Hey Everyone! It's been a hot minute since I posted a regular vid on the channel. Never fear, now that the feature-length doc is done (Being Japanese for those of you not in the loop), I'll be able to regularly upload once again. Thanks for being patient! As mentioned, my sister-in-law Akko and I plan to do a whole "REALLY" series, so please post what you'd like to know about what Japanese REALLY do!
How about how much English is in Japan. The SmilE cup caught me by surprise. I've seen on this channel and others a lot of signs in English as well as train announcements in English a time or two. Is this because of a closer relationship between and Japan following world War 2? Or just tourism? I'm also impressed at the amount of people who drink coffee, Ethiopia must be proud. As I'm sure are the Scots with the prevalence of golf. Ps if you run across a place that makes a good gumbo let me know!
This was really fascinating. You don't often get to see "authentic" foods from cultures you're not familiar with. Your sister-in-law seems super friendly and funny. I look forward to seeing more of her in future videos.
Yes hearing her joke made me pause before I saw her laugh, then I laughed. She was just so kind and I couldn't tell how hard I should laugh until I saw her laugh first. 😆
My favorite was the breakfast still in the cute little frying pan. There's nothing embarrassing about it -- it's a perfectly good serving vessel, and efficient, too! I mean, some restaurants bring stuff to the diner's table in a skillet and act like it's something fancy, so why not do that at home? Love it!
Yeah, you could tell they ate better. Something that just popped up in my mind is if it is solely because they have extra time, or if it was the food style they were raised with. I'm assuming it's a combination of both.
When I was young I was raised with both tasty and healthy food. Now that I’m an adult, I’ll make variations depending on how much time I have to cook. Even if I have cereal (grapenuts) and oatmilk, I’ll still put both shaved nuts and champagne grapes. It’s definitely a combination of the two for me.
I appreaciate that your relatives showed in all honesty what their day to day breakfast looks like. It´s nothing to be embarrassed about. ^^ Thank you for sharing. Additionally I´m also not a huge breakfast eater. ;)
Yes, I'm thankful they ended up showing me. But it was really hard to get some people to show their meals. That's why you didn't see a lot of faces. I understand though, as I think most people feel like they should be doing something better, but they're rushed and just need something that works. Even if you have time to make a nutritious meal, there can very well be people in your family who won't eat the food.
I really appreciate all these ppl showing their true breakfasts. I can feel their apprehension and the feeling that what they r doing is not enough. BUT.... Thank you SO much for showing it. We all like to show our best selves, but when you show stuff like this... It makes me feel like I'm one of you all. Rushing to work, no te to cook in the mornings.... We understand. ❤️
@@LifeWhereImFrom Even a year later, please thank everyone for allowing us into their homes! This really helps us understand Japanese culture and life, and how things are similar or different elsewhere. I grew up in Texas eating basically the same Canadian meal you showed - eggs, sausage of some sort, juice or milk, toast. As I got older and my parents started their own business, breakfast moved more often to cereal or something similar. As a bachelor it was all over the place, from nothing in the morning to full eggs, bacon, etc. Now my wife and I live in France and go the French method - often just coffee or yogurt and cereal mix like you, but also many times we like French omelets, fruit and cheese (MANY different cheese types here), or fruit and thin sliced meat Italian style.
Loving Akko's personality, and I find it so precious how Uncle is nervous for the camera! Thank you for showing the different kinds of breakfast in Japan. It really brings home how the meals are different based on the household's preferences and circumstances
Your sister-in-law is such a great addition to the channel and her aura is just so warm and inviting. I'm glad you'll be producing more videos with her. Welcome back!
The uncle was so cute!! I loved seeing his segment and his breakfast seemed so nutritious. Thank you for making this video - it's so cool to see behind what some people typically eat for breakfast. I'd love to see this for other meals, for how people spend their free time, etc!
This was a really enlightening video. I grew up having traditional Japanese breakfast but, sometime around my 15s I stopped having breakfast at all. I only retook this habit when my son turned ~12. At the time my wife thought our son should have a more "nutritious" breakfast instead of only bread and milk in the morning. So, she had the idea I should make a Japanese breakfast and eat it with him. To my surprise he loved it. He's now 18 and, to my surprise, he took over the tasks of preparing the breakfast. The basic is rice, misoshiru, natto, tsukemono, and eventually some tamagoyaki or grilled fish. Both my wife and I work from home so, it makes it more manageable. Our son goes to university and, due to Covid, he's having classes from home as well. So, the whole prepare/clean routine fits pretty well. But I totally understand how it's not practical to most families in Japan, or anywhere else in the world.
I remember being quite surprised at first when seeing that they have such a traditional breakfast of fish, miso soup, natto and rice. So it’s nice to see this video showing a more casual eating style, for me I prefer having lunch as my main meal and snacking for breakfast and dinner, showing that everyone really is different
Sooo nice to see several different perspective from all different ages! What a cool video! Would love to see how people celebrate special occasions, like christmas, new years, and birthdays. Would also love to see more day-in-the-life things, like how they go about their days, what they order at their favourite local restaurants, what they enjoy doing on their saturday afternoons, or what they usually pick up from the conbini :) thanks for another great video! Can’t wait for more.
I've always been meaning to cover New Years, which is more similar to Christmas in North America. Christmas is more like valentines day. There aren't big celebrations for birthdays, so that could prove interesting (or sad for some that really like big birthday parties).
I have been watching you guys for no less than six years and can honestly say this is one of the only channels that have "made it" (ie do this for a living) that I still enjoy. You have managed to continually bring interesting Japanese topics to video without the feeling of being commercialized or trying to sell me something. As far as I am concerned you are among the very few that still uses youtube as it was initially envisioned to be. Thank you for all that you do. You were a large part of why I visited Japan for the first time three years ago and I am eager to come back with my wife and kids.
This is exactly what I've been looking for! Been trying for ages to find something illustrating what Japanese actually eat and not just the fancy stuff you see when you google. I've been bored of my meal plans in the mornings and wanted to see what other people eat. Other meals would be great to see too!
Just like in America or Canada, a working mom or single working lady isn’t going to be up an hour earlier to cook and clean though. The bread and yogurt drink mom is accurate. ❤️🤟🏻
Not much different than the salad I eat for breakfast sometimes. It's made of lettuce, tomato, boiled egg, salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and Japanese mayo (kewpie). Sometimes I have it with tuna and green/spring onions too. To drink with that I usually have tea or coffee.
I'm digging the format with your sister-in-law. She seems to enjoy showing the world about her slice of it. The two of you come off as kind and compassionate, great qualities to have in teachers. I've enjoyed your channel for years and I love that it's still going and changing while still keeping its original essence.
@@aryaikal7414 most people are single these days. Most people can cook here, but don’t have time. We get home from work at like 10pm and just wanna sleep
I think across all cultures, there is the “idealized” meal and then the reality that not every meal is going to be that, just due to logistics. Obviously, it would be awesome if we could have that big, fancy Japanese-style breakfast every morning, but it’s just not doable for most people, especially today. But sometimes it’s absolutely worth the extra effort.
Honestly, those full breakfast sets are just too much for my morning-stomach... Probably just something you have to get used to, but things like Miso and Fish do not agree with me in the early morning.
Your sister in law has a really nice personality. She seems very sympathic and I really like how she could empathize for the parents that dont have time to prepare food. Im really looking forward to watching the videos you have planned together and I loved the fact that you have shown what different kinds of families eat and not only just one. Its one culture, but families have diffent numbers of family members, more or less time in the morning depending on their occupations. It was very interesting.
Two things that people are afraid of showing is what they actually eat, and how messy/neat their homes are. It's because there are societal standards for those that most people can't meet and people don't want to be judged badly about it.
I love Japanese breakfast! Started having them on rotation for variety. I've noticed that I really enjoy miso soup in the mornings along with smaller dishes of vegetables, egg and or fish. I like variety along with being healthy and by introducing different ways of eating from different countries and cultures I never get bored. The Aunt's meal looked so inviting, yum!! Great video look forward to watching more on your channel. PS fellow Canadian here ♥
I agree with you! I now have Miso Soup in the mornings with vegetables in it. I should prepare side veg too. I often use tinned fish or egg in the soup though as sides alongside it would taste better - eventually! Wonderful comment as the nutrients, taste and effect on digestion (fermented) is so positive !! Thank you. :-)
Greg, this is already one of my favorite videos. The quality of the video and the very conversational, intimate interviews and videos of the food, especially being cooked or shown was just totally top-notch.
This is really interesting, to be honest. I knew it vary per household, because it varies per household, in my own family(Ainu Japanese). But it’s always interesting to me, to have that all laid out before you, with seeing so many different households. I’d be really interested to see about different hobbies, people have!
