NOTIFICATION SQUAD: A lot of effort went into this - special thanks to Natsuki for taking part in the 11 sketches! What did we miss though? What unspoken, unwritten rules did we forget? Let us know below! And thanks to Sakuraco for sponsoring this episode: 🎃🍡 Use Code “ABROAD” to get $5 off your first #Sakuraco box team.sakura.co/abroadinjapan-SC2409 or # TokyoTreat box: team.tokyotreat.com/abroadinjapan-TT2409 and enter to WIN FREE Japanese souvenirs!
I worked for a Japanese bookstore in the US and I always arrived on time for my shift. A supervisor (who was Japanese) told me to show up 5 minutes early and I couldn't understand why and kind of argued with her that I don't get paid to wait around. Now it makes sense lol
Escalators shocked me in Japan, for several reasons: 1) Many of them are incredibly slow. 2) Some have signs saying to only stand on them, not walk, despite them being excruciatingly slow. 3) Despite usually being sticklers for rules, many Japanese people ignore the prohibition against walking on esclators.
You want anarchy in Japan. Ride a bike. There's often strict rules about riding on sidewalks or in roads and people get annoyed about in the west. But in Japan you just ride a bike where ever. In the road, on the sidewalk choose your own adventure.
Japanese people break all the wrttien rules all the time, you are not meant to ride bikes on sidewalks, use your phone, or urbelma, but they all do, but you break an unwrtitten rule that is bad.
I feel many warning signs are calibrated towards the reckless (and eldery, perhaps). But most people are timid enough not to need those extra warning signs. Most people won't die when walking on an escalator. But it probably caused a minor accident 55 years ago and the owner of the property got sued and lost, and now warning signs are there to cover their bottoms from liability.
I literally spat my tea out when you talked about escalators in the UK. The rules on the London tube are very real and people will get upset about it if you stand wherever you want. Stand on the right, walk on the left.
One time at Osaka station on my way to Wakayama, I was eating McD on an empty train awaiting departure. One girl walked in, saw me munch, became disgusted and walked right out. lol.😂
God my British soul would have compelled me to flip her off and ask "what are you looking at?" Terrible impression but I can't stand strangers putting their nose where it doesn't belong
@@livinlicious Yeah, you try not to eat or drink in 5-8 hours sitting in a train or if there ain't enough time in between your two trains. The tables are there for other purposes than just your Iphone or laptop 😉
Ok but they come around with little carts with katsu sandos... am I really not supposed to eat that at my seat? They brought it to me at my seat. And are ekibens not supposed to be eaten on the train either?
I knew the "don't touch the taxi doors" thanks to a previous video on this channel. True story, ordered an Uber to Manchester airport to catch my flight to Japan - the car then turned up was an imported Japanese taxi and the driver was very excited about us not having to touch the door. Never had that before or again in the UK, and it was on the way to get my Japan flight 😂
Lots of Japanese imports in Manchester now, had a similar experience on the way home from a wedding and the driver was lamenting about how the infotainment system only had kanji and could not be changed 😂😂
I once was 5 minutes early to an event at work where I was gonna receive an award for my performance in a project. I turned up 5 min early and saw that everyone else including the VP, CEO and board members where all in the room already. I didn't think much of it, said hello with a smile on my face and just sat down on the only empty chair in the room. I was pulled aside after the whole spectacle by the CEO and he said "What you did is not ok me-san, no ok." I was like "Sorry why did i receive the award if it wasn't ok?" "No, you should be the first one to arrive, not the last. We were waiting for you." He then gave me a tap on the shoulder and walked away without looking at me. The whole thing about having to be there too early is a sickness. I was later bullied at the company for this and that was the first and last promotion I saw at that company.
The rice sketch is the best one in this video. Natsuki's reaction is just brilliant. I totally understand that Chris showed it multiple times and kind of broke character while filming. Edit: timestamp 15:40
The American version of this would be to take some nice BBQ and pour ketchup on it. lol. Soy sauce goes on meat or vegetables, typically. Rice is its own thing and almost handled like a bit of a palate cleanser. Some fragrances or spices, sometimes, but basically eaten as-is. The implication of smothering it with sauce ( of any kind ) is that it was made incorrectly - that whole don't critique the chef thing, again. And, yes, good BBQ doesn't need any sauce.
@@kgjung2310 I love putting soy sauce on rice (adding a raw egg was pretty extra) and butter on rice with some salt on it. This was because I was a kid who didn't know how to cook meals for myself, yet.
For #2, I have a personal theory that this is the reason why online reviews for restaurants in Japan are usually rated much lower compared to other parts of the world. People can never complain in public but when it's somewhat anonymous then people can be scathing! You can hardly find a place in Japan with higher than a Google 4.5 star and many places with a 3.something are absolutely amazing (well your Lost Bar seems to be the exception, well done mate!)
It's also to do with being correct with a rating scale. 1-10 makes 5 average. So a pretty woman is a 6, she is above average. By that logic 2.5 would be average and 3 would be above and therefore very good. They just use them correctly.
@@EndyBoye Yup. I used to be a Google Guide but there is significant pressure to always review somewhere as a 5 even when they were mediocre. If I got average service and food quality, they got an average score. However, many other reviewers for the same place would give them top marks even when it was clear they had the same experience as I did. Grade inflation is a real problem with online reviews (which is why I usually don't take them too seriously).
@@TheJohn8765well, you should probably be aware that any online review sites are thoroughly corrupted by large numbers if fake reviews. There are entire businesses who are devoted to doing nothing but this for their clients - at least in the USA.
exactly, it doesnt help that when i see negative reviews for japanese restaurants and the owner comes back with an essay cursign them, their family and their descedents for daring to say that the food wasn't good, makes me not want to visit that place lol
For rule number 3, the Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani and her adventures trying to guide her Mum around the UK are gold, especially when it comes to punctuality. Yuriko with her full fledged embrace of the British culture of "ish" ("I'll be there by 11-ish") and her Mum raging that she's not on time and has no intention of being on time had me in stitches.
Born and raised in Britain and I feel the same. I have some friends I can count on to be late. We always give them an earlier meeting time to make sure. It's not a British culture thing; it's an inconsiderate person thing.
In London, the the right-hand side of the escalator is for people who want to stand still, the left-hand side is for people walking up or down. You will get told to move quite quickly by people trying to get past if you're in the way.
Same here in Canada. Right side for standing, left side for walking up. If you are standing on the left, people may ask you to move over so they can get by.
About eating while walking, a little story of my first trip to Japan might shed some light. When walking in Kyoto to meet a colleague, at some point I felt a large thump on my head, as if someone had hit me with a large object. My instinct was, maybe some kids were playing football, and I got hit by a stray ball. But as I looked right, I saw a large raptor (bird of prey) flying off, which then proceed to loop around, stabilize at the height of my head and then proceed to have another go at me. I started running, which luckily discouraged the beast from its attack, but he kept stalking me across the streets of Kyoto. Strangely, no-one seemed phased by this. Eventually, the bird gave up, but when I met my colleague I told him this story. "Oh, that was a black kite. Were you eating something?" Confused I said "Yes, I was eating an apple. How do you know". "Black kites are very common in Japan, but they are unusual among raptors, because they are scavengers. They are also very bold, so they are not shy of trying to take food from your hands. Thats what hapoened to you, a black kite tried to steal your apple. That's why in Japan, we don't eat while walking in the street." 😮 Of course, in places like central Tokyo, there are no black kites, but get out to more rural areas (like Kamakura), and there are plenty. In fact, several temples in Kamakura have written warnings in English advising to look out for them if you are eating outside.
I've had seagulls attack my family at a beach in Florida over a bologna sandwich. They're like a swat team. You had the ground units that had us fully surrounded and then the air units dive-bombing us. My dad threw the sandwich away, and all their unity was gone in a flash. Every seagull for himself.
Many years ago I was an exchange student in Japan (pre-COVID), and was in the middle of all these orientation meetings. At one of them one Japanese professor started the meeting and was explaining a bunch of stuff when suddenly she stopped and in a very stern tone looked at the back and said, "Um, in Japan we are always on time!" We all turned around and we saw these two guys still walking to their seats. It was quite the lesson for all of us to never be late.
The strict rules are not for me, I loved my stay in Japan but would rather eat squid guts daily for the rest of my life than live there. 😂 one hotel banned me from using perfume and deodorant. I stopped the perfume as that's understandable but they even directed me to a pharmacy to get roll on deodorant, they wouldn't let me use the aerosol.... f*ck off.
The shaming is a big part of enforcing that culture. In the west this used to be done too but in recent years it's now looked down apon as discriminating against the poor and unfortunate.
@@destituteanddecadent9106 Well given the poor and unfortunate typically need to rely on public transportation to arrive to their destination (which in America is incredibly unreliable), and the poor and unfortunate are more likely to have conflicts that they HAVE to get resolved (paying bills right at the last minute, picking up/dropping off children if they have them), I'd say yes, the poor and unfortunate typically have a harder time getting to places on time.
I wonder what would happen if you used like a Chinese red envelope too, those are complete different? I also which was the correct one to just give a colleague money as per the example given.
@@johnlillard4305Hongbaos are typically used for New Years or an employee's first paycheck from what I remember. Might be mixing that up with Taiwan, but that's how I've understood it
A lot of these things remind me about how I felt right at home while visiting Japan as a Finnish person, when it came to this unspoken big collective mindset of taking other people naturally into consideration. Trying to give others their personal space when possible, keeping an eye out for how people are moving on the street while walking and trying to keep subtly out of anyone's way, not embarrassing others for example by trying to get too close or personal or trying to engage them in a forced conversation (God forbid in English too), trying not to inconvenience anyone in any minor way, not being loud etc., and it really just comes automatically. I loved it!
As a Swedish person I get exactly what you mean! Up here in the Nordic's we traditionally have some similarities with Japan when it comes to respecting people's personal space and not being too intrusive with people whom you don't know well. We also have the exact same rule Chris mentioned of it being rude to point, since it can make people think you're pointing at them and badmouthing them.
Americans suck really badly about considering others when it comes to space. And as an American, it embarrasses me when some American blocks the doorway to a store by just standing there!
Same as a (northern) German. Several points in the video seemed either obvious or at least very similar to our habits: - we rarely complain directly to the restaurant staff about the food, we complain to each other afterwards and don't go there again - we usually arrive several minutes early (except for our public transport) and depending on the job/appointment, you would also call to let them know in advance if you are late - At least in a restaurant, you would normally go outside to make a phone call. On public transport calls are tolerated, but rare, and people definitely hear everything you say. - We like to wear shorts in our free time, but they are informal and can be impolite in some places. - we stay on the right side of the escalator, we even have the saying “stand on the right, walk on the left” and annoyingly not all people stick to it... - pointing your finger at people is rude, there is another saying that translates as “don't point your naked finger at clothed people”.
I’m from the US and I feel more at home in Japan than in the US because of all these unspoken rules. In the US I always felt like I was the only person trying to be a decent human being. In Japan everyone tries.
I think the Germans and Nordics are a *little* more lenient with timekeeping. You can be 5 minutes or so late, but no more than that, and you'd better be sweaty and apologetic to show you made an effort. In Germany you can also blame Deutsche Bahn and generally be forgiven, but of course that doesn't work in Japan.
