This is the number one question I've been asked since I started doing UA-cam. It is true that people from overseas often feel alienated when they are in Japan, and there are some horrible Japanese who discriminate against certain ethnic groups. However, the majority of Japanese do not dislike foreigners; they are "afraid.” It may be difficult to imagine this in your country, but in Japan, except in certain urban areas, there are almost only Japanese people. Even in today's international world, there are many people who have seen people from overseas but have never spoken to one before (apart from school ALTs). In addition, Japanese people have poor communication skills due to their collectivist society. This is because in such a society, individual communication is not so important as the system determines relationships for you. With that said, many Japanese do not dislike, but are afraid of people from overseas, simply because they are not used to people from overseas and because their communication skills are not good enough to get used to speaking with them. Conversely, if you can make friends with Japanese people, I am sure you will be able to have many good relationships. If you’d like to learn more about Japanese traditional culture, Kyoto, and social problems in Japan, please check out my channel & subscribe! *The content is based on personal studies and experience There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
My memories of Japan, 60 years ago, are of, for the most part, a nation of very friendly people. It may have been that as a small child I was found to be less threatening than adults.
Thank you for this video as well! I'm still young (16yo).. But I really like Japan and Japanese culture. And I want to be a writer, in Japan, of course. I'm still a bit scared of what will happen, but after this video, I got pretty much courage. I don't know about how true is this, but I'm hungarian and many says that our language is releated to yours at some point, so it's easier for me to speak Japanese. It is true though that it's a lot easier for me to speak than English
@@NamasteInYourLane nah fam, I don't know what kinda unicorn world you live in but from where I am there's a big chance you won't fit in if you're slightly more quiet than usual
@@ImNotEpix Depends on where you come from. In my native country, I got into a class that new each other for a very long time, I made friends on the fist day and we were relatively grown ups. Fast forward to me moving to France and I had no friends until 2 months in.
@@Mari_iii some people might not have the time or just want to go there simply for vacation. Now if youre going with someone that knows the language, thats a whole other story.
@@Snsebshfjdh Well no, bit you have to learn at lest some phrases. If you rely on Google or a translated only when you run out of power and are in a bind then you're screwed.
My school had a Japanese foreign exchange student, and she was really trying to work on her communication with us and trying to understand what we were talking about. She seemed really awkward at times and at first she seemed really nervous to talk to people but when we started talking to her, she really opened up and it was really fun to talk to her and I really miss her now
This makes me see in greater light all those Japanese people that venture out of their country and go on and about travelling and getting to know the rest of the world beyond their borders.
I trust you even more with this statement because you have been so honest and upfront about many other serious issues. This makes me even more excited to come to Japan one day and fulfill one of my dreams!
@@lutymcshooty2556 I certainly hope this isn’t about Abe-San, if so this is in such bad taste. Time and a place for people to address the actions of others, if this isn’t then I humbly apologise for my mistake.
@@ジョーンズライアン if you want to honour Abe you should deny that he was ever killed like he did with so many others 😌. and in that spirit i have no idea how their comment was in bad taste 😉
All of yall would just being lonely just like many of their on ppl It is like around 30 to 40 percent of Lonely self contain hermits that are in Japan He has not given that part yet
I actually had a Japanese girl as an exchange student in my previous school. She was very friendly and was even in the school choir. She did talk about her nervousness when she first arrived, but also talked about how people were more friendly and open then in her Japanese school.
Japanese abroad will be very sweet and kind because they are in a foreign setting and have no allies. At home some of these people may be the opposite. To be fair most nationalities if not all nationalities are like this. However some are more open than others. Islanders tend to be less open and post colonial states also tend to be more open. Japan as short lived imperialist state had little foreigners so they're still relatively xenophobic. European countries tend to be more open because of ease of travel however, there is still hatred in Europe and Europeans judge people based on wealth. They're just more subtle about it. Also the type of person who wants to travel abroad is different to the type who sits at home and shakes their fist at these pesky foreigners who are buying Japanese products and allowing for high standards in Japan.
When I went to Japan I really found the Japanese were very very friendly people came up to me all the time and helped me out. I really loved it there :) it was not so in Korea...
Through a church program, my mother got to host dinner for 7 Japanese men. She told them that we were having pizza and root beer. Well something got lost in translation or something because they thought we were going to serve them octopus and cough medicine! When they finally got to our house they started laughing 😂. They were also dressed in business clothes. It was an interesting experience.
I live in the Philippines and my neighbor (who is Japanese) runs a very successful English training facility that mostly handles Japanese students flying in. He would tell me most of the students are those who are desperate to travel and are working on their communications skills, and their numbers are still growing. Another plus is that English classes in his business are one-on-one since it's more comfortable for Japanese people to learn without many classmates. So I have hope the new generation are definitely more proactive with being more global.
Me, in an international school in Sapporo, " hi. Wanna be friends?" My roommate and friend " sure, do you like animal crossing or anime?" Not afraid. Especially younger Japanese people. I think it's because of the media, sometimes. Like youtube or movies. That's how Yuki got interested in learning English. She wanted to learn it so she could translate manga and work in comics overseas. She was a big marvel fan.
This is how it is in places like Korea too! Older people tend to be more stand off ish but younger people are more flexible and helpful and willing to communicate.
Yeah it's usually older people, but even then I've met some wonderful elderly Japanese people in Aomori. I think it's just Japanese society in general :)
Yeah, many Asian countries also does this, we are not truly exposed nor be able to explore the wider world due to our socioeconomic status (mostly being 3rd world country) makes it hard to travel abroad. So most of our lives we see people not so different from us, so we don't know how to act to foreigners most of the time. Xenophobia is definitely not the case because it's not a definite, irrational fear, it's more of fear of the unknown, which is natural.
@@TheActualMrLink Well fear of the unknown doesn't just relate to that. It applies to anything really. Whether that's moving to a new home, workplace, school, meeting new people. Travelling to another country on holiday, although exciting, is probably going to still give you so many anxieties. I admit to having just looked this up, to see if there's a word. But I believe it would be more appropriate to describe it as neophobia more so than xenophobia. Neophobia is the fear or dislike of anything new or unfamiliar, which I think describes the Japanese way better than xenophobia.
@@riefqisamudro Japan is No 3 economy in the world. They have been made peaceful in 1945 by the US and should be familiar with foreign visitors. Their government pushes tourism. So where is this great Japanese nationhood and discipline? They should forget their fear and follow what their emperor says and he promotes tourism.
We had a Japanese exchange program at the third highschool I attended, the student in my year level was really eccentric, hardworking kind and smart, he struggled sometimes to articulate himself but was really nice, I wish I had of been at that school longer to get to know him properly
@@wanali4504 I moved around a bit in my teens (not by choice) and at the third highschool I attended there was a Japanese exchange program. I attended four highschools in total.
