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As an American, I can guarantee you going whole hog on immigration & ethnic diversity will only make things in Japan *worse* long term; if you see the Hellholes the parts of America where such policies are implemented the most *firmly* have become, you understand that. What the Japanese government *needs* to do is give the younger people *incentive* to have families of their own, *good* incentive, & to an extent, the younger people should recognize the elderly have a *point* in resisting immigration. Ethnically homogeneous societies like Japans have historically proven to be the most *stable* , & as America's a showcase of right now, ethnic diversity leads to absolute *chaos* . Don't get me wrong, I'd *love* to have a place to live in Japan myself, but even if it means I *can't* , I'd much rather Japan keep its residential market *closed* to foreigners in the interest of preserving its culture. & speaking of the residential market, if the Japanese government wants people to move out to rural areas, all they need to do is *abolish* the inheritance tax; the inheritance tax is *the* big reason Japanese people are moving out of rural areas & into the big cities like Tokyo & Osaka, because the inheritance tax makes it *cheaper* to live in the big cities than to live in your family house in the countryside. I can *guarantee* you if the Japanese government just abolished the inheritance tax, a *lot* of Japanese people would move back out into the countryside; & they may even bring certain parts of the big cities *with* them, which'd *stimulate* Japans economy. & *finally* , make work in Japan no harder than it absolutely *needs* to be, & actually properly *compensate* workers if they work overtime! By the way, everything I just said applies to *America* too, so don't think I'm trying to be the pot calling the kettle black.
@@ezrafaulk3076 Yea, for most people, diversity just means new language and new types of food. They do not realize that those things come with extra baggage in the form of different cultures and allegiances. It is honestly too late for Japan, just like for the West. The root cause of the population decline in rural areas is pretty much connected to the decline in birth rates. You cannot get the birth rates up when both men and women are busy eagerly pursuing careers and success at their careers. Children then are a burden. Even if one gives free day care, the woman will still have to take time off of work, which from her perspective will put her behind in her career goals. At the same time, everyone is pushing for women to enter the work force and painting stay at home motherhood as some backward aspiration. So the birth rates will only continue to decline. It’s the same story for the West and for the East, and eventually for the middle-east and Africa as well if they embrace the same Western values and aspirations.
One of the best interviews out there. I've seen some where random people are interviewed and have basically no opinion on anything. Definitely Toudai students are sharp and understand the subject from many perspectives, and have interesting opinions
The Japan rural areas (small towns) dying is a big problem, because it's a loss of community and culture each time they die, there will be nobody to continue the traditions. It's very sad and unfortunate. But also a very difficult issue to fix.
That's not the only problem. The most important factor is everyone flocking to Tokyo. It causes a lot competition for job opportunities. Meanwhile, the rural areas is just massive desertion. That's land wasted. This is the biggest issue. That's why they are even willing to giving out houses for free in the rural areas.
@@nijimavtuber How so? The population issue is honestly the single most important issue the country is facing. None of them were incorrect. I don't think it's their knowledge that's the issue, but their expression of what they want to see happen and how. I was waiting for someone to come out and say "we need immigration, but also need to restrict which countries we allow immigration from" because that would've been a ridiculously honest and true answer. They were all intelligent and articulated, but it's still a nation of people who are conditioned to not really 'say' what they 'mean' when they put it out there. They really need to put down their slice of humble pie and balls up. I know that's a tall order, but the meaningful change they want won't occur unless the younger population does something about it. Knowledge is not often reflective in actions taken, unfortunately. They have the smarts, but they need to put this shit into motion NOW. It may not sprout for a couple of decades, but it will, once the aging population drops off. Otherwise, they will just become that aging population, no matter how smart they are. If I could move to Japan and do my job there and they didn't have their ridiculous 'under 30 for a work visa' law in place, I would do it in a heartbeat. Settle down, find a wife, have kids. The biggest issue is paving the way out, and that takes more than just smarts.
@@nijimavtuber It's not bruh just like try listen to other interviews from like Harvard students or something..some of them even lack like common knowledge & it's supposed to be like the best school in like the whole world or something!!!
It's great to hear high level proper Japanese grammar responses from these students ! There is lots of casual and keigo mixed in their comments. Please more of this!
Just as the lady from Okayama said, I moved to a small island called Shodoshima 4 month's ago, one of my best decisions ever since I moved here, beautiful scenery, absolutely best community. Highly recommend for everyone!
That was a very interesting watch to see young people expressing these insightful and compelling views on Japan! Loved hearing from them on these topics
It's nice to see young people in Japan encouraging foreigners to visit and make friends with Japanese people. I do hope that older generations would give the same encouragement, if asked.
Accepting immigrants will not solve their problems, just create new ones. For example in their Perfect scenario they provide benefits for immigrants to come, a manageable amount come and they respect the Japanese culture. In reality undocumented amounts will come, and the culture will decline over time and the infrastructure will become overburdened. Eventually when you try to speak about solving that immigration crisis, people will call you racist and the problem will just not get fixed. That’s the problem the west has, don’t do it Japan. The main issue I see for women not wanting kids is money and work, the government needs to provide serious funding and child benefits if they want the population to grow.
This interview felt sooo great! And I think the best solution to the issue is reflected implicitly in your video, insightful, determined, conscious young people are (in my opinion) the biggest solution to the issues Japan is facing, these are very intelligent people that want a better Japan and that, through studies, can definitely be a change for the better. I know that the issues are difficult, but I think, contrary to many other countries, Japan has what it takes to face and overcome the issues... You just need to act on it
The boy in the striped tanktop is literally me. I got a lot of bad grades in highschool and college and now i turned it alp around and have a perfect gpa at a great university for my major. I relate to him the most with how he feels about the rising of living costs and static treatment of the emerging working class. Thank you 🙏🏼🙇♂️
That was probably your most insightful video yet-congrats! I really enjoyed it. Many foreigners who aren’t familiar with Japan tend to see it as a flawless place. I think it’s important to highlight the positives, but also to provide a balanced perspective by showing some of the challenges as well.
After living in Japan for some years....I noticed something peculiar, people usually don't talk about politics. Young people do not care about voting. Young people do not know who the candidates are or who would better represent their values and expectations. What are the consequences of this lack of interest? The result is that conservative parties continue being elected forever and ever. When I saw those people talking in your video, I thought....all those young people would be good politicians. Now talking more broadly...........I believe that in all countries of the world, we should elect people that are really worried about people, not just allowing rich companies to become richer. Takashi, this was your best video. I see your videos very often.
Yeah. Why would politicians implement things that the elderly are not for, when they could be implementing things that the elderly *are* for. The elderly seem to be their main voter audience, not the youth.
To be sure, even if the younger generation were extremely engaged, they'd still be in the minority, so I think the apathy is justifiable to some extent. Then again, the longer-term consequences of political apathy (which, in Japan, goes far beyond just the youth) are... probably not great.
As far as I understand, there is a very "non-political" culture in Japan. I never been there, so I'm no expert, but as I understand it people almost never talk about politics with others, they dont get into political arguments, its not as much as on vogue as in the US/europe, people are more inclined to repsect authorities, the elderly and dont argue with these groups, challenging authorities in a conservative coutnry like japan isnt well recieved, so in conclusion there isnt any drive for people to get political. THose who get political are seen as weird or as caring to much or something
It’s funny because here in is US we just had a very embarrassing presidential debate in front of the whole world. Two really really old men, I think it’s becoming a problem everywhere it’s scary
We just came back from two weeks japan trip and it was an experience and can't wait to go back, one day. The people, culture, mindfulness, and safety was out of the world especially for someone like me who came from US where I feel sometimes it is non existent. People got labeled into groups and easily triggered with a slight saying or actions. I am glad to see the next Japanese generation (at least those interviewed) are very well grounded. They understand the potential issues not just from external but also internal as well and most importantly, has a series of solutions in mind. I can see tens of thousands of hours that they spent studying are worth every seconds of it.
