What's Japan Really Like? - Takashii From Japan

[@suzhenjiang1720]

It's so fun to see Takashii being the one interviewed for a change. He seems like a lovely person!

[@enterthebruce91]

Really like Takashii. Seems like a super nice dude 👍

[@290revolver290]

Exactly 😂

[@YiLunMusk]

UNO reverse card

[@lorgabluc]

Oh this I GREAT 👍 an INTERVIEW with TAKASHII ! I am a follower of his interviews so finally I could ear his point of views on the subjects he is working on. Great 👍

[@amnakhuu]

😂

[@tamikash]

Takashi keeps it real. I like him.

[@vnnr7925]

Test

[@aytenmohamed6224]

​@nivramfitness3612A

[@markuchiha7737]

At least we know already that she's not interested in relationshitss

[@Sanno8585]

Me too

[@midday_walk]

+1

[@love.adenkay1794]

This is the most honest conversation I’ve witnessed from a Japanese person. He’s open minded. I agree with everything he said. 😅

[@lorgabluc]

He is open minded because his work with social media. He is the kind of a social worker / journalism

[@trimainebarnett8175]

I like him

[@rebicafonsi1803]

😅he is also youtuber

[@Moodboard39]

@@rebicafonsi1803lol

[@_ruth_99]

Being a well known youtuber and Japanese citizen, I respect the courage of Takashi to speak the truth without hesitation and without filter.

[@Kostly]

I think Takashi's content could use a little bit more of an edge for Japan's working poor. In fact, I think every social commentary channel should focus more on the working class of their respective countries. Focus on organizing those peoples in ALL the countries. Japan has a serious work equation that is really tilted to "hard work, longer hours, less benefits". Just like any other hyper capitalist regime around the world. Worker class (and I mean the class of people around the world who create billionaires) needs to put their COLLECTIVE foot DOWN and demand, not only attention, but, RESPECT to the working class (who literally, through their labor [blood sweat and tears in a capitalist paradigm]) create ALL the wealth on the planet. We also have the power to PAUSE that, ya feel me? Working Class Solidarity is especially important at this time in human history.

[@sultanvoices]

@@Kostlyhave you heard of a podcast called Against Japanism? they discuss Japanese history and politics from a left wing (Marxist) perspective, lots of great analysis, references, and history even if you’re aligned slightly differently. There is such a rich history of political thinking and action in that country that has lessons and insights for us around the world

[@Kostly]

@@sultanvoices yeah, that sounds right up my alley! Thanks for the heads up! I try to spread worker based philosophy wherever I go in the world. It's important for workers everywhere to understand it is they who have true power in society.

[@sultanvoices]

@@Kostly respect on your journey comrade, especially in these times where things can seem so unclear

[@The_Lesser_Evil]

You can notice Takashii's pronunciation progressively gets better. Keep at it, my dude.

[@johnfarro3545]

Takashi is the man. He didn't sugarcoat anything about his country. Nice to hear both sides of Japan.

[@benficaM8888]

"if you want to solve the dark side of japan, you might lose the good side of Japan" this guy is so damn wise. Being polite is not the same as being kind.. Also if you shave your armpit, you won't smell. so true

[@svetozarkuzman2924]

@@wizard8437 who the fuck cares, fuck deodorants and shaving

[@bg3409]

I always have to wear deodorant buy my husband doesn't. I've heard that Japanese people don't make the smell, that they lack the allele that Western people have. Good on them. 😊

[@GremoriaParadise]

@@bg3409 i honestly dont know why non Asian smell, some dont showwer bath properly or something.

[@MrKevin486]

Takashi is my favorite Japanese KZbinr! I am so glad to see him calling out and being honest about Japan. One of the big problems in Japan is no one will talk about any of these things because it is considered a burden to bother others with problems. It needs to change..hopefully talking about it openly can change some things.

[@opinionatedako]

Becauae they are so reseve...and he's open because he seems influenced by western culture

[@Moodboard39]

Not really, they show it movies lol and how they feel... In the movie mayanoka

[@rda51]

I've been to Japan 4 times because I love the country and I adore the people. It breaks my heart to heart that many are so sad on the inside due to work and life pressures 😢❤

[@ishko108]

I've never been to Japan but I feel exactly the same. It shouldn't be like that. But it's gonna take a lot to change, because too many people live and think in that same box for so long, and there are influential people who seem to like it for Japan to stay that way. So... God knows.

[@Moodboard39]

@@ishko108sad for every country. Not just japan. Nobody talking about bad the Philippines is or Indonesia.

[@type64f48]

ありがとうございます けど、お客様にはベストを尽くしたいのは私達の本音なのです😢

[@왕만두fattydumpling餃]

He's so energetic, open-minded and bold. I like him very much. Good one, Takashii and thanks for good interview, Will.

[@preciousbutik]

I agree with everything Takashii said. I’ve been to Japan many times. I really like Japan because it’s clean, safe, many fun things to do and see that I have never experienced anywhere else in the world, it’s convenient too. Those are the only reasons I always go back to Japan. I never dream of living in Japan. Im glad that Im a foreigner looking from the outside in, not the other way around.

