"foreigners do not seem to mind and wear fashion that is already out of style for a while" Ah yes, my greatest superpower

@yamaha893

11 ай бұрын

the trick is to wear clothes that were never *in* style

@williammartin8366

11 ай бұрын

I love being me, I don't follow fads or what's in style. It sickens me, too many people copy each other and there is no originality. I love DIY, Punk, Metal, Goth, Alternative etc etc.

@user-gr3ox3fw3o

11 ай бұрын

*sings* we never grow out of style

@unkopower7899

11 ай бұрын

tank top with shorts and fannypack and proudly obese.

@chickenfoot2423

11 ай бұрын

honestly its kinda inevitable when abroad because even the things locals wear may be very outdated in your country. i notice that a lot but its all so subjective that i gave up trying to figure it out lol

Unfortunately Cathy, there are too many people who don't care enough to learn about other countries culture or social conduct, they're rude.

@Jordy120

11 ай бұрын

It doesn't take much time to learn some basic phrases. That time will create smiles on the locals when you interact.

@W4kT3k

11 ай бұрын

@@Jordy120 I couldn't agree more, I'm just saying too many people can't be bothered, too selfish.

@nothere3982

11 ай бұрын

@@W4kT3k Aaa I get this. I just many times feel it's not good for me to say them because I don't know much so it will sound bad :(. Also heard many times some will ignore you if you speak japanese

@gordonbgraham

11 ай бұрын

@@nothere3982 I've lived in Japan since 1988. No one has ever ignored me when I spoke Japanese. On the contrary, if I speak English, I more often than not get a look of confusion in return.

@Ebhen1

11 ай бұрын

@@Jordy120 Your absolutely right there. I went to japan before the pandemic and traveled around by myself for a month and I took time before the trip to read up on how to behave so you don't offend people and memorized some phrases that I knew I probably would use on a daily basis. Things went so smooth and I never had any problem getting help or directions. Now I'm studying japanese so next time I could even have some basic conversations. I'm really looking forward to that. :D

-"Who was the best foreigner you've ever seen?" - "So I saw this Skinhead." 💀

@heidi3486

7 ай бұрын

I had to look up what a skinhead was 😅 I think she thought it meant “bald person” like I did, someone who wears skin instead of hair 😊

I’ve lived in Japan 18 years and 2 things mentioned here raised my eyebrows. Japanese people in their groups walk 3/4/5 abreast blocking the pavement, often making me step into the street or squeeze through even though they see me walking towards them. And mate cmon, drunk sleeping on the train is like a national pastime here but apparently they only seem to notice these things if foreigners do them lol.

@bewe5473

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, I've been in japan for business numerous times and boy did i tell you JP person is often as bad as the foreigners itself, and of course not all of them are like that but the ratio is pretty much the same. I almost got scammed 3 times, being stopped by a thug (or just some yankee jp because they're looking so young), ridiculed while walking, getting ignored in a restaurant and many2 more, still a beautiful country tho.

@distroisx5124

11 ай бұрын

one time, i was riding a bus and a group of friends were talking really REALLY LOUDLY. they were not moving at all also when people are trying to get in as well 😭 at one point, a japanese lady told them to move and the group of friend looked at her ridiculously. it was so intense, as a foreigner i was so nervous 😭

@CyrussNP

11 ай бұрын

Exactly

@maxzerbini_music

11 ай бұрын

Omg yes!! Currently living in Kyoto and this happens to me every single day, it's like the awareness of their surroundings is defenitly not their forte 🤣

@kilometeres1962

11 ай бұрын

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking. Like, you see a banana peel and instantly you think foreigner as if a Japanese would never do that.

Cathy's voice enters "only dogs can hear it" frequency when she talks about the worst foreigner at the end 😂

@DJTechno94

11 ай бұрын

12:10 - The friendly timestamp elf

As a foreigner that's lived in Japan over 20 years, I can say almost all these things are very common among Japanese people also. Especially the whole part about not inconveniencing others, that's common place in Tokyo where people walk around with their head in their phone and don't even look up, even if they are not emersed in their phone they will stand in the middle of isles blocking you from passing or walk on the wrong sides of streets, block streets without a care for anyone. To even suggest its not super common among Japanese themselves is absurd.

@yo2trader539

11 ай бұрын

I highly doubt you've ever lived in Japan.

@outsideln

11 ай бұрын

@@yo2trader539 Good for you. In Aomori for work right now, going to stop in Iwate where I own some property and drop off some stuff on the way back to Tokyo. But sure, can prove you wrong easily. Dealing with trolls is not really worth the time though.

@oxAkatsubakixo

11 ай бұрын

Just curious. I heard getting japanese citizenship is hard, is that why you’re still a foreigner even if you’ve lived for 20 years there?

@outsideln

11 ай бұрын

@@oxAkatsubakixo I’ve had PR 永住 since 2006, I know some people who want citizenship but I’ve never considered it myself. The process is similar to getting your PR, just more in depth from what I’ve heard.

@oxAkatsubakixo

11 ай бұрын

@@outsideln Thanks for the info man! 👍🏻

As someone who has been here for 5 years, I've seen everything mentioned in the video from both Foreigners and Japanese. 50/50 really.

@strand.san13

11 ай бұрын

And like right this moment a Japanese man listening to his music excessively loud on his train through headphones. Or the Japanese people who didn’t stand up And give up their seat for a very pregnant lady.

@Leavemealone441

11 ай бұрын

Almost 7 years here. Same. Everyone does the same things, just that foreigners stand out more. And then the reasoning will always be “oh, ofc, they aren’t Japanese”

@Leavemealone441

11 ай бұрын

@@strand.san13i wonder if it was me the very pregnant lady you saw. Because it happened to me too many times. Not always, but even once it’s too many times since I had my right to the priority seats.

I think it is not a good mindset to assume a non-Japanese person did something (banana peel on train) just because she never saw a Japanese person do it. Elderly or mentally ill people also exist in Japan.

@kilometeres1962

11 ай бұрын

Some Japanese just don't care.