Shorts bit is so true. People do wear them casually around their residential areas though, but when "going out" or being in a more central area, its just seen as unfashionable
Also, shorts are fine for tourists doing a lot of walking but if you live and are working in japan, like chris was working for a japanese client in a business setting, they are best to be avoided.
@@Kagemusha08 I live in Tokyo and see plenty of people in shorts in the summer. But it makes an entertaining video for people who don't live here I guess.
The wearing shorts one is the one that gets me the most. If I was wearing shorts in Japan in the middle of summer and someone told me to put on long pants just simply because “no one really wears shorts here” I would absolutely not put on long pants.
Let's not pretend otherwise you blend in. And summer is brutal. Been in Osaka many times, nobody really cared. One more gaikokujin wearing shorts. Not a big deal.
It’s more allowed if you’re a tourist or just in a casual setting, but for a professional like Chris it’s not a good look. Consider shorts the Japanese equivalent of a tank top
Japanese business cards: I was told that in Japan, the business card is exchanged because in the Japanese language (with the 3 different types of written characters), it is often impossible to know how a person correctly writes their name without having an example on the card.
It is difficult because the same name can be represented by different kanji characters, which parents choose at birth. When you sign up for something online, they often want the kana version of your name too.
My Japanese clients in Hawaii get super flustered if I don't have a business card on me. It is like you can't do business without one. I always try and have one on me, but heaven forbid...
@@johnlowell5905 Sells out quickly? Where are you searching? Lol. I swear every single Family Mart I go into is filled with Fami Chiki. Are you only going at night? Because convenience stores stops making hot food after like 9pm or so.
@@Godoffi I would argue yes and now, it's more a cheap flavour supplement to mimic a quality beef-stock base. But I grew up between Austria and Italy, it's more of a thing in Germany and Austria. Can't remember ever seeing it in other countries to that extend. Also: do you put Maggi on your rice?
Very interesting what you said about the sunglasses. Here in Kyushu Japanese don’t wear them either but everyone told me they wouldn’t need them. Japanese have nice brown eyes, mine are very light and greenish and unfortunately super sensitive. I don’t wear them as often I used to, since I definitely stand out wearing them here, but I still have to occasionally. Sometimes I am blind like a mole and would not be able to walk normally without wearing sunglasses. I have never heard that it was rude but due to the different eye color not necessary. I don’t doubt, nor deny what you said, it’s just weird that I have never hear that anybody would see wearing sunglasses as rude.
Maybe I'm just too German but I always try to arrive early. And most people I know agree with that. I think it's just a matter of respect to arrive on time so you're not wasting the other person's time.
I agree with you so much, I currently live in a country where half an hour late with no communication it's acceptable because it's expected both parties will arrive half an hour late and it doesn't matter how I communicate it doesn't work for me and I feel disrespected because I am there on time people keep saying it's no big deal and if I could leave this instant I promise I would
I feel that there's something important to point out. Arriving too early is also considered rude. 5-10 minutes early is a good rule of thumb for most occasions. What the Japanese do is to rule out any chance of delays. So instead of taking the train that would be just in time, you take 1 or 2 earlier and wait until it's proper to arrive.
@@SgtPotShot At least at my time in the German army it was only 5 minutes early. After that I went to study where you learn about the "academic quarter (of an hour)". Being late of course.
I was actually wondering how German people would feel about that rule (I have a German friend who's always mildly shocked when I tell her how I always try to be exactly on time or maybe only two minutes early - I'm Dutch)
I just got back from Japan yesterday. Having noticed all these things, I somehow dodged nearly all of these issues and the previous video's call outs. My Oku-san struggled a bit but she acclimated quickly with some light mentioning of each thing.... I returned and I'm immediately missing quiet public spaces and the infinite little things that made the country feel so clean, quiet, and livable...❤😢
Many of these rules are unwritten but ingrained from childhood, as Japanese parents often reprimand their kids for breaking them. My Japanese wife still occasionally eats onigiri or bread while walking on the sidewalk in Kyoto, but she avoids doing so near her mother’s house, fearing her mother might see her while driving.
I loved the taxi doors in Japan. I wasn't expecting it so it was a nice surprise, plus added to the drivers wearing a chauffeurs hat and white gloves it made the journeys feel a bit fancy.
The driver once parked on the road side, i waited for all the cars to go and quickly opened the door before another car came, to my surprise i got an ear full even considering the circumstances where waiting for a door to open in the middle of the main road would be dangerous. Some of their rules are crazy...
Are they brutal? I remember that they just rated low, not because it was bad but because it takes a lot to be really good. Like 5 stars is for the most memorable delicious Sushi you've ever eaten, not for a McDonalds that gets your order right.
I think I've read that online Japanese people are the most rude and brutal. Since you're more anonymous and bottling up all your true opinions daily gets onto you.
22:25 Nah this is a bit of an unspoken rule too back home in the UK, especially if you ever travel to London, thats how to know you've been away too long brother 😂
as a londoner i would actually disagree with you in the sense that its not an unspoken rule, there's signs and announcements that say to "stand on the right" and "walk on the left", as well as just being encouraged in general
Honestly happy you’re still hitting great views on your videos. I used to watch your videos when I was 13, I’m 21 now. I wish you more success in the years ahead
There's apparently one exception to the "no pointing at people" rule: in Osaka, it is tradition that if anyone does fingergun at you and says "bang!", you have to fake that you've been shot. This is hilarious there.
@@whaky6294 but family mart only has cards for deaths and marriage, how do i apologize!?! -oh, wait, that's envelopes -but i imagine you'd put cards into envelopes before delivering them, -so point still stands!
7 years total in Japan myself, and while I follow most of these, sunglasses and shorts are still my boom. I have sensitive eyes, so pretty much need decent sunnies and I still can't get wearing trousers in summer. Except for work of course. But on my days off? YOU CAN SEE MY DAMNABLE PALE KNEECAPS
The unwritten Esculator rules is also a thing here in Sweden. We stand on the right side and keep the left side open for people who want to walk in it as a fast lane.
11:28: Ok, so which envelope should you have used? If your options are wedding, anniversary, death, death, wedding, which one do you choose for "paying back what I owe you"?!
not being critiziced for your dish isn't taking your work more seriously. It's more like how japanese tend to not say what they really think in public, it's the same thing, you can't tell to someone you aren't acquainted to what you really think if it won't please him.
@@Yakito666 obviously not everyone is the same, but the japanese society tend to hide what they really think. I mean they even have a word for it, with the tatemae.
Regarding how to criticise a chef. I came across an interview with an experienced food show presenter on Japanese TV. The interviewer asked him "How would you say if the restaurant served you something really bad?" He answered "好きな人にはたまらないでしょうね（it must be a delight for someone whose tastebud matches）"
I also heard a talent once say that if she did not like the food she would say, "This reminds me of a homecooked meal". The implication being that the quality was not up to standard for what you would expect from a professional, but at the same time one could take it as complement.
Omg this is so Japanese thing to say 😂😂 they go around the bush to criticise you. Trust me the chef understood what was said, just nobody needs to be outwardly embarrassed that’s all.
I heard that line in Sir John Gielgud's voice. The English upper class uses similar language when perturbed. He had a great number of subtle insults like that, for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Award for the movie "Arthur" (1981), in which he played the butler Hobson. If you've never seen the movie, I'm sure you can find a "Best of Hobson, Arthur movie" video on YT.
Ironically, when I meet up with my friends in Japan, I take special care to be on time, and they’re usually late 😂 I think that maybe they feel like I won’t really care because I’m a foreigner - and they’re absolutely right!
I'm not going to lie, I saw the title and rolled my eyes a little bit but this video actually had some really good and new information. Sorry for doubting you Chris lol
These days you see people who became fluent in another language without having lived in that country but there are so many things you can only learn while actually living in that country.
Fun fact: in Russia you're also supposed to bring gifts from your trips. Not that anyone would really get offended if you don't, but it's a nice gesture. It's called гостинцы ("gostintsy", rough literal translation would be "guesties", derived from "guest", meaning that you've "guested" somewhere, been a guest). Like, bringing small souveniers for your friends and family (often something like fridge magnets), or some local snacks for your coworkers. Like, if you've been to Turkey, it would be nice to bring some Turkish sweets to your workplace for everyone to share.
Just came back from my first trip to Japan. Thanks for all the great videos, they were a great inspiration for spots to visit and learning about the culture and manners beforehand.
20:50 The wearing shorts thing might be regional. Here in the Kansai region, there are plenty of adults wearing shorts, whether going for a walk, to a park with their family, or the konbini. You probably wouldn't wear shorts while on the job, but at least in Kansai, I've never felt out of place wearing shorts outside.
@@AnonymousGhostwriter Yeah they basiclly wear track suits as well. Makes me jealous because I have to wear dress cloths and the don't. Luckily cool biz is a little bit of a relief in the summmer.
@0:53 that’s my experience too. There are many unwritten rules you have to learn through observation. Japanese people don’t think about them, but they abide by them. One of the rules I learned that REALLY make a difference. Always accept food when offered to you, or your not just rejecting the food your rejecting the person and gesture of kindness. In izakayas I made this mistake a few times. Someone sitting next to me would make small talk and eventually offer me a bit of their fugu or w/e I’d decline and they always got sour about it. Without fail. (Even if you said “I’m full”, I’m allergic” it doesn’t matter) In the west it’s the different. People won’t take it if they don’t like it. Why waste it? The gesture itself is the act of kindness and is appreciated. It doesn’t matter if you accept it or not.
Hey Chris, I know you believe that shorts are looked down upon all over Japan, and maybe that's true in Tokyo, and other parts of Honshu and Hokkaido. But down in Fukuoka, and other parts of Kyushu, it's not really looked down upon. Especially this summer, when we were hitting over 40 degrees Centigrade with 80% humidity, for days upon end. When people were not at work, many were wearing shorts. Young people, old people, middle aged people... Japanese people of all ages. So I think the taboo aspect of shorts is slowly eroding away in Japanese culture, at least down in Southwest Japan. Maybe it will start changing up north, over time, especially as climate change is impacting this country.
You know… it’s super funny how Aki made a video like 2 days ago talking about some of these same points lolol the clothing thing is something she also mentioned and it seems like she’s had the opposite experience. Saying people don’t care about sunglasses or shorts
Love this updated version. After living in Okinawa for an extended period (and marrying one of the locals), I continue abiding by these rules whenever I go back to the States, especially #11. I don't think I ever point with my finger anymore.
First time viewer! I just wanted to thank you ❤ I'm very interested in Japanese culture and you have a way that I can immerse myself in it and understand it more before going there and embarrassing myself❤ Sub earned!
Unfortunately, I guess I was rude the entire time we lived in Japan, because I cannot go outside without my prescription sunglasses on, even in cloudy weather. My eyes are super sensitive and I can't see! I did wonder several times why no one ever wore sunglasses there, but rudeness was not something that crossed my mind. All the other things we learned along the way though!
If you have a backpack on crowded trains, it’s best to move said backpack to your front, as to not accidentally bump into somebody without your knowledge. Can also apply to other crowded places like elevators or stores.