[@gordonbgraham]

Actually, most Japanese work standard 40 hour work weeks, which is why Japan Rail's stats show that the evening hour between 5~6pm is the busiest in train stations throughout Japan. It's estimated that 70% of Japanese workers commute to work via train. I've lived in Japan since 1988 and I work 5 days a week from 8:30 to 5pm. Regarding suicide, Japan ranks 25th in the world at 15.1 persons per 100,000...the same as Finland. The USA's is 16.3. It's estimated that 200,000 die from work related stress in the US per annum. They just don't happen to have a name for it, so people get the impression that Japan's "Karoshi" rate is higher...it isn't.

[@Explorshon123]

@@gordonbgraham I know suicide -"jisatsu" is different to death due to overwork "karoshi" but I caught the trains frequently in Japan and every now and then there were interruptions to the service because of suicide by train, that is very rare in Australia, I've never had any interruptions to train services that I have been using. As far as long hours are concerned every single night I caught late night trains they were full of swaying drunken salary men and my home was not far from the station and I saw streams of people coming home from work very late at night every single night for 8 years.

[@Karmaman777]

I'm looking to travel to Japan. What are the experience you had that are one of a kind there you can't experience anywhere else you love?

[@gordonbgraham]

Anecdotes are fine for expressing individual experiences. I have anecdotes, too. I run a youth ice hockey program in Saitama. We currently have 79 kids in our program. We practice 3 nights a week from 7:30~9pm. We play games or practice Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7am~9am. Roughly 90% of those 79 kids are driven to games and practices by their fathers. Fathers who all have jobs. I'm from Toronto, Canada, where subways are also stopped to clean up "jumpers". Yes, jisatsu and karoshi are two different things. In North America they are call suicide and death due to work related stress. It's estimated that 200,000 per year die from work related stress in the US. The Tokyo area alone has 40 million people, the population of Australia is 26 million and more spread out. Of course the likelihood of you experiencing a train stoppage due to suicide is far greater in Tokyo than it is in Sydney...does Sydney even have a subway? I know they have a monorail that circumnavigates the city in about 30 minutes..that's hardly an even comparison, is it? Especially considering 70% of Japanese commute to work by train. That number is higher in Tokyo...so around 80% of 40 million people. What are the chances you'd experience a train stoppage in Tokyo compared with a train stoppage in Sydney? I just read that 3% of the population in Sydney commutes via the Metro. Apples to Oranges

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Explorshon123 See below (or above for response) for some reason my direct response had been shadowbanned. My response is about anecdotes specifically and how individual experiences frame quite different impressions, which is why data from reputable sources gives us a more accurate, comprehensive picture, particularly data from more than one source which can be cross-referenced as I have done above. Your seeing people coming home late and my having 90% of kids' fathers at practice and games both provide an insufficient picture of average working hours in Japan. OECD and Japan Rail provide a more accurate picture. Cheers!

[@Explorshon123]

In the past as an ex-pat sometimes I have talked about Japanese people being generally polite but not necessarily generally kind and some people get so upset when you talk about that. Some Japanese people can't stand any kind of criticism about Japan and then you have foreigners who are big fans of Japan, they go nuts. They want to believe that Japan is a magical country with perfect people. lol It's funny really, of course no country is full of perfect people. 8 years in Japan taught me a lot, and now I know what it's like being part of a minority and I know that racism isn't a "white people" problem, it's a human nature problem. Not saying all Japanese people are racist that would be just as ignorant as saying there are no racist Japanese people.

[@gordonbgraham]

Yeah, the Japanese are just people after all...go figure

[@gordonbgraham]

@@k3.vi.n I've lived in Japan for more than 30 years. In my experience, while there are certainly a few racist or xenophobic Japanese, there are far more racist foreigners who resent and hate "the Japanese" living in Japan.

[@Kev27RS]

@@gordonbgraham Yeah, it’s mostly the Asian foreigners, especially Chinese and South Koreans.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Kev27RS and Western foreigners who ended up in a dead end ALT McJob rut and can’t advance in the workplace because they’re functionally illiterate yet blame “the Japanese” for their “xenophobia” for not rolling out the red carpet and noticing how wonderful they are so wonderful that rudimentary literacy should be waived and they should go straight to the head of the pay class by sheer dint of their specious nature

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Kev27RS plenty of mewling ALT McJob losers mewling about their dead end rut while being functionally illiterate

[@selmatsog3750]

Thanks for sharing honest opinion about Japan and its people. It’s true that being polite is much different from being kind.

[@jinda857]

I agree with Takashi, in Tokyo there isn’t much kindness shown by the Japanese to their own people. Yes they are polite but that is something called Tatemae. I’ve only seen foreigners giving up their seats to elderly people on the trains. The country side of Japan is different, I’ve seen kindness shown there. I’ve been to Japan many times and I definitely see Japanese people through different eyes now. Of course there are some genuinely kind people in Tokyo and I’ve received this kindness. I still love going to Japan but stay away from the big cities.

[@felixin0_]

do you think that also cities, smaller than Tokyo, like Wakayama or Okayama have this problem?

