Japan with ZERO Japanese | How Hard Is It?
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- čas přidán 4. 11. 2022
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Today we are doing a full day in Japan with no Japanese to see in 2022, how difficult is it to survive in Japan with no Japanese
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I went to Tokyo right when they open. I do have food allergies and what I basically did is google translate the ingredients that I am allergic to. And like you have mentioned in the video. No xxx, yyy, zzz ...etc allergy. They will take it out. Another preventative measure is to bring your allergic med from back home for precautionary measures. Luckily, out of my 14 days over there I did not need the medication at all. But I agree, keep your google translate in simple English, don't make it too complicated.
As for restaurant, I only have one encounter in Shinjuku local restaurant where no one speaks English and all their menus are hand written in Japanese without pictures. The place is popular with locals which is the reason why I wanted to try. But after multiple attempts to order, no luck at all. At the end, I left and went to another restaurant where they will try to communicate with you in simple English.
Overall, do not be discouraged from my experience, a lot of Japanese do tried their best to talk to you! Just say "Su-mi-ma-sen"(excuse me) and they will try to help you.
I know when my friend and I went in 2017, he has a dairy allergy (allergy, not lactose intolerance) so we used Google translate before hand so he would know what to ask and how to request no dairy when he needed to. Thankfully Japanese cuisine doesn’t use a lot of dairy in sauces so it wasn’t terrible, and I only recall once that a server didn’t quite understand the question.
One option I can think of is to have a card in Japanese listing your allergies to show at a restaurant etc. Maybe you could make something in a word doc for people to download.
Regarding the allergy thing, I've seen people have a note on their phone in Japanese listing allergies and things to avoid that they show to staff at restaurants. That seems to work really well!
@@FallingMage yes my teacher made this for me when i went to japan a few years ago; a little card on a lanyard describing the allergies in japanese
The taxi driver reading off her little notebook was so adorable! I love how prepared she was.
She had such good energy, makes a cab ride very pleasant
She was so great! I think now I'm gonna make my own little notebook with japanese phrases.
She was super cute! That's good customer service right there
Seriously that was so wholesome!
She was prepared. How cool is that?💪😁
I love how you actually went out and showed a day speaking only English. A lot of CZcamsrs seem to just explain, but did not show what the day is like. This has made me a lot more comfortable with traveling to Japan. Even though I feel my Japanese is getting better, I'm still not very comfortable speaking it well. So it is nice to know that if I do struggle, I can find an alternative where I can use English to help, if not completely, communicate.
thought it would be the only way to really do it (^-^)
Dude I know about 20 words of Japanese and had very little problems.
"Life where I'm from" did a video where he has his brother and family (who don't speak japanese) try order food at different restaurants.
But yeah it's a rare kind of video.
@@Stipopedia Greg is top tier.
I think as long as you know phrases, use your hands/fingers to point to things, and I guess be a bit courageous (I need to work on the last part, and explore some smaller mom and pop restaurants, instead of just sticking to the ones I know) you'll do fine. I took a semester of Japanese from my local community college, and while it was interesting and taught me numbers, counting, katakana/hiragana, etc. it doesn't teach you how to get around Japan, and cultural etiquette. It's something you'll need to experience yourself, but plenty of youtubers have made videos on the dos and don'ts of Japan.
Also a slight vocabulary miscommunication from my friend while ordering McDonalds is that "Combos" there are called "Sets"
I have horrible anxiety but I’m trying to push myself to go to Japan by myself. Your channel has been a huge help
I know I’m late but I too want to come out of my shell and go to Japan all by myself. Let’s both work hard for our dreams :]
just do it! i had the same problem in 2018... and i just did it on my own and it was the trip of my life :)
since than i was 6 times in japan. 7 trip is in march with my mother to show her hanami (cherry blossom)
will be awesome :)
greetings from germany
Same here. I suffer from a lot of insecurities, that's why I want to save and visit Japan on my own.
You should be brave and go to Japan. It will definitely change your outlook on life
@@07Lightless I have social anxiety, I'm going next month and I speak no Japanese! It's going to be fun in a way...
I have a friend who is allergic to peanuts and shellfish. A few years ago she went on a trip to Thailand and made cards written in Thai that said something like "Sorry, but I am allergic to peanuts and shellfish" with graphics of the things she is allergic to. She had several of these printed and carried them with her to show people at restaurants. I imagine this could be done pretty easily in Japanese as well.
