NOTIFICATION SQUAD: What did we miss guys? Do you have any key tips for first time travellers you'd like to share below? HUGELY. Thanks to Pete for joining me on on this one! For those that missed it, we do a free weekly podcast with 100,000 listeners around the world! It's the No.1 Japan Podcast with 80 episodes currently out for all to enjoy, covering everything from travel tips and language learning, to weird stories and news from across Japan. Tune in and join us every Thursday on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Acast and everything else! (I've put the links below or just search "Abroad in Japan"). ► Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/1dbguTBIriCwhJXlxTITFe ► iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/abroad-in-japan/id1338558972 ► Stream it on Acast: play.acast.com/s/abroadinjapan P.S. I hope you enjoyed those SICK special effects skills at the start. SICK.
One that you missed that every traveller should know and it went a long way for us is to heavily respect elders. whenever someone older than us entered the train we immediately gave up our seat for them. Oh and remember natsuki may speak to you in the middle of the night asking about sex pistols XD
Some things I picked up on whilst I was in Japan: -Expect little privacy in public bathrooms -Stand to the LEFT side of the escalator when in Tokyo and on the RIGHT side when in Kyoto -Cicadas are everywhere. Get used to it -Never walk under a Torii gate in the center cause it's reserved for the Gods -Maps almost never have North pointing up -Almost everyone says EEEHHHH -Wooden sandals are painful -Typhoons are frequent during summer and will ruin your holiday -Everything comes in a plastic bag -Convenience store are required by law to have bins. Go there if you can't find one -Japanese people love taking photos. You may be approached for one
Heres a good tip that i wish i knew. Dont sit on the ground in public. I had a cop tell me to get up one time and he didnt look too pleased with me. The only issue with this is that there is nowhere to sit in public.
@@LegatoCirion Don't know why he turned into Christ there.. I mean I enjoy the videos, but lord and saviour? Not sure. Well I guess now we're all failing together!
@Taiwanlight Hai(means Shark in Finnish, yes in Japanese) There are a lot of false friends due to the fact that Finnish and Japanese phonotactics are quite similar, meaning there are little to no consonant clusters(especially in Japanase; Finnish mostly has consonant clusters in middle of words, but rarely more than two consonants can be next to each other). _Hana_ is both possible in Finnish and Japanese(means flower in Japanese and tap in Finnish) But Hanska(_glove_ a rare occurence of Finnish having 3 consonants in the middle) is impossible in Japanese. Finnish and Japanese both support gemination like: _kakka_ = leader in Japanese, poo in Finnish There's also double vowels: _Teema_ = means 'theme' in both languages. There are words that almost sound and meant the same too: _sei da_ - _syytä_ = fault Like: _Omae no sei da_ - _Sinun syytä_ = your fault(Finnish has quite similar genetive; the *n* in sinu-*n* is like Japanese *no* which is genetive) I can go on and on, but I think you get the drill. These languages *aren't related,* mind you, but they share peculiar similarities.
Surprisingly Turkish is also very much like Finnish and Japanese. In Turkish kakka also means poo, and “your” is also like in Finnish. But in Turkish you say “Senin” not “Sinun”
The fun thing is, that, as a German, when I was in Japan this month it was like Wifi heaven for me. Germany and Free Wifi are like two positive magnet poles.
The mobile internet access in Germany is a giant mess too. You are basically fucked driving out of any bigger city. Immediately 2min refresh time for a simple website.
The kanji for big (大）and small (小）are important too so you know what button to press to flush in the toilet :) keep up the great work! love the podcast and your channel :)
Andy Wilson i listed this in my comment ahah. Suica is a life saver in a metro area. You go into a 7-11 when you check out you just say “suica-desu” they will say one moment and the scanner for suica will light up and you just press the card to it
Suica, Pasmo, and the other various transit cards. Also, the JR Pass (which you have to buy before going to Japan) which is wicked if you are visiting a few cities.
“The Japanese public transport system is second to none” Also the Japanese public transport system - “Its horrific, sometimes they have to force people on with a stick”
My friend also working over there teaching English has been lucky up until her transfer next month to not be going on the trains during rush hour. She's not looking forward to experiencing said rush hour.
@@royaltararanger2125 Turn caps lock off for a start. She's about managing but she's not enjoying any of it. Especially since they're lifting lockdown after barely a month done like "Well nothing happened let's just pretend we're fine." And it's a bit stupid.
I've lived in Japan for ten years and the best explanation I got for why tipping is not only culturally unaccepted but rude is because the restaurant staff is working together as a team to give you the best experience, and singling out one person for their service - even if it's excellent - would be undermining the rest of the staff and therefore place an undue burden on the person receiving it.
Also want to thank you. I had the pleasure of being the receptionist at work, when we had a large group of Japanese hotel guests. Business people. Sitting in the lobby, debating something. Obviously I got curious and couldn't help but stare at the energetic group sitting less than 20 feet from me. They went over to me and then in broken English asked me questions. They were discussing English words for their product and wanted to hear a proper English pronounciation. Their product was an energy drink of sorts. (It said caffeine on it, so that is my assumption). They wanted to hear the sentence (if it can be called that) "Manly Fresh Juice. Manly power for Day!" Obviously, before I read it out, because if I did, they'd just leave and go back to the group, I asked if it was a drink for men only. And if it was an aphrodisiac of some sort. (The hotel I work at, is in my country's equivalent of Red light district). Seeing the shock on a 50+ year old business man, and the open eyes and red ears of the lovely female assistant was priceless. 20 minutes later, they went with "Powerful Juice! Energy for Day!" Was a good night shift. :)
@@Heylow1 I went... "Uhm... chotto mat-te" (Which I've learned from Anime - which means "please wait/just a moment" I think) "Googe-ru trans-lateu" So they waited. Wrote the word then read, almost a whisper, the japanese word: "Uhm... erhm... "Biyaku"?"