That's actually something that you should do anywhere in the world. As a matter of fact, it's way better to take off your backpack and hold it in your hand or place it on the ground between your legs so you don't occupy so much space (it makes it less likely to get robbed in countries where that happens)
I LOVE the escalator rule. True, the alternating sides are very confusing (and absolutely unnecessary) but I absolutely loved how consistently the japanese abide by this. Germany also kind of has this but like with most rules of this kind, easily half the population just doesn't care. So as someone who walks on escalators 9 times out of 10, I just really really appreciated the japanese actually following this rule. As a sidenote, I do find it funny that nearly every escalator I saw in japan had a sign (or multiple) not to walk on the escalators. Which would actually make the rule about sticking to one side obsolete for obvious reasons. Not sure what the reasoning behind that is but it is a little funny.
@@thany3 If possible, I recommend going with a native Japanese speaker. This isn’t limited to Japanese, but any language can lead to major misunderstandings when mistranslated or translated too literally. For example, I once saw a young Japanese woman wearing a shirt with the English word 'naked' on it. This is advice from my own experience as a Japanese person.
OK Chris, what color envelope should I look for? Are there specific envelopes for: "I'm returning the money I borrowed from you."? What color is the: "Happy Birthday! I don't know you well enough to buy a personalized gift, so here's some cash." envelope?
YES THIS! Brings up all the wrong envelopes but fails to provide the right one. Now when im visiting and have to give someone money im just gonna prep one of each and be like "here idk which is right so pick the least offensive".
A regular brown or white envelope with the amount written in smallish numbers is fine for giving money that isn't somewhat ceremonial. For birthdays, nobody really gives money, so there isn't a special birthday money envelope. There are special envelopes for new years money, usually with pictures of anpanman or mickey mouse because only children and students who have yet to graduate are given new years money. You don't write down how much is in new years money envelopes because how much is dependent on how old the child is, and you don't want the younger ones getting jealous. Once you graduate and get a job, it's now your job to give instead of get. Oh, and for funerals, don't forget to wrap your funeral envelope in a special fancy holder that is returned to you (once the funeral envelope has been removed).
@@thany3 It's a complicated subject, but basically so long as you remember that funerals are the strictest, weddings are second, and new years is the least strict, then no problems. If you just borrowed money from a friend or family, no need for an envelope. Equally as important as the envelope is what to wear for funerals and weddings. The good news is that we gaijin have a pass that allows us to make some pretty bad social gaffes, and sorta get away with it temporarily.
Yeah, the public eating and walking one is actually enforced by the food establishment. In Osaka I was told I must eat my strawberry mochi and tanghulu right there (though it was a tiny kiosk like space) and I guess it was because they had the trash bin there too and wanted to keep the streets clean.
Trash bins or rather their absence is something that can really surprise tourists in Japan. If you don't get rid of the packaging of food (and there's often a lot) then be prepared to carry it around with you until you find a konbini or something. Luckily in many cities there's one around every corner. In the countryside OTOH...
Look up Aum Shinrikyo they used public trash cans to hide sarin packages and hurt a lot of people. I think it's the biggest reason why Japan doesn't have many public trash cans
Awesome video! I resided in Tokyo for over two years and fortunately had a Japanese friend school me on all these do’s and do-not’s and much more. Some of which was taught me during my upbringing by a thoughtful father. I was folded into the culture with ease due to my love for the Japanese and their wonderful country. Been back in America for decades, now. I find American’s lack of (Japanese) etiquette irritating! 😅 ….. Obviously, at the same time, understanding that I’m not in Japan anymore and shouldn’t expect people here to have that level of respect. I’m looking at possibly returning to Japan within a few years for a very long holiday or possibly relocation. I enjoyed this video! Thanks!!! Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉
people : why can't i eat in trains! i do that in my country all the time! also people : how are trains in japan so much cleaner than in my country! the irony that people hate the rules that produce the results they love will always be amusing.
Visited Japan this summer. There were lots of tourists wearing shorts, but also a fair number of locals. Typically younger. I concluded that when in Tokyo, many people are commuting to and from work. If they are wearing shorts, it is absolutely on their time off, whereas I can wear shorts to work. In Onomichi, more known for sport bicycle activity, many Japanese wore shorts. I was told you can't find trash cans in Japan. Yes, you can, look for vending machines. Eating food outside also seems to be more a potential commuter disaster, which I understand. In less populated regions, it's a bit more relaxed, in personal settings, not business at all. They do have rigid customers, but see the enforcement, even social, as more laid back then northern Germany.
5:09 I find it funny when Japanese people would mumble "uma!" as soon as they put the food into their mouth without even biting and we all know it's way too soon or too hot to taste anything
@3:26 100% understand not criticizing food to peoples face but Japanese people leave THE HARSHEST reviews on social media for EVERYTHING! Any cafe, restaurant, parks etc very seldom had high reviews when I was in Japan!
I know, right?! I'm planning a Japan trip and was looking at hotels... rarely saw a hotel with a rating over 4.2. At first I was like "Man, is the hospitality industry in Japan that bad?" And then after reading the reviews, a lot of it is "The employee didn't smile at me for .02 seconds which was rude". It seems like many Japanese are passive aggressive by nature. It is "rude" to be negative to someone's face, but as soon as their back is turned all bets are off. I have a close friend who is Japanese and while she's very friendly, I've still caught one or two passive aggressive comments.
Yeah, a Canadian-japanese guide I met on a tour explained to me that same thing! It seems that whenever you find anything above 3,5 stars on Google Maps seems to be fairly good, and above 4 stars for something really astounding 😂
@@tbeth To me 4.2 sounds really good (assuming a 1-5 scale, obviously). 3 is an average hotel. 5 would be a place where absolutely everything is the best you could could expect at that price point. 4.2 in practice means that most people have voted it great and some have voted it perfect. Depending, of course, on the culture in the country. In some countries it's impossible to trust even a 4.9 score, because of friend and family (or even click farms) giving upvotes, or because everything thinks that anything short of having to fight with rats is a 5-star stay.
Fascinating to hear your shorts commentary given the only reason I started wearing pants regularly as an adult was because I was denied entry to some pubs in Leicester when studying abroad there anytime I forgot and showed up in shorts. I got the sense shorts are seen in England as inappropriate for all but like beach holidays, but clearly that is not quite the case
Wearing shorts is also frowned upon in a lot Arabic countries by sweltering 45 degrees C and it still works. The Brit who loves to expose their blue legs at already 13 degrees C with overcast rain in Birmingham just can’t relate to that 😂
I just bought your book a few days ago in the airport and didn’t realize I had already watched your RUclips video because I didn’t connect the two. Your book made me more interested in watching your videos. :)
Still waiting to go to Japan for the first time (I'm only 52, I'll get there!), but, jeepers, it sounds like we Irish have been created to not just break, but to smash and pulverise all these rules.
Right? Every time I see one of these videos I go, “Man, I’d love to see Japan!” and then get about halfway through and realise “This is way too exhausting for a holiday” 😆 I don’t know if it’s the Irish in me or the autistic in me, but I’m out lol
@vercoda9997 be respectful, Japanese really like Irish culture, and there is many Irish music clubs and bars, if you be a dickhead you ruin it for everyone.
No shorts?!!? That has GOT to be a Tokyo thing!!! My 24 years in Osaka EVERYONE wears shorts in summer. They even wear shorts in winter, though with long tights underneath.
I wish they practiced the same time management in the Philippines as they do in Japan. They are notoriously late. They will give you a time to meet and when you have waited say like 45 minutes for them to show up and call them, they will say they are on their way. Which means they are still at home and will now just start to get ready to go out as they were busy chatting on their phone or playing a game. So about 2 hours later they will finally arrive. You can do the same for off doctors appointments, if you call for an appointment and if you arrive on time, maybe 2 hours later the doctor will arrive in the office, if they show up at all. The office staff won't tell you that the doctor isn't coming in after waiting 2 hours you have to ask, otherwise you will just be sitting there until the office closes.
When I was in Japan earlier this year I thankfully managed to avoid all of these taboos...except for the sunglasses one. It was so damn bright out sometimes that I just had to put my sunglasses on, especially when my friend and I were at Lake Ashi. I always wondered why I never saw Japanese people wearing sunglasses when they're so common in the west.
grew up in an African rural village and I thought it was common sense to always sit down while eating because that's how I was raised. it was highly frowned upon to eat while walking like a wild animal. even cats and dogs first settle down before eating.
I feel like Japanese people have definitely started wearing shorts more often in Summer. As for the reason why so many don't: it's because shorts are associated with school boys, i.e. wearing shorts is seen as something juvenile kids do. That being said, it's not some taboo lol. Plenty of Japanese people wear shorts in summer and nobody cares if you do.
Makes sense , i think historically you can see that else. Hell there still are people thinking that probably somewhat. But what else to wear in the hot, its not like walking around in a kimono is common, which would have more air.
100%. This summer it seemed to me that half of all Japanese guys were wearing shorts. I'm seeing more people wear sunglasses too, but mostly women wearing them.
Just returned from Japan, I brought shorts for the trip and my friends told me it's a big no-no, so they didn't bring any. Guess what, a lot of Japanese wore shorts.
When I was in Japan riding the subway, I noticed the Japanese line up at the expected subway car door opening. They also wear their backpacks front facing on the subway to make more space for others.
For the Taxi door thing, as I understand, it started in the 70s as a kind of novelty in one particular city, maybe Osaka. It was such a hit that it expanded to the rest of the country and became ingrained in Japanese modern culture.
@@sukiyaki1028 Let's hope it won't lead to safety problems, especially since the same foreign tourists are 5000 times more likely to reach national news.
As far as I know, before Tokyo Olympics, it was customary for the taxi driver to open the doors manually for the passenger. With a surge of toursists during the event, the practice became automatized and stayed this way since.
In Washington, DC the escalator thing also exists. Instead of teeth sucking and sighing you're liable to get pushed out of the way though lol. During packed times the staff will straight up yell at people standing on the left to get out of the way for others.
Really bad for escalator maintenance though. 1 side taking the strain of the combined weight of everyone riding it is going to require expensive visits and repairs more often than people riding it where they want.
@@Madhattersinjeans yeah, but that's not what we're told to do. It should be signposted that you stand still cos not everyone listens to No Such Thing and Fish to know it's bad for maintenance. Either way, it's not how things are done in London, where I'm pretty sure Chris has been to, so it's odd that he wouldn't stand on the appropriate side.
"I couldn't get my horse to start" - you made an old Englishman chuckle! I totally understand not wanting to buy gifts for your office colleagues. In the UK we'd would buy a card on every member of staffs birthday (and cards aren't cheap). If it was your birthday you'd have to buy cakes for everyone. Ask 'em individually what cake they'd like and got to the cake shop and buy 20 cakes. There was a social pressure, to comply. Souvenirs from a holiday is also popular in China and Thailand (mostly food). Personally, I'd prefer to buy something of value than a (not so cheap) plastic fridge magnet! Bar Humbug.
i think the sunglasses bit is quite accurate. Just came back from Tokyo, and i felt like people were looking at me funny when i had my shades on. Like i was a shady person. When i took them off and walked around for a bit, totally different vibe i was getting.
