🥳 🥳 🥳 WE HIT 400,000 SUBSCRIBERS ON THE CHRIS ABROAD CHANNEL!🥳 🥳 🥳 Thank you so much guys - big plans of this channel and it's been an absolute blast shooting this 12 Days of Chrismas series. For TOMORROW'S episode Natsuki will be joining us for a RUclips LIVE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. Hope to see you all there!
Lol my stepson's name is Connor and he goes by "Con Dawg". His dad and I call him "Corndog" because we can't not. It's so funny seeing post about CDawg, cause I always think about this. 😂
@@Lucitaur Every one thinks Portland is this quirky city. That the representation of Portlandia is correct and the motto keep portland weird reigns true. While there's still some of that DNA left. That Portland hasn't existed in over a decade. The city grew rapidly and gentrified most the locals out.
@@beepbeeplettuce5890 Which is not accurate in the least. Seattle is a big business city. It's very different to both Vancouver and Portland. BTW Portland metro population is bigger than Vancouver metro now.
I completely agree with you guys. I've lived in Tokyo for almost 30 years, and in the 90's and 2000's Akihabara was really a town for otaku by otaku. There were stores that had PC parts, rare games, and rare anime goods that you could only get here, but most of those stores went out of business when major appliance stores came in. Akihabara is now more like a town for tourists than a town for otaku. Many people in the Japanese otaku community say that the 90's was the most attractive time for Akihabara, and that they don't go there anymore.
Yeah, when I went there in 2012, I enjoyed it well-enough for a tourist trap then was blown away when I went to Nakano. It was like a hidden gem for anime fans
"Haha, did I say Nakano is the last bastion of authenticity for Tokyo-area otaku and foreign weebs? What I MEANT to say is that it's a boring suburb full of miserable people with no redeeming facets whatsoever. What a cesspit. Also it's SOOOO far off the Yamanote line, so why would you even bother?"
I agree, when I see you and Connor together I don't expect a "happy" video. Is that bad? Haha. Anyway, I am waiting for that moment when Chris would be eating actual ramen in the ramen shop set. 🤣 Congrats on 400k!
Yep it will be a historic moment for all when Chris adds the hot water to the Cup Noodles in his shop. I just hope I will be alive to witness that significant moment in time 😜
Now that I think about it, if I popped into a video with Chris and Connor and the entire video was just upbeat and happy from beginning to end without any issue I would be genuinely concerned 😂
It's very sad to learn about the Harajuku station being demolished for that modern style. I remember that station from when I visited Japan in 2016. I arrived in Japan and it started raining. When I left the airport, I found out the soles of my shoes had separated from the body of the shoe and my feet were getting wet! I didn't know what to do, but knew of Harajuku as a "fashion center" and so figured I could easily find a shoe store there. I got to Harajuku and bought new shoes, then wandered around the area for a bit admiring the scenery. I ended up wandering to the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi park without really realizing it. It was actually a really fun day! I always enjoyed finding the interesting architectures of the shrines and old buildings that still exist among the modern contruction of Japan. So to lose such an interesting building is really a shame.
Yeah the old one looked nice but it was just to old and every time I was there it was so crowded. Needed a bigger one and something that wouldn’t fall down in an earthquake.
That sounds like the perfect anime story. Main character barely makes it to Japan with broken equipment and ends up finding new gear(shoes) to continue their journey across Japan and inspiring a bunch of side characters along the way.
The Harajuku one kinda feels like what happened to Camden in London. Counter-culture central in the 90s-00s, but then big named brands and those tacky tourist-trap shops bought up space to get a piece of the action, thus destroying what they came for. Not to mention a bunch of the shops got paved over, and there was a fire as well that destroyed even more shops. It's still got its charm, but now you have to actually look for it, rather than it being front and centre.
@@nathanbell6962 yeah it’s completely transformed. I used to go as a teen back in early 00’s and it was way better. Now it’s overly touristy/generic and lost a lot of what made it unique.
Camden was my immediate thought when they discussed Harajuku too. I remember it in the late 90s and early 00s, and it's a corporate hellscape these days. Not much fun late at night either.
Exactly... Camden and Harajuku were soo similar. I lived near Camden for a lot of my life and felt like Harajuku was like home when I visited several times back in the early 2000s. Sadly, Camden is now shit and so is Harajuku. I blame the Internet for making it virtually impossible to have cool culture/fashion districts anymore.
On my way too short little trip to Japan 2 years ago the first Ramen shop I went to I picked solely based on the considerable line of salarymen in front of it. I'm sure that Ramen took 5 years of my lifespan considering how thick the broth and how fatty the meat was, but it was totally worth it.
When I think of Japanese tiny apartments, I recall the comment of a French diplomat who caused quite a brouhaha by referring to Japan as "A nation of workaholics who live in rabbit hutches."
I mean...he is not wrong. Though "workaholic" implies they actually enjoy working that hard, I don't think most Japanese people are any more enthusiastic about doing their 9 to 5 than any of us. It's just the toxic work culture that forces them to put in those long hours.
There was a fashion type magazine called Fruits where the guy who put it out took pictures of all the interesting and edgy styles people wore in Harajuku. In 2017 he put out the final edition because he didn't think there were anymore interesting looks or styles people by people there anymore.
Yeah the magazine was so iconic, pretty much all alternative scenes all over the world could find something inspiring… was also probably the peak of some Japanese niches like lolita or gyaru fashion. Nowadays, just like in other areas, Korea and China are taking over.
@@nojakthegemlad I think it's just a case as times change styles trends all of that changes. Also people grow up. When your in school and living at home with disposable income it's easier to buy trendy clothes since your in uniforms all week when your adult paying bills with a place of your own and require work clothes it's not the same.
Damn, I had no idea that they'd changed the station at Harajuku. I was there in spring 2016 and autumn 2017 and it was always nice to look at the station building BECAUSE it was a more traditional-style build.
I think Chris always works hard. He just usually releases less video´s, because he has very high standards. Let´s hope he makes time for himself to enjoy the holidays 🎄
I always wondered why with the small apartments in Japan they short changed the Residence by not providing adequate noise insulation. At least from what I know in the UK it is common to have insulated walls and drop ceilings with noise insulation in flats. I guess it comes back to money and more relaxed regulations.
It's the same for most hotels... I usually have to use earplugs in most Japanese business hotels. Sound insulation needs material and thickness/distance, but space is one thing Japan lacks in major cities.
The housing standards in general are pretty poor. However in tokyo it's law for a landlord to provide AC, and most landlords outside of Tokyo uphold that. The worst thing about apartments in Japan is they're 'sextist'. In that, you have male or female apartments. The female apartments are actually quiete nice. You can expect a big closet, separate bedroom, a decent sized kitchen you can actually cook in etc. However if you get a male apartment you basically get a tiny utility space and a room for your bed. They're designed for the male salaryman who doesn't cook, is looking for a wife and spends most nights eating/drinking out with colleagues.
@@327legoman I've seen Japanese single apartments. They are much more thoughtful than studio or junior 1bed in the west. There is an obsession in the west on "open concept kitchen" for small units. This mean the unit has virtually no dividing walls. You can't cook anything without your bed smell like food or grease. In Japan, at least you get a door to close off the small kitchen in most cases. Aside from being small, Japanese apartment is about 20x more practical than the US when it comes to space utilization.
@@_w_w_ The environment of a business hotel changes greatly depending on the amount of money. At a higher hotel, there are few annoying guests and no damage to property. Security is maintained because immigration is restricted now.
About No.4: Amazon and Online Shopping in general killed shopping for tech and Media really. I remember from my childhood how exciting it was to visit the city center and go to the big electronics store in my hometown here in germany. If you go there nowadays, it seems more like going to a tech discounter and the Media Department there is now smaller than that of a supermarket because no one buys records, cds, or DVDs anymore. It's understandable that they reduced their offers if it's really that unprofitable but in the legendary words of Connor: It's just sad. ...so yeah, I thought the same about Akihabara when I visited it.
The other thing about that was that you could get your hands on consoles you could only dream of. You got into that store and not only could you look at all the tech, you could actually play games there. There are no arcades that'd allow something like that, so that was a huge part of the "techno marvel". It's kinda hard to argue that it's not just better nowadays, though. I recall numerous times from back then, when I needed something specific and you just couldn't get it. You had like 2 big chain tech markets and if those didn't stock what you needed or it was out, then you just couldn't get that cable or plug or even game. Amazon is an incredibly shitty company and Bezos is a monster, but I'd be lying if I said that Amazon isn't incredibly convenient.
