I was overwhelmed by おもてなし Japanese hospitality. I felt as though I was being treated like movie star. From Tokyo to Kagoshima. So many people went out of their way to help me. It wss the Japanese people who made my stay in their country so memorable.

My Tokyo experience... Expectation: Lots of tourists in anime shops Reality: Lots of locals Expectation: Many vending machines Reality: Many many many vending machines! Expectation: Expensive Reality: Not as expensive as what most people say Expectation: Trains are clean and quiet Reality: Trains are super clean and super quiet! Expectation: Language barrier Reality: Not so much

Japan is very organised and orderly! Even being crushed like a sardine-in-a-can inside the rush hour train, no one said a word, there was no aggression, no one was hurt, no one was offended, it was a smooth-sailing process.

Expectation: My daughter lives in Tokyo and speaks fluent Japanese. I know I will be fine. Reality: After visiting her for two weeks, I felt comfortable enough to take the next two weeks and day trip my way around the country because I fell heart over heels in love with the culture, scenic beauty, and overall peaceful quality of life found in this amazing country. UPDATE: I have taken my fourth trip to Japan as a fair speaker, reader and writer of the Japanese launguage. My love and respect for this enigmatic country continues to grow each time that I visit. I wish Japan was my home❣️❣️❣️

My first time in Japan. Expectation: High. Reality: More than met expectation.

I was there a LONG time ago for a month, but I was working as a back up dancer for a Japanese singer (she died around the 2000 I think) but her name was Shuri Eiko. Her mother was a big choreographer at the Takarazuka. The reason I mention this is because it was not the typical tourist trip. For example, when we traveled by bullet train, the entire train car was rented for only 5 of us, the rest of the train car was empty to have privacy. We went out to high end meals with private rooms and such as well. They didn't have to treat us that well, but for a month we were treated with ultimate hospitality so much so that we didn't even have to pay for our meals and bar tabs at night during our month stay in Roppongi. I did pick up some Japanese so I could go shopping by myself and was once told by a person at some department store that I had a cute accent (when speaking Japanese). This long winded post is to simply say that I have wonderful memories of my stay in Japan and it went way beyond my expectations.

Lots of people asked this. The scene at the end was taken at 千鳥ヶ淵公園 (Chidorigafuchi Park) goo.gl/maps/JrVELjZyPdN2. It's located around the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo. This was a day after peak cherry blossom in late March. We really lucked out with the fantastic weather.

Expectation : Japanese are frightened by foreigners Reality : Japanese are so open to foreigners and interested

I lived in Japan for 12 years. Your videos are the most accurate, most informative and most entertaining I’ve seen so far... Thank you.

I remember the first time I went to Japan, I expected lots of vending machines, but when I got there, it STILL took me by surprise just how many vending machines there are around.

The Osaka airport was the same for me: there seemed to be very few people there. The first thing I noticed when arriving was how very clean the trains were. Clean and free from vandalism of any kind. Here, people vandalize everything and the seats on the train here have been changed to stainless steel to try and prevent vandalism... of course vandals are very persistent here, not to mention petty thieves who seal everything -- in Japan, I left my bag on the train, and it was still there when some attendants fetched it for me many stations away from where I got off. I talked to foreigners who left their umbrellas, or wallets, and other things at bus stops, or other public places only to find them still there the next day or turned into the local police box. The lack of vandalism, garbage, and petty thievery was very refreshing.

is it just me or are 3 signs that say "not Suspicious" on one door a little suspicious?

My husband and I traveled to The Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hakone area last year around this time. We're from Los Angeles and we thought we were used to the city but nooo. It was a lot crowded in some of the obvious areas, but what we loved was that despite the crowds it was still very organized and respectful. If it was that crowded here in LA, people would be bumping into each other and not caring about where the other is going. However, when we were in some of the more crowded areas in Tokyo or even the main train station in Kyoto, it felt like there was this unspoken rule or plan of organization that kept things moving and flowing smoothly. Another thing I had to get used to was NOT tipping! I felt horrible leaving and not tipping, it was just very weird doing so since here in the states it is pretty much expected of you TO TIP. The service was still incredible, it was even better than the service I would receive here when I am expected to tip. We were lucky enough to stay there for an entire month and I have to admit that It was very relaxing. Even though when we went it was spring break for some of the schools in the Tokyo area lol

I've visited Japan once and it was a great experience. It's hard to describe but I felt both excited and at peace during my trip. I got lost several times in the middle of nowhere with no one around which, normally, would freak me out but I was as cool as a cucumber! I think being in Japan had a lot to do with it.

