Let's Talk About Weird Japan

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"What do you find weird about Japan?" That's actually a question I got asked while doing an interview. I've always avoided talking about the weird, the wacky Japan. I made videos to show the everyday Japan. However, that question never quite stopped bouncing around in my skull.
Special thanks to:
- All interviewees
- That Japanese Man Yuta (interviewer) / yplusshow
- Only in Japan (mascot footage) • Japanese Mascots Unlea...
- Tofugu (Why do Japanese TV Shows Have Little Boxes of Celebrity Reactions) • Why Do Japanese TV Sho...
- Supporters on Patreon / lifewhereimfrom
Additional Information Sources:
- Good Morning Call (Netflix)
- 世界の中心で､愛をさけぶ Crying Out Love In The Center of the World TV Series (TBS on Amazon Prime)
- Inemuri www.bbc.com/future/story/20160...
- Goya Sensei / goyasensei
- Goya-kun www.yurugp.jp/vote/detail.php?...
- Goya-kun fan club gohyakun.com/
- Funassyi • Video
- AKB48 • 【MV full】 ヘビーローテーション /...
- Crayon Shin-chan
- Yokai Watch
- Friends
- The Big Bang Theory
- Katy Perry - California Gurls • Katy Perry - Californi...
- Ariana Grande - God is a woman • Ariana Grande - God is...
- Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri by Jere Samuli Perttula www.flickr.com/photos/3793593...
- Goya - By User:加藤寿一 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
- Goya - By あなたのサンドバッグになりたい - 投稿者自身による作品, CC 表示-継承 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
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[@sursomsatan1225]

Japanese society: Calm freedom within cultural limits, serenity, nature. Japanese television: PURE DREAD AND HYPERACTIVE DYSTOPIA

[@majidesu6191]

V I love Japan, but the dystopian elements are plain to see.

[@dynamicjaethought7788]

Almost as if "Japanese Society" is either lying to it's self or to foreigners hahaha. Pretty much like what half of the USA does.

[@yaretziperez5699]

@@dynamicjaethought7788 nah it depends for what we do in the USA

[@eutimiocastillo4725]

So colorful and extravagant. Interesting contrast.

[@TayGuy]

Same thing with the stores. So many tvs and so much noise!

[@All3n1Walk3r]

"children's hentai anime" is a group of words i never would have imagined being said in the same sentence

[@Yuriwa_ch]

15:00

[@KonFess]

Why? Haven't you even bothered to understand Any Foreign culture? Or did you believe the U.S. culture is the norm?

[@luckydannumber2]

@@KonFess What's even more Adult Actresses are on the same level as normal Actresses.

[@differentman1878]

Thats sarcasm right? We're all in agreement that child hentai is not a good thing. Am i reading you correctly?

[@luckydannumber2]

@@differentman1878 When he said Children hentai anime, I thought he was talking about Boku no Pico or various other hentai you can find on the internet. But no he moved the goalposts and said Yokai watch and Shin Crayon as hentai anime even though they are childish jokes and compared that to a naked Katy Perry music video which is a bad analogy. Thanks to this now I know he's using his latte-sipping rheotic to introduce his own political values to a foreign country and hence an instant dislike. Maybe you should reevaluate, did you forget about the MTV cartoons and Nickoldean shows such as beavis and butthead and spongebob which contains such jokes as well? A few google searches would of saved you a whole lot of misinformation that you cannot scrub from this video.

[@leftyfourguns]

"I went to a dumb school" Always nice to find common ground with foreigners

[@s70driver2005]

Can confirm. Dumb school individual here.

[@zm0rc]

"When you're being mischievous from behind". Ha, got'em.

[@genli5603]

BreacherUP it’s a Japanese wedgie.....

[@Name-jw4sj]

@@genli5603 No they actually stick it in

[@MysticGwen]

LOL #nowonderjapanlovesrobots

[@michaelwatson113]

You have really upped your game. Your production values have always been good, now they're better. Same with content, which is thoughtful and thought provoking. Any big city is not that country. New York is not USA, London is not UK, or Moscow is not Russia. These cities are real, valid, and functioning in their own rights. But they are not the whole country. Same with Tokyo. And within each of these cities, it is not hard to find people and situations that are weird, and especially weird things that make good pictures. Alongside of the weird are the vast armies of rather ordinary people who go about their daily lives in seemingly unrenarkable ways. What makes them weird? Because they are not usual, normal, or commonplace. They stand out in the crowd. One day in Tokyo, I got off the subway surrounded by men in dark suits, white shirts, and dark narrow ties. Like a river of people we flowed up to the streeet where we were met by other rivers of men in dark suits. Then, there he was. A man walking towards me. What made him stand out? He wore a brown suit! Did he represent the whole? Not likely. No more than with the maid cafes, or any other "oddities."

[@bartceljavier4209]

Very well said.

[@neosmith166]

Perfectly put across.

