12 things I appreciate about living in Japan🇯🇵
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- ABOUT THIS VIDEO:
Hi, I'm Aki, a minimalist who is a school teacher living in a small village in Japan.
There are many great things in Japan that I grew up with.
After traveling abroad, I realized there are many things that I am truly thankful for. So today, I would like to talk about 12 things I appreciate about living in Japan.
If you are interested in Japan, or plan to travel or live in Japan in the future, I think this video will be really helpful for those who want to learn more about Japan, so please watch it until the end.
WHO AM I:
Welcome to samurai matcha journey! I'm Aki, a minimalist, kimono style school teacher in Japan. I make videos about my usual life in really country side of Japan. You can enjoy beautiful scenery, learn about Japan, and pick up some interesting lifestyle tips.
WHAT I LIKE:
Minimal lifestyle
Matcha
Kimono
Anime(Ghibli)
Japanese food
CONNECT WITH ME:
BLOG samuraijourney.com/
INSTAGRAM / samuraimatcha.journey
FACEBOOK / mizuno.akihito
GET IN TOUCH:
If you’d like to talk, feel free to email me at samuraimatcha.japan@gmail.com I try my best to reply to things but there sadly aren't enough hours in the day to respond to everyone... - Jak na to + styl
I used to go to Japan every year before Covid, and I really agree with all you said.
- The onsens are heaven. I have to say it's difficult to live without. There are some in Iceland, but...
- I've installed Japanese toilets in my Paris flat. A real life changer.
- People are peaceful in Japan and reliable.
- Friends are real friends and stay in touch for years. People spoil each other with little gestures that are so heartwarming.
- Politeness and consideration for others is so genuine there.
- I feel like everybody was elevated to the noble status. In many other countries, good manners are reserved to the elite that can afford a good education, but in Japan, even the people who don't have much money have good manners.
- Good education for all. Although it's still common for women to stay at home and raise their kids, many of them seem to have had higher education. I read the books by Fukuzawa Yukichi and I really agree with the fact that everyone should have a high level of school instruction, irrespective of the financial means.
- Public service by random people: retired people still contribute to having a nice society. You see them picking dead leaves in parks, they volunteer to be museum guides for free. That's beautiful.
- The Shiba Inu: they have to be the most beautiful dogs on earth.
- Kyoto and Hokkaido are my favourite places.
- No shoes at home. This is not only in Japan. This is also the case in West Africa and some muslim countries. But in Europe, I always need to tell people to take their shoes off before coming to my place.
I could go on and on.
Visit Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬. You will fall in love with Kyrgyz nature. Kyrgyzstan is located in central Asia.
Almost all Asian countries has the 'no shoes in the house' culture
asian people are better
I couldn't agree more!
I'm from Austria. We have one of the cleanest water around the world, too! It’s common in my country to drink tap water, too. And if you have a work in Austria, the insurance is free. We have a pretty good medical care system.
I just came back from Japan a week ago, and I already miss it. Very good points in this video. You must be a great teacher! :)
I can only say one word about Japan, "PERFECT!"🙏
On top of all that you mentioned, I also love the politeness and social mindfulness of the Japanese people. I've only travelled to 35 countries, but the Japanese are hands down, the most polite people in the world.They are also big on social etiquette. Everyone queues, no Japanese speaks loudly and no one talks on their smartphone on the trains and buses. The other thing I find amazing, it is packaging and bagging of things purchased from shops. The Japanese take great pride in presentation. The slices of cakes I purchased were wrapped and packaged up to 3-4 times. Each 'layer's packaging was done with great care and SO neatly. It may seem wasteful to use all that plastic, cardboard and paper, etc. But only in Japan does watching the sales staff bag and wrap your purchase, become a treat in itself. If you love social order, are big on politeness and mindfulness and love a clean, efficient society that works like a clock, then Japan ticks all the boxes. I'm from Singapore and most Singaporeans love all things Japanese.
I agree with all your 12 points and want to add one more…
13. Interior-every time I am in Japan, I just love looking at the interior design ( in cafes, shops, restaurants . hotel rooms etc) I just love Japanese’s simplistic, minimalist approach everything is non-fussy and usually one or two decor you don’t feel like you are drowning in stuff ..,,,
It’s calming, relaxing and peaceful even,…
Another great video. So everyone will fall in love with Japan🇯🇵
I think that nature is the most underappreciated by tourists.
