Same here, I've never heard this before. I say "huh" a LOT, and not because I'm disinterested, but because I tend to get lost in though and I don't hear or understand what was said to me.
This is one of those unwritten rules that will save your bacon. Navajo Indians NEVER name their dead, and asking them how they are is a personal question which requires a serious answer. And no one mentions this to you until you put your foot in it.
Living in Japan as a foreigner thank you for not continuing to make poor tourists scared out of their mind that they’re going to offend people somehow! Also I agree the salary man is the most frightening creature you’ll ever meet.
Can you not deal with them the way we deal with Karens here in the US? I take public transportation in rougher areas all the time, seen plenty of conflict erupt, and usually for their type a "fuck off before you start something you can't finish, old man" would suffice
@@wicked_switch The problem with that approach is that assaulting a Japanese citizen is a one-way ticket to deportation, so threats of violence aren't going to get you very far unless you're willing to put everything on the line. The best is just to pretend you can't understand, and make some good-natured bad-Japanese apologies. These guys really are cunts, though. Their lives have been stolen from them by an evil industry, and they want to the world to pay for it. (I can't blame them. Poor bastards. Free the salarymen!)
@@wicked_switch yes, in NYC, a guy screaming like that would get a "shut the fuck up" from the crowd. Probably get pushed out the train at the next station too, especially if they were by the door like that guy.
As an English teacher I really appreciate you included the "huh" discussion. Those little verbal or gestural pitfalls can really create a problem when the person had no intention of rudeness or bad manners. Most places won't bother to teach them and the poor student winds up in trouble.
Right. I read more manga and I was sitting here remembering what I read last night and then every other time they said “huh” which was usually done by either the thug though looking guy or when someone said something to them that was outrageous. I thought it was being used more for comedic purpose. Guess not. xD
I'm going on exchange to Japan in the fall, and this video was super interesting and informative! I love how you didn't just reiterate the same things literally every other J-vlogger/JP youtuber has made a video about.
@@lindab2672 A "Karen" is an entitled white woman who thinks what she wants is the most important thing in the world. All those videos of white women calling the police because a black person looked at them or said something they don't like? Those are Karens. The women screaming in the stores because they don't want to wear masks? Those are Karens. It's a little unfair to all the women NAMED Karen who are perfectly nice, but that's the internet for you. :)
@@Serai3 I got a story about a Karen: I'm at work, and she comes up to my register wanting to exchange an item. She had no receipt, she paid cash, the whole nine. So I immediately called my manager, knowing it was her decision to make. So she comes to the register, then the lady immediately says, "I'm not one of those....and my name is actually Karen." WHEN I TELL YOU I LAUGHED SO HARD WHEN SHE SAID THAT!!! She was actually a really nice lady too.
Beware of anime character speech. If someone is an even remotely tough dude, you can be almost sure his speech style will sound rude if you copy it in real life. Japanese Man Yuta has some great videos on how anime characters sound.
Omae and Anata also are pretty rude apparently and as a whole people have told me to just memorize names as best as you can, and stick to using them rather than any He-She-They-You equivalents. Someone also told me if you are a foreigner in japan that is bad at memorizing names (Like me, I'm better with faces) to ask for the pronunciation if you forget rather than the name itself. It makes it seem like you remembered their name but it was hard for you to pronounce as a foreigner, so it makes it seem a lot less rude. These are moments where gaijin pass comes in handy.
I just finished my first trip to japan, when going through customs i said "huh" and the young man at the counter started apologizing profusely. He was very kind and i couldn't understand what i did. after this video it's all coming together. I hope he knows I was just being a little naive and that he did a fantastic job letting me into your wonderful country.
Minoru-san: - "male equivalent of Karen" - "worst behaving creatures in Japan" - "especially on the trains . . . their habitat" Hilarious descriptions! xD
I have a friend who moved to Japan and lives there now (married a lovely Japanese woman) who said Japanese people are not afraid to tell you if you are getting fat 😂
This "huh" that in romaji is like "haa" is such a horrible cultural clash word. Also if your neck muscles are stiff don't tilt your neck to try to relax them, especially if someone is talking to you because they also interpret this the same way. There are many more traps in Japanese culture so the so called "gaijin" pass is a double edged sword... Oh also you cannot point at things/people with a single finger, you have to use the entire palm, yet another cultural trap. Its a minefield, let me tell you...
When I was in Kyoto I went to a bath house for the first time. There were three Heavily tattooed guys sitting together. When I walked in they looked at my sleeve tattoo and gave me really threatening look. I just smiled and gave a little wave. One of them smirked and they stopped looking at me. When I left, I got into a cab and I told the cab driver about what had happened. Turns out he used to be Yakuza in his youth but quit after some jail time. He was super friendly.
Maybe smiling is the yakuza equivalent of submission? Anyway, it's always a good first plan to try, people tend to want to kill you less when you are being really friendly to them. Next plan is running but I run slow so I usually have to go with fighting after that unless they are really slow themselves. ;-P
Had a weird experience when I went to Japan. I'm pretty covered in tattoos, so everywhere I went in public , I had a 3 foot bubble around me. I found it funny to see Japanese intentionally avoiding me, worked out for me on the trains because I ALWAYS got a seat.
All I know is sarcasm. I am Mexican American and mexicans also have a high use of sarcasm so every other sentence i say is sarcastic. It even annoys my wife. Good thing I dont know Japanese
@@eab576 I am Brazilian and my interactions with my fiancée are 80% sarcasm. I think if a Japanese person saw us they would think we were the most abusive couple in the world 😂 “Did you get punched in the face?!” - he says when I put on black eyeshadow. “Did you rub your face on the asphalt?” - I say when he shaves his beard. And we both laugh. Also, my “romantic nickname” is “ogre”. I still have to find one for him though lol
@@Fernandanatac my husband and I are the same way 😂 People who don't know us would be very confused. If you don't pick on your spouse, do you even love them? The day he stops making jokes or picking on me, will be the day I know our marriage is over.