I’ve visited over 40 countries, and lived in 6, including living in Japan (I am not Japanese). Nowhere on earth have I been treated better than when I lived in Japan. Maybe the Japanese who were afraid of me just avoided me? 🤷🏻♂️ But nearly all of the Japanese people I interacted with went out of their way to be polite and helpful.
100% Japan is one of if not the nicest country to live, but No matter how long you live there, even if your born in Japan if your not Japanese you will never be seen as Japanese. Unlike almost any other country, if you live there long enough people will welcome you as there own.
@@akiotatsuki2621i mean even in the west it doesn't happen that much... people don't really see dark skinned ppl as being from wherever they are even if they were born there
Would you be able to look away if you see someone new that you don't usually see? When I went to the DRC I was stared at all the time as well. It's not other people's fault that you went somewhere that you're interesting haha
@@twoozyuzi2215 when I was in Japan, I stuck out like a sore thumb, since I’m a Mexican with darker skin and a curvier body type, I was stared at, ALOT, and when I went to get clothes from a shopping store, I’m usually a medium in the United States because I have a small waist but big hips, in Japan, the lady said “We don’t have clothes your size, please leave my store” and I was rudely shoved out the door, some older generations will have some prejudice and be xenophobic, but other than that, younger people were so interesting to talk to and were never rude, they never questioned anything and made me feel like a person, you will encounter people like that but that goes for every country in the world
“It may be difficult to imagine this in your country” Nah man, it’s pretty easy. Prejudice, stereotyping, and xenophobia are pretty much staples of the human species.
It is absolutely a thing in my country. It’s just the natural result of the lack of contact with foreigners. Aside from the tourism heavy areas, people will absolutely avoid, stare and talk behind your back if you are a foreigner. This will immediately change if you speak the language, though.
So true. I'm tired of seeing xenophobia and ethnocentrism everywhere. People be like your group vs my group, your language vs my language, your race vs my race, etc.
Xenophobia is how cultures survive. Countries that are not xenophobic will eventually cease to exist, because they’ve let in so many foreigners that their own cultural and ethnic identity has been replaced. There is no shame of Japan being protective of what it has. You belong to literally the only group who doesn’t look out for itself (left leaning white people) so for you it’s hard to imagine actually caring about your people, but for most of the world it is completely normal and healthy.
I’ve never felt more accepted when I was in Japan everyone was so nice I was so lost and a Japan man went 20 minutes out of his way to show me where to go making him late to work Beautiful place and people
@@paulghencea9037 Kindness is another thing. I never said Japanese aren’t kind. Learn some definitions before saying anything. They are just not friendly and making friends is the hardest of any task in Japan.
My whole family is Navy and more than half of them are stationed in Okinawa, the people of Japan are super friendly but also there are some places “Gaijin” are not really supposed to be. I love Japan and the culture, the colors and vibrancy of the history is so alluring! My Uncle used to hang out in some of the yakuza bars and has been told he was more welcome there than other bars because he would be overcharged because of his skin. I’ve always had a fond viewpoint of them ever since 😅
Imagine if there were places in the US or Europe where Japanese were not allowed to go. It would be called out and such places would be shut down. This kind of double standard is why Japan is not in the league of developed nations. They are not a western country, they are a rich, consumer society but they still discriminate heavily against foreigners.
Japanese people are so kind. I was even impressed how many spoke English and were just willing to help without me asking. Me and buddy were trying to figure out which train to take and some man just came up and asked if we needed help translating. Nice guy!
My cousin lives in Japan and she said that Japanese are scared of foreigners initially but are actually very nice after you know them better I'm Indian and I had problems with Japanese because we are very accepting towards foreigners
I would agree. But, it can be possible that they can't speak it. Other people say that all of them don't speak English or any other language. But in my opinion, half in half.
I think a big factor is the language barrier. I have a couple of japanese online friends, both who do and don't speak English. They are the kindest, most polite people I've ever met- they're also always willing to help. Even with small achievements, they celebrate and cheer for everyone which is probably just habit or etiquette but it's so heartwarming.
While travelling I met this group of Japanese students playing cards at the airport. I asked if I could join them and they immediately agreed. We spent a great time learning about each others language and cultures. I found them to be amazing smart people
My grandma’s brother married a Japanese girl as he was Mexican he moved to Japan they were married for ten years they lived a peaceful then later on as they were married someone killed him his wife mourned him while others did not it turned out they did not like him my grandmother heard and ever since she hated Japan now I’m 16 she’s 70 I’ve always wanted to take her there to show her there not bad but in the end I just hope she lives long enough for me to take her there I see the response about my English I’m sorry I could not tell clearly English is not really my first language I appreciate the positive feedback I don’t know much but I only know what my grandma told me about my grandma brother death
This is a crazy story but it is really hard to understand. I don't exactly get who did what. It would help to break it up into more sentences that explain each event rather than a run on
@@puppieslovies the grandma's brother died because he was killed. His Japanese wife mourned. But the family of that Japanese wife actually don't like her husband. That's why grandma dislikes Japan.
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Interesting! I'm from India and when I was in Japan for my tournament back in 2017, they were really warm and welcoming! They did the best they could to understand what you're saying and really put alot of efforts to communicate! ✨
I’ve traveled to Japan on my first international trip. This was in the mid Eighties. I found that they were nice, polite and very helpful to a “Gajin” like me. I had the most wonderful and amazing time/experience there. I wish to return soon.
So they didn't treat you like the guys in The Bridge on the River Kwai? Basic human kindness every other nation shows... for Japanese it's an achievement?
In my personal experience, having never been to Japan, simply being able to speak Japanese directly to a Japanese person generally makes the other person comfortable enough to be warm and friendly towards me. The more Japanese I learn the more normal my interactions with Japanese people seem.
I feel like this is the number one reason for learning Japanese when visiting Japan, it makes communication so much easier when the other person who may not speak anything other than Japanese can talk to you and help you out! A lot of Japanese avoid foreigners out of fear of being unable to help, so being able to speak the language is great for breaching that barrier
I have a friend who went to the pan and already had was a translator on his phone when he got there a woman helped him to go over 2-hours out of her way in the opposite direction to make sure he got to the hotel and then went home again this is dedication and respect for others
Shogo, I went to Tokyo 3 years ago with my gf (she has SMA and uses a wheelchair). It was one of the most beatiful experiences in my life. Japanese people were superkind, hope to one day we can visit Harajuku again.
Idk why I thought there’d be negative comments here. I had too much Internet. But one important question, was Tokyo wheelchair accessible for your girlfriend? I’m asking for a friend of mine
A bit sugarcoated. If a major ethnic majority in a country is "afraid" of you, you will not live a comfortable life there. You might say this is a mild case but it is still xenophobia.
@@SapkaliAkif it's not discriminatory ffs. That's like saying "Hey, this alien is friendly, come talk to it". It's human nature to feel intimidated by people whom you're not used to be around with.
