Tokyo's Party Capital BANS Public Drinking |

Chris has just watched the new Mad Max film and is now terrified of Australia. Great job, Hollywood!
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• Why Japan is About to ...
Feat @AbroadinJapan
00:00 Celebrity Video Game Designers
08:48 No bikes on trains?
13:50 Shibuya set to ban drinking in public
19:26 Tour Guide's clash in Kyoto goes viral
27:34 Travelling in Japan as a large group
29:19 How to maximise a 5-day trip to Japan
[e-mail] for all your messages - and remember you can listen to the show in audio form wherever you get your podcasts - shows.acast.com/abroadinjapan

[@firstnamelastname8217]

Only yesterday, as i am cycling through Japan (inspired by your own cycle trip) i was heading out of Kyoto towards Otsu, Lake Biwa. A Japanese lady approached me at a Family Mart, asked if i was touring around. I explained i was, and she gifted me with a drink, Barley Tea, and wished me luck. I thanked her for her gift, and we parted ways.

[@Pschokid]

The evanescence slander in this podcast 💀 a pure attack on my teenage years

[@skesby]

Not their fault you have horrible taste

[@Atomy111]

did the slander bring you back to life

[@Pschokid]

@Atomy111 yes! I've been dead since 2010 and just came back thanks to this video

[@DarthKrayt241]

Chris mixing up Creed and Creedence Clearwater Revival is so funny

[@wigglyboots2]

Made me do a double take. I forgive you Chris but goddamn.

[@Plexsusmax]

also called the song "unfortunate son" lol

[@leastselfawarepotassium]

@@Plexsusmaxit’s called Fortunate Son.

[@Aeonshield]

Glad someone else noticed lmao. I was sat here like "are we just not going to address this??"

[@Plexsusmax]

@@leastselfawarepotassium obviously, which is why I pointed out that he didn't even get the name of the song right

[@pabloyagani]

Limewire, that is a blast from the past. The quickest way to give your PC an STD.

[@FJGenso]

I one bringing my bicycle into a train (futsu ressha) from shizuoka station to numazu station (not that far actually, still within shizuoka prefecture). But I did follow the written and unwritten rules. written rule: you must disassamble the bicycle and put it in a specified bag or case. Bringing a foldable bike is super easy because you don't need to disassemble anything, just fold. unwritten rule: ride in a non rush hour, like really early morning (4-6 am) or late night (over 9pm). Doesn't matter how clean the packing is, people will stare at you because of you bringing pretty big stuff😢.

[@VorpalSnickerSnack]

This is a great tip!

[@fattiger6957]

Evanescence and Linkin Park make perfect sense to combine since there were a billion fanmade Dragon Ball anime music videos set to their music back in the day. That's a nostalgia smack in the head for me back to the early 2000s.

[@grimcatnip]

Vegeta. In the end. That was my fav.

[@flaagan]

16:45 reminds me of the Ron White joke about "I don't want to be drunk in public, I want to be drunk *in the bar*"

[@sheilahgregg7879]

When I flew to Japan from Tokyo from Toronto, I stayed up through the flight, fighting sleep all the way. First trip I had to get to Yokohama, second I stayed near Asukasa. I found if I went to bed in the hotel round 9 or 10 pm local time, I would wake up on Japan time with no issues adjusting. Coming home however was a different matter. Lol. But I’ve passed that tip to a few other people I’ve spoken with from the US and they have all said the found the same. No jet lag until they got home.

[@KanashimiTenshi]

*Cries in Evanescence is my favorite music group*

[@22NightWing]

Exactly! They don't only have one good song! 😭😭 they have two

[@aduboo29]

200,000 is not a lot of immigration Chris. x) That's about a 6th the immigration the UK gets year on year. Japan has a long way to go to have 'a lot' of immigration.

[@Stephen-up3sd]

Yeah - and in a country that has twice the population and is much larger geographically!

[@feiryfella]

Just back from Amsterdam, they've had to do similar with public drinking, and even no public spliffs either! I grew up in Edinburgh, I used to evac every August to escape the utter hell of the Festival, so I get it. Being Scottish, it's not been the done thing for a long time so it's second nature to finish your drink, or leave it, before you exit a bar. I totally understand that. No bikes on trains though, now that one is odd as a European generally, though Eurostar has similar restrictions between London and Brussels, and to take one to France it has to be dissasembled and bagged.

