NOTIFICATION SQUAD: Good to be back! I've been quietly working on a ton of videos since the cycle last month. Looking forward to sharing them with you all in the coming days!

Just finished a semester of Japanese at uni and had a ten minute conversation for my final! I can’t believe I did it!

So far none of the Japanese tourists I've met have spoken Finnish.

That Ace of Base song was so out of left field, but totally had me rolling 🤣🤣

Before the pandemic, I was studying Japanese at the YMCA in Kobe. I was highly motivated, worked hard every day. Before I could finish level 2, I had to go back to the states to help my mom with a return ticket of April 2, 2020. Japan closed April 1, 2020. I've not been motivated at all since then and decided that New Zealand was "good enough" in place of Japan.

“kore wa pen desu” at 1:32 is a proper lockdown refrance

Man licensed ace of base and then used it every 30 seconds.

I remember talking to a fellow Spanish learner. She forgot sunrise and went with "when the sun takes off". Beautiful!

Good to see you looking so well Chris. Not dropped in for a while. Quality content as always.

Language teacher here. Glad you mentioned that thinking in the language helps with acquisition - absolutely it does!

Fun extra challenge particularly for non-native English speakers: The expectation was, that reading Katakana was easy, since it's mostly English words and you already know the vocabulary from at least your school English. Then you realize, that the English written in Katakana is SPOKEN English, so you're sitting there, reading out loud to yourself quietly, trying to figure out what a "Baagaa" is.

The random Conner dig had my snort chuckle. Love the friendly banter between Chris and Connor.

Refreshing! Really good! Rarely see anybody call out Japan who live there. Bravo.

People always talk about efficiency with language learning, needing to learn as fast as possible, but what good is speed if you run out of gas halfway around the track and never want to get behind the wheel again. Learn to enjoy the views along the way and you won't damn well care how long it takes you to get to your destination. You might not even realize you've reached it. Find what works for you, I promise it's worth the effort.

I agree about how bullocks those viral views of Mt Fuji are. Those trending reels and tik toks telling you the Lawson and foot bridge view are the "absolute best places to see Mt Fuji" are bs. People, Fuji is FUCKIN MASSIVE. You can literally go anywhere within the area and still manage to find an amazing and even better shot than those trending spots.

Honestly, the best part of this video was how much Chris put in that Ace of Bass song. It's a great song.

self learning Japanese over here. getting close on a year (July 2nd will be 12 month) of Duolingo+Anki+Graded readers+JPDB+Renshuu(Shiritori cat only)+anime/manga in Japanese. 2-5 hours every day. I'd say i am way pas the first mountain and committed to the grind. mainly because when i started i looked at realistic numbers and thought to myself "ok, it will take 4-5 years, let's just roll with it and see how it goes". Naturally i suffer from lack of practice and full blown immersion. but when someone in discord drops a random screenshot from twitter and asks someone to translate it - and you see that you can actually do it (admittedly with 20 minutes of looking up kanji that i do not remeber) - it is still good motivating feeling.

Glad we got a video of Chris just talking to the camera missed these.

I'd like to add that while studying any language, the motivation/goal why you do it can change over time -- and that's ok. I've been studying Japanese for 4/5 years now, and I still dont feel fluent enough. What started as a naïve hope that I could maybe one day watch anime without subs now turned into a love for translating literature. Both kinds of motivations will get you somewhere. Maybe anime didn't make me fluent but it motivated me to try something new.

Your editing is so top tier

That Fuji/Everest comparison is actually true for mastering most skills. The biggest hurdles are getting over the initial learning curve and then sticking to it to master it after knowing the basics, at which point improvements are only gradual.

Yay Chris is back

I think all languages have a similarly-shaped overall learning curve - you can get to basic communication with a bit of effort, but true mastery is a never-ending process. My Spanish-speaking friends often compliment my Spanish, but I always tell them it's like a slice of Swiss cheese; it looks like it covers a decent area but it's actually full of holes.

I LIKE THIS OLD STYLE OF VIDEOS!!!!! GLAD YOU DO VIDEOS LIKE THIS AGAIN

One recommendation I like to give is to play "Jeopardy" to yourself for vocab and conversation. Look around your room or walk around a town and remember the vocab for something like humidifier (加湿器) , but then think about how you would ask someone what that is or "where do you put a humidifier in a room"? Even if it's simple or straight forward questions, it helps keeps things fresh in your head after you learn them keeps the flow of how to ask.

