Absolute Culture Shock in Tokyo Japan, Vlog of our first day in the City!

[@wynkenstein]

Hey there. Going to Ichiran Ramen as a first impression for japanese Ramen was a bit of an unfortunate choice, since this big Ramen chain is famous for exactly this experience -> eating alone and quietly. There are hundreds of other good Ramen experiences out there in Tokyo, please try Ramen again :)

[@bluelennon1]

We are for sure planning to eat ramen again before we leave. Any recommendations? thanks for watching our video and commenting

[@TeaBeeAdventures]

I love that KZbin has started to recommend me small channels.

[@bluelennon1]

[@bottomless-cuteness2459]

日本に来てくれてありがとうございます！東京は人が多いので疲れたら近くの神奈川にも来てください 海もあり伝統もあり横浜などの都市もあり本当に良い場所です😊

[@bluelennon1]

I can only imagine how incredible the rest of Japan is. we wish we would have booked a longer trip here. We have just run out of time to do everything. Tomorrow is our last day and we are heading to Kyoto for the day. we have enjoyed our time here so much we are contemplating coming back in a few months. Thanks for watching and the comment

[@Tomo_Shima]

I’m glad to see you guys having a good time eating and shopping in Tokyo😁 Enjoy Japan！

[@bluelennon1]

Thank you so much for watching our video and the comment. We are loving our time in Japan.

[@TeaBeeAdventures]

I've had that waffle chocolate vanilla ice-cream bar before... a few times. It's pretty great.

[@bluelennon1]

We were surprised how delicious it was and how cheap it was. One of the best convenient store treats we've ever had.

[@LesGray-i9p]

Bit of a bewildering clip. To start off Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and yet you mentioned it was like in a forest at the start? Interesting. Re the food, the point of travelling is tasting the food. Eating junk isn’t it. The Japanese some of the healthiest diets in the world not full of sugar, fat and salt as in the US. How many fat people did you see there? This venture just showed how much research is required to understand a culture. Their culture is very respectful. Quiet even on trains. Disappointedly English is not widely spoken even by millennials mainly due to inadequate teaching at school. Because westerners are still in the minority the population don’t get a chance to practice their English which does hinder them internationally.

[@bluelennon1]

You seem to know your stuff about Japan! As you know Tokyo is a very densely populated place and that was part of the culture shock i was trying to illustrate. As a westerner it felt strange to be in the largest urban area in the world and it was so quiet. We were simply making a silly video about snack foods but please be assured that we ate plenty of Japanese cuisine although I did personally find a lot of it to be fatty and salty, not a lot of sugar though. As far as how many fat people I saw, I really don’t know?? I apologize for my lack of clarity, I am trying to learn how to become a better storyteller everyday, but I guess I came up a bit short on this one.

[@LesGray-i9p]

@ That’s fair enough. I understand this is your journey and this is what travel is all about. The Japanese eat a lot of protein like fish as in sushi and veg. Good healthy stuff but as you found there’s a bit of junk around too. Tastes great but is bad for you. Can only get a reasonable view of the country by travelling through it around many more of the cities and get more of an understanding of the culture. It’s ironical that the Japanese love western culture but in so many ways are the opposite. Unfortunately as a lot of Americans don’t have the time to travel to these countries (due to short annual vacation times) there tends to be a lack of awareness of what the world is actually like (how different it is). That’s probably due to your education system as much as anything. You’re brought up to know a lot about your own country but not others around the world so as you found it is a real culture shock. Respect is utter most. More than a bit of a lesson for the west. As mentioned before, it’s best not to rush through these countries. It’s like spending a day or 2 in a big city and saying something that doesn’t reflect the culture there (not saying in your case totally but in general). Just refers back to research and you’ll know now (and time and funds of course). I think it’s great that you’re educating your daughter in the real world at her age. It’s a real education not solely focussed on your own country as great as it is in so many ways

[@bluelennon1]

@@LesGray-i9p We really want to dive more into the culture aspect. We LOVED our time in Japan and wish we would have had a few more weeks. We are very new to full time traveling and learning a lot of what works and what doesn't. Trying to work out the kinks. We are already planning to go back and spend a few more weeks. Any recommendations? Back in the united Staes I worked in the public education system that my daughter and son attended and was very unhappy with the education they were receiving. I think the teachers there are doing everything they can with the tools they have but the higher ups make it very difficult on them and through the day the teachers are busy putting out too many fires to really be able to give the kids that want to learn a proper education. Plus you're right they are not teaching them about other countries and some stuff they teach are not factual. We wanted to show our kids more and learn first hand about the world. Hope you stick around to follow our journey

[@LesGray-i9p]

@ Understand it’s a learning curve with travelling. Helping out a young traveller on a 1st international trip ATM. So much to know and consider. Other attractions in Japan including Kyoto (cherry blossom capital in late March April), Hiroshima for history, Himeji Castle, Shinjuku National Garden (sub city of Tokyo), Fushimi Inari Shrine, Mt Fuji, Imperial Palace, Osaka Castle. So much more. Just depends on your interests. As you probably found out the people are lovely but shy many times. Best to travel by bullet train across the country. Shinkansen trains. Buy a Japan Rail Pass for as long as you need. 7.14 or 21 days. It’s best to learn some words or simple phrases to help you on your journey. Some Japanese especially young ones find it frustrating not being able to help at times. Not their fault. The education system sucks. Know what you mean with yours. Easy to get political ( which I won’t) and the powers that be whether that’s lobby groups or factions who think they know best as you state. Bottom line is you’ve taken the great step that so many young families don’t do for one reason or another. Travel abroad to widen horizons. Keep exploring. It can only make us better people by understanding different cultures and basically understand what makes the world tick…

[@鈴木三郎-u4l]

tokyo is rural. osaka is better.

[@bluelennon1]

Yeah we just spent the past week in Osaka and really enjoyed our time there.