@@JayAreAitch a big video came out about foreigners being locked away for months without trial in Japan. I forget the name of the video, but searching "arrest in Japan" should bring it up. **It's called "why Japan arrests foreigners
Been living in Japan for almost two months now and your previous survival videos helped prepare me for my arrival. The only thing I'd add is if you're picking up a rental car at the airport, plan on it taking at least two hours from the time you get off the plane to the time you drive off in your rental car...and get cash for the tolls before you go to the rental agency counter.
Hi Chris! Me and my husband watch you while having dinner, so we can say you officially are better than TV. We are originally from Argentina but we live in NY now, hope you come visit! Thank you!
Writing the subtitles on this video was fun, but also challenging during the parts where you and Pete talk over each other. Hope I got everything right and that it's now easier to understand what's being said, at least for me it is. Love your content, Chris
This video saved us a hassle with the typhoon and Narita airport earlier this week when we arrived. Our airline changed our plane just before our trip, so we had the option of going to Haneda instead, which I arranged because of your tip. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Thank you!
Thank you Chris for all your insight into Japan. I am traveling there Sept 7th thru the 14th and your videos have helped me learn alot before the visit!
I'm travelling throughout Japan right now as well. Have been here for 3 weeks now and will be staying another week. I actually used Chris' videos to plan parts of my trip. 😂
I remember when I went to Tokyo I started to feel bad about being polite to cashiers because if you thank them or bow a little then they thank you even more politely and bow even lower, which I'm guessing they are expected to do. I felt like I was making them work harder just by being polite!
Thank you for this video! One week before my wife and I visited Japan, just after this video was uploaded, our airline changed our flight. Because of this we were given an option to change to Haneda with an extra transfer, which was a blessing in disguise. The day we arrived was the day the typhoon went through Tokyo and stranded people at Narita. This first tip probably saved our vacation. Thank you so much!
@@Dire-Locke most def stock footage but yeah I question that footage to lmao. I think stock footage are filled with variety that even the weird ones slip in lol
Just got back from ten days in Japan. Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka-Tokyo. Your videos were incredibly helpful to prepare our trip, which was hands down the best one we've ever made. Japan and certainly its people are amazing. Thank you!
A the classic 8 views and 130 likes. On an other note, I will be going to Japan Summer 2020 and iam super stoked. Ty you for showing me all the good bits of Japan.
IM GOING IN LESS THEN A MOUNTH AHHHH IM SO EXCITED!!!! JAPAN IS LITERALLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH IVE BEEN BINGE WATCHING JAPAN VIDEOS FOR THE PAST HOUR!!!!
I had an embarrassing situation at a japanese restaurant, because I didn't know how to order. Some restaurants have vending machines at the entrance to buy meal tickets. You first have to insert the money and then you have to press the button of the meal which you want to eat. After that you have to hand your meal ticket to the person behind the counter and they will start to prepare your food.
My tip for Japan and also anywhere else really but Japan especially. Use the save feature on google maps to add places to your "want to go to" list. Not only does this allow you to find the best trains but it also will tell you how much it costs in ¥ to get there. Once you've visited it you can favourite it to say you've visited it. Did this both times and it got us around a lot easier!
Funny video haha! I'll share some of mine: 1.) There's a LOT of jidouhanbaiki (vending machine) around Japan. You may be wondering why. This is because these machines have unique numbered stickers on them. As a foreigner, if something happens (an emergency, for example), the first thing authorities will ask me is my juusho (address). Since I'm a complete beginner in Nihongo, I won't be able to read my own address and/or tell them where I live. Instead, they'll ask the nearest vending machine around my vicinity. I'll simply say the number, and they'll know exactly where I'm located (or at least where I am close to the machine). Very smart if you ask me! Numbered stickers are also located around street lights as well! :) 2.) When walking around Japan, you might notice that most of the streets have these weird-looking indention on the floor itself. This is actually for blind people to help them navigate around the area (also called Braille system). Most blind people carry around retractable sticks. They use the tip of these sticks to differentiate the indention on the ground (they can also step on them as well). A straight line means they can walk, and a dotted indention means they need to stop (commonly seen on pedestrian lines). :) 3.) Most people in Japan wear shoes, sneakers, and the like when outside. They don't wear slippers, and it's considered somewhat weird (and rude, to some extent) if they see you wearing one. Foreigners are usually exempted from this, as they'll assume that you don't know their culture and practices. Always bring an easy-to-wear footwear (as heavily suggested by the video above) when going outside, even if you're just going around to a nearby konbini (convenience store).
@@lolNEED55 visiting a friend who moved to japan about 7 years ago who I havent seen. England rugby match in sapporo. Trips to hakone, hakodate, Osaka, Kyoto, hiroshima etc. Wont be long enough to see it all but I dont think my bank balance can last more than 3 weeks
"Don't be afraid to put a really heavy Japanese accent on..." Great advice this. I remember this one occasion where I was in a ramen shop, trying to ask for some more coca cola. Asking for a "Coke" got confused looks. Asking for a "Koku" cleared it right up.