Everybody loves the temples, food and shiny neons of the cities. But when I was in Japan in 2019 I did the Kumano Kodo and it was the lost amazing experience of the whole trip. The Onsens, the beautiful nature and the extreme kindness of people in this remote area were a lovely experience for my wife (then girlfriend) and me
One day you will become best Japanese CZcamsr. Best part of you that you always appreciate your culture . I fall love on Japanese culture . You can make vlog in tourist spots in Japan . It's my personal opinion . No need to take seriously. Just keep it up your journey .
Love from India .
Thank you so much;-D I'll keep doing my best.
Thank you for sharing your rich culture.
Matcha im so happy you recovered from your collapsed lung -- wow.. that had to be a terrible experience. Thank you for all the beautiful things you have brought to my life. Just watching your minimalism videos have brought me so much peace.
During my five week visit I was pleased with how many people appreciated the esthetic beauty of the nature around them and would take much time to study and absorb the beauty of nature.
Just seeing how clean everything is, and how people actually take care of their country makes me realize how bad people are in U.S. We are destroying our country.
It comes down to it being me-centric and a lack of shame. To go a step further instead of discouraging a shameful act it’s conversely encouraged. ‘You’re a slob? We support that! And those who don’t are the bad guys.’ Perplexing.
this is what i always say, people ask why i like traveling outside of the usa so much. the answer is simple, so many places that are big cities are so much cleaner than the majority of cities in the usa. i even tell friends not to come because of just how filthy it is, new york subway smells like shit and piss... subway in tokyo doesnt.
But many Japanese people admire the U.S;-D
The “me-first” mentality in the US & the “we-first” mentality in Japan’s are complete opposites of the other with their own pros and cons, i can see why both countries would admire the other lol
yes, for a Hollywood fantasy
Aki, I watch all of your videos because I like you so much. You show that Japan, through the lens of minimalism, is spectacular. If you ever come to Michigan in the USA you are invited to stay here for a while. You would love it.
My American opinion on tips is that it's a way for restaurant owners to rationalize paying very low wages to the workers.
Second, I do not believe that tipping should not be automatic. It should be given only for service that goes above and beyond minimum politeness.
Anime is the number one thing I LOVE about Japan.
You mention a lot of good things, but I can top the healthcare part; in Denmark two surgeries for a collapsed lung would have been $0, as it is all paid for by tax, so we also don't pay for an insurance every month.
You are so lucky!!! I’m over $15,000 in debt in the US for having a kidney stone and simply going to the hospital because I didn’t know what was wrong and the pain was so bad I thought I was going to die. I’m a nurse so you it was REALLY bad for me to go. Also, I actually HAD insurance at the time and STILL wound up with this much bills. The only thing they did was one bag of IV fluids a CAT scan and pain medication once. That’s it. If I was not born here I would not be here. People think its so wonderful here but it is NOT. There is a lot of good in the US, but our healthcare system is def NOT good.
That's amazing!!
@@ChristysChannelYall That's insane... I have never understood why you put up with it, and why (or so it seems) so many people, even middle and working class people, think that it's somehow awful and un-American to have universal healthcare. And education for everyone for that matter.
My favorite anime would probably be Inuyasha. It's what really got me into Japanese folklore and culture. Awesome video! I hope to go to Japan one day!
in the Czech Republic, we also have monthly paid insurance, and then you have free health care. women can walk at night alone and we drink mostly tap water. it is common in Europe. I love all the umeboshi products.
Thank you for sharing. I know people who have visited there and was very impressed.
So civilized! And let's face it, generally higher individual intelligence and natural, inborn social intelligence. We LOVE you for showing us the harmonious way, big brother Japan!💗
huh?
@@user-hb2eq1sk7n Hey! Did you know that "huh" is spelled exactly the same way, forwards and backwards!👍
My favorite thing about Japan is people's mindset. I love how considerate they are of others. They work diligently and try their best to create a productive and harmonious society, I respect that a lot. I also love that it's a country rich of history and full of tradition, though unfortunately, it's becoming more westernized lately. I found your channel because I was looking at things about of tea ceremonies, I love everything about Japanese traditions like these... even the movements they perform are beautiful to watch to me ❤
Totally agreed that Japan is a beautiful country and I go there almost yearly and never get tire of it, love the people and the food and the shopping :). A note here though, Singapore, where I am from, is part of SEA and we have an amazing transport system as well, clean and super efficient hence your comment on buses and trains in SEA do not run on time doesn't apply to Singapore.
