Japanese People React to English vs Japanese: Social Experiment in Kawagoe
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- I'll never forget the first time I came to Tokyo for vacation. I was alone, I didn't speak Japanese, and I stayed for an entire month. People might say that you can get around Japan fine with no Japanese, but I felt such an overwhelming language barrier during that month vacation. My Japanese teacher friend and fellow UA-camr Yuki san is on a mission to convince foreigners coming to Japan to learn a little Japanese. This is not just for your benefit, but for the benefit of Japanese people around you. Whether you are living in Japan or traveling in Japan, this is why you should speak some Japanese. Welcome to beautiful Kawagoe, Japan.
Below are language learning tools I have personally used for years. Direct purchases of software from these links goes to supporting this channel.
JAPANESE LESSONS:
www.japanesepo...
CHINESE LESSONS:
www.chinesecla...
50 LANGUAGES: Pimsleur 7 Day Free Trial:
imp.i271380.ne...
My instagram: anming7
All of these people had mini heart attacks when she spoke English 😂
i can even know they had mini heart attacks by reading their face expression lol
I would if it happens to me cause I'm a very awkward person. Even with people I regularly talks to, I don't make eye contact and like 'uh-huh', 'yes', 'no', and just gestures. And when I need to say something, I always repeat many times before they can get what I'm saying. Even if I have little English in me, if a foreigner suddenly come to me asking question, I would surely have mini heart attack, avert my eyes and pretend I don't understand.
They're actually really nice, if they knew English, would behave the same nice with how they're nice when speaking Japanese.
No kidding. But it's really hard to work in any type of service industry when a customer doesn't know a word of the local language.
Flashbacks
I see a common pattern in other UA-cam videos with the theme “Do I need Japanese in Japan.” There is a lot of focus on the foreigner and not on the local Japanese people. Most Japanese do not use English in their daily lives and don’t speak much of it. When we decide if we should learn Japanese we should consider Japanese people’s feelings a little more. -Anming
This could apply to the Chinese too
lurocp8 ha ha, you felt awkward watching it. I felt even more awkward doing it. Lol
Wrong demographic and region to try this experiment
Mike M Why? I think the experiment Yuki san and I did was very successful.
Whenever I visit another country I will always learn the basics of a language. So even if I can't speak their language, I can say to them something like "I'm sorry I speak very little of their language and I wish I could speak more" and also hold a very basic conversation. This tends to make them feel much more comfortable, and removes the impression that they must be able to speak English. It's just my little thing, I should be the uncomfortable one when visiting, certainly not a local.
This was great. Thanks for making this from the local perspective. I love how the mood changes when you bring out the nihongo. I wish my Japanese was as good as yours already!
I'm glad you appreciated that point. All of the other videos like this on other channels were done from the foreigners' perspective. I think many people forgot about the local people.
@@OrientalPearl hi
bruh when she was asking for a recommendation and that lady went Ohh おすすめ i felt that
Yeah, I didn't want to do it. lol But it turned out ok in the end.
Lmfao
haha but she immediately moved as soon as she started talking Japanese
@@Randy1337 this why I feel Mexicans and Asians have the work drive!! You talk to a Mexican in Spanish you bet your ass they are going to talk over you call you WEY along the way but have a complete understanding of what needs to be done! and hey I bet you laughed a couple times in between the conversation xD or at least got laughed at lol
Oh really i love saitama in one punch man
5:15 The way she looked at Yuki it's like she says " Help! "
lmaoooo im dying🤣🤣she looked like her heart dropped😭😭😭
Amazing how I can even feel the huge sighs of relief from the servers when you started speaking Japanese. :D
RespectOthers Ha ha, they were freaking out. I’m so glad that they opened back up again so fast.
3:08 "its a soap now gtfo" is what that body language translates into.
This is definitely the kind of content I'd like to see more of on UA-cam! Genuine chats and interactions with Japanese people in Japanese.
Great video, I hope to be seeing more in the future!
Pepijn van der Linden There will be lots more soon. I’ve been out filming all weekend.
