I'm Japanese, but I grew up overseas and when I went to Japan, I casually hugged my friends/family as a habit and they all tensed up like crazy and immediately turned awkward haha.
Not a japanese, but being an asian and a pretty affectionate person, i could imagine the awkwardness lol seem like not many people here do those kind of things which makes me a bit sad cuz i love hugging people ;)
I really appreciate how CathyCat is able to help draw answers out of people without being too leading. She has such a fantastic and organic style of interviewing that's a difficult skill to develop but she seems so natural with it!
@@Mecks089 She is highly charismatic! I've done interviews before with people and I know how hard it can be to get people to answer truthfully and not just stonewall you due to nerves or insecurity. I did mine over email so I can't imagine the issues with overcoming those things with a camera in someone face as well. She does an amazing job at soothing those nerves and helping to guide people to speak honestly about their opinions. I'm sure a lot of it is practice too but I've watched for years and she's kind of always had this talent with interviewing. I love it!
@@energeticstunts993 EXACTLY! I've been noticing it more and more, partially because I've watched more on the streets interviews lately, and the difference is glaring!
Indeed, she's pretty amazing, not only her interview skills but her Japanese as well, in addition to being able to analyze and change depending on the interviewees. She has amazing people skills, definitely in no small part due to her social environment among other things, but still... Damn... People skills, wish they thought you that in University..
This is a classic case of the Grass always seems greener on the other side. Funny because most Foreigners watching this say the exact same things about what they envy in Japan. Other than the random hugging and touching part the envies are identical. Happy New Year Cathy Cat.
I think it's because both Westerners and Japanese see the other via media which obviously portrays an idealized image then seen in reality (attractive actors, beautiful scenery, more emotive behavior, etc) one thing the Japanese here are wrong about is Americans being more stylish. The average Japanese put more into their looks then most Americans do on a day to day basis and they are overall more creative with their fashion. If they ever visit a mall in America they'd probably be shocked at how bland our clothing options are (unless you go into high fashion luxury shops)
@@cottoncandykawaii2673 "I think it's because both Westerners and Japanese see the other via media which obviously portrays an idealized image " Exactly this. I think it's funny to see some japanese people make the same mistake about non japanese people as some non-japanese people do about japanese people. Reality is that average people just look average. There are some cultural differences when it comes to fashion/style like you said. I've heard plenty of european people say american men dress way too casually (oversized clothes, athleisure wear, etc) and plenty of americans say they think european men dress "too gay". Of course both are making generalizations. I still think it's amusing.
Yeah Asia in general have so much respect for ppl, its so rspectable to live like they do. The samurai code is also a big thing for men liking Japan and the history is amazing there
I started hugging in high school when I noticed how tense and depressed my male friends were, and how they would try to ignore how they felt. Whatever anxiety or consequences there might be with being affectionate, when I go to sleep it doesn't matter.
I give good hugs but I got to know someone for some time. I don't like being touched. But I do love giving hugs when I get comfortable with a person. I use to live with a message therapist and one time he literally gave me a hug the squeeze some knots out of my back lol I've never forgotten how sometimes a good hug release tensed up stress.
@@shinigamiphantom9774 that's it man and those things change you and give you hope. Both as little boys or grown ups, knowing that someone decided to give you a hug just because they wanted is such a good feeling and especially the first time, it is life changing.
Well its the popculture from the Us mostly being exported. Alot of people call Americans stupid for not knowing anything besides the us but once you watch media in european countries you see mostly American media aswell. I am European but I know way more about America then my neighboring countries. Same goes with pretty much any country. If you also consider which foreigners who can afford to travel the world its mostly white Americans/europeans and other east asians. They obviously consider Chinese and Koreans foreigners but not in the same way. Just looking at The Us 86 % of its wealth is owned by white Americans.
@@dickidsrip5262 I don't know where you are from but i'm also european and i feel more closer and know more about my neighbor countries than north america. America is far away from my culture.
@@jaredf6205 That’s not really true at all. There are many Asian countries that are even more economically developed than many European countries, including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, etc… The correct thing to say would be that most foreign media entering Japan comes from the US and Europe
Living in both Japan and the US, in a lot of ways the countries are complete opposites, but it’s hard to say which one is “better”. In my opinion Japan could do better being a little more like the US, and the US could be better by being a little more like Japan lol
It would be great if every country could practice the good things from other countries, aspiring to be better.. sadly, some nationalist people will always oppose that
@@macblink Please, don't bring Nationalism into this. Nationalism isn't a bad thing, it's good. It teaches you to love your country and be proud of it (I'm a nationalist woman). Just say how some people don't wanna change the bad things in their countries.
Nationalism is garbage; it teaches you how to hate folks you've never met and take pride in stuff you've never accomplished. It's like the shittiest participation trophy out there.
"Everyone is so tall"...Says the guy who is 173cm. Avarage male height in America is 5"8(175)...which means 50% of American men are his height or even shorter.
Yes but it includes men of all ages, and old people are shorter. Also, it includes Latinos and Asians, who are shorter. Young white and black men of their age are on average much taller than 173 cm.
@@Leopold_van_Aubel Is also the diet, black and white eat a lot. Asian eat little thus smaller, is part of science. But Asian who is 3rd generation born in USA are as tall as white and black.
It always hurts me to hear Japanese people envy how we can freely express ourselves! I love Japan for many reasons but I’ve always hated how strict Japanese society is on its people on being perceived as “normal”. On another note, One Piece is by far my favorite series ever. I relate to Luffy very much and his desire to be freest around. It’s a shame that the writer Eiichiro Oda created a masterpiece loved by many, obviously including a large fan base in Japan and with freedom being a massive moral in the story, the country in which One Piece was created cannot express that which it is trying to teach. I know everyone in world whether consciously or unconsciously has the desire to be free. In Japan’s case I wish the younger generation the courage to make reasonable change to maintain the integrity and culture of Japan as they see best but to expand on their ability to express their freedom in society. Sending some love and support to my Japanese friends out there and thank you for reading my long paragraph!❤️🤝
same here it sounds like japan wants there people be like robots and have emotions at all or they was it's people to be like in the fairlyodd parents episode where everyone turned into all gray blobs and they could find timmy cuz he looked the same as everyone else
what is interesting is that they all seem to want the same thing - more freedom of expression but at the same time they do react in a quite judgmental way or simply run away when they meet someone that actually does exactly that. You can't have the cake and eat it too.
@@azurekite3870 we can’t push our western ideals on the East . Japan is a very old country and has a rich history older than American and other western countries.
if you watch public prank videos in japan, a lot of comments talk about how fashionable and stylish japanese people are. grass is always greener on the other side lol
It really is. It's all relative, too. There are cultures that probably look at Americans and think we're too conservative in some ways, but compared to Japan we're not.
@@ijustneedmyself you're right! I'm from Argentina and I think (generally speaking) that people from Latin America countries are even more "free" than people from the US.
I realized that Animes are not showing the culture of Japan. It is more like what is been seen in Animes are showing the dreams of Japanese people like they wished how it should be for them. In many Animes are Echi features, open short weared clothings and in school animes the characters are always a few minutes to late without beeing judged. Sometimes even the hugging random people. So but for what I have seen yet out of many informations trough different videos is that Animes are the way japanese people dream of living rather their real culture. The only cultural part of Animes are mystical tellings in an overall view but no in a detailed way. Correct me if I'm wrong-
It is, Reality and anime are opposite/ different in Japan. Anime is fiction to them I think while Western already have those freedom that are basically shown in anime
lol media is rarely representative. its like how american movies depict high school life a certain way, but that's not what its really like for most people.
average anime watcher finds out that a cartoon doesn’t actually resemble reality. Like If you watch a Hollywood movie do you also think that the movie resembles reality?Are completely out of your mind?