Hiya! Don't want to come off as rude or nosy but I am definitely interested in Ainu culture (even though on the internet I never find enough information about it). Remaining on the topic of this video, what is a so-called traditional Ainu breakfast made of? Does it differ a lot from your experience? Thank you so much in advance if you'll decide to answer this, have a great day!
That first breakfast video made me start eating and craving natto, and to this day I think of her stirring it and measure the quality of what I purchase by the consistency I saw. Thank you
@@LifeWhereImFrom 😲 Blackbean natto is great~ As a vegan I love having such a high protein breakfast with rice 🍚 😋 Thanks for replying! I am a big fan.
Fantastic job on the video Greg and Ako, and thanks to everyone who shared their lives/breakfasts with us. You’re right Greg, it is super interesting to take a peek into the genuine everyday happenings of regular people. Very excited for this series you are doing together.
I remember the first breakfast video with Aiko! I've been watching this channel for many many years and I absolutely love it. It's one of my favorite things to watch so I always look forward to new episodes. Thank you so much for the time effort and energy that you put into the content that you create here.
I’ve started eating soup for breakfast in the winter. I can make a big pot of it on the weekend and just heat it up in the morning. So it’s not exactly leftovers but not normal breakfast food either. And I can get more vegetables in me. Since I’ve been working from home for a year it eventually occurred to me I could eat heartier meals with the kitchen right there too.
I’ll crack an egg over just about anything and eat it for breakfast. 😂 The other day I fried and an egg and ate it with a left over pasteles (Caribbean version of a tamale) and it was great! I also love fried egg on leftover over yellow rice or rice and beans. 🤤
I love this! So often with "typical" meals you get high effort fancy meals that almost no one actually makes at home (except, apparently, Akko's aunt!). Actually seeing what real people really eat is so much more interesting, please thank your extended family for opening up to us!
I'd love to see a couple of things "how/what Japanese really do..." like: How they shop (is if only fancy places, donation stores, of Temple flea markets?), Spend Vacations (local, abroad?), and how they spend their free time (only working on hobbies, or being a couch potato?). Whatever you do, I'm looking forward to it!
When I lived with a Japanese family we had a bowl of salad every morning. Along with that we would eat bread or rice, and then fish/egg/ham. Was a great way to start the day.
This is really interesting to see! I like the differences between generations. I live in Finland and usually eat bread with cheese or ham on top and lately I have been adding some kind of fruit. My parents always eat oatmeal, boiled eggs and bread, and of course coffee.
I appreciate how clearly your sister-in-law speaks Japanese. It's well-paced for Japanese-learning beginners like myself. This whole segment was a great learning experience!
I've always wondered what Japanese people eat because when you watch other educational videos its the traditional breakfast. Surely they all don't have that much time to put out such a complex breakfast. I really appreciate knowing what really happens!
Greg, I thoroughly loved this video. Also having missed your videos over a period of time, this was fun to watch. I started viewing your channel when you posted the video of little aiko & her breakfast. I'm from India, & it's noteworthy to mention that even though world over, breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, back here, even we rarely manage to make time to have a nice healthy breakfast. & After 10yrs + of working, even though I'm full time at home, I still dont actually have a breakfast even though I have the time & househelp that could make it for me. Neither does my husband who works. It's just coffee to go for him. Looking forward to seeing more of these videos.
I find this kind of stuff really interesting. I've been interested in different kinds of modern cuisine around the world and how it has changed with the generations, in addition to studying some traditional dishes from different parts of the world. The stories of how some modern Japanese favorites such as Omurice have come around can be interesting as well.
Since I started making my own meals (because I was getting sick to death of eating the same stuff as my dad and stepmum), I've upped my breakfast game too. Sticking a frozen pitta in the toaster and stuffing it with cucumber, rocket and jarred veg like artichoke is nice and quick or alternatively, pan-frying tenderstem broccoli and eggs is also good. If I want something super quick though, I go for a couple of buttered crumpets or nutella on oat biscuits.
I'm sorry I haven't been watching your videos lately...so much has happened in our family and in the world...I am watching this at 1:23 am EST on August 23, 2021 and it is bringing me a sense of joy and peace...I just saw your pinned post beneath my post...I look forward to watching more of your videos...Peace be with you all...Again...Thank you for a slice of sanity in a crazy world...
It is refreshing to see what people actually eat everyday and how different it can be from one family to another. Often people get caught up between traditional, authentic food vs convience and cross cultural influence. It's given that modern day life and food has tremendous global influence, which I think is a welcome change as captured in the video too.
Thank you to your wife's family for sharing what they eat for breakfast with us. It seems much like the US as well where many have a quick breakfast as they need to get out the door quickly in the morning. My work breakfast is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread. I like the comparison you made between rice and bread. It makes more sense now to me. Thank you.
Please tell them not to be embarrassed and that we appreciate the glimpse into their lives! I am eagerly awaiting the lunch and dinner ones if you can get them to share again. ❤️
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! Thank you for making it, and to your sister in law for assisting, and to everyone who allowed us to join them with their breakfast! I look forward to seeing more videos from you and your sister-in-law!
When I first started living with my wife (who is Japanese), I used to make breakfast and a bentou every day. I was teaching English at the local high school and even though morning was rushed, I really enjoyed making a good meal. Normally we would have rice, natto, tamago-yaki (rolled Japanese omelette), pickles and coffee. I'm working remotely as a programmer these days and instead we mostly eat bread for breakfast. I miss the old days, but for some reason I can't seem to find the time any more. I think the regular schedule I had as an assistant teacher really helped me. With a more flexible schedule I end up working late and having no energy in the morning. One of these days I'll get my act together.
@@missplainjane3905 1) It's a G8 country and therefore very economically advanced. It has the 3rd highest GDP on the planet. 2) I won't rate Japan on that scale. Japan's culture suits me. It does not suit other people. The biggest problem people who come to Japan have is that the culture does not suit them. They expect Japanese culture to change to accommodate them. It does not. For me, personally, Japan is my home and I enjoy living here more than the other places I've lived in my life (Canada, US, UK). It is not better or worse, though. Just different. It will suit some people and it will not suit others. 3) Japanese people are people. All people in the world are the same. You may not understand that, but it is true. As a group, all people are the same. What differs is culture. If you enjoy the culture here, you will enjoy the people here. If you do not enjoy the culture, you will not enjoy the people and the people will not enjoy you. But the people are the same. 4) "Japan is a country". This is the biggest thing that people misunderstand. It is a country. There are many other countries in the world. There are people in those countries and they each have their own culture. It's easy to get hung up on details. It's easy to look at other places and other people and say "That's different. That's good. The other is bad." That's nonsense. People are people. Places are places. When you travel, you take your own baggage with you. You look at things through the lens of your own experience. You colour everything with your bias. But nothing is fundamentally different. If the culture suits you, you will be happy by and large. If it doesn't, you won't be. So to answer a slightly different question than you asked, Japan's culture is one in which people tend to care a lot about what other people think. They worry about it. They act in accordance. It is nice because no matter who you are, people care about you. It's not nice because no matter who you are, they care that you might not fit in. People from other cultures often have problems because they want to do or think or act in certain ways and they think other people shouldn't care. This will never happen in Japan. Somebody always cares.
@@missplainjane3905 I speak Japanese fluently in that when I'm speaking Japanese I don't really think about it. What I want to say basically comes out of my mouth. When other people speak, if I understand what they are saying, I understand without effort. I am not proficient in the way an adult is. In fact, I'm not proficient in he way most children are. There is plenty of grammar I don't use properly, or at all. I have difficulty understanding everything on the news. Some things I just can't do. For example, I have my own IT contracting company, but my wife is the business manager because I can't do all of the taxes, or dealing with the government, etc, etc. Even native Japanese people take 20 years to get to adult level proficiency in the language, though ;-) However, my Japanese is good enough that it rarely causes me any issues. I can go to the doctor without problems (and even had to have emergency surgery when my wife was out of town once!) I can talk with my neighbours and go to neighbourhood meetings. I can go to the izakaya and chat with the locals. Probably 80-90% of my day I can do in Japanese without thinking about it. But I've lived here for nearly 15 years now, and speak Japanese every day, so I suppose that's to be expected.