I've watched a lot of videos about the do's and don't when visiting Japan...but these three tips I have _never_ heard before, and they are good ones! Thank you!
Holy duck, Shun, I'm REALLY a "huh?" person 24/7 and I'm soon to travel to Japan. I think you've saved a life bro. PD: Never heard of these advices in other channels. Thanks!
When i was 12 i went to Japan and at the airport i had to use the toilet. I didnt notice there were a line of 3 people queuing and so i headed straight to the door. Suddenly i heard 2 middle aged women shouting 'oi!oi!' And tried to tell me to que. I was soo shocked about it because in Malaysia we dont use 'oi' too (it's considered rude too😂). I was soo scared as a kid but thought that it's normal there lolol.
When i started at my first job here in Japan I was in a very international environment but there was a lot of japanese people as well, when I didn’t heard them I usually used the “huh?” until I realized that immediately after I said so to a japanese co-worker she went sooo mad, and I was completely confused, she went mad even tho we were almost friends by the time so it is quite a strong and offensive “word”, this video would have helped me a lot back then haha
tbf, I kinda feel that regardless of which culture you belong to, if you work with international co-workers, you should know the basics such as "huh is not offensive for foreigners"
@@anonyman2141 even if it may not be "offensive" for most other foreigners, it is usually considered a bit rude and improper outside of the U.S. it's also pretty illogical for you to expect other people to be familiar with YOUR customs when you are visiting THEIR country...
@@adf1656 My point was that it's odd specifically because it is their job to interact with foreigners, in any other case there would indeed be no reason for this co-worker not to be shocked. Other than that, I certainly agree that one should try to know as much about local customs as possible before visiting, be it for work or tourism
i mean, i'd be lying if i said i hadn't laughed the first time i saw calpis reffered to as calpis instead of calpico. it's popular where i live but the bottles always say calpico (if they're in english) and then have small text on the back that says calpis.
There’s a great book called 1Q84 where one of the characters’ fathers was an NHK bill collector, and he’d use all sorts of threats and guilt-tripping, in addition to dragging his son along as a cute tool of manipulation, to get people to pay. If I remember correctly, there’s a later scene where another character is being threatened by a cult, so she’s hiding in an apartment under a false identity, but an NHK collector (or something posing as one) disturbs her by playing that same game.
When I first visited Japan, I didn't realise that you could reserve a table in a fast food restaurant by leaving a small piece of fabric on the table. I thought someone had left their child's bib behind, and I just gave it back to the woman when she came back to the table. She was too polite to even correct me, so she just left with her food. I ruined her day and I will never live down the shame of being an ignorant gaijin. 😭
That's the type of thing that I would do as well, and also I would probably live in the same sort of shame. I still feel embarrassed when I remember stuff I did over ten years ago.
@@395leandro Yep, aren't our brains fun? As soon as you have some down time, "hey, let's remember, in graphic detail, every mistake you've ever made in your life!”
When someone says " huh?" The perspective of westerners: "Oh they didn't hear me I'll be a little more clear." The perspective of someone from Japan: *Haru is wondering why you just declared war on him*
In anglophones countries maybe it’s not offensive. Like in both my mother tongues this “huh” or “hä” or “hein” tend to be very very casual and mean more like “wtf” or “what is that BS?” So these are things I avoid saying even in front of my husband...
Great video! I have never seen another list that mentioned this stuff. The difference in the meaning of "Huh" is especially interesting, and such a way for misunderstandings to happen. Thanks for the video :)
0:45 "Like say if I went to Italy" "They're not gonna come up to me and confront me if I mess up eating pizza properly right? I hope not" Oh they will, they will... *Triggers in Italian*
Minoru-san is the kind of person who gets really mad if people don't line up properly at train stations, but as soon as the train doors open he's gonna rudely push past everyone in front of him in lightning speed and take a leap through half of the train to get to the last free seat (and then he coincidentally falls asleep everytime a pregnant woman or elderly person enters the train, so he doesn't have to give up his seat).
I really appreciate how you explained these tips, and how they're not the basic things you hear on every other channel! I had no idea about the "Huh?" thing, and I also didn't know about the weird salarymen. Thank you!
Oh my God. hahaha. This has easily become one of my favorite channels, and this is only my second video. I saw your 8 Things to Know Before Moving to Japan video, and it was amazing information, and very well delivered. This video has also been incredible, and I appreciate the effort you put into these videos, しゅんーさん。You certainly have my viewership!
People tell me a lot that they can never tell if I'm serious or not. That's the point. It's so convenient. You can say (and mean) nasty or controverse things and everyone thinks you're joking. ^^
If I went to Japan I would really wanna go with someone like you man. You know American standards and Japanese culture which would make it ideal for an easy & fun visit.
this rules can still apply online when speaking to japanese users. especially the one about sarcasm. So many people just don't understand that when commenting on japanese content online and might end up unintentionally offending someone. Heck even amongst fellow english speakers sarcasm doesn't translate well into text.
@@twxx460_ You see the point of Sarcasm is to be Subtle, what you did kinda opposite for me Cause I just've Giggled reading that but I appreciate your Humor
this is quite a useful video. being able to speak some japanese now when someone says "huh" to me it is quite annoying to me now. lol I get in trouble all the time trying to make sarcastic jokes in japanese! ive never met a yakuza person in my time in Japan or if I did I didn't know it. this is the best list of what not to do in Japan I have encountered thanks for this!
Watch a Japanese drama or two. You will see it with other groups. Mothers and grandmothers can do it, too. Usually it is people in a high ranking position of power such as matriarch or head of a family or a boss/manager/supervisor. Age is a factor, too.
Wow, that was the most helpful thing I have ever heard about behaving in Japan, and well spoken. Having had several Japanese friends here in the USA it all makes total sense. I always noticed they were more observant of their surroundings for social cues and I had already decided if I ever get a chance to go to Japan that's how I would behave. The huh? thing caught me by surprise and it's good to understand it. Both your "sarcastic" remark and "Male Karens" thing had me laughing so hard. Thanks for such a great video.
