Mistakes we made in Japan 日本での失敗談
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ย. 2015
- ★Cat Merch! crowdmade.com/collections/jun...
- Kelly and I talk about some of the dumb things we've done in Japan. Train, toilet, language mistakes... many much mistakes.
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Music - "East Side Bar" by Josh Woodward. Free download: joshwoodward.com/song/EastSideBar
You don't know "embarrassing in Japan" until you teach pretty much a full class of baby & mama class telling all the kids in the class (with Mom's present) to さわってください instead of すわってください。That's right. I told all the children, all class, who stared at me blankly to "touch me please" instead of "sit down please". And I would've kept doing it if one of the Mom's hadn't corrected my shitty Japanense.
lol thank you for sharing, it put a smile on my face and made my day. Also because of that experience, it made you stronger so whatever happens to you from now on you nothing to worry about.
Jenn P my goodness I hope they were understanding and forgave you
im 3 years late but this is really funny 😂😂
I appreciate the impromptu Japanese lesson.
Much better than saying “shit down pls” instead “sit down pls” lol
I am Japanese. The Japanese does not make a fool of foreigners' mistakes. Because the country is different, it is natural that I do not understand, I would rather want to help thinking that it is cute or adorable. It is mostly Japanese comments. Japanese people are mostly always welcoming foreigners. I think that you will know when you come to Japan.
You don't do anything, but you're thinking it!
Im living with abroad students.And I feel often their lifestyle is very very difficult ,but I like them.In the future I want to go the 外国! 今英語を勉強してます!何か文章に不備があったらすいません(^^;
That restores faith in humanity for me.
tmjg dj I’m hoping to move there some day and I have a question. How hard is it for a foreigner to get an important job in Japan? I want to become a veterinarian there but I'm not sure how difficult it would be.
Exactly right. Most Japanese are happy to help if you are confused. Foreigners just need to simply swallow their pride and ask for help. (I get why a restroom problem might be difficult, but there really is no excuse for getting on multiple wrong trains).
Japanese people laugh in these situations not to be rude or gloat at your misfortune but by compassion to try to restore some harmony and make you feel better.
That is so nice O_O i just love their way of being although i dont agree with their work ethic which drives them to overworking death (karōshi)
@@AllahsServant12 you wouldn't know unless you're japanese or live in japan so don't assume, you don't knoa the culture!
That's so kind and sweet 💜
I would laugh at myself in these situations.
Copying peoples accents or catchphrases unconciously means you empathise with people. I remember Oprah Winfrey saying she has the same problem.
I DO THIS! (To a fault!) Sometimes I say things without realizing it or even understanding the actual meaning, I also sometimes accidentally pick up curse words! Gah. But it's great for learning new languages ^ = ^ mostly...
It's mimicking, I do it sometimes and how I text depends on the person lol
huh... i'm high empathic, and i have the problem that my accent automatically warps all the time around different people... for the two things to be related, that actually makes sense... O.o
Glad to know I'm not the only one.
I feel you!!! I am Japanese and I just came back from the States after 10yrs. Omg everything's so advanced I can't figure out a lot of things even though I do speak and read Japanese. I think being Japanese and having no idea about a lot of stuff is worse. For example, when I go to a supermarket and pay, they ask me to do things like pressing certain buttons. I understand what they are saying but I don't understand what it means. I have to ask what it is and they give me weird look. lol They think I know what to do just because I am Japanese. It's so embarrassing that I have to ask questions every time I do something I haven't done in 10yrs. They answer my questions but with the confused look on the face, "What do you mean you don't know?? Where have you been??"
Also, when I walk on the street and bump into someone, I can't help saying "excuse me" or "I'm sorry" instead of "sumimasen". This is very very embarrassing cuz I don't mean to say it in English.. I am afraid that people look at me like I am being a snob or something.
So I'm overly nervous whenever I go out by myself since I came back. lol
lol, that surely sounds like a fun experience. Japanese away from Japan for 10 years then back in - your mind is having double culture shock at the same time, plus it's confusing to others because they can't brush it off "oh, it's a foreigner" :D
I've had a similar experience, even though I am American and I live in the States, I've been studying Japanese and trying to understand the cultural mannerisms. I'll accidently "sumimasen" to someone or "arigato". I even greeted my mother in Japanese one morning after studying.
@@LilliaGreen7977"KonichiwaaiiiiiiIII mean hello."
Woww reversed culture shock XD I am Chinese but I grew up overseas. The same thing happened to me!! I can relate :D
It’s ok you can do it!! I’ve never been to japan but I want to go, and I’ve gotten in the habit of bowing when saying “excuse me” or “I’m sorry” and I’ve always been asked why I do it, I ask them the same every time “Why don’t you?” The looks on their faces are the best thing to see
"um...Google, how do i-err- flush my toilet?"
"Siri flush toilet" " im afraid i cannot do that" xDDDD
Don't worry Everyone makes mistakes x3 , like the time i got stuck in the girls bathroom...
+Einshine I need to hear this story!! plz
Rachel and Jun I guess we will never know 🤔
Mandy yeah.
Still waiting for that story
Einshine
Oh shit.....