@@missplainjane3905 That's really difficult to say because it depends on the person. I'll give you my general advice, though. Most people fly in to Narita airport. They don't realise, though, that Narita (the town) is a very nice place to visit. They bomb down to Tokyo and miss it :-) If you fly into Narita, I recommend staying a night or two in the town of Narita. Try to get a hotel near the old town, but most hotels have shuttle buses anyway. Narita has a very famous temple, which is why they built the airport there -- there was already a train line. It also has a very nice (though small) old town with traditional restaurants. It's very nice. Also, most people in Narita speak English pretty well, which is different than the rest of Japan. I live in the countryside of Japan. I don't like big cities much. If you watch the videos here, you'll see that he lives in Tokyo. It's quite different. I recommend spending *some* time in Tokyo, but I also recommend going to smaller places. The most important Shrines in Japan are Meiji (Tokyo), Ise (Mie prefecture) and Nikko (Tochigi prefecture). Almost no foreigners visit Ise or Nikko even though they are *amazing* places. While there are many famous temples in Kyoto, there are amazing temples all around the country. The island of Shikoku has 66 famous temples. If you rent a car, you can easily visit them. Many people go to the castles in Osaka or Nagoya, but one of the most amazing castles is Matsumoto castle in Nagano. Many of the castles in Japan were bombed during WWII. When the Americans occupied Japan, they spent a lot of time and money rebuilding the castles. However, because they knew the castles were important for tourism, they rebuilt them so that tourists could easily visit them. This means that the *outside* of the castle is the same as it was when it was first built, but most of the *inside* of the castle is concrete walls, stairs and floors. They are museums more than castles. They are still amazing and interesting, but it's worth going to smaller, less important castles around the country. Many of these are closer to the original. In Kakegawa in Shizuoka prefecture, there is even a very small castle that was built from scratch using the original plans. Everything is exactly the way it was done originally, but everything is only about 20 years old. It is very interesting if you want to see the carpentry. If you are lucky, often some of the carpenters who worked on it are around and you can ask them questions (although you will need someone who speaks Japanese to help you). Japan has some *amazing* nature. Most people want to climb Mt. Fuji. I live near Mt. Fuji and I have climbed it. It's a volcano. That means it is a pile of volcanic rocks. There are no trees. There is nothing to see. It's cold at the top. If you climb at night to see the sunrise, you will have to wait in line for 2-3 hours to get to the top, freezing your butt off. It's *terrible*. In the rest of the country there are great hiking trails. Don't climb Mt. Fuji. There are nice towns *around* Mt. Fuji. It's has one of the best cycling routes in Japan (which you may have seen in the Olympics). If you go *near* Mt. Fuji without climbing it, you get the advantage of *seeing* Mt. Fuji too (BTW, in the summer it has no snow). I think my last piece of advice is to try to save money on hotels. Business hotels are *very* reasonably priced and are totally fine. With the money you save, try to hire a personal guide service to take you to real local sites, restaurants, etc. This is the best way to experience real Japanese culture. Even though you can save money in a business hotel most nights, spend at least 1 night in a real Japanese ryokan. Make sure to book it with dinner and breakfast. It's important because it is part of the experience. It will be fairly expensive, but absolutely worth it. Also even though it is embarrassing you should try to go to an onsen. If you stay at an onsen ryokan, they *might* have private baths that you can pay extra for. But you should try it. It is the best thing in Japan in my opinion. My wife and I haven't gone to a restaurant in 2 years because of Covid, but we go to the onsen every 2 weeks. We would never give that up! However, if you have tatoos, then try to find an onsen with private baths as most places don't allow tattoos in the public baths. If you have tattoos, this is a good thing to get a guide to help you to do. And really, that's it. Just remember that in Japan, there is Japanese culture everywhere. There are famous shrines and temples everywhere -- literally everywhere. I can literally ride my bike to a famous temple that was established 400 years ago and I live in the middle of nowhere. No matter where you go, there will be something to see. I recommend going to some super famous tourist things if you are interested in them, but mostly you can stick a pin in the map and there will be something interesting there.
@@missplainjane3905 There is lots of very good Japanese food. There is not very much else. If you don't like Japanese food, then you won't be happy :-)
This was really enjoyable and nostalgic to watch! It reminded me of some of the breakfasts I ate in Japan when I worked there and lived with home-stay families. My husband and I also visited Japan several times between 2007 and 2017. It was interesting learning about different people's routines and preferences. I like that there was lots of variety among what different people ate.
Give your participants a BIG thanks on behalf of us viewers. It's super interesting and fun to see what people from other cultures eat. Its nice to experience Japan vicariously especially since many of us can't travel right now. Its also fun to try to copy the meal or recipe to feel like we are experiencing authentic life in Japan. I bought a traditional tamago frying pan last year after watching a Japanese recipe video once and it may sound silly, but it's one of my most treasured items that connects me to the country I dream of living in one day. This video was fun to watch!
I love this! It give a realistic view into Japan and I always love to see new ideas about the way people eat. I stick to eggs for breakfast and was looking for a change and this gave me alot of new ways to eat breakfast. Looking forward to alot more. PS- please do one with how Japanese people take weekend holidays or vacations or what they really think of studying/working abroad.
Hey Greg, I usually don't commend and give feedback on Ytube videos, but this video was amazing!!! Pls do more features with Akko. She gives great commentary and has a unique and relaxed vibe. Really enjoyed this video format! Keep it up.
I show a lot of your videos when I'm teaching Japanese to my classes so thanks for all the interesting content. My students and I love them! Props to you and John Daub for making super interesting videos. This video really takes me back to when I've been hosted in Japan and served a meal like Akko's Aunt made. Interesting how the breakfast traditions appear to be changing slightly with the generations but also according to how much time people have.
Thank you, for the interesting video. All your videos are interesting and entertaining. 😀👍🏻 Maybe: 1. Actual bedtime routine: Do Japanese always take the time for a relaxing bath everyday, or do they just shower? Weekday vs weekend routines. 2. You see examples of minimalist Japanese home interiors, but what does the average home look like? Upkeep of the home, etc. 3. The experience of Japanese Christians. Do they still partake in many of the traditional and cultural aspects of Japanese life? Even if those traditions are tied to Shintoism or Buddhism? How integrated or set apart are they from the average, “regular” Japanese society? 4. What does a Japanese family do on the weekends when it is just a regular, non-holiday week? 5. Health routines. Any daily exercise and nutritional supplementation, habits, etc. 6. Japanese budgeting-household financial management. Thanks
Hi, my family does the same thing with freezing our bread to keep it fresher and lasts longer. I love sticky rice and eat allot of it 🍚 so I’m going to try freezing it like my bread. Thanks 🇺🇸😊
Very interesting video, thank you for giving us this insight into the everyday life of Japanese families. It is great to see, that mornings are just as busy for everyone around the world, especially for Moms. Looking forward to see more collabs with your sister in law!
So true about busy mornings. When my youngest was a toddler, for breakfast he only wanted nutella on fresh bread everyday. He would throw tantrums if it didn't happen. His doctor said, if he wanted nutella on stale bread then I'd be worried. Give yourself a break Mum.
This is a great vid! I like how "real" you are showing it, esp your sis-in-law was eating out of a pan for less item to wash later. She's pretty trendy tho. Some trendy brunch places in my city (US) are serving like that.
Akko is so fun and knowledgeable! You are a great interpreter, but she is wonderful for bringing a Japanese perspective. Can't wait to see more videos with her!
I remember the first breakfast video and it made me miss Japan a lot. It's been many years since I've had a meal done by my grandmother. I miss Okinawa!
One of the reasons why I loved this video is because my food vocabulary was good enough to understand the most of it without subtitles! Also, super interesting, please make more of these!
Thank you! This was a fantastic video. Very real and relatable, in the sense that, we could all probably be eating better, but time is an issue for many. I can eat a heavy breakfast most days, but my husband likes a light breakfast. Also, we have different health needs and can't eat the same foods always. I would love to see more of this type of content.
Fantastic! I know I'm going to love this series. Lately I've been watching channels featuring travel methods in Japan (ferries, buses, trains). I know you've done some of the travel. I'd love to see more. How people get to work, or what they shop for and how they bring groceries home if they don't own a car!
I'm so glad you're still using your skills as a filmmaker to show the entire world what life is like in your part of the globe. Please, keep up the good work, Greg-san!
A couple of ideas How a Japanese grocery store is? How is it used? Because I think they are very different from where I am from (Italy) and in general I think that how we perceive them is very different! Thank you, great video as always!
If anything, supermarkets in Italy and Japan are probably the most similar. Great quality of veg and fruit, meat and fish in both. Way more plastic in Japan...
@@eaglenoimoto I don't know, I want to visit Japan in the future but I never been there :( so all my information comes from film and books. I work in a European chain of grocery stores so the topic is interesting to me for this reason too other than just curiousity! They are described as very convenient for ready to eat products, they have microwave station and hot water to use and this is not very common in Italy. I mean some places made panini long time ago but due to new laws this is not possible unless you follow very specific rules!