I am introvert and i live in collectivist society you have zero knowledge about collectivism. If you are introvert in a collectivist society your family will brag you down because you dont have speaking skills. In fact alot of people commit suicide becacause of shaming their own family members Collectivism is a values not a utopia for Introverts.
So you had to get a husband in Ireland. Japan has 120+ million people but you had to find one in a tiny country in Europe. That shows that Japanese don't really care so much for you. Or maybe you had different taste and did not try to find a local partner.
From my experiences working in Japanese companies, it was usually the older generation that had a hard time approaching non-japanese people. I had no problem interacting with the same age or even someone younger than me.
@@weissrose1081 xenophobia - noun - the condition of having an irrational fear or hatred of foreigners. The Japanese system is definitely xenophobic, but the people aren't necessarily. They live in an insular society, and aren't taught how to communicate with others very well, so they are rationally afraid of communication with foreigners. The fact that the Japanese system does this is a sign of some irrational fear or hatred of foreign people though.
I think "fear" is too strong and general. I've never been looked at with fear. But I've seen a few "nervous" people when they saw me because they knew English was coming 😂 Overwhelmingly though, people act perfectly normal and extremely friendly in Japan. Best place to live.
That's interesting that you make the distinction, because being afraid of and hating a foreigner often come hand in hand here in America because of our country's history.
It's easy enough to talk about xenophobia like it's not a big deal, but it means as a foreigner you are just not allowed to do so many things unless you have a Japanese person act as an intermediary. Which means unless you get lucky you can quickly get taken advantage of in Japan as you are so dependant on your Japanese contacts.
Bingo that's exactly what I was wanting to hear. From what I've heard from Americans who've lived there especially minorities that even if you speak the language and understand the culture it still won't matter you'll always be an outcast.
I was friends with a Japanese foreign exchange student named Niko while I was in college. He was SO kind, outgoing and hilarious too!! I miss him and wonder how he’s doing but that was over a decade ago. I wonder if his experiences traveling helped him develop that open and fun loving attitude toward everybody he met. Hope he is doing well wherever he is.. with that personality he has to be! ❤
Japanese you meet abroad are not a real reflection of locals. People who travel have a different attitude and aptitude. Secondly he was in your country, so he behaved himself. At home, who knows....
Japan over the years has gone from interesting and mysterious to depressing to the point where I wanna stay away to avoid the risk of any of the toxicity rubbing off on me
I am from Australia and have spent a short time in Japan but I found the culture and people to be lovely, one of the best in the world. I feel accepted and I hope is feeling is mutual and continues for it or other countries in the world 🥰
I live in russia, it's similar here, but less extreme. People are surprised if u don't speak russia or if u speak it well. Finding rent as a foreigner is a pain. Well, russia had a similar history of isolation as japan, so they're a bit similar Most foreigners here are post soviet Union states, so they're so similar to russians, me as a North African, who don't speak very well russian it's sometimes a pain to live here
Shogo again restoring my hopes of finding a way to admire and at least live adjacent to this beautiful country and its lovely people. ❤ Thank you! Always lovely to see some positive and realistic advice for foreigners!
Insightful comment on the collectivist society determining relationships and therefore (somewhat) eliminating the need for strong communication skills! Thank you
I seriously was not aware of how complex Japanese culture is. It seems sophisticated and almost obsessively particular. I hope some day to be a visitor as I would cherish that likely forever, and all I hope is I'm not too disturbing to anyone's atmosphere.
@@peterc4082 that does Not Matter. Fear is Not Always objective. Also did you Not hear about that one influencer that kept going to Japan Just to be an absolute nuissance
@@enderkatze6129 Xenophobia is not about fear, it's an irrational dislike or hatred. It's not a genuine phobia akin to arachnophobia or agoraphobia. Influencer? I'm sorry but how many millions of visitors came to Japan in 2023? Well in 2018 (before Covid) Japan received 31 million visitors. And you bring up one influencer? And how many rowdy drunk Japanese visitors do we see abroad? We do see them. Japanese also like to drink. If Japanese people, who are EDUCATED, RICH and DEVELOPED look at one influencer or maybe two influencers out of 31 million people and become afraid then what are they doing living in Japan? Do they not understand probability? What do they teach at school there? Your chance is much higher to die in an earthquake in Japan then to meet such a crazy influencer face to face, in Japan. Come on, don't excuse xenophobia. Japan is a developed nation, they are to be held to the highest of standards. I can understand a poor country somewhere where people are poorly educated and development is low because of lack of money, but Japan? No.
Most people I interacted with in Japan were very friendly. I especially remember an older gentleman who tried to strike up a conversation with me and complimented my very limited japanese language skills.
That’s nothing special. Older people generally behave this way. Japanese people are polite and they try to be nice, but they are not really friendly. There’s a difference between the two.
@@straberryshinigami15g97 it's the inhabitants call you are as the manipulators as those who you claim you are not. do not play the feelings and emotions of others because sooner or later they will see through it see through your deception and manipulation. Even if its not today manipulation deception is a tool for the Destroyers and the evil doers of this world. Powerful tool it is a dangerous tool it is an evil tool it is
I am really happy you did this video. We are setting up a trip to go to Japan in the next two years. I would be lying if I didn't sat this was in the back of my head.
I went on a 2 week trip just before the pandemic in 2019 and had no bad interactions with any locals and had a particularly nice interaction with an old lady on a train who was interested in where I was from. Truly some of the nicest and most polite people I have ever met
Japanese people aren’t expecting foreigners to be fluent in Japanese, you just need to be able to hold a basic conversation. This includes directions, ordering food, simple greetings and manners
As a Muslim, I have encountered Japanese and they were fine. Remember it’s not all of them. And also learn to not take things personally it’s not personal. Negativity towards you is always not a personal thing. Go to Japan with intention of enjoying your time and you will surely meet kind people as they do exist
This is an interesting point! When i visited Japan around Christmas in 2018, it was a very interesting experience. I am asian and so I do not think, at first glance, Japanese people saw me as gaijin. But my foreigner friend who is white spoke fluent Japanese. When we went to restaurants, the Japanese servers would often be making eyecontact with me and speaking to me but my friend is the one talking on the other side of the table. I think when i visited the school she worked, one of her japanese coworkers were shocked that "i look japanese but do not speak japanese".
I hope you are doing well, I started watching your videos because my brother and his wife live and work in Japan. My brother likes to fish and he said after going to the same rivers and lake he said the local fisher men and women have warmed up to him and show which lures and baits to use. Thank you and your team for the interesting and informative videos
If I moved into a new neighborhood and started demanding that everyone change what they do because of my presence, I hope everyone would think I was crazy. The onus is on the foreigners to figure out local culture and adapt.
