Drew, I just want to let you know to continuously check on that young man who was your assistant during this video shoot. You can tell he was shocked and somewhat scared in certain situations. No one forced him to show you around but hey, he's a young man and you can leave that country after meeting with certain people, but that young man can't or if he can, he still has possible family there. And now that your video is posted, there's no telling if someone is going to be offended by anything posted, and he's still in Japan. Smh. Please keep tabs on his well-being, he seems like such a good young man.
Yes, those Yakuza were nothing but polite and respectful, and Drew just talked shit on them when they weren’t around. Kept saying how sketchy they were and how they kill people (probably to hype up suspense for views) when these guys were giving them a tour of the city like proper hosts. Drew even got one of them to confess about one of his crimes he was never convicted of. If I was them and saw this video I’d feel very insulted.
@@cameronpavelic500Keep living in your gated Community. The gang is public so any problems with tourist would result in conflicts with the police, meaning losing their business. You also really only care about being disrespectful but it's somehow bad that a member exposed a crime that they did? What?
I am shocked, not about the situation in Sanya nor about the life of the Yakuza. I am shocked about the way you approached these people, honestly, Drew, I watched many of your videos but this isn’t your best work. I lived in Tokyo many years, I studied Japanese language, history and culture. It was like watching an elephant entering a glass house, sorry to say. I felt crushed myself. You must take into consideration that Japan is a very, very old society and talking straight to people is not a thing there. You can bow your head and show respect wherever you want to go but bluntly asking the most offensive questions is asking for trouble. I am just relieved that you got out of that situation in one piece.
yes, have to agree. became a bit glaringly obvious he didn't know much about general asian culture, attitudes and approaches. i felt uncomfortable as well. as a former NYCer (now living in HK) who is generally very blunt, this was way too brash and insensitive.
@@wadenakamura6184what about his other video about America's ghettos, do you feel the same way? Or double standards here, did you respond to that video or just turn away and not care?
@@wadenakamura6184 , yeah, it’s unfortunate to ask someone who tried to commit suicide years ago gets asked straight away by a foreigner, why he did that, that would be wrong everywhere in the world. He could have said, shitsuredesu ga, ima wa, daijobu desu ka?
@@Vintage-Yakyu I'm pretty sure cultural ignorance isn't what drives someone to treat people at their worst like tourism sideshows. Like, it's not rocket science, nor does it take some gargantuan degree of cultural understanding.
What cultural awareness did he lack? He asked reasonable questions. He isnt there for fun or to make friends. He is essentially a documentarian now and the charm of the channel comes from the fact that Drew is a regular dude
Some years ago I also made interviews with homeless in Tokyo for a magazine. The problem with this video is that Drew did not approach them in a very professional way. Just show up with some beers and a camera does not make people open up. For my project I first reached out to organisations who work with homeless and could connect me with people who were actually willing to tell me story. Once you get the trust of one person, its not so difficult to find other people. I generally have highest respect for Drews work but this video feels like he wanted to get quick content, make one story in one afternoon without much researching.
I agree, I couldn’t finish watching this video. Just felt like he wasn’t there because he wanted to investigate but rather just for content. Lacked respect towards not only the homeless people but the guide who was visibly uncomfortable.
I felt like it was wrong too but, I had to remember it’s American customs. You go up to homeless people ask them these exact questions and they’ll tell you everything. It’s just a difference in cultural aspects.
I was also surprised at Drew's comment @11:50 : "I haven't seen something like this anywhere in the world" because poverty, slums and ghettos are all over the world.
Exactly! Drew as an American should know that this situation is very common in his country. This video reeks of arrogance and disrespect - this is why I unfollowed him a year ago. I just accidentally saw this and got curious.
As an american, i was thinking the exact same thing. When he said that, i was like dude you must be RICH to be oblivious to the crisis at home. Not to discredit or compare with those in need of help in Japan because obviously any homelessness is bad, but ONE major "slums" area sounds like a dream from my experience in the US. I've never seen this guy's videos so I was just kind of curious, and honestly just felt bad for the people he was "interviewing". Like does he approach people the same way and talk behind their backs (or literally in front of their face) when he knows they speak the same language??
It’s a classic Japanophile view. For some romanticized reason, North America views japan as some otherworldly country with no imperfections and some insane level of honour and dignity. Remember everyone; people are people are people. We are all the same just as all dogs and cats are the same. Wait, humans also classify and evaluate every other animal just as they do fellow humans…😂
Honestly if a random man talk to me with a camera asking me questions why such and such about my life If I am happy or miserable when it’s very obvious what my situation is, i would not answer too. Like bro who are you? 😅
watch the vlog about Hongkong "confin room" or "cage room", where people live in worse situations than these Janpanese but much more willing to answer such questions.
Just because ur situation is bad doesn't mean you have to be rude manners and to courteous cost nothing and will get you a lot further In situations like that trust me
the gentleman at 11:30 was so nice. its not really fair to judge him the way you guys did, you never know what someone has been thru. i understand that you may not have meant it that way but it came off as super judgy, the reactions you had. he was happy to welcome you into his home and show you his situation. you guys should have sat and talked to some of the people without cameras and made some connections and then asked if they were comfortable speaking on camera. it just did come off as lacking respect for them
Unfortunately these so called RUclipsrs specially white they do it only for content. They don’t really try to connect or show concern but count views….
We have zero idea what happens behind the camera. He obviously edits these down. So we would have no idea if he has conversations off camera. So perhaps we dont judge the man by the 20min video when he obviously didnt spend 20min in tokyo
at 5:45 the guy says: "Jikan wa kankeinai" - which means: "Time doesn't matter" / at 2:59 - when drew asks "Is it dangerous here?" the man answers: "Ima wa shizuka" - which means: "Now its quiet" / at 7:08 drew asks: "Do you have a family?" the guy says: "Minna enkitteruyo" - which means "Everyone cut ties"
The translations are not right. I lived in Japan for 10 years and even though the guy with no name said that things are really quiet now, it was translated as a place of violence and when he said "jikan was kankenai" he wasn't saying that he didn't want to answer, he literally said, time is not something you think about or something that matters. They were more open than you think. They were misunderstood as saying nothing for every question.
The japanese guy that assisted Drew was obviously scared and anxious, he was there the first time, he didnt know what to expect. His body language and face impression said it all. He was scarer. They said nay "Nothing" most of the time, thats what he translated to Drew, he was trying to be done.
I kind of got that vibe. I got the vibe that they didn’t want to talk due to their past and the area they were in. I don’t speak Japanese, but the vibes weren’t matching what the translator was saying. I would’ve just written it off, but then I saw you comment. Thanks. You inadvertently aided in the boosting of the confidence I have in myself and my gut and I my discernment and intuition.
Leave them alone. Most of the homeless in Japan just want to live without interference. They probably don't even know youtube, but they definitely don't want to be shown up on social media.
He isn't being in their face...he is just exposing a side of Japan most people don't know or neglect...and he is being respectful about it. He is just trying to befriend them
This may sound strange, but I find it comforting that, even at the lowest level of society, people are still trying to conduct themselves with dignity. They still greet others. They still bathe. They are trying to have what they can have, and not worry about what they don't have.
What stood out is that even the organized crime in Japan is a lot more dignified than a lot of the world considering they offer disaster releif and try to maintain order where the goverment cannot.
And like I was just stating in a reply on another comment, best street poor conditions you wanna be in are there in Japan, so neat looking wow 😅 ...I guess the government helps women more, or men just allow themselves to reach rock bottom more (...!?)
This is really an unethical video. Giving alcohol to alcoholics as a bribe for their time? Being wildly clueless about why someone in their situation would not want to talk with you and might be insulted by your opportunistic desire to leverage their suffering for a shock topic video. Honestly it is just another example of thoughtless, selfish influencers coming to Japan and behaving shamefully. Shame on you for all of this. I guess you got the attention you wanted, but it was a pitiable show of ignorance and dehumanization to get it.
No it's not those people have nothing else so any token of kindness is appreciated you people haven't been in that situation before so you're opinion don't really count
As a japanese person, this was extremely insensitive. I understand that Drew probably had good intentions. And as a known travel blogger, you'd expect him to have the most social awareness and to have done prior research, but in the end it just ended up him looking entirely uneducated about japanese culture.
I give him the benefit of the doubt, thinking that he did not start off as a dick, but the problem is that to keep himself as a "travel blogger", he has to gradually push further into insensitive dick territory. Probably when he started he would have handled this more tactfully, but as his views grow, and he gets used to treating the people he interacts with as simply characters in a drama he is scripting for his audience, he has lost the recognition that they are real people. His content no longer is about travel. Travel is about learning about the place you are visiting, and learning that social awareness. At this point, he is now just a content creator. He does not travel for travel. He travels for content.
Drew is the typical American ignorant travel vlogger. No amount of countries Americans travel to will make them any less ignorant because they view everything from their own lens. He thinks he's some sort of travelling superstar.
I live in the capital of a Western European country and there are many neighbourhoods that are a lot shabbier than this one. This so called 'slum' would be considered an ok area.
La misère est la même dans le monde entier Seule l'intensité de la violence change tu les prends pour des gentils est tu a sûrement raison si tu compare a l'europe mais leurs civilisation et très différente le respect des autres et de soi-même et tres fort alors qu'en Europe ont a plus le respect de rien Biensur ceci et mon point de vue force et respect mon frère
@@TheOldTapeArchive The southern half of Chicago is so dangerous that it's not safe living anywhere in Chicago with the presence of the risk of accidentally entering the south side.
