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I understand where you getting at it's because of what was rooted ancient thousands of years ago what is deeply rooted and passed into modern times and all do honesty it should have changed that particular system that should not have been passed on into the present
Well, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a right-wing to far-right conservative-nationalist political party that, since the 1950s (except for the 1993, and the 2009 elections), has won every single legislative election in Japan, will only perpetuate the status-quo (after all, it/LDP is a conservative-nationalist political party)!
It's very similar to the "Ubuntu" principle in African tribal culture. If one isn't happy then the group isn't happy. By always watching over each other the tribe grows stronger and is safer from it.
If one really loves a country, whether his own or another of close interest, criticism of that country with the objective to make it more wholesome is an expression of best wishes, not contempt.
I like how open-minded you are, compared to others (vast majority of humans in any country) who only have certain beliefs and refuse to even consider other possibilities. You take everything into account, research a lot about all topics you speak about, take both popular and unpopular opinions, and are a great source of information. Thank you for such informative videos
I’m Japanese. I was raised in Japan. This is the most honest video I ever seen! This is the reality of Japan. That’s another reason why the suicide rate in Japan is very high.
i find it really interesting. on one, history itself reflects the current state of many countries. europe is much more individualistic, but also was never isolated, there wasnt a single time were europe wasnt changing in some way. japan is isolated alone through the fact that it is an island. japan is exelent when it comes to the group. things that benefit everyone equally work great and usually are a role model for the rest of the world. ( train systems, public transport, availability of goods etc). i mean here in germany a train is considered "on time" even if it is 5 minutes late. However i do find that especially the social side is one of the weakest in japan. the reason i imagine that torists get more help is because usually, toursits are rich enough to support their own and only ever need smaller favors, and since tourists arent part of the "group", every negativity will reflect on all of japan.
Come on, don't even get me started on the trains here in Czechia XDD On the other hand, the trains are gettin more and more punctual here too, it's no longer a rule that a train is late, now it's hardly ever late. Ich begrüße Sie von Tschechien! 🇨🇿🇩🇪
@@matthewmorrisdon5491 I don't think Christianity is the reason that people are altruistic, because 7 of the top 10 most charitable countries does not have a Christian majority group. Also, altruism already existed way before Christianity was even a thing.
Japanese friend of mine is in financial trouble because she trusted one of her friends with her creditcard. Now she's been working dead-end jobs for over half a decade, 80+ hours a week, often even more, for at best 15万円 a month, often way less. Unable to enjoy anything without relying on others. Here in the Netherlands we have laws to prevent exploitative employment practices, subsidies and benefits to help the lower wage class to bridge the gaps between employment and debt restructuring programs to get people out of debt. I would assume as a modern nation, Japan would have similar systems in place, but she doesn't even look into the rights for benefits and laws that may end her struggle with debt and predatory employers. It seems Japanese aren't even willing to help themselves, scared people might judge them as dependent and weak. Aren't there any social workers in Japan to help these people? Lawyers to defend these people? Any system at all for the help they need?
Maybe they do have those kind of laws of Japan, but I think the real problem is that the large majority of people are unaware of their own legal rights related to their job, especially because most companies don't even bother to tell them their laboral rights, so they can make more money that way.
One of the lessons I've learned from one of my favourite teachers while I was about six or seven was that there was two forms of criticism: destructive and constructive. Destructive criticism is an attack, meant to tear down another's confidence ('This is the worst thing I've ever seen!' for example). Constructive criticism points out the problem to allow for improvement, and offering ways to do so. Any kind of criticism that you had about the problems facing Japan, Shogo, was definitely constructive. It shows real love for your home country that you want to show how it can become better, not just for the individual but for the greater community at large. In a way, claiming that your constructive criticism as disliking your country is an example of the problem that Nobita's video/your reaction to his video was pointing out. Don't stick out, don't point out society's problems, don't rock the boat. I've ran into a similar problem. When my home town had the most rainfall in North America in one day (for the year that it happened), thanks to a waterspout that travelled overland and dispersed overhead, I've noticed the basement was starting to flood. My house was close to the highest point in the town, but the sump pump was old and didn't work anymore. I tried to tell my father when he returned home for lunch, but he wouldn't believe me, and he wouldn't at least take a look. My cousin, who was visiting me at the time laughed at me as I was using a bucket to try to take out as much water from the basement as I could. If my father thought it wasn't a big deal, why should he? It wasn't until my mother and sister returned home from camping did I get help with the basement. Together we set up dehumidifiers (which we had to put on the basement bar to keep them (and their cords above water) and worked to clear the water. My father returned from work and got to see first hand how things turned out. Had my father listened to/believed me in the first place, a lot of what was stored down there, let alone the bedrooms on the other end of the basement would have been spared the water damage the flood caused. While I could only do so much, if I just kept my head down and didn't try to do anything, things would have been worse.
Thank you for this video. It helped me to understand the Japanese people and culture a little better. The priority on harmony and not standing out helps to explain Hikikomori and the high suicide rate.
Suicide rates by country in 2016 ( per 100 000 people ) WHO data rank03 RUSSIA rank10 SOUTH KOREA rank22 Belgium rank30 JAPAN rank32 SWEDEN rank 34 USA
@@Im-fq1mn You've posted old info. World Population Review places Japan outside the top 10, it's still the leading cause of death in men between 20-44, amd women between 15-34. Given the size and the aging of Japan's population that is still pretty high.
I want to take this time to thank Shogo for following his dreams, because by following his dreams, we get the best Japanese culture content on youtube, in English! I wish I could subscribe a million more times to promote this channel!
In the former Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation, many older people sell little bits of veg and fruit they grow on small plots of land or their balconies. Or they sell cigarettes and matches. Maybe even handknitted socks, hats, gloves, and scarves. They sell these things at Metro stations and outside bazaars. The average person makes a special point of finding something to buy from them. The Soviets understand the money older people receive from the government is not enough to live on.
Honestly wonder: is there a lot of difference between rural and urban Japan? For example, would people also ignore someone in need (fainting or in pain), if it happened in a small town or village?
Large cities do tend to have the effect of 'mind your own business' being more of a default, and callousness can be found in many because of it. Some people even assume city folks are mean or don't say hi to you much on the street (Cause if you did who'd get anything done all day,) but if you add social conformism to the mix in any given neighborhood or situation, the more likely you'll hear stories of no one wanting to be the one that steps up/expecting there should be police or other services nearby, etc. Especially if you have lots of people on the clock for something else thinking someone else will surely be less inhibited.
@@OllamhDrab I'd disagree. Altho people may have a callousness about them in large cities there's a reason homeless ppl find solace in those communities. Most community resources are in larger cities. So I'd argue there is actually quite a bit of care for others in larger cities. Also, rural cities sometimes can be just as callous because they don't know you and know everyone in the town. And yet they may gather resources togrther to help someone they KNOW. So idk if that line of thinking adds up. That urban places are less willing to help and rural more willing. I've lived in both.
@@wnterbird2976 True, though I was talking more about personal behavior/leaving people lying on the street or something in an emegency. (Which is hardly a constant, really, ) Cities usually are indeed where the official resources are, of course. In the US, conservatives make great sport of driving out, even shipping out, homeless people to other, more caring states and cities, and then say, "See how bad it is in those liberal places!" (Frankly, I've been homeless in both kinds of places in the past, as well as a general do-gooding type, though, and quite often *inhibition* is a big factor when it comes to emergencies in dense areas, or sometimes any given crowd. Sometimes people seem callous or like they're just standing and staring when they really just don't know what to do, or feel confident doing it, but if *you* step up and know what you're doing, others may well come forward, or respond when you say, "OK, you and you, call 911, tell them this, go together." (This was more back in the pre-everyone has phone in pocket days) ...but there's social inertia, especially in cities where someone might take a dive for dishonest reasons or who knows what trouble's going on behind something. That's even in America, far from a 'collectivist' society by Shogo's terms. Most people tend to be bystanders. Their version of 'bystander' tends to be 'pretend to not notice,' more often, is all.
The part about the bus is interesting to me. In the U.S. or at least where I live many young people will take the front seats that belong to pregnant/ elderly/disabled people just like how you described Japanese people might. They won't care. However, what often happens is on a full bus someone will eventually speak up (Usually a male) and yell that they need to give up their seat. After one person speaks out others then will. The healthy young person is embarrassed out of their seat by the other passengers on the bus. I have also seen where bus drivers get involved and tell someone they need to get up for the person in need of the seat or get off their bus.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 some people here, America, would willingly give up their seats, and others will not. Depends on the person. If someone says something to the person, then most will give up their seats, but a few still won't do it.
From what I understand crime isn't actually low in Japan, in reality police are very choosy about what cases they take so that they can keep their close rates on cases high and make it look like their policing is effective.
I've heard something like that, too, that prosecutors only press cases that they're reasonably certain they can win, so that by "cherry-picking" that way, they can have a high conviction rate. I'm open to correction on that. of course.
The thing about Japan's 100% crime rate is that when prosecutors lock on a potential suspect, they pressure that person to confess, even if the person maybe innocent of the convicted crime.