I'm not so sure, when it comes to good electronics (also from Germany btw). I buy cheap trash like computer mice for my work laptop or lights or stuff from amazon, but when I want something good, I go to an electronics store. I bought my work laptop, gaming PC, vinyl player and all my kitchen appliences at old fashioned stores. I guess amazon is convienient for day to day cheap stuff, but it's really bad for everything else.
The same thing happened to Tottenham Court Road here in London. Back in the 90s it was all electronics shops although to be fair some of them were annoying with their hard sell tactics. Now it's all chain food places and has zero character. I visited akihabara in 08 and it was still fun then.
I went to Harajuku in 2006 during my exchange and I was so lucky. It was the old station building, the streets were busy but you could see a ton of people expression their fashion there and there were more stores there that catored to it. Sad to hear it's changed so much
I was shocked when they mentioned that the old station is gone. I was on exchange 2016/2017 and really liked how it looked. Though I don't remember seeing people with a special sense oc fashion and a lot of the clothes sold in the stores I entered were what people usually would wear anyway.
So sad that they decided to get rid of the old station in Harajuku! I found the place fascinating when I first travelled to Japan in 2007. When it was still filled with quirky characters and shops. Haven’t been back to Tokyo since 2014 (and probably wouldn’t go there on my next trip) as there are so many other cities ( plus l prefer the countryside too the cities) & interesting places to go. Thanks Chris, for another entertaining vlog, Cheers!
Yeah, really sad, it looked straight out of Ghibli movie! But it was old, a fire hazard (built from wood) and couldn't handle the amount of tourists safely anymore, so I guess is was inevitable that it got replaced.
@@maximilianwimmer627 Built from wood doesn't automatically equal fire hazard. There are ways to treat the wood to be more fire resistant. The main thing is it seems they tried to expand to account for tourists while in the process destroying part of what brought the tourists in to begin with
Chris, thank you so much for doing this 12 days series. I know it's hard and exhausting and I really appreciate the effort. The first thing I do on youtube these days is see if there is a new video from you or your friends. Thank you so much for bringing joy to my life!
Hey Chris, the photo of the harajuku fashion walk bunch could date to 2014, as I was there on one of the walks taking photos and recognized many familiar faces. Nice vibe, friendly people around, it was great atmosphere to hang out back then there. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
Awesome, love the extra info for sure. It's been a dream to at least go there once and Akihabara was one of the areas I really wanted to visit at least on a trip. Sad to hear that things are changing and when I even read about some shops closing was even more dissapointed.
Ichiran saved my life drunk in the middle of the night when nothing else around is open. Private booths are perfect for not worrying about manners and just inhaling maxing out on ur food and making a bowl in 5 minutes. Fried chicken from Lawson's is actually great, but KARAAGE is on a whole other level esp if the izakaya makes their own tartar sauce.
I've had chicken karage in Japan and it was okay. Not bad but definitely does not hold a candle to the golden brown crust or juicy tenderness of a proper southern fried chicken.
The comment on Harajuku was spot on. 20 years ago, after school I would sometimes visit Harajuku with friends. on returning recently (a visiting American friend wanted to go) I was shocked how much it changed. it's clearly marketed for tourists, and the fashionable areas have moved elsewhere.
😂"if I want happiness i bring Joey" epic!!! You guys are the best calamity duo in a funny way. Great video! Hope 2022 bring a happy video for this 2! I was so obsessed on visiting Harayuku and I was so disappointed when I was finally there. So dark, not that multi color fun place. It was so plain, my only joy was the rainbow grill cheese sandwich.
i really enjoy these videos, very chill vibes and you know you get something daily. Maybe you could continue something like this with different guests / topics once or twice a week in the future? Incase you are not thinking of continuing this series, really like the content Chris keep it up! :)
as someone who lived thru the 80s I dare say everything almost universally looked better then simple because we lived differently, we didnt have the internet and mobile phones, games consoles were not really a replacement for the arcades until the 90s, everything was outside the house entertainment wise, we would go home for dinner and bed and that was about it, all the businesses were in competition to act as our living rooms and eat all our money for hours on end everyday and we were so much more sociable for it and we used our time pursuing so many different hobbies, physical hobbies, laser tag games, snooker, go karting all sorts of things which are now very much diminished
@@madeinbusanjkjm Obviously this doesn't apply to people with extremely severe social anxiety but arguably many introverts were better off in the days before the internet. It forced people to meet irl if you wanted to have any form of social interaction. For example, otaku and anime nerds wouldn't have forums and discord to chat about anime on, you'd have to go to cons and meetups. Subcultures in general were forced to exist in the physical space or not at all. Nowadays because there's so much room to chat online you end up with actually less opportunities to meet people irl in many cases. opportunities
I feel like it's not only a combination of a changing culture, but also all the choices made by the corporations and the community. Corporations and Businesses are changing or doing annoying things and the community sometimes also does annoying things. _I like my Rhythm/Fighting Arcade Games, LAN/PC Cafés, and Trading Card Games. But due to Covid, the lack of support for my hobbies, the general community, and also frustrating choices from businesses, it's hard to do them and some I refuse to continue supporting._ Plus; there's very few places left in my town to try and engage in said hobbies, many have closed down, also my friends are generally busy or some of them don't play what I play, so it's not making it any better.
Love these collabs and it's always fun to hear both of their perspectives and opinions. A lot of people make it seem like it's always sunshine and rainbows so i appreciate the authenticity of both guys
I know you're stuck in Japan, and this is the result...but this time of year has become really difficult for me due to a personal tragedy...so thank you for making these videos, Chris. I'm enjoying them very much, and I hope they're helping you cope with not being able to go home.
6:42 On the topic of ramen, Ichiran in particular, I never heard of this chain restaurant despite living there for 2 years when I was younger and visiting the country consistently after moving away. I've never heard of the chain until I started watching Japan vloggers like Chris' channel, and like in the video, all I've ever heard is that it's overrated, which is where I would like to offer some advice. My advice to anyone going to Japan and want to eat ramen: go to a family owned business. They're almost always pretty good. Chain stores in general regardless of what type of food is served is more consistently lackluster in quality and is only ever "good" under certain circumstances i.e. being drunk. As for my own personal experience, when we're in Tokyo, we like to go to a place called Kochuuichiba (edited with correct name), and the other place we like to go to is small family owned place called Kokai located in my mom's hometown. Both are nice little stores that offer amazing tasting ramen. Edit: I was wrong. It's KoSHUUichiba not KoCHUUichiba. And I also learned it has a parent company, which would make it franchised in some way. Regardless, their ramen is still excellent and I highly recommend it.
Chris, Thank you so much for posting these types of videos that basically promote Japan lmao. For a long time, I didn't know what I wanted to do in my life but after finding your videos and watching them for the past year I think I know what I want to aim for :) Hopefully, I stumble into you one day at a FamilyMart buying ungodly amounts of fried chicken.
I just wanna knoe how much fried chicken god considers to be "ungodly "🍗 It's gotta be a lot, right, like a train-full would be sacrilegious.... or an entire video about trying convenience store chicken.....
The original plan was to keep the old Harajuku Station building and use it as a tourist info spot. But that was not possible because of fire resistance regulations. So they came up with an alternative and will be rebuilding it in the same style using as many of the original materials from the old building as possible. So it will be back, just not as original as the old building.
Japan has changed a lot, I still remember the first time I came there as a 20 y old student (2007) and Akihabara was already becoming a place full of anime stores and games stores, but there were many small shops with lots of tech stuff...
@@TheNobleFive Yeah, when people don't have a lot of disposable income those types of businesses do tend to be hit rather hard. Throw in a pandemic and it's even more harsh
100% agree with you on Ichiran being so overrated! Ippudo has been my absolute favorite (along with Afuri) I fell victim to Ekiben 15 years ago and still traumatized.
On the topic of anime figures in Akihabara, it’s much cheaper in my experience to buy in those stores, but that’s from someone living OUTSIDE of Japan. 1/4 scale figures having $80+ shipping costs and sites like Tokyo Otaku Mode bumping up prices with a slight discount for being a member makes a bit harder to buy. Recently I’ve just been looking at pre-owned figures on AmiAmi because besides the crazy shipping, they are genuinely cheaper and still in good condition.
Mandarake is also very reliable for used items in good condition, you just have to be careful not to pick items from different locations if you want to keep the shipping cost down.