@sidleerling6206

10 ай бұрын

Again, 'we are the perfect people' complex. we can never do wrong complex

@hadast3806

9 ай бұрын

@@sidleerling6206cultural (collective) narcissism

@vergil8833

8 ай бұрын

Chances are it was a black guy, be real

@kilometeres1962

8 ай бұрын

@@vergil8833 in Japan? Youre delusional

One of pet peeves is when people stop in the streets and around stations here in London too - especially during the work commute. I found that bit hilarious yet eye-opening. Something about being a tourist makes people forget that the space they're touring is someone's day-to-day life. Common sense will make you a joy to have around wherever you go. I do love that here strangers will help you if you struggle. And boy do the British say sorry for everything. We say sorry to each other even if we're the ones that got bumped haha. With love from the UK!

@Bella-nk4wt

11 ай бұрын

So true! I'm British & I'm always saying sorry even if the other person bumps into me lol.

@jesipohl6717

11 ай бұрын

in germany, germans do it themselves, in their own cities and towns, which is really wild to see.

@stephendelacruzone

10 ай бұрын

😅 Funny yet heartwarming insights from the other side of the pond. Yeah... people are funny... anywhere around the world ya' know.

I live in Tokyo, and nearly everything they mentioned about foreigners I saw the same thing being done by the Japanese. Salarymen throwing up on the trains. Old men being aggressive to service people. Women throwing their elbows into someone to get a seat on the train. Teenagers being loud in restaurants. People walking three across on a sidewalk. Bicyclists who ride like demons on the sidewalk, or bike against the flow of traffic. Japanese men and women speaking about vulgar topics in public. I love Japan and the people, but the Japanese forget that when you point a finger, three fingers are pointing back at you.

@WookieWarriorz

10 ай бұрын

yea i hate the obsession with japan to the point where logic and common sense are ignored. Half the things notable about japan really dont differ from europe, people in europe dont worry about theft and leave their children outside stores and let them play wherever but then you see the same thing in japan and people are like oh my god so incredible, so unique. I mean the uk has less road accidents and fewer murders than japan and they dont feel the need to lock people up for 30 days just for some menial 'crime' and the small viallages arent delepedated and baron.

@raf8418

10 ай бұрын

Yup this whole video is filled with hypocrites. The interviewer is a gaijin who thinks she is Japanese.

@niwa_s

8 ай бұрын

@@Yukichan-mi1jp Feel like the only people who find this type of content genuinely interesting are those who have never spent a meaningful amount of time in Japan. The culture surrounding Japanese learning is similarly perfectionist and out of touch...

Bunny girl, she speaks Japanese the whole time, then out of nowhere, PERFECT English!

@EvilFiek

11 ай бұрын

Though her Japanese has a bit of an accept, especially noticeable on the は. I guess she might be Japanese-American or something and moved to Japan at an early age.

@ritzcity

11 ай бұрын

I have watched her videos before and I think she is a native English speaker.

@user-qm7jw

11 ай бұрын

She would be a Japanese diaspora from the US. Japanese and Japanese-Americans are ethnically the same, but their expressions and behavior are quite different.

@Mwoods2272

11 ай бұрын

She's American

@Gendo3s2k

11 ай бұрын

@@Mwoods2272 yeah, i checked her channel. Apparently, she's born in Hawaii

Man people just standing around blocking other people is something that drives me crazy that so many people in the US do here, like my whole life I’m used to that my family always tries not to be in people’s way in public places and then I’ll go out with friends and constantly have to get them to stop standing in other people’s way. I can’t imagine how annoying it’d be in Japan where avoiding it seems to be much more standard in the culture.

@klecksa4771

11 ай бұрын

It's the same here in germany too. I get so mad when people walk in the middle of the sideway so you either have to walk on the street to pass them or ask them if they could move a bit. I don't get what's so difficult about staying on the right. Maybe it annoys me so much because I always do my best to not bother anyone too :/

@dabbingduskullz

11 ай бұрын

Same in Australia, they will just stop in the middle if the Shopping Centre (Mall) and have a conversation completely oblivious to thier surroundings

@alistairt7544

11 ай бұрын

Especially a group of friends who block the entire pavement/sidewalk, and you have to walk around them. I find it so rude and annoying!

@unkopower7899

11 ай бұрын

Tokyoites do this: elbow them, or gentle shove but make it look accidental

@jakefairley6993

10 ай бұрын

It's actually probably worse in Japan, people walk around super busy areas with their faces in their phones here and will just stop on a dime out of nowhere

I was super self conscious about never eating ANYTHING inside trains as i’ve always read that it’s considered rude… until i saw japanese people in several different occasions eating the most digusting bentos i’ve ever seen in my entire life and leaving the plastic cases at the seats and on the windows frames. I still didn’t have any proper MEAL inside a train, but i already consider a quick snack to be unproblematic 😬

@WookieWarriorz

10 ай бұрын

right, ive seen dirty old fucks eat nato like 2 seats from me, stank out the entire train and ive only visited.

I had an negative incident happened to me in Japan when I went to visit. I was going through the train turnstile and a Japanese man came up behind me and pushed me pretty hard. He was very rude and yes I let him know. He walked on ignoring me. There could be rude people everywhere.

@RonLarhz

11 ай бұрын

🙄🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ of course he ignored you. Japanese arent good with confrontation generally. Only delinquents and yakuza are comfortable with it.

@melodykim425

11 ай бұрын

Maybe he was racist against foreigners? Unfortunately there are some right wing people in Japan too.

@matriksist

11 ай бұрын

it is fast pace n Japan. Time is gold.

@jinetrobles

11 ай бұрын

@@matriksist so that gives others the right to push another person? NO

@jinetrobles

11 ай бұрын

@@tsdfghjkl I most certainly not slowing down anything. There were plenty of other empty turnstiles he could’ve went through. He was just being rude.

When I went to Shinjuku during the cherry blossom season, there was a group of Chinese people who took out their cameras in the middle of the street and spent a long time taking pictures of the cherry blossoms, even though it was already crowded with people. And they were causing a traffic jam. It took more than 30 minutes to go 100 meters and probably affected hundreds of thousands of people.

@blank-kd4qr

11 ай бұрын

Damn they really wanted those pictures 😭😭

@sara.cbc92

11 ай бұрын

They were Koreans and you are a Korean troll.

