I know exactly how you feel. I lived in Japan for six years and I desire to go back there every day. It’s almost like a piece of my soul has been ripped out and left in Japan.
I lived in Tokyo between 2000-2003, and loved it so much, but I went back to my home country. I had felt EXACTLY the same things you felt. However, happy ending! Finally, after 16 years, I returned to Tokyo in 2019, so I have been loving Japan life all over again for the last 5 years! So happy happy~
Spot on! I solo travelled in Japan for 2 weeks and all your points resonate with me. I'd add another point which is the Onsens and the culture around them. My experience in one was phenomenal and I now practice hot/ cold plunges weekly in London to reap some of the benefits of it. It's not the same though. I've been back for nearly 2 months but Japan is on my mind every day. I don't think I was happier ever in my life and I'm 41! I also loved the Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples! ❤ 🇯🇵
Without knowing anything about Japan, I married a Japanese graduate student (we were living in Chicago) back in 1992. In 1996 he had to go back to Japan and I was worried about leaving the USA, where I was used to living. But I tried Japan, and loved it! I feel so lucky and fortunate to live here for 28 years so far (for all the reasons you say) and I'm never going to leave. My husband is, of course, glad I like Japan. Back in the mid 1990s, I did not expect to get questions like "how did you move to Japan?" or "any advice on finding a Japanese husband?" but now I get those questions sometimes from people on social media. It's weird for me, a nerdy academic, to be the cool girl at 58 years old, lol....!
I...cried after I came back from living in Kyoto for 7 months. I was then a grown a 42 year old man living in Sweden. I missed Japan so much. I recognize myself so much in your description of Japan. And the body language is different from western body language too, I would catch myself bowing at times, and I couldn't stop comparing things to Japan even 2 years later. And I must have said "this would never happen in Japan" more times than I can count. We hear so many people who move to Japan saying that it's just a phase, that everyone who moves to Japan will feel like the magic wears off and that they'll start hating Japan...but no, I think that's what happened to them, but that does not apply to everyone. Clearly there are people like so many here in the comment section, who instead wants to do everything to get back. The grass really is greener in Japan (with a yellow tint - seriously, go there. I've never seen such a green color in nature before). I almost feel like people in Japan take responsibility for their actions, where as here in Sweden they don't. We can not have nice things here without someone destroying it, whether that is a kid, a teenager or a politician. Is Japan perfect? No, everything has flaws, even Japan. But it is negligible compared to the flaws of other countries. At least to me it is clearly the best, and I have been to a lot of countries. Working in Japan seems to be quite hard on people, but you don't have to work for someone else. Start your own company and work the hours you want to if the Japanese work culture is too hard on you. There are simple fixes to all the things that people seem to struggle with, with Japan. And an extra "omg, yes" to the safety bit. I have kids, 5 and soon 7. I wish they would grow up in Japan and go to school in Japan...it is so much safer for them...and I really do miss taking them to a Japanese playground, or an arcade...
I lived in Japan for two years, and genuinely got severe reverse culture shock on return (also back to London). After two years, you become settled, get to know the rhythm of life and the people in your community better, and once you leave, it has gone, and when you go "back home", you are going backwards - nothing about it feels very positive and it is just back to place you were in before. I would guess that the reverse culture shock, if that is the right phrase, lasted as long as I was actually in Japan - two fairly tough years in which I was not very happy. I went to Japan more than half my life ago, knowing almost nothing about the place, but I will always love it. Luckily I have the means to visit and have been back over the years and when I am back, love every precious moment of it.
So many things to like about Japan. The saddest day of my life was having to return to the US. I was way happier in Japan and getting up every morning in Tokyo knowing that my day of wandering was going to be full of surprises, amazing sites, good food and great people.
There was a certain quiet and stillness about Japan. In the neighborhoods, at times, you'd get a waif of incense passing a window, a breeze, felt a stillness, a person walks by with an "O hayo Gozaimas"...
Yes..Japan does make me homesick..even though I do not live there...I long to be in Japan....I have a feeling of nostalgia and yearning for a life I've never lived...I visited Japan twice last year...While there I felt a claimness I have not felt for years...Despite being a fish out of water....Japan gave me what I have been missing since losing my partner to cancer....Peace...All I can think of now is to be there again...I want that feeling back.
that happened to me, as well. I did some exchange semesters in Japan in 2015, then in 2019 again, and in Korea afterwards until the beginning of 2020. When I returned to my home country, I was what I can now describe as almost depressed. I wasn't really "sad", just unmotivated to interact with anyone. I wouldn't pursue ANY of my countless hobbies. I wouldn't leave my house. My friends ghosted me (I was away for too long, and they moved on). In Japan, good quality food was conventient, readily available, and cheap. Walking everywhere was fun. Public transport was efficient. Everything was clean, everyone was polite (I don't care if it's fake or not - I rather prefer that over "real/non-fake" grumpiness in my face by *customer service*). The pop culture was the best in the world. Their traditions are adorable, interesting, beautiful, and stylish. Winters are less cold. And the countryside was vast and beautiful. I am still in that state. It's honestly damaging my spirits.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Getting used to life back home can really be a long and exhausting process. I truly hope you'll find your motivation again, and meet new people that will help lift your spirits. I wish you all the best!
@@booksandborders Thank you! I think it didn't help that my return overlapped with the lockdowns/pandemic. But it really helps to hear from others and to realize that I'm not the only one with such issues. I wish you the best, as well! Greetings from Austria🇦🇹
So weird because I was just starting to write about the bittersweet nostalgia I still have for Japan, 27 years after a 6 year stay when I found this video. It's my second home and those 6 years affected the whole rest of my life deeply. I last went back for a reunion in October of last year and I saw some of the students I taught almost 30 years ago - we had a BLAST. But like I said - it's bittersweet - forever. I will always be grateful for the priceless memories at the beginning of adulthood.
Wow, this resonated with me so much, especially the missing who you were/I was part. 100%. I spent 2023 in Japan and can't get over it. For me its the opposite to your initial response, I crave everything Japan, watch too many Japan walking videos and daydream about night trips to my favourite Lawson close to my place. I've still got my Tokyo flat set as my home address on google maps, just in case I quickly need to find the fastest way home lol. I hope I'll get over it eventually, but for now, I'm mostly just looking forward to November, when I'll finally be there again, if only for a couple of weeks.