I have a story like that too. When we were travelling in Japan, I believe we were still somewhere in Tokyo, we were walking down the stairs in a station and I noticed an elderly couple going up the stairs. The man clearly had trouble climbing the stairs, using the rail to hoist himself up and the woman was trying her best to support him, but she looked on the frailer side as well and she managed only just. I imagined them tumbling down the stairs together and just couldn't accept that. I asked my husband to help them, since he's a sturdy man. I tried explaining in what little Japanese I knew that we were trying to help and although she looked greatful I felt a lot of apprehension too (obviously, because we were a couple of foreigners going out of our way to help them). When reaching upstairs, the man just collapsed on the ground, couldn't stand anymore. Then some Japanese people finally came up and tried intermediating. I instructed my husband to show the others the red cross card he always carries with him and they backed off a bit, understanding we were helping (and knew how to do it). In the end, a station manager came up with a wheelchair and we left them. I just couldn't understand that no one would help these people clearly in need. I'm still happy we helped when we did, as I'm convinced they would not have made it otherwise.
Thank you Shogo for another insightful and informative video about Japanese culture. I've never seen you as hateful of Japan, but as critical of your country. I believe all citizens of any country should speak out about bad things going on in your country to try to make things better. I myself really didn't know that your culture has so many problems like we have in the US. Thanks again, I always find your videos so informative and interesting. Please continue your work and my best wishes to you, your family, and friends.
You're absolutely mandatory to my studies of Japan I cannot read well for a disability your videos are absolutely essential to my personal education of Japanese culture
It is the mindset of most Islanders not just Japan. Collectivism come because of safety reasons. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Floods , etc.. happen in many island lifestyles.
'The first step towards solving a problem is admitting you have a problem'. You are doing your country a great service by making these problems known. Letting a problem fester while you try to ignore it will only result in the problem being much worse and harder to solve once it becomes too big to ignore.
Thank you Shogo, once again, I love how you do this. I know Nobita's work as well and love him too. I find it "interesting" that people wonder how you can love your culture when you point out its faults. I love your pride in your culture - we all should be proud of where we come from and what made us. But I strongly believe that you cannot love anything if you blind yourself to its faults - and that applies to people too. If you love a thing you always want the best for it - and the best means you want it to be the best that it can be - so, to become strong and resilient, able to thrive and protect the things which are important. Japan seems to be some way from that position at this point - but in fact this is a constant battle everywhere and seems to be getting worse every year. It's people like you who speak out, and are prepared to stand out and - yes - be criticised, who can make change, but perhaps Japan needs this to happen very slowly so that people can learn to do the same. I suspect that the kind of change you need to see will only happen by tiny increments.
My mother and sister told me that their body don't move when they encounter such situation (someone collapsing in public). They can't react even if they are nice people, just because they are not used to approach 'strangers' ..😣 But once the first person react, many Japanese people corporate and help each other.
I can see there are potential strengths of this type of collectivism, but seems the big legacy companies that churned out salaryman positions have been violating their side of the social contract the collectivism requires. The employee is still expected to act from a position of self sacrifice to the company, but the company is not taking care of the employee's peripheral needs like it once did. It seems that this breakdown started in the last 30 years...
I once dreamed of moving to japan. I started learning japanese. Then i got older and more interested in fixing my world view to be realistic. Mentally ill since early childhood, i started to look into the life of mentally ill people in japan. And promptly decided stay in germany where people t least try to fix corrupt politics. The "shouganai"prblem, how gaijin goombah calls it, is the biggest dampener on progress.
It was a really interesting video, as always ! I have lived 10 months in Japan, and I am currently studying in Osaka. I have seen a Japanese student give their seat to an injured student very recently, so those cases do happen. Moreover, most Japanese students I have interacted with also seemed really open-minded. However, it is probably because those students spoke English, so they were already more knowledgeable, and those that didn't seem interested in talking to foreigners. So while there are definitely problems in Japan, I would like to think not everyone is like that ! Concerning the student debt, I do not know if it is the same everywhere, but the university I am currently studying at is not that expensive compared to other countries. So while I believe the US also suffer from this type of problem, the situation doesn't seem to be as bad in Japan. Thank you very much as always !
I was on a train in Japan my first time visiting Japan in Tokyo and an elderly Japanese man fell on the ground on the train and I quickly tried to help him back up and also I did not see anyone help him so I was so sad for the cute elderly guy and I really felt sorry for him and I really tried to help him back up. I think if we can help people in public quietly without making many noise ....it is not interrupting the "harmony" and the Japanese can still help them without sticking out.
...a better place for Japanese lovers, yes, but also for your fellow Japanese citizens! I just finished watching a TV segment about young people gathering underneath Ebisu Bridge in Osaka. "グリ下", did you see that? Kids are spending entire evenings under the bridge basically until the police come. Reasons given are bad family life, parents beating them, etc. It would be better for Japanese citizens as a whole to actually look at problems to solve them, not just to benefit lovers of Japanese culture, but for the citizens too. I've been living in Osaka for a few years now, and I must say, my experience here has run the gamut. I've felt the coldness of people, yes, but I've also felt warmth and unconditional love. It sounds cheesy, but just hear me out. My host parents from when I was a college student, we kept in touch through the years, when I came, they helped me, they always invited me over, they were there at my wedding, for the birth of my children, they were basically like family. They have both passed away, but I still talk to my host siblings and host uncle. And I've felt care from people who aren't even related to me. I grew close to one of my landlords, he would take me with his friends to onsens and for izakayas, and even though I've moved away, we still meet from time to time for beer and dinner. The cleaning lady at our apartment complex says hi to me and my children every day in the morning. I must say that for all the coldness Japan has, there are still warm, loving people here. As always, GREAT video.
Your videos are so informative. So much about the reality of Japan is being discussed. Thanks! It’s really something that could change more, if the media takes a lead. Someone or something has to start the cycle of discovery and discussion.
To be fair to Japanese people, you're less likely to get help when you need it in a crowd. It's called "bystander effect", and it's universal, as far as I know. Studies were made, and the more ppl there is around, the more the reaction will be delayed, if there's any reaction at all. When responsibility is shared, ppl tend to rely on others to take action. But it could be worse in a collectivist society, indeed.
Came here to say this. It'd because when a lot of people are around, nobody feels like it is their responsibility to do anything. That is why, when you are in trouble in public, you shouldn't generally cry for help but point out one specific random person, make eye contact, and ask them to help you. That makes it their problem, and refusing you would make them look bad - even in societies that are much less concerned about their public image. (Greetings from Germany)
Bystander effect is a social global human "effect", not unique to Japan, thus, it cannot explain while e.g. people in Japan are seen steeping over a person on the street, and continue walking, or why they don't teach kids to donate money
Donations from Japan reached 440 billion yen during the earthquake disaster. Japanese people donate when there is an earthquake disaster. And in Japan, the welfare budget for foreigners is about the same as the budget for Japan's space program. Is Japan's space budget just too small?
@@Im-fq1mn The japanese space budget is funded through taxes. Therefore, is not something you can really avoid, while charity are voluntary donations from people.
@@martiddy Of course. Japan's space budget is Japanese taxpayers' money. And there is not much difference between the foreigners welfare budget (taxes) and the Japanese space budget (taxes). In your country, is there a big difference between the welfare budget for foreigners and the space budget? JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Budget 150 billion yen Budget for welfare for foreigners living in Japan 124 billion yen
Wow, I'm never this early! Thank you for your hard work making these videos for us, Shogo. I want to acclimate to and understand Japanese culture as much as possible so I can travel there comfortably.
Would have been best if both worlds' (individualism and collectivism) advantages were in place. Success (credit together) and failure as a group (while a failure isn't as severe like the 'West' where lessons are learnt etc unless of course the failure is due for example to sheer rashness or something like that), while supporting each other so decisions are 'democratic'. IMHO individualism and collectivism don't need to contradict each other. That's what I wish for society to be.
The first part appears to be a bit surprising to me. As I were in Japan very recently for the first time, and as a non Japanese speaker, an old Japanese man fell in front of us in one of the Tōkyō stations. It seemed like he slipped on the floor in front of an escalator while looking up to watch where he wanted to go on a screen. His head hit the ground quite hard and as we were on the dock trying to find our way we immediately stopped in front of him... But sadly we forgot that we weren't really able to communicate with him. The dock wasn't crowded at all at that time but soon a lot of people stopped, coming down from the same escalator he came from, and tried to help him, but he seemed to constantly refuse help, he was probably ashamed to have fallen so easily, and it seemed like he wanted to get up in his own. I wasn't surprised by his reaction at all. As soon as anyone was trying to touch him to help, he would react almost as offended, almost like "who do you think I am? I can get up by myself!" and constantly was pushing away helping hands. As we were not able to help anyone, we moved on. But people were definitely stopping to help!
Shogo--are you sure aome of this isn't more associated with the cities? I live in upstate New York , and the way people treat others/help others is so much better here than anything I have experienced when visiting New York CITY. People who live in the bigger cities in the US are often afraid to get >nvolved in the problems of others for fear of being bothered, attacked or being the victims of crime, etc. So they walk fast, staring straight ahead and ignoring others.
So what I take away from this is if you're a foreign tourist in Japan and you see someone having a medical emergency, take advantage of your out-group status to call the medical authorities if they haven't been already
Yes, cultural explanations do have their limits. Many such behaviours are observable in very big cities. Add to that the atomisation of society and general lower life security that consistently has been going on since the late 1980s, and you get these ludicrous situations where no one dares to go oit of their bubble.