@@eaglenoimoto It's a shame that so much plastic is used in Japan (though the UK is also terrible for such waste). I think people have a tendency to over-romanticise Japan and act like it's practically perfect but it has its flaws like everywhere else.
I agree this would be a great idea! I love going to grocery stores when I visit new places, so it would be really interesting to see as one of the videos in this series :)
I've been watching other videos of Japanese folks eating breakfast and it all looks very elaborate and I couldn't imagine everyone taking that much time to prepare all of it so I'm glad you explored the reality of this! As usual I learn a lot and get different ideas (like I may look into rice bran paste)
I really enjoyed this video! It was interesting. I found myself stopping several times throughout the video trying to put myself in the different mindsets where these things are someone's norm. And it seemed like these norms were sometimes widely different. I am from Germany. I could most identify with people using onigiri as something convient, similar to bread. I don't think many Germans would cook anything other than maybe eggs in the morning. That's just how I experienced it from my own and extended family and friends and their families, though. The short person/family profile at the beginning of the segments were a good idea since it helped in painting more vivid pictures of the actual families and lives behind the meals. I like Akko's personality a lot and found her input very interesting.
I don’t know why but all your videos are so addictive yet simple, it feels like im part of the family and im there with you guys doing what ever is happening in the videos and having fun 😄
This was such an interesting video. I always see Japanese breakfasts portrayed as more traditional ones (fish, rice, natto, etc.) and not so often as real ones. My family is Japanese, and no one eats a traditional breakfast. Would love it if you also did how much do people really work in Japan and what Japanese really eat for lunch!
I loved this! I'm always so curious about this kind of stuff. I don't know why, but I am fascinated by the "mundane" intricacies of people's lifes. What do they have for breakfast? What simple items do they really enjoy using each day? What is someone's evening routine when they get home from work? Where do they like to travel to for holidays, and why? Favourite ways of meeting new people? What do they pack in their carry-on, or daily bag?
I REALLY can't wait to see more of this series. I hope that you can redo the house one, I'm interested in that but I understand that people wouldn't want to share what their house is like.
Congratulations for the video! it's fantastic! As all videos about japanese culture you publish too. I am so fun of Japan, its culture and people... You are doing a great job!! Keep going!
It is funny that your wife is so camera shy but her sister is a natural. You did a good job showing the variety of ages and time-constrained differences and we got a lot out of this vid. Thanks Greg!
Please tell everyone arigato gozaimasu for sharing some of their lives with us! I worked at a US preschool with many Japanese families, so everything was familiar. Your sister-in-law is so much fun! Seeing what people really do in their busy lives is very interesting and makes the world seem a bit more cozy,
I love this. I would love to see all the different meals. I know that what I would serve guests and what I actually eat every day are usually pretty different. It's nice to see we all are more alike than different:)
Thank you for showing what is actually used. I know culturally we have certain ideas and expectations. Just like in the U.S., people see large and extravagant meals and think this is how we normally eat. The reality is that we often have cereal or toast with coffee on a regular working day. We may make a larger breakfast on a non-working day, as we have more time.
One of the best parts of the video is all the spoken conversational japanese, which is great for a language learner like me. Also, very interesting to see the range of breakfasts. Never thought of freezing rice balls, will have to try that.
Okay, her joke about writing "boiled egg" on a boiled egg was pretty epic... I also love the "Occupation: Making videos like this" as a cute, playful remark! I find the showcasing of the everyday to be a rather fascinating thing. Like you said, most of us don't want to show off such, because it's the same, it's the mundane, or it's assumed to be boring yet practical, without noticing the extra tiny little touches they add in while aiming to have what they're looking for (a breakfast that works for them) and the situations they deal with - like how so many focused on ease of eating, because there was a longer commute.
I have been watching this show since Greg's daughter was ~10. I always enjoy this show because it gives me insight into what home life could be like for the family of one of my late husband's work colleagues. When our friend was in Oak Ridge, TN, for one year ~1984 for a professional research exchange, he and his family and ours "exchanged culture." We entertained them at our home for meals such as an American Thanksgiving, and they entertained us at their home with traditional Tea Ceremony and Japanese meals. Later when our friend returned to Oak Ridge for professional meetings, he would visit at our home. One time he made a meal for us at our home that was similar to American beef stew but much healthier and beautifully prepared. For all these years, we have remained in contact. We treasure the friendship. Although my family is unable to visit Japan, this show allows my imagination to think what their "Life is Like in Japan."
This is a great series! I'd be interested to know about what bedroom setup is like realistically for the average japanese family. Here in the west, people often talk about tatami mats and futon as superior alternatives. I'd be curious to know if Japanese people realistically think the same?
An interesting video you could do with your sister-in-law (assuming covid isnt an issue) is asking Japanese people how they feel about tourists and foreigners. You ask a few people in English/Japa-nglish, and Akko asks others in Japanese. The reason for this, is to not only see their views, but to see if people respond differently when a host is clearly not native Japanese, compared to one that is. I have a feeling they might be more open about issues/opinions with Akko compared to you.
i really like the thumbnail for this video! u like the dots chosen and the colors! it’s different from what you usually do so i wanted to let you know i appreciated it!
I'm similar, but it's a cup of green tea. When I visit my Mom, she insists on breakfast, so I usually just have a bowl of cereal. I love bacon and eggs, I just can't eat it at 6-7 AM!
Hey Everyone! It's been a hot minute since I posted a regular vid on the channel. Never fear, now that the feature-length doc is done (Being Japanese for those of you not in the loop), I'll be able to regularly upload once again. Thanks for being patient! As mentioned, my sister-in-law Akko and I plan to do a whole "REALLY" series, so please post what you'd like to know about what Japanese REALLY do!
First again
try dinner onee, im pretty curious about it or u could do the lunch one too! so the whole day thoo
or u could do "what a typical japanese family eats for dinner" you could use ur family or shoko's family would be great haha
How about how much English is in Japan. The SmilE cup caught me by surprise. I've seen on this channel and others a lot of signs in English as well as train announcements in English a time or two. Is this because of a closer relationship between and Japan following world War 2? Or just tourism?
I'm also impressed at the amount of people who drink coffee, Ethiopia must be proud. As I'm sure are the Scots with the prevalence of golf.
Ps if you run across a place that makes a good gumbo let me know!
Boring....☹️😴💤
“I eat out of my frying pan, because I want to clean less dishes.”
Good to know I’m not alone. 👍
Total life hack ❤️🤟🏻
Same here, I eat instant noodle right from the pan
I often eat noodles with sauce right out of the cooking pot :D
Same here
Totally relatablee
I love how, when they showed small children and a cat, they covered the cat’s eyes as well to protect her identity 😹
Lol 🤣
I definitely laughed
Hahahaha
Identity theft is not a joke, Feier! Millions of families suffer every year!
Chuckled a bit seing that too. Very sweet of them to protect the cats identity too. 🐱
This was really fascinating. You don't often get to see "authentic" foods from cultures you're not familiar with.
Your sister-in-law seems super friendly and funny. I look forward to seeing more of her in future videos.
I agree! She was fun!
Same!
She is quite funny and friendly!
I loved her laugh.
Yes hearing her joke made me pause before I saw her laugh, then I laughed. She was just so kind and I couldn't tell how hard I should laugh until I saw her laugh first. 😆
My favorite was the breakfast still in the cute little frying pan. There's nothing embarrassing about it -- it's a perfectly good serving vessel, and efficient, too! I mean, some restaurants bring stuff to the diner's table in a skillet and act like it's something fancy, so why not do that at home? Love it!
Do you like the frying pan itself too? If you want a pan like that it is a tamagoyaki pan, intended for Japanese style omlettes.
If anything, I'd be scared to damage (scratch) the pan by eating directly from it.
@@Martinit0 True, but from the old pans I sometimes also eat from them, specially rice and soup. Everyone in my family does it actually.
The elderly are really living their best lives. I already love this series!
Yeah, you could tell they ate better. Something that just popped up in my mind is if it is solely because they have extra time, or if it was the food style they were raised with. I'm assuming it's a combination of both.
@@LifeWhereImFrom I think it's a combination of both as well. =)
When I was young I was raised with both tasty and healthy food. Now that I’m an adult, I’ll make variations depending on how much time I have to cook. Even if I have cereal (grapenuts) and oatmilk, I’ll still put both shaved nuts and champagne grapes. It’s definitely a combination of the two for me.