Feel same and I lived their for three years! 2016-2019. You are describing a longing. I feel like Japan is my true home although, I am an American. My wife is Japanese. But every day living there was like discovering new things, meeting different people and being on a permanent holiday!
Really good points, resonated a lot with my own experience, I also want to go back to Japan. Especially this certain "silence" my everyday life is basically very peaceful and I realized how happy I am by myself, but when I came back to Germany, it is so noisy and people don't care about your personal space, very egocentric over here, at least it feels like that to me.
I went through the same. Did a year in Japan as part of my degree. I’m still missing it with deep sadness. Planning to return for working holiday but ultimately, I don’t know how to deal with it long-term. Probably force myself to finish the degree and find a way to earn money there. It‘s more than a year since I‘ve returned to Germany, still yearning for Okinawan Ocean-life
I totally get you. I am Brazilian, lived in Japan for 14 years from 88 to 02 then moved to Romania and lived there for 17 years and now I'm back to Japan. I was so stressed living in Romania that it was destroying my health. Now that I am back to Japan, when I tell my Romanian friends how relaxed I feel living here, they say I sound like I'm on drugs. 🤣
@@deadby15 Not for someone who looks Asian. I am Brazilian but all my ancestry is Japanese. And in Romania, any Asian is thought to be Chinese. I had people harass me in the streets, refuse me enter in their shops, taxi drivers wouldn't take me because they assume I am Chinese. I had to keep situation awareness up all the time when walking in public because anyone approaching me could potentially harass or even assault me. I use a Boblbee backpack and people would stop me in the streets to tell me how stupid I look carrying a snow sleigh on my back. Whenever I was crossing the streets I had to be extra-extra-extra careful because traffic laws are made to be broken over there. Whenever I stopped to pet a cat in the streets, women would come out of their houses yelling at me because they assumed that I am trying to steal their cats to cook for dinner. Here in JP I feel completely safe and anonymous walking in the streets, I can wear whatever I want without being stopped by strangers, I can cross the streets whenever the light turns green without the fear of some rich kid on a German car assuming that they can hit pedestrians with impunity, I can walk without having to constantly look down to avoid stepping on dog shit. The streets are clean, everybody is polite, taxi drivers are courteous, public transport run on time to the second, shopkeepers go out of their way to make you feel welcome. No traffic violations, no road rage. No Karens. It's a completely different planet. Or galaxy.
@@marcossakaguti i'm sorry to hear you had to put up with all those things.. i just had this vague and naive notion that life'd be more slow paced and pastoral there. 😔
@@marcossakaguti I attended school with a few Nikkei-Brazilians in Japan. Frankly, I've never heard of a case of moving to Romania. Was there any particular reason you were living in Romania for 17 years? I understand that Romanian may be easier for a native Portuguese speaker to master, but it's still an interesting life journey.
@@yo2trader539 : in 1999 I went to Romania to watch the total eclipse and I met a Romanian lady there. In 2002 I moved to Romania to marry her. The marriage last less than 3 years but by then I couldn't go back to Japan because the permanent Japan visa that I had had expired and I didn't want to go back to Brazil so I remained in Romania until 2019 when the company I work for offered me a position in Japan. Those 17 years in Romania were difficult for me but I do not regret them. I've made some of my best friends there.
Hello from France ! I totally understand you and it's even more difficult when many people can't understand the feeling you belong to a place you were not born. Like your heart is constantly seperated in two...
I'm almost a third of the way through my planned 3 and 1/2 year residence in Japan. Watching this was somewhat of a downer for me, as I'm now really dreading the day I return home to Southern California.
I went from So Cal Silverlake/Hollywood area with my wife and cat. Lived in Japan for 3 years. Came back in 2019 and feel like I am not at home. Moved to AZ for work. Better here, but still not home.
The most enjoyable point to me is when you try to convince the other country to make bottle of unsweetened tea. I feel your passion for getting it in the uk.
I'm a Japanese Canadian that gave up Japanese citizenship when I was 6. I recall a conversation with my grandmother when I was very young in an onsen bath together, where she said, "Oh, it's so good to be born Japanese! Aren't you glad?" I think I answered, "I guess so?", not really understanding the entirety of the statement. I so miss Japan now that I'm not there and can never live there again as a citizen.
I cannot write very good Japanese, but I hope you understand my English. Japan is beautiful, but it is also ugly. The big cities are impressive, but not beautiful. Smaller towns are often very ugly. Japan is a country that loves nature, but also destroys it. The coastline is full of concrete tetrapods. Riverbeds are concreted, destroying the habitat for wildlife that lives on riverbanks. Hillsides are concreted, often where there is no risk to humans from landslides. But at the same time, there is a lot of natural and manmade beauty in Japan. I also think that Japanese do work too much. You have one life, but spend it working for another. Only the owners benefit from not having to pay for more staff. But for all its faults, Japan is a wonderful place. Its cleanliness and safety are so rare in this world. And Japan is never boring.
Japane is not just Tokyo and Osaka, the metropolises presented in silly propaganda videos...Japan is also the countryside and rural reality from which everyone- Japanese people -tries to escape. Try living in a small town-you will die of boredom. Trust me
@@capitalb5889 I lived in the U.S. for 8 years, so I really understand why you think so. If you want to know why the coastline and rivers in Japan are insanely concreted, I recommend you to learn the topograpy, year-round-weather, food production, and geoeconomics of Japan. In Japan, earthquake and tsunami often occur. Didn't you think why there are a lot of tunnels on the roads and railways in Japan? The topography of Japan is quite hilly, and massive rainfalls happen in rainy season and by typhoon, so the river's currents are quite fast through the year. Historically the diet of Japan has relied on rice which needs tons of water for the cultivation, and sea food. Can you imagine? We have suffered frequent landslides, floods, and tsunami disasters. We also do not like the concreted coastline and rivers, but we need tsunami-erosion-and-landslide-proof ugly scenaries for national security and production stability.