I do wonder about the difference of helping others with regards to a large disaster. During the 2011 earthquake and tsunami of Tohoku, it felt like Japanese people were going above and beyond with the level of care and help. I remember it appearing that they were being very selflees in passing up help they would get leaving it to be available to individuals that were in more need of help. In that instance it appears that the collective society worked better to provide care for a large group that was struggling as a group. While here in the US I believe there would be individuals that would takes care of their own needs first and the needs of others second, regardless of the severity.
Of course that is human to take care of yourself 1st. But US is at top of helping others in the most charitable countries. That means that you do teach kids to help others in need
Whether help was given out of duty, societal pressure or out of the kindness of one's heart is ultimately not that big of a deal. Help was given to those who need it and that is the most important thing.
Shogo great video as always. I really want to write a novel one day that compares and contrasts Japan from other countries in terms of social dynamics. Your channel inspires me with every video to give me an idea as to how to portray the characters for the novel. Thank you as always and keep up the great work!
When I was a freshman at a collage, I just moved to Tokyo and one day I got lost with my friend. We tried to ask for a help but middle aged ladies who we talked to looked at us when we talked to them, didn't say anything, ignored us and just left. Then a police officer approached us and said that we shouldn't ask stranger's help, we must go to a police station not to scare people by "asking for a help". I was so shocked. It really depends on the city. I'm from Fukuoka, people are so much nicer compared to bigger cities.
There's some similar tendencies in Sweden but it's interesting how different the paths to get there were, here we actually had strong social movements that kind of built the system we have, but today there's more like "trusting that system" rather than trying to keep evolving it. There's very much that same kind of "our strong social welfare should sort it out" while being very unwilling to pitch in yourself, but maybe to a less extreme degree.
I am a foreigner living in Japan for many years. I think you are right in many ways. But I also feel that there are many different personalities in Japan like in any other countries. It is not that bad. Many people are genuinely nice too. Many people wish they could be warm hearted.
The way I think of things is that when you're talking about the people of a country as a whole, your talking about the entire range of experiences. When you say "Japanese people try not to get involved with other people" you're talking about the average of the distribution of experiences. Yes, you're less likely to find a Japanese person who is willing to get involved, but there are always exceptions.
Hi, as someone from the United States who plans on visiting Japan, I find your videos very helpful. This one is super interesting and informative. I admire your drive to get to the root of the problem in order to solve it. I feel this is the only way to truly fix any problem. Please stay driven and motivated to help preserve your culture. Thank you for your time.
its okay to be critical of your country especially since change is the only way to make it better than to stagnate. To bad we still have a giant side of the population that just screams to leave if you want anything to progress here in America.
Very interesting indeed, I'm pleased to see your very honest look at Japan and the world. Honesty and levelheaded reflection like this, is necessary to foster a healthy future.
11:00 Kind of like some people not feeling comfortable talking to friends and family about certain issues, but when they meet a total stranger, they just got to know 5 minutes ago, they will open up and tell things they'd never tell to someone they'd see again.
As a British person it's hard to wrap my head around this. They need to return a dropped wallet because they don't want to be seen as a bad person by others. But somehow it's fine to ignore a person who's collapsed on the floor, or be discourteous to a pregnant woman?! In the UK, if you didn't give up your priority seat to someone who clearly needed it, you would DEFINITELY be judged by everyone present. It's also pretty likely someone would directly confront you and possibly make a huge scene out of it... As for ignoring a person having a medical emergency. You'd just be considered a dickhead if you did that in the UK. And you would fully deserve that reputation. I guess it's because our culture puts emphasis on concepts like gentlemanliness and chivalry. Historically these are associated with the idea of a knight in shining armour. Helping the weak is considered one of the hallmarks of strength. Therefore not helping those in need seems pathetic and weak to us. Lacking in character and resolve. I guess it's different in Japan. I think that's a shame.
Same here in Poland, but ignoring someone who might be in a medical need (for example collapsing on the floor) is actually illegal. So you have to help if it doesn't put you and other people in any risk.
@@lunaria7843 Same here in France, there's an obligation by law to help people in need (for example, someone collapsing in the street). It's also quite common to have people with some training in basic help such as CPR and putting the person in a safety position and checking on them while waiting for medical help to arrive.
Coming from UK myself I've got to call BS on that. With the anti social behaviour on public transport giving up a priority seat doesn't happen late at night and helping strangers with health problems is problematic due to drug & alcohol advise as well as mental health issues. You try to help these individuals and they end up turning on you. There are areas in the UK where these social issues don't exist and it is perfectly safe to help others in need but it isn't helping the conversation to paint the picture of UK great, Japan bad.
@@catsandsound not sure if reply is aimed at me but a quick internet search highlights a survey done by the the British Heart Foundation a few years ago that highlighted almost a third wouldn't give CPR to a stranger and about 4% wouldn't phone 999. Another internet search gives various examples of abuse suffered by disabled people on British Public transport. I do remember reading about a disabled person who had suffered terrifying verbal abuse just for asking someone to vacate a priority seat. It isn't widespread but it does go against the rosy picture that the OP is painting of the UK.
26:25 This is just blatant hypocrisy. A LOT of us here in America are extremely vocal about “hating our country.” Everything down to politics, media, and entertainment, we just bash like the birthday piñata. But then, when someone from another culture from us starts to complain online about their circumstances, it’s not okay because that’s “hating your country?” That. . . Doesn’t seem very fair to me.
@@VariableZero You keep it very vague so I have no idea if you are for example for the Democrats or for the Republicans. So no, I do NOT have to read it again. If you want to engage you would have to actually clarify unless you do not wish to expose your stances on these topics.
@@page8301 What is being bashed it what is within our media today, or what used to be in it. We in America have been complaining nonstop about identity politics, the conflicts with gender and sexuality, and how that's being represented at large. Again, this could be a used to be thing.
20:40 There was something Jesus was quoted as saying, "Woe to you hypocrites! You clean the OUTSIDE of a container but INSIDE you are full of filth." Only caring about appearance is a very shallow way of thinking...we must get to the ROOT of our problems and not just the FRUIT of our problems.
Absolutely wonderfully articulated regarding your views about the necessity of social change in Japan! I would appreciate speaking to you one day when I return to my home in Tokyo. More live and active conversations and discourse around these topics would be great to see. Cheers.
Japanese were super kind to me :D I remember walking through Kyoto feeling somewhat lackluster and a Obaachan asking me whether I was okay? I told her that I’m fine and just a bit tired. She told me to wait and handed me a bag full of energy drinks and water… just like that I didn’t know her at all. Another time I got lost in Tokyo and a old guy led me to the hotel I was looking for. I lost my wallet at Tokyo station and didn’t notice and just as was about to step out of the station a Office Lady in high heels tapped me gently on the shoulder handing me my wallet. I felt so sorry and grateful to her. She was out of breath and it seemed like she ran after me in high heels. A scooter driver hit me because he didn’t see me and I fell pretty badly but he helped me pick up everything and was so worried and made sure I was okay. He still fled the in the end but not without making doubly sure that I was really okay (incredibly caring criminal :D One day I walked into Fukui police station mistaking it for a museum because there were a lot of motorbikes from different eras in the entrance and I wanted to take a closer look. Somehow I ended up with 20 policemen and women around me being worried that I needed help and they even got a translator for me (^-^;) I felt so bad for causing trouble but they were so sweet and caring. The motorbikes were great btw. I have countless stories like that despite only spending 6 month in total in Japan… Germany is much worse unless you run into people idolizing Asian people :D I love Japan and for a long time I’ve wanted to live there but had no real opportunity to do so. I wanted to be there and give some kind of hope to people around me :) Japan has given me so much, from my dearest friends (most of them are Japanese), inspiration, precious memories, hope and knowledge to just refreshing my soul and tastebuds :3
When you talk about collectivism I think of a Phase we heard all the time when I was growing up - “Lowest Common Denominator”. Usually it is about media. Things being dumbed down to that level. As a result, the truly great stuff that helps you grow and become better does not get made. If you play to the LCD then you can’t grow. I wonder is that is sorta what is happening to Japan
I’m really surprised that Nobita made this video, I’ve been a fan for a while but he’s always struck me as a Japanese apologist (glossing over or making excuses for the bad things about Japan culture), it’s nice to see him take a stark look at Japan like this.
I feel like he's made numerous videos talking about the negative sides of Japanese society such as why they have to act "normal" and absurd school rules that had harmed a student into not being able to exit her own home.
@@Abadonedaccount123 he has, but instead of pointing out how things should change, or what things can be done to fix them (like shogo does) he has a tendency to just shrug and say that’s just the way things are, it’s like saying “boys will be boys”
@@matthewterlaga3022 I don't think Shogo meant to shrug things off. It does look like he actually wants society to change and go to a positive direction. Japan society is an aged society so changes are hard and very slow so the act of changing how society is currently will take a very long time which is probably why it feels like he's shrugging it off. Actively making these videos about issues in Japan is his way of educating others and also spreading awareness which is the best he can do.
Not necessarily not wanting to help, but more likely unable to. People don't want to help if there expertise isn't within reach of the situation. Making the situation worst is just as that. In Nobitas situation with his Grandma, it was a medical situation. Most people would call help but actually helping the situation might make it worst. For the victim or the individual.