Good informational video. I was in US Navy and spent 14 years living in Southeast Asia. I traveled and lived in Japan. I stayed away from tourist areas and enjoyed festivals. My first one my buddy & I got pulled into a walking float. We had a great time and met new friends. They sort of adopted as their crazy American friends/uncles. Lol I loved Japan and it’s people.
This kind of video makes me dream. I've never been to Japan unfortunately. Maybe one day fingers crossed. Everything seems to be peaceful in your country.
The thing I appreciate most about Japan is the culture and mindsets of the people. Whether we see them as bad or good in the west they are what make Japan Japan
Dear Aki, I love to watch your optimism and energy in every video. I wis I could be more like you.
Anime is awesome. The food is awesome... The climate is so varied. So nice!!!
The first time I went to Italy I was shocked how relaxed they were about train timetables. Our train to Venice was more than 3 hours late and they kept changing the arrival platform during that time.
It was snowing and windy, there was no enclosed shelter, just a narrow roof over the platform, and we had to keep stamping our feet as they were numb. Perhaps the staff was worried we would all freeze to death? They kept making these platform change announcements while they must have known the train was hours away. We didn’t know however, so everyone would pick up their luggage and run down stairs, along a narrow tunnel and up more stairs to the selected platform, thinking the train was going to arrive any minute. The station was not a major junction, so the train would not stop for long, especially as it was so late, and everyone was panicking. 15 minutes or so later, they would change it again.
We must have changed platforms at least 8 times before finally seeing the train heading straight towards us. Everyone sighed in relief, then suddenly the train diverted and took off on another track to its right. Another urgent announcement was made and everyone grabbed their luggage one exhausted last time and flew.
Don’t know about any of the others, but my daughter and I just made it before the doors shut.
My daughter now lives in Italy and I’m afraid, while time-keeping is better, it’s not by much. 🤣
You should watch in utune a funny video called Europe vs Italy (if you haven't already :0D), while visiting Italy, the mess, not only in the trains (what shown in the video about the bus stops, happened to us, as well). I speak Spanish thus, I do understand Italian (they understand me even better), I talked with many of them about this: They say that they are superb at beautiful designs, but at the performance they are a mess.
Also are you familiar with the joke what is the difference between Hell and Heaven?
Hell is when:
the Police is German
the cooker is British
the mechanic is French
the lover is swiss
and it's all organized by the Italians
Heaven is when:
the Police is British
the cooker is French
the mechanic is German
the lover is Italian
and it's all organized by the Swiss
I love Italia, part of my DNA is Italian from Bene Lario
Me, crying in Italian while waiting for a train which is 40 minutes late 💔
And all garbage everywhere in italy 🥲
Thank you Aki-san. Japan is truly a beautiful country with an amazing culture.
Your country is really beautiful. I really love the appreciation that the Japanese have for order, cleanliness and health. I would add gardens to the list. I have always thought that the gardens of Japan are the most beautiful.
I live in Brazil and one of the things I'm most grateful for here is the healthcare system. Here in Brazil we have a healthcare system called SUS (unified health system), which provides any kind of health services to any citizen, from dental treatment, emergency care and even treatment for severe illnesses, all completely free of charge, in addition to many medications are also available for free through this system. This means that if you have an accident or are diagnosed with any illness, just go to a service center and you will receive treatment, hospitalization (if necessary) and medication completely free of charge!
It is my dream to come to Japan one day ❤
Same I will maybe go there summer 2025
Thank u for this video. At present I m learning Japanese language as I love Japan. I read about Japan when I was in VI Class. Japan is my dream country to visit. 🙏
Good video. Sometimes we start to become too comfortable in our own ways of living where we forget that we should be grateful for the most basic things that so many people on this planet still don't have.
