I stayed at a hostel in Osaka and asked the receptionist if there was a cat cafe that she recommended, she told me to go have a cup of tea and she would write down the details, I thought she meant the address and how to get there but instead she typed up a comprehensive guide to every cat cafe in the area including pro's and con's and what kinds of cats they had. That was when I realised that Japanese people generally are ridiculously helpful and kind! :)
Nacks Manlitz Because they're generally nice people? I mean would you honestly not help a foreigner along on their perilous quest to both drink tea and pet some cute ass cats under one roof? I didn't think so!
i once asked a french guy (in french) do you speak English, he respoded with yes (also in french) i then asked him where the toilet was (in English) he then turned around and walked away.
I'm a native speaker of French, and I've experienced the reverse. Frenchmen answering back to me in broken English because I have gotten an accent after many years living abroad.
During my visit to Osaka some years ago, I became slightly lost looking for a bus stop for a certain route. An old man with his cane walked across the block to help me because of my obvious dilemma. He walked me to the bus stop and waited with me. He confirmed the bus was the right before sending me off and heading back. What a nice man he was. I had many friendly encounters in japan and felt very comfortable after some time.
I had a similar experience near Tokyo Station. I couldn't find my hotel, so I asked two salarymen smoking outside a Family Mart if they could help me. They didn't know the hotel but one of them bought a map of the area and we all set off with a bag of beers. After fifteen minutes of not finding it, we approached another group of three salarymen for help, and they joined the party. Another twenty minutes and no hotel, so one of the guys went to ask a police officer. In the end we found the place, I was escorted inside by the police officer, he confirmed my reservation was completed, thanked me for my patience, apologized for the inconvenience, all the while with five semi-drunk salarymen having a laugh outside. The two who helped me initially even bought me drinks at a local izakaya afterwards.
I never found it hard, at the time the best thing was a Japanese-english dictionary and phrases book, remember to take a pamphlet/ business card of hotel in case you can't find your way back just show to a taxi or similar person for help. I found Japanese people very helpful and honest. Now there is apps and devices that can be helpful. Yes recommend train pass and wifi device rental.
When I visited Japan With my boyfriend, every time I was hesitating or seemed hopeless people came to help without asking them! it happened numerous times. Oh, and my boyfriend whose English is almost non-existent could totally communicate with them. Pointing, smiling and the word Arigato work wonders in Japan. :)
When I went to Japan I was looking for a store off in the suburbs of Tokyo that I had absolutely no idea where it was. I walked into this quiet little restaurant and the owners drew out a detailed map for me and gave me free drinks with lots of smiles and nods to go along with it. Whilst walking there a cargo truck driver who happened to speak a little English asked me where I was headed, and even offered me a ride there. Never in my life have I experienced the hospitality and selflessness of the Japanese culture. For sure it is a country to which I must return.
@@Icemon2705 Glad to see another Mad Scientist in this part of RUclips. But the most important question I must ask is.... Do you drink the drink of the gods? I must get going the organization is on my trail and I can't afford to get caught. El Psy Congroo
So I have to go to either the sign with the box 男, the cross 士, or the stickman throwing a punch 方. I have to avoid the tent 人 and the lamps 女. Thanks!
First time I came to Japan, I got lost at the train station. As in: The station was so big, I had to go to the subway and had no idea where to go. I was just standing around, looking lost and a local came up to me and asked me in VERY bad English (but so sweet!) where I had to go. He was with his wife and kids. I pointed at a picture of a subway and he actually left his wife and kids behind, took me to the subway station (that was a few minutes away) and he went back. THAT is how kind the Japanese are. This was also when I just got of the plane and took the train, so it was my first experience with the Japanese. I have loved it there ever since (travelling anyway, still too scared to pack up and move).
I was at a Japanese highway rest stop, with a restaurant etc., and my team-mates all trooped to the frozen hamburgers and fries etc to microwave, but I wanted real food so I was trying to figure out the payment/ticket system and a very nice Japanese guy in a blue suit came up and helped me out; I ended up getting a nice hot bowl of noodle soup with seaweed, just the kind of thing I liked growing up (in Hawaii) and it all went great. There are helpful people everywhere.
When I went to Japan with a group of friends we were all looking lost and confused in a subway station and a very kind woman came up to us and led us to our station. People really are amazing.
When I went to K’s Hostel in Tokyo they were booked and they called another hostel, made my reservation, drew me a map, and when I said “I hope I can find it” the guy said “well she (another worker) is going home in 5 minutes and can walk you there if you can wait.” Customer service is crazy. It was amazing. I seriously love Japan.
I had a similar experience in Japan. The hotel was full but the desk man made a reservation for us nearby. Then he called a cab and told the driver where we wanted to go.
My cousin was in the US Air Force for over twenty years, and he tells an impressive story about being in Japan. He was a pilot, and he flew into Yokota AFB a number of years back. He was only there for about two weeks, but wanted to see as much of Japan as he could. He and his co-pilot took a train some place, but I can't remember where he said it was. It was in the evening hours, and after about thirty minutes or so, it became obvious to them that they took the wrong train. There was a tired salaryman sitting nearby, and by the look on my cousin's face, the salaryman could tell that something was wrong. He came over to them and tried to find out what the problem was, but he didn't speak English. The salaryman eventually figured out that they took the wrong train. So, in a calming manner, he put his hands up, and just said, "ok, ok, ok." At the next stop, the salaryman took them to another train that was going back in the opposite direction to the station they had left. The salaryman rode with them! Once they got back to the station, he then made sure that they got on the proper train, and marked on a paper schedule what train they'd need to get back. So, this salaryman, who had probably just worked 16 hours at the office went WAY out of his way to make sure that these Gaijin got to where they needed to go. Very impressive I think!
The word "Restroom" isn't popular in Japan. So it would be more understandable for the Japanese if you say "Where do I find the toilet?" or simply "Where is the toilet?"
Me: *writes 女 and 男* Look mom,look dad! I know Japanese! 女 is girl and 男 is boy! My parents: Of course you would know those two words,you’re Chinese! Edit: I completely forgot I wrote this comment until a random notification popped up and it lead me back here-
Can't stress enough how friendly and helpful the Japanese are. Was in Tokyo and lost my wallet the day before traveling to Kyoto for a few days. Stayed at the same hotel when I got back to Tokyo. As I was checking back in, they told me my wallet had been found. Drew me a map and wrote a full list of instructions in both English and Japanese, in case I needed to stop and ask someone. Was reunited with my wallet (with nothing missing, obviously) within a few hours of being back in Tokyo. I love that country.
@@765lbsquat can promise it happened, but if you want to assume that japanese people aren't as honest as that....then that's on your prejudices. Don't know why you'd automatically assume it's bullshit 🤷🏻♂️
"japanese is typically only spoken in japan" as I sit here in america where 3 different neighbors next to me are trying to pronounce their favorite anime opening lyrics
A parrot can occasionally imitate what humans say, that doesn't mean it understands what the words mean. ;) Case in point: One of my older brother's friends taught his parrot to yell "F*ck off" whenever his then girlfriend came into the room (He'd apparently found out that she was cheating on him and wanted to break up with her.)
Those "weird sounding English phrases" in Japan are often actually chosen specifically because they sound good or fun to the Japanese ear. Big companies have native English speakers who know what they are doing. It isn't usually just a mistake. This came from a few marketing people I talked to while I lived in Japan. Not sure on the validity of their claims, but it makes logical sense.
I don't know, I found it pretty funny - "DRIBBLE". Even makes sense, dribble can mean something like a rambling, or nonsensical spewings from a madman, perfect for a notebook! Admittedly, it is hardly ever used like that, and is more suited to a monarch yelling at a peasant in the Queen's English.
Gamz, you are so intelligent and mature. I can tell, from how insistent you are that no one should start a war of words and mess with you; your claims are simply intimidating. No one would ever want to start a war with you, please! Your English is messy, but for a non-native I can tell it is very good! I'm sure your teachers would be happy that you are using what you've learned to espouse your silly and petty racism on the American web.
I first moved to Japan for study abroad and learned roughly a year's worth of Japanese prior to coming (though still a beginner at the time). The moment I arrived in Japan I spoke as much Japanese as I could. I couldn't perfectly understand everything, but I was able to handle most conversations with the Japanese friends I made along the way in Japanese and handled most mundane tasks alone. Watching other foreigners struggle knowing zero Japanese genuinely gives me an ego boost thanks to my previous efforts with learning the language beforehand. Before you go to Japan (or any other country), do yourself a favor. Buy a textbook and learn the language. It makes your experience in Japan a lot more fun.
Either that or they wanted to write "drabble", which is a self-contained story of not more than 100 words. The term got popular in fanfiction sites to describe short fanfics, maybe the notebook's designer was looking for trendy words on Tumblr, found "drabble" and autocorrect did the rest.
Or maybe they're fully aware that they're stringing together random words, so they're essentially saying "this is all dribble." Eh? Ehh??? ...I'll see myself out.
*cough* France! *cough* YEP! I’ve traveled and lived all over the world, and France is the only country where it feels like people make no effort to understand you, even when you’re actually trying to speak the language- in fact they often just pretend they cant understand or purposely ignor you. My sister is married to a wonderful Frenchman who is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met- but the stereotype of French rudeness to foreigners is very true in my experience.
There is a big difference between France and Paris, where did you go to have such treatment ? Also, usually french tend to get upset when an english speaking foreigner don't even bother to learn thanks/please in french when visiting... But a foreigner trying to speak french is super cool IMO.
I once knew a woman who went to france knowing little to nothing of the language, but she said that most of them where quite helpful. I think it has more to do with the fact that french people seem to have a grudge with anyone who speaks english to them, as this woman was from Argentina and spoke mostly in spanish (and i dont really remember if she even told me that many admitted to her not liking americans/british) EDIT: Now i remember! My french teacher (who was born in france) actually admited that most of them seem to hate being spoken in english, but have no problem with other languages, so yeah, they might have a grudge lol.
I've been to France quite a few times and attended many French people on previous jobs that I had, and I was surprised most of them (even younger ones) would not simply not know the slightest bit of English, but even felt discouraged when I spoke to them in it. Things could only get a bit better if I talked to them in Spanish (which is my native language), since it is usually taught in French schools. On the other hand, this also happened to me a lot when speaking to Russian tourists, and some of them were specially rude unless you were able to babble a few words on their language.
I went to japan for a week and a half, not knowing any Japanese language and they were so polite and welcoming, they respect each other, along with other people, I wish all countries did the same, don't let anyone influence your decision, live your life regardless
Dribble is ACTUALLY A common enough word here in the former British Colony of Australia. It's more than a scribble but not a proper drawing. Don't know why he wouldn't know that ESPECIALLY teaching English.
I'm Japanese but this video is accurate and amazing. I was surprised that it was not a matter of course. （I'm bad at English so I'm using translation software.）
When I went to Japan, I got a bad sunburn and needed aloe vera. My japanese at the time was not good and I could only make simple, short sentences. I tried asking the clerk for aloe vera アロエベラー, but felt helpless when he couldn't understand. A nice woman came up to me and said that she would take me there. She took me to a medicine shop which was out of her way and even stayed to help me find it. Things like that are so uncommon in America, because people are busy and don't have time. I was very happy that day.