Hey Norm, about the allergy thing… I teach high school Japanese in Australia, and have taken school groups over several times. For students with allergies, I make up a laminated card for them in both Japanese and English that they can just show the waiters or chefs at restaurants . It helped and we never really had any trouble. Love your vids, and can’t wait to get back to Japan! 😊
Was thinking about the same thing. Did this when i went to spain once.
Allergen cards like these are important.
I have a tree nut allergy so this is really helpful, thank you! Considering the number of allergic reactions I've had due to cross-contamination/sloppy food prep in my own country with people who speak my same language, I don't have a lot of confidence when eating out so I want to make sure I communicate clearly.
Thats a great idea! I dont have any food allergies, but I cant take certain medicine. So I might jst put that on a small, laminated card and put it in a pocket or my wallet for the absolute worst case of getting into some kind of accident if I ever actually get to visit Japan.
Brilliant!!! Thank you so much for this suggestion. I wasn't too travel but am allergic to peanuts, wheat, and dairy... Such a simple solution to overcome my international travels. Thank you! Thank you!
A good confidence booster for those of us who worried about our Japanese... or lack there of.
Thanks so much for helping out with it!
Most definitely
The major cities are so easy to navigate with English, but it’s so nice to see how willing people are to help despite the language barrier. Most locals, anywhere, always really appreciate tourists trying to speak the local language. I’ve had some amazing conversations with people in my broken japinglish!
I remember I was too scared to go to any shop by myself because I couldn't speak almost any of the language and I especially had trouble understanding what people said. As for allergies my friends got stickers with what they're allergic to printed in Japanese and with a picture that they stuck on their phones
Thats smart, unless it can be mistaken that they "want" those ingredients
@@nardalis4832 if I recall correctly there was a big 🚫 on it
id pay anything to do a guided tour somewhere with this man, his enthusiasm and passion is infectious
Bro same I would love to have a tour by him, especially the shrines and stuff ❤
It's wild how technology has made traveling in foreign countries so much easier. When I travelled to Japan in 2007, I remember loading my Nintendo DS with Kanji Sonomama so I could translate signs by writing them using the stylus. Thanks for all your videos Norm!
Omg, I also had a Kanji dictionary on my 3ds in 2014 when I lived in Tokyo 😂 this month I just used my phone though
Absolutely! Technology has come a long way and made the world much smaller
It's almost a shame, there is so little friction now in travelling even in smaller centres around the world, takes away some of the challenge :D Between being able to use credit card often (no need for travellers' cheques), map apps (no need to carry a guidebook), Google translate with camera (no struggle to figure out the characters on a foreign-language sign), watching a CZcams video before taking a challenging train line (no getting lost and headed 30 minutes in the wrong direction), and local restaurant rating sites (never sucked into poor quality touristy establishments), the old type of happy accidents rarely occur. But I do love the convenience!
This type of moment to moment experiences of speaking only English has been one of the most useful visiting Japan videos I’ve ever seen. Would love a part 2!
Thank you so much for this!
Allergies can be really tough to communicate. When my friends went to Japan for their honeymoon, I made them a card that said, in Japanese, “I am allergic to mushrooms.” They just showed it to the wait staff whenever they weren’t sure and they didn’t have a problem.
This reminds me when I was in Japan an we were checking Google Maps because we had to change the train. Suddenly a elder japanese woman approached us and asked if she can help us find the way. Despite the fact that her english wasnt the best she wanted to help us. This was one of the best experiences in japan :)
This probably doesn't "crack the code" as I don't think there's a perfect solution. But I wanted to share a few things that helped me when traveling to Japan with a gluten and dairy allergy. You can absolutely travel to Japan with food allergies and have an amazing time, it just takes a lot more preparation :)
*Do TONS of research before you go. Find out what foods are safe for you and what to avoid.
*Memorize the kanji for ingredients you need to avoid. That way you can look through the ingredient lists at conbini and grocery stores.
*If you have a highly restrictive diet, it may be best to book an AirBnb with a kitchen so you can prepare your own meals.
*Bring safe snacks and food to Japan. And always carry something with you. That way you'll always have something to eat, even if you can't find a safe restaurant.
*Most airlines offer meals for various allergies which is great. But I always bring extra food when flying just in case.
