THANK YOU for putting subtitles on your videos! I am hard of hearing and struggle to hear the frequencies most used by the human voice. Your videos are 100x more accessible to me because you provide subtitles. I wish other TH-camrs would do the same thing.
The same thing happens to me here, I have a cochlear implant and subtitles inserted in the video are the best thing that can happen to me when I watch TH-cam, especially if it is content as good as this.
Ikr. This man goes the extra mile for us. Being autistic with sensory issues I sometimes can't process words correctly and I don't understand, so subtitles are great.
I perfectly understand the problem with the question of nationality. I am Polish and we get very nervous when someone asks us if we are, for example, Russians. We have fought wars for many years, and now that may not be an insult, but an unpleasant question for many people.
thank you for putting yourself in the line of fire to be critical of your own country. we can learn a lot more hearing both the good and bad than being in an echo chamber of just the good.
Haha I love this content Shunchan! Many people thought I was Thai or Filipino which is ok to me but if they treat me differently based on my ethnicity, it’s not right
I have no problem being mistaken for another Asian but it starts to get really annoying if it happens numerous times from the same coworkers in my company. Makes me think they really don't listen when I tell them my nationality.
@Plutonium Mapping How about plot twist to Korean on Japanese? Hence Korea's massacre of Japanese fishermen and tortures of nearly 4000 kidnapped Japanese men to invade a Japanese island 😉
@@hamanakohamaneko7028 And except Nanjin incident was caused by the Chinese soldiers according to NY times at that time and the CCP kept adding their murders of millions of own people decades later?
I've lived in a number of countries across the world, and my personal experience has been that cultural differences almost always turn into negative, accidental insults. Even little private habits tick many people off, since it's perceived as inadvertent, unspoken criticism of their own ways. Also many of these local habits are codified into a 'good manners' system, so 'ignorant foreigners' are very often seen as rude. Esp across East vs West cultures.
When he said "Japanese don't take criticism well" I feel like this applies to the entire world now days lol 😆. I'm latino and we too can get offended if people confuse us sometimes. My friends in Canada told me they get insulted if you confuse eastern Canadians with western Canadians. Great video.
I dunno-I think confusing eastern Canadians with eastern Canadians really isn’t that insulting. They’re all eastern Canadians, right? [Original comment edited to correct “eastern Canadians with eastern Canadians” to “eastern Canadians with western Canadians”]
@@jeff__w Western Canadians with eastern....my phones autocorrect hates me. But yeah Eastern and Western im referring to. I also have two friends one from BC and the other from Toronto but alsonlivrd in Quebec for whatever reason the latter friend did not like my other friend from B.C. she was just very hostile and standoff is with her....this was years back via messenger if youre old enough to remember that😉
Never a hateful comment from me Shunchan! I love how you're able to stay so objective and neutral about your own country and culture... And of course with a dash of humour 😂💕
One mistake. His name is Shun. Part -chan is the Japanese title. These titles vary through the age and social status of an addressed person. And -chan is used for girls and prepuberty boys. If you want to address him with a proper Japanese title, you have to use -san which is for adult people. So next time you have to address him Shun-san.
Exactly. One of few Japanese people that I watch on TH-cam or even friends that I know, whenever they make a comment about non-japanes topics, I don't flipped out.
This may sound odd, but in my country (Finland) everything is so low hierarchy that being TOO polite is seen as condescending/a sign of disapproval lol. I call my teachers, my bosses, everyone by first name. Citizens even address the president by his first name and it's seen as normal. Even in customer service situations it's very casual and when someone switches to using polite language it's usually seen as angry/passive aggressive. When I was a customer servicer, I'd be casual with customers until they started being difficult, then I'd switch to addressing them extremely politely (teitittely) and this, from my part, was me indirectly letting them know they were being a pain
I saw it as sarcastic type of response, thus implementing an insult. Which was funny & understandable for me. Cause sometimes I did that too, although I am Asian lol
Yeah, I noticed that immediately by learning that everybody addresses one another e-mailing with 'Hei' or 'Hi'. During my Japanese studies, I got in touch with Finnish culture through the music I listened to. Now I ended up in Helsinki after I met my partner, lol. As an outsider, I would dare say there are some similarities in both cultures. Like appreciation for nature, quietness, artistry. But I definitely appreciate the equality, honesty and directness that seems to be normal here, whereas that seems to be the opposite in Japan.
Spot on. My videos that speak positively of Japan preform much better than when I criticize, and funnily enough videos where I criticize America also preform better than when I compliment it lol. People are very tribal so I try to not thing too hard about it. Love your videos!!
One big thing in Hawaii is the mistake people make when talking about people from here. "Hawaiian" is reserved for people of Hawaiian ethnicity, and it's pretty much impossible to tell from the way people look if they're Hawaiian or not, since we're very mixed here. I don't look Polynesian and have a Portuguese last name, but I am Hawaiian, and many Polynesian looking people here are actually full blooded Samoan or Tongan. People from Hawaii who were born and raised here of all ethnicities refer to themselves as "local" or "Kama'aina". We're also pretty touchy about the outsiders making negative comments about here, though ironically, we probably bitch about the same things all the time amongst ourselves. Go figure.
This. I've had family in HI since before WWII and I grew up there and plan to retire there. Hawaiian is a term reserved for actual, what a lot of places call "First Nation" people. I would call myself a "Hawaii resident" or a "local". And yeah there are Hawaiians, Samoan, Tongans, Tahitians, even Melanesians and everyone's favorite these days, the illustrious Micronesians. It helps to tell them apart and if you can't, just quietly observe until they tell you or you visit their house and there's a picture on the wall that says "BULA FIJI" or something. And there are tons and tons of mixed people in HI, in fact it's pretty much the norm to be mixed. With regard to "Hawaiian" it's probably best to think in terms of, if someone tells you they live in North or South Dakota, that doesn't mean they're necessarily of one of the Dakota/Nakota/Lakota tribes.
In my country we have the same problem. I’m Italian and most of Italian people are usually pretty bad when it comes to criticism, especially when it’s made from a foreign or a black Italian. Racism is a huge problem here and when it happens most people tell them to leave if they don’t like how Italy is. I really don’t get it. I really wish in a world where people stop being so ignorant and understand the good intentions behind constructive criticism
It's funny this topic is up because I just finished watching the previous video on meeting a Japanese American and I noticed the topic of age immediately came up. Like I know why its being asked in that context but it's something you never just ask a Westerner in the first 60 seconds after meeting someone :D
So for those who don't know, in Japan we rarely use "you" in our sentence or when speaking with other people Example " Rin-san wa tabemasuka?" It's directly translated to "Rin eat?" But actually it means "Rin do you want to eat?" We use the person's name (Rin) to replace you What if we talk to a stranger that we don't know the name of? Well there is basically 2 options Option 1 : omit the "you" part completely Example : "sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka?" It translate directly into "excuseme, where is the toilet?" But it can also mean "excuse me do you know where the toilet is?" Option 2 : use their abbreviation such as "Oji-san (sir), oba-san (madam), Shonen (young man), ojo-san (young lady), ogyaku-san (costumer) or whatever their title might be Example : "sumimasen, sensei kore wa nandesu ka?" / "teacher excuse me, what is this" / "excuse me sir, do you know what is this?" Another one : "oka-san kono hon wa yonde moraemasenka" / "mom would you mind reading this book?"
So, I am half Dominican (Dominican Republic) and whenever they get confused with puertoricans, they get low key offended. But when its the other way around, puertoricans get VERY offended. Most latinos and your mom jokes, just don't do them, our moms are like sacred, even if they are bad parents, we don't really just say that to others, or want other to say mean things about them, so its a lot worse when your casual friends keep on making sexualized jokes about your mom.
I totally get this too. I’m Puerto Rican and I used to live in the northern part of Florida where there were pretty much only white people (I was the only Latina at my school). Bc of people’s ignorance they always assumed I was Mexican as if they were the only Latinos that existed. People even did weird things like one time my grandma was walking with my mom at a park and someone that passed by her started singing la cucaracha to make fun of her
When I used to live in Southern Alabama people would ask if I was Mexican and I would get offended. Being Puerto Rican I can confirm this too. Must don’t know other Latin nationalities other than Mexican. And to top it off most don’t know that Puerto Rico is a U.S territory
@TravelerPat As a half Japanese, half American living in the US, the term Asian American annoys me because it suggests that people from all Asian countries get along and stick together which is not the case. Something that applies to one Asian country doesn't necessarily apply to other Asian countries.
i found shun's channel like.. a week ago and hes already one of my favorite youtuber's. his content is so good and he teaches us many important things which other people overlook about japan in their videos. in conclusion, shun's the best fr
My wife is Japanese, the point about taking criticism has been very difficult at times. She really took a lot of the things I've said very personally, and this really does make it seem to me as a very cultural feeling. Very contrary to how the west (US) approaches direct feedback, but people even here can take it very personally as well.
yeah i got cancelled by a friend for this, no number of years of apologising and trying to explain my own culture made any difference. he just couldn't tolerate it. i never thought about high and low context culture, but its for sure the main reason the record scratch happened.