I am sorry for such a Japanese trait as a Japanese. I agree this video. Many of Japanese tend to feel uncomfortable with foreigners because they don’t know how to get along with them. Rude and disrespectful people are also there. They think they are different from foreign people. That’s why they don’t care their behaviors to foreigners. It’s not only to foreigners but also to disabled people like me sometimes . Although this is not so many.Japan is a wonderful and beautiful country I’m sure. But not perfect. There’s plenty of room we have to learn.
And the most important thing, English is not forced in Japan even though they learn it from school, they can hug the language or throw it away when they find a career 💁
In my country the Philippines, it's almost impossible to find a job with a decent salary without speaking English properly and communicating using the language. The world is quite different hmm
@Sir_Drew2024 It's not an utopia. It's a hard place with very long work hours and short holidays. Don't believe the hype and marketing. The grass is always greener.
Not if you look how many off days you Swedes get vs how many off days they get and how many they actually take. My friend gets 2 weeks a year but if she takes more than one it's frowned upon.
Japanese are very kind,as long as you can speak japanese,it quite easy to make friend and communicate with them,even tho i lived in small city they often approched me first considering my appearance quite stand out as foreigner,even senior citizen are open minded and really really nice
Most of us don’t complain about that. We complain about being discriminated against and seen as lesser. There are tons of apartments that don’t let you rent simply for being a foreigner. We don’t want special treatment, we want to be treated the same , with kindness and not prejudice
My brother and I were taking the train from Osaka to Kyoto and a couple of the locals started talking to us. Back in the states and we still talk on a group chat!
This is the number one question I've been asked since I started doing UA-cam.
It is true that people from overseas often feel alienated when they are in Japan, and there are some horrible Japanese who discriminate against certain ethnic groups.
However, the majority of Japanese do not dislike foreigners; they are "afraid.”
It may be difficult to imagine this in your country, but in Japan, except in certain urban areas, there are almost only Japanese people. Even in today's international world, there are many people who have seen people from overseas but have never spoken to one before (apart from school ALTs).
In addition, Japanese people have poor communication skills due to their collectivist society. This is because in such a society, individual communication is not so important as the system determines relationships for you.
With that said, many Japanese do not dislike, but are afraid of people from overseas, simply because they are not used to people from overseas and because their communication skills are not good enough to get used to speaking with them.
Conversely, if you can make friends with Japanese people, I am sure you will be able to have many good relationships.
If you’d like to learn more about Japanese traditional culture, Kyoto, and social problems in Japan, please check out my channel & subscribe!
*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
Well I’m a marry a Japanese actress and be friends with everybody in Japan Because I will be the king of manga
My memories of Japan, 60 years ago, are of, for the most part, a nation of very friendly people. It may have been that as a small child I was found to be less threatening than adults.
Does it include the german/japan relationship as well? As far as i know japanese and germans do well together. Mostly shown in anime and manga
Man you sound like Japanese
Thank you for this video as well!
I'm still young (16yo).. But I really like Japan and Japanese culture. And I want to be a writer, in Japan, of course.
I'm still a bit scared of what will happen, but after this video, I got pretty much courage.
I don't know about how true is this, but I'm hungarian and many says that our language is releated to yours at some point, so it's easier for me to speak Japanese. It is true though that it's a lot easier for me to speak than English
It’s the same vibe as when there’s a new kid in class when everyone already knows each other
No it's not. People are curious about the new kid in class and want to get to know them. They're not afraid of them.
@@NamasteInYourLane depends what kind of energy you have
@@NamasteInYourLane nah fam, I don't know what kinda unicorn world you live in but from where I am there's a big chance you won't fit in if you're slightly more quiet than usual
Jokes on yall when i first got in school everyone hated me,not 'was afraid',neither 'wasnt that curious' straigth out bullying.
@@ImNotEpix Depends on where you come from. In my native country, I got into a class that new each other for a very long time, I made friends on the fist day and we were relatively grown ups. Fast forward to me moving to France and I had no friends until 2 months in.
The biggest issue I had when I travelled to Japan was the language barrier. Google helped alot but the individual helpfulness did help even more
Question is why would u go if u didn’t speak their languaage
@@kuonjibaskerville2411 do you have to master a language before you take a trip to a country?
@@kuonjibaskerville2411 answer is why not, you mad?
@@Mari_iii some people might not have the time or just want to go there simply for vacation. Now if youre going with someone that knows the language, thats a whole other story.
@@Snsebshfjdh
Well no, bit you have to learn at lest some phrases.
If you rely on Google or a translated only when you run out of power and are in a bind then you're screwed.
My school had a Japanese foreign exchange student, and she was really trying to work on her communication with us and trying to understand what we were talking about. She seemed really awkward at times and at first she seemed really nervous to talk to people but when we started talking to her, she really opened up and it was really fun to talk to her and I really miss her now
Continue being based, brother or sister. Onward!
Why not reach out to them? Im sure they would enjoy hearing from a former classmate.
Well last time they played with the world yall mofos nuked them what were yall expecting
@@smooth8094 Fair, but not us. Past generations, not us.
@@JacobthePoshPotato They might not have their number or any social media
The world: let's increase cultural and international relations.
Japan: **slowly backs away,avoids eye contact**
Japan's just like me fr
@Daenack Dranils anime, samurai, videogames, music
it's not so hard to understand
@Daenack Dranils I like the food and the country is beautiful. But people do be romanticizing Japan too much
Lack of eye contact is between Japanese people as well. It’s considered rude to stare at someone’s eyes for too long.
As any sane independent country should
A foreigner: Ohayo gosaimasu!
A japanese person: * almost having a heart atack *
What does that mean?
@@Walnuthead724the most literal translation is: "ninja art: exploding heart jutsu!"
@@Walnuthead724 No it actually means "Technique Development. Destructive Death: Compass Needle."
@@Walnuthead724Good morning?
@@SenaAweke-qo5qmthat's obviously not it. It's Ravaging plasma Sword: energy from a thousand sun!!!
This makes me see in greater light all those Japanese people that venture out of their country and go on and about travelling and getting to know the rest of the world beyond their borders.
I trust you even more with this statement because you have been so honest and upfront about many other serious issues. This makes me even more excited to come to Japan one day and fulfill one of my dreams!
He's amazing. He, unlike a certain former prime minister, brings up and talks about the dirty parts of Japan and teaches why and how it happened.
@@lutymcshooty2556 I certainly hope this isn’t about Abe-San, if so this is in such bad taste. Time and a place for people to address the actions of others, if this isn’t then I humbly apologise for my mistake.
@@ジョーンズライアン The timing and topicality makes his take unlikely to be about anybody else.
@@ジョーンズライアン They've got a point in this specific case however
@@ジョーンズライアン if you want to honour Abe you should deny that he was ever killed like he did with so many others 😌. and in that spirit i have no idea how their comment was in bad taste 😉
"They are afraid of strangers and have bad communication skills"
Sounds like I could fit right in
Me too... until I found out my ADHD medication is illegal there.