The book recommendation is gold. The idea of just learning the meaning of the kanji without readings attached to them seems so dumb at the start, but then you realize that you don't need more than the meaning to recombine and read them in your head! Naturally, you should learn how to phonetically speak them out eventually, but this book is so clever. I'll report back to this comment in 1 month exactly and will tell you how many Kanji I learned and can *actually* remember. See you on 06/25!

Oh a Japanese Learning video, right when I was rewatching some old videos. That's so nostalgic, I really missed these. I'm Glad they are back to the table

Bang on! The first half of this video was on point and funny albeit a little sad. The second half is a perfect summation of the effort and motivation triggers for success and failure in learning JP language. Take the advice if you want to learn. (16 year resident ofJP here)

about your yoda point: As far as I heard some time ago, that's basically what happened. They asked a hungarian tech to 'backtranslate' into english, keeping the structure. And as Hungarian is agglutinative, like Japanese is, the 'japanese pattern' came out.

Currently on a flight to Haneda airport and taking a week trip in Tokyo… Thanks for the positive attitude Chris 🤣

FWIW, this is the best video you've done in a while. Not intended as a slam; I really enjoy your videos, Chris. But this felt novel and authentic in a way that was really refreshing.

こんにちは👋😃 私は日本人ですが、日本語は日本人でも難しいと思います。 日本語を勉強している外国の方々は本当にすごい努力をなさっていると思います。 Googleレンズは私も英文字を読むときによく使うのでわかります😂 楽しいビデオをありがとうございました！日本語字幕を設定して見ました。

It may seem like a minor detail, but I believe that the key to learning Japanese or any other skill in life is not just motivation. I see motivation as something that fluctuates over time. In my opinion, discipline is the crucial factor, especially on tough days when you feel demotivated. It is discipline that will drive you to continue learning even when things get challenging.

I've been on an Ace of Base streak recently so I appreciate your choice of soundtrack.

The reviews had me ROLLING! Great informative video chris!

I lived in Japan from 1980 to 1983. Nothing changed. It was that way then too.

Just so people know if a restaurant in North America had a "English speakers only" sign there would be an international incident. Probably would get shut down and sued immediately.

This is another gem of a video! Can really tell of the extra editing and work on this video. Back to your old awesome video style and can tell this was your own video too.

The editing and humor in this one was incredible!!!! ❤

I think the view from Enoshima at sunset in winter with clouds around and drizzly showers coming across the bay would have to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen (Mt Fuji)

3:58 😂 called the shopowner a caveman... savage customers indeed 😂

I do not enjoy social media in general or KZfaq. But, I have joined KZfaq just to watch Abroad in Japan and your separate Abroad in Japan podcast. Both are well produced and the content is fun and engaging. Im sure we all appreciate your assistance on how to learn Japanese. I've only been learning for a year and have barely scratched the surface. I need all the help I can get. I have watched your videos for years and hope you continue making much more content in years to come.

I love the way this video was edited! It’s so funny! you can really see Chris’s sense of humor.

Looking good Chris. 👍 Love you debunking the headlines like this and educating us Gaijin about the nuances of Japan

I found your channel 7 years ago when i first started dabbling in japanese studying and fell in love with it. Sprinkling in a video every now and then about learning the language is very nice and i loved this

Chris I really like this video, it is informational and has your iconic humor. It doesn’t feel click bait-y. Thank you.

The wall across the street from the Mt. Fuji Lawson is already up!

Living in Las Vegas I can tell you we get *ALOT* of Japanese tourists here and pretty much none of them speak any english or at least feel comfortable enough speaking it. Every group seems to have one designated person who acts as a translator and knows enough english to get around and every conversation goes through them. It's never seen as a problem though, everyone involved usually figures everything out in the end and it's smiles all around.

Watching this from Nagoya, Japan, after having studied for just over 2 years, I 1000% feel every point you made. The hurtle of getting over Mt. Fuji is real, but one you do, it is so rewarding. Even though my Japanese is so broken, I've found great success in my speaking and comprehension due to the years I dedicated before coming here. While I can't read a lot of things due to not knowing the Kanji, I can feel comfortable working around that through speaking to locals. Love your advice and entertainment! Also, I introduced my hostmother to your channel and she loves it, especially hearing what you have to say about your perspective of Japan.😊

Currently studying Japanese in a small town in Japan, and it's in a large part thanks to your content that I've found the motivation to keep on going these past 2 years. Thanks!

Thank you, Chris. As an ESL lecturer, I stand by everything you said in this video. ❤ Applicable to learning English as well as any other language.

"Paleolithic head" is my new favourite insult. As someone at the foot of Mount Fuji, who has glimpsed the heights of Everest in the distance over the local Aldi, I appreciate this video a lot. Thank you.