Thank goodness you have a great sense of humor, because some of the things you mentioned would really piss me off. As a Black person in America I don’t find it to be rude, but ridiculous when I meet a White person and the ask me if I’m related to some random Black person just because we have the same last name. I also find it interesting that many Black Africans believe they’re superior to Black Americans. Perhaps it’s because we’ve assimilated so much to Western White culture, but it’s odd to me.
Sadly, it is indeed because you've been assimilated into Western white culture. Western white culture is hyper-individualistic, anti-intellectual, believes in "might makes right" etc. It is .... not a culture you'd want to emulate. I mean, a village in Africa will get together, pick out their smartest kid, and send them to the US or Europe to become a doctor, by pooling their money. And the kid will come back and be the village doctor. Can you imagine western white people being able to coordinate and cooperate in this way?
@@alexcarter8807 I do agree with you on your criticism towards modern American culture although I object to the idea that these things are a distinctly "white" culture. What is currently going on is an artificial deliberate adaptation to the American culture and eventual planned world culture of one which is hyper-individualistic , hyper money oriented with the express intention of enslaving the modern masses into consuming and working with the assumption that they are "rich", without realising the extent of how poor us 99% really are compared to the elite class. The simple fact is that happiness like we see in "developing" ( I call normal humanistic) cultures is simply not profitable or conducive to the feeling of misery and ineffectiveness which is required for the modern capitalist system to work. Without us feeling not good enough we simply continue endlessly consuming which in turn acts as a hamper on our real progress
Seems to me that you are too touchy about that last name thing. I live in a country where huge majority of people is white and was often asked by other people am I related to someone else because of last name. Its not a racial thing, its just a question.
This is very intresting. In South African bantu culture when you have the same surename as someone it means you are somehow related to them. My hairdresser and I share the same surename and I now call her aunt. But I understand in the US its different just wanted to share something with you!
i think it’s Black Americans that believe they’re superior to Black Africans. If you’ve actually been around Black Africans you will know they are very nice to people especially to our black brothers and sisters across the diaspora. :)
I really appreciate this video. I just hope it gets to the right people. Especially as Japan is opening back up. I visited Tokyo in 2019 and had an amazing experience. It sucks seeing people get to another country and forget their home training or decide to bring their privilege with them, if ya know what I mean. Still, I hope that when Japan opens back up, there’s a positive exchange between foreigners and locals.
My typical experience as an Asian American… Stranger: Where are you from? Me: Pasadena. Stranger: No, I mean, where are you from-from? Me: {side eye} Yea, better not to not bring it up.
I’m Asian American from Glendale lol and I find it so racist when people do this. Like, they wouldn’t ask a white person where they’re from and imply that they’re foreign?
Forgive them for they are ignorant. I've stumbled across one who was dead serious about Germany being "one of those small States on the East Coast (of the USA)". (He honestly thought I was trying to bullshit him when I told him it wasn't. I was like "Dude, I'm German. I KNOW where my country's at.")
Thanks for making this video, great content as always!! I understand the reluctance to accept constructive criticism, especially if it’s too straightforward. I personally think it should be a balance, that people who criticize find a way to not be hurtful, while those getting feedback be more open-minded. Every country has its problems and if we don’t open ourselves up to change we’d never improve.
About not being shy about talking about other people's bodies: I have a Black friend who worked in Japan for a couple of years, and people thought nothing of following him around, openly talking about him right in front of him, and even walking right up and touching his hair. He did not appreciate it _at all_ .
@@iloveumorethananything My friend were dissed by a old Korean guy right in front of her even I was with her. Since you're Korean so you probably know the severity of racism in your country.
Owners of long, blonde hair will get this treatment too. And I once went to a neighborhood hot pot place in Korea with a friend who was pale, blonde, and blue-eyed. The whole room found us fascinating. Well ... found her fascinating.
Shun I’m digging the jump in camera quality especially with the B Roll! Also I’m pretty sure my whole neighborhood heard me laughing at the “imagine if we as Japanese people just said “oh fakku I’m coming!” Part 🤣🤣🤣
Well, the thing is, I've been present when Japanese people as guests abroad have done just that sort of thing. Usually they have been very drunk when they have said such inappropriate things or randomly grabbed a woman's breast for a quick sneak-feel. Saw that too! However, it's not acceptable outside of Japan to do things like that and get a free pass for being drunk as you might in Japan. Or it might be that they are inaka (country bumpkins) who don't have particularly refined manners in the first place.
you should never say this to anyone, not just Japanese or Asians. Just don't assume anything about someone's identity. Their identity is how they see themselves not how you think they should be.
I think the point to have a habit of never comment on someone’s body is a good call no matter what country you are in or who you talk to. Also, when he said “I just wanna eat my noodles without thinking about pp” - I felt that. Thanks for the video!
I’m polish living in London for over 7 years now. The amount of soft insults I had my entire time spent here. My favourite: when British from a higher class find out I’m from Poland: “oh, you’re polish! Builders that did our house were from Poland! Such a nice and hard working people!”. And Tons of other stuff. Now I mention with every encounter that I have British citizenship, so at least they treat me with more respect as I am “one of them” now.
I've been thinking of this a long time. The culture of Japanese people 'getting along' with other people is helpful in creating an overall 'positive' society by not voicing complaints but as a result ,the society does not look to improve because no one confronts each other. One thing I can say that; a part of becoming an adult in the West is that you have to perfect the art of getting angry with moderation, or understanding how to interpret negative feedback in a constructive manner. Because alot of people in the West (completely opposite from alot of Japanese people) are out to get other people or pounce at other peoples' mistake, you need to learn how to not take things personally as well. Obviously there is much more conflict in a society such as ours, but it's one of the reasons why we are more progressive, and why we are better at taking feedback too. Learning to deal with negativity isn't really a skill you're born with (though some are better than others), you have to train and be mindful.
How would that even happen? Swedish and Finnish sound nothing alike (I don't speak either) and if they came to that conclusion after you just told them you're Scandinavian, that's kind of on you.
@@Gaehhn Because people from nordic countries go on vacations in the mediterranean and there the local people (salespeople, waiters etc.) always guess their country of origin because it helps them sell their stuff
I feel like we Finnish folk are pretty neutral about being mistaken for another nationality, it's not nice but we know our population is tiny. Just don't call us Swedes... This video was very informative, even if I did somewhat know some of these points it's really cool to hear about the little cultural things like the video summary site! Thanks Shun :-)
I think Finns and Swedes just have an endless rivalry in a global sense, it's some national pride nonsense and you have to be really dumb to take it seriously. Something I fucking hate though as a Finn is when people assume Finland is part of Scandinavia or that Finnish sounds like Swedish etc. They're from entirely different language families, it's as stupid as assuming Indian and Chinese sound the same just because they share a border...
Well you do have swedish speaking finns so that confusion could happen. I would never confuse the language though as finnish is not a germanic language, it's closer to latvian i think. Never met a finn with anything bad to say about their swedish neighbours, their neighbours to the east on the other hand... They also do waiting for the bus like a swede though
Confusing us for Swedes or Norwegians I feel isn't that bad of an insult because we share a lot culturally with them. Our way of thinking is pretty similar. But if you make the mistake of calling a Fin Russian, then you fucked up.
I love how you can stay real amidst the social norm in your country. give credit where credit is due and never shy away from addressing things that aren't that good. in my opinion, this is the best way to appreciate things. when you get to know the ins and outs. anyway, love your content! I get to know more about Japan aside from studying Japanese :)
Here's the thing: most people do not want to be mistaken as being from the neighboring country. Canadians HATE being mistaken for Americans, Indians are the same about being asked if they are Pakistani, Aussies and Kiwis, etc. I do not think it is unique to Japan by any means.
Always good to see obsessive loyalty to one's own nation and being unwilling to accept criticism happening somewhere that's not America these days. As a teacher, my weeb students will do the hentai sounds or wear those hentai jackets and I cringe so hard.
I never heard any bad comments from anyone in Japan such wonderful kind and helpful people I got lost once and so many people came to my aid I think it's the best place to visit I would love to go back but am 76 now and too old for trip but I remember getting sick and I had a wonderful doctor who came to my hotel and took care of me at no cost he said his son was in America and he hoped some one would help him if he needed it. I can't say enough good things about Japan and the people of Japan 😘💖❤
It's just a "tatemae" mask they keep on no matter what. Learn Japanese to a level where you understand it well, go to a pub and make a Japanese person drunk. Or just go to Twitter. You will see how "kind" japanese are when their mask falls off. It's a country full of actors without oscars.