What Drew is doing here is actually slum tourism. This is a divisive activity for exactly the reasons you see in the video. In some contexts, like the LA tunnels, the medium shines by bringing awareness to mental health and homelessness. For the American in Japan, however, there is a awkwardness and social intrusion. You can see it on the face of your mediator. Drew should seriously question his decisions to do this and post the content, but I doubt he will because, well, clicks = revenue.
@@neoreign Tire of high taxes, keeping up with the Joneses in terms of having to drive everywhere in a sleek, new, flashy car, having to be cool, act cool, talk cool, think cool, behave cool, believe cool, exude coolness . . . better to just surf on RUclips and ChatGPT.
@squibbelsmcjohnsonThe system is garbage and if you're not dealt the right cards, you'll basically be a slave to your owner (landlord, bank, employer, government,...) for the rest of your life. Some people are starting to wake up but a lot of people (friends, family, etc.) are enablers and keep you in that system as long as they are.
It’s so damn hilarious that he’s shocked alcoholics are hanging out at a park and drinking beer at 12 pm. Is he staging that as a reaction? Has he never seen an alcoholic before? They don’t all have a special designated drinking time. Any time is a good for another drink for many an alcoholic.
I dunno man, this feels very disrespectful to me. Your questions are annoying and rude, your English talking alone in the camera is sneaky and off-putting. Buying beer for alcoholics to get camera shots is just straight up wrong imo. I just signed up to your channel but I'm out.
ngl i feel this way about almost all of his interviews, he comes off as really intrusive and very insincere with how he seems to expect people to tell their whole life's story to a random foreigner with a camera, without even trying to get to know them without it. Not everyone's gonna groove with that, and i sure as hell dont.
Some are interested in how famous you are. If he shows his channel, other interviewers he talked to and subscribers more people are likely to talk. He may pay them or purchase items, not sure. This is my first time coming across his channel.
Drew, c'mon, it's like you've never been around a boozed up elderly, please get outta their face! 😅 It was uncomfortable watching you make a local hand out beer and talk to the elderly men who hang out in the slums. Think about it, would you go hang out at your local slums to hand out beer then ask personal questions about them? It was hard to watch your friends obvious body language pivot to that he wanted to leave. To have you discredit him by saying "They're not angry" as if you understood the language was hard to watch as well.
"Think about it, would you go hang out at your local slums to hand out beer then ask personal questions about them? " He does. I saw one of the videos about that and RUclips started sending me more of his exploitation crap in my feed. I live in Japan, once was nearby the area he is showing, so I clicked on this one before realizing whose video it was. If you are looking for this type of exploitative content, you will not be disappointed. This guy seems completely unaware. He was the same in the video I saw where he did this in USA. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and attribute it to him being young and privileged, with no life experience to guide him, rather than just call him a complete dick. Maybe one day he will look back and be ashamed at his early works.
RUclips is becoming very troublesome lately. Many creators are coming to places with cameras, making our society less genuine. They are invading privacy of others, pretending it is for some kind of just cause. Most concerning, they approach people without sensitivity. Asking directly, "Why did you try to end your life?" as if asking about weather. This is after person experienced very difficult time. They do not care about feelings, only to film like person is animal in zoo. It is not respectful to ask "Are you happy or sad now?" to strangers. These RUclipsrs should stop bothering people and find better topics. Maybe we can return to more polite content? Like cat videos. I believe this would be better for everyone.
@KingSmiley "I didn't know that" use your brain, he knew he was recorded, he would have asked the man to stop recording if he had a problem. Bunch of people with a 70 iq in these comments.
@@akritasdigenis4831 did you expect him to have already watched every video he appears in? the statement they made is a possibility that seems to be immanent without the information that he rightfully couldn't keep track of every aspect on since this probably just randomly appeared on his feed but I digress...use your brain.
The Old man didn't drink one sip of beer in their presence. They even gave him a second one to say it was OK or in case he was saving it for later. Still didn't drink. He is not alcoholic or gangster who is too old to do crime now like all the other men. Women live with him meaning they feel safe and accepting of him.
Dude is trying to educate people about that part of Japan but did not educate himself first how to be considerate and polite towards these people who were just having a life and despite knowing Japanese are one of the most respectful people in the world. The interview- What a disrespectful manner of interviewing people! Asking questions as if he was talking to a fellow American, thankfully, I am sure the interpreter translated all of the questions into a politer manner. And one more thing, he should have at least insisted on covering the guide’s face and used a sound effect to change his voice for his protection. So sorry for the people in that household, too. If I were him, I wouldn’t have made any comment about the smell, whatsoever. He wasn’t asked to be there anyway.
I really dont mean to generalize and im sure this doesnt apply for everyone, but i find it so common to see americans disrespect the culture here in Tokyo no matter where i go. Im sure its not intentional but their level of being aware of their surrondings is suprisingly low. Being noisy on trains, temples and shrines, sneaking in lines, blocking the streets and escalators, loud private conversations in restaurants, staring at young girls and the worst is patrionizing japanese rules by talking about "how its done" in their own country. If its so hard to be self aware and considerate, it would be better to do some research about "what not to do" before the the plane reaches its destination. As a visitor, one should take responsibility to respect a foreign culture. Bringing your own culture and expectations into Japan makes japanese people generalize foreigners into one big disturbance in society.
@iamblessed0203 You're very ignorant. The Japanese are one of the most respectful people; lmao you clearly don't know anything about their history and what's like growing up there.
@@akritasdigenis4831 you stupid brainless shit! Where is your reading comprehension? Did you read and understand my comment before replying?? Shame on you stupid!
So insensitive of you to approach them bluntly just because you need content to make money. And yes blurring their faces would have been the least you could have done to show respect for them and their situation. In my culture, it is "bastos" .
This ex-yakuza G was humble enough to invite you to a bar for whiskey and you couldn't even cheers him properly or drink WITH him. Damn Drew lol. I love your content but this one hit differently. The American in you shows strong. God bless Kosuke and his willingness to be a part of this. He may be the only one in this video that doesn't think you're a dork 😄
Japan doesn't have a slum. White colonists, AKA KKK genocidal rapists, love painting pictures of other countries to boost their own. Typical white trash
- You completely lie about the history of this area. - You mistranslate what the people are saying. - You use crappy AI generated clickbaity thumbnails But hey, you got 1 million views so a lot of cash. Did you sell your channel to a marketing company?
@@katiegaffney8939 I think you really need to think about it more. Is it possible that someone who is not "utterly stupid" could watch a video from a RUclipsr they generally admire, only to realize it was deliberately falsified to look more interesting?
@@katiegaffney8939 without watching, how is he supposed to know if its a good video or a bad video with wrong translations? Thats like saying to someone who says that the food he ordered is bad quality "why did you order it then" because you dont know before trying it!
I think he was more uncomfortable having to ask such personal questions from his American friend that lacked any cultural and self awareness. At one point he even has to point out to Drew that these people were getting angry, and Drew even told him “no they weren’t!” to which the guy had to repeat, yes, they were.
Exactly my thoughts, he stated he was uncomfortable, it shouldve been done with. Who is to say what will happen to him in the future due to this video too..
Your Japanese friend is not actually translating everything that is said. The first larger guy said he'd been living there for 3 years. I don't know about all of those guys but a fair few are former yakuza (just look at their behaviour and accents), hence their abrupt nature. And you are a foreigner, even your guide is to some extent because he's not from that area, he has no business there. Asking Japanese people from anywhere in Japan personal questions is considered extremely rude. The guy in the orange T-shirt said "jikan mo or wa (couldn't quite make out the particle) wakaranai" meaning, he doesn't know for how long he has been homeless. It used to be a thing that yukaza don't kill foreigners but... it does happen. Your guide is right to be scared, it's outside his experience. If you have a family member involved, it is different. You know, you can't ever mention it but you also know, you are safe-ish. It's good you mentioned the earthquake/tsunami, yakuza provided aid faster than the government.
My dad had a shipping company when I was a kid and when the tsunami hit he left. He had friends in the yakuza that had private airports, the only ones not shut down in the area, and was able to fly in fresh food and they took trucks and drove them to affected areas.
Drew is always dramatic... Always saying that this and that country is his most favorite country.. or this or that is his most favorite food.. he just says whatever people want to hear or to add shock value.. and Exegerate stuff to get views. Most RUclipsr do that anyways.
You are saying that they didn’t want to communicate you but imagine, if someone come to your house, asking random questions. Would you be happy? They feel safer there with other bunch of them. Respect. Also shouldn’t show the number plate on the car. We Japanese are also watching this.
I am genuinely worried for Kosuke. I don’t think Drew understands the danger he poses upon his guides after he uploads the video. These videos are slowly becoming exploitative and not educational.
Why are you now getting into poverty travel? Dont need to copy others styles like indigo traveler...it seems lately you are trying to be more like indigo traveler or bald and bankrupt but your vibes are different and dont come across as genuine. Go back to your own style.