@@ossannamerica4913 Japan has existed for thousands of years without tetrapods blighting the coastline. The tetrapods are unnecessary and actually can cause more harm than they are meant to prevent. If you want to prevent erosion, destroy tetrapods. They also have no effect on a tsunami. Having lived in Niigata prefecture, I am no stranger to rain, tunnels and mountains. However, concreting a small stream has only one purpose - to keep heavy industry busy and for the LDP to buy their votes. It is a de facto way to redistribute wealth from rich cities to poorer areas. And hill sides get concreted in places where there is no risk to human life. And as I mentioned in my previous post, buildings are often incredibly ugly. I am often surprised at how something so ugly could be built somewhere so beautiful. I was first struck by this when I saw the Shiratama no yu Kahou onsen in Tsukioka town, Niigata. Beautiful nature with a hideous building in the middle. The only people who don't have to see the building are its guests. I could say the same for the Kiroro Ryokan in Hokkaido. Whoever built those buildings must hate Japan.
I believe that stories about Japan's experiences, such as Gulliver's Travels, can convey the charm of Japan from a unique and interesting perspective.from japan.
I left my country and moved abroad, not for myself, but for someone else, hoping they'd have a better life than I did. Since then, I've felt trapped, like I'm in prison. My spirit is dying, and I mean that literally. Yet, I'm not homesick because my heart is drawn somewhere else-Japan. I've always felt like I lived my entire life in the wrong place. Now I'm old and can't do much about it. I moved to England, in case you hadn't guessed. They say 10 years in prison can break even the strongest person. I have been living here for 17 years now. Two days ago, someone who doesn’t even know me or what I’ve been through told me I brought this on myself. The world is full of people like him. This is the answer to all your questions.
Hello. I am still here in Tokyo right now. I moved here at the end of March, and I love it. All the things you said are what I unknowlingly always desired. My plan is to stay after new years eve and probaly after my Birthday and January. I can already tell that I'm not looking forward to board a plane again for leaving the country. I'm quite scarred actually. I, even though have never experienced something like you did, but I feel like I understand what you are talking about. Maybe you can come back in some time :)
same dude. i am also feeling a piece of me was missing after coming back to japan now from Europe where i stayed for all of the last year. one thing i am feeling in japan is we still don't many foreigenrs compared with european countries even tho we are making fuss about how many foreigners are coming into Japan haha the amount of foreign immigrants in Japan is siginificantly lower than that of western european countries still after all
According to research, there are more than 3 million immigrants in Japan. However, since many of them are of Asian descent, it may be difficult to tell them apart.
You love Japan. Thank you so much ❤ I am so happy.🥰 Please come to our country again soon. Anytime welcome!! I was born and raised Japan. So Usually I get used to this smooth social system and good customer service. Sometimes, I feel too much strict for workers here. So I sometimes go abroad for traveling. but soon I always miss Japanese high reveal foods and clean and safe anywhere😊. The glass is always greenner the other side.
Listening to your description is more interesting than reality because you lead the listener into a much more romantic scene like listening to a talented storyteller.
I see I’m in good company with those that lived in Japan for a long time and then returned to their home country. I went through reverse culture shock as well and I was so sad and upset to not be there. I made good relationships I felt at ease and comfortable with my living situation. Society there works for me. When I left all my friends and even people I made working relationships with would say, “Your Japanese spirit is strong I love it!” or “It seems your soul is just trying to find a way back home.” Gotta admit the last one makes me teary eyed.
I lived in the UK for four years, and now I’m living in Kyoto. About the umbrella situation-it's so windy in the UK that people often don’t use them. haha
I am Japanese. I feel that the quality of foreign tourists has improved before and after the Corona Pass. The most important thing is that they have done a lot of research on Japanese culture, customs, simple language, transportation, and other means of transportation in advance because they could not come to Japan during the Corona Pass. I am very happy to hear that. Japan has four seasons, and there are many local products and specialties throughout the country. I think it is a good idea to visit various places.
I can more or less relate. Moved away in mid 2020 because of c*vid and regret it to this day. I feel like my life in Japan is the only thing I ever talk about and I'm bit ashamed of that but I really do miss it. Though it's easier to paint the romantic pictures and forget the not so good things the more the time passes...I've had my struggles in Japan of course (especially considering I was working there). But before Japan, I've never felt like I fit anywhere with my very introverted personality, everywhere felt like life favours only extroverts...that's what I miss the most, even more than the toilets ;)
you should be come back to Japan !! we welcome to you off course. we need like your personality from abroad. come to my city and be my friends for my son who is 19 years old.
So you experienced summer in Japan (lol). In the past, Japan wasn't that hot. 70% of the country is mountainous, so there are many areas where air conditioning is not necessary, but if you are staying near Tokyo, Karuizawa is the perfect summer resort.
I was born in Japan and live in Silicon Valley for 42 years. Do I miss Japan? No or not much, because I visit Japan every year. I count do so during the pandemic period though.
They don't teach appreciation for culture in some countries' schools. When they start playing shows on TV and teaching in schools about good moral development, then things will change.
Hello ,I am Japanese I am very glad to see you yes I am sure that the Japan has four seasons or five season but the summer is so bad it's awful that very hot and humid .I don't recommend to come to Japan in summer.
As the number of foreigners residing , visiting in Japan increases, the security is gradually getting worse. We are seeing crimes that were never seen before. Please be more careful on future visiting.
@@taylorswan8587 Until around 1970's-1980's when mass-immigration and liberal policies started. And no, I'm not saying it was always 100% safe for everyone but there's a huge difference before and after.
@@Bristecomliberal policies of the 1980s?? The US had FAR more liberal policies before the Reagan era, and those policies have never reverted to pre-Reagan principles. (Also, the murder rate 10 years ago was lower than in the early 60s) The 1960s had an average of 330,000 immigrants entering the country every year. The 70s had 450,000. Is 450,000 mass immigration but 330,000 isn’t?
@@taylorswan8587 The murder rates depend on the demographics and how they're measured. There's definitely more murders in inner cities for example. Obviously our government tries to fudge the numbers to make USA look wonderful today and horrible back then but anyone who has actually lived here long enough and is honest knows that's not true. And I'm saying many of the policies in the late 60's to early 00's or so eventually came to fruition in really bad ways. This absolutely includes bad policies from Republicans like Reagan and Bush too. Obviously it takes time for the negative effects to become apparent but by the 00's, it became obvious that this country was becoming very unsafe due to economic, demographic, and political reasons. But again, it's a huge country with different states and counties and types of people so it very much depends on where you are. But in general, overall, USA was definitely safer prior to the 70's/80's or so.