[@waynecarversr6375]

What you say is very true. However, I still enjoy watching video of maid cafes and capsule hotels and cosplay etc...etc. Especially in Tokyo. I just love the place for some reason!

[@morisoba2550]

I'm from Japan. Most areas of Tokyo are Japan. Most areas of Tokyo are Not weird. And probably Moscow is still Russia too. But London is definitely not UK, even not Europe. London and New York are alike.

[@janpham1259]

lets talk about this weird channel name. he is NOT from japan. he is NOT even a japanese. but his name is : "life where im from" what a liar.

[@Graye1]

i never really write comments on KZbin but all your videos are just fantastic, so informative and professionally done. I hope you see this comment because there are a lot of people out there that are extremely happy to see a video of yours pop up in their sub box :) can't wait for the next one!

[@VinnieChu]

Well he's a professional documentary film maker, so yeah. Of course the quality is great.

[@Kirsten_is_cursed10]

Vinnie Chu I’m sure he still appreciates the compliment ✌🏻

[@thatdirtyninja5829]

"so have you ever slept in school before" .."yes just did that today" ..rock on man

[@dhirensingh8989]

He looks kinda baked. Or he just doesn't trust the interviewer

[@jimmies327]

He totally has a stoner personality but he prob doesn’t smoke bc that’s not a thing in Japan... or is it?

[@KonFess]

In Japan, you sleep at work/school because you worked overtime the day/night before. Not because you are lazy or baked. If you did, you would be quickly found out. And you would lose the privilege.

[@HaiLsKuNkY]

in the uk we have the rent a boyfriend/girlfriend thing, they are called escorts.

[@huda-ih9mz]

lol

[@pasindabimsara4617]

Lol and it's even cheaper XD

[@bigcheesee19]

@@pasindabimsara4617 do you by any chance have a burning sensation?

[@tyan_ldn]

@@bigcheesee19👀

[@tyan_ldn]

@@pasindabimsara4617 👀

[@NoPlaceLikeCheese]

Living in NYC, I wish we adopted the mask thing here. I get sick way too often.

[@yoashmo]

NoPlaceLikeCheese try airborne, follow the directions.

[@GlobalAdventurer]

@@yoashmo Or even Sambucol👍 Works great. I wear a mask while flying or on long distance buses. Definitely helps.

[@evolvingboard]

You could just wear a mask, I doubt anyone would really care

[@GlobalAdventurer]

@@evolvingboard I wear masks every so often, and actually it's a good thing if you don't want anybody sitting beside you. Most people avoid sitting beside people with mask on because "they" think you're sick and not the fact you're trying to avoid getting sick 😷 or just because you don't want to inhale a bunch of vehicle exhaust.

[@evolvingboard]

@@GlobalAdventurer I'm gonna start wearing masks on the bus so the weirdos leave me alone.

[@username3282]

Very educational video! I'm Japanese myself, but growing up in America I've noticed most of the points you've mentioned, but I never considered the double standard when Americans talk about the "weird" Japanese tv shows whilst having the raunchiest music videos. I guess it's all about what you're used to.

[@evewhoo]

Definitely. Weird in this context just means different from what you typically see in your own country/environment. Weird as in strange for what you're used to, or different. It's not necessarily a negative thing.

[@jakegaubatz]

I'm so happy he mentioned American music videos. And they're all by mainstream artists!

[@majcrash]

People still make music videos? I thought that died 30 years ago.

[@smuggymcsmugface2142]

14:06 so basically the equivalent of laugh tracks in western sitcoms?

[@codeninja100]

great way to put it

[@dodgechance4564]

Laugh tracks aren't actually that common in recently produced sitcoms. It has fallen out of favour in the majority of newly produced shows.

[@mrs.quills7061]

I didn't even think of that. I actually always found laugh tracks so irritating.

[@michaels3003]

What Western? I thought there were American...

[@TheGlob420]

13:38 japans has been doing reaction skits way before youtube i swear they live in the future

[@deepa2445]

Naice profile pic man 👍

[@MasterFallenHero]

Great video. In high school I was an exchange student and was really let down I didnt see all of "weird"Japan. Recently I took my wife to Japan for our anniversary and took a few detours into those niche cultural areas and was still underwhelmed. I think the internet paints this unfair image of what Japan is like. I think the weird stuff most westerns will find is how quite things are, how clean things are, how quickly trains board and how efficient things are. It's a great speed of life.

[@keiichimaebara3754]

I never thaught they are weird and i live in america and never been And in the video it's talking about them wearing masks when they're sick here in America I see people do that

[@youarecorrectandiamwrong.8646]

@a number two numbers it's not a terrible economy, price of yen is low knowingly. You need to understand economy for that.

[@OphiuchiChannel]

Japan have the third greatest gdp rank after Us and China. For such a small country thats really impressive.

[@Elocess]

Internet paints almost everything unfairly

[@OphiuchiChannel]

@@Elocess yes totally

[@cartifan399]

The nudity thingy is actually exactly the same as in Finland. Even many finnish family movies have full nude sauna scenes and japanese bathing rules are almost identical to the finnish sauna rules.

