12 Things NO-ONE Tells You About Japan | Feat. @CDawgVA

We reveal 12 things no-one tells you to expect in Japan.

Special thanks to guest @CDawgVA for joining!

Edited by David Parish

00:00 What No-One Tells You About Japan
02:02 1) Confusing Japanese-English
05:23 2) Asking for Help Is a Bad Idea
06:40 3) Nap Culture is Genius
07:49 4) Rubbish is a Nightmare
09:49 5) Mega Expensive Fruit
12:35 6) Endless Point Cards
14:49 7) No Perfume
16:20 8) Land of the Rising Paperwork
18:20 9) English Fear
20:38 10) Unhealthy Food
23:35 11) Ugly Towns
25:46 12) The Final Curtain

**FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE**
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**EQUIPMENT I USE**

[AbroadinJapan]

Well guys, we're currently a week into the epic Cyclethon to Tokyo. Thanks to everyone who's watched along and helped us raise an incredible $390, 000 so far!
Connor and I filmed this episode just before setting off - hence the not so ideal backdrop, haha. Ideally this would've been a discussion for the Abroad in Japan studio! Still hope you enjoy our chat and thanks again to Sakuraco for sponsoring the episode.

[Slavesforsale]

I actually experienced a situation similar to the one in number 2. I remember being at a train station in Tokyo trying to get to that island with the Gundam statue that is sadly being removed and I had trouble because I accidently left my Japanese money back at my hotel and the station wouldn't accept cards for tickets. Some Japanese salaryman who didn't even work at the station, all done up in a suit and tie, saw that I was in a pickle and in broken English asked if I needed help. When I explained to him the situation he told me to follow him to a nearby store that had an ATM and showed me how to use it (it didn't have an English option, I think). He gave me more of his time then I would ever expect a complete stranger to. He took like 10 minutes out of his probably busy day to help some idiot gaijin like me and I'll always appreciate that.

[Jihi]

As some comments already stated, I can vouch for point 2.

2 weeks ago I was in Osaka with family and we were at the JR Osaka station and we were looking at the station board and our phones.

A sweet old lady asked us in broken English (was still good though) if we were lost and it turns out our destination was via underground, not rail. I thought that was the end of it but no, she insisted we follow her.

What we didn't know was that the underground station was a good 15 min walk away via a maze like underground mall.

I felt guilty as we followed her but she was so insistant on helping us.

Really appreciated her help.

[DadCanJapan]

One thing that many foreign residents of Japan don't know is Furusato Nouzei, or hometown tax. You can donate your income or residential tax to a regional area, rather than the area in which you actually reside. And then, these regional areas will provide “gifts” as a show of thanks. You can choose which areas you want to donate your taxes to based on what "gifts" you can get in return. We use our tax money to get high quality fruit and unagi, but there are lots of things you can get. You can actually get something in return for your tax money.

[ImbaMelow]

I had a similar situation like Connor, when I asked our airbnb host for help with a ticket for a rave, after he offered guidance and help after we arrived. He immediately went ahead and called the service hotline of the event host for me and eventually figured out how to print the tickets. Then this absolute giga chad RAN TO A 7/11 to print the tickets for us!!! I didn't even know that he was doing all that, until he came back... Luckily I brought a bunch of candy from Germany in advance, so I could thank him at least with a gift. Will never forget how much he did for us that day and how kind he was!

[VocalFox]

#2 has been true for decades. When my dad was in high school his family was stationed in the Philippines at one of the US military bases there. This happened in like the late 70’s. His sports team took a trip to Japan. At some point, he ends up getting separated from his teammates in a station on the way to an important destination, but gets on a train alone anyway.

After what seems like forever, he starts to get nervous, thinking he should have arrived at his destination by now. Well, as he’s sitting there sweating, starting to panic, the middle aged salaryman sitting next to him taps him on the shoulder and says, “You lost.” My dad confirms that he is, in fact, lost, and shows him on a map where he’s supposed to go. The man chortles and says, “Two hour, other way.”