I want to give every single person interviewed a big hug or thumbs up. So incredibly kind and well informed. Thank you for interviewing them and letting them share their enlightening perspectives on these various topics!
They are sadly not well informed. Sure, they realize there is a problem with the population decline. But, not a single one seemed to understand why it occurs and their solutions are even weird. One person suggested decreasing education cost. How does that even help? The girl studying to be a lawyer was an air head talking about diversity without understanding what troubles it has lead to in the West. It’s just silly kids thinking they know stuff.
@@thesuccinsuccess You cannot just say "facts" while at the same time quoting nothing and being super vague about what is factual, if anything, in what they said. Most of the ideas were quite common place and the rest was merely propaganda.
Loved the ending of this vid! Been in Tokyo for just over a month now, I've made a handful of Japanese friends and I've noticed that when approached, more times than not, they are just so happy to speak with me! (3 Years of on/off Japanese study, still very broken but enough to make friends!)
I love these interviews. I've only just recently started learning Japanese language and learning about etiquette. It's great being able to hear these viewpoints! I plan on visiting one day but I want to be as respectful of the culture and customs as possible when I do. Thank you for these videos, they are great for learning!
No, I don't think it is. Because they are not the 1st generation to worry about Japan's future and like the previous generations they will probably do nothing about it... That's the biggest problem of Japan: they know the issues and they don't do anything to fix them, nothing ever changes.
Hello, Takashi! I would like to see a video about you interviewing Japenese locals on the countryside about what they think of locals from the big Japanese cities, and vice versa. That would be such an interesting video showing what Japanese citizens from rural towns and big cities think of each other. 😊😊😊😊
Enjoyed this video very much. I recently visited Japan and found the Japanese people not shy but very, very friendly. I had a great time in your country.
This has to be the best interview of yours that I have seen on your channel. And they are all absolutely right being optimistic for the future . These are the kids we need for a better future.
Seeing Japanese young people have so many clear in-depth insights of the country, I'm very optimistic about Japan's future! Many countries around the world that allegedly do better in the economy than Japan does are not necessarily a better place to live! From a long-time resident alien in the US
What a great video. It really highlights the deeper thoughts the younger generations have. More than a decade ago we hosted a Japanese exchange college student (I am in the US). We did a get-together with him and all the other exchange students. Somehow we touched on the topic of how they were able to get into the program. Out of nowhere one of them just said, "I have a secret to tell you guys. I haven't told anyone." Everyone quietly waited as he said "I actually have a job and paid on my own to come here." Then, an instant gasp from everyone else. Then tons of comforting words poured out and he started crying. As an American who started working at 16, I was SO confused. Then he went on to say how he was raised by a single mom, how he secretly worked further away to save up money to support himself and his mother. Apparently, everyone else's trip was paid by their parents. My takeaway as they explained the situation to me was that it was embarrassing and almost taboo that he had to work. In the US obviously it's completely opposite. I certainly hope this type of sentiment has improved since then in Japan.
This one was easily one of your most interesting videos/interviews. Well done. Todai students really show just what's so special about them, and that some of the most important people in Japan's future might come from them. Would love for you to keep interviewing them on other topics (if the guards don't kick you out ^^).
TBH I'm quite happy to know that, from the interviews of this video at least, Japanese youth seems to be quite grounded and even optimistic of Japan's future. I'm brazillian, and I've been accompanying japanese news outlets, some more focused around the brazillian-japanese side, and from what I've gathered, Japan's quite far from any kind of apocalypse. I'm happy to see I'm not alone in seing that Japan has a future. Every country has its problems and issues. Some more than others. But that doesn't mean that it's useless to try and work for a better country. I hope to visit Japan soon. Would love to do my masters there, but for now, just a visitation would be cool.
It is probably the most interesting video I saw about Japan during the last year. Well done ! I missed a channel with english subtitles which deals more with these issues, with people point of view. I hope you will also get the point of view of many different persons of the japanese society. Thank you very much Takashii !
Well done picking some clearly very intelligent youth for this interview, their views were quite well put together and painted a good picture of their generation's perspective.
The girl from Okayama Prefecture insights are invaluable! I would love for you to have a follow up interview with her on living and settling in rural Japan ❤🙏🏼
I really enjoyed hearing all the thoughts of the young people you interviewed. It makes me happy to know they have a positive outlook on the future of the country. Their concerns were valid, and their ideas were sensible ones.
I, who usually a man a Canadian and living in Canada, am concern for Japan. I always feel like my heart is stabbed whenever I hear the big issues taking fold and how much in progress. I truly feel bad for the country. But seeing the young people on this video and hearing their personal opinions, and each sharing their hopeful perceptives, brings a healing sensation on my chest, and realized they have a point. I do hope that, someday, the young people’s words will reach out and creates a brighter future.
I am learning Japanese, and ALL of these people spoke at double speed, I swear! I even had to slow it to .75% when that young man who was with his uni friend was talking (the shorter of the two) he spoke SO fast. I had no chance of actually following along (even though I rely on subtitles 95%)
Wow! This was great for Japan in my opinion. The future for Japan is bright from the answers of these students. They seem very optimistic and have very good outlook and problem solving answers for Japan. I think the people of Japan would learn a lot by listening to these students and implement these ideas. This was a very good video Takashi! The future is bright for Japan with young people like these you interviewed. I hope the rest of Japan looks to these type of people and has a good outlook as well!
Thank Takashi for this excellent interview. It is really refreshing to hear the views, aspirations of the younger generation, their positivity including insightful ideas how to bridge cultural differences for foreigners. While media paints a negative outlook (eg. weakening yen, low birth rates, anti-foreign tourist sentiment due to some bad apples, tourist behaving badly), I am so encouraged and intrigued by the positive,thoughtful feedback by all the interviewees. Makes me want to contribute to partner in re-vitalizing Japan. Hopefully these videos goes to the Japanese policy makers to revisit policymaking, constructively think how to bridge and attract foreigners to contribute to the growth of Japan. It would be so beautiful to see Japan enters a “new” age of promise and vitality, the powerhouse it once was before the “lost decades” era. 日本、頑張ってください。 シンガポールのカルヴィンです。
Thanks for another insightful interview video! I really like watching these to practice my Japanese listening comprehension, since the dialog is interesting, natural, and articulate. I wonder if you would consider adding Japanese subtitles as an option for these videos to assist with language learning? The automatic UA-cam subtitles often have a lot of errors.
This is wonderful. It's so nice to see intelligent, kind young people who can face these issues logically and sensibly. Here in the U.S., young people are becoming so emotionally driven that they're not going to be able to accomplish much. Great video
Hearing people like these students really gives me a lot of confidence in Japan's ability to openly have these difficult types of conversations moving forward where they may have been more likely to avoid them previously. These students are extremely aware of their own culture as it relates to the rest of the world, and seem very keen on addressing the downsides that have impeded Japan from advancing as a society, culturally and economically. Really lovely to hear these well articulated thoughts from such great people. Much much love to the Japanese people ❤🇯🇵🇯🇵
Thank you for the interesting video Takashi! In Canada we have been having similar discussions about our country's future. A lot of the discourse from your interviewees remind me of things I've heard here. Cheers 👍
I really like your video. I just come back from Japan after 3 weeks so the part about immigration and foreigners was quite interresting to me. I would love to live in Japan. I'm French and well... Your country is so much more beautifull, safe and respectfull than mine. I'm optimist about your futur ! GANBARE !
This is possibly the most insightful video so far Takashii - thank you so much. I've studied Japan since I was 7 years old, and am just now working with a Japanese tutor to become proficient in Japanese language. I hope one day to most to Japan and integrate into the culture and community. I think immigrants are helpful everywhere, but the difference in immigrants are ones who respect the culture and community vs. people simply trying to escape their situations, believing the grass is greener elsewhere, and doing nothing to integrate or understand the culture and society that they are moving into. I hope I can integrate one day and use whatever privilege I have as an American who may be wealthy in Japan, to help the community and help restore Japan into the beautiful and strong country that it is.