[@pupu416]

True/Totta

[@vintageskybee1238]

Would never want to see family member in the nude.

[@adrianpatrikainen2390]

Thats very true

[@nicholasvsjesse]

vintage sky bee 1 They've all seen you nude dozens of times, what's the difference?

[@cartifan399]

@Blackjack yoforfreedom what do you mean?

[@armartin0003]

The floating head phenomena is something not only on Japanese TV, it's also in Eastern literature in general. You always have a chorus, just like the Greek plays, which cue you into how you should behave or what the "crowd" thinks while watching/reading the current scene.

[@Baehan890_Brand]

I love watching your videos! You have improved SO MUCH over the last few years. what started as simple recordings of your family are now professional documentaries. I learn so much every video. I wish there was a channel just like yours for other some major countries like China or India

[@bunnyincloudrecesses9590]

Some things about Japan that seem unusual to me are the availability of cigarettes and alcohol in vending machines, the fact that men are not afraid of "cutesy" things, and the fact that there seems to be a process to everything that MUST be followed. Also, I've noticed how openly Japanese people tend to talk about bodies, even commenting on things that might be frowned upon in other places. I've heard people casually talk about someone being "fat" or they have "big ears." They aren't necessarily being rude or mean, but pointing out flaws doesn't seem to be a sensitive topic in Japan. In Australia, some things that others might find weird include our habit of shortening words (we do it a lot-almost excessively), the fact that we are so casual with colleagues, bosses, even university teachers (it's not uncommon to call your boss by his first name), the whole "byo" thing, and the fact that it is perfectly acceptable (with exceptions) to go to a store, fast food eatery, or voting booth shirtless, shoeless or wearing swimwear.

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Good points

[@WoahItsRuka]

Most of Europe has "vending machine" ciggs as well. You need to put in your ID but it works.

[@bunnyincloudrecesses9590]

@@WoahItsRuka I think they were talking about including ID for the machines in Japan too. In Australia, there was a big campaign to stop smoking. They are very strict on where you can smoke and they are always behind the counter in supermarkets or convenience stores. They are also much more expensive than what we saw in Japan. A pack of cigarettes here will cost around AU$30.

[@decemberclouds]

Did Australia ever have cigarette vending machines? We did in the US until maybe the mid-late 1980s. I can still see them in my head - they had these round brass handles and they were vertical.

[@bunnyincloudrecesses9590]

decemberclouds I can't say for sure, as I've never smoked but I'm going to guess that they did but probably either before I was born or when I was very young. The anti-smoking campaign was a big deal when I was in school, so they had probably begun phasing them out anyway. Edit: My husband says yes, a long time ago, but the machines were only in pubs.

[@juliashireen6195]

Such a breath of fresh air in the ocean of video presenters. You sir, are a great example to your kids with your respectful attitude. Thank you for your inspiring videos which I have started sharing to students and teachers alike.

[@nahimaxxx7590]

I love how authentic your channel is you genuinely love doing what u do

[@shutter-chan]

I really like the interviews, it's so hilarious and fascinating coming directly from them.

[@putdogdirectlyonbed9268]

I wish people here would wear masks, once someone at school gets sick we all get sick smh

[@amandaggogo]

Legit, there has been a cough traveling around my pre-k room since school started, they just keep passing illness around, no matter how much I clean and sanitize! I wish the mask thing was common around here.

[@anjiah]

So true. One time someone was sick and next thing within the same week the whole class was sick. At least some of them wore face masks.

[@skullcrushers1000]

In the U.S., we don't make it easy to stay home if you are sick; so unless your sickness makes you unable to work (I.E. Vomiting, diarrhea, etc.), we tend to go to school anyways and risk getting other sick.

[@naritruwireve1381]

I wish people would be able to stay home when sick and not have it be such a big deal. At my school, if you miss even a day, you need a parent to call the office why you're away, gotta tell all your teachers why you were away, give them a signed note, send that note to the office, make up for any homework you missed and catch up, ask someone for notes is there were any, and check to see if there is an upcoming test/quiz. It's such a pain to miss even a single day of school, that I'd rather still attend school when sick than stay home.

[@MJ-uk6lu]

It would be an unexpected holiday, isn't that cool?

[@lindalately]

I really want to visit Japan one day. My cousin studied abroad there for two semesters and absolutely loved it.

[@atravis4004]

I want to visit Japan as well! When I get in highschool, Im thinking of doing an exchange to a japanese highschool. But, Ive heard its really expensize so Im not getting my hopes up.

[@lindalately]

miraculoustravis I hope it works out for you and you find a way

[@pavankumar-bb4wq]

lindalately I am moving to Japan in the next year

[@TheHujnik]

What happens if everybody leaves thier country for a better one=? People can´t live normal because americans wars in their houses and come to EU to safety sad but True Story, Imagine and tell me what Japan would do about it?

[@rordrom3234]

Thanks sir, good documentary. This is high quality.