Thanks for the theme of "do you need Japanese" and showing the reactions of using pure English in these interactions. It might be interesting to follow up with the same idea and show that even terrible sub-N5 level Japanese is more effective than you expect, since while it doesn't communicate well, it "breaks the language tension" and relaxes the Japanese person, losing the awkwardness. I've found my own embarassingly poor Japanese helps a LOT. Anming, thanks for your confident inspiring demonstrations!
RadioactivePretzels Thank you. You understood exactly what Yuki san and I were trying to show here. A little goes a long way. Japanese people will appreciate that you took the effort to learn their language even if it’s just a little bit.
One thing I have found a couple of times in Japan, even with not-so-good Japanese, is that the Japanese could understand my slow and bad Japanese, and I could understand their slow and bad English, even though they could not understand my English or I their Japanese. ;-)
As long as you were able to communicate that works.
It appears you made him uncomfortable talking about the wrath of your boyfriend - he would not walk beside you afterwards lol
Bob Cratchit It’s just a joke. Yuki san and I are all good.
wait,isnt this guy her boyfriend? you mean there is a second one? *shocked pickachu face*
@@jeremyemilio9378 No, he's a boy and he's a friend. :P
Do not support jealous people. Dump him yesterday
If you have nothing to blame yourself for, why do you repeat that your boyfriend is going to get angry? In general when we repeat something it is that it is shady
It makes me think, "How about a japanese person walking around an random city of NY talking in japanese with sellers?!"
They'd probably laugh at them honestly, saying they don't understand in english
No hablo Japanese 😂
it would be like “Hey buddy I have a job to do!! I don’t speak latin 🤌”
I’m addicted to this channel ❤️
I got you!!!! YES!
My day brightens with a smile forming on my face when I see another of Pearl's videos!
@@keithstarkey5584 same 😊
I LOVE BINI-BON!
This is why I started learning Japanese. If I ever get to visit Japan, I want to be able to get around and communicate on my own.
It will help a lot even if you just learn a little bit.
@@OrientalPearl I learned hiragana and katakana years ago but "life" got in the way. So, I'm getting back into it the last six months learning a lot more than I did before. Thanks for the encouragement.
How's your Japanese going? 😁
I appreciate showing the dual reaction from the same person, interacting with both English and Japanese. I've seen videos before where they showed different people with each language and you don't really get a feel for the actual contrast from the individual's reactions.
Having visited Japan last year for a few weeks before things got crazy... Even just having a limited vocabulary or some general phrases and politeness can smooth over so, so many interactions and get such a warmer experience with a broader group of locals. I saw first-hand how even that simple "osusume desu ka?" (What is [your] recommendation?) can get you leagues further than crudely pointing or JUST speaking English like it's assumed they can help you. The old "kore wa, nandesu ka?" (What is this?) and some vague gesturing can also at least get you started when browsing or sparking interest/seeking help.
The locals aren't being rude or necessarily against foreigners---often the opposite. They avoid the confrontation because they aren't comfortable speaking in English and would rather not 'deal' with you than to be rude or misunderstanding with little to no English fluency. A few phrases, a lot of courtesy and maybe a Google Translate or two to help with specific topics shows a conscious effort to interact, and people do tend to show more respect for that. :)
I trie to approach it differently from other channels. I’m glad that you noticed that.
Places outside of Tokyo look relaxing
They are! Come over one day.
I just love how clean everything is !!
The two dudes at 6:58 were so eyeballing you.
Hi Pearl, I don’t speak Chinese or Japanese but I love your videos!! You’re an inspiration to anyone learning a new language and I love that you have meaningful conversations rather than just trying to “shock” native speakers. It adds another dimension to your videos that I haven’t really found elsewhere. I’m not sure why you get hate on some of your videos, I think what you’re doing is awesome. Keep doing you, girl!
Zee A Thank you so much! I’m not sure why either. Just trolls I guess.
I thought it was kind frowned upon to eat food while walking on the streets or am I mistaken?
Not at a tourist attraction. But yes in a business area it is.
@@OrientalPearl Thank you!
I’m glad you asked 😂
3:20 that's so frickin' weird how she turned away from you and didn't respond just cause you were speaking English to her.
People get nervous if they don't understand.
