Going to Japan and Having an Identity Crisis
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2020
- A Swede goes to Japan and struggles with overthinking
* Previously titled: A Former Weeaboo Goes to Japan, but I thought over time that it was maybe a bit of a cliché title, and not necessarily at the core of the video.
Live-action Footage video:
• Two Dudes in Japan
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Imagine some dude from Japan who loves king of the hill goes to Texas and gets teary eyed because he sees a picket fence
That felt like what Haruki Murakami did when he's interested in Western culture.
I was born and raised in Japan my entire life. Since my dad is American, he introduced me to South Park from a young age. I would love to visit Colorado and go to Casa Bonita.
This is the funniest comment I have ever read
😂
I met a Japanese man who was obsessed with Texas and he proudly showed me this Texas flag print bag he bought at WalMart when he visited the US so you may not be too far off
Imagine going to Japan and an aleatory person gives you some garlic fries
I've never seen "aleatory" used in a sentence. Thanks for a new word. :)
@@Mylstrydr maybe "random" its more common
@@Mylstrydr me too
H. Peralta it’s a cognate with Romance languages (e.g. Spanish “aleatorio”, French “aléatoire”). It might be the case that one of those is his first language.
@@danielabujaber7478 private investigator caught in action
I checked his channel and he has something written in portuguese so you were right
As I swede who grow up in Japan I believe that weebs mistakes anime for the reality in Japan when in fact anime is an escape from the hard and strict reality in Japan. When I tell my Swedish friends how strict, hierarchical and hard Japan is they often don’t believe that it’s THAT hard or they never wants to go to Japan. But weebs adore all aspects of Japan even more then some of my Japanese friends parents who are members in nipponkaigi (nationalist political party). But Japan is the kind of society where if you don’t fit in life is going to be very very hard. When I studied at a private high school in saitama it was extremely tough. Sure we all had cute school uniform with big red ribbons and short skirts but the discipline was almost militaristic. The rules was hard and many, no social media, no boyfriend, never be late or have an off day and don’t talk about important things. And I also took an after school activity (competition dance). There we had practice 7 days a week from morning before school and after school to around 24;00. We weren’t allowed to eat more then 500 kcal per day and we had open weight check for all in the dance group and if someone weight more then 50 kg we weren’t allowed to talk to them until they lost the weight. We weren’t allowed to talk, stand how we wanted, sit how we wanted snd even stand up/sit down when we wanted to if a senpai was present. And there are many many many more strict and hard rules we had to follow all the time.
That sounds decent tbh, maybe except the dance club where all your time is spent at dancing lol that’s a bit much but it’s a good way to shape up the young and make them discipline
@@TotalWarKS by... fat-shaming girls who weighs more than 50kg..?
This sort of reminds me of the military. Kinda like how with military there's an end goal of being disciplined during all out war, it's as if there's this overarching goal of being a "productive member of society" (for a lack of better words) that overwrites your individual wants and needs. Thank you for showing me your perspective, it's very interesting.
I'm half Japanese and honestly I fucking hate Japan. My parents sent me to live there for 4 years with my grandparents and It was literally the most strict rigid society I've ever seen. Kids can't be kids and weren't allowed to just breath and enjoy life for a few hours. All "friends" were superficial and don't want to actually get to know you. Adult life seemed even worse with no life outside of work. It's a good place to visit. A horrible place to live unless you can live an alternative lifestyle.
@@Yous0147 That's how I would describe life in Japan. Like the military.
"It truly was... a suburb"
I really love this line.
czcams.com/video/6To2s_4Zs-g/video.html I love how,"jaded bitter man,"is protrayed as Hao Miyazaki
02:06 Sounds a bit like when I went to New York and was like "huh I've seen these buildings blow up a million times in movies but here they are"
No matter how many times tou destroy times square, they wont stop rebuilding it
PineTrii That’s what Osama Bin Laden said
I live in the middle of nowhere but it's only a few hours from Chicago. It seems weird that a city like that is so close.
I'm quite sure there are two towers that you can't see anymore...
osu sign
osu sign
“It’s a great place for weebs to go and do their main hobby, making fun of other weebs”
He knows us weebs so well.
@Millenial Pigeon fucking weeb
Millenial Pigeon, anime gay
Atheril Cigam no u *dabs on em*
Bcunningham3 Damn, you hit him hard
@Millenial Pigeon what are you talking about, I like hentai and I don't give a shit about what I jacked to, I just jack
Wow. After living in Japan multiple times, it's so interesting to hear your story from this perspective. The people at the bar were doing something very important in Japanese culture called "omotenashi". Because you went to the bar alone, culturally they are obligated to host you, even if they don't want to (especially as a westerner). The fries were a part of that, and you probably were given them specifically because it's often presumed that foreigners can't stomach Japanese food. Not sure about being laughed at, but she was probably going to talk to you in English and got nervous. This can often set Japanese people into giggles.