I know introverts could fit in Japan.

I just want to say your videos are so interesting and great quality.

The thing I struggled with most was... bike traffic! I was constantly looking over my shoulder trying to make sure I stayed in the "proper" side, but they kept alternating! Obasaaaan, don't run me over!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Being Swiss I got the no shoe in the house obsession too. And I love the silent trains and walking / biking everywhere + it keeps you healthy.

Great video and informative! Nice to see others perspectives on this great country we live in. Now to finish the video

The crowd was a big thing for me especially in Tokyo, I remember arriving at Akihabara and bracing myself for the crowd (it was the first day of holidays for Japanese student so a lot was happening) but I literally didn't feel like I was in a crowd, I wasn't pushed around, I could walk easily, access the shops and everything. Obviously I was being careful not to push people and all but it was so comfortable!

Yayyyy I saw the poll for this video, so excited you decided on this!

Greg(and family) The more I watch your videos, the more I really would love to visit Japan. When I was younger(I am 62 yrs old) I had a very keen interest in Japan when I was in grade school. My sister was going with a young man that was in the US Air Force at the time, and he would go to Japan for vacations etc. He sent me & my sisters some things from Japan, I was really thrilled to get the gift of a Kimono at the time, it's actually packed away in my things that I have saved over the years. I found the video with your brother & his family really nice. Greg, you do such a great job with your videos....I have learned a lot about Japan from you that I didn't know. Thanks so much ! I look forward to your videas Greg, Aiko, & Shin

I recently went to Japan and I totally fell in love with everything the country has to offer. Of course, I was a tourist from the Philippines and everything is an upgrade over what we have. The only downside is that I never wanted to go home! I totally wanted to stay, settle down with my family and live there for the rest of my life. It felt like Japan is the perfect country for me. The food is nice, the people are friendly, respectful and very orderly. And the transportation is OMG! The Japanese public transport is definitely the best in the world!

Another awesome video! Thanks for sharing and this time with your brother and sister-in-law!

I watch a lot of “Only in Japan”, “Life Where I’m From”, and many more travel vlogs, so it gave me a solid idea of what Japan was.

Japan was everything i expected and more! I will be going back in 2 weeks! This is my 3rd visit in 3 years :)

Thanks a lot to you and your wonderful family for creating this video. As usual, it's fun, gripping and very informative. Looking forward to watching your other videos, your channel makes me so happy!

I just love your guys’ videos. They are so informative, but always enjoyable. It’s not like I’m sitting here watching an old school documentary. I love the amount of facts, yet actual experiences mentioned. These videos always make me want to visit Japan even more, every time I watch a new upload. Keep up the good work!

I grew up there and returned when i was 19. I'm 31 now and living in the US. I miss the total silence and the cold. As depressing as that is to some. Its my bliss. And im an extrovert. I know i will return permanently.

It’s 3.45 AM in Sweden, I don’t have any important things tomorrow morning, was about to turn off WIFI but then *P O O F* a video by LWIF

I love the flow and organization of topics

I have yet to visit Japan, but I did live and work in Hawaii as a dolphin trainer and even with my terribly basic Japanese, the guests followed instructions and were much more courteous and aware than the American guests during dolphin interaction programs. My direct supervisor was from Japan and after my first day of work, he invited me into his home where his wife cooked an amazing traditional meal. It was experiences like this that really made me appreciate the culture and want to visit someday!