[@vampolascott36]

Strong Zero kicked my ass when I was in Shinjuku. I love their vending machines.

[@seebastian5834]

There's a tourism hop-on-hop-off bus loop line called loople in Sendai that goes around all the major sightseeing spots. Ticket prices for day passes are humane, and you don't have to climb around the hills for all the temples and the castle.

[@simonfinnie2900]

I think Pete underestimates how far Australia is from Japan. It's still a 10 hour flight. That's only 4 hours shorter.

[@judeffr]

It's so nice to not be jetlag

[@ShermanWilliamsVideo]

"He's just a man" has the same energy as "We're just men, innocent men".

[@roberttreborable]

Banning drinking in the streets is good not only for local but tourist as well, who wants to walk passed other people drinking. I was in Shinjuku Park for the Cherry blossom earlier this year where there no alcohol or smoking, no ball games except for very young children, plus as the time of year no running, this helped create a lovely atmosphere for families and visitors alike. Well done SHIBUYA ,

[@yagisencho]

My late-night stroll through Shibuya last summer wasn't my first, but it felt different this time. It was teetering on the edge of chaos, in large part due to drunks staggering into the street at every turn. So...yeah, I find this ban to be understandable.

[@ghostballa]

Thanks for the coffee idea, will definitely need an overdose of it for the 5 day trip 😁

[@rainmaker709]

Furiosa was fantastic but yea, saw it yesterday. Almost no movie is important enough to see opening weekend these days. I can wait a week or two so it isn't crowded/sold out.

[@AnOldYoungPerson]

Hello cyclops Chris and puny Pete! I finished watching the BBC series Race across the world recently series 4 to be precice. (Highly recommend it btw) And the 4 series saw, a group 5 couples backpacking it from Sapporo, Hokkaido to Gili Meno in Lombok Indonesia only with the, budget of £1,390 to get by with, and to complete the 15,000km journey to progress through japan the contestants were told they were not allowed to use the Bullet train at all. But still despite all the trials and tribulations the show went through it was a very fun and enjoyable experience and but looked very gruelling & exciting for all involved. But in relation to the show my question to you is, is it relatively easy to backpack across japan on a limited or almost shoe string budget, and explore the country, with or without the use of the speedy Bullet train? And how easy is it for foreigners to pick up local work and find accommodation? Love the podcast guys been listing since day dot of its release! Love to you Chris & Pete.

[@XSpImmaLion]

Few extra tips for Tony, speaking as someone who has been in Japan with 7 family members. xD Get everyone a SIM card for them to use with their own smartphones - do not get the Pocket Wi-fi thing. Easy for everyone to have a way of contacting others without having to rely on extra devices. It will have Internet access only, so chose your messaging platform of choice, gather everyone in a group, and there you go. On taxis, you can often - particularly in bigger cities - ask for small vans or bigger vehicles to reduce the spread... xD They are generally more expensive but not much when you are splitting the bill. Do not forget about the Yamato luggage transport thing from airport to hotel... the one with the two black cats. You don't want to be walking around with tons of luggage in large groups like those. Have everyone carrying with themselves at all times a card with the address of the hotel where you are staying both in your own language and in Japanese. Oh, and also passports. And a bit of cash on hand. If someone gets lost from the group, which can happen in crowded tourist spots, or the group just splits to go to different places in a given day, this is mostly what everyone needs.

[@XSpImmaLion]

Oh, agreed with Chris tips. Other than famires, depending on where you stay you can also check if hotel restaurants accepts non-guests. Some of them do, and they are generally good with a big variety of things to eat. Our group ate several days at Saizeria, but I remember we went a couple of days to some hotel from the Accor chain for a late breakfast. We had to contact them beforehand though.