This doesn't mean that they weren't enjoying their time with you (it sounds like they had fun), just that the reasoning behind it may have not been what you thought. Japanese culture is very complicated. I've lived there multiple times and I often think that if my first time hadn't have been when I was a high school student, there is no way I would have picked up the culture as an adult.
I like the conclusions that you came to about your identity. It wasn't how I expected the video to end, and I found it very cool. I'm sure that there are many adventures waiting for you in Japan in the future. The one thing I'd recommend (as a person who has considered Japan my second home for the last 17 years) is learning Japanese. Life there is completely different when you can speak the language, because so much of their culture is bound up in the grammar used with different people. It's not as hard as people make out, and it's super rewarding.
Thanks for the video, your perspective is great.
Thank you for the very interesting insight!
Very hard language to read though.
@@Rolando_Cueva the fact that a Thai person is saying this tells one all you need to know lmao
@@Amaling That's not Thai btw. His name is in Devanagari. Most likely the language is Hindi and he's Indian. Also, Thai script itself is an alphabet so it's not hard to read at all compared to Japanese with a pictorial writing system which is a different beast altogether.
I don’t know if I’d say it’s presumed that Westerners can’t handle Japanese food. It’s more that it would be rude to assume that he liked any particular thing. The fries were probably the most inoffensive thing the person could think of.
Man, I went to Japan 4 years ago and I had 99% the same experience as you. The obsession with konbini, the drunk businessmen in bars offering food and drinks, the emotions in the Tokyo suburbs little streets... On my first day in Tokyo, a businessman fell asleep on me in the subway. When he woke up, he was so ashamed he apologized for 2 minutes and handed me a 2000 yen banknote. I tried to refuse the money but he just dropped it on my laps and ran away.
Probably afraid of getting arrested by the police for touching a woman on accident
100 percent on purpose lmao. Sounds like to him it was worth the 2000 yen 😂
God damn, Japanese people are really nice
Lol that perv did that shit on purpose trust me
@@1234kingconanhow do you know it is she and not he? The are not gender indicators in English. Only "she, her, he, his, him, etc.
"It truly was...a suburb."
Yes exactly it's so beautiful
I was about to make this exact comment
the reason is because the roads are more narrow and the neighbourhood councils are not dictators
@@Aconspiracyofravens1 exactly. USA is car centric hell
@@Aconspiracyofravens1wait till you hear about the grandma mafias
2:13 please get in the habit
My proudest moment in Japan was after 2 weeks of covertly observing people play the crane games I learned how to play them like a local and won myself a large lucario pokemon plush. It sits on my end table, proving my husband who said "they're just a scam" wrong.
The key is to hook onto a part of the object via one of the crane's prongs as opposed to just grabbing it wholesale.
Yeah the costs get very manageable once you know the right way, and a lot of the prizes are actually cool. (as they are official arcade limited goods) If you get lucky enough to have a generous staff see you struggling, they might show you the correct way to get it and put it on just the right position (trust me I was that guy struggling😂)
Another method is to push the prizes with the claw.
i heard they rigged the claw to be weak at griping the prize on random ocassion in order to milk the customer, or is it different to every other machine?
Jun It’s true. Most machines have a “payout” setting where the claw has a stronger grip depending on the amount of plays/money put in. It just so happens that US claws are rigged more and tend to have cheaper prizes because it’s profitable.
This trick works in the Yakuza games. That's how I picked it up lol
As a Japanese person, I was able to feel your love and respect for Japan while I was watching your video again. I finished watching your "When I was a Weeaboo" video hours ago. I'm aware you aren't a weeaboo anymore, but still Arigatou Mattias-san!
I might sound silly, I wish I could be a part of weebs but I'm Japanese so it doesn't make sense haha. I love them for 2 years because I'm fascinated with their culture like AMVs, anime memes and anime reaction videos.
We don't usually blend anime and hip hop or rock music. Japanese Otakus think that kind of music is for delinquents, or at least when I was in my 20s. Also, we don't have reaction videos here. I think they're too shy or they worry about face reveal.
3:32 By the way, possibly my favorite English phrase is "Mutual respect". I like this way of thinking and "Mutual" sounds cute somehow. :->
:3
strange how such a simple word can be fascinating to other cultures and people, kinda puts your life into perspective, don't you agree?
@@bointplank1963 like how the word panzer5 is so cute and awesome
Thats.... interesting.
Japan and its culture is so different and its fascinating
@@daanstrik4293 dude,EVERY single culture is different and weird for people outside of that culture
When a weeb goes to japan then realizes there are no subtitles 😶
thats why dub exist
Oh no..
Thats not even remotely funny
Bro just tap on the 3 dots in the top right corner.
Weak punchline but ok 😶
I think avoiding the touristy places is the way to go. A few years ago, I went with my dad on a trip to Hawai'i where he thought he was gonna get set up with a nice beach house in Honolulu, but the day we got there his rich buddy ghosted him. And we had accidentally gone there during a foreign holiday, so EVERY hotel room was booked for weeks out. So we took a bus out of the city and ended up sleeping in the woods for most of our time there. I think it ended up being way more memorable that way than if it had gone to plan.