@srellison561

7 ай бұрын

I went to see the cherry blossoms in Ueno, and everyone was stopping and taking photos, Japanese people and foreigners alike. It was so crowded, it was almost impossible to make any headway.

I think it’s very much depends on common sense. Even in other countries outside from Japan, doing those sort of things is still very much rude. However since it is not as strict as in Japan, there will be more people doing it, which is annoying….

Do the Japanese watch videos about manners in other countries before they travel?

@minnie8370

11 ай бұрын

The Japanese are quite respectful already. The wouldnt have a problem in the USA or Europe. They should indeed try to get some information about Muslim countries if they decide to go there.

@PearSquared

11 ай бұрын

​@@minnie8370 The US has a culture of tipping (for better or for worse) and Japan does not, so if they were to come to the US without knowing that, they would be considered rude for not tipping. It's important to always look up the customs of the country you are visiting.

@user-bc2vv5km3f

11 ай бұрын

We dont need to watch we just behave and watch how others behave.

@user-qm7jw

11 ай бұрын

No, they don't watch them, but they're \good at reading the atmosphere, so they can adapt their behavior to the locals without having to watch how to videos.

@Gendo3s2k

11 ай бұрын

@@user-bc2vv5km3f Yes, you do. The Japanese aren't any more or less respectful than anyone else. You're just people. and the same way that Americans, or Europeans, or...whatever...Has cultural difference from Japan, it's the same the other way around. You can't say "Our cultures are different, and these are the things you do wrong when visiting Japan" Without also realizing that things which are normal in Japan aren't normal in other parts of the world.

been living in Japan for almost a decade. people here in general wants a clean and admirable public image, but within they are like mini godzilla. if your in japan you definitely knows what i mean.

@WookieWarriorz

10 ай бұрын

all about the imagine even if that causes the countryside to be abandoned and year after year rises in suicide, depression, poverty, burn out and a declining population.

Why did that one lady blame foreigners for the banana peel if she didn’t even see a foreigner place it there? Not saying that it doesn’t happen, but once I got blamed for littering at a Kyoto train station (not openly, they were just talking shit about me and pointing) when I didn’t even do it! I just happened to be the only foreigner sitting there and there was trash placed right next to me (which I didn’t even notice until they started pointing).

@--Samantha-

10 ай бұрын

@@raf8418 never saw a racist (ultra right wing politic party) campain with black suited men complaining about foreigners ?

@juliansmith4295

8 ай бұрын

Because all Japanese are perfect, so if anything goes wrong, blame the nearest foreigner. I once told my manager that I saw a man run out of a department store, being chased by security. The first thing she said was, "It must have been a foreigner." She had no idea that she was being insulting, as well as xenophobic. I never talked to her after that unless it was absolutely necessary.

3:58 I’m a little confused here with the Big Mac story. The customer asked for a Big Mac in a wrapper instead of a box. Because it was “crowded,” she gave the Big Mac to the customer and told him to do it himself, then he “unfolded” it at the counter. So, was the Big Mac in a box at that time? Did they put it in a box with a wrapper for him to transfer it to a wrapper himself? I worked at McDonald’s for many years and was a manager for much of that time, so that’s why I have questions about how all this went down. If he asked for the Big Mac to be put in a wrapper ahead of time… then just tell the kitchen staff to put the Big Mac in a wrapper when they make it. Even if it’s busy. We received special requests all the time. Yes, they slow down production, but that’s part of the job. If they asked for it to be put in a wrapper after it had already been prepared… I mean, I get that a Japanese person might not want to be a bother, but it’s still an easy request for the staff to take care of. The only occasion where I think having the customer do it themselves is the right call would be if the customer had already touched the food. In that case we would not be allowed to take it back to the kitchen and they’d have to do it themselves. It’s a health code thing. I imagine it’s probably similar in Japan. Unwrapping and rewrapping food at the counter is kind of rude. But if it was a To-Go order and the customer had asked for a wrapper instead of a box when they ordered (and the request was understood by the staff!) and the staff didn’t bother to honor that simple request… I can understand the customer’s mentality. They wanted to get out of there as soon as they had their food, they probably didn’t think they should have to look for an empty table just to switch their food into a wrapper before they leave when the kitchen staff could have placed it in a wrapper to begin with. But again, I don’t know all the details, but I really wonder how that actually went down.

@Manabinbe

11 ай бұрын

i couldn't make sense of this part either!!! you don't pass off your job to the customer just because it's busy... the other customers willingly wait their turn when there are people being served before them. it takes maybe a maximum of 8 seconds to wrap up a burger and get away from the counter, so i don't feel that the customer did anything wrong here, especially when they must have been shocked by the situation to begin with.

@grungehamster8

11 ай бұрын

YOU receive special requests all the time at your workplace, but customizing orders in Japan is less common and often not allowed, especially in quick service food environments. I was just at a Japanese burger chain maybe a week ago with a friend who was visiting and she is used to the "have it your way" American service. I was trying to help her order and explained that she needs to just pick something off the menu and she picked a promotional burger with cheese in the patty, but wanted to add lettuce and tomato. They wouldn't do it an suggested a different burger which comes with veg on top, so she asked for that burger with the cheesey patty and the cashier was getting so flustered. Then another employee chimed in (in flawless English) saying "sorry, we don't really do that here" and suggested my friend could order a salad and put some of it on the burger if she wanted to. It wasn't a language/ communication issue, but it's just not well received to customize orders unless you're specifically at a place where customization is the concept of the business (i.e. Cocos Curry where you choose the curry base, spice level and individual add ins for your dish).

@Alchemist_171

11 ай бұрын

Exactly! Being respectful is like being impractical in Japan.

@Manabinbe

11 ай бұрын

​@@grungehamster8 getting a burger for takeout is not a special request lmao....

@bakago4746

11 ай бұрын

I agree tho, I feel like the costumer asked her because they thought the employee would do a better job at wrapping, but she's complaining about how messy it got

PS: Arigato! This was well done and informative. Yours truly, a new subscriber.

im going to japan in october and the main rule i have for myself is to be respectful to everyone and respect the japanese culture, being a visitor i know i am a guest and i know i have to follow the rules and laws of japan. im learning japanese so that way i can communicate, but i know if i want to take pictures i rather be respectful and ask then to go do it. i love all your videos by the way.