You’re sarcasm wasn’t bad, actually. At least you grasped the concept in the amount of time you’ve lived here. There are people born here that never get it. BTW, as a photographer, that photo at the end is a great shot 👏🏾
I have a mother-in-law who hates sarcasm and thinks it’s people just being rude assholes making and excuse to be a rude asshole. Which to me, tells me she has zero idea what sarcasm is. Especially since I have heard her use it herself, but she is also a hypocrite from hell, so... Yeah. Her and I don’t get along at all. Since I am a sarcastic person. So much so I didn’t realize how bad I was that a co-worker bought me a sign cause when they saw it, it instantly made them think of me. Which it stated “National Sarcasm Society. Like we need your support.” I have since toned back my sarcasm cause I have noticed, it’s about 50/50 if people get it or not. A lot of people either take what you say literally or think you are being rude. :/
This is actually so helpful as I'm desperate to visit Japan when all of this is over! Sarcasm and 'huh' are both common in my vocabulary so I'm going to have to try extra hard with those lol. Thanks for sharing this! 🙌🏻
I hope you're at least learning some basic Japanese or can already speak proficiently because the level of English in Japan is really low. I still don't know why there aren't earphones or glasses that auto-translate speech into text or voice. Crap...Google is going to steal my idea now. I give it 2 years.
yea I have to admit that is true. Especially if you are from China or Korea, you might not be able to use the free pass unless you talk since a lot of people would just assume you're Japanese based on your look...
@@lucasasano7020 I have limited experience, but I did have an American friend of Japanese descent who couldn't speak a word of Japanese get yelled at by an old lady who refused to believe it that she wasn't understood. That was a while ago and just one example in a kind of rural area though.
"mess up" means make a mistake, like "screw up", "f*ck up", etc "mess with" means to have an interaction (possibly a bad one) with someone It's awkward to say "Apparently a lot of people think you can't mess up with Yakuza people" because this really means "... you can't screw up with Yakuza people" -- as if you were working for them or something or doing a job for them. Just use "can't mess with Yakuza people" In short, use "mess up" when you are politely saying "f*ck up" Also, thanks for the info about sarcasm! I had heard of this but so helpful that you explained it!
@@autodefenestrate608 not really, to "mess up with someone" would mean you did a job wrong or a task wrong. It's not a phrase that's used often tbh. However, to "mess with someone" means you're irritating or provoking them. It's kinda similar, but I think the term "mess with" makes more sense in this video.
Funny enough, I'm a Hungarian living in the UK and I had quite a lot of awkward situations because we didn't understand each other's jokes with the Britons. 😄 After 9 years I'm trained and I'm training them too. I'd love to visit Japan one day! Ganbatte kudasai! XX
@@toffeelatte6042 bc most of us has low selfesteem and are very envy to see others take a step further to live in a foreign country and start a new life while we are stuck here in our shitty lifes and arent brave enough to move? Im Hugarian and I love all cultures. Im a member of at least 3 penpal sites and have ,,online friendships,, from around the world, some of them we met in real life too so I just can say what I think is the reason for most of them. But here are pretty nice ppl too who are more open to other cultures nowadays and very welcome others.
Yo the stern face in the thumbnail already making me feel like I'm doing something wrong 😂 Anyway thanks for the advice Shun! It's a lot better than anyone just researching online, so much inaccurate information out there!
I have been jumping through your videos because 1 I highly enjoy the content and 2 your voice is so nice to listen to! Are you maybe planning on doing a podcast one day? But what I noticed in this video especially: Your English was always good but man the practice is really showing here. Your pronunciation has improved a lot from your older videos! (I hope this doesn't come across as rude, I am genuinely amazed by your progress and love your content)
I love that he put subtitles i love putting video in fast forward but since we all have different accent and english is my second language this made it very useful for me
omg “middle aged salary men”.... I was on a train to Shin-Osaka a few years ago, standing RIGHT at the back of the train (I do this as I never want to be in the way)... train was PACKED as it was rush hour too. THEN some old guy in a suit got on the train, about 5 metres away from me (the train is SILENT too as everyone was behaving well) and this guy looks directly at me (i’m 186cm so I literally stood out) and started shouting/ ranting SO MUCH! I had no idea what he said but it was clearly directed at me and everyone just didnt move and some people did look at me and bow their head slightly - which I think meant almost like a “sorry this happening to you”? It was so bizarre, I will never forget! BUT I love Japan so much, I cant wait to go back! My favourite city is Osaka for many, many reasons... biggest one being Universal Studios! A special mention to a Tori Karaage place in-between Shinsaibashi and Osaka Castle that is the best chicken I ever tasted (if you walk). PS I always stay “Dorm Hostel” in Osaka because its the cutest place and the staff I LOVE 🥰
"Dont say 'huh?' say 'eh?' "
Me (a Canadian): my time has come
Ditto.
LOL TRUE i always say eh its rare if i say huh
wait do Canadian people say eh? ???
didn't know!!
@@SHUNchanjp also mexican people :D
@@SHUNchanjp they do. But, not in response to “huh.” They kind of just... say it at the end of their sentence. It’s sort of like saying, “you know?”
-"Don't expect Japanese people to understand sarcasm."
- Huh?!
😂😂😂
Japan wants to know your location
"I don't know if your are being serious or not"
MADE-MY-DAY!!! THANKS!
omae wa mou shindeiru *NANI*
“Be quiet on the train.”
“THAT’S RIGHT!!!!!”
😂😂🤣
Even when having an emotional breakdown he cannot deny good manners 😂😂
this is so interesting! I've never heard people talk about the 'huh' thing but that feels like extremely useful knowledge so thank you XD
It makes sense to me. What they’re really saying is は？ Which can be like “What? Seriously?” I see it a lot watching Japanese media
Same here, I've never heard this before. I say "huh" a LOT, and not because I'm disinterested, but because I tend to get lost in though and I don't hear or understand what was said to me.
This is one of those unwritten rules that will save your bacon. Navajo Indians NEVER name their dead, and asking them how they are is a personal question which requires a serious answer. And no one mentions this to you until you put your foot in it.