@@HaohmaruHL As so many foreigners living in Japan for a long time including myself say their honne is actually a lot nicer than other countrys tatemae, so I would go for Japan 😉
Better yet, just don’t bring up someone’s nationality unless it’s literally part of the conversation. If you just out of nowhere ask “aRE yOu KoREan?!” you will sound like a weirdo.
@@asaris_ And I understood them always very well. I'm interested in world's cultures, people, food, languages and countries in general. Therefore I like to ask often where somebody's coming from and to have interesting conversations. Nothing wrong with that, only you brainwashed Americans who have dealt with racism till today are making it weird. Thanks God, I'm in europe 👌🏼☺️
I think a "Where are you from?" is perfectly fine, just don't be presumptuous. Talking about and sharing cultures is actually a very very common bonding thing for most of the people I know. People are interested in my home, my language, our habits, that's not a bad thing. Where I'm from we're actually pretty thrilled if anyone's interested, because it's a small country that isn't talked about frequently.
@@8kw7mx9 I'm German. I do like talking about cultures etc. as well. It's just not the first thing I ask people. If a conversation goes that way I dive in. But if it doesn't... 🤷
I couldn't agree more with you about how one county feels superior over another. As shallow as it is, this is really true in many sense. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I don't think we feel superiority to other country. But since China and Korean hate Japan, or people migrated Japan have different culture. A lot of people can't accept it and don't wanna be viewed as those people. And people in Japan are proud of their nationality. I think it's part of reasons.
@@k.t8174 don't know where you're from, but people in my country often think we are superior that our neighbour countries. it is not only in Japan. Korean people also know over their superiority over south east asian people.
Hello, I read an article by a Japanese girl who came to the United States and she was surprised by how powerful all the fragrances are. Even the grocery store (detergent and fabric softener aisle) fragrances in floor cleaner, perfume or cologne on both men and women. She said in Japan, people are very careful not to wear fragrance because they don't want to offend. I adore perfume, and I wear it every day, even when I'm home alone and I think Japanese incense is the best. So my question is, is there much of a perfume industry in Japanese Department Stores?
Love this video :) It gives different insights and the way you explained them in fun way (I laughed couple times). Congrats for the sponsorship, I am using italki too and have great practice on Japanese conversation. Looking forward to your next video!
Things to never say to a hafu like me: "you are not Japanese at all" i know, im hafu. Or, "you are not American at all!" I know, im hafu lol. I totally understand taking things so personally, i got that trait from my Nihonjin side 🙏❤
The criticism part is really relatable to me as a brazilian... brazilians will criticize Brazil all the time, but if a foreigner do it, WE WILL FIGHT YOU 😂
I lived in Japan for 7years in the 60s I love all Japan everyone was wonderful to me I loved every minute. Also live in okinawa that's were I was married. I always felt safe and happy in Japan
About the Nationality thing.... How about never guessing or commenting on someones Nationality without them bringing it up. Or you asking politely in the first place, and then not commenting on it? ^^
Love the sharing - especially the hilarity of stuffs people say to Japanese as tourists 😂 Your example of its ok to talk shiet about your own country but not foreigners makes a lot sense.. I would consider most of your points inappropriate to be said to someone from another country - it just comes down to being cultural sensitive.
I’m Italian and I think Japan is really cool, here in Italy we have a special bound with that culture and since I like history I found our nations had some similar path in common. Like if we are brothers but from a parallel universe 🤣. Btw as I can say for my nation I found also Japan has some unresolved issues. We are not perfect and I think every nation have something to learn from the others. Peace ✌🏻 Ps. Did you know that in Italy we like a lot your country? What do you Japanese think of us?
Haha magari eravate alleati di Hitler !! Peggior cosa in comune con giaponesi altrimenti niente !!! Giaponesi sono i veri allieni credimi! vivono in inferno pieno di stress , il tuo amore é cieco
カナダ在住の中国人です。日本に一年間留学していましたが、日本の大学に進学するのをやめ、英語圏の国に行くことにしました。日本人の他のアジア人に対する偏見は本当に深刻なものだと思います。店でも外国人だと気づかれたとたん、店員さんの態度が変わったり、適当にごまかされることも何度もありました。日本は人手不足で多元化を掲げているが、今の状況ではやはり難しいと思います。It's funny that you mentioned Japanese react like if you don't like Japan, じゃ帰れ。I guess I'm the one who just left lol. 今でも日本はいい国だと思います。安くて美味しい食べ物もたくさんあるし、電車も綺麗でとても便利でした。でもいくら日本語が出来でも、いつも外人扱いされては、暮らしづらいでした。カナダに来てもう半年経っていますが、今でもそのとき日本を離れて正確な決断だったと思います。日本は島国根性というか、基本は単一民族（アイヌや琉球民族は承知しています）だから、多元化に無理があるのも仕方ないことだと思います。だけど、日本人がもっとopen-minded になることができれば、日本ももっといい国になれると思います。
As someone living in Japan, I think it’s difficult to not being allowed to voice criticism. At the end it’s my home now, and there will always be things that will negatively effect my life, so I feel like it’s difficult not to be allowed to talk about it. Of course that shouldn’t mean that you should walk around and bad mouth Japan to everyone that you meet. Like you said Japanese are allowed to voice criticism because it’s their country, but what about the none Japanese looking Japanese citizens?
1:12 thank you for being straightforward about it. some of Asian(sadly.. including me sometimes) have such a bad mindset...... 3:41 same thing happens in korea as well...
Yes, the biggest tip to getting along in Japan is always be super positive about Japan. But Japanese will often trick you by asking: what do you find difficult about Japan and other questions asking you to honestly say something you find challenging or "culture shocking " about Japan. Tip!! Never say anything close to being negative. Say something like, The food is too good. I just can't stop eating it". Even if you are close to that person and you think you are best friends, It is a trap!! One time on the last day of a class, they asked me if I ever had a difficult experience in Japan. I tried to avoid the question, but I let my guard down and said that sometimes Japan is a bit lonely. I could figuratively see the invisible wall rapidly rise between us and that was the end of any kind of nice relationship we had. So if you want to be popular in Japan learn to keep those honest conversations for a time when you are alone with another trusted foreign friend.
Damn, your comment REALLY SHOULD get more views. there really are UNBELIEVABLE boatloads of people who actually think that they could get all chummy with Japanese people after meeting said Japanese people only twice, just because those Japanese people look & sound friendly, not realizing that contrary to people of most other countries, being warm & friendly is actually their way of keeping a distance!
So,bottom line:No one and no country is perfect(and Japan/Japanese people are no exception to this rule). People gonna people and countries gonna country. just my two cents.
I've learned a lot about Japanese culture so thank you so much. It may sound topic but I love anime and the fact is that many behaviours of the characters may seem strange to me as I don't fully understand Japanese culture, or maybe even with the subtitles I don't really understand what's going on. Videos like yours help me a lot so thank you, Shun I'd like to see more videos like this ❤️✨❤️
Listening to the last part I'm going to add some of my own experience as Spanish. Similar to what you feel about the reactions (kimochiii, yametee...) when you say you're Japanese, we Spanish people don't like to hear things like "Oh, Spanish. Flamenco, toros, olé". Don't misunderstand me, we wont get angry but the Flamenco and the olé it's typical from Sevilla, an autonomous community in the south of Spain and it has nothing to do with the culture of the other communities. Some people expect me to know Flamenco just because I'm Spanish and I have to explain I don't know, that that's not my culture cause I'm not from Sevilla. And it's even worse when someone says "Spanish, tacos, andale" 🤭 Cause it's like "I'm Spanish, not Mexican".
What about being called an American? One of my Japanese friends is so fluent in English and didn't have an accent the first time I met him I honestly thought he was an American.
I think it depends on a context if it's an insult or a compliment. I'm Polish and when I was in France and I was asked if I am from Paris, because my accent is so clear I felt a m a z i n g. So probably it may be similar situation to mine 😊
I think he would be happy, the first time I got told my japanese sounds really native and they asked if i was from osaka it was probably the best feeling ever
It kinda of a sad story of how he was so good at American English. His intelligence sorta made him an outcast and didn't have any friends, he became a hikikomori. He would spend all day learning English and playing Video Games, especially by talking to people through playing video games with Americans and trying to perfect his English. He never told be why he stopped being a hikikiomori and attended University, but he made it clear to me that he wanted to move out of Japan. For the past few years he was teaching languages in Africa, but move back to Japan recently.
