Tokyo in 1999

[@zhame7774]

footage like this is precious, thanks for sharing!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

thanks for watching

[@zeroxlulu]

Absolutely love these little time capsules of years gone by... Thanks for sharing!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah it was both fun and bit painful to watch the younger us on our first trip to Japan

[@nk225jp]

1999年の東京をアップロードしてくれてありがとう。当時は私の青春時代でした。

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

ありがとう！

[@udpskdps]

Videos of daily life back then are very valuable today. No one had captured them on camera. Thank you from Japan.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@がーな-e4e]

Thank you for uploading this video. I’m from and live in another place(Okinawa) in Japan, but lived in Tokyo in 1999-2000, so I feel so nostalgic for it. I went to Stockholm in this May, and found the city so incredible!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@がーな-e4e thank you for watching and commenting! We’ve been once to Okinawa but only to the main island. Would like to explore other islands as well. Stockholm is nice in May. But winters are too cold and dark lol

[@berkekaan9118]

This is golden.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@enterthebruce91]

​@@midlifecrisisme6182I came across this video after rewatching the first season of Tokyo Vice (which is set in 1999). I'm waiting on a UK release for the second season. It's a very good show, nice video! 👍🏽

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@enterthebruce91 yeah Tokyo Vice is great. Ken Watanabe is always amazing. I’ve only seen the first season so far - need to sign up for HBO again soon to watch season 2!

[@makelovenotwar9941]

Silver, 25 years

[@kato2395]

Golden experience 🫡

[@Happywanderer1993]

夏休みが終わる3日前。私が扇風機の風を浴びながら宿題の山を片付けていた日だ。

[@kennyadvocat]

Can you translate for me what the two girls said at 6:40

[@88o8ooo5]

She said ガールってほどでもないけどさ(I’m not young enough to be called a girl😅) I guess she was in mid30s so she was not actually “a girl”

[@kennyadvocat]

@@88o8ooo5 thanks. Wow she looked so young tho. 90s japan is so friendly! =)

[@田中健一-x6x]

その風は、君を素敵な未来へ運んでくれたかい？

[@dzezonja3558]

This video will blow up into millions trust me. This is pure gold, thank you for uploading!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@yeahtbh.161]

Nah, it's nothing special.

[@gaslight_9858]

@@yeahtbh.161 I agree with the OP and although the video itself is 7 months old, I notice that a lots of the comments here are recently posted which mean it's been gaining traction. So now we just wait and see.

[@Agret]

​@@yeahtbh.161nothing special but the algorithm has decreed that everyone will see it now. Came up first position in my home feed just now.

[@ArchieGamez]

@@gaslight_9858 algoritm pushing me and others here

[@eelei3179]

Feels weirdly nostlagic and cozy. my family and i lived in tokyo around the early 2000's but i was only a toddler so i remember random moments of life there.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Have you ever gone back later?

[@Oonggaboong]

I live in Japan and can say that most of the scenery are still the same now. It is unbelievable! You are right about Tokyo remains same but we all just get older. Thank you for a nice video :)

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah older is painful lol

[@鈴木三郎-u4l]

1999 was the year when a Japanese company released the world's first camera phone. It was also the year that NTT Docomo launched the world's first mobile internet, imode.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

I remember on our 2nd visit in 2004 - we were bit surprised that so many people in Tokyo used their phone to take photos. Of course it existed in Europe but it hadn’t really caught on yet.

[@mattbne7403]

i remember at the Osaka airport during my flight transfer, at the time my mum just bought the Ericsson T28 for me and I thought it was the SHIT, till i saw several Japanese ppl taking photos with their phones and i quietly put my phone away lol

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@mattbne7403haha - good story! Lol

[@rsmith02]

I remember 3G being insanely fast for the time.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@rsmith02 yeah 3g at first felt amazing. This was pre-3g area though - can’t even remember what it was called lol

[@nobujak]

Can't believe it's already a quarter century ago...

[@arsnakehert]

Looking at Tokyo at this time makes me imagine that somewhere out there, there must be a bunch of game developers making some of the absolute bangers of that time, like Final Fantasy IX or Silent Hill, or even someone working on games for the upcoming PS2

[@moldymoss3991]

This makes me realize night club and wangon racers were actually racing during this. There the wheres981 and squeeze Benz of Japan

[@lucasbosco3473]

Holy crap! that's a really amazing comment! Also makes me wonder if someone in the crowds during these videos might be the developers of those amazing games that were still under development when we were just kids with a PS1 or a Nintendo 64 and we didn't notice because they were just passing by living their daily lives.