Even a fancy and a poor version of envelope for marrige. Could be funny to put a large amount of money in the cheap envelope and a small amount in the expensive and clame that you were on a budget 😂
Frankly speaking, the condolence envelopes (black/ yellow ribbons) are dying customs in Japan nowadays. When you receive a ribboned envelope full of cash (including marriage ones), you owe a returning gift called okaeshi (payback) to the donor. The return can't be cash but some goods worth half of the donation and recommended to be personalised to each donor. The cumbersomeness around this putting more and more people off from inviting friends and relatives to a funeral or putting a "We don't accept cash gifts" sign on the site. This trend is quickly rising in urban areas like Tokyo. Prob the remaining case of using these envelopes are when a VIP for your business (your CEO, your most important customer) passed away.
I mean I live in Germany and people probalby wouldnt mind to much if I took a phone call in a lound environment like a bar, but I would simply always go outside just to simply have a decent phone call. Either it's too loud or you have to speak quietly in a restaurant. Makes no sense to take a call inside a public space.
The shorts rule is not absolute - foreigners generally get a pass on it, and you do see the occasional Japanese person wearing shorts. However, usually only if they are exercising or otherwise would be perceived as a bit 'lower class'. The reality is that as a foreigner you get judged regardless, so being also seen as a bit lower class, isn't really a big deal and isn't really 'rude' or majorly taboo.
@@aephos.overwatch From a western perspective, it makes sense to want to rationalise these types of rules. However, the Japanese psyche does not work that way and rules are accepted 'just because that is just the way it is'. That's the end of the debate.
It gets so hot over there though, lol. It's bad enough I'm the only one sweating on the train, but you're not allowed to try and cool off a little by wearing shorts.
I don't know if this is a thing in Japan, but it took me a long time to get used to in Taiwan: doing the "come over here" hand gesture with the palm down. To my western eyes that looked the same as our "shoo, go away" back-of-the-hand gesture. The number of times I thought I was politely backing away from a photo they were taking, when in fact they wanted me to step in more and join them... I've seen people from Korea make the same hand gesture, so perhaps it's common in that broader corner of Asia? But it definitely took me a while to get used to it.
The shoyu on rice thing is an insult to the host. It is saying “your rice is crap, so I’m pouring shoyu on it to make it palatable.” I thought that was a Hawaii thing though, as a lot of folks here do it out of habit. Yeah we are uncultured bumpkins who don’t really know good rice. A friend once asked the waiter at Disney World, FL for rice at a continental breakfast, then asked for shoyu. My inner (and outer) Japanese died of embarrassment. When it comes to punctuality, my Japanese mother insisted on being 30 minutes early for anything, but I cut it down to 15 minutes. Cause that’s just nuts. Oh, and on the omiyage thing, don’t forget the other sinister gift-giving trap that is so Japanese - Okaeshi. If you give someone something out of the blue, the receiver MUST immediately return something of greater or equal value. Oh God my neighbor drove me bonkers! Great “don’t do” list, and it’s all 100% true!
I kind of like the vast majority of those rules....I woukd say except for the one of being late because something outside of your control , like a storm, trains all canceled, are a not a good excuse enought. But other then that, I think most of them make the life in society much smoother! Good video, Thanks!!!🤩
Honestly, as an American, I also find it really rude to answer your phone in a restaurant or bar. A store, sure. But in a place where you are eating? Take it outside. Even if it is loud, people tend to try to shout over the noise when taking a call. Also, be present with the folks you are eating with! And if you must take the call, excuse yourself to a corner or outside. This feels like the fundamentals of polite society.
It's been a hot minute since I've returned to this channel. Is it just me, or did the quality of the music/sound design improve massively? Like, it just sounds so good!
@@SirProdigle Londoners think they represent England. Every single time. Probably haven't gone more than 10 miles north of the Thames and think they speak for the rest of the country.
Talking on the phone if you're in someone's company is always rude. Even if it's a good friend, you should apologize for taking the call (if you must take it) and excuse yourself to another room - e.g. "I'm sorry, this is work related. Please excuse me, I'll be right back." Answering a call carries the undertone of "This call is more important than my time with you." I'm fairly sure this is a generational opinion (I'm around 60), as young folks don't seem to follow these "old fashioned" notions.
I feel like the point about "being a food critic" might be cultural in Japan, but for me it's just simple manners, if I'm asked after the meal "how was it" I just say it was delicious or good, and if they follow up or surprised by the fact I didn't finish the plate(which I personally would finish most of the time, if I had to force it down my throat) I would say I'm full and that's that. As for getting early, it might be cultural in Japan, but I personally got a habit of getting everywhere at least 15-30 minutes early, I also consider it good manners to be on time.
NOTIFICATION SQUAD: A lot of effort went into this - special thanks to Natsuki for taking part in the 11 sketches!
What did we miss though? What unspoken, unwritten rules did we forget? Let us know below!
And thanks to Sakuraco for sponsoring this episode: 🎃🍡 Use Code “ABROAD” to get $5 off your first #Sakuraco box team.sakura.co/abroadinjapan-SC2409 or # TokyoTreat box: team.tokyotreat.com/abroadinjapan-TT2409 and enter to WIN FREE Japanese souvenirs!
Hi Chris!
Hi Chris
Natsuki is a pretty decent actor. And obviously a good friend. What a hero!
Natsuki deserves an Oscar award for his performance.
finger guns with the knuckles rolled up like revolvers.
"Early is on-time, on-time is late, and late is unacceptable."
This piece of advice has served me well.
So by the transitive property, early is unacceptable?
I worked for a Japanese bookstore in the US and I always arrived on time for my shift. A supervisor (who was Japanese) told me to show up 5 minutes early and I couldn't understand why and kind of argued with her that I don't get paid to wait around. Now it makes sense lol
I went like 30 minutes earlier and they told me that is also rude 😅
@@OperationJackHammer As long as they encourage you to leave "on-time" as well seems fine enough.
especially if someone is paying you to be there… got to meet John Malkovich because I got to the theater he was acting at early,
Natsuki's acting skills are great in this! 😃
Sure 🤭
Natsuki has become more elderly and somehow more like a wiser elder with the brow of a wrinkly scrotum,! 😂
@@harryrambler That's a weird way of saying he looks old.
So far the rice-spit at 14:50 is my favorite. His first Cameo was already excellent with the haha...
'money shot'
...haha
Maybe a little too much Aso
Not one spoken word the whole video 😅
Escalators shocked me in Japan, for several reasons:
1) Many of them are incredibly slow.
2) Some have signs saying to only stand on them, not walk, despite them being excruciatingly slow.
3) Despite usually being sticklers for rules, many Japanese people ignore the prohibition against walking on esclators.
Because it kinda counters the point of being early.
You want anarchy in Japan. Ride a bike. There's often strict rules about riding on sidewalks or in roads and people get annoyed about in the west. But in Japan you just ride a bike where ever. In the road, on the sidewalk choose your own adventure.
Japanese people break all the wrttien rules all the time, you are not meant to ride bikes on sidewalks, use your phone, or urbelma, but they all do, but you break an unwrtitten rule that is bad.
The slow escalators was one of the things that surprised me on my first trip (along with the " 4 times thinner' toilet paper)
I feel many warning signs are calibrated towards the reckless (and eldery, perhaps). But most people are timid enough not to need those extra warning signs. Most people won't die when walking on an escalator. But it probably caused a minor accident 55 years ago and the owner of the property got sued and lost, and now warning signs are there to cover their bottoms from liability.
I literally spat my tea out when you talked about escalators in the UK. The rules on the London tube are very real and people will get upset about it if you stand wherever you want. Stand on the right, walk on the left.
Yes, absolutely the mark of a non-Londoner to stand on the left. I can even (and do) make that dyson sound myself.
@@rogerexwood6608in Birmingham, we stand on the left and walk on the right
Stockholm, Sweden use the same system, stand on the right, walk on the left. It's a very easy way to spot whether or not someone is a tourist 😂
@@TheZ3rR I would fit in 😂😂 I don’t like it when you can see them doing something wrong just follow the crowd
@@lukewalker3 Kind of like Osaka vs Tokyo then ☺️
One time at Osaka station on my way to Wakayama, I was eating McD on an empty train awaiting departure. One girl walked in, saw me munch, became disgusted and walked right out. lol.😂
God my British soul would have compelled me to flip her off and ask "what are you looking at?" Terrible impression but I can't stand strangers putting their nose where it doesn't belong
Eating in train is disgusting.
@@livinlicious Yeah, you try not to eat or drink in 5-8 hours sitting in a train or if there ain't enough time in between your two trains. The tables are there for other purposes than just your Iphone or laptop 😉
@@livinliciousI probably wouldn't go as far as that but I've seen that some people leave chicken bones on the seat for others to enjoy ... Yuk!
Ok but they come around with little carts with katsu sandos... am I really not supposed to eat that at my seat? They brought it to me at my seat. And are ekibens not supposed to be eaten on the train either?
I knew the "don't touch the taxi doors" thanks to a previous video on this channel.
True story, ordered an Uber to Manchester airport to catch my flight to Japan - the car then turned up was an imported Japanese taxi and the driver was very excited about us not having to touch the door. Never had that before or again in the UK, and it was on the way to get my Japan flight 😂
The chances of that! Great story haha.
was it Pete Donaldson behind the wheel?
@@mautinko Alas not, as far as I know he's not moonlighting as a Manchester Uber driver
Lots of Japanese imports in Manchester now, had a similar experience on the way home from a wedding and the driver was lamenting about how the infotainment system only had kanji and could not be changed 😂😂
Why dont you touch the doors?
"The first rule of Japan is you do not talk about Japan."
- Tairaa Dāden
Tairuu Durduu
Chuck Polinik will be frustrated you stole that from him.
@@burhanbudak6041 Why is the second or third comment always a much worse version of the original comment?
Now get that imprinted on a bar of soap
@PacmanBrunnerbait
I once was 5 minutes early to an event at work where I was gonna receive an award for my performance in a project. I turned up 5 min early and saw that everyone else including the VP, CEO and board members where all in the room already. I didn't think much of it, said hello with a smile on my face and just sat down on the only empty chair in the room. I was pulled aside after the whole spectacle by the CEO and he said
"What you did is not ok me-san, no ok."
I was like
"Sorry why did i receive the award if it wasn't ok?"
"No, you should be the first one to arrive, not the last. We were waiting for you."
He then gave me a tap on the shoulder and walked away without looking at me.
The whole thing about having to be there too early is a sickness. I was later bullied at the company for this and that was the first and last promotion I saw at that company.
This is making me sick.
I love how Chris still uses pictures of Boris Johnson whenever he's describing British people even though he's been out of office for two years now.
@@kinimodcinham1752 🤦♀🤣
Keir Starmer would probably have Chris arrested upon entering the UK if he starts using his picture instead.
@@kinimodcinham1752 Are you high?
@@birdup6663 Somehow I doubt Keir Starmer has the budget for that.
@@kinimodcinham1752 Bollocks
The rice sketch is the best one in this video. Natsuki's reaction is just brilliant. I totally understand that Chris showed it multiple times and kind of broke character while filming.
Edit: timestamp 15:40
Ohmigosh I *LOVED* his reaction in the rice sketch, also.
Chris slightly braking character with the grin / smile is the cherry on top :D Hilarious bit and I love that other people appreciate it as well.
The American version of this would be to take some nice BBQ and pour ketchup on it. lol. Soy sauce goes on meat or vegetables, typically. Rice is its own thing and almost handled like a bit of a palate cleanser. Some fragrances or spices, sometimes, but basically eaten as-is. The implication of smothering it with sauce ( of any kind ) is that it was made incorrectly - that whole don't critique the chef thing, again. And, yes, good BBQ doesn't need any sauce.