Great video Shogo ! 👏 I found myself saying "Yes, Yes, Yes" out loud as you suggested the changes needed in Japanese Society, really spot on. Same thing I've been thinking since in arrived in Japan in 1999, and it seems Japan has hardly changed at all since that era...
I applaud your perspective! You are not being negative,you are being realistic and I think that you truly do have the best interests of Japanese people at heart. There are many wonderful things about Japan but like any country, only looking at the positives allows the negative aspects to be unaddressed. I look forward to your continuing videos. ATB
I honestly could say that you brought so much light to better understand Japanese culture and take them as they are rather than to judge book by it's cover,was always fascinated with Japanese tradition and history but humanity code vibe always puzzled me,thank you
I'm surprised to hear about your wife's experience with priority seating. I've heard so many people have totaly oposite experiences. Where people woukd knave them open even when the train has a lot of people. But like most things people's experiences are always different.
I think this is true in the West as well - too many people thinking "well, it's someone else's problem, not mine" or "well, the government should handle this, I can't really do anything" or "corporations are at fault - I won't make a dent" too much apathy for the people around us in the ways that matter when we're at a time in history when I think it's more important than ever to stand together.
Being Canadian I've found your videos on Japanese culture both informative and entertaining. After watching this video it's not really a surprise to see the reaction to the homeless situation seeing that it's like that in Canada, nobody wants to be involved. Socially we hide in our community and only deal with those involved in our daily lives, get your morning coffee, Mc D's for lunch, grab a pizza for home. We see homeless people but we don't see them for who they are, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, it could be your best friend from school or a person who had an impact in your life. Even something as simple as a bowl of rice can make a difference in their lives, hopefully someone watching this video has started to make an extra bowl for that homeless person around the corner. Remember to treat those as you wish to be treated 🐇
Thank you for standing out for Japan, Shogo. You and your team are the beginning of great changes. The world truly loves Japan - what we do need is Japanese people love their own country as well, being themselves the change it needs. Maybe your video shown us a true cry for help. 🇧🇷♥️🇯🇵
Japan deffinitely needs to get the younger generation more involved in politics because young people will bring reform and change. The economic situation is looking dire however I belive that it is bound to get better in 10 or 15 years, since there might be less elders that the nation needs to support. Also, I think that in the following years, Japan should once more just copy approaches that work in the West or elsewhere, in order to quickly reform. I firmly believe that Japan has what it takes to overcome those societal and economic problems. People just have to be open to a little bit of change, that's it. P. S. I really love your videos about japanese society and culture! Greetings from Czechia 🇨🇿 がんばって👍🇯🇵
I have a question. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️ Do you think this is more of a big city phenomenon, or does it happen all across Japan? Because here in the US, I feel like people in big cities are more calloused, and people in smaller towns are more kind (this is a generalization).
I guess it's not any different anywhere on this planet, we're all just creatures with primal instincts, medieval mindsets but at the same time we're surrounded by modern technology... We really need to question the status quo more often, it's not gonna help anybody if we all suck it up and ignore these glaring issues. Hopefully it gets better as time passes.
I very much like this video. Getting some clarification regarding Japanese people's indifference towards people in need of assistance of any kind is much needed. It doesn't make it better but it helps.
I think it depends on the person. I saw a vlog of a single father which currently based in Japan right now. He was helping the old japanese lady that has dropped all his groceries when others just look. And you know what,the old lady asked him of he's a japanese. And he replied no i'm a filipino and we don't hesitate to help people who needs help. The older woman was grateful and she even tried to gave him money but he didn't accept it because he was helping him without asking anything in return. I don't think helping others is a pessimistic thing to do because everyone does struggle and what's happening in Japan now is making me sad. I hope the younger generation will stood up for what is right and not followed what the society is telling them to do.
Shogo makes the best content man. Are you a philosopher or have a degree in the humanities? I think you've got a great perspective and high critical thinking skills
That's crazy. It makes sense why one of the old names for Japan is 和 , which I believe could also be interpreted as "harmony" or "whole." I think that in a deeper sense, the Japanese value harmony so much that they could really only give themselves that name.
Interesting! Particularly the last few comments about the Japanese inability to communicate effectively. I note that the themes of many Japanese series and anime are focused on communication and its importance. You and Nobita have clarified why this is the case. Thank you.
And we do have something that resembles Japans problem in one way: Hidden poverty. People feel ashamed of being poor because they feel guilty for being poor. Do you have hidden poverty in Japan as well?
About the grandma story: even with people who do care, there's a phenomenon called the bystander effect, which to my understanding is the lack of helping someone in need due to the assumption that an authoritative person will help, so the person will get help, so you don't need to help them for that person to be fine. It's a natural response of most people. Check out Vsauce's video for a recorded experiment for more information if you're interested.
Shogo, your love for the homeland is without question. Your closing words said it best, the root of the issues must be improved. Rather than harmony, collective conformity is utmost in Japanese society, which has prevented the crowded nation of islands from falling into chaos. When I last visited Japan, my mother made a list for me to follow (i.e. "stay quiet"), so that I would fit in, and more importantly not humiliate her. Improving things will definitely take time, likely years, but the struggle must continue for the sole reason of prospering in the modern world. The physicist Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.” Overcoming fear and shame would be necessary to even begin testing different solutions. With the majority of youth in Japan not forecasting a prosperous future, and current adult workers adopting a "let's be unhappy together" position, that is certainly not moving in the direction of a utopia. In my youth, I learned the 40 throwing techniques of Kodokan Judo, some Japanese language and writing, and how to fold origami animals. Japanese arts are indeed enjoyable. I have toured some beautiful sites in Japan and collected pictures. However, through watching your channel and others, it is clear that Japanese government and society move very slowly, even when problems need to be solved. I am glad that you are a voice for change. More importantly, such changes would be properly wrapped in Japanese culture.
Hopefully Shugo and Nobita along with the other RUclipsrs will reach the youth of nation to improve the social aspect. It is a monumental challenge to make changes.
You had a subtitle about needing innovation from young people. The top down control system inherited from the Samurai era and senpai/kouhai relationships entrench old ideas and actively discourage innovation. When I worked in Japan I felt really stifled by the management in terms of innovation. Japan needs to somehow break out of the top-down approach and leverage the ideas of younger people without stealing them and presenting them as your own. But also, Japanese people need to somehow become more active in demanding better pay and conditions. An exception seems to be some small country villages where people have collaborated to keep the village growing and progressing. Some of these villages have accepted outsiders and their ideas to help the villages from dying. Other villages have refused to change and died as the population aged.
@6:31, I have had similar experiences when I was in Japan. The first one, the station personnel assisted me (his job), and the second one I helped myself (😆). I also saw something similar in a Japanese show, a heavily pregnant lady collapsed - one nice lady helped the pregnant Japanese lady in the show. However, many folk just walked past her. I will never forget these experiences. I will still visit Japan and live there again, but no rose tinted glasses over here! Let’s hope better (if needed or wanted) for the new generation ね~
We help those who stumble because attrition is the death of society. We all fall down. Sometimes we need help back up. When we sacrifice for each other, we are stronger.
I used to live in Japan and I can relate to pretty much every video you make. Congratulations for taking a stand, for learning how to speak up and create healthy debates and meaningful conversation without the hypocrisy that usually accompanies topics like that when you try and talk about them in Japan. I suffered too much because of my outspoken and truthful character that stands up to wrongdoing and injustice and I had to endure terrible and humiliating behaviours while living there. Back then helpful videos like yours didn't exist. Looking back now, I never stood a chance in a collectivist society, but I had to learn that through experience. Either way, excellent content, I've been watching you for years. Keep it up!
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I understand where you getting at it's because of what was rooted ancient thousands of years ago what is deeply rooted and passed into modern times and all do honesty it should have changed that particular system that should not have been passed on into the present
Can you do a comparison between English and Japanese cultures?
@@matthewmorrisdon5491 I would enjoy a video like that myself, but I think, Shogo described the main differences in his other Videos.
@@doktoruecker England is unique in that it has the same miserable together idea.
Well, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a right-wing to far-right conservative-nationalist political party that, since the 1950s (except for the 1993, and the 2009 elections), has won every single legislative election in Japan, will only perpetuate the status-quo (after all, it/LDP is a conservative-nationalist political party)!
"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth." is my favorite proverb. Time and time again.
Ooo that's chill inducing. Really excellent. Do you remember where you heard it from?
As someone who the village didn't embrace, I've yet to burn down anything, I'm calling it a win.
If the child lives long enough. Again. Big if.
It's very similar to the "Ubuntu" principle in African tribal culture. If one isn't happy then the group isn't happy. By always watching over each other the tribe grows stronger and is safer from it.
Allucinator. What culture is that saying from?
If one really loves a country, whether his own or another of close interest, criticism of that country with the objective to make it more wholesome is an expression of best wishes, not contempt.
I like how open-minded you are, compared to others (vast majority of humans in any country) who only have certain beliefs and refuse to even consider other possibilities. You take everything into account, research a lot about all topics you speak about, take both popular and unpopular opinions, and are a great source of information. Thank you for such informative videos
I’m Japanese. I was raised in Japan. This is the most honest video I ever seen! This is the reality of Japan. That’s another reason why the suicide rate in Japan is very high.
i find it really interesting. on one, history itself reflects the current state of many countries. europe is much more individualistic, but also was never isolated, there wasnt a single time were europe wasnt changing in some way. japan is isolated alone through the fact that it is an island. japan is exelent when it comes to the group. things that benefit everyone equally work great and usually are a role model for the rest of the world. ( train systems, public transport, availability of goods etc). i mean here in germany a train is considered "on time" even if it is 5 minutes late. However i do find that especially the social side is one of the weakest in japan. the reason i imagine that torists get more help is because usually, toursits are rich enough to support their own and only ever need smaller favors, and since tourists arent part of the "group", every negativity will reflect on all of japan.