I appreaciate that your relatives showed in all honesty what their day to day breakfast looks like. It´s nothing to be embarrassed about. ^^ Thank you for sharing.
Additionally I´m also not a huge breakfast eater. ;)
Yes, I'm thankful they ended up showing me. But it was really hard to get some people to show their meals. That's why you didn't see a lot of faces. I understand though, as I think most people feel like they should be doing something better, but they're rushed and just need something that works. Even if you have time to make a nutritious meal, there can very well be people in your family who won't eat the food.
I really appreciate all these ppl showing their true breakfasts. I can feel their apprehension and the feeling that what they r doing is not enough. BUT.... Thank you SO much for showing it. We all like to show our best selves, but when you show stuff like this... It makes me feel like I'm one of you all. Rushing to work, no te to cook in the mornings.... We understand. ❤️
I don't know when it happened but I don't have anything but coffee for breakfast. Nice to know I'm not the only one.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Even a year later, please thank everyone for allowing us into their homes! This really helps us understand Japanese culture and life, and how things are similar or different elsewhere.
I grew up in Texas eating basically the same Canadian meal you showed - eggs, sausage of some sort, juice or milk, toast. As I got older and my parents started their own business, breakfast moved more often to cereal or something similar. As a bachelor it was all over the place, from nothing in the morning to full eggs, bacon, etc. Now my wife and I live in France and go the French method - often just coffee or yogurt and cereal mix like you, but also many times we like French omelets, fruit and cheese (MANY different cheese types here), or fruit and thin sliced meat Italian style.
Loving Akko's personality, and I find it so precious how Uncle is nervous for the camera! Thank you for showing the different kinds of breakfast in Japan. It really brings home how the meals are different based on the household's preferences and circumstances
Your sister-in-law is such a great addition to the channel and her aura is just so warm and inviting. I'm glad you'll be producing more videos with her. Welcome back!
The uncle was so cute!! I loved seeing his segment and his breakfast seemed so nutritious. Thank you for making this video - it's so cool to see behind what some people typically eat for breakfast. I'd love to see this for other meals, for how people spend their free time, etc!
Only the real people remember the first breakfast video with aiko
Omg yes!
I am 😂
good old days 😔
this is how i found out i'm an android.
I remember the first breakfast video with Aiko, especially the adorable way that she says mommy at the beginning of the video!
This was a really enlightening video. I grew up having traditional Japanese breakfast but, sometime around my 15s I stopped having breakfast at all. I only retook this habit when my son turned ~12. At the time my wife thought our son should have a more "nutritious" breakfast instead of only bread and milk in the morning. So, she had the idea I should make a Japanese breakfast and eat it with him. To my surprise he loved it. He's now 18 and, to my surprise, he took over the tasks of preparing the breakfast. The basic is rice, misoshiru, natto, tsukemono, and eventually some tamagoyaki or grilled fish. Both my wife and I work from home so, it makes it more manageable. Our son goes to university and, due to Covid, he's having classes from home as well. So, the whole prepare/clean routine fits pretty well. But I totally understand how it's not practical to most families in Japan, or anywhere else in the world.
That is so wholesome, also a great way to bond!
What is tsukemono?
It really is interesting to see what's the "perfect" breakfast for each family/individual. Great ideas for a series! Thank you.
I remember being quite surprised at first when seeing that they have such a traditional breakfast of fish, miso soup, natto and rice. So it’s nice to see this video showing a more casual eating style, for me I prefer having lunch as my main meal and snacking for breakfast and dinner, showing that everyone really is different
I love the working mom. Yeah they get bread and yogurt milk. Now that’s my kind of woman
It really is very intrigued
Sooo nice to see several different perspective from all different ages! What a cool video! Would love to see how people celebrate special occasions, like christmas, new years, and birthdays. Would also love to see more day-in-the-life things, like how they go about their days, what they order at their favourite local restaurants, what they enjoy doing on their saturday afternoons, or what they usually pick up from the conbini :) thanks for another great video! Can’t wait for more.
I've always been meaning to cover New Years, which is more similar to Christmas in North America. Christmas is more like valentines day. There aren't big celebrations for birthdays, so that could prove interesting (or sad for some that really like big birthday parties).
I love your suggestions! Would be so fun to see :)
@@LifeWhereImFrom if Christmas is like Valentine's day, what is Valentine's day supposed to be like lol?
I have been watching you guys for no less than six years and can honestly say this is one of the only channels that have "made it" (ie do this for a living) that I still enjoy. You have managed to continually bring interesting Japanese topics to video without the feeling of being commercialized or trying to sell me something. As far as I am concerned you are among the very few that still uses youtube as it was initially envisioned to be.
Thank you for all that you do. You were a large part of why I visited Japan for the first time three years ago and I am eager to come back with my wife and kids.
This is exactly what I've been looking for! Been trying for ages to find something illustrating what Japanese actually eat and not just the fancy stuff you see when you google. I've been bored of my meal plans in the mornings and wanted to see what other people eat.
Other meals would be great to see too!
Glad you found it!
Just like in America or Canada, a working mom or single working lady isn’t going to be up an hour earlier to cook and clean though. The bread and yogurt drink mom is accurate. ❤️🤟🏻
Yes!!! I am always looking for different foods and being on the west coast I can find these ingredients easily
I'm amazed at that tomato and lettuce and egg breakfast
When Uncle cooked the whole tomato & egg, why did I not think of this? I'm going to give it a try.
Ikr looks amazing. I've been known to eat steamed frozen veggies for breakfast lol. I will have to try the tomato egg lettuce/cabbage.
Not much different than the salad I eat for breakfast sometimes. It's made of lettuce, tomato, boiled egg, salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and Japanese mayo (kewpie). Sometimes I have it with tuna and green/spring onions too. To drink with that I usually have tea or coffee.
and probably the secret to a long, healthy life!
I'm digging the format with your sister-in-law. She seems to enjoy showing the world about her slice of it. The two of you come off as kind and compassionate, great qualities to have in teachers. I've enjoyed your channel for years and I love that it's still going and changing while still keeping its original essence.
Real Japanese breakfast? Onigiri from the convenience store and about 4 coffees
Thank you for keeping it real :D
That what happens if you're single or don't know how to cook 😂
@@aryaikal7414 most people are single these days. Most people can cook here, but don’t have time. We get home from work at like 10pm and just wanna sleep
Two salmon onigiri and a vitamin jelly for me lol. If I'm feeling extra hungry then I get a spicy chicken from Lawson's
@@Crimsontears83 get the bread bun with tar tar in it to use with the chicken. It’s like a set option
I think across all cultures, there is the “idealized” meal and then the reality that not every meal is going to be that, just due to logistics. Obviously, it would be awesome if we could have that big, fancy Japanese-style breakfast every morning, but it’s just not doable for most people, especially today. But sometimes it’s absolutely worth the extra effort.
And THAT is why we love breakfast food for dinner, in America. I love eggs and toast any time ❤️🤟🏻
Honestly, those full breakfast sets are just too much for my morning-stomach... Probably just something you have to get used to, but things like Miso and Fish do not agree with me in the early morning.
Your sister in law has a really nice personality. She seems very sympathic and I really like how she could empathize for the parents that dont have time to prepare food. Im really looking forward to watching the videos you have planned together and I loved the fact that you have shown what different kinds of families eat and not only just one. Its one culture, but families have diffent numbers of family members, more or less time in the morning depending on their occupations. It was very interesting.
Two things that people are afraid of showing is what they actually eat, and how messy/neat their homes are. It's because there are societal standards for those that most people can't meet and people don't want to be judged badly about it.
I love Japanese breakfast! Started having them on rotation for variety. I've noticed that I really enjoy miso soup in the mornings along with smaller dishes of vegetables, egg and or fish. I like variety along with being healthy and by introducing different ways of eating from different countries and cultures I never get bored. The Aunt's meal looked so inviting, yum!! Great video look forward to watching more on your channel. PS fellow Canadian here ♥
I agree with you! I now have Miso Soup in the mornings with vegetables in it. I should prepare side veg too. I often use tinned fish or egg in the soup though as sides alongside it would taste better - eventually! Wonderful comment as the nutrients, taste and effect on digestion (fermented) is so positive !! Thank you. :-)
Greg, this is already one of my favorite videos. The quality of the video and the very conversational, intimate interviews and videos of the food, especially being cooked or shown was just totally top-notch.
the topic is simple
but how Greg piece it together
make this video way much interesting
tq for the great video 👍
This is really interesting, to be honest. I knew it vary per household, because it varies per household, in my own family(Ainu Japanese). But it’s always interesting to me, to have that all laid out before you, with seeing so many different households. I’d be really interested to see about different hobbies, people have!