Putting soy sauce on rice is almost as much a crime as slathering butter all over it. Heresy.
@@kgjung2310 I love putting soy sauce on rice (adding a raw egg was pretty extra) and butter on rice with some salt on it. This was because I was a kid who didn't know how to cook meals for myself, yet.
For #2, I have a personal theory that this is the reason why online reviews for restaurants in Japan are usually rated much lower compared to other parts of the world. People can never complain in public but when it's somewhat anonymous then people can be scathing! You can hardly find a place in Japan with higher than a Google 4.5 star and many places with a 3.something are absolutely amazing (well your Lost Bar seems to be the exception, well done mate!)
It's also to do with being correct with a rating scale. 1-10 makes 5 average. So a pretty woman is a 6, she is above average. By that logic 2.5 would be average and 3 would be above and therefore very good. They just use them correctly.
@@EndyBoye Yup. I used to be a Google Guide but there is significant pressure to always review somewhere as a 5 even when they were mediocre. If I got average service and food quality, they got an average score. However, many other reviewers for the same place would give them top marks even when it was clear they had the same experience as I did. Grade inflation is a real problem with online reviews (which is why I usually don't take them too seriously).
Interesting. Reading your reviews in Japan must be an especially painful experience.
@@TheJohn8765well, you should probably be aware that any online review sites are thoroughly corrupted by large numbers if fake reviews. There are entire businesses who are devoted to doing nothing but this for their clients - at least in the USA.
exactly, it doesnt help that when i see negative reviews for japanese restaurants and the owner comes back with an essay cursign them, their family and their descedents for daring to say that the food wasn't good, makes me not want to visit that place lol
For rule number 3, the Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani and her adventures trying to guide her Mum around the UK are gold, especially when it comes to punctuality. Yuriko with her full fledged embrace of the British culture of "ish" ("I'll be there by 11-ish") and her Mum raging that she's not on time and has no intention of being on time had me in stitches.
Born and raised in Britain and I feel the same. I have some friends I can count on to be late. We always give them an earlier meeting time to make sure. It's not a British culture thing; it's an inconsiderate person thing.
In London, the the right-hand side of the escalator is for people who want to stand still, the left-hand side is for people walking up or down. You will get told to move quite quickly by people trying to get past if you're in the way.
That's an outdated view of London you have sadly. Nowadays people will just stand/walk wherever they want and woe to anybody who speaks up about it..
@@PeaceDweller It's still very common. The same applies in most places but less likely to have people asking you to move outside of London
@@PeaceDweller you don't live in london
Same here in Canada. Right side for standing, left side for walking up. If you are standing on the left, people may ask you to move over so they can get by.
Even in my UK town, not London, people generally stand on the right side of the escalator.
About eating while walking, a little story of my first trip to Japan might shed some light. When walking in Kyoto to meet a colleague, at some point I felt a large thump on my head, as if someone had hit me with a large object. My instinct was, maybe some kids were playing football, and I got hit by a stray ball. But as I looked right, I saw a large raptor (bird of prey) flying off, which then proceed to loop around, stabilize at the height of my head and then proceed to have another go at me. I started running, which luckily discouraged the beast from its attack, but he kept stalking me across the streets of Kyoto. Strangely, no-one seemed phased by this. Eventually, the bird gave up, but when I met my colleague I told him this story. "Oh, that was a black kite. Were you eating something?" Confused I said "Yes, I was eating an apple. How do you know". "Black kites are very common in Japan, but they are unusual among raptors, because they are scavengers. They are also very bold, so they are not shy of trying to take food from your hands. Thats what hapoened to you, a black kite tried to steal your apple. That's why in Japan, we don't eat while walking in the street." 😮 Of course, in places like central Tokyo, there are no black kites, but get out to more rural areas (like Kamakura), and there are plenty. In fact, several temples in Kamakura have written warnings in English advising to look out for them if you are eating outside.
What so it's like a healthier version of the British seagulls that spawn camp chippys 😂
Im visiting Kamakura and some other more rural parts of Japan on my trip. I will definitely keep this in mind lol.
*the offering must be sacrificed to the birds*
Or slap the bird
I've had seagulls attack my family at a beach in Florida over a bologna sandwich.
They're like a swat team. You had the ground units that had us fully surrounded and then the air units dive-bombing us. My dad threw the sandwich away, and all their unity was gone in a flash. Every seagull for himself.
lol, what a story... Ignoring the odd bit about a bird of prey going for a piece of fruit or nobody bleeding from their head after an encounter.
Natsuki is such a good sport that he agrees to do all these little scenarios with you. I think he's a great guy!
Many years ago I was an exchange student in Japan (pre-COVID), and was in the middle of all these orientation meetings. At one of them one Japanese professor started the meeting and was explaining a bunch of stuff when suddenly she stopped and in a very stern tone looked at the back and said, "Um, in Japan we are always on time!" We all turned around and we saw these two guys still walking to their seats. It was quite the lesson for all of us to never be late.
The strict rules are not for me, I loved my stay in Japan but would rather eat squid guts daily for the rest of my life than live there. 😂 one hotel banned me from using perfume and deodorant. I stopped the perfume as that's understandable but they even directed me to a pharmacy to get roll on deodorant, they wouldn't let me use the aerosol.... f*ck off.
The shaming is a big part of enforcing that culture. In the west this used to be done too but in recent years it's now looked down apon as discriminating against the poor and unfortunate.
@@cattysplat it's discriminatory to the poor and unfortunate to call out tardiness? That doesn't make sense.
@@destituteanddecadent9106 Well given the poor and unfortunate typically need to rely on public transportation to arrive to their destination (which in America is incredibly unreliable), and the poor and unfortunate are more likely to have conflicts that they HAVE to get resolved (paying bills right at the last minute, picking up/dropping off children if they have them), I'd say yes, the poor and unfortunate typically have a harder time getting to places on time.
Envelopes:
red: marriage
yellow: dead
black: dead
gold: marriage
Got it!
I wonder which one would have been the right one for returning the money to the coworker though
@@officialnicknameobviously they’re all wrong!
So, using a blank envelope isn't an option, is it? Because if it was that would be too easy.
I wonder what would happen if you used like a Chinese red envelope too, those are complete different? I also which was the correct one to just give a colleague money as per the example given.
@@johnlillard4305Hongbaos are typically used for New Years or an employee's first paycheck from what I remember. Might be mixing that up with Taiwan, but that's how I've understood it
A lot of these things remind me about how I felt right at home while visiting Japan as a Finnish person, when it came to this unspoken big collective mindset of taking other people naturally into consideration. Trying to give others their personal space when possible, keeping an eye out for how people are moving on the street while walking and trying to keep subtly out of anyone's way, not embarrassing others for example by trying to get too close or personal or trying to engage them in a forced conversation (God forbid in English too), trying not to inconvenience anyone in any minor way, not being loud etc., and it really just comes automatically. I loved it!
As a Swedish person I get exactly what you mean! Up here in the Nordic's we traditionally have some similarities with Japan when it comes to respecting people's personal space and not being too intrusive with people whom you don't know well. We also have the exact same rule Chris mentioned of it being rude to point, since it can make people think you're pointing at them and badmouthing them.
Americans suck really badly about considering others when it comes to space. And as an American, it embarrasses me when some American blocks the doorway to a store by just standing there!
Same as a (northern) German. Several points in the video seemed either obvious or at least very similar to our habits:
- we rarely complain directly to the restaurant staff about the food, we complain to each other afterwards and don't go there again
- we usually arrive several minutes early (except for our public transport) and depending on the job/appointment, you would also call to let them know in advance if you are late
- At least in a restaurant, you would normally go outside to make a phone call. On public transport calls are tolerated, but rare, and people definitely hear everything you say.
- We like to wear shorts in our free time, but they are informal and can be impolite in some places.
- we stay on the right side of the escalator, we even have the saying “stand on the right, walk on the left” and annoyingly not all people stick to it...
- pointing your finger at people is rude, there is another saying that translates as “don't point your naked finger at clothed people”.
I’m from the US and I feel more at home in Japan than in the US because of all these unspoken rules.
In the US I always felt like I was the only person trying to be a decent human being.
In Japan everyone tries.
I think the Germans and Nordics are a *little* more lenient with timekeeping. You can be 5 minutes or so late, but no more than that, and you'd better be sweaty and apologetic to show you made an effort. In Germany you can also blame Deutsche Bahn and generally be forgiven, but of course that doesn't work in Japan.
Shorts bit is so true. People do wear them casually around their residential areas though, but when "going out" or being in a more central area, its just seen as unfashionable
And now I know why there are basically no male shorts in FFXIV (a very popular MMO made in Japan). Nice to know!
Also, shorts are fine for tourists doing a lot of walking but if you live and are working in japan, like chris was working for a japanese client in a business setting, they are best to be avoided.
You mean men right? Japanese girls wear tiny denim shorts all the time.
It really depends on the area. I live in Kyushu and dudes here are a lot more relaxed about fashion.
@@Kagemusha08 I live in Tokyo and see plenty of people in shorts in the summer. But it makes an entertaining video for people who don't live here I guess.
The wearing shorts one is the one that gets me the most. If I was wearing shorts in Japan in the middle of summer and someone told me to put on long pants just simply because “no one really wears shorts here” I would absolutely not put on long pants.
Should have seen the looks I was getting as a male with hairy legs wearing shorts in late November 😂
@@jammose6208 Looks of jealousy I'm sure!
Let's not pretend otherwise you blend in. And summer is brutal. Been in Osaka many times, nobody really cared. One more gaikokujin wearing shorts. Not a big deal.
I only wear pants or a kilt. I'm sure the kilts will draw looks.
It’s more allowed if you’re a tourist or just in a casual setting, but for a professional like Chris it’s not a good look. Consider shorts the Japanese equivalent of a tank top
Japanese business cards: I was told that in Japan, the business card is exchanged because in the Japanese language (with the 3 different types of written characters), it is often impossible to know how a person correctly writes their name without having an example on the card.
It is difficult because the same name can be represented by different kanji characters, which parents choose at birth. When you sign up for something online, they often want the kana version of your name too.
My Japanese clients in Hawaii get super flustered if I don't have a business card on me. It is like you can't do business without one. I always try and have one on me, but heaven forbid...
we might have to do that in more places now considering the asinine wayssome people have started spelling otherwise normal names
@@Tenshi6Tantou6ReiI know right, those damn Normans and their rewriting Fanshaw as Featherstonehaught .
Actually makes sense.
The best unspoken Rule is "Never leave Family Mart without a FamiChicki"
But it sells out so quickly when I've looked for it.
I whole heartedly agree
@@johnlowell5905 Sells out quickly? Where are you searching? Lol. I swear every single Family Mart I go into is filled with Fami Chiki. Are you only going at night? Because convenience stores stops making hot food after like 9pm or so.
the one about soy sauce is basically the same as if "we" drenched our rice in ketchup XD
is it far to say that maggi is basically western soy sauce?
@@Godoffi I would argue yes and now, it's more a cheap flavour supplement to mimic a quality beef-stock base.