@umfz-ck3mf

11 ай бұрын

あなたはとても勤勉で海外に行く旅行者としては合格だと思います💯👏 われわれ日本人はシャイな人が多いですが片言の日本語でいいので話してください、 きっと助けてくれるよ😊

@danielantony1882

11 ай бұрын

@@umfz-ck3mf 美霊しい子ですね、ももさん。

@petervonfroster8i

11 ай бұрын

well, in my Country you would be considered "eXtREMelY RiGHt WinGEd" for that Statement hahaha but Yes, that should be the very basic!

@reigazze

11 ай бұрын

Actually is just basic etiquette, don't bother anyone and that's it.

@fallenlegend8888

11 ай бұрын

That should be common sense anywhere in the World not just Japan

the second woman is not Japanese

i just discovered this channel and am really enjoying your videos cathy!

That random taking photos is so funny 😅😅😅

I'm in the UK & going to Japan in October. First Time. Really good video. Thank you.

They talk about respect other people and so but then they ride a bicycle and forgot about all that xDD They are the most aggressive people in the world while riding a bicycle, I swear. When I was in Japan I was walking normally and then a bicycle came fast as f*ck by my side. Like if I change my way in that moment that would be a massacre. It happened to me more than 5 times and I was there just for a week x'D

@rapthor666

11 ай бұрын

Sure it wasn't Amsterdam or Utrecht? But bicycles are 'something special' in most big cities...

@Briannal884

11 ай бұрын

Oh yeah, happens all the time here. They never ring their bicycle bells to let you know they're coming either and almost completely run me down lol

@LaGiniComenta

11 ай бұрын

@@rapthor666 Not in mine xD That's why I was so surprised, specially being a place like Japan, "the kingdom of kindness". (I don't travel a lot outside my country so it was the first time I saw something like that.)

@mizore7484

11 ай бұрын

I had the same experience when I was in Osaka and Kyoto for 3 months recently. Just don't make a sudden step to the side without looking, otherwise a bicycle could hit you anytime... quite scary. 😂

"The food tastes bad." "Don't come then." had me laaaaughin

@Gendo3s2k

11 ай бұрын

"Don't come, then" is the WORST attitude to have when dealing with an unsatisfied customer.

@nothere3982

11 ай бұрын

That's normal where I'm from so I can see that happening! It's not considered rude generally speaking, only bothersome to them, and anyone can do it them included.

@noby5456

11 ай бұрын

The Western culture of honestly saying whatever is on your mind. This is unacceptable in Japan. If you are Japanese, you never tell the restaurant even if the food is bad. If possible, they eat everything and leave the restaurant as soon as possible. It does not mean you get a free meal when you say the food is not tasty. I would never say such a final word to a restaurant.

@Gendo3s2k

11 ай бұрын

@@noby5456 Kind of goes to show how "Multiculturalism" doesn't work, huh...

@alaah4183

11 ай бұрын

It’s a weird culture thing in Japan, a Japanese youtuber got canceled over an honest restaurant review!

Somethings, like the standing in the middle of the road thing are things Japanese people do just as much, if not more. Its just more noticeable when foreign looking people do it.

My friend got me crazy with standing in the middle of crowing walking path in the train, at the end i gave up. Now on the sleeping in priority seats drunk, sorry but in two weeks i used trains and shinkansen in ungodly hours and the only ones drunk and using more seats were japanese. They didnt even take their stuff to give a seat to the standing people (in shinkansen mostly)

Some of the worst Japanese I have come across have been on buses and trains, the ones that refuse to move out of the way when you are entering or leaving.

@heron6462

2 ай бұрын

A few years ago I saw a group of drunk older Japanese men go one by one to pee in the train's coupler corridor.

In NYC especially ppl think coming here they don’t move to the side until I curse at them like it gets me just as angry

I like how homegirl found her style. Talking about trends and all that. She got inspired.

The girl at 3:00 speaks amazing english! Also that headpiece from Cathy at the beginning and the end? Absolutly beautiful!

The first time I went to Japan, I was constantly annoyed by the behavior of my fellow Americans. I think some hotels realize foreigners may be loud and obnoxious as it seemed like I often ended up on a floor with a lot of overly loud foreigners. That was almost 20 years ago, though.

@ohdaUtube

11 ай бұрын

Still happens now. Us Americans are rude. It's where the term "ugly Americans" come from. Wish more of us understood we, in a way, represent who we are as a country when we visit. Far too many behave like spoiled brats. I've seen similar with Chinese tourists as well

@mollyapteros

11 ай бұрын

I think we're naturally more attuned to notice 'our own' people while abroad. While living in a tourist hotspot in the UK I was this way with Americans while my Swedish husband was that way about Swedes. Meanwhile the locals noticed that Americans were always the most enthusiastic about learning and experiencing things and always the first to jump in to help (e.g. holding doors open, helping people with prams lift them into buses, etc), while the loudest were Spanish and the rudest/most oblivious were the groups Chinese tourists. But at the same time it seemed pretty universally acknowledged that there are good and bad amongst all groups, so those stereotypes existed but weren't taken that seriously.

@IsaPodrasky

11 ай бұрын

This is why I’m doing research about Japan, in not only places to visit, but also manners, customs, and etiquette. Looking back 20 years ago, I’m completely embarrassed about my younger self, so I’m learning how to be more polite. I want to prove that there are good Americans out there, not just bad ones. I will be reviewing my notes on how to behave on a train, what to do at a shrine and temple, and some Japanese table manners (and some words to say.) All of this research is making me a better person (it’s lengthy, but worth it.) As for the photo-person thing, I was given that perspective at some comic-book conventions (I cosplay as Godzilla.) I know it’s polite to ask before taking a person’s photo. For people taking photos without permission, I saw videos of people doing that with the geishas and makio, and it’s a huge problem (it’s making those people late for their jobs, and they don’t like all the paparazzi attention.) Everyone needs to see it from their perspective. I know lots of people don’t consider it, but it’s a real eye-opener.

@mattattack75

11 ай бұрын

The "americans are rude but im one of the good ones" is old you people are annoying

@tokyohands

11 ай бұрын

It constantly baffles me as to why Americans want to publicly broadcast their conversations. No one else gives a s#+t what you have to say dude!