[@user-xm5cj5js2d]

I am Japanese. That's correct. This is because central areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka have high crime rates. Everyone lives with caution and respect. A long time ago, there was a sarin attack on the subway. Indiscriminately poisoned on the Tokyo subway. After that incident, people in the city center became hesitant to help in the city. Because there is a possibility of terrorism. As a result, people in rural Japan are kind. Even Japanese people can feel it.

[@shadowshiro7301]

​@@user-xm5cj5js2d I think it is common for big cities in the world to be the same as in Japan. Altho Thai people are kind and helpful, the rural areas are much more evident than in Bangkok. Big cities have more people, ones just need to go about their life, and not greet anyone or help everyone they encounter. Same in the U.S. Rural people are nicer n helpful. Sorry I dont think it has anything to do with that terrorist attack.

[@yuliayulia9661]

@@shadowshiro7301right same thing in NYC or Moscow Paris. In country place people are more kind

[@seraph3761]

Big cities change you. You need to be angry and cautious all the time to survive in them.

[@basil127]

It's weird watching Takashi the one being interviewed..

[@石幸-n9i]

I'm studying cultural anthropology. I learned about cultural differences between countries, such as differences in religion and food culture. Surrounded by ocean on all sides, Japan has for thousands of years built a comfortable place to live through the patience, compromise, and harmony of its people. Natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis also have a major impact on society. We are deciding where to go based on each person's individuality, sensibility, philosophy, and spirituality. Everyone has their own place to go. And each will be given a place to go. Therefore, people settle according to their nature. I wish you good luck in your life. 👍😊

[@Western_ENT]

Not everyone can afford the travelling to find a better place or place that suits them better! You're talking in your own bubble!

[@irenekhoosawchoo6214]

Every country have good and bad side . Not japan only. Nothing is prefect

[@Madworld8975]

This isn’t about other countries, this is about japan 🤦

[@irenekhoosawchoo6214]

@@Madworld8975 what japan really like ? They have positive and negative sides . What i am telling is it applies to all country'. Nothing is rosy.

[@Karthi_4]

​@@Madworld8975bro he said a quote that's all,..He said ,.."Even if our world has many countries,..no country is perfect and people,..every country has its own good and bad sides"

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Madworld8975 It's a video that is made for a Western audience, so "bad" is a relative term. It helps to know how "bad". Comparison is a good metric for people to understand just how "bad" or "good" something is. For example, people always say Japan has a high suicide rate. Well, "high" is a relative term. Japan's suicide rate is 15.1 persons per 100,000. America's is 16.3. Perhaps, people from America assume Japan has a higher suicide rate is higher because it gets so much attention. I imagine that no one thinks about Belgium as having a high suicide rate, but it's higher than Japan's. Comparisons give people a more comprehensive understanding of a given issue in Japan. Japan ranks 27th in the world for hours worked per annum. Most people assume that the Japanese work 60 hours a week, when in fact most Japanese work standard 40 hour work weeks.

[@zodiark93]

As an italian person, I can relate sooo much with Takashi problems from the point of view of Japan's problems about aging, no marrying etc.. It's the exact same thing that is happening here. People are more and more old, very few new borns and the entire society is slowly going down. I repeat to myself "At least our economy is not going down every year", but then I see graphs and info about the fact that in the last 10-20 years, Italy is the only country in Europe where the salary did not rise, and instead it went down for a loooot of people. So yeah, at the end of the day, between economic crysis, people who evade the payment of taxes, criminals and corruption, Italian economical situation is worse and worse. About the fact of being polite that is different from being nice and kind, I can see where is the problem, but I'll probably still prefer Japanese way of doing. It's true, here sometimes we are more nice and kind, we are more open to other people, but even here al least 50% of time is just a being polite and a "fake being nice". Behind the scene, tons of times people only think "Oh, what a mess. I don't want to talk to him and being nice with him". Also here we have the exact opposite problem: people are too open, to the point that they do not respect other people. Both from the point of view of "personal space" and from the "respecting other people" point of view. So tons of people that do not respect elders, do not respect teachers, do not respect istitutions or even simply do not respect people that are simply doing their job. A student is bad at school because he/she does not study and his/her parents do nothing to try to correct his/her behaviour or to teach him how to properly behave? Then, when the teacher say to the parents that the student was bad in exams/homework, the parents do not respect that teacher and start giving him/her the fault. We even had cases of students and/or parents who punched the teachers, just because they did not agree with them. If being forced to be polite is the price to pay to be safe and to stay in an environment where people respect each others, then I'm willing to pay it.

[@commentarytalk1446]

Italy joined the EURO and immediately lost Sovereignty. When conditions are hard you can devalue the currency if sovereign and then people can have affordable living conditions and live cheaply until the economy recovers. Eg Exporting can be affordable. It seems to me the EURO was DESIGNED to DEPOPULATE Southern Europe via Economic Shackles.

[@jacquelinegomez816]

Unfortunately being polite doesn’t equate to being safe in Japan. Yes there’s less physical violence however women deal with a lot of sexual harassment in Japan due to the mentality that they have of keeping silent is better than having a reaction. Women don’t have the freedom as people do in the states to speak up when they’re uncomfortable because sadly- they aren’t guaranteed help even if they scream for it.

[@commentarytalk1446]

@@jacquelinegomez816 Well there may be more social pressure to conform to gender roles, itself a cultural factor with pros and cons either way, but that's a separate statistic to women being safer in Japan as stats and anecdotal reports confirm.