Mark Elkhatib I assumed two things that implied you're not American. Firstly, you refer to Americans as "they" rather than "we". Second, that's bullshit, because we are often busy as well
@@dylanmckenna8693 those are some dumb ass reasons you came up with....plus plenty of people work half weeks or have 2 days off and only work 8 hours or less a day.......so wtf lol
We have an american guy here in argentina working, he's putting effort in learning and the co-workers sometimes go like "he talks to us and we don't know what he says ahaha but he's a great guy". We don't mind.
@@jeremywhite7654 I think japanese is easier to learn for spanish speakers than english. I'm from latin america, and I study japanese in duolingo, with english because it is not activated for spanish speakersxd
Actually, we Japanese people can’t speak English, but if you speak English SLOWLY, most of us will be able to listen to you and understand what you say. We can’t speak English, but understand English. We look forward to your visit! Thank you.
Thank you for understanding some English. I imagine that you can read it too. That's why I recommend that tourists carry paper and a pen so they can write short notes. English is easier to read than it is to speak and understand.
@Yaelium Nedliack lets say you knew Japanese, not very well but you knew what most words meant right? You would still need for them to talk to you slowly so that you can process what they’ve said. Learning new languages is very difficult and different to what your native is so speaking slower would help with anyones incapacity to process what they’re taking about.
It's like knowing a few words Japanese... If spoken slow enough you can understand them, if you listen native speakers you would probably don't even hear them clearly. In Japan they speak Japanese most of the time, of course they are not that good in English... Japanese language is so fascinating, speaking isn't that hard I belive but the Kanji 😨 and it has no use outside Japan but I like it. Greetings to Japan, visit is planned in a few years 🇯🇵 😊
"for beef you can say "bi-fu" for pork you can say "po-ku" for chicken you can say "chikin" and.. for horse you can say "BASASHI!!"" ngl i fricking lost it when i heard that
Its our first time in Japan and we only speak very very very basic Japanese here (almost no Japanese) and every Japanese we came across is really understanding and have had no problem communicating ever! And yes, ppl here are so helpful! We got lost the first day here and had two lovely ladies approach us and spoke perfect English to help us get on the right train. Loving it!
Nacks Manlitz ikr! They're absolute angels. Hubby asked to borrow a lighter just to light up a ciggie and this lovely japanese lady said he can keep it (insisted even). Also countless times, had both men and women help point out directions just by seeing us looking lost especially in train stations 😂 even without English they really try their best to help us. Its amazing C':
Nacks Manlitz hmm might be a cultural thing & how they were brought up? Because it seems like most ppl are helpful like that here, regardless in what city we were in (we were in Tokyo Kyoto Osaka & Hiroshima).
A quick Pro tip for English speaking travelers is to use GOOGLE Translate 1. Use your phone's camera to translate menus, road signs, Subway maps, etc... by scanning the item and Google translate will translate Japanese to English or any other languages. 2. Speak English into your phone using the Google Translate and play it back to others in Japanese! 3. Have the local natives speak into your Phone and Google translate will display it in English or play it back in an English voice 4. You can download the Language ahead of time or just use a Wifi connection. 5. You can save most often used sentences for quick access 6. You can use Google Translate to help you learn Japanese by trying out your Japanese by speaking into your phone and if it understands what you wanted to say You are saying it correctly!
As someone that learned japanese from someone that has lived in japan, google botches and ruins japanese grammar so badly... nice thought but it's soo terrible with grammar.
Josh could you do a Video on this subject lying out the Pros and Cons of Google Translate with examples of real world cases for newbies traveling to Japan?
do you need a special app do get your phone to auto translate Japanese writing? Because there are many times if I'm at a convention, I'd be curious to see what the text says on merchandise.
I thought it was out of these two food thing which would you rather be... I chose salmon but it never occurred to me that I would be alive. Woo bonus round!
I recently traveled to japan with my boyfriend , we watched your videos religiously, we found it pretty easy but we always had are phones handy for showing phases and directions , everyone was so helpful there. im defo coming back
Just got back from being in Japan for a month and not knowing any Japanese, and found this so relatable. I was surprised with how far out of the way the locals would go when I didn't know my way around. And a lot of them would apologize to me for not knowing much English when they knew more than I did Japanese, and I was the one on foreign soil.
I went there in the winter of 2014 and I felt horrible that they kept on apologizing when I should be the one to do that and usually it just ended on us both saying sorry and no problem.
@@TARS.. they do anything to help. It surprised me all the time, even in local non tourist areas, and they know alot of English there just shy, my friend was like that, it's so cute.
I hope I can go there in the future I'm in my second year of college and I'm planning to start learning the language that way if I actually end up going in the future it'll make things easier for me.
The word dribble in English generally means spit or saliva (drool), in most contexts. It's usually used as a negative towards someone accused of being stupid.
I I I don’t understand that fully, but I could only assume that the two lines aren’t necessarily meant to be exact translations. They have the japanese one for japanese people welcoming them back, and the english one for tourists saying welcome. Right?
A.A For how they're lined up, it typically is exact translation...especially with the customs direction(w/exact translation) right next to it. No one certainly write down "welcome to our country" with their own language, but lined both greetings up like this is somewhat heartwarming...now that you've mentioned it...it does feel a bit more...usual.
Upon my arrival in Japan for the first time, I still didn't know the language and was having difficulty finding my hostel. (It was about midnight on a week night and the streets were nearly void of people.) A young man came up to me, and even though he didn't speak english, he made an effort to communicate with me using his phone. He helped by hailing a taxi for me, giving the taxi driver my address, and he even insisted on paying the fare. It was a very welcome and unexpected act of kindness, and I hope I can do the same for someone else in a similar situation someday.
Broken Cow It would be profitable to keep up, since it encourages tourism. The Olympics is more of a catalyst/incentive. Although some places might change as they’d prefer the clientele of locals, rather than foreigners since it could affect their reputation. We (our family business) helped set up and supply gift shops in the Vancouver area during the olympics, and even though Vancouver already has a large Asian and Indian community, a lot of the stores we helped supply kept a lot of their translations (or at least some crucial translations) since it facilitated a new demographic for sales. But again, like all business ventures and changes, the most important thing to consider is ‘cost’; the Olympics is going to indirectly supplement businesses there. :}
the main reason why tourists get lost while using public transport is not necessarily the lack of English signs, but the ridiculous amount of exits at stations (one station can have +10 exits, with considerable distances between them) and the huge amount of train/subway lines (owned by different companies) and their respective connections. This is further complicated by underground shopping centres, which can extend for kilometers and lead to different transport lines. Ideally you want to know which exit is the most convenient for your destination, and try, as much as possible, to stay within the JR network (if you're a visitor with a JR pass). IMHO, Osaka subway is just the worst. a very difficult network to navigate, and transferring sometimes feels like you're actually walking longer than if you were walking to your actual destination.
The worst ones I can think of are JR Shinjuku and JR Nanba (which is connected with the massive Nanba walk). And, OMG, reply from Chris himself. I feel fulfilled.
You know the exit numbers are shown on google maps. If you zoom in it’ll show the number with the kanji for exit 出口 next to it. Even in some place complicated like Shibuya it’s pretty easy to get around if you spend a second familiarizing yourself.
Actually happened to me one year. Exited Shibuya station at the new south exit rather than the south exit. Ended up having to ask someone for directions... at least I could understand their response!
I'm Singaporean. And hell am I glad i learnt chinese. At least now i know how to understand some forms of Kanji apart from the absurdly low knowledge of hiragana i learn from anime
I was in Aomori, and we just got lost in the city for half the day and decided took the train back to Misawa in the evening. The train station we went too was just a platform with a small booth for tickets. The ticket machine broke (Not enough change for 5,000 yen), so we had to call someone to come fix it. The man was very professional and understanding, and helped us out no problem. It was one of the best experiences of my life just wandering the city and hitting up several locations, and everyone was very nice and patient with us. The Buddhist temple Showa Daibutsu was absolutely amazing and one of the most peaceful places I've been too in my life.
I'm currently in Japan right now, and all I can say is how friendly and helpful the people are here, nothing seems too much! And even though we can barely understand each other, they are constantly smiling and trying their best to help me out!
What I like about Abroad in Japan is that not only is Chris' humor great, but so is the comment sections humor. They play off each other perfectly. I like this community. :D
Animepro100 RUclipsrs tend to create a community similar to them. Chris doesnt take himself too seriously and hes a funny bloke, but he does take the quality seriously. Therefore we all tend to joke around, but also have a deep appreciation for the content and legitimate things to talk about :^)
I admire the country’s perceived responsibilty towards public health. I believe elsewhere in the world, especially in Europe, there would be calls or at least protests to go ahead anyway.
I went to Japan for a vacation in the summer of 2018 to see my family, and one night I decided to go to Tokyo tower by myself since I wanted an adventure. I used to be fluent in Japanese but since I moved to America I stopped using it, so coming back I only knew basics. So if I heard a normal conversation in Japanese I’d only pick up what is being talked about if I was lucky. Anyways, I went to the tower, stayed for a few, and I went down when it was night. It was around 7:30pm, I was heading to where I thought was the station. After walking a while I realize that I was in an area I never been in, and that I was lost. Looking around, I see a local coming out of his home and I, being that I was kind of freaking out, frantically went up to him and asked 駅はどこですか？(Eki wa doko desuka? Where’s the train station?) And he replied back, “Which station?” After that I told him the name, and he told me the directions. I told him thank you, and I thought that was the end of it. But to my surprise, he offered to walk me to the station (to which I realize it was the opposite way of where he was initially heading to and I felt bad) and on the way there he still tried to make conversation with me, even if his English wasn’t that good and my Japanese wasn’t that good either. While crossing the street to the station he made sure I made it into the building lol. All I could say was thank you 100x because back then I didn’t know how to really express my gratitude in a more coherent way. I am super thankful for that man, otherwise I’m not sure how I would’ve gotten home that night... even if he told me the directions, because honestly I didn’t remember what he said. Japan is a wonderful place with nice people, even with its cons. I’m looking forward to the day I come back again!
@@TheItalianoAssassino It is absolutely possible, there's many factors to take into account, whether it is your native language or not, it all depends on how long you spoke it, the age at that time, how long after the last time, if there's been any practice at all or none whatosever, and so on. It is hard compared to other sorts of knowledge or skills, for sure, but not impossible.
@@TheItalianoAssassino I lived in chicago from the Age 5 to 10 knowing only spanish when i arrived, now, almost 10 years later, im 22 and i can still speak perfect fluent english, havent forgotten anything and it wasnt even my native language..