The best trick is: Go to a place where not many tourists are. And that does not even have to be a less visited city or town, in can just be a less visited area. People are usually very nice and courteous, if you don't speak japanese, because they are not annoyed by dozens or hundrets of tourists every day. It is usefull to at least know some basic phrases and vocabulary since they often can't speak english, but usually you can make it work with gestures alone.

Thanks for being so honest about the difficulty of this Chris

These types of situations always make me scratch my head awkwardly because, realistically, there’s always an aspect of xenophobia involved, even if it’s not the main issue. The fact that restaurant owner went after the people leaving negative reviews really does make me think their unwillingness to communicate with foreign customers is born out of malice rather than pragmatism. Edit: Wow, this really offended a lot of chuds. French people don’t be embarrassing challenge (impossible).

This has the energy of your early video's, but has the maturity and skill that you've gained over the years. Excited for this new 'era'. Also really good job taking a more down to earth approach to this 'issue' that was overblown.

i visited friends who live in kawaguchiko and the crowds around that lawson and train crossing just behind it make getting to the station unbarable... literally every road there has amazing views of fuji, spread out and find your own unique photo opertunity.

Good shit homie! Laughed out loud at the John "Cdawg" Blackthorn bit.

Hilarious and informative as always dude, can never get enough of your content

I recall a discussion with a Slovak co-worker who had moved to England. He spoke some English before leaving, but he told me of the worries of his mother, she asked him "what if they don't understand you?" and his response is just brilliant. He told her "I will speak with my arms and my legs". I just love that. We're all human and we have similar needs, without language we cannot communicate with great depth or nuance, but we can know and make known our basic needs.

I never really had any interest in Japan until I was about 19 or 20 when I stumbled across this channel almost 10 years ago. Through yours and other KZfaq channels, I fell in love with the countryside, a place I have never been to or never really thought about until I watched your videos. These videos ultimately pushed me to go back to college/university and begin my journey on learning the culture and language. I decided when I re-enrolled after the pandemic that I would earn a degree in culture and literature as I learned through my job at the time that I enjoyed teaching (my job had me do this from time to time, but it was not my actual job). I chose this degree path as I felt it would be best for my future students as I would be diving deeper into the English language. As graduation comes closer, now just two quarters away, I find myself getting my gear (photography and journals), passport, and luggage ready as I will be attending a two-week study abroad in Matsuyama (松山) in September. Once I graduate, I will be just a few months away from my 29th birthday so hopefully that does not pose any issue when it comes time to apply for the JET Program. With all of that being said, anyone have any tips to solidify memorization of て form? For some reason I find it easier to memorize new kanji but years into learning the language and I still have to sometimes think about which form to use, is this something everyone struggles with or am I missing something? Thank you for the videos, they helped a bunch during the pandemic when I was originally planning to visit Japan. As morbid as it sounds without the pandemic, I don't think I would have ever found what I really enjoyed.

Amazing. Came for the drama, felt inspired to learn more about the language afterward.

I like how you are challenging a bit Japanese point of view in a smart way, as usual! Keep going !!

lol that part with the supermarket blocking the view of mount fuji got me good couldn't stop laughing

2:16 this scene is so beautiful that I had to replay it a few times What beautiful lighting!!

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OBSESSED WITH ACE OF BASE AND I LOVE YOU FOR THE BACKGROUND MUSIC

Chris this brilliant! You haven’t lost a single step. Welcome back

Sure clickbait me in with some title about some strict rule restaurant and casualy segue into a very informative and great video. Well played.

This is a great video on learning Japanese. You're exactly right about the last point - that is absolutely the key. I liked the Fuji / Everest analogy. too. Realistically I'm rolling around somewhere in the valley between them, but nothing like a good "nihongo jouzu" from the Starbucks barista to make me feel like I'm on Everest's peak.

honestly you, tokyolens and a few others got me interested in learning the language. so far I'm chugging along the fuji route but no interest in stopping. picked it up as a hobby and I'm having fun learning it. but it is tough.

All the solid tips mentioned aside, just gotta say this video is top tier! So fun and engaging 🤩

the advice you mention about not switching back to your native language is very good. here is one that took me years to realize - understanding a language and having *command* of the language (speaking, thinking) are two different things. I focused on understanding the language for years but could hardly speak it until I finally got over my shyness to just try and fail until it became more automatic. Sure, understanding the language is great, but actually using it is a whole different part of your brain.

I'm currently reading your book and it's fun to hear you talking about your language progress as you did in the book :)

Incredible editing and pace

I met a Japanese man in his 60s in Oregon and asked him how he could read all those characters in his japanese book. He said japanese cant even do it they have to figure out what the signs mean as they go by the context around it.