My friend is Ukrainian and she left to go to the uk recently. She does not like it in the Uk and is only there because they accepted refugees from Ukraine and Ukraine is in the middle of a war. She said the people act very fake and people in London are rude compared to Ukraine Kiev and Lviv.
Japan: you wanna go a hour down down the line in a quiet scenic carriage, thats £7.53 UK: you wanna go a hour down the line in an old carriage filled with drunken load arseholes, ppl shouting into their phones and road men listening to tinny trap music, that's £48.90
Yes, what you suffered was indeed “home sickness”… Literally, being sick of living at home… in your case, living in the UK and seeing how much its standard of living has fallen the past decade.
You have a special ability to analyze countries, culture and society. People like you should be leaders and presidents of countries. But noooo! Nowadays, small groups of billionaires--with selfish political agendas--either buy entire countries or buy the people that run them.
I loved my bosses and school principals fellow teachers. I would finish and they knew I like coca-cola so one school would hand me a bottle after I finished!
I know exactly how you feel. I lived in Japan for six years and I desire to go back there every day. It’s almost like a piece of my soul has been ripped out and left in Japan.
Exactly. Why is this?
I lived in Tokyo between 2000-2003, and loved it so much, but I went back to my home country. I had felt EXACTLY the same things you felt. However, happy ending! Finally, after 16 years, I returned to Tokyo in 2019, so I have been loving Japan life all over again for the last 5 years! So happy happy~
Spot on! I solo travelled in Japan for 2 weeks and all your points resonate with me. I'd add another point which is the Onsens and the culture around them. My experience in one was phenomenal and I now practice hot/ cold plunges weekly in London to reap some of the benefits of it. It's not the same though. I've been back for nearly 2 months but Japan is on my mind every day. I don't think I was happier ever in my life and I'm 41! I also loved the Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples! ❤ 🇯🇵
Without knowing anything about Japan, I married a Japanese graduate student (we were living in Chicago) back in 1992. In 1996 he had to go back to Japan and I was worried about leaving the USA, where I was used to living. But I tried Japan, and loved it! I feel so lucky and fortunate to live here for 28 years so far (for all the reasons you say) and I'm never going to leave. My husband is, of course, glad I like Japan. Back in the mid 1990s, I did not expect to get questions like "how did you move to Japan?" or "any advice on finding a Japanese husband?" but now I get those questions sometimes from people on social media. It's weird for me, a nerdy academic, to be the cool girl at 58 years old, lol....!
貴女はクールになったのですｗ
日本での幸せな人生に乾杯
また日本に遊びに来てね✨
I...cried after I came back from living in Kyoto for 7 months. I was then a grown a 42 year old man living in Sweden. I missed Japan so much. I recognize myself so much in your description of Japan. And the body language is different from western body language too, I would catch myself bowing at times, and I couldn't stop comparing things to Japan even 2 years later. And I must have said "this would never happen in Japan" more times than I can count.
We hear so many people who move to Japan saying that it's just a phase, that everyone who moves to Japan will feel like the magic wears off and that they'll start hating Japan...but no, I think that's what happened to them, but that does not apply to everyone. Clearly there are people like so many here in the comment section, who instead wants to do everything to get back.
The grass really is greener in Japan (with a yellow tint - seriously, go there. I've never seen such a green color in nature before). I almost feel like people in Japan take responsibility for their actions, where as here in Sweden they don't. We can not have nice things here without someone destroying it, whether that is a kid, a teenager or a politician. Is Japan perfect? No, everything has flaws, even Japan. But it is negligible compared to the flaws of other countries. At least to me it is clearly the best, and I have been to a lot of countries.
Working in Japan seems to be quite hard on people, but you don't have to work for someone else. Start your own company and work the hours you want to if the Japanese work culture is too hard on you. There are simple fixes to all the things that people seem to struggle with, with Japan.
And an extra "omg, yes" to the safety bit. I have kids, 5 and soon 7. I wish they would grow up in Japan and go to school in Japan...it is so much safer for them...and I really do miss taking them to a Japanese playground, or an arcade...
I lived in Japan for two years, and genuinely got severe reverse culture shock on return (also back to London). After two years, you become settled, get to know the rhythm of life and the people in your community better, and once you leave, it has gone, and when you go "back home", you are going backwards - nothing about it feels very positive and it is just back to place you were in before. I would guess that the reverse culture shock, if that is the right phrase, lasted as long as I was actually in Japan - two fairly tough years in which I was not very happy.
I went to Japan more than half my life ago, knowing almost nothing about the place, but I will always love it. Luckily I have the means to visit and have been back over the years and when I am back, love every precious moment of it.
So many things to like about Japan. The saddest day of my life was having to return to the US. I was way happier in Japan and getting up every morning in Tokyo knowing that my day of wandering was going to be full of surprises, amazing sites, good food and great people.
There was a certain quiet and stillness about Japan. In the neighborhoods, at times, you'd get a waif of incense passing a window, a breeze, felt a stillness, a person walks by with an "O hayo Gozaimas"...
Yes..Japan does make me homesick..even though I do not live there...I long to be in Japan....I have a feeling of nostalgia and yearning for a life I've never lived...I visited Japan twice last year...While there I felt a claimness I have not felt for years...Despite being a fish out of water....Japan gave me what I have been missing since losing my partner to cancer....Peace...All I can think of now is to be there again...I want that feeling back.
I'm so sorry for your loss... I hope you'll be able to return and find that peace again. Wishing you all the best. ❤
@@booksandborders Thank You.
The only country I yearn to see again is Japan--it is out of this world. I surely understand your missing.
I feel the same. I came back from Japan back in 2022, and it still hurts sometimes.
Just came back from Tokyo and I can relate to all your points! I miss the politeness, cleanliness and quiet. Never had a bad meal over there either.
that happened to me, as well. I did some exchange semesters in Japan in 2015, then in 2019 again, and in Korea afterwards until the beginning of 2020. When I returned to my home country, I was what I can now describe as almost depressed. I wasn't really "sad", just unmotivated to interact with anyone. I wouldn't pursue ANY of my countless hobbies. I wouldn't leave my house. My friends ghosted me (I was away for too long, and they moved on). In Japan, good quality food was conventient, readily available, and cheap. Walking everywhere was fun. Public transport was efficient. Everything was clean, everyone was polite (I don't care if it's fake or not - I rather prefer that over "real/non-fake" grumpiness in my face by *customer service*). The pop culture was the best in the world. Their traditions are adorable, interesting, beautiful, and stylish. Winters are less cold. And the countryside was vast and beautiful. I am still in that state. It's honestly damaging my spirits.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Getting used to life back home can really be a long and exhausting process. I truly hope you'll find your motivation again, and meet new people that will help lift your spirits. I wish you all the best!