I speak my mind 24/7. Which means that if you make the mistake of asking my opinion on something, without knowing ahead of time that I don't like something, you risk getting some potentially brutal honesty and criticism. So note to self: never take a random street interview in Japan. Shun, can you teach me how to say, "Sorry, no interviews" in Japanese? 😅
Man, I actually got really tired of people guessing my ethnicity wrong growing up. I'm a Filipino American and almost everyone in school would always ask me if I was Japanese or Chinese because those were literally the only two Asian countries they knew. Sometimes someone a bit smarter would ask if I'm Korean. Always drove me up the wall though as they'd be comparing me to Jackie Chan or Jet Li or something and it's like, "Dudes, I'm Filipino. We don't look anything like East Asians...." And of course, you still get the same comparisons. So, basically....I understand where you're coming from lol
@@sara.cbc92 You'd be surprised how diverse Filipinos could look, & how awfully blind western people can be when telling people whose roots came from anywhere other than Europe.
Oh my that is too funy (you got my punchline ) I couldn't stop laughing, when you mentioned adult video industry. You are gifted to make up in this channel. brilliant!!
My Japanese friends/ students were always greeted "Annyeong" and I feel so bad. But a lot of other people can't distinguish the differences between Japanese, Chinese and Koreans.
Woow Hallyu seems to lowkey work 😂. One of my best friends used to be from Hong Kong and whenever people try to greet him in his “native language” they resolve to say “Konnichiwa”.
This applies to people in all countries. They feel that they can criticize their own country, but no non-citizen can. Many also believe their own culture is the best in the world. True, this type of thinking is a bit narrow-minded, but that's how people are - most people cannot handle criticism, even constructive criticism.
I’m Japanese American and I get annoyed when people ask “where are you from?…No, like where are you FROM??” I was born in America, but they assume I’m not because I’m Asian
I see you growing more confident, Shun. Love all your content. Keep up the good work! I think the biggest challenge for you as a TH-camr is finding topics for new videos. My advice is, don’t focus too much on just Japan. Or topics about Japan that other people already talk about. Instead i think you should focus on yourself, your interests, we want to see Japan through your eyes, and learn about you!
The thing about Japanese people not taking criticism about Japan is super true. As an American living in Japan, Japanese people often say things to me like "Why are Americans so fat? ahahaha" and "American food is so gross and heavy." " Do you have a gun?" But the second I say soba is bland or that I don't care for matcha they get SO uncomfortable. And the thing is, I agree with the criticisms I hear about America and they're things Americans also say. When you watch Japanese TV though you see they're constantly fed nationalism, even more I feel than Americans are. At least in the US we have a lot of media that criticizes and pokes fun at ourselves. So it doesn't really surprise me that Japanese people aren't used to not taking criticism personally. It's kind of annoying living here though, I feel like as a foreigner I have to be constantly aware of not sounding too negative or I'll lose friends or make my coworkers uncomfortable.
Really? It sounds like you may have been the one offended them first. Imo, they rarely criticize anyone even if it's the truth. Besides, they are known for very masochistic characters (too humble) and their media is one of the most less nationalism promoting country unlike China, Korea, Rusia and the US in case you didn't know. Shunchans point is that they criticize themselves, but not taking well if it comes from outside and they take it too seriously or personally. Anyway, try criticize any Korean, it's on aother level you may not be able to survive there 😂
Its understandable, as a hispanic person people usually guess the wrong thing with me but being in the U.S. its very understandable considering 90% of the population is mixed. Alot of people who aren't well versed in not just Japanese culture and/or asian culture as a whole dont realize even in asian countries that asians from other countries visit or live in other asian countries. Im a firm believer and practician of self education and simply "asking". Laziness usually leads to mis-information or just lack of information. When a guest in another's home or even living there it is wise to learn about them and their home for obvious reasons. Im glad you made this video along with all of your videos! You have much wisdom and maturity and it has gone along way for you and for us as well! I Love the classroom type setting of education that you provide! It is practical, enjoyable and honest! Keep up the excellent and hard work brother! 🇯🇵❤️🇺🇸
I was born in America, but I’m basically a mutt with a bunch of European genetics all mixed up in me, for better or worse. But I HATE it when I travel to Europe and people automatically think that I’m armed to the teeth and ready to shoot someone at the slightest provocation. I have literally had hotel staff tell me I need to keep my weapons in the hotel safe during my stay. Like, I get it, the U.S. has a crazy gun culture, but we’re not ALL cowboys. Great video. BTW, when I was working in Korea, I got into the habit of making jokes about my big nose when meeting new people. Most of the time I was saying out loud what the other person was already thinking, so it kind of broke the ice. Usually, the person I was just meeting would follow up with a gentle cultural dig at their own expense. We’re all a bunch of talking apes. You gotta laugh.
I feel you on the nationality thing. LOTS of non-Hispanic Americans lump all Hispanics together, or even worse, see us all as Mexicans...which is offensive to Mexican Americans born and raised in the US and even more offensive to, say, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Guatemalans, etc.
I lived in New Mexico, and you can get in serious trouble calling Latinos there Mexican. They can trace their ancestry back to Spain, and settled there before Mexico and the US ever existed. They are Spaniards and Basque, so Mexican means "half-breed" to them, not a nationality.
@@MvsicAdd7ct Mexican was originally a term for Spanish/Native American cross breeds from the Mexican tribe(Northern Mexico). And when the Spaniards came to the new world, Mexico did not exist, it was still New Spain, ruled by the king of Spain. So nothing about them is Mexican. And they have the attitude of "don't like it here, leave" to white Americans. THAT is hilarious to see with Americans from other parts of the US, since they are usually the ones saying that.
THANK YOU for putting subtitles on your videos! I am hard of hearing and struggle to hear the frequencies most used by the human voice. Your videos are 100x more accessible to me because you provide subtitles. I wish other TH-camrs would do the same thing.
Thank YOU for watching my videos😭
I second this comment!
The same thing happens to me here, I have a cochlear implant and subtitles inserted in the video are the best thing that can happen to me when I watch TH-cam, especially if it is content as good as this.
Ikr. This man goes the extra mile for us.
Being autistic with sensory issues I sometimes can't process words correctly and I don't understand, so subtitles are great.
@@SHUNchanjp what you japanese?
I perfectly understand the problem with the question of nationality. I am Polish and we get very nervous when someone asks us if we are, for example, Russians. We have fought wars for many years, and now that may not be an insult, but an unpleasant question for many people.
Your content has evolved so much over the years. The editing quality and production values are great
thank you for putting yourself in the line of fire to be critical of your own country. we can learn a lot more hearing both the good and bad than being in an echo chamber of just the good.
Haha I love this content Shunchan! Many people thought I was Thai or Filipino which is ok to me but if they treat me differently based on my ethnicity, it’s not right
100% agree!!!
I have no problem being mistaken for another Asian but it starts to get really annoying if it happens numerous times from the same coworkers in my company. Makes me think they really don't listen when I tell them my nationality.
Some people do that intentionally
Most likely they don't know much about the difference when they were told so they may forget easily which country you said you're from...
"I already said I was Japanese, not Chinese!"
"Same thing! The pandemic is your fault!'
*Causes the Nanking massacre
@Plutonium Mapping How about plot twist to Korean on Japanese? Hence Korea's massacre of Japanese fishermen and tortures of nearly 4000 kidnapped Japanese men to invade a Japanese island 😉
@@hamanakohamaneko7028 And except Nanjin incident was caused by the Chinese soldiers according to NY times at that time and the CCP kept adding their murders of millions of own people decades later?
I've lived in a number of countries across the world, and my personal experience has been that cultural differences almost always turn into negative, accidental insults. Even little private habits tick many people off, since it's perceived as inadvertent, unspoken criticism of their own ways. Also many of these local habits are codified into a 'good manners' system, so 'ignorant foreigners' are very often seen as rude. Esp across East vs West cultures.
When he said "Japanese don't take criticism well" I feel like this applies to the entire world now days lol 😆. I'm latino and we too can get offended if people confuse us sometimes. My friends in Canada told me they get insulted if you confuse eastern Canadians with western Canadians. Great video.
I dunno-I think confusing eastern Canadians with eastern Canadians really isn’t that insulting. They’re all eastern Canadians, right?
[Original comment edited to correct “eastern Canadians with eastern Canadians” to “eastern Canadians with western Canadians”]
@@jeff__w Western Canadians with eastern....my phones autocorrect hates me. But yeah Eastern and Western im referring to. I also have two friends one from BC and the other from Toronto but alsonlivrd in Quebec for whatever reason the latter friend did not like my other friend from B.C. she was just very hostile and standoff is with her....this was years back via messenger if youre old enough to remember that😉
wth as a canadian i've never heard of that
I think Canadians get upset when they are mistaken for someone from the U.S.
In Germany giving critisism is considered totally okay
Never a hateful comment from me Shunchan! I love how you're able to stay so objective and neutral about your own country and culture... And of course with a dash of humour 😂💕
One mistake. His name is Shun. Part -chan is the Japanese title. These titles vary through the age and social status of an addressed person. And -chan is used for girls and prepuberty boys. If you want to address him with a proper Japanese title, you have to use -san which is for adult people. So next time you have to address him Shun-san.