I experienced that too in shinjuku. Weird but you’ll get used to it in japan
@@cee_el I've been to Tokyo twice and found that its always better to have a translator ready in case the few Japanese words you know weren't enough and also try to smile and laugh with whoever you're talking to (mostly were waiters in restaurants or store staff for me), i know what it feels like trying to serve customers you can't communicate with from the experiences i had when i was younger working part time xD
Ofc always politely ask if they speak English first, if they don't then i'd just leave them be and if they said "a little" i assume they're being nice and don't actually speak English lmao, so i just say the name of whatever i want, one word so they understand. Still nothing? Translator baby! (one word ofc) oh thank you Arigato haha bye.
They probably feel pressured and are expected to respond. Like I don’t stare directly into their eyes expecting them to respond. That makes them nervous lol.
自分が、他の人のチャンネルの中にいるのが面白いw
Your video is always cool x)
Yuki’s Japanese TV Yep! Now you are forever a part of Oriental Pearl! And I used some of the footage that you didn’t use in your video. The intro you did was the best! People here loved the bloopers. They are asking us to do another video together.
今ユーキさんのチャンネルも見ようとしたいです。このビデオはいい発想でした。
I’m an English teacher in Asia and I still don’t think Japanese and Chinese people all need to learn English. Most of the visitors to Kawagoe are not international tourists anyway. But also, please realize that the tourists that DO come to Japan are MOSTLY CHINESE and Korean and they don’t speak much English if any at all. So... lol If anything the Japanese tourist industry needs more people that speak Chinese.
T H Not all, that is not really the case with the younger generation. They have total right to do so because of the war crimes committed by japan. HOWEVER in our current days I believe we should all be nice to each other and respect everybody’s culture. Obviously we shouldn’t forget about Japan’s war crimes but we are all human at heart so we need to share some positivity.
I will be posting more videos where you can see the lives of Chinese people in Japan and Japanese people in China. They can live peacefully together. I think that's something the world should see.
I was actually curious to see if they would react differently when Yuki-san would talk to them in english since he does not look like a tourist but could very well be.
Him and I are filming another video tomorrow.
Oh great, I'm looking forward to see the video!
That's why i love learning foreign languages. People feel more comfortable speaking in their mother tongue
6:22 That man was basically jealous about your blond hair! 😆
Ha, we will never know.
Witness this first-hand, I had the same experience xD
Everytime I switched to Japanese, no matter how bad it was, people would feel more at ease
That's right! A little helps a lot.
Yuki-San! Yuki means snow and that’s the first word I learned! I’ll never forget that!
When I went to japan the first time, I went with my friend to visit her family who lives in a farming region. Whenever I would go to stores I could see the fear in the employees eyes before I even started speaking to them and when I would speak in Japanese, I loved to see the instant relief on their faces lol. Also when my friend would ditch me all of a sudden I could go up to her family and ask them where she was without having to worry about communication. Also best way to practice my Japanese.
I'm glad that you saw it too! Some people thought I was making this all up.
What is the music in the intro? ありがとう
Go Natural English Towa Tei
Konrad OldMoney - Jakarta Riddim.
5:13 the biggest WTF face i've ever seen LMAO
Justin Pearson she looked like she’s bout to scream bloody murder 😂
I have watched many of Oriental Pearl's videos and this is one of my favorites. It really nails the feelings and looks of people you speak with when you start speaking in your native tongue and not theirs. I see myself in these videos on the places I travelled to. I always try to learn more than a few words and phrases when I visit a new country. The mood and attitude of the person you are speaking to really changes even if you are just uttering a few words in their language. I was in Japan in 2018 and really enjoyed speaking the little Japanese that I know. Sometimes a simple hello, good morning, etc. can really make a difference. Keep up the good work.
I’m so glad that you like this one. This was the first Japanese video to go big on my channel. There is a twin video that was done on the same day too.
Need more bloopers 🤣 Love your content and how the channel is growing. It’s rare to find a girl like you in Michigan
T Ng Oh there are plenty of bloopers. I make tons of mistakes when I make these videos and Yuki san does too. We will show you more and more!
At 5:10 that was the biggest blank stare I have ever seen!! I'm gonna use that in my videos when someone has a senior type moment
Always enjoy your videos and that you introduce culture as well as language.
Thank you. I just found your channel. Thanks for including the translation. It helps alot in learning the language in a real life scenario, speed. Great Job.