I am chinese. I was an ordinary one in an ordinary school (not in Japan) studying automotive engineering. I hold a different view on population shrinking. That is, in the long term it is likely to not be a bad thing, especially for individuals. I hear that many people say population has a strong relation with a good economy, but maybe because I was told that population is not a good thing in china, I am not for a great population. In my view, a great population in an area is equal to its density and fierce competition. Who will benefit from it? business or GDP? Does it really make a better life for most people? It really makes sense that many people explain the potential sharp decrease in populations of many asia areas creates issue, but how about a slow decrease? I think it is good for a sustainable environment for people. I think the trouble is how people feel the turning point and how fast it drops or even soars. Let us see if it is good for the economy or not when there is a sharp increase in population. I remember closely canada is faced with an unemployment issue due to a sharp increase in population which is to 40000000, immigrants contribute most. By the way, I would like to say it may be good that immigration policy does not turn fast. At times, “slow” is “efficient” when talking about mechanical processes. I want to say another thing. Japan might have learnt chinese culture in the past. I think in terms of food, chinese culture is not bad. But how people get with people is bad. Please keep away from it. In china morality is used to judge other people, not self. Everyone is like a teacher, looking at others' behaviours and repeating traditional rules. Therefore, it is better to not say different opinions. But people still need opinions, so when a group of people sit down, the first thing they do is to rank and decide who is boss, then listen to him. That leads to another culture that is comparison. People are always afraid to be looked down upon by other people and try to beat down others on anything. Anything can be a comparison or a competition. I am tired of it and cannot breathe when people compare me and try to be superior to me over everything that can be ranked, where there are no benefits after that. Many chinese say it is because of chinese government. No, it is not. This is one more culture that they always say it is others wrong. It is the chinese culture that picked the chinese government. I can feel it in a basic unit of chinese society. It is everywhere. Do not believe that in ancient time the society was good. Please do research yourself. Chinese always say a thing in a way that is beneficial. even do not believe those people on your side. they just stand next to you because of need. That is an additional culture.
It seems that a lower population is not good for traditional industries because that usually equates to less output/revenue/resource gain. But I also believe (a little bit) that the decrease of population growth for Japan is not a terrible thing because there are already over 100 million of people in Japan. Maybe things like the overall quality of education and other things might improve with a smaller population. A focus on quality seems to align closer with new Japanese industries, developments , products, etc. especially when technology can increase automation. However, like one of the students said in the video, the uneven distribution of people across the country (rural areas) is not good. That is maybe why a decreasing population is terrible, because the overall presence of people in rural areas/corners of Japan will become weaker. Humans are still tied to the land, but if there are no humans in the land, then the land is underused and is less valuable, which is not a good thing because it should be valuable. A rural town will not be as valuable as Tokyo, but the lady is right. There is too much centralization in Tokyo. Likely for profit and convenience, but perhaps not long-term stability.
@@acolyte1951 agree - it's a very old school way to look at this issue. Manufacturing gets automated, very slow to be fair but it does. So having a slowly shrinking population mixed with some immigration could be an awesome thing if it's handled properly.
Interesting points. Yeah is it truly as bad as they say, or are our governments just lying to us because it would help inflate the GDP and overall economy of the country? What we should be focused on is the average quality of life for the people. It’s a shame that most governments will use corporate income as a proxy for over all wellbeing of a nation.
@@acolyte1951 The problem isn't the population - its how *concentrated* it is. Tokyo could lose 10% of its people and still be a crowded metropolis. Everyone is chasing a dream of a high income in the big cities. Meanwhile the small towns and villages fall apart as everyone leaves. Who raises the food when nobody wants to be a farmer? Immigrants are NOT the answer - over time they will become just another problem because they bring their problems with them!
Overpopulation also causes a big problem on the workforce because many fields get oversaturated with applicants to the point where employers can easily get away with lowballing their salaries
Never been to Japan but love the culture, the people, the movies and the videos of walks through the cities, especially Tokyo. The urban design, artistic lighting and transportation of Tokyo are the envy of the world. In this video, I really enjoyed the background, the bike path. Japan has found a way to make the most densely populated city seem like a very livable village, combining sophistication at a human scale. Keep faith in your selves and your future, Japan. We Americans desperately need you to blaze a livable path through AI, robotics and the resistance of idiocracy. Someday, God willing, we will follow your example. Stay human. Stay hopeful and keep learning.
Wow they seemed really bright and energetic and sort of joyful. I was engaged and impressed. I’m sure they are Interesting and positive people to be around
Thank you for sharing this content. Recently I’ve been exploring what it would be like to live in Japan and Okayama prefecture has been on the top of my list of locations to research. I was excited to hear the recommendation in the video.
I am a frequent traveler to visit Japan. I totally agree with their mindset and view points of interviewees. The young generation of Japan should see more the development of the outside world. Traveler from Hong Kong.
Japanse people in favour of immigration, should live in an European city for at least a year to find out they're wrong. It's all fun and amazing when visiting an European country shortly during holiday, but it's way different when actually living in such a country.
Immigration in itself is not the problem. It's about who you let in. In Europe "we" chose to let in the worst people from the worst places for some reason
@@sonneh86 Migrant workers should be allowed in Japan as long as they leave when the job is done. They should not be allowed to bring their family over or become a Japanese citizen. That's the fault European politicians made and should be held accountable for.
100% truth. I'm from Korea. Korean people are so naive. They think when traveling to foreign nations it's so wonderful but they have no idea how horrible and messed up it is.
I’m a Japanese who was born and raised in the U.S. I just visited your country last month and my humble opinion is that there is NO reason to be pessimistic about the future of Japan. Just like us in America, there are certain segments struggling, but the core of the country is made up of good people. Like these students! The future is in good hands!!🙌
@@earlysda not commenting only on these college students specifically. I live in the United States, in one of the safest states. And yet we have 100x more homeless; we just had a random stabbing two weeks ago, and a 16 year old who was shot by a military type assault rifle. My point is that a “bright future” which is the title of this video, is not necessarily dependent upon how ambitious your population is. You don’t need EVERYONE to be as ambitious as the top 1% to have a bright future.
Lack of ambition? But you famously die from work exhaustion. So the competition is fierce, high ambition must acompany it no? I mean houses are half empty so getting a place to live while getting reasonable amount of money must not be a problem. I geard the issue is lack of free tine due to everyone working so hard... Cant you live off a half time work? Sure it would mean living less frugal but it would free up time to live, have a life outside of work.
@@86Corvus 86, What you say is mostly true. That does nothing to negate the fact that Japanese young people generally lack ambition. Were you not aware that more and more of them are never having any kind of physical relationships in their lives, and don't want them either?