@@rykmat2542 thanks! I knew that 😉, was just typing fast on my phone lol. But arigato nevertheless for taking the time to explain
@@rykmat2542 When someone literally calls themselves Shunchan, its ok to use it.
Sounds like someone has a crush. ❤️
teasing
Exactly. One of few Japanese people that I watch on TH-cam or even friends that I know, whenever they make a comment about non-japanes topics, I don't flipped out.
This may sound odd, but in my country (Finland) everything is so low hierarchy that being TOO polite is seen as condescending/a sign of disapproval lol. I call my teachers, my bosses, everyone by first name. Citizens even address the president by his first name and it's seen as normal. Even in customer service situations it's very casual and when someone switches to using polite language it's usually seen as angry/passive aggressive. When I was a customer servicer, I'd be casual with customers until they started being difficult, then I'd switch to addressing them extremely politely (teitittely) and this, from my part, was me indirectly letting them know they were being a pain
Thats fucking interesting - maybe because of the weather ✋
I saw it as sarcastic type of response, thus implementing an insult. Which was funny & understandable for me. Cause sometimes I did that too, although I am Asian lol
I never heard of an entire country doing this. That's interesting.
Just another reason to be jealous of Finland... LoL
Yeah, I noticed that immediately by learning that everybody addresses one another e-mailing with 'Hei' or 'Hi'. During my Japanese studies, I got in touch with Finnish culture through the music I listened to. Now I ended up in Helsinki after I met my partner, lol. As an outsider, I would dare say there are some similarities in both cultures. Like appreciation for nature, quietness, artistry. But I definitely appreciate the equality, honesty and directness that seems to be normal here, whereas that seems to be the opposite in Japan.
To be fair, most of these can be easily adapted for other nationalities. Just take English/Irish for example.
Spot on. My videos that speak positively of Japan preform much better than when I criticize, and funnily enough videos where I criticize America also preform better than when I compliment it lol. People are very tribal so I try to not thing too hard about it. Love your videos!!
Anta means "you" in Arabic too! Love learning about languages and some of the similarities they might have.
im learning arabic right now as my 3rd language. Do you use anta and anti normally or is it the same with Japanese? you just use eachothers names?
@@KoukiChannelNihon its used frequently 🙂 definitely learn it
@@abdirahmann شكرا
@@KoukiChannelNihon Yes, they're used normally.
@@Anti-Zionist777 شكرا
One big thing in Hawaii is the mistake people make when talking about people from here. "Hawaiian" is reserved for people of Hawaiian ethnicity, and it's pretty much impossible to tell from the way people look if they're Hawaiian or not, since we're very mixed here. I don't look Polynesian and have a Portuguese last name, but I am Hawaiian, and many Polynesian looking people here are actually full blooded Samoan or Tongan. People from Hawaii who were born and raised here of all ethnicities refer to themselves as "local" or "Kama'aina".
We're also pretty touchy about the outsiders making negative comments about here, though ironically, we probably bitch about the same things all the time amongst ourselves. Go figure.
The other day my friend told me they didn't like zippy's, my heart's broke man... They do at least like L&L, but my heart still broken.
This. I've had family in HI since before WWII and I grew up there and plan to retire there. Hawaiian is a term reserved for actual, what a lot of places call "First Nation" people. I would call myself a "Hawaii resident" or a "local". And yeah there are Hawaiians, Samoan, Tongans, Tahitians, even Melanesians and everyone's favorite these days, the illustrious Micronesians. It helps to tell them apart and if you can't, just quietly observe until they tell you or you visit their house and there's a picture on the wall that says "BULA FIJI" or something. And there are tons and tons of mixed people in HI, in fact it's pretty much the norm to be mixed. With regard to "Hawaiian" it's probably best to think in terms of, if someone tells you they live in North or South Dakota, that doesn't mean they're necessarily of one of the Dakota/Nakota/Lakota tribes.
In my country we have the same problem. I’m Italian and most of Italian people are usually pretty bad when it comes to criticism, especially when it’s made from a foreign or a black Italian. Racism is a huge problem here and when it happens most people tell them to leave if they don’t like how Italy is. I really don’t get it. I really wish in a world where people stop being so ignorant and understand the good intentions behind constructive criticism
I was about to write the same comment
It's funny this topic is up because I just finished watching the previous video on meeting a Japanese American and I noticed the topic of age immediately came up. Like I know why its being asked in that context but it's something you never just ask a Westerner in the first 60 seconds after meeting someone :D
So for those who don't know, in Japan we rarely use "you" in our sentence or when speaking with other people
Example
" Rin-san wa tabemasuka?" It's directly translated to "Rin eat?" But actually it means "Rin do you want to eat?" We use the person's name (Rin) to replace you
What if we talk to a stranger that we don't know the name of?
Well there is basically 2 options
Option 1 : omit the "you" part completely
Example : "sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka?" It translate directly into "excuseme, where is the toilet?" But it can also mean "excuse me do you know where the toilet is?"
Option 2 : use their abbreviation such as "Oji-san (sir), oba-san (madam), Shonen (young man), ojo-san (young lady), ogyaku-san (costumer) or whatever their title might be
Example : "sumimasen, sensei kore wa nandesu ka?" / "teacher excuse me, what is this" / "excuse me sir, do you know what is this?"
Another one : "oka-san kono hon wa yonde moraemasenka" / "mom would you mind reading this book?"
I wrote this in romanji so other non Japanese speakers can read it. But it's a little messy (sorry!!)
This was actually super genuine and fun, loved it.
So, I am half Dominican (Dominican Republic) and whenever they get confused with puertoricans, they get low key offended. But when its the other way around, puertoricans get VERY offended.
Most latinos and your mom jokes, just don't do them, our moms are like sacred, even if they are bad parents, we don't really just say that to others, or want other to say mean things about them, so its a lot worse when your casual friends keep on making sexualized jokes about your mom.
I totally get this too. I’m Puerto Rican and I used to live in the northern part of Florida where there were pretty much only white people (I was the only Latina at my school). Bc of people’s ignorance they always assumed I was Mexican as if they were the only Latinos that existed. People even did weird things like one time my grandma was walking with my mom at a park and someone that passed by her started singing la cucaracha to make fun of her
Austrians and German Swiss don't like it when people assume they were Germans because they speak German.
As a Puerto Rican, I can confirm this
When I used to live in Southern Alabama people would ask if I was Mexican and I would get offended. Being Puerto Rican I can confirm this too. Must don’t know other Latin nationalities other than Mexican. And to top it off most don’t know that Puerto Rico is a U.S territory
@TravelerPat As a half Japanese, half American living in the US, the term Asian American annoys me because it suggests that people from all Asian countries get along and stick together which is not the case. Something that applies to one Asian country doesn't necessarily apply to other Asian countries.
the long hair and the beard is looking legit bro, let's gooo
Glad you have a open mind :D I agree with you wholeheartedly!
i found shun's channel like.. a week ago and hes already one of my favorite youtuber's. his content is so good and he teaches us many important things which other people overlook about japan in their videos. in conclusion, shun's the best fr
ngl though I thought you were gonna go full Yuta at 6:49 xD Another great vid as always Shun-chan!
My wife is Japanese, the point about taking criticism has been very difficult at times. She really took a lot of the things I've said very personally, and this really does make it seem to me as a very cultural feeling. Very contrary to how the west (US) approaches direct feedback, but people even here can take it very personally as well.
yeah i got cancelled by a friend for this, no number of years of apologising and trying to explain my own culture made any difference. he just couldn't tolerate it. i never thought about high and low context culture, but its for sure the main reason the record scratch happened.
You’re getting cuter and cuter with every episode Shun! Love your hair! And glasses! ❤️
Thank goodness you have a great sense of humor, because some of the things you mentioned would really piss me off. As a Black person in America I don’t find it to be rude, but ridiculous when I meet a White person and the ask me if I’m related to some random Black person just because we have the same last name. I also find it interesting that many Black Africans believe they’re superior to Black Americans. Perhaps it’s because we’ve assimilated so much to Western White culture, but it’s odd to me.
Sadly, it is indeed because you've been assimilated into Western white culture. Western white culture is hyper-individualistic, anti-intellectual, believes in "might makes right" etc. It is .... not a culture you'd want to emulate. I mean, a village in Africa will get together, pick out their smartest kid, and send them to the US or Europe to become a doctor, by pooling their money. And the kid will come back and be the village doctor. Can you imagine western white people being able to coordinate and cooperate in this way?
@@alexcarter8807 I do agree with you on your criticism towards modern American culture although I object to the idea that these things are a distinctly "white" culture. What is currently going on is an artificial deliberate adaptation to the American culture and eventual planned world culture of one which is hyper-individualistic , hyper money oriented with the express intention of enslaving the modern masses into consuming and working with the assumption that they are "rich", without realising the extent of how poor us 99% really are compared to the elite class. The simple fact is that happiness like we see in "developing" ( I call normal humanistic) cultures is simply not profitable or conducive to the feeling of misery and ineffectiveness which is required for the modern capitalist system to work. Without us feeling not good enough we simply continue endlessly consuming which in turn acts as a hamper on our real progress
Seems to me that you are too touchy about that last name thing. I live in a country where huge majority of people is white and was often asked by other people am I related to someone else because of last name. Its not a racial thing, its just a question.