Also was that Logan Paul at 4:12 lmao
What happened with the rich buddy?
Kwick They say he ghosted them so he was never heard of again
@@kwick9801 No idea. It was someone I'd never met, but supposedly my dad and older brothers were friends with him. He's a pilot, I think I heard. Of course, my dad isn't the most well put-together guy, so honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he never formally made arrangements for staying at the beach house and just planned to drop in on the dude.
Either way, it made for a unique trip.
Dang i just noticed its logan paul
I still like seeing the touristy places tho, kinda like to see whats all the hype about. My most favorite thing to do is to find local street markets, sometimes you find things that are so niche and specific to that country. Like in thailand there was this man selling leather with handmade designs relevant to his culture or like in my home country people sell traditional hand made dresses sometimes.
I think street markets often bring out the raw culture of the country sometimes without feeling too artificial
That bar was surreal. Definitely a weird capsule back in time. I should've taken you to another one as well for comparison. Oh, and we should've totally used their karaoke machine, that would've rocked their world
Sai C. who are you
@@Nikita13337 wow if that isn't some inland empire business then I don't know what is. I need to go think about that for a while
@@Nikita13337 (but for real you can see me in these two videos: czcams.com/video/ek2Y8Upkbw8/video.html , czcams.com/video/Lja9br1U93k/video.html )
Sai C. oh cool.
Sai C. thanks
The Japanese lady was laughing because she can sense the weeaboo in you
As a japanese konbini part-time stuff, I love customer from foreign because they are all
Friendly and polite
On the other hand, customers who are rude to us is always japanese people (especially elderly people )
In my opinion, they know how convenient and grateful it is
but japanese people didn’t because they think konbini has already taken for granted
"I can afford a plane ticket now" well, that's about to change...
They most likely will be getting a lot cheaper as things cool down
@@absolutelyunepic3072 I think they mean, "everyone is unemployed now".
>that face when you saved up money to go on a trip there this year but kung flu stopped you from achieving this trip.
I was in SK when the first case in the US popped up, in none other than my home state.
Well, nothing has changed in Japan though. I still go to work even though there's nothing to do at my desk. No quarantine in place. But Japanese people don't need a law, they use masks and take care of their hygiene extra careful. So life is still normal here actually. Some shops are closed though.
I love how,"jaded bitter man,"is protrayed as Hao Miyazaki
With an added touch of "hates anime".
@@TheSonic497 "Anime was a mistake"
nah but hes based he hates industrialism and american consumerism
Do you guys know he's been working on a new movie now? And it's been already more than 3 years, and it's still far from finishing?
czcams.com/video/4i2QDSn7uRo/video.html maybe you gonna cry in the video, just maybe
Wait till you live there, and that amazing stuff wears off really quick. It’s comfortable here but not convenient, you get reminded daily that this isn’t your country. I’ve been here for 3 years and still don’t have my own Japanese bank account that isn’t from the post office(like I don’t have a debit card just a credit card), my Japanese husband tried to help but there are so many hops you have to jump through to get what you want here. Also, the country side is the best Japan. It’s so beautiful, people are so kind spending New Years with my Japanese family is exciting.
Yeah living there helped me appreciate the convenience of living in my home country
my exchange to Japan was postponed due to Covid-19. This video is comforting my disappointed ass and for that, thank you, Mattias. I hope you can visit Japan again anytime soon!
did you do it yet?
What's the update?
that was not only very funny but also very smart and insightful youre the best
It's sad imo that you expected this to be funny or a joke video instead of what it is. That's just what youtube is huh?
@@waluigi3515 they said "not only". Sophia found it funny. Put your sword away
"Holding back tears at the beauty" Yeah, a lot of stuff there is beautiful. The cars look like they've just been detailed and the people well groomed and outfitted. I'm sure it's difficult to explain to someone from Japan why it's so captivating.
@@KahruSuomiPerkele people from Asia who visit the west say the same thing lol.
Same could be said about America, if only for it's beautiful nature and monuments.
@@subscribeorsus6862 What about Japanese people who visit France? A lot of them get depression because it's nothing at all like the romantic image in their imagination.
SerBallister isn’t that called “Paris syndrome” or something?
@@elokin300 I never have heard this term before.
I used to be a big-time weeb in my teens, I was obsessed with anime and Japan. As I got older I still watched some anime but wasn't as obsessive about it or Japan but... That's when I got into the Yakuza series which sparked my interest in Japanese culture and just Japan in general again. I was 20 and had quite a bit in savings so I booked a trip to Japan... I'll never forget those first few hours of being there, just finally seeing all those everyday things I would see in all the Japanese media I'd consume it was just... Idk, just felt so magical. I immediately fell in love with Japan within the first few days. Everything is so orderly, convient, amazing infrastructure, amazingly nice people, like, damn!! I immediately booked a trip to Japan again as soon as I got back home... This time it was solo and I'm so glad I did it solo, would've never experienced the Sapporo snow festival or Hokkaido if I would've stuck to those tour groups that only do Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto lol I'm 23 now and I've gone back a total of 3 times after those 2 initial trips. Been as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Okinawa and a lot of places in between! Now that I've been there so many times I've gone from being a tourist to just kind of 'living there' and actually getting a feel for everyday life for months at a time. It's funny because now I get pissed at people who are like "Japan is anime land!" Like, no, no it's not. It's so much more...