Welcome to my channel. I hope you subscribed 😊
in my experience, speak a little of japanese really make a big difference. They will get comfortable to talk to and getting warmer.
Pearl you always KILL IT with your music choices for your edits
Rusty Shackleford And the funny thing is that all of these songs are just free songs from the UA-cam audio library. Lol
You both are so silly and hilarious... 😂😂😂 Tell your boy friend jealousy is immature and unbecoming...
norrick higa LoL, I will!
Agreed!
I love your little info text boxes you insert in the video!
Jacob Green It’s all about learning over here! I just want to show everyone what I was thinking at those moments.
@@OrientalPearl it's really great. It adds more context and it's quite informative.
Have a beautiful thursday just like you 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
awwww the first lady
"My boyfriend is in Yakuza" hahaha cute.... wait what?
Proved your point 100% ! The difference in eye contact was truly amazing but you broke the barrier beautifully 🖖
Jim Murphy Ha ha, thank you! I’m glad you saw the point we were trying to make. Even a little Japanese goes a long way.
She: saitama
Me: One punch man!!!!!!!!
lol saitama is a place in japan
I love your videos! Cheers again from California!
00:33 Low key, that beat go hard though. 🔥🔥
I LOVE THAT SONG!
@@OrientalPearl What's the name though?:D
hey friend Just do your girly things
@@heyfriend8519 I was wondering the same thing. It's "Jakarta Riddim
- SLYRAX"
@@paperboy42190 mucho arigato:D
This is really common in Japan, people will get super nervous when they need to speak in English to the point of shutting down completely. Learning the language does open a lot of doors and makes experiences a lot more comfortable. As soon as people see you can understand them or at least be competent in Japanese they lighten up a lot.
That's true. Even Japanese people that speak English have a very different personality when they speak in Japanese. It's amazing.
Things are looking better then other parts of the world 😀
We can practice English speaking I will help you English.
That sales attendant’s eyes at 3:06 made me sad. Well at least she cheered up when you spoke Japanese!
The Yakuza thing had me worried for a second.
Lol, just kidding.
It may have been unplanned, but the cut of the window reflection @ 0:55 was very cinematic, personalizing the montage sequence!
RadioactivePretzels It was to totally planned lol. I’m no editing or tech expert, but I love art and artistic shots.
This really is a very interesting video in focusing on how the local people feel when spoken to in English by tourists, rather than only focusing on ourselves on how we as tourist feel in trying to communicate with the locals. I think you clearly made a good point here. Yet, moreover, I also wonder how people would react if you would try to speak in basic and broken Japanese to them, since most of us don't speak the language fluently as you do. Would they again cheer up and engage in an entire conversation with you? Or will they still feel discomfortable, as they would know your Japanese is limited and they will have to be considerate. I can imagine that some sort of subconscious worrying about being considerate enough towards foreigners/tourists because of their lack of (good) Japanese, can restrain locals a lot and can cause a feeling of serious discomfort in them.
Exactly. I felt like in every other video the focus was on the foreigner and not on the local people. Too few people took their feelings into consideration.
I caught you! Eating while walking on the street....in Japan! hahaha
At a tourist site. I should complain to Abroad in Japan for telling 14 million people they don't eat on the streets in Japan. He didn't mention any of the exceptions like at tourists sites. Now I have 100 of these same comments.
3:06 the moment you started speaking English, she abruptly became freaky and nervous and acted like as if you were invisible. Like duh! She was not gonna eaten by you! 😓
In these self-quarantine times getting my Japanese workbooks and brushing up on my Japanese I know will come in handy in the future! Glad to see you not letting this stop you from living. Living in fear isn't living after all.
You showed perfectly how much more comfortable they can get from you knowing small phrases to break the barrier!
That's right! Fear is not living! I asked another Japanese friend to do a video and they were do scared to go out that they canceled.
@@OrientalPearl Wow, please stay strong not only for yourself but for others as well!