I think it is more Christendom.
Come on, don't even get me started on the trains here in Czechia XDD
On the other hand, the trains are gettin more and more punctual here too, it's no longer a rule that a train is late, now it's hardly ever late.
Ich begrüße Sie von Tschechien! 🇨🇿🇩🇪
@@matthewmorrisdon5491 Nah, Judaism
@@ls200076 Judaism would be very similar to Shintoism in many ways If practiced there without knowing what it was.
@@matthewmorrisdon5491 I don't think Christianity is the reason that people are altruistic, because 7 of the top 10 most charitable countries does not have a Christian majority group. Also, altruism already existed way before Christianity was even a thing.
Japanese friend of mine is in financial trouble because she trusted one of her friends with her creditcard. Now she's been working dead-end jobs for over half a decade, 80+ hours a week, often even more, for at best 15万円 a month, often way less. Unable to enjoy anything without relying on others.
Here in the Netherlands we have laws to prevent exploitative employment practices, subsidies and benefits to help the lower wage class to bridge the gaps between employment and debt restructuring programs to get people out of debt. I would assume as a modern nation, Japan would have similar systems in place, but she doesn't even look into the rights for benefits and laws that may end her struggle with debt and predatory employers.
It seems Japanese aren't even willing to help themselves, scared people might judge them as dependent and weak.
Aren't there any social workers in Japan to help these people?
Lawyers to defend these people?
Any system at all for the help they need?
No. There is not.
Maybe they do have those kind of laws of Japan, but I think the real problem is that the large majority of people are unaware of their own legal rights related to their job, especially because most companies don't even bother to tell them their laboral rights, so they can make more money that way.
80 hours 15万円 ? she should find better jobs.
One of the lessons I've learned from one of my favourite teachers while I was about six or seven was that there was two forms of criticism: destructive and constructive.
Destructive criticism is an attack, meant to tear down another's confidence ('This is the worst thing I've ever seen!' for example).
Constructive criticism points out the problem to allow for improvement, and offering ways to do so.
Any kind of criticism that you had about the problems facing Japan, Shogo, was definitely constructive.
It shows real love for your home country that you want to show how it can become better, not just for the individual but for the greater community at large.
In a way, claiming that your constructive criticism as disliking your country is an example of the problem that Nobita's video/your reaction to his video was pointing out. Don't stick out, don't point out society's problems, don't rock the boat.
I've ran into a similar problem. When my home town had the most rainfall in North America in one day (for the year that it happened), thanks to a waterspout that travelled overland and dispersed overhead, I've noticed the basement was starting to flood. My house was close to the highest point in the town, but the sump pump was old and didn't work anymore.
I tried to tell my father when he returned home for lunch, but he wouldn't believe me, and he wouldn't at least take a look. My cousin, who was visiting me at the time laughed at me as I was using a bucket to try to take out as much water from the basement as I could. If my father thought it wasn't a big deal, why should he?
It wasn't until my mother and sister returned home from camping did I get help with the basement. Together we set up dehumidifiers (which we had to put on the basement bar to keep them (and their cords above water) and worked to clear the water. My father returned from work and got to see first hand how things turned out.
Had my father listened to/believed me in the first place, a lot of what was stored down there, let alone the bedrooms on the other end of the basement would have been spared the water damage the flood caused. While I could only do so much, if I just kept my head down and didn't try to do anything, things would have been worse.
Thank you for this video. It helped me to understand the Japanese people and culture a little better. The priority on harmony and not standing out helps to explain Hikikomori and the high suicide rate.
Indeed, I cannot even imagine to live in such a society, in which it seems that people choose to ignore you, on purpose?
Suicide rates by country in 2016 ( per 100 000 people ) WHO data
rank03 RUSSIA
rank10 SOUTH KOREA
rank22 Belgium
rank30 JAPAN
rank32 SWEDEN
rank 34 USA
@@Im-fq1mn You've posted old info. World Population Review places Japan outside the top 10, it's still the leading cause of death in men between 20-44, amd women between 15-34. Given the size and the aging of Japan's population that is still pretty high.
Read the 2021 data from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
I want to take this time to thank Shogo for following his dreams, because by following his dreams, we get the best Japanese culture content on youtube, in English! I wish I could subscribe a million more times to promote this channel!
In the former Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation, many older people sell little bits of veg and fruit they grow on small plots of land or their balconies. Or they sell cigarettes and matches. Maybe even handknitted socks, hats, gloves, and scarves. They sell these things at Metro stations and outside bazaars. The average person makes a special point of finding something to buy from them. The Soviets understand the money older people receive from the government is not enough to live on.
Honestly wonder: is there a lot of difference between rural and urban Japan? For example, would people also ignore someone in need (fainting or in pain), if it happened in a small town or village?
Large cities do tend to have the effect of 'mind your own business' being more of a default, and callousness can be found in many because of it. Some people even assume city folks are mean or don't say hi to you much on the street (Cause if you did who'd get anything done all day,) but if you add social conformism to the mix in any given neighborhood or situation, the more likely you'll hear stories of no one wanting to be the one that steps up/expecting there should be police or other services nearby, etc. Especially if you have lots of people on the clock for something else thinking someone else will surely be less inhibited.
@@OllamhDrab I'd disagree. Altho people may have a callousness about them in large cities there's a reason homeless ppl find solace in those communities. Most community resources are in larger cities. So I'd argue there is actually quite a bit of care for others in larger cities. Also, rural cities sometimes can be just as callous because they don't know you and know everyone in the town. And yet they may gather resources togrther to help someone they KNOW. So idk if that line of thinking adds up. That urban places are less willing to help and rural more willing. I've lived in both.
@@wnterbird2976 True, though I was talking more about personal behavior/leaving people lying on the street or something in an emegency. (Which is hardly a constant, really, ) Cities usually are indeed where the official resources are, of course. In the US, conservatives make great sport of driving out, even shipping out, homeless people to other, more caring states and cities, and then say, "See how bad it is in those liberal places!"
(Frankly, I've been homeless in both kinds of places in the past, as well as a general do-gooding type, though, and quite often *inhibition* is a big factor when it comes to emergencies in dense areas, or sometimes any given crowd. Sometimes people seem callous or like they're just standing and staring when they really just don't know what to do, or feel confident doing it, but if *you* step up and know what you're doing, others may well come forward, or respond when you say, "OK, you and you, call 911, tell them this, go together." (This was more back in the pre-everyone has phone in pocket days) ...but there's social inertia, especially in cities where someone might take a dive for dishonest reasons or who knows what trouble's going on behind something.
That's even in America, far from a 'collectivist' society by Shogo's terms. Most people tend to be bystanders. Their version of 'bystander' tends to be 'pretend to not notice,' more often, is all.
The part about the bus is interesting to me. In the U.S. or at least where I live many young people will take the front seats that belong to pregnant/ elderly/disabled people just like how you described Japanese people might. They won't care. However, what often happens is on a full bus someone will eventually speak up (Usually a male) and yell that they need to give up their seat. After one person speaks out others then will. The healthy young person is embarrassed out of their seat by the other passengers on the bus. I have also seen where bus drivers get involved and tell someone they need to get up for the person in need of the seat or get off their bus.
Really? Here in Turkey it's mandatory you give your seat to elderly or pregnant people if there is no other seat. No one would think twice about it.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 some people here, America, would willingly give up their seats, and others will not. Depends on the person. If someone says something to the person, then most will give up their seats, but a few still won't do it.
From what I understand crime isn't actually low in Japan, in reality police are very choosy about what cases they take so that they can keep their close rates on cases high and make it look like their policing is effective.
I've heard something like that, too, that prosecutors only press cases that they're reasonably certain they can win, so that by "cherry-picking" that way, they can have a high conviction rate. I'm open to correction on that. of course.
That and the same social problems described in this video serve to discourage victims from coming forward/pressing charges.
The thing about Japan's 100% crime rate is that when prosecutors lock on a potential suspect, they pressure that person to confess, even if the person maybe innocent of the convicted crime.
I can promise you that Japan has a much, much lower crime rate than America and it's much safer all around. I'm in Japan now.
sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory
I have a story like that too. When we were travelling in Japan, I believe we were still somewhere in Tokyo, we were walking down the stairs in a station and I noticed an elderly couple going up the stairs. The man clearly had trouble climbing the stairs, using the rail to hoist himself up and the woman was trying her best to support him, but she looked on the frailer side as well and she managed only just. I imagined them tumbling down the stairs together and just couldn't accept that. I asked my husband to help them, since he's a sturdy man. I tried explaining in what little Japanese I knew that we were trying to help and although she looked greatful I felt a lot of apprehension too (obviously, because we were a couple of foreigners going out of our way to help them). When reaching upstairs, the man just collapsed on the ground, couldn't stand anymore. Then some Japanese people finally came up and tried intermediating. I instructed my husband to show the others the red cross card he always carries with him and they backed off a bit, understanding we were helping (and knew how to do it). In the end, a station manager came up with a wheelchair and we left them. I just couldn't understand that no one would help these people clearly in need. I'm still happy we helped when we did, as I'm convinced they would not have made it otherwise.