@@earlysda reports of statistics which support that are quite common. if problem can be separated into cause and effect, the lack of ambition is effect to me. babies are naturally motivated and curious. as people navigate political, economic, ideological, and material spaces experiencing no or negative progress, they tend to give up
I truly agree with so many aspects of this interview and I am glad we got a variety of people to share their opinions. I am Canadian and I've always had a huge interest in Japan (including its culture, economy, politics etc.) and I see somethings like focusing a lot on Tokyo when it comes to the economy which reminds me of how S. Korea is now struggling to reverse their focus on having everything in Seoul. Yes when I visited Japan I spent a lot of time in Tokyo but I also balanced it out by going to super rural areas but also the smaller cities. Canada struggles in a way with that but its not as bad. Toronto is where our hub for businesses were but that's been slowly spreading out due to the cost of living. Yes lots of companies are still there but the population has spread out more. People moved from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to places like Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) and have brought the wealth of selling their GTA homes to their KW homes and economy. Then those in KW are moving to the smaller towns and cities. So it's possible - in my opinion. Just need to act now before everything becomes too centralized in one spot. But I also realize this is just one small example. Note: Before other Canadians start attacking me - yes Toronto is still super populated and crowded and has issues but its true that people have been leaving and spreading out over the last 6-8 years (pandemic really fueled it - due to remote working). I think if Japan acts now, they can avoid more displacement and rural communities shutting down (like their schools, grocery stores, and even community/city halls). I feel very strongly with the one lady who wants to bring/connect Japan to the whole world and show the world how amazing Japan is. I want to do that too. If I could restart my education I would have focused on international business. But now I am just hoping to work for an international company that can one day place me in the Asia division and I can work to bring both Western countries and Asian countries (specifically Japan) together. Maybe if that lady sees this comment we can connect via LinkedIn or something and stay in touch and see what we can do in our respective countries to help bridge the gap. Japan has a HUGE potential and I just wish that the people in power (business power and political power) can realize this and fix the mistakes they are currently making now before it gets to bad. See what other countries have done where things got worse and where it got better so Japan does spiral and become a struggling country. I will always cheer for and love Japan but I know it can do better. Amazing video Takashii
Thank you for the video. I'm learning about Japan like customs, politics, economy etc. Japan is a great country so I think it's going to work out. Have a great day
From your vids it seems like japanese people are actually very introspective and express themselves very articulately when in a casual setting. Ironically, that trait my have come from not being overly outspoken. I imagine Japanese people are probably very self aware which is a great trait to have.
Every country has its positives and negatives but I hope that Japan will somehow overcome these problems despite the predications that have been made in negative way. I still love Japan and wish to live there for a long time I am not saying that Tokyo and Osaka are bad as for myself I would love to explore those cities one day I personally agree with that girl who recommended living in the local regions as I would also love to live in those areas and I feel like I would definitely learn properly about Japan and its culture I want to explore all of its cities I will definitely come to Japan in nearer future Arigato Takashi san Keep on making these videos brother
Really appreciate this Takeshi-san. We lived in Tokyo for about 4years recently and the comments about many tourists there now will be different for us, too..during COVID peak period Japan did not allow travelers into the country. I do agree about the the declining population issue and the stagnant income, with rising costs.
The homogeneity of social values (they call it a single ethnicity but it’s more cultural), pressure to conform and closed society are negative aspects of Japan, but they are also connected to good public safety and kindness towards inner community members. Accepting diversity means giving up such comfort to a certain extent. I hope that political decisions will be made with an awareness of the trade-offs.
Not sure having Japan become like Paris is the wisest thing to be honest. Paris is not what this lady thinks, in fact there's a saying along the lines of, Europeans wish that Europe is like how the Japanese think Europe is...
Great video ! Thanks for sharing Takashi, I enjoyed listening what college students thought about all the things that you asked them. Very insightful questions and answers. Beautiful scenery too :)
Japan is a great country with so many advantages being inherited from the post-war generation. I had been very impressed by so many old Japanese men I talked to who could speak three languages. They were very international and had courage to work outside Japan with Japanese companies and organizations. But this post-war generation still keeps the seniority society as they have been raised in. However, this way of keeping everything in control apparently doesn’t work for the late generations because young people can see the outside world from their mobile phones. Young people have developed their individual perspectives without facing hardships. However, moving toward the individual society from the collective society is relatively risky for Japan. The Individuals need to be relatively strong with unique characters to survive in deep ocean.
I hope Japan finds a Japanese solution to the demographic problem. Being born and bred in Australia from immigrant parents, I do not believe multicultural societies are as safe or as productive as homogeneous ones. Furthermore, the quality of life for most individuals does not really improve in a growing population, the main beneficiaries are pensioners and corporate profit margins to the detriment of everyone else. The world needs to abandon the baby-boomer mindset and stop pandering to their interests. This is a planet of finite resources and the non-violent shrinking of populations should be celebrated. Japan, lead the way.
7:13 pls don`t. Japan pleeeeease do not becom second Paris, Berlin, Stockholm or Brussels. One of the reasons why tourists love Japan so much is its special, original culture. There is no need to turn it into another melting pot of nations.
this is such a perplexing issue - where does one culture begin & end? I'm reading the Sovereign Individual & it's really clear how IT is breaking down & transforming our notion of "nation states" - boundaries will continue to disappear & it could happen from the Internet outward! that said, I've lived in Japan & 100% respect the culture. an absolute inspiration & there is no reason we couldn't have many of their values elsewhere - it's just a matter of choice as to how you live you life & to what degree you're willing to live outside the box & adapt.
I honestly truly do hope the economy for Japan does become better, which honestly sounds its not as bad as here in USA to me, but since it does sound like its an issue i hope it gets better. I also do hope to visit someday, there are many things id like to go and try out and places id like to eat! Would also love to make some Japanese friends as well!
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Pretty interesting video. Thanks!!!
As an American, I can guarantee you going whole hog on immigration & ethnic diversity will only make things in Japan *worse* long term; if you see the Hellholes the parts of America where such policies are implemented the most *firmly* have become, you understand that. What the Japanese government *needs* to do is give the younger people *incentive* to have families of their own, *good* incentive, & to an extent, the younger people should recognize the elderly have a *point* in resisting immigration. Ethnically homogeneous societies like Japans have historically proven to be the most *stable* , & as America's a showcase of right now, ethnic diversity leads to absolute *chaos* . Don't get me wrong, I'd *love* to have a place to live in Japan myself, but even if it means I *can't* , I'd much rather Japan keep its residential market *closed* to foreigners in the interest of preserving its culture.
& speaking of the residential market, if the Japanese government wants people to move out to rural areas, all they need to do is *abolish* the inheritance tax; the inheritance tax is *the* big reason Japanese people are moving out of rural areas & into the big cities like Tokyo & Osaka, because the inheritance tax makes it *cheaper* to live in the big cities than to live in your family house in the countryside. I can *guarantee* you if the Japanese government just abolished the inheritance tax, a *lot* of Japanese people would move back out into the countryside; & they may even bring certain parts of the big cities *with* them, which'd *stimulate* Japans economy.
& *finally* , make work in Japan no harder than it absolutely *needs* to be, & actually properly *compensate* workers if they work overtime!
By the way, everything I just said applies to *America* too, so don't think I'm trying to be the pot calling the kettle black.
JAPAN, EU, S KOREA is being DESTROYED BY their USA master! The US has no friends...they treat them worse than enemies!
@@ezrafaulk3076 Yea, for most people, diversity just means new language and new types of food. They do not realize that those things come with extra baggage in the form of different cultures and allegiances. It is honestly too late for Japan, just like for the West. The root cause of the population decline in rural areas is pretty much connected to the decline in birth rates. You cannot get the birth rates up when both men and women are busy eagerly pursuing careers and success at their careers. Children then are a burden. Even if one gives free day care, the woman will still have to take time off of work, which from her perspective will put her behind in her career goals. At the same time, everyone is pushing for women to enter the work force and painting stay at home motherhood as some backward aspiration. So the birth rates will only continue to decline. It’s the same story for the West and for the East, and eventually for the middle-east and Africa as well if they embrace the same Western values and aspirations.
I owe your channel so much to my Japanese Learning Journey. Thank you so much Takashii
One of the best interviews out there. I've seen some where random people are interviewed and have basically no opinion on anything. Definitely Toudai students are sharp and understand the subject from many perspectives, and have interesting opinions
The Japan rural areas (small towns) dying is a big problem, because it's a loss of community and culture each time they die, there will be nobody to continue the traditions. It's very sad and unfortunate. But also a very difficult issue to fix.
Loss of productivity in farming is the biggest worry probably
That's not the only problem. The most important factor is everyone flocking to Tokyo. It causes a lot competition for job opportunities. Meanwhile, the rural areas is just massive desertion. That's land wasted. This is the biggest issue. That's why they are even willing to giving out houses for free in the rural areas.
remote work for everyone
my idea is Japan should import American rednecks to re-populate the Japan countryside.
Not really a difficult issue. It's just about jobs.