Hello, I came for the first time to Japan this month (April/2018) and right now I'm living in Yokohama. At first the walking was intense for me, my feet hurt every time I came back to my dorm. However, that got away after 4 to 5 days. Now I enjoy the walking and cycling culture and even bought a normal city bike for going grocery shopping and sometimes to university (which is about 7 km away from where I live). The contrast wasn't that much since I have seen various youtube videos about the culture and also have studied Japanese. I can fairly communicate with people that talk to me at the train (mostly older and friendly women) or even do shopping or asking for directions when I get lost (which has been frequent, but there is always a good sight to enjoy during those times). I think the gap between my expectations and reality wasn't wide because in the end I think of Japan as a country with a very conscious and respectful people and that's what I have experienced so far. In fact, what caught me off guard was the friendliness since I have read that most japanese people are not prone to social interaction with foreigners or even other japanese people...guess that isn't my case. Yokohama is a young city for what I've heard, but it's a very beautiful one and I expect to experience more and more japanese culture since I'm hopefully going to stay for about 2 years. Thanks for your video. This is the 3rd that I've watched and all of them have been very helpful, specially the one about how survive the first hour in Japan.

Your video are such a helpful guide

That very last shot in your video of 千鳥ヶ淵 at night. Just breathtaking! Simply GORGEOUS.

Great video! And perfect timing as currently at the beginning of my second trip to Japan!

I have been to Japan 3 times to several different areas thanks to my daughter who was a teacher there for 6 plus year. Each times was wonderful and a unique experience. If I was younger I would probably want to live there. Love the feeling, the rural areas and the contrast between the city. Would definitely want to live, work and purchase a home in Japan.✨

That's weird - I'd say 99% of toilets we went to in Tokyo, Nara and Kyoto had not only ample amounts of soap, but also seat disinfectant fluid.

Great video just in time for me as I am going to Japan for the first time May 6. Very excited, can't wait. Your videos have been extremely helpful to me. Thanks.

Your video quality is breathtaking. Great editing and your voice is so soothing. Such a class act man. Love it.

It's been over a decade since I first visited Japan, but I've been back since. Growing up reading a lot of shoujo slice-of-life manga, I definitely had a lot of preconceived notions about what life in Japan would be like, but for the most part Japan met or exceeded my expectations. Here's my list of 10 surprises I encountered when I first started living in Japan: 1. Sushi in Japan is maki, nigiri, or sashimi...no fancy rolls like in America. Dubbed Digimon led me to believe California rolls would be available in Japan--HA! 2. How kind strangers could be. Even with my limited Japanese, people always went out of their way to help me. 3. How good the food actually is. Japan smells amazing and tastes amazing. So.Much.Good.Food. 4. How clean EVERYTHING is. And the pride people take in keeping their homes, neighborhoods, and work places clean. 5. Work culture. Learning to be less direct and to solutions before making complaints, and discovering that there's no reciprocity. That last one was a big change--I've worked for the American government in Japan and a private Japanese business In American work culture, you often have to foster relationships before you ask for favors. In Japan, asking someone to do something that's already their job is not seen as a favor. When I expressed my gratitude when my colleagues did something for me, they thought that was kind of strange--it was their job, after all! Perhaps it's because in Japanese work places, gratitude is expressed for work that is done well every day: if someone did something well, you praised them, and at the end of every day you thank everyone you work with for putting in a hard day of work. Also, for the most part, everyone I worked with also held themselves accountable to a fault. 6. How peaceful Tokyo can be. Not just in parks-- how Japanese people try to carve out moments of tranquility everyday: whether though a quiet cafe with lots of indoor plants, an evening walk through your neighborhood, or a visit to your local shrine. 7. Homelessness in Tokyo and how it is handled/viewed, especially the neighborhood I lived in, made me really feel discouraged. I learned more about that particular issue on this channel than I did living in Japan. 8. How green the country is! How beautiful the natural landscapes are. 9. The pride in doing even the most mundane tasks well and beautifully. How much craftsmanship is valued and honored. 10. How much at home I could feel there. I've been lucky enough to live in multiple countries and have traveled extensively, and there's no place like Japan. If I could find full time employment there, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Thank you for another nice and informative video. I seen a lot of your videos and always love the way it is set up to demonstrate life in Japan. I visited Japan (Osaka)in 2016 and my experience was great. The people were very helpful. When I was unable to find my hotel, an elderly lady helped me figure out my directions. At the train station, the customer service guy helped me out in choosing the best route to take for my trip. I speak a moderate amount of Japanese which helped in conversations as well. Even at restaurants I could get by with asking for vegetarian food (yasai-dake, niku to sakana ha tabemasen). Osaka however seemed to require a higher level of Japanese language knowledge than what was portrayed for Tokyo in the video. During my hike up Mount Fuji, I met a Japanese elderly gentleman and a lady of my age who hiked up with me all the way. The girl could speak English fairly comfortably (except when she had to think up a particular word) but the gentleman was not as good at it. We could still talk throughout the day in a mix of English and my rudimentary Japanese. They were very friendly, inviting me with them to the onsen (hot spring) at the end of the hike. +Life Where I'm From: Where is the boating and cherry blossoms scene at 13:44 from? Where in Japan can you experience this? It was so pretty!