Top 10 KINDNESSES we experienced over 2 weeks in Japan...💗 1. We stayed on Miyajima Island for a couple of nights. The guy at the front desk drew us a picture of what the famous orange Tori gate in the sea looks like "so we could enjoy it" (as it's under scaffolding). After a long (stressful) day going across the country on trains to reach the island, his thoughtfulness was appreciated. 2. I bought some clothes from Isetan dept store in Kyoto, totalling almost 20,000 yen, and went across to Kyoto Tower for some souvenier shopping. Then went for icecream and before I even realised it was missing, the souvenier shop lady ran around the shops to find me, to return my Isetan bag! 3. We were on the bus to Koyasan for a temple stay and an elderly Japanese lady decided to pass around a bag of mandarines to share. 4. We were standing on the train from Kyoto to Osaka, with all our bags, and a girl came over to fold the train seat down for us so we could sit. 5. We were looking lost in Shinjuku Station and a lady came up, gave us a map and explained what was around us...food courts, dept stores, toilets, etc. 6. We lost a laptop at a garden and a hat at a bakery and got both of them back. 7. People gave up their seats in McDonalds for us. 8. We bought convenience store food and paid the 8% tax (10% is eat in) so went outside to eat as per usual and the shopkeeper said we could come back inside to eat at the table. 9. In Hiroshima almost everyone we spoke to (it seemed!) gave us a paper crane (for peace). 💙 10. As it was our 10 year wedding anniversary, hotels gave us beauty products, cards and postcards. I found Japan to be very organised, thoughtful, clean, efficient, friendly, helpful, on time. Sometimes there was a language barrier, but I agree, speak slowly, with fewer words and you will be understood. Google translate is helpful, but doesnt always get it right. Learn some basic phrases before you go to enhance your experience there.
I visited Japan 2 years ago. Wonderful time there. Despite having Japanese friends helping us from London, I noticed a lot of people can speak English or very helpful despite not being able to speak English themselves. My funny experience was that I bought a t-shirt with "I can't speak Japanese" in English and Japanese. One person smiled and able to help me when choosing sushi. I want to go back to Japan. It's a best place to visit as a tourist.
Can't remember but I'm pretty sure I bought this t-shirt just around a corner from Takeshita Street in Tokyo. I worn it through following day in Kyoto and it was a great experience.
I only bought that shirt just for fun. I was having a great time in Japan. Since i returned back home, my shirt having been worn since... seems uncomfortable wearing it in a country that doesn't take jokes lightly..
you definitely should get a sim card, google maps it's a lifesaver if you go to japan. I used it all the time when I went there last year. if i'm lucky, I might go again next year.
Not only Japanese language but also the very unique any kinds of way which modern Japanese would do in our life. If you guys will understand these, it will be very easy to travel or stay in Japan. Little by little. In any country, there will be their own customs etc. Anyone would be the same for the first time abroad. You guys know that Japan is a pretty high tech clean country. If you visit, will understand why, little by little. Hope seeing you guys will visit us someday in the future.
I was looking for different kinds of Kit Kats in Tokyo and our Hotel manager literally took us to the city and walked us into the shop and told us which ones are popular. So kind.
When I went to Japan a couple years ago I had been studying Japanese in preparation for several months. In these months I was no where near fluent (obviously) but did have several dozen phrases and a relatively small vocabulary. I was at a restaurant in Kyoto talking with the owner/chef when my wife informed him that I had been studying Japanese to which he responded, "Why? no one speaks Japanese except the Japanese." In my month long stay in several cities across the country, there was exactly one instance in which my inability to speak the language fluently made the situation any more difficult whatsoever. In fact one of the most surprising things I realized during my trip is just how little verbal communication is required in most of our daily activities. Beyond simple greetings, and our "please and thank yous" most interactions were handled through body language, mutually understood customs, and general non-verbal cues.
I forgot my backpack inside a resturant once and one of the servers came running out in the street when he noticed, I'e only had good experiences with people in japan, they're so helpful!
As someone who is Asian (American) my problem with going to Japan is that a lot of locals look at me and assume I’m japanese as well and start speaking Japanese really fast to me. I feel awkward just responding in English so I had to get really good at saying “Sorry, I don’t speak Japanese” in Japanese 😅
@@Michael20545 he's not American. Americans constantly mess up "they're, their, there" and "you're, your" and that's a shame since it's their native language.
In a place like Japan or China..YES i feel the same way. I live in Australia and was born in Norway. Spent none of my childhood in Scandinavia dispite having family { mostly cousins} over there. As an adult I've found it easy communicating & getting what I want in Scandinavia as an English speaker. I can perfectly understand the local languages by interpreting body language and context of my surroundings. In a place like Scandinavia, the English language is known well as a extra curricular language followed closely by German & French. 👨💻🇦🇺 🤱🇳🇴 🧳🦸♂️
Don't be. It's not as hard as you think. I've been to many countries where I couldn't say anything more than hi and thank you and it was perfectly fine. Plus the Google translate app which can translate things via the camera is quite good.
I’m American but my mother is Norwegian and I’ve been there many times throughout my life, and there’s rarely been a communication problem. English is a required course in Norwegian schools and much of the TV Norwegians watch consists of subtitled American shows, so most younger Norwegians have at least a working knowledge of English. It’s a good place to visit for English speakers who are concerned about not being able to communicate.
I’ve found that the staff in the shops in the train station can be VERY helpful when you’re not sure where to go. I fully agree with the suggestion to bring a notepad & pen with you - I’ve had quite a few people draw maps for me which is so helpful (and their drawing & writing is amazingly precise, in general). It is also very useful if you bring a card or pamphlet with your hotel or address on it (in Kanji) - then you can show it to people, shrug, and usually get help (or show it to a taxi driver so they know where you want to go). I’ve also resorted to holding my ticket up to the little station map inside the train to make sure I’m getting off at the right stop - find the symbol for Chiba, for example, count the number of stops and keep track in your head - that sort of thing. And I agree that just about everyone is very patient and helpful.
Alright. One thing I'd love to point out 4:20 Suica CANNOT be found in any ticket machine across Japan. It's only available from JR East, which means Tokyo and Tohoku Region. Anything south of that and you have to get ICOCA or some other IC card. That being said Suica works pretty much everywhere, so if you first arrive in Tokyo, get one. Furthermore, it's really hard to come by Suica in machines placed in smaller cities (Iwate, Aomori, and Akita do not carry them). However, you can purchase them sometimes at New Days stores (which are the conbini inside the train stations, operated by JR) It does not cost extra to have your name written, but it's totally pointless.
I recommend buying the Suica card at the airport (e. g. Haneda) I was in Japan for four weeks. And buying card with 10k yens. Four weeks, no problem. I payed metro in Tokyo, bus in Kyoto and coffee at machine on train station or purchase in store.
"without google maps Id probably be in a forest... scrounging.. for berries" I did not expect for my lifestyle to be insulted when i decided to watch this
By normal singing I mean singing with your normal voice instead of pretending to have an unique voice. Look at the pop music these days, everyone especially those female singers like bebe rexha/daya/hailee steinfeld/ariana grande/nicki minaj/meghan trainor/jasmine Thompson, do all of their vocal cords have some sort of genetic malformation or what?
When you see katakana words, you can ask Japanese people to pronounce the words for you. When you hear what they say, you will suddenly recognize the words. For examples, katakana on coffee machines, they are “American”, “latte” “cappuccino“ etc.
My travelpartner and me got lost in Kyoto, we didn't understand their bussystem yet then. An old lady noticed us and helped us. I even asked "but then you wil be late?" ... She replied, "no problem. I am local" and escorted us to the right bus-stop and made sure we were in the right bus. This was our first encounter in Japan and their amazing hospitality.
2 years ago I decided to travel solo for the first time and without a lot of planning I end up going to Japan (almost the other half of the world from where I live) I didn't know anyone there, I didn't know much about the country but I was excited to explore and learn about it! in 8 days I went to 3 cities traveled around and tried different things I didn't face any problem there, my English would help me a bit when I need something with a smile and some hand signs everything went smoothly! the language would differently help to be more open to the culture but even without it you can enjoy your time there and learn a lot at the same time.
Lived in Japan 3 years without ever learning Japanese. I always had my phones GPS working which helped a lot. I got my pasmo card so I can ride the train station freely. Once I learned how the train station system worked, getting around the country became easy.
I went to Japan for a week and no one knew Japanese. Everyone was so nice and helpful. You don’t need the Japanese if you can’t. But if you can learn some basic phrases you’ll be great.
You went to Japan and no one knew Japanese? Wow, are you sure you didn't go to another country accidentally? It seems weird no one in Japan spoke Japanese... ;)
@@ColdSleep I mean no one in my family knew Japanese lol. Obviously people in japan speak Japanese but my point was that it is possible to travel to japan without speaking Japanese
Got on an express train and got lost. A bunch of local who doesn’t know English tried to help us. So friendly and helpful even they don’t even know English. 👍 I left my handbag 👜 at the train station counter and it was still there when I ran back to get it 👏 . Missing Japan ☹️ can’t wait to travel again!!
Ann Nifödova I think we japanese won’t care of those very low possibility of bad co sequences if we see someone having troubles. I see a beautiful in it.
I think the travel sim mentioned in the video shouldn't be your first choice. I highly recommend getting a pocket wifi. Might be a little bit more expensive, but you have unlimited internet acess and it really works anywhere. You have to charge it, but for me and a friend of mine it was perfect. Especially if your travelling in a group. You'll only need one for everybody ;)
You have different providers, who offer pocket wifi. We picked it up at the airport, at a counter for packages etc. A postal envelope comes with it because, at the end of your vacation, you just have to throw it into a postal box at the airport. But that depends on the provider. I think some send it to you before your vacation starts. Like I said it's more expensive, but better since travel sim for around 40 to 50 bugs often is only 1gb data. www.jrailpass.com/de/pocket-wifi
pocket wifi is a portable wifi device that you can bring anywhere with you. You can reserve one prior to your trip and pick it up at the airport. You can also go the rental counters at the airport if you dont have any reservation. As mentioned by Michael, you will need to return the wifi at the end of your trip. There is a return label included when you receive or claim the device. You can drop the pocket wifi at a postal box - they are all over the airport. The rates depend on the length of stay and the internet speed. Last time I was in Japan, I paid $60 to rent a pocket wifi for two weeks. I got it from here. www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html
This is very interesting video even for Japanese people. It is amazing that he mentioned 外来語(foreign borrowed words). It is one of the most helpful things because we have numerous 外来語 such as hotel(ホテル,ho/te/lu ), road(ロード,ro/o/do),key(キー.ki/i), station(ステーションsu/te/e/syo/nn),ticket(chi/ke/tto), train(トレイン,to/re/i/nn), park(パーク,pa/a/ku)…well, almost all of nouns in English that refer to things in daily lives are also used as Japanese words, though there are some knacks when you pronounce them in Japanese way. So don’t hesitate to use English nouns that show objects like them, but be careful about his advice: use a single word at once instead of a long sentence.
Thank you for the info. Are there any other “essential” Japanese phrases? I’m hopefully going next year for a week, mostly just Akihabara because I’m an otaku/game nerd, but also some historic sights as well. I’m trying to use Duolingo now to learn some basics, but it’s hard. I’m planing to write some other essentials down like “bathroom” or “spicy” 😂
I agree with the Japanese part when we went to Japan we asked one Japanese person to where our hotel was located he actually walked with us until we reached the hotel. Then when we were going up stairs in the train station with our baggage sa few Japanese people offered help with just saying one word “Help?.” Great citizens!