Two things Chris. 1. Fantastic to have the podcast on video. Maybe do this more often? It’s nice to see you and Pete sometimes rather than just listen to you. 2. Really helpful to have the little ‘tips’ that you put up on the screen. I was listening to this pod cast and trying to remember the toilet signs and smoking/no smoking words for when I visit in March. These were super helpful and saved me trying to look it all up so thanks a million for that. Maybe feature that more on the UA-cam videos as it really helps bring this to life for those learning Japanese or just generally interested in Japan. Great work fella. How do I become a patron for your channel as I would love to help support you in you work as they bring me a lot of happiness watching them over and over. Conrad
@@gewglesux No need for a new keyboard. You can just change your keyboard layout in Windows. Install the Japanese language and you can type Romanji on you normal keyboard and it gets converted to Japanese characters with some sort of autocompletion.
"Tipping as rude and awkward" Holy hell as an italian that looks in disgust everytime it sees tip forced services in foreign countries this sounds like paradise in the middle of tip hungry waiters *_*
In Paris it's not obligatory but not awkward though, definitely welcomed. Especially considering the sheer amount of American tourists here, no waiter is going to get uncomfortable over their massive tips, its extra cash what's not to like (at least in my experience)
No tipping in Brazil, the waiter will think you're feeling sorry for his situation and doing charity (which is kind of what it really is imo), so it will be awkward. Although some might sneak the tip through the restaurant's bill to have you pay it without noticing, but don't be afraid to not pay the tip, nobody will feel insulted, these people are doing something considered out of the ordinary.
I experienced the no-wifi thing the hard way. Went without any international roaming on my phone (it was 2014), and had to screenshot Google maps directions every morning before leaving my hotel. It was actually kinda fun because half the time I had no way of knowing if I'd make it back alive. 😁
As of November 2019, if you're on the Sprint network you'll automatically switch to the SoftBank LTE network at no additional charge (and you keep full speed despite Sprint claiming I'd be restricted to 2G speed).
I listened to this episode of the Abroad in Japan Podcast already but I love you and Pete so much I still watched this video version all the way through. Thanks guys for wonderful content! Keep it coming!
Daiso is also in the States. 🙌🏻 I love it. They have all kinds of interesting stuff. On a whim, I bought an extendable shoehorn for a dollar. Turns out, it saves me so much time getting my work shoes on in the morning. 😂
I am loving your vids. I have been watching them only the last few days, but they are greatly informative. I plan on moving to Japan in the next decade (saving up, getting an education which I presumably need, getting work there aligned, etc.) and your videos are filling in some gaps for me! Thanks for the excellent content. 👍
Tipping is intended to raise the shitty level of service. It's like when a dog does something good you use a treat to reward it. Obviously japanese people are smarter than that and don't need this kind of training, they do the work with honor. Western people do not understand that serving other people is a privilege, not a favor, the reason for this is a culture based on selfishness.
@@bshthrasher That's an interesting way of rephrasing... Merchants and people who provide services were considered to be the lowest class for hundreds of years. Even lower than peasants who grow food and thus create essential things needed by everyone. It's not about selfishness. It's result of being told that scum must feel honored to be allowed to serve. Tips? For a thing that they must do with joy anyway? Don't be ridiculous😂 ↑ That's the culture. We even have old saying. Customer is a god. So, yeah. You're mistaken in interpretation.
@@user-un-known, it doesn't matter what you do, build spaceships or clean toilets, you gotta do it better than anyone else. Because the quality of what you do = you.
Don't be insecure. Just get used to people looking at you with fear in their eyes if you are not only tall but also wide(as in muscular wide, not fat wide). I get that a lot from Asian people when I travel.
Great vlog as usual, Chris, and awesome set of tips for first time travelers and especially newly arrived expats out there, this will definitely help tremendously and make experiencing such a vibrant nation more enjoyable!!! KANPAI!
sucks to have some hot girl pressing their whole body against you because there is no space in the train and then calling you a pervert for moving slightly
NOTIFICATION SQUAD: What did we miss guys? Do you have any key tips for first time travellers you'd like to share below? HUGELY.
Thanks to Pete for joining me on on this one! For those that missed it, we do a free weekly podcast with 100,000 listeners around the world! It's the No.1 Japan Podcast with 80 episodes currently out for all to enjoy, covering everything from travel tips and language learning, to weird stories and news from across Japan. Tune in and join us every Thursday on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Acast and everything else! (I've put the links below or just search "Abroad in Japan").
► Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/1dbguTBIriCwhJXlxTITFe
► iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/abroad-in-japan/id1338558972
► Stream it on Acast: play.acast.com/s/abroadinjapan
P.S. I hope you enjoyed those SICK special effects skills at the start. SICK.
epic
NOTIFICATION SQUAD!
Never thought id see a suprised face of Chris and a Toilet in the same picture
Damn I haven’t been this early
One that you missed that every traveller should know and it went a long way for us is to heavily respect elders. whenever someone older than us entered the train we immediately gave up our seat for them.