@@Krieghandt wait what happened ?
@@HyperLuigi37 *はっ
Living in Japan as a foreigner thank you for not continuing to make poor tourists scared out of their mind that they’re going to offend people somehow! Also I agree the salary man is the most frightening creature you’ll ever meet.
how is it
Can you not deal with them the way we deal with Karens here in the US? I take public transportation in rougher areas all the time, seen plenty of conflict erupt, and usually for their type a "fuck off before you start something you can't finish, old man" would suffice
@@wicked_switch The problem with that approach is that assaulting a Japanese citizen is a one-way ticket to deportation, so threats of violence aren't going to get you very far unless you're willing to put everything on the line.
The best is just to pretend you can't understand, and make some good-natured bad-Japanese apologies. These guys really are cunts, though. Their lives have been stolen from them by an evil industry, and they want to the world to pay for it. (I can't blame them. Poor bastards. Free the salarymen!)
@@dogchaser520 i think deportation is the least of your worries if you start shit there
@@wicked_switch yes, in NYC, a guy screaming like that would get a "shut the fuck up" from the crowd. Probably get pushed out the train at the next station too, especially if they were by the door like that guy.
Its good to know that Japan has its own version of Karens... they're just lonely Old men that frequent the trains while drunk after work. LOL
You've armed me with dangerous knowledge. Now I know the perfect way to piss off a middle aged salary-man!
Huh?
@@PinHeadSupliciumwtf That will be answered by Godzilla popping out of the business suit
Nanni??
@@PinHeadSupliciumwtf Nandato ???????
"Be quiet on the train"
"THAT'S RIGHT"
**confused**
Pissed myself 😂
I lol'd so hard. XD
@@DarkLadyJade OMG I would be wheezing from laughter, like what the heck was his problem?
@@zaarkhananal7165 😂😂😂😂
LOL confused drunk guy just got a UNO reverse card by his own words.
As an English teacher I really appreciate you included the "huh" discussion. Those little verbal or gestural pitfalls can really create a problem when the person had no intention of rudeness or bad manners. Most places won't bother to teach them and the poor student winds up in trouble.
Huh?
I just tried to remember when "huh" comes up in anime and it makes a lot of sense that you say that
Right. I read more manga and I was sitting here remembering what I read last night and then every other time they said “huh” which was usually done by either the thug though looking guy or when someone said something to them that was outrageous. I thought it was being used more for comedic purpose. Guess not. xD
True, they usually said "yes?" Or start with "i'm sorry i didn't catch that.."
More like ehhh
Now that you mention it, that makes so much sense, gonna enjoy anime more now 😂
I noticed the characters that say "Huh?" are generally the blunt ones or the "secondary yankees"
the man screaming "THAT'S RIGHT!" on the train is my new favourite thing of 2020. hands down!
😂😂😂😂
Yup hands down thumbs up
Do any of you guys have link to original video, it was too funny LOL
@@Frankie1603 yeah here it is
th-cam.com/video/ub82Xb1C8os/w-d-xo.html
SOYAKUYA(????????????)
I have an uncle who is almost deaf. Now I understand why he returned from Japan all bruised up.
oy!!
Oh, that was sarcasm. Sorry, I missed that.
Huh?
😂😂
💀
so yakuza are "don't bother them and they won't bother you" while salary man is "they WILL bother you and you can't do a damn thing about it"
ironic
I kinda need a Minoru-san freakout compilation now
th-cam.com/video/mr-svoIqpu4/w-d-xo.html Here is one of it but in Japanese
@@alfredngu6148 omg thank you! 😂
@@alfredngu6148 You are a hero
ONEGAISHIMASU!!!
I was gonna ask the same thing XD
I'm going on exchange to Japan in the fall, and this video was super interesting and informative! I love how you didn't just reiterate the same things literally every other J-vlogger/JP youtuber has made a video about.
I never expected to find Japanese karens while clicking this video
Yeah. That was a brilliant analogy. Loved it.
Could u explain what is or who is karen?
@@lindab2672 A "Karen" is an entitled white woman who thinks what she wants is the most important thing in the world. All those videos of white women calling the police because a black person looked at them or said something they don't like? Those are Karens. The women screaming in the stores because they don't want to wear masks? Those are Karens. It's a little unfair to all the women NAMED Karen who are perfectly nice, but that's the internet for you. :)
@@Serai3 I got a story about a Karen:
I'm at work, and she comes up to my register wanting to exchange an item. She had no receipt, she paid cash, the whole nine. So I immediately called my manager, knowing it was her decision to make. So she comes to the register, then the lady immediately says, "I'm not one of those....and my name is actually Karen." WHEN I TELL YOU I LAUGHED SO HARD WHEN SHE SAID THAT!!!
She was actually a really nice lady too.
I thought Karens happened to be in Western areas but I didn't expect Japan to have these...male equivalent ones in theirs.
When I think of "huh" being bad I think of all those tough ass anime characters saying huh lol, you learn something new every day
Beware of anime character speech. If someone is an even remotely tough dude, you can be almost sure his speech style will sound rude if you copy it in real life. Japanese Man Yuta has some great videos on how anime characters sound.
Sameee 😂 Those gangster anime characters go like "Huhh??"
thats exactly what came into my mind 😂 "huuuh??"
Omae and Anata also are pretty rude apparently and as a whole people have told me to just memorize names as best as you can, and stick to using them rather than any He-She-They-You equivalents. Someone also told me if you are a foreigner in japan that is bad at memorizing names (Like me, I'm better with faces) to ask for the pronunciation if you forget rather than the name itself. It makes it seem like you remembered their name but it was hard for you to pronounce as a foreigner, so it makes it seem a lot less rude. These are moments where gaijin pass comes in handy.
@@saniharuo That is a great tip!
I just finished my first trip to japan, when going through customs i said "huh" and the young man at the counter started apologizing profusely. He was very kind and i couldn't understand what i did. after this video it's all coming together. I hope he knows I was just being a little naive and that he did a fantastic job letting me into your wonderful country.