Damn how are you in college and still going there so often
@@shersockholmes6261 I never did go to college lol if I had gone I wouldn't have been able to have traveled as much as I have.
@@zeroxlulu ah the untrodden path... happy you are enjoying the life and good luck ahead (this looks like an ominous forewarning but idk how else to write it lol)
@@zeroxlulu I guess being a poor college student is not something you can relate to. Anyhow, everyone is different and that's the beauty of it. Good luck.
How come I'm going through the exact same thing you've already gone through in your teens
We've been touring to japan twice a year for 5 years straight because my mom likes sakura and autumn/winter there "also the milk teas and the toilets". We've been to toury spots here and there but we tend to get lost on rural areas because the scene there is wild in sakura month. Can't wait get back there again once this thing is over. There's still so much hidden gems to discover
Must cost a lot of money but that sounds like a great family habit ! Did you ever lost the magic - or some kind of magic - or the place feel just as great every year ?
I don't need sleep I need answers
I did but that's to visit to my family and I haven't been for a while cos money
Konbini is the best thing ever in Japan, you can find fresh foods that made daily there. Even in smaller cities like Shizuoka you can still find a ton of vending machines and conbis
Shizuoka a smaller city? There are 700000 people living there
@@TheRushy97 I live in Western Australia. Tokyo has the same amount of people as my whole state. Japan has heaps of people. A small city in Japan has the same people as a big city in most places.
@@just-a-me1168 I think Tokyo Metropolis has about 80% the population of Australia
@@TheRushy97 Shiziuka is literally nearly twice as big as my hometown
@@k.umquat8604 that's most likely talking about the number of people in the city. Most Japanese city's have many more people then in most other places in the world.
"Why do i treat whether i like something or not as a flaw of my character"
You just summed up how i feel about anything i like wow. Ive never found the correct words for it thank you lol 5:40
Yeah something about that struck me too.
Like pineapple on pizza
Same :’’’)
same
I think it’s because that’s often how we relate to each other. Most people tend to judge people pretty quickly and strongly based on their likes and dislikes of things.
I've lived in Japan for 3 years now and lemme just say....I am incredibly jaded. So much stuff here annoys me endlessly and I always sound like an angry old man scoffing when I see tourists having so much fun just eating basic food or going shopping somewhere. Living here definitely sucks the magic out of everything. The grass is always greener on the other side until you live there yourself. I miss a ton of things about America usually but I know if I moved back I'd miss things about Japan too.
I want to live in japan because america fucking suckkks
oh please explain... in detail
I also lived in Japan for about two years but I still really like it. Sure, some things are annoying but my own country annoys me too. Obviously the magic disappears after a time but I am still kinda excited to go to new places in japan
@Zi FACTS GIRL periodt.
@@teethgiver much intelligence in that comment
That advice at the end was really reassuring. I personally struggle with failure and self-worth, and hearing you say that it’s OK to fail, and that it’s even a part of becoming a better person, made me feel a little better about some of the things I’m going through right now. Thanks man, you really helped me out. :)
I remember stumbling drunk through Akihabara while getting really into a song I was listening to in my headphones (i think xxxtentacion-yung bratz, a very very aggressive trap song), and this incredibly cute maid who was handing out flyers for her maid cafe was smiling at me and dancing too. I took one of her flyers, she told me to come to her maid cafe and asked me to show her what I was listening to. Of course, I followed, and showed her the song, which is pretty much the last song I'd ever expect a Japanese maid to enjoy, but she totally got into it with me. So its just me and a cute Japanese maid, in the bright, bustling glow of Tokyo at night, chanting AY AY AY into the endless void of the city without a care in the world. Maybe she didn't even like the song and just wanted me to come to her cafe, or maybe she just wanted to have a good time, either way it was magical. Mari, I know you'll never read this, but I miss you. Reading this back it looks a lot like a copypasta now lmao. Great video btw.
blade this made me super happy aww love the vibes
"Maybe she didn't even like the song and just wanted me to come to her cafe"
That is *ABSOLUTELY* what her goal was. Maid cafes' very existence is based on selling a fantasy to their customers, and the girls who are the best at this are the ones they send into the street to hand out flyers. It's nice that you had a good time, but rest assured, this girl was just doing her job.
fireaza do you enjoy ruining people’s fun, aza
I was not expecting a maid Cafe to be so much fun. Mainly because you look around and see other people being just as confused as you.