Oh and remember natsuki may speak to you in the middle of the night asking about sex pistols XD
Some things I picked up on whilst I was in Japan:
-Expect little privacy in public bathrooms
-Stand to the LEFT side of the escalator when in Tokyo and on the RIGHT side when in Kyoto
-Cicadas are everywhere. Get used to it
-Never walk under a Torii gate in the center cause it's reserved for the Gods
-Maps almost never have North pointing up
-Almost everyone says EEEHHHH
-Wooden sandals are painful
-Typhoons are frequent during summer and will ruin your holiday
-Everything comes in a plastic bag
-Convenience store are required by law to have bins. Go there if you can't find one
-Japanese people love taking photos. You may be approached for one
It's right side in Osaka and most of the rest of Kansai. Kyoto though, is a mess (it's about 50/50).
Thank you. I do plan to go there
day and these were really helpful.
(￣∇￣)
What is a Torii gate?
Oh god, is it because I'm a weird looking gaijin is why they'll take my picture? XD
@@aishahwahid1221 those big gates that look like this ⛩️
Heres a good tip that i wish i knew.
Dont sit on the ground in public.
I had a cop tell me to get up one time and he didnt look too pleased with me. The only issue with this is that there is nowhere to sit in public.
The lack of benches drives me mad
Oh hey bijuu mike
What about leaning on posts or walls?
A
@@angeleyes9901 B
1:06 Chris: "It's grammatically incorrect!"
1:12 Christ again: "Twelve things we wish *we'd knew*."
Brilliant.
Spectacular fail on my part. I hadn't had enough coffee.
*Chris? :D
@@LegatoCirion Chris Broad is evolving into Christ Bro
@@LegatoCirion Don't know why he turned into Christ there.. I mean I enjoy the videos, but lord and saviour? Not sure.
Well I guess now we're all failing together!
@Dionamuh You can edit the comment, but who would, the Christ thing is worth too keep, but that's my opinion.
As a Finn, the most shocking thing was this big, round warm thing called "the Sun". We don't have that.
Well it is called the land of the rising sun, also I can relate, Estonia also has that problem.
@Taiwanlight Hai(means Shark in Finnish, yes in Japanese)
There are a lot of false friends due to the fact that Finnish and Japanese phonotactics are quite similar, meaning there are little to no consonant clusters(especially in Japanase; Finnish mostly has consonant clusters in middle of words, but rarely more than two consonants can be next to each other).
_Hana_ is both possible in Finnish and Japanese(means flower in Japanese and tap in Finnish)
But Hanska(_glove_ a rare occurence of Finnish having 3 consonants in the middle) is impossible in Japanese.
Finnish and Japanese both support gemination like:
_kakka_ = leader in Japanese, poo in Finnish
There's also double vowels:
_Teema_ = means 'theme' in both languages.
There are words that almost sound and meant the same too:
_sei da_ - _syytä_ = fault
Like:
_Omae no sei da_ - _Sinun syytä_ = your fault(Finnish has quite similar genetive;
the *n* in sinu-*n* is like Japanese *no* which is genetive)
I can go on and on, but I think you get the drill. These languages *aren't related,* mind you, but they share peculiar similarities.
@@Pyovali
kakka = leader in Japanese, poo in Finnish
lmao
@@Pyovali as an estonian I have been told that estonian sounds a bit like japanese but i think that's where the similarities end
Surprisingly Turkish is also very much like Finnish and Japanese. In Turkish kakka also means poo, and “your” is also like in Finnish. But in Turkish you say “Senin” not “Sinun”
I recommend that you write down what you want to say. We have difficulty listening English. However, we are good at reading English.
That's what Chris should have done when he tried to make them repeat "Journey Across Japan"
your name is ika?いや
@@nagyerik3876 no, it's "iya," it can be a more informal way of saying "no." It probably has other meanings as well.
@@dweep9546 Thanks.
his profile pic doggo says "iya"
The fun thing is, that, as a German, when I was in Japan this month it was like Wifi heaven for me. Germany and Free Wifi are like two positive magnet poles.
tru
Germany and internet in general is a mess
The mobile internet access in Germany is a giant mess too. You are basically fucked driving out of any bigger city. Immediately 2min refresh time for a simple website.
@@starstencahl8985 Zugriff!!!!
For real, and I feel like Germany and Japan aren't (except a few things of course) THAT different.
Its great to see that Japan is recognising the need for PLACENTA in the markets.
Yes, we deserve it.
The kanji for big (大）and small (小）are important too so you know what button to press to flush in the toilet :) keep up the great work! love the podcast and your channel :)
山田菜々 And the one for stop (止) so your ass flusher stops cleaning your butt.
Phi6er nana
if 小 doesn't flush your shit, just press 大. If that doesn't flush it, pretend everything is normal and bolt it the fuck away from wherever you are.
Good kanji to know for menus too. Big ramen or small ramen.
Eat 大 meal, use 大 flush ;)
During 3 years I live in japan I've never pressed the small one. Sue me
How to pay for your train journey? And things from the vending machine?
Get a Suica card - it's a must have when in Japan
Andy Wilson i listed this in my comment ahah. Suica is a life saver in a metro area. You go into a 7-11 when you check out you just say “suica-desu” they will say one moment and the scanner for suica will light up and you just press the card to it
@Oizys And sweat profusely.
Suica, Pasmo, and the other various transit cards. Also, the JR Pass (which you have to buy before going to Japan) which is wicked if you are visiting a few cities.
watermelon card??
“The Japanese public transport system is second to none”
Also the Japanese public transport system - “Its horrific, sometimes they have to force people on with a stick”
My friend also working over there teaching English has been lucky up until her transfer next month to not be going on the trains during rush hour. She's not looking forward to experiencing said rush hour.