[@tofusakuratofu]

東京フォーラム、皇居、増上寺、浅草寺、上野周辺はあまり変わっていませんね！人々のファッションとiPhone、秋葉原、築地の雰囲気は結構違います。 3歳頃の自分の国の様子が見れて嬉しいです！ありがとう😊

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

ありがとう！渋谷は大きく変わりました。今日の東京には高層ビルが増えています。　 私はビデオの中で30歳でした。

[@brandontownsend6955]

Awesome video! 25 years have gone by fast. I first went to Tokyo in 2015 and fell in love with it. Thanks for sharing.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah 25 years really went by in the blink of an eye.. and hope you come back to Tokyo!

[@brandontownsend6955]

@@midlifecrisisme6182 Of course, I love Japan so much I got myself a living souvenir, a Japanese wife. 😅 We are headed to Tokyo and Kyoto for 2 weeks in May. My one regret about Japan is that I didn't travel there sooner. Would've loved to have seen it in the 80's. Where are you guys from?

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

We’re from Stockholm, Sweden. Going back to Tokyo and Kyoto as well soon. South Korea in late May and Japan in June.

[@jjlange]

@@midlifecrisisme6182 Going to China, SK and HK next month too. Would love to see Japan one day as well :)

[@bluesandroots2008]

This makes me realize the biggest difference in the last 25 years is the iphone.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Haha yeah that might be true!

[@Vespyr_]

It kind of ruined everything tbh.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@Vespyr_ for me personally it's probably both good and bad - overall I actually think our vacations our better now but maybe slightly less of an adventure.

[@PeruvianPotato]

That and that the median camera quality just got better.

[@chamomile_.]

Hahahahaha

[@klaotische5701]

3:50 One Piece is only one year old at 1999, and it still has an banner back then, what a goat.

[@yeahtbh.161]

Anime belongs in the trash, sheep and weeb.

[@Freikorptrasher]

One Piece was big even in the early 2000s. I still remember a TV commercial back in 2001/2002 mention something about "the most famous Japanese anime premiering soon in Kids Central!" ( Singapore channel network ) then showing Luffy taking the prime 10.30am timeslot.

[@Raouftali-wi6ym]

One piece was premiered in 1999

[@sw22tacorn76]

I first thought 1999 was like other part of the universe but once I was that Luffy poster, it feels now 1999 is like only 2 or 3 years ago...

[@MrNo1fan]

First thing to notice, people are looking forward and NOT down.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yes definitely! Although I do think people in Japan even today play less with their phone when walking around than people do in most western countries

[@nonamegonzalez5711]

4:15

[@mgm6229]

@@midlifecrisisme6182 Allow me to disagree. Japanese people under their fifties can't spend five minutes without checking their smartphones (most people here have at least two devices). These times suck: Zero human interaction, zero liveliness, no smiles, lotsa stress and attention seeking (via social networks).

[@satom4]

カメラに向かって手を振っていた女性が この映像を見つけたら感動するだろうな

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

はい、それは楽しいでしょう

[@gaidenhertuny2213]

oh man, its the fact that part of this video was being recorded while i was being born, august 27 1999, jesus, thank you

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Haha yeah that must be surreal feeling. Thanks!

[@yeahtbh.161]

didn't ask.

[@gaidenhertuny2213]

@@yeahtbh.161 lmaoooo theres still people like you on the internet i forgot, thanks for making my day

[@yeahtbh.161]

@@gaidenhertuny2213 you must of being having a really shit day if that made it kid, how sad.

[@dasit6034]

@@yeahtbh.161 not sadder than you

[@kimmossige263]

Jeg ble litt emosjonell av å se på videoen deres. 1999, hele 25 år siden!! Og dere har vært i Tokyo 16 ganger til etter det???? Amazing!!! Jeg var der første gangen i mitt liv i November. Og det er en riktig drøm å kunne dra tilbake dit

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Vi var där i januari igen lol Yes - hitta ett sätt att åka tillbaka!

[@きぼ-g7o]

I am Japanese. Living in Japan now, I think the future of Japan is bleak. However, there are still many attractive locations in Japan, so please come and visit Japan again. Thank you for the precious footage.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

We’re in Seoul now and will be back in Japan next week…

[@hidenovic55]

Excellent! It’s valuable record. The view from visitor of Tokyo 20over years ago. High tech toilet was equipped for hotels in Tokyo that time.