Cringe
"Single white guy surrounded by old Japanese men"
bruh, one time in Tokyo, bar hopping and shit, most of them boomers in suits so hospitable, and they bond me more when they brought up some stuff about WWII (telling them my people forgives them..I am a filipino btw). Overall Japan is not perfect, I get some stares because of my curled hair,"scary(they say)" look and c r i s p y b r o w n skin, but ey, you win some u lose some. 11/10 fucking Asahi is better than Heineken
how the fuck do they find curly hair terrifying
Heineken is piss and water from the Amstel river
@@paddlesaddlelad1881 it even baffles me and I cant even get some straight information tho. maybe its mostly seen as a deliquent or a very undisciplined person in Japan.
@@exudeku In asian societies, mostly the oriental ones, our genetics tend to result in almost no people with curly hair genes in our DNA, so it's mostly a sense of curiosity and wonder when people see another jabroni with curly hair. Mostly the older folk tho.
@@dinis8271 Hertog Jan > Palm > Heineken >>> Amstel
0:30
In other words, you come back saying "I'll never forgive the Japanese!"... And maybe even as a stand user
Is this some kind of...wait what was it ? oh yeah cory in the house reference ????
LightV thats so raven reference
Lol I hope these replies are joking
Ohhh holyyy shit ohhh my godddd
Simpsons refrence noice
ugh god the end bit is very comforting. Thank you for sharing your self-reflective thoughts
2:02 lmao the sign in the bottom left corner says "注意！外国人がいる" or "Caution! There are foreigners" lmaooooo
4:59 "何でゲーム" you put in the effort to write in actual Japanese but you didn't put in effort to come up with fake names for things lmaoo
bro I was going to point that out! lol
lmao moment when we see this
I keep reading 外国 as そとくに because I can never remember how to read it and it’s so annoying-
@@bibzamwe8549 haha I feel that, I've lost countless marks on Japanese class quizzes for not remembering how readings of kanjis change depending on the context
And the other sign says こち, like "this way"
thinking in strict dichotomies is not only stupid, but dangerous too. you don't have to exclusively love or hate japan
Every culture has it's ups and downs. Japan too, has it's ups and downs, just like literally every other culture out there.
@@lolmeme69_ Yes, but I don't think he shouldn't treat anime as some kind of disease. I get that it can be unhealthy spending all days watching it and stuff, but you did that in the past and got over it, you shouldn't hate yourself for what you liked. I love anime and Japanese music, but it's not like I run around with Konoha headband, doing hand signs, yelling omae wa mou shinderu, yamero, doing JoJo poses and watching anime all day. I think being a fan of animation is no different than being a fan of... let's say... Marvel, star wars and stuff like that,... just an opinion :P
@@lolmeme69_ did you read the comment?
Johnson Tan
I see people say this a lot when a response doesn’t disagree with the person they’re replying to. Maybe it comes from an implicit belief that if somebody is going to respond, they’re doing it to tell you how wrong you are?
@@kdraws3361 Anime is a very niche market that can come off as plain edgyness and pedophile fantasies. Which tbh is not far from the truth lmao. Also lets not forget the literal sexualitation of everything, the power fantasys, annoying tropes, and so on. You like anime? thats cool but it isnt perfect and it can be toxic in a lot of ways.
This is one of those rare reviews that feels real. Rather than giving situations or an event a score you went through various situations with good pace and information. Thank you
I relate so much to seeing places in that are portrayed in art in real life... it’s just so cool how a lot of anime try to really mimic actual places in Japan and absolutely nail it. When I went to high school in Saitama it was so crazy how much the walk from my neighbourhood to my school looked like something I had seen in a film. It was so incredibly beautiful and I’d do anything to go back and relive those first moments.... I’ve gone back every other year since 2015, I was supposed to go again this year but it looks like that’ll be put on hold. 😞 I really think everyone who has the opportunity should visit at least once. ♡
It's just like when I went into a public school for the first time to take an SAT... Having been homeschooled, it felt just like the schools I had seen in so many cartoons and movies, it was surreal.
I lived in Japan for two years and my favorite part was how safe it is, I was able to go to Tokyo at like 11:00 P.M and get mcdonald's and still feel super super safe.
why would you be scared at 11PM by going to mcdonalds? in what country do you live that you have to be scared of that? do gangsters hang out in your nearest mcdonalds or something?
@@diablo.the.cheater murica.
@@diablo.the.cheater God damn sometimes I hate how fucking insexure Argentina is, like theres no "safe time", you are never truly safe.
The last time i was mugged i had a pistol pointing at me, that day I felt like Usain Bolt lol, i ran like crazy
Aitor Rosell Torralba found this really funny because you described my small town in Canada exactly LMAO. The only McDonalds in our town once had a stabbing incident and the police get called all the time to deal with threatening customers and loiterers. It's also across three liquor stores and a weed store. And not sure if they were a gang but sketchy guys would hang out there all the time, knocking on your window in the drive thru. Not a fun place to go, but when you're craving fries...
@@OrdinaryArgentinian Was about to mention my own country then you did lol. This is why I stay at home even before quarantine. Argentina is kind of a shithole, but at least our non-criminal people are nice sometimes I guess. And the internet community is godlike that's for sure.