In Japan, elderly homeless or slum dwellers are eligible for monthly benefits known as “生活保護” from the government, but many refuse to accept them. This reluctance stems from a belief that it is shameful to rely on government assistance. I hope this attitude changes in the future because It is not shameful to receive support, especially when these individuals have contributed significantly to the growth of the Japanese economy and deserve such aid. 😢
how do you know what they contributed? Please don't make baseless assumptions.. Also the handouts enablement is what led to the horrendous perpetual welfare and SS situation in the US. We should be less dependent on the gov not more. Yes to safety nets, no to perpetual loose welfare.
This is such a distastful video and such a lack of empathy, this was such a tone deaf approach to interacting with people whether they are struggling or not, idk how it articulate it but it was almost predatory? Regardless, it's enough to make me unsubscribe after following your progress for years, I have really enjoyed your content in the past, but this type of energy is not one that im willing to support or the type of energy and vibes I want in my brain. I know my opinion doesn't really matter but nonetheless I felt the need to express it.
Your opinion does matter. This video is very disrespectful, predatory, and ignorant. He didn't respect the privacy of any of the people shown and treated the place like a spectacle to farm views from "shock value". Instead of a human and genuine approach, the whole thing was clearly just exploitation. Giving alcohol to alcoholics and asking them incredibly intimate questions in a culture where that is considered rude? Sickening, really. This is embarrassing. I agree with you.
😐Japan doesn't particularly want to hide the existence of homeless people. Simply put, many former homeless people receive welfare benefits from the city and rent a house. Homeless people can get welfare benefits by going to a welfare office and asking for advice, so they can rent an apartment or other place to live, but they don't want to live in a fixed place.
this! like, i dont think japan "hides" them. who tf would put homeless people in their tourism ad? they exist, they're just in "slums" or sleeping in internet cafes.
I'm Japanese so I know that A LOT of what the homeless were saying and your friend translated in English did not match. Either get a better translator, or your friend is mis-translating on purpose because you were being so insensitive to the poor homeless. ):< BTW I live close to another slum in Yokohama, which is Kotobukichō, but in these past 10 years A LOT of improvement has been done to the area and has become completely safe and clean. I hope that Sanya gets the same treatment. ALSO my (now-deceased) grandma lived in an apartment that had a resident Yakuza living there, and he treated all the residents like his family, and protected them from any form of danger with his life. He was a very kind gentleman who helped the residents have access to safety and helped arrange new homes when the 3/11 earthquake hit us. The thing about the awkward situation with the Chinese gangs is true. So wiping out Yakuza isn't the same as jailing ordinary criminals. The relationship of Yakuza and Japanese society is very very complex and hard to tackle. I dunno how to put it in words, but they actually do have some societal benefits.
In America, no different ...my grandma lived in a mobile trailer that my family provided for some time till she died. She really lived there till she was old and could not see. Poverty is something I have seen in my life.
yes, we all know. The Japan government just work as Yakuza. Yakuza is so good, Japanese is Yakuza, Yakuza is Japanese people. Yakuza and Japanese people love each other.
You were so demeaning to people in this video Drew, not just once but multiple times. Very very disappointing to see. One of the moments that stuck out is how you made fun of the yakuza guy’s car, when he was taking you to meet his friend. People are showing you kindness and yet behind their backs you’re just making fun of them? Thats so disrespectful.
Tourist never visits? Most people who visit Sanya is foreign tourists. Locals won't treat the place like a zoo when actual people live there. Also the government isn't hiding the place (how can you?), this place have always been there and known. In 1966 their name changed as ALL of Japanese administrative division was changed and often fused. It has nothing to do with outside world. People like Oriental pearl makes up dramatic story like "Japan is hiding this from us!!" desperately hunting anything bad, while living and free-riding the country. But the world does not revolve around her. You are fine though, I just hope you don't get misled by arrogant people like her.
The Yakuza men they spoke with were friendly to them and very respectful, talking truthfully and just like normal mature men now, and so kind to them... I thank you for telling good thinking to keep going in Life no matter what happens..
I lived in Osaka and had may runs in with those that were in the Yakuza, every single one of them was a good experience. They were always friendly to me and were willing to help me out. There are 'slums' in Osaka too. I remember one time we were going to meet with a man in his apartment and I fell through the stairs since the danchi was so run down. The Japanese people are amazing and Japan is a marvelous place to go. Every country has those that are less fortunate.
@@wrestlingterrier8366America is desperate to try to hide the homelessness issue - they’re just so many homeless that they can’t hide them anymore. Look at how often their tents and camps are demolished routinely by police in an attempt to push them elsewhere. We are no better
@@wrestlingterrier8366 Homelessness can’t be hidden, no matter the country. In Japan, homeless individuals are often found in parks, stations, or certain urban areas. The claim that Japan ‘hides’ its homeless is misleading and sensationalized. Unlike in the U.S., Japan has systems in place to manage homelessness, but that doesn’t mean they’re being hidden. Every country addresses this issue differently, and oversimplifying it for clicks doesn’t help.
I found it so funny and contradictory when he said that he feels like “Japan is the most respectful culture in the world” yet he didn’t show them any of the respect that they expect in this video throughout all the interviews he did.😭😭 meaning like if he knows about their culture and stuff I don’t understand why he would just approach these strangers randomly without so much as a “hello” or an introduction and just automatically jump straight into these (sometimes) uncomfortable and insulting questions. i don’t know i guess that just makes not a lot of sense to me that he states he knows how much their culture values respect then at the same time didn’t do any of the things that are expected and valued within their culture lol.
This is not the only slum in Tokyo or in Japan for that matter. This guy is getting a lot of criticism and rightly so. Very insensitive to people he tried to interview. Some of those questions, bro. Made me cringe as an American.
I think it's one reason why people in Japan don't get cocky, be polite to strangers, and mind there own business. Because you never know who you'll bump into.
Wouldn't that be considered as insulting by some of the commenters here? "Why did you give them food"? "They are not stray cats you know"? Them folks there liked beer and he bought them some!
Dude... I don't want to be rude or anything, but what you're doing is not a good look. Like I know you want to go places and get a quick snapshot to say "I've been here" for your RUclips channel, but this is superficial and the guys you're trying to talk to know this. They can smell it off you, and this is why you can't have a decent conversation. Your questions? Kind of heartless. "Why are you here?" Like you want to ask guys how they ended up in the slums? Easy for a rich guy who travels the world and has it easy. Kinda rude to think you're easily going to make friends just by giving them beer. Your Japanese friend is kinda the same way. He has an easy life and is obviously off put by a situation he himself by his own admission, has never encountered. Actually, he knows that in Japanese culture, there are certain lines you don't cross. He didn't know how to tell you, but he knew you all were breaking certain social rules and wanted to get you out of there ASAP. You are both "soto" (outsiders) and were invading an "uchi," forcing your way into an inner circle to whom you do not belong. Japan is full of people who will open up to you if only you are genuine to them. Others have said so, but if you really want to connect with these people you need to go further than just beer. You need to go further than just shaming them for being in the situation they're in. That's how they feel; like you're judging them. Maybe you didn't mean it that way, but that's the way it comes off when some foreigner with a camera comes and asks them probing questions off the bat. Like who are you and why do any of these men owe you any sort of explanation? You know who else was traveling in Japan with a cam for RUclips? That Somali guy. Japanese men, especially older generation don't want to talk to a foreigner with a camera. Get a clue man. Have some respect. The slums aren't tourist areas, and the people there aren't Mickey Mouse for you to wanting snapshots with them. If you want something genuine, learn the culture a bit more and show you're actually interested in talking with them, not just a quick video for your channel. That man in the stairwell, man. He opened up to you. This points to another problem in Japan that there are videos on RUclips about; loneliness and old people dying alone. You and your friend are probably the only ones he's talked to for a while. And you were just there for your quick interview. Do you not realize how sad this is? He wanted someone to talk to and you just wanted your RUclips video. You need to realize that people aren't there for your personal video ops. They're people with souls. I hope you open your eyes more. Peace and Good luck.
thanks for showing this. i just came back from japan at the end of july. such a beautiful country, but every country has its problems. there’s no one perfect place
This whole video felt like you were in Japan and had a day off so you decided to try and make a video. So many questionable or just rude questions or comments, giving alcoholics alcohol in hopes of getting content from them in return, and the whole thing, especially with the yakuza, just felt rushed and last minute.
Imagine being at your lowest and some foreigner with a camera and bag of beer comes up to you asking mountains of invasive questions and judging your lifestyle...... and your expected to be welcoming towards them .. wild and
Drew definitely crossed lines and did not get the point that those people did not want him around even his translator was getting uncomfortable with the constant asking of random questions , sorry but you were definitely ignorant and insensitive in this video
That man towards the beginning has the laugh of a truly happy person. Their situation seems dire but in that chaos they find tranquility. It's really beautiful :D
Honestly i felt really uncomfortable watching this ,you took advantage of those ppl addiction to beer to record and have some content it was so forced ,the choice of words was sometimes poor a d rude , the guide was clearly stressed af most of it ,you can take a flight and move on with your life but he ll face the consequences ,talking shit about gangs on their back is never wise ,i knew your chan nel through yes theory but am honestly dissapointed ,the boys never act like this .