[@tsubasa_cat6991]

Nooooo they banned chilling😭😭😭

[@kimimate]

Pete joking about going to Nara or somewhere else for tourism reminds me of the deer and how great they'd be at tourist-busting (headbutting, kicking and chasing off anyone who doesn't offer crackers 🙈)

[@stephanieb6113]

Not the Evanescence hate! 💀 I've been a fan of them since 2003 and love all their new stuff as well as the old

[@patsouthwood1397]

Oh you have brought back some memories Chris! In 2016 I brought our lad of 22. He is a woodworker and we had been to Tokyu Hands and he wanted to go back to buy a wood plane. Neither of us gave a thought to Halloween, we were in Asakusa and got the tube to Shibuya. Oh crikey. Half way across the crossing I felt a large manly hand reach out and hold mine. A first since he was about 7. years old.

[@uncoverjapan]

I love how the complaints about public drinking in Shibuya came from Bar Managers / Owners 😂

[@-a6833]

Scuze me, I happen to own multiple evanescence albums, there's several of us. The rumor that amy lee was going to be the linkin park leadsinger wasn't true btw

[@SOFTCOCOGIRL]

In Netherlands we have bikes we can vault up so they fit next to a seat in the train hallway or up in the bagage storage

[@dorothea_walland]

i imagine the song for pete's bin lobby would be to the tune of "roll out the barrels" with the text: "give uus some bins for our rubbiiiiiish, we have some rubbish, need bins!"

[@Mage_Nichlas_]

Hello Perfect Parry Pete and Critical Art Chris. Due to the group I was coming with changing plans my trip to Japan next year has been cancelled. Of course I'm upset at the situation but I kinda accepted a couple months ago that I wasn't gonna be able to go. Regardless, what's something that always seems to cheer you two up? I'll be nursing any worries I have on Taskmaster later but I'm up for your suggestions. Love the videos and the podcast keeps me focused and sane while I'm in the shower. Also if you need a laugh, I fell while bowling a few weeks ago. I struck a pose to play it off but my limp and sore butt for 3-4 days clearly gave my physical state away. Sorry for the ramble and much love. #FaxMachine

[@buda3d2007]

To be fair, Ive seen a ton of public brawling and not just between foreigners, more Japanese in this area.

[@harleyjo4875]

Probably because Japanese people outnumber foreigners by a huge percentage in Japan.

[@buda3d2007]

@@harleyjo4875 Probably

[@johnbecker1996]

If doing a full lap on the Yamanote Line is a bit much, a great alternative is the Ginza Line. Think of it - Shibuya, Omotesando, Akasaka-Mitsuke, Shimbashi, Ginza, Nihonbashi, Kanda, Ueno, and Asakusa. (Not to mention the stops in between.) There's a lot to cover, on Tokyo's first subway line.

[@jamesgilbert1395]

I remember watching on NHK one time where they had a show where a guy had to take his bike apart at every station and bag it up before boarding the train. It seems ridiculous seeing someone having to take off the wheels and bag up a bike just to assemble it a while later but I guess I can understand that bikes do take up a lot of space on a train.

[@Droo75]

In my city, if you have a bike at peak hour on the train, you must purchase a ticket for it. This then flows down the line data wise to inform the service it needs extra trains or services.

[@ceresbane]

Honestly this has the energy of exactly what happens when a nation becomes a literal granny state.

[@FunkyBukkyo]

I disagree that the drinking on the streets ban is about tourists. Drinking on the streets has always been an issue. I actually welcome the change. There are lots of Izakaya and bars around Shibuya if they want to get pissed. As for bins, I've seen them filled to the brim when you go further up to Omotesando towards Harajuku. This was pre pandemic and the tourist boom. I don't think bins would be suffice to address the issue either. I think there is just too many people in the area, and I'm not talking about tourists.

[@jkfdkjjd]

When someone brings up "Bring Me To Life" it always reminds me of the Bev and Bob video when the guy comes in with "I CAN'T WAKE UP" KEK

[@Mephitinae]

Tom Green got away with pretty "rude" pranks when he filmed Subway Monkey Hour in Japan back in 2002. That was before social media of course, so the Japanese public never found out.

[@Belladas]

I like how Chris so confidently says that the box office performance alone doesn't matter when a lot of the industry says that's exactly what matters these days, especially with ballooning budgets of films

[@fattiger6957]

I mean, movies have always needed to make money. All the great directors anyone remembers made movies that brought in huge profits.

[@leastselfawarepotassium]

I think he meant in terms of it being a good movie to watch.