Thank you for showing us all about what you love about Japan. I will never be able to afford to come visit, so I feel so fortunate for videos like yours to show me how beautiful Japan is and the nice things you enjoy! I enjoy watching -
bye-bye! 🌿
Growing up in NYC. Nothing ever came on time in transit lol. That sounds like a farfetched luxury. Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I have to visit Japan. Still a special country in this world. Your vlogs are informative, nice and funny too. While watching I found myself in Japan in my mind. Magic🥰
Convenience stores in Greece are the same. 😊 I love that Japan is organised!
Wow, this is a great channel to learn about Japan! 🙂 I am now a subscriber!
For some reason, I think I would really love to be your friend, Samurai Matcha. You seem like such an interesting person!
I wish I could afford to spend a year travelling Japan.. 🙂
I must say, as a Canadian, i have lost my wallet so many times, and always had it returned. Even if you drop cash money, people will usually give it back to you, and it also super safe in most places. But yeah, i could do without the 15% tax plus 15% minimum tip! 😆We don't have to pay anything for health insurance, though.
I want to go to Japan 🇯🇵 🙏🍵🥢🍱, it is a very developed country 🏆🇯🇵
We are very similar in Spain: great universal health care, great food, festivals, you can enjoy four seasons, you can drink tap water, improving trransportation, hot springs in the Canary Islands, it is not compulsory to leave tips. Still using toilet paper. I feel nearer to your culture. Thank you for your entretaining recollection.
I attended Alicante University in the early 2000s and what bothered me most was the indifference to bathroom cleanliness. It felt like being in some parts of the US. If you find a clean toilet here, it will be a rest stop or one that is out of the way - so rarely used. I don't care for US a culture where cleanliness is concerned. Also, individualism is somewhat overrated.
I wanna go there someday;-D
@@SamuraiMatcha Come and visit Santiago de Compostela, amazing mix of ancient buildings and the energy of the youth of students from the University.
Hace meses que sigo este canal porque me agrada mucho lo que cuenta y como lo cuenta.
Nunca he escrito nada porque mi inglés no es tan bueno, pero al ver este video tenía que comentar y al ver que una española decía lo que yo pensaba ha sido gratificante.
Gracias a María de los Ángeles y gracias a Samurái Matcha.🙏
I can't wait to visit Japan 😍!! It has been my dream for a while now for so many reasons!! Thank you so much ❤️ for this helpful 🙏 video!!
Hence I like Japan so much....
I got into anime in my adult years. Haikyu and Naruto are some of my favorite anime.
I also would love to visit Japan in the future. I learned a little bit of Japanese from living in Vancouver (there are a lot of Asian people there, and i had a Japanese roommate from Osaka). My best friend actually took Japanese in university so she is better than me. I think it would take me at least 6 months to visit Japan, to go to different cities and areas. I am really looking forward to it. I love anime! From Cowboy Bebop and Sailor Moon, i recently discovered Satoshi Kon, and next i will watch "Cells at Work".
Healthcare in Sweden are for free. We can also drink tapwater here.
I love Japan. I hope to come to your beautiful country again.
One of the best things about the UK is the NHS, free healthcare for all at point of service.
I have never had to pay for healthcare and have no insurance to pay. The most I will ever pay is a very heavily subsidised cost for prescription e.g. £9.35 per item for what could be a >£100's but only when you are an adult.
We also have much stronger over the counter medicern than much of the world, When I was in Japan I doubled the dosage of standard cold medicern so it was equivalent strength to what I normally have.
That's amazing!!
Just....wow!🥰🙏
… my one surgery and one night hospital stay was over $100,000 …. $7-10,000 is what you pay WITH the help of insurance …. If you don’t have insurance in America and need healthcare … you are basically doomed to either death or financial ruin… I stress out every time trying to decide if I’m sick enough to need a doctor visit because just getting a meeting with my doctor will be $80. That’s WITH insurance …It’s common to pay $2-400/month for insurance. Muuuch more if you’re older …
Awww...that is ALL so beautyful ! ❤asian peopel are just so kind and friendly . I can only admit that this is true . I so apreciate their kindness towards me .☺ iam dreaming of a very beautyful silk kimono ! 😃. Iam jelous of your fantastic water!!! 🙏 and your luxury toiletts !!! 😄
Everything you've mentioned is something I value in society and for this reason, I don't like being in the US. We don't measure up to Japanese standards, but I was born here, descended of African slaves. I cannot travel, but I watch your channel and I look at the Japanese media network NHK off and on. It's so enlightening and I want to cry that I don't live there. In my next life, perhaps I will come back as Japanese living in Japan. Long thrive Japan. (You resemble Eric Mun, who's older and S. Korean. You look amazing with long hair. Wow).