Such a charming video. I'm soaking this all in for my eventual visit to Japan.

I love all of your videos! I think you all are really cool and to learn about Japan and how different it is.

I'm Jamaican but I love Japanese culture for some reason. Would love to learn the language but it wouldnt make a sense since I dont plan to live there. Nontheless I can't wait to visit one day!

I honestly had very high expectations but the reality was even greater. It turned out to be my best traveling experience so far!

This was very insightful! Thanks for giving us such good details. Very helpful. 😊♥️

I love your family's first impressions, especially that they were not in wall to wall people. Thank you for sharing!

On our honeymoon we were surprised by the weather (hot and humid), the deer in Nara, the amazing food for so cheap (we had heard stories about $$$), the amazing food in a ryokan, and the condition of every train and taxi. It exceeded every expectation we had and we can't wait to go back.

This helped alot, my dream is to visit Japan & maybe even live there 💕

Really enjoyed this one! Fresh perspectives are always great!

Thank you! This puts me more at ease about some anxieties I have about our 1st trip to Tokyo.

I was just about to go to bed in America then I saw this😂

Your brother is an intelligent, articulate fellow. Seems like a nice guy who enjoys a good conversation.

Your videos are beautiful, the images are so crisp and clear and the subjects fascinating.

Fascinating that people are surprised about taking shoes off. This is a culture that eats and lives on the floor or close to it. So of course you wouldn’t want people tracking in dirt that could get in your food or clothing, in your bedding, etc.

Expectation: Japan Reality: Japan

I wish you would do an outdoor activity video on Japan. I live in tohoku and i find the lack of outdoor activities like mountin biking and hiking very frustrating. Back in the states there were tons of hiking trails everywhere and you could easily find mountain biking areas too. Japan has all these amazing mountains, but very limited access based on my experience

I really enjoyed this video. It was incredibly nostalgic to hear you brother and sister-in-law's first experience in Japan. Everything they said rang true to me for my first time in Japan. I think your brother and sister-in-law are quite charismatic people/interviewees and I would love to see more content like this in the future if possible. One thing I didn't expect was the amount of bowing that takes place - even small things like after making a purchase at a store. After awhile it becomes very habitual and somewhat innate to bow. I also found myself doing so on return home haha.

this is so informative! thank you for your well-put videos. I'm currently binge-watching them :)

I love your vids.

Love these videos. Hope to go to Japan someday

That was so cool Greg C: Loved to get others perspective for first time visiting Japan especially on so many topics, beautiful places you took pictures of too :)

I really loved this video. Thank you.

I think i am in love with japan, i used to only like korea for kpop, the food, and other things but wow i may just go to japan one day.

A dish washer is not essential, it's called using your hand and a sponge. Less water wasted and it's faster too. XD A microwave is more essential.

Going to Japan for the first time in a couple months, your videos (and other peoples) really help to ease the anxiety of going to a place so foreign to your own country.

Thanks for the video! I'm planning to visit Japan and I found your video helpful.