Me too
Yep
All of yall would just being lonely just like many of their on ppl It is like around 30 to 40 percent of Lonely self contain hermits that are in Japan He has not given that part yet
Same
I actually had a Japanese girl as an exchange student in my previous school. She was very friendly and was even in the school choir. She did talk about her nervousness when she first arrived, but also talked about how people were more friendly and open then in her Japanese school.
That's sad
Japanese abroad will be very sweet and kind because they are in a foreign setting and have no allies. At home some of these people may be the opposite. To be fair most nationalities if not all nationalities are like this. However some are more open than others. Islanders tend to be less open and post colonial states also tend to be more open. Japan as short lived imperialist state had little foreigners so they're still relatively xenophobic. European countries tend to be more open because of ease of travel however, there is still hatred in Europe and Europeans judge people based on wealth. They're just more subtle about it.
Also the type of person who wants to travel abroad is different to the type who sits at home and shakes their fist at these pesky foreigners who are buying Japanese products and allowing for high standards in Japan.
When I went to Japan I really found the Japanese were very very friendly people came up to me all the time and helped me out. I really loved it there :) it was not so in Korea...
Same. I was like an attraction there, some taking photos with me
japan is definitely healthier for foreigners
You must have been near the country side
Same experience :) also the staff at train stations seem to be used to foreigners because they already have their phone open on google translate haha
They are friendly to tourists but not people living there.
phew, i thought it was because of the edo period again 😂😂
😂😂
nah its because of 1945
Nice humor!
Pffft
Is the social system not heavily influenced by the Edo period?
*it's still because of the Edo period*
Me: socially awkward and scared to talk to new people.
The japanese: also scared
Us in one room: 😓
1k likes and no comments?
Let me fixit
1k likes and 1 reply? lemme fix that
This made me laugh coz I'm socially awkward too and hope to go to Japan one day..
Same
yeee
Through a church program, my mother got to host dinner for 7 Japanese men. She told them that we were having pizza and root beer. Well something got lost in translation or something because they thought we were going to serve them octopus and cough medicine! When they finally got to our house they started laughing 😂. They were also dressed in business clothes.
It was an interesting experience.
I live in the Philippines and my neighbor (who is Japanese) runs a very successful English training facility that mostly handles Japanese students flying in. He would tell me most of the students are those who are desperate to travel and are working on their communications skills, and their numbers are still growing. Another plus is that English classes in his business are one-on-one since it's more comfortable for Japanese people to learn without many classmates. So I have hope the new generation are definitely more proactive with being more global.
Me, in an international school in Sapporo, " hi. Wanna be friends?"
My roommate and friend " sure, do you like animal crossing or anime?"
Not afraid. Especially younger Japanese people.
I think it's because of the media, sometimes. Like youtube or movies.
That's how Yuki got interested in learning English. She wanted to learn it so she could translate manga and work in comics overseas. She was a big marvel fan.
This is how it is in places like Korea too!
Older people tend to be more stand off ish but younger people are more flexible and helpful and willing to communicate.
Yeah it's usually older people, but even then I've met some wonderful elderly Japanese people in Aomori. I think it's just Japanese society in general :)
She wanted to be friends with you because she wanted to learn English. Not because she was genuinely interested in being friends with you.
@@lifeinjapan1592Way to show off your low self-esteem and personal insecurities. No friends?
It's inevitable that a lack of familiarity with something can lead to a degree of aversion to that thing. It's not malicious, it's just nature...
People are afraid of the unknown
@@ShiratoriIsOffline yep. That’s what the word “xenophobia” means, after all!
Yeah, many Asian countries also does this, we are not truly exposed nor be able to explore the wider world due to our socioeconomic status (mostly being 3rd world country) makes it hard to travel abroad. So most of our lives we see people not so different from us, so we don't know how to act to foreigners most of the time. Xenophobia is definitely not the case because it's not a definite, irrational fear, it's more of fear of the unknown, which is natural.
@@TheActualMrLink Well fear of the unknown doesn't just relate to that. It applies to anything really. Whether that's moving to a new home, workplace, school, meeting new people. Travelling to another country on holiday, although exciting, is probably going to still give you so many anxieties.
I admit to having just looked this up, to see if there's a word. But I believe it would be more appropriate to describe it as neophobia more so than xenophobia. Neophobia is the fear or dislike of anything new or unfamiliar, which I think describes the Japanese way better than xenophobia.
@@riefqisamudro Japan is No 3 economy in the world. They have been made peaceful in 1945 by the US and should be familiar with foreign visitors. Their government pushes tourism. So where is this great Japanese nationhood and discipline? They should forget their fear and follow what their emperor says and he promotes tourism.
We had a Japanese exchange program at the third highschool I attended, the student in my year level was really eccentric, hardworking kind and smart, he struggled sometimes to articulate himself but was really nice, I wish I had of been at that school longer to get to know him properly
Third highschool?
@@wanali4504 I moved around a bit in my teens (not by choice) and at the third highschool I attended there was a Japanese exchange program. I attended four highschools in total.
@@JadeO-nj8pr ah
I have a pen pal in Japan, I really like talking with her and she even sent me a package with several cute items
How much money do you send her every month?
@@portlandGTRlmao
@@portlandGTRfunny
I’ve visited over 40 countries, and lived in 6, including living in Japan (I am not Japanese). Nowhere on earth have I been treated better than when I lived in Japan. Maybe the Japanese who were afraid of me just avoided me? 🤷🏻♂️ But nearly all of the Japanese people I interacted with went out of their way to be polite and helpful.
100% Japan is one of if not the nicest country to live, but No matter how long you live there, even if your born in Japan if your not Japanese you will never be seen as Japanese. Unlike almost any other country, if you live there long enough people will welcome you as there own.
@@akiotatsuki2621
I guess you are japanese and you know. Is it true that japanese people feel superior to other east asians ?
@@soniagheza391 every idividual Asian ethnicity feels superior to THE OTHER I think they call it pride
That’s incredible you visited so many countries. Which ones were your favorite?
@@akiotatsuki2621i mean even in the west it doesn't happen that much... people don't really see dark skinned ppl as being from wherever they are even if they were born there
When I've been to Japan in a rural area I felt like a celebrity
I always felt watched when outside
Would you be able to look away if you see someone new that you don't usually see? When I went to the DRC I was stared at all the time as well. It's not other people's fault that you went somewhere that you're interesting haha
@@SkyeAten no offense but are you white? If so they are probably not used to it.