Yeah while it's cheaper than purchasing the figures internationally, there are just far cheaper places out there. I assume the pure allure of Akihabara as a tourist location dramatically drives up the prices for the figures. I remember going to a small anime shop in Kobe, since my friend wanted to see his old high school there. The prices there were most definitely FAR cheaper by a mile. Like literally saw the same figure(s) brand new in box for 1/4 of the prices they were selling in Akihabara used.
I like AmiAmi for their prices since they usually sell everything cheaper than TOM, Even with the discounts. They also don’t charge you for preorders until the item releases which I really like.
Ive been a fan of Chris for years now. Discovered Connor through Chris. Love both their content. But i gotta say bros i enjoy the videos you make together the most! Honestly would love to hang out with you 2 🤣
When I went to Akihabara for the first time in 2017 I was so disappointed. I was sort of sold on it being anime and video game mecca but when I got there every store sold the same 3 items of the latest hot anime. I was expecting to find more variety and a greater appreciation for vintage stuff (or hell even just more different modern things) but there were only a few small stores that had vintage stuff. I was so bummed.
1980s' You used the correct "its" but put the apostrophe in the wrong place. :-P Apostrophes aren't used to make plurals, and since you're saying its aesthetic belongs to the 1980s, the possessive apostrophe would come after the "s."
@@englishatheart why are you everywhere correcting ppl, not saying this in a mean way btw cause you probably mean well, but nobody cares abt that stuff in a youtube comment section 😭
What’s cool about harajuku is actually the back streets, like little coffee shops, restaurants etc. Like semi-residential areas that are filled with exotic and interested places to explore.
The cat café stuff is super nice if the cats are well cared for, give them a home and for a costumer it's super chill to relieve some stress and work peacefully more so than a busy regular cafe imo.
I can recommend a tolerable ekiben from Tokaido line. If you are okay with vinegared mackerel, there's one called "Kakinoha sushi/柿の葉寿司". It's a simple meal with 4 to 6 pieces of pressed mackerel sushi, wrapped in leaves. But yeah the Ekiben brand is more like an emergency food, it's more clever to buy your on-go bento in surrounding malls and such.
Akihabara is still amazing coming from the west, even if the prices aren't comparable it's incredible to have tech and anime products in a centralized destination and I'm happy to pay the larger prices to keep the individual stores alive. Shopping in person is very different than online and Akihabara is the best for shopping for niche products.
The Ichiran point is so true LOL I told my friend that the first thing I'd do if I visit Japan is to hit Ichiran up and she was like "but why?" and began to convince me to follow her to her favorite local ramen shop lol Still waiting for all borders to open to finally visit though T^T
I think both of them should be tried. Ichiran isn't really a 'fake ramen'. It is still really good. I think i had the main branch with the rectangular bowl, it was amazing. Ippudo i feel was way worse and way more expensive. I also have my fair share of local ramens, a small random car shop in hokkaido, Street ramen shops, some alleyway ramen shops. Personally, is an equal calibre and a unique experience. Ichiran isn't a replacement of smaller branches of ramen shop, but its not something to avoid either.
@@Marnige yah its not like you’re comparing mcdonalds to proper quality burger places ichiran isn’t definitively worse than anything local its just a different experience it’s a good baseline and if you struggle with your japanese still it’s easy to use ichiran to take a break and have a place that really holds your hand through the ordering process
I was in Japan in 2004 and Harajuku was all that it was said to be. Amazing costumes, cute station, we looked down the alley and saw a store called “freak shop” and expected ganguro accessories, instead it was full of 90s GAP type clothing 😂 It was probably one of my favorite memories of going to Japan
Yeah, it's true, a direct stare signals distrust in cat language whereas half-closed eyes and slow blinks signal trust. Also when they present their butt to you it's a sign of trust, so next time you have some cat butt cheeks right in front of your face, take it as a compliment 😂
I loved the bentos I got for my bullet train journeys. I miss them so much when I have to travel by train in Australia. Stale sandwiches, watery tea and week old baked goods just make me miss Japan all the more.
I'm really glad Chris has branched out to a wider audience by showing off his friendships with Connor, Joey, and Garnt. It feels like it's brought in a younger audience and it's gotten him a lot more reach. Keep it up, Chris!
I kinda expected Akihabara to show up and I had to agree with all 7 on varying levels, with the food ones being a 50/50. In the very least I had the chance to visit the old Harajuku station.
I went to Japan in 2018 and visited Harajuku, only to realize, that most of the shops are for tourists and it is very overcrowed in this small street. Same goes for Akihabara, the prizes for figures and stuff are very high compared to other shops in Tokyo.
I worked in Harajuku and while it's sad they couldn't incorporate the old station somehow in the new one, the old one was an absolute hell on busy days. It took ages to enter or exit. It was usually faster to take the other exit and walk back around (although that one wasn't much better either).
I thought I was totally allergic to videos of people listing "All the bad things about...", but this video has proved me wrong. Merry Chris-Mass everybody!
OMG totally agree 6:50. First time in cramped ichiran booth after waiting half an hour and couldn't see the fuss about it (I have to peel my egg?!) when ippudo and other humble pop shop ramen are better
I admit I was getting a bit nervous as you hadn't included Ekiben until No. 6 appeared. On my first visit to Japan I remember going to a cheap hostel so the instant miso soup we had in the morning wasn't such a disappointment, but after hearing from friends and even Japanese youtubers how a good, convenient meal the "train box" was and facing the reality of it on the excellent and comfortable first Shinkansen trip I knew it was an overrated experience. I've come to the conclusion since then that it must be a cultural thing more than anything else, as most discount food from the 7-eleven tastes better for as little as half the price.
Never had a ekiben thankfully, but when I was in japan with my dad we could've lived on 7-eleven onigiri all day, they make some super simple meat onigiri but they are cheap and surprisingly tasty so much this is literally one of our most remembered things from this trip.
On the topic of Akihabara, it becoming a tourist attraction has sort of ruined it being a unique and vibrant place. Don't get me wrong you can still enjoy it especially if you are an anime fan, but a lot of stores have lost their charm and become kind of similar to each other. Such is the natural consequence of place becoming tourist attraction. It still serves a great centralized place to suit your anime needs, including Japanese people from other prefectures. But you probably won't find something new or exciting the second or third time you go there However, the COVID situation could change the situation. A lot of stores are forced to close due to the drastic decrease in tourists. And given that the district is rather old (in terms of the building which may need some reformation), there could be some need for a new "identity" for the place. No idea whether that will happen, but if they want to make this place to be a truly unique place for visitors, this could be the opportunity to do so p.s. Be careful of getting thing from Amazon though. Fake reviews and products are common and even legit seller could be affected due to how Amazon handle their inventory. Personally I trust more reputable second-hand selling stores and their online shops. That said same can be said for Akihabara as some shops do sell thing overpriced knowing that tourists won't care too much about it
@7:32, Interesting, when I lived in Japan, Fukuoka (the birth place of Hakata ramen) mind you, Ichiran was just a chain I saw around the area. I only ate there once and that was due to seeing it frequently as one location was near to a school I taught at weekly. Therefore, I promised myself to try it. I eventually tried Ichiran at the Hakata station location, and it was my last meal in Japan. It’s fine and was enjoyable (for further context, I had moved items, cleared my apartment and checked into a hotel for the night). Hence, I was exhausted and hungry (so anything would have been good to be honest). A nice meal to end my time in Japan, nothing more. The hype I’m hearing about the chain now is wild to me. The cafe in the Japanese university I studied at made better Hakata style ramen (the broth was amazing!) seriously. 😆
As a Japanese, for me it’s the Ichiran ramen. It’s good but not sensationally good. Ig people just like the atmosphere which they imagine to be otaku-like? (Enclosed private seats introverts would like) Edit: haha I commented this before watching the video and they had Ichiran on the list XD Told you so~
ah man, used to love going to Meji Jingu Via the old Harajuku Station, loved the look of that station, was so sad when they decided to bulldoze it. Kinda wished they'd done the same as they did to tokyo station and left the front and built off the back of it 🤷♂🤷♂🤷♀🤷♀
I went to Japan 5 years ago (without being a particular "fan" of Japan or japanese culture; just sounded interesting to go there). I had heard of Harajuku before - how it is this centre of fashion and counter-culture, so I planned to go there as well. And there was....not much, to be honest. Not sure what I expected, but felt like a fairly regular shopping street, except yes, you see gothic lolita stuff and whatnot - but it just felt so 100% commercial. I also can't recommend it, unless you're really invested in it.
