Thanks for all the questions! 0:20 - What to do when there are 2 slippers in the hotel room? 1:18 - Is it rude for foreigners to pray when visiting temples (shrines) and how is the whole process supposed to go? 3:35 - Is is rude to not finish your meal at a restaurant? 4:00 - What's an appropriate gift for a one year old's birthday gift? 4:42 - Bowing, how low do you go, how do you do it, and when do you do it? 5:51 - Is it rude to remain in your socks after you remove your shoes? 7:02 - What happens if you don't finish all your rice? 7:58 - Is it rude to eat food or drink while walking or on the train? 10:04 - What do you do when you need to sneeze or blow your nose in public? 11:27 - How do you ask if there are seats available at a restaurant or if the restaurant is open? 12:54 - Is slurping your ramen essential in Japan? 14:20 - What are good omiyage (presents to bring to Japan for business associates if you're coming from Canada or America? 15:56 - Which etiquette is surprising for foreigners and that you think they should adopt in their own country? 17:05 - Are there rules that are less known for tourists? 18:24 - When you enter a store and interact with a clerk, what do you do?
The background is similar to what I see in the Netherlands. I had to look twice and then realised you are talking to us in a park in Japan :) Yamamoto is great in video's when she gives advice. I am happy you have her as a Japanese teacher.
Thank you Greg and Miki Sensei. 7:24 Do you have to finish all your rice? (no "chotto...." no sucking of air through teeth) , just YES, YOU HAVE TO FINISH ALL YOUR RICE. LOL Do you have to finish every single grain? because that could take half an hour to get it all?
Thank you for the Q & A. I love the Japanese culture!! I wish we had this culture in America. I visited Japan, Osaka Prefecture in 2009 for 2 weeks. My son was stationed there at Atsugi Naval Air Facility for 3 1/2 yrs. I got to stay off base for free at a friend of my son's house in the tatomi (spelling?) room. I had a blast. Long story made short, I learned many of the Japanese customes from new Japanese friends and my son, who speaks fluent Japanese. Thank you again for your videos! It brings back awesome memories!
I think Greg said this before, but just to reinforce... don't feel too anxious or pressed to know all the little details about japanese etiquette and whatnot if it's your first visit. I mean, have a good idea and all, but you know, you are a foreigner there, no one is gonna put you into etiquette jail or something if you miss it. xD Well, aside from littering... you could end up with a fine for that. :P Then again, for stuff that is more serious you will most likely see plenty of signs in english, or the pictorial style. For some stuff you can also expect japanese people to tell you straight up, don't feel offended if they do, it's for your own benefit. Weirdly enough, japanese people can be perceived as shy or non-confrontational, but if you are doing something bad or wrong, lots of japanese people don't have many problems telling a stranger or a foreigner that they are doing it wrong. xD If you wanna be polite and perceived as a good tourist, follow the signs and instructions of places you visit and you'll be fine... the rest you pick it from observing others or with time.
It's so odd to me that cleaning up after yourself is so special and seems so specific to Japanese people. I think everyone from the age of 6 should be cleaning up after themselves. It's just the decent thing to do. That especially comes from working retail and having to clean up after people even though it isn't actually my job to do so. (Think picking up abandoned cups and clothing thrown on the ground)
Unfortunately the mind set for Westerners is not cleaning after themselves because other people are paid to do it. They think, that's why we have janitors and cleaning crews. If your retail store don't employ cleaners, well that's your companies fault for being cheap and not hiring people to clean or you work there so it is your job whether it's in your job description or not. For Westerners, it's all about "ME" culture. Like talking on the trains, the Westerner attitude is if "I" want to talk loudly on the train "I" will, can't tell me what to do and not to do.
@@Mwoods2272 i actually dont understand talking quietly on the train, the train itself is noisy, i have a hard time understanding what someone next to me is saying even when they're speaking up 'me' culture, that depends, i act like a cat, which is definitely a 'me' animal, but cats also avoid making noise or leaving things behind, so in that sense i dont leave trash behind since it's 'my' trash i'm also into treating others the way you want to be treated, so if it was 'my' restaurant, i wouldnt want someone leaving their stuff in it personally i dont like calling out entire cultures or concepts, condensing them into an oversimplified 'me culture' seems like it's just divisive negativity, i mainly focus on what good ideas to take from elsewhere in order to advance, modern civilization is complex & interwoven, different cultures have pros & cons, the me culture has value for creative people (maybe the bad part can be called 'against others', while the bad parts on the opposite end like japan or india or royalty could be 'against self', the idea that someone can bring dishonor to a family to the point of them being disowned or even killed is a terrible side effect of a group culture for example)
There's definitely some major dialectal differences, but the main two types are more split east/west. Those types are the Kansai-type and the Tokyo-type. The Tokyo-type is the standard, so it's what you'll learn if you study Japanese and the main (most obvious) difference is in the pitch accent (the Kansai accent has more distinct pitch patterns than standard japanese).