3:54 - very inviting store
Don't mind me stalking your channel hahah I've been learning Japanese for about 7 years now (I'm in my first year of uni), and watching channels like yours is a serious inspiration (it's also really satisfying when I can understand without the subtitles hehe) - your Japanese is great! I did a high school exchange to Saitama for two months by myself last year, and my host family actually took me to Kawagoe, it was such a beautiful little town hey - I had a lovely time and I hope you did too!
and I also definitely noticed the same thing in talking in Japanese to the shop clerks, they'd see me speak a little English with my host student and get visibly nervous until I spoke Japanese to them at the counter hahah
I full encourage you to stalk my channel lol. Please come back soon!
You seem very friendly, and your Japanese is pretty great. - from someone learning 日本語
The music in the beginning was great! Video was entertaining as well :)
"My boyfriend is in Yakuza" XD
this is the content I was looking for, you going around Japan talking in Japanese.
There will be more to come!
When I was in Japan, sometimes I Japanizing (is it a correct words? lol) the English words to Japan, like "boteru/bottle, miruku/milk, purei/play, and etc". And some of them will understand hahaha. Of course, the body language is also important
That's true because those words have been made into "Japanese English" which has become part of the Japanese language itself. アメリカ、ミルク、スターバックス、テーブル、カップ
they had some crumb size heart attacks and reacted like they never heard japanese before. XD luv yo channel!!!!!!!!!!!
First xiaoma getting me in to mandarin I actually am learning it and I’m pretty good and now you making me want to learn Japanese 😭
They are both so tempting! So many languages and so little time!
I just wanted to say great job on the videos. Your smile and your sense of humor are infectious. I feel better by the time the video ends,than before I started watching it. Your sense of humor puts me in a good mood whether I want to be or not so thanks for the great videos.
Bobby Blanton Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope these these videos brighten your day during these hard times.
07:47 that food on the sticks looks delicious, what is it?
Probably mochi glazed in sweet soy sauce
OrdinaryMonkey It’s called dango. That’s a form of glutinous rice.
I love hearing you switch from Chinese to Japanese! So effortless!
She looks like Annie 😭
Was trying so hard to find a comment that said this 😂 (I think so too)
aot?
@@GesminKuzulert yup
Your friend reminds me of a Judo buddy. Japan still is looking pretty chill. People in general warm up when you show appreciation by learning their language, know matter how little you know.
Scooter ATV Sales Yes, people in the countryside are not panicking like people in Tokyo.
The way she just came back to this reality when you started speaking japanese 😂😂😂
You're like Xiaomanyc but with Japanese! :D I really love your videos and I don't usually stick to any particular Japan related channels except ones for learning Japanese, such as Japanese From Zero and Japanese Ammo With Misa, as well as Abroad in Japan, who is a British J-vlogger. However, I'm addicted to your videos and really like watching them, so please keep it up! :) You deserve 13 million subscribers rather than 13 thousand too.
Stingy Thanks for watching. Many of his fans found this channel because it was suggested to them though youtube. I think we are so different though. He didn’t spend much time abroad. I’m not sure why the UA-cam algorithm linked our channels. My channel is more about living abroad. It’s also a half Japanese half Chinese channel. I am more interested in doing vlogs than anything else. I originally wanted to break into the J-vlog community above all.
@@OrientalPearl That's true, you seem to travel a lot more than he does and go more in depth about Japanese culture and stuff, which i really like, while Xiaoma tends to just walk around his hometown surprising Chinese people. Don't get me wrong, I like Xiaoma too and what he does is cool, but I can definitely see the differences. I think some people compare you both because you approach Japanese people and surprise them with your fluent Japanese, as well as also talking to Chinese people in Chinese, so you're like Xiaoma but better (in my opinion anyway, I'm not hating on Xiaoma or anything, I quite like him).
Hi Pearl. I really enjoy these videos. I actually learned a bit about what it’s like to converse in Japanese and some cultural aspects from you. They’re super entertaining and wholesome as well. Keep it up!
Thanks so much! I think there is a lot of edgy stuff on UA-cam, my channel is for anyone to watch.
I really enjoy watching your videos and I would love to visit Japan.
Speaking their language is like waving a magic wand in front of them! The magic of from nervousness to friendly!
Wow so much daily content! Love it! 😍😍😍😍
Kuya Arbee Just this week. Lol I’m going on a trip this weekend, so I’ll be filming all weekend and not uploading for a day or two.
