100 thoughts on “First Impressions TOKYO CULTURE SHOCK”
REMEMBER: Give this video a LIKE and Comment below what your biggest Tokyo Culture Shock would be ! My Tokyo Travel Secrets ebook (coming soon: https://grrrltraveler.com/ebooks/ ) I’ll be sharing my travel tips that I used for myTokyo YouTube videos.
All of Japan is awesome. Besides the cleanliness, the culture is so polite. If you ever needed help when lost, they would literally walk you to your destination or until you got your bearings straight. Whenever I see Japanese folks struggling a little in my travels, I go the extra distance for them.
Great video and extremely helpful. Btw, one little correction – the ¥2,000 smoking violation charge is only $18.06 (based on the current exchange rate) not $200, as you've stated. Regardless, I'm looking forward to more of your videos from Japan. 😁👍🏽
You are good and i like your traveling videos and also you give us information about you travel city i love your vlogs keep going on Also why don’t you travel sanya china it is also beautiful and awesome place to travel.
Yesterday I caught a tram in Prague and a woman walked by with a crossbody strap that said GO GRRRL! I kid you not! Couldn't tell if the wide black strap with white lettering was attached to her camera or her bag. Girl, you have merch?! After a year in Prague I go back to USA 😭 in 2 days so I live through your travels for now. 😘 Thanks for the inspiration 🌎🎫🗺️.
Its about 20 dollars not 200 if caught smoking in the forbidden area but in the sub streets you can smoke but you need a pocket ashtray which is a small hand bag that fits you pocket easily too. I hope this hepls others .
Great video about Tokyo. I never imagined the toilets would be like that. Looks like a place I would have wanted to visit but., I have trouble walking because of my disabilities so I wouldn’t think I could do it but I would have loved to go there. I really appreciate your videos. You’re really showing all aspects of Japan. Thanks & May God keep blessing you & protecting you on your travels. ❤️🙏💖💜💕👍👍👍
I got crazy excited when I noticed the Asakusabashi station as I've stayed in that area in the past. Really nice to see a glimpse of your experience in Japan! Maybe this is a question that has been asked before, but do you also speak Japanese due to your heritage?
2000 yen is about 20 bucks …thats a very cheap fine actually lol and great video ..heading to japan for the first time in 26 days …excited yet nervous at the same time … get this off the bucket list before i reach 35
Chiyoda is actually pretty much the exception in terms of smoking… though they've been making moves recently in Shinjuku/Shibuya/Ikebukuro to at least push it away from the stations. I've only seen it enforced once and it wasn't by police. I think they just made him stop and gave him a talking to rather than actually enforce a fine though. So yeah… with it mostly affecting Akihabara, Shibuya and Shinjuku it can give a bit of a false impression to tourists. It's mostly legal.
They think about parenthood as they have parent and child seats in the mens rooms as well. ps Osaka escalators are the other way round, stand on right and walk on left, why that is has lots of equally odd explanations, personally I just think the people in Osaka like a little joke.
It looks like there were some wheelchair accommodations on the stairways/escalators in the metro. Did you actually spot any wheelchair users out and about?
Thank you for sharing Tokyo with us! I might have to take a trip there, sometime. Some of this reminds me of Hong Kong…the crowds, the trains and the stations, the way everyone goes a certain way up the stairs, like staying to one side so others that want to walk up the stairs faster, can do that. Thank you for this experience, and seeing your first 48 hours!