I went to Japan in 2019, and I knew that Akihabara was a tourist trap and I should be cautious going in. Meanwhile it kinda happened to be one of my favorite parts of the trip, even if the prices in Akihabara are much higher than other stores I've been to. I'm glad I got to go before a lot of the iconic stuff went away due to covid as well, much like the old Harujuku station. I didn't notice they replaced it, and that's sad because it was one of the coolest looking stations in Tokyo. I do agree Harujuku is overrated though, it's nothing but a bunch of tourist trap markets selling dumb shirts with English like I LOVE PORNHUB to get the dumb foreigner to buy the shirt because "Haha funny Engrish Japan!"
i think the product prices are higher due to "it's for having the experience and buying it now" tax. i feel like it's similar to getting "next day delivery." also, property and business related expenses is probably hefty for them so they have to raise it to profit or break even. plus, i think merch prices are honestly hit-or-miss, maybe depending on the product. i remember getting specifc trading cards cheaper in akihabara than i did in kyoto.
@@joshuaxiong8377 oh, there's definitely good deals to be had in Akihabara on a lot of things, especially if you're used to foreign prices, but then other things are the highest prices I saw things for in Japan. It all depends on whay you want and which store you go to.
Sort of related to the Akihabara part; I'm not sure how malls are viewed outside of the US, but I always get the impression that they were super cool places to go in the 80s and 90s. I was able to still go to malls as a child in the early 2000s but now they're pretty much all dead or dying thanks to the internet. I guess its a double edged sword, the internet is certainly convenient for buying stuff, but I miss the atmosphere of the mall.
@@freddiem6805 Perhaps, there are still a couple in my area but only one is still at full capacity of stores, the rest are either dead or sitting with only a quarter or third of their capacity. I mean at the same time you have to admit US malls are dying when a whole youtube "industry" has cropped up about people who explore dead and dying malls. Also if you live near a major city I could see how your malls are still booming.
So, Adam Ruins Everything did a show on malls, and the cliff notes version of what happened is that there were favorable economic conditions (tax incentives and such) to build malls, and so many more malls than were really needed got built across the US. And as those incentives went away, and online shopping became a thing, Malls that were in areas that could actually support them still did just fine, but all of the borderline/superfluous ones lost too much business. That's why there's so many dead/dying malls/strip malls around the country.
@@allentoyokawa9068 Literally just copy-pasting your comments now? No, Japan is *not* the center of tech. Most tech is now produced outside of Japan. The country having a bunch of retro stores for old things like N64s doesn't make it a "center of tech" - that implies innovation with large tech companies, something Japan hasn't had for almost a decade now. Most of the largest, most advanced tech companies are basing their products out of places like China and Korea - something that can easily be proven with a simple Google search. But no, anything that goes against the "Japan is perfect" narrative you keep on pushing in these comments just isn't true. Get a grip.
Totally agree with Connor on the fried chicken point. First thing I did when I got off the plane in Nagoya was rush to Family Mart and get the holy fried chicken. Was totally disappointed when I got a chewy and greasy slab of uncrispy chicken and questioned whether I can ever trust Chris again lol
🥳 🥳 🥳 WE HIT 400,000 SUBSCRIBERS ON THE CHRIS ABROAD CHANNEL!🥳 🥳 🥳
Thank you so much guys - big plans of this channel and it's been an absolute blast shooting this 12 Days of Chrismas series. For TOMORROW'S episode Natsuki will be joining us for a RUclips LIVE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. Hope to see you all there!
Congratulations
Well done sir 🙏
nice
congrats!
Ooh, cool. What time are you going live at?
Chris never being able to decide what to call Connor and calling him some long-winded version of “CDAWG VA Connor Dog Voice actor” always amuses me
I just call Connor CPuppy. He always comes across as small and vulnerable when he´s with Chris, who looks like he is gonna shred Connor to pieces 😧
OceanPupper Montana
@@HeavenlyCreature. oh lol i meant Connor cpuppy aint that bad.Well a cuter version of it is good.
Connor canine voice actor
I remember when in one of the tokyo creative videos Chris called Joey "Joseph the animation male", almost died laughing 😂
"If I want happiness, I'll bring Joey. If I want cynicism and despair, I'll bring you."
That had me laughing out loud. 😂
Whatever
@@thishandleistaken. Daaaaaang you are cool
He doesnt even consider rotisserie
If he wants zen and depravity he'll bring Garnt.
What about Grant? ahahah
i love how Chris will never stop introducing Connor as "Connor CDawg VA (Voice Actor)" always makes me laugh
He also often call Joey "Joseph The Animation Man"
i would die of laughter if the introduction got more and more heavily edited each time he does it
@@AveragePunEnjoyer Christopher the gaijin in Japan man
Lol my stepson's name is Connor and he goes by "Con Dawg". His dad and I call him "Corndog" because we can't not. It's so funny seeing post about CDawg, cause I always think about this. 😂
@@spiwolf6998 To be honest, with that nickname he put it on himself. 😂
"What people think Harajuku is like, is what it was like 20 years ago."
Oof, as a Portland resident born and raised, I feel this on a spiritual level.
What's the deal with Portland?
@@Lucitaur Every one thinks Portland is this quirky city. That the representation of Portlandia is correct and the motto keep portland weird reigns true. While there's still some of that DNA left. That Portland hasn't existed in over a decade. The city grew rapidly and gentrified most the locals out.
@@Jarekthegamingdragon ive always just thought of portland as the poor mans Seattle
@@beepbeeplettuce5890 Which is not accurate in the least. Seattle is a big business city. It's very different to both Vancouver and Portland. BTW Portland metro population is bigger than Vancouver metro now.
Asheville NC has turned corporate in the past 20 years - at least it isn’t Portland
I completely agree with you guys. I've lived in Tokyo for almost 30 years, and in the 90's and 2000's Akihabara was really a town for otaku by otaku. There were stores that had PC parts, rare games, and rare anime goods that you could only get here, but most of those stores went out of business when major appliance stores came in. Akihabara is now more like a town for tourists than a town for otaku. Many people in the Japanese otaku community say that the 90's was the most attractive time for Akihabara, and that they don't go there anymore.
Yeah, when I went there in 2012, I enjoyed it well-enough for a tourist trap then was blown away when I went to Nakano. It was like a hidden gem for anime fans
I really enjoyed my stay in Akihabara in 2017 around the Christmas time. Tourist trap sure but damn they had some amazing food and drink there haha
@@InfernosReaper shhhhhh... don't tell people about Nakano. Let's keep it good.
@@Instamatic898 Damn, you're right... What have I done?!
"Haha, did I say Nakano is the last bastion of authenticity for Tokyo-area otaku and foreign weebs? What I MEANT to say is that it's a boring suburb full of miserable people with no redeeming facets whatsoever. What a cesspit. Also it's SOOOO far off the Yamanote line, so why would you even bother?"
Chris: [is allergic to cats]
Cats: "It's free real estate!"
Connor: [tries to play with cats]
Cats: "No."
The cats are busy shedding some hairs in the food for some extra oomph. They take their job very serious 😼
Cats know when you're allergic I swear
@@dpchiko17 im allergic and my friends have cats, can confirm 😪
The cats don't like him because he's friends with a mouse.
@@justcuzy3673 A rodent made out of some kind of metal? MetalRodent?
best friend - Natsuki
mortal enemy - Ryotaro
sweet heart - Joey
wife - Connor
You really do have a life mate
I'm sure Sharla fits in there somewhere too ;)
Secret mistress - Garnt
Guinea pig for testing lactose tolerance - Emma
Chris is a Man's man. On a certain level, it's a Man's world. Pinocchio seems very perceptive.
I agree, when I see you and Connor together I don't expect a "happy" video. Is that bad? Haha. Anyway, I am waiting for that moment when Chris would be eating actual ramen in the ramen shop set. 🤣 Congrats on 400k!
I mean if it makes me happy to see them -bring cynicism and despair,- how is it *not* a happy video?
Yep it will be a historic moment for all when Chris adds the hot water to the Cup Noodles in his shop. I just hope I will be alive to witness that significant moment in time 😜
Now that I think about it, if I popped into a video with Chris and Connor and the entire video was just upbeat and happy from beginning to end without any issue I would be genuinely concerned 😂
I expect a video with a lot of complaints and sarcasm.