I wouldn't say that's the "only" cultural bit of anime, but yeah, JP in anime and JP in reality are *very* different. Overwork to the point of death, individualism being quashed, rampant cheating, seniority deference to a fault/being yes-men being universal, no one will say what they really feel if it would cause any amount of turbulence, psych issues being treated by basically "lol just be happy, forehead", bureaucratic nightmares everywhere, awful bank system, politicians screaming into megaphones at 5am during voting season, foreigners always being treated like unwelcome outcasts to the point of not being able to get an apartment a lot of places and plethora of "no foreigners allowed" signs, skittish to the point of even locals being fired/docked pay for growing a mustache, a justice system so broken that jokes akin to "they're always guilty because it would be rude to have wasted the policemens' time" aren't uncommon, and various other things. It's no wonder so many animes espouse freedom and being released from the system so much. I'm not saying Japan is an awful country, there are great things about it; also, every country is bad in some ways. But I'm saying that from my cultural perspective, there's a lot I don't like about the place, despite my likings of other aspects of it.
I love the colours and the fashion sense of Japanese. The language is so cool! Even if i don't understand what is being said, i love listening to the sounds. I think the shyness is very cute. Not all foreigners like to hug and be very friendly. In Europe it can be interpreted as being fake and we prefer to hug when you have gained a little trust of the person or feel comfortable
@@SassafrasTee7366 thank you for your recommendation but it's like what @zoooniverse said.. on a day to day basis, not in this video. I like to watch a lot of anime in Japanese with english subtitles as I prefer that they are in the original language. The expressions and tones of the language are more genuine
In my country if they had to provide TRAIN DELAY certificates, the railway would make more money becoming a publishing company instead of transport. Oh, & we would also run out of trees they would have to produce so many of them.
We have simple solutions for this. If a train is less than 6 minutes delayed, it is by definition not delayed. If a train stop is cancelled, the train cannot be late at that train stop, and does not appear in the statistics. Problem solved.
@@johnwilson3918 Before working in England, I always thought that British trains were better than ours (I'm French) because it's a stereotype in France that a lot of our trains are always late or canceled (often because of strikes) but, man, I had never seen two columns indicating "official time of arrival" and "estimated time of arrival" and all of the trains being late on the board before England. That put things into perspectives. What's the point of the official time at this point? ^^
@@Raphanne I think there is now some kind of refund system on our British rail network, whereby trains that are late by a certain amount of time are subject to passenger refunds. I use to commute to London ever day for over four plus years and the service was always shambolic! Every week I would be on my network providers website making claims. I lived in Tokyo for a couple of months and their trains were *bliss*. Oh! Japanese Rail did issue an apology once for one of their Shinkansen service setting off 10 seconds too early. Tut!
The first two boys. I was very shocked to hear their answers because I find that Japanese people are quite expressive when they speak and have a really cool style. They look so well put together even wearing the simplest of clothing.
I think it's funny how many Japanese seem to be jealous of the foreigners freedom in how to dress. At the same time they've got the Harajuku Street Fashion or the idol/lolita thing going on. The clothes Cathy Cat wears wouldn't really fly in Cologne, Milan or Helsinki. Imagine seeing the Harajuku thing in Glasgow... It is also fascinating that so many young Japanese talks about the American fashion as something handsome. As a European I'd say the image of how Americans dress is like slobs in their oversized jeans, college shirts, running shoes and baseball caps.
Harajuku is no longer the hub of alternative fashion and street wear that it once was but tourists keep going there because it still has that image abroad. When they get there they find mostly main stream fashion shops and tourist traps. I've been told by people who live in tokyo that Takeshita street is no longer what it once was and that it's not common anymore to see cosplay or alt fashion people walking around there. Cosplayers and people in alternative fashion used to get together on Jingubashi (aka harajuku bridge) when it was still a pedestrian bridge. When it stopped being a pedestrian bridge there was a steady decline in cosplayers and alt fashion people who went there. I agree with what you're saying about how alt fashion would be received in Cologne, Milan or Helsinki. I live in the Netherlands and even in bigger cities like Amsterdam people are often really negative (and vocal) about people wearing alt fashion. I don't get why that guy thinks foreigners have more freedom in fashion than they do. I think europeans are just as, if not more, judgmental towards alt fashion as japanese people are on average. A big difference may be (and I've been told this by alt fashion people who live in japan) is that japanese people may be less likely to actually loudly voice their dislike of what someone's wearing in public. They may stare, mumble something or even say something when passing you but they're probably not going to approach you and try to pick a fight/argument. That last bit does happen all across europe though.
@@toprap88 Oversized shirts and sweaters are in style now in japan. It's a mainstream trend, not rebellion or counterculture. Rebellion through fashion takes many forms. Sometimes it's oversized baggy clothes, something it's tighter and more form fitting clothes. What form it takes is dependent on what the mainstream norm looks like because counterculture/rebellion will try to set itself apart from the current norm by looking different from the current norm. "boys have always liked the gangster look like big baggy clothes" is a big overgeneralization that ignores fashion history and a lot of current ways boys and men like to express and rebel through fashion.
I mean life in America is still better than Japan. Japan is very stressful. All my white friends who work in Japan can only survive for 1 year before they gave up and went back to America. The working life in Japan is what make me hate Japan.
That smack sound with the German flag made me cackle lol. I loved these interviews! The second couple seemed very sweet and open. I would love to be friends with them both!
I admire that you speak at least 3 languages! It was sad to hear about a lot of the opression. The body shaming is huge, it was shocking hearing that people can't wear bikins unless they are skinny. There is body shaming (often not openly) here in America, but it doesn't stop people from wearing what they want.
Sounds like the only thing stopping them from acting as they please is the fact that they think they can't because japan is so strict, but a lot of them sound like they want to be more "free". The only thing stopping them is themselves at this point, I'm starting to think everyone wants to act in a more free manner but they don't for fear of being the only one to do it. But if they all want to do it, then there's nothing to worry about, right?
I think thats easier said than done and also just a flaw of humans. The pandemic would be over if everyone wore masks and took the vaccine, right? Or global warming could be prevented if everyone took the appropriate sustainable steps. Stuff like that will likely never happen because theres always one person who refuses. It's impossible, unfortunately.
@@k-kayla even in Western countries there are people that don't like people who act as they please, but nothing will ever change if everybody decides to do nothing and stay complacent, doing things they hate.
@@k-kayla just because you can't save every animal doesn't mean you shouldn't open an animal shelter, just because you can't prevent everyone from getting covid doesn't mean you shouldn't wear your mask, just because you can't immediately stop pollution doesn't mean you should just throw all your garbage in the middle of the road. So what if the few or even the many are upset and judgey? As long one person gets to be happy and live their life without regrets then it doesn't really matter what a judgey 70 year old bitch on a train thinks, now does it?
@@slashbat2375 Idk where you are getting all of this and being passive aggressive about it! 😂 I didn't even have ill intent, wow! People are so uptight.