1) Japan is not a country of inventions. It is a country of advententions . All the Katakana indicates these objects or locations to be brought in from cultures and technologies abroad. Especially, European standards modified into Japanese society and culture and the needs of both the merchants and clients to avoid services from labor shortages. Automation has been a must after the 80`s because the baby boom had ended and people in Japan are sexless compared to even near by countries that reproduces like jack rabbits. 2)TOTO has registered its names officially to TOTO which we used to call it the TOKYO TOILET company but now they are so diversified into divisions that they are into so many new fields of businesses. Once again short of labor, they`ve added automatic flushing systems and body sensors to flush toilets automatically or sanitizing chemicals or cleansing fluids. Yet, their English is still behind…….as you see on the toilet remote controllers LOL !! 3) Japanese security guards…..once again strange Japanese English are controlling traffic after taking exams to be able to step out into the roads with special emblems which are 2 green striped plastic tubes on their left arm. However, this dude can be fired for leaning against the guard rail pipes. Since they are trusted to save people`s lives from dangerous or potential accidents, they are never to slack off at all during their jobs LOL !!! They are actually replacements of just doing traffic controlling instead of police traffic controller units to save money for the establishments. 4)New Japanese smoking law is fine of 2000 yen….it says, thats 21 dollars or so…….not 200 Dollars LOL. JT( Japan Tobacco ) who still makes tons of money came up with this idea of having areas for people to smoke because office workers actually have to goto designated smoking areas during their break and some of these workers actually walk down to the 1st floor smoking sections designated by their companies or even to the roof to avoid the stinking odors. This on a long run has actually created more smokers as they feel more social smoking together LOL " oh, hi, do you smoke? " yes, I do, which pack ?………aa mild seven…….blah blah blah 5)UNICLO is nothing Japanese, they are all CHINESE ……..I wouldn`t recommend them and so are MUJI. Im not against These foreign business but I`ve warned many YOUTUBERS that have nothing to do with Japan and you see so many Chinese working there LOL. The materials are all synthetic and extremely toxic to not just the skin but other organs of yours……….I dont buy it LMAOF !
What's weird is saying Tokyo is very crowded. Yes at peak hours. Same as everywhere. The rest of the time it's not unless you go to that stupid intersection that all tourists visit, or parts of Shijuku with all the lights at night (like all tourists). I have been there four times and off-peak it's a delight with little foot and vehicle traffic.
Haha. Glad to see you in my home! Tokyo is definitely supercharged fun TBH it’s got its quirks – both good and bad. But no city is an angel and I’m looking forward to seeing what you uncovered.
Haha. Yeah, the crowds in Tokyo surprised me too. During rush hour its especially crowded – like cray cray- and Shinjuku Station is like an epicenter of traffic. It's so gigantic- I always get lost there and there's so many people at all times of the day.
Great vid! This took me back about 3 years. I ❤️ Tokyo and want to go back and see more someday when I can afford to go. It was nice to see you encounter similar things I did re pedestrian flow, cleanliness, friendliness, vending machines, feeling lost sometimes, etc. Great tips and practical strategies — thanks for posting this.
I love the metro traffic and how orderly it is. In Montreal people just practically fling themselves and cut you off. A giant obstacle course of a city
Great video. I've lived in Japan for the past 7 yrs. I was going to correct you on the conversion however someone beat me to it, lol. You should come to Hiroshima. I could be your tour guide.
Just a tip, while there's no public resting areas or seating, you can always go to any of the coffee shops, order a coffee, use their free WIFI, and charge up your electronic devices, that's what I always do when I visit Japan.
This video got me excited about my trip to tokyo!!! Great tokyo travel tips Christine. Cant see why you thumbs down on this. Must be your troll army who wish they were you. This was ver informative tips. I shared this video with my friends 😗😗😗
I lived in Tokyo for 4 years, and I loved it there. It was easy getting around because of its clean and efficient transportation system. Then I returned to NYC and its inefficient and poorly run system. What a letdown. Anyway, your Japan and Taiwan videos always bring back memories since I lived in both places.
I found a similar thing with men's clothing sizes – I think in North America, our "M" spans the highest end of Small to the low end of Large but in Japan their "L" starts well into the upper end of our "M". I've told friends going there to try on the next size up. I got used to the crowds in a day or so – what I found is people are really aware of those around them so if you walk purposefully and don't hesitate in the direction you need to go, people will notice and adjust speed to account for you. We stayed near Shinjuku station and after a few mornings of walking to the crowd of salary men and women, it became second nature.