Kelly's eyes are soooo pretty!
+Trilogy They look silver-ish and amazing
yes, her eyes are gorgeous, however the liner is throwing me off.
Trilogy they look scary
Her eyeliner...haven't seen anyone do it like that before
Agree, That liner is off, it drives me nuts lol
I'm pretty sure I have more stories haha we will have to make a part 2! haha
+Strawberry Mochi For sure!! :D
Rachel! You're mirroring, which is usually a good thing, we use it to create a bond and show that we understand, creating rapport. I do it to, I'm Swedish but I have a very high fluency in English and I've pretty much lost my old accent, I lived in London for a while so I have a British accent, until I speak to anyone with any other kind of accent 😆😆 I don't even notice it anymore! And with my Chinese friend, I actually get a Chinese accent on my Swedish sometimes... It's ridiculous and I have to be weary of it to, but it comes from a good ability to connect with people so I don't feel too bad about it, and I have the excuse of not being having a strong accent of my own 😝
It's same for me~
Since I'm also Swedish I don't have a particular accent (though it's mostly American. I have a very slight Swedish accent but it's really not that big), whenever I speak to friends from the U.K. Or any other country where they have an accent I will slowly pick it up and start speaking the same way they do.
It can be a bit embarrassing at times.
Like randomly switching from an American accent to a northern English one or something ~
+Michaela Lindgren
Yeah it's just a natural thing a social species like humans are inclined to do. One of the first things you'll learn looking into psychology. And with accents.. It's part of how people acquire fluency. People will lose their accent and it will come right back once they're around someone that has the same accent they originally had.
Pretty much everyone does it to some extent without even realizing.
It is common practice for humans to connect and create social bonds to mirror each other :) That's the main way babies and children learn and socialize. love your post!
+Fenrir Maybe it depends on the intent, if they are doing it to make fun. For us who have gotten to know Rachael for awhile, she is definitely not weak in character but exactly the opposite. I find that many people who are genuinely interested in others like Rachael who unconsciously slip into what you call mirroring is good. The person she is talking too will feel her sincerity and friendship and thats whats important. Your actually stating Rachael is pathetic but she is not.
***** wow, havent seen a hater/troll on her site for awhile. who dug you up?You called her pathetic but its ok because everyone knows here who the jealous pitiful creature is. last comment to you...too much attention for the troll,
I could totally relate to Rachel when she talked about copying people's laughs and accents. My dentist's assistant has a British accent and one time I needed to ask her where the bathroom was. She said, "It's the first door on the right" in her awesome accent, and I responded with "Ok, thank you" also with a British accent. I tried to play it cool and just walked into the bathroom where I then had a meltdown.
I was in a restroom with my sister (she's in a stall) and a GUY in a uniform suddenly entered and went in HER STALL.
Turns out my sister clicked the button that you're supposed to click when you're asking for help. We had a hard time explaining that she didn't know where the flush was.
That would be useful when a navy ship is visiting...”press her to receive a guy in uniform”
@D Z You'd be surprised in Japan, it's less of an issue. They have mixed gender hot springs where you chill naked there (though not as common as before). Now there are more separate onsens for women and men, but you still have to get in the hot spring naked with other peeps.
One of the biggest mistakes I made when I was in Japan was when I got off the bus, I thought you would pay cash and get your change but it was actually a machine to exchange dollars and coins and you could only pay with coins so I grabbed all the coins and put it in my pocket and walked off the bus halfway then the bus driver yelled at me. I felt very embarrassed because I'm half Japanese so I can't really have an excuse that I was a foreigner so either way I looked like a dumb citizen or a dumb foreigner 😭😂😂😂
困っている外国人を見て｢バカだなぁ｣って思う日本人は少ないと思います。むしろ、助けてあげたいけど、言葉が分からないからムズムズしている。
それマジでわかるわー
うん分かりました。時には、私はカリフォルニアの外国人（私がアメリカに住んでいるところ）を助けたいと思っていますが、私は彼らと話をする方法がわかりません。ありがたいことに、彼らはほとんど英語を少し知っていますし、チリからも来ているので完璧なスペイン語を知っていますが、それでも私は他の言語を学びたいと思っています。現在、私はイタリア語と日本語を学んでいます。 （私はGoogle翻訳を使用してこれを英語から日本語に翻訳していますので、私が言っていることがあまり意味をもたないのならごめんなさい）
Un wakarimashita. Tokiniha, watashi wa Kariforunia no gaikoku hito (watashi ga Amerika ni sunde iru tokoro) o tasuketai to omotte imasuga, watashi wa karera to hanashi o suru hōhō ga wakarimasen. Arigatai koto ni, karera wa hotondo eigo o sukoshi shitte imasushi, Chiri kara mo kite irunode kanpekina Supeingo o shitte imasuga, soredemo watashi wa hoka no gengo o manabitai to omotte imasu. Genzai, watashi wa Itaria-go to nihongo o manande imasu. (Watashi wa gūguru hon'yaku o shiyō shite kore o eigo kara nihongo ni hon'yaku shite imasunode, watashi ga itte iru koto ga amari imi o motanai nonara gomen'nasai)
English:
Yeah, I understand. Sometimes I want to help a foreigner in California (that's where I live in America) but I don't know how to talk to them. Thankfully, most of the time they know a little English, and I know perfect spanish too because I'm also from Chile, but I still want to learn other languages because of that. Currently, I am learning Italian and Japanese. (I used Google translate to translate this from English to Japanese, so I'm sorry if what I'm saying doesn't make much sence.)