When I clicked on this video I thought this was going to be a ranking of specific foreigners in japan. I expected people to be giving their opinions on foreign youtubers who live in japan.

I think a good point to make is that nowadays visiting Japan requires a lot of money. So people either save up for a long time and invest into that trip and are grateful just to be there and are probably familiar with the culture, or they're entitled rich people who don't care where they are.

@Shino2288

11 ай бұрын

Yes to the entitled rich people behavior. Or maybe being locked up during the pandemic has made some people forgetting their common sense and manners.

@srellison561

7 ай бұрын

There are also the people who save up money for a long trip, but think that Japan is like an Anime or a big Cosplay convention. Sometimes they're just as bad as the classic ugly American.

Forgive me the guy walking he hind you at frame 3:48 Is hilarious. I'll stop laughing tomorrow, Thank You Cathy Cat.

Oho the girl at 2:38 she would hate Australia 😂😂

I’m planning to visit Japan for the first time around December, so this video was extremely helpful ❤

@User_37821

11 ай бұрын

Many people fooled by the appearance of Japan’s clean, polite and fancy toilet but if you go to Japanese bookstores in Japan. There’s an anti-foreigner section. Imagine this happening in Germany 🇩🇪 Japan is one of the world’s most xenophobic countries (the weak are bullied, the strong obey)

@boi7942

11 ай бұрын

I don't think any videos or articles will be helpful. JUST BE YOURSELF.

@omi4470

11 ай бұрын

@@boi7942 Thanks for the feedback…I’ll keep that in mind

@SkygirlGamingChannel

7 ай бұрын

Not once have i encountered such a thing. The only thing i ever encountered are Japanese only places such as a karaoke bar. If you as a foreigner speak even just a little bit Japanese they usually let you in. Not saying what you said is false but its definitely not the norm based on my experience and research. @@User_37821

The boys at 5:21 are super handsome! Foreigners must stay polite! We have such different cultures, that, as an American, I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing. But I will try my best to be polite if I ever do visit Japan or any other country.

About blocking the streets, spaces.. It's everywhere in the world and I was just wondering if in Japan it's because the spaces are smaller compared to other countries and the foreigners are used to that bigger space. Or because they are on holiday, feeling more relaxed they are just not aware of their surroundings.

I am pretty shure the banana peel was left by a minion !

I would sum it up into 2 categories: Good Foreigners - Those who realise they step into another culture Bad Foreigners - Those who think they step into a themepark

"confrontational Karen" 🤣🤣

Funny, in my country we got old folks from japan that stay in the middle of the sidewalk taking photos. I guess its only a problem when its in your country! 😅

You are SOOO correct, Cathy! Foreigners would benefit greatly by watching your videos on Japanese customs, manners and expectations BEFORE they visit Japan.

@fallenlegend8888

11 ай бұрын

You do realize not every Foreigner is from Western countries right?

the hairstyle of the girl in a black shirt is the same as michael kaiser’s! i love it!

On my first trip to Japan I had a similar situation as the woman with the suitcase. I was in a subway station at the top of the stairs (no lift) with a suitcase & a stroller. A man walked up to me said something (I don't speak Japanese) and carried my stroller (and baby) down the stairs for me! So nice =) I can't wait to go back to Japan in February!

videos like these give me hope that one day I will be able to travel to japan and have a wonderful time

i had a reverse experience in tokyo. i was lost but too afraid to disturb anybody, trying to figure out a way looking at my city map. a jogging local noticed me in trouble and offered me help very very kindly.🥰

I feel like what Bunny was saying about people being in the way on the sidewalk happens SO MUCH to me with Japanese people!! SOOO MANY TIMES.

@shurikens68

11 ай бұрын

There's no right side of the path to walk in Tokyo. you just have to give up and accept you are going to have to dart all over the sidewalk/street because no matter which side you choose, someone will ALWAYS find a way to be in your way lol. it could be the quietest street with only one other person walking your way and there'll still be a good chance they'll be walking right at you. left side, right side, right down the middle begging to be hit by a car, doesn't matter lol

@VanillaCoke1956

11 ай бұрын

I spent a year in Japan and agree. Actually, if you watch a lot of different channels where Japanese people get interviewed, they give answers that are mindblowing considering the things they say foreigners do, they themselves do all the time. That goes for blocking sidewalks by randomly stopping in the middle of it (shoutout to random ojii-sans who do this all the time), cyclists disregarding signs or traffic lights, being loud in public, being rude to staff, eating in trains and whatnot. Japanese people do all these things every single day but I guess they simply ignore them. The fact that those two girls said it could not have been a Japanese person with the banana peel is so funny to me. Same for the priority seat thing. This is another example Japanese people constantly bring up; "Foreigners sit down on priority seats, we would never do that". Mate, not only do Japanese people sit down on them when the trains have plenty of other seats free, they sit down on them when the train is packed and do not make way for people who clearly need them. In my entire year in Japan I have seen maybe two Japanese people give up their seats for others that had that red cross thingy on to show they have physical problems. I remember giving up mine once for an older woman and not only did she thank me when she sat down, she also tapped my shoulder when going out to thank me again. That should tell you enough about how often this woman must have the exact opposite experience.

@asdfghjjhgf

11 ай бұрын

Of course, Japan is a country that is 99% Japanese, so there are probably some Japanese who would do such a thing. The problem is that foreigners are few compared to the Japanese, yet it happens often enough that they stand out.

@lizawithaz9524

11 ай бұрын

@@VanillaCoke1956 Totally agree!! I've been to Japan over a dozen times in the past 15yrs and have NEVER seen a foreigner sitting in the priority seat on the train - I have seen plenty of young Japanese males/females sitting on the seats when there is an elderly person standing right in front of them! I also had an experience on public transport (bus) when an elderly woman thanked me for offering my seat to her. Once seated, she rummaged through her bag and passed me a lolly - she couldn't thank me enough!

@VanillaCoke1956

11 ай бұрын

@@lizawithaz9524 Unfortunately, many Japanese people think that they are - by default or birth right - different from everybody else on this planet and can not do any wrong. It's one of the very few things that irk me about the country I otherwise love to bits. Some people genuinely have grown up being taught that their bodies are different, that seasons are different (although on some level I actually DO understand why they say Japan has 4 seasons!) and whatnot. Once you get to talk to someone more deeply about certain topics, they just look at you like deer in headlights.