I love this video! The perspectives are so interesting. On the flip side, as an American, I envy how courteous Japanese people are about public noise (trains, waiting areas, etc.) I fuckin' hate when people are too loud on their phones or play their music w/o headphones in common areas. SO obnoxious. It's awesome that's discouraged in Japan. Unrelated: I wanna know where CathyCat got her jacket, it's sick.
What he and she are talking about is true. At school, if you are late, it will be written on your gradebook, and you may be standing in the corridor outside the classroom. Eating, drinking and chewing gum during class are severe punishments. If you hug or kiss in the city, you will be surprised at "Wow". 😅
I live in New Jersey in the U.S and have 30 absences for 1 class so I won’t be receiving the credits for it :( but if I do the same for algebra or English or even gym I could repeat the grade. Chewing gum or eating in class isn’t that bad. Most teachers allow the eating in class but strict teachers tend to yell at you and tell you to put the food away, somehow kids still end up eating it lol
@@jennie0408 As they say in the video, the rules are strict at school, and I think many students have a longing for the freedom of overseas schools as seen in the movie scene. College students get freedom, but up to high school students are bound by the rules.
In Canada, if students are late, they just quietly join class after quietly informing the teacher they’ve arrived and obtain whatever they missed (handouts etc). The teachers don’t yell cause I mean, where’s the benefit? They just ask what happened and tell them to hurry up and get settled. Then they continue with the lesson. Here, the teachers can’t deprive you of learning (ie. Make you miss your lesson/stand outside) because it just further disadvantages the student
@@sarahhchan Sparta education is up to that point, but we also learn to keep the promised time from childhood. However, if the train to school is delayed, there is no problem if you submit a delay certificate, and if you are unavoidably late, you can contact us by phone in advance. Standing in the corridor is for eating and drinking during class, private language, and skipping.
What this says to me is that they mostly see what they see in Western media and don’t actually get to interact with the lame majority who are not as cool as Hollywood actors
The same we can say about Japan people from the West don't really interact with the lame vast majority of Japan they only see Tokyo Osaka and Kyoto that's all like Japanese see only NYC, L.A and Las Vegas
I noticed in alot of animes I watched or mangas I read, everytime when there is a really emotional scene I'm like "GO AND GIVE HIM/HER A HUG!!!" but they never do.... I came to the conclusion that something like that isn't common in Japan and seeing this video it seems I was right :D Fyi I hug every person I'm close with. Women get either a normal hug or kisses on their cheeks while men get a "bro hug". In case you don't know what that is, a "bro hug" starts with a hand shake and goes over to a hug.
When the girl says she'd like a ladies first society and he says, so I can do better... That's how it starts, just by being aware, but also putting it into action can slowly change that particular way.
I feel a lot of Japanese people would be surprised just how different foreigners are compared to how they are perceived. We all just basically make contact and nod too, well most cases not even nod. But yes I do get the first group, sometimes you just want a hug, sadly even in countries where it's not frowned upon it's still hard to find such simple things. Some people will still judge you if you try to be "yourself" too.
“Foreigners are stylish”. But I’m American and I love shopping at Uniqlo and Japanese fashion in general! Even the haircuts look unique in Japan and I used to copy it all the time!
The thing I envy about them (I'm an American) is the culture. They have such a rich culture when I don't even know exactly where my family came from. I've always wanted to be in touch with my past, especially my ancestors. Our country is still so young compared to all the others. Only thing I know about myself is that my dad's side has Scottish and Latvian roots. I guess my mom's side is pretty German but I'd want to know where and when my ancestors decided to pick up their roots and move. Or exact names. I think that'd be pretty incredible.
The guy with a cyan and orange huge sweater, with a seashell necklace and an earring is envying how Americans can dress how they want and not stick out.
Haha. This guy is so cool. He’s awesome. I appreciate his solid opinions and energy. He’s kind of hilarious bringing up the stark differences of culture. I felt kind of the same way, I really envied certain things about Japan with that same level of passion and amazement. I love your channel Cat. Heading to Germany for two months soon. As an American who lived in Japan for 4 years, and being part German, it was cool to see you on RUclips again. You help me with my nihongo a great deal. Arigato.
About punctuality, in my country people can be late to everything and it's considered OK, in school you only get written up for a half-day absence if you come in late 5 times but most of the time the teachers won't mark you absent even if you come in the middle of the first class. Some workplaces are really strict when it comes to punctuality but most are pretty laid back, 5-10 minute delays are no big deal. Yet I still try to be punctual because I value both my and the opposite side's time, and it's a good habit
It's great to be free, but don't forget that "my liberty ends where yours begins" which means people have their own boundaries and personal space and we need to respect that. 😊
Aussies have a pretty lax mindset. During high school, I went into class about 5 minutes before it ended, but nothing happened. I did the same thing at a vocational school in Japan recently, but only my attendance rate dropped a bit.
Great insight from the beautiful people of japan. When I went to Hawaii I felt the same way. I was so happy to see so many Japanese people on the island (because I love Japanese culture and it was my first time being around so many Japanese people). Two years later I went to Tokyo and had a blast.
I love how the show brings awareness to the world. This is why it's so important to be who you want to be without caring what others think. It doesn't matter where you're from. We're all made different for a reason. You'll eventually find the people who you're most comfortable with.
As a half Taiwanese half Kiwi person who grew up in Taiwan, it always amazes me just how much influence America has on Asia culture and how little some Asia people knows about foreigners, like when you talk about foreigners to Asia people who have never traveled and are unexposed or uninterested in foreigner culture, their very first image will always be white American person with blond hair and blue eyes (while involving a lot of fantasizing about said American), which frankly is very stereotypical and I do hope the education system can change and open more eyes for people like them (I'm not saying that every person from Asia have this impression of foreigners, far from it actually, but some people do think like that and I am quite fed up with these people just assuming I'm an American every time they see me lmao) ( oh and UK as well) ( I also have experienced someone just walking up to me and starts talking about how great and lucky I was to be born as half Ameican when I was in middle school, this had only happened to me once -thank goodness- but yea, to say I was utterly unimpressed and confused is an understatement)
I understand what they’re saying Japan is a very strict and judgmental country. That’s a good thing because it holds people to a standard. The problem with a lot of western countries especially America (United States) is that we are always trying to move away from a standard. We don’t want to be judged, that’s a problem. In the states you can wear whatever you want on a t-shirt even if it’s cussing, nudity, very graphic violence on it and it’s supported. Those kinds of things are very shameful. I do believe Japan should be more expressive but don’t not become like the west you see the carnage we have here.
Funny to see that for them Uniqlo is fast fashion, and as a spanish I don't consider it ff, it's more llike regurar fashion and the price is higher that other brands that i could consider ff. Also I think they are WAY more stylish than us. 🐱
As a person who was late for most of my high-school life and has gotten away with being late for more than an hour, hearing school stuff about Japan schools and how extreme it is on punctuality is surprising.
it’s definitely hard to do; to not hug my friends or pounce on them when i get the urge to. i’m a very touchy person, and i rely on physical touch because touch connects to my emotional and mental health/state. it makes me extremely happy. if i don’t get enough of it for a while, i get sad and depressed. so living in japan will be a bit hard for me, if i’m honest. but hey, i’ll do my best! though, if there are people out there who do envy the whole “random hugging” thing, i’m your guy! :)
Well dang. I am pretty envious of the whole country there. Modern technology, pretty clothes, good manners. Compare to my country, it's like comparing heaven and earth.
Interesting that they find westerners to be less strict on punctuality. I’m American and teachers and employers get very angry if you are late to school or work!