@@Wayra_Ayelen 大丈夫だよー。だいたい、伝えたいこと伝わってるから！イタリア語と日本語の勉強頑張ってね！p(^-^)q
hello talkというアプリは語学を学ぶのに使えるよーがんばれー
@@yusd3093 Search Results
Translation Result
Thank you! I will look for the app. And yes, translate doesn't always translate exactly what you say, but it does convey the idea. Thank you, I hope you have a good day! Edit
ありがとうございました！私はアプリを探します。そして、はい、翻訳はあなたが言うことを常に正確に翻訳するとは限りませんが、その考えを伝えます。ありがとう、良い一日を！
Arigatōgozaimashita! Watashi wa apuri o sagashimasu. Soshite, wa i, hon'yaku wa anata ga iu koto o tsuneni seikaku ni hon'yaku suru to wa kagirimasenga, sono kangae o tsutaemasu. Arigatō, yoiichinichiwo!
U talking shit?
I hope japanese people are more understanding about foreigners at subway stations and stuff like that because obviously we are not used at all with this kind of things like fancy toilets and very confusing subway lines... And man... you even had to pay for the reserved ticket!!That's scary... o.o'
we do :-P
we find them very cute and interesting
地元の名鉄民として、普通に地元の友達とするあるある話をレイチェルがしてるってすごい面白い笑
★Subtitles!★
*English*
*Japanese*
*French* thanks to: AdrowoS & Chiara C. & Solène M
*Italian* thanks to: Scri Kerktesio
*Portuguese (Brazil)* thanks to: Lucas L & Mayara B. Reis
*Spanish (Latin America)* thanks to: Francisca Galleguillos
*Polish* thanks to: Aleksandra Kostrzewa
*Korean* thanks to: Quintalux
*German*
*Swedish* thanks to: sweeeper
*Dutch* thanks to: TheCrochetCritters
*Arabic* thanks to: Saku Ah
*Indonesian* thanks to: Agnes Budianto
*Chinese (Taiwan)*
*Arabic*
How to submit subtitles: rachelandjun.blogspot.com/2014/01/r-video-transcripts.html
+Rachel & Jun I start a little bit the subtitles of French but I don't have the time to finish it, Sorry :(
+AdrowoS thank you so much!! It's all helpful and I know it'll make it easier for other people who do French subtitles too!
+AdrowoS +Rachel & Jun I just see that you make French's subtitles. So, I made a little the sub' (I try to finish today). So I don't know if I have to make the rest of the sub' (.____.)
+Rachel & Jun Wooooow, finally done with my french subtitles, such a looong video !
+Rachel & Jun Italian subtitles done!
Thank you for your sharing time, you're sooo cute!
(I think my biggest mistake in Japan was when I tried - and I did it MANY times- to pay with credit card. Maybe in a market or in a store in the middle of nowhere, like in the middle of countryside in Shikoku or Kyushu.)
Hey Rachel,
I've completed the subtitles in Dutch. Someone had already translated the first three minutes (I've no idea who that was, but I don't want to take credit for something I didn't do) and I did the rest. I hope you find it helpful. If I come across any more videos without Dutch subtitles I'd love to help translate them, if I have the time to do so of course.
Keep up the good work!
Omg, Tokyo's metro system sounds complicated. I am planning a trip to Tokyo but now I am scared especially since I don't know Japanese.
+internetgirl100 It is kind of daunting at first, but you get used to it. If it makes you feel any better, if you ever get on the wrong train, you can just get off and immediately get on another train going back the way you came. As long as you don't leave the ticket gate, then you won't have to pay any extra fair.
Also, you can find train maps *and* station maps on the internet and in the stations themselves. (Really helpful for big places like Shinjuku station) *And* most stations have English labels in addition to Japanese.
It might not be an issue with metro trains, but do be careful about express/local trains. It sucks when you're already on a train going in the right direction and you realize that it isn't actually going to stop at your stop because it's an express train. :P There are signs on the platforms labeling them (the same sign with the timetables), but it can be easy to miss so you just have to make sure you're paying attention.
+internetgirl100 Dont be scared. It's actually fairly easy to navigate most of the time. They have English maps that you can carry and there are English maps posted everywhere in the train cars themselves. And they announce the next station both in advance and when you arrive in both Japanese and English. I only made one real mistake that I can remember and that was because two different destinations had almost the same name. I wouldnt worry at all. Just pay fairly close attention.
BTW, Tokyo sort of has 2 separate "subway" systems: the actual subway and the JR train line system. I actually used the JR trains more than the subway. They are comparable in price.