I've always been a bit reserved. When I was stationed in W Germany in the Army I didn't like to draw attention to myself and tried to respect the local culture. A lot of people today don't seem to grasp that concept. Also, I've never really been "trendy", I even still use a flip phone.

that crown is sooooo pretty

I’m American and I absolutely hate when people just start taking to someone right in the middle of a grocery store aisle or like even in the middle of a road in their car. Sometimes they are not even having a conversation, they just are standing there in the aisle all up in the way. I’m not the only American who complain about this either. I don’t know why people do this.

I have always wanted to visit Japan but I know that I would always be worried about offending someone even if I studied as hard as I could before visiting. I want to travel to a place to relax and also not bother the residents of where I go, so I just don’t go. Thankfully the net has many nice vlogs about places.

11:34 This story reminds me of a school friend who had a part-time job here in Sweden. One day, he approached me and asked, "Do I sound angry to you?" I replied, "No, what happened?" He then proceeded to tell me that his boss had called him for a chat, asking if everything was fine. My friend assured him that everything was okay and inquired if he had done anything wrong at work. The boss then informed him that some of his co-workers believed he was angry when speaking to them. This confusion arose because my friend, being from the Middle East and speaking Arabic, had unintentionally incorporated Arabic intonation into his Swedish, making his speech sound harsher and louder than usual. In a regular conversation, these words are typically softer, unless the speaker is upset. I found this quite amusing and shared a laugh with him. I explained that since I also arrived in Sweden a long time ago, I didn't perceive his way of speaking as hostile. However, for an ethnic Swede who hasn't had much exposure to multicultural environments or encountered foreigners who speak broken Swedish, it could be easily misinterpreted. I think this is also the case here 😅

For the woman who said she went to Hawai'i, I'm sorry that happened to her since there are people in Hawai'i who do that and we try to stop that from hapepening. I hope it doesn't discourages her from coming again.

@boi7942

11 ай бұрын

No point worrying

6:58 seems very open minded and intelligent!!

12:10 Your voice actually went hypersonic, the dogs around my building began to howl. 😮 It's a wonder the cheeky photographer was able to hear anything when she left. 🥴 Unfortunately there are many people who appear to have been wired to be selfish and inconsiderate, and a lot of those are aggressive and seem to have a chip on their shoulder. And a lot of these people are traveling nowadays, with the full intention of inflicting themselves upon whichever country and culture they go to. So sad! 😢

I'd like to hear more about how Cathy said she's heard alot about the ulterior motive in men recently Like was it only recently that it happens more/did something change? Do they come out and say stuff or is it more about a vibe or how they approach them, Etc?

Im traveling to asia for the first time this year and im planning to come to japan in the next few years as well and i am SO SCARED that i will forget about a habit or a custom and disrespect them, its like my worst nightmare... I already get the sweats when i make a mistake while speaking japanese 😭

@rapthor666

11 ай бұрын

Gomen, sumimasen and pull the "gaijin card" if necessary. Don't shout on trains and watch the flow of pedestrian traffic a bit. You'll be fine! Don't worry too much but be thoughtful

@chrislowe6926

11 ай бұрын

@@rapthor666Exactly this. No need to worry as long as you make an effort.

@xtr.7662

11 ай бұрын

just dont talk while on the subway its rude

@user-we1un8uw3f

10 ай бұрын

I think it's okay if you remember "I'm sorry" and "Thank you". I'm Japanese, but I'd be happy if a foreigner said, "Thank you."😊

@user-we1un8uw3f

10 ай бұрын

Also, Japanese people, myself included, usually speak only Japanese and are not very good at English, so I would appreciate it if you could use Google Translate. Japanese people will be surprised if you suddenly speak to them in English. Also, I think it would be easier to communicate if there are illustrations or maps 😀

I have been watching your channel and others in preparation for a long holiday in Japan. I studied Japanese a little at university and I have been practing my Japanese daily after my wife and I purchased our tickets. However, I get the sense from your content that the Japanese people do not really want foreigners in their country. Also, I have heard there a lot of establishments that do not want foreigners and will not serve them. Are there any resources avaiable so we can know where we are welcome and where we are not?

@user-uh9mi8ou4t

9 ай бұрын

Japan, as with any country that has a strong cultural identity, expects that visitors at the very least attempt to abide by the societal expectations, none of which are particularly obtuse or intrusive. Don't smoke on the street, don't take sneaky photos of people, don't be noisy, etc. I saw one clip of an American guy hollering at staff in a Japanese McDonalds, demanding (in English) to speak to the manager, and generally raising all hell in the restaurant. Don't bring that guy's attitude and you'll be fine. If something is wrong, do your best to communicate in Japanese or use a translation app, there's never a need to start a fight with fast food staff (or anyone really). As for non-foreigner-friendly restaurants, I've heard of these existing in Okinawa, but this is mostly due to, again, bad attitudes/experiences/crimes from a few of the military personnel stationed there. It's unfortunate, but such instances soured the image there. I've never seen a no-foreigner restaurant on the mainland, and I've been everywhere from Osaka to Hokkaido.

Yes in France people are surely carefree about what others wear. Especialy when others are arabic looking females😱

did that girl just say that she saw a banana peel and for sure that couldn't come from a Japanese person? that's wild that they think Japanese people can do no wrong.

@anjel130

11 ай бұрын

Literally, that was so bizarre. It just had to be a foreigner no Japanese person can never do anything wrong😅

@ariko90

11 ай бұрын

@@anjel130 like fr. Don’t get me wrong I love Japanese people but there are shitty people everywhere. It’s like she’s saying that only foreigners will do those kind of shitty things and that’s just crazy.

@orobas7785

11 ай бұрын

That's the pervasive mindset here. "We were raised properly and can do no wrong. We've constructed a perfect society with perfect people. It must have been that foreigner." Gets tiring 😂😂

@ariko90

11 ай бұрын

@@orobas7785 yeah that’s just wild imo. To point a finger at someone else right away without thinking that it could be “our” people too just doesn’t sit right with me. You walk to shibuya and there’s trash, loud and drunk Japanese everywhere. 🤷🏻‍♀️

You are the best Cathy! Whenever I visit Tokyo I wish to bump into you just to say hi.