Maybe he's saving the real ramen for the 24th.
It's very sad to learn about the Harajuku station being demolished for that modern style. I remember that station from when I visited Japan in 2016. I arrived in Japan and it started raining. When I left the airport, I found out the soles of my shoes had separated from the body of the shoe and my feet were getting wet! I didn't know what to do, but knew of Harajuku as a "fashion center" and so figured I could easily find a shoe store there. I got to Harajuku and bought new shoes, then wandered around the area for a bit admiring the scenery. I ended up wandering to the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi park without really realizing it. It was actually a really fun day! I always enjoyed finding the interesting architectures of the shrines and old buildings that still exist among the modern contruction of Japan. So to lose such an interesting building is really a shame.
Yeah I was there around then too, sad to hear the station is changed now, it was really cute. :(
Wow what a shame it was demolished. Watching the video I thought they just built a new one nearby and decommissioned the old one.
Yeah the old one looked nice but it was just to old and every time I was there it was so crowded. Needed a bigger one and something that wouldn’t fall down in an earthquake.
That sounds like the perfect anime story. Main character barely makes it to Japan with broken equipment and ends up finding new gear(shoes) to continue their journey across Japan and inspiring a bunch of side characters along the way.
it was a lovely station. I hate the new one.
Loving the 12 days of CHRISmas!!! Keep these awesome vids up man :)
oh it's You the guy who always eat around world!!!
Chris might’ve doomed himself with this 12 Days of Christmas series because I would love it to become an annual tradition 👍
I love these Christmas uploads. I have something to look forward to almost daily.
Same, really making my Christmas season way better!
Same, less whistles and bells and more opinion, I really like this style video.
Yeah it´s always a joy to see his happy little face with those red jolly cheeks from drinking too much alcohol ☺
Christmas is the best time to watch Japan videos! *Happy New Years! Love from a small RUclipsr!* ♥
The Harajuku one kinda feels like what happened to Camden in London. Counter-culture central in the 90s-00s, but then big named brands and those tacky tourist-trap shops bought up space to get a piece of the action, thus destroying what they came for. Not to mention a bunch of the shops got paved over, and there was a fire as well that destroyed even more shops.
It's still got its charm, but now you have to actually look for it, rather than it being front and centre.
It's a pretty common thing for the funky neighborhoods to get gentrified/boutiquified, unfortunately, that's kind of the way of money.
Went to Camden as few years ago and was well disappointed
@@nathanbell6962 yeah it’s completely transformed. I used to go as a teen back in early 00’s and it was way better. Now it’s overly touristy/generic and lost a lot of what made it unique.
Camden was my immediate thought when they discussed Harajuku too. I remember it in the late 90s and early 00s, and it's a corporate hellscape these days. Not much fun late at night either.
Exactly... Camden and Harajuku were soo similar. I lived near Camden for a lot of my life and felt like Harajuku was like home when I visited several times back in the early 2000s. Sadly, Camden is now shit and so is Harajuku. I blame the Internet for making it virtually impossible to have cool culture/fashion districts anymore.
On my way too short little trip to Japan 2 years ago the first Ramen shop I went to I picked solely based on the considerable line of salarymen in front of it. I'm sure that Ramen took 5 years of my lifespan considering how thick the broth and how fatty the meat was, but it was totally worth it.
That is a really good strategy. Look where the locals eat. They live there their whole life, they know which places are good.
When I think of Japanese tiny apartments, I recall the comment of a French diplomat who caused quite a brouhaha by referring to Japan as "A nation of workaholics who live in rabbit hutches."
I mean...he is not wrong. Though "workaholic" implies they actually enjoy working that hard, I don't think most Japanese people are any more enthusiastic about doing their 9 to 5 than any of us. It's just the toxic work culture that forces them to put in those long hours.
They were enthusiastic about working 9 to 5 when they're economy made an 8 hour job make alot of money for those 8 hours and overtime made more money
There was a fashion type magazine called Fruits where the guy who put it out took pictures of all the interesting and edgy styles people wore in Harajuku. In 2017 he put out the final edition because he didn't think there were anymore interesting looks or styles people by people there anymore.
Yeah the magazine was so iconic, pretty much all alternative scenes all over the world could find something inspiring… was also probably the peak of some Japanese niches like lolita or gyaru fashion. Nowadays, just like in other areas, Korea and China are taking over.
@@biazacha It's a sad loss in a lot of ways.
That's incredibly depressing. Does anyone know why the Harajuku culture died?
@@nojakthegemlad I think it's just a case as times change styles trends all of that changes. Also people grow up. When your in school and living at home with disposable income it's easier to buy trendy clothes since your in uniforms all week when your adult paying bills with a place of your own and require work clothes it's not the same.
Yeah fashion always changing constantly! *Happy New Years! Love from a small RUclipsr!* ♥
Unironically, I love the room accoustics of the new set. Having the reverb on people laughing and chatting gives the recoring a really inviting feel.
Hi I just wanted to say that I love your deadmau5 profile picture!!! 🙌
Damn, I had no idea that they'd changed the station at Harajuku. I was there in spring 2016 and autumn 2017 and it was always nice to look at the station building BECAUSE it was a more traditional-style build.
"Fried chicken in Japan is overrated"
*Flashbacks to that one fried chicken episode*
Tbf the chicken was sitting out for a while.
second reply
The American south and South Korea make the best fried chicken in the world
KFC korean fried chicken, though japan makes the best grilled chicken skewers
Fried chicken is sort of gross, its maybe once in a year thing and you feel like shit after eating it.
Who knew a home trip cancellation would bring the most productive version of Chris Broad.
I think Chris always works hard. He just usually releases less video´s, because he has very high standards. Let´s hope he makes time for himself to enjoy the holidays 🎄
Chris Abroad No Way Home the movie
I always wondered why with the small apartments in Japan they short changed the Residence by not providing adequate noise insulation.
At least from what I know in the UK it is common to have insulated walls and drop ceilings with noise insulation in flats.
I guess it comes back to money and more relaxed regulations.
It's the same for most hotels... I usually have to use earplugs in most Japanese business hotels. Sound insulation needs material and thickness/distance, but space is one thing Japan lacks in major cities.
The housing standards in general are pretty poor. However in tokyo it's law for a landlord to provide AC, and most landlords outside of Tokyo uphold that. The worst thing about apartments in Japan is they're 'sextist'. In that, you have male or female apartments. The female apartments are actually quiete nice. You can expect a big closet, separate bedroom, a decent sized kitchen you can actually cook in etc. However if you get a male apartment you basically get a tiny utility space and a room for your bed. They're designed for the male salaryman who doesn't cook, is looking for a wife and spends most nights eating/drinking out with colleagues.
“Relaxed” ha ha delightfully understated.
@@327legoman I've seen Japanese single apartments. They are much more thoughtful than studio or junior 1bed in the west. There is an obsession in the west on "open concept kitchen" for small units. This mean the unit has virtually no dividing walls. You can't cook anything without your bed smell like food or grease. In Japan, at least you get a door to close off the small kitchen in most cases. Aside from being small, Japanese apartment is about 20x more practical than the US when it comes to space utilization.
@@_w_w_ The environment of a business hotel changes greatly depending on the amount of money. At a higher hotel, there are few annoying guests and no damage to property. Security is maintained because immigration is restricted now.
About No.4: Amazon and Online Shopping in general killed shopping for tech and Media really.
I remember from my childhood how exciting it was to visit the city center and go to the big electronics store in my hometown here in germany. If you go there nowadays, it seems more like going to a tech discounter and the Media Department there is now smaller than that of a supermarket because no one buys records, cds, or DVDs anymore. It's understandable that they reduced their offers if it's really that unprofitable but in the legendary words of Connor: It's just sad. ...so yeah, I thought the same about Akihabara when I visited it.
I personally get very excited when shopping at Amazon 😉
I don't understand the appeal of Amazon anymore. It's boring and trashy now. It's now practically Aliexpress but priceyer and more organized website.
The other thing about that was that you could get your hands on consoles you could only dream of. You got into that store and not only could you look at all the tech, you could actually play games there.
There are no arcades that'd allow something like that, so that was a huge part of the "techno marvel".
It's kinda hard to argue that it's not just better nowadays, though. I recall numerous times from back then, when I needed something specific and you just couldn't get it. You had like 2 big chain tech markets and if those didn't stock what you needed or it was out, then you just couldn't get that cable or plug or even game.