He's right about that helping bit. Had an old man running a restaurant walk me and my friend to a different restaurant place that had what me and my friend were looking for lol
Justin Jeffries wow. Now that is customer service. At that point, I would feel so bad about not giving him anything though I know they don't accept tips in Japan
I don't totaly get that. Are you actually supposed to decline? But when you don't they're like "Kuso... Baka gajin" and have to do it now when they just tried to be polite? lol Like i heard that ur kinda "supposed" to decline offers like cool gifts or whatever once or twice but if they insist you accept. I feel like i really want to get this correct to avoid people hating me in secret lol. Because they won't tell you straight out.
Daju It's true that Japanese often decline offers to be polite. But they don't expect that from foreigners and they are not supposed to feel offended by someone not declining their offers anyway. Many people are simply happy to help you. If the person who is offering help is someone you already know, you might want to care about his/her convenience more tho because you kinda know they'll go through too much trouble for you.
DHRCAT Hmm, alright. I want to move there though and not live on special treatment. :p But okay strangers dont need to do the "humble accepting game" then? Although to people wanting to offer a Japanese person something it might be good to know that they might really want it but say no anyway so insist atleast once to be sure lol. Or if you are offered something you don't want you might need to decline more than once to get the point across.
Back in 2009 I went to Tokyo with little to no language skills and I did fine! Just learn "sumimasen" and "arigato" and you do fine. However, I'm hoping to go back next year and visit lots of traditional craftsmen and small farms, and I'm learning Japanese for that because I will be going solo and want to engage with people. Japan's countryside looks so beautiful and I think it's important to be able to say "help, I got mauled by a bear at a remote onsen". Unfortunately I've mainly just been doing kanji learning with wanikani, and I'm not on the level for "maul" or "bear", so I'll just have to say "painful under horse"
I stayed at a hostel in Osaka and asked the receptionist if there was a cat cafe that she recommended, she told me to go have a cup of tea and she would write down the details, I thought she meant the address and how to get there but instead she typed up a comprehensive guide to every cat cafe in the area including pro's and con's and what kinds of cats they had. That was when I realised that Japanese people generally are ridiculously helpful and kind! :)
If you don't mind me asking, what was your overall experience like?
Nacks Manlitz Because they're generally nice people? I mean would you honestly not help a foreigner along on their perilous quest to both drink tea and pet some cute ass cats under one roof? I didn't think so!
Do you by any chance still have that guide? :o I would really have some use for it! Hooray for cat cafés!
An angel helped you --- obviously! 😺😇😻
Well, what was the best cat cafe?
i once asked a french guy (in french) do you speak English, he respoded with yes (also in french) i then asked him where the toilet was (in English) he then turned around and walked away.
Lol wut?
Vous parlé anglaise?
@@nagow_360 oui
I'm a native speaker of French, and I've experienced the reverse. Frenchmen answering back to me in broken English because I have gotten an accent after many years living abroad.
This is why I never go back to french again, french people are so rude if you don't speak french.
During my visit to Osaka some years ago, I became slightly lost looking for a bus stop for a certain route. An old man with his cane walked across the block to help me because of my obvious dilemma. He walked me to the bus stop and waited with me. He confirmed the bus was the right before sending me off and heading back. What a nice man he was.
I had many friendly encounters in japan and felt very comfortable after some time.
I had a similar experience near Tokyo Station. I couldn't find my hotel, so I asked two salarymen smoking outside a Family Mart if they could help me. They didn't know the hotel but one of them bought a map of the area and we all set off with a bag of beers. After fifteen minutes of not finding it, we approached another group of three salarymen for help, and they joined the party. Another twenty minutes and no hotel, so one of the guys went to ask a police officer.
In the end we found the place, I was escorted inside by the police officer, he confirmed my reservation was completed, thanked me for my patience, apologized for the inconvenience, all the while with five semi-drunk salarymen having a laugh outside. The two who helped me initially even bought me drinks at a local izakaya afterwards.
I never found it hard, at the time the best thing was a Japanese-english dictionary and phrases book, remember to take a pamphlet/ business card of hotel in case you can't find your way back just show to a taxi or similar person for help. I found Japanese people very helpful and honest. Now there is apps and devices that can be helpful. Yes recommend train pass and wifi device rental.
When I visited Japan With my boyfriend, every time I was hesitating or seemed hopeless people came to help without asking them! it happened numerous times. Oh, and my boyfriend whose English is almost non-existent could totally communicate with them. Pointing, smiling and the word Arigato work wonders in Japan. :)
drr0b0t01 the Japanese elderly are the best
if you are a turist, i'm sure they will help, but watch your back gaijin! They are not welcoming people at all. It's a bad place to live.
3:11 Gotta love how in english it says "Welcome to Japan" but in Japanese it says "Welcome back"
Smart
Oddly wholesome
I believe that says okairi nasai but i could be wrong. Either way I did do a double take when I saw it
you can't escape the Japan, it always welcomes you back
Yeah I was thinking the same xD suppose they assume any japanese person on that airport going to Japan was already in Japan and not raised elsewhere
When I went to Japan I was looking for a store off in the suburbs of Tokyo that I had absolutely no idea where it was. I walked into this quiet little restaurant and the owners drew out a detailed map for me and gave me free drinks with lots of smiles and nods to go along with it. Whilst walking there a cargo truck driver who happened to speak a little English asked me where I was headed, and even offered me a ride there.
Never in my life have I experienced the hospitality and selflessness of the Japanese culture. For sure it is a country to which I must return.
Be honest you were looking for some notorious maid cafe
Adrian Corvais little restaurant desperately tries to get him from going
@@adriancorvais5506 I bet you were looking for May Queen Nyan Nyan
@@qttOW Ah, I see you're a mad scientist of culture as well.
@@Icemon2705 Glad to see another Mad Scientist in this part of RUclips. But the most important question I must ask is.... Do you drink the drink of the gods? I must get going the organization is on my trail and I can't afford to get caught. El Psy Congroo
male female
男 女
紳士/殿方 婦人/淑女
↑gentleman ↑lady
blue red ←image color
This keep you from confusing.
小林悠人 スーツとスカート逆じゃない？
確かに逆やな。
誤解生むかもわからんから編集してほしいなあ...
Honestly, I'm more confused.
So I have to go to either the sign with the box 男, the cross 士, or the stickman throwing a punch 方. I have to avoid the tent 人 and the lamps 女. Thanks!
あなたわげい
First time I came to Japan, I got lost at the train station. As in: The station was so big, I had to go to the subway and had no idea where to go. I was just standing around, looking lost and a local came up to me and asked me in VERY bad English (but so sweet!) where I had to go. He was with his wife and kids. I pointed at a picture of a subway and he actually left his wife and kids behind, took me to the subway station (that was a few minutes away) and he went back.
THAT is how kind the Japanese are. This was also when I just got of the plane and took the train, so it was my first experience with the Japanese. I have loved it there ever since (travelling anyway, still too scared to pack up and move).
I really wish to visit Japan some day
o0Mystique0o he was tryna hit it
I was at a Japanese highway rest stop, with a restaurant etc., and my team-mates all trooped to the frozen hamburgers and fries etc to microwave, but I wanted real food so I was trying to figure out the payment/ticket system and a very nice Japanese guy in a blue suit came up and helped me out; I ended up getting a nice hot bowl of noodle soup with seaweed, just the kind of thing I liked growing up (in Hawaii) and it all went great. There are helpful people everywhere.
#o0Mystique0o It can happen to me also 😨I need to be careful otherwise my English is also bad ☹️😂
When I went to Japan with a group of friends we were all looking lost and confused in a subway station and a very kind woman came up to us and led us to our station. People really are amazing.
When I went to K’s Hostel in Tokyo they were booked and they called another hostel, made my reservation, drew me a map, and when I said “I hope I can find it” the guy said “well she (another worker) is going home in 5 minutes and can walk you there if you can wait.” Customer service is crazy. It was amazing. I seriously love Japan.
I had a similar experience in Japan.
The hotel was full but the desk man made a reservation for us nearby.
Then he called a cab and told the driver where we wanted to go.
@@jimaanders7527 Truly awesome. The kindness is unreal. Thanks for the great videos.
That's crazy. Amazing hospitality and selflesslness
K's hostels are amazing. Went to the one in Ito. Fab staff and place
no need to be suprized it's just a "customer's king" policy. Easy to say as an arrogant tourist who act like a rich guy who count on his butlers
Male and Female is easy to remember:
Males have the box head, females have the stabby head.
I am genius.
forbes guy
weeb
HAHAHHA you're funny.
While the slang meaning of box is kinda confusing in this case...
While the slang meaning of box is kinda confusing in this case...
I imagine it must be extremely difficult to travel without Japanese. They're everywhere in Japan..
Why is this comment under rated?
😂
@Gammy Leddack r/wooosh
forest of Mt.Fuji would be best place for you
@Gammy Leddack think about you actions
this channel has really improved over the years. the image quality is better and the protagonist no longer appears suicidal
"the protagonist no longer appears suicidal" 🤣🤣😂😂
Chris best waifu.
Jk
Natsuki is
Happy Dolphin NATSUKI! Nah Sayori and Monika are best girls.
@Inevitable
Yes, I love Knaifu Waifu!
Maybe it's just me, but he's lost some weight over the years
My cousin was in the US Air Force for over twenty years, and he tells an impressive story about being in Japan. He was a pilot, and he flew into Yokota AFB a number of years back. He was only there for about two weeks, but wanted to see as much of Japan as he could. He and his co-pilot took a train some place, but I can't remember where he said it was. It was in the evening hours, and after about thirty minutes or so, it became obvious to them that they took the wrong train. There was a tired salaryman sitting nearby, and by the look on my cousin's face, the salaryman could tell that something was wrong. He came over to them and tried to find out what the problem was, but he didn't speak English. The salaryman eventually figured out that they took the wrong train. So, in a calming manner, he put his hands up, and just said, "ok, ok, ok." At the next stop, the salaryman took them to another train that was going back in the opposite direction to the station they had left. The salaryman rode with them! Once they got back to the station, he then made sure that they got on the proper train, and marked on a paper schedule what train they'd need to get back. So, this salaryman, who had probably just worked 16 hours at the office went WAY out of his way to make sure that these Gaijin got to where they needed to go. Very impressive I think!
That office worker is really kind and I think all Japanese are kind
another naivety
@@benjaminramsey498 the japanese who helped the brother of the commenter just don't know it's just his duty, not even his will or kindness
@@darassylmoniakam why was it his duty?
@Marlon Arancibia or they're just...nice people? I don't know why it's hard to just know that some people aren't all assholes
*And that's why you should watch anime with sub not dub*
The interesting thing is how many words and phrases I've subconsciously memorized from it. Went sub only a couple years ago.
Nnani!!
arigato gosaimas @@jamesthehandsome8582 -san :D
xD
Im mostly dub, see some sub.
Yare yare daze
English simplified to Japanese people:
What I want to say: Excuse me, where do I find the restroom?
What I end up saying: Me, Shit!
What i say: sumimasen, toire wa doku desuka?
Sorry can't read kanji:(
@@jaspherjakevibar8939 it says: wow (sugoi) ... your Japanese is wonderful
@Zubeen Bhuiyan 同意する
The word "Restroom" isn't popular in Japan. So it would be more understandable for the Japanese if you say "Where do I find the toilet?" or simply "Where is the toilet?"