*You can find/purchase allergy cards written in Japanese that you can show the server when you go to restaurants.
*Digestive enzymes can help if you accidentally ingest something or if there's cross contamination.
For anyone who needs help with gluten-free travel in Japan - there is a great Facebook group (Gluten Free Expats Japan) that has a lot of valuable resources, restaurant listings, and reviews. Vegan restaurants are great for those avoiding dairy (and they sometimes have gluten free options). The Happy Cow website and app is super helpful for finding vegan options.
Thank you so very much for this advice! As a person who suffers gluten intolerance and wants to travel to Japan this is invaluable.
@@millie8399 it takes some extra effort but you'll have an amazing time!
Okay this video is forever saved just for the amount of information and value for traveling Japan it brings.
Still struggling with learning Japanese so happy to see how much you can do with just English. Plus all the people working in the service industry trying to help while not being fluent in English is always something I appreciate.
We appreciate your consistency, hard work, and effort on your channel. This video is certainly informative and helpful in so many ways.
I appreciate that!
Even without speaking japanese, me and my friend asked for hotel directions in 2014 near asakusa. A man that was working left all his stuff on the floor and brought us to our hotel entrance. Never gonna forget that
This video sold me. I wanna visit Japan.
Norm you’re really giving me so much life to come to Japan. I know it’s not on the immediate future bc airfare is SUPER expensive but maybe by my 40th which is a little over two years I’ll gift myself with the trip of a lifetime
always remember, Airfare to Japan gets extremely cheap if you fly from a larger hub. for example in u.s flying out of lax is usually $500ish roundtrip and you can go to lax from a lot of cities for about $100ish in u.s... same is true for other countries. just have to play with the routes. goodluck
@@dbarthecoo Thank you so much for your kind advice. I don’t have a lot of experience w/airfare so I was looking at trips which I assume would travel via the other side of the globe and it would be like $1300 plus. I live in the Midwest 😅. The ✈️ to LAX & then to Japan route you suggest is much more feasible. You’re better than a travel site. 🙏
@@dbarthecoo I'd love to see a $500 round trip flight :) . I'm in Japan and the cheapest I'm seeing hovers around ¥230,000 in December (to Toronto via Atlanta). L.A. might have the cheapest flights but I think $500 isn't happening from anywhere in North America yet.
BUT... with the US dollar being so strong Japan is an absolute bargain. So it's a tradeoff. Go now with high airfares and a great exchange rate or go later with a cheap flight and exchanges rates potentially back to "normal".
@@dbarthecoo thats true actually it goes from ~1500 to ~800 eur just by choosing a bigger city
Whenever I am in Japan, I tend to use a mix of basic Japanese and English when asking for directions, etc. and it usually works. but man... aside from all the awkward encounters I've had because I couldn't understand what I was told sometimes, the more I stayed there, the more I realized that I am missing so much by not being able to understand and speak Japanese and that has made me kinda sad. I must get to work and study Japanese!
Lots of people are truly willing to help foreigners out. No matter the language barrier the main problem is the inability to ask for help. Getting a confidence booster can really help others out to truly explore and find new places.
I love how honest this video is you can genuinely tell that’s it just you going around using English with different people and it’s really cool getting to see there responses. It also help me as a person learning Japanese know where certain phrases and words can come in handy.
Wow thank you!! This video was literally so useful, so many other CZcams’s only describe their experience of speaking English in Japan and not “vlogging” an actual day experience of speaking only English!!
the only real way to do it! lol
Yeah! There is only so much you can do with a lot of "tell" and little "show", norm did both and that's super helpful
For ALLERGIES when travelling to Japan creating an allergy business card to show to waiter/waitresses is the best bet. In Japanese of course, if you don’t have a Japanese friend to proof read you can always book an iitalki or any other Japanese online lesson once and ask them to help you practices saying and writing your allergies.
For example a card that says ご注意ください。アレルギーです。your allergies。ご協力お願いいたします。
Yeah I always bring a note saying which allergies I have in the language of the country I'm visiting, so that I can show to the waiter when I order. Then I hope they will stop me from ordering the food I can't eat, pointing at the note and the food on the menu I want to order a few times to make sure they look carefully. It's always worked so far :)
So far I've been lucky to have a friend who can write the note for me, but I think it can probably be done pretty well with Google translate these days.