Amazon is an incredibly shitty company and Bezos is a monster, but I'd be lying if I said that Amazon isn't incredibly convenient.
I'm not so sure, when it comes to good electronics (also from Germany btw).
I buy cheap trash like computer mice for my work laptop or lights or stuff from amazon, but when I want something good, I go to an electronics store. I bought my work laptop, gaming PC, vinyl player and all my kitchen appliences at old fashioned stores. I guess amazon is convienient for day to day cheap stuff, but it's really bad for everything else.
The same thing happened to Tottenham Court Road here in London. Back in the 90s it was all electronics shops although to be fair some of them were annoying with their hard sell tactics. Now it's all chain food places and has zero character.
I visited akihabara in 08 and it was still fun then.
I went to Harajuku in 2006 during my exchange and I was so lucky. It was the old station building, the streets were busy but you could see a ton of people expression their fashion there and there were more stores there that catored to it. Sad to hear it's changed so much
I was shocked when they mentioned that the old station is gone. I was on exchange 2016/2017 and really liked how it looked.
Though I don't remember seeing people with a special sense oc fashion and a lot of the clothes sold in the stores I entered were what people usually would wear anyway.
I love the dynamic in a Chris&Connor Video. Another good one that made me tingle with happiness.
So sad that they decided to get rid of the old station in Harajuku! I found the place fascinating when I first travelled to Japan in 2007. When it was still filled with quirky characters and shops. Haven’t been back to Tokyo since 2014 (and probably wouldn’t go there on my next trip) as there are so many other cities ( plus l prefer the countryside too the cities) & interesting places to go. Thanks Chris, for another entertaining vlog, Cheers!
Yeah, really sad, it looked straight out of Ghibli movie! But it was old, a fire hazard (built from wood) and couldn't handle the amount of tourists safely anymore, so I guess is was inevitable that it got replaced.
@@maximilianwimmer627 Built from wood doesn't automatically equal fire hazard. There are ways to treat the wood to be more fire resistant.
The main thing is it seems they tried to expand to account for tourists while in the process destroying part of what brought the tourists in to begin with
@@InfernosReaper Horrible irony. Mostly just obliviousness on the government's part.
Yeah so sad. *Happy New Years! Love from a small RUclipsr!* ♥
Chris, thank you so much for doing this 12 days series. I know it's hard and exhausting and I really appreciate the effort. The first thing I do on youtube these days is see if there is a new video from you or your friends. Thank you so much for bringing joy to my life!
These videos always make my day 10 and a half times better.
Yeah that extra "half" really says it all 😏
"Merry Christmas, here's your prison food!" had me laughing😂 Also, thanks for the tip about Ekiben. I'll keep that in mind! 😊
Hey Chris, the photo of the harajuku fashion walk bunch could date to 2014, as I was there on one of the walks taking photos and recognized many familiar faces. Nice vibe, friendly people around, it was great atmosphere to hang out back then there. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
"Merry Christmas, here's your prison food!" Chris' wordplay is truly a modern shakespeare. 🤣
it would be great slogan for dining room in my school
Oh, wait. Prisons have better food
Awesome, love the extra info for sure. It's been a dream to at least go there once and Akihabara was one of the areas I really wanted to visit at least on a trip. Sad to hear that things are changing and when I even read about some shops closing was even more dissapointed.
I really really love this set. I can't believe how much better it makes a video compared to just sitting in a normal room.
Ichiran saved my life drunk in the middle of the night when nothing else around is open. Private booths are perfect for not worrying about manners and just inhaling maxing out on ur food and making a bowl in 5 minutes.
Fried chicken from Lawson's is actually great, but KARAAGE is on a whole other level esp if the izakaya makes their own tartar sauce.
I've had chicken karage in Japan and it was okay. Not bad but definitely does not hold a candle to the golden brown crust or juicy tenderness of a proper southern fried chicken.
The comment on Harajuku was spot on. 20 years ago, after school I would sometimes visit Harajuku with friends. on returning recently (a visiting American friend wanted to go) I was shocked how much it changed. it's clearly marketed for tourists, and the fashionable areas have moved elsewhere.
😂"if I want happiness i bring Joey" epic!!! You guys are the best calamity duo in a funny way. Great video! Hope 2022 bring a happy video for this 2! I was so obsessed on visiting Harayuku and I was so disappointed when I was finally there. So dark, not that multi color fun place. It was so plain, my only joy was the rainbow grill cheese sandwich.
i really enjoy these videos, very chill vibes and you know you get something daily. Maybe you could continue something like this with different guests / topics once or twice a week in the future? Incase you are not thinking of continuing this series, really like the content Chris keep it up! :)
as someone who lived thru the 80s I dare say everything almost universally looked better then simple because we lived differently, we didnt have the internet and mobile phones, games consoles were not really a replacement for the arcades until the 90s, everything was outside the house entertainment wise, we would go home for dinner and bed and that was about it, all the businesses were in competition to act as our living rooms and eat all our money for hours on end everyday and we were so much more sociable for it and we used our time pursuing so many different hobbies, physical hobbies, laser tag games, snooker, go karting all sorts of things which are now very much diminished
I wonder what the introverts used to do in those times....
@@madeinbusanjkjm back in those days you'd get beat up for being a nerd or introvert. Especially in highschool
You missed "jumpers for goal posts".
@@madeinbusanjkjm Obviously this doesn't apply to people with extremely severe social anxiety but arguably many introverts were better off in the days before the internet. It forced people to meet irl if you wanted to have any form of social interaction. For example, otaku and anime nerds wouldn't have forums and discord to chat about anime on, you'd have to go to cons and meetups. Subcultures in general were forced to exist in the physical space or not at all. Nowadays because there's so much room to chat online you end up with actually less opportunities to meet people irl in many cases.
opportunities
I feel like it's not only a combination of a changing culture, but also all the choices made by the corporations and the community.
Corporations and Businesses are changing or doing annoying things and the community sometimes also does annoying things.
_I like my Rhythm/Fighting Arcade Games, LAN/PC Cafés, and Trading Card Games. But due to Covid, the lack of support for my hobbies, the general community, and also frustrating choices from businesses, it's hard to do them and some I refuse to continue supporting._
Plus; there's very few places left in my town to try and engage in said hobbies, many have closed down, also my friends are generally busy or some of them don't play what I play, so it's not making it any better.
Love these collabs and it's always fun to hear both of their perspectives and opinions. A lot of people make it seem like it's always sunshine and rainbows so i appreciate the authenticity of both guys
Has Chris even left his new studio since it’s been done?!? lol
Great vid guys!
I know you're stuck in Japan, and this is the result...but this time of year has become really difficult for me due to a personal tragedy...so thank you for making these videos, Chris. I'm enjoying them very much, and I hope they're helping you cope with not being able to go home.
Stay strong brother
6:42 On the topic of ramen, Ichiran in particular, I never heard of this chain restaurant despite living there for 2 years when I was younger and visiting the country consistently after moving away. I've never heard of the chain until I started watching Japan vloggers like Chris' channel, and like in the video, all I've ever heard is that it's overrated, which is where I would like to offer some advice. My advice to anyone going to Japan and want to eat ramen: go to a family owned business. They're almost always pretty good. Chain stores in general regardless of what type of food is served is more consistently lackluster in quality and is only ever "good" under certain circumstances i.e. being drunk.
As for my own personal experience, when we're in Tokyo, we like to go to a place called Kochuuichiba (edited with correct name), and the other place we like to go to is small family owned place called Kokai located in my mom's hometown. Both are nice little stores that offer amazing tasting ramen.
Edit: I was wrong. It's KoSHUUichiba not KoCHUUichiba. And I also learned it has a parent company, which would make it franchised in some way. Regardless, their ramen is still excellent and I highly recommend it.
Chris, Thank you so much for posting these types of videos that basically promote Japan lmao. For a long time, I didn't know what I wanted to do in my life but after finding your videos and watching them for the past year I think I know what I want to aim for :) Hopefully, I stumble into you one day at a FamilyMart buying ungodly amounts of fried chicken.
I just wanna knoe how much fried chicken god considers to be "ungodly "🍗 It's gotta be a lot, right, like a train-full would be sacrilegious.... or an entire video about trying convenience store chicken.....
The original plan was to keep the old Harajuku Station building and use it as a tourist info spot. But that was not possible because of fire resistance regulations. So they came up with an alternative and will be rebuilding it in the same style using as many of the original materials from the old building as possible. So it will be back, just not as original as the old building.