But I grew up between Austria and Italy, it's more of a thing in Germany and Austria. Can't remember ever seeing it in other countries to that extend.
Also: do you put Maggi on your rice?
Very interesting what you said about the sunglasses. Here in Kyushu Japanese don’t wear them either but everyone told me they wouldn’t need them. Japanese have nice brown eyes, mine are very light and greenish and unfortunately super sensitive. I don’t wear them as often I used to, since I definitely stand out wearing them here, but I still have to occasionally. Sometimes I am blind like a mole and would not be able to walk normally without wearing sunglasses. I have never heard that it was rude but due to the different eye color not necessary. I don’t doubt, nor deny what you said, it’s just weird that I have never hear that anybody would see wearing sunglasses as rude.
I can't get over how each of Natsuki's face of indignation are legendary. 20:01 my favorite
YES this is my fav too
Maybe I'm just too German but I always try to arrive early. And most people I know agree with that. I think it's just a matter of respect to arrive on time so you're not wasting the other person's time.
The US military drills into you that you should always be 15 minutes early to anything, and I always went by that.
I agree with you so much, I currently live in a country where half an hour late with no communication it's acceptable because it's expected both parties will arrive half an hour late and it doesn't matter how I communicate it doesn't work for me and I feel disrespected because I am there on time people keep saying it's no big deal and if I could leave this instant I promise I would
I feel that there's something important to point out.
Arriving too early is also considered rude. 5-10 minutes early is a good rule of thumb for most occasions.
What the Japanese do is to rule out any chance of delays. So instead of taking the train that would be just in time, you take 1 or 2 earlier and wait until it's proper to arrive.
@@SgtPotShot At least at my time in the German army it was only 5 minutes early. After that I went to study where you learn about the "academic quarter (of an hour)". Being late of course.
I was actually wondering how German people would feel about that rule (I have a German friend who's always mildly shocked when I tell her how I always try to be exactly on time or maybe only two minutes early - I'm Dutch)
I just got back from Japan yesterday. Having noticed all these things, I somehow dodged nearly all of these issues and the previous video's call outs. My Oku-san struggled a bit but she acclimated quickly with some light mentioning of each thing....
I returned and I'm immediately missing quiet public spaces and the infinite little things that made the country feel so clean, quiet, and livable...❤😢
Many of these rules are unwritten but ingrained from childhood, as Japanese parents often reprimand their kids for breaking them. My Japanese wife still occasionally eats onigiri or bread while walking on the sidewalk in Kyoto, but she avoids doing so near her mother’s house, fearing her mother might see her while driving.
I loved the taxi doors in Japan. I wasn't expecting it so it was a nice surprise, plus added to the drivers wearing a chauffeurs hat and white gloves it made the journeys feel a bit fancy.
Oh 🎃🎃🎃 Halloween are you guys going to do...obake party 🥳🥳🥳 or 🎤🎤🎤🎤 karaoke
It's also nice the driver opens it for you, as they generally know better if it's safe to exit.
I love the white covers on the head rests!
@@swish043 yes the bulgarian-granny-blankets
The driver once parked on the road side, i waited for all the cars to go and quickly opened the door before another car came, to my surprise i got an ear full even considering the circumstances where waiting for a door to open in the middle of the main road would be dangerous.
Some of their rules are crazy...
Funny how Japan has some of the more brutal online reviews of restaurants. The polar opposite of how it is face-to-face.
Are they brutal? I remember that they just rated low, not because it was bad but because it takes a lot to be really good. Like 5 stars is for the most memorable delicious Sushi you've ever eaten, not for a McDonalds that gets your order right.
Japanese reviews are hilarious, they will pick on things that are rediculously silly, like the staff are ugly, etc really fun read on google reviews.
@@TheDirtysouthfan Nah, they're savage. Like they don't use swear words and such but a lot of very demeaning metaphors.
I think I've read that online Japanese people are the most rude and brutal. Since you're more anonymous and bottling up all your true opinions daily gets onto you.
@@TheDirtysouthfan they say about how the staff should be fired and that they are ugly alot.
22:25 Nah this is a bit of an unspoken rule too back home in the UK, especially if you ever travel to London, thats how to know you've been away too long brother 😂
Came here to say this, there’s definitely a rule in London
He's rich now, when he goes to London he doesn't take the tube, just gets into taxis expecting the doors to open by themselves. 🤣
Definitely a rule everywhere I've been in the UK, or else the Quiet Tutting of Judgement will befall you
It's OK to urinate in phone boxes and alleyways, though.
as a londoner i would actually disagree with you in the sense that its not an unspoken rule, there's signs and announcements that say to "stand on the right" and "walk on the left", as well as just being encouraged in general
Honestly happy you’re still hitting great views on your videos. I used to watch your videos when I was 13, I’m 21 now. I wish you more success in the years ahead
There's apparently one exception to the "no pointing at people" rule: in Osaka, it is tradition that if anyone does fingergun at you and says "bang!", you have to fake that you've been shot. This is hilarious there.
Pointing a finger and doing finger gun are two very different things you know.
Osakans are a different breed
@@Shaatorrall finger guns are pointing a finger but not all pointing a finger are finger guns
In the USA, we have a similar tradition.
@@Rancorous_Redwood wait!? We are supposed to use finger guns? Uh oh, spaghettios.
That was one really solid, almost Oscar worthy, spit take.
What do you mean "almost"?! Go buy an apology card and apologize in front of that Japanese gentleman immediately!
Done in one take thank god 😂
@@whaky6294 but family mart only has cards for deaths and marriage, how do i apologize!?!
-oh, wait, that's envelopes
-but i imagine you'd put cards into envelopes before delivering them,
-so point still stands!
7 years total in Japan myself, and while I follow most of these, sunglasses and shorts are still my boom. I have sensitive eyes, so pretty much need decent sunnies and I still can't get wearing trousers in summer. Except for work of course. But on my days off? YOU CAN SEE MY DAMNABLE PALE KNEECAPS
Same.
My baby blues are too sensitive.
I've always for shorts on in summer. I'll be damned if I'm putting up with heat and humidity in long pants.
I can tell youre from australia with your autistic pronunciation of SUNGLASSES
Hmm. I always find that long loose pants are the best in summer. The sun on bare skin just feels hotter than a thin layer.
The unwritten Esculator rules is also a thing here in Sweden. We stand on the right side and keep the left side open for people who want to walk in it as a fast lane.
11:28: Ok, so which envelope should you have used? If your options are wedding, anniversary, death, death, wedding, which one do you choose for "paying back what I owe you"?!
My thought exactly.
Just do what both my grown sons do. Conveniently forget 😂
white or brown/manila envelope
Unfortunately you just have to marry them.
not being critiziced for your dish isn't taking your work more seriously. It's more like how japanese tend to not say what they really think in public, it's the same thing, you can't tell to someone you aren't acquainted to what you really think if it won't please him.
That seems to not always be true since lots of these examples mention janapese actually telling you what they think when things aren't done their way.
@@Yakito666 obviously not everyone is the same, but the japanese society tend to hide what they really think. I mean they even have a word for it, with the tatemae.
Regarding how to criticise a chef. I came across an interview with an experienced food show presenter on Japanese TV. The interviewer asked him "How would you say if the restaurant served you something really bad?"
He answered "好きな人にはたまらないでしょうね（it must be a delight for someone whose tastebud matches）"
I also heard a talent once say that if she did not like the food she would say, "This reminds me of a homecooked meal". The implication being that the quality was not up to standard for what you would expect from a professional, but at the same time one could take it as complement.
Omg this is so Japanese thing to say 😂😂 they go around the bush to criticise you. Trust me the chef understood what was said, just nobody needs to be outwardly embarrassed that’s all.
Suki na hito ni wa tamaranai deshou ne
"It's irresistible for those who like it."
The Japanese line says nothing about tastebuds or matching.
I heard that line in Sir John Gielgud's voice. The English upper class uses similar language when perturbed.
He had a great number of subtle insults like that, for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Award for the movie "Arthur" (1981), in which he played the butler Hobson. If you've never seen the movie, I'm sure you can find a "Best of Hobson, Arthur movie" video on YT.
That is the most polite way of saying "I hated it" I've ever heard 😂
God bless Japan lol.
Ironically, when I meet up with my friends in Japan, I take special care to be on time, and they’re usually late 😂 I think that maybe they feel like I won’t really care because I’m a foreigner - and they’re absolutely right!
I'm not going to lie, I saw the title and rolled my eyes a little bit but this video actually had some really good and new information. Sorry for doubting you Chris lol
All is forgiven
These days you see people who became fluent in another language without having lived in that country but there are so many things you can only learn while actually living in that country.
In Vienna, blocking the escalator (we stand on the right side) is seen as rude, but we will actually tell you to get out of the way.
Fun fact: in Russia you're also supposed to bring gifts from your trips. Not that anyone would really get offended if you don't, but it's a nice gesture. It's called гостинцы ("gostintsy", rough literal translation would be "guesties", derived from "guest", meaning that you've "guested" somewhere, been a guest). Like, bringing small souveniers for your friends and family (often something like fridge magnets), or some local snacks for your coworkers. Like, if you've been to Turkey, it would be nice to bring some Turkish sweets to your workplace for everyone to share.
Just came back from my first trip to Japan. Thanks for all the great videos, they were a great inspiration for spots to visit and learning about the culture and manners beforehand.
the two ryotaros, one car pic is now my wallpaper. well done.
It's extremely underrated, I love Ryotaro but calling him his worst enemy 😂 they have the best banter
20:50 The wearing shorts thing might be regional. Here in the Kansai region, there are plenty of adults wearing shorts, whether going for a walk, to a park with their family, or the konbini. You probably wouldn't wear shorts while on the job, but at least in Kansai, I've never felt out of place wearing shorts outside.
Yeah I agree, I’ve even seen teachers wear shorts at work
It's 36 degrees in summer. Nobody gives two hoots if you wear shorts or not, especially when you are gaikokujin.
@@AnonymousGhostwriter Yeah they basiclly wear track suits as well. Makes me jealous because I have to wear dress cloths and the don't. Luckily cool biz is a little bit of a relief in the summmer.
@0:53 that’s my experience too. There are many unwritten rules you have to learn through observation. Japanese people don’t think about them, but they abide by them.
One of the rules I learned that REALLY make a difference. Always accept food when offered to you, or your not just rejecting the food your rejecting the person and gesture of kindness.
In izakayas I made this mistake a few times. Someone sitting next to me would make small talk and eventually offer me a bit of their fugu or w/e I’d decline and they always got sour about it. Without fail. (Even if you said “I’m full”, I’m allergic” it doesn’t matter)
In the west it’s the different. People won’t take it if they don’t like it. Why waste it? The gesture itself is the act of kindness and is appreciated. It doesn’t matter if you accept it or not.
Hey Chris, I know you believe that shorts are looked down upon all over Japan, and maybe that's true in Tokyo, and other parts of Honshu and Hokkaido. But down in Fukuoka, and other parts of Kyushu, it's not really looked down upon. Especially this summer, when we were hitting over 40 degrees Centigrade with 80% humidity, for days upon end. When people were not at work, many were wearing shorts. Young people, old people, middle aged people... Japanese people of all ages. So I think the taboo aspect of shorts is slowly eroding away in Japanese culture, at least down in Southwest Japan. Maybe it will start changing up north, over time, especially as climate change is impacting this country.