The sniffling thing caught me off guard the first time I came across it. Where I live it's the exact opposite, sniffling is considered rather rude and disgusting, just blow your nose already if you need to.
I suppose that's like me eating while walking. As long as I'm not making a mess I feel like I'm being considerate and it's okay to do so... but I know it's kind of rude in Japan to do it.
@@LifeWhereImFromX I know you are in Tokyo and things are much more uptight over there. Come down to Osaka. It's a free for all of people eating and walking.
Not sure if this question was asked in the video, ( i will watch when i get home :) But my husband and i will be visiting Japan soon..but i was wondering, is it rude to share a meal in a restaurant? It is common here in the US. But i am not sure in Japan! A little worried since i never finish my meals and always take the rest home..but i don't think they do ToGo in japan. Thank you!
i forgot which video or even which youtuber said it, but a family restaurant makes sense to share, while a ramen place with a few stools shouldnt be shared since every seat is their income it's also possible that the meal sizes are smaller in japan & that they'll be just the right size that you dont need to take home anymore
Is that ur teacher or wife or both??? If she’s ur wifey then she looks very different than in a video where she’s baking a cake w/ ur daughter I’m guessing?
In all Middle Eastern countries (from Morocco to Afghanistan) and many Central Asian countries you have to take off your shoes before entering the house.I wish people would not blow their noses very loudly just everwhere they feel like it ;) It is rude. And although I think everyone is free to express their love in public, in the Netherlands, where I'm from, kissing in public can sometimes go too far. I think it is a bit annoying. Showing love and affection is a good thing, but here sometimes it becomes a bit embarassing. My family members take off their shoes before entering the house. It is not logical to bring dirt inside and ruin your carpet. In general, Dutch people don't take off their shoes, however people of foreign background who are Muslim or Jewish do take off their shoes. People don't close the door after having used the (public) toilet, they are lazy. I have seen ladies who like to put on make-up in front of the mirror (looking classy lady-like on the outside) in a public restroom but leave the space in a mess (not good-mannered).
OK, I felt that Ms. Yamamoto appears to be a bit “letting” it slide some of the question so I thought I add to it. 1. The Take-out. The take-out is acceptable to ask in what they called, “family restaurant” if you ask, but not in say, ramen place or the “standing up” eating places. 2. The “blowing nose’ in crowded public place is not acceptable in any country/custom so I’m not sure why is that even a question. Who was that person from? 3. The question on ‘yatteru”? Be very careful when and how you say this the word. A wrong intonation can be perceived as a “shimoneta” in colloquial term. I think I noticed her been somewhat uncomfortable. when she said it. She appears as if she wanted to elaborate but seemed decided not to. 4. The “slurping”. I see people been asking this question all the time. The response is always it is a “must” or “should” or “polite” to slurp. That is NOT a true statement. Yes, it is socially acceptable but not a “must”. I hear the narrator always says “one should always sup”. I NEVER slurp. I always be very careful Not to slurp, why, because it messes up my face. It is okay NEVER to slurp. 5. The talking in train. This not really a hard and fast rule. I see people talking at elevated tone which enough to hear what there are having a conversation about, especially in Shinkansan.
Blowing your nose is acceptable in the United states. Someone who is sniffling and has a runny nose is considered childish if they don't neatly blow their nose. It is definitely unacceptable to sniffle vs nose blowing.
I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, it does, all the time. But, the underlining phrase here is the “socially acceptable”? I’m saying it is not, even in the US. Either you’re sick or something is wrong with your sinus if you’re constantly blowing your nose or having a running nose. You wouldn’t yell at the person but I’m sure you wouldn’t want to sit next to a person who blow his/her nose, would you? You wouldn’t want you catch some by come in contact with the other person’s “bodily fluid” would you?