I miss aiko and shin❤

I travelled to Japan for the first time this July, and I think for me, Japan had some big surprises. Language: I expected to have a hard time getting around without understanding any Japanese. It was actually quite easy. Most signs are in English, or there are pictures to make it easy. Whilst the English speaking ability of people could vary considerably, most people seemed to understand me reasonably well, and everybody we met were really helpful. We could break the communication barrier with them saying a few words in English or with gestures etc. Some Japanese words are similar to English, and I learned a few random phrases that really helped me. The toilets: I knew Japan had fancy electronic toilets like bidet and heated seat, but I kind of assumed that was just in rich peoples houses and fancy hotels. They are actually everywhere, including the airport, some train stations, restaurants, bars etc. The options are not just bidet and heated seat, but also fans, playing running water sound and a few others I didn't understand. It was nice. The air conditioner and other remotes: Lots of buttons, very confusing. Enough said. Some hotels had printed out an explanation of the buttons in English, I took a photo of that and used it for reference later on. Very polite, friendly, helpful people. Its one thing to read about it, but experiencing it is amazing. You feel very safe everywhere you go, in a way that doesn't really happen at home. Very low crime, nobody tries to scam you, or harass you or steal from you. Shop owners dont try and rip you off, or force a sale. Everyone just seems intent on doing the best job possible which is really quite a nice experience.

The one thing that really surprised me about Japan, was that everything was exactly as I expected it. All those KZfaq videos are really accurate.

Very informative video. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Bathing is a fine art in Japan.

I went to Japan 12 years ago, and then went back this year with the same crew (7 family members, only one friend of the family couldn't go unfortunately). So, expectations vs reality completely different, but here we go. We really noticed a dramatic increase of tourists, specially chinese tourists. Spots that were already popular like Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, Ueno park in the last days of sakura, Asakusa Kanon temple, and even at hotels or Narita airport in busy times - it was almost unbearable with that many tourists. I think Golden Week gets pretty packed all around, but probably with less foreigners. Next time I'm thinking of going way earlier (before sakura blossoming) for some quieter visits. I wouldn't say it was disappointing, and I'm not blaming all chinese tourists, but sometimes it was pretty bad... like guides screaming full lungs in chinese, groups blocking streets, stuff like that. Some foreigners are super rude... you do encounter the occasional rude japanese I guess, but I gotta say that most of the times we had problems were with foreigners. Nothing dramatic though. In Kyoto I kinda got some info completely wrong (don't blindly trust the Internets people), I wanted to go to Arashiyama to see the bamboo forest, but we ended up in a completely different temple way in the boonies that we had a very hard time getting back to Kyoto station. Some of my relatives will disagree, but for me personally it ended up being great... because it had almost no tourists... in fact almost no one. Shoden-ji temple, had only a relatively small zen-garden in a dilapidated temple. It was a really nice break from the crowds... Like I said in another post, I'm a smoker myself (sorry again), and I did expect to see more smokers around considering that Japan had a lot of smokers... still has? I was surprised by laws forbidding smoking in public, by the rooms and specific spaces made for smokers, and how few smokers I saw during the trip overall. And I honestly agree with the entire thing... I kinda wish to have a "smokers room" just like the one that the first hotel we stayed has. Equipped full of filters and whatnot. The only place that was really packed with smokers was Akiba, in the place reserved for smoking I mean... and a good part were tourists. Hmmm... what else? Oh, Suica is super convenient. xD It's been 12 years, so of course lots of stuff will change, but some places we went in the first trip and went again this time were almost unrecognizable - specially around Tokyo. Two places I really regret we didn't make time to go - Fuji-san and a Tokyu Hands store. Then again, this time I could spend almost 4 days in Akiba, so can't complain. Guess that's more or less it. As for the first time we went, it's pretty much the same as Greg's relatives, and that's probably because of international coverage of Japan. There's a huge bias in trying to portray the country as a weird, exotic, packed and out of the normal place when it really isn't. 12 years ago was even worse... we thought we wouldn't find food to eat well, we thought trains were always crazy packed (depending on the time and place they really are, but not all times), I thought I was doomed because I didn't know any japanese, etc. Oh, something that still surprises me is on diversity of spaces and the incredibly defined boundaries of them. Like, you get out on a train station that is modern, urban, tons of salary men waking in suits all around, etc... then you walk like two blocks and suddenly you are in the middle of an entirely empty, calm and quiet park. In Kyoto around the central stations you are surrounded by these huge modern buildings, lots of big brands, bunch of cars running around some large streets and all.... take a turn you are in an all pedestrian (Gion) street with old historic buildings and whatnot in an entirely different mood. At times it's super weird, like you went through a portal or something. The different Tokyo neighborhoods are all kinda unique. Oh well, wrote too much already. Anyways, great video!