Please do more interview of this type of people, Takashii!!! I seriously feel super refreshed & stimulated after listening to their knowledge!!
Yes
Actually their knowledge is horrible for top students, Japan is screwed.
@@nijimavtuber How so? The population issue is honestly the single most important issue the country is facing. None of them were incorrect. I don't think it's their knowledge that's the issue, but their expression of what they want to see happen and how.
I was waiting for someone to come out and say "we need immigration, but also need to restrict which countries we allow immigration from" because that would've been a ridiculously honest and true answer.
They were all intelligent and articulated, but it's still a nation of people who are conditioned to not really 'say' what they 'mean' when they put it out there.
They really need to put down their slice of humble pie and balls up. I know that's a tall order, but the meaningful change they want won't occur unless the younger population does something about it.
Knowledge is not often reflective in actions taken, unfortunately. They have the smarts, but they need to put this shit into motion NOW. It may not sprout for a couple of decades, but it will, once the aging population drops off. Otherwise, they will just become that aging population, no matter how smart they are.
If I could move to Japan and do my job there and they didn't have their ridiculous 'under 30 for a work visa' law in place, I would do it in a heartbeat. Settle down, find a wife, have kids.
The biggest issue is paving the way out, and that takes more than just smarts.
@@nijimavtuber It's not bruh just like try listen to other interviews from like Harvard students or something..some of them even lack like common knowledge & it's supposed to be like the best school in like the whole world or something!!!
That's what studying 10 hrs a day for a year does to your brain.
More please. Thoughtful young people who are articulate is a joy to watch.
It's great to hear high level proper Japanese grammar responses from these students ! There is lots of casual and keigo mixed in their comments. Please more of this!
Just as the lady from Okayama said, I moved to a small island called Shodoshima 4 month's ago, one of my best decisions ever since I moved here, beautiful scenery, absolutely best community. Highly recommend for everyone!
Hi there . Where is Shodoshima are you? I am from Wales and live here with my wife and daughter.
What visa do you have?
@@digital-nomad For now only Working Holiday
@@richarddestinyford8792 Hi there! Near Sakate and Umaki.
@@TheLastKeyblade Ah I'm jealous! Americans don't have that option. I lived in Japan 2019-2023 and am eager to go back :)
３年後同じ質問を同じ人達にしてみてほしいな
Indeed.
Especialmente la chica que habló de París. Vamos a ver los frutos de las decisiones que tomaron los franceses.
👩「22歳の時の私は無知だった」
30年後、、😢
この人らは、世界情勢知らないんですかね？
That was a very interesting watch to see young people expressing these insightful and compelling views on Japan! Loved hearing from them on these topics
That ending about shyness is so cute, it’s very endearing!
“My grades were really low in high school, so people were surprised I passed the exam 😁” lmao
That guy is really smart...you can tell.
What a Chad
@@thepragmatistfr 👍
He probably just did bad cuz was busy playing video games, he used 1% of his power 😂
I wouldn't be surprised if by "low" he means all A's and not A+ lol. Humbleness is common in Japanese culture.
It's nice to see young people in Japan encouraging foreigners to visit and make friends with Japanese people. I do hope that older generations would give the same encouragement, if asked.
Accepting immigrants will not solve their problems, just create new ones. For example in their Perfect scenario they provide benefits for immigrants to come, a manageable amount come and they respect the Japanese culture. In reality undocumented amounts will come, and the culture will decline over time and the infrastructure will become overburdened. Eventually when you try to speak about solving that immigration crisis, people will call you racist and the problem will just not get fixed. That’s the problem the west has, don’t do it Japan. The main issue I see for women not wanting kids is money and work, the government needs to provide serious funding and child benefits if they want the population to grow.
This interview felt sooo great! And I think the best solution to the issue is reflected implicitly in your video, insightful, determined, conscious young people are (in my opinion) the biggest solution to the issues Japan is facing, these are very intelligent people that want a better Japan and that, through studies, can definitely be a change for the better. I know that the issues are difficult, but I think, contrary to many other countries, Japan has what it takes to face and overcome the issues... You just need to act on it
The guy in the stripped vest is such a inspiration as for a person aspiring to continue studies in japan
Thanks for the great video!
The boy in the striped tanktop is literally me. I got a lot of bad grades in highschool and college and now i turned it alp around and have a perfect gpa at a great university for my major. I relate to him the most with how he feels about the rising of living costs and static treatment of the emerging working class. Thank you 🙏🏼🙇♂️
Which University u study in Man
@@pronoynath1171 CSU San Marcos. 1171 how peculiar, i know that # from somewhere.
Happens to lots of people, because HS sucks and most people are pretty immature at that age
That was probably your most insightful video yet-congrats! I really enjoyed it. Many foreigners who aren’t familiar with Japan tend to see it as a flawless place. I think it’s important to highlight the positives, but also to provide a balanced perspective by showing some of the challenges as well.
After living in Japan for some years....I noticed something peculiar, people usually don't talk about politics. Young people do not care about voting. Young people do not know who the candidates are or who would better represent their values and expectations. What are the consequences of this lack of interest? The result is that conservative parties continue being elected forever and ever. When I saw those people talking in your video, I thought....all those young people would be good politicians. Now talking more broadly...........I believe that in all countries of the world, we should elect people that are really worried about people, not just allowing rich companies to become richer. Takashi, this was your best video. I see your videos very often.
Yeah. Why would politicians implement things that the elderly are not for, when they could be implementing things that the elderly *are* for. The elderly seem to be their main voter audience, not the youth.
To be sure, even if the younger generation were extremely engaged, they'd still be in the minority, so I think the apathy is justifiable to some extent. Then again, the longer-term consequences of political apathy (which, in Japan, goes far beyond just the youth) are... probably not great.
All political parties in Japan are big government conservatives. What are you talking about
As far as I understand, there is a very "non-political" culture in Japan. I never been there, so I'm no expert, but as I understand it people almost never talk about politics with others, they dont get into political arguments, its not as much as on vogue as in the US/europe, people are more inclined to repsect authorities, the elderly and dont argue with these groups, challenging authorities in a conservative coutnry like japan isnt well recieved, so in conclusion there isnt any drive for people to get political. THose who get political are seen as weird or as caring to much or something
It’s funny because here in is US we just had a very embarrassing presidential debate in front of the whole world. Two really really old men, I think it’s becoming a problem everywhere it’s scary
We just came back from two weeks japan trip and it was an experience and can't wait to go back, one day. The people, culture, mindfulness, and safety was out of the world especially for someone like me who came from US where I feel sometimes it is non existent. People got labeled into groups and easily triggered with a slight saying or actions. I am glad to see the next Japanese generation (at least those interviewed) are very well grounded. They understand the potential issues not just from external but also internal as well and most importantly, has a series of solutions in mind. I can see tens of thousands of hours that they spent studying are worth every seconds of it.
People need to be real with themselves, the safety is due to the lack of certain..... melon-aided.... people if yahoo know what I'm saying 😂
I want to give every single person interviewed a big hug or thumbs up. So incredibly kind and well informed. Thank you for interviewing them and letting them share their enlightening perspectives on these various topics!
They are sadly not well informed. Sure, they realize there is a problem with the population decline. But, not a single one seemed to understand why it occurs and their solutions are even weird. One person suggested decreasing education cost. How does that even help? The girl studying to be a lawyer was an air head talking about diversity without understanding what troubles it has lead to in the West. It’s just silly kids thinking they know stuff.
It’s true he should give them some little gift for sharing their thoughts 😊
If by well informed you mean they agree with you then sure.
@@ZipMapp By agree with me you mean that I agree with facts then sure.
@@thesuccinsuccess You cannot just say "facts" while at the same time quoting nothing and being super vague about what is factual, if anything, in what they said. Most of the ideas were quite common place and the rest was merely propaganda.
Thanks
Loved the ending of this vid!