I 💕 you Japan. Don't tell them anything. You're entitled to your privacy. Americans think they have all the right in the world to expose other people's misery. If they don't engage in war, they go around exposing other people's lives. If they expose then they should help. They earn money by exposing other people's misery. So shameful
That slum area is very clean and well taken care of. Even the homeless people are clean and their clothes aren't dirty ripped or torn. Even in the USA or Europe you don't have that level of cleanliness.
true, they sre just home less but they still have pride and clean because that was their culture.. as compared to different countries in the world who has homeless isuues
With all due respect, your translations from your friend or in this video are often very off and misleading. Please get that fixed by a professional if you can.
One million Views. Drew doesn't care about our comments. He cares about $$$ and whoever he can exploit to get them. You did nothing for this community but exploit them. Beer .... please give me a break.
You white or Japanese? Stop with the SJW bs bro, offering money to them would be even more offensive, they were drinking beer so he offered them beer. His video was made to bring awareness, and it’s enlightening to see how the underprivileged live in another country, he’s not exploiting them to do any nefarious task. He did nothing wrong in my opinion, stop being so sensitive my g
Almost two millions now... not proud to be a part of them, this was my first time on this channel and hopefuly the last. Only 33k likes though, the like/dislike ratio must be abysmal.
These homeless people look soo friendly and "safe". Most homeless people in Romania will try to beg from you, steal or scam you. Also that place looks amazing clean for a place where homeless people live and hangaround. It's amazing how even the lowest of the lowest live better, are cleaner and more decent than similar people in my country. This makes me wanna buy a serve of food for each of them, sadly I can't afford it nor I am in there.
@@IanBaluwa-b9tyeah but not particularly futuristic, they still have fax machines, floppy disks, they play video games from the 90s and until covid happened everything was done with cash
@@TheKingOfBeans this is correct ^ its not very futuristic when you actually go there. Still very nice place! The 90s recession rocked them into stagnation for 30 years
There so lack of compassion and empathy in your interview is almost disrespectful and rude, is it almost sickening to watch. Please go learning some empathy and compassion before doing a piece like this. 👎
I've stayed in this part of Tokyo multiple times as a tourist because hotels here are cheap and many foreigners are staying in the hotels because of the price and it's close to Minami-senju station. I have never feel unsafe when I was staying there.
Japan is truly a beautiful nation with rich history, but the problem is they’re unluckily located in a place where typhoons and cyclones are a big issue. Geographically speaking, they’re quite unlucky.
Whenever I watch your videos, I try to elevate my thoughts so that a flood of light and love is always blessing your life! Thanks for existing, man, you emanate good energy!
Do you really ask a homeless guy “why you tried to suicide?” and give a fuck about the answer just because doesn’t fit the subject of your video? WTF do you think you are doing with these people?
Hey bro, this video is really bad. I lived in Japan many years and you should had investigated a little bit more about their culture for not approaching to them like that. They will never talk freely to you if they don't trust you. That's how japanese society works. Everything is about trust. It's sad to see what influencers do nowdays just to gain some likes and views 👎.
Drew, I just want to let you know to continuously check on that young man who was your assistant during this video shoot. You can tell he was shocked and somewhat scared in certain situations. No one forced him to show you around but hey, he's a young man and you can leave that country after meeting with certain people, but that young man can't or if he can, he still has possible family there. And now that your video is posted, there's no telling if someone is going to be offended by anything posted, and he's still in Japan. Smh. Please keep tabs on his well-being, he seems like such a good young man.
Yes, those Yakuza were nothing but polite and respectful, and Drew just talked shit on them when they weren’t around. Kept saying how sketchy they were and how they kill people (probably to hype up suspense for views) when these guys were giving them a tour of the city like proper hosts. Drew even got one of them to confess about one of his crimes he was never convicted of. If I was them and saw this video I’d feel very insulted.
@@cameronpavelic500Keep living in your gated Community. The gang is public so any problems with tourist would result in conflicts with the police, meaning losing their business. You also really only care about being disrespectful but it's somehow bad that a member exposed a crime that they did? What?
@@damien5971 exactly. One of them admitted to raping a girl
So true!
True, I like the cheap hotel and the Nice people.
His guide was clearly nervous most of the time and very uncomfortable.
Ele percebeu o ignorante com quem estava trabalhando
@@FatimaFranco-ke7hh That's why he is traveling, to become less ignorant, that's the beauty of traveling!
@@FatimaFranco-ke7hh chupa
@@user-mw4eq5mq4b elaborate?
Yeah drew was asking to many questions and took him in there too deep
I am shocked, not about the situation in Sanya nor about the life of the Yakuza. I am shocked about the way you approached these people, honestly, Drew, I watched many of your videos but this isn’t your best work. I lived in Tokyo many years, I studied Japanese language, history and culture. It was like watching an elephant entering a glass house, sorry to say. I felt crushed myself. You must take into consideration that Japan is a very, very old society and talking straight to people is not a thing there. You can bow your head and show respect wherever you want to go but bluntly asking the most offensive questions is asking for trouble. I am just relieved that you got out of that situation in one piece.
yes, have to agree. became a bit glaringly obvious he didn't know much about general asian culture, attitudes and approaches. i felt uncomfortable as well. as a former NYCer (now living in HK) who is generally very blunt, this was way too brash and insensitive.
Do you feel the same way about his other video about some city in America? Such double standards 🙄🙄🙄🙄
@@wadenakamura6184what about his other video about America's ghettos, do you feel the same way? Or double standards here, did you respond to that video or just turn away and not care?
@@eribM9443 , America? We weren’t talking about America. Double standards? I only expressed my opinion about the topic at hand.
@@wadenakamura6184 , yeah, it’s unfortunate to ask someone who tried to commit suicide years ago gets asked straight away by a foreigner, why he did that, that would be wrong everywhere in the world. He could have said, shitsuredesu ga, ima wa, daijobu desu ka?
it shocks me drew has been to every single country in the world and yet lacked so much cultural awareness in this video
Exactement
@@Vintage-Yakyu I'm pretty sure cultural ignorance isn't what drives someone to treat people at their worst like tourism sideshows. Like, it's not rocket science, nor does it take some gargantuan degree of cultural understanding.
What cultural awareness did he lack? He asked reasonable questions. He isnt there for fun or to make friends. He is essentially a documentarian now and the charm of the channel comes from the fact that Drew is a regular dude
@@thehater6189 He should have realized his own guide was increasingly nervous, just like the rest of people watching this video.
@DoctorChained you were nervous watching this video? Please elaborate. The guide being nervous is observable but he should get over it
The slums of Japan are still cleaner and safer than 99% of third world countries
JP Cleanest country I have seen apart from Sweden.
Thats because there arent any real slums these are just parts of the city where the homeless live
Like the USA!
@@globalismoblackman The cleanest country apart from pre invasion Sweden.
@markadler8968 Hmmm I am talking about way back in 1989 😉.Not sure what it looks like now 🤔.
"Nothing" means they don't like the questions.
oo nga
@@zackfair1868namo😂
Aka mind your business
or they don't want to answer. A couple hundred yen worth of beer isn't worth peeling the scar of painful past I assume
more like they just want to be left alone
Some years ago I also made interviews with homeless in Tokyo for a magazine. The problem with this video is that Drew did not approach them in a very professional way. Just show up with some beers and a camera does not make people open up. For my project I first reached out to organisations who work with homeless and could connect me with people who were actually willing to tell me story. Once you get the trust of one person, its not so difficult to find other people. I generally have highest respect for Drews work but this video feels like he wanted to get quick content, make one story in one afternoon without much researching.
Can I read your mentioned article online?
@@akiraaoi18 Was only print and in German. Sorry.
I agree, I couldn’t finish watching this video. Just felt like he wasn’t there because he wanted to investigate but rather just for content. Lacked respect towards not only the homeless people but the guide who was visibly uncomfortable.
Its the same as he always try to shake hands with people in China. Its a bit embarrassing when they laugh of him not accepting his hand.
I felt like it was wrong too but, I had to remember it’s American customs. You go up to homeless people ask them these exact questions and they’ll tell you everything. It’s just a difference in cultural aspects.
I was also surprised at Drew's comment @11:50 : "I haven't seen something like this anywhere in the world" because poverty, slums and ghettos are all over the world.
Exactly!
Drew as an American should know that this situation is very common in his country. This video reeks of arrogance and disrespect - this is why I unfollowed him a year ago. I just accidentally saw this and got curious.
As an american, i was thinking the exact same thing. When he said that, i was like dude you must be RICH to be oblivious to the crisis at home. Not to discredit or compare with those in need of help in Japan because obviously any homelessness is bad, but ONE major "slums" area sounds like a dream from my experience in the US. I've never seen this guy's videos so I was just kind of curious, and honestly just felt bad for the people he was "interviewing". Like does he approach people the same way and talk behind their backs (or literally in front of their face) when he knows they speak the same language??
It's way worse in America. Yeah. And homeless are less safe in America.
I`m from brazil and its worse than favelas, its so dirty inside and each person occupies a corner
It’s a classic Japanophile view. For some romanticized reason, North America views japan as some otherworldly country with no imperfections and some insane level of honour and dignity.
Remember everyone; people are people are people. We are all the same just as all dogs and cats are the same. Wait, humans also classify and evaluate every other animal just as they do fellow humans…😂
Honestly if a random man talk to me with a camera asking me questions why such and such about my life If I am happy or miserable when it’s very obvious what my situation is, i would not answer too. Like bro who are you? 😅
same thought in my head. Like he don't know how to ask, or what to ask
watch the vlog about Hongkong "confin room" or "cage room", where people live in worse situations than these Janpanese but much more willing to answer such questions.