It’s interesting they mentioned the whole thing with being late to school. In my school (in California) I used to show up late everyday to my English class by like 15 mins. And eventually the teacher just stopped marking me late and let me in without saying nothing. It’s crazy the difference
Hey Japanese Citizens! I’m from US, thank you for saying such nice things! I as well as Most of the people im friends with think Japanese people and culture are pretty awesome! Godspeed friends..
I have been in japan for a while now. Those people from the last clip seem like real one. I get alot of weird looks about my tattoos or just existing on the train. But honestly most days people are just quiet and nice
I’m from America. Growing up, I was taught to be punctual to places like work and school. My parents always said it would help me look good when it came to the teachers and bosses
Foreigners "don't rush so much" LOL! Maybe in Australia, my dear, but there are pleeeenty of other places where we are busy busy busy, go go go lol. The guy in the green and orange sweater seems really friendly and open-minded. I like that. If he genuinely wants to make foreigner friends, that's certainly the right attitude to have!
There are also different kinds of hugs in different countries. When I was in France at the age of 21, I was really shocked at first. People you met for the first time in your life gave you kisses on the cheeks (left-right-left)... after 2 days I got used to it. But I was really shy back then and flushed every time. 😳 But here (I'm from Germany) for example it depends from your relationship... so mostly the girls are hugging each other. Guys do just a handshake or a bro-hug. Girls and guys can also hug. So a short hug means normally you know them (good), but you are not close...the longer hugs are for people you really like. And if you are close with someone you can give a single kiss on the cheek...
When you hugg someone the aura energy flows and heal each other. Is a good way to make us happy and energised. I think Cathy gives a positive Flash to the japanese society.
Just wanna point out that ya’ll got the height wrong- 172cm is closer to 5”8” (it’s 5 feet 7.7 inches). Other than that, I love all the content put out
Asians grew like 8 inches the past decades and east Asians excluding Japan are as tall as Americans now. It's what happens when you're no longer famished and impoverished by the West. A few more decades and they'll be taller. Japan is an interesting case tho. Living on an island really has got them a bit shorter.
They said 5.6 feet, not 5' 6" 5'8" must be 5 feet and then another .6 of a foot... when I saw the decimal, I figured they just formatted it wrong, but now that you mention this, it all makes sense.
Really cool and interesting interview. Great interviewer. As an Australian, I always thought that the Japanese had the best style and looked uber cool. Especially street fashion and forms of counter culture. So odd to hear them think that about foreigners. But then whatever is not everyday is usually fascinating. The self-expression restraint is sadI am always shocked at how strict Japan still is. But then I suppose that is for the everyday person not the weirdo older men we always hear about lol and eww. Can't wait to see more.
I always forget how strict Japan is, considering their entertainment and they have places like Akihabara, which just sounds like a place you'd only find in a weird dream, I find it hard to believe it exists in the same country. But the fact they think like that about foreigners is amusing as often people aren't so stylish in their daily life lol
@@BangtanBiased7 Sadly that's just the way the world is, we tend to forget where things originate from, especially some time after something gets integrated into another culture. And most people tend to only remember the bad stuff more than the good stuff.
I get heavily complimented on my nose and how big it is compared to theirs. Personally it's not fun lol I'm aboriginal aus so my nose is big by default 😂
The height thing: I am tall (181cm), but I think it's more about how I "wear" my height that they like. There are plenty of tall Japanese. But they are largely hunched over, trying their best to fit in. They only stand tall around me. I feel bad for them.
2:18 i'm not sure they've actually seen what regular people usually wear here LOL because most of the time it's not really as stylish as they make it sound, especially during winter LOL
I'm native american and I always wondered what Japanese ppl think about native Americans. My tribe is ojibwe from LCO. Idk I guess it's just a random thought.
Most Americans themselves don't know much about native Americans, I think you'll be hard pressed to find any Japanese that even know native Americans exist.
It's crazy to hear that they envy American fashion because I envy Japanese fashion. Its so colorful, edgy, and full of expression. I'm already putting a wardrobe together for when I visit Japan in November.
I'm Japanese, but I grew up overseas and when I went to Japan, I casually hugged my friends/family as a habit and they all tensed up like crazy and immediately turned awkward haha.
hahaha, awesome
Not a japanese, but being an asian and a pretty affectionate person, i could imagine the awkwardness lol seem like not many people here do those kind of things which makes me a bit sad cuz i love hugging people ;)
I'm not Japanese and feel awkward when someone huggs me xD
@@Yaisha7777 me too, but I am a German and we aren´t that big into hugging in general XD
@@PentragonCosplay Hallo mit deutscher 😂 alle anderen in meinem Umfeld lieben es aber zu umarmen
I really appreciate how CathyCat is able to help draw answers out of people without being too leading. She has such a fantastic and organic style of interviewing that's a difficult skill to develop but she seems so natural with it!
It's called Charisma.
@@Mecks089 She is highly charismatic! I've done interviews before with people and I know how hard it can be to get people to answer truthfully and not just stonewall you due to nerves or insecurity. I did mine over email so I can't imagine the issues with overcoming those things with a camera in someone face as well. She does an amazing job at soothing those nerves and helping to guide people to speak honestly about their opinions. I'm sure a lot of it is practice too but I've watched for years and she's kind of always had this talent with interviewing. I love it!
@@Mecks089 friendly charisma, though I suspect they are similar
@@energeticstunts993 EXACTLY! I've been noticing it more and more, partially because I've watched more on the streets interviews lately, and the difference is glaring!
Indeed, she's pretty amazing, not only her interview skills but her Japanese as well, in addition to being able to analyze and change depending on the interviewees. She has amazing people skills, definitely in no small part due to her social environment among other things, but still... Damn... People skills, wish they thought you that in University..
This is a classic case of the Grass always seems greener on the other side. Funny because most Foreigners watching this say the exact same things about what they envy in Japan. Other than the random hugging and touching part the envies are identical. Happy New Year Cathy Cat.
I think it's because both Westerners and Japanese see the other via media which obviously portrays an idealized image then seen in reality (attractive actors, beautiful scenery, more emotive behavior, etc)
one thing the Japanese here are wrong about is Americans being more stylish. The average Japanese put more into their looks then most Americans do on a day to day basis and they are overall more creative with their fashion. If they ever visit a mall in America they'd probably be shocked at how bland our clothing options are (unless you go into high fashion luxury shops)
@@cottoncandykawaii2673 "I think it's because both Westerners and Japanese see the other via media which obviously portrays an idealized image " Exactly this. I think it's funny to see some japanese people make the same mistake about non japanese people as some non-japanese people do about japanese people.
Reality is that average people just look average.
There are some cultural differences when it comes to fashion/style like you said.
I've heard plenty of european people say american men dress way too casually (oversized clothes, athleisure wear, etc) and plenty of americans say they think european men dress "too gay". Of course both are making generalizations. I still think it's amusing.
Yeah Asia in general have so much respect for ppl, its so rspectable to live like they do. The samurai code is also a big thing for men liking Japan and the history is amazing there
I've never seen someone say that they envy japanese men, never once in my life or online
@@SHISH_STYLE What about all of those weeb boys who say they wish they were japanese?
I started hugging in high school when I noticed how tense and depressed my male friends were, and how they would try to ignore how they felt. Whatever anxiety or consequences there might be with being affectionate, when I go to sleep it doesn't matter.
I give good hugs but I got to know someone for some time. I don't like being touched. But I do love giving hugs when I get comfortable with a person.