Thank you Shogo for another insightful and informative video about Japanese culture. I've never seen you as hateful of Japan, but as critical of your country. I believe all citizens of any country should speak out about bad things going on in your country to try to make things better. I myself really didn't know that your culture has so many problems like we have in the US. Thanks again, I always find your videos so informative and interesting. Please continue your work and my best wishes to you, your family, and friends.
Shogo, the word i would describe my first impression of japanese people when i landed in OSAKA and KYOTO is “STOIC” and “GUARDED”
You're absolutely mandatory to my studies of Japan I cannot read well for a disability your videos are absolutely essential to my personal education of Japanese culture
Its not only Japan, but its everywhere its need to be understood that "Be the change you want to see in the world".
I'm so glad there is japanese people who is so open minded like you and realizing the truth or real problems.
It is the mindset of most Islanders not just Japan. Collectivism come because of safety reasons. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Floods , etc.. happen in many island lifestyles.
'The first step towards solving a problem is admitting you have a problem'. You are doing your country a great service by making these problems known.
Letting a problem fester while you try to ignore it will only result in the problem being much worse and harder to solve once it becomes too big to ignore.
Thank you Shogo, once again, I love how you do this. I know Nobita's work as well and love him too.
I find it "interesting" that people wonder how you can love your culture when you point out its faults. I love your pride in your culture - we all should be proud of where we come from and what made us. But I strongly believe that you cannot love anything if you blind yourself to its faults - and that applies to people too. If you love a thing you always want the best for it - and the best means you want it to be the best that it can be - so, to become strong and resilient, able to thrive and protect the things which are important. Japan seems to be some way from that position at this point - but in fact this is a constant battle everywhere and seems to be getting worse every year. It's people like you who speak out, and are prepared to stand out and - yes - be criticised, who can make change, but perhaps Japan needs this to happen very slowly so that people can learn to do the same. I suspect that the kind of change you need to see will only happen by tiny increments.
My mother and sister told me that their body don't move when they encounter such situation (someone collapsing in public). They can't react even if they are nice people, just because they are not used to approach 'strangers' ..😣
But once the first person react, many Japanese people corporate and help each other.
I can see there are potential strengths of this type of collectivism, but seems the big legacy companies that churned out salaryman positions have been violating their side of the social contract the collectivism requires. The employee is still expected to act from a position of self sacrifice to the company, but the company is not taking care of the employee's peripheral needs like it once did. It seems that this breakdown started in the last 30 years...
I once dreamed of moving to japan. I started learning japanese. Then i got older and more interested in fixing my world view to be realistic.
Mentally ill since early childhood, i started to look into the life of mentally ill people in japan. And promptly decided stay in germany where people t least try to fix corrupt politics.
The "shouganai"prblem, how gaijin goombah calls it, is the biggest dampener on progress.
It was a really interesting video, as always !
I have lived 10 months in Japan, and I am currently studying in Osaka.
I have seen a Japanese student give their seat to an injured student very recently, so those cases do happen.
Moreover, most Japanese students I have interacted with also seemed really open-minded. However, it is probably because those students spoke English, so they were already more knowledgeable, and those that didn't seem interested in talking to foreigners.
So while there are definitely problems in Japan, I would like to think not everyone is like that !
Concerning the student debt, I do not know if it is the same everywhere, but the university I am currently studying at is not that expensive compared to other countries. So while I believe the US also suffer from this type of problem, the situation doesn't seem to be as bad in Japan.
Thank you very much as always !
I was on a train in Japan my first time visiting Japan in Tokyo and an elderly Japanese man fell on the ground on the train and I quickly tried to help him back up and also I did not see anyone help him so I was so sad for the cute elderly guy and I really felt sorry for him and I really tried to help him back up. I think if we can help people in public quietly without making many noise ....it is not interrupting the "harmony" and the Japanese can still help them without sticking out.
...a better place for Japanese lovers, yes, but also for your fellow Japanese citizens! I just finished watching a TV segment about young people gathering underneath Ebisu Bridge in Osaka. "グリ下", did you see that? Kids are spending entire evenings under the bridge basically until the police come. Reasons given are bad family life, parents beating them, etc. It would be better for Japanese citizens as a whole to actually look at problems to solve them, not just to benefit lovers of Japanese culture, but for the citizens too.
I've been living in Osaka for a few years now, and I must say, my experience here has run the gamut. I've felt the coldness of people, yes, but I've also felt warmth and unconditional love. It sounds cheesy, but just hear me out. My host parents from when I was a college student, we kept in touch through the years, when I came, they helped me, they always invited me over, they were there at my wedding, for the birth of my children, they were basically like family. They have both passed away, but I still talk to my host siblings and host uncle.
And I've felt care from people who aren't even related to me. I grew close to one of my landlords, he would take me with his friends to onsens and for izakayas, and even though I've moved away, we still meet from time to time for beer and dinner. The cleaning lady at our apartment complex says hi to me and my children every day in the morning. I must say that for all the coldness Japan has, there are still warm, loving people here.
As always, GREAT video.
Your videos are so informative. So much about the reality of Japan is being discussed. Thanks!
It’s really something that could change more, if the media takes a lead. Someone or something has to start the cycle of discovery and discussion.
This video is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this information with your audience.
To be fair to Japanese people, you're less likely to get help when you need it in a crowd. It's called "bystander effect", and it's universal, as far as I know. Studies were made, and the more ppl there is around, the more the reaction will be delayed, if there's any reaction at all. When responsibility is shared, ppl tend to rely on others to take action. But it could be worse in a collectivist society, indeed.
Came here to say this. It'd because when a lot of people are around, nobody feels like it is their responsibility to do anything. That is why, when you are in trouble in public, you shouldn't generally cry for help but point out one specific random person, make eye contact, and ask them to help you. That makes it their problem, and refusing you would make them look bad - even in societies that are much less concerned about their public image. (Greetings from Germany)
Bystander effect is a social global human "effect", not unique to Japan, thus, it cannot explain while e.g. people in Japan are seen steeping over a person on the street, and continue walking, or why they don't teach kids to donate money
Donations from Japan reached 440 billion yen during the earthquake disaster.
Japanese people donate when there is an earthquake disaster.
And in Japan, the welfare budget for foreigners is about the same as the budget for Japan's space program.
Is Japan's space budget just too small?
@@Im-fq1mn The japanese space budget is funded through taxes. Therefore, is not something you can really avoid, while charity are voluntary donations from people.
@@martiddy
Of course. Japan's space budget is Japanese taxpayers' money.
And there is not much difference between the foreigners welfare budget (taxes) and the Japanese space budget (taxes).
In your country, is there a big difference between the welfare budget for foreigners and the space budget?
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Budget
150 billion yen
Budget for welfare for foreigners living in Japan
124 billion yen
Wow, I'm never this early!
Thank you for your hard work making these videos for us, Shogo. I want to acclimate to and understand Japanese culture as much as possible so I can travel there comfortably.
Would have been best if both worlds' (individualism and collectivism) advantages were in place. Success (credit together) and failure as a group (while a failure isn't as severe like the 'West' where lessons are learnt etc unless of course the failure is due for example to sheer rashness or something like that), while supporting each other so decisions are 'democratic'. IMHO individualism and collectivism don't need to contradict each other. That's what I wish for society to be.
The first part appears to be a bit surprising to me.
As I were in Japan very recently for the first time, and as a non Japanese speaker, an old Japanese man fell in front of us in one of the Tōkyō stations.
It seemed like he slipped on the floor in front of an escalator while looking up to watch where he wanted to go on a screen.
His head hit the ground quite hard and as we were on the dock trying to find our way we immediately stopped in front of him...
But sadly we forgot that we weren't really able to communicate with him.
The dock wasn't crowded at all at that time but soon a lot of people stopped, coming down from the same escalator he came from, and tried to help him, but he seemed to constantly refuse help, he was probably ashamed to have fallen so easily, and it seemed like he wanted to get up in his own.
I wasn't surprised by his reaction at all.
As soon as anyone was trying to touch him to help, he would react almost as offended, almost like "who do you think I am? I can get up by myself!" and constantly was pushing away helping hands.
As we were not able to help anyone, we moved on.
But people were definitely stopping to help!
Shogo--are you sure aome of this isn't more associated with the cities? I live in upstate New York , and the way people treat others/help others is so much better here than anything I have experienced when visiting New York CITY.
People who live in the bigger cities in the US are often afraid to get >nvolved in the problems of others for fear of being bothered, attacked or being the victims of crime, etc. So they walk fast, staring straight ahead and ignoring others.
So what I take away from this is if you're a foreign tourist in Japan and you see someone having a medical emergency, take advantage of your out-group status to call the medical authorities if they haven't been already
Yes, cultural explanations do have their limits. Many such behaviours are observable in very big cities. Add to that the atomisation of society and general lower life security that consistently has been going on since the late 1980s, and you get these ludicrous situations where no one dares to go oit of their bubble.
