dream but possibly even living there in the future!
This was very well done and very insightful, thank you for going out and conducting these interviews! Dispels some of the myths and eases some of my anxieties on traveling!
I loved this im from America like the 2nd black person you interviewed right outside of DC. Really gave me alot of motivation to come to Japan and learn the culture ❤️🇯🇵
God Bless you for your service and sharing this information and I humbly appreciate your continued efforts to show the beautiful spirit of welcoming all foreign peoples to visit or live in Japan I love your insights
I suggest you make a video about the etiquettes and norms in Japan that tourists should take note of while visiting your country, that'll be cool and helpful for many
7:36 I was waiting for someone to say this because it's actually so true. I grew up in Ireland and I didn't see many black people growing up and when I went on holiday with my family to Florida as a child I was so shocked and confused at the sight of black people being everywhere.
It's a lot different nowadays due to immigration being a lot more common here and I actually have two mixed race friends who also grew up in Ireland but when I was a kid it was rare to see anything other than white people.
Same but on the flip side. I grew up in a community of black (mostly dark brown) people, so when I saw a white person for the first time, I would stare. So I don't think it's a black thing. If the people aren't use to seeing someone who is VERY different appearance wise, they will stare curiously. Some will give you a scowl-ish look (cause some people don't like foreigners, what can you do?) while others will be curious and even friendly. People react differently to new faces and it's to be expected if the place they're visiting is not racially diverse.
Come to Paris you won’t be disappointed😘
same as a person who used to live on a tiny island, anytime i saw a black person or white person i would STAREEE. because they were just so new to little me lol
Love the interview with the pretty lady that strongly recommended we learn the language. I agree 100%. 😅
Yaaasss! Big up my Caribbean people! That Caribbean humour, that Caribbean warmth! That Caribbean way of thinking. Lovely! Love from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹
and he still has the west indian tongue even after 10 years! madting!
🇱🇨🇹🇹
Im glad these people were so honest and sincere about their experiences also they seemed to also appreciate the good and the bad.
Takahashi! You are a really good interviewer. Everyone seemed very comfortable and liked talking to you about their experiences. Well done!
Yeah, Takahashi is great.
Hi, thank you for sharing, am from Ghana
Showing love from Switzerland…
Nice video
This video is really good, my friend who is Black-American wants to go to Japan so badly.... but he is worried of the racism, so I am going to share this to him to show it's ok. He is trying to understand Japanese Culture a lot, he got a good idea from some of his friends and such. He told me that "He mostly got interested about that culture because of anime, but a big part of it was interacting with you." Saying that he wanted to learn MY culture of where I came from and how my life is, so he went ahead and started studying. We did date before, it only lasted a few days. No racism or anything bad, but we are SUPER close friends that we both felt uncomfortable. We still are really good friends, and he wants to help with my biological family's business. So he wants to come with me when I do go back home, so he is super excited. We just have to wait a bit longer on my side for my biological family to give us the ok, but everyone cant wait till the boarders are fully open. 😁💖 so if we do bump in to each other, maybe you can asked my friend some questions including me of how we see Japanese People in the US. Not like typical "oh they are super nice!" And such like that, but how we saw them as "foreigners" in US.
Girl, he still loves you. It's not just as friends
@@aaronblack2101 we have tried dating.... only last 3 days, we felt it was too much best friend type of vibes... 😅 we have been best friends since we where 14 online, so we felt like breaking a "Bro Code" or something. At least we tried, just too uncomfortable for us.
I mean let’s not act like when a non black person moves into a predominately Black Country or neighborhood that people aren’t staring watching their actions leaving them to fend for themselves until they feel like they’re worthy to be accepted. It’s a human thing not necessarily always someone being hateful
@@babyt556 😅 yes which I do agree, we grew up in very tough areas. He grew up in Brooklyn, and I grew up..... well.... everywhere. My adopted dad was military, so for both of us we never really had a deep connection of support with family/friends. We had VERY FEW family and friends support, so it's very hard to find someone that's not judging us every single second or move you do X.X
Let me tell you something, as long as he isn't fat than things are probably gonna go more smoothly