@@booksandborders Thank you! I think it didn't help that my return overlapped with the lockdowns/pandemic. But it really helps to hear from others and to realize that I'm not the only one with such issues. I wish you the best, as well! Greetings from Austria🇦🇹
是非また日本に来て下さい。
@@paopaipai395 ありがとうございます😊 この秋にまた来る予定です。ヨーロッパのオーストリア🇦🇹からです。
@@NoctLightCloudそれは良かった。日本に来て生きる活力が戻る事を祈ってます。
So weird because I was just starting to write about the bittersweet nostalgia I still have for Japan, 27 years after a 6 year stay when I found this video. It's my second home and those 6 years affected the whole rest of my life deeply. I last went back for a reunion in October of last year and I saw some of the students I taught almost 30 years ago - we had a BLAST. But like I said - it's bittersweet - forever. I will always be grateful for the priceless memories at the beginning of adulthood.
It is 27 or 28 years since I went to Japan to teach...and feel the same.
It happened to me as well when I left Hokkaido. It felt like Hokkaido was my birthplace.
Same I only visited Japan twice and I have been itching to visit again.
Me too ,I’m actually going to Japan in two weeks,it’s my fourth time.
@@rachelbaziak4159これから梅雨なので雨で風邪引かないようにして下さいね。
Wow, this resonated with me so much, especially the missing who you were/I was part. 100%. I spent 2023 in Japan and can't get over it. For me its the opposite to your initial response, I crave everything Japan, watch too many Japan walking videos and daydream about night trips to my favourite Lawson close to my place. I've still got my Tokyo flat set as my home address on google maps, just in case I quickly need to find the fastest way home lol. I hope I'll get over it eventually, but for now, I'm mostly just looking forward to November, when I'll finally be there again, if only for a couple of weeks.
I've been there for 81days this year but i now planning for my next trip as i miss it too
Feel same and I lived their for three years! 2016-2019. You are describing a longing. I feel like Japan is my true home although, I am an American. My wife is Japanese. But every day living there was like discovering new things, meeting different people and being on a permanent holiday!
My friend suffered from reverse culture shock and ended up moving to Japan, where she is now a naturalized Japanese citizen.
Really good points, resonated a lot with my own experience, I also want to go back to Japan. Especially this certain "silence" my everyday life is basically very peaceful and I realized how happy I am by myself, but when I came back to Germany, it is so noisy and people don't care about your personal space, very egocentric over here, at least it feels like that to me.
I went through the same. Did a year in Japan as part of my degree. I’m still missing it with deep sadness. Planning to return for working holiday but ultimately, I don’t know how to deal with it long-term. Probably force myself to finish the degree and find a way to earn money there. It‘s more than a year since I‘ve returned to Germany, still yearning for Okinawan Ocean-life
Retiring shortly. Moving to Japan. I know where my heart belongs. Man that almost came out like a Haiku!
How are you doing this? Can you elaborate a bit? I am nearing that age. No longer have a long term visa.
Been living here for 10 years. I knew when I first landed here that this is really my home. 10 years later, I still have the same awe. God is good 🙏
Aw, I feel you so much! Threw me right back to the first week back in Germany. But will be back in Japan in a few months, so there's that
Hope you'll have a great time back in Japan! Safe travels!
I totally get you.
I am Brazilian, lived in Japan for 14 years from 88 to 02 then moved to Romania and lived there for 17 years and now I'm back to Japan.
I was so stressed living in Romania that it was destroying my health. Now that I am back to Japan, when I tell my Romanian friends how relaxed I feel living here, they say I sound like I'm on drugs. 🤣
Interesting. One would assume Life in Romania'd be way less stressful.
@@deadby15 Not for someone who looks Asian. I am Brazilian but all my ancestry is Japanese. And in Romania, any Asian is thought to be Chinese.
I had people harass me in the streets, refuse me enter in their shops, taxi drivers wouldn't take me because they assume I am Chinese.
I had to keep situation awareness up all the time when walking in public because anyone approaching me could potentially harass or even assault me.
I use a Boblbee backpack and people would stop me in the streets to tell me how stupid I look carrying a snow sleigh on my back.
Whenever I was crossing the streets I had to be extra-extra-extra careful because traffic laws are made to be broken over there.
Whenever I stopped to pet a cat in the streets, women would come out of their houses yelling at me because they assumed that I am trying to steal their cats to cook for dinner.
Here in JP I feel completely safe and anonymous walking in the streets, I can wear whatever I want without being stopped by strangers, I can cross the streets whenever the light turns green without the fear of some rich kid on a German car assuming that they can hit pedestrians with impunity, I can walk without having to constantly look down to avoid stepping on dog shit.
The streets are clean, everybody is polite, taxi drivers are courteous, public transport run on time to the second, shopkeepers go out of their way to make you feel welcome.
No traffic violations, no road rage. No Karens.
It's a completely different planet.
Or galaxy.
@@marcossakaguti i'm sorry to hear you had to put up with all those things.. i just had this vague and naive notion that life'd be more slow paced and pastoral there. 😔
@@marcossakaguti I attended school with a few Nikkei-Brazilians in Japan. Frankly, I've never heard of a case of moving to Romania. Was there any particular reason you were living in Romania for 17 years? I understand that Romanian may be easier for a native Portuguese speaker to master, but it's still an interesting life journey.
@@yo2trader539 : in 1999 I went to Romania to watch the total eclipse and I met a Romanian lady there.
In 2002 I moved to Romania to marry her.
The marriage last less than 3 years but by then I couldn't go back to Japan because the permanent Japan visa that I had had expired and I didn't want to go back to Brazil so I remained in Romania until 2019 when the company I work for offered me a position in Japan.
Those 17 years in Romania were difficult for me but I do not regret them.
I've made some of my best friends there.
またお金を貯めて、ぜひ日本に遊びに来てください。
お金を貯めるために頑張ります！
Hello from France ! I totally understand you and it's even more difficult when many people can't understand the feeling you belong to a place you were not born. Like your heart is constantly seperated in two...