This is very intresting. In South African bantu culture when you have the same surename as someone it means you are somehow related to them. My hairdresser and I share the same surename and I now call her aunt. But I understand in the US its different just wanted to share something with you!
i think it’s Black Americans that believe they’re superior to Black Africans. If you’ve actually been around Black Africans you will know they are very nice to people especially to our black brothers and sisters across the diaspora. :)
I really appreciate this video. I just hope it gets to the right people. Especially as Japan is opening back up. I visited Tokyo in 2019 and had an amazing experience. It sucks seeing people get to another country and forget their home training or decide to bring their privilege with them, if ya know what I mean. Still, I hope that when Japan opens back up, there’s a positive exchange between foreigners and locals.
My typical experience as an Asian American…
Stranger: Where are you from?
Me: Pasadena.
Stranger: No, I mean, where are you from-from?
Me: {side eye}
Yea, better not to not bring it up.
Oh, gawd, my mom used to do that all the time! It drove me nuts!
I’m Asian American from Glendale lol and I find it so racist when people do this. Like, they wouldn’t ask a white person where they’re from and imply that they’re foreign?
I'm Swedish and Americans mix up Swedish with Swiss all the time and both Swedes and Swiss people hate this mixup. I relate so much to that point!
americans mix up everything
Same with Austrians and Australians. We can be insufferable sometimes.
What's up, neighbour?
Forgive them for they are ignorant. I've stumbled across one who was dead serious about Germany being "one of those small States on the East Coast (of the USA)".
(He honestly thought I was trying to bullshit him when I told him it wasn't. I was like "Dude, I'm German. I KNOW where my country's at.")
@@MvsicAdd7ct We know it can happen but we still hate it anyway :p
I love learning about Japanese culture with your objective takes. Learning alot. Thanks!
Thanks for making this video, great content as always!! I understand the reluctance to accept constructive criticism, especially if it’s too straightforward. I personally think it should be a balance, that people who criticize find a way to not be hurtful, while those getting feedback be more open-minded. Every country has its problems and if we don’t open ourselves up to change we’d never improve.
Damn exactly what I was thinking. Here's a crown King/ Queen/ Majesty: 👑
@@oceanapearl3503 Haha thank you, here’s one for you too 👑
2:02 most Filipinos also love to hear only the good stuffs of the Philippines
About not being shy about talking about other people's bodies: I have a Black friend who worked in Japan for a couple of years, and people thought nothing of following him around, openly talking about him right in front of him, and even walking right up and touching his hair. He did not appreciate it _at all_ .
Yes, I have a friend who live in Japan and she is black. People would sometimes call her scary, right in front of her.
Yeah touching our hair is a no no in the black community. Unless we give you consent of course. (At least where I’m from)
@@iloveumorethananything My friend were dissed by a old Korean guy right in front of her even I was with her. Since you're Korean so you probably know the severity of racism in your country.
Owners of long, blonde hair will get this treatment too. And I once went to a neighborhood hot pot place in Korea with a friend who was pale, blonde, and blue-eyed. The whole room found us fascinating. Well ... found her fascinating.
Wtf this is like basic human decency. Dont touch people without their consent. Why are people like this T - T
Love Shun Chan's videos. He's so honest and a great perspective from Japan
Shun I’m digging the jump in camera quality especially with the B Roll!
Also I’m pretty sure my whole neighborhood heard me laughing at the “imagine if we as Japanese people just said “oh fakku I’m coming!” Part 🤣🤣🤣
Well, the thing is, I've been present when Japanese people as guests abroad have done just that sort of thing. Usually they have been very drunk when they have said such inappropriate things or randomly grabbed a woman's breast for a quick sneak-feel. Saw that too! However, it's not acceptable outside of Japan to do things like that and get a free pass for being drunk as you might in Japan. Or it might be that they are inaka (country bumpkins) who don't have particularly refined manners in the first place.
you should never say this to anyone, not just Japanese or Asians. Just don't assume anything about someone's identity. Their identity is how they see themselves not how you think they should be.
I second that
I assume you also cannot define a woman
I think the point to have a habit of never comment on someone’s body is a good call no matter what country you are in or who you talk to.
Also, when he said “I just wanna eat my noodles without thinking about pp” - I felt that.
Thanks for the video!
I watched your ad read. That’s a big deal for me, I usually skip those. Keep up the great content, Shun!
I’m polish living in London for over 7 years now. The amount of soft insults I had my entire time spent here. My favourite: when British from a higher class find out I’m from Poland: “oh, you’re polish! Builders that did our house were from Poland! Such a nice and hard working people!”. And Tons of other stuff. Now I mention with every encounter that I have British citizenship, so at least they treat me with more respect as I am “one of them” now.
Where's the Insult?
I've been thinking of this a long time. The culture of Japanese people 'getting along' with other people is helpful in creating an overall 'positive' society by not voicing complaints but as a result ,the society does not look to improve because no one confronts each other. One thing I can say that; a part of becoming an adult in the West is that you have to perfect the art of getting angry with moderation, or understanding how to interpret negative feedback in a constructive manner. Because alot of people in the West (completely opposite from alot of Japanese people) are out to get other people or pounce at other peoples' mistake, you need to learn how to not take things personally as well. Obviously there is much more conflict in a society such as ours, but it's one of the reasons why we are more progressive, and why we are better at taking feedback too. Learning to deal with negativity isn't really a skill you're born with (though some are better than others), you have to train and be mindful.
As a Finn, if someone mistook me for a Swede, I'd be super offended.
Nah, not really.
Well, maybe a bit.
How would that even happen? Swedish and Finnish sound nothing alike (I don't speak either) and if they came to that conclusion after you just told them you're Scandinavian, that's kind of on you.
@@Gaehhn Because people from nordic countries go on vacations in the mediterranean and there the local people (salespeople, waiters etc.) always guess their country of origin because it helps them sell their stuff
thank you for the language tips and of course great content as always.
ありがとうございます
I feel like we Finnish folk are pretty neutral about being mistaken for another nationality, it's not nice but we know our population is tiny. Just don't call us Swedes... This video was very informative, even if I did somewhat know some of these points it's really cool to hear about the little cultural things like the video summary site! Thanks Shun :-)
I think Finns and Swedes just have an endless rivalry in a global sense, it's some national pride nonsense and you have to be really dumb to take it seriously. Something I fucking hate though as a Finn is when people assume Finland is part of Scandinavia or that Finnish sounds like Swedish etc. They're from entirely different language families, it's as stupid as assuming Indian and Chinese sound the same just because they share a border...
Well you do have swedish speaking finns so that confusion could happen. I would never confuse the language though as finnish is not a germanic language, it's closer to latvian i think. Never met a finn with anything bad to say about their swedish neighbours, their neighbours to the east on the other hand...
They also do waiting for the bus like a swede though
Sverige är ju ändå lite bättre
Well, Finland was part of Sweden for a longer time than Skåne (in the south of Sweden) so it's understandable....
Confusing us for Swedes or Norwegians I feel isn't that bad of an insult because we share a lot culturally with them. Our way of thinking is pretty similar.
But if you make the mistake of calling a Fin Russian, then you fucked up.
I love how you can stay real amidst the social norm in your country. give credit where credit is due and never shy away from addressing things that aren't that good. in my opinion, this is the best way to appreciate things. when you get to know the ins and outs. anyway, love your content! I get to know more about Japan aside from studying Japanese :)
Here's the thing: most people do not want to be mistaken as being from the neighboring country. Canadians HATE being mistaken for Americans, Indians are the same about being asked if they are Pakistani, Aussies and Kiwis, etc. I do not think it is unique to Japan by any means.
Always good to see obsessive loyalty to one's own nation and being unwilling to accept criticism happening somewhere that's not America these days.
As a teacher, my weeb students will do the hentai sounds or wear those hentai jackets and I cringe so hard.
Shunchan is a cool Taiwanese dude, I'm subbing
Well done! You were spot on!
I never heard any bad comments from anyone in Japan such wonderful kind and helpful people I got lost once and so many people came to my aid I think it's the best place to visit I would love to go back but am 76 now and too old for trip but I remember getting sick and I had a wonderful doctor who came to my hotel and took care of me at no cost he said his son was in America and he hoped some one would help him if he needed it. I can't say enough good things about Japan and the people of Japan 😘💖❤
You're never too old unless you have a health condition that prevents it. If not I heartily suggest you go somewhere you've dreamed of visiting.