[@Goldenbird94]

Honestly, I love almost everything about Japan. The food is amazing, the rules make me happy coz of the structure they provide. The fact that the conveinience stores have reasonably healthy foods in them for lunch options and stuff makes me happy too.

[@hanakakoni9665]

dude ya

[@calliopeirwin712]

basically the only thing stopping me from living in japan is the culture around lgbt people. it has been described to me on a few different occasions as 10-15 years behind the us and we are far from passable. decent maybe but not close to where we should be and we were far worse 10-15 years ago.

[@mrs.quills7061]

@@calliopeirwin712 yeah that's the other issue. People don't talk about it, but Japan has a pretty conservative culture. I want to visit, but I'm glad in a sense I didn't have to go to school or work there. There's so much pressure on students and workers to be perfect and perform well all the time. It becomes too structured and you lose a bit of your sanity and individuality. I also just read that there is now a pro LGBT mascot and app/website that helps people find LGBT friendly apartments called Suumo. Things are changing, but it's a super slow change. It took forever for things to change in America as well and we're still not perfect either.

[@crayon_logic444]

So you love their history too right? Lol

[@Goldenbird94]

@@crayon_logic444 I love that they acknowledge the bad parts of their history and have actually tried to better their country by making their gun laws for civillians stricter and actually enforcing their laws if that's what you mean. :)

[@seaweebjoc]

The mask thing gets on my nerves here in the US, I dont have a spleen so I have to be super careful about getting sick and when I wore a mask to school in highschool I was told by teachers to take it off and people would be so rude but I'm just trying not to die because sick people wont just stay home. I don't understand how its weird??

[@user-no2mz9hl4f]

I think more people in the west should wear a mask when they’re contagious. It would prevent other people from becoming ill and help stop the spread of disease. People here seem to rely on the flu vaccine to save them, but it’s not very effective (especially in the very young, who are more susceptible to viruses); however, a mask is such a simple, inexpensive way to prevent the spread of disease.

[@joemuis23]

true but I guess in the west there tends to be a you're either too sick or not sick enough mindset. Any display of your sickness beyond the too sick level is seen as dramatic. Japanese people going to work even when theyre sick couldve also been a factor that contributed to them wearing masks for lesser illnesses.

[@zam023]

The thing is that, the pharmaceutical industry would not be happy if people start wearing masks and not rely on their medicines. That is why it has not been promoted.

[@peachbun]

Well, it all has to start in school. If people don't grow up with it, then it's weird and not acceptable. I've heard in the past that some schools would think it's terrorist related, covering your face like that. So the thing to do would be to petition the schools for it, promoting how it would help cut down on illness being spread. If you can get some schools on board to see it as an opportunity to make a positive change, then it might catch on eventually.

[@o.m9514]

Poor you. 🙁

[@XSpImmaLion]

Love the nuanced tone you used on this topic Greg... I often talk about this but in a way more sharp tone. xD Put simply, the stuff you usually see on international news coverage, specially for countries like Japan on a western publication, is often times sensationalized, exaggerated, or made to look weird/unique on purpose. There is a secondary intention there, and it's often not a great one. It changes at times, but sometimes it's demeaning (as in, our culture is superior to theirs), sometimes it's fetishization, sometimes it's targetting specific subcultures to make it look like it's a mainstream thing, sometimes it's for the clicks or for the views... And it's also often in a judgemental tone, not to provoke discussion or to make people think, but rather superficial and one sided. Which is quite unfortunate. I often say that if your own culture was seen through the lenses often applied by international news about Japan, or other foreign countries, it'd look as "weird" if not weirder. You don't even have to go that far I guess... tabloids will usually give a sense of how that goes. But still, tabloid news is not the same as international news because at least on tabloid news you have the full expectation that it's purposedly made that way for the clicks. International news often portray themselves as serious, composed, when they often actually are not. It gets to a point where a whole ton of these weird things that are often covered in international news are there mostly for tourists instead of japanese people. The weirdest thing most tourists will think about Japan when they visit there will probably be how not weird Japan actually is. It's a really good exercise to go through all these supposedly weird and unique things that are often talked about Japan, and see if there isn't something there in your own culture that looks or sounds extremely similar. Look hard enough, you'll often find that there actually is. I'll just talk about one thing that came up recently that is not an example of weird thing, but how international news tend to distort things, in this case by shallow coverage: the "Fukushima disaster". Fukushima is actually the 3rd biggest prefecture in Japan, the Daiichi power plant tsunami flooding and subsequent meltdown was bad, but the plant is located on the west coast of the prefecture, and the area that is still dealing with problems around ionizing radiation is a radius of a few miles around the plant, not much more than that. It was catastrophic, I'm not trying to diminish how severe the whole thing was, but it affected an area much smaller than most people imagine. The vast majority of the prefecture was not affected all that much, and it's a prefecture that almost reaches all the way to the east coast of Japan... it has lots of mountains, lots of onsens, lots of interesting stuff to see, different terrains, lots of cities and culture, lots of stuff that even most tourists don't see (because most tourists only go to Tokyo and Kyoto)... because it's a huge prefecture, not only a power plant. And yet, as it was labeled "Fukushima disaster", people specially from outside Japan thinks the entire prefecture is condemned or something, when not even the capital city of Fukushima which is located more towards the north of the prefecture didn't change much. :P I don't think many people realize this, but the capital of Fukushima, that has the same name, never saw anything related to ionizing radiation out of the Tohoku 2011 disaster. They had problems in infrastructure and public transportation because of the earthquake, but that's mostly it. So I think it's awesome that Greg often makes videos de-mystifing Japan... I think it's needed, because it's something you don't see a lot on traditional media.