[@theglowcloud2215]

Pretty sure he said people obsess over the first few days of box office sales

[@amatsu7619]

@@leastselfawarepotassium I also think this is what he meant, considering there are many many great movies that bomb due to them not being from a popular IP or just failed marketing

[@roslynluyt7284]

I think what he said was pretty valid and the market for watching movies at the box office is not the same as 5-10 years ago because of streaming services anyways. Like last week was the first time i went to watch a movie this year.

[@ragtagzagvee7675]

hi form the facts machine if this gets pick i plan to go to Tokyo hopefully in a few years to get ready wonder if you ever do vids on places that be great to check out like the pokemon Cafe team labs etc maybe even do a vid about the airports and what to do there when comeing or leaveing like at narita keep up the work chris love your vids

[@blackfirehedgehog7725]

Ya know, as a Canadian I had to think about the drinking ban a bit. I just got back from Europe and I was *shocked* to see people just crack open a beer on the street, like everywhere (UK and Germany at least). It wasn't super common but the fact that I saw it at all - It's completely illegal where I'm from so no one does it. As such, Japan banning it didn't really seem like news to me, but if you're used to, well, Japan before, or it seems a lot of Europe, I can see why.

[@Crossingt]

Furiossa was good. Yes Japan especially from Perth is very accessible, a bit too accessible. Japan is only an hour ahead so no jetlag. I Have got trip four booked for Oct this year. May 2023 was the first trip. Also planning trip five next year to ride the Shimanami Kaido and visit Hiroshima.

[@CreativeBubbleCrafts]

ouuhh listened to 5 seconds and already im in my must judge seat from the comment * who knows evanescence appart from one song * mhmm mhmm listening :P

[@ruth-annepimental9750]

Hi guys I am enjoying your banter. Having worked in science I have had the pleasure of working with Japanese postdoctoral scientists. One Japanese guy would always say”Shimata” and I asked him what it meant. He said it meant I have error. A few years later I worked with another Japanese scientist and told me what it really meant “Oh Shit”. 😊

[@garylyon2022]

Because of you lol I got Ghost of Tsushima for father day I am obsessed with the game

[@electronige3444]

I love the higher creed song :D

[@grayfaux_]

2001 A Space Odyssey is proof that box office initial sales mean nothing. They were about to take it out of cinemas and were told to wait by cinema owners because it was picking up tracktion. Look at it now, Academy Award winner btw.

[@Discipline8193]

The Caribbean allows public drinking, and much more bang for your buck! Visit Grenada!

[@cristinakennedy6962]

Heya, talking about us Aussie’s having easy access to Japan! Zurich in a day? Easier access to Europe, no less! 😉

[@Yabanmf666]

Happy I managed to get a few street tins in on Sunday before they banned it the next day

[@stiepanholkien605]

"Moshi moshi, Mario desu".

[@MarcUK]

That one liner about Evanescence had me googling them. I had no idea about all that stuff that happened back in 2010-12 with the illegal stuff happening in their forums. :-/

[@_nihongo_jouzu_]

Had a roommate who would bring friends in the backyard and start drinking at around 4pm, from 4-6 they're just chilling, as soon as the sun goes down they get rowdier and rowdier, very annoying..

[@adambane1719]

Oh, thanks for sharing

[@harleyjo4875]

Sounds like you needed friends yourself, or you could’ve just joined them and not been a sour puss.

[@harleyjo4875]

People being loud for two hours at the end of the day and before normal sleeping hours?? Wow, must be terrible.

[@marcotixxx]

only 6pm to 5am? pack it up boys, we’re going day drinking in shibuya 😂

[@Ben-nx6pd]

Also Chris mixing up Creed and Creedence Clear Water Revival 😂

[@VorpalSnickerSnack]

Chris & Natauki became friends when they ran into each other drunk- I'll never find my Natsuki now, lol. It's nice to hear people will be a little bit more safe. That lady harassing the tour guide, sounds like they can't control their emotions, stay calm and are targeting tourists cause she's overwhelmed. Her action would've been fine, if she didn't escalate or antagonize anyone and didn't use vigilante as a poor excuse for ill manners to look for fights. Sad part is people want to learn about the culture and manners. Wish the guide tried to walk from the situation more, I wonder if he tried telling the group not the ring the bell too loud? Telling her to speak in english was a bad move. This is quite an unfortunate situation. Also I agree with Chris & Pete, both sides can be sympathized with.