It's just a "tatemae" mask they keep on no matter what. Learn Japanese to a level where you understand it well, go to a pub and make a Japanese person drunk. Or just go to Twitter. You will see how "kind" japanese are when their mask falls off. It's a country full of actors without oscars.
@@HaohmaruHL As so many foreigners living in Japan for a long time including myself say their honne is actually a lot nicer than other countrys tatemae, so I would go for Japan 😉
Thank you for sharing a great story! Many people in your age still travel overseas. Hope you'll be able to visit Japan again soon
@for I would give anything to be able to but my health is not up to it anymore such a wonderful beautiful country to visit 😘💖
Thank you for this video!
Better yet, just don’t bring up someone’s nationality unless it’s literally part of the conversation. If you just out of nowhere ask “aRE yOu KoREan?!” you will sound like a weirdo.
That's such an Antarctican thing to say.
I never understood people's obsession with nationalities. Who cares.
@@asaris_ And I understood them always very well. I'm interested in world's cultures, people, food, languages and countries in general. Therefore I like to ask often where somebody's coming from and to have interesting conversations. Nothing wrong with that, only you brainwashed Americans who have dealt with racism till today are making it weird. Thanks God, I'm in europe 👌🏼☺️
I think a "Where are you from?" is perfectly fine, just don't be presumptuous. Talking about and sharing cultures is actually a very very common bonding thing for most of the people I know. People are interested in my home, my language, our habits, that's not a bad thing. Where I'm from we're actually pretty thrilled if anyone's interested, because it's a small country that isn't talked about frequently.
@@8kw7mx9 I'm German. I do like talking about cultures etc. as well. It's just not the first thing I ask people. If a conversation goes that way I dive in. But if it doesn't... 🤷
Thanks for being so honest, really! I appreciate it, man.
I couldn't agree more with you about how one county feels superior over another. As shallow as it is, this is really true in many sense. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I don't think we feel superiority to other country. But since China and Korean hate Japan, or people migrated Japan have different culture. A lot of people can't accept it and don't wanna be viewed as those people. And people in Japan are proud of their nationality. I think it's part of reasons.
@@k.t8174 don't know where you're from, but people in my country often think we are superior that our neighbour countries. it is not only in Japan. Korean people also know over their superiority over south east asian people.
@@roroellies8188 え！まじか！I've never heard that. BTW from Japan.
Where are you from?
Hello, I read an article by a Japanese girl who came to the United States and she was surprised by how powerful all the fragrances are. Even the grocery store (detergent and fabric softener aisle) fragrances in floor cleaner, perfume or cologne on both men and women. She said in Japan, people are very careful not to wear fragrance because they don't want to offend. I adore perfume, and I wear it every day, even when I'm home alone and I think Japanese incense is the best. So my question is, is there much of a perfume industry in Japanese Department Stores?
Never ask a White Sox fan if they are a Cubs fan. This will always be a sensitive issue.
Oh wow, I'm currently learning Japanese and I didn't know about that last point. Learned new things! 面白いビデオがありがとうございます！
Love this video :) It gives different insights and the way you explained them in fun way (I laughed couple times). Congrats for the sponsorship, I am using italki too and have great practice on Japanese conversation. Looking forward to your next video!
thank you for your kind words as always! good luck with your Japanese learning!
I'm glad we have you here. Thank you, and please carry on: I'm always looking forward to your next video.
Things to never say to a hafu like me: "you are not Japanese at all" i know, im hafu. Or, "you are not American at all!" I know, im hafu lol. I totally understand taking things so personally, i got that trait from my Nihonjin side 🙏❤
Hi Shunchan, I really appreciate your explanation of how to respond to japanese TH-cam vlogs. Thank you. All the best from Ireland 🇮🇪
I hate being mistaken for a human. So insulting.
I know right. I have to also constantly remind people that I am a freaking monster
Same man, same
🤣
So true 😂
(I'm autistic, I seriously don't feel like being one of "them")
I have come from Xenoplatz to steal earth's Twinkies.
This guy is refreshingly down to earth
The criticism part is really relatable to me as a brazilian... brazilians will criticize Brazil all the time, but if a foreigner do it, WE WILL FIGHT YOU 😂
3:28 seeing a Sora The Troll appearance here makes me wanna see Shun and Sora collab 😂
I lived in Japan for 7years in the 60s I love all Japan everyone was wonderful to me I loved every minute. Also live in okinawa that's were I was married. I always felt safe and happy in Japan
The key word here is "lived"
Yes all of my friends are still there and they love living in Japan as well none of them wants to leave. We're hoping to move back there soon too
@for I don't blame you such a wonderful place to live with such beauty everywhere 😍 💕💞
@Gusion Paxley sorry it I offended you !
@Haohmaru HL yes that is the key word I lived to the Fullest while I was there It was wonderful
6:60
For anyone who's curious: The song in the background is called "New flesh" by current joys :)
Honestly, if somebody responded to finding out that I'm British with "Oh f**k, I'm coming", my response would probably be to keel over laughing.
Looking good and fresh, Shun!
About the Nationality thing....
How about never guessing or commenting on someones Nationality without them bringing it up. Or you asking politely in the first place, and then not commenting on it? ^^
Beautiful videography! Super crisp!
Love the sharing - especially the hilarity of stuffs people say to Japanese as tourists 😂
Your example of its ok to talk shiet about your own country but not foreigners makes a lot sense.. I would consider most of your points inappropriate to be said to someone from another country - it just comes down to being cultural sensitive.
The thing that made me subscribe to this channel is your fluent English, even though pronunciation is not 100%. Hey why the earrings?
I’m Italian and I think Japan is really cool, here in Italy we have a special bound with that culture and since I like history I found our nations had some similar path in common. Like if we are brothers but from a parallel universe 🤣. Btw as I can say for my nation I found also Japan has some unresolved issues. We are not perfect and I think every nation have something to learn from the others. Peace ✌🏻
Ps. Did you know that in Italy we like a lot your country? What do you Japanese think of us?
I wonder what common history you're talking about?
Haha magari eravate alleati di Hitler !! Peggior cosa in comune con giaponesi altrimenti niente !!! Giaponesi sono i veri allieni credimi! vivono in inferno pieno di stress , il tuo amore é cieco
カナダ在住の中国人です。日本に一年間留学していましたが、日本の大学に進学するのをやめ、英語圏の国に行くことにしました。日本人の他のアジア人に対する偏見は本当に深刻なものだと思います。店でも外国人だと気づかれたとたん、店員さんの態度が変わったり、適当にごまかされることも何度もありました。日本は人手不足で多元化を掲げているが、今の状況ではやはり難しいと思います。It's funny that you mentioned Japanese react like if you don't like Japan, じゃ帰れ。I guess I'm the one who just left lol. 今でも日本はいい国だと思います。安くて美味しい食べ物もたくさんあるし、電車も綺麗でとても便利でした。でもいくら日本語が出来でも、いつも外人扱いされては、暮らしづらいでした。カナダに来てもう半年経っていますが、今でもそのとき日本を離れて正確な決断だったと思います。日本は島国根性というか、基本は単一民族（アイヌや琉球民族は承知しています）だから、多元化に無理があるのも仕方ないことだと思います。だけど、日本人がもっとopen-minded になることができれば、日本ももっといい国になれると思います。
As someone living in Japan, I think it’s difficult to not being allowed to voice criticism. At the end it’s my home now, and there will always be things that will negatively effect my life, so I feel like it’s difficult not to be allowed to talk about it.
Of course that shouldn’t mean that you should walk around and bad mouth Japan to everyone that you meet.
Like you said Japanese are allowed to voice criticism because it’s their country, but what about the none Japanese looking Japanese citizens?
BRAVO SHUN CHAN!!! Another great video! It's always so good to see you. 😊❤
Now Shun Has Got Me Thinking is cancel Culture in Japan Worse Than the Western Media. 😂
yes, but we are working on it 😜
1:12 thank you for being straightforward about it. some of Asian(sadly.. including me sometimes) have such a bad mindset......
3:41 same thing happens in korea as well...
Yes, the biggest tip to getting along in Japan is always be super positive about Japan. But Japanese will often trick you by asking: what do you find difficult about Japan and other questions asking you to honestly say something you find challenging or "culture shocking " about Japan. Tip!! Never say anything close to being negative. Say something like, The food is too good. I just can't stop eating it". Even if you are close to that person and you think you are best friends, It is a trap!! One time on the last day of a class, they asked me if I ever had a difficult experience in Japan. I tried to avoid the question, but I let my guard down and said that sometimes Japan is a bit lonely. I could figuratively see the invisible wall rapidly rise between us and that was the end of any kind of nice relationship we had. So if you want to be popular in Japan learn to keep those honest conversations for a time when you are alone with another trusted foreign friend.