[@jacquelinegomez816]

@@commentarytalk1446 i mean yeah statistically at first sight of course Japan looks safer- but stats really are black and white. I’m sure a lot of men get away with being perverse despite women reporting it. There’s an underlying problem in Japan that women there just have to live with.

[@freekitten00]

It is interesting to note that Italy and Japan have followed similar paths since the industrial revolution that happened in England.

[@consuelodi2617]

This guys being interviewed is so thoughtful and insightful, he’s pretty inspirational ❤

[@RogerFleischer-p3f]

Takashii has become remarkably articulate in English so he can share very clear insights on conditions in Japan. Thank you for this excellent interview.

[@SilverLake401]

Takashii is such an awesome person! Anyone would be lucky to have him as a friend 💯

[@OnTheWorldStage]

I’ve lived in Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan. I was much happier in Kyoto… people in Tokyo prioritize work above anything else.

[@cuckcatanimations9141]

Does Kyoto have like farms or is it a much smaller city than Tokyo

[@mb3391]

I lived in Kyoto for one year and thought that it's the worst place to live as a westener. People were very reserved towards non japanese people and snobby.

[@OnTheWorldStage]

@@mb3391 I think my experience there was different because I lived there during the pandemic when there were no foreign tourists. Places were empty - absolutely no crowds whatsoever and people were happy about that. Also, we were right next to Osaka, which is an incredible friendly place, and one of my best friends is still a girl from there. Correction to my first post: I lived in *Kansai and *Kanto in Japan. I was much happier in *Kansai.

[@OnTheWorldStage]

@@cuckcatanimations9141 Exponentially smaller city - it feels like a large town.

[@Madworld8975]

Maybe because people in tokyo have to work to live. So many low wage jobs

[@katoeri505]

Really strong interview and words from Takashi… I thought it was Takashi who interview people on this video but I was surprised by his words… He is a real man

[@MyFirstHandle]

If life is long, I would like to get married and start having a family at 200 years old. There are so many things I want to do right now. My parents would be 200+ too, it would be nice to have them with me and so as my grandparents so I don't have to be alone.

[@Badger101]

Hey Will- enjoying your videos. My son is doing a study abroad in Japan in September, good timing on all of your Japan related content. Thanks for all you do.

[@stephanieaston7178]

Takashii seems like he’s really nice, and would make a good friend.

[@FMcrow020]

This was a great conversastion. Thanks for letting us listen in. It's cool to see Takashii being the one interviewed as well. He seems very genuine and like someone who is patient with his journey of experiencing the world little by little.

[@tamamiyamaguchi41]

I’m a Japanese woman living in Tokyo. I was born and raised in Tokyo. My family has been from Tokyo near Asakusa for four generations from Meiji period.In my opinion there are a lot of Japanese people who are helpful to others, kind to others. We are grateful for making relationships with acquaintances and never refuse people from outside including foreigners.I’ve seen many Japanese people help others when something emergency for example on the train or outside. Actually I’ve helped others on many situations , as well as being helped by others. People around me the same. They are really kind people. I feel very sad to hear that we are assumed to be cold without deep understanding. You can see every single day on the train that people caring each other very cooly in case of need. I think that having no stereotype or prejudice against any other people in the world is very important all the time.

[@Ricardo4650]

It’s for everyone Yamaguchi san and no need to feel sad that your country is being portrayed in that manner. I have met lots of Japanese in Singapore who always say :”アジアの国以外と綺麗な場所あるんだ”. Keep expanding your mind and dun be of one those 狭い視点の人

[@tamamiyamaguchi41]

@@Ricardo4650 Thank you for your reply.😊👍✨

[@tamamiyamaguchi41]

@patriciaespena8008 😊🫶🏻

[@romulloqueiroz]

Interesting you said "never refuse people from outside including foreigners". I've been living in Tokyo for 3 years, and my experience as a foreigner is that while people don't "refuse" foreigners, they don't engage either. For example, in groups like school, work or even share-houses, japanese people always do things together, go eat together, go to events, but foreigners are never invited. It's like they don't notice our presence, and we feel like we are invisible. As a consequence many foreigners only hang out with other foreigners, which increases the segregation. So although they're always polite and nice, we don't feel like they think about us as equals.

[@tamamiyamaguchi41]

Thank you for your reply. I feel so sorry for your bad experience in Japan. You must have so disappointed in Japanese people. There are many kinds of people in Japan as well as every countries. I think Japanese people who are familiar with foreign people and people who speaks English or having interests in cross cultural communication tend to love to make friends with foreign people and actually they have open minds. What I wanted to say is that there’re many Japanese people who don’t try to be kind or be friendly to foreign people but at the same time there are still many Japanese people who have good feelings for people from all over the world and at the same time we are ashamed of being discriminatory to others with no reason. If there is the stereotype of Japanese people as cold I feel so sorry about it.I think that any bad stereotypes can never make the world better. I’m really afraid of the bad stereotypes spreading in SNS recently. Thank you for your honest comment. I’m glad you gave me your honest opinion. 🫶🏻

[@nihongo1]

At 20 something in New York was his first time experiencing racism. I was in my 30's in Japan and it was the first time I 'had not' experiences racism. Racism has been a daily experience for me all my life. Going a week and not feeling racism was very different.