He is Drew Binsky and he thinks he is better than you. W
I think they are also scared to say anything. People may come and hurt them if they say the wrong thing.
Just because ur situation is bad doesn't mean you have to be rude manners and to courteous cost nothing and will get you a lot further In situations like that trust me
the gentleman at 11:30 was so nice. its not really fair to judge him the way you guys did, you never know what someone has been thru. i understand that you may not have meant it that way but it came off as super judgy, the reactions you had. he was happy to welcome you into his home and show you his situation. you guys should have sat and talked to some of the people without cameras and made some connections and then asked if they were comfortable speaking on camera. it just did come off as lacking respect for them
Completely agree with you. I feel these people are being interrogated
Unfortunately these so called RUclipsrs specially white they do it only for content. They don’t really try to connect or show concern but count views….
He also should have given him a gift packet instead of an extra beer
Well said
We have zero idea what happens behind the camera. He obviously edits these down. So we would have no idea if he has conversations off camera. So perhaps we dont judge the man by the 20min video when he obviously didnt spend 20min in tokyo
at 5:45 the guy says: "Jikan wa kankeinai" - which means: "Time doesn't matter" / at 2:59 - when drew asks "Is it dangerous here?" the man answers: "Ima wa shizuka" - which means: "Now its quiet" / at 7:08 drew asks: "Do you have a family?" the guy says: "Minna enkitteruyo" - which means "Everyone cut ties"
Why is the Japanese guy mistranslating?
I knew I caught some of the translations being off...
@@LemonLimes99 His English isn't quite good enough to translate
anyone can use a translator
@@LemonLimes99 hes not, the guy is using a translator
The little old man living on the stair well about made his guide cry. Poor old man I wish him the best in life
The translations are not right. I lived in Japan for 10 years and even though the guy with no name said that things are really quiet now, it was translated as a place of violence and when he said "jikan was kankenai" he wasn't saying that he didn't want to answer, he literally said, time is not something you think about or something that matters. They were more open than you think. They were misunderstood as saying nothing for every question.
Thank you for the clarity - it felt a little bit off - that whole transaction with the elderly men.
The japanese guy that assisted Drew was obviously scared and anxious, he was there the first time, he didnt know what to expect. His body language and face impression said it all. He was scarer. They said nay "Nothing" most of the time, thats what he translated to Drew, he was trying to be done.
I kind of got that vibe.
I got the vibe that they didn’t want to talk due to their past and the area they were in.
I don’t speak Japanese, but the vibes weren’t matching what the translator was saying. I would’ve just written it off, but then I saw you comment.
Thanks. You inadvertently aided in the boosting of the confidence I have in myself and my gut and I my discernment and intuition.
I’m a japanese translator is good but little2 different don’t be smart
"Time is not something you think about or something that matters" - very Buddhist 😊
Leave them alone.
Most of the homeless in Japan just want to live without interference. They probably don't even know youtube, but they definitely don't want to be shown up on social media.
Yeah I agree to many RUclipsrs want to shove a camera in front of the poor without consent first
Muricans
He isn't being in their face...he is just exposing a side of Japan most people don't know or neglect...and he is being respectful about it. He is just trying to befriend them
@@kennylee8936 Fool
@@kennylee8936he's not very good at it. No tact
あなたは取材しているのではなく、あなたが期待する返答を彼らに強要しているように私が感じるのはなぜだろう。
He suck
This guy grew a high horse due to his RUclips channel..
@dinosuar-pq3nn Now we're talkin' 😂🤑🫨🫣🤫
They tried hard to interview, revealed that nothingness is often the story of Japan's homeless.
he should use some money he makes from his RUclips channel to learn greater etiquette
This may sound strange, but I find it comforting that, even at the lowest level of society, people are still trying to conduct themselves with dignity. They still greet others. They still bathe. They are trying to have what they can have, and not worry about what they don't have.
we are all still people :)
What stood out is that even the organized crime in Japan is a lot more dignified than a lot of the world considering they offer disaster releif and try to maintain order where the goverment cannot.
And like I was just stating in a reply on another comment, best street poor conditions you wanna be in are there in Japan, so neat looking wow 😅 ...I guess the government helps women more, or men just allow themselves to reach rock bottom more (...!?)
@@katedaphne4495 They are far from rock bottom if you compare to other countries and their "best" parts.
Poor Kosuke , he was like "WTF DID I GOT INTO"
This is really an unethical video. Giving alcohol to alcoholics as a bribe for their time? Being wildly clueless about why someone in their situation would not want to talk with you and might be insulted by your opportunistic desire to leverage their suffering for a shock topic video.
Honestly it is just another example of thoughtless, selfish influencers coming to Japan and behaving shamefully.
Shame on you for all of this. I guess you got the attention you wanted, but it was a pitiable show of ignorance and dehumanization to get it.
SHut Up Non Binary Karen
I agree. His questions are disrespectful!
Thank you for this comment!!
I hope you cry
No it's not those people have nothing else so any token of kindness is appreciated you people haven't been in that situation before so you're opinion don't really count
Even the Slums are orderly and clean in Japan.
🫤😑🧚🏾✨💫
Real homeless in usa always on fent....
Loved the discipline in all the areas.
Thing Japan: 😮
That's because there are a lot of volunteers that help to clean up the streets
As a japanese person, this was extremely insensitive. I understand that Drew probably had good intentions. And as a known travel blogger, you'd expect him to have the most social awareness and to have done prior research, but in the end it just ended up him looking entirely uneducated about japanese culture.
I give him the benefit of the doubt, thinking that he did not start off as a dick, but the problem is that to keep himself as a "travel blogger", he has to gradually push further into insensitive dick territory. Probably when he started he would have handled this more tactfully, but as his views grow, and he gets used to treating the people he interacts with as simply characters in a drama he is scripting for his audience, he has lost the recognition that they are real people.
His content no longer is about travel. Travel is about learning about the place you are visiting, and learning that social awareness. At this point, he is now just a content creator. He does not travel for travel. He travels for content.
He's like that this guy, does great work but you have to look past the propaganda.
lmao
You aren’t Japanese lol
Drew is the typical American ignorant travel vlogger. No amount of countries Americans travel to will make them any less ignorant because they view everything from their own lens. He thinks he's some sort of travelling superstar.
I live in the capital of a Western European country and there are many neighbourhoods that are a lot shabbier than this one. This so called 'slum' would be considered an ok area.
i'm from africa,that slum is closer to the Ritz Carlton
Facts. I'd feel safer walking there at night than in some parts of NYC.
La misère est la même dans le monde entier Seule l'intensité de la violence change tu les prends pour des gentils est tu a sûrement raison si tu compare a l'europe mais leurs civilisation et très différente le respect des autres et de soi-même et tres fort alors qu'en Europe ont a plus le respect de rien Biensur ceci et mon point de vue force et respect mon frère
I thought so too! Moreover, they all looked pretty clean for being homeless! Like they don’t look disgustingly dirty like all the homeless ppl here do
@@faa1412 did yall miss the part where women arent allowed to live there because its too dangerous...
Slums in Japan are better than some middle class neighborhoods here
Where is here
Well, they did have the benefit of a mid-game rebuild after the nukes.
Either USA, Canada, Africa or South Asia? Or am I just off wildly...
Better and safer than once middle class Chicago suburbs like Calumet Park, Harvey, Robbins, Markham, Dixmoor (I could go on...)....
@@TheOldTapeArchive The southern half of Chicago is so dangerous that it's not safe living anywhere in Chicago with the presence of the risk of accidentally entering the south side.
Even the ghetto in Japan is mellow 💀
wtf does 💀 mean
@@TheKingOfBeans Emphasising the absurdity I suppose?
@@TheKingOfBeansit's a laughing emoji "I'm dead 💀 "
Hot pfp
Scary
What Drew is doing here is actually slum tourism. This is a divisive activity for exactly the reasons you see in the video. In some contexts, like the LA tunnels, the medium shines by bringing awareness to mental health and homelessness. For the American in Japan, however, there is a awkwardness and social intrusion. You can see it on the face of your mediator. Drew should seriously question his decisions to do this and post the content, but I doubt he will because, well, clicks = revenue.
Some choose to be homeless because they want out of the system. We are all tired
Homefree
Tired of what, you haven't even done anything lol
@@neoreign Tire of high taxes, keeping up with the Joneses in terms of having to drive everywhere in a sleek, new, flashy car, having to be cool, act cool, talk cool, think cool, behave cool, believe cool, exude coolness . . . better to just surf on RUclips and ChatGPT.
@squibbelsmcjohnsonThe system is garbage and if you're not dealt the right cards, you'll basically be a slave to your owner (landlord, bank, employer, government,...) for the rest of your life. Some people are starting to wake up but a lot of people (friends, family, etc.) are enablers and keep you in that system as long as they are.
@@paradoxparade1thank you for spitting truth brother. Jesus is king
It’s so damn hilarious that he’s shocked alcoholics are hanging out at a park and drinking beer at 12 pm. Is he staging that as a reaction? Has he never seen an alcoholic before? They don’t all have a special designated drinking time. Any time is a good for another drink for many an alcoholic.