[@Zoranurai13]

Incredible to see everyone looking forward and not down

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah lol

[@madridring699]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. Full of nostalgic scenes and it took me down the memory lane. In 1999 I was a rebellious teenager living in Japan. How life seemed so full of hope back then. I went onto university, experienced some heartaches, got married, and now I live somewhere in Europe. Time flies so quickly….

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks for comments! Yeah the video makes me feel nostalgic as well - I want to be young again lol

[@ChrisVandenheuvel]

I first went to Tokyo in 2002, just three years after you. I stood in a lot of the exact same places you did and remember seeing things just like you did. Thank you for the trip down memory lane.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Cool! Yeah we probably did the same things that most 1st timers did back then! lol

[@rommelflores2618]

Living the dream, went to Tokyo two weeks ago and it is magical, so grateful and blessed to have a chance this year to travel first at Singapore, always my lovely place to visit and the Land of the Rising Sun!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah I like Singapore as well. Gonna do a Singapore 90s video soon as well

[@rommelflores2618]

​@@midlifecrisisme6182I subscribed, thanks will wait for the SG video, cheers!

[@pallyali786]

The world before smart phone's and social media. What a beautiful time.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

I definitely agree both social media and smartphones have downsides. Some of them major ones. But to go back to a travel-world without all the convenience that I’ve gotten used to.. I probably couldn’t handle that..

[@rliuLY]

Nice footages, nice storytelling, nice music choice. Very nostalgic. 90s is indeed the best era for Japan. Great video!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!!

[@letstudy2day]

wow love this. who knew after 24 years someone somewhere in this world watching this on youtube... love this

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah I think KZbin started in 2005 a few years after we filmed this…

[@howdare312]

1999??? Not yesterday? Tokyo is amazing ❤Thank you for uploading:)

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@ChristianDellon]

I went a couple of months ago for the first time, and its amazing to see how much is still similar. Japan is my favorite place on Earth. I wish I could live there.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah it is amazing. Glad you enjoyed it so much!

[@ulrichkesler1220]

Oh nice video clip I love 80~90's world so nostalgic! In those days I was only 20 year old young man Thanks for uploading!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks for watching and commenting! When I first checked the old footage I was like “aah shitty quality” - but then I realized that adds to the nostalgia.

[@KenseiOtaku]

Nothing really changed, that's the beauty of it

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah - it’s a good point

[@KenseiOtaku]

@@midlifecrisisme6182 Thanks for this video. It was really good and nostalgic and the background music was great. My first time to really spend some meaningful time there was in 2004, many more times in between and most recently late fall 2023 to see the leaves change colors.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

⁠@@KenseiOtakuthanks! Yeah once you start going there you just keep wanting to go back.. So what’s your favorite thing about going there?

[@KenseiOtaku]

@@midlifecrisisme6182 It's quite a big list, but I'll provide a handful. The people, culture, history, food, transportation, scenery, etiquette, ethics, environment and memories

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@KenseiOtakuI think I agree on your items. And then probably some more. It’s actually tricky to pinpoint exactly why I like going there so much

[@_Just_Another_Guy]

3:49 One Piece was already popular in Japan in 1999 while anime in America was still taking off with Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon (which was already old in Japan at this time).

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks for info!

[@BirdmanDeuce26]

It's kinda neat and weird to think about how dramatically different the timelines were for many manga/anime series overseas vs. Japan. The overseas scene was basically almost a full decade behind and wouldn't catch up until the mid '00s.

[@ricenoodles632]

@@BirdmanDeuce26 That's only somewhat true because there were also shows like Digimon and Monster Rancher which were very current to Japan, also. Sailor Moon saw airing in US/Canada all the way back in 1995 which was before the series had even completed in Japan (in 1997). DBZ only ended by 1996, so it could still be considered somewhat current (by Japan standards) during the Ocean dub era (around 1996-1998).

[@teru-jg7ps]

Thank you for uploading this video! This video reminds me my childhood days. DV camera の画質が良いエフェクトになっていますね。当時の雰囲気を知る貴重な資料だと思います。

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thank you!

[@Cortez77fr]

Thanks for sharing ! my first travel to Japan was in 2002

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Cool!