Been in Tokyo for just over a month now, I've made a handful of Japanese friends and I've noticed that when approached, more times than not, they are just so happy to speak with me! (3 Years of on/off Japanese study, still very broken but enough to make friends!)
I love these interviews. I've only just recently started learning Japanese language and learning about etiquette. It's great being able to hear these viewpoints! I plan on visiting one day but I want to be as respectful of the culture and customs as possible when I do.
Thank you for these videos, they are great for learning!
A great group of interviewees with refreshing thoughts and opinions. Japan's future is in good hands!
No, I don't think it is.
Because they are not the 1st generation to worry about Japan's future and like the previous generations they will probably do nothing about it...
That's the biggest problem of Japan: they know the issues and they don't do anything to fix them, nothing ever changes.
These are some smart young people! Thanks for this video!
Hello, Takashi! I would like to see a video about you interviewing Japenese locals on the countryside about what they think of locals from the big Japanese cities, and vice versa. That would be such an interesting video showing what Japanese citizens from rural towns and big cities think of each other. 😊😊😊😊
great idea !!!!!!!
Wow that's really interesting. Would like to see a video about that topic. It would be educational.
Cool idea!
Possibly the most interesting interview so far, for me! Well done!
this is one of your best videos, interview more university students about different topics pls!
Enjoyed this video very much. I recently visited Japan and found the Japanese people not shy but very, very friendly. I had a great time in your country.
This has to be the best interview of yours that I have seen on your channel. And they are all absolutely right being optimistic for the future . These are the kids we need for a better future.
Seeing Japanese young people have so many clear in-depth insights of the country, I'm very optimistic about Japan's future! Many countries around the world that allegedly do better in the economy than Japan does are not necessarily a better place to live! From a long-time resident alien in the US
What a great video. It really highlights the deeper thoughts the younger generations have. More than a decade ago we hosted a Japanese exchange college student (I am in the US). We did a get-together with him and all the other exchange students. Somehow we touched on the topic of how they were able to get into the program. Out of nowhere one of them just said, "I have a secret to tell you guys. I haven't told anyone." Everyone quietly waited as he said "I actually have a job and paid on my own to come here." Then, an instant gasp from everyone else. Then tons of comforting words poured out and he started crying. As an American who started working at 16, I was SO confused. Then he went on to say how he was raised by a single mom, how he secretly worked further away to save up money to support himself and his mother. Apparently, everyone else's trip was paid by their parents. My takeaway as they explained the situation to me was that it was embarrassing and almost taboo that he had to work. In the US obviously it's completely opposite. I certainly hope this type of sentiment has improved since then in Japan.
Nothing has changed in that respect in Japan.
But every year, the number of Japanese studying abroad is decreasing.
Thanks for the story.
This one was easily one of your most interesting videos/interviews.
Well done.
Todai students really show just what's so special about them, and that some of the most important people in Japan's future might come from them. Would love for you to keep interviewing them on other topics (if the guards don't kick you out ^^).
TBH I'm quite happy to know that, from the interviews of this video at least, Japanese youth seems to be quite grounded and even optimistic of Japan's future. I'm brazillian, and I've been accompanying japanese news outlets, some more focused around the brazillian-japanese side, and from what I've gathered, Japan's quite far from any kind of apocalypse. I'm happy to see I'm not alone in seing that Japan has a future.
Every country has its problems and issues. Some more than others. But that doesn't mean that it's useless to try and work for a better country.
I hope to visit Japan soon. Would love to do my masters there, but for now, just a visitation would be cool.
Just keep in mind that these students are the country's elite, not your average youths.
この人の動画は左寄りであり、偏った動画なことも忘れないでね
More interviews with smart people, they always give the realest answers 🤓
High level interviews! I hope in the future you can do interviews all over Japan not only in Tokyo 👏
It is probably the most interesting video I saw about Japan during the last year.
Well done ! I missed a channel with english subtitles which deals more with these issues, with people point of view. I hope you will also get the point of view of many different persons of the japanese society.
Thank you very much Takashii !
Well done picking some clearly very intelligent youth for this interview, their views were quite well put together and painted a good picture of their generation's perspective.
The girl from Okayama Prefecture insights are invaluable! I would love for you to have a follow up interview with her on living and settling in rural Japan ❤🙏🏼
and letting her show us around her hometown! (if she isn't too shy about it - I get it could be tough!)
The many well articulated ideas from these future leaders of Japan bode well for the future of Japan. More of these style interview please.
I really enjoyed hearing all the thoughts of the young people you interviewed. It makes me happy to know they have a positive outlook on the future of the country. Their concerns were valid, and their ideas were sensible ones.
Thanks!
Great interviews! Such an intelligent and articulate young people!
I, who usually a man a Canadian and living in Canada, am concern for Japan. I always feel like my heart is stabbed whenever I hear the big issues taking fold and how much in progress. I truly feel bad for the country. But seeing the young people on this video and hearing their personal opinions, and each sharing their hopeful perceptives, brings a healing sensation on my chest, and realized they have a point.
I do hope that, someday, the young people’s words will reach out and creates a brighter future.
I am learning Japanese, and ALL of these people spoke at double speed, I swear! I even had to slow it to .75% when that young man who was with his uni friend was talking (the shorter of the two) he spoke SO fast. I had no chance of actually following along (even though I rely on subtitles 95%)
Are you on a Mac computer?
Had it at 1.5x
@@earlysda ??
Wow! This was great for Japan in my opinion. The future for Japan is bright from the answers of these students. They seem very optimistic and have very good outlook and problem solving answers for Japan. I think the people of Japan would learn a lot by listening to these students and implement these ideas. This was a very good video Takashi! The future is bright for Japan with young people like these you interviewed. I hope the rest of Japan looks to these type of people and has a good outlook as well!
You should interview international students from Todai as well!
I really resonate with some of the things the interviewees mentioned, and found hope in hearing these voices. Thank you for the video!!
Thank Takashi for this excellent interview. It is really refreshing to hear the views, aspirations of the younger generation, their positivity including insightful ideas how to bridge cultural differences for foreigners. While media paints a negative outlook (eg. weakening yen, low birth rates, anti-foreign tourist sentiment due to some bad apples, tourist behaving badly), I am so encouraged and intrigued by the positive,thoughtful feedback by all the interviewees.
Makes me want to contribute to partner in re-vitalizing Japan. Hopefully these videos goes to the Japanese policy makers to revisit policymaking, constructively think how to bridge and attract foreigners to contribute to the growth of Japan. It would be so beautiful to see Japan enters a “new” age of promise and vitality, the powerhouse it once was before the “lost decades” era. 日本、頑張ってください。 シンガポールのカルヴィンです。
Hands down my favorite interview so far. Insightful.
Thank you very much Takashi san! The interviews are very insightful for foreign people to learn more about what Japanese people think. Cheers
Future is bright due to these scholars! Sounds like a mix of encouraging child bearing and properly accepting/ educating outside help to assimilate
Thanks for another insightful interview video! I really like watching these to practice my Japanese listening comprehension, since the dialog is interesting, natural, and articulate. I wonder if you would consider adding Japanese subtitles as an option for these videos to assist with language learning? The automatic UA-cam subtitles often have a lot of errors.
This is wonderful. It's so nice to see intelligent, kind young people who can face these issues logically and sensibly. Here in the U.S., young people are becoming so emotionally driven that they're not going to be able to accomplish much. Great video
They are so confident, smart and well spoken, very satisfying interview to watch.
Hearing people like these students really gives me a lot of confidence in Japan's ability to openly have these difficult types of conversations moving forward where they may have been more likely to avoid them previously. These students are extremely aware of their own culture as it relates to the rest of the world, and seem very keen on addressing the downsides that have impeded Japan from advancing as a society, culturally and economically. Really lovely to hear these well articulated thoughts from such great people. Much much love to the Japanese people ❤🇯🇵🇯🇵
Lovely answer 14:09 I am definitely checking and exploring other cities very soon, other than Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, Okayama will be nice to see 😍
Most Japanese type prefectures in my opinion - Nara, Kochi, Nagasaki, Niigata.