Compared to Miami, Florida the Japanese transportation system puts Miami’s into shame.
Great video as always. You have some amazing services. When I first moved to Canada from England it was annoying that tips were expected, even for takeaway coffees and sandwiches. These days my tip depends on good service/ food. If it’s awful I don’t tip. I’m not sure how only some services expect tips but others don’t.
I can’t wait to one day visit Japan. I have been wanting to see all of Japan for over 15 years but have never had the chance. This video makes me so excited to visit one day in the future and meet so many wonderful people and experience lots of cool things there. Much love from Canada ☺️✌️
it is not as expensive to visit japan as a lot of people seem to think. talk to a travel agent to get help
@@LycaonsMemories unfortunately my financial circumstances are not very good but I hope to change that in the future. Thank you for the recommendations. I appreciate it. ☺️
Come to visit me;-D
@@SamuraiMatcha that would be so cool!!! ☺️
Healthcare in Norway is free🌺
I've been to Tokyo,Kyoto and Kanazawa.After my trip I keep saying that I would like to see the whole country because it's safe , clean , usually polite people , fabulous nature , peaceful, tasty food , amazing toilets 🤪
I like the fact people respect the others' culture and very helpful 🥰
Trains were full of only pax who are addicted mobiles/cell-phones instead I thought to see reading comic books...
And everybody was quite not to wake up the sleepy tired ones...
Even the hotel rooms or short rentals are small size : you can find anything you need as carefully packed to be hygienic..I gues due to the respect and the cleaning matter 🌺
I only do not understand why they eat the dolphins and work extremely long hours .
Arigatho Gozeimas for the nice video full of useful information.
Needed something positive today and this video came out at just the right time. Thank you Mr. Matcha!
Also dumb question but curious, is Japan letting people back in now? Or are there still restrictions due to Covid? I noticed you still wearing a mask in public which is great! The US seemed to have stopped caring a while ago unfortunately.
😄
Love Japan ❤❤❤
Happy to subscribe to this channel!
In Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 tap water is also drinkable.
as a swiss person this video made me understand the similarities between our countries more.
I think we share a lot of cultural approaches and similarities.
but still i see things that you do better than we do, first of all i feel like your prices are way more reasonable than ours.
But I must say you have such a nice way to talk and seem like the perfect person to spend time with. Thanks for that effort it made my time precious :3
Since 2016 Iʻve tackled my own pre-diabetes by eating no grains (including rice!) and no sugars (going on the keto diet). I absolutely adore sushi and had to stop eating it, or find another way around, by eating just the meat and vegetables and no sweetened dressings or rice. Is diabetes a health issue in Japan? I understand that there is a health admonition in Japan that your waistline, doubled, cannot be larger than your height, and if that should happen you have to see your doctor and start losing weight. Boy, if we had that rule here in the US, people would change. So many people are so very overweight here.
Love japan.❤
As usual super Akki ❤️❤️ from 🇮🇳🇮🇳 India 🙏
Absolutely wonderful! 💯
Love your video. I always want to go to Japan. Thanks for sharing this!!
love ur Videos, Love Japan, culture ans people
I love Japan so much for everything. I wish I could live in Japan for a couple of years or travel to Japan every year.