+internetgirl100 The maps make it look more scary than it really is. Tokyo is really good about having signage in both English and Japanese. I had a laminated subway map (I think it came with the Tokyo edition Lonely Planet book) that was really helpful for planning where to go. Once I got to the stations though, everything was pretty clearly marked.
You'll be fine! I'm in Tokyo right now, and before I came I was also quite nervous about how the Train System works as it looked and seemed complicated (I stayed up till 5AM one night when I was planning my trip just trying to figure out what was where and which places were nearest to each other so I would feel a bit more confident LOL) especially since I live in a city where there're no trains. However, once I got here, it was actually quite simple and easy! A lot of the subways/train stations have romaji/English under the Japanese so you'll be fine. It only took me about a day or two to get accustomed and confident about getting on a train without using a map/app to get around. If you're still a bit worried, I recommend using the app called "Japan Travel", it's very accurate. It shows you what Train/Line to use going where, and if need be, it also allows you to see all the stops that the train will be stopping at (so then, you can just count the stops if need be). :)
I know Japanese... I'm totally scared cause it sounds awful and complicated and just kowaii ,_,
Don’t worry guys... I’m Japanese and I still get confused with the toilets 🤦🏻♀️
日本人は
外国の人が間違っているのをみて
『何やってんだ』とか
否定的な目でみてませんよ
『間違ったのかな、かわいいな』とか
間違えるのはしょうがないって
思ってますよ
Microhorse い
"Japan" that's the first word you wrote! >:3
@@spaghettimomota5395 Nope, the first word he/she wrote is Japanese people
@@baptiste9114 yeah, back then i was still new to the japanese writings, i almost forgot i even wrote this comment now looking back at this it is actually embarrassing, however thank you for correcting me
@@spaghettimomota5395 It's okay, everyone makes mistakes ^_^
I've never been to Japan but I really want to! I've met many Japanese people and all of them were amazing but one time, I was in this supermarket where you could only buy Japanese foods/books. When I paid for what I brought, the woman said "arigatou gozaimasu" so I (without thinking about it) responded "arigatou gozaimasu" in the exact same way she said it. I now felt so embarrassed because I didn't realize that I mimicked her. :( Oh well, everyone makes mistakes! ^^
Even we Japanese do same mistakes.
@Adam Chlebovec oh my gawd. Go away.
@Adam Chlebovec Savage
日本人は海外の人が変なことをしていてもバカにはしませんよ。
何をやってるんだろうと思ったりすることはありますが(笑)
こうするのが正しいんだと思っていてもそれを英語で伝えることができないので見ているだけになってしまったりします。
相手が日本人でも基本的に見て見ぬ振りだよ。
まあ人畜無害そうなおばあさんとかなら教えてあげるけど、怖そうなおっさんだったら絶対スルー。
若い女性も変態オヤジ扱いされそうなのでスルー、子供も怪しまれるからスルー、外人も怖いからやっぱりスルーw
もちろん聞かれたら喜んで教えるけど、多くの場合はリスク感情が先に来て積極的に親切にする勇気が出ない、特に男性はリスクが高い、これが日本人の多数派と思う
Kelly! th-cam.com/users/strawberrymochi
We tell stories about the dumb things we've done in Japan. @_@ And there's plenty more of it, too.
+Rachel & Jun So, the main points are: 1.) Be sure to learn all Kanji pertaining to toilets or at least have a cheat sheet prepared BEFORE entering the bathroom and 2.) Study the train map like you are studying for a huge college entrance exam BEFORE you get to the train station. Got it! Thanks for sharing, guys, and keep the collab videos coming! It's fun seeing you guys interacting with other TH-camrs and introducing us to their channels. :)
+Rachel & Jun Lol. This was very amusing. I have my own amusing bathroom story. It's not something I did in a foreign country, but on my college campus, some of the buildings are designed really confusing. I' talking about rooms inside rooms, hallways inside hallways with rooms 100-110 that have hallways 140-155A, huge rooms that you can only enter from 1 door, and everything you can imagine that would make a building confusing. Well in this one confusing building, I went to the bathroom before my class. I've never been on this level before, and this bathroom was long with two doors. I unfortunately decided to exit on the opposite side thinking I would end up in another part of the hallway. Well my sense of direction got messed up because it didn't go in the same direction as the hallway, and I ended up in a completely different part of the building. I then was lost. I kept seeing the room I needed to go into, but all the doors except for the one on the other side of the building were locked. I then decided to just go back the way I came through the bathroom. Now the one consistent things in this building is that the women's bathroom is always on the left, so I entered the left bathroom without thinking, only to enter and realize thins was not the correct bathroom. Like some sort of mirror world, everything was in reverse. No one was in there fortunately, so I turned around to go out the way I came and there was a guy who came in after standing there with an awkward expression on his face. I said something Like "Never speak of this." to that guy I've never seen before luckily, exited, then went into the girl's bathroom across from it to go through the door I originally entered to finally get to where I needed to be.
+Rachel & Jun We love your stories! Always interesting.
+MoonstonePearl21 omg that is one hell of a confusing building i might start crying if it was me. LOL. i wonder what the people who build it were thinking. weird.