Your comment actually made me laugh pretty hard.
SECOND WORLD WAR THEY BEAT U WITH A STICK
@@Roadent1241 SO HOW IS THAT GOING FOR HER
HELLO FROM IRELAND
@@royaltararanger2125 Turn caps lock off for a start.
She's about managing but she's not enjoying any of it. Especially since they're lifting lockdown after barely a month done like "Well nothing happened let's just pretend we're fine."
And it's a bit stupid.
I've lived in Japan for ten years and the best explanation I got for why tipping is not only culturally unaccepted but rude is because the restaurant staff is working together as a team to give you the best experience, and singling out one person for their service - even if it's excellent - would be undermining the rest of the staff and therefore place an undue burden on the person receiving it.
Also want to thank you.
I had the pleasure of being the receptionist at work, when we had a large group of Japanese hotel guests.
Business people.
Sitting in the lobby, debating something.
Obviously I got curious and couldn't help but stare at the energetic group sitting less than 20 feet from me.
They went over to me and then in broken English asked me questions.
They were discussing English words for their product and wanted to hear a proper English pronounciation.
Their product was an energy drink of sorts. (It said caffeine on it, so that is my assumption).
They wanted to hear the sentence (if it can be called that) "Manly Fresh Juice. Manly power for Day!"
Obviously, before I read it out, because if I did, they'd just leave and go back to the group, I asked if it was a drink for men only. And if it was an aphrodisiac of some sort. (The hotel I work at, is in my country's equivalent of Red light district).
Seeing the shock on a 50+ year old business man, and the open eyes and red ears of the lovely female assistant was priceless.
20 minutes later, they went with "Powerful Juice! Energy for Day!"
Was a good night shift. :)
🤣
Just imaging how you might have made them understand the word "aphrodisiac"
"Manly Fresh Juice" ;D i dont think i wanna drink it
@@Heylow1 I went...
"Uhm... chotto mat-te" (Which I've learned from Anime - which means "please wait/just a moment" I think)
"Googe-ru trans-lateu"
So they waited.
Wrote the word then read, almost a whisper, the japanese word:
"Uhm... erhm... "Biyaku"?"
Old school Chris is back!!! These the type of videos that inspired us to move to Japan 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾!!
He hasn't talked about Japan's horrible justice system yet, though.
visit as tourist is OK, move to Japan is whole another level, because you're going to deal with anything that you hate in Japan in daily basis
Grubby bum could you expand on that?
@@JayAreAitch a big video came out about foreigners being locked away for months without trial in Japan. I forget the name of the video, but searching "arrest in Japan" should bring it up.
**It's called "why Japan arrests foreigners
Been living in Japan for almost two months now and your previous survival videos helped prepare me for my arrival. The only thing I'd add is if you're picking up a rental car at the airport, plan on it taking at least two hours from the time you get off the plane to the time you drive off in your rental car...and get cash for the tolls before you go to the rental agency counter.
I'm moving house tomorrow and need to wake up early but NOOOO, I HAVE TO WATCH THIS AT THE EXPENSE OF SLEEP ON THE OFF-CHANCE I MOVE TO JAPAN.
Same 👍👍👍
Just as I was about to get on with my essay, you uploaded and gave me another excuse to procrastinate, thank you Mr Broad
Hi Chris! Me and my husband watch you while having dinner, so we can say you officially are better than TV. We are originally from Argentina but we live in NY now, hope you come visit! Thank you!
He cant cycle on ocean
@@makarov-fatheroffairies8788 Top Gear disagrees.
Writing the subtitles on this video was fun, but also challenging during the parts where you and Pete talk over each other. Hope I got everything right and that it's now easier to understand what's being said, at least for me it is. Love your content, Chris
this is how im going to remember: female symbol looks like a lady crossing her legs, male symbol looks like a guy sitting open legged.
it has same meaning in chinese
3 women is the symbol for noisy
@@Scottew2 rofpmsl fitting then :P
I just remember man having a rice field for a head
4:36 That story on the chalkboard is savage! Ripping my heart out Chris! Thanks for another great video!
There are vending machines everywhere.
Climbed a mountain while I was there and found one at the top!
Imagine being the guy who has to fill that.
@Pabensil In Italy it would be *vandalised* and *gone* in minutes
@Pabensil CAN'T HAVE SHIT IN DETROIT
In Brazil they would take the machine and the guy who fills it
@@XxThays12xX ☠️☠️☠️
In mother Russia, the machine goes down the hill by itself to get refilled
Rumour has it if you're early Chris will acknowledge your existence...
fail, lol
@@cloudy7971 you thought
Urban myth - confirmed!
@@cloudy7971 you underestimate my power... You have failed though!
NO WAY, IT WORKS
I've watched Lost in Translation so I'm good. Btw props to the video editing. Your videos have improved over the years.
There's a lot more INTENSITY.
Best channel on UA-cam imo. The humor is spot on. I was actually surprised to hear that there's no good reliable Wi-Fi in Japan. 🤔
This video saved us a hassle with the typhoon and Narita airport earlier this week when we arrived. Our airline changed our plane just before our trip, so we had the option of going to Haneda instead, which I arranged because of your tip. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Thank you!