@@soc7052 avoiding sickness is very different from the concept of being rude in public, making annoying noises or smells like blowing or eating is distracting way more people than the one next to them (& i'd say sniffing every 10secs is more annoying than a single blow once every 5min, of course both should be done as necessary rather than forcing as big of a blow each time, i myself just wipe without blowing)
Perhaps you're thinking of the main Life Where I'm From channel? This X channel has generally been for extra stuff, so not highly edited like the main one.
![Kodak Black - Versatile 4 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VcP_1Ua__vY/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for all the questions!
0:20 - What to do when there are 2 slippers in the hotel room?
1:18 - Is it rude for foreigners to pray when visiting temples (shrines) and how is the whole process supposed to go?
3:35 - Is is rude to not finish your meal at a restaurant?
4:00 - What's an appropriate gift for a one year old's birthday gift?
4:42 - Bowing, how low do you go, how do you do it, and when do you do it?
5:51 - Is it rude to remain in your socks after you remove your shoes?
7:02 - What happens if you don't finish all your rice?
7:58 - Is it rude to eat food or drink while walking or on the train?
10:04 - What do you do when you need to sneeze or blow your nose in public?
11:27 - How do you ask if there are seats available at a restaurant or if the restaurant is open?
12:54 - Is slurping your ramen essential in Japan?
14:20 - What are good omiyage (presents to bring to Japan for business associates if you're coming from Canada or America?
15:56 - Which etiquette is surprising for foreigners and that you think they should adopt in their own country?
17:05 - Are there rules that are less known for tourists?
18:24 - When you enter a store and interact with a clerk, what do you do?
Very informative and I appreciate that you time stamped the questions! Keep up the great content and thank you for sharing!
Is this a new channel?
You meant is it not is is
The background is similar to what I see in the Netherlands. I had to look twice and then realised you are talking to us in a park in Japan :) Yamamoto is great in video's when she gives advice. I am happy you have her as a Japanese teacher.
So many things to know, awesome from you to review some of all questions. Very informative. Your teacher is magnificent!
Imo Best souvenir to bring is some food thats rare or expensive in Japan.
Such as meat jerky,dried apricots,figs etc,cashew nuts,walnuts,chocolate
You can't legally bring meat. Everything else needs to be packaged.
I really enjoyed this video! All of the questions were great!
This was very informative. Arigatou Greg and Yamamoto sensei.
your voice is so calming
8:59 for some mom-level disapproval. :D :D
YOU GUYS PICKED A GREAT BACKGROUND! ! SALUDOS DESDE CALIFORNIA =)
Thank you Greg and Miki Sensei.
7:24 Do you have to finish all your rice? (no "chotto...." no sucking of air through teeth) , just YES, YOU HAVE TO FINISH ALL YOUR RICE. LOL
Do you have to finish every single grain? because that could take half an hour to get it all?
That was the best answer!!!! Hahaha
Thank you for the Q & A. I love the Japanese culture!! I wish we had this culture in America. I visited Japan, Osaka Prefecture in 2009 for 2 weeks. My son was stationed there at Atsugi Naval Air Facility for 3 1/2 yrs. I got to stay off base for free at a friend of my son's house in the tatomi (spelling?) room. I had a blast. Long story made short, I learned many of the Japanese customes from new Japanese friends and my son, who speaks fluent Japanese. Thank you again for your videos! It brings back awesome memories!
bring some of those cultural tidbits to america, but also send some good american ones to japan, let's improve all cultures at once
great video!
The food portions in Japan are so small, so I always finish. I rather order more, and the waiters become surprised and wonder who it is for :-)
Great tips as always Greg!😉👍🏻❤️🇯🇵🇨🇦
Some great questions and answered very well. 😊👍
13:24 this is the most important part. just try to blend in, people. :D
I think Greg said this before, but just to reinforce... don't feel too anxious or pressed to know all the little details about japanese etiquette and whatnot if it's your first visit. I mean, have a good idea and all, but you know, you are a foreigner there, no one is gonna put you into etiquette jail or something if you miss it. xD
Well, aside from littering... you could end up with a fine for that. :P Then again, for stuff that is more serious you will most likely see plenty of signs in english, or the pictorial style. For some stuff you can also expect japanese people to tell you straight up, don't feel offended if they do, it's for your own benefit.
Weirdly enough, japanese people can be perceived as shy or non-confrontational, but if you are doing something bad or wrong, lots of japanese people don't have many problems telling a stranger or a foreigner that they are doing it wrong. xD
If you wanna be polite and perceived as a good tourist, follow the signs and instructions of places you visit and you'll be fine... the rest you pick it from observing others or with time.