TheBookCover12 I have no idea. Everyone complains about the three really confusing buildings on campus. You always see people on the first day, especially the freshman, aimlessly wandering around swearing. LOL. No one expects room numbers to be all out of order and for the front stairs to only go up to he second level and having to take the elevator or the stairs all the way in the back to get to the third or fourth. One of the other buildings has a mini floor in-between two floors. It also has rooms within rooms, which is insane. The first time I was ever on campus, I had to go to this building to take my placement tests. I ended up not taking my glasses that day, to make matters even worse. I pretty much just stumbled upon the right room by complete accident. Maybe they designed some buildings like that for the fun of confusing people. They do make some fun and interesting stories though :)
Please do more of these stories! And I'd love to hear Jun talk about his English mistakes
I have a train story too. I was going back to the airport and I thought I was getting on the Narita Express. Except I was on the wrong train. At this point, I was panicking because I thought I was going to miss my train and be late for my flight. I got off as soon as I could and caught the next train back. When I got back to my original station (I think it was Tokyo Station.) I asked someone where the train to Narita was. This nice lady took me to the right platform. And to top it all off, the train was late (which never happens right?) and I made it back just in time to catch my original train.
cbauch I took the skyliner back...
I almost went on the Narita line.
you picked up the covering-your-mouth-while-laughing thing
In Japan, we have a saying "Treat the costomers as we are treating God."
so the employees use the word "様(sama)" which is used when calling people in high ranked people. I don't know if my English is correct but... here is a tip 4 ya
Oh gosh, crying in Japan - I've done that x.x at the start of my trip I lost my passport in Kansai Airport, and the woman at the help desk just smiled and said "please calm down" as if I was reacting in a completely unfeasible way and making a big scene (which I probably was by Japanese standards), and on the way back I thought I'd missed the last possible train to get me back to Kansai international airport - I was at the front of the queue but the train was too full for me to get on and after the doors closed and the train started to leave I just burst into tears. Luckily the staff were more sympathetic to my response, and at one point I had four staff members gathered around me trying to work out how to help. In the end I got on another train with the help of staff (as in all the commotion. I'd lost my place in the line) and then they waved me off. ^^' It's so embarrassing whatever the reason though x_x
外人さんが「二名様です」と答えても、相手は微笑ましく感じると思います。
日本人でもよくあるw
2名様です！って言っても あぁ！かわいい💗としか思わないから大丈夫！！何この人……なんて思わないよ！！
I am leaning english, I don't know very words, but I really like your video, You and your friend are very cool, congratulations :D
Your english is pretty good!
+star neko Thank you (y)
Your English is pretty good, but that is not how you would use congratulations. It sounds awkward.
+Roger Paulozo I don't know many* words. or, I don't know a lot* of words.
Other than that very good :) Also what Natalie said.
+Crashandburn999 More or less.... One year
LOL! You both cover your mouth when you laugh! KAWAII!!!
It's a thing they do in Japan :) tipping your head back and laughing loudly is considered 'horse-like' if I'm correct in saying.
Wakarimashita! I was an exchange student in Japan more than 30 years ago. (^;
+Jetta Driver well I watch anime. meaning I know 100 percent of their culture.
joking of course.
+Jetta Driver I do that. I'm a depressed looking teenage boy. Am I cute? I think not.
NOBODY said you where yaoi.
Ohh thank you so much for this video ladies.
My mistake was closing the rear left taxi door. I didnt realise they open and close automatically.
I didn't even use the taxi, I just saw the door open so I thought I'd help the driver sitting in the front.
Reminds me about my toilet story in Japan when I used this green soap. It actually wasn't soap but a toilet block. The color didn't get off my hands... I don't even know why that was in that goddamn sink on top of the toilet.^^
After just two weeks in Japan, I also bow in any situation. Same goes for ''un.'' and nodding, when I listen to somebody.
HAHA omg that soap thing sounds like something I'd do. Why the heck would they have it in the sink!!
+Rachel & Jun Isn't it supposed to be some sort of cleaner for the toilet bowl? Well, they could put it IN the bowl, too.
Rachel & Jun *****
It usually is in the toilet bowl, even in Japan.
At least I hope so... xD
I'm glad this is the only embarrasing story until now, but I'll go back to Japan (-> Saitama -> Urawa) next year... ^^
It was probably a weird kind of candy. You should've eaten it.
A lot of shops in Tokyo are multiple floors and want you to pay for items on the floor you found them. One time, I wanted to show my girlfriend a CD I had found and made it up to the next floor without setting off the alarm. When I found her, she pointed out that I had stolen the CD so I panicked and wasn't sure if I should just leave it somewhere on that floor or what. The only way I could find back to the first floor was to leave the building and come back in so I ended up doing that and set off the alarm as I entered the store. The clerks looked super confused that the alarm went off as I entered and I just walked up to them and having forgotten the Japanese language entirely I just held the CD up to them and said "I want to buy".
Did you get arrested for prostitution or slavery when you told the clerks you wanted to buy them?
I spent 10 days in Japan this year and totally got into the habit of bowing and saying sumimasen, and after that I went straight to China for a month and it took me at least 2 weeks to get out of the habit and realise I was in a different country xD
thank you for visitting japan! how was japan? we are glad for you to come again!