Me: *writes 女 and 男* Look mom,look dad! I know Japanese! 女 is girl and 男 is boy!
My parents: Of course you would know those two words,you’re Chinese!
Edit: I completely forgot I wrote this comment until a random notification popped up and it lead me back here-
Hahaha
Ikr...chinese class came in handy in my case
LMAOOOOOOOO
Wait.... *i thought it was the other way around*
@@chipman1589 😏😏😏
Can't stress enough how friendly and helpful the Japanese are. Was in Tokyo and lost my wallet the day before traveling to Kyoto for a few days.
Stayed at the same hotel when I got back to Tokyo. As I was checking back in, they told me my wallet had been found. Drew me a map and wrote a full list of instructions in both English and Japanese, in case I needed to stop and ask someone.
Was reunited with my wallet (with nothing missing, obviously) within a few hours of being back in Tokyo.
I love that country.
they're fakely are
@@darassylmoniakam What is your problem lmao stop commenting negative shit on everyone else's comments
I call BS on that Story
@@765lbsquat can promise it happened, but if you want to assume that japanese people aren't as honest as that....then that's on your prejudices. Don't know why you'd automatically assume it's bullshit 🤷🏻♂️
the city of creepiness
"japanese is typically only spoken in japan"
as I sit here in america where 3 different neighbors next to me are trying to pronounce their favorite anime opening lyrics
Lmao
You kno you're one of them, embrace it.
A parrot can occasionally imitate what humans say, that doesn't mean it understands what the words mean. ;)
Case in point: One of my older brother's friends taught his parrot to yell "F*ck off" whenever his then girlfriend came into the room (He'd apparently found out that she was cheating on him and wanted to break up with her.)
attacku onu titanu (i dunno i dont watch anime)
@@B-Durry shingeki no kyogin?
Those "weird sounding English phrases" in Japan are often actually chosen specifically because they sound good or fun to the Japanese ear. Big companies have native English speakers who know what they are doing. It isn't usually just a mistake. This came from a few marketing people I talked to while I lived in Japan. Not sure on the validity of their claims, but it makes logical sense.
Kinda like how English speakers will pick different kanji because of how they look, even though it may say something like "fried chicken"?
I don't know, I found it pretty funny - "DRIBBLE". Even makes sense, dribble can mean something like a rambling, or nonsensical spewings from a madman, perfect for a notebook! Admittedly, it is hardly ever used like that, and is more suited to a monarch yelling at a peasant in the Queen's English.
Gamz, you are so intelligent and mature. I can tell, from how insistent you are that no one should start a war of words and mess with you; your claims are simply intimidating. No one would ever want to start a war with you, please!
Your English is messy, but for a non-native I can tell it is very good! I'm sure your teachers would be happy that you are using what you've learned to espouse your silly and petty racism on the American web.
Stefan Lopuszanski Nani?
Gamz Neddyl 愛してるよ !!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
"I am cheap"
-Chris Broad 2018
But “eats out more than I should” 😂
Isn't that his lives motto?
Abhishek Shrestha i
@@RhythmGrizz : it's an brothel joke
I first moved to Japan for study abroad and learned roughly a year's worth of Japanese prior to coming (though still a beginner at the time). The moment I arrived in Japan I spoke as much Japanese as I could. I couldn't perfectly understand everything, but I was able to handle most conversations with the Japanese friends I made along the way in Japanese and handled most mundane tasks alone. Watching other foreigners struggle knowing zero Japanese genuinely gives me an ego boost thanks to my previous efforts with learning the language beforehand. Before you go to Japan (or any other country), do yourself a favor. Buy a textbook and learn the language. It makes your experience in Japan a lot more fun.
BASASHI
S C :: INCEPTION::
I will forever associate 'basashi' with that crazed looking horse from now onwards. Thank you, Chris.
NANI???
🐴
Jupiter same lol
A part of me is thinking that the "Dribble" on the notebook was supposed to be "Scribble" which would make a lot more sense.
Either that or they wanted to write "drabble", which is a self-contained story of not more than 100 words. The term got popular in fanfiction sites to describe short fanfics, maybe the notebook's designer was looking for trendy words on Tumblr, found "drabble" and autocorrect did the rest.
@@angelsmile6942 or just maybe their book is "durable"
Or maybe they're fully aware that they're stringing together random words, so they're essentially saying "this is all dribble." Eh? Ehh???
...I'll see myself out.
"drivel" maybe? :D
@@RaidenTheWild yes maybe
*cough* France! *cough* YEP! I’ve traveled and lived all over the world, and France is the only country where it feels like people make no effort to understand you, even when you’re actually trying to speak the language- in fact they often just pretend they cant understand or purposely ignor you. My sister is married to a wonderful Frenchman who is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met- but the stereotype of French rudeness to foreigners is very true in my experience.
Sadly, it happens in Quebec, Canada as well :(
There is a big difference between France and Paris, where did you go to have such treatment ? Also, usually french tend to get upset when an english speaking foreigner don't even bother to learn thanks/please in french when visiting... But a foreigner trying to speak french is super cool IMO.
I once knew a woman who went to france knowing little to nothing of the language, but she said that most of them where quite helpful. I think it has more to do with the fact that french people seem to have a grudge with anyone who speaks english to them, as this woman was from Argentina and spoke mostly in spanish (and i dont really remember if she even told me that many admitted to her not liking americans/british)
EDIT: Now i remember! My french teacher (who was born in france) actually admited that most of them seem to hate being spoken in english, but have no problem with other languages, so yeah, they might have a grudge lol.
I've been to France quite a few times and attended many French people on previous jobs that I had, and I was surprised most of them (even younger ones) would not simply not know the slightest bit of English, but even felt discouraged when I spoke to them in it. Things could only get a bit better if I talked to them in Spanish (which is my native language), since it is usually taught in French schools.
On the other hand, this also happened to me a lot when speaking to Russian tourists, and some of them were specially rude unless you were able to babble a few words on their language.
As said, France is not Paris... We don't like parisian too :)
I went to japan for a week and a half, not knowing any Japanese language and they were so polite and welcoming, they respect each other, along with other people, I wish all countries did the same, don't let anyone influence your decision, live your life regardless
You said you don’t know how dribble would enhance the sales of this notebook, but you bought it, didn’t you?
I know right haha probably just marketed towards native english speakers
Dribble is ACTUALLY A common enough word here in the former British Colony of Australia. It's more than a scribble but not a proper drawing. Don't know why he wouldn't know that ESPECIALLY teaching English.
He bought it to show us.
@@OffGridInvestor bullshit
@@OffGridInvestor as an Australian I can confirm that you're wrong.
I can't look at Ryotoro's name without thinking Risottoro now...
Hmm...will I be able to order a risotto in Japan if I say "one Ryotoro please"?
EXACTLY.
Agreed 😂
I've lost count of how many times I've seen that T-shirt with "Are you enjoy spring?"
Lol, that grammar tho
@@chihabgm7796 what are you talking about
id have bought 10
I'm Japanese but this video is accurate and amazing.
I was surprised that it was not a matter of course.
（I'm bad at English so I'm using translation software.）
時オズな英語! 私の日本語わじょずでわありません
@God ごめん。
It starting to irritate me seeing all these japanese folks saying they are bad at english
@Daemisa Naervil 😂😂
we are discouraged.
Joke's on you I can't even socialise in English let alone in a foreign language
Jokes on you I have subs on
Lmao same
Yep. I have to subscribe to you now Kyle 😂😂😂
(Because my sister said that for first funny comment on this video I’d find, I had to like the comment and sub to the person who wrote it.)
Same
When I went to Japan, I got a bad sunburn and needed aloe vera. My japanese at the time was not good and I could only make simple, short sentences. I tried asking the clerk for aloe vera アロエベラー, but felt helpless when he couldn't understand. A nice woman came up to me and said that she would take me there. She took me to a medicine shop which was out of her way and even stayed to help me find it. Things like that are so uncommon in America, because people are busy and don't have time. I was very happy that day.
Don't have time? More like they probably don't want to or even have that idea to be that helpful
Mark Elkhatib No, it's because they don't have time. You're not American, so don't speak for them
@@dylanmckenna8693 @Dylan Mckenna are you trolling or assumed im not American because of my last name?.....
Mark Elkhatib I assumed two things that implied you're not American. Firstly, you refer to Americans as "they" rather than "we". Second, that's bullshit, because we are often busy as well
@@dylanmckenna8693 those are some dumb ass reasons you came up with....plus plenty of people work half weeks or have 2 days off and only work 8 hours or less a day.......so wtf lol
Japanese：English is cool!!!
What does this English mean?
I don't know
American：Kanzi is cool!!!
What does this kanzi mean?
I don't know
Hahaha that's how it is
かんじ？？
かんじ haha
Timmytotee Ltd Chinese character
@@piggeh6465 yeah I think that's what he was trying to say xD
@@piggeh6465 😂😂😂
わかる〜それ助かる〜！ってアドバイスばっかりだった✨
単語で聞いてくれる人はすごく分かりやすい！
お寿司屋さん🍣と焼肉店でバイトしてた時は
chicken？pork？って聞かれてbeefが咄嗟に出てこなくて
cowって言ったけど伝わらずツノのポーズしながら
「モー！👆🏻👆🏻🐄」って必死に伝えたら
「oh, beef !?」って笑って真似しながら理解してくれて
単語でも交流出来てめちゃくちゃ楽しかった覚えがある😂
And the 5th key phrase is omae wa mou shindeiru
And 6th is Nani?
the 7th is BAKANA???
@@birdgirl69 I think its just BAKA
bakana means ''it cannot be'' or ''it's impossible'' expressions
@@dansmith1661 SUTAR PURACHINUM!
But more important question here.
Are you enjoy spring?
Ad SJB Sakura!
XD
@@MrAnperm sakura lasts for a week :(
I wish I could stick some glue on them
「さくらんぼ」はCherryでも通じますよ☺️
日本人が見ても楽しい動画でした、ありがとうございました！
Okay
good to know
Wakarimasen
He said "Cherry" also works in Japan (not only SAKURANBO as the video joked about).
"It was a fun video, even though I'm japanese. Thanks a lot!".
@@anon38705 ah nice man i apreciate your translation :)
日本人について的確すぎてクスッと笑ってしまいました☺️
わざわざ日本に来てくれたお客さんが「楽しかった」って言ってくれるのが嬉しいから日本人はおもてなしが大好きなんです。
ほんと！わかります！
wakarimasen
o.o 私わちょっと分かります
Mostly we Japanese say
Beef=Gyuuniku
Pork=butaniku
Chicken=Toriniku
Orange=mikan
Apple=Lingo
Banana is banana
Hajimemashte
arigatou
Sumimasen but..... NANI
*H O R S E*
salmon=sake
map=chizu
We have an american guy here in argentina working, he's putting effort in learning and the co-workers sometimes go like "he talks to us and we don't know what he says ahaha but he's a great guy". We don't mind.
If it was the other way around it would've been a different story lmao.
¡¿Dónde están los latinooooossss?!
Yeah, but Spanish is easier for English speakers to learn than Japanese is. Lots of helpful cognates!