It's so odd to me that cleaning up after yourself is so special and seems so specific to Japanese people. I think everyone from the age of 6 should be cleaning up after themselves. It's just the decent thing to do. That especially comes from working retail and having to clean up after people even though it isn't actually my job to do so. (Think picking up abandoned cups and clothing thrown on the ground)
Unfortunately the mind set for Westerners is not cleaning after themselves because other people are paid to do it. They think, that's why we have janitors and cleaning crews. If your retail store don't employ cleaners, well that's your companies fault for being cheap and not hiring people to clean or you work there so it is your job whether it's in your job description or not. For Westerners, it's all about "ME" culture. Like talking on the trains, the Westerner attitude is if "I" want to talk loudly on the train "I" will, can't tell me what to do and not to do.
@@Mwoods2272 i actually dont understand talking quietly on the train, the train itself is noisy, i have a hard time understanding what someone next to me is saying even when they're speaking up
'me' culture, that depends, i act like a cat, which is definitely a 'me' animal, but cats also avoid making noise or leaving things behind, so in that sense i dont leave trash behind since it's 'my' trash
i'm also into treating others the way you want to be treated, so if it was 'my' restaurant, i wouldnt want someone leaving their stuff in it
personally i dont like calling out entire cultures or concepts, condensing them into an oversimplified 'me culture' seems like it's just divisive negativity, i mainly focus on what good ideas to take from elsewhere in order to advance, modern civilization is complex & interwoven, different cultures have pros & cons, the me culture has value for creative people (maybe the bad part can be called 'against others', while the bad parts on the opposite end like japan or india or royalty could be 'against self', the idea that someone can bring dishonor to a family to the point of them being disowned or even killed is a terrible side effect of a group culture for example)
I choke every time I try to slurp - I feel like I'm trying to suck it into my lungs. *cries quietly in the corner
Same with me. I can't slurp noodles to save my life.
it's not like you're slurping it down your throat you slurp it in your mouth. just close the back of your throat.
if you would do it right you could slurp it into your mouth and breath through your nose at the same time :P
Hello Greg can you make a video about japanese maglev train. i'd be love to watch it
omg your sensei is beautiful !! lucky you :D
lolz? he's married already, also most senseis would be beautiful since teaching is beautiful
@@kn00tcn this is my favorite reply to anything ever
When you know 2 words she said 5:40
*MR WORLDWIDE*
hehe i even knew the third one :D
Well would you slurp yakisoba then?
Question for the next Q&A: Does Japan have a southern and northern accent like in China? I heard they incorporate Ainu terms in Hokkaido.
There's definitely some major dialectal differences, but the main two types are more split east/west. Those types are the Kansai-type and the Tokyo-type. The Tokyo-type is the standard, so it's what you'll learn if you study Japanese and the main (most obvious) difference is in the pitch accent (the Kansai accent has more distinct pitch patterns than standard japanese).
The sniffling thing caught me off guard the first time I came across it. Where I live it's the exact opposite, sniffling is considered rather rude and disgusting, just blow your nose already if you need to.
teacher is cute whgn she smiles i was thinking she was stoic like samurai at first.
At least where I'm from in Ontario, Canada (I'm new here), I've seen most people remove their shoes when entering homes. Not quite so for Americans.
I can't slurp ramen. Just can't do it. Interestingly, my daughter has picked that up from me, although my wife does slurp.
I suppose that's like me eating while walking. As long as I'm not making a mess I feel like I'm being considerate and it's okay to do so... but I know it's kind of rude in Japan to do it.
@@LifeWhereImFromX I personal think you will naturally slurp if you eat the noodle while it is still hot.
@@LifeWhereImFromX I know you are in Tokyo and things are much more uptight over there. Come down to Osaka. It's a free for all of people eating and walking.
best out of context quote: 'although my wife does slurp'
Not sure if this question was asked in the video, ( i will watch when i get home :) But my husband and i will be visiting Japan soon..but i was wondering, is it rude to share a meal in a restaurant? It is common here in the US. But i am not sure in Japan! A little worried since i never finish my meals and always take the rest home..but i don't think they do ToGo in japan. Thank you!
i forgot which video or even which youtuber said it, but a family restaurant makes sense to share, while a ramen place with a few stools shouldnt be shared since every seat is their income
it's also possible that the meal sizes are smaller in japan & that they'll be just the right size that you dont need to take home anymore
6:46
What word did you use there for "good friend"?