Thanks so much for the template of what to say! I have used a similar idea before in other countries (Finland was a big one where I knew none of the language) and it works really well.
woahhh, thats genius! I've always had trouble when travelling in Indonesia and trying street food, as i dont know whether food has been cooked in peanut oil. I'll definitely try using cards when travelling overseas in the future
That's actually such a great idea! My sesame allergy is my biggest concern at the moment while planning my Japan trip, but this seems like a simple way to get my concerns across to non-English speakers.
What a great idea. Between my partner and I we have a slew of food related allergies, some more dangerous than others and this just seems like such a simple and elegant solution for handling that.
Thanks so much for taking the time to make a video like this. It's honestly always been one of the things that's given me a little apprehension about visiting a place like Japan. Just because I have absolutely ZERO familiarity with the language, and that almost makes me feel... disrespectful? Idk, the main reason has obviously always been time and money, but seeing how you took the day to show us what it could be like with only English was a bit eye opening. Also, meeting those other guys from Germany who were visiting was super cool! Hearing them say that it had been a real smooth experience for them as well was really cool. Thanks again for the great content.
It's heartwarming to see the effort put into welcoming visitors and communicating with them~ Thank you for the video✨
I have lived for 5 years in Japan with a good 18month of little to no Japanese (I did not intend to stay that long :P) It worked reasonably well, even talking to police or banks (and flirting with girls 😅). Now I am married to my lovely Japanese wife for 12 years and it all worked out well. Thanks for this channel, you do portrait Japan really really well. Hope to catch up in April, when we come back to Tokyo… I got a cool story for you. to everyone here, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay safe. メリークリスマス🎉
Wow I never realized how much tinier that shop space was. I mean we saw how small it was before but with it completely empty, you really get to see how he utilized his space
When we went to Japan we definitely found that it was easy for English only. Someone even approached us because we must of looked so lost at the station the was more rural.
Can't wait to go to Japan in 2023.
See you in Japan everyone!
This was without doubt, the most helpful Japan video I have ever watched! Thank you Norm. I always love your videos because you are so engaging and the scenery is always amazing but you have eased many of the worries I had about visiting Japan not knowing the language, THANK YOU!
This is a really unique video and I loved it! Usually I've seen a lot of CZcamsrs do videos about ONLY Japanese for a day but never seen zero Japanese. Super helpful for people planning to visit Japan again now that it's open. It's amazing how well almost everything worked out for you, makes for a great video. Hope you had a good Mario sesh. 🤣
Really love this. Great content to build confidence when you're over in Japan. You hear the stories, but nothing beats good old hard video evidence to prove getting along in Japan can be pretty easy. Thanks Norm.
glad I could help!
Thank you for sharing your passion with your audience!
My brother lives in Japan and it is my goal over the next couple of years to go out and actually visit him but obviously I would want to go out and explore by myself occasionally - this video has seriously alleviated some concerns about doing this! Thank you - and the taxi driver with her notebook was the most pure thing I have seen in a long time!
This was really fun to see and I think it’ll be super helpful to everyone coming to Japan for the first time. Thanks for putting this together!
My first (and unfortunately so far only) trip to Japan was in 2019. I was actively trying to learn as much Japanese as I could, and I did get enough of the basics to get by, but I also had no trouble getting around in english. It's amazingly accommodating, and it's something that I appreciate as someone with a touch of social anxiety. All that said... learning a bit of Japanese is great if you plan to visit, too. If nothing else it shows a bit of respect for your hosts.
Your videos just seem to be only getting better, this is so useful to know and might really help me out next year when i go to Japan, thank you so much for the great video. I love how you went around tokyo as well and conversed as if you were an actual tourist ! I'm sure this will help out a ton of people :)
I like your record collection 🥳
I honestly didn't expect your experience to be so smooth in this video but it just goes to show how prepared Japan is for tourists.
As an English speaking American-Midwesterner, this video is really encouraging for someone like myself to travel. Obviously being in the smart phone era, things are much easier but it's super cool to know there's plenty of ways to get around without it!
This is literally the number one question in my mind with regards to being a foreigner in Japan, and probably the biggest fear I'd have when I end up in Japan, but it really helps knowing that Japanese people actually make a conscious effort with English. Norm is over here answering the important questions!