Blushed, you gave us so many compliments. Japanese government must hire you for advertise Japan!
One can only hope. 😂 Thank you for your kind comment.
I'm almost a third of the way through my planned 3 and 1/2 year residence in Japan. Watching this was somewhat of a downer for me, as I'm now really dreading the day I return home to Southern California.
I went from So Cal Silverlake/Hollywood area with my wife and cat. Lived in Japan for 3 years. Came back in 2019 and feel like I am not at home. Moved to AZ for work. Better here, but still not home.
The most enjoyable point to me is when you try to convince the other country to make bottle of unsweetened tea. I feel your passion for getting it in the uk.
I feel the same !! Want to go back again
Thanks for sharing your experiences from Japan! Please come back anytime!
Listening to you made me re-realize how much Japanese people take for granted. Hope you will visit and explore Japan for any number of times! Thanks!
I had a crush on Japan before I even went there. Like most crushes, it's one sided and just makes me feel sad.
"we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day" type of feeling
Nailed it!
I'm a Japanese Canadian that gave up Japanese citizenship when I was 6. I recall a conversation with my grandmother when I was very young in an onsen bath together, where she said, "Oh, it's so good to be born Japanese! Aren't you glad?" I think I answered, "I guess so?", not really understanding the entirety of the statement. I so miss Japan now that I'm not there and can never live there again as a citizen.
恋しかったら来ればいい。国籍はないけれど、あなたには日本の血が流れている、日本はいつだって待っているよ。もし祖母が亡くなってしまっているなら、墓参も兼ねて来ると良い。天国で喜んでいるよ。
ありがとね😋👍🇯🇵😁
日本を愛してくれてありがとうございます。海外を旅するまで自分でも日本の良さを理解してなかった気がします。働き過ぎとか気を遣いすぎとか、日本人は自分たちを卑下しがちだけど、こんなに安全で便利で清潔な生活を送れる国があるなんて、それだけで奇跡だと思う。
I cannot write very good Japanese, but I hope you understand my English. Japan is beautiful, but it is also ugly. The big cities are impressive, but not beautiful. Smaller towns are often very ugly. Japan is a country that loves nature, but also destroys it. The coastline is full of concrete tetrapods. Riverbeds are concreted, destroying the habitat for wildlife that lives on riverbanks. Hillsides are concreted, often where there is no risk to humans from landslides. But at the same time, there is a lot of natural and manmade beauty in Japan.
I also think that Japanese do work too much. You have one life, but spend it working for another. Only the owners benefit from not having to pay for more staff.
But for all its faults, Japan is a wonderful place. Its cleanliness and safety are so rare in this world. And Japan is never boring.
Japane is not just Tokyo and Osaka, the metropolises presented in silly propaganda videos...Japan is also the countryside and rural reality from which everyone- Japanese people -tries to escape.
Try living in a small town-you will die of boredom. Trust me
@@capitalb5889 I lived in the U.S. for 8 years, so I really understand why you think so. If you want to know why the coastline and rivers in Japan are insanely concreted, I recommend you to learn the topograpy, year-round-weather, food production, and geoeconomics of Japan. In Japan, earthquake and tsunami often occur. Didn't you think why there are a lot of tunnels on the roads and railways in Japan? The topography of Japan is quite hilly, and massive rainfalls happen in rainy season and by typhoon, so the river's currents are quite fast through the year. Historically the diet of Japan has relied on rice which needs tons of water for the cultivation, and sea food. Can you imagine? We have suffered frequent landslides, floods, and tsunami disasters. We also do not like the concreted coastline and rivers, but we need tsunami-erosion-and-landslide-proof ugly scenaries for national security and production stability.
@@ossannamerica4913 Japan has existed for thousands of years without tetrapods blighting the coastline. The tetrapods are unnecessary and actually can cause more harm than they are meant to prevent. If you want to prevent erosion, destroy tetrapods. They also have no effect on a tsunami.
Having lived in Niigata prefecture, I am no stranger to rain, tunnels and mountains. However, concreting a small stream has only one purpose - to keep heavy industry busy and for the LDP to buy their votes. It is a de facto way to redistribute wealth from rich cities to poorer areas.
And hill sides get concreted in places where there is no risk to human life. And as I mentioned in my previous post, buildings are often incredibly ugly. I am often surprised at how something so ugly could be built somewhere so beautiful. I was first struck by this when I saw the Shiratama no yu Kahou onsen in Tsukioka town, Niigata. Beautiful nature with a hideous building in the middle. The only people who don't have to see the building are its guests. I could say the same for the Kiroro Ryokan in Hokkaido. Whoever built those buildings must hate Japan.
I find it weird how the UK isn't the one doing the unsweetened tea thing since they also tapped into the the 'oh, we're the tea country' moniker.
日本を好きでいてくれて本当にありがとう。
Back in 2009, I lived in Tokyo for a year and half… came back to London and it took me two years to stop complaining everyday about how bad the UK is.
Is immigration the cause after all? Britain would be better off restricting immigration.
I believe that stories about Japan's experiences, such as Gulliver's Travels, can convey the charm of Japan from a unique and interesting perspective.from japan.
I left my country and moved abroad, not for myself, but for someone else, hoping they'd have a better life than I did. Since then, I've felt trapped, like I'm in prison. My spirit is dying, and I mean that literally. Yet, I'm not homesick because my heart is drawn somewhere else-Japan. I've always felt like I lived my entire life in the wrong place. Now I'm old and can't do much about it.
I moved to England, in case you hadn't guessed. They say 10 years in prison can break even the strongest person. I have been living here for 17 years now.
Two days ago, someone who doesn’t even know me or what I’ve been through told me I brought this on myself. The world is full of people like him. This is the answer to all your questions.
Hello. I am still here in Tokyo right now. I moved here at the end of March, and I love it. All the things you said are what I unknowlingly always desired. My plan is to stay after new years eve and probaly after my Birthday and January. I can already tell that I'm not looking forward to board a plane again for leaving the country. I'm quite scarred actually. I, even though have never experienced something like you did, but I feel like I understand what you are talking about. Maybe you can come back in some time :)
Young Japanese people are using their emotions and nostalgia as fuel for their creative activities.
This is the secret of Japanese manga.
I will go study japanese for 6 months, i already went 4 times in japan and my japanese level is around jlpt 4, so i undestand you.