Oh that was interesting, when I visited Japan everyone was super kind and immediately used Japanese with me, and when they noticed I was struggling they went out of their way to try to use whatever English they knew. I try not to ask anything questions though lol. I would never ever ask for recommendations in English, actually I guess I wouldn't even ask for recommendations even if I was fluent in Japanese.
As Japanese, this is really interesting for me.
Now I can speak English but I used to be like those who don't speak English at all
6:30 Carefull ! Here they are, the real Yakuza ! I recognize them immediatly !
Notir072 They do appear to be body guards for the young ladies walking in front of them.
Notir072 Ha, they looked the part. Lol, they are probably just Saitama Yankee
I like you too. You always have a smile and laugh on your face.
I like you too Paul. You always write nice things
She doesn’t know English that is why.
I am curious. Did your Japanese boyfriend get stuck in China?
that’s funny and i was surprised they couldn’t respond such easy questions.年配のひとならともかく少なくても6年は英語勉強してるだろ！
I'm learning Japanese and can read the hiragana so when I could read the mochi store label in this vlog I felt like "yes I wanna understand more words and sentences" ^__^ !!!
I fond of this kind of vid
That's great! A little bit of Japanese goes a long way.
Oriental Pearl はい 👍✅
That music certainly fits with the Kawagoe scenery...
I recently did a 35 minute podcast interview about living in China and Japan, working, and learning languages. Check it out. www.altinsider.com/insidejapan95/
I really like this kind of informational video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us ✌
I wish I could go Japan but I'm to young. The reason I want to go is to take part in their culture and have a bit of fun with locals but I'm gonna have to wait at least 5+ year's to go but I can't wait till I do thanks for such a cool video!😁
Hi Anming, the number of convid-19 cases climbed significantly in MI recently. Hope your family is doing well and safe! Glad to see your videos in Japan! Japan is a very safe place to stay during this period. May God bless you and your family.
Tiening Wang Yes! I have been keeping in close contact with them. It sounds terrible!
The way the young lady selling soap changed in attitude was magical to see it was almost as if you sprinkled a magic dust upon her Oriental Pearl, it was genuinely beautiful to witness.
Language is obviously always going to be the missing link between different races and cultures, once the language is in place hey presto, all is good.
britturk123 Ha ha, people’s personalities change a lot when you speak to them in their own language. Visitors to Japan often say Japanese are all very shy, but that’s just not true. Speak to them in Japanese and many of them become very friendly and outgoing.
Love their reactions. Pls do more of this.
Glad you liked the video.
Something I notice in these videos (in Japan) and not so much in China is the architectue, and the quaintness of the shops. There's character, personality and warmth. In China, there's the three to four main colors you see often, but I'm always looking (in the cities, that is) for more character in building construction and comfort-feel in shops. I hope it increases there.
Oh, and thanks again for the vid, Pearl. I'm always happier at the moment I see another of your vids!
Keith Starkey Thanks for your comment! I’m glad the video made you happy. There are nice historic areas in China too. One day I’ll take my new camera over there and show you. Sometime when China allows me to go back.
@@OrientalPearl That sounds wonderful!
They are not mean... you know, they just don't know how to communicate with non-Japanese speakers.
Wow you really good person ey your comments how conversation changed different reactions awesome teacher mate
Loved the beauty and the beast musicbox like song ☺️
That was stunning...... incredible video... many thanks ....
No. She doesn't actually have a boyfriend. She just doesn't want to make the guy feel bad for immediately friendzoning him.
Ha ha, have a look at the earlier vlogs.
I learned something very simple with food. To say "Kore, onegaishimasu" when ordering something and that would be enough. 😁
That's exactly right! It's a lifesaving phrase.
A little bit goes a long way 頑張って下さい。
"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more then I can tell. And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand, I want more than they've got planned."
Seriously, somewhat had to comment on that Beauty and the Beast jingle.
Oh my god, THANK YOU. I knew it sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it and it was driving me crazy!
That girl avoiding the eye contact was too cute 😅
3:57 I love Japanese shops, everything is so かわいい!
I was like... "that´s a nice logic about the food´s flavour not being necessarily related with the length of the line you´re waiting in!" 🤙
30 seconds later...
"we waited in the line we said we wouldn´t wait in" i died 😂😂😂👍
Thanks. Sometimes I contradict myself. lol