Beer/alcohol? That's so last century. In other places, meth, heroin, Oxycotin, fent are in fashion.
@@rivertonhigh-v4tOui, ça reste de l'alcool...
I wouldn't imagine a reporter buying fentanyl to meet people in Detroit, I don't see how you could think buying beer to bribe them seems acceptable
Who cares if someone is drinking alcohol honestly. Nothing here is bizarre and I have lived like this in Canada
I dunno man, this feels very disrespectful to me. Your questions are annoying and rude, your English talking alone in the camera is sneaky and off-putting. Buying beer for alcoholics to get camera shots is just straight up wrong imo. I just signed up to your channel but I'm out.
This!
Bye!
True , very disrespectful
ngl i feel this way about almost all of his interviews, he comes off as really intrusive and very insincere with how he seems to expect people to tell their whole life's story to a random foreigner with a camera, without even trying to get to know them without it. Not everyone's gonna groove with that, and i sure as hell dont.
Some are interested in how famous you are. If he shows his channel, other interviewers he talked to and subscribers more people are likely to talk. He may pay them or purchase items, not sure. This is my first time coming across his channel.
Drew, c'mon, it's like you've never been around a boozed up elderly, please get outta their face! 😅 It was uncomfortable watching you make a local hand out beer and talk to the elderly men who hang out in the slums. Think about it, would you go hang out at your local slums to hand out beer then ask personal questions about them? It was hard to watch your friends obvious body language pivot to that he wanted to leave. To have you discredit him by saying "They're not angry" as if you understood the language was hard to watch as well.
"Think about it, would you go hang out at your local slums to hand out beer then ask personal questions about them? " He does. I saw one of the videos about that and RUclips started sending me more of his exploitation crap in my feed.
I live in Japan, once was nearby the area he is showing, so I clicked on this one before realizing whose video it was. If you are looking for this type of exploitative content, you will not be disappointed.
This guy seems completely unaware. He was the same in the video I saw where he did this in USA.
I will give him the benefit of the doubt and attribute it to him being young and privileged, with no life experience to guide him, rather than just call him a complete dick. Maybe one day he will look back and be ashamed at his early works.
This.
RUclips is becoming very troublesome lately.
Many creators are coming to places with cameras, making our society less genuine. They are invading privacy of others, pretending it is for some kind of just cause.
Most concerning, they approach people without sensitivity. Asking directly, "Why did you try to end your life?" as if asking about weather.
This is after person experienced very difficult time. They do not care about feelings, only to film like person is animal in zoo.
It is not respectful to ask "Are you happy or sad now?" to strangers.
These RUclipsrs should stop bothering people and find better topics.
Maybe we can return to more polite content? Like cat videos.
I believe this would be better for everyone.
cats' video this isn't the 2000s anymore grandma
you should’ve blurred his face even if he doesn’t want it. His safety could be in danger now due to speaking out on the Yukuza
He's been in loads of RUclips videos
@@Matt-lp9xl okay i didn’t know that thanks!
@KingSmiley "I didn't know that" use your brain, he knew he was recorded, he would have asked the man to stop recording if he had a problem. Bunch of people with a 70 iq in these comments.
@@akritasdigenis4831 u shmell like shi💩
@@akritasdigenis4831 did you expect him to have already watched every video he appears in? the statement they made is a possibility that seems to be immanent without the information that he rightfully couldn't keep track of every aspect on since this probably just randomly appeared on his feed but I digress...use your brain.
The Old man didn't drink one sip of beer in their presence. They even gave him a second one to say it was OK or in case he was saving it for later. Still didn't drink. He is not alcoholic or gangster who is too old to do crime now like all the other men. Women live with him meaning they feel safe and accepting of him.
Awesome content! Love all your work! 🤩
The yakuza bit was Epic!!! ❤
All the homeless dudes....."nothing good, nothing bad". A sense of gratitude for what they get. I have a lot of respect for these guys.....
Definitely respect them. It's gotta be pretty tough being homeless
Dude is trying to educate people about that part of Japan but did not educate himself first how to be considerate and polite towards these people who were just having a life and despite knowing Japanese are one of the most respectful people in the world.
The interview- What a disrespectful manner of interviewing people! Asking questions as if he was talking to a fellow American, thankfully, I am sure the interpreter translated all of the questions into a politer manner.
And one more thing, he should have at least insisted on covering the guide’s face and used a sound effect to change his voice for his protection.
So sorry for the people in that household, too.
If I were him, I wouldn’t have made any comment about the smell, whatsoever. He wasn’t asked to be there anyway.
boohoo
I really dont mean to generalize and im sure this doesnt apply for everyone, but i find it so common to see americans disrespect the culture here in Tokyo no matter where i go. Im sure its not intentional but their level of being aware of their surrondings is suprisingly low. Being noisy on trains, temples and shrines, sneaking in lines, blocking the streets and escalators, loud private conversations in restaurants, staring at young girls and the worst is patrionizing japanese rules by talking about "how its done" in their own country. If its so hard to be self aware and considerate, it would be better to do some research about "what not to do" before the the plane reaches its destination. As a visitor, one should take responsibility to respect a foreign culture. Bringing your own culture and expectations into Japan makes japanese people generalize foreigners into one big disturbance in society.
Yeah ngl this interview was pretty stupid. Asking questions he shouldn't be asking and questions that had fairly obvious answers.
@iamblessed0203 You're very ignorant. The Japanese are one of the most respectful people; lmao you clearly don't know anything about their history and what's like growing up there.
@@akritasdigenis4831 you stupid brainless shit! Where is your reading comprehension? Did you read and understand my comment before replying?? Shame on you stupid!
So insensitive of you to approach them bluntly just because you need content to make money. And yes blurring their faces would have been the least you could have done to show respect for them and their situation. In my culture, it is "bastos" .
But here you are watching it and also commenting lol
I agree
Yea, dude needs to check his privilege before making videos like this
He asked the yakusa before interviewing them and they said they didn't mind their faces being seen on camera.
This ex-yakuza G was humble enough to invite you to a bar for whiskey and you couldn't even cheers him properly or drink WITH him. Damn Drew lol. I love your content but this one hit differently. The American in you shows strong. God bless Kosuke and his willingness to be a part of this. He may be the only one in this video that doesn't think you're a dork 😄
Japan doesn't have a slum. White colonists, AKA KKK genocidal rapists, love painting pictures of other countries to boost their own. Typical white trash
- You completely lie about the history of this area.
- You mistranslate what the people are saying.
- You use crappy AI generated clickbaity thumbnails
But hey, you got 1 million views so a lot of cash.
Did you sell your channel to a marketing company?
And you are watching😅 honestly think about how utterly stupid that is
@@katiegaffney8939 I think you really need to think about it more. Is it possible that someone who is not "utterly stupid" could watch a video from a RUclipsr they generally admire, only to realize it was deliberately falsified to look more interesting?
@@katiegaffney8939 without watching, how is he supposed to know if its a good video or a bad video with wrong translations?
Thats like saying to someone who says that the food he ordered is bad quality "why did you order it then"
because you dont know before trying it!
Drew, you know you traumatized this kid in his own country. He's more shocked than you are.
I think he was more uncomfortable having to ask such personal questions from his American friend that lacked any cultural and self awareness. At one point he even has to point out to Drew that these people were getting angry, and Drew even told him “no they weren’t!” to which the guy had to repeat, yes, they were.
Exactly my thoughts, he stated he was uncomfortable, it shouldve been done with. Who is to say what will happen to him in the future due to this video too..
@@cameronpavelic500 im at that point of the vid now, he should have some common sense
@amandaolivia24 Nothing will happen to him, Lizzo. If he thought he was in danger, he would have asked Drew to take the video down.
@@akritasdigenis4831 lmfao okay there assbuddy of drew, it’s okay to take his cock out of your ass and use your brain and have empathy.
Your Japanese friend is not actually translating everything that is said. The first larger guy said he'd been living there for 3 years. I don't know about all of those guys but a fair few are former yakuza (just look at their behaviour and accents), hence their abrupt nature. And you are a foreigner, even your guide is to some extent because he's not from that area, he has no business there. Asking Japanese people from anywhere in Japan personal questions is considered extremely rude. The guy in the orange T-shirt said "jikan mo or wa (couldn't quite make out the particle) wakaranai" meaning, he doesn't know for how long he has been homeless.
It used to be a thing that yukaza don't kill foreigners but... it does happen. Your guide is right to be scared, it's outside his experience. If you have a family member involved, it is different. You know, you can't ever mention it but you also know, you are safe-ish.
It's good you mentioned the earthquake/tsunami, yakuza provided aid faster than the government.
Thanks for explaining. Definitely concerning for the guide guy.
Hope everything goes well for everyone in the video.
This guy has negative charisma, that's why people hate him.
He also said 50 years when the old man was living on the top of the stairs even though the old man said ni nen, which is two years
My dad had a shipping company when I was a kid and when the tsunami hit he left. He had friends in the yakuza that had private airports, the only ones not shut down in the area, and was able to fly in fresh food and they took trucks and drove them to affected areas.
the old man said " jikan wa kankei nai" which means "doesnt matter how long ive been here" or "time doesnt matter" for a more direct translation.
this video arrived in Brazil, the videos are amazing, thank you very much!
lol dude do you hear the questions you’re asking? I’m watching this video and I’m thinking, “why tf would you ask that of all questions?!”