Minoru-san:
- "male equivalent of Karen"
- "worst behaving creatures in Japan"
- "especially on the trains . . . their habitat"
Hilarious descriptions! xD
kareeen..
what would happen if you replied "huh?" to them?
@@thatguy52 oh _nO_
Now I'm imaging a gang of middle age salary man roaming the trains, armed with stuff form the office?
Yes, I dealt with those types.
Shun, your eyebrows are looking extraordinarily _crisp_ today. **chef's kiss** Thank you for the video
He looks amazing XD
I guess I wasn't the only one who couldn't stop staring at them.
Yummy isn't it?
Super cute guy
I was just thinking that "damn his eyebrows look good"
I loved this video! im probably going to study abroad in Japan this Spring so it was supper interesting to me.
“because you have such a strong emotional connection to the sound “piss”.” I SCREAMED
Again, that was a brilliant explanation of a cultural parallel that underscores the point.
Japanese guy pokes at strangers belly and points out that he is tubby - no one bats an eye
Some one says "huh?" - OH YOU WANNA FIGHT?
Just say huh? if you're being poked
lmaoooooooo
I have a friend who moved to Japan and lives there now (married a lovely Japanese woman) who said Japanese people are not afraid to tell you if you are getting fat 😂
This "huh" that in romaji is like "haa" is such a horrible cultural clash word. Also if your neck muscles are stiff don't tilt your neck to try to relax them, especially if someone is talking to you because they also interpret this the same way. There are many more traps in Japanese culture so the so called "gaijin" pass is a double edged sword... Oh also you cannot point at things/people with a single finger, you have to use the entire palm, yet another cultural trap. Its a minefield, let me tell you...
You talking about Chris Broad?
I love how you explain things. The cultural differences are fascinating. Keep up the great videos.
When I was in Kyoto I went to a bath house for the first time. There were three Heavily tattooed guys sitting together. When I walked in they looked at my sleeve tattoo and gave me really threatening look. I just smiled and gave a little wave. One of them smirked and they stopped looking at me. When I left, I got into a cab and I told the cab driver about what had happened. Turns out he used to be Yakuza in his youth but quit after some jail time. He was super friendly.
Maybe smiling is the yakuza equivalent of submission? Anyway, it's always a good first plan to try, people tend to want to kill you less when you are being really friendly to them. Next plan is running but I run slow so I usually have to go with fighting after that unless they are really slow themselves. ;-P
What I got from this video
Yakuza: good
Middle aged men: bad
The way he described the middle age man sounds like a lot of us Americans. We need to do better.
what if it's a middle aged yakuza?
I mean if you want to buy weed in Japan they're the guys to hook you up. Just expect it to be way more expensive than in the US.
For any Japanese people reading this and don't understand... this is sarcasm.
Huh?
Had a weird experience when I went to Japan. I'm pretty covered in tattoos, so everywhere I went in public , I had a 3 foot bubble around me. I found it funny to see Japanese intentionally avoiding me, worked out for me on the trains because I ALWAYS got a seat.
Huh?
"my grandma died..."
huh??
I don’t know why this actually made me laugh out loud 😂
@default cupoutersy let me clear this
Japanese friends: my Grandma died.......
Me: Huh?
"Don't use sarcasm."
* cancels tickets and reservations*
That's it, I can't go to Japan after all.
No wonder George Carlin never caught on in Japan
All I know is sarcasm. I am Mexican American and mexicans also have a high use of sarcasm so every other sentence i say is sarcastic. It even annoys my wife. Good thing I dont know Japanese
@@eab576 I am Brazilian and my interactions with my fiancée are 80% sarcasm. I think if a Japanese person saw us they would think we were the most abusive couple in the world 😂
“Did you get punched in the face?!” - he says when I put on black eyeshadow.
“Did you rub your face on the asphalt?” - I say when he shaves his beard.
And we both laugh.
Also, my “romantic nickname” is “ogre”.
I still have to find one for him though lol
I had the same thought. How am I supposed to communicate without sarcasm?!
@@Fernandanatac my husband and I are the same way 😂 People who don't know us would be very confused. If you don't pick on your spouse, do you even love them? The day he stops making jokes or picking on me, will be the day I know our marriage is over.
Dude, the cardboard TH-cam award is the type of energy I am talking about, You will GET that award.
I like how the TH-cam award in the background is actually just cardboard.
Omg I've watched a couple of his videos and have started to notice that. He needs more subs. So get can get the plac
Law of Attraction... :)
Not u exposing him
wow 1 year later he actually got a silver button! law of attraction indeed XD
Cardboard play button confirmed??
I've watched a lot of videos about the do's and don't when visiting Japan...but these three tips I have _never_ heard before, and they are good ones! Thank you!
Holy duck, Shun, I'm REALLY a "huh?" person 24/7 and I'm soon to travel to Japan. I think you've saved a life bro.
PD: Never heard of these advices in other channels. Thanks!
I once told my friend from UK not to use the word "oi" in Japan. For him, it's just "hi". In Japan, it's a very rude way to get someone's attention.
Tbh, “oi” offends me and I’m from the UK
When i was 12 i went to Japan and at the airport i had to use the toilet. I didnt notice there were a line of 3 people queuing and so i headed straight to the door. Suddenly i heard 2 middle aged women shouting 'oi!oi!' And tried to tell me to que. I was soo shocked about it because in Malaysia we dont use 'oi' too (it's considered rude too😂). I was soo scared as a kid but thought that it's normal there lolol.
oi means hi in portuguese
Nah, it's rude in the UK, too. Your friend is just a rude person lol
Me (an Aussie) saying "O c**t" to my friends and its totally normal and means you are good mates hahaha
Nice video! It was really interesting to hear about the various situations. Thank you for the video. 😊
When i started at my first job here in Japan I was in a very international environment but there was a lot of japanese people as well, when I didn’t heard them I usually used the “huh?” until I realized that immediately after I said so to a japanese co-worker she went sooo mad, and I was completely confused, she went mad even tho we were almost friends by the time so it is quite a strong and offensive “word”, this video would have helped me a lot back then haha
but your comment is helping people so thank YOU for sharing your experience and supporting my point!
tbf, I kinda feel that regardless of which culture you belong to, if you work with international co-workers, you should know the basics such as "huh is not offensive for foreigners"
@@anonyman2141 even if it may not be "offensive" for most other foreigners, it is usually considered a bit rude and improper outside of the U.S. it's also pretty illogical for you to expect other people to be familiar with YOUR customs when you are visiting THEIR country...