I use to live with a message therapist and one time he literally gave me a hug the squeeze some knots out of my back lol I've never forgotten how sometimes a good hug release tensed up stress.
It might not be much, but its honest work.
A hug can change a boy's life forever, I could bet a lot of guys still remember their first hug
@@jonnychill711 facts, i still remember the first hug I got from my crush, many years ago
@@shinigamiphantom9774 that's it man and those things change you and give you hope. Both as little boys or grown ups, knowing that someone decided to give you a hug just because they wanted is such a good feeling and especially the first time, it is life changing.
when you ask Japanese people about foreigners, most of the time they only think of white foreigners, especially Americans and Europeans
They compare their country to other highly developed countries, that’s pretty much America and Europe.
@@jaredf6205 "foreigners" are not only people in developed countries.
Well its the popculture from the Us mostly being exported. Alot of people call Americans stupid for not knowing anything besides the us but once you watch media in european countries you see mostly American media aswell. I am European but I know way more about America then my neighboring countries. Same goes with pretty much any country. If you also consider which foreigners who can afford to travel the world its mostly white Americans/europeans and other east asians. They obviously consider Chinese and Koreans foreigners but not in the same way. Just looking at The Us 86 % of its wealth is owned by white Americans.
@@dickidsrip5262 I don't know where you are from but i'm also european and i feel more closer and know more about my neighbor countries than north america. America is far away from my culture.
@@jaredf6205 That’s not really true at all. There are many Asian countries that are even more economically developed than many European countries, including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, etc…
The correct thing to say would be that most foreign media entering Japan comes from the US and Europe
Living in both Japan and the US, in a lot of ways the countries are complete opposites, but it’s hard to say which one is “better”. In my opinion Japan could do better being a little more like the US, and the US could be better by being a little more like Japan lol
100%
It would be great if every country could practice the good things from other countries, aspiring to be better.. sadly, some nationalist people will always oppose that
Strange to hear that considering how “unique” the USA’s flaws are.
@@macblink Please, don't bring Nationalism into this. Nationalism isn't a bad thing, it's good. It teaches you to love your country and be proud of it (I'm a nationalist woman). Just say how some people don't wanna change the bad things in their countries.
Nationalism is garbage; it teaches you how to hate folks you've never met and take pride in stuff you've never accomplished. It's like the shittiest participation trophy out there.
that second guy was so cool, I'd love to be friends with him
"Everyone is so tall"...Says the guy who is 173cm.
Avarage male height in America is 5"8(175)...which means 50% of American men are his height or even shorter.
Well american look taller because they are bigger in size, not in height, but they have bigger shoulders and etc.
Yes but it includes men of all ages, and old people are shorter. Also, it includes Latinos and Asians, who are shorter. Young white and black men of their age are on average much taller than 173 cm.
He should go to the Netherlands.
That's interesting I didn't know that. Most of the guys I know are all over six feet so I thought that was the average
@@Leopold_van_Aubel Is also the diet, black and white eat a lot. Asian eat little thus smaller, is part of science. But Asian who is 3rd generation born in USA are as tall as white and black.
It always hurts me to hear Japanese people envy how we can freely express ourselves! I love Japan for many reasons but I’ve always hated how strict Japanese society is on its people on being perceived as “normal”. On another note, One Piece is by far my favorite series ever. I relate to Luffy very much and his desire to be freest around. It’s a shame that the writer Eiichiro Oda created a masterpiece loved by many, obviously including a large fan base in Japan and with freedom being a massive moral in the story, the country in which One Piece was created cannot express that which it is trying to teach. I know everyone in world whether consciously or unconsciously has the desire to be free. In Japan’s case I wish the younger generation the courage to make reasonable change to maintain the integrity and culture of Japan as they see best but to expand on their ability to express their freedom in society. Sending some love and support to my Japanese friends out there and thank you for reading my long paragraph!❤️🤝
🤝🏾
same here it sounds like japan wants there people be like robots and have emotions at all or they was it's people to be like in the fairlyodd parents episode where everyone turned into all gray blobs and they could find timmy cuz he looked the same as everyone else
what is interesting is that they all seem to want the same thing - more freedom of expression but at the same time they do react in a quite judgmental way or simply run away when they meet someone that actually does exactly that. You can't have the cake and eat it too.
@@azurekite3870 we can’t push our western ideals on the East . Japan is a very old country and has a rich history older than American and other western countries.
if you watch public prank videos in japan, a lot of comments talk about how fashionable and stylish japanese people are.
grass is always greener on the other side lol
It really is. It's all relative, too. There are cultures that probably look at Americans and think we're too conservative in some ways, but compared to Japan we're not.
@@ijustneedmyself you're right! I'm from Argentina and I think (generally speaking) that people from Latin America countries are even more "free" than people from the US.
@@brendaquiroga1327 I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm curious to know in what way.
I realized that Animes are not showing the culture of Japan. It is more like what is been seen in Animes are showing the dreams of Japanese people like they wished how it should be for them. In many Animes are Echi features, open short weared clothings and in school animes the characters are always a few minutes to late without beeing judged. Sometimes even the hugging random people. So but for what I have seen yet out of many informations trough different videos is that Animes are the way japanese people dream of living rather their real culture. The only cultural part of Animes are mystical tellings in an overall view but no in a detailed way. Correct me if I'm wrong-
It is, Reality and anime are opposite/ different in Japan. Anime is fiction to them I think while Western already have those freedom that are basically shown in anime
lol media is rarely representative. its like how american movies depict high school life a certain way, but that's not what its really like for most people.
Holy fuck you people fr can’t talk about Japan without fucking mentioning animes. Tf is wrong with you?
average anime watcher finds out that a cartoon doesn’t actually resemble reality.
Like If you watch a Hollywood movie do you also think that the movie resembles reality?Are completely out of your mind?
I wouldn't say that's the "only" cultural bit of anime, but yeah, JP in anime and JP in reality are *very* different. Overwork to the point of death, individualism being quashed, rampant cheating, seniority deference to a fault/being yes-men being universal, no one will say what they really feel if it would cause any amount of turbulence, psych issues being treated by basically "lol just be happy, forehead", bureaucratic nightmares everywhere, awful bank system, politicians screaming into megaphones at 5am during voting season, foreigners always being treated like unwelcome outcasts to the point of not being able to get an apartment a lot of places and plethora of "no foreigners allowed" signs, skittish to the point of even locals being fired/docked pay for growing a mustache, a justice system so broken that jokes akin to "they're always guilty because it would be rude to have wasted the policemens' time" aren't uncommon, and various other things. It's no wonder so many animes espouse freedom and being released from the system so much. I'm not saying Japan is an awful country, there are great things about it; also, every country is bad in some ways. But I'm saying that from my cultural perspective, there's a lot I don't like about the place, despite my likings of other aspects of it.
I love the colours and the fashion sense of Japanese. The language is so cool! Even if i don't understand what is being said, i love listening to the sounds. I think the shyness is very cute. Not all foreigners like to hug and be very friendly. In Europe it can be interpreted as being fake and we prefer to hug when you have gained a little trust of the person or feel comfortable
Click the captions. It’s automatically in English
@@SassafrasTee7366 they meant if they don't know the language in general. Day to day. Clearly they understood the video
@@SassafrasTee7366 thank you for your recommendation but it's like what @zoooniverse said.. on a day to day basis, not in this video. I like to watch a lot of anime in Japanese with english subtitles as I prefer that they are in the original language. The expressions and tones of the language are more genuine
In my country if they had to provide TRAIN DELAY certificates, the railway would make more money becoming a publishing company instead of transport. Oh, & we would also run out of trees they would have to produce so many of them.