What do we expect from a privileged Zionist
Lol i was literally thinking the same thing!
Kids Meeting each other ❤❤❤ why you are write this comment i m thinking why are you tf write this ??
give an example
11:20 "I haven't seen anything like this anywhere in the world" Forreal bro? people literally live like this everywhere all the time
Drew is always dramatic... Always saying that this and that country is his most favorite country.. or this or that is his most favorite food.. he just says whatever people want to hear or to add shock value.. and Exegerate stuff to get views. Most RUclipsr do that anyways.
Because compared to other slums and tent city’s and ghettos Japan is rather clean in comparison.
Exactly I'm in America and there are people here that live worse. Has he ever watched hoarders? This guy was being so disingenuous and condescending
You are saying that they didn’t want to communicate you but imagine, if someone come to your house, asking random questions. Would you be happy? They feel safer there with other bunch of them. Respect. Also shouldn’t show the number plate on the car. We Japanese are also watching this.
facts
I am genuinely worried for Kosuke. I don’t think Drew understands the danger he poses upon his guides after he uploads the video. These videos are slowly becoming exploitative and not educational.
Why are you now getting into poverty travel? Dont need to copy others styles like indigo traveler...it seems lately you are trying to be more like indigo traveler or bald and bankrupt but your vibes are different and dont come across as genuine. Go back to your own style.
In Japan, elderly homeless or slum dwellers are eligible for monthly benefits known as “生活保護” from the government, but many refuse to accept them. This reluctance stems from a belief that it is shameful to rely on government assistance. I hope this attitude changes in the future because It is not shameful to receive support, especially when these individuals have contributed significantly to the growth of the Japanese economy and deserve such aid. 😢
how do you know what they contributed? Please don't make baseless assumptions..
Also the handouts enablement is what led to the horrendous perpetual welfare and SS situation in the US. We should be less dependent on the gov not more. Yes to safety nets, no to perpetual loose welfare.
@@rc3398x drinking and smoking is not allowed I bet that's why they dont accept the program. It's like anywhere else.
This is such a distastful video and such a lack of empathy, this was such a tone deaf approach to interacting with people whether they are struggling or not, idk how it articulate it but it was almost predatory? Regardless, it's enough to make me unsubscribe after following your progress for years, I have really enjoyed your content in the past, but this type of energy is not one that im willing to support or the type of energy and vibes I want in my brain. I know my opinion doesn't really matter but nonetheless I felt the need to express it.
Your opinion does matter. This video is very disrespectful, predatory, and ignorant. He didn't respect the privacy of any of the people shown and treated the place like a spectacle to farm views from "shock value". Instead of a human and genuine approach, the whole thing was clearly just exploitation. Giving alcohol to alcoholics and asking them incredibly intimate questions in a culture where that is considered rude? Sickening, really. This is embarrassing.
I agree with you.
It was enough to make me never watch another of videos, this was my first one. I’m totally disgusted. 🤢
Same here. Not to waste words...
It really shocks me at the amount of people who don't realize poverty is in every country, every town, every village.
😐Japan doesn't particularly want to hide the existence of homeless people. Simply put, many former homeless people receive welfare benefits from the city and rent a house.
Homeless people can get welfare benefits by going to a welfare office and asking for advice, so they can rent an apartment or other place to live, but they don't want to live in a fixed place.
this! like, i dont think japan "hides" them. who tf would put homeless people in their tourism ad? they exist, they're just in "slums" or sleeping in internet cafes.
生活保護制度があります！
それを使わないのはその人の自由！
プライドで保護を受けない人がいます。
隠してるわけではない。
The lack of empathy is insane
From who
@@GERMANFORCEo povo da Alemanha nunca teve empatia matou só 6 milhões de judeus
I'm Japanese so I know that A LOT of what the homeless were saying and your friend translated in English did not match. Either get a better translator, or your friend is mis-translating on purpose because you were being so insensitive to the poor homeless. ):<
BTW I live close to another slum in Yokohama, which is Kotobukichō, but in these past 10 years A LOT of improvement has been done to the area and has become completely safe and clean. I hope that Sanya gets the same treatment.
ALSO my (now-deceased) grandma lived in an apartment that had a resident Yakuza living there, and he treated all the residents like his family, and protected them from any form of danger with his life. He was a very kind gentleman who helped the residents have access to safety and helped arrange new homes when the 3/11 earthquake hit us.
The thing about the awkward situation with the Chinese gangs is true. So wiping out Yakuza isn't the same as jailing ordinary criminals. The relationship of Yakuza and Japanese society is very very complex and hard to tackle. I dunno how to put it in words, but they actually do have some societal benefits.
In America, no different
...my grandma lived in a mobile trailer that my family provided for some time till she died.
She really lived there till she was old and could not see. Poverty is something I have seen in my life.
yes, we all know. The Japan government just work as Yakuza. Yakuza is so good, Japanese is Yakuza, Yakuza is Japanese people. Yakuza and Japanese people love each other.
@@feihuo7874 Found the Japanese hater... tell us how good the Chinese have it with the CCP. Any good op!um lately?
Y’all aren’t Japanese
You were so demeaning to people in this video Drew, not just once but multiple times. Very very disappointing to see.
One of the moments that stuck out is how you made fun of the yakuza guy’s car, when he was taking you to meet his friend. People are showing you kindness and yet behind their backs you’re just making fun of them? Thats so disrespectful.
These slum is cleaner and organised than 90% of New York and London.. How the hell it is call slum??
Tourist never visits? Most people who visit Sanya is foreign tourists. Locals won't treat the place like a zoo when actual people live there. Also the government isn't hiding the place (how can you?), this place have always been there and known. In 1966 their name changed as ALL of Japanese administrative division was changed and often fused. It has nothing to do with outside world. People like Oriental pearl makes up dramatic story like "Japan is hiding this from us!!" desperately hunting anything bad, while living and free-riding the country. But the world does not revolve around her. You are fine though, I just hope you don't get misled by arrogant people like her.
thanks for the insight, i didn't buy the "you can't find this place!!!1" either even without knowing anything about it before
I didn’t see any tourists there despite many guesthouses. I assumed it was mostly Japanese who come to Tokyo and look for a cheap place to stay
@@drewbinsky I always stay at Juyoh Hotel there because it's cheap.
It's pretty clear he needed a good click bait title so that people would click this video.
@@drewbinsky If you actually stayed in Sanya you would have known tourists frequent there. Please do a better job researching the area next time.
The Yakuza men they spoke with were friendly to them and very respectful, talking truthfully and just like normal mature men now, and so kind to them... I thank you for telling good thinking to keep going in Life no matter what happens..
Damn 50 years alone in the same room
And your first visitor does a documentary on you.
But you’re chill as a cucumber 😎
Touché old man.
Touché
I lived in Osaka and had may runs in with those that were in the Yakuza, every single one of them was a good experience. They were always friendly to me and were willing to help me out. There are 'slums' in Osaka too. I remember one time we were going to meet with a man in his apartment and I fell through the stairs since the danchi was so run down. The Japanese people are amazing and Japan is a marvelous place to go. Every country has those that are less fortunate.
Awesome perspective Thank you so much!
There are 3,000 homeless people in Japan and 650,000 in the US. Please worry about America.
And 900 million beggers in lndia
Let's show that side of Japan too. At least in North America we do not hide this stuff.
@@wrestlingterrier8366America is desperate to try to hide the homelessness issue - they’re just so many homeless that they can’t hide them anymore. Look at how often their tents and camps are demolished routinely by police in an attempt to push them elsewhere. We are no better
This is the most fake video I ever seen
@@wrestlingterrier8366 Homelessness can’t be hidden, no matter the country. In Japan, homeless individuals are often found in parks, stations, or certain urban areas. The claim that Japan ‘hides’ its homeless is misleading and sensationalized. Unlike in the U.S., Japan has systems in place to manage homelessness, but that doesn’t mean they’re being hidden. Every country addresses this issue differently, and oversimplifying it for clicks doesn’t help.
I found it so funny and contradictory when he said that he feels like “Japan is the most respectful culture in the world” yet he didn’t show them any of the respect that they expect in this video throughout all the interviews he did.😭😭 meaning like if he knows about their culture and stuff I don’t understand why he would just approach these strangers randomly without so much as a “hello” or an introduction and just automatically jump straight into these (sometimes) uncomfortable and insulting questions.
i don’t know i guess that just makes not a lot of sense to me that he states he knows how much their culture values respect then at the same time didn’t do any of the things that are expected and valued within their culture lol.
This is not the only slum in Tokyo or in Japan for that matter.
This guy is getting a lot of criticism and rightly so. Very insensitive to people he tried to interview.
Some of those questions, bro. Made me cringe as an American.
I think it's one reason why people in Japan don't get cocky, be polite to strangers, and mind there own business. Because you never know who you'll bump into.
Yes, don't be looking for trouble or you'll get into trouble with them.
Better to bring food instead of beer.
Wouldn't that be considered as insulting by some of the commenters here? "Why did you give them food"? "They are not stray cats you know"? Them folks there liked beer and he bought them some!
Bring food: "They prefer beer, why didn't you buy beer!"
Bring beer: "Should have brought food and not beer!"
You can't please everyone.