I'm in Japan right now (staying for a total of eight days) and I feel like this might be once I get home haha. 😂
might be me*
+Masaki I loved it and will definitely come again ASAP! :D
+PrincessNyanNyan i havent even been to japan or korea which are 2 places i really want to go to and i bow to EVERYONE just because of dramas and anime especially when i cross a road and the car driver stops i just lightly bow and mouth "danke" (german for thank you) i didnt realize until my friends started mocking me
awww, rachel! i live near nagoya and i always come to japan through nagoya airport. i know and love that shiny, cozy meitetsu train you're talking about. i'm sorry you had such a bad experience in one, but for what it's worth, i hope you can take some comfort in knowing that ticket guy was not trying to be rude, but positively freaking out on the inside!!! apparently it's a thing, japanese people smiling and laughing nervously when they're uncomfortable, and the more they panic, the more they laugh. so in fact, that man had so much empathy it must have short-circuited his brain. ;)
まあ人がわざとじゃなく間違ってる事をしてても、慣れてないのかなって思うだけで悪い気持ちはしないよ
Rachel's hair looks so exotic and Kelly's eyes look so Angelic
Your and Sharla's videos are preparing me soooo well for my future life in Japan! A thousand thanks to you guys!
Wahahaha.. I remember riding a splitting train when I was traveling on my way to Wakayama from Nagoya. I ended up in the wrong car. The moment I heard the announcement "This train will now separate." The car I was into was now going to the opposite direction. I was just laughing inside and had to get off on the next stop and rode the right train. I blogged about it right away on my journey back. It was so funny and frustrating at the same time.
I am visiting Japan for the first time this December and am officially scared of dealing with trains lol. I think this video aptly broadcasts that fear.
Ohh my gosh ikr! Don't worry, I've heard people in Japan are nice. So don't worry about making mistakes.
+Django Williams If you're staying at a hotel/hostel with service staff, you can always ask them for help. They're usually very friendly and will give you specific directions depending on your destination so you won't have to figure them out yourself.
+Django Williams If you can get on free wifi at the train station, there is a great website called Hyperdia which is a life saver for planning your journey! (Or you can plan your journey in advance if you have hotel wifi or something) I have lived in Japan for 10 months but still always use it, it's so convenient!
+Django Williams do yourself a favor and don't deal with buying individual tickets. Look into getting a suica card or whatever the other popular cards are. I ended up buying a few of the 3-day all-you-can-travel cards from the airport that are only available for tourists and those worked just fine. No need to calculate the ticket price that way.
That is sooo like japanese :DDD very considerate...
Never put it in the wrong slot.
That's my life motto actually.
Mimicking is an empathic gesture and also a survival skills, you just want to connect and adapt. I also tend to do that.
Studies have actually shown that that "mimicking the way others speak" thing is actually a sign of empathy. And that's a good thing!
Ahhh, a common bonding moment for two good friends;
Sympathizing over toilets
You guys should Google the "Norman door". It pretty much stands for anything like a door or everyday object or piece of technology that should be intuitive to use but ends up needing written instructions. Like if you take visual cues from a door and push it in on the right side but it ends up that you are supposed to pull it on the left side. From the little I have seen and the lot I have heard, it sounds like there are a lot of Norman doors in japan, aka toilet flushing handles or buttons and obvious slots for credit cards. I feel like in the US if some things arnt exactly intuitive, they are at least more universally known and then can be more easily applied to a wider range of systems. Like if the toilets are self flushing than its more likely the sinks and paper towel dispensers are motion activated as well.
This is a really helpful video! Thanks, you two.
And about taking the wrong direction, there's a road called the Beltway were I live that's a huge circle around DC that goes though two states. It also has misleading North/South signs. As in sometimes you take the north road to go south. It's really common to accidentally go the wrong way and take the long way home. A friend was so lost she went in a circle twice. Depending on traffic that could take an hour and a half to nine hours. You're not alone.
Really nice video! Thank you!
日本人でもボタンどこだとか電車間違えたとか切符どっか行ったとかよくあるので、外国からいらした方が失敗されても特に気にしないと思います！
When I was in Japan I remember closing taxi doors and little did I know that you're absolutely not supposed to do that LOL! The people who I was with freaked out, it was so funny
i really enjoyed this
Aww Rachel, it's so cute, that you feel bad, when you mimic people unintentionally. It show's that you care about other people feelings. But in Fact what makes you act this way is a gift, which makes you more adaptable to foreign cultures and languages. Don't feel too bad about it, it is quite normal, and that you do it more than other people do, maybe, is just what made you able to adapt in Japan more easily than others might have.
everybody makes mistakes! everybody has those day 😄
Oh my goodness, you are both so brave to live and work in a country that is so different from your own. I commend you on your efforts in learning the language, the kanji and the customs of Japan. I'm sure that many Japanese people appreciate that it is difficult to immerse one's self in a new country's customs but at least you are trying!
Thank you so much for your toilet story (and explanation), Rachel! A small company I worked for while I was in Japan had the same type of panel on the wall of their toilet and I wouldn't know how to flush it if I hadn't remembered this video where you talked about it. You really helped me prevent a very awkward situation!