Always love your joy and energy, Norm! The locals seem so sweet and caring. 😭 Your videos always get me so excited to visit there and get lost for hours!
Thank you for this video! I am a very anxious person and go to Japan next year for 4 weeks and I'm trying my best to learn useful phrases but sometimes I freeze up when I'm too afraid and it's good to know that people are kind enough to help~
I'm so so nervous but also very excited for this opportunity 🥺💕
I've been studying Japanese for a little now so I'm feeling relatively confident, this just solidified it though! Super pumped for my trip in May now!
Very insightful video! I think this is the first time someone has actually documented what it would be like to travel around with no Japanese ability.
Also, that underground snack market was cool, I could spend way too much money in there
I appreciate you going through and actually making this video! I'm sure it was somewhat awkward, but this will really ease a lot of people's anxieties when it comes to traveling in Japan. Awesome vid!
I used to go to my local bakery, I didn’t speak much Japanese and they didn’t speak any English but somehow we were able to communicate, they were so kind and helpful, I still miss their smiling faces even to this day!
And I agree google translate with the camera function is a life saver! Thanks for the video Norm!
This vid is a great help and a relief. 😀 When doing homework about going overseas I try to get the feel on how the locals react to English-speaking people. This was perfect and great timing thank you again. And thank you for showing us where the shop used to be. looking forward to the video of it reassembled in your studio. And a nice throwback throwback to collecting 8 red coins.
Great to see that getting along in Japan with only knowing English is getting easier and easier. Can't wait to visit Japan for the first time. :)
Man, the snack shop is straight up dream come true. I wish we had shops like these in every country where it's really hard to find all the traditional snacks that I used to eat in my childhood.
That cab driver was amazing. She took some extra time to prepare for English customers. The whole video was great and she was my favorite! I hope to make it to Japan in couple of years and your videos are helping me get ready and comfortable!
I love how everything he does feels so genuine. Some of the best experiences I’ve ever had where on whim and winged everything!
His passion for Japan has resonated with me and makes me want to buy and ticket RIGHT NOW and just go. See what happens 🤷♀️
An entire store just for snacks sounds like a dream from my childhood! Thank you for the communication tips Norm. It’s good knowing I don’t have to worry too much about the language barrier!
I don't know much Japanese, but I survived a bit because I know some chinese and could read some of the kanji, and used very simple google translate too...Even when people don't know how to communicate they always try very hard to help! Great to see you put all the tools we can use to practice Norm!
Great video Norm! I love how everyone in this video is so friendly and kind!
I love how much they’re trying to communicate! 🥰
I know the WC question may seem weird but lots of people have health issues that require urgent/sudden bathroom visits so that you provided that information it's crazy useful, thank you.
Very interesting and informative video Norm!😊Even I felt like exploring as a foreigner, and it was fun!😆
Hey Lemi (^-^)
Glad I could bring you along for the day like this! lol
hope you're well~
Thanks for making this video, really helps ease the worry. I plan on going to Japan next year so I’m really happy to know there is a good amount of English writing and English speaking people. Also love the videos! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing this! It’s helpful and so kind that Japan and it’s people has taken the time to learn English!
Really like what you said about making time to get lost.
One of my favorite memories in Japan was when I got completely turned around in Fukuoka looking for a Gyoza restaurant. I wandered around aimlessly for 30 minutes and sat down by some stairs to take a break to figure out how to go back to my hotel, hungry and defeated. I looked around and realized that I was sitting at the entrance for a large mall so I wandered in, hoping to find something to eat.
What I was greeted by was an amazing sight -- There was a canal (yes, an actual water canal) that cut through the mall and a brightly illuminated pillar of Christmas lights. I felt like I was in a completely different world than I was 5 minutes ago -- wandering around dimly lit streets in the cold. I learned later that I inadvertently walked into Fukuoka's "Canal City".
Was the mall itself an amazing attraction that I would go back to see? Probably not. At the end of the day, it's essentially a novelty mall. But what makes it my favorite memory is that it's something pleasant that I had found completely by accident and didn't even know existed because I had gotten lost.
Very neat. Technology these days definitely helps a lot and it is getting even better. Even with obscure languages the automated translation is getting good enough to communicate with.
Thanks for the little tour! I always love your style of videos!