[@siennasdiary]

XSportSeeker ;;;

[@juliashireen6195]

So long, but so succinct

[@hunghopper1993]

What a wonderful video! It was well produced and thoughtful. It made me really miss Japan.

[@jupamoers]

Talking about the masks in 2020: they're not weird, they're clever

[@gilbertraut4969]

Exactly

indeed

[@HarryNicNicholas]

"why are you wearing a mask?" "i have acne" why america is so hung up about protecting yourself and others, when they think they need a gun to go to the shops beats the crap outta me.

[@noperope325]

I love every part of Japan. The weird, the niche, the normal, the mundane. Every country has their weird niches I think. The difference in Japan is that you van really - really - get into something even if it is weird. That's where I think a huge gap is in understanding between the people who go to Japan for the weird and the people who are for some reason very against others being happy with their love for weirdness. I love anime and cute stuff and when I go to Tokyo I find myself in Akiba for days. You can find *anything* and not only can you find anything, but your love for anything even if small, you can find A LOT of it. I wonder if it's because Japan treats hobbies differently than we do since they have such limited time to enjoy them, they choose to get really into them . I feel like their work, life and overall environment breeds creativity. And obviously there's some large market for all this stuff and it's usually not foreigners. Thank you for doing this in a way that doesn't put down the people who DO like weird. So many other videos (and the comments section) seem to have this complex against those who like the Japan weird. Japan has their unique quirks like every other country and it's wonderful! But what I love most is that even daily mundane life is somehow magical. Love Japan :)

[@rose-vg5es]

The savageness??

[@JessicaSmith-mi3kc]

I love this video. I took my family to Japan for the first time last year. Before we went, I explained a few things they would see that they should consider "normal" for Japan. You've covered most of them in this video. We really enjoyed watching you go over them in detail. Everyone in my family was like, "Yeah! I saw that a lot!" The kancho thing made everyone crack up really bad. I taught my children to kancho from a very early age so they knew exactly what that was. Thank you for another very fun and informative video.

[@lillypatience]

Why teach your kid kancho? Seems pretty disturbing...reminds me of Angel Heart.

[@kirasussane1556]

So the image of Japan we are presented with is full is stereotypes and sensationalized to sell but rarely true to what is actually daily life for most Japanese people. Thanks for your videos they are very informative.

[@tmtmtm_]

Yes. At least if you actually try to understand our culture, you will realize Japan also is just a country where people are living, not a fantasy world. It makes me a bit annoyed that tourists in the country tend to forget the simple fact and frantically try to find as many weird places as possible even though local people actually don't even know such places existed...(like robot restaurant in the video)

[@debbiegodinez2119]

I love everything s about this video! I’m grateful for people to understand that you can’t label a whole entire community based off of the odd and rare things that happen every now and then

[@rockshot100]

I would hate that "reaction TV thing". It is like American sit-com "laugh tracks" or "canned laughter", taken to a highest level. It is patronizing and yes I could go off on a rant about that as well.

[@CobiVonSchweetz]

Late reply, but i just like seeing their reactions.

[@hajima8980]

I always learn a lot about the Japanese culture from your videos, thank you for providing us with great, high quality videos!

[@patrickrobinson317]

I love your channel !!!! Thanks for the great work you do !!!

[@JuhiMittal]

Thank you for the hard work you put in these videos , and please keep more informative content coming!

[@RumiOTT]

I just subscribed today, I am loving this channel

[@ladyflimflam]

I saw a Maid Cafe video from Simon & Martina I think. It occurred to me that it was kind of a modern iteration of Geisha culture. In as much as a Geisha is a restaurant hostess and entertainer who guides you through a meal and leads games and conversation, the Maids seemed to fulfill much the same role.

[@nununana4061]

Modern geisha culture called cabaret girl in japan

[@nathanbellamy1976]

A simple observation but easily missed. Good point.

[@chriskowynia5003]

Your Documentaries are next level! Super High Quality.

[@user-kt8qy4vy5g]

you are the best!

[@henrymayne9209]

Recently discovered your channel, love your viewpoint on all the things to do in Japan and the culture, keep up the great work!