takigan he used the word: 仲良し(なかよし=naka yoshi) which means: intimate friend, close friend, bosom buddy or chum, I believe
What if you cannot eat grains at all , including rice and noodles? How do you not offend your host or the restaurant server?
you can just say you're allergic to them, or that you can't eat them for medical reasons, and they'll understand
Bath ... toilet clear thing
TIL that japanese snacks are individually wrapped because it's meant to be shared. thanks, greg!
hah, i'm imagining that face painted avatar giving a gift :P
Is that ur teacher or wife or both??? If she’s ur wifey then she looks very different than in a video where she’s baking a cake w/ ur daughter I’m guessing?
it's his teacher, he never introduced her as his wife, in fact i thought the wife was never seen so maybe i should check that baking video
In all Middle Eastern countries (from Morocco to Afghanistan) and many Central Asian countries you have to take off your shoes before entering the house.I wish people would not blow their noses very loudly just everwhere they feel like it ;) It is rude. And although I think everyone is free to express their love in public, in the Netherlands, where I'm from, kissing in public can sometimes go too far. I think it is a bit annoying. Showing love and affection is a good thing, but here sometimes it becomes a bit embarassing. My family members take off their shoes before entering the house. It is not logical to bring dirt inside and ruin your carpet. In general, Dutch people don't take off their shoes, however people of foreign background who are Muslim or Jewish do take off their shoes. People don't close the door after having used the (public) toilet, they are lazy. I have seen ladies who like to put on make-up in front of the mirror (looking classy lady-like on the outside) in a public restroom but leave the space in a mess (not good-mannered).
Hell, Can anybody adopt me and take me to Japan?
Is that his wife??
No it’s his Japanese teacher also belive family friend
Some of her affirmatives were not convincing. You may be leading the world astray! 😁
OK, I felt that Ms. Yamamoto appears to be a bit “letting” it slide some of the question so I thought I add to it.
1. The Take-out. The take-out is acceptable to ask in what they called, “family restaurant” if you ask, but not in say, ramen place or the “standing up” eating places.
2. The “blowing nose’ in crowded public place is not acceptable in any country/custom so I’m not sure why is that even a question.
Who was that person from?
3. The question on ‘yatteru”? Be very careful when and how you say this the word. A wrong intonation can be perceived as a “shimoneta” in colloquial term. I think I noticed her been somewhat uncomfortable. when she said it. She appears as if she wanted to elaborate but seemed decided not to.
4. The “slurping”. I see people been asking this question all the time. The response is always it is a “must” or “should” or “polite” to slurp. That is NOT a true statement. Yes, it is socially acceptable but not a “must”. I hear the narrator always says “one should always sup”. I NEVER slurp. I always be very careful Not to slurp, why, because it messes up my face. It is okay NEVER to slurp.
5. The talking in train. This not really a hard and fast rule. I see people talking at elevated tone which enough to hear what there are having a conversation about, especially in Shinkansan.
Blowing your nose is acceptable in the United states. Someone who is sniffling and has a runny nose is considered childish if they don't neatly blow their nose. It is definitely unacceptable to sniffle vs nose blowing.
I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, it does, all the time. But, the underlining phrase here is the “socially acceptable”? I’m saying it is not, even in the US. Either you’re sick or something is wrong with your sinus if you’re constantly blowing your nose or having a running nose. You wouldn’t yell at the person but I’m sure you wouldn’t want to sit next to a person who blow his/her nose, would you? You wouldn’t want you catch some by come in contact with the other person’s “bodily fluid” would you?
@@soc7052 avoiding sickness is very different from the concept of being rude in public, making annoying noises or smells like blowing or eating is distracting way more people than the one next to them (& i'd say sniffing every 10secs is more annoying than a single blow once every 5min, of course both should be done as necessary rather than forcing as big of a blow each time, i myself just wipe without blowing)
6 like and 4 comment
Is it still rude to blow your nose inside a public bathroom?
I’m sorry but if I need to blow my nose I rather do that than have a runny nose. It’s rude to be sniffing all the time where I’m from.
Find a restroom.
You shouldn't tell a lie. Slurping is for enjoying aroma of buck wheat so that recommended only for Soba.
Man, this channel has changed so much. I unsubbed about a year ago and this showed up in my recommended. What a snoozefest lol
Perhaps you're thinking of the main Life Where I'm From channel? This X channel has generally been for extra stuff, so not highly edited like the main one.