Good luck with your studies!
@@booksandborders thank you
I know this feeling too...
My dream is to visit Japan ❤❤❤❤🇯🇵❤❤❤❤❤❤
I look forward to you coming back to Japan so soon.
same dude. i am also feeling a piece of me was missing after coming back to japan now from Europe where i stayed for all of the last year. one thing i am feeling in japan is we still don't many foreigenrs compared with european countries even tho we are making fuss about how many foreigners are coming into Japan haha the amount of foreign immigrants in Japan is siginificantly lower than that of western european countries still after all
According to research, there are more than 3 million immigrants in Japan. However, since many of them are of Asian descent, it may be difficult to tell them apart.
レストランが美味しいだけでなくチップがいらないのは良いよね😊
I was about to add about the five seasons, and then you mentioned it yourself 😄
また日本に来てくださいね😊
ありがとうございます🩷 ̖́-
move back! I'm relocating to Tokyo from Singapore end of this year :)
Congrats on the move!
@@booksandborders thank you!
You love Japan. Thank you so much ❤ I am so happy.🥰
Please come to our country again soon.
Anytime welcome!!
I was born and raised Japan. So Usually I get used to this smooth social system and good customer service. Sometimes, I feel too much strict for workers here.
So I sometimes go abroad for traveling. but soon I always miss Japanese high reveal foods and clean and safe anywhere😊.
The glass is always greenner the other side.
cmon, cmon just be clean. LOL. 😄 enjoyed your retrospective on living in Japan
Listening to your description is more interesting than reality because you lead the listener into a much more romantic scene like listening to a talented storyteller.
Thank you so much! Your kind words really mean a lot!
Same!! I lived there for a while and moved to the US. Maybe I should reflect too
I see I’m in good company with those that lived in Japan for a long time and then returned to their home country.
I went through reverse culture shock as well and I was so sad and upset to not be there. I made good relationships I felt at ease and comfortable with my living situation. Society there works for me.
When I left all my friends and even people I made working relationships with would say, “Your Japanese spirit is strong I love it!” or “It seems your soul is just trying to find a way back home.” Gotta admit the last one makes me teary eyed.
I lived in the UK for four years, and now I’m living in Kyoto. About the umbrella situation-it's so windy in the UK that people often don’t use them. haha
22:02 Ah! There is that random umbrella you are talking about.
Well spotted!
I am Japanese. I feel that the quality of foreign tourists has improved before and after the Corona Pass. The most important thing is that they have done a lot of research on Japanese culture, customs, simple language, transportation, and other means of transportation in advance because they could not come to Japan during the Corona Pass. I am very happy to hear that.
Japan has four seasons, and there are many local products and specialties throughout the country. I think it is a good idea to visit various places.
I can more or less relate. Moved away in mid 2020 because of c*vid and regret it to this day. I feel like my life in Japan is the only thing I ever talk about and I'm bit ashamed of that but I really do miss it. Though it's easier to paint the romantic pictures and forget the not so good things the more the time passes...I've had my struggles in Japan of course (especially considering I was working there). But before Japan, I've never felt like I fit anywhere with my very introverted personality, everywhere felt like life favours only extroverts...that's what I miss the most, even more than the toilets ;)
Yes! The toilets. Warm seat, warm cleansing gush of water at the end...recycled water.
you miss the toilets? haha that's hilarious. I thought you would miss the food a lot more or the temples or scenery. the toilets must amazing?
you should be come back to Japan !! we welcome to you off course. we need like your personality from abroad.
come to my city and be my friends for my son who is 19 years old.
So you experienced summer in Japan (lol).
In the past, Japan wasn't that hot.
70% of the country is mountainous, so there are many areas where air conditioning is not necessary, but if you are staying near Tokyo, Karuizawa is the perfect summer resort.
if only Family Mart and Lawson went global...i'd be a happy person
もう旅行じゃなく、完全移住を！ところで、言語の壁を感じた時は、どのように対処していたのでしょうか。
正直に言うと、たくさん笑顔でうなずき、「はい」と言いました。そして、とてもバカな質問をしました。日本では、礼儀正しくルールに従っていれば、本当にうまくやっていけることに気づきました。😅
@@booksandborders さすがです！
I was born in Japan and live in Silicon Valley for 42 years. Do I miss Japan? No or not much, because I visit Japan every year. I count do so during the pandemic period though.
Japan is the land of the rising sun and also the land of かわいい。
日本人の場合、日本の良さを再認識するために海外ヘ出かける。日本に戻り、ほっとする。No place like home。
日本だけではありませんが。。。
Japan puts service above profit, UK puts profit above service.
そう、個人の利益の追求が辿る運命を我々は理解している
本当に利益を追求したければサービスを追及するのです
「安心•安全•信頼」
これが大きな利益をもたらします。
ただ、求めすぎてたまに死人が出るのが我々の問題なのです...
よくそんな事書けますね。
日本って自殺ランキング上位に入っているくせに。。。
@@GiulioMa日本の自殺率は世界25位だけど、上位と言えば上位
か。まぁ、TOP10でもないし、そこまで気にするほどの順位でもないわ
ruclips.net/video/vHExDQhXHp8/видео.htmlsi=YtvZ0KHDa3lSsz8l
もしあなたが幸せに暮らせる場所があるなら、あなたにあったそこに住む方法は必ずありますよ。 思いあれば道あり。
There is a will, there is a way.
They don't teach appreciation for culture in some countries' schools. When they start playing shows on TV and teaching in schools about good moral development, then things will change.
Hello ,I am Japanese I am very glad to see you yes I am sure that the Japan has four seasons or five season but the summer is so bad it's awful that very hot and humid .I don't recommend to come to Japan in summer.
You are entertaining.
Does anyone know from what show the imagery @0:08 and 0:45 is from? It's so aesthetically pleasing, I need to see more. :')
A Silent Voice and Your Name.
its like falling in love and then breaking up, what can you do ?
日本を愛して頂きありがとうございます。
日本人は非常に清潔好きです。毎日入浴すること、トイレの清潔さにも表れています。そして食べ物に関しては非常にレベルが高いです。日本人は味には口うるさい国民だと思います。常に味を追求しています。いつかまた日本にお越しください❤❤❤
いつでも戻って来てくださいね
日本人は外国人が嫌いという話はありますが、正しくは「多様性」と呼ばれる人々が嫌いなのです...