This man not only got off at the next station with my dad, but also rode the train back with him to make sure he got where he needed to go. It’s one of my favorite stories he tells.

[medeis]

Oh God, the second one. I was once lost in Osaka in Namba station (or trying to get to it, I forget). Some woman tried to help me, out of her own will, I didn't ask. Time was of the essence, because I had a concert to get to in like half an hour. The woman run around the endless underground passages with me and when she was unsure how to proceed she then got ANOTHER person to help us. So some salary man, her and myself spent like 10 minutes in search of my thing. I was mortified. But in the end I made it in time so I was so thankfull for their help.

[RILDIGITAL]

This video really highlighted how different aspects of living and being in Japan can be equally intriguing yet challenging. The part about point cards really resonated with me. I totally understand the struggle with disposing of large items in Japan too.

[yj]

I have experienced number 2 a few times when i went to Japan. I was lost in the middle of the street trying to look for my airbnb at 12am because I arrived Tokyo late at night, a kind lady who seems to be just off work came to me and asked if I need help. At that time I wasn’t able to speak Japanese so I showed her the map, she took the map and asked me to stay on the spot, while she go around the neighbourhood looking for it, and came back to bring me to the doorstep of the apartment. Really grateful for what she did ❤

[CHEFPKR]

One thing I noticed in my limited time there: Keep your suica card loaded! It's hyper convenient to be able to travel with or buy stuff from konbini.

[crallen-futr]

Keep David on Chris, he did a great job putting this video together! Love the editing

[emiliekbagge]

Four years in Japan taught me to stay until the credits were done in the cinema - took it with me back home to Denmark and now I’m the weird one getting side-eyed by the staff….

I actually never had issues with not having a hanko. Everyone was very accommodating and let me sign instead. Maybe that’s the joy of the Tokyo suburbs?

My #1 issue when I moved to Japan was that I needed a phone to open a bank account and I needed a bank account to open a phone…. Fun times…

[CastleMati]

Happy you're posting regularly again with fresh new content!
Happy cycling!

[BashfulBlanket]

no.11 is so true. I went to Japan in 2009 and I remember watching your video about the architecture and when you said that the train station at Harajuku had been upgraded. I was devasted. It was so beautiful before and really showed Japan's charm and now nobody can see it anymore.

[ryanthomas]

The idea of Connor being the maverick for leaving the cinemas whilst the credits are still rolling which vigorates others to do the same even if they think it’s wrong is hilarious

[emma_nutella]

As a person that naps a lot, I’m glad Japan are ok with napping because I wouldn’t be able to cope on those long shifts without a nap

[garryferrington]

Connor talking about getting up and leaving the cinema during the credits and people following him got me laughing for an hour! Well done, Connor!

[mica]

Was a fun watch & I continue to enjoy your edits. That ending XD

[xilador]

I dont like to comment but I had to for the second one:

Day 2 arriving in japan and exploring after getting dropped off to our airbnb the previous night. We were in the Shimbashi station probably looking confused on how to get Suica cards. An elderly japanese guy came to our rescue, helped and waited till we got a Suica card through his (broken but perfectly understandable) English. He took way too much of his time to help and we were very grateful just having started our Japan Honeymoon.

I would say I had a blast trying to communicate with the locals, whether they knew a lot of English or not.

[Auroron]

Number 2 is spot on! When I was visting Kyoto me and my friends were out for karaoke, but I was drunk and tired and wanted to go home early, so I decided to make my way home on my own. I didnt have maps or anything on my phone, so I asked a random guy getting on his moped for the way to the hotel. He offered to give me a ride, which I gladly accepted. We zoomed through the neon-lit traffic at night, and he let me off at a totally different hotel. Turns out two hotels in the city had the same name. So now Im drunk and lost in a completely unknown part of the city, but I didnt have the heart to tell the guy who just took a huge detour to help me that he had the wrong hotel, so I thanked him, waited for him to drive off, then tried to find my way home again.

Cool experience though!