[@Vickypayeur02]

You do really good videos

[@pavankumar-bb4wq]

Thanks

[@fboa01]

Your videos are excellent, one of the best Japan based channels on KZbin

[@maxschaufuregie7709]

such a great video! realy well done. The complete opposite of all the other " WEIRD JAPAN" Videos I have seen before.

[@skyhope5105]

Thank you for this eye opening video. To see what is truly going on in japan

[@ryusagii]

I dont think its weird, I think its unique. Like every other country.

[@keerthibluerose8534]

Yup

[@keerthibluerose8534]

Because India is also a complex country with different culture 29 states have 29 culture ❤️

[@MsHojat]

It's more unique than any other country with regards to it's culture. So no it's not like every other country. It's very different from every other country.

[@keerthibluerose8534]

@@MsHojatsure u should learn to know Abt a country it's complex but still loveable

[@user-df5dh4xo5f]

superaceguy agree. we Japan people do what everyone do. so there no moral or something. its not moral. its just "everyone doing , so I do."

[@Pixiedustjunkie]

I wish wearing masks was more common in the west! It's so polite and considerate! Great video as always!

[@theMyouknow]

Noone would never stop you from wearing a mask so go right ahead, if you are sick and dont want to spread your germs, most pharmacies has these masks.

[@Naderade]

To me it would signal to say as far away as possible from those people. People dont wear that just for common cold over here

[@vision313]

I once went to class with a mask and got kicked out 😂

[@leabugmp]

I had to wear one at a recent ER visit because I am on immune suppressing medications, so it was to protect my own health- but wow, did people go out of their way to avoid me lol

[@ne1124]

I am 1/2 Japanese and 1/2 American female (in my 50’s). I was raised in the United States (U.S. Army American father that spent 18 years overseas in Asia). So while I am American, I was raised within an Asian culture by my American father and American step-mother. Long story short, I wore a mask to work because I was sick when I worked for my job (in Ohio). My co-workers made fun of me. My co-worker I sat next to took a IPhone picture of me wearing the mask and would show me this photo periodically throughout the years I worked in this office. I was trying to be courteous, but I was so ashamed after being made fun of that I took the mask off and never wore it again when I would get sick. I appreciate the courtesy of the Japanese culture for being courteous to other people.

[@CM-lb9eh]

This was great to watch! Thank you.

[@3VAN35C3NT]

Who’s weird for wearing masks now, world?

[@brandytaylor1986.]

Ken K ikr

[@blackmercury956]

People in 2050, damb i hate it when my spacesuit oxigan gas leaks out

[@yousraykhlef19]

😂😂

[@TheNh341133]

We are in a pandemia of course we need it

[@ritz5102]

they're ahead of time

[@alexcarter8807]

What I liked when I was over there were what I call "everyday life" shows where they'd have these really slow-paced, relaxed, detailed shows about gardeners, or visiting someone's house etc. And Shin-chan is awesome! He's the Japanese Bart Simpson!

[@JonahSMoonRiver]

japan is more than “weird”. it’s a nation, a gem like no other.

[@klbog4816]

Jonah S that was kind of his point in his whole intro, you’re comment is redundant

[@satokoratrillbeest8405]

You didn’t actually watch the video did you

[@skinny0408]

Awesome video again. Great content as always :)

[@veroescobar4546]

I love all these videos and enjoy watching them all the time. The quality is great and the episodes are all so interesting. Plus it does help that the KZbinr is super cute lol

[@mujtabarizvi4388]

I hope you get million subs soon you deserve them you videos have great quality and i want to shift to japan in my retirement time and it might seem wierd but i already saw a house which i will take XD anyways keep making great content love from India

[@anafigueroa5934]

I personally think that what can be called “weird” can also be called “interesting” 😁💜💜

[@nr655321]

Trust me: to the Japanese themselves their country is anything but "interesting". Instead, it's stiflingly oppressive and unfree.

[@MichaelGambill]

Well done, I like the improved format and style.

[@anitac3086]

the quality of your videos are so much better than any news agency videos in my country have made so far

[@davidsurjo6443]

Really enjoyed this video. The narrative style, camera work and narration reminded me of Rare earth, another excelent "travel" series. Keep up the good work!

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

I love me some Rare Earth! Both Evan Hadfield (Rare Earth) and Tom Scott inspired to try some walk and talk this time around, but it was this scene I saw on twitter (which may very well have been tweeted by one of them) that prompted me to really do it. It was this BBC broadcaster that was talking about trains then hopped on one. Perfect timing! Planned of course, but it made me think that talking live out in the real world could add something to the video beyond my usual film and voice over style.

[@Spirit532]

As I commented on the same thing, I scrolled down and there's someone mentioning it already. The intro immediately reminded me of Rare Earth!

[@gizmofrompizmo2177]

2018: YO JAPAN WHY YOU WHERE A MASK! 2020: *laughs nervously*

[@Lunamine]

This was a very instructive and interesting documentary like video. You've truly stepped up your game !j

[@irenekristineee]

I've always known Asia used masks if they were ill and had to leave the house. I tried it once, 5 years ago. I got to the office and my coworker laughed at my face. She said I'm just asking for people to laugh at me and that I'm attracting embarrassment to myself.