loved your vids from the moment i found them ! i can't wait to visit Japan :D i'd love to see some vids with you and your brother up to more Japanese adventures!

It's been 5 years now and still miss beautiful Yokohama.

Hawk eating ice cream ;) I never thought of that

Im visiting in about a month! No idea what to expect haha

Awesome and educational video! Thank you and to your brother and sister-in-law. Really helpful! Aloha!

Such a wonderful video! I hope to visit Japan soon. Thanks for the tips!　ありがとうございます！

Yay! I am early! My dream is to go and possibly live in Japan. P.S. Really big fan.

My virgin trip to Japan was in 2010 and there were several things that shocked me. 1 The Japanese squat toilet. We do have squat toilet in Singapore but that oddly shaped designed looks gross. Besides that cover wouldn't cover anything and even when you pee squatting, that cover wouldn't stop the urine from spilling over. 2 The Japanese toilet with lots of buttons and that wash your private parts function. However, I could only imagine that they are thinking from the perspective that kids using the toilets themselves will be less hassle in that sense. 3 Trains are exceptionally quiet and most of my journey trains were empty as long as you avoided the office hour peak period. 4 There was once the waiter squat/kneel beside me to take our order at a restaurant. Although we have very little command of Japanese, we were pleased with the food and service. 5 There are some restaurants that required you to take off your shoes and the waitress actually used her bare hand to pick my shoes and put it in the locker and took it out when we leave. Since that trip I vowed that I would never visit another country other than Japan.

I'm going to Japan for the first time in 4 weeks and this video was the most interesting I could find online. Thank you for sharing!

We love Japan so much! And we will definitely comeback. Exceeded our expectations. Our kids even not wanting to go back home yet.

13:07 "Not Suspicious." okay

Narita Airport is in a totally different prefecture, so your brother's impression of 'Tokyo' is correct. I knew about ofuro etiquette, but I wrecked it the first time I had a tub to myself -- Father in law was not happy. The abundance of tech in the home was a bit startling, but the lack of tech at government offices was alarming. As for traffic, insurance law is far more punishing in Japan than in B.C. so drivers usually (not always) pay more attention to pedestrians in Japan. No towels - big problem at Kaminarimon. Nobody ever gave me a picnic at Enoshima - just a good hike and lots of cats. Shower caps are provided because your head is the dirtiest part of your body, according to Japan. Tokyo could be welcoming, or not - I was not allowed into a bank to transact, even though my spouse had an account there.

This women was so genuine. God Bless your Happy Family.

Awesome video!we are heading to Japan next year for the first time 😊 I can't wait for all the new experiences!