@@adf1656
My point was that it's odd specifically because it is their job to interact with foreigners, in any other case there would indeed be no reason for this co-worker not to be shocked. Other than that, I certainly agree that one should try to know as much about local customs as possible before visiting, be it for work or tourism
Karen: cAn I sPeAk To YoUr MaNaGeR
Minoru-san: _hUH?_
sOu DayOuNe?!?!
Well done.
Honestly would love to witness an argument between the two
The ultimate boss battle.
+1
I like that someone who actually knows about Japan is giving advice
"Because you have such a strong emotional connection to the sound 'piss'."
-Shun 2020.
Put this on a tshirt and sell it as merch ASAP, Shun!
@@ForbiddenFish Lol.
i mean, i'd be lying if i said i hadn't laughed the first time i saw calpis reffered to as calpis instead of calpico. it's popular where i live but the bottles always say calpico (if they're in english) and then have small text on the back that says calpis.
@@evie5375 We don't have many drinks in Sri Lanka.
Getting your sarcasm to such a high level that your friends can’t tell if your joking or not is the goal. Seriously, so much fun.
After living in Japan for over a year now, I'm more worried about running into someone from NHK than I am running into the Yakuza....
"sorry, I don't speak Japanese" apparently works. Even my Japanese friends use it, lol
There’s a great book called 1Q84 where one of the characters’ fathers was an NHK bill collector, and he’d use all sorts of threats and guilt-tripping, in addition to dragging his son along as a cute tool of manipulation, to get people to pay. If I remember correctly, there’s a later scene where another character is being threatened by a cult, so she’s hiding in an apartment under a false identity, but an NHK collector (or something posing as one) disturbs her by playing that same game.
Do you mean the TV channel NHK?
yea they are a lot more scary at this point
@@herpdederp6186 And if anyone questions your Japanese friends, tell them to respond "que" and look confused.
Note: 'mess up' means 'make a mistake,' and 'mess with' means 'get involved in' (negatively, like a fight)
4 items I had not heard of before, Thank you. Very interesting to hear these things.
When I first visited Japan, I didn't realise that you could reserve a table in a fast food restaurant by leaving a small piece of fabric on the table. I thought someone had left their child's bib behind, and I just gave it back to the woman when she came back to the table. She was too polite to even correct me, so she just left with her food. I ruined her day and I will never live down the shame of being an ignorant gaijin. 😭
Hmm... To be fair I would think the same lol... Like a forgotten item~ I mean I've heard of wallets or bags being left on purpose but not bibs~
omg poor you!! I hope you recover some day
@@yukasketch was that sarcasm? Cuz thats sounded like it was 🙄
That's the type of thing that I would do as well, and also I would probably live in the same sort of shame. I still feel embarrassed when I remember stuff I did over ten years ago.
@@395leandro Yep, aren't our brains fun? As soon as you have some down time, "hey, let's remember, in graphic detail, every mistake you've ever made in your life!”
When someone says " huh?"
The perspective of westerners: "Oh they didn't hear me I'll be a little more clear."
The perspective of someone from Japan: *Haru is wondering why you just declared war on him*
...haru?
Hahahahahahah
Yuu hav dishoronor mai famiri
You mean haru from super lovers???????
In anglophones countries maybe it’s not offensive. Like in both my mother tongues this “huh” or “hä” or “hein” tend to be very very casual and mean more like “wtf” or “what is that BS?”
So these are things I avoid saying even in front of my husband...
Great video! I have never seen another list that mentioned this stuff. The difference in the meaning of "Huh" is especially interesting, and such a way for misunderstandings to happen. Thanks for the video :)
0:45
"Like say if I went to Italy"
"They're not gonna come up to me and confront me if I mess up eating pizza properly right? I hope not"
Oh they will, they will... *Triggers in Italian*
They will use Sarcasm. It's super effective!
How about if you go to New York and they see you eat your pizza with a knife and fork?
From my experience and frequent talks with my Italian co-worker, I can only assume that they would get highly emotional.
How do you eat pizza wrong?
Edit: I take it back. Since writing this, I’ve seen three people put ketchup on their pizza. That is wrong. Very wrong.
@@julesis-dead6751 you can eat it with fork and knife or with your hands...
Loved this video! Altho I have seen multiple "don't do x in Japan", All the mentions here were new to me.
i loooove your channel! i stumbled across one of your videos and here i am watching the rest of your contents! 🙌🏼
Minoru-san is the kind of person who gets really mad if people don't line up properly at train stations, but as soon as the train doors open he's gonna rudely push past everyone in front of him in lightning speed and take a leap through half of the train to get to the last free seat (and then he coincidentally falls asleep everytime a pregnant woman or elderly person enters the train, so he doesn't have to give up his seat).
so basically a very bad person, wow
As an American, l would to thank you for saying what "huh?" means in Japan. I didn't know that, thank you.
NON DESE ?
HON TO
I really appreciate how you explained these tips, and how they're not the basic things you hear on every other channel! I had no idea about the "Huh?" thing, and I also didn't know about the weird salarymen. Thank you!
As a British person Sarcasm is pretty much my whole identity....Japan is going to be tough
Can we please talk about Shun's eyebrows? they are looking on point!
He’s got the eyebrow fade
They are !!!
omg why was I looking at his eyebrows through the whole video lmao.
I never thought I would ever hear the words "strong emotional connection" and "piss" in the same sentence
xD
"...Don't expect Japanese people to understand sarcasm."