We have simple solutions for this.
If a train is less than 6 minutes delayed, it is by definition not delayed.
If a train stop is cancelled, the train cannot be late at that train stop, and does not appear in the statistics. Problem solved.
Oh! Please, I've got to know where you're from! UK?
Same for mine! 😂🇮🇹
@@johnwilson3918 Before working in England, I always thought that British trains were better than ours (I'm French) because it's a stereotype in France that a lot of our trains are always late or canceled (often because of strikes) but, man, I had never seen two columns indicating "official time of arrival" and "estimated time of arrival" and all of the trains being late on the board before England. That put things into perspectives. What's the point of the official time at this point? ^^
@@Raphanne I think there is now some kind of refund system on our British rail network, whereby trains that are late by a certain amount of time are subject to passenger refunds. I use to commute to London ever day for over four plus years and the service was always shambolic! Every week I would be on my network providers website making claims. I lived in Tokyo for a couple of months and their trains were *bliss*.
Oh! Japanese Rail did issue an apology once for one of their Shinkansen service setting off 10 seconds too early. Tut!
The first two boys. I was very shocked to hear their answers because I find that Japanese people are quite expressive when they speak and have a really cool style. They look so well put together even wearing the simplest of clothing.
@NEON GENESIS TAROT Exactly
@NEON GENESIS TAROT as an american, i agree
Expressive...? Some of them are really introverted. They have a serious problem to say "no" and they think three times before saying something
@@tiagomatheus2970 not expressive in that sense
@@tiagomatheus2970 Every ethnicity has introverts and extroverts
I think it's funny how many Japanese seem to be jealous of the foreigners freedom in how to dress. At the same time they've got the Harajuku Street Fashion or the idol/lolita thing going on. The clothes Cathy Cat wears wouldn't really fly in Cologne, Milan or Helsinki. Imagine seeing the Harajuku thing in Glasgow... It is also fascinating that so many young Japanese talks about the American fashion as something handsome. As a European I'd say the image of how Americans dress is like slobs in their oversized jeans, college shirts, running shoes and baseball caps.
Harajuku is no longer the hub of alternative fashion and street wear that it once was but tourists keep going there because it still has that image abroad. When they get there they find mostly main stream fashion shops and tourist traps.
I've been told by people who live in tokyo that Takeshita street is no longer what it once was and that it's not common anymore to see cosplay or alt fashion people walking around there.
Cosplayers and people in alternative fashion used to get together on Jingubashi (aka harajuku bridge) when it was still a pedestrian bridge. When it stopped being a pedestrian bridge there was a steady decline in cosplayers and alt fashion people who went there.
I agree with what you're saying about how alt fashion would be received in Cologne, Milan or Helsinki. I live in the Netherlands and even in bigger cities like Amsterdam people are often really negative (and vocal) about people wearing alt fashion. I don't get why that guy thinks foreigners have more freedom in fashion than they do.
I think europeans are just as, if not more, judgmental towards alt fashion as japanese people are on average.
A big difference may be (and I've been told this by alt fashion people who live in japan) is that japanese people may be less likely to actually loudly voice their dislike of what someone's wearing in public.
They may stare, mumble something or even say something when passing you but they're probably not going to approach you and try to pick a fight/argument. That last bit does happen all across europe though.
Boys have always liked the Gangster look big baggy clothes, its natural for boys especiallly under the strict japan its only natural
@@toprap88
Oversized shirts and sweaters are in style now in japan. It's a mainstream trend, not rebellion or counterculture.
Rebellion through fashion takes many forms. Sometimes it's oversized baggy clothes, something it's tighter and more form fitting clothes. What form it takes is dependent on what the mainstream norm looks like because counterculture/rebellion will try to set itself apart from the current norm by looking different from the current norm.
"boys have always liked the gangster look like big baggy clothes" is a big overgeneralization that ignores fashion history and a lot of current ways boys and men like to express and rebel through fashion.
Just wondering but why would someone be looked at as a slob for wearing sneakers big pants and big shirts it’s just clothes?
I mean life in America is still better than Japan. Japan is very stressful. All my white friends who work in Japan can only survive for 1 year before they gave up and went back to America. The working life in Japan is what make me hate Japan.
That smack sound with the German flag made me cackle lol. I loved these interviews! The second couple seemed very sweet and open. I would love to be friends with them both!
I admire that you speak at least 3 languages!
It was sad to hear about a lot of the opression. The body shaming is huge, it was shocking hearing that people can't wear bikins unless they are skinny. There is body shaming (often not openly) here in America, but it doesn't stop people from wearing what they want.
Sounds like the only thing stopping them from acting as they please is the fact that they think they can't because japan is so strict, but a lot of them sound like they want to be more "free". The only thing stopping them is themselves at this point, I'm starting to think everyone wants to act in a more free manner but they don't for fear of being the only one to do it. But if they all want to do it, then there's nothing to worry about, right?
I think thats easier said than done and also just a flaw of humans. The pandemic would be over if everyone wore masks and took the vaccine, right? Or global warming could be prevented if everyone took the appropriate sustainable steps. Stuff like that will likely never happen because theres always one person who refuses. It's impossible, unfortunately.
@@k-kayla even in Western countries there are people that don't like people who act as they please, but nothing will ever change if everybody decides to do nothing and stay complacent, doing things they hate.
@@slashbat2375 Of course, it happens everywhere. I was just pointing out that doing things collectively as humans is very difficult.
@@k-kayla just because you can't save every animal doesn't mean you shouldn't open an animal shelter, just because you can't prevent everyone from getting covid doesn't mean you shouldn't wear your mask, just because you can't immediately stop pollution doesn't mean you should just throw all your garbage in the middle of the road. So what if the few or even the many are upset and judgey? As long one person gets to be happy and live their life without regrets then it doesn't really matter what a judgey 70 year old bitch on a train thinks, now does it?
@@slashbat2375 Idk where you are getting all of this and being passive aggressive about it! 😂 I didn't even have ill intent, wow! People are so uptight.
I love this video! The perspectives are so interesting. On the flip side, as an American, I envy how courteous Japanese people are about public noise (trains, waiting areas, etc.) I fuckin' hate when people are too loud on their phones or play their music w/o headphones in common areas. SO obnoxious. It's awesome that's discouraged in Japan.
Unrelated: I wanna know where CathyCat got her jacket, it's sick.
Interesting about the styling part, as the rest of the world think that in countries like Japan, South Korea or China people look really stylish 😂
What he and she are talking about is true.
At school, if you are late, it will be written on your gradebook, and you may be standing in the corridor outside the classroom. Eating, drinking and chewing gum during class are severe punishments.
If you hug or kiss in the city, you will be surprised at "Wow". 😅
And what would you prefere? Being miserable because it's very strict or being miserable because things around you are not properly made?
I live in New Jersey in the U.S and have 30 absences for 1 class so I won’t be receiving the credits for it :( but if I do the same for algebra or English or even gym I could repeat the grade. Chewing gum or eating in class isn’t that bad. Most teachers allow the eating in class but strict teachers tend to yell at you and tell you to put the food away, somehow kids still end up eating it lol
@@jennie0408 As they say in the video, the rules are strict at school, and I think many students have a longing for the freedom of overseas schools as seen in the movie scene. College students get freedom, but up to high school students are bound by the rules.