@@jeremywhite7654 I think japanese is easier to learn for spanish speakers than english. I'm from latin america, and I study japanese in duolingo, with english because it is not activated for spanish speakersxd
@@ihavenothadmycoffee vaza daqui sua Argentina, supremacia BR 😔👌
Actually, we Japanese people can’t speak English, but if you speak English SLOWLY, most of us will be able to listen to you and understand what you say.
We can’t speak English, but understand English. We look forward to your visit!
Thank you.
Thank you for understanding some English. I imagine that you can read it too. That's why I recommend that tourists carry paper and a pen so they can write short notes. English is easier to read than it is to speak and understand.
Hajimemashite Shota arigato gozaimasu!
@Yaelium Nedliack lets say you knew Japanese, not very well but you knew what most words meant right? You would still need for them to talk to you slowly so that you can process what they’ve said. Learning new languages is very difficult and different to what your native is so speaking slower would help with anyones incapacity to process what they’re taking about.
It's like knowing a few words Japanese... If spoken slow enough you can understand them, if you listen native speakers you would probably don't even hear them clearly.
In Japan they speak Japanese most of the time, of course they are not that good in English...
Japanese language is so fascinating, speaking isn't that hard I belive but the Kanji 😨
and it has no use outside Japan but I like it.
Greetings to Japan, visit is planned in a few years 🇯🇵 😊
Makes sense. That’s how I feel when trying to talk with someone in Spanish.
"for beef you can say "bi-fu" for pork you can say "po-ku" for chicken you can say "chikin" and.. for horse you can say "BASASHI!!"" ngl i fricking lost it when i heard that
Same 😂
I’ve been watching that part over and over again 🤣🤣🤣
If all else fails make animal sounds.......
Its our first time in Japan and we only speak very very very basic Japanese here (almost no Japanese) and every Japanese we came across is really understanding and have had no problem communicating ever! And yes, ppl here are so helpful! We got lost the first day here and had two lovely ladies approach us and spoke perfect English to help us get on the right train. Loving it!
Nacks Manlitz ikr! They're absolute angels. Hubby asked to borrow a lighter just to light up a ciggie and this lovely japanese lady said he can keep it (insisted even). Also countless times, had both men and women help point out directions just by seeing us looking lost especially in train stations 😂 even without English they really try their best to help us. Its amazing C':
Nacks Manlitz hmm might be a cultural thing & how they were brought up? Because it seems like most ppl are helpful like that here, regardless in what city we were in (we were in Tokyo Kyoto Osaka & Hiroshima).
+Nacks Manlitz
not hate choose proper word mate
+Nacks Manlitz
haha just dont come over here then if you dont like jps. easy easy
+Daisuke Ikeda
i didnt help foreigner like you lol
Every time the horse and cherry popped up it would make me laugh so hard.
*BASASHI!* 😂
Me too 🤣🤣
Reading this comment without context was very confusing.
Wes Tolson same especially when you read it as the horses cherry popped the first time💀
@@ignatiuscalvin7415 horse meat is named cherry blossom meat
A quick Pro tip for English speaking travelers is to use GOOGLE Translate
1. Use your phone's camera to translate menus, road signs, Subway maps, etc... by scanning the item and Google translate will translate Japanese to English or any other languages.
2. Speak English into your phone using the Google Translate and play it back to others in Japanese!
3. Have the local natives speak into your Phone and Google translate will display it in English or play it back in an English voice
4. You can download the Language ahead of time or just use a Wifi connection.
5. You can save most often used sentences for quick access
6. You can use Google Translate to help you learn Japanese by trying out your Japanese by speaking into your phone and if it understands what you wanted to say You are saying it correctly!
As someone that learned japanese from someone that has lived in japan, google botches and ruins japanese grammar so badly... nice thought but it's soo terrible with grammar.
it's not the best, but still better than nothing, I say use it as a last resort
Josh could you do a Video on this subject lying out the Pros and Cons of Google Translate with examples of real world cases for newbies traveling to Japan?
do you need a special app do get your phone to auto translate Japanese writing? Because there are many times if I'm at a convention, I'd be curious to see what the text says on merchandise.
@@Knightmessenger all you need is Google Translate app on your phone to translate text to English
Also, pre-download the map area for where you plan to walk around as it uses less data and loads faster when needing directions
I took part in the bagel/salmon survey. I thought the question was asking which would I'd rather eat, and I'm quite unsure how i misread it.
I wonder how many others made this mistake! It could change the outcome of the questionnaire!
I thought it was out of these two food thing which would you rather be... I chose salmon but it never occurred to me that I would be alive. Woo bonus round!
Wouldn't the answer still be salmon?
I choose bagel because I like them and i don't like salmon i did not think this through
I recently traveled to japan with my boyfriend , we watched your videos religiously, we found it pretty easy but we always had are phones handy for showing phases and directions , everyone was so helpful there. im defo coming back
Just got back from being in Japan for a month and not knowing any Japanese, and found this so relatable. I was surprised with how far out of the way the locals would go when I didn't know my way around. And a lot of them would apologize to me for not knowing much English when they knew more than I did Japanese, and I was the one on foreign soil.
I went there in the winter of 2014 and I felt horrible that they kept on apologizing when I should be the one to do that and usually it just ended on us both saying sorry and no problem.
@@TARS.. they do anything to help. It surprised me all the time, even in local non tourist areas, and they know alot of English there just shy, my friend was like that, it's so cute.
I hope I can go there in the future I'm in my second year of college and I'm planning to start learning the language that way if I actually end up going in the future it'll make things easier for me.
“Japanese people tend to be petty shy and pretty reserve”, proceeds to show video of a Japanese guy swinging a katana in public.
Goro Majima has entered the chat.
lol
EGADS!! I figure out DRIBBLE. It's someone's smart idea of combining the two words DRAW + SCRIBBLE = DRIBBLE....
bluewind5555 genius
Ahhh....😂
bluewind5555 genius! You’re obviously correct. 😘
I think it was supposed to be durable.
The word dribble in English generally means spit or saliva (drool), in most contexts. It's usually used as a negative towards someone accused of being stupid.
3:12 It is actually "welcome back", but welcome *to Japan* in English. Lovely details
I I I don’t understand that fully, but I could only assume that the two lines aren’t necessarily meant to be exact translations. They have the japanese one for japanese people welcoming them back, and the english one for tourists saying welcome. Right?
A.A For how they're lined up, it typically is exact translation...especially with the customs direction(w/exact translation) right next to it. No one certainly write down "welcome to our country" with their own language, but lined both greetings up like this is somewhat heartwarming...now that you've mentioned it...it does feel a bit more...usual.
Upon my arrival in Japan for the first time, I still didn't know the language and was having difficulty finding my hostel. (It was about midnight on a week night and the streets were nearly void of people.) A young man came up to me, and even though he didn't speak english, he made an effort to communicate with me using his phone. He helped by hailing a taxi for me, giving the taxi driver my address, and he even insisted on paying the fare. It was a very welcome and unexpected act of kindness, and I hope I can do the same for someone else in a similar situation someday.
your story should be like "... a young man came up to me, beat me in face and robbed me"
@@Neurotoxin-q2r That would be true in any other country in the world, or if the young man was a gaijin or yazuka.
“With the 2020 olympics announced, all places are spending all there pocket money on preparing for travelers”
Aged badly
siruvanoroc: *I D O N' T T H I N K S O*
Tokyo Olympics announced to be held on July 23 2021
@@riymeep6708 *IF* the pandemic stops by then ...
Broken Cow
It would be profitable to keep up, since it encourages tourism. The Olympics is more of a catalyst/incentive. Although some places might change as they’d prefer the clientele of locals, rather than foreigners since it could affect their reputation. We (our family business) helped set up and supply gift shops in the Vancouver area during the olympics, and even though Vancouver already has a large Asian and Indian community, a lot of the stores we helped supply kept a lot of their translations (or at least some crucial translations) since it facilitated a new demographic for sales. But again, like all business ventures and changes, the most important thing to consider is ‘cost’; the Olympics is going to indirectly supplement businesses there. :}
@@trustweb99 It'll be *well*-over by then, dude.
the main reason why tourists get lost while using public transport is not necessarily the lack of English signs, but the ridiculous amount of exits at stations (one station can have +10 exits, with considerable distances between them) and the huge amount of train/subway lines (owned by different companies) and their respective connections. This is further complicated by underground shopping centres, which can extend for kilometers and lead to different transport lines.
Ideally you want to know which exit is the most convenient for your destination, and try, as much as possible, to stay within the JR network (if you're a visitor with a JR pass).
IMHO, Osaka subway is just the worst. a very difficult network to navigate, and transferring sometimes feels like you're actually walking longer than if you were walking to your actual destination.
Excellent point!
Having visited twice (both short visits), I fully agree with this!
The worst ones I can think of are JR Shinjuku and JR Nanba (which is connected with the massive Nanba walk). And, OMG, reply from Chris himself. I feel fulfilled.
You know the exit numbers are shown on google maps. If you zoom in it’ll show the number with the kanji for exit 出口 next to it. Even in some place complicated like Shibuya it’s pretty easy to get around if you spend a second familiarizing yourself.
Actually happened to me one year. Exited Shibuya station at the new south exit rather than the south exit. Ended up having to ask someone for directions... at least I could understand their response!
There is one other kanji that I think is useful: 営.
Wow, great point!! Thanks for that 👌🏾
...that is a brilliant way to remember that character.
rofl
I'm Singaporean. And hell am I glad i learnt chinese. At least now i know how to understand some forms of Kanji apart from the absurdly low knowledge of hiragana i learn from anime
I was in Aomori, and we just got lost in the city for half the day and decided took the train back to Misawa in the evening. The train station we went too was just a platform with a small booth for tickets. The ticket machine broke (Not enough change for 5,000 yen), so we had to call someone to come fix it. The man was very professional and understanding, and helped us out no problem. It was one of the best experiences of my life just wandering the city and hitting up several locations, and everyone was very nice and patient with us. The Buddhist temple Showa Daibutsu was absolutely amazing and one of the most peaceful places I've been too in my life.
I'm attending a Tokyo Highschool in April 2021, as an exchange student, so I'm glad I've discovered your channel in time to learn more about Japan.
ShiFyy have fun and good luck!^_^
ShiFyy lucky kid.
So you've got 2 years to get your martial arts skills up to speed. You'll need them if you're heading to an Asian highschool xD
Hey same
Wow congrats! I recently got a scholarship opportunity for an exchange in just six months! I know NO Japanese and it is such a terrifying thought...
What a month to be alive
6:22 top left corner KAWAII SUGIRU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I think I'd be lost in a forest somewhere"
*instantly glares at Logan Paul*
He's commiting suicide somewhere else after banned from Japan :P
More like a PTSD flash back of that disaster lol
Logan Paul’s a wanker.
Evan Stone If you think about it, technically pretty much everyone is a ‘wanker’ 🤔
There's something damaging Logan Paul head.
I'm currently in Japan right now, and all I can say is how friendly and helpful the people are here, nothing seems too much! And even though we can barely understand each other, they are constantly smiling and trying their best to help me out!