[@KiyokaMakibi]

What a charming video. The background music added to the nostalgia. What surprised me was the most was the lack of neon signs and video screens. So much less distracting!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! I do like neon though lol

[@planetX15]

Three months earlier in the same year The Simpsons would make their 30 Minutes Over Tokyo episode on May 16

[@SkamaSounds]

what a beauty of video , wish all the happiness to the couple and many more trips to Japan

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yes going back in a few weeks time!

[@ztsE7NKQ]

1:07衝撃、、、いまのウォシュレットと全くデザインが変わっていない

[@嗚呼うう]

今ってたいていリモコンじゃないのか？

[@grimetone]

Kul video koncept. Sjukt hur tekniken har utvecklats så mycket sedan 1999. Mycket tack vare Tokyo och Japan.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Tack!

[@nobby3OO]

I first travelled to Tokyo on my own at 16 in 2007. Even though I went 8 years after this was filmed, little had changed. The comments regarding phone use are all true. People had their rectangular phones then but it wasn't all anti-social like it is today. Thank you for uploading this gem of a video. I'm glad the youtube algorithm threw it my way tonight :)

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thank you!

[@MrGreen-ci2mm]

Even tho I never travelled Japan, after watching this,the camera and tech, the fashion… I became so nostalgic about these times, the pre iPhone days

[@belle2496]

日本で生まれ育った日本人ですが、子供の頃は地方に住んでいたので、年に1回か2回の母との東京観光だけが東京で遊ぶチャンスで、いつもとっても楽しみにしていました。 1999年というと、私は小学5年生でしたから、この映像にある街並みも覚えています。 1日目はディズニーランドに行って、ホテルに泊まって、2日目はこうやって東京を歩きまわりました。 懐かしいですね。 今は母親も私も、別々に東京で一人暮らししていますが、相変わらず月に一回ぐらいは東京で待ち合わせしてご飯を食べます。 今も変わっていない部分もたくさんありますが、確かに英語表記のものも多くなりました。 それと、別の文化からやってくる観光客がとっても多くなったので、日本人だけの国だったらわざわざ書く必要のないような、いろんなことに対する注意書きが増えました。 時代は変わりましたね。 I feel old…😂 But thank you very much for your sharing this beautiful footage of your trip in Tokyo.❤

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@belle2496 ありがとうございます。12月にまた東京に行きます。 I think things are both similar and different versus 1999. More skyscrapers. Many more Azabudai Hills/Roppongi Hills complexes. But same time many areas also look similar. Thanks for watching!

[@mrsoikawa]

Cool video man. I moved there in 2000 so it means a lot to me. Funnily like you say , not that much has really changed apart from around Shibuya, which is just even more built up.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah - Overall there are definitely more skyscrapers and Roppongi Hills/Azabudai-style complexes but otherwise mostly the same. And outside the major hubs the cityscape has changed even less. Going back in late May.

[@ark9876]

3:50 ワンピースとハンターハンターあるから一気に昔の感じなくなったわ

[@ds2disciple]

What a great piece of history. Thank you for sharing.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@pockettv007]

GOOD JOB !Time goes by, the flight of time, time flies like a shuttle. , must cherish the time.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@hawk19085]

Amazing video, looks like so nostalgic. Pure visual art.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@MardelosAires]

thank you for sharing this video, it is a gift to my heart. I love tokyo as I think you also do. Even when it is so crowded everywhere, every time I go back, I realise how special city it is.

[@GAINAX01]

I miss those times so much. Life was so much simpler, people were happier I swear

[@wojiaobill]

Great memories. Thanks for sharing!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@sususegar]

Watching this really solidifies my thought that Japan never changed much since the 90s, it's like it's stuck in a time loop. I went there for the first time in 2015 and again last February. The only things that seem to change are some electronics like mobile phones and TV, fashion styles, and car designs. Even the train tickets are still the same.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah train tickets are basically the same. Kind of amazing. Otherwise I think it’s hard to really analyze how much (if?) Tokyo has changed. Many more skyscrapers. More bike lanes. The emergence of Azabudai Hills/Roppongi Hills style complexes, a partly re-imagined Shibuya. But it still feels the same. But yes smartphones and digitalization are obviously the biggest things.