"I'm covered in Yen!" (American dollar bills proceed to rain down on him)
Thank you Chris for all your insight into Japan. I am traveling there Sept 7th thru the 14th and your videos have helped me learn alot before the visit!
Bon Voyage!
I'm travelling throughout Japan right now as well. Have been here for 3 weeks now and will be staying another week. I actually used Chris' videos to plan parts of my trip. 😂
How did it go?
Was it fun?
I remember when I went to Tokyo I started to feel bad about being polite to cashiers because if you thank them or bow a little then they thank you even more politely and bow even lower, which I'm guessing they are expected to do. I felt like I was making them work harder just by being polite!
Thank you for this video! One week before my wife and I visited Japan, just after this video was uploaded, our airline changed our flight. Because of this we were given an option to change to Haneda with an extra transfer, which was a blessing in disguise. The day we arrived was the day the typhoon went through Tokyo and stranded people at Narita. This first tip probably saved our vacation. Thank you so much!
I probably did about 75% of my shopping in Daiso.
Also, carry tissues, as a lot of public toilets don't have any.
basically a watchable abroad in japan podcast. I need more
Sense of self-worth for ¥100 sounds like a great deal.
10/10 would buy.
Bruh don't worry, I watched Logan's blogs. I know what to do.
The thumbnail looks like Chris personally sent me a drunk text at 3 am.
Neat.
Japanese: "Smoking or non-smoking?"
Americans: "What year is this? Did I travel back in time?"
cmm07r Japan wishes it was still 1989
Is smoking banned in the US?
@@sangatsu6819 yes in all resturants. Most even wont let you vape inside. Some bars will let you, just not at the counter.
Being up in the Skytree at night overlooking the city lights in a smoking room felt like I was in a scene from Blade Runner.
It does feel like that, but I absolutely did buy a pack and light up at a yakitori spot in Shinjuku.
I already heard the podcast, I'm just here to see the graphic of money raining down on Pete 🤣
EDIT: not disappointed! 😂
It's not that you got fat Chris, it is the camera angle. Obviously. 😘
@Jon Goat Brilliant. 😂😂😂
@Jon Goat that deserves a heart comment from Chris too. 😂👌
Anyway, Chris is more cute and fun than "fat" I'd say ;)
Chris has gotten swole
@Jon Goat Are there six cameras on him then?
At first I said to myself: This conversation sounds familiar
Then realize oh yeah the podcast
Regardless nice video as always
Shroudalisk I was thinking the same haha.
Same....😅
10:10 lol @ the man taking his pants off to enter a room
Hahahah finally someone mentioned
It has to be stock footage I would presume but who was its target audience lol.
@@Dire-Locke most def stock footage but yeah I question that footage to lmao. I think stock footage are filled with variety that even the weird ones slip in lol
Just got back from ten days in Japan. Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka-Tokyo. Your videos were incredibly helpful to prepare our trip, which was hands down the best one we've ever made. Japan and certainly its people are amazing. Thank you!
A the classic 8 views and 130 likes. On an other note, I will be going to Japan Summer 2020 and iam super stoked.
Ty you for showing me all the good bits of Japan.
IM GOING IN LESS THEN A MOUNTH AHHHH IM SO EXCITED!!!! JAPAN IS LITERALLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH IVE BEEN BINGE WATCHING JAPAN VIDEOS FOR THE PAST HOUR!!!!
Maggie T how was it?
Lmao, ^ how was it? Im going in june so im bingeing now
@@coolkidig6193 - and did you have to cancel?
@@capitalb5889 rofl
H Basinhe they definitely had to cancel lol
I had an embarrassing situation at a japanese restaurant, because I didn't know how to order.
Some restaurants have vending machines at the entrance to buy meal tickets. You first have to insert the money and then you have to press the button of the meal which you want to eat. After that you have to hand your meal ticket to the person behind the counter and they will start to prepare your food.
This is my favourite UA-cam channel hands down.
Japan is my favourite country, the people are absolutely incredible.
I'm flying to Japan this Sunday, I already watched aaaall of your videos and now you upload this
I'm in heaven, thank you!!
Listened to the podcast already but I'll still watch, because of you 2 wonderful British lads.
My tip for Japan and also anywhere else really but Japan especially. Use the save feature on google maps to add places to your "want to go to" list. Not only does this allow you to find the best trains but it also will tell you how much it costs in ¥ to get there. Once you've visited it you can favourite it to say you've visited it. Did this both times and it got us around a lot easier!
Chris making Pete’s dreams come true with the brilliant CGI effects. You sir, are a genius!! Love it!
Did anyone else read that DEPRESSING "letter" on the board behind the teacher?
林田ブリタニ- well I have now!
Didn't read the whole thing but I instantly noticed the word dying lol~
I had to pause because I caught a few phrases in it and went wtf and had to read it all.
what dog
4:36
Funny video haha! I'll share some of mine:
1.) There's a LOT of jidouhanbaiki (vending machine) around Japan. You may be wondering why. This is because these machines have unique numbered stickers on them. As a foreigner, if something happens (an emergency, for example), the first thing authorities will ask me is my juusho (address). Since I'm a complete beginner in Nihongo, I won't be able to read my own address and/or tell them where I live. Instead, they'll ask the nearest vending machine around my vicinity. I'll simply say the number, and they'll know exactly where I'm located (or at least where I am close to the machine). Very smart if you ask me! Numbered stickers are also located around street lights as well! :)
2.) When walking around Japan, you might notice that most of the streets have these weird-looking indention on the floor itself. This is actually for blind people to help them navigate around the area (also called Braille system). Most blind people carry around retractable sticks. They use the tip of these sticks to differentiate the indention on the ground (they can also step on them as well). A straight line means they can walk, and a dotted indention means they need to stop (commonly seen on pedestrian lines). :)
3.) Most people in Japan wear shoes, sneakers, and the like when outside. They don't wear slippers, and it's considered somewhat weird (and rude, to some extent) if they see you wearing one. Foreigners are usually exempted from this, as they'll assume that you don't know their culture and practices. Always bring an easy-to-wear footwear (as heavily suggested by the video above) when going outside, even if you're just going around to a nearby konbini (convenience store).