I meet Cathy on takeshita street she's very nice in person

What’s the difference between street photography and “sneaky pictures?” I’ve been a street photographer in Japan for the past two years but don’t try to creep on people or lurk in the shadows. I usually am very visible in public spaces. Is this not OK?

@Scopatone

11 ай бұрын

I also do candid street photography in Tokyo as a hobby, it's not illegal but many people just don't like it. They can technically file a civil suit against you if they find out you posted the photos online and they complain that it hurts their reputation, otherwise you just have to decide if you're okay with doing something the other person probably isn't okay with as long as they don't see you doing it. I would absolutely stay away from photographing children though, I've heard that can get you in a lot of trouble

@KM32856

11 ай бұрын

There is a big difference between taking a picture of a street filled with people vs. taking a picture of a specific person. If people end up in your picture of a crowded area, then that's unavoidable and understandable, but taking pictures of a specific person without their permission is rude and creepy.

@nicholasdavidsmith

11 ай бұрын

@@KM32856 What I mean by “street photography” is capturing moments that happen in public areas (streets) with a camera. It’s an art form that has been around almost as long as photography itself. The point of it is to capture candid moments, but of course not being creepy about it.

@unkopower7899

11 ай бұрын

even in the USA, a famous art photographer was sued by the subject in his street photography . Rare in America but it happens. Google : Philip-Lorca diCorcia street photography lawsuit.

It starts with home, when you learn manners at home it will be easy for you to learn the manners of other cultures

I live around Kansai area and I've literally seen japanese people eat cup ramen and whatever and leave the food wrappings and food cups at the side of the seats. I've even seen a guy helping his friend shave the hair on his arms with those disposable razors and then toss those used razors to the side. Japanese people OF ALL AGES talking loudly and old men drinking strong zero or any beer on the train is also a VERY common sight. And during rush hour, EVERYONE blocks the train doors and refuse to move in even though their stop is more than a few stops aways and then run and rush everywhere the minute the doors open or when the plane just landed. Very impatient and rude. Also most of the "daring fashion" i've seen are worn by japanese.. Many Japanese guys also think, just because I'm a foreigner, it's ok to hug and break all personal boundaries and ask for sex and curse and swear, which makes me beyond uncomfortable. So i wonder why many of them always say "foreigners this, foreigners that". It's really frustrating, especially when as a tourist, I've visited Japan a couple of times for a few weeks each time and fell in love with all that is Japan but as a resident, I felt like everything was just a facade and very hypocritical. I'm not saying ALL japanese are like this. I've met so many kind people and colleagues who've helped me through so much. But it would be better if they acknowledge that their people can also be just as much of a nuisance to the society just like anywhere else in the world.

@raf8418

10 ай бұрын

Yup this is why I downvoted the video. This interviewer is living in "anime land" thinking she's a part of the Japanese population and not the same gaijin they hate. Garbage content.

@srellison561

7 ай бұрын

There are many legitimately polite people in Japan, but you can walk into most stores and hear the formulaic fake politeness when they greet you.

@soullessnight6539

5 ай бұрын

@@srellison561you confuse social politeness with kindness. Japanese people are nice not kind. Nicenesses is culturally demanded, it’s fake.

@srellison561

5 ай бұрын

@@soullessnight6539 I didn't say anything about niceness or kindness. I'm talking strictly about politeness. I'm 68 and I've been observing human beings for all that time in multiple countries. I can be pretty sure when people are being sincere or fake, and since you weren't with me, you don't get to pass judgement on anything I experienced. Maybe you need to learn to read humans better.

I hate when people stand right in the way of traffic too. Even at work clients will come in and just stand RIGHT IN THE WAY! I don't understand why people are so blatantly rude.

0:00 - 00:02 she started rapping there for a second 😅

The bunny lady is a Karen in the US

@raf8418

10 ай бұрын

her complaints about foreigners were garbage, she's a hypocrite who doesn't live in Japan daily.

3:19 what a coincidence lol

1:46 talking loudly is one thing, but I think it's extremely strange for anyone other than seniors not to be ok with swearing in normal english conversations, so unless it's outrageously loud (which is its own problem), keep to your own conversation

@nothere3982

11 ай бұрын

I kind of get it. Japan seems like a polite language, so swears can be taking exponentially worse and be seen as lack of education. For example in Spanish you can normally swear, but in a local language I speak swears will not sound as tough even when they have as a big degree of importance. Language morphs how a swear is taken and how they are interpreted

@blasianking4827

11 ай бұрын

Just a cultural difference, I definitely think it's overreacting to specifically dislike it but I could see Japanese people being uncomfortable with it. In Japanese, you don't really swear outside of really casual conversations with your friends, even then not usually in public where people can hear, and even then there aren't many swear words in Japanese. I'm no prude, I'm a native English (but half-japanese) speaker who swears all the time, but I can get Japanese people being off put by it, if they haven't encountered many English speakers and then all they hear coming out of their mouths are swear words.

@chocopiebunny

11 ай бұрын

Don’t worry we don’t care if you cuss in Japan hahaha I think she’s American, and Americans tend to be easily offended by profanity.

I think instead of placing everybody in a category of being a good or a bad foreigner, it basically just depends on the person. Japanese people can be rude, they can be kind. Foreigners can be rude, they can be kind. In my country some of the most 'annoying' foreigners are Japanese/Chinese people but that doesn't mean all foreigners are bad and all the original residents don't ever make mistakes. Being rude and inconsiderate is something that transcends countries if you ask me.

You see waaay more Japanese people, especially men taking up the priority seats on trains and buses than foreigners. When my wife was pregnant I had to constantly ask some dead-eyed salaryman to gtfo.