[@michaels3003]

Some people have small minds. Ignore them.

[@MrRishik123]

5:00 *Vsause music plays*

[@gguksoulmate1704]

“2 statues kissing each other” HAHAAHAHAHAAH I DIED AT THIS COMMENT 💀😂

[@existingcard]

Great job 👏. Awesome video 😎. Quality stuff 👌

[@AlexGarcia-qc3cj]

So a Kancho is basically what Kakashi gave to Naruto when he was off guard during their bell test. So it was a thing common in Japan

[@ongphong5933]

Common only in kids. It is very rare once you're in high school.

[@missgothika]

hands down the first time i hear about this... guess that by then they understand that's super weird.

[@bernard2310]

Like jempot in the Philippines

[@zam023]

They stop doing it because it is embarassing to do so at that age, not because it is wierd.

[@HaohmaruHL]

Alex Garcia it was a popular game which only got popularized for muricans after they've seen it in japineeze anymeis. Also funny enough there was a death related to some extreme kancho just this week in Japan. Basically the supervisor at work was cleaning his subordinate's hair and body with compressed air and for the sake of prank he decided to aim it into his butthole. The guy collapsed in pain with his internal organs being damaged, he later died in hospital. Kancho level 99

[@AndreaRuizCa]

As im from Mexico, one thing foreigners find strange is the fact that we eat bugs like ant eggs, grasshoppers and other kinds of bugs. They are actually amazing and filled with protein. You can find them in markets but there are a lot of mexicans who also find it weird! I agree that you say that what looks weird for others maybe is not for the whole country. Love your videos!! been watching them since forever.

[@AndreaRuizCa]

Pufflosion nope. They are cooked. I don’t eat them tho jaja in vegan but before I was I used to eat ten with chocolate or with tomato and onion

[@mannysmith7297]

That’s a great comparison. Sometimes I find it weird to hear that people actually eat bugs despite hearing that they provide a high amount of protein. Personally I’d rather stay away from eating them lmao.

[@mannysmith7297]

Pufflosion I can’t even think about putting my hands on a grasshopper or any bug since I’m afraid it’ll jump at me lmao

[@amy3458]

Thank God I’m vegan! 😋

[@MB-xj8jv]

I wanna try eating fried seasoned insects honestly lol 😂😂

[@elviragolombosi6556]

Great video! Offering a fresh and interesting view on Japan

[@ohmeowzer1]

Thank you so much..its been fun seeing your kids grow up.

[@afunandfriendlyname8468]

If an aliens ever come to Japan, they will have the wrong idea and think the world is so much cooler than it is.

[@nr655321]

You obviously how no clue how lonely and depressed people in Japan are.

[@afunandfriendlyname8468]

Ma/ Prz/ I have seen videos about it, I just mean with all the toilets and the "weird" parts of Japan.

[@juliashireen6195]

Hahahaha

[@MaGiCMushroomClouds]

They already did. They've been here longer than us. They have been monitoring Japan since 1945 at the latest. They are not impressed.

[@nkmontreal]

As an asian from Canada and past 30 years of age, I still "kan-cho" my friends 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@Col_Fragg]

The react window is the visual equivalent of the laugh track. Just as with the laugh track, the idea is that if the person in the window is laughing and having good time, then the audience at home should be enjoying it as well. It's essentially a mind trick. If you walked into a room where everyone was laughing hysterically, you would probably be inclined to start laughing yourself or at least start smiling even if you had no idea why everyone was laughing.

[@stew9stew]

LIFE..., your observations are accurate & also unbiased so I enjoy seeing what you see.

[@xucher7618]

LOL. So far, this is the best video about Japanese culture. Thank you.

[@jadecummings8093]

Hey Greg, when I watched the part of your today's video is the mask which it's a 'cultural thing' in Japan. A lot of people used it for fashion, getting a flu etc. That's what somebody told me about it!

[@zam023]

Not alot of people use it for fashion. That is another misconception in the west.

[@nr655321]

Most of them wear it because they are too socially isolated to (no pun intended) face other people.

[@jadecummings8093]

@A Girl Has No Name Ayo and Teo who's these people?

[@OpalBerries]

I like the faces in the corner because sometimes you see funny reactions like the japan man who won a prize and the bell dinged and he went "Hooooooo!" or something.

[@janie7242]

Nice details! Very informative! :)

[@knalg]

5:55 Neon Genesis Evangelion "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" :D

[@MonikaRabha]

yea! you will hear this quite frequently in malls, supermarkets.. [ Just a Tourist here :D ]

[@buzyreading]

This is a really good show! I watch a lot of anime and do Doulingo to learn Japanese. If you have any more suggestion, I would love to hear it.

[@sct27271]

Great video and it was great to actually see you on camera!! I absolutely adore your kids! Btw, have you seen the film Tampopo by director Juzo Itami? It’s excellent but some scenes are not for the kids lol.