[@GugureSux]

Magnificent stuff! Having just very recently visited Japan for the very 1st time, it indeed seems like many familiar places haven't changed a thing. 3:50 that billboard in the background is surely going to make some anime fans go wild! To think that two still massively popular, ongoing series (HxH and One Piece) were already a thing 25 years ago.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Some places like Ueno and Ginza look mostly the same. Shibuya (not in video - we didn’t bring camera that day) has changed more but it’s still very recognizable. Overall there are definitely more skyscrapers and more Roppongi Hills/Midtown/Azabudai Hills style complexes.

[@MisakaMikotoLuv]

1999 was when hunter x hunter and one piece was first aired. I was 9 at the time and watched hunter x hunter religiously. Good times

[@gustavolima9828]

Last year i stayed in ginza, near by shinbashi station and has the same look. Thank you for this gold video

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Ginza area is perfect area to stay in!

[@LiquidTurbo]

Wow rare insight! Thanks for sharing. The fish market is gone now, so it is so cool to see it in 1999.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah the moving of the fish market is probably one of the bigger changes in the urban landscape

[@alexmoreira876]

I love to see videos like this! I was in Japan for the first time last month (April 2024) and it was the best trip ever. It's cool to see the same places I was at so recently, but in the 90s!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! And good to hear you enjoyed Japan!

[@mattegeniet]

Kul att se hur likt det ändå ser ut! Svårt att tänka att det här ligger närmare i tid när jag besökte första gången 2010 än vad det är till nu bara!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Tack! Tycker tiden alltid förvrids när man tänker tillbaka. Fattar precis va du menar!

[@Kaigaitobo]

This is an amazing video, thank you!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@シンキング-i3p]

I believe this kind of content is what youtube was made for. Thank you so much!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@pattybee808]

That was fun! Thanks for posting! 🌺

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks

[@ww3k]

Wow, what a gem. Thanks for sharing!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@gorillack_japan]

1999年と言えば青春真っ只中の年頃だったけど25年時を経て見たら古めかしいなぁ 子供の頃、昭和の映像見てたような感覚だ 車からして香港時代のジャッキー•チェンの映画に出てきそうな感じに見える 本当に洗練された車種は流線型の丸び帯びた今よりデザインが1番輝いて頃なんだけどなぁ

[@RaulGonzalez-xt1kx]

日本は今、このビデオで示されているよりもはるかに近代的で技術的になっています。

[@samsensei]

I was there in 99. Brings back memories

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Cool!

[@KittyUZutty]

this is so cool! life doesn't actually seem that different to today!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah Ginza and Ueno for example look mostly the same. Shibuya (not in the video - didn’t bring video camera that day) has had a real make-over since so it has changed more.

[@TravelGeeq]

This was so cool to watch! Thank you for sharing this with us :)

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thsnks!

[@SuperSavagepumpkin]

Thank you for sharing! I just came back from my honey moon there. It hasn't changed that much imo, especially regarding the heat and humidity lol Even the metro tickets are identical now!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@SuperSavagepumpkin oh so you also did honeymoon in Tokyo- cool! I hope you enjoyed it It looks both the same and not the same today. There’s been quite an uptick in terms of skyscrapers last 20 years. Shibuya (not in video) has probably changed the most.

[@HomelessPelican]

Thank you for this video, you guys are great

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@mewmew2130]

got goosebumps watching this, thankyou for such a rare time capsule

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@bokenasubi]

Even for me, from Japan, this is very impressive and nostalgic.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@珈琲-i1k]

1999年８月24日が誕生日です！とても感慨深いです。 24年前と今。街の風景は変わっていないし、でも確実に変わってもいる。不思議ですね。 お二人が日本で素敵な時間を過ごせたようでよかったです！

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

誕生日が8月24日なんて素敵ですね。ありがとう！5月29日にまた日本に行きます。

[@CaptainRonRico]

I was in Japan a couple years ago and frankly nothing looks different compared to 20 years ago.

[@ZorimePati]

Its so nice seeing Japan not being over touristed. Ive gone 5 times since 2015 and feels like there are more people with every visit. I don't blame anyone for visiting though, its on me for visiting a popular place after all

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah it was less than 5 million foreign visitors in 1999 and more than 30 million just before pandemic. I have mixed feelings about this - yes it was less crowded back then which is nice but I also want Japan to be a popular place to go to. It certainly felt somewhat more exotic and adventurous back then but I also think that overall it's an even better destination today.