@@rikun.9minato it's not about colour, it's about being different than them. Mostly curiosity
@@dalhaanu you have to admit though, being a completely different shade would probably draw more attention since you can spot it a mile away
@@twoozyuzi2215 when I was in Japan, I stuck out like a sore thumb, since I’m a Mexican with darker skin and a curvier body type, I was stared at, ALOT, and when I went to get clothes from a shopping store, I’m usually a medium in the United States because I have a small waist but big hips, in Japan, the lady said “We don’t have clothes your size, please leave my store” and I was rudely shoved out the door, some older generations will have some prejudice and be xenophobic, but other than that, younger people were so interesting to talk to and were never rude, they never questioned anything and made me feel like a person, you will encounter people like that but that goes for every country in the world
“It may be difficult to imagine this in your country”
Nah man, it’s pretty easy. Prejudice, stereotyping, and xenophobia are pretty much staples of the human species.
It is absolutely a thing in my country. It’s just the natural result of the lack of contact with foreigners. Aside from the tourism heavy areas, people will absolutely avoid, stare and talk behind your back if you are a foreigner. This will immediately change if you speak the language, though.
So true. I'm tired of seeing xenophobia and ethnocentrism everywhere.
People be like your group vs my group, your language vs my language, your race vs my race, etc.
@@kalinga2nihon in the same way i can understand why !
@Jaxs Yeah we can be competitive and learn from each other
Xenophobia is how cultures survive. Countries that are not xenophobic will eventually cease to exist, because they’ve let in so many foreigners that their own cultural and ethnic identity has been replaced. There is no shame of Japan being protective of what it has. You belong to literally the only group who doesn’t look out for itself (left leaning white people) so for you it’s hard to imagine actually caring about your people, but for most of the world it is completely normal and healthy.
I’ve never felt more accepted when I was in Japan everyone was so nice
I was so lost and a Japan man went 20 minutes out of his way to show me where to go making him late to work
Beautiful place and people
They are polite, not friendly.
@@lifeinjapan1592 Someone Who wastes 20 Minutes of his Day when he has to go somewhere isn't just polite. That's genuine kindness
@@paulghencea9037 Kindness is another thing. I never said Japanese aren’t kind. Learn some definitions before saying anything. They are just not friendly and making friends is the hardest of any task in Japan.
@@lifeinjapan1592
Pretty much. Honestly, I would sooner trust a hungry warlord from Zimbabwe than a smiling Japanese mofo.
You’re white right? Because ask any person with a darker skin tone and you’ll see a different experience.
My whole family is Navy and more than half of them are stationed in Okinawa, the people of Japan are super friendly but also there are some places “Gaijin” are not really supposed to be. I love Japan and the culture, the colors and vibrancy of the history is so alluring! My Uncle used to hang out in some of the yakuza bars and has been told he was more welcome there than other bars because he would be overcharged because of his skin. I’ve always had a fond viewpoint of them ever since 😅
Imagine if there were places in the US or Europe where Japanese were not allowed to go. It would be called out and such places would be shut down. This kind of double standard is why Japan is not in the league of developed nations. They are not a western country, they are a rich, consumer society but they still discriminate heavily against foreigners.
Japanese people are so kind. I was even impressed how many spoke English and were just willing to help without me asking. Me and buddy were trying to figure out which train to take and some man just came up and asked if we needed help translating. Nice guy!
My cousin lives in Japan and she said that Japanese are scared of foreigners initially but are actually very nice after you know them better
I'm Indian and I had problems with Japanese because we are very accepting towards foreigners
I would agree. But, it can be possible that they can't speak it. Other people say that all of them don't speak English or any other language. But in my opinion, half in half.
@@Squish_that_cat If they are scared then why is their government promoting tourism?
“The system determines relationships for you.”
Huh… does that sound a bit dystopian to anyone else?
sounds pretty normal
They ARE partially communist
Sounds like the norm for the vast majority of global population and pretty much the entirety for the larger part of human history.
It's the bureaucratic dictatorship that Havel talks about in his essay
@@yusuffusuy4971 the leviathan
Met my aunt in law last month, even though I can speak Japanese she was too scared to talk to me directly and asked me questions through my wife....
So making a native Japanese friend is the ultimate test of my friend-making skills.
I must train.
It's not that difficult as far as you can speak something the Japanese you want to befriend speaks
@@aldairtorresaguilar2705 nah it’s still difficult even if you speak Japanese
This kind of friend is useless. You make a friend in college or work or in some professional setting.
I think a big factor is the language barrier. I have a couple of japanese online friends, both who do and don't speak English. They are the kindest, most polite people I've ever met- they're also always willing to help. Even with small achievements, they celebrate and cheer for everyone which is probably just habit or etiquette but it's so heartwarming.
While travelling I met this group of Japanese students playing cards at the airport. I asked if I could join them and they immediately agreed. We spent a great time learning about each others language and cultures. I found them to be amazing smart people
So did you remember any of their names?
@peterc4082 yes just one- Nobu
My grandma’s brother married a Japanese girl as he was Mexican he moved to Japan they were married for ten years they lived a peaceful then later on as they were married someone killed him his wife mourned him while others did not it turned out they did not like him my grandmother heard and ever since she hated Japan now I’m 16 she’s 70 I’ve always wanted to take her there to show her there not bad but in the end I just hope she lives long enough for me to take her there
I see the response about my English I’m sorry I could not tell clearly English is not really my first language I appreciate the positive feedback I don’t know much but I only know what my grandma told me about my grandma brother death
This is a crazy story but it is really hard to understand. I don't exactly get who did what. It would help to break it up into more sentences that explain each event rather than a run on
Yeah but also Japan has u healthy food and high suicide rates from o we working so yeah Japan is not the best place
@@coolkidnotepiccmanciol7654 and obsession with teenage girls
Japan is not the best, work is horrible, SA and su1cide is high. Not to mention s3xualizing female students.
@@puppieslovies the grandma's brother died because he was killed. His Japanese wife mourned. But the family of that Japanese wife actually don't like her husband. That's why grandma dislikes Japan.
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are you going to be making a video or short about Shinzo Abe? Just heard what happened yesterday
“See I told you billy, them Japanese Sun Der Rays are gonna blush and run away cuz they are afraid of my raw male energy”
Interesting! I'm from India and when I was in Japan for my tournament back in 2017, they were really warm and welcoming! They did the best they could to understand what you're saying and really put alot of efforts to communicate! ✨
I’ve traveled to Japan on my first international trip. This was in the mid Eighties. I found that they were nice, polite and very helpful to a “Gajin” like me.
I had the most wonderful and amazing time/experience there. I wish to return soon.
So they didn't treat you like the guys in The Bridge on the River Kwai? Basic human kindness every other nation shows... for Japanese it's an achievement?
Met several Japanese people living in Canada, so far i’ve had a 100% positive experience
I mean yeah bc they live in Canada
They’re the foreigners in Canada 😂
@@Dark_Lantern_They’re also foreigners in Japan because they only speak English
Now I'm going to go to Japan just to Five Nights at Freddy's jumpscare everyone by hacking one of the big TV screens
What?
Big brain time
Bonus points if your darker skinned
In my personal experience, having never been to Japan, simply being able to speak Japanese directly to a Japanese person generally makes the other person comfortable enough to be warm and friendly towards me. The more Japanese I learn the more normal my interactions with Japanese people seem.