I live in Japan and YES it is an art to crossing a flow of pedestrians. I can do it without thinking. People flow around you. Just jump in and GO! There are lots of escalators and elevators at big stations but you have to walk to find them.
I just got back from my first trip to Japan on Monday… wish I found your videos before I went. Enjoying watching and seeing some things I didn't notice and missed.
REMEMBER: Give this video a LIKE and Comment below what your biggest Tokyo Culture Shock would be !
My Tokyo Travel Secrets ebook (coming soon: https://grrrltraveler.com/ebooks/ ) I’ll be sharing my travel tips that I used for myTokyo YouTube videos.
Will always love those Japanese canned coffee drinks (hot or cold) from the vending machines. This was a fun video, thank you 🙂
Waiting for the coffin style hotels video?
Great job GRRRL
3:45 He likes you. Quick smile (next time.)
One of my favorite cities in the world. Culturaly it is probably the most far away from me. Thank you for sharing!
I can never understand why Japanese people from Japan look a little different from the Japanese from hawaii.
Miss Tokyo. I was there in April 2018 and was really surprised by how nice the country is and their service is top notch.
All of Japan is awesome. Besides the cleanliness, the culture is so polite. If you ever needed help when lost, they would literally walk you to your destination or until you got your bearings straight. Whenever I see Japanese folks struggling a little in my travels, I go the extra distance for them.
3:10 Hey that is the path I walk to get out and in of Akihabara station when commuting to work.
You've reminded me all the things I've missed about Japan. Can't wait to visit in November. Thank you for your effort! 😘
Great video and extremely helpful. Btw, one little correction – the ¥2,000 smoking violation charge is only $18.06 (based on the current exchange rate) not $200, as you've stated. Regardless, I'm looking forward to more of your videos from Japan. 😁👍🏽
You are good and i like your traveling videos and also you give us information about you travel city i love your vlogs keep going on
Also why don’t you travel sanya china it is also beautiful and awesome place to travel.
Great video. I love love love travel videos. Have you seen Travel Man (BBC), Mark Weins (Youtube), The Food Ranger (Youtube)? Check them out.
Yesterday I caught a tram in Prague and a woman walked by with a crossbody strap that said GO GRRRL! I kid you not! Couldn't tell if the wide black strap with white lettering was attached to her camera or her bag. Girl, you have merch?! After a year in Prague I go back to USA 😭 in 2 days so I live through your travels for now. 😘 Thanks for the inspiration 🌎🎫🗺️.
You cracked me up at 7:50. 2,000 yen is $20, not $200. LOL.
Ramen – Tsuta, Nakiryu, Afuri,and anything y the Mensho group 🍜
missing Tokyo after watching this video😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
You were where we were!! I was yelling at the video – OMG THATS AKIHABARA! WE WERE THERE!
Eye roll from my teen! I think you stayed near our hotel too, the station you were going into was the one we came out of to get to our hotel!
Were you stalking us!!!😂😂. It was hot and humid when we were there too!
Glad you had a good time
Don't really understand the face masks some people are wearing. Why? Are people really sensitive to car exhaust or what ?
Its about 20 dollars not 200 if caught smoking in the forbidden area but in the sub streets you can smoke but you need a pocket ashtray which is a small hand bag that fits you pocket easily too. I hope this hepls others .
I heard Shinjuku station is actually the biggest and busiest train station in the world! And yay I heard my fave Utada Hikaru's song at 6:10
I visited Japan for the first time in July this year and the train station in Shinjuku had me confused and turned all around .
The US had vending machine restaurants.