Even with this summer in bloody Hokkaido, I saw the younger locals wearing shorts.
You know… it’s super funny how Aki made a video like 2 days ago talking about some of these same points lolol the clothing thing is something she also mentioned and it seems like she’s had the opposite experience. Saying people don’t care about sunglasses or shorts
Love this updated version. After living in Okinawa for an extended period (and marrying one of the locals), I continue abiding by these rules whenever I go back to the States, especially #11. I don't think I ever point with my finger anymore.
First time viewer!
I just wanted to thank you ❤
I'm very interested in Japanese culture and you have a way that I can immerse myself in it and understand it more before going there and embarrassing myself❤
Sub earned!
Unfortunately, I guess I was rude the entire time we lived in Japan, because I cannot go outside without my prescription sunglasses on, even in cloudy weather. My eyes are super sensitive and I can't see! I did wonder several times why no one ever wore sunglasses there, but rudeness was not something that crossed my mind. All the other things we learned along the way though!
If you have a backpack on crowded trains, it’s best to move said backpack to your front, as to not accidentally bump into somebody without your knowledge. Can also apply to other crowded places like elevators or stores.
That's actualy a good piece of advice for my trip there.
Thank you.
Yeah I was gonna write this. Basically whenever you are about to get on a train take your bag off in case you have to put it on your chest on at feet
That's actually something that you should do anywhere in the world. As a matter of fact, it's way better to take off your backpack and hold it in your hand or place it on the ground between your legs so you don't occupy so much space (it makes it less likely to get robbed in countries where that happens)
not just crowded trains
I do that too, but I’ve noticed my Japanese friends have slightly less tolerance before they move their packs
That original video years ago is what made me find your channel. Still enjoy your videos after all these years.
I LOVE the escalator rule. True, the alternating sides are very confusing (and absolutely unnecessary) but I absolutely loved how consistently the japanese abide by this. Germany also kind of has this but like with most rules of this kind, easily half the population just doesn't care. So as someone who walks on escalators 9 times out of 10, I just really really appreciated the japanese actually following this rule.
As a sidenote, I do find it funny that nearly every escalator I saw in japan had a sign (or multiple) not to walk on the escalators. Which would actually make the rule about sticking to one side obsolete for obvious reasons. Not sure what the reasoning behind that is but it is a little funny.
The real unspoken rule: get an article of clothing with broken english on it if you spot one, those always get me pounding my rocks
Rule number 13. Don't pound your rocks in public!
Haha, we Japanese also often see 'broken Japanese' on clothing when we travel abroad. lol
It's a real gamble if you buy a shirt in Japan with Japanese on it. Will it say something weird?
@@thany3 If possible, I recommend going with a native Japanese speaker. This isn’t limited to Japanese, but any language can lead to major misunderstandings when mistranslated or translated too literally. For example, I once saw a young Japanese woman wearing a shirt with the English word 'naked' on it. This is advice from my own experience as a Japanese person.
Like
a
Magic!
OK Chris, what color envelope should I look for?
Are there specific envelopes for: "I'm returning the money I borrowed from you."?
What color is the: "Happy Birthday! I don't know you well enough to buy a personalized gift, so here's some cash." envelope?
YES THIS! Brings up all the wrong envelopes but fails to provide the right one. Now when im visiting and have to give someone money im just gonna prep one of each and be like "here idk which is right so pick the least offensive".
A regular brown or white envelope with the amount written in smallish numbers is fine for giving money that isn't somewhat ceremonial. For birthdays, nobody really gives money, so there isn't a special birthday money envelope. There are special envelopes for new years money, usually with pictures of anpanman or mickey mouse because only children and students who have yet to graduate are given new years money. You don't write down how much is in new years money envelopes because how much is dependent on how old the child is, and you don't want the younger ones getting jealous. Once you graduate and get a job, it's now your job to give instead of get. Oh, and for funerals, don't forget to wrap your funeral envelope in a special fancy holder that is returned to you (once the funeral envelope has been removed).
And then also wouldn't you go "here's the money I borrowed from you, minus the price of the envelope you demanded"
@@thany3 It's a complicated subject, but basically so long as you remember that funerals are the strictest, weddings are second, and new years is the least strict, then no problems. If you just borrowed money from a friend or family, no need for an envelope. Equally as important as the envelope is what to wear for funerals and weddings.
The good news is that we gaijin have a pass that allows us to make some pretty bad social gaffes, and sorta get away with it temporarily.
Just plain is fine! Some ATMs even have them for free.
Yeah, the public eating and walking one is actually enforced by the food establishment. In Osaka I was told I must eat my strawberry mochi and tanghulu right there (though it was a tiny kiosk like space) and I guess it was because they had the trash bin there too and wanted to keep the streets clean.
Trash bins or rather their absence is something that can really surprise tourists in Japan. If you don't get rid of the packaging of food (and there's often a lot) then be prepared to carry it around with you until you find a konbini or something. Luckily in many cities there's one around every corner. In the countryside OTOH...
This is the reason why. The Japanese are very proud of their cleanliness and want to keep it that way.
@@CarbonNut There is a caveat to that. "Where it can be seen."
Japan does have the occasional wild dump in the forests or abandoned cars rotting away.
Look up Aum Shinrikyo they used public trash cans to hide sarin packages and hurt a lot of people. I think it's the biggest reason why Japan doesn't have many public trash cans
@@kaltaron1284
日本人も善人ばかりではないので、悪い人もいます。ただ、不法投棄は罰則が厳しく、『5年以下の懲役もしくは1,000万円以下の罰金またはその両方』となっており、昔に比べるとだいぶ減ったと思います。
Awesome video! I resided in Tokyo for over two years and fortunately had a Japanese friend school me on all these do’s and do-not’s and much more. Some of which was taught me during my upbringing by a thoughtful father. I was folded into the culture with ease due to my love for the Japanese and their wonderful country. Been back in America for decades, now. I find American’s lack of (Japanese) etiquette irritating! 😅 ….. Obviously, at the same time, understanding that I’m not in Japan anymore and shouldn’t expect people here to have that level of respect. I’m looking at possibly returning to Japan within a few years for a very long holiday or possibly relocation. I enjoyed this video! Thanks!!! Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉
Blessed with another Broad in japan
If Chris was a woman, the naming would be hilarious
people : why can't i eat in trains! i do that in my country all the time!
also people : how are trains in japan so much cleaner than in my country!
the irony that people hate the rules that produce the results they love will always be amusing.
What's the compulsion so may have about eating on trains? Can you really not go an hour or two without food?
Chris doesn’t upload often but when he does it’s “like a magic”!
I'd much rather enjoy a few High Quality Videos rather than a bunch of tripe !
@@nicholausbuthmann1421 Both, both is good.
I'm all for "when it's ready". A strict upload schedule doesn't make any sense on an on-demand video platform.
Only occasionally too much volcano. But always extra salami!
Visited Japan this summer. There were lots of tourists wearing shorts, but also a fair number of locals. Typically younger. I concluded that when in Tokyo, many people are commuting to and from work. If they are wearing shorts, it is absolutely on their time off, whereas I can wear shorts to work. In Onomichi, more known for sport bicycle activity, many Japanese wore shorts. I was told you can't find trash cans in Japan. Yes, you can, look for vending machines. Eating food outside also seems to be more a potential commuter disaster, which I understand. In less populated regions, it's a bit more relaxed, in personal settings, not business at all. They do have rigid customers, but see the enforcement, even social, as more laid back then northern Germany.
Something I've seen in a (very) few places in Osaka lately: Signs on escalators, asking people to stand on both sides and not walk on the escalator.
5:09 I find it funny when Japanese people would mumble "uma!" as soon as they put the food into their mouth without even biting and we all know it's way too soon or too hot to taste anything
On TV a chorus of personalities shout it out. It makes one wonder it is actually good or not.
@@danielworthen3332 I feel like it'd be funny to serve the worst food possible and watch them try to tank it while saying how good it is
🐎!
@3:26 100% understand not criticizing food to peoples face but Japanese people leave THE HARSHEST reviews on social media for EVERYTHING! Any cafe, restaurant, parks etc very seldom had high reviews when I was in Japan!
I know, right?! I'm planning a Japan trip and was looking at hotels... rarely saw a hotel with a rating over 4.2. At first I was like "Man, is the hospitality industry in Japan that bad?" And then after reading the reviews, a lot of it is "The employee didn't smile at me for .02 seconds which was rude".
It seems like many Japanese are passive aggressive by nature. It is "rude" to be negative to someone's face, but as soon as their back is turned all bets are off. I have a close friend who is Japanese and while she's very friendly, I've still caught one or two passive aggressive comments.
@@tbeth Nation of PAASIVE AGGRESSIVES 💯💥
That's the thing with Japanese people, they will often do negative things indirectly
Yeah, a Canadian-japanese guide I met on a tour explained to me that same thing! It seems that whenever you find anything above 3,5 stars on Google Maps seems to be fairly good, and above 4 stars for something really astounding 😂
@@tbeth To me 4.2 sounds really good (assuming a 1-5 scale, obviously). 3 is an average hotel. 5 would be a place where absolutely everything is the best you could could expect at that price point. 4.2 in practice means that most people have voted it great and some have voted it perfect. Depending, of course, on the culture in the country. In some countries it's impossible to trust even a 4.9 score, because of friend and family (or even click farms) giving upvotes, or because everything thinks that anything short of having to fight with rats is a 5-star stay.
Fascinating to hear your shorts commentary given the only reason I started wearing pants regularly as an adult was because I was denied entry to some pubs in Leicester when studying abroad there anytime I forgot and showed up in shorts. I got the sense shorts are seen in England as inappropriate for all but like beach holidays, but clearly that is not quite the case
I can assure you, if anyone blocks the escalator in London, they will be punched in the face.
Stand on the right! This isn't bloomin Tokyo!
Why can't every country just treat it like driving? The slow lane should be the same side as it is on the road.
id thought it be pushed down the escalators
Harsh but fair
In Osaka they will push and shove you, and some spit, they really are Uchuujin.
21:48 for anyone else struggling with needing to wear long pants in the summer, Uniqlo’s Airism trousers are a Godsend
Wearing shorts is also frowned upon in a lot Arabic countries by sweltering 45 degrees C and it still works. The Brit who loves to expose their blue legs at already 13 degrees C with overcast rain in Birmingham just can’t relate to that 😂
Try Glasgow with 5 degrees 😂
I just bought your book a few days ago in the airport and didn’t realize I had already watched your RUclips video because I didn’t connect the two. Your book made me more interested in watching your videos. :)
“… it’s like whipping out a chainsaw at a f****ing petting zoo!” 👏👏👏😂😂😂😂😂
Still waiting to go to Japan for the first time (I'm only 52, I'll get there!), but, jeepers, it sounds like we Irish have been created to not just break, but to smash and pulverise all these rules.
I’m 61, and I’ve been wanting to go to Japan for a very long time, and I’m wondering if I’m ever going to make it.