2:08 the way the cat stared then got up like it's just too offended by you touching the belly! Hahahaha
Japan has changed a lot, I still remember the first time I came there as a 20 y old student (2007) and Akihabara was already becoming a place full of anime stores and games stores, but there were many small shops with lots of tech stuff...
The anime and games stuff made sense because tech, but then came the shallow tourist trap places like the maid cafes
@@InfernosReaper Those cafes are a dying industry now, too.
@@TheNobleFive Yeah, when people don't have a lot of disposable income those types of businesses do tend to be hit rather hard.
Throw in a pandemic and it's even more harsh
100% agree with you on Ichiran being so overrated! Ippudo has been my absolute favorite (along with Afuri)
I fell victim to Ekiben 15 years ago and still traumatized.
A special child sized ramen with its own customization form
On the topic of anime figures in Akihabara, it’s much cheaper in my experience to buy in those stores, but that’s from someone living OUTSIDE of Japan. 1/4 scale figures having $80+ shipping costs and sites like Tokyo Otaku Mode bumping up prices with a slight discount for being a member makes a bit harder to buy.
Recently I’ve just been looking at pre-owned figures on AmiAmi because besides the crazy shipping, they are genuinely cheaper and still in good condition.
Mandarake is also very reliable for used items in good condition, you just have to be careful not to pick items from different locations if you want to keep the shipping cost down.
Yeah while it's cheaper than purchasing the figures internationally, there are just far cheaper places out there.
I assume the pure allure of Akihabara as a tourist location dramatically drives up the prices for the figures.
I remember going to a small anime shop in Kobe, since my friend wanted to see his old high school there.
The prices there were most definitely FAR cheaper by a mile. Like literally saw the same figure(s) brand new in box for 1/4 of the prices they were selling in Akihabara used.
I like AmiAmi for their prices since they usually sell everything cheaper than TOM, Even with the discounts. They also don’t charge you for preorders until the item releases which I really like.
Ive been a fan of Chris for years now. Discovered Connor through Chris. Love both their content. But i gotta say bros i enjoy the videos you make together the most! Honestly would love to hang out with you 2 🤣
When I went to Akihabara for the first time in 2017 I was so disappointed. I was sort of sold on it being anime and video game mecca but when I got there every store sold the same 3 items of the latest hot anime. I was expecting to find more variety and a greater appreciation for vintage stuff (or hell even just more different modern things) but there were only a few small stores that had vintage stuff. I was so bummed.
Many stores are from the same chain which you can tell by their store names… such as XXX store no. 3 kan
My favourite combination on youtube; Chris’ production value, brains, humour and valuable cultural observations with Connor’s handsome face.
Connor: "We just filmed a Wacky Weekend-"
Me: WOOOOOOO YEAH BABY, THATS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!
I would never live in the capsule apartments, but I was very fascinated by the concept and seeing its 1980’s futurism aesthetic
1980s' You used the correct "its" but put the apostrophe in the wrong place. :-P Apostrophes aren't used to make plurals, and since you're saying its aesthetic belongs to the 1980s, the possessive apostrophe would come after the "s."
@@englishatheart why are you everywhere correcting ppl, not saying this in a mean way btw cause you probably mean well, but nobody cares abt that stuff in a youtube comment section 😭
I love seeing Conner and Chris together in a video. I look forward to their video visiting Unique Ryokai or onsens.
There is good food in Akihabara!! Gyu Katsu Ichi Ni San in Akihabara. I returned twice during a 4 day work trip because it was just so special.
I needed something to put me in a better mood today. Thank you Chris and Connor !!! 🙂
I love your videos Chris! Greetings from Germany :)
What’s cool about harajuku is actually the back streets, like little coffee shops, restaurants etc. Like semi-residential areas that are filled with exotic and interested places to explore.
The cat café stuff is super nice if the cats are well cared for, give them a home and for a costumer it's super chill to relieve some stress and work peacefully more so than a busy regular cafe imo.
I can recommend a tolerable ekiben from Tokaido line.
If you are okay with vinegared mackerel, there's one called "Kakinoha sushi/柿の葉寿司".
It's a simple meal with 4 to 6 pieces of pressed mackerel sushi, wrapped in leaves.
But yeah the Ekiben brand is more like an emergency food, it's more clever to buy your on-go bento in surrounding malls and such.
Thank you for killing my entire bucket list with one video chris...
Akihabara is still amazing coming from the west, even if the prices aren't comparable it's incredible to have tech and anime products in a centralized destination and I'm happy to pay the larger prices to keep the individual stores alive. Shopping in person is very different than online and Akihabara is the best for shopping for niche products.
The Ichiran point is so true LOL
I told my friend that the first thing I'd do if I visit Japan is to hit Ichiran up and she was like "but why?" and began to convince me to follow her to her favorite local ramen shop lol Still waiting for all borders to open to finally visit though T^T
I can confirm. It's an open secret they pay RUclipsrs for hyping them up.
It's okay but nothing special.
I think both of them should be tried. Ichiran isn't really a 'fake ramen'. It is still really good. I think i had the main branch with the rectangular bowl, it was amazing. Ippudo i feel was way worse and way more expensive.
I also have my fair share of local ramens, a small random car shop in hokkaido, Street ramen shops, some alleyway ramen shops. Personally, is an equal calibre and a unique experience.
Ichiran isn't a replacement of smaller branches of ramen shop, but its not something to avoid either.
@@Marnige yah its not like you’re comparing mcdonalds to proper quality burger places ichiran isn’t definitively worse than anything local its just a different experience it’s a good baseline and if you struggle with your japanese still it’s easy to use ichiran to take a break and have a place that really holds your hand through the ordering process
I was in Japan in 2004 and Harajuku was all that it was said to be. Amazing costumes, cute station, we looked down the alley and saw a store called “freak shop” and expected ganguro accessories, instead it was full of 90s GAP type clothing 😂 It was probably one of my favorite memories of going to Japan
Pulling down historical buildings and replacing them with boxes is a pandemic.
wasn't it joey who said direct eye contact with cats is a sign of aggression hence why the cats love Chris and not Connor?
Yep, it was Joey who said that indeed. :)
Yeah, it's true, a direct stare signals distrust in cat language whereas half-closed eyes and slow blinks signal trust. Also when they present their butt to you it's a sign of trust, so next time you have some cat butt cheeks right in front of your face, take it as a compliment 😂
@@Blex_040 But if I present my butt to the cats, they walk away :(
@@Blex_040 No it just means they're in heat.😅
THIS VIDEO DEFINITELY gives a more balanced view on Japan:) it's not all
roses 🌹 and sunshine ☀️ here. thank you 🙏
I loved the bentos I got for my bullet train journeys. I miss them so much when I have to travel by train in Australia. Stale sandwiches, watery tea and week old baked goods just make me miss Japan all the more.
Anything is better than Aussie servo food lmao, literally 12 bucks for the worst sandwich you will lever eat. Imo, Japan's worst EkiBen beat ours.
sushi overated xD, australian food worst xD. i stick with Borneo food Sarawak Laksa and Kolo me
@@ukchub6633 Then you aint had good sushi mate. Regardless, for me I stick with instant ramen; the superior food.
I'm really glad Chris has branched out to a wider audience by showing off his friendships with Connor, Joey, and Garnt. It feels like it's brought in a younger audience and it's gotten him a lot more reach. Keep it up, Chris!
Thank you for the relaxing video, I can't wait for the live show!
I kinda expected Akihabara to show up and I had to agree with all 7 on varying levels, with the food ones being a 50/50.
In the very least I had the chance to visit the old Harajuku station.
I went to Japan in 2018 and visited Harajuku, only to realize, that most of the shops are for tourists and it is very overcrowed in this small street.
Same goes for Akihabara, the prizes for figures and stuff are very high compared to other shops in Tokyo.
I worked in Harajuku and while it's sad they couldn't incorporate the old station somehow in the new one, the old one was an absolute hell on busy days. It took ages to enter or exit. It was usually faster to take the other exit and walk back around (although that one wasn't much better either).
This video was way too short Chris. I want a long form video of you two talking like that about Japan please. Merry Christmas to you Chris.
I feel sense of familiar comfort when Connor and Chris do videos together.
I thought I was totally allergic to videos of people listing "All the bad things about...", but this video has proved me wrong.
Merry Chris-Mass everybody!
I remember going to a "cat cafe" in Hachioji and really it was just a cat shelter with a coffee self serve coffee machine.