[@acetofresh1]

Takashii is extremely intelligent, I remember when his English was horrid now it's effectively fluent. As an American in NYC, hate crimes against Asians are very common and normalized. I have sat on the train and bus and witnessed a man say he hated Asians due to COVID.

[@R3IMU]

I have never ever heard anyone say that and I'm calling cap, unless you are talking about some black homeless guy with obvious mental illness. You have quite a few of those in NYC. Those are also the number 1 contributors to Asian hate lmao

[@hypnoticimage9687]

@@R3IMUwhy is it a black personality beating up elderly Asian defense is that he/she has mental illness. If a white guy beat up an elderly black man/woman, does he have mental illness or do we call him a racist. Stop giving black peoples a pass for their behaviors and hold everybody accountable for their action. That should be all race and ethnicities.

[@Idkmaryam]

@@R3IMU so because you never heard/seen it, means it never happened? your racism is also slipping

[@R3IMU]

@@Idkmaryam Just because some person wrote it in the KZbin comments means it's true? The claim that people started hating asians because of covid was fabricated by the media without any sources and you need to be 14, or have a low IQ to still believe it. Also people on the internet lie a lot for upvotes to feel better. So I have my doubts. I don't need to hide being a racist. I am a proud white supremacist and I don't understand how any sane white person who has the ability to observe their surroundings can not be.

[@eyeswideopen7777]

​@@R3IMUa Latino woman got a Filipino woman pushed onto the railway lines. An elder . Then there was another elderly woman whos hips was badly crushed by a criminal Blackman roaming in my streets. Outside, the gym body guard ignored her by not helping and let the man kept kicking her. She's alive and forgives him as a devout Christian

[@GoldenFrizbee]

I love Takashii so much. He needs to express his opinions more.

[@throttle_it_out769]

I watch a lot of these videos and have a lot of interest in Japan. Like literally by far this is the best most honest conversation. It felt like I was watching two friends talking. Great job bro.

[@gordonbgraham]

Japan ranks 25th in the world in suicide rate and 27th in the world for hours worked per annum. There’s a reason Japan Rail cites the hour between 5~6 pm as the busiest in train stations throughout Japan. That’s when MOST people are returning home. Certainly, there are sectors such as finance, marketing and agriculture in which overtime is rampant, but that’s true of those sectors throughout the world.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Mrgreen4150 実際、自殺率は現在10万人あたり15.3人です。しかし、これはフィンランドと同じ率であり、アメリカの 16.3 人よりも低いです。

[@Enforcedcraft]

Just look at Jordan(altho I can't say 100% that Jordan is doing as per what I am about to say just to get that info out of the way) . It's the lowest amount of suicides as it ranks 5th even by WHO very biased results as they really are not as trusted as they used to be. But let's entertain the data. You know why? Jordan for first is a religious Country(Its a Muslim country) so people know that taking your own life has consequences on this and future world(whenever you or others believe in it(Afterlife or Judgment day, that's yours I can't force you into anything, you have to come to that conclusion yourself). Of course anyone of us is human and we have our fair share of problems for sure that being also people experience very big hardships and do get affected mentally and physically. This thing lingers and stays in your mind that if I were to my life right now, what problems would I be just adding on top of my already big problem. As much as I like that Japan is non-confrontational society and in some cases that is very much a good thing and in some it's a utterly bad like in saying to your Boss "I am not gonna work overtime unless you pay me, or I'll simply leave after my time is up". Of course if you laze around and don't finish your work that should be done then overwork is for you. Overwork sucks ass for people who are efficient and effective and trying to do their job as best as they can. Especially for family men and women. 2nd as far as I know it's in all of our religious ethics(As Muslims) that we shouldn't abuse our workers(as with unpaid overwork does in Japan unfortunately but I see that changing slowly that's good and I'll a chance to experience Japan and all of its things next year) but back to the point, as we have teaching from our religion (Give worker his due before his swear dries from his forehead) meaning that you should pay your workers rightfully and on time. You shouldn't delay or abuse the worker for more then what you pay that worker. And just like a lot of the stuff that people are trying to do to Japan and like Impose stuff it very unfortunate as I myself I like Japan and as I said I am gonna go abroad to it next year for language learning. Altho this is a opinion of someone who isn't Japanese but likes how Japanese are respectful(not just usual Totemae and Honne) about how they wanna keep their traditional values and have families but also good paying jobs etc. I'm all for it. People being more connected with their spritiual being would definently have a good impact imho.