That bunny girl's English is 👌

Random notes of my experience in Japan: - Everyone's in a collision course with you lmao (even while walking on the correct side of the sidewalk). I swear if I didn't side step I would've bumped into sooo many people lol. - Foreigners who don't know how to read the air are annoying AF. I'm pretty sure I blended in better than most foreigners even as a pink haired tattooed girl wearing completely out of style clothes just cause I could understand how everyone acted. - Sad, but yeah... Japanese people are so respectful they won't ask if everything's okay even if you are openly crying while walking in the streets (happened to me like 4 times during my stay). I still don't hold it against them. It's just an extreme of being respectful. - Opposite of that last note, people would help me with my luggage everywhere I struggled with it. I wouldn't even ask for help and any man would approach me respectfully and lift it up or even offer to walk me all the way to my hostel.

@chickenfoot2423

11 ай бұрын

you’re lucky with that last part lol, ive never experienced that and neither has anyone i know!

"Tell me about the best foreigner you met." "I saw a skinhead"

I see very often Japanese business people sitting in the priority seats pretending to sleep while making elderly people stand.

Todo es respeto, si vas con buenas maneras te recibirán con buenas maneras, si tu a la gente les pones el movil en la cara y empiezas a sacarle fotos sin pedir permiso, da igual si eres japones, inglés o del congo belga, esta mal. No cuesta nada pedir permiso y después decir gracias.

@Trancymind

11 ай бұрын

Yo soy guapo y las mujeres y homosexuales me toman fotographias. Es parte de mi vida que yo acepto.

@reigazze

11 ай бұрын

Claro, como yo lo veo es como si dijeran que japon es un país especial y por eso todas esa "reglas" pero no es cuestión de etiqueta básica y sentido común. Una persona que saca fotos a la gente de esa forma lo va a hacer en cualquier parte del mundo y dudo que sea una persona que vea este tipo de videos.

@shrek1onDVD

10 ай бұрын

I wish we were that way in US, while a lot of us would find it rude here, lotsa people have really bought into the idea that just cause you're in public means they can take a photo or video whenever they want and post it online

@Trancymind

10 ай бұрын

@@shrek1onDVDI would take video while walking on public ground for historical footage. That is my main reason for that.

6:56 "Ah!" She is a Goddess.

I will work hard to be in the best category, when I go.

6:17 i fuck with this mindset

North American's are always the loudest. There's a lot exchange students at my uni and you can hear them 30-50 metres away. American's on holiday treat everything outside of their country like it's a theme park.

@argonwheatbelly637

11 ай бұрын

Lose the apostrophe.

There should be a requirement to travel to certain countries. And if people are being unmindful then they should just kick em back to their home origin

i'd recommend using "bald person" instead of skinhead lmao

People that aren't wary of their surroundings and block paths are hella annoying fr

インタビューされる側の日本人たちのレベルが、だいぶ偏っている気がします。 この動画を観た外国の方が、これが一般的な日本人の意見だと勘違いすることを危惧しています。 あえて、そのような日本人を選んでいるのなら、その意図には悪意を感じます。

6:18 I love the girl with the dark hair and blonde bangs. Come to Los Angeles and let's be friends! 😋

my boyfriend normally has a booming voice, like his normal voice is just loud and we've been to Japan before. Now I'm worried we were annoying people in Japan D;

@boi7942

11 ай бұрын

😅😅😅

7:05 😌

2:15 I feel attacked.

For the sake of the dogs, don't anger Cathy!!

You said Karen!! That’s hilarious 🤣 I didn’t expect that!! Thank you for the informative video!!!

@raf8418

10 ай бұрын

she's a gaijin karen herself.

I was struck with the comments by the last woman in the "bad" half of this video (with the blond bangs). in my words, she and her friend hope outgoing foreign visitors might influence Japanese people to be more outgoing. I respect the cultural tendency to be reserved, and I admire some of the socially beneficial "rules" in Japan. Many individuals in my country are reserved, too. I hope on my next trip to Japan I run into more people who are interested in casual conversation, though, because I think our Japanese friends have a lot of good and interesting things to say.

They dont know how good they've got it, the grass is not greener on the otherside.

can someone explain the mcdonalds one? i dont understand

@Talishar

11 ай бұрын

She got pissy because the store was packed with customers and she didn't have time to wrap the burger in paper and handed the paper to the customer and asked them to wrap the burger up themselves and left the burger in the box. She was then astonished when the customer did exactly that and followed her directions to the letter. She was taken aback because the service counter that everyone touches and puts things on isn't the most sanitary place to do such work but she lacked the insight and self-reflection to realize that she was the cause of the whole issue in the first place and ended up doing it anyways in the end. This is why a good manager of a store will tell you that no matter how busy it gets, do not cut corners and do your best for every customer. It'll bite you in the ass eventually otherwise.

@Manabinbe

11 ай бұрын

@@Talishar i thought i was missing something from the story cus i couldnt comprehend what the customer did wrong, and it also felt weird to me that she expected the customer to finish her job. i would love to hear from a japanese person that might be able to add more context?? like is this normal at fastfood establishments?

@Talishar

11 ай бұрын

@@Manabinbe From my time in Japan, not at all. That's probably why she started the statement out with "former part time employee at McDonalds." Also to be fair to her, McDonalds until fairly recently didn't do the paper wrapping if it came in a box until very recently when they went through an attempt to improve their public image and present themselves as slightly higher class than they've been perceived to be.

@Scopatone

11 ай бұрын

@@Talishar I've never once been told to wrap my own food, however I do think it would be incredibly rude to stand at the counter and do it. The McDonalds in Tokyo are STUPID busy, there's orders going out on those counters literally every couple seconds, the least the customer could do is step to the side and do it. I would never feel comfortable knowing I'm in the way on like 20 people. Also but unsanitary, I think she more meant they might make a mess on the counter which would require cleaning and make things more complicated for everyone else. I mean it seems she's a kid so it's probably her first job, I try to be nice to everyone regardless, its not really worth getting upset about

@Talishar

11 ай бұрын

@@Scopatone The phrasing she was using was suggesting more unsanitary, not making a mess that she'd have to clean up later. Again, the customer literally did exactly as they were told to do. They did it at the counter because they were entirely lost being told to wrap it themselves as I can assure you, I've also never been told to do that. They were placed on the spot with something completely out of left field in a country they may never have been in before and may have thought that the Japanese were a bit screwy and so, did exactly as they were told and as soon as they could manage.

Didn't see you ask the cat at the end for permission take it's picture. 😼