日本についての好意的な動画がとても嬉しく思います。
今、観光地では外国人観光客が増えたことで場所によってはゴミの投げ捨てや道路上での撮影が問題視されており、侵入や撮影を防止するための柵を立てたり本来の景観が失われているところもあります。
もちろん外国人みんなマナーが悪いとは思っていませんが、観光客に困っている人がいるのも事実です。
Are there good Japanese restaurants in London?
ずいぶん英語が上手ですね。
As the number of foreigners residing , visiting in Japan increases, the security is gradually getting worse.
We are seeing crimes that were never seen before.
Please be more careful on future visiting.
Europe and America were once very safe places too...
@@Bristecomwhen was America safe? Exact years please
@@taylorswan8587 Until around 1970's-1980's when mass-immigration and liberal policies started. And no, I'm not saying it was always 100% safe for everyone but there's a huge difference before and after.
@@Bristecomliberal policies of the 1980s?? The US had FAR more liberal policies before the Reagan era, and those policies have never reverted to pre-Reagan principles. (Also, the murder rate 10 years ago was lower than in the early 60s)
The 1960s had an average of 330,000 immigrants entering the country every year. The 70s had 450,000. Is 450,000 mass immigration but 330,000 isn’t?
@@taylorswan8587 The murder rates depend on the demographics and how they're measured. There's definitely more murders in inner cities for example. Obviously our government tries to fudge the numbers to make USA look wonderful today and horrible back then but anyone who has actually lived here long enough and is honest knows that's not true. And I'm saying many of the policies in the late 60's to early 00's or so eventually came to fruition in really bad ways. This absolutely includes bad policies from Republicans like Reagan and Bush too. Obviously it takes time for the negative effects to become apparent but by the 00's, it became obvious that this country was becoming very unsafe due to economic, demographic, and political reasons. But again, it's a huge country with different states and counties and types of people so it very much depends on where you are. But in general, overall, USA was definitely safer prior to the 70's/80's or so.
My friend is Ukrainian and she left to go to the uk recently. She does not like it in the Uk and is only there because they accepted refugees from Ukraine and Ukraine is in the middle of a war. She said the people act very fake and people in London are rude compared to Ukraine Kiev and Lviv.
come again
日本語でゴメンなさい
40年前貴国に滞在させていただい人間として言わせて下さい
他のお若いイギリス人youtuberにも投稿させて頂きましたが、40年前のTubeは時間通りに運行されてましたしLondon-Edinburghのsleeper trainでのcookies & teaの朝食freeサービスは忘れられません！host familyや語学学校の先生の優しさ。
イギリスの悪口をイギリスの若い人が言うと悲しくなります(涙)😢
私の下手な日本語ですみません。😅
イギリスで楽しんでいただけてよかったです。
イギリスが大好きですが、変えるべきだと本当に思うことがいくつかあります。私はイギリス人ではありませんが、過去 6 年間イギリスに住んでいたので、異なる国々での生活経験を活かして、自分が知っていることを比較することでポイントを説明しました。各国には良い点と悪い点があり、その両方について話すことが重要だと思います。
コメントありがとうございます。😊
@@booksandborders
40年前と違ってしまっているのかも？しれませんね😢
当時はSOHOで夜おそくまで遊んで帰っても こわい思いをしたことありませんでした(night busもあるし)
Parisは ちょっとこわかった。モンマルトルでは昼間から北アフリカ系の人達が客引きしてて⋯
ロンドンに帰って ホッとしたことをおぼえています。
おしゃる通り それぞれ良いとこ、悪いとこ あるのでしょう。日本だって悪い人はいますよ。特に女性はこれから気をつけて下さい。はだの露出が増えると日本特有の あの犯罪者が増えますから😞↯↯
動画では、ブルガリア出身って仰ってましたよ。愚痴であっても、悪口のようには聞こえませんでした。現在のロンドンの人口構成は外国出身が約4割。(イギリス全体の平均は約2割。) インド・パキスタン系、アフリカ系、中東系、中国系、ポーランド系、アルバニア系、スラヴ系・・・文化・人種・宗教・価値観がかなりコスモポリタンです。ロンドン市長や英国首相の顔ぶれや名前を見れば一目瞭然です。それは英国の強みでもあり、弱みでもあります。
Japan: you wanna go a hour down down the line in a quiet scenic carriage, thats £7.53
UK: you wanna go a hour down the line in an old carriage filled with drunken load arseholes, ppl shouting into their phones and road men listening to tinny trap music, that's £48.90
Yes, what you suffered was indeed “home sickness”… Literally, being sick of living at home… in your case, living in the UK and seeing how much its standard of living has fallen the past decade.
You have a special ability to analyze countries, culture and society. People like you should be leaders and presidents of countries. But noooo! Nowadays, small groups of billionaires--with selfish political agendas--either buy entire countries or buy the people that run them.
Wanna see that video about bugs, can find it...
Now go listen to Plastic Love.
私の勘違いでないなら
日本を愛してくれてありがとう
日本の梅雨時期は湿度が高くて嫌ですよね
雨と紫陽花が似合うと感じているので
この時期は紫陽花で有名な、お寺とか行きますよ
紫陽花寺と言われてる所もありますし
寺ではなくても紫陽花でお客を呼ぶ所もあります
その中でも日本の本州で最も多くの紫陽花が咲くと言われてる場所は静岡県下田市
海が綺麗でいくつもの綺麗な砂浜があり有名ですが
紫陽花を見に行くにも良い場所です
例年ですと6月中旬から後半にかけて満開になると思われますので
まさに予定を計画するならこれからですね
食では金目鯛が有名です
金目鯛に伊勢海老をついでにどうですか？
次、日本に来る機会がありましたら是非行ってみてください
blurやGorillaz,Stereophonicsが大好きな自分としては、イギリスには親しみを感じるんだけどな…
PortisheadやRadiohead, James Blakeなんか好きだけど、やはり日本の快適性と安全性は何事にも代え難いと、外国人の話を聞けば聞くほど感じる
But the heart is on the left side?
First, let's take a deep breath on the sunny side of the street.
戻
It's great until you work there 😅
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I loved my bosses and school principals fellow teachers. I would finish and they knew I like coca-cola so one school would hand me a bottle after I finished!
Yes you' re so right!
Your British accent is very light...
That's because she's not British