[@Kev27RS]

@@midlifecrisisme6182Yeah, there’s a lot more tourists nowadays, which is understandable! Japan is a beautiful country worth visiting! What I enjoy is the fact that Japan didn’t become a melting pot over the last 25 years. Most people living in Japan ARE Japanese! It remains that way. 🙂

[@rsmith02]

It depends where you go. I don't see many tourists in daily life. Kyoto and certain parts of Tokyo & Osaka- very touristy. I'd venture out beyond the "must-see" places to have a real adventure.

[@行動才能擺脫貧乏]

Thank you for share !!!!! So precious

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@patriciaklein9489]

This was really fun to see places I've been to recently, but in 1999 and that they were still there at that time. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah areas in video look mostly the same. Shibuya (not in video) has been reinvented and changed quite a lot. Overall there are many more skyscrapers now vs 99. Did you enjoy Tokyo?

[@systematicallyshocked]

6:41 aww I loved that. I went twice to Japan, loved interacting with the locals. They were always so kind to me. Managed to make some new friends too. I loved using Japanese with the old folks as I loved their reactions😁 I have such amazing memories I hope to go back soon. It’s been a good while. I’m glad you made it back many more times😁 Great video!! Glad KZbin recommended it to me.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah it’s a fun moment that was caught on video. Nowadays I can speak some Japanese. Some.. so I always try to interact when possible. It’s usually so much fun but sometimes there are obviously some lost in translation moments lol Hope you can go back!

[@IzzyOnTheMove]

Cool! I hope to visit J:apan some day. Cheers from Canada 👍

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Hope you’ll make it to Japan!

[@marcellasantos4841]

Oh my what a gem. I was just two years old in 1999. Still planning to visit Tokyo soon!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

I hope you’ll make it there soon!

[@Kiwi_In_Japan]

6:52 - The girl says she's a "Japanese girl, but not a [Girl]" The slang "Girl" or pronunced "Gyaru" is like "gal" kind of a late teens, early twenties, trashy, sleezy girl. Some people relish in calling themselves this, but most often it's slanderous. Thank you for this video! I've lived in Japan for almost five years now and it's crazy how many things you showed here are exactly the same. I'm really surprised about the bidet and train ticket technology being around in 1999!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! I didn’t know about “Gyaru". The visual urban landscape is definitely similar today but there are definitely more skyscrapers and more mega complexes like Roppongi Hills/Azabudai Hills etc - none of those existed back then. We’re going back in late May again and I’m considering doing some more detailed then/now comparison video.

[@エンジェル太郎-f6u]

貴重な映像をありがとう

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

ありがとう

[@TheLostBoy1974]

The year I moved to Japan. Great video. Thanks.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

@@TheLostBoy1974 thanks!

[@isthiswhat3961]

It’s interesting to see that the attractions you visited 20 years ago are similar to the ones I visited last month

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yes agree!

[@emm3861030]

For me,The Tokyo is different when I go to every time.

[@ajkallen12061]

Thank you for recording these old days, good job

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@HacksignKT]

I've visited Japan a few times, and it's crazy how different things were in the late 90s than they are today.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Some things and areas are definitely different but quite a lot is the same/similar. There are many more skyscrapers and Midtown/Toranomon/Azabudai style mega complexes today. And smartphones have definitely changed the whole experience a lot (mostly for the better in my opinion) But visually- the city in many areas looks the same/similar. Especially outside the major hubs. Shibuya, Otemachi and Toranomon/Roppongi/Azabudai looks very different but Ueno and Asakusa looks much the same.

[@chupichupa]

Oh, this made me so emotional, I'm crying. Why does this seem unreal?

[@maxamaxa194]

I visited my grandparents for months every summer when i was a kid. I miss japan in the 90s, it was truly like living in the future. Compared to the midwest US there were things i couldnt comprehend of!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

I mostly miss my younger me lol For us back then Tokyo felt both futuristic and old at the same time - which was, I guess, part of the charm. Going back in late May/early June

[@jontan-dt3qv]

singaporean here.....i just realised how asian cities like hong kong singapore and tokyo had such a incredibly strong asian vibes back in the 90s and 80s and early 00s......from the night life to the decor and signage..... also the fact everyone in asia dressed very simply back then,most guys either wore casual baggy t shirts and shorts or basketball jerseys or the older grownups all wore polo ts and trousers or office attires....fashion back then was much much more non descript and nobody cared how they looked......they were at a major train station at 4:15 and my god everyone just dressed so simply....not like paupers but so ordinarily, simple t shirts and shorts and trousers, like its just another day in asia. god reminds me of singapore back in the 2000s, no one cared about how they looked back then, there were more important concerns and problems in life,life is too short to waste on trivialities .. nowadays cities just looks and feels the same everywhere u go.....i dunno whether its because of globalisation and u see the same major brands and chains everywhere and all the shopping malls and buildings have the same "architectural style" or the massive influx of immigrants and foreigners u see in every city on earth nowadays...... the world is starting to look incredibly uniform and bland and copy pasta.....