I appreciate this video 😊 a lot of people just say “there should be no issues” but I like that this literally showed you how well it can go
I've seen a few videos about tips for traveling, but this was helpful in a different way! Showing how Japanese people react to you speaking English makes it less scary and intimidating to approach someone. I loved the first tip of if the person makes eye contact they probably speak English. 😁
this is very cool. even though it might be easier to go to Tokyo with no Japanese knowledge, I want to go to the countryside and be able to communicate properly. in my opinion it adds so much to the traveling experience.
Thank you. Out of ALL the videos on this exact subject. Only yours makes me realize I’ll be able to visit next year.
Thanks for showing us this!! It's a great relieve seeing that you can get around with some English and gesturing.
I've been to Japan twice and am planning on hopefully going next fall, but I still get anxiety over the language barrier. It always ends up being fine, but I definitely brush up on my basic Japanese before visiting to help ease that anxiety a bit.
for a country that's in Asia, I love the fact that they're making the country accessible for everyone. Also the taxi driver was so polite and went out of their way to make small talks, that really is omotenashi.
Loved this.Thanks, Norm!
Every video you make is crazy good! Always worth watching
On one trip to Tokyo I actually had to speak French to another tourist who spoke neither English or Japanese. I rarely get that opportunity in Canada.
That whole street market I'd love to visit. It was interesting to see you doing this only in English to show that it's actually quite okay to come to Japan with no knowledge of the language whatsoever and be fine. Also, just you going through a whole day doing things tourists would have to do, like the taxi, was super helpful. I've had to do the point at pictures and smile in rural Greece.
Having this video is a serious game changer when visiting Japan for the first time or even if you are not too confident on your Japanese just yet!
I first moved to Tokyo in 2009 and spoke ZERO Japanese. It was such a different world then. I remember I would always try to stand on the train near a screen because stops were shown using Roman letters, but hearing the announcement was hit or miss. When I tried to make calls, I got a lot of the first guy's reaction--even if I tried to write out a script in Japanese first! But it was such an adventure. I was vegetarian the second time I moved to Japan, and at that time there wasn't widespread understanding of what that meant, so I laminated a little card that listed what I don't eat and also included basic images with exes--at that point, I could explain what I couldn't eat in Japanese, but the card was more for emphasis, and in some cases they borrowed it to show to the kitchen.
Would you ever do a video about visiting Japan for people who rely on a wheelchair or other mobility device? I imagine it might have to be a collaborative video, but I know a lot of people who want to visit Japan and are more concerned about that than language barriers. I know it's possible as I once visited Japan while temporarily disabled, but I went to the countryside for most of the time and didn't have a full-on wheelchair, so it was a bit different.
I see a lot of people here in wheelchairs. All the stations have elevators, and most trains have a handicap section. Unlike in America where busses strap you down, you'll have to rely on the breaks, but Japan trains are smoothe as silk. They have to be, with so many people all cramming in at once!
The biggest issue with wheelchair would be shops and restaurants. A lot of those, you'll be unable to go into unless your chair is very compact, because the isles in shops are THIN and crowded, and restaurants don't have space for a chair, and often steps to get in and get around them.
It all depends what you want to go to Japan to do. I came for the food and bath houses, and to watch my spouse bankrupt us by buying anime figurines. It's been VERY painful for me, on my feet all day. At home, my chiropractor keeps insisting on a wheelchair, but I can't afford to move to a home with bathroom and bedroom on ground floor, so I just put up with the pain. I can tell you, I've been looking around somberly and seeing just how impossible it would be here to shop and dine if I'd taken a wheelchair. However, the zoos, theme parks, and some museums are wheelchair friendly. So if you don't mind taking food to go or going to street vendors and eating in parks and town centers, then you can come and have a very pleasant time no matter what.
Thanks for the video Norm! Videos like this are so helpful to see it first hand. As someone with basic Japanese knowledge, i wasn't sure how hard traveling there could be!
Amazing video! Love the dedication you show.
This is a question I’ve had! I’m interested in studying abroad next year (my junior year of college). Excited to watch this 😁
enjoy!
@@TokyoLens thank you for the amazing content !! 😊
When we went to Japan, we were confused foreigners and used practically no Japanese, but we got by without any issue, and that included meeting distant Japanese relatives on both sides of my mom's family. A translator app did a lot of good work conveying any more detailed things we were trying to say, and people everywhere were super nice and worked with us as well as they could. I know a lot more Japanese now than I did, so things will be a bit smoother than last time, but still it wasn't terribly hard not knowing the language.