Here goes my experience! I watched many videos for years before visiting Japan. We went to tourist areas, so I can't comment on more rural areas, but this was my experience: Things I liked: - I expected bathrooms to be high tech, but they were more than that! In one of the places we stayed it was possible to dry clothes by hanging them in the shower room and pressing a button to dry the bathroom (and the clothes) overnight. Super convenient! And of course it washes your butt for you. What more could you want? - The shoe "obsession" is real and it's awesome. Those rules exist so that the floor is always clean and you can be barefoot, sit down or lie down on the floor, without any worries. At home we also remove our shoes at the entrance. It's a really good habit and I hope it spreads more around the world. - Pretty much everything is clean and well maintained. - Japanese are artists! Everything is beautiful, from buildings to food. I'm an Atheist, but I enjoyed seeing beautiful temples and gates on every street corner in Kyoto. - THE FOOD! The food is just amazing. The quality is really good and most things are healthy, besides being yummy and pretty. The sweets are especially awesome. Things I DIDN'T like: - The lack of environmental awareness. Whenever we went to a convenience store we were given everything we could possibly need to carry and consume the things we brought, for free. Plastic bags, plastic cutlery, disposable chopsticks, napkins, wet wipes, plastic straws, publicity pamphlets, etc... I seriously think I created more trash in Japan in 1 month than in London or Portugal in 1 year. - Lack of animal rights awareness. There are a lot of pet cafes that use animals that don't belong in that environment, like owls, hedgehogs, birds of prey, even penguins... It's animal cruelty. They keep them awake at times where they should have the option to hide and sleep, they don't have the space they need and can't fly, etc. Zoos and Aquariums often have horrible conditions too. There was even one famous elephant who stayed alone in a tiny zoo cage for all of her life, so she went mad. It's very sad. They also allow the sale of pure breed (inbreed) puppies and kittens in shops, as well as exotic animals. Also, most of the dogs I saw on the street were wearing completely unnecessary clothes and accessories. - I eat mostly plant based, but I decided to try ramen. Bad idea. Meat in Japan is very fatty and comes with the fat attached. I found it very heavy and oily and wasn't able to finish it. It just doesn't suit my taste. - It's very difficult to find vegan and even vegetarian food in Japan. And sometimes food comes with surprise meat! One time my salad came with ham. It wasn't on the picture or written in the menu. Japanese people simply assume everyone eats a "normal" diet and that's it. - Kyoto is CROWDED with Chinese tourists! This is something perhaps some tourists won't be able to tell the difference, but we were shocked. Chinese everywhere! And they're very noisy and inconsiderate, unlike the Japanese. - It's true that people in Japan are extremely polite and helpful. But we felt that employees in stores and people going to / coming from work were super stressed out, anxious and overworked. We never felt that people were genuinely interested in knowing us better and making friends. - Nobody washes their hands after going to the toilet! I was pretty shocked by this. They're clean freaks in so many other ways! So why not wash hands? - Maybe Onsen is good, but we only had the chance to try a Japanese Bath, which is a few degrees warmer. I felt like I was being cooked alive and couldn't keep my leg in there for more than a few seconds. And I take pretty hot baths!

My story is the reverse of the question posed. I was born in Japan and moved to the US when I was 12(1967). In Japan my best friend was Portuguese. My neighbors were Dutch. I went to a Navy school. We lived in a Japanese neighborhood. I was surrounded by all ethnicities. was really surprised with the lack of diversity in Silver Springs, Maryland and the racism that existed. Not so much for me but my sister would come home from school everyday crying because we didn't look Caucasian. As we grew up in we realized how big the US was and how different all the regions were/are.

So happy to see this video! Looking forward to more good content from you guys :)

I think the observations about the tissue, the convenience stores, and the hawks are spot on. One of the things I love about Japan... and the free tissues handed out!

Expectation: I've seen enough anime and youtube videos to know Japan is all about Reality: I can't even afford a plane ticket nor time off to visit the country in the first place...

Dishwashers are not common in Asian countries I guess

Very cool video Greg. I am eager to show it to our son. He has his visions of what he thinks Japan is really like, and my husband and I try to explain it to him, but this will be a great explanation. He is nervous about us moving there. Thanks!!

Great video, thanks Greg

When I visited Japan, Shinjuku and Harajuku were a let down. I hated the crowd. I went to other crowded places like Dotonbori in Osaka. But I didnt get annoyed as I was in Shinjuku and Harajuku. Maybe I am too old for that environment. When I explored the side streets, I had better experience. I was just like what I expected to be. It was just like in the manga I read. Normal and safe. I like that. 😊 But Kyoto was a different story. I don't know what's with Kyoto but when I was there it looked like a dream land. I dont know how to explain it. Kyoto exeeded my expectations.

In canada too we take shoes off in houses. Its making a mess and is dirty to keep shoes in the house, you spread all the dirt over the place =\ i think its mostly just americans who keeps shoes inside

Great information. Thanks!

This is such an interesting video. Keep up the good work!!😀😀😀