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I do agree cities look more the same. Mostly I think it’s globalization and digitalization. But I still think many cities still have their own identity. And outside the main streets and hubs the “sameness” is often less obvious. We went to Singapore for the first time in 96 and I think that city has always felt and looked more western than most other cities in Asia. About clothes - in general my perception is actually that people in most places are less formally dressed nowadays. But maybe they care more about fashion trends though. I’m gonna fix and upload Singapore 90s video later this summer

[@dendrov]

this is beautiful, thank you for sharing your memories with the world

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks!

[@tacituskilgore80]

Absolutely insane city in 1999. A technological marvel and a pinnacle of human civilisation. Japan isn't what it used to be but just looking at this 25 year old footage makes my city look like a village. I get happy when I visit our capital Sofia so I can't imagine visiting a city like Tokyo, NYC, Schanghai... I'll be always be a city person. Thankfully I'll be going to Seoul for the first time in a few months. It will surely be an experience of a lifetime. My father has told me stories about his first time in NYC on a students brigade around the 2000s. By that time he had barely left his small bulgarian town. He must have had his mind blown away when he landed.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks for commenting! We’re city people as well! We’re also going to Seoul soon - 2nd visit! All in all I actually prefer Tokyo today vs 1999

[@CSKClyde]

I wished I could just jump into the video and experience what's going on in the footage. Thanks for the awesome share mate. Any chance of uploading Singapore too?

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah I have Singapore as well - I think I have from both 98 and 99. I must go to a store that converts them from DV cassette to digital format though. I’ll probably do that sometime this summer.

[@dreikjapan4061]

Τhose analog cameras was smth else.pure bliss vibes.maybe it's the decade was growing up and the all surroundings(movies-tv)

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Thanks! Yeah back then that camera felt “cutting edge” - technology certainly has advanced since then… but it certainly adds a nostalgic layer to the video

[@nervousbunnygaming]

I know this probably makes me lame. Even though I’m young, that’s one of the things about Japan that comforts me as someone with really bad anxiety. Nothing changes in that country. It’s nice 🤣

[@impactguide]

This is really wild. I'm in a hotel room at Asaksu at 0100 in the morning, after coming back from Akihabara. I recognize a lot of the places you guys visit in the video. It almost feels like we could have met each other just 2 hours ago, somewhere in the video... My friends and I were talking about that Tokyo looks and feels like what the future looks/looked like in 1999, in a way. It's a really crazy and also really interesting city. If you read this, visit it if you can, even if only once.

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah Tokyo has a retro futuristic look - especially the major hubs. And yes it’s a great city - crazy, interesting, fascinating and at same time it’s also a city of lots of small almost quiet neighborhoods. Love it. Going back in a few weeks. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

[@LiquidKnees]

Amazing video. I'm in Tokyo right now and wow.. Just wow. Seeing some spots I've been to and how they're both the same but also more developed. The fact that you have a brief second of One Piece in there!!! Tokyo is the city of the future, now and definitely back then

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Yeah back then in 99 I probably didn’t know what One Piece was lol I think Tokyo is both futuristic and lagging behind in some areas at the same time. Enjoy Tokyo!!!

[@LostScene]

As I read somewhere, Japan has been in the year 2000 for the last 40 years. And I don't dislike that, haha.

[@bto5stardraw]

KZbin was born when the first video camera was made, and one of the very first camera was "the Lumiere cinematograph" february -13 - 1895....this platform must be conservated as World Heritage

[@dmitryalexeev1788]

My mom was living in Japan and Korea in 1998-99, then I was born in 2000. Such a great vibe!

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

Cool!

[@Kapiletti]

I remember only in japan covering the fish market changing location before the olympics. And there is no more sega buildings in shibuya, at least most closed?

[@midlifecrisisme6182]

The Sega building in Akihabara closed maybe 2 years ago I think