[@seiranayamihiko0014]

Great content as always man. Been watching your stuff on repeat since I subscribed. He he. Man I miss these girls... ah the golden era 17:33.

[@mirianv4656]

So i live in rural japan but when i went to tokyo last time i got terribly sick. I noticed a lot of people in public do not cover their faces when they cough or sneeze. One guy actually sneezed right onto the back of my head, causing my hair to fly. While waiting in line for food we were handed menus and the couple in front of me actually just coughes all over theirs. Its no wonder people wear masks when people in such a densely populated areas do not use more caution when it comes to spreading germs.

[@bunnyincloudrecesses9590]

Do you think it has to do with a fear of getting germs on the hands? I know it seems silly since they're sneezing all over the place, but it could be also why blowing your nose in public isn't really acceptable?

[@mirianv4656]

@@bunnyincloudrecesses9590 im not sure because they will hold their phone, sneeze on said phone in hands, and not flinch.

[@user-fs5ob9cq5s]

sneezing doesn't always mean that he's sick. I am from Japan and have severe hay fever and light asthma. So I never use a mask, cause I don't infect anybody. Of course, I turn to the direction where nobody is there, when I cough or sneeze, tho

[@Research0digo]

they also refuse to blow their noses. they sniff up their snot constantly, instead.

[@KimiKitty-rp7li]

Mirian V k

[@joannamariesegura7048]

I love bitter gourd! We sometimes cook it with egg, kind of like omelette bitter gourd! 💕

[@ucc930ml]

Japanese grapes have a thick skin, so if you eat them without peeling them, you will not be able to eat them deliciously because they are very astringent. Cultivation of varieties with thick skin is suitable for climate reasons. In the case of thin-skinned varieties, there are also people who eat the skin without peeling it.

[@zachmlindner]

I rarely comment on videos, but I gotta say that this was really awesome.

[@veabruhilda]

Teapot Genitalia Man 😂😂😂 cracked me up because I'm immature like that. But I love your videos. Sad I just recently discovered your channel, but I have been binge-watching for days now.

[@devonmedevil93]

OMG Shin chan is the best! HAHAHA thats my childhood right there

[@caradigo1270]

We also have bitter gourd in the Philippines. We call it ampalaya, and often eat it for breakfast, stir-fried with eggs. Although it looks a bit different.

[@melize7035]

I laughed so hard when you read "communicat" lol lol lol another great video

[@anonimuso]

That bitter melon is popular in the Caribbean as well. It's called corilla. When I was a kid and my mom made it, I hated it. I thought it was disgusting. Now, I kinda like it and I wish my mom was around to make it because I never learned. :(

[@bharaninathkomandur6330]

Surprisingly, it is called "Karela" in the Hindi language (India).

[@youarecorrectandiamwrong.8646]

3:01 if she is his girlfriend, this guy has balls of steel

[@Jhud69]

I thought she's his mother honestly lol

[@slfirst7037]

I don't get why, why is that?

[@val4362]

@@Jhud69 that's even worse

[@Itachi-qt4qb]

Right? If she was, he's in for a ton of trouble saying that in front of her.

[@vaibhav3946]

it's very normal for japanese....

[@AlexialexisD]

Wow! Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@PinkeeLee]

we just watched the great course dvds on japan. excellent series.

[@anthax908]

"Go on and eat some grapes..." -> *Kid proceeds to peel of the most nutritional part of the grape*

[@DarkDaysInPurple]

I don't see what's wrong with that?

[@lechelechuza6852]

@@DarkDaysInPurple I mean it literally speaks for itself 😂 She's ditching the part that's nutritionally best for you.🤣 Plus they weren't saying there's anything inherently wrong with that, they were just stating that she did something we don't usually do 😁

[@michaels3003]

I've never seen any evidence for this claim, so I consider this a fruit skin myth.

[@drop2881]

Those specific grapes have a tough skin. You can't eat it like you would a traditional grape. Tried it myself. You wouldn't eat the skin of a lychee or a longan would you? Same concept.

[@anthax908]

@@drop2881 no

[@TheGlob420]

i love the way they "communicat"

[@jessicakelly1418]

I love all of your episodes

[@geoffreyselvage1673]

Love your channel.

[@Jodiesveganeats]

Greg: I don’t speak Japanese super well Also Greg: speaks Japanese extremely well with no accent at all

[@HenningGu]

15:46 I Never understood this cartoon as a child. And now I’m even more confused as to why my parents let me see this in the first place.

[@vikhyath4240]

Great bro .......keep uploading unbiased videos like these

[@michaelcooksey7232]

Outstanding. I learned a lot

[@lethfuil]

A whole Fish on a stick is completely normal, were I am from. I'm from Bavaria. Whole Fish, in general, is quite normal, and on a stick, cooked over charcoal or wood, is called "Steckerlfisch", which quite literally translates to ...Fish on a Stick. Or Stick-Fish. It's one of the most loved summer foods to have. ^^