Yeah, I think hobbies would be a good one.
Hiya! Don't want to come off as rude or nosy but I am definitely interested in Ainu culture (even though on the internet I never find enough information about it). Remaining on the topic of this video, what is a so-called traditional Ainu breakfast made of? Does it differ a lot from your experience?
Thank you so much in advance if you'll decide to answer this, have a great day!
That first breakfast video made me start eating and craving natto, and to this day I think of her stirring it and measure the quality of what I purchase by the consistency I saw. Thank you
Same here! That video is what introduced me to natto all those years ago! :D
I still can't eat natto! Tried over 20 years ago, and still just don't like the smell, texture, or flavour.
@@LifeWhereImFrom 😲 Blackbean natto is great~
As a vegan I love having such a high protein breakfast with rice 🍚 😋
Thanks for replying! I am a big fan.
Fantastic job on the video Greg and Ako, and thanks to everyone who shared their lives/breakfasts with us.
You’re right Greg, it is super interesting to take a peek into the genuine everyday happenings of regular people.
Very excited for this series you are doing together.
I remember the first breakfast video with Aiko!
I've been watching this channel for many many years and I absolutely love it. It's one of my favorite things to watch so I always look forward to new episodes.
Thank you so much for the time effort and energy that you put into the content that you create here.
THIS WAS RIVETING. Please tell them all thank you. It’s so interesting seeing how. People care for themselves and their families with food. Love this!
I don't know why I've never thought about simply eating leftovers for breakfast, beats making eggs every day.
Same! We usually eat our leftovers for lunch. However, I will say, enchiladas for breakfast is a really bad idea. Way too heavy. 😅
If I have leftover food at dinner it becomes breakfast and most likely lunch also
I’ve started eating soup for breakfast in the winter. I can make a big pot of it on the weekend and just heat it up in the morning. So it’s not exactly leftovers but not normal breakfast food either. And I can get more vegetables in me. Since I’ve been working from home for a year it eventually occurred to me I could eat heartier meals with the kitchen right there too.
I’ll crack an egg over just about anything and eat it for breakfast. 😂 The other day I fried and an egg and ate it with a left over pasteles (Caribbean version of a tamale) and it was great! I also love fried egg on leftover over yellow rice or rice and beans. 🤤
@@PerfectPride fried egg over anything really. Even on top of leftover spaghetti when I'm too lazy to make anything else.
I love this! So often with "typical" meals you get high effort fancy meals that almost no one actually makes at home (except, apparently, Akko's aunt!). Actually seeing what real people really eat is so much more interesting, please thank your extended family for opening up to us!
It’s incredible how young they all look, you could’ve told me they were 20 years younger and I wouldn’t have bat an eye
I'd love to see a couple of things "how/what Japanese really do..." like: How they shop (is if only fancy places, donation stores, of Temple flea markets?), Spend Vacations (local, abroad?), and how they spend their free time (only working on hobbies, or being a couch potato?). Whatever you do, I'm looking forward to it!
When I lived with a Japanese family we had a bowl of salad every morning. Along with that we would eat bread or rice, and then fish/egg/ham. Was a great way to start the day.
This is really interesting to see! I like the differences between generations. I live in Finland and usually eat bread with cheese or ham on top and lately I have been adding some kind of fruit. My parents always eat oatmeal, boiled eggs and bread, and of course coffee.
so great to see the channels back in business :) keep up the good work
I appreciate how clearly your sister-in-law speaks Japanese. It's well-paced for Japanese-learning beginners like myself. This whole segment was a great learning experience!
I've always wondered what Japanese people eat because when you watch other educational videos its the traditional breakfast. Surely they all don't have that much time to put out such a complex breakfast. I really appreciate knowing what really happens!
Greg, I thoroughly loved this video. Also having missed your videos over a period of time, this was fun to watch. I started viewing your channel when you posted the video of little aiko & her breakfast. I'm from India, & it's noteworthy to mention that even though world over, breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, back here, even we rarely manage to make time to have a nice healthy breakfast. & After 10yrs + of working, even though I'm full time at home, I still dont actually have a breakfast even though I have the time & househelp that could make it for me. Neither does my husband who works. It's just coffee to go for him. Looking forward to seeing more of these videos.
I find this kind of stuff really interesting. I've been interested in different kinds of modern cuisine around the world and how it has changed with the generations, in addition to studying some traditional dishes from different parts of the world. The stories of how some modern Japanese favorites such as Omurice have come around can be interesting as well.
Since I started making my own meals (because I was getting sick to death of eating the same stuff as my dad and stepmum), I've upped my breakfast game too. Sticking a frozen pitta in the toaster and stuffing it with cucumber, rocket and jarred veg like artichoke is nice and quick or alternatively, pan-frying tenderstem broccoli and eggs is also good. If I want something super quick though, I go for a couple of buttered crumpets or nutella on oat biscuits.
this is sucha wholesome, informative and inclusive series. Hope to see more!
I'm sorry I haven't been watching your videos lately...so much has happened in our family and in the world...I am watching this at 1:23 am EST on August 23, 2021 and it is bringing me a sense of joy and peace...I just saw your pinned post beneath my post...I look forward to watching more of your videos...Peace be with you all...Again...Thank you for a slice of sanity in a crazy world...
It is refreshing to see what people actually eat everyday and how different it can be from one family to another. Often people get caught up between traditional, authentic food vs convience and cross cultural influence. It's given that modern day life and food has tremendous global influence, which I think is a welcome change as captured in the video too.
Thank you to your wife's family for sharing what they eat for breakfast with us. It seems much like the US as well where many have a quick breakfast as they need to get out the door quickly in the morning. My work breakfast is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread. I like the comparison you made between rice and bread. It makes more sense now to me. Thank you.
Please tell them not to be embarrassed and that we appreciate the glimpse into their lives! I am eagerly awaiting the lunch and dinner ones if you can get them to share again. ❤️
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! Thank you for making it, and to your sister in law for assisting, and to everyone who allowed us to join them with their breakfast! I look forward to seeing more videos from you and your sister-in-law!
That was a good joke, I laughed immediately. “Boiled egg” on a boiled egg. Like dry British humour.
Your videos have this calm energy that i just can't get enough of.
When I first started living with my wife (who is Japanese), I used to make breakfast and a bentou every day. I was teaching English at the local high school and even though morning was rushed, I really enjoyed making a good meal. Normally we would have rice, natto, tamago-yaki (rolled Japanese omelette), pickles and coffee. I'm working remotely as a programmer these days and instead we mostly eat bread for breakfast. I miss the old days, but for some reason I can't seem to find the time any more. I think the regular schedule I had as an assistant teacher really helped me. With a more flexible schedule I end up working late and having no energy in the morning. One of these days I'll get my act together.
@@missplainjane3905 1) It's a G8 country and therefore very economically advanced. It has the 3rd highest GDP on the planet. 2) I won't rate Japan on that scale. Japan's culture suits me. It does not suit other people. The biggest problem people who come to Japan have is that the culture does not suit them. They expect Japanese culture to change to accommodate them. It does not. For me, personally, Japan is my home and I enjoy living here more than the other places I've lived in my life (Canada, US, UK). It is not better or worse, though. Just different. It will suit some people and it will not suit others. 3) Japanese people are people. All people in the world are the same. You may not understand that, but it is true. As a group, all people are the same. What differs is culture. If you enjoy the culture here, you will enjoy the people here. If you do not enjoy the culture, you will not enjoy the people and the people will not enjoy you. But the people are the same. 4) "Japan is a country". This is the biggest thing that people misunderstand. It is a country. There are many other countries in the world. There are people in those countries and they each have their own culture. It's easy to get hung up on details. It's easy to look at other places and other people and say "That's different. That's good. The other is bad." That's nonsense. People are people. Places are places. When you travel, you take your own baggage with you. You look at things through the lens of your own experience. You colour everything with your bias. But nothing is fundamentally different. If the culture suits you, you will be happy by and large. If it doesn't, you won't be. So to answer a slightly different question than you asked, Japan's culture is one in which people tend to care a lot about what other people think. They worry about it. They act in accordance. It is nice because no matter who you are, people care about you. It's not nice because no matter who you are, they care that you might not fit in. People from other cultures often have problems because they want to do or think or act in certain ways and they think other people shouldn't care. This will never happen in Japan. Somebody always cares.