日本は年齢関係無く、楽しめると思いますよ！
ぜひ日本に遊びに来て下さい！
Right? Every time I see one of these videos I go, “Man, I’d love to see Japan!” and then get about halfway through and realise “This is way too exhausting for a holiday” 😆 I don’t know if it’s the Irish in me or the autistic in me, but I’m out lol
@@hiero-green
東京は観光地も多いですが、人が多くて疲れるかもしれません。
東京の日程を短めにして、日本の田舎で長くゆっくり過ごすのがおすすめです。
@vercoda9997 be respectful, Japanese really like Irish culture, and there is many Irish music clubs and bars, if you be a dickhead you ruin it for everyone.
No shorts?!!? That has GOT to be a Tokyo thing!!! My 24 years in Osaka EVERYONE wears shorts in summer. They even wear shorts in winter, though with long tights underneath.
Tokyo is "slacks only"- I stuck out like crazy wearing blue jeans and polo shirts. BUT in Osaka everyone dressed just like me.
I don't think it's even a tokyo thing, saw lots of people this summer wearing shorts. I think it's just not a thing anymore, maybe years ago it was.
I wish they practiced the same time management in the Philippines as they do in Japan. They are notoriously late. They will give you a time to meet and when you have waited say like 45 minutes for them to show up and call them, they will say they are on their way. Which means they are still at home and will now just start to get ready to go out as they were busy chatting on their phone or playing a game. So about 2 hours later they will finally arrive. You can do the same for off doctors appointments, if you call for an appointment and if you arrive on time, maybe 2 hours later the doctor will arrive in the office, if they show up at all. The office staff won't tell you that the doctor isn't coming in after waiting 2 hours you have to ask, otherwise you will just be sitting there until the office closes.
When I was in Japan earlier this year I thankfully managed to avoid all of these taboos...except for the sunglasses one. It was so damn bright out sometimes that I just had to put my sunglasses on, especially when my friend and I were at Lake Ashi. I always wondered why I never saw Japanese people wearing sunglasses when they're so common in the west.
grew up in an African rural village and I thought it was common sense to always sit down while eating because that's how I was raised. it was highly frowned upon to eat while walking like a wild animal. even cats and dogs first settle down before eating.
I feel like Japanese people have definitely started wearing shorts more often in Summer. As for the reason why so many don't: it's because shorts are associated with school boys, i.e. wearing shorts is seen as something juvenile kids do.
That being said, it's not some taboo lol. Plenty of Japanese people wear shorts in summer and nobody cares if you do.
Makes sense , i think historically you can see that else. Hell there still are people thinking that probably somewhat.
But what else to wear in the hot, its not like walking around in a kimono is common, which would have more air.
Yeah no way in hell I am not wearing shorts when its 25+ outside. The japanese can mumble "baka gaijins" all they want on this point.
100%. This summer it seemed to me that half of all Japanese guys were wearing shorts. I'm seeing more people wear sunglasses too, but mostly women wearing them.
Nah it's because they're raised on a crap diet and have zero leg muscles and it looks stupid. :D
Just returned from Japan, I brought shorts for the trip and my friends told me it's a big no-no, so they didn't bring any.
Guess what, a lot of Japanese wore shorts.
When I was in Japan riding the subway, I noticed the Japanese line up at the expected subway car door opening. They also wear their backpacks front facing on the subway to make more space for others.
For the Taxi door thing, as I understand, it started in the 70s as a kind of novelty in one particular city, maybe Osaka. It was such a hit that it expanded to the rest of the country and became ingrained in Japanese modern culture.
日本のタクシーの自動ドアは、1964年の東京オリンピックで一気に普及したそうですよ。外国人観光客への『おもてなし』の為に、タクシー業界がこぞって採用したそうです。それから、日本全国に定着したそうです。
@@sukiyaki1028 Let's hope it won't lead to safety problems, especially since the same foreign tourists are 5000 times more likely to reach national news.
Need those doors worldwide.
As far as I know, before Tokyo Olympics, it was customary for the taxi driver to open the doors manually for the passenger. With a surge of toursists during the event, the practice became automatized and stayed this way since.
In Washington, DC the escalator thing also exists. Instead of teeth sucking and sighing you're liable to get pushed out of the way though lol. During packed times the staff will straight up yell at people standing on the left to get out of the way for others.
💯
It's also a thing in London. It is very much a thing in London and we're not subtle about letting you know that you're getting it wrong.
Really bad for escalator maintenance though. 1 side taking the strain of the combined weight of everyone riding it is going to require expensive visits and repairs more often than people riding it where they want.
@@Madhattersinjeans yeah, but that's not what we're told to do. It should be signposted that you stand still cos not everyone listens to No Such Thing and Fish to know it's bad for maintenance.
Either way, it's not how things are done in London, where I'm pretty sure Chris has been to, so it's odd that he wouldn't stand on the appropriate side.
@@Madhattersinjeans Sometimes they reverse the escalator directions for a few weeks, to counteract the wear for people standing on one side.
"I couldn't get my horse to start" - you made an old Englishman chuckle! I totally understand not wanting to buy gifts for your office colleagues. In the UK we'd would buy a card on every member of staffs birthday (and cards aren't cheap). If it was your birthday you'd have to buy cakes for everyone. Ask 'em individually what cake they'd like and got to the cake shop and buy 20 cakes. There was a social pressure, to comply. Souvenirs from a holiday is also popular in China and Thailand (mostly food). Personally, I'd prefer to buy something of value than a (not so cheap) plastic fridge magnet! Bar Humbug.
i think the sunglasses bit is quite accurate.
Just came back from Tokyo, and i felt like people were looking at me funny when i had my shades on. Like i was a shady person. When i took them off and walked around for a bit, totally different vibe i was getting.
"Congratulations on the anniversary of your dead family member". Damn, they have one for everything, don't they?!
Even a fancy and a poor version of envelope for marrige. Could be funny to put a large amount of money in the cheap envelope and a small amount in the expensive and clame that you were on a budget 😂
More of a condolence thing at a Buddhist ritual thing but yeah
Frankly speaking, the condolence envelopes (black/ yellow ribbons) are dying customs in Japan nowadays. When you receive a ribboned envelope full of cash (including marriage ones), you owe a returning gift called okaeshi (payback) to the donor. The return can't be cash but some goods worth half of the donation and recommended to be personalised to each donor.
The cumbersomeness around this putting more and more people off from inviting friends and relatives to a funeral or putting a "We don't accept cash gifts" sign on the site. This trend is quickly rising in urban areas like Tokyo. Prob the remaining case of using these envelopes are when a VIP for your business (your CEO, your most important customer) passed away.
Well at that store they seemingly only had marriage, death , death and marriage
This reminds me of Tyler's facebook friend day video
I mean I live in Germany and people probalby wouldnt mind to much if I took a phone call in a lound environment like a bar,
but I would simply always go outside just to simply have a decent phone call. Either it's too loud or you have to speak quietly in a restaurant. Makes no sense to take a call inside a public space.
The shorts rule is not absolute - foreigners generally get a pass on it, and you do see the occasional Japanese person wearing shorts. However, usually only if they are exercising or otherwise would be perceived as a bit 'lower class'. The reality is that as a foreigner you get judged regardless, so being also seen as a bit lower class, isn't really a big deal and isn't really 'rude' or majorly taboo.
That is absurd lol, a tall big framed man wearing shorts because his cold tolerance is far lower, would be viewed as lower class? Good god lol.
That is absurd for many reasons.
Old men in the countryside wear shorts with long socks. Reminds me of home!
@@aephos.overwatch From a western perspective, it makes sense to want to rationalise these types of rules. However, the Japanese psyche does not work that way and rules are accepted 'just because that is just the way it is'. That's the end of the debate.
It gets so hot over there though, lol. It's bad enough I'm the only one sweating on the train, but you're not allowed to try and cool off a little by wearing shorts.
I don't know if this is a thing in Japan, but it took me a long time to get used to in Taiwan: doing the "come over here" hand gesture with the palm down. To my western eyes that looked the same as our "shoo, go away" back-of-the-hand gesture. The number of times I thought I was politely backing away from a photo they were taking, when in fact they wanted me to step in more and join them... I've seen people from Korea make the same hand gesture, so perhaps it's common in that broader corner of Asia? But it definitely took me a while to get used to it.
The shoyu on rice thing is an insult to the host. It is saying “your rice is crap, so I’m pouring shoyu on it to make it palatable.”
I thought that was a Hawaii thing though, as a lot of folks here do it out of habit. Yeah we are uncultured bumpkins who don’t really know good rice.
A friend once asked the waiter at Disney World, FL for rice at a continental breakfast, then asked for shoyu. My inner (and outer) Japanese died of embarrassment.
When it comes to punctuality, my Japanese mother insisted on being 30 minutes early for anything, but I cut it down to 15 minutes. Cause that’s just nuts.
Oh, and on the omiyage thing, don’t forget the other sinister gift-giving trap that is so Japanese - Okaeshi. If you give someone something out of the blue, the receiver MUST immediately return something of greater or equal value. Oh God my neighbor drove me bonkers!
Great “don’t do” list, and it’s all 100% true!
A Japanese man on the titanic was sacked upon returning because he saved rather than sacrifice himself.
16:02 So Chris admits that American Pete IS his best friend!
I kind of like the vast majority of those rules....I woukd say except for the one of being late because something outside of your control , like a storm, trains all canceled, are a not a good excuse enought. But other then that, I think most of them make the life in society much smoother! Good video, Thanks!!!🤩
Rule 10 is a global thing: I haven't been anywhere where block an escalator is NOT frowned upon
The rule-breaking demonstrations are fucking hilarious. I lost it when Natsuki spat out that rice
Honestly, as an American, I also find it really rude to answer your phone in a restaurant or bar. A store, sure. But in a place where you are eating? Take it outside. Even if it is loud, people tend to try to shout over the noise when taking a call. Also, be present with the folks you are eating with! And if you must take the call, excuse yourself to a corner or outside.
This feels like the fundamentals of polite society.
It's been a hot minute since I've returned to this channel.
Is it just me, or did the quality of the music/sound design improve massively?
Like, it just sounds so good!
"6 seconds ago" I have never gotten to a new video this quickly.
43 seconds for me
@@DanScrap1 wait same lol
Chris, your from England. That escalator thing is true in England too
Only in posh areas of London though
Only really in London
Same in Glasgow for the Subway, always stick to the left unless you want to overtake.
@@SirProdigle Londoners think they represent England. Every single time.
Probably haven't gone more than 10 miles north of the Thames and think they speak for the rest of the country.
@@LuminalSpoon In London it's even on signs to stand on the RIGHT.
Pointing at people, talking on the phone in a restaurant and standing in the middle of an escalator are all universally rude. 😂
Talking on the phone if you're in someone's company is always rude. Even if it's a good friend, you should apologize for taking the call (if you must take it) and excuse yourself to another room - e.g. "I'm sorry, this is work related. Please excuse me, I'll be right back."
Answering a call carries the undertone of "This call is more important than my time with you."
I'm fairly sure this is a generational opinion (I'm around 60), as young folks don't seem to follow these "old fashioned" notions.
I feel like the point about "being a food critic" might be cultural in Japan, but for me it's just simple manners, if I'm asked after the meal "how was it" I just say it was delicious or good, and if they follow up or surprised by the fact I didn't finish the plate(which I personally would finish most of the time, if I had to force it down my throat) I would say I'm full and that's that. As for getting early, it might be cultural in Japan, but I personally got a habit of getting everywhere at least 15-30 minutes early, I also consider it good manners to be on time.