One of the best Bromances on RUclips
OMG totally agree 6:50. First time in cramped ichiran booth after waiting half an hour and couldn't see the fuss about it (I have to peel my egg?!) when ippudo and other humble pop shop ramen are better
Solid video ! Great job guys
I admit I was getting a bit nervous as you hadn't included Ekiben until No. 6 appeared. On my first visit to Japan I remember going to a cheap hostel so the instant miso soup we had in the morning wasn't such a disappointment, but after hearing from friends and even Japanese youtubers how a good, convenient meal the "train box" was and facing the reality of it on the excellent and comfortable first Shinkansen trip I knew it was an overrated experience. I've come to the conclusion since then that it must be a cultural thing more than anything else, as most discount food from the 7-eleven tastes better for as little as half the price.
Never had a ekiben thankfully, but when I was in japan with my dad we could've lived on 7-eleven onigiri all day, they make some super simple meat onigiri but they are cheap and surprisingly tasty so much this is literally one of our most remembered things from this trip.
Sounds like it's the Japanese equivalent of what Gray's Papaya is to NYC.
On the topic of Akihabara, it becoming a tourist attraction has sort of ruined it being a unique and vibrant place. Don't get me wrong you can still enjoy it especially if you are an anime fan, but a lot of stores have lost their charm and become kind of similar to each other. Such is the natural consequence of place becoming tourist attraction. It still serves a great centralized place to suit your anime needs, including Japanese people from other prefectures. But you probably won't find something new or exciting the second or third time you go there
However, the COVID situation could change the situation. A lot of stores are forced to close due to the drastic decrease in tourists. And given that the district is rather old (in terms of the building which may need some reformation), there could be some need for a new "identity" for the place. No idea whether that will happen, but if they want to make this place to be a truly unique place for visitors, this could be the opportunity to do so
p.s. Be careful of getting thing from Amazon though. Fake reviews and products are common and even legit seller could be affected due to how Amazon handle their inventory. Personally I trust more reputable second-hand selling stores and their online shops. That said same can be said for Akihabara as some shops do sell thing overpriced knowing that tourists won't care too much about it
I feel like your Britishness comes out more with Connor. The disgusted "You're chatting shit mate" was perfect.
@7:32, Interesting, when I lived in Japan, Fukuoka (the birth place of Hakata ramen) mind you, Ichiran was just a chain I saw around the area.
I only ate there once and that was due to seeing it frequently as one location was near to a school I taught at weekly. Therefore, I promised myself to try it.
I eventually tried Ichiran at the Hakata station location, and it was my last meal in Japan.
It’s fine and was enjoyable (for further context, I had moved items, cleared my apartment and checked into a hotel for the night). Hence, I was exhausted and hungry (so anything would have been good to be honest). A nice meal to end my time in Japan, nothing more.
The hype I’m hearing about the chain now is wild to me. The cafe in the Japanese university I studied at made better Hakata style ramen (the broth was amazing!) seriously. 😆
Congrats on 400k my favourite RUclipsr, looking forward to next wacky weekend!
As a Japanese, for me it’s the Ichiran ramen. It’s good but not sensationally good. Ig people just like the atmosphere which they imagine to be otaku-like? (Enclosed private seats introverts would like)
Edit: haha I commented this before watching the video and they had Ichiran on the list XD Told you so~
What’s always amazes me about Japan is the huge amount of processed food. They seem to love it.
What exactly makes processed foods bad?
ah man, used to love going to Meji Jingu Via the old Harajuku Station, loved the look of that station, was so sad when they decided to bulldoze it. Kinda wished they'd done the same as they did to tokyo station and left the front and built off the back of it 🤷♂🤷♂🤷♀🤷♀
I forgot to photograph the station during my trip to Tokyo in 2017…I regret that now
THE BACKGROUND!!! Is that self made set or location it looks so dope
Chris putting ramen in the thumbnail because RUclips likes ramen thumbnails, love it
I went to Japan 5 years ago (without being a particular "fan" of Japan or japanese culture; just sounded interesting to go there). I had heard of Harajuku before - how it is this centre of fashion and counter-culture, so I planned to go there as well. And there was....not much, to be honest. Not sure what I expected, but felt like a fairly regular shopping street, except yes, you see gothic lolita stuff and whatnot - but it just felt so 100% commercial. I also can't recommend it, unless you're really invested in it.
You were 15 years too late.
Why do I feel like I learned more this way than if it had been a top 10 list?? Amazing. 👍
I think this video will be good, i am watching it now, will update.
1:07
Oh Cool, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu!
{She is a great Singer!}
I like Her Music!
{Im sure Shes an Idol!}
Its Interesting to Hear
about Her on this!
I agree with all of your points, except ekiben...I've never had a bad ekiben. And yes, Ippudo is awesome!
I went to Japan in 2019, and I knew that Akihabara was a tourist trap and I should be cautious going in. Meanwhile it kinda happened to be one of my favorite parts of the trip, even if the prices in Akihabara are much higher than other stores I've been to. I'm glad I got to go before a lot of the iconic stuff went away due to covid as well, much like the old Harujuku station. I didn't notice they replaced it, and that's sad because it was one of the coolest looking stations in Tokyo.
I do agree Harujuku is overrated though, it's nothing but a bunch of tourist trap markets selling dumb shirts with English like I LOVE PORNHUB to get the dumb foreigner to buy the shirt because "Haha funny Engrish Japan!"
i think the product prices are higher due to "it's for having the experience and buying it now" tax. i feel like it's similar to getting "next day delivery."
also, property and business related expenses is probably hefty for them so they have to raise it to profit or break even.
plus, i think merch prices are honestly hit-or-miss, maybe depending on the product. i remember getting specifc trading cards cheaper in akihabara than i did in kyoto.
@@joshuaxiong8377 oh, there's definitely good deals to be had in Akihabara on a lot of things, especially if you're used to foreign prices, but then other things are the highest prices I saw things for in Japan. It all depends on whay you want and which store you go to.
Sort of related to the Akihabara part; I'm not sure how malls are viewed outside of the US, but I always get the impression that they were super cool places to go in the 80s and 90s. I was able to still go to malls as a child in the early 2000s but now they're pretty much all dead or dying thanks to the internet. I guess its a double edged sword, the internet is certainly convenient for buying stuff, but I miss the atmosphere of the mall.
Malls are still booming here . Maybe it's dead only at your place
@@freddiem6805 Perhaps, there are still a couple in my area but only one is still at full capacity of stores, the rest are either dead or sitting with only a quarter or third of their capacity. I mean at the same time you have to admit US malls are dying when a whole youtube "industry" has cropped up about people who explore dead and dying malls. Also if you live near a major city I could see how your malls are still booming.
So, Adam Ruins Everything did a show on malls, and the cliff notes version of what happened is that there were favorable economic conditions (tax incentives and such) to build malls, and so many more malls than were really needed got built across the US. And as those incentives went away, and online shopping became a thing, Malls that were in areas that could actually support them still did just fine, but all of the borderline/superfluous ones lost too much business. That's why there's so many dead/dying malls/strip malls around the country.
@@allentoyokawa9068 not korea
@@allentoyokawa9068 Literally just copy-pasting your comments now? No, Japan is *not* the center of tech. Most tech is now produced outside of Japan. The country having a bunch of retro stores for old things like N64s doesn't make it a "center of tech" - that implies innovation with large tech companies, something Japan hasn't had for almost a decade now. Most of the largest, most advanced tech companies are basing their products out of places like China and Korea - something that can easily be proven with a simple Google search. But no, anything that goes against the "Japan is perfect" narrative you keep on pushing in these comments just isn't true. Get a grip.
Totally agree with Connor on the fried chicken point. First thing I did when I got off the plane in Nagoya was rush to Family Mart and get the holy fried chicken. Was totally disappointed when I got a chewy and greasy slab of uncrispy chicken and questioned whether I can ever trust Chris again lol
The man poisons his friends with bee larvae and Marmite! He squashes fish bait on their backs! What on earth made you think you could trust Chris ? 😜
yea i mean comparing to korean chicken its pretty shit
@@davidkim1105 I agree with that, Korea's fried chicken is some of the best
駅弁は美味しいですよね。食べる直前に紐を引っ張ったら温められる駅弁もあるほどです。フライドチキンについての話題は苦笑してました。チャンネル登録者40万人おめでとうございます。
Really enjoying this kind of debate forum in your new set. Looking forward to seeing more of these. 👍🏼