So you take off your boots and pants at the entrance in Japan. The more you know. 10:00
(ayyy thanks for the heart and the likes
I found that amusing also 😆
@@jimbob3332 HAHA Yeah except there're no bins lol
@@notoge3251 There are bins in the airport. But if you take your pants of then and there, you probably be sent back on the next flight out LOL
@@zam023 hahaha
That is why it took him 45 minutes... Staff caught him!
I am really enjoying the way you integrated your podcast into this, I also really like your interactions with Pete. You have a great balance :)
I'm travelling to Tokyo from 11th Sept til 3rd Oct and I cannot wait.
wow! a pretty long holiday
@@lolNEED55 visiting a friend who moved to japan about 7 years ago who I havent seen. England rugby match in sapporo. Trips to hakone, hakodate, Osaka, Kyoto, hiroshima etc. Wont be long enough to see it all but I dont think my bank balance can last more than 3 weeks
@@apr7606 safe travels
adam rofe good luck mate!!! I’m going to Okinawa from June-August next year, I’m stoked!
I really liked the format of this video - you should do this (or maybe an abridged version) for all your podcasts. Well done!
How did I miss this video for a whole year? I've watched the entire channel multiple times or so I thought.
Actual tips: Navi blue and white shirt with a hoodie
Learn to make omuricu
Smile more
Work part-time at a cafe and make sure to hold a can of coke
Roll up the sleeves on your white hoodie while sipping a can of Coke, at your sport or other physical activity.
Also be the eldest sibling in your family
-agressive slow claps-
Ah yes, the yearly "how to survive in Japan tutorial"
Thank you Chris
Love how oddly familiar this seemed until I realised I’d already listened to this podcast
13:24 "¡Award your own efforts!"
Definitely loved that one quote in Spanish.
"Don't be afraid to put a really heavy Japanese accent on..."
Great advice this. I remember this one occasion where I was in a ramen shop, trying to ask for some more coca cola. Asking for a "Coke" got confused looks. Asking for a "Koku" cleared it right up.
Gosh I'm early. Am I now a part of the Secret Sexy Club?
no, but you do get a discount on all toilet seat covers with colourful waffle designs that enable the coordination of I liking.
You get a free 1 hour stay at a love hotel
no, early viewers of chris get access to club bitter. Only the people with the secret get to access secret sexy club
@@Marcus51090 With Chris? I'd only need a minute or so.
Jonathan M. Yes that is the correct answer
My wife and I are starting to plan our trip to Japan! Your video arrived just in time! THANK YOU!
13:24 That is some nice spanish, I wouldn't expect to see a product with spanish words in japan at all.
There’s also some French! Very interesting
This will actually be super useful since I'll be in the country in a few weeks! Thanks!
Two things Chris.
1. Fantastic to have the podcast on video.
Maybe do this more often? It’s nice to see you and Pete sometimes rather than just listen to you.
2. Really helpful to have the little ‘tips’ that you put up on the screen.
I was listening to this pod cast and trying to remember the toilet signs and smoking/no smoking words for when I visit in March.
These were super helpful and saved me trying to look it all up so thanks a million for that. Maybe feature that more on the UA-cam videos as it really helps bring this to life for those learning Japanese or just generally interested in Japan.
Great work fella.
How do I become a patron for your channel as I would love to help support you in you work as they bring me a lot of happiness watching them over and over.
Conrad
Watching this the second as I got back from my 3 week trip.
did you do anything embarrassing? lmao
J U I C E i speak Japanese so it wasn’t a big problem.
Mirano i misunderstood your comment then, sorry
You should consider becoming a voice actor Chris :)
Practicing Katakana: プラセンタ
Wait.....
“Placenta”
Wait.
“You deserve it”
WAIT!
Japanese KB? how did you get the Characters to come up?
@@gewglesux No need for a new keyboard. You can just change your keyboard layout in Windows. Install the Japanese language and you can type Romanji on you normal keyboard and it gets converted to Japanese characters with some sort of autocompletion.
@@bradyy0rk Wait..... really? I had no idea... i'm going to do this! thank you!
@@bradyy0rk I've install the Language pack.. i'm going to see if i can configure it. Thanks again.
LMAO I JUST DID THAT
Im watching this and then I started checking the weather on another tab. Instantly transported to the podcast. I need to hear Natsuki's WOW!