@@missplainjane3905 I speak Japanese fluently in that when I'm speaking Japanese I don't really think about it. What I want to say basically comes out of my mouth. When other people speak, if I understand what they are saying, I understand without effort. I am not proficient in the way an adult is. In fact, I'm not proficient in he way most children are. There is plenty of grammar I don't use properly, or at all. I have difficulty understanding everything on the news. Some things I just can't do. For example, I have my own IT contracting company, but my wife is the business manager because I can't do all of the taxes, or dealing with the government, etc, etc. Even native Japanese people take 20 years to get to adult level proficiency in the language, though ;-) However, my Japanese is good enough that it rarely causes me any issues. I can go to the doctor without problems (and even had to have emergency surgery when my wife was out of town once!) I can talk with my neighbours and go to neighbourhood meetings. I can go to the izakaya and chat with the locals. Probably 80-90% of my day I can do in Japanese without thinking about it. But I've lived here for nearly 15 years now, and speak Japanese every day, so I suppose that's to be expected.
@@missplainjane3905 That's really difficult to say because it depends on the person. I'll give you my general advice, though. Most people fly in to Narita airport. They don't realise, though, that Narita (the town) is a very nice place to visit. They bomb down to Tokyo and miss it :-) If you fly into Narita, I recommend staying a night or two in the town of Narita. Try to get a hotel near the old town, but most hotels have shuttle buses anyway. Narita has a very famous temple, which is why they built the airport there -- there was already a train line. It also has a very nice (though small) old town with traditional restaurants. It's very nice. Also, most people in Narita speak English pretty well, which is different than the rest of Japan.
I live in the countryside of Japan. I don't like big cities much. If you watch the videos here, you'll see that he lives in Tokyo. It's quite different. I recommend spending *some* time in Tokyo, but I also recommend going to smaller places. The most important Shrines in Japan are Meiji (Tokyo), Ise (Mie prefecture) and Nikko (Tochigi prefecture). Almost no foreigners visit Ise or Nikko even though they are *amazing* places. While there are many famous temples in Kyoto, there are amazing temples all around the country. The island of Shikoku has 66 famous temples. If you rent a car, you can easily visit them.
Many people go to the castles in Osaka or Nagoya, but one of the most amazing castles is Matsumoto castle in Nagano. Many of the castles in Japan were bombed during WWII. When the Americans occupied Japan, they spent a lot of time and money rebuilding the castles. However, because they knew the castles were important for tourism, they rebuilt them so that tourists could easily visit them. This means that the *outside* of the castle is the same as it was when it was first built, but most of the *inside* of the castle is concrete walls, stairs and floors. They are museums more than castles. They are still amazing and interesting, but it's worth going to smaller, less important castles around the country. Many of these are closer to the original. In Kakegawa in Shizuoka prefecture, there is even a very small castle that was built from scratch using the original plans. Everything is exactly the way it was done originally, but everything is only about 20 years old. It is very interesting if you want to see the carpentry. If you are lucky, often some of the carpenters who worked on it are around and you can ask them questions (although you will need someone who speaks Japanese to help you).
Japan has some *amazing* nature. Most people want to climb Mt. Fuji. I live near Mt. Fuji and I have climbed it. It's a volcano. That means it is a pile of volcanic rocks. There are no trees. There is nothing to see. It's cold at the top. If you climb at night to see the sunrise, you will have to wait in line for 2-3 hours to get to the top, freezing your butt off. It's *terrible*. In the rest of the country there are great hiking trails. Don't climb Mt. Fuji. There are nice towns *around* Mt. Fuji. It's has one of the best cycling routes in Japan (which you may have seen in the Olympics). If you go *near* Mt. Fuji without climbing it, you get the advantage of *seeing* Mt. Fuji too (BTW, in the summer it has no snow).
I think my last piece of advice is to try to save money on hotels. Business hotels are *very* reasonably priced and are totally fine. With the money you save, try to hire a personal guide service to take you to real local sites, restaurants, etc. This is the best way to experience real Japanese culture. Even though you can save money in a business hotel most nights, spend at least 1 night in a real Japanese ryokan. Make sure to book it with dinner and breakfast. It's important because it is part of the experience. It will be fairly expensive, but absolutely worth it. Also even though it is embarrassing you should try to go to an onsen. If you stay at an onsen ryokan, they *might* have private baths that you can pay extra for. But you should try it. It is the best thing in Japan in my opinion. My wife and I haven't gone to a restaurant in 2 years because of Covid, but we go to the onsen every 2 weeks. We would never give that up! However, if you have tatoos, then try to find an onsen with private baths as most places don't allow tattoos in the public baths. If you have tattoos, this is a good thing to get a guide to help you to do.
And really, that's it. Just remember that in Japan, there is Japanese culture everywhere. There are famous shrines and temples everywhere -- literally everywhere. I can literally ride my bike to a famous temple that was established 400 years ago and I live in the middle of nowhere. No matter where you go, there will be something to see. I recommend going to some super famous tourist things if you are interested in them, but mostly you can stick a pin in the map and there will be something interesting there.
@@missplainjane3905 There is lots of very good Japanese food. There is not very much else. If you don't like Japanese food, then you won't be happy :-)
Sister is wonderful! We are fortunate that she agreed to the interview for our education.
This was really enjoyable and nostalgic to watch! It reminded me of some of the breakfasts I ate in Japan when I worked there and lived with home-stay families. My husband and I also visited Japan several times between 2007 and 2017. It was interesting learning about different people's routines and preferences. I like that there was lots of variety among what different people ate.
Give your participants a BIG thanks on behalf of us viewers. It's super interesting and fun to see what people from other cultures eat. Its nice to experience Japan vicariously especially since many of us can't travel right now.
Its also fun to try to copy the meal or recipe to feel like we are experiencing authentic life in Japan.
I bought a traditional tamago frying pan last year after watching a Japanese recipe video once and it may sound silly, but it's one of my most treasured items that connects me to the country I dream of living in one day.
This video was fun to watch!
I love this! It give a realistic view into Japan and I always love to see new ideas about the way people eat. I stick to eggs for breakfast and was looking for a change and this gave me alot of new ways to eat breakfast. Looking forward to alot more.
PS- please do one with how Japanese people take weekend holidays or vacations or what they really think of studying/working abroad.
I don't know why but this seventeen minutes are so brighten up me. They are so kind and happier I expected
Hey Greg, I usually don't commend and give feedback on Ytube videos, but this video was amazing!!! Pls do more features with Akko. She gives great commentary and has a unique and relaxed vibe. Really enjoyed this video format! Keep it up.
I show a lot of your videos when I'm teaching Japanese to my classes so thanks for all the interesting content. My students and I love them! Props to you and John Daub for making super interesting videos. This video really takes me back to when I've been hosted in Japan and served a meal like Akko's Aunt made. Interesting how the breakfast traditions appear to be changing slightly with the generations but also according to how much time people have.
Thank you, for the interesting video. All your videos are interesting and entertaining. 😀👍🏻
Maybe:
1. Actual bedtime routine: Do Japanese always take the time for a relaxing bath everyday, or do they just shower? Weekday vs weekend routines.
2. You see examples of minimalist Japanese home interiors, but what does the average home look like? Upkeep of the home, etc.
3. The experience of Japanese Christians. Do they still partake in many of the traditional and cultural aspects of Japanese life? Even if those traditions are tied to Shintoism or Buddhism? How integrated or set apart are they from the average, “regular” Japanese society?
4. What does a Japanese family do on the weekends when it is just a regular, non-holiday week?
5. Health routines. Any daily exercise and nutritional supplementation, habits, etc.
6. Japanese budgeting-household financial management.
Thanks
I really liked this video and the collaboration with your sister-in-law. Please, keep making more videos. We really appreciate each one of them!!!!
Hi, my family does the same thing with freezing our bread to keep it fresher and lasts longer. I love sticky rice and eat allot of it 🍚 so I’m going to try freezing it like my bread. Thanks 🇺🇸😊
Very interesting video, thank you for giving us this insight into the everyday life of Japanese families. It is great to see, that mornings are just as busy for everyone around the world, especially for Moms. Looking forward to see more collabs with your sister in law!
So true about busy mornings. When my youngest was a toddler, for breakfast he only wanted nutella on fresh bread everyday. He would throw tantrums if it didn't happen. His doctor said, if he wanted nutella on stale bread then I'd be worried. Give yourself a break Mum.
Super interesting ! I am really looking forward to this series on what is REALLY done. Thank you for sharing. Hello from London : - )
This is a great vid! I like how "real" you are showing it, esp your sis-in-law was eating out of a pan for less item to wash later. She's pretty trendy tho. Some trendy brunch places in my city (US) are serving like that.
Oh wow, didn't know this was a thing. She'll be happy to hear. Maybe she started the trend years ago!
Found this great! My host mother would make us miso, egg, special bread we picked that morning at their bakery and salad. Loved it!