Congrats on not getting lost trying to search for the comments
I actually got lost looking for the like button on the video.
My app hasn’t updated yet so I’m good
@@rockspoon6528 me on pc: i do not have such weaknesses
Just got this video in my recommendations, and I love it!
I’m a Canadian of Japanese descent, living in Japan from about 3-4 years ago.
Granted, i do speak the language and look like the people here, so perhaps I have it a bit easier than many other “gaijins”
But I do want more people to understand that Japan is neither the best place in the world, or the worst place in the world.
I’m not sure what compels people to want to do one or the other, but really… it’s just a place.
It’s just a country, with a history, with its own customs, and it has… people.
It became so much more of a enjoyable, genuine experience when I took off my tinted eyeglasses (tinted with an odd resentment for Japan and its people) and took a moment to understand it, and give it a chance.
I love how the stick figure for “old, jaded dude who doesn’t like anime” turns into Hayao Miyazaki. That really got me 😂
oooh, cool story about The Before Times : )
yes, a perfect story to watch in the leisure station of your spaceship
if this isn't what you were referencing then nevermind
@@weesalikesmilktea4829 Ah, a CGPGrey fan I see.
Bru
“Anime was a mistake.”
-Hayao Miyazaki
Triple Oof miyazaki didnt lie tho 👽
'Generic mass produced dollarstore anime is garbage"
-Me
Triple Oof it doesn't say anything hentai👀😳
Insert Master Oogway
I know that this is a joke but Miyazaki didn't say that , it was just a mistranslation (but he still doesn't watch anime though)
I really related to your evaluation of yourself and your struggles creating. I’ve been overwhelmed recently having so many creative aspirations that I too feel like I’m holding myself back
3:18
I am a Japanese who grew up in Japan from 1995-2014. I remember a time when my father was so busy from his job (he was like, in the 3rd highest position in a moderately large company) that he only ate convenience store lunch for 3 weeks. So yes you certainly can live off those, but not forever
I'm shocked by how relatable the "can I really say I like Japan?!" Thought is. I was there an entire year for study abroad and I still felt the same thing. At the end of the day trying to "understand" something can get in the way of just FEELING things. Complete understanding is overrated, and probably unachievable with something as complicated as an entire country
That's.... extremely well said man.
You know, hanging out and drinking with some elder japanese men sounds cool
I’ve always loved hanging out with older people :-) I don’t get why some people hate them so much. Like, I guess they just knew a couple of bad ones and are projecting that onto all of them?
Now that I think about it, I guess that’s where _most_ hatred of entire demographics of people come from
@@littlefishbigmountainCZcams commentors fucking suck /j
@@littlefishbigmountainwho hates old ppl
the ending just
meant something for me that I needed, but didn't know it.
Thank you, Mattias.
this was such a gem to find! Incredibly relatable on some many levels, from the former weeb stuff to the overthinking things about "enjoying" something and thoughts on art and creation. Subscribed!
"Well, once I was home, I felt the same way I did before. Out of options, and desperate for answers, I booked a flight to Japan."
The Nick Robinson Effect
The part where one must fail at being themselves to become themselves really resonated with me. I am a college freshman and I have been feeling a lot of pressure to become the best version of me. But a lot of things don't end up working well and thinking about what i should and could be doing gets me down very often. I felt like every failure was just adding distance between me and my goal. But This video reminded me that there is a lot of progress I don't see when I am trying. Thanks as always Matt.
Hey Joel, just wanted to say this is a really hard time to be a college freshman with all the COVID stuff going on, so this is kinda like college on hard mode. Your performance this spring term and going forward is most likely not what it was going to be before everything hit and that’s totally okay. Good luck with your studies!
@@sheab101 My final grades came out today (and they weren't so great), and this was really encouraging. Thank you.
I can relate a lot more than I d want to admit.
@@shersockholmes6261 We in this together bro
I love your video's man, it gives me an existential crisis, but like, the good kind.
I have studied Japanese for many years and now work here as a translator.
I was expecting a run of the mill Japan impressions video, but man, this was really introspective and really enjoyed your perspective. I subscribed before the video ended.
Things that we were randomly given in Japan: drunken businesses men with ties on their forehead on the subway giving my wife their business cards, and multiple cups of tea brewed fresh to allow us to taste the tea at the market. Pretty neat.
I know there is this thing in Japan that seating is free. Like that bar. But you are required to buy an entrance snack.
This might be what happened. This foreigner didn't know that he should have bought it, so one of the natives bought it for him.
Candies from old ladies with heavy Japanese dialect times three
@@xyro88 But don't they usually give you the snack automatically and then you see like 3 bucks extra on your bill? At least, that's what happened to me usually (although some places didn't have that requirement)
@@AnnaHeey Yea I thought so too. But I don't know enough about the subject to be sure. It's that culture that you eat snack while you drink. Maybe they just wanted to be nice, and instead of buying him a drink they bought a snack.