[@samanthalane4891]

I love Evanescence 🖤

[@bofast]

You should pull a Kojima on us and just say "I have watched [insert movie title here]" with no further comment

[@technosworld2]

8:01 - wrong Hemsworth, it was Chris Hemsworth 🙂

[@bitfreakazoid]

I think maybe to help with over tourism they really need to do big campaigns for each region with campaigns for different airports besides the two in Tokyo. Like not just advertise places in the other areas but like discounts for different areas and stuff. Hopefully it can help syphon off the over tourism from places like Tokyo and Kyoto so they can be enjoyable again and able to be lived in. My fear would be that those areas themselves would just become overcrowded too while not lessoning the crowds elsewhere.

[@nixym7056]

Pete love yall so much. Please do research before saying amy is going to linkin park. Chester is quite beloved here and rumors only hurt fans more. This rumor had been debunked. Again I'm a huge fan of you both and want to see you skyrocket to fame!

[@Droo75]

Wake him up, save hiiim! Bring Chester to liiiiife! Cry baby. He was selfish for doing that. Too soon? Waaaahbulance!

[@elblanco5]

Now what am I supposed to do? 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

[@CB-sx8xh]

Don't worry, Australia isn't really like Mad Max there are a lot more spiders who like to surprise you and snakes who love to give you a big hug. If you hear barking during the night not to worry its just the crocodiles.

[@jerrybot7321]

This is not a problem if you are not a drinker to begin with.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Shibuya might be Japan's first Pete Donaldson free zone.

[@Stephen-up3sd]

Perhaps that’s why they have done it!

[@karinaw977]

Chris, it is Chris Hemsworth in Mad Max

[@greenmoss9079]

If I could visit Japan I would like to stay a whole month! That way I would never be in a rush

[@uuu12343]

Imagine placing a ban on drinking after your prime minister started asking youngsters to drink more to "support local businesses"

[@818Kira]

Get Natsuki in the New Japan Dojo🙏🏻

[@shortadventuerer7738]

Chris did not just say creed did fortunate son... and no one has said anything in here... Like i heard that correctly right... that is what he said right... I need someone to tell me i am living in a parallel universe where I don't get the same videos as everyone else and he didn't just say that...

[@DaDudeb]

I came from Germany to Japan, i didn't have jetlag at all.

[@Droo75]

No jet lag between the axis 😂

[@denmaakujin9161]

Sounds ridiculous, how are they going to enforce that? Where does Shibuya start&end? Can't imagine all sign and posters.

[@Sx-xy2zi]

Angel of Shibuya will no longer have work to do

[@MadeofIrish]

In this episode, Brits have no idea what a big deal emo music was in America :P

[@Conankun66YT]

what is konbini confessions gonna do now?

[@tsukikochan09]

Wrong Hemsworth XD It's Chris... 😅His name buddy, not Liam who played in Mad Max

[@TacComControl]

Hearing Chris not know the difference between Creed and Creedence, then trashing Evanescence, all I can imagine is that he's the kind of guy who loudly proclaims his love of Kadokawa Goro, or the Spin Girls.

[@taraf6853]

18:02 2000s kerrang kids, that's who knows Evanescence

[@grimcatnip]

No drinking outside of buildings in public. Just like the rest of us.

[@96Deadeye]

Haven't watched it yet, will do that tomorrow in the car, but will drinking be banned in Shibuya at Halloween too? I experienced it in 2019, but I wanted to take a friend to Japan next year and also show him Halloween in Shibuya

[@harleyjo4875]

Do you think this is Facebook or Reddit or some forum where people will actually respond to your questions?? There’s actually a great website that will let you know everything you need to know: Google.

[@mattweller]

250cm is small Pete? Thats 2.5m lol

[@roberttreborable]

p.s There are plenty of bins in LONDON yet people still throw there rubbish away...

[@TheClintonio]

So the Japanese overuse of "impossible" in English stems from mistranslation of 無理 which does mean "impossible" in Japanese but is also used for "no and I won't change my mind" or something to that effect. Impossibe English is always an objective statement so that nuance does not carry over.

[@benjaminmealer2618]

Wrong brother Chris on Madmax

[@Robin-br6ju]

Liam Hemsworth? Wasn't Chris Hemsworth the villain?