[@sbo3]

@gordonbgraham It won't let me place links here but there's plenty of data that differs to what you've stated here, particularly for the working hours. That's the thing with the internet, you can find data to prove either side of an argument. I remember seeing you comment on other Japan vids simping on Japan, I know you live there and met your wife there so would obviously associate it with so many positives but lets not pretend it is perfect. Anecdotally I taught English there and thought hours couldn't get worse than being a teacher in my home country but wow I was wrong. Going into school even when the students were off...in the UK having a couple of months vacation was the reward for 12 hour days. Then when I left English teaching I'd passed N1 and I did a graduate placement at a Japanese company and I couldn't hack it. Even when we finished at a normal hour, socialising after work became an extension of the working day and could not be turned down. I had a couple of hours a day MAX to myself and normally half of that was chores. Life shouldn't be like that. So I went back to the UK which saddened me because I LOVE Japan but I guess because I have been brought up with the UK working culture I am just not "strong" enough to work in Japan...if that's the right word. I couldn't enjoy the wonderful country due to lack of free time (and relative lack of income). I understand my experience is only from two jobs but it cannot be denied it is a huge societal issue. I do not know which 26 countries are apparently coming higher...I am not surprised it isn't first though. South Korea and US would probably come higher.

[@gordonbgraham]

@@sbo3 You can verify those numbers via OECD’s compiled data which is pretty comprehensive. Their numbers are corroborated by JR’s data which show that the busiest evening hour in train stations throughout Japan is the hour between 5 and 6 pm. There’s also a white paper published by the ministry of labour. Those are my 3 sources. My anecdotal experience is the school for which I’ve worked for more than 30 years. As of 5 years ago the ministry of labour has made it mandatory that teachers get 2 days off a week and 40 days off a year. I also a run a youth ice hockey program which has 70 kids. We practice 2 nights a week and weekends. Roughly 90% of those kids are driven to practice and games by their fathers. We practice from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on weekdays. Certainly, there are sectors such as finance, marketing, sales and agriculture in which overtime is excessive, but that’s true of everywhere throughout the world. The latest updated stats show Japan ranks 31st in hours worked per annum.

[@gordonbgraham]

@PaMuShin He said why he left Japan in his reply to me. If I had to work under the same conditions with little pay I would have left, too. The issue I have with him is he's extrapolating his personal experience to be representative of Japan as a whole. I've also used anecdotal evidence as an indication that work culture in Japan is not entirely like how he's portraying it. Which is why we need data from reputable sources to get a more accurate, comprehensive picture. There are "black companies" and sectors in which overtime is excessive. Are we to use those as being representative of working culture as a whole in Japan? The answer is no. We need a more comprehensive analytical approach, which includes data supported evidence such as that compiled by the ministry of labour as well as OECD. We can cross-reference such data with other sources such as Japan Rail's numbers to ascertain a rough average regarding working hours of the average Japanese person. The extreme is not how "most" people work. The average represents what "most" people work. If you listen to Takashi's interview in this video you can hear him say at the :28 mark that "I have friends who work as salarymen 9~5, Monday to Friday...It's pretty stressful". He's so engaged with foreign viewers and their comments that he is convinced that Japan has a culture of overwork. He hasn't worked abroad so he has no point of reference for "overwork" other than foreigner's image of Japan and his friends saying how tired they are from work...working 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday...likely with long commutes. Certainly, long commutes and working Monday to Friday 9~5 is tiring, but it's not the work culture foreigners imagine which is something like 10~12 hours a day, 60 hours a week...which is preposterous outside of sectors like finance, marketing or agriculture (i.e. Farmers). The thing is this piffle gets picked up on Internet chatter and propagated ad nauseam so that it gets passed off as factual. The reality for the average Japanese is far from this meme.

[@theautumnmoon]

Hmm, I think it runs deeper. The suicide rate in Japan isn't as high as most people think. And it is also arguable that they "work to death" when statistically the US, for example, put in more hours. This is not even mentioning Japan's relatively low production rate at work. The work culture is stressful as heck, don't get me wrong. It's that on top of forced interactions and meetings, the custom of not taking days off, and the fact that mental health is so grossly overlooked and not checked. There's certainly a lot more elements that make life in Japan stressful. However, I think we need to get over the idea that Japan's suicide rate is uniquely high and that it is because of being innately hard-working, resulting in "working to death "

[@natalies1215]

Excellent interview 👏🏽

[@dabi_]

Takashii always has great interviews, so pretty cool to see it flipped around here.

[@piyawattarasombut3011]

I lived (study and work) in japan for 7 yrs. I love your channel so much, very true, very honest.

[@josephjoestar8294]

I really like Takashi and his interviews

[@kennymartin248]

Takashi is such a cool guy!!! Really sorry he experienced that kind of racism here in the States!!! Unfortunately those kinds of people are everywhere in the world!!!

[@Western_ENT]

It's worse in the US, coz many Muricans are BOTH racist and rude at the same time! In many other countries, people might think racist and bitchy, but they don't talk to your face (like it's normal) like the way stupid Muricans do!

[@stupedcraig]

Takashii's English is so good!

[@hawkeyemeliodas5994]

It's a very fresh perspective you have shared with us about Japan.

[@zara4529]

Poor Takashi, you did put him in a tough spot! It was fun though. Thank you.

[@vondatavenner8408]

Our son is in the air force stationed in Tokyo. We were there December 2022 and 2023 to spend Christmas with our son, DIL and grandbabies. My husband and I were amazed how clean, safe and how kind the people are there. Its a beautiful country. Im sorry to hear the young natives aren't happy.

[@stephenkrus]

Takashi👑you're a Legend for being candid about Japan and sharing your experiences.✨👍

[@mistymistyrain]

I have lived in few different countries in the past and I realized that every culture has got dark side.