Damn, your comment REALLY SHOULD get more views. there really are UNBELIEVABLE boatloads of people who actually think that they could get all chummy with Japanese people after meeting said Japanese people only twice, just because those Japanese people look & sound friendly, not realizing that contrary to people of most other countries, being warm & friendly is actually their way of keeping a distance!
@@FalconWindblader Thanks. Unfortunately when I tell people this, they don't believe me. I think it is too contrary to what they want to believe.
@@FalconWindblader Politeness is not acceptance. If anything, it's a sign it's not.
He've already told he is japanese...what is wrong with these guys keep telling him korean over and over again?
So,bottom line:No one and no country is perfect(and Japan/Japanese people are no exception to this rule).
People gonna people and countries gonna country.
just my two cents.
love your content. it's educative. Hope your channel prospers further.
I've learned a lot about Japanese culture so thank you so much. It may sound topic but I love anime and the fact is that many behaviours of the characters may seem strange to me as I don't fully understand Japanese culture, or maybe even with the subtitles I don't really understand what's going on. Videos like yours help me a lot so thank you, Shun
I'd like to see more videos like this ❤️✨❤️
Listening to the last part I'm going to add some of my own experience as Spanish. Similar to what you feel about the reactions (kimochiii, yametee...) when you say you're Japanese, we Spanish people don't like to hear things like "Oh, Spanish. Flamenco, toros, olé". Don't misunderstand me, we wont get angry but the Flamenco and the olé it's typical from Sevilla, an autonomous community in the south of Spain and it has nothing to do with the culture of the other communities. Some people expect me to know Flamenco just because I'm Spanish and I have to explain I don't know, that that's not my culture cause I'm not from Sevilla. And it's even worse when someone says "Spanish, tacos, andale" 🤭 Cause it's like "I'm Spanish, not Mexican".
Thanks for the cool sponsor, Italki! I like to study different languages and would love to have a native to speak with. I'll look Italki up right now!
What about being called an American? One of my Japanese friends is so fluent in English and didn't have an accent the first time I met him I honestly thought he was an American.
It could definitely go either way, people usually say it as a bit more of an insult.
I'm not Japanese, but I suspect if he put that much time into perfecting his accent, he would probably take it as a compliment.
I think it depends on a context if it's an insult or a compliment. I'm Polish and when I was in France and I was asked if I am from Paris, because my accent is so clear I felt a m a z i n g. So probably it may be similar situation to mine 😊
I think he would be happy, the first time I got told my japanese sounds really native and they asked if i was from osaka it was probably the best feeling ever
It kinda of a sad story of how he was so good at American English. His intelligence sorta made him an outcast and didn't have any friends, he became a hikikomori. He would spend all day learning English and playing Video Games, especially by talking to people through playing video games with Americans and trying to perfect his English. He never told be why he stopped being a hikikiomori and attended University, but he made it clear to me that he wanted to move out of Japan. For the past few years he was teaching languages in Africa, but move back to Japan recently.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video! ❣️
I speak my mind 24/7. Which means that if you make the mistake of asking my opinion on something, without knowing ahead of time that I don't like something, you risk getting some potentially brutal honesty and criticism.
So note to self: never take a random street interview in Japan. Shun, can you teach me how to say, "Sorry, no interviews" in Japanese? 😅
I love your confidence to make this video and not expect the comment section to be filled with everything in the video as a joke lol
Man, I actually got really tired of people guessing my ethnicity wrong growing up. I'm a Filipino American and almost everyone in school would always ask me if I was Japanese or Chinese because those were literally the only two Asian countries they knew. Sometimes someone a bit smarter would ask if I'm Korean. Always drove me up the wall though as they'd be comparing me to Jackie Chan or Jet Li or something and it's like, "Dudes, I'm Filipino. We don't look anything like East Asians...." And of course, you still get the same comparisons. So, basically....I understand where you're coming from lol
Don't Lie. Filipinos don't look Japanese, Korean or Chinese.
@@sara.cbc92 lol I have no idea if this is supposed to be sarcastic or not. But yeah, basically.
@@sara.cbc92 You'd be surprised how diverse Filipinos could look, & how awfully blind western people can be when telling people whose roots came from anywhere other than Europe.
Oh my that is too funy (you got my punchline ) I couldn't stop laughing, when you mentioned adult video industry. You are gifted to make up in this channel. brilliant!!
My Japanese friends/ students were always greeted "Annyeong" and I feel so bad. But a lot of other people can't distinguish the differences between Japanese, Chinese and Koreans.
Woow Hallyu seems to lowkey work 😂. One of my best friends used to be from Hong Kong and whenever people try to greet him in his “native language” they resolve to say “Konnichiwa”.
This applies to people in all countries. They feel that they can criticize their own country, but no non-citizen can. Many also believe their own culture is the best in the world. True, this type of thinking is a bit narrow-minded, but that's how people are - most people cannot handle criticism, even constructive criticism.
I’m Japanese American and I get annoyed when people ask “where are you from?…No, like where are you FROM??” I was born in America, but they assume I’m not because I’m Asian
I see you growing more confident, Shun. Love all your content. Keep up the good work! I think the biggest challenge for you as a TH-camr is finding topics for new videos. My advice is, don’t focus too much on just Japan. Or topics about Japan that other people already talk about. Instead i think you should focus on yourself, your interests, we want to see Japan through your eyes, and learn about you!
The thing about Japanese people not taking criticism about Japan is super true. As an American living in Japan, Japanese people often say things to me like "Why are
Americans so fat? ahahaha" and "American food is so gross and heavy." " Do you have a gun?" But the second I say soba is bland or that I don't care for matcha they get SO uncomfortable. And the thing is, I agree with the criticisms I hear about America and they're things Americans also say.
When you watch Japanese TV though you see they're constantly fed nationalism, even more I feel than Americans are. At least in the US we have a lot of media that criticizes and pokes fun at ourselves. So it doesn't really surprise me that Japanese people aren't used to not taking criticism personally. It's kind of annoying living here though, I feel like as a foreigner I have to be constantly aware of not sounding too negative or I'll lose friends or make my coworkers uncomfortable.
Really? It sounds like you may have been the one offended them first. Imo, they rarely criticize anyone even if it's the truth.
Besides, they are known for very masochistic characters (too humble) and their media is one of the most less nationalism promoting country unlike China, Korea, Rusia and the US in case you didn't know.
Shunchans point is that they criticize themselves, but not taking well if it comes from outside and they take it too seriously or personally. Anyway, try criticize any Korean, it's on aother level you may not be able to survive there 😂
Its understandable, as a hispanic person people usually guess the wrong thing with me but being in the U.S. its very understandable considering 90% of the population is mixed. Alot of people who aren't well versed in not just Japanese culture and/or asian culture as a whole dont realize even in asian countries that asians from other countries visit or live in other asian countries. Im a firm believer and practician of self education and simply "asking". Laziness usually leads to mis-information or just lack of information. When a guest in another's home or even living there it is wise to learn about them and their home for obvious reasons. Im glad you made this video along with all of your videos! You have much wisdom and maturity and it has gone along way for you and for us as well! I Love the classroom type setting of education that you provide! It is practical, enjoyable and honest! Keep up the excellent and hard work brother! 🇯🇵❤️🇺🇸
I was born in America, but I’m basically a mutt with a bunch of European genetics all mixed up in me, for better or worse. But I HATE it when I travel to Europe and people automatically think that I’m armed to the teeth and ready to shoot someone at the slightest provocation. I have literally had hotel staff tell me I need to keep my weapons in the hotel safe during my stay. Like, I get it, the U.S. has a crazy gun culture, but we’re not ALL cowboys.
Great video. BTW, when I was working in Korea, I got into the habit of making jokes about my big nose when meeting new people. Most of the time I was saying out loud what the other person was already thinking, so it kind of broke the ice. Usually, the person I was just meeting would follow up with a gentle cultural dig at their own expense. We’re all a bunch of talking apes. You gotta laugh.
I'm from Europe. We have a hard time telling each other apart.
I feel you on the nationality thing. LOTS of non-Hispanic Americans lump all Hispanics together, or even worse, see us all as Mexicans...which is offensive to Mexican Americans born and raised in the US and even more offensive to, say, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Guatemalans, etc.
I lived in New Mexico, and you can get in serious trouble calling Latinos there Mexican. They can trace their ancestry back to Spain, and settled there before Mexico and the US ever existed. They are Spaniards and Basque, so Mexican means "half-breed" to them, not a nationality.
@@MvsicAdd7ct Mexican was originally a term for Spanish/Native American cross breeds from the Mexican tribe(Northern Mexico). And when the Spaniards came to the new world, Mexico did not exist, it was still New Spain, ruled by the king of Spain. So nothing about them is Mexican.
And they have the attitude of "don't like it here, leave" to white Americans. THAT is hilarious to see with Americans from other parts of the US, since they are usually the ones saying that.
Omg!!! I love Italki!!!! I’ve been using it for years!!!!