I have only been to Sasebo. But I had a nice Christmas there. I went to a police station to get directions. They didn't speak a word of English. But they had me in for tea and a visit. Very warm hospitality.
OMG I didn't know who Kelly was but she has amazing eyes!! Rachel thank you for sharing those mistakes!
+MsHojat Neither of us wear lenses. :)
Rachel is such a goody too shoes. Always afraid of getting in trouble lol reminds me of my elementary times
We need more of such videos!!!!
This really help a lot to those planning to go to Japan, like me. I really watched a lot of video clips just to know what the right thing to do in Japan. Thanks for sharing your experience...
Edit: I actually decided to make a video similar to this one called My Embarrassing Moments in Japan. I feel like everyone can learn from my mistakes as well! Haha
I feel like this type of video is almost NECESSARY for TH-camrs to make. Mostly to show that we aren't perfect and that we make mistakes (quite often actually!)
I always enjoy seeing these types of videos, just because I know I'm not alone. Especially similar mistakes that I made while I was in Japan as well!
2名様ですかとかのくだりは、日本人でもあるあるだと思う（笑）
informative and helpful. Amusing too!
On a side note, your shirt (Rachel) is stunning, elegant in it's simplicity.
super funny stories! thanks for sharing!
Train stories oh my god. I was so traumatized by getting on the wrong train in Portland that I avoided them for my whole vacation! I thought I missed the last train, and I was all alone at 12am and I was just bawling on the dark empty train platform with skinned knees from tripping over a near invisible divider. My Dad all the way in New York got a 3am panicked phone call from me that night. OTL
バカだとか思いませんよ！笑
可愛いなと微笑ましく感じる時もあるし、助けてあげたいって思うけど英語が話せなくてどうしよう…ってなる時がほとんどです。
My brother lives in Nagoya so I totally get your meitetsu line confusion! I have an embarrassing 'foreigner in Japan' story - The first time I went there to stay with my brother for a while, when I was just out of college, he let me borrow his bike. It was a regular upright style city bike and I had NEVER ridden an upright bike like that, I grew up on mountain bikes and the like, so I had a really hard time at first figuring out the balance and at one point I was coming up to one of the markets near Nagoya station and it was getting crowded so I decided to stop, get off and walk the bike. For some reason my body could not figure out how to properly do this very simple thing and I ended up coming to a complete stop then just.... falling over to the side on the bike right in front of this very sweet little old lady who was very concerned and I wasn't hurt although if I could have dug a hole right there in the street and died and buried myself, I would have. (also I totally do the same accent mirroring thing, it's actually not too uncommon, and can be very helpful when learning a foreign language)
I love this video because I did ALL of the things you mentioned I did. I feel so much better. heh. Thank you for your awesome videos!
OKAY THE FIRST ONE THO. I went to Tokyo for vacation and I was in a restaurant in Shibuya and I had to use the toilet. I was so confused with the toilets so I have to use my instinct on what button to press, I ENDED UP PUSHING EVERY BUTTON. I was so embarrased because a crew have to mop the cubicle because the bidet sprayed all over the floor. THAT TIME I JUST WANT TO BE A SUSHI AND ROLL OVER A WRAP. Thankfully the crew was so nice and just shrugged it off.
車掌さんが声をたてて笑っていたので無ければ、困っていたんでしょうね(^^;)
それか、安心されるために笑ってたのかも。
great video thanks!
Entertaining and informative video, Ladies. Good job. I will never be able to visit Japan because of my health, but I watch Jun and Rachel's videos with great appreciation. Thank you.
My Brethren... Haha your awesome Rachel! Great Video
I've heard that in Japan people will laugh to cover minor discomfort, as if to say, see, nothing is wrong. I wonder if that's what happened with the ticket guy on the reserved seat train.
One of the public transit systems I occasionally ride seems designed to make life as difficult as possible for the people who use it and perhaps tries to helpfully lighten their wallets at the same time. Several years ago I watched two young Japanese tourists triy to figure out the complexities of the system with the help of an employee. I experienced a similar feeling to the one Rachel describes because I'm pretty sure that those two tourists are going to go home and talk about the level of service they got. I feared that they would think that they got special treatment when it's really the same special treatment that we all get.
It was real fun to watch and listen to you. You're two really smart girls. As a senior woman from Italy I'm proud of how you cope! I'll be in Tokyo for my first visit in April, so I really need all the tips and warnings I can get. Thanks girls!
Kelly`s smile OMG! instant crush.
I had a similar train situation, Rachel. It happened late at night when I had work the next day. Then my phone died... I made it back to my destination after hours and many transfers and made it back on the last train;;
+amadofu Oh nooooo that sounds awful haha. At least you made the last train!