I feel like this is the number one reason for learning Japanese when visiting Japan, it makes communication so much easier when the other person who may not speak anything other than Japanese can talk to you and help you out! A lot of Japanese avoid foreigners out of fear of being unable to help, so being able to speak the language is great for breaching that barrier
I have a friend who went to the pan and already had was a translator on his phone when he got there a woman helped him to go over 2-hours out of her way in the opposite direction to make sure he got to the hotel and then went home again this is dedication and respect for others
Wow
Shogo, I went to Tokyo 3 years ago with my gf (she has SMA and uses a wheelchair). It was one of the most beatiful experiences in my life. Japanese people were superkind, hope to one day we can visit Harajuku again.
😯😯😯 you went to Tokyo-3 ?!???! Did ya see any angels?!?
@@Zapadoslavist they went to tokyo 3 years ago
@@tupadrelo3497 that joke went over your head
Idk why I thought there’d be negative comments here. I had too much Internet.
But one important question, was Tokyo wheelchair accessible for your girlfriend? I’m asking for a friend of mine
A bit sugarcoated. If a major ethnic majority in a country is "afraid" of you, you will not live a comfortable life there. You might say this is a mild case but it is still xenophobia.
uhh... what do you think "phobia" in "xenophobia" means? If you genuinely don't know, it means fear. So, afraid is a correct term.
@@SapkaliAkif it's not discriminatory ffs. That's like saying "Hey, this alien is friendly, come talk to it". It's human nature to feel intimidated by people whom you're not used to be around with.
@@SapkaliAkif It's not Shapiro-speak, It's called semantics.
@@Sohendar Are you the type of person that gets in the shower and wonder why you’re hydrophobic cells don’t scream and panic?
Exactly!!!
An introvert: I see this as absolute win
Yesssss😂
I am introvert and i live in collectivist society you have zero knowledge about collectivism. If you are introvert in a collectivist society your family will brag you down because you dont have speaking skills. In fact alot of people commit suicide becacause of shaming their own family members Collectivism is a values not a utopia for Introverts.
I'm Nigerian, and I was born in Japan. I've gotten looks when I was younger but everyone is very accepting of me and my husband who I met in ireland
So you had to get a husband in Ireland. Japan has 120+ million people but you had to find one in a tiny country in Europe. That shows that Japanese don't really care so much for you. Or maybe you had different taste and did not try to find a local partner.
From my experiences working in Japanese companies, it was usually the older generation that had a hard time approaching non-japanese people. I had no problem interacting with the same age or even someone younger than me.
"Are Japanese people xenophobic?"
"No, they're just "afraid"."
"I'll take that as a "yes"."
Exactly
I'd say Shogo isn't completely fluent.
Being afraid doesn't necessarily mean it's xenophobic. Tired of people taking words and diluting their meaning.
@@weissrose1081 xenophobia - noun - the condition of having an irrational fear or hatred of foreigners. The Japanese system is definitely xenophobic, but the people aren't necessarily. They live in an insular society, and aren't taught how to communicate with others very well, so they are rationally afraid of communication with foreigners. The fact that the Japanese system does this is a sign of some irrational fear or hatred of foreign people though.
@@weissrose1081 that is exactly what it means lmfao
I think "fear" is too strong and general. I've never been looked at with fear. But I've seen a few "nervous" people when they saw me because they knew English was coming 😂 Overwhelmingly though, people act perfectly normal and extremely friendly in Japan. Best place to live.
That's interesting that you make the distinction, because being afraid of and hating a foreigner often come hand in hand here in America because of our country's history.
It's easy enough to talk about xenophobia like it's not a big deal, but it means as a foreigner you are just not allowed to do so many things unless you have a Japanese person act as an intermediary. Which means unless you get lucky you can quickly get taken advantage of in Japan as you are so dependant on your
Japanese contacts.
Bingo that's exactly what I was wanting to hear. From what I've heard from Americans who've lived there especially minorities that even if you speak the language and understand the culture it still won't matter you'll always be an outcast.
When I was in Japan last month, a crowd of Japanese school teens were waving towards us cheerfully. It was pretty cool :D
I was friends with a Japanese foreign exchange student named Niko while I was in college. He was SO kind, outgoing and hilarious too!! I miss him and wonder how he’s doing but that was over a decade ago. I wonder if his experiences traveling helped him develop that open and fun loving attitude toward everybody he met. Hope he is doing well wherever he is.. with that personality he has to be! ❤
Japanese you meet abroad are not a real reflection of locals. People who travel have a different attitude and aptitude. Secondly he was in your country, so he behaved himself. At home, who knows....
Frankly, even I get terrified of me when I look into the mirror every morning. So I can understand that.
Japan over the years has gone from interesting and mysterious to depressing to the point where I wanna stay away to avoid the risk of any of the toxicity rubbing off on me
Welp I'm starting to learn Japanese in hopes of being able to take a vacation and I'm from Texas. This means I'm gonna get some conversations going
Sadly it feels more common to be afraid of new people and surroundings.
Much ❤️ from Austria 🇦🇹
“Guess where im from”
“Not around here”
If you know you know 😂
I am from Australia and have spent a short time in Japan but I found the culture and people to be lovely, one of the best in the world. I feel accepted and I hope is feeling is mutual and continues for it or other countries in the world 🥰
I live in russia, it's similar here, but less extreme. People are surprised if u don't speak russia or if u speak it well. Finding rent as a foreigner is a pain. Well, russia had a similar history of isolation as japan, so they're a bit similar
Most foreigners here are post soviet Union states, so they're so similar to russians, me as a North African, who don't speak very well russian it's sometimes a pain to live here
Shogo again restoring my hopes of finding a way to admire and at least live adjacent to this beautiful country and its lovely people. ❤ Thank you! Always lovely to see some positive and realistic advice for foreigners!
Insightful comment on the collectivist society determining relationships and therefore (somewhat) eliminating the need for strong communication skills! Thank you
As an introvert, I guess I can understand them, I do want to go to Japan one day, very nice people
"Guess where I'm from?
Guess where I'm from?
Guess where I'm from?
NOT AROUND HERE!"
Japan is introvert-land. The law states a introvert may be adopted by a extrovert. Sadly I am not one...
Japan is a shy and cute country
I seriously was not aware of how complex Japanese culture is. It seems sophisticated and almost obsessively particular. I hope some day to be a visitor as I would cherish that likely forever, and all I hope is I'm not too disturbing to anyone's atmosphere.
That is how Most hatred towards certain groups started too. Or Just, collective hatred of Most Things, really.
Fear.
What do they have to fear? A tourist comes on a plane with no weapons. He or she has a short visa and will leave. It's ridiculous.
@@peterc4082 that does Not Matter. Fear is Not Always objective.