[@harleyjo4875]

Yes, and Creed and Creedence Clearwater Revival aren’t the same band, and box office numbers actually do matter for movies these days. Chris isn’t just affable, he’s also fallible.

[@22NightWing]

I will not allow this Evanescence slander! *unsbscrb*

[@ReubenAStern]

Furiosa is a good film

[@MsSmartmonkeee]

When we were in Japan,we would just go to a station and jump on a train,not knowing where it was going... We saw quite a bit of off the beaten track places that way. It was fun! You should do a video jumping on a train and see where it ends,though since you have been in the country sooooo long it might not be such a surprise for you!

[@harleyjo4875]

He just did a video running the entire Tokyo line, it’s basically the same thing.

[@TheLukanda]

CREED DID FORTUNATE SON??? WHAT ARE YOU ON CHRIS???????!!!!!!!!

[@fattiger6957]

The sensationalism goes both ways. I see a ton of people online who constantly accuse everyone in Japan of being racist (which is actually a pretty racist accusation to make) The fact is the internet has made people stupider, more reactionary and more intolerant.

[@ImRezaF]

Who on earth bring their bike into japanese train ? Japanese train is "pedestrian train", designed to fit as many people as possible. It's not like European train where you have sort of bike parks.

[@Tazer_Silverscar]

No, Amy Lee isn't down to be the lead. The lead was ALWAYS Mike (much as I hate him for his Web3 Techbro Crypto/NFT/AI addiction). Chester was a co-lead of sorts during his tenure, but he was never THE lead. Amy Lee has nothing to do with Linkin Park at the moment, although she did say she was interested. Shows how old these episodes are, Amy Lee shot these rumours down in late APRIL. Lee has made it clear she hasn't the time to do anything like that at the moment. 20:23 - Eh, I don't see why so many of these video vigilantes get away with doing this kind of thing, she obviously intentionally antagonised the guy for clicks because she knew she could (due to how tourists are being blamed for everything now, even though there's a LOT of local people who are problematic too - for example, the Shibuya drinking problem is mostly a local issue, not tourists).

[@Sam-vb2vh]

Honestly, let all the other people flood the usual tourist spots and leave the actual hidden gems over in the countryside of Japan unbothered and peaceful.

[@MrFfrenchh]

That's great! Makes where to go on my next vacation simple, Korea it is. You take drinking away, I think the people may seek other more illegal substances to hit that spot where liquor would go.

[@aajohnsoutube]

You should just do these topics as videos.

[@kayleehealy8406]

🤣🤣🤣 oh Christopher,Australia is NOTHING like the mad mad films……. I have never liked the Max Max films even the ones with Mel Gibson……. Good grief. Oh yes and it’s absolutely fabulous we don’t get any jet lag travelling to Japan,woohoo lucky us 👏🏼🙌🏼💃🏼💃🏼

[@Stephen-up3sd]

I thought that Aussies and Brits shared a similar sense of humor - obviously not!

[@NoxisPracta]

yanno we make fun of connor on trash taste wearing the same Tshirt every episode/stream, but i dont think i've ever seen a day where chris hasnt worn a black shirt, even while typing this the entirety of the thumbnails im looking at its entirely chris with his signature shirt

[@Stephen-up3sd]

He is the new “Man in black” a la Johnny Cash!

[@rainyday2315]

The dude showed no respect. You would think as a tour guide he would understand the idea of respecting people around you.

[@RadenWA]

Also how is it as a tour guide he can’t speak Japanese? Isn’t that a requirement to be a tour guide? I would dread joining any tour if the guide can’t even communicate well with the locals.

[@TheDeviantPro]

@@RadenWA Apparently, his was tour company wasn't even registered which make him even more sketchy.

[@rainyday2315]

Best to avoid politics and immigration kids. You can't handle the truth.

[@Droo75]

They have zero clue.

[@firestorm1579]

Where does Pete get his U.S new from? I've noticed more times then not he is way off.

[@FAMEROB]

hes an out of touch leftist

[@Stephen-up3sd]

What his lefty pals tell him - he doesn’t strike me as a critical thinker in any way!

[@Aeonshield]

Issue basic japanese style etiquette idk lol