In Canada, if students are late, they just quietly join class after quietly informing the teacher they’ve arrived and obtain whatever they missed (handouts etc). The teachers don’t yell cause I mean, where’s the benefit? They just ask what happened and tell them to hurry up and get settled. Then they continue with the lesson. Here, the teachers can’t deprive you of learning (ie. Make you miss your lesson/stand outside) because it just further disadvantages the student
@@sarahhchan
Sparta education is up to that point, but we also learn to keep the promised time from childhood.
However, if the train to school is delayed, there is no problem if you submit a delay certificate, and if you are unavoidably late, you can contact us by phone in advance. Standing in the corridor is for eating and drinking during class, private language, and skipping.
I love these videos so much. They're so raw and honest. It's like taking a bath in a natural spring for the mind. Cathy's hair looks rad, also.
What this says to me is that they mostly see what they see in Western media and don’t actually get to interact with the lame majority who are not as cool as Hollywood actors
☝
The same we can say about Japan people from the West don't really interact with the lame vast majority of Japan they only see Tokyo Osaka and Kyoto that's all like Japanese see only NYC, L.A and Las Vegas
I noticed in alot of animes I watched or mangas I read, everytime when there is a really emotional scene I'm like "GO AND GIVE HIM/HER A HUG!!!" but they never do....
I came to the conclusion that something like that isn't common in Japan and seeing this video it seems I was right :D
Fyi I hug every person I'm close with. Women get either a normal hug or kisses on their cheeks while men get a "bro hug". In case you don't know what that is, a "bro hug" starts with a hand shake and goes over to a hug.
When the girl says she'd like a ladies first society and he says, so I can do better... That's how it starts, just by being aware, but also putting it into action can slowly change that particular way.
I love hearing different perspectives from these street interviews. Thanks for sharing!
Off-topic, but I LOVE Cathy's pastel coat. I'd love to buy something similar.
I feel a lot of Japanese people would be surprised just how different foreigners are compared to how they are perceived. We all just basically make contact and nod too, well most cases not even nod. But yes I do get the first group, sometimes you just want a hug, sadly even in countries where it's not frowned upon it's still hard to find such simple things. Some people will still judge you if you try to be "yourself" too.
“Foreigners are stylish”. But I’m American and I love shopping at Uniqlo and Japanese fashion in general! Even the haircuts look unique in Japan and I used to copy it all the time!
I miss living near a Uniqlo!
As an introvert, Japan sounds great.
Actually the culture is very socially centered.
@@johntp185 Really?
The thing I envy about them (I'm an American) is the culture. They have such a rich culture when I don't even know exactly where my family came from. I've always wanted to be in touch with my past, especially my ancestors. Our country is still so young compared to all the others.
Only thing I know about myself is that my dad's side has Scottish and Latvian roots. I guess my mom's side is pretty German but I'd want to know where and when my ancestors decided to pick up their roots and move. Or exact names. I think that'd be pretty incredible.
The way she rolled her eyes lmao 5:24
The guy with a cyan and orange huge sweater, with a seashell necklace and an earring is envying how Americans can dress how they want and not stick out.
This was cute and fun but it was also really sad. I almost cried. Bless they heart.
Haha. This guy is so cool. He’s awesome. I appreciate his solid opinions and energy. He’s kind of hilarious bringing up the stark differences of culture. I felt kind of the same way, I really envied certain things about Japan with that same level of passion and amazement. I love your channel Cat. Heading to Germany for two months soon. As an American who lived in Japan for 4 years, and being part German, it was cool to see you on RUclips again. You help me with my nihongo a great deal. Arigato.
About punctuality, in my country people can be late to everything and it's considered OK, in school you only get written up for a half-day absence if you come in late 5 times but most of the time the teachers won't mark you absent even if you come in the middle of the first class. Some workplaces are really strict when it comes to punctuality but most are pretty laid back, 5-10 minute delays are no big deal. Yet I still try to be punctual because I value both my and the opposite side's time, and it's a good habit
It's great to be free, but don't forget that "my liberty ends where yours begins" which means people have their own boundaries and personal space and we need to respect that. 😊
Aussies have a pretty lax mindset. During high school, I went into class about 5 minutes before it ended, but nothing happened. I did the same thing at a vocational school in Japan recently, but only my attendance rate dropped a bit.
Great insight from the beautiful people of japan. When I went to Hawaii I felt the same way. I was so happy to see so many Japanese people on the island (because I love Japanese culture and it was my first time being around so many Japanese people). Two years later I went to Tokyo and had a blast.
Yeah but sadly not many like Japan
9:52 I was shocked honey, in tears almost and they wanted a cross dresser 💀💀
6:17 unable to search for his channel “At Marker”.
But great video! :)
I was trying to find the channel too 🤔
I love how the show brings awareness to the world. This is why it's so important to be who you want to be without caring what others think. It doesn't matter where you're from. We're all made different for a reason. You'll eventually find the people who you're most comfortable with.
As a half Taiwanese half Kiwi person who grew up in Taiwan, it always amazes me just how much influence America has on Asia culture and how little some Asia people knows about foreigners, like when you talk about foreigners to Asia people who have never traveled and are unexposed or uninterested in foreigner culture, their very first image will always be white American person with blond hair and blue eyes (while involving a lot of fantasizing about said American), which frankly is very stereotypical and I do hope the education system can change and open more eyes for people like them
(I'm not saying that every person from Asia have this impression of foreigners, far from it actually, but some people do think like that and I am quite fed up with these people just assuming I'm an American every time they see me lmao) ( oh and UK as well)
( I also have experienced someone just walking up to me and starts talking about how great and lucky I was to be born as half Ameican when I was in middle school, this had only happened to me once -thank goodness- but yea, to say I was utterly unimpressed and confused is an understatement)
None in particular. I am lucky to be born a Japanese male.
I really love how certain attitudes and beliefs are being rejected by the younger generations and how they’re embracing open-mindedness.
It also means the good things of traditional Japanese values which made Japan to be the great country now will slowly vanishing.
I understand what they’re saying Japan is a very strict and judgmental country. That’s a good thing because it holds people to a standard. The problem with a lot of western countries especially America (United States) is that we are always trying to move away from a standard. We don’t want to be judged, that’s a problem. In the states you can wear whatever you want on a t-shirt even if it’s cussing, nudity, very graphic violence on it and it’s supported. Those kinds of things are very shameful. I do believe Japan should be more expressive but don’t not become like the west you see the carnage we have here.
I would totally be friends with the second set of people interviewed. They seem really cool
that girls face when he talks about the girls in swim suits lol
I wanted to jump through the screen and cover his mouth for him
Funny to see that for them Uniqlo is fast fashion, and as a spanish I don't consider it ff, it's more llike regurar fashion and the price is higher that other brands that i could consider ff. Also I think they are WAY more stylish than us. 🐱
As a person who was late for most of my high-school life and has gotten away with being late for more than an hour, hearing school stuff about Japan schools and how extreme it is on punctuality is surprising.
Great interviews! They all had such phenomenal and in depth answers!