Very honest! Very sincere!
Thank you for the interesting video Takashi! In Canada we have been having similar discussions about our country's future. A lot of the discourse from your interviewees remind me of things I've heard here. Cheers 👍
Informative sharing,pleased to watch as a foreigner. Also, reminding me to study more when I know how many hours they took for studying.
I really like your video. I just come back from Japan after 3 weeks so the part about immigration and foreigners was quite interresting to me. I would love to live in Japan. I'm French and well... Your country is so much more beautifull, safe and respectfull than mine. I'm optimist about your futur ! GANBARE !
This is possibly the most insightful video so far Takashii - thank you so much. I've studied Japan since I was 7 years old, and am just now working with a Japanese tutor to become proficient in Japanese language. I hope one day to most to Japan and integrate into the culture and community. I think immigrants are helpful everywhere, but the difference in immigrants are ones who respect the culture and community vs. people simply trying to escape their situations, believing the grass is greener elsewhere, and doing nothing to integrate or understand the culture and society that they are moving into. I hope I can integrate one day and use whatever privilege I have as an American who may be wealthy in Japan, to help the community and help restore Japan into the beautiful and strong country that it is.
I am chinese. I was an ordinary one in an ordinary school (not in Japan) studying automotive engineering. I hold a different view on population shrinking. That is, in the long term it is likely to not be a bad thing, especially for individuals. I hear that many people say population has a strong relation with a good economy, but maybe because I was told that population is not a good thing in china, I am not for a great population. In my view, a great population in an area is equal to its density and fierce competition. Who will benefit from it? business or GDP? Does it really make a better life for most people? It really makes sense that many people explain the potential sharp decrease in populations of many asia areas creates issue, but how about a slow decrease? I think it is good for a sustainable environment for people. I think the trouble is how people feel the turning point and how fast it drops or even soars. Let us see if it is good for the economy or not when there is a sharp increase in population. I remember closely canada is faced with an unemployment issue due to a sharp increase in population which is to 40000000, immigrants contribute most. By the way, I would like to say it may be good that immigration policy does not turn fast. At times, “slow” is “efficient” when talking about mechanical processes. I want to say another thing. Japan might have learnt chinese culture in the past. I think in terms of food, chinese culture is not bad. But how people get with people is bad. Please keep away from it. In china morality is used to judge other people, not self. Everyone is like a teacher, looking at others' behaviours and repeating traditional rules. Therefore, it is better to not say different opinions. But people still need opinions, so when a group of people sit down, the first thing they do is to rank and decide who is boss, then listen to him. That leads to another culture that is comparison. People are always afraid to be looked down upon by other people and try to beat down others on anything. Anything can be a comparison or a competition. I am tired of it and cannot breathe when people compare me and try to be superior to me over everything that can be ranked, where there are no benefits after that. Many chinese say it is because of chinese government. No, it is not. This is one more culture that they always say it is others wrong. It is the chinese culture that picked the chinese government. I can feel it in a basic unit of chinese society. It is everywhere. Do not believe that in ancient time the society was good. Please do research yourself. Chinese always say a thing in a way that is beneficial. even do not believe those people on your side. they just stand next to you because of need. That is an additional culture.
It seems that a lower population is not good for traditional industries because that usually equates to less output/revenue/resource gain. But I also believe (a little bit) that the decrease of population growth for Japan is not a terrible thing because there are already over 100 million of people in Japan. Maybe things like the overall quality of education and other things might improve with a smaller population. A focus on quality seems to align closer with new Japanese industries, developments , products, etc. especially when technology can increase automation. However, like one of the students said in the video, the uneven distribution of people across the country (rural areas) is not good. That is maybe why a decreasing population is terrible, because the overall presence of people in rural areas/corners of Japan will become weaker. Humans are still tied to the land, but if there are no humans in the land, then the land is underused and is less valuable, which is not a good thing because it should be valuable. A rural town will not be as valuable as Tokyo, but the lady is right. There is too much centralization in Tokyo. Likely for profit and convenience, but perhaps not long-term stability.
@@acolyte1951 agree - it's a very old school way to look at this issue. Manufacturing gets automated, very slow to be fair but it does. So having a slowly shrinking population mixed with some immigration could be an awesome thing if it's handled properly.
Interesting points. Yeah is it truly as bad as they say, or are our governments just lying to us because it would help inflate the GDP and overall economy of the country? What we should be focused on is the average quality of life for the people. It’s a shame that most governments will use corporate income as a proxy for over all wellbeing of a nation.
@@acolyte1951 The problem isn't the population - its how *concentrated* it is. Tokyo could lose 10% of its people and still be a crowded metropolis. Everyone is chasing a dream of a high income in the big cities. Meanwhile the small towns and villages fall apart as everyone leaves. Who raises the food when nobody wants to be a farmer? Immigrants are NOT the answer - over time they will become just another problem because they bring their problems with them!
Overpopulation also causes a big problem on the workforce because many fields get oversaturated with applicants to the point where employers can easily get away with lowballing their salaries
Never been to Japan but love the culture, the people, the movies and the videos of walks through the cities, especially Tokyo. The urban design, artistic lighting and transportation of Tokyo are the envy of the world. In this video, I really enjoyed the background, the bike path. Japan has found a way to make the most densely populated city seem like a very livable village, combining sophistication at a human scale. Keep faith in your selves and your future, Japan. We Americans desperately need you to blaze a livable path through AI, robotics and the resistance of idiocracy. Someday, God willing, we will follow your example. Stay human. Stay hopeful and keep learning.
Wow they seemed really bright and energetic and sort of joyful.
I was engaged and impressed. I’m sure they are Interesting and positive people to be around
Thank you for sharing this content. Recently I’ve been exploring what it would be like to live in Japan and Okayama prefecture has been on the top of my list of locations to research. I was excited to hear the recommendation in the video.
Thank you for the video. Very interesting opinions about the current Japan's situation.
Thanks a lot Takashi! I really love that video, so interesting and made by young smart and nice people💙
I am a frequent traveler to visit Japan. I totally agree with their mindset and view points of interviewees. The young generation of Japan should see more the development of the outside world. Traveler from Hong Kong.
Younger Japanese are getting more and more insular. It's not healthy.
Japanse people in favour of immigration, should live in an European city for at least a year to find out they're wrong. It's all fun and amazing when visiting an European country shortly during holiday, but it's way different when actually living in such a country.
Immigration in itself is not the problem. It's about who you let in. In Europe "we" chose to let in the worst people from the worst places for some reason
@@sonneh86 Migrant workers should be allowed in Japan as long as they leave when the job is done. They should not be allowed to bring their family over or become a Japanese citizen. That's the fault European politicians made and should be held accountable for.
100% truth. I'm from Korea. Korean people are so naive. They think when traveling to foreign nations it's so wonderful but they have no idea how horrible and messed up it is.
@@GlitterDedicatorI disagree.
@@GlitterDedicator you mean use cheap labor as slaves?
Thoughtful young people, and I hope they stay positive and help Japan to thrive again when they come into the work force.
I love this sort of content. University student's thoughts about the future. Keep it up
When she said she's from Okayama I felt so proud! That was my home town for a year
Thank you Takashi for the positive reviews.
With brilliant and hardworking students like this, Japan will find ways to deal with its issues.
Through copium maybe. Either they let in a lot more people or they are doomed.
Great job. I visit Japan a lot as I live in Thailand.
I have learned a lot from your channel!
I’m a Japanese who was born and raised in the U.S. I just visited your country last month and my humble opinion is that there is NO reason to be pessimistic about the future of Japan. Just like us in America, there are certain segments struggling, but the core of the country is made up of good people. Like these students! The future is in good hands!!🙌
Vinegar, there are many, many problems that long-term residents of Japan can see - lack of ambition is one of them. What you saw here are the top 1%.