Me who speaks in 95% sarcasm: Help (;﹏;)
Yep, like I won't be in ANY trouble at ALL if I go there! ;-P
I'm fluent in sarcasm and studied in Japan for a semester. I can confirm sarcasm is a no-no
Same.........sad
Help you say. I can't tell if someone is pointing a gun on your head that you're asking for help, or you're just being sarcastic
Oh my Gosh your so smart, you wont be able to talk to them!
" 1: Don't say huh"
Me, who uses that sound 70% of the time: *sad noises*
*sad huh noises*
Oh my God. hahaha. This has easily become one of my favorite channels, and this is only my second video. I saw your 8 Things to Know Before Moving to Japan video, and it was amazing information, and very well delivered. This video has also been incredible, and I appreciate the effort you put into these videos, しゅんーさん。You certainly have my viewership!
thing is with the “I can’t tell if ur being serious or not” can also be sarcastic sometimes. so good luck ig 😭
People tell me a lot that they can never tell if I'm serious or not. That's the point. It's so convenient. You can say (and mean) nasty or controverse things and everyone thinks you're joking. ^^
For Japanese people I recommend them to watch black sitcom, they’ll understand a lot after it
“Don’t be sarcastic” me: basically chandler bing level of sarcastic all day and sarcasm being the base of my humour
Saaaaame
If I went to Japan I would really wanna go with someone like you man. You know American standards and Japanese culture which would make it ideal for an easy & fun visit.
"Don't expect Japanese people to understand sarcasm."
Me: *Thinks about Tsukishima Kei from Haikyuu*
Or Kazuma Sato from Konosuba lol
Yes exactly! 😂
BRUHH
I was literally thinking about tsuki when he mentioned that😂😂
Haha. True!
* me who probably will never go overseas *
Why Am I watching this lol
either way Nice Attempt on that Sarcasm, I laugh at 1st rewind
this rules can still apply online when speaking to japanese users. especially the one about sarcasm. So many people just don't understand that when commenting on japanese content online and might end up unintentionally offending someone. Heck even amongst fellow english speakers sarcasm doesn't translate well into text.
@@JadeMythriil Heh, Someone who understands that Sarcasm doesn't work in Text, truly you're a gentle-person of Literature
@@JadeMythriil I'm serious tho, just FYI
@@GaryHamad yEaH SaRcAsM dOeSn’T wOrK oVeR tExT
@@twxx460_ You see the point of Sarcasm is to be Subtle, what you did kinda opposite for me Cause I just've Giggled reading that
but I appreciate your Humor
this is quite a useful video. being able to speak some japanese now when someone says "huh" to me it is quite annoying to me now. lol I get in trouble all the time trying to make sarcastic jokes in japanese! ive never met a yakuza person in my time in Japan or if I did I didn't know it. this is the best list of what not to do in Japan I have encountered thanks for this!
"...I can't tell if you're serious or not.' is sometimes, in itself, a joke when responding to a joke.
English is dumb
Minoru-san is the only Japanese I've seen who screams like an anime character.
heh?
the only Japanese?
Watch a Japanese drama or two. You will see it with other groups. Mothers and grandmothers can do it, too. Usually it is people in a high ranking position of power such as matriarch or head of a family or a boss/manager/supervisor. Age is a factor, too.
Wow, that was the most helpful thing I have ever heard about behaving in Japan, and well spoken. Having had several Japanese friends here in the USA it all makes total sense. I always noticed they were more observant of their surroundings for social cues and I had already decided if I ever get a chance to go to Japan that's how I would behave. The huh? thing caught me by surprise and it's good to understand it. Both your "sarcastic" remark and "Male Karens" thing had me laughing so hard. Thanks for such a great video.
Minoru-san: *exists*
Karens: Finally! A worthy opponent!
Get this man to one million
your videos are informative, straightforward n enjoyable. thanks n keep it up!
Yakuza man: "something in Japanese"
Me: "huh?"
Everyone around us: th-cam.com/video/VKMw2it8dQY/w-d-xo.html
lol
You made my day!!!
PS: no need to worry, Jiraiya sensei is going to come to your aid 🤣😛
Lmao
I like that you covered not so typical kind of "things not to do in Japan", such a fresh air!
Great content, really glad I discovered your channel.
I love how even in Japan they know what a Karen is 😂
karen has gone global. i do feel bad for nice people that were named Karen before this whole thing started.
Me too,lol!.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🤣😂🤣 - every country have their Karrens - natural habitat of our Karrens is the local store. 😁
As someone from eastern europe I know what a Karen is. We also have them sometimes.
@@incogninto1-1 Karens in Eastern Europe too?.I always thought that was an American thing,lol.🤣🤣🤣
-"Be quiet on the train"
"THAT'S RIGHT"
-Huh?!
You mean “eh”?
*Eh? (Fixed it for you)
@@the404error7 That’s the joke. He says huh to make him more angry
I’ve watched several videos like this one on different channels and none of them had any of the tips given here. Thanks for the insight, Shun.
01:28
Salaryman: **jumps in front of train**
SHUNchan fan: "When in Rome, I guess." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ **also jumps in front of train**
He will be rescued by an Italien just in time, then be told off for eating pizza wrong.
Do you think Italians will be mad if I eat pineapple pizza?
So you're telling me, that I can be a super hero by making suicidal people eat pizza the wrong way?
@@PentaSquares I think there will be a lot of people that'll be mad at you for eating pineapple on pizza. Myself notwithstanding
You’re sarcasm wasn’t bad, actually. At least you grasped the concept in the amount of time you’ve lived here. There are people born here that never get it.
BTW, as a photographer, that photo at the end is a great shot 👏🏾
I have a mother-in-law who hates sarcasm and thinks it’s people just being rude assholes making and excuse to be a rude asshole. Which to me, tells me she has zero idea what sarcasm is. Especially since I have heard her use it herself, but she is also a hypocrite from hell, so... Yeah. Her and I don’t get along at all. Since I am a sarcastic person. So much so I didn’t realize how bad I was that a co-worker bought me a sign cause when they saw it, it instantly made them think of me. Which it stated “National Sarcasm Society. Like we need your support.” I have since toned back my sarcasm cause I have noticed, it’s about 50/50 if people get it or not. A lot of people either take what you say literally or think you are being rude. :/
This was so helpful.
thank you so much!