What I like about Abroad in Japan is that not only is Chris' humor great, but so is the comment sections humor. They play off each other perfectly. I like this community. :D
Animepro100 just love there
Animepro100 RUclipsrs tend to create a community similar to them. Chris doesnt take himself too seriously and hes a funny bloke, but he does take the quality seriously. Therefore we all tend to joke around, but also have a deep appreciation for the content and legitimate things to talk about :^)
Animepro100 Nice work placing the apostrophe in the correct location to show possession. "Chris' humor"
Animepro100 it's like a magic!
I kinda feel sorry for them businesses which spent so much money preparing for tourists who would never come due to Covid-19.
I admire the country’s perceived responsibilty towards public health. I believe elsewhere in the world, especially in Europe, there would be calls or at least protests to go ahead anyway.
@@aswler Europe is Earth's punchline.
Breaks my heart.... wish they could have pushed it back one more year to 2022 in order to allow more tourism for the games
they barely speak english too
I went to Japan for a vacation in the summer of 2018 to see my family, and one night I decided to go to Tokyo tower by myself since I wanted an adventure. I used to be fluent in Japanese but since I moved to America I stopped using it, so coming back I only knew basics. So if I heard a normal conversation in Japanese I’d only pick up what is being talked about if I was lucky. Anyways, I went to the tower, stayed for a few, and I went down when it was night. It was around 7:30pm, I was heading to where I thought was the station. After walking a while I realize that I was in an area I never been in, and that I was lost. Looking around, I see a local coming out of his home and I, being that I was kind of freaking out, frantically went up to him and asked 駅はどこですか？(Eki wa doko desuka? Where’s the train station?) And he replied back, “Which station?” After that I told him the name, and he told me the directions. I told him thank you, and I thought that was the end of it. But to my surprise, he offered to walk me to the station (to which I realize it was the opposite way of where he was initially heading to and I felt bad) and on the way there he still tried to make conversation with me, even if his English wasn’t that good and my Japanese wasn’t that good either. While crossing the street to the station he made sure I made it into the building lol. All I could say was thank you 100x because back then I didn’t know how to really express my gratitude in a more coherent way. I am super thankful for that man, otherwise I’m not sure how I would’ve gotten home that night... even if he told me the directions, because honestly I didn’t remember what he said. Japan is a wonderful place with nice people, even with its cons. I’m looking forward to the day I come back again!
"I used to be fluent in japanese but since i moved to the Us i forgot it and only knew the basics"
Nigga what?
It's impossible to forget 80% of your native language though.
@@TheItalianoAssassino It is absolutely possible, there's many factors to take into account, whether it is your native language or not, it all depends on how long you spoke it, the age at that time, how long after the last time, if there's been any practice at all or none whatosever, and so on. It is hard compared to other sorts of knowledge or skills, for sure, but not impossible.
@@TheItalianoAssassino I lived in chicago from the Age 5 to 10 knowing only spanish when i arrived, now, almost 10 years later, im 22 and i can still speak perfect fluent english, havent forgotten anything and it wasnt even my native language..
@@Shadow77999 YOU WATCH TOO MUCH hENTAI
Top 10 KINDNESSES we experienced over 2 weeks in Japan...💗 1. We stayed on Miyajima Island for a couple of nights. The guy at the front desk drew us a picture of what the famous orange Tori gate in the sea looks like "so we could enjoy it" (as it's under scaffolding). After a long (stressful) day going across the country on trains to reach the island, his thoughtfulness was appreciated.
2. I bought some clothes from Isetan dept store in Kyoto, totalling almost 20,000 yen, and went across to Kyoto Tower for some souvenier shopping. Then went for icecream and before I even realised it was missing, the souvenier shop lady ran around the shops to find me, to return my Isetan bag!
3. We were on the bus to Koyasan for a temple stay and an elderly Japanese lady decided to pass around a bag of mandarines to share.
4. We were standing on the train from Kyoto to Osaka, with all our bags, and a girl came over to fold the train seat down for us so we could sit.
5. We were looking lost in Shinjuku Station and a lady came up, gave us a map and explained what was around us...food courts, dept stores, toilets, etc.
6. We lost a laptop at a garden and a hat at a bakery and got both of them back.
7. People gave up their seats in McDonalds for us.
8. We bought convenience store food and paid the 8% tax (10% is eat in) so went outside to eat as per usual and the shopkeeper said we could come back inside to eat at the table.
9. In Hiroshima almost everyone we spoke to (it seemed!) gave us a paper crane (for peace). 💙
10. As it was our 10 year wedding anniversary, hotels gave us beauty products, cards and postcards.
I found Japan to be very organised, thoughtful, clean, efficient, friendly, helpful, on time. Sometimes there was a language barrier, but I agree, speak slowly, with fewer words and you will be understood. Google translate is helpful, but doesnt always get it right. Learn some basic phrases before you go to enhance your experience there.
it's just "customer's king" policy
@@giannilyanicks1718 anything
@@tatakae011 how?
日本人ですが、こう言った海外の方の動画で知ることもあったりします。面白かったです。
I visited Japan 2 years ago. Wonderful time there. Despite having Japanese friends helping us from London, I noticed a lot of people can speak English or very helpful despite not being able to speak English themselves.
My funny experience was that I bought a t-shirt with "I can't speak Japanese" in English and Japanese. One person smiled and able to help me when choosing sushi.
I want to go back to Japan. It's a best place to visit as a tourist.
PanixATK i want that shirt right now so japanese able to know my lack of japanese..
I want that shirt, too!!!
Can't remember but I'm pretty sure I bought this t-shirt just around a corner from Takeshita Street in Tokyo. I worn it through following day in Kyoto and it was a great experience.
Seems like a shirt you’d wanna wear lol
I only bought that shirt just for fun. I was having a great time in Japan. Since i returned back home, my shirt having been worn since... seems uncomfortable wearing it in a country that doesn't take jokes lightly..
you definitely should get a sim card, google maps it's a lifesaver if you go to japan. I used it all the time when I went there last year. if i'm lucky, I might go again next year.
Not only Japanese language but also the very unique any kinds of way which modern Japanese would do in our life. If you guys will understand these, it will be very easy to travel or stay in Japan. Little by little. In any country, there will be their own customs etc. Anyone would be the same for the first time abroad. You guys know that Japan is a pretty high tech clean country. If you visit, will understand why, little by little. Hope seeing you guys will visit us someday in the future.
I was looking for different kinds of Kit Kats in Tokyo and our Hotel manager literally took us to the city and walked us into the shop and told us which ones are popular. So kind.
Ani Vai
U can buy Matcha KitKat which is Green tea KitKat in Kyoto
Or if u have a chance to go to Okinawa, there is sweet potato KitKat
You should've said something about apps like "Google lens" which can translate live images,very useful in other countries
Does it translate japanese people into English people?
@@jaykenarn6223 sadly not, I tried and it didnt work.
@@ghanemaldhaheri167 lol XD
@@ghanemaldhaheri167 Bummer.
@@jaykenarn6223 you can try "google subtitles" too it simply enables subtitles, currently only works at japan, france and antartica
That notebook is the japanese version of american products with random kanji on it just because someone thought it would look cool.
Uncle Silver Gaming Fancy seeing you here
極度乾燥！
Uncle Silver Gaming Oh hey Greg.
Uncle Silver Gaming sounds about right I'm sure an actual Japanese person would cringe
When I went to Japan a couple years ago I had been studying Japanese in preparation for several months. In these months I was no where near fluent (obviously) but did have several dozen phrases and a relatively small vocabulary. I was at a restaurant in Kyoto talking with the owner/chef when my wife informed him that I had been studying Japanese to which he responded, "Why? no one speaks Japanese except the Japanese."
In my month long stay in several cities across the country, there was exactly one instance in which my inability to speak the language fluently made the situation any more difficult whatsoever. In fact one of the most surprising things I realized during my trip is just how little verbal communication is required in most of our daily activities. Beyond simple greetings, and our "please and thank yous" most interactions were handled through body language, mutually understood customs, and general non-verbal cues.
英語をシンプルにしてというアドバイスがすごく的確。
Smh cant even use Google translate cause RUclips wont allow copy and paste
これコロナで日本も日本語をシンプルにする動き始まったよね
His advice to speak simply in English is very accurate, I think.
That moment when you only know hiragana:
tip #1: Ojisan's are your best friend. most will help and have a bit more confidence speaking english and will even occassionally throw in a joke.
lee hamrick what is Ojisan?!
RiRi J old japanese guys hahahaha
lee hamrick
Aren’t the old ones ojiisan?
I think more middle aged with ojisan
Jackson
Yeah ojiisan is grandfather and ojisan is uncle
Because of American occupation I'm guessing?
I forgot my backpack inside a resturant once and one of the servers came running out in the street when he noticed, I'e only had good experiences with people in japan, they're so helpful!
As someone who is Asian (American) my problem with going to Japan is that a lot of locals look at me and assume I’m japanese as well and start speaking Japanese really fast to me. I feel awkward just responding in English so I had to get really good at saying “Sorry, I don’t speak Japanese” in Japanese 😅
"Japanese is typically only spoken in Japan"
Here in the U.S.A., American's can barely speak English....
dafuq yu mean?
Is this commentary on the growing illegal immigrant population?
@KrustyMini new York is an tourist destination
To be fair, English in the United States is De Facto. Not De Jure.
@@Michael20545 he's not American. Americans constantly mess up "they're, their, there" and "you're, your" and that's a shame since it's their native language.
I agree. Being a salmon is obviously the superior choice in every way.
Not being able to speak the native language makes me nervous about travel internationally.
In a place like Japan or China..YES i feel the same way. I live in Australia and was born in Norway. Spent none of my childhood in Scandinavia dispite having family { mostly cousins} over there. As an adult I've found it easy communicating & getting what I want in Scandinavia as an English speaker. I can perfectly understand the local languages by interpreting body language and context of my surroundings. In a place like Scandinavia, the English language is known well as a extra curricular language followed closely by German & French. 👨💻🇦🇺 🤱🇳🇴 🧳🦸♂️
Learn another language
I’m Chinese and can’t read or write it to save my life I would feel so embarrassed going to China
Don't be. It's not as hard as you think. I've been to many countries where I couldn't say anything more than hi and thank you and it was perfectly fine. Plus the Google translate app which can translate things via the camera is quite good.
I’m American but my mother is Norwegian and I’ve been there many times throughout my life, and there’s rarely been a communication problem. English is a required course in Norwegian schools and much of the TV Norwegians watch consists of subtitled American shows, so most younger Norwegians have at least a working knowledge of English. It’s a good place to visit for English speakers who are concerned about not being able to communicate.
I’ve found that the staff in the shops in the train station can be VERY helpful when you’re not sure where to go. I fully agree with the suggestion to bring a notepad & pen with you - I’ve had quite a few people draw maps for me which is so helpful (and their drawing & writing is amazingly precise, in general). It is also very useful if you bring a card or pamphlet with your hotel or address on it (in Kanji) - then you can show it to people, shrug, and usually get help (or show it to a taxi driver so they know where you want to go). I’ve also resorted to holding my ticket up to the little station map inside the train to make sure I’m getting off at the right stop - find the symbol for Chiba, for example, count the number of stops and keep track in your head - that sort of thing. And I agree that just about everyone is very patient and helpful.