Akko is so fun and knowledgeable! You are a great interpreter, but she is wonderful for bringing a Japanese perspective. Can't wait to see more videos with her!
I remember the first breakfast video and it made me miss Japan a lot. It's been many years since I've had a meal done by my grandmother. I miss Okinawa!
One of the reasons why I loved this video is because my food vocabulary was good enough to understand the most of it without subtitles!
Also, super interesting, please make more of these!
Thank you to everyone for showing us what you eat and I love this and look forward to more!
Thank you! This was a fantastic video. Very real and relatable, in the sense that, we could all probably be eating better, but time is an issue for many. I can eat a heavy breakfast most days, but my husband likes a light breakfast. Also, we have different health needs and can't eat the same foods always. I would love to see more of this type of content.
Fantastic! I know I'm going to love this series. Lately I've been watching channels featuring travel methods in Japan (ferries, buses, trains). I know you've done some of the travel. I'd love to see more. How people get to work, or what they shop for and how they bring groceries home if they don't own a car!
I'm so glad you're still using your skills as a filmmaker to show the entire world what life is like in your part of the globe. Please, keep up the good work, Greg-san!
A couple of ideas
How a Japanese grocery store is?
How is it used?
Because I think they are very different from where I am from (Italy) and in general I think that how we perceive them is very different!
Thank you, great video as always!
Yep, I think grocery store and grocery shopping are both good ideas.
If anything, supermarkets in Italy and Japan are probably the most similar. Great quality of veg and fruit, meat and fish in both. Way more plastic in Japan...
@@eaglenoimoto I don't know, I want to visit Japan in the future but I never been there :( so all my information comes from film and books.
I work in a European chain of grocery stores so the topic is interesting to me for this reason too other than just curiousity!
They are described as very convenient for ready to eat products, they have microwave station and hot water to use and this is not very common in Italy.
I mean some places made panini long time ago but due to new laws this is not possible unless you follow very specific rules!
@@eaglenoimoto It's a shame that so much plastic is used in Japan (though the UK is also terrible for such waste). I think people have a tendency to over-romanticise Japan and act like it's practically perfect but it has its flaws like everywhere else.
I agree this would be a great idea! I love going to grocery stores when I visit new places, so it would be really interesting to see as one of the videos in this series :)
I've been watching other videos of Japanese folks eating breakfast and it all looks very elaborate and I couldn't imagine everyone taking that much time to prepare all of it so I'm glad you explored the reality of this! As usual I learn a lot and get different ideas (like I may look
into rice bran paste)
I really enjoyed this video!
It was interesting. I found myself stopping several times throughout the video trying to put myself in the different mindsets where these things are someone's norm. And it seemed like these norms were sometimes widely different.
I am from Germany. I could most identify with people using onigiri as something convient, similar to bread. I don't think many Germans would cook anything other than maybe eggs in the morning. That's just how I experienced it from my own and extended family and friends and their families, though.
The short person/family profile at the beginning of the segments were a good idea since it helped in painting more vivid pictures of the actual families and lives behind the meals.
I like Akko's personality a lot and found her input very interesting.
I don’t know why but all your videos are so addictive yet simple, it feels like im part of the family and im there with you guys doing what ever is happening in the videos and having fun 😄
This was such an interesting video. I always see Japanese breakfasts portrayed as more traditional ones (fish, rice, natto, etc.) and not so often as real ones. My family is Japanese, and no one eats a traditional breakfast. Would love it if you also did how much do people really work in Japan and what Japanese really eat for lunch!
Then what do u usually have for breakfast?
I really loved this video. Please keep on doing this series and your sister-in-law is fantastic. I really loved her.
That's an interesting drip coffee setup. The cat censorship was pretty funny.
Youthful okaasan and aunt are breakfast masters.
I second that. I want to know more about that drip coffee method.
You can prepare coffee exactly the same way with a hario V60 !
The disposable drip packs? They the exact same in the US, look up Lee's Coffee Pourover at Amazon and Trader Joe's. They are pretty good.
I enjoyed this video. I appreciate everyone getting over their shyness and sharing. Thank you very much everyone!
I loved this! I'm always so curious about this kind of stuff. I don't know why, but I am fascinated by the "mundane" intricacies of people's lifes. What do they have for breakfast? What simple items do they really enjoy using each day? What is someone's evening routine when they get home from work? Where do they like to travel to for holidays, and why? Favourite ways of meeting new people? What do they pack in their carry-on, or daily bag?
I REALLY can't wait to see more of this series. I hope that you can redo the house one, I'm interested in that but I understand that people wouldn't want to share what their house is like.
I think videos like these are very important to correct the mainstream popular beliefs about japan and its culture. Thank you for creating this
Congratulations for the video! it's fantastic! As all videos about japanese culture you publish too.
I am so fun of Japan, its culture and people...
You are doing a great job!! Keep going!
Content idea for you Greg: what Japanese really do on their rest days?
This series is awesome!
It is funny that your wife is so camera shy but her sister is a natural. You did a good job showing the variety of ages and time-constrained differences and we got a lot out of this vid. Thanks Greg!
Please tell everyone arigato gozaimasu for sharing some of their lives with us! I worked at a US preschool with many Japanese families, so everything was familiar. Your sister-in-law is so much fun! Seeing what people really do in their busy lives is very interesting and makes the world seem a bit more cozy,
I love this. I would love to see all the different meals. I know that what I would serve guests and what I actually eat every day are usually pretty different. It's nice to see we all are more alike than different:)
Thank you for showing what is actually used. I know culturally we have certain ideas and expectations. Just like in the U.S., people see large and extravagant meals and think this is how we normally eat. The reality is that we often have cereal or toast with coffee on a regular working day. We may make a larger breakfast on a non-working day, as we have more time.
One of the best parts of the video is all the spoken conversational japanese, which is great for a language learner like me. Also, very interesting to see the range of breakfasts. Never thought of freezing rice balls, will have to try that.
Okay, her joke about writing "boiled egg" on a boiled egg was pretty epic... I also love the "Occupation: Making videos like this" as a cute, playful remark!
I find the showcasing of the everyday to be a rather fascinating thing. Like you said, most of us don't want to show off such, because it's the same, it's the mundane, or it's assumed to be boring yet practical, without noticing the extra tiny little touches they add in while aiming to have what they're looking for (a breakfast that works for them) and the situations they deal with - like how so many focused on ease of eating, because there was a longer commute.
I have been watching this show since Greg's daughter was ~10. I always enjoy this show because it gives me insight into what home life could be like for the family of one of my late husband's work colleagues. When our friend was in Oak Ridge, TN, for one year ~1984 for a professional research exchange, he and his family and ours "exchanged culture." We entertained them at our home for meals such as an American Thanksgiving, and they entertained us at their home with traditional Tea Ceremony and Japanese meals. Later when our friend returned to Oak Ridge for professional meetings, he would visit at our home. One time he made a meal for us at our home that was similar to American beef stew but much healthier and beautifully prepared. For all these years, we have remained in contact. We treasure the friendship. Although my family is unable to visit Japan, this show allows my imagination to think what their "Life is Like in Japan."
This is a great series! I'd be interested to know about what bedroom setup is like realistically for the average japanese family. Here in the west, people often talk about tatami mats and futon as superior alternatives. I'd be curious to know if Japanese people realistically think the same?
I really enjoyed your sister-in-law. She's very amusing and straightforward. Please showcase her more.
Will try to.
An interesting video you could do with your sister-in-law (assuming covid isnt an issue) is asking Japanese people how they feel about tourists and foreigners. You ask a few people in English/Japa-nglish, and Akko asks others in Japanese. The reason for this, is to not only see their views, but to see if people respond differently when a host is clearly not native Japanese, compared to one that is. I have a feeling they might be more open about issues/opinions with Akko compared to you.
Big smiles - such sweet people . Bet they are good parents .
I’m always very happy with how Japanese people cover their children’s faces when they are too young to decide if they want to be on camera or not
The cat too :)
That should apply to every child, I really appreciate the privacy of their identities until they openly show interest in being public
i really like the thumbnail for this video! u like the dots chosen and the colors! it’s different from what you usually do so i wanted to let you know i appreciated it!
"I don't eat breakfast at all"
Finally! someone like me. I never have the stomach for it, I might have a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.
I'm similar, but it's a cup of green tea. When I visit my Mom, she insists on breakfast, so I usually just have a bowl of cereal. I love bacon and eggs, I just can't eat it at 6-7 AM!
What a lovely video, my teen daughter is obsessed with everything Japanese and Korean, so we really enjoyed looking at the different foods.