I do wonder about the difference of helping others with regards to a large disaster. During the 2011 earthquake and tsunami of Tohoku, it felt like Japanese people were going above and beyond with the level of care and help. I remember it appearing that they were being very selflees in passing up help they would get leaving it to be available to individuals that were in more need of help. In that instance it appears that the collective society worked better to provide care for a large group that was struggling as a group. While here in the US I believe there would be individuals that would takes care of their own needs first and the needs of others second, regardless of the severity.
Of course that is human to take care of yourself 1st. But US is at top of helping others in the most charitable countries. That means that you do teach kids to help others in need
Whether help was given out of duty, societal pressure or out of the kindness of one's heart is ultimately not that big of a deal. Help was given to those who need it and that is the most important thing.
Shogo great video as always. I really want to write a novel one day that compares and contrasts Japan from other countries in terms of social dynamics. Your channel inspires me with every video to give me an idea as to how to portray the characters for the novel. Thank you as always and keep up the great work!
I love seeing content creators build off each other in such a positive way!
Great vid. I love that you keep it real with people on this channel.
When I was a freshman at a collage, I just moved to Tokyo and one day I got lost with my friend. We tried to ask for a help but middle aged ladies who we talked to looked at us when we talked to them, didn't say anything, ignored us and just left. Then a police officer approached us and said that we shouldn't ask stranger's help, we must go to a police station not to scare people by "asking for a help". I was so shocked. It really depends on the city. I'm from Fukuoka, people are so much nicer compared to bigger cities.
There's some similar tendencies in Sweden but it's interesting how different the paths to get there were, here we actually had strong social movements that kind of built the system we have, but today there's more like "trusting that system" rather than trying to keep evolving it. There's very much that same kind of "our strong social welfare should sort it out" while being very unwilling to pitch in yourself, but maybe to a less extreme degree.
I am a foreigner living in Japan for many years. I think you are right in many ways. But I also feel that there are many different personalities in Japan like in any other countries. It is not that bad. Many people are genuinely nice too. Many people wish they could be warm hearted.
The way I think of things is that when you're talking about the people of a country as a whole, your talking about the entire range of experiences. When you say "Japanese people try not to get involved with other people" you're talking about the average of the distribution of experiences. Yes, you're less likely to find a Japanese person who is willing to get involved, but there are always exceptions.
yeah this kind of goes without saying though..........unless he said " no japanese person will get involved" what you are saying is implied my guy
Genius! Thanks for saying no one would ever have known. I hope we have more people like u.
Hi, as someone from the United States who plans on visiting Japan, I find your videos very helpful. This one is super interesting and informative. I admire your drive to get to the root of the problem in order to solve it. I feel this is the only way to truly fix any problem. Please stay driven and motivated to help preserve your culture. Thank you for your time.
its okay to be critical of your country especially since change is the only way to make it better than to stagnate. To bad we still have a giant side of the population that just screams to leave if you want anything to progress here in America.
Very interesting indeed, I'm pleased to see your very honest look at Japan and the world.
Honesty and levelheaded reflection like this, is necessary to foster a healthy future.
I recently left Chiba after living there for like 6 years, all the Chiba Station area shots were suuuuuper nostalgic.
11:00 Kind of like some people not feeling comfortable talking to friends and family about certain issues,
but when they meet a total stranger, they just got to know 5 minutes ago,
they will open up and tell things they'd never tell to someone they'd see again.
As a British person it's hard to wrap my head around this. They need to return a dropped wallet because they don't want to be seen as a bad person by others. But somehow it's fine to ignore a person who's collapsed on the floor, or be discourteous to a pregnant woman?!
In the UK, if you didn't give up your priority seat to someone who clearly needed it, you would DEFINITELY be judged by everyone present. It's also pretty likely someone would directly confront you and possibly make a huge scene out of it...
As for ignoring a person having a medical emergency. You'd just be considered a dickhead if you did that in the UK. And you would fully deserve that reputation.
I guess it's because our culture puts emphasis on concepts like gentlemanliness and chivalry. Historically these are associated with the idea of a knight in shining armour. Helping the weak is considered one of the hallmarks of strength. Therefore not helping those in need seems pathetic and weak to us. Lacking in character and resolve.
I guess it's different in Japan. I think that's a shame.
Same here in Poland, but ignoring someone who might be in a medical need (for example collapsing on the floor) is actually illegal. So you have to help if it doesn't put you and other people in any risk.
@@lunaria7843 Same here in France, there's an obligation by law to help people in need (for example, someone collapsing in the street). It's also quite common to have people with some training in basic help such as CPR and putting the person in a safety position and checking on them while waiting for medical help to arrive.
Coming from UK myself I've got to call BS on that.
With the anti social behaviour on public transport giving up a priority seat doesn't happen late at night and helping strangers with health problems is problematic due to drug & alcohol advise as well as mental health issues. You try to help these individuals and they end up turning on you.
There are areas in the UK where these social issues don't exist and it is perfectly safe to help others in need but it isn't helping the conversation to paint the picture of UK great, Japan bad.
Sorry, have to disagree on this, coming from England.
@@catsandsound not sure if reply is aimed at me but a quick internet search highlights a survey done by the the British Heart Foundation a few years ago that highlighted almost a third wouldn't give CPR to a stranger and about 4% wouldn't phone 999.
Another internet search gives various examples of abuse suffered by disabled people on British Public transport. I do remember reading about a disabled person who had suffered terrifying verbal abuse just for asking someone to vacate a priority seat.
It isn't widespread but it does go against the rosy picture that the OP is painting of the UK.
26:25 This is just blatant hypocrisy. A LOT of us here in America are extremely vocal about “hating our country.” Everything down to politics, media, and entertainment, we just bash like the birthday piñata. But then, when someone from another culture from us starts to complain online about their circumstances, it’s not okay because that’s “hating your country?” That. . . Doesn’t seem very fair to me.
What exactly is being bashed?
@@page8301 Please read it again.
@@VariableZero You keep it very vague so I have no idea if you are for example for the Democrats or for the Republicans. So no, I do NOT have to read it again. If you want to engage you would have to actually clarify unless you do not wish to expose your stances on these topics.
@@page8301 What is being bashed it what is within our media today, or what used to be in it. We in America have been complaining nonstop about identity politics, the conflicts with gender and sexuality, and how that's being represented at large. Again, this could be a used to be thing.
20:40 There was something Jesus was quoted as saying, "Woe to you hypocrites! You clean the OUTSIDE of a container but INSIDE you are full of filth." Only caring about appearance is a very shallow way of thinking...we must get to the ROOT of our problems and not just the FRUIT of our problems.
Seems to me, Shogo, that you are one of the people challenging collectivism. I am very grateful for the deeper look at Social problems.
Absolutely wonderfully articulated regarding your views about the necessity of social change in Japan! I would appreciate speaking to you one day when I return to my home in Tokyo. More live and active conversations and discourse around these topics would be great to see. Cheers.
Japanese were super kind to me :D I remember walking through Kyoto feeling somewhat lackluster and a Obaachan asking me whether I was okay? I told her that I’m fine and just a bit tired. She told me to wait and handed me a bag full of energy drinks and water… just like that I didn’t know her at all.
Another time I got lost in Tokyo and a old guy led me to the hotel I was looking for. I lost my wallet at Tokyo station and didn’t notice and just as was about to step out of the station a Office Lady in high heels tapped me gently on the shoulder handing me my wallet. I felt so sorry and grateful to her. She was out of breath and it seemed like she ran after me in high heels.
A scooter driver hit me because he didn’t see me and I fell pretty badly but he helped me pick up everything and was so worried and made sure I was okay. He still fled the in the end but not without making doubly sure that I was really okay (incredibly caring criminal :D
One day I walked into Fukui police station mistaking it for a museum because there were a lot of motorbikes from different eras in the entrance and I wanted to take a closer look. Somehow I ended up with 20 policemen and women around me being worried that I needed help and they even got a translator for me (^-^;) I felt so bad for causing trouble but they were so sweet and caring. The motorbikes were great btw.
I have countless stories like that despite only spending 6 month in total in Japan…
Germany is much worse unless you run into people idolizing Asian people :D
I love Japan and for a long time I’ve wanted to live there but had no real opportunity to do so. I wanted to be there and give some kind of hope to people around me :)
Japan has given me so much, from my dearest friends (most of them are Japanese), inspiration, precious memories, hope and knowledge to just refreshing my soul and tastebuds :3
When you talk about collectivism I think of a Phase we heard all the time when I was growing up - “Lowest Common Denominator”. Usually it is about media. Things being dumbed down to that level. As a result, the truly great stuff that helps you grow and become better does not get made. If you play to the LCD then you can’t grow. I wonder is that is sorta what is happening to Japan
Hi to your wife!!! Thank you, Shogo, for this topic on your channel. I have seen others do so. Keep it up! Congrats on your extended family.
I’m really surprised that Nobita made this video, I’ve been a fan for a while but he’s always struck me as a Japanese apologist (glossing over or making excuses for the bad things about Japan culture), it’s nice to see him take a stark look at Japan like this.
I feel like he's made numerous videos talking about the negative sides of Japanese society such as why they have to act "normal" and absurd school rules that had harmed a student into not being able to exit her own home.