Or prank him to smell like garlic :|
Yesss, I always wanted to be a gothic lolita. I'm moving to Japan!
Niccccceee
I've always wanted to be a gothic KNIGHT!
No you don’t, Lolita fashion is niche and most Japanese girls wear long skirt and conservative shirts. Japanese daily fashion is between cute and conservatism. But, you get some different niche fashionable ppl here which are jk(high school), college girls.
@@kittychobit I prefer being conservative and a lolita (kinda) person in my own country. Although I just wear pastel clothing items that are available to me in Canada.
Amazon is nice minus the shipping.
@@kittychobit I mean like most things in japan really
Your videos about your personal experiences are very enjoyable, and your drawings are a plus! Glad I found your channel.
5:36 onward was something i really needed to hear but was not expecting from a "A Former Weeaboo Goes to Japan" video. Mattias: from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I stayed in Japan for a year for study abroad, and man. I freaking miss it.
Now that I've been isolated for more than 2 months due to the pandemic, I've found myself reminiscing my times over there.. My nature walks and spending my money in Osaka, the arcades, and crane games. And also by God, the awesome food.
I've cried a lot because I miss my time in Japan so much. It felt like "home" and also the first time where I felt ok with myself as a person.
@Kwok Yat Wai I can't speak for him, but I'm someone who went to study abroad too (not to Japan though).
In my country I feel pressure from my family and even from myself to abide to some expectations. Being away from the people you know and your own culture is a rather freeing experience, as you can "start over" so to speak and rebuild the circle of people around you.
Normally, the people close to you would find it odd if you were to act differently and were to start doing new things even if they were accepting of those changes, there are also people you'd normally be unable to avoid. When moving there is no such pressure, you can just be true to yourself from the start as long as you are respectful to wherever you insert yourself into.
There are also activities you can only do in other countries, because they are a part of their culture, or rely on the countries landscape, so when you fit in in their niche it's normal to miss it.
1:41 The sheer confidence and energy coming from that one statement made me respect you all the more
This was actually so funny I was barely able to breathe the whole vid. Love your vids bro
Man this last part is exactly what I’ve been struggling with these last years. It’s reassuring to know other people are going through the same thing
As a person slowly getting into a few facets of japanese media, I just wanted to watch a video about a dude that visited japan and had happened to be a weeb at some point, and instead I got an incredibly relatable video that hit way too close to home. I know you were just saying whatever came to your mind to talk about but it kinda turned into something I needed to hear. So like actually thank you, I suppose.
I feel the exact same way. thanks for putting this comment out there lol :)
6:00- 7:03 I like this part of your talk. Made me realize things.
I like how natural and sincere you are when talking about things. I would listen to your stories all day lol. It's like a chill pill for me.
This was a very pleasant video to watch, and I appreciate the work you put into it :)
from here 5:38 you flawlessly described one of the issues that annoys me the most about myself. i feel that somehow now i have a proper relieving answer to my constant questioning of some of my likes and possible improvement in some areas and how that makes me feel that i’m loosing ‘quality’.
also i’m really into art, i worship it and by now i have some skills. i’ve created things that i adore, but all of them weren’t affected by the ‘pressure’ i constantly feel when comparing myself to others in a very negative way, feeling no hope, creativity crisis, and too many things i could try and learn that i end up doing nothing at all. or doing it and failing. when something actually succeeds is when an harmony between my mind and inspiration occurs, basically when i just want to have a nice time, no pressure, just endless possibilities to make me or others happy.
i cannot feel thankful enough for this vid and in general this channel.
Travel really does reveal some of the most interesting things about yourself...
When you go to Japan, as a former weabo and meet a westeabo girl.
masterxk westeabo ?
@@kingston4776 basically people who are obsessed with western thing.
Yeah true, like most of my Japanese friends LOVE Disney and high school musical, it’s horrible. Even the one who are Yankees have Mickey Mouse merch 🤕
Thanks for letting me know a new English word.
I used to be a westaboo when I was in my 20s haha. I was fascinated with skate punk and psychobilly fashion.
This... this is a thing?!
Best video I've seen this year. Did not expect that. I relate to this on so many levels.
I just came back from a long awaited trip to japan and im shocked at how similar our experiences were.
This got so deep at the end. I feel this vibe
DUDE! 100% relatable. Went there in march 2019 with same feelings and did same things and returned with same opinion. Japan is great yeah.
Was not expecting such insightful thoughts there at the end. Actually helpful.
Man, the wisdom you share is so insightful. Thanks for helping me get through my daily existential crises.