Seeing you're building a record collection and knowing your love of the shamisen, have you ever heard the name Takeshi Terauchi? He was one of Japan's earliest rock musicians, just an incredible guitarist, and he used a ton of shamisen style and technique in his playing for one of the most unique surf rock sounds to ever be played (he did a lot of covers too, stuff like Tsugaru Jongara Bushi and a bunch of others). As I type this comment, I actually just learned that he passed away last year, certain Japanese language news is a little hard to come by sometimes, but still he was one of the most unique players of the 60s. All my rambling aside, great video as always.
Thanks for mentioning Takeshi Terauchi. Really enjoying the music.
Thank you for making this video. You eased some of my worries. I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you again.
thanks norm I was literally searching for a video like this 2 days ago your a legend
I went to China a number of times for work, without speaking any Mandarin or Cantonese. I'm generally a very shy and introverted person, but somehow going around making hand gestures and using Google translate was always such a hilarious and exhilarating time. Anything I wanted to get or do, I could manage without speaking. A lot of their public signage also has English so public transportation was super easy. Just smile and try your best!
I think this is kind of similar to traveling in Europe. Admittedly most people where I live do speak at least some English, but for example when I visited Poland and a less tourist area, nobody spoke English at all and it led to some funny situations. Like going to KFC and trying to order a small kids meal of chicken and it ended up being a game of charades basically but me and my friend managed to get out chicken haha. We had a local helping us out, but there were still times we had to figure it out on our own and we didn't have wifi or data.
Thank you. This was super helpful, Going on my first trip and I am SUPER EXCITED and SUPER NERVOUS.
This was super helpful Norm thank you, I’ve always wanted to learn Japanese but never been able to take the time to, so I always worried i’d have trouble in Japan but this eased my mind a lot haha! Also that taxi driver was SO SWEET 😭❤️
I just got to Japan and started learning Japanese! Thanks for the video bro! 😃
cheers! enjoy!!
I hope to one day get back to Japan. I remember those train maps scared me when we were in Tokyo - I was so glad to be with someone familiar with the routes.
I love to see you upload, it's like a little slice of Japan in every video!
It's so awesome that you were recognized by fans on the street. My favorite part of the video was the cab driver who was practicing her English. Keep up the great work Norm!
What a great video. Shows how nice Japanese people are.
This is very relieving, thank you for creating this video and sharing this information with us
Oh this assuages some fears, to be honest. That taxi driver was really prepared for this situation. It's really great to know it won't be as overwhelming as I was worried it'd be. I love that you encountered viewers! They seemed really sweet and I hope they had a fantastic time traveling to Japan!
I lost a beloved family member this week. We had plans to travel to Japan together someday, a lifelong dream for us both. After years of battling severe depression he took his own life. I am
devastated.. And hell bent on still carrying out our plans someday even if I'm doing it alone. Your videos bring comfort to me during this time, though they remind me of our plans and I can't stop
sobbing I know it is good to get my feelings out.. Thank you Norm
When I went to Japan 13 years ago, most people understood English but couldn't speak very well. However, they were good at communication via physical movement such as hand gestures. If you keep things simple, there are no issues. Same goes for every language. Of course this was mostly in the cities. Outside, not a lick of English.
The hand gestures are SO different than what I am used to in the USA, it took me 3 days of blank dumb staring at people before I finally figured out how they count on their hands! Boy was THAT embarrassing. The station master looked at me like I was totally stupid for not understanding him showing me I needed to go to platform 7.
Love this video. Great overall coverage of different english scenarios in japan.
Thank you for all of the great tips! I hope that I'm able to make it over to Japan in the future.
Very informative, thank you. I do have a question: I've heard that Japan is very strict about not allowing visitors to bring their medications with them. Is that true, and, if so, how is that handled?
Managing with English only in Tokyo seems entirely viable, but how quickly does that change once you start exploring further afield? I'm hoping to travel around the northern parts and looking to visit some smaller mountain towns and more rural areas. As such I'm trying my best to learn the language, but I'm also expecting that I'll be running into problems with dialects and wont be able to even use much of the Japanese I've managed to learn as of yet.
You can always hire a translator and then you can explore whiout a problem ')