@@Abadonedaccount123 he has, but instead of pointing out how things should change, or what things can be done to fix them (like shogo does) he has a tendency to just shrug and say that’s just the way things are, it’s like saying “boys will be boys”
@@matthewterlaga3022 I don't think Shogo meant to shrug things off. It does look like he actually wants society to change and go to a positive direction. Japan society is an aged society so changes are hard and very slow so the act of changing how society is currently will take a very long time which is probably why it feels like he's shrugging it off. Actively making these videos about issues in Japan is his way of educating others and also spreading awareness which is the best he can do.
@@Abadonedaccount123 it was Nobita who was the apologist and just shrugged off Japans problems, not Shogo
Not necessarily not wanting to help, but more likely unable to. People don't want to help if there expertise isn't within reach of the situation. Making the situation worst is just as that. In Nobitas situation with his Grandma, it was a medical situation. Most people would call help but actually helping the situation might make it worst. For the victim or the individual.
Great video Shogo ! 👏 I found myself saying "Yes, Yes, Yes" out loud as you suggested the changes needed in Japanese Society, really spot on. Same thing I've been thinking since in arrived in Japan in 1999, and it seems Japan has hardly changed at all since that era...
Given all these cultural elements it would be interesting to see a video of yours tackling the issue of handicap in Japan.
I applaud your perspective! You are not being negative,you are being realistic and I think that you truly do have the best interests of Japanese people at heart. There are many wonderful things about Japan but like any country, only looking at the positives allows the negative aspects to be unaddressed. I look forward to your continuing videos. ATB
This was absolutely fascinating. Thank you Shogo.
I honestly could say that you brought so much light to better understand Japanese culture and take them as they are rather than to judge book by it's cover,was always fascinated with Japanese tradition and history but humanity code vibe always puzzled me,thank you
Thank you for your efforts to be down-to-earth and factual.
I'm surprised to hear about your wife's experience with priority seating. I've heard so many people have totaly oposite experiences. Where people woukd knave them open even when the train has a lot of people. But like most things people's experiences are always different.
I think this is true in the West as well - too many people thinking "well, it's someone else's problem, not mine" or "well, the government should handle this, I can't really do anything" or "corporations are at fault - I won't make a dent"
too much apathy for the people around us in the ways that matter when we're at a time in history when I think it's more important than ever to stand together.
Being Canadian I've found your videos on Japanese culture both informative and entertaining.
After watching this video it's not really a surprise to see the reaction to the homeless situation seeing that it's like that in Canada, nobody wants to be involved.
Socially we hide in our community and only deal with those involved in our daily lives, get your morning coffee, Mc D's for lunch, grab a pizza for home.
We see homeless people but we don't see them for who they are, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, it could be your best friend from school or a person who had an impact in your life.
Even something as simple as a bowl of rice can make a difference in their lives, hopefully someone watching this video has started to make an extra bowl for that homeless person around the corner.
Remember to treat those as you wish to be treated 🐇
Thank you for standing out for Japan, Shogo. You and your team are the beginning of great changes. The world truly loves Japan - what we do need is Japanese people love their own country as well, being themselves the change it needs. Maybe your video shown us a true cry for help. 🇧🇷♥️🇯🇵
I was the 1000th LIKE! Yay! Nathan wins again! Yay! (edit: Shogo and Nobita offer very different news from NHK World-Japan 🤔)
Japan deffinitely needs to get the younger generation more involved in politics because young people will bring reform and change. The economic situation is looking dire however I belive that it is bound to get better in 10 or 15 years, since there might be less elders that the nation needs to support. Also, I think that in the following years, Japan should once more just copy approaches that work in the West or elsewhere, in order to quickly reform. I firmly believe that Japan has what it takes to overcome those societal and economic problems. People just have to be open to a little bit of change, that's it.
P. S. I really love your videos about japanese society and culture! Greetings from Czechia 🇨🇿 がんばって👍🇯🇵
I have a question. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
Do you think this is more of a big city phenomenon, or does it happen all across Japan?
Because here in the US, I feel like people in big cities are more calloused, and people in smaller towns are more kind (this is a generalization).
I guess it's not any different anywhere on this planet, we're all just creatures with primal instincts, medieval mindsets but at the same time we're surrounded by modern technology... We really need to question the status quo more often, it's not gonna help anybody if we all suck it up and ignore these glaring issues. Hopefully it gets better as time passes.
I very much like this video. Getting some clarification regarding Japanese people's indifference towards people in need of assistance of any kind is much needed. It doesn't make it better but it helps.
Thank you thank you!! You are doing a fantastic job🎉🎉🎉
Just found this channel today. Wonderful content. I love learning about people and places that I will probably never be able to go.
I think it depends on the person. I saw a vlog of a single father which currently based in Japan right now. He was helping the old japanese lady that has dropped all his groceries when others just look. And you know what,the old lady asked him of he's a japanese. And he replied no i'm a filipino and we don't hesitate to help people who needs help. The older woman was grateful and she even tried to gave him money but he didn't accept it because he was helping him without asking anything in return.
I don't think helping others is a pessimistic thing to do because everyone does struggle and what's happening in Japan now is making me sad. I hope the younger generation will stood up for what is right and not followed what the society is telling them to do.
Great information Shogo thanks
I was really hoping that this would be another collaboration.
Shogo makes the best content man. Are you a philosopher or have a degree in the humanities? I think you've got a great perspective and high critical thinking skills
Singapore is also like that *trying not to stick out* part
That's crazy. It makes sense why one of the old names for Japan is 和 , which I believe could also be interpreted as "harmony" or "whole." I think that in a deeper sense, the Japanese value harmony so much that they could really only give themselves that name.
I love the support you are giving other RUclipsrs. Nobita!!!
Interesting! Particularly the last few comments about the Japanese inability to communicate effectively. I note that the themes of many Japanese series and anime are focused on communication and its importance. You and Nobita have clarified why this is the case. Thank you.
And we do have something that resembles Japans problem in one way: Hidden poverty. People feel ashamed of being poor because they feel guilty for being poor. Do you have hidden poverty in Japan as well?
One of your best videos, I believe... Thank you...
Most interesting. Liked and shared.
About the grandma story: even with people who do care, there's a phenomenon called the bystander effect, which to my understanding is the lack of helping someone in need due to the assumption that an authoritative person will help, so the person will get help, so you don't need to help them for that person to be fine. It's a natural response of most people.
Check out Vsauce's video for a recorded experiment for more information if you're interested.
Shogo, your love for the homeland is without question. Your closing words said it best, the root of the issues must be improved. Rather than harmony, collective conformity is utmost in Japanese society, which has prevented the crowded nation of islands from falling into chaos. When I last visited Japan, my mother made a list for me to follow (i.e. "stay quiet"), so that I would fit in, and more importantly not humiliate her. Improving things will definitely take time, likely years, but the struggle must continue for the sole reason of prospering in the modern world. The physicist Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.” Overcoming fear and shame would be necessary to even begin testing different solutions. With the majority of youth in Japan not forecasting a prosperous future, and current adult workers adopting a "let's be unhappy together" position, that is certainly not moving in the direction of a utopia. In my youth, I learned the 40 throwing techniques of Kodokan Judo, some Japanese language and writing, and how to fold origami animals. Japanese arts are indeed enjoyable. I have toured some beautiful sites in Japan and collected pictures. However, through watching your channel and others, it is clear that Japanese government and society move very slowly, even when problems need to be solved. I am glad that you are a voice for change. More importantly, such changes would be properly wrapped in Japanese culture.
Hopefully Shugo and Nobita along with the other RUclipsrs will reach the youth of nation to improve the social aspect. It is a monumental challenge to make changes.
Very interesting stuff...I really dig your honesty regarding your people and your country.
🇺🇲: "Young people with no hope, low wages, and a large student debt problem? Maybe you and I aren't so different after all."
🇯🇵: 👀
You had a subtitle about needing innovation from young people. The top down control system inherited from the Samurai era and senpai/kouhai relationships entrench old ideas and actively discourage innovation. When I worked in Japan I felt really stifled by the management in terms of innovation. Japan needs to somehow break out of the top-down approach and leverage the ideas of younger people without stealing them and presenting them as your own. But also, Japanese people need to somehow become more active in demanding better pay and conditions. An exception seems to be some small country villages where people have collaborated to keep the village growing and progressing. Some of these villages have accepted outsiders and their ideas to help the villages from dying. Other villages have refused to change and died as the population aged.
@6:31, I have had similar experiences when I was in Japan. The first one, the station personnel assisted me (his job), and the second one I helped myself (😆).
I also saw something similar in a Japanese show, a heavily pregnant lady collapsed - one nice lady helped the pregnant Japanese lady in the show. However, many folk just walked past her. I will never forget these experiences.
I will still visit Japan and live there again, but no rose tinted glasses over here! Let’s hope better (if needed or wanted) for the new generation ね~
We help those who stumble because attrition is the death of society. We all fall down. Sometimes we need help back up. When we sacrifice for each other, we are stronger.
I used to live in Japan and I can relate to pretty much every video you make. Congratulations for taking a stand, for learning how to speak up and create healthy debates and meaningful conversation without the hypocrisy that usually accompanies topics like that when you try and talk about them in Japan.
I suffered too much because of my outspoken and truthful character that stands up to wrongdoing and injustice and I had to endure terrible and humiliating behaviours while living there. Back then helpful videos like yours didn't exist. Looking back now, I never stood a chance in a collectivist society, but I had to learn that through experience. Either way, excellent content, I've been watching you for years. Keep it up!
Your katana collection is getting real impressive! Congratulation!