In Serbia toalets are dirty,traffic is late,but food is good,nature also and health care is kind of good
I didn't know Japan has public healthcare, too, that's great. In Germany we pay it based on our income (~14%) and if your income is too low, you don't have to pay it. Health insurance normally pays all op costs for important operations and you just have to pay 10€ per day at the hospital (up to 280€ max.). It's not perfect as there are some things that you have to pay on you own partially or complete like most things having to do with teeth or for example eye laser treatments, but I'm very thankful that I can go to the doctor at anytime without having to worry about money. And I can totally feel that you missed hot springs XD I used to live in an area with many of them in the south of Germany, but where I live now there are just a few and they are super expensive so and I really miss going there on a regular basis q.q
初めまして✨ i am new to your videos and am loving them. Thank you. お疲れ様でした。
Uk
ありがとうございます！！
This video realy resounded in me (connected with me). Whilst I have only visted Japan once, I love the underlying culture, the food, the food ... the food, ... sorry ... the humour, respect and sincerity and the kimonos and the traditional houses, anime, festivals, artistic and precision attention to detail, but get rid of the TV channels, totemo urusai (sorry no Japanese fonts) ... i really feel your pain about your old house ... my parents had an old farm in the countryside and sold it because no one wanted it and i was only a child so had no say in the matter. Damn you have the best loos! You have mentioned many of the things which which are dear to me. ... not the loo :D. I wish I had started learning Japanese at a young age, but I guess for a real challenge I should have tried Chinese or Egyptian. As I casually attempt to learn the language I love the way words are constructed with child-like innocence ... does Ikebukuro reallly translate as pond bag pond basin and I think there are as many treasures in many other cultures too, but they are all being lost in this modernising world. I guess that's evolution. If I was to travel from one major capital to another across the world, could I tell for sure which country i was in? I only managed to visit a few districts and prefectures around Tokyo and didn't get a chance to travel the full legth of Japan, north east to south west. Maybe another time. Anyway nice to listen to another blood type A/B ... only joking ;). Keep up the good work.
I am very happy to watch your video..you have done excellent job.☺️😊
If you ever visit Germany you would have a problem with punctuality of trains as well. 🚂 Usually every train is late here and if it's less than 10 minutes we would celebrate. There even are times where trains are 3 hours late or are cancelled and you have to wait for the next one. 😎
Thank you for the great video! Japan is a beautiful country 😍
I just hope that I'll be able to visit it one day 🙏
Greetings from California!
I recognized the Canadian city you were in! It’s my home town 😃 I hope you enjoyed your time there
You should make a video about your "minimalist workout routine"
Sure!!
How nice.
Great job.
Hi, your channel is gold for me and the people who are interested in Japan culture & living! Thank you for sharing with us! 👍👍👍👍
Cant wait to travel to japan
Nice video again
Had no idea you were sick! Glad you're okay now. Thanks for the vid. My partner and I started watching you this year and you're part of our family now haha
I love your videos! I have been watching several Japanese CZcams channels over the past year and I have come to have so much respect for Japan and the Japanese way of life. In fact, I'm inspired by it! Thank you so much for sharing your life with us.
Sounds very, very good. I especially like the nature and clean water, but of course also the cultural aspects like food, festivals, safety, cleanliness and convenience stores. Nature is the most important to me personally, since I just love being outdoors, hiking etc. I love good trains, so, as a German, I am massively jealous of the great public transport system in Japan. Super. We should all learn from it. Trains and Co. are the perfect way to get around, especially in times of environmental trouble. Thanks so much.
Thank you for information!And your videos are very good for English learners!!!
My favorite anime is Cardcaptor Sakura. Hello from Ukraine)
I absolutely love your beautiful country and I learn so much from your videos. So clean and fresh. I really want to go on a holiday there. What would be the best time to travel there. Regards from lreland ☘️😊
He's so cute🥰😍😍😍
Excellent thank you. I would really like to visit japan
wow, i really want to visit japan! looking forward~
I love full metal alchemist and one-piece and I really love ghibli movies 👍
I think I can't wait to visit "La Tierra del sol naciente"... Amazing place 🌄🌄🌄
My favs anime :
Sakura cardcaptor😍,
Holic (its manga but ... almost the same😉)
Saber marionette
Yuyu Hakusho
The mountains, streams, gardens and architecture of Japan are wonderful. You would make a great tour guide and travel agent for people wanting to come to Japan. I wish I had the time and money to experience your country. Keep making the videos. They are great!
It blows my mind that you can find acceptable paying 1000 dollars for health!!!!! I'm from Spain and I haven't paid a single € for my health. I just have to pay my taxes. My mom had cancer (surgery, therapy... a lot) and also paid 0€. I can't imagine myself living anywhere where I have to pay not to die in front of a hospital.
Have you been to France yet. ? They have seasons and nature too, from mountains to ocean and the Mediterranean and a whole lot of in-betweens. Plus, their food is as good as the Japanese. Just different. Closer to me.