This is actually so helpful as I'm desperate to visit Japan when all of this is over! Sarcasm and 'huh' are both common in my vocabulary so I'm going to have to try extra hard with those lol. Thanks for sharing this! 🙌🏻
I hope you're at least learning some basic Japanese or can already speak proficiently because the level of English in Japan is really low. I still don't know why there aren't earphones or glasses that auto-translate speech into text or voice. Crap...Google is going to steal my idea now. I give it 2 years.
The foreign pass is not applicable for Asian foreigners lol.
yea I have to admit that is true. Especially if you are from China or Korea, you might not be able to use the free pass unless you talk since a lot of people would just assume you're Japanese based on your look...
What about Asian people from Brazil?
@@SHUNchanjp, that's kinda brutal, even though all three of these countries are part of Asia.
@@lucasasano7020 I have limited experience, but I did have an American friend of Japanese descent who couldn't speak a word of Japanese get yelled at by an old lady who refused to believe it that she wasn't understood. That was a while ago and just one example in a kind of rural area though.
@@TheLorken Good to know and I'm sorry for what your friend been through :(. I'll remember to use earplugs when visiting rural areas :)
The best list I have ever seen! And I have seen a few over the years.
Omg I loled so hard at “male equivalent of Karen” !!! It’s so true!!!! Excellent video man!
"mess up" means make a mistake, like "screw up", "f*ck up", etc
"mess with" means to have an interaction (possibly a bad one) with someone
It's awkward to say "Apparently a lot of people think you can't mess up with Yakuza people" because this really means "... you can't screw up with Yakuza people" -- as if you were working for them or something or doing a job for them. Just use "can't mess with Yakuza people"
In short, use "mess up" when you are politely saying "f*ck up"
Also, thanks for the info about sarcasm! I had heard of this but so helpful that you explained it!
They are synonymous terms.
@@autodefenestrate608 not really, to "mess up with someone" would mean you did a job wrong or a task wrong. It's not a phrase that's used often tbh. However, to "mess with someone" means you're irritating or provoking them. It's kinda similar, but I think the term "mess with" makes more sense in this video.
i mean i felt it still fit lmao as in mess up your manners
Wow ! That was amazingly informative well done 👍
Funny enough, I'm a Hungarian living in the UK and I had quite a lot of awkward situations because we didn't understand each other's jokes with the Britons. 😄 After 9 years I'm trained and I'm training them too. I'd love to visit Japan one day! Ganbatte kudasai! XX
Magyar is also an agglutinating language, oddly enough.
why are hungarians very racist?
@@toffeelatte6042 bc most of us has low selfesteem and are very envy to see others take a step further to live in a foreign country and start a new life while we are stuck here in our shitty lifes and arent brave enough to move? Im Hugarian and I love all cultures. Im a member of at least 3 penpal sites and have ,,online friendships,, from around the world, some of them we met in real life too so I just can say what I think is the reason for most of them. But here are pretty nice ppl too who are more open to other cultures nowadays and very welcome others.
Yo the stern face in the thumbnail already making me feel like I'm doing something wrong 😂
Anyway thanks for the advice Shun! It's a lot better than anyone just researching online, so much inaccurate information out there!
I have been jumping through your videos because 1 I highly enjoy the content and 2 your voice is so nice to listen to! Are you maybe planning on doing a podcast one day? But what I noticed in this video especially: Your English was always good but man the practice is really showing here. Your pronunciation has improved a lot from your older videos! (I hope this doesn't come across as rude, I am genuinely amazed by your progress and love your content)
That Japanese man yelling scared my cat, she took off like a bullet 😂🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
When a foreigner says 'huh'.
Japanese person: is it like a personal attack or something?
Ew bri Larson
I love that he put subtitles i love putting video in fast forward but since we all have different accent and english is my second language this made it very useful for me
omg “middle aged salary men”.... I was on a train to Shin-Osaka a few years ago, standing RIGHT at the back of the train (I do this as I never want to be in the way)... train was PACKED as it was rush hour too.
THEN some old guy in a suit got on the train, about 5 metres away from me (the train is SILENT too as everyone was behaving well) and this guy looks directly at me (i’m 186cm so I literally stood out) and started shouting/ ranting SO MUCH! I had no idea what he said but it was clearly directed at me and everyone just didnt move and some people did look at me and bow their head slightly - which I think meant almost like a “sorry this happening to you”?
It was so bizarre, I will never forget! BUT I love Japan so much, I cant wait to go back! My favourite city is Osaka for many, many reasons... biggest one being Universal Studios! A special mention to a Tori Karaage place in-between Shinsaibashi and Osaka Castle that is the best chicken I ever tasted (if you walk).
PS I always stay “Dorm Hostel” in Osaka because its the cutest place and the staff I LOVE 🥰
I liked this
Come to think of it. Each time when I've encountered the "huh" sound in anime, it was before a fight (either verbal or physical)
Informative and interesting!. Thank you for sharing.
“huh” can also be pretty rude in english as well depending on your tone of voice. depending on the situation too, it can still be pretty rude.
@brandon Tru
I know, right?? It's sometimes the equivalent of "what did you just say (to me)??" or "excuuuuse me??"
I laughed so hard about the Japanese “Karen”. 😂
that guy on the train screaming was the funniest thing I've ever heard! LOL
@@allisonforfornsed ..if he was a yank, he'd then've pulled a gun and used stand your ground tto get away with murder.....
Awesome video. Thank you for this. Love your channel.
That filthy frank video really got to you huh? :P 1:29
Papa Franku
Huh! You wanna start a fight?
i like how he dissed logan paul for the sucide incident😆😆
Thank You! About many of those things I have never heard about :o . Useful video :)