I listened to the podcast and watched the video. Exactly the same but sweaty Chris and chill Pete make this worth watching.😂👍🏾
"Tipping as rude and awkward"
Holy hell as an italian that looks in disgust everytime it sees tip forced services in foreign countries this sounds like paradise in the middle of tip hungry waiters *_*
In Paris it's not obligatory but not awkward though, definitely welcomed. Especially considering the sheer amount of American tourists here, no waiter is going to get uncomfortable over their massive tips, its extra cash what's not to like (at least in my experience)
No tipping in Brazil, the waiter will think you're feeling sorry for his situation and doing charity (which is kind of what it really is imo), so it will be awkward. Although some might sneak the tip through the restaurant's bill to have you pay it without noticing, but don't be afraid to not pay the tip, nobody will feel insulted, these people are doing something considered out of the ordinary.
I think the USA is the worst for tipping, mainly because their wages are absolute shit for service industry jobs.
@@ashakydd1 they should really fix that
The UK has no tipping as well.
I experienced the no-wifi thing the hard way. Went without any international roaming on my phone (it was 2014), and had to screenshot Google maps directions every morning before leaving my hotel. It was actually kinda fun because half the time I had no way of knowing if I'd make it back alive. 😁
As of November 2019, if you're on the Sprint network you'll automatically switch to the SoftBank LTE network at no additional charge (and you keep full speed despite Sprint claiming I'd be restricted to 2G speed).
This is because SoftBank owns Sprint.
I listened to this episode of the Abroad in Japan Podcast already but I love you and Pete so much I still watched this video version all the way through. Thanks guys for wonderful content! Keep it coming!
After watching this video I now need the Abroad In Japan Podcast to be in video form. This was excellent.
prepare to sit on the ground or on someones steps, cause theres like 3 benches in all of tokyo
@ro nin they were all removed in the mid 90s, for reasons that still makes little sense.
If a police man finds you though, he'll ask you to get up :(
@@Jellyfish60 they were removed because a terrorist attack put gas cans in the public trashcans and led to like nine dead and thousands injured.
Daiso is also in the States. 🙌🏻 I love it. They have all kinds of interesting stuff. On a whim, I bought an extendable shoehorn for a dollar. Turns out, it saves me so much time getting my work shoes on in the morning. 😂
That moment you watch this channel for 12 hours straight
I listened to this on the podcast already but I'll watch again just for you.
I listened to the podcast version of this already, but watching this was worth it for that opening sketch!
A UK radio broadcast, talking about japan, and he makes it rain US currency for the edit. What a wild ride.
Pete casually flexing by putting that UA-cam button right behind him
Lol this is so right timing. Going to Japan on Sept. Hope to see you and risotto 😂
We find all of your stuff useful. So please keep it coming, mate!
I’m going to Osaka for the first time in May and I’m so flipping excited!
Number 99: Everyone is pixelated down there.
"Foremost, we produce for human beings"
Drunk Chris looks like the front singer of Mumfords and Sons
I am loving your vids. I have been watching them only the last few days, but they are greatly informative. I plan on moving to Japan in the next decade (saving up, getting an education which I presumably need, getting work there aligned, etc.) and your videos are filling in some gaps for me! Thanks for the excellent content. 👍
I love this podcast esc idea, you should do a whole podcast, complete with topics, guest and satire
Theres no tipping because people are actually paid a living wage
Barely
There's no tipping because we never had that culture. Period.
Tipping is intended to raise the shitty level of service. It's like when a dog does something good you use a treat to reward it. Obviously japanese people are smarter than that and don't need this kind of training, they do the work with honor. Western people do not understand that serving other people is a privilege, not a favor, the reason for this is a culture based on selfishness.
@@bshthrasher That's an interesting way of rephrasing...
Merchants and people who provide services were considered to be the lowest class for hundreds of years. Even lower than peasants who grow food and thus create essential things needed by everyone.
It's not about selfishness. It's result of being told that scum must feel honored to be allowed to serve.
Tips? For a thing that they must do with joy anyway? Don't be ridiculous😂
↑ That's the culture. We even have old saying. Customer is a god.
So, yeah. You're mistaken in interpretation.
@@user-un-known, it doesn't matter what you do, build spaceships or clean toilets, you gotta do it better than anyone else. Because the quality of what you do = you.
13th thing you need to know: You don't need to be insecure about your height.
Yeah because everyone else around you are lol
Insecure? No. But, if you're around 6'3 or up, be prepared to duck your head *a lot*.
6,4 and I always leave with bruised head
Don't be insecure. Just get used to people looking at you with fear in their eyes if you are not only tall but also wide(as in muscular wide, not fat wide). I get that a lot from Asian people when I travel.
@@Taurusus We're used to it anyway.
Learn the kanji for "flush" and "emergency". A lot of toilets have these two buttons.
And small and big 小 & 大, because a lot of toilets only have those two buttons.
Please do more of these they are very helpful and you explain everything so perfectly!
Great vlog as usual, Chris, and awesome set of tips for first time travelers and especially newly arrived expats out there, this will definitely help tremendously and make experiencing such a vibrant nation more enjoyable!!! KANPAI!
Pete: "... the public transport is second to none."
Me: *Swiss outrage intensifies*
Great Opening! 👏👍 Informative. Yes, 4) Women only carriages were made, because of perverts on the super crowded train.
I never knew that was a thing. 😯 super glad to learn about it ^^
They have them in dubai too
sucks to have some hot girl pressing their whole body against you because there is no space in the train and then calling you a pervert for moving slightly
@@realcartoongirl quite the opposite, really.
I see an Englishman with a shady mustache living in Japan I click like :)
Oh! That transition and focus change at 0:40. Good stuff
This delights me Pete is a fellow geordie!