I got over Fuji and now I have Everest to go over. Well here goes! 私は日本語を話すことができますだから私は子供のように話します。Yes I typed that all out without google translate or any dictionary.

I think the idea behind the Lawson/Mt. Fuji pictures is to capture the contrast between civilization and natural beauty.

I have been waiting for your next upload!🎉

I moved to Japan during COVID. At that time there were very little foreigners and no tourists. My Japanese ability was pretty nonexistant at the beginning but I was able to practice a lot because in most cases Japanese expected me to speak Japanese (in Japan, crazy right?!) This actually made it more comfortable for me as I could plan on Japanese being the language spoken. Transactions went smoothly and if there were any hiccups, I knew it was my fault and that gave me a learning experience and something to practice and work on. Recently it has become harder for me to communicate. Now most of all my interactions at restaurants and stores with staff are initially met with a look of fear and absolute bewilderment as I approach. They maybe expect and fear I don't speak Japanese. The broken English and the hand gestures begin. Do I reply in English? Do I reply in Japanese? A mix of both? Do I really look that American? Anyways I always just smile and don't take it the wrong way, I know I am a foreigner and I will always look and be a foreigner and I know there's no ill will or bad intention its just a little uncomfortable and can be frustrating.

I've lived in Japan for years and I have been kicked out of restaurants/businesses before they xould even check that I could order in Japanese. I know non-Japanese people who were born and raised in Japan and were fluent in the language who were rejected from these businesses on sight. It isnt super common, but "Japanese only" businesses have a "whites only" vibe in how they kick people out purely based on race.

Awesome. Another item to add to my fail list.

Awesome to see you back again. Loving the book btw 💜

6:18 really not surprised about overflowing bins. Japan is a strange juxtaposition of clean streets and barely any bins. Sometimes it's pretty bothersome to carry your garbage around with you, especially if you just went out spontaneously and didn't bring a backpack. The few times you find a public bin it's probably overflowing with garbage other people have been carrying around half the city, too.

I can understand the sentiment, but it's also not very practical. Like can you imagine a Japanese person studying French for six months, going to Montreal and being unable to understand literally anything the locals say because the dialect is completely different from what they learned? Should we deny them the poutine they traveled halfway across the world to eat? Seems unfair.

Thank you Chris!! Its been a while since were gotten a video on learning Japanese! Great video as always man 🎉 keep up the incredible work!

Agree with your motivation part! I studied for a few years coz I love anime/manga and Japan. Many years on it’s diminished and I can’t remember a tonne of kanji, grammar and other things but can still figure out some of the basics. Really requires long term motivation and drive.

Always a good day when Mr Affable posts! :)

Ay Chris I will ALWAYS love your voice over narration. Thank you for making my day.

I was literally googling abroad in japan a few minutes ago cause I hadn't noticed a video in a long time LOL

hahaha when I was in college taking Japanese courses for my scholarship, I figured out quickly the sentence structure by thinking to myself "How would Yoda say it?" It worked wonderfully haha.

Your videos are always on point, keep it going

Chris... I think this might be the peak of your career. I reckon this is your funniest video yet! ^^

Your explanation about the complexities of mastering the Japanese language and the dedication it requires is excellent. It's important to respect local culture and make an effort to integrate, but it's equally key to be realistic about what can be achieved as a tourist.

Love these more personal informative video's, keep up the good work Chris 👍

Language teacher here by profession, this advice is EXCELLENT. You should rebrand this video so people know to get language learning tips here because I didn't see it coming, but it's probably the single best breakdown of how to learn a language (not just Japanese) that I've come across. Spaced repetition techniques are OP, motivation is everything, and learning curves are real. Great book recommendations and excellent advice all around. I've always appreciated you because you learned the local language and it shows in your appreciation of the culture and your respect for the host country. I did the same in Peru and find my experience matches up well with yours. Fantastic explanation mate

In any country you move, as a respect for the country you need to speak the language, I lived in 2 different countries outside of my native country, and I always learned the language!

This channel is always brilliant!!!

dang this is some old school abroad in japan video, reminded me why i felt in love with the channel with my first video learning japanese, that "it looks like a tree" part made me laugh hahahaha

You got me at the Where is Burger kind you scamp lol

Ngl I have been trying to learn Japanese words so I can understand vtubers without relying on clippers to translate subtitles. I also have been trying to improve my understanding without studying grammar or anything and just listening to people speak and try to mimic what they say or pick out familiar words that might mean something. Been doing that have a few months now on and off and the pace is slow but I like to think that on some days I can actually understand portions of conversations, which made me really happy when I first realised that