Also did you Not hear about that one influencer that kept going to Japan Just to be an absolute nuissance
@@enderkatze6129 Xenophobia is not about fear, it's an irrational dislike or hatred. It's not a genuine phobia akin to arachnophobia or agoraphobia.
Influencer? I'm sorry but how many millions of visitors came to Japan in 2023?
Well in 2018 (before Covid) Japan received 31 million visitors. And you bring up one influencer? And how many rowdy drunk Japanese visitors do we see abroad? We do see them. Japanese also like to drink.
If Japanese people, who are EDUCATED, RICH and DEVELOPED look at one influencer or maybe two influencers out of 31 million people and become afraid then what are they doing living in Japan? Do they not understand probability? What do they teach at school there? Your chance is much higher to die in an earthquake in Japan then to meet such a crazy influencer face to face, in Japan. Come on, don't excuse xenophobia. Japan is a developed nation, they are to be held to the highest of standards. I can understand a poor country somewhere where people are poorly educated and development is low because of lack of money, but Japan? No.
Most people I interacted with in Japan were very friendly. I especially remember an older gentleman who tried to strike up a conversation with me and complimented my very limited japanese language skills.
That’s nothing special. Older people generally behave this way. Japanese people are polite and they try to be nice, but they are not really friendly. There’s a difference between the two.
As a South East Asian I can confirm this. We also feels kinda frightened with foreigner coming to our place.
when xenophobia is 'muh culture'🙄
just because it’s a part of culture doesn’t make it ok.
@@straberryshinigami15g97 who do you decide to say what is okay or not that is not your call to take
and who’s call is that
@@straberryshinigami15g97 it's the inhabitants call you are as the manipulators as those who you claim you are not. do not play the feelings and emotions of others because sooner or later they will see through it see through your deception and manipulation. Even if its not today manipulation deception is a tool for the Destroyers and the evil doers of this world. Powerful tool it is a dangerous tool it is an evil tool it is
Hey Shogo, please talk about Abe, I think his death is not something that can be ignored
I am really happy you did this video. We are setting up a trip to go to Japan in the next two years. I would be lying if I didn't sat this was in the back of my head.
I went on a 2 week trip just before the pandemic in 2019 and had no bad interactions with any locals and had a particularly nice interaction with an old lady on a train who was interested in where I was from. Truly some of the nicest and most polite people I have ever met
So because nobody mugged you or kicked you out, they're nice people.
“Japanese people have poor communication skills”
*Maybe I am Japanese.*
R.I.P. Shinzo Abe 😥
As soon as i learn how to speak Japanese im going on a trip there
Gonna take a lifetime
Me too! 😊
@@IchibanOjousama Hi ange
Japanese people aren’t expecting foreigners to be fluent in Japanese, you just need to be able to hold a basic conversation. This includes directions, ordering food, simple greetings and manners
As a Muslim, I have encountered Japanese and they were fine. Remember it’s not all of them. And also learn to not take things personally it’s not personal. Negativity towards you is always not a personal thing. Go to Japan with intention of enjoying your time and you will surely meet kind people as they do exist
😂😂😂 The way you said afraid, Shogo. I get it.
Tbh I would also be afraid of them cause I fear of accidentally offending their culture
Simply answered yes. When you have signs that say "no foreigners welcomed/without escorts" reminds me of jim crow laws of the south
"You see, in the Edo period..."
This is an interesting point!
When i visited Japan around Christmas in 2018, it was a very interesting experience.
I am asian and so I do not think, at first glance, Japanese people saw me as gaijin. But my foreigner friend who is white spoke fluent Japanese. When we went to restaurants, the Japanese servers would often be making eyecontact with me and speaking to me but my friend is the one talking on the other side of the table.
I think when i visited the school she worked, one of her japanese coworkers were shocked that "i look japanese but do not speak japanese".
I hope you are doing well, I started watching your videos because my brother and his wife live and work in Japan. My brother likes to fish and he said after going to the same rivers and lake he said the local fisher men and women have warmed up to him and show which lures and baits to use. Thank you and your team for the interesting and informative videos
honestly i’m kinda socially awkward too
It's absolutely natural to be wary of outsiders or new people. Thank you for explaining this!
If I moved into a new neighborhood and started demanding that everyone change what they do because of my presence, I hope everyone would think I was crazy. The onus is on the foreigners to figure out local culture and adapt.
I am sorry for such a Japanese trait as a Japanese. I agree this video. Many of Japanese tend to feel uncomfortable with foreigners because they don’t know how to get along with them. Rude and disrespectful people are also there. They think they are different from foreign people. That’s why they don’t care their behaviors to foreigners. It’s not only to foreigners but also to disabled people like me sometimes . Although this is not so many.Japan is a wonderful and beautiful country I’m sure. But not perfect. There’s plenty of room we have to learn.
The video is informative, and relatable. Thank you for the video short Shogo itoko!
And the most important thing, English is not forced in Japan even though they learn it from school, they can hug the language or throw it away when they find a career 💁
In my country the Philippines, it's almost impossible to find a job with a decent salary without speaking English properly and communicating using the language. The world is quite different hmm
So, it's mostly about the society?
Yea
"We live in society" kinda stuff.
Having your relationships conditioned by how the society works seems... Sad... At least in my country.
Short answer: yes
Long answer: it’s complicated
Aliens can really be terrifying sometimes.
The more I learn about Japan the more I realize it’s how similar it is to Sweden 😂
@Sir_Drew2024 It's not an utopia. It's a hard place with very long work hours and short holidays. Don't believe the hype and marketing. The grass is always greener.
Not if you look how many off days you Swedes get vs how many off days they get and how many they actually take. My friend gets 2 weeks a year but if she takes more than one it's frowned upon.
Introverts: My time has come
Japanese are very kind,as long as you can speak japanese,it quite easy to make friend and communicate with them,even tho i lived in small city they often approched me first considering my appearance quite stand out as foreigner,even senior citizen are open minded and really really nice
Hey. This is a hard question. You gave your take on the situation with understanding and respect for every side. That’s very admirable
This guy is helping us bridge the gap between Japan and the rest of the world. I love these videos.
Better term: unfamiliar
No excuse, if you are No 3 economy because of trade.
I feel alienated even in my home country 💀
That's, that's actually really sad.
What's sad is when foreigners complain about strangers not treating them like long lost friends..
Most of us don’t complain about that. We complain about being discriminated against and seen as lesser. There are tons of apartments that don’t let you rent simply for being a foreigner. We don’t want special treatment, we want to be treated the same , with kindness and not prejudice
@@Gigachad-mc5qz Japanese people hardly talk to each other so it should be expected they'd talk to a foreigner even less
@@SkyeAtenwho wants to be friends? Just dont run away when i say hi
My brother and I were taking the train from Osaka to Kyoto and a couple of the locals started talking to us. Back in the states and we still talk on a group chat!
introverts: i have found my people