That or money
Typical american
Dude... I don't want to be rude or anything, but what you're doing is not a good look. Like I know you want to go places and get a quick snapshot to say "I've been here" for your RUclips channel, but this is superficial and the guys you're trying to talk to know this. They can smell it off you, and this is why you can't have a decent conversation.
Your questions? Kind of heartless. "Why are you here?" Like you want to ask guys how they ended up in the slums? Easy for a rich guy who travels the world and has it easy. Kinda rude to think you're easily going to make friends just by giving them beer.
Your Japanese friend is kinda the same way. He has an easy life and is obviously off put by a situation he himself by his own admission, has never encountered. Actually, he knows that in Japanese culture, there are certain lines you don't cross. He didn't know how to tell you, but he knew you all were breaking certain social rules and wanted to get you out of there ASAP. You are both "soto" (outsiders) and were invading an "uchi," forcing your way into an inner circle to whom you do not belong.
Japan is full of people who will open up to you if only you are genuine to them. Others have said so, but if you really want to connect with these people you need to go further than just beer. You need to go further than just shaming them for being in the situation they're in. That's how they feel; like you're judging them. Maybe you didn't mean it that way, but that's the way it comes off when some foreigner with a camera comes and asks them probing questions off the bat.
Like who are you and why do any of these men owe you any sort of explanation? You know who else was traveling in Japan with a cam for RUclips? That Somali guy. Japanese men, especially older generation don't want to talk to a foreigner with a camera.
Get a clue man. Have some respect. The slums aren't tourist areas, and the people there aren't Mickey Mouse for you to wanting snapshots with them. If you want something genuine, learn the culture a bit more and show you're actually interested in talking with them, not just a quick video for your channel.
That man in the stairwell, man. He opened up to you. This points to another problem in Japan that there are videos on RUclips about; loneliness and old people dying alone. You and your friend are probably the only ones he's talked to for a while. And you were just there for your quick interview. Do you not realize how sad this is? He wanted someone to talk to and you just wanted your RUclips video.
You need to realize that people aren't there for your personal video ops. They're people with souls.
I hope you open your eyes more. Peace and Good luck.
Thankyou for this comment!! I felt all of this 100% I almost cried watching this - it was so disrespectful.
7:38 - 8:03 I have so much respect for the Young Man, he respects the elders & feels shame at being asked to impose on them.
I went to this area (by accident) at about 9pm at night. It is very safe. It is far safer than any streets in the UK.
Japan has not imported street crime from “newcomers” the way the UK and the US have been doing for decades.
thanks for showing this. i just came back from japan at the end of july. such a beautiful country, but every country has its problems. there’s no one perfect place
This was a good reminder, I forget sometimes.
Some countries hide their problems better than others
لم أشاهد هذا شيء من قبل 😳 حرفيا 26 دقيقة مصدوم 😳
Btw, this thumbnail's landscape was created by AI, and not a single piece of text is coherent.
Underrated comment.
Great example of how a lack of cultural awareness, insensitivity, and implicit bias combine to create an incredibly invasive and exploitative video.
This whole video felt like you were in Japan and had a day off so you decided to try and make a video. So many questionable or just rude questions or comments, giving alcoholics alcohol in hopes of getting content from them in return, and the whole thing, especially with the yakuza, just felt rushed and last minute.
thats what blew my mind, why enable them further
Or you could see it as him giving people what they wanted
@@Theganjaman88 youre not well.
@@kaiser234 get a life sad act
Imagine being at your lowest and some foreigner with a camera and bag of beer comes up to you asking mountains of invasive questions and judging your lifestyle...... and your expected to be welcoming towards them .. wild and
Even the slum still better and cleaner than some other country in this world
Drew definitely crossed lines and did not get the point that those people did not want him around even his translator was getting uncomfortable with the constant asking of random questions , sorry but you were definitely ignorant and insensitive in this video
That man towards the beginning has the laugh of a truly happy person. Their situation seems dire but in that chaos they find tranquility. It's really beautiful :D
Best laugh ever
Honestly i felt really uncomfortable watching this ,you took advantage of those ppl addiction to beer to record and have some content it was so forced ,the choice of words was sometimes poor a d rude , the guide was clearly stressed af most of it ,you can take a flight and move on with your life but he ll face the consequences ,talking shit about gangs on their back is never wise ,i knew your chan
nel through yes theory but am honestly dissapointed ,the boys never act like this .
I 💕 you Japan. Don't tell them anything. You're entitled to your privacy. Americans think they have all the right in the world to expose other people's misery. If they don't engage in war, they go around exposing other people's lives. If they expose then they should help. They earn money by exposing other people's misery. So shameful
👏👍
That slum area is very clean and well taken care of. Even the homeless people are clean and their clothes aren't dirty ripped or torn. Even in the USA or Europe you don't have that level of cleanliness.
Very true !
they where taught are very young age even for homeless ppl know that
true, they sre just home less but they still have pride and clean because that was their culture.. as compared to different countries in the world who has homeless isuues
Europe and America are the third world in front of japan. No comparison between high class and lower class.
"Even in the USA', what lol
With all due respect, your translations from your friend or in this video are often very off and misleading.
Please get that fixed by a professional if you can.
This place still looks clean than some of the most cleanest places in india.
You’ve lost your mind Drew - complete lack of emotional intelligence…
One million Views. Drew doesn't care about our comments. He cares about $$$ and whoever he can exploit to get them. You did nothing for this community but exploit them. Beer .... please give me a break.
You white or Japanese? Stop with the SJW bs bro, offering money to them would be even more offensive, they were drinking beer so he offered them beer. His video was made to bring awareness, and it’s enlightening to see how the underprivileged live in another country, he’s not exploiting them to do any nefarious task. He did nothing wrong in my opinion, stop being so sensitive my g
Almost two millions now... not proud to be a part of them, this was my first time on this channel and hopefuly the last. Only 33k likes though, the like/dislike ratio must be abysmal.
Yup, agreed. I've I unfollowed and I hope many do the same. Tired of these exploitative type of content and RUclipsrs.
These homeless people look soo friendly and "safe". Most homeless people in Romania will try to beg from you, steal or scam you. Also that place looks amazing clean for a place where homeless people live and hangaround. It's amazing how even the lowest of the lowest live better, are cleaner and more decent than similar people in my country.
This makes me wanna buy a serve of food for each of them, sadly I can't afford it nor I am in there.
Buying them beer as a way to encourage them to talk to you on camera doesn’t seem like the best approach.
I always assumed all of Japan was futuristic. Thanks for travelling to that area and showing the world that part of Tokyo, Drew.❤❤❤
It’s futuristic if you live in the 80s
@@TheKingOfBeans Even now in the present day, Tokyo and Osaka are bustling and thriving metropolises.
@@IanBaluwa-b9tyeah but not particularly futuristic, they still have fax machines, floppy disks, they play video games from the 90s and until covid happened everything was done with cash
@@TheKingOfBeans this is correct ^ its not very futuristic when you actually go there. Still very nice place! The 90s recession rocked them into stagnation for 30 years
@@Jay-eb7ik Aren't there hotels with robot waiters in Tokyo making it a quite futuristic city?
There so lack of compassion and empathy in your interview is almost disrespectful and rude, is it almost sickening to watch. Please go learning some empathy and compassion before doing a piece like this. 👎
Looks like way better than other countries’ slums
Truth
@@lenaannis8787 it is said in the video, no women
yep Japan is very ahead
This is an interesting video. Today I learned something about the Japanese people and the Yakuza. From manila, Philippines here.
Slums are everywhere. Some just put a hype on other countries.
I've stayed in this part of Tokyo multiple times as a tourist because hotels here are cheap and many foreigners are staying in the hotels because of the price and it's close to Minami-senju station. I have never feel unsafe when I was staying there.
Poor research on his part, Minami-Senjyu isn't a bad place to stay if you're a budget conscious traveler.
I'm enjoying watching your videos.
Maaaan, you have been really everywhere, these are great videos, I was in TKY for a week but did not know this even existed
Fukuoka is a great city, but the ambience is like you travel back in time.
True
@@drewbinsky mabuhay sa channel mo. Be blessed 💪
Japan is truly a beautiful nation with rich history, but the problem is they’re unluckily located in a place where typhoons and cyclones are a big issue. Geographically speaking, they’re quite unlucky.
And earthquakes.
No happiness no sadness. Just living out your days numb, respect.
Whenever I watch your videos, I try to elevate my thoughts so that a flood of light and love is always blessing your life! Thanks for existing, man, you emanate good energy!
Drew Blinksy the privilaged rich boy who doesnt understand why homeless people are not happy
“You tried to commit suicide? Like whoa dude, bro, why?” 🤡
Do you really ask a homeless guy “why you tried to suicide?” and give a fuck about the answer just because doesn’t fit the subject of your video? WTF do you think you are doing with these people?
Japan's slum looks better than Detroit
Imagine a reporter going to Detroit and buying the homeless fentanyl as a welcome gift ..... The whole thing was deeply uncomfortable to watch
This was so cool!! You never truly know what’s going on in the background
Hey bro, this video is really bad. I lived in Japan many years and you should had investigated a little bit more about their culture for not approaching to them like that.
They will never talk freely to you if they don't trust you. That's how japanese society works. Everything is about trust.
It's sad to see what influencers do nowdays just to gain some likes and views 👎.