I'm so depressed, so alone, so bored at home in my shitty little town... This video, despite being 7 minutes long and literally made in MS Paint... was a treat. Like I actually went to Japan and went through all that... And no, I'm not a weeb or anything. Just don't like feeling disconnected from the world. So thank you for this! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Same. My parent move us from big city to shitty little village near little town. I'm also bored because I left all my friends I had (two, but ill never find better than they), I had so many plans to make money (I'm 15 yo introvert) for me or or my parent needs, but they refused to help start it. I have to wake up so early (4:20am), go to school, lessons ends often at 4 pm and come back to home, I mean i have no free time after school. When ill'be adult, i want to live japan, leave these people called family. There's always somebody who has worse life than you, and me. Maybe i don't appreciate what i already have (probably because nothing i do goes like I wanted)
@jasiekx3856 you should make new friends. Your old friends don't want you not to make new friends. If they don't, then they're not good friends. Don't speak loneliness into existence. Just because the physical place isn't to your liking doesn't mean there isn't somebody whom you'd be well off to be friends with. Sometimes, good friends in a bad place can provide a launching point to leave that place rather than further rooting you there.
@@jasiekx3856 As long as you have friends it's not a big issue. Once you start working and earning, you can easily visit each other once in a while. Better than nothing. Take care friend.
@@jasiekx3856 I mean between 4:20 am and 4 pm is more than 11 hours! That's plenty of free time. But if you like this kinda life with no friends, Japan will suit you perfectly! You're literally working your ass off every day (or at least pretend to while wasting your time), and you have zero social life (aside from mandatory drinking with boring coworkers).
@@m0ff607 I mean he/she literally in a village. I totally understand his feeling. Like even if you do make a friend, if you're from completely different backgrounds, they might still be craving the old life.
Love your artwork including the random Japanese words😂 I work in Akihabara at a non-subculture-related office job and still amazed everyday that this place exists
"Not a good youtuber?!?!?!?"
Honestly you are my favorite. you have quite the talent for writing and portraying your thoughts.
I now listen to you every time I need to do something. how you tell your stories really helps put my own thoughts, actions and motivations into perspective.
i like your thoughts and the video all in all thanks for that. reassuring about many things ive been thinking about lately
"Akibara cant exist outside Tokyo'
My dude, you really need to visit Ximending in Taiwan.
I have been a huge fan of Japan, but never a crazy anime fan. Still it was my dream to go there and I managed (for 3 months university program). The strange thing when I arrived was that I felt as if I have finally arrived home, the way everything operated there made absolute sense...like...why isn't it like that everywhere. Still, when I think about my time in Japan, it makes me feel calm somehow. Since I came back from there, I spent some more years in my country and now I moved to another EU country to live with my boyfriend. Honestly, I want to show Japan to him, but I don't really want to live there. It's one thing to be a tourist there and completely different to be part of the Japanese society. And, yeah, it has always been amazing to me how every house and street you see in an anime (those that are like real life stories, of course) is absolutely the same as in reality...I think it's great :) I still love Japan and I always will, although I am far from their pop culture at this point. And yeah....cool video again :D
i just found a chill and funny channel, CZcams really has some gold.
your content is so good. i can not stop watching it.
1:49 That kid of reminds me of my trip to the US. I didn't really think about the fact that a huge amount of movies take place there until I looked out the window at my aunt's place. It suddenly felt so surreal, almost like a dream.
you laugh, but I actually broke down in tears the first time I saw the welcome to Arizona billboard. it's like christ we truly are in America
This was a very insightful video, thank you. I think it goes to show that you can be interested in a country and enjoy it for being a different place without being unhealthily obsessed with it
I've been waiting for this
This video in a nutshell:
The more you know, the harder you fall.
When I found out that the locations and scenes from Digimon (my favourite show, my real introduction to anime and Japan in middle school) were real....I will admit, I spent most of my trip checking out those locations. Odaiba is where the main characters live and where many battles take place. Went to Nakano Broadway where Cyber Sleuth is centered. Also, I didn't get to watch Tri til now, and I saw more scenes that I went to. It was so weird and nostalgic ❤
Your open honesty is refreshing
i love the way u draw everything
It doesn't matter how much time you spend in Japan, you will never find out if you like it or not
You will eventually just find yourself in loving and hating at the same time
Omg the intro and everything about this is me
I went to Korea for the first time last year, and I cannot even begin to describe how accurate this video was in describing the feelings I had during that trip. Also the second part about how we think and improve ourselves was equally relatable
my man, you ARE a good youtuber, love your vids
As a former weeb I already had high expectations of Japan just because it was my dream to go since I was 10 years old.
I finally went with my husband this year (our first trip got canceled due to coronavirus), and it beyond exceeded my expectations. The places, the people, everything, was just amazing.
Even my husband, who initially had no interest in visiting, tells me all the time since the trip he just wants to go back to Japan. I feel the same way. I can’t stop thinking about it!! It truly blew my mind.
2:02 it says "caution, there are foreigners here" on the bottom left
Love that Hayao Miyazaki reference haha haha, great video fellow Mathias
This channel is really underrated
you missed out on Kyoto and Osaka, those two in combination with Tokyo was a dream for me, and i barely scratched anime before i went there
"Or I come back a man that hates anime"
*Anime was, a mistake*
I loved travelling in Japan ! I went on a guided tour and it was amazing ! I was able to see so many things, and now I know which places I’ll go back to in the future!
this video is a gem, truly