The last guy with the cool sweater was really nice opne minded and cool. I would like to be frisnds with him
I just ran into Cathy Cat today in Harajuku Tokyo! She's the nicest person you'll ever meet!!!! I love your work Cathy Cat 😍😍
it’s definitely hard to do; to not hug my friends or pounce on them when i get the urge to. i’m a very touchy person, and i rely on physical touch because touch connects to my emotional and mental health/state. it makes me extremely happy. if i don’t get enough of it for a while, i get sad and depressed. so living in japan will be a bit hard for me, if i’m honest. but hey, i’ll do my best! though, if there are people out there who do envy the whole “random hugging” thing, i’m your guy! :)
Well dang. I am pretty envious of the whole country there. Modern technology, pretty clothes, good manners. Compare to my country, it's like comparing heaven and earth.
For those looking for the guy’s ( green sweater ) youtube handle it’s アットマーカー . The characters read “At Marker” in Japanese. 👍🏽
You don’t have a link to his channel?
Digging the "nice boat" sweatshirt @ 4:20 . iykyk
I really liked the last couple! If I lived in Japan and spoke Japanese I would be friends with them! Haha
happy new year Cathy!
I sincerely wish progress further more this informative channel 😁👍
Interesting that they find westerners to be less strict on punctuality. I’m American and teachers and employers get very angry if you are late to school or work!
It’s interesting they mentioned the whole thing with being late to school. In my school (in California) I used to show up late everyday to my English class by like 15 mins. And eventually the teacher just stopped marking me late and let me in without saying nothing. It’s crazy the difference
Hey Japanese Citizens! I’m from US, thank you for saying such nice things! I as well as Most of the people im friends with think Japanese people and culture are pretty awesome! Godspeed friends..
america is at a time that needs to know why the world loves america.. you guys really gotta stop dividing yourself lol
@@acutelilmint8035 Thanks
I have been in japan for a while now. Those people from the last clip seem like real one. I get alot of weird looks about my tattoos or just existing on the train. But honestly most days people are just quiet and nice
THE BLUE AND ORANGE JUMPER MAN!!!! 💕💕
Orange-boy seems really layed back and cool. Would be great to meet someone like him while visiting Japan.
I’m from America. Growing up, I was taught to be punctual to places like work and school. My parents always said it would help me look good when it came to the teachers and bosses
Foreigners "don't rush so much" LOL! Maybe in Australia, my dear, but there are pleeeenty of other places where we are busy busy busy, go go go lol. The guy in the green and orange sweater seems really friendly and open-minded. I like that. If he genuinely wants to make foreigner friends, that's certainly the right attitude to have!
There are also different kinds of hugs in different countries.
When I was in France at the age of 21, I was really shocked at first. People you met for the first time in your life gave you kisses on the cheeks (left-right-left)... after 2 days I got used to it. But I was really shy back then and flushed every time. 😳
But here (I'm from Germany) for example it depends from your relationship... so mostly the girls are hugging each other. Guys do just a handshake or a bro-hug. Girls and guys can also hug. So a short hug means normally you know them (good), but you are not close...the longer hugs are for people you really like. And if you are close with someone you can give a single kiss on the cheek...
5:45 if you did that in Japan chikan first thing on their minds 🤣
When you hugg someone the aura energy flows and heal each other. Is a good way to make us happy and energised. I think Cathy gives a positive Flash to the japanese society.
5:00 as a Hawaii resident, I can assure you that those women who were dressed like that were not locals, and likely tourists from the mainland 🤣.
Just wanna point out that ya’ll got the height wrong- 172cm is closer to 5”8” (it’s 5 feet 7.7 inches). Other than that, I love all the content put out
I'm 167.5cm (5'6") so you can imagine the confusion I felt seeing that😂
Asians grew like 8 inches the past decades and east Asians excluding Japan are as tall as Americans now. It's what happens when you're no longer famished and impoverished by the West. A few more decades and they'll be taller. Japan is an interesting case tho. Living on an island really has got them a bit shorter.
They said 5.6 feet, not 5' 6"
5'8" must be 5 feet and then another .6 of a foot... when I saw the decimal, I figured they just formatted it wrong, but now that you mention this, it all makes sense.
Here in Italy people can enter the school many hours after the lessons begins ahahahahaha, poor Japanese :' (
9:07 that nori green LC500 tho
Grass is always greener innit?
Always. There is no such thing as perfect. The closest to a perfect society was Sweden in 1950.
Japanese are white/west worshipy. Ofc they'd talk like this. It's a result of colonialism, physically and mentally
Really cool and interesting interview. Great interviewer. As an Australian, I always thought that the Japanese had the best style and looked uber cool. Especially street fashion and forms of counter culture. So odd to hear them think that about foreigners. But then whatever is not everyday is usually fascinating. The self-expression restraint is sadI am always shocked at how strict Japan still is. But then I suppose that is for the everyday person not the weirdo older men we always hear about lol and eww. Can't wait to see more.
Street fashion originated from black american culture, so him saying that he enjoys American fashion trends is not that weird.
@@BangtanBiased7 lmfao, I feel like this is going over so many people's heads.
@@nalad9387 People have amnesia and can never remember where this stuff comes from. it's sad.
I always forget how strict Japan is, considering their entertainment and they have places like Akihabara, which just sounds like a place you'd only find in a weird dream, I find it hard to believe it exists in the same country. But the fact they think like that about foreigners is amusing as often people aren't so stylish in their daily life lol
@@BangtanBiased7 Sadly that's just the way the world is, we tend to forget where things originate from, especially some time after something gets integrated into another culture. And most people tend to only remember the bad stuff more than the good stuff.
Don't worry Cathy, we still love our Germans friends! Great video and very interesting. Thank you to both of you for making this.
I get heavily complimented on my nose and how big it is compared to theirs. Personally it's not fun lol I'm aboriginal aus so my nose is big by default 😂
I could be that guy's friend! He seems cool!
The height thing:
I am tall (181cm), but I think it's more about how I "wear" my height that they like.
There are plenty of tall Japanese. But they are largely hunched over, trying their best to fit in. They only stand tall around me. I feel bad for them.
Happy New Year, Japan! 🎆🥂
Has anyone actually found his RUclips channel? I’ve searched for “At marker” but I couldn’t find it … a link would have been better 😆
When I go to Japan I’ll make sure to compliment everyone I see lol
明けましておめでとうございます！🙏💥
German guy here. Been to Okinawa several times. And this video here was very interesting to me.
I want to hug like us too. Last time I hugged someone I wasn't dating was junior high in the 90s
Its amazing how relaxed and honest japanese people are talking about what they envy.
okay but the guy in that green sweater was so cool i'd absolutely LOVE to be friends with him
2:18 i'm not sure they've actually seen what regular people usually wear here LOL because most of the time it's not really as stylish as they make it sound, especially during winter LOL
I love your jacket! That is epic
I'm pretty sure you can get away with wearing strange, and even revealing clothes in Osaka.
Them assess damn near shook him
Frohes Neues, Cathy Cat, and Happy New Year, Director-san.
You have to help respecting and preserving your own traditions
Very good interviews . . .
Woah lots of interesting stuff in Japan. Especially having tattoos!
2:39 I have watched this so many times and it still cracks me up 😂😂😂
8:20 I'd just be in trouble so I'd go home for the day and get drunk to prepare
I'm native american and I always wondered what Japanese ppl think about native Americans. My tribe is ojibwe from LCO. Idk I guess it's just a random thought.
Most Americans themselves don't know much about native Americans, I think you'll be hard pressed to find any Japanese that even know native Americans exist.
It's crazy to hear that they envy American fashion because I envy Japanese fashion. Its so colorful, edgy, and full of expression. I'm already putting a wardrobe together for when I visit Japan in November.