Alright. One thing I'd love to point out
4:20 Suica CANNOT be found in any ticket machine across Japan. It's only available from JR East, which means Tokyo and Tohoku Region. Anything south of that and you have to get ICOCA or some other IC card. That being said Suica works pretty much everywhere, so if you first arrive in Tokyo, get one. Furthermore, it's really hard to come by Suica in machines placed in smaller cities (Iwate, Aomori, and Akita do not carry them). However, you can purchase them sometimes at New Days stores (which are the conbini inside the train stations, operated by JR)
It does not cost extra to have your name written, but it's totally pointless.
I recommend buying the Suica card at the airport (e. g. Haneda) I was in Japan for four weeks. And buying card with 10k yens. Four weeks, no problem. I payed metro in Tokyo, bus in Kyoto and coffee at machine on train station or purchase in store.
Pasmo is a bit more accessible.
It is not pointless to get your name written on it, you can reissue a lost MySuica card.
Arkaid D gsjsfwjwsne
So it is possible to use the Suica card outside of Tokyo?
We are staying a week in Tokyo and we're heading to Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto later on.
When I started visiting Japan, the phrase "sumimasen" was very helpful. Really good advice from Ryotaro.
another useful phrase is
if you want directions then yell "OPPAI DAISUKI!!!"
and if you want to say excuse me then its "SHINE, BAKA YAROU!!!11!1!!!!!"
jk
dont use the secound one tho
The friendly police officers will be HAPPY to help you out afterwards. LOL
"without google maps Id probably be in a forest... scrounging.. for berries"
I did not expect for my lifestyle to be insulted when i decided to watch this
By normal singing I mean singing with your normal voice instead of pretending to have an unique voice.
Look at the pop music these days, everyone especially those female singers like bebe rexha/daya/hailee steinfeld/ariana grande/nicki minaj/meghan trainor/jasmine Thompson, do all of their vocal cords have some sort of genetic malformation or what?
At least you got berries, here I'm still looking for horse meat...
I'm gonna guess northern Europe or northern North America
When you see katakana words, you can ask Japanese people to pronounce the words for you. When you hear what they say, you will suddenly recognize the words. For examples, katakana on coffee machines, they are “American”, “latte” “cappuccino“ etc.
My travelpartner and me got lost in Kyoto, we didn't understand their bussystem yet then. An old lady noticed us and helped us. I even asked "but then you wil be late?" ... She replied, "no problem. I am local" and escorted us to the right bus-stop and made sure we were in the right bus.
This was our first encounter in Japan and their amazing hospitality.
peopler in kyoto are xenophobic and hypocrites
bussystem
remove “stem”
Every one going to Japan needs to eat Meiji chocolate, or just buy any drinks and food from Family Mart or Lawson, trust me it’s good
O hell yea, Lawson has amazing stuff. It was what I relied on when in my stay in Japan
The Lawsons in Hokkaido have specialty winter treats all year round and dam are they incredible.
@@TARS.. wow Hokkaido in winter.. I wonder, how many jackets will I wear :o
Meiji is pretty good. I really like their dark chocolate. If you're in the US, try hitting up your local Japanese grocery store.
I've heard so many good things about that place. 😊
Just point to yourself and say “Baka” it’ll work 98.39% of the time
What about the 1.61% that it doesn’t work ?
@@Sebass0107 world end probably
Baka mitai
What does baka mean
@@GRANOLA77 It means "fool"
2 years ago I decided to travel solo for the first time and without a lot of planning I end up going to Japan (almost the other half of the world from where I live) I didn't know anyone there, I didn't know much about the country but I was excited to explore and learn about it! in 8 days I went to 3 cities traveled around and tried different things I didn't face any problem there, my English would help me a bit when I need something with a smile and some hand signs everything went smoothly! the language would differently help to be more open to the culture but even without it you can enjoy your time there and learn a lot at the same time.
Sounds so cool I want to go there soon and I want to go alone aswel but I’m so nervous man being in a different country and all alone without friends
Lived in Japan 3 years without ever learning Japanese.
I always had my phones GPS working which helped a lot.
I got my pasmo card so I can ride the train station freely.
Once I learned how the train station system worked, getting around the country became easy.
Why?
@@colby_247 Because learning a new language is very time consuming. I only lived in Japan because the military stationed me there.
この動画は完璧です！👍 ほんとにこの通りです、簡単な単語で話せば日本人はだいたい理解出来ますから🤗🤗🤗
I went to Japan for a week and no one knew Japanese. Everyone was so nice and helpful. You don’t need the Japanese if you can’t. But if you can learn some basic phrases you’ll be great.
You went to Japan and no one knew Japanese? Wow, are you sure you didn't go to another country accidentally? It seems weird no one in Japan spoke Japanese... ;)
@@ColdSleep I mean no one in my family knew Japanese lol. Obviously people in japan speak Japanese but my point was that it is possible to travel to japan without speaking Japanese
How was it trying to get an hotel?
@@siannarolls1563 pretty easy! i would reccomend going to a smaller hotel and not a big corporation hotel. They are way cheaper and nicer
@Daenack Dranils ok?
Got on an express train and got lost. A bunch of local who doesn’t know English tried to help us. So friendly and helpful even they don’t even know English. 👍 I left my handbag 👜 at the train station counter and it was still there when I ran back to get it 👏 . Missing Japan ☹️ can’t wait to travel again!!
英語あんまり分からないけど、道を聞かれたら必ず助けますよ🥰
Ann Nifödova I think we japanese won’t care of those very low possibility of bad co sequences if we see someone having troubles. I see a beautiful in it.
@Ann Nifödova Why?
何で？
I think the travel sim mentioned in the video shouldn't be your first choice. I highly recommend getting a pocket wifi. Might be a little bit more expensive, but you have unlimited internet acess and it really works anywhere. You have to charge it, but for me and a friend of mine it was perfect. Especially if your travelling in a group. You'll only need one for everybody ;)
Michael hi, could I please get some more information? I’ve never heard of pocket wifi!
You have different providers, who offer pocket wifi. We picked it up at the airport, at a counter for packages etc. A postal envelope comes with it because, at the end of your vacation, you just have to throw it into a postal box at the airport. But that depends on the provider. I think some send it to you before your vacation starts. Like I said it's more expensive, but better since travel sim for around 40 to 50 bugs often is only 1gb data. www.jrailpass.com/de/pocket-wifi
I agree, saved us a lot of hassle figuring out the train stations
pocket wifi is a portable wifi device that you can bring anywhere with you. You can reserve one prior to your trip and pick it up at the airport. You can also go the rental counters at the airport if you dont have any reservation. As mentioned by Michael, you will need to return the wifi at the end of your trip. There is a return label included when you receive or claim the device. You can drop the pocket wifi at a postal box - they are all over the airport.
The rates depend on the length of stay and the internet speed. Last time I was in Japan, I paid $60 to rent a pocket wifi for two weeks. I got it from here. www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html
I agree so much! My friends got the SIM but I had the WiFi. The box was far superior!
Chris is best youtuber. He helps and gives information but he's funny and awesome.. perfect man.
This is very interesting video even for Japanese people. It is amazing that he mentioned 外来語(foreign borrowed words). It is one of the most helpful things because we have numerous 外来語 such as hotel(ホテル,ho/te/lu ), road(ロード,ro/o/do),key(キー.ki/i), station(ステーションsu/te/e/syo/nn),ticket(chi/ke/tto), train(トレイン,to/re/i/nn), park(パーク,pa/a/ku)…well, almost all of nouns in English that refer to things in daily lives are also used as Japanese words, though there are some knacks when you pronounce them in Japanese way. So don’t hesitate to use English nouns that show objects like them, but be careful about his advice: use a single word at once instead of a long sentence.
Thank you for the info. Are there any other “essential” Japanese phrases?
I’m hopefully going next year for a week, mostly just Akihabara because I’m an otaku/game nerd, but also some historic sights as well.
I’m trying to use Duolingo now to learn some basics, but it’s hard.
I’m planing to write some other essentials down like “bathroom” or “spicy” 😂
japanese makes zero efforts to speak western languages
@@maegalroammis6020 why should they? I live in a western country and no one makes effort to learn my language either
@@maegalroammis6020 huh why would they bother japan is so homogenous they shouldnt have to cater to every tourists needs...
@@maegalroammis6020
英語をまともに学んでない人もいる
My broke ass sat here wondering if I’ll ever even go to Japan
Yeah, same..
Xisticai im broke to so reading this comment made me fkin laugh😂😂
Ah dude, it will happen one day, no worries,
Me to I'm planning to but u can do it
Lets do it, thats how I ended up here, wondering if my broke a$$ could go to japan, its time to stop wondering
I don't speak Japanese and I found that Japanese were extremely friendly and eager to help you if you're lost. Unlike Italians!
TheEchechech I’ve heard of people getting thrown out of taxis in France because they couldn’t speak French.
Once you enter in an Italian home, they treat you so well! Don't let one encounter determine your opinion.
Us Italians are super friendly; we love everybody in the universe!
Unless you're British or American
I appreciate the honesty xD
I agree with the Japanese part when we went to Japan we asked one Japanese person to where our hotel was located he actually walked with us until we reached the hotel. Then when we were going up stairs in the train station with our baggage sa few Japanese people offered help with just saying one word “Help?.” Great citizens!
He's right about that helping bit. Had an old man running a restaurant walk me and my friend to a different restaurant place that had what me and my friend were looking for lol
Justin Jeffries wow. Now that is customer service. At that point, I would feel so bad about not giving him anything though I know they don't accept tips in Japan
I felt super bad because the place he took us to ended up being closed and we just went to a Yoshinoya instead LOL
I don't totaly get that. Are you actually supposed to decline?
But when you don't they're like "Kuso... Baka gajin" and have to do it now when they just tried to be polite? lol
Like i heard that ur kinda "supposed" to decline offers like cool gifts or whatever once or twice but if they insist you accept.
I feel like i really want to get this correct to avoid people hating me in secret lol. Because they won't tell you straight out.
Daju It's true that Japanese often decline offers to be polite. But they don't expect that from foreigners and they are not supposed to feel offended by someone not declining their offers anyway. Many people are simply happy to help you. If the person who is offering help is someone you already know, you might want to care about his/her convenience more tho because you kinda know they'll go through too much trouble for you.
DHRCAT Hmm, alright. I want to move there though and not live on special treatment. :p But okay strangers dont need to do the "humble accepting game" then?
Although to people wanting to offer a Japanese person something it might be good to know that they might really want it but say no anyway so insist atleast once to be sure lol. Or if you are offered something you don't want you might need to decline more than once to get the point across.
Ryotaro is always an absolute treat to see whenever he pops up in a Abroad in Japan episode.
Back in 2009 I went to Tokyo with little to no language skills and I did fine! Just learn "sumimasen" and "arigato" and you do fine.
However, I'm hoping to go back next year and visit lots of traditional craftsmen and small farms, and I'm learning Japanese for that because I will be going solo and want to engage with people. Japan's countryside looks so beautiful and I think it's important to be able to say "help, I got mauled by a bear at a remote onsen". Unfortunately I've mainly just been doing kanji learning with wanikani, and I'm not on the level for "maul" or "bear", so I'll just have to say "painful under horse"