[@ciarand2823]

The whole salarywoman salaryman situation isn't healthy, people need to be able to see if the grass is greener

[@theYAKTHUNG]

Insightful. Amazing interview.

[@justtam321]

Japan has become one of my favourite countries. Takashii is incredible. He has opened up the world to Japan. He has given an authentic view of Japan - its flaws and its beauty. I feel like I've been there just because of his channel. I cannot wait to visit.

[@SuperAvocadoo]

People in Tokyo are cold, definitely different from countryside places. It's like a feature of busy crowded big cities. New York is also known to have cold people for example.

[@transamericanlife]

Or Paris or Berlin

[@dillonmackay683]

They work long hours at places they don’t want to but it puts food on the table And rent so it works

[@Ren0799]

I love these two! Great interview

[@ABC-americanbornchinese]

Im his channel fan. He’s straightforward.

[@JimmyGunawanX]

Takashii KZbinr is a kind man. Come visit Australia, get in touch.

[@poetmaggie1]

After we listen to this I think it is good to point out that humans are humans no matter where they come from and what I am hearing from this young man is similar to what I hear about my country and other places. Even without our present World Culture due to global communications which have triggered a smoothing out of local customs.

[@EhCloserLook]

Fantastic work! The interviewer becomes the interviewee! ありがとうございました、Takeshi-さん！

[@leighauza]

Loved seeing Takashi's perspective

[@TresnaWicaksana-d4v]

setiap negara memiliki sisi gelapnya masing masing, saya tetap cinta pada negara saya tanpa memandang rendah negara lain

[@ms7227]

Great perspectives! I think accurate, useful & helpful thanks for doing this 👍🏻

[@meriamiwatani639]

Takashi is so honest enough! 😊

[@__-bc4bs]

I was always struck by how Japanese/Thai/South Korean people have such beautiful and soulful personalities.

[@raquelkeiito4881]

japanese people don't use deodorant they don't smell really bad even on a hot days but some japanese people use bad breath medicine ( bad breath comes from the stomach. ) as far as I know .

[@annaconsta]

It is true, you can't have the bright side without the dark side, but this video made me a bit sad. I love Takashii's honesty. Sending positive vibes.

[@randomname5801]

Takashii making great content. Keep it up

[@929Finn]

Being polite vs being kind is such a good point. Also yeah the asian people don't have as strong body odor smell, my grandmother and mother never had to use deodorant.

[@goomon9897]

Japan's suicide rate is about the same as the US, high but not really really high. The birth rate is lower in Italy and Spain than in Japan, and even China's population started declining last year. I think it is more important for developed countries to think about how to get along with a declining population by using AI, robotics, and other technologies than to persist in not shrinking the population.

[@gordonbgraham]

Japan’s suicide rate is 15.3 per 100,000 persons, America’s is 16.1. Japan ranks 25th in the world for suicide rate

[@aghileshemdani3144]

Nosense...what has AI and robotic have to do with birth rate. And who do you Think make Ai work or robotic ?? You need human for that ..

[@gordonbgraham]

@@aghileshemdani3144 All forecasts point to 50% of current jobs being made obsolete by AI and mass-automation within the next two decades. Considering this, a reduction in population is prudent. Japan currently has a population of 125 million on an archipelago roughly the size of California which has a population of 40 million. Japan won't disappear if its population reaches 100 million in the next two decades. People wrongly assume that a trend downwards means a continuous trend downwards. Trends fluctuate. Japan's birthrate was 1.25 in 2005. It's currently 1.34, a slight rise.

[@aghileshemdani3144]

@@gordonbgraham ..no one Saïd that Japan population will cease to exist that just some stupide exagération.. but fact IS that their population will decrease but not to point of not existing. . About ai and robotic it Can Never replace human that IS just fantasme ....

[@goomon9897]

@@aghileshemdani3144 Yes, we need humans, though far less than we do now to make humans work.

[@steveschlackman4503]

You have to admire Takashii for doing this interview. He certainly likes to talk.

[@Lol98-wk18]

When i was in japan one of my teachers said “study until you die” and i was so surprised at how much these people value work more than their health/life ! I really think he meant it 😂

[@Western_ENT]

I think he MEANT "LEARN", not "study". And it's true that LEARNING is a lifelong journey!

[@shalinivarma237]

Nice to see Takashi being interviewed for a change thanks for being so honest Takashi. Very sad that suicide rate is high

[@Allinguts]

Takashi is amazing and his channel is super cool.

[@nishinosekai]

couldnt agree more with Takashii :) yeah being kind and being polite are two different things.

[@Nai-09]

this was such a great interview. I want to be Takashii's friend too! lol

[@typical_doza]

An interviewer, interviewing a famous Japanese interviewer who interviews random people in Japan🫨🫨

[@Phoenix-nl2ut]

I’m Asian and don’t use deodorant.

[@Dijorelica]

Takashii is so intelligent & Amazing always has great things to say!!

[@jon9103]

It's worth keeping in mind that things aren't much better in the US, for example our suicide rate is in the same ballpark as Japan (14.1 vs 15.4 per 100,000 people).