@@earlysda not commenting only on these college students specifically. I live in the United States, in one of the safest states. And yet we have 100x more homeless; we just had a random stabbing two weeks ago, and a 16 year old who was shot by a military type assault rifle. My point is that a “bright future” which is the title of this video, is not necessarily dependent upon how ambitious your population is. You don’t need EVERYONE to be as ambitious as the top 1% to have a bright future.
Lack of ambition? But you famously die from work exhaustion. So the competition is fierce, high ambition must acompany it no?
I mean houses are half empty so getting a place to live while getting reasonable amount of money must not be a problem. I geard the issue is lack of free tine due to everyone working so hard...
Cant you live off a half time work? Sure it would mean living less frugal but it would free up time to live, have a life outside of work.
@@86Corvus 86, What you say is mostly true.
That does nothing to negate the fact that Japanese young people generally lack ambition. Were you not aware that more and more of them are never having any kind of physical relationships in their lives, and don't want them either?
@@earlysda reports of statistics which support that are quite common. if problem can be separated into cause and effect, the lack of ambition is effect to me. babies are naturally motivated and curious. as people navigate political, economic, ideological, and material spaces experiencing no or negative progress, they tend to give up
Everyday is an interesting time to be alive. Japan has ample opportunity in the world so anything is possible!
がんばってね！
I truly agree with so many aspects of this interview and I am glad we got a variety of people to share their opinions.
I am Canadian and I've always had a huge interest in Japan (including its culture, economy, politics etc.) and I see somethings like focusing a lot on Tokyo when it comes to the economy which reminds me of how S. Korea is now struggling to reverse their focus on having everything in Seoul. Yes when I visited Japan I spent a lot of time in Tokyo but I also balanced it out by going to super rural areas but also the smaller cities. Canada struggles in a way with that but its not as bad. Toronto is where our hub for businesses were but that's been slowly spreading out due to the cost of living. Yes lots of companies are still there but the population has spread out more. People moved from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to places like Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) and have brought the wealth of selling their GTA homes to their KW homes and economy. Then those in KW are moving to the smaller towns and cities. So it's possible - in my opinion. Just need to act now before everything becomes too centralized in one spot. But I also realize this is just one small example.
Note: Before other Canadians start attacking me - yes Toronto is still super populated and crowded and has issues but its true that people have been leaving and spreading out over the last 6-8 years (pandemic really fueled it - due to remote working).
I think if Japan acts now, they can avoid more displacement and rural communities shutting down (like their schools, grocery stores, and even community/city halls).
I feel very strongly with the one lady who wants to bring/connect Japan to the whole world and show the world how amazing Japan is. I want to do that too. If I could restart my education I would have focused on international business. But now I am just hoping to work for an international company that can one day place me in the Asia division and I can work to bring both Western countries and Asian countries (specifically Japan) together.
Maybe if that lady sees this comment we can connect via LinkedIn or something and stay in touch and see what we can do in our respective countries to help bridge the gap.
Japan has a HUGE potential and I just wish that the people in power (business power and political power) can realize this and fix the mistakes they are currently making now before it gets to bad. See what other countries have done where things got worse and where it got better so Japan does spiral and become a struggling country. I will always cheer for and love Japan but I know it can do better.
Amazing video Takashii
Very impressive. Intelligent, insightful and soft spoken; what’s not to like? 👍🏼
11:34 this guy really thought a lot about society issue, very good.
Another great video as usual! Can’t wait to move to Japan and spend the rest of my life there!
Thank you for the video. I'm learning about Japan like customs, politics, economy etc. Japan is a great country so I think it's going to work out. Have a great day
These students have great ideas and are amazingly self-aware of both the positives and negatives of Japanese society. Great video!
非常に聡明で優秀な人材が集まっている。見ていて楽しい。名前は知らないが、一緒にインタビューを受けている2人のうち、右側の人物に特に感銘を受けた。いつか彼が政策立案者や意思決定者になることを期待している。日本にこのような若くて聡明な人材がいるのは良いことだ。
From your vids it seems like japanese people are actually very introspective and express themselves very articulately when in a casual setting. Ironically, that trait my have come from not being overly outspoken. I imagine Japanese people are probably very self aware which is a great trait to have.
Japan is one beautiful country & next year hope to finally visit there! ❤
Very interesting and informative. Loved this episode.
Every country has its positives and negatives but I hope that Japan will somehow overcome these problems despite the predications that have been made in negative way. I still love Japan and wish to live there for a long time
I am not saying that Tokyo and Osaka are bad as for myself I would love to explore those cities one day
I personally agree with that girl who recommended living in the local regions as I would also love to live in those areas and I feel like I would definitely learn properly about Japan and its culture
I want to explore all of its cities
I will definitely come to Japan in nearer future
Arigato Takashi san
Keep on making these videos brother
She's right in that Shikoku is very nice, old, laidback Japan.
@@earlysda Yes
Really appreciate this Takeshi-san. We lived in Tokyo for about 4years recently and the comments about many tourists there now will be different for us, too..during COVID peak period Japan did not allow travelers into the country. I do agree about the the declining population issue and the stagnant income, with rising costs.
Thank you! This video motivates me to learn Japanese more!!!
The homogeneity of social values (they call it a single ethnicity but it’s more cultural), pressure to conform and closed society are negative aspects of Japan, but they are also connected to good public safety and kindness towards inner community members. Accepting diversity means giving up such comfort to a certain extent. I hope that political decisions will be made with an awareness of the trade-offs.
Not sure having Japan become like Paris is the wisest thing to be honest. Paris is not what this lady thinks, in fact there's a saying along the lines of, Europeans wish that Europe is like how the Japanese think Europe is...
But Japan isn’t some utopia either
Love this interview and its substance.
Great video ! Thanks for sharing Takashi, I enjoyed listening what college students thought about all the things that you asked them. Very insightful questions and answers. Beautiful scenery too :)
Some day I would love to visit Japan. It's on my bucket list.
Japan is a great country with so many advantages being inherited from the post-war generation.
I had been very impressed by so many old Japanese men I talked to who could speak three languages. They were very international and had courage to work outside Japan with Japanese companies and organizations.
But this post-war generation still keeps the seniority society as they have been raised in. However, this way of keeping everything in control apparently doesn’t work for the late generations because young people can see the outside world from their mobile phones. Young people have developed their individual perspectives without facing hardships.
However, moving toward the individual society from the collective society is relatively risky for Japan. The Individuals need to be relatively strong with unique characters to survive in deep ocean.
Takashi, this is really great interview~
I hope Japan finds a Japanese solution to the demographic problem. Being born and bred in Australia from immigrant parents, I do not believe multicultural societies are as safe or as productive as homogeneous ones. Furthermore, the quality of life for most individuals does not really improve in a growing population, the main beneficiaries are pensioners and corporate profit margins to the detriment of everyone else. The world needs to abandon the baby-boomer mindset and stop pandering to their interests. This is a planet of finite resources and the non-violent shrinking of populations should be celebrated. Japan, lead the way.
Excellent video... very, very interesting and wonderful to hear from the college students.
7:13 pls don`t. Japan pleeeeease do not becom second Paris, Berlin, Stockholm or Brussels. One of the reasons why tourists love Japan so much is its special, original culture. There is no need to turn it into another melting pot of nations.
this is such a perplexing issue - where does one culture begin & end? I'm reading the Sovereign Individual & it's really clear how IT is breaking down & transforming our notion of "nation states" - boundaries will continue to disappear & it could happen from the Internet outward!
that said, I've lived in Japan & 100% respect the culture. an absolute inspiration & there is no reason we couldn't have many of their values elsewhere - it's just a matter of choice as to how you live you life & to what degree you're willing to live outside the box & adapt.
I honestly truly do hope the economy for Japan does become better, which honestly sounds its not as bad as here in USA to me, but since it does sound like its an issue i hope it gets better. I also do hope to visit someday, there are many things id like to go and try out and places id like to eat! Would also love to make some Japanese friends as well!