日本語で失礼します。
トイレの話は大変でしたね。
日本にはまだまだ英語の表記が少ないですね。英語圏以外の国の人でも、英語で大まかな意味が伝わる事は多いと思います。
これから日本ではオリンピックもありますし、せめて都市部においては公共の場所以外にも施設案内に英語表記の併記がされると良いですね。
+かわむら里津 英語表記までは分かりますが、韓国語、中国語まではやりすぎ。。。
+Ghjkl Bnm その2カ国が桁違いに訪れてくるんですがそれは。
インテリスタ
そんなんことは誰だって分かっていること。
だから？
+Ghjkl Bnm +Ghjkl Bnm 恰好のカモである国の方に心地よいおもてなしをするのは当然のことかと。
逆にお聞きしますが、どういった理由でやりすぎだと思うのですか？現状では英語圏の国の方よりその2カ国語を使う方の方が圧倒的に多いということを知っておられるのに。
+インテリスタ その二か国の犯罪も桁違いに多いから、間接的に犯罪を幇助してるようなものだけどね。
I'm amazed at how abundant this video is available in terms of languages! I believe this will help non English native speakers across the globe know about Japan better, and also I'm glad about the feature because I'm interested in learning as many languages as possible.
besides, it's super nice to see how kind and caring Rachel, and everyone in videos of this channel. like even when they're talking about differences between Japan and countries they're from, they just list it up but never say anything bad about it. they just recognize it as differences and that's it. that's one point I love this channel about :)
Mimicking people is actually a psychological tool called mirroring that builds rapport 🖤✨you’re a natural!
日本は出来る限り英語表記にしてるけどまだまだ改善しないといけないね。
駅員が笑った話はひどい話ですね………外出た時困ってそうな外国人がいたら出来る限り助けようと思える動画でした！
Man I remember when I went to Japan as a big school trip, I also forgot or lost my ticket during the subway ride. And I started to panic as most of my classmate were on the other side while I was still stuck behind the ticket scanner thing and for some reason i thought it would be a brilliant idea to just rush in after someone has scanned their card on the ticket scanner. The door closed directly on my legs but I kept moving forward and I was through but dang I got some funny looks although I was too relived about being able to join up with the group to really had given them a second thought at that moment. My teachers all laughed at me when I told them but now that I think about it, I probably looked liked a person trying to cheat from having to buy a ticket or acting like a rebel . Whoops, my bad. 😓 Don't do what I did people when you go to Japan!
How your leg is ok..
+joyjoyoo hahaha i'm okay. Thank you for your concern...it was just very embarrassing. ;D
School trip to Japan? That is amazing.. I wish my school made trips to far countries such as Japan..
+Turkish Warrior I just started in year 7 in september at my school and so far we've been to france, spain, and teachers plan to take us like all over the world! but it's so expensive...
Darkrai
owh so you do pay quit a lot by yourself?
OMG, When you talk about absorbing other people’s laughs, how they talk, phrases, etc...so ME!! Thank you for sharing that. I thought I was the only one!!
OMG i love this kind of videos!
Don't worry Rachel, you're not letting your fellow foreigners down! By watching your videos tons of us avoided stupid mistakes in Japan so you're more than even (^o^)
Yeah and instead we make some new ones ! ^o^
Ooh, I've made the Inuyama/Ichinomiya too.... My stop is Konomiya and wow was I pissed off.... And the second train you've got is one of those super fancy ones, hm?
I love all you and Jun's videos, I live in Hawaii and grew up in a very similar fashion. thank you for posting.
Def get a japan guide when visiting, got it!
These ladies look familiar!!
One time when I was in Japan, I accidentally pressed the assistance button instead of the flush button. An employee came and I was so embarrassed.
Thank you so much to the French subtitles !
I was in Japan last summer and was also really conscious of myself and mistakes and the idea that I was sort of representing my country there. But while I think this is a good thing in the sense that it helps you be respectful and all, I also think that you have to learn to relax a bit sometimes so that you can also enjoy your time in - whatever country you are in - . In the sense that you aren't always worrying about offending other people, because in the end everyone makes mistakes, and other people will make them too when they arrive in your country as well!
Damn Rachel, your eyeliner wing game is on fleek! 👊
+April Pierce The blond girls eyeliner is bugging the shit out of me.
how?
+Dani P why? It suits her.
+Elley Henderson No, is not that it doesn't suit her. I guess what Dani meant is that she applied it the wrong way, you can notice the eyeliner didn't cover enough of what she intended.
Rachel Amber!! You are alive!!
I am so impressed by these guys. Unlike like some older Westerners who upon retirement, pat themselves on the back when they've toured 60 countries in 60 days but who really don't make much of an effort to learn very little about other cultures , and even another generation of back-packer types who go to 'exotic' places like Tibet and Indonesia, but who are completely clueless about what's going on in other countries, these young people have actually immersed themselves in Japanese culture: travelling, working, studying, learning how to read, write and speak Japanese, no small accomplishment! I found it also very useful to learn about the complexities of Japanese life: the bullet trains and subway system, navigating things like self-check-out in stores, even the toilets! I'm really enjoying Rachel & Jun's new channel! :)
I really enjoy videos like this. I have had my own misadventures as a western tourist in Japan (none serious) that I want to make some videos about someday. One of them involves getting on the wrong train. Another involves thinking I was using a change machine only to discover that it was a Japanese phone card machine (I still have it someplace).