[@ricepredator]

OP is a good interviewer, just straight to the point questions and no edgy, click-bait super cuts of footage. On the other hand, what makes convenience stores and Japanese salarypeople the same? You see them everywhere and every hour. This is a sad satire and I hope Japan can find a way to help its citizens.

[@chansiewlin3863]

Woah, nice to know more of Takeshi. Impressive. Cheers.

[@toydigger]

There was a scientific study that showed differences between scents of races. Asian people smelled least (Korean), White people smelled like old cheese, people from middle-east smelled like tobacco. Black people smelled as strong as white, but forget especially what smell

[@CharnelWhispers]

I think the study you mentioned is related to the study of genes. A specific variant of ABCC11 gene reduces the production of smelly sweat by limiting the activity of apocrine glands. It’s kinda common in East And Southeast Asia.

[@greggoryrice7046]

I was in Japan recently. People are generally very helpful. Left a sweater on the train, and and elderly pointed it out as I was leaving. Dropped a coin on the streets, and a guy pointed out where it was. That sort of thing. People do drink, though and it is expected in social situations, which can be awkward.

[@ellenkoga6887]

Ive always loved Japan. I never lived there but have visited and loved it. The people are genuinely kind and very courteous. Their culture doesn't focus solely on individualism but on working together. The courtesy was so refreshing that I carried that back to the US. The reason Japans population is getting older is because they live longer, their diet is incredibly healthy and delicious. Their food is usually made fresh so no nasty additives and chemicals, not much heart disease - not like the US.The elderly also exercise a lot and stay active. School days are long, work days are long yes, but I live in Manhattan raising a son, and work two full time jobs, not living in luxury. Every country has a light and dark side, a good and bad side but Japan is clean and safe because they care and they don’t shoot each other in schools or streets or at all.

[@Diamond_Hanz]

Takashi secretly said: " hoe, im not chinese. Get your shit together. Bing bong!"

[@paulie4450]

Bing Bong, fatboiiii

[@alioda_]

Takashii is my boi man, I love this guy and his content

[@kahoku451]

wow a collab i did not expect but that totes makes sense

[@GaryAa56]

He such a pleasant person with such a great attitudes. I'm a New Yorker all my life, I wouldn't ride the Manhattan subway at 2A.M..

[@VickyG442]

I love and follow Takashi on his channel.

[@olena_da_kyiv]

Very interesting, thank you so much.

[@MsMosi2010]

Great interview! 😊

[@demonbelly]

I love Takashi. Great interview

[@davidsterchele470]

Big Thumb to Takashi from Japan,love your contents 😊

[@skfineshriber]

There are two types of sweat glands. The ones that excrete fats and proteins are less prevalent in Asians. Body odor is less common in Japan. My daughter lived there, I spent a few weeks there in August. I don’t remember much body odor at all.

[@abbsolute5758]

That’s my guy Takashii, I watch his channel all the time. He’s a cool dude

[@cacoandchocolate]

Really interesting, thanks 🙏🏻

[@roxannedunlop1044]

I like his perspective on first impressions

[@monthly101]

nice to see Takashii being interviewed for once!

[@jezzaroddy]

Takashii is so real. I love his videos, and it's great to see him being interviewed. I always have to comment on these videos, soI have to say Takashii is telling the truth 100%. However, he is biting his tongue. A big chunk of Japanese people are polite, so polite that they don't stand up for themselves when somebody is bullying them. As a result, those who are rude take advantage and are extra rude because they know they can get away with it. My go-to example is the train stations. People shove and bump, and I'm not talking accidentally. I mean they intentionally will go out of their way to shove you. And that is such a common thing here that infuriates me. What's funny is, I always shove back, and some people have turned to stare me down, but since I'm bigger (not trying to brag, but I work out and train in boxing), they just turn away. It's sad that I've had to become so tough, and of all places, JAPAN! But that's the REAL Japan, ladies, gentleman, and others!

[@blackmarkt2250]

Over-working and hustle cultures creates stress that is toxic for any & all relationships especially the relationship with self. If the world doesn't back away from the brink of over-celebrating productivity and championing family and community, history has shown what global eventualities typically follow periods of high social disruption and anxiety. Thank you Takashii for your bravery and honesty in elucidating what really seems to ail Japanese culture.

[@windansea6702]

Nice video, Takashi is great!

[@neetapoddar6072]

Very well articulated.😊 Impressed with his logical n rational thinking. 👌With regard to body odour, maybe wearing synthetic clothes n not washing them after each use may be a problem. What foods u eat n not keeping stomach clean is a major cause body odour n bad breath .

[@佩珠黎]

Party,dancing, make friends, have fun

[@satmonkai8264]

I like the fact that Takashi was very honest and moderate. But when he said “ I am a man and never been among minority” it kinda makes me think that he considers women as some kind of minority. But yeah. I don’t think he really meant that.

[@平丸㺅]

I guess he illustrated the Japanese society instead of his own opinion. In Japan, there's unfair rules against women. As a Japanese man living in Japan, he doesn't have much occasion to be treated unfairly. But as a Japanese woman living in Japan, you can get bullied a lot. Which, is a dark side of Japan.

[@amyr3285]

Takahashi, very nice guy and I hope to meet him someday in my travels!