Horn & Hardart known as the Automat
They walk like they drive. Same side of the road or walkway
Great video about Tokyo. I never imagined the toilets would be like that. Looks like a place I would have wanted to visit but., I have trouble walking because of my disabilities so I wouldn’t think I could do it but I would have loved to go there. I really appreciate your videos. You’re really showing all aspects of Japan. Thanks & May God keep blessing you & protecting you on your travels. ❤️🙏💖💜💕👍👍👍
2000 yen is 20 dollars a 100 yen a dollar.
it also has a history of doing weird things to kids
The ¥2,000 smoking fee is $20. ¥20,000 is around $200 👍🏾
Those convenience stores are great! A lot of them have restrooms too
Umm.. why you wearing a scarf then?
I believe ¥2000 is equal to US$20 😑
I heard camera equipment is cheaper in Japan than it is in the USA. Did you visit any camera stores?
Don't forget to get the JR train pass. It will save you hundreds of dollars, traveling on the bullet train and other trains.
Interesting and enjoyable
She got wet…thighs dripping
I got crazy excited when I noticed the Asakusabashi station as I've stayed in that area in the past. Really nice to see a glimpse of your experience in Japan! Maybe this is a question that has been asked before, but do you also speak Japanese due to your heritage?
7:45 20 dollars..
actually Japan is 10 years ahead from the rest of the world
2000 yen is about 20 bucks …thats a very cheap fine actually lol and great video ..heading to japan for the first time in 26 days …excited yet nervous at the same time … get this off the bucket list before i reach 35
Really enjoyed the video, it explains plenty of points that other Tokyo traveller videos seem to miss.
Chiyoda is actually pretty much the exception in terms of smoking… though they've been making moves recently in Shinjuku/Shibuya/Ikebukuro to at least push it away from the stations. I've only seen it enforced once and it wasn't by police. I think they just made him stop and gave him a talking to rather than actually enforce a fine though. So yeah… with it mostly affecting Akihabara, Shibuya and Shinjuku it can give a bit of a false impression to tourists. It's mostly legal.
They think about parenthood as they have parent and child seats in the mens rooms as well. ps Osaka escalators are the other way round, stand on right and walk on left, why that is has lots of equally odd explanations, personally I just think the people in Osaka like a little joke.
Hi Christine, You look beautiful……….What nationalities are you btw? Thanks miss….your Professionally done video is nice..real nice.
I've started binging on travel videos lately, for some reason, and I'm glad to find another quality travel vlogger! Subscribed. 🙂
It looks like there were some wheelchair accommodations on the stairways/escalators in the metro. Did you actually spot any wheelchair users out and about?
oh my god toilets bla bla blah
Thank you for sharing Tokyo with us! I might have to take a trip there, sometime. Some of this reminds me of Hong Kong…the crowds, the trains and the stations, the way everyone goes a certain way up the stairs, like staying to one side so others that want to walk up the stairs faster, can do that. Thank you for this experience, and seeing your first 48 hours!
I wish to visit Tokyo one day it looks like such a BEAUTIFUL place. I love the assortments of food.
1) Japan is not a country of inventions. It is a country of advententions . All the Katakana indicates these objects or locations to be brought in from cultures and technologies abroad. Especially, European standards modified into Japanese society and culture and the needs of both the merchants and clients to avoid services from labor shortages. Automation has been a must after the 80`s because the baby boom had ended and people in Japan are sexless compared to even near by countries that reproduces like jack rabbits.
2)TOTO has registered its names officially to TOTO which we used to call it the TOKYO TOILET company but now they are so diversified into divisions that they are into so many new fields of businesses. Once again short of labor, they`ve added automatic flushing systems and body sensors to flush toilets automatically or sanitizing chemicals or cleansing fluids. Yet, their English is still behind…….as you see on the toilet remote controllers LOL !!
3) Japanese security guards…..once again strange Japanese English are controlling traffic after taking exams to be able to step out into the roads with special emblems which are 2 green striped plastic tubes on their left arm. However, this dude can be fired for leaning against the guard rail pipes. Since they are trusted to save people`s lives from dangerous or potential accidents, they are never to slack off at all during their jobs LOL !!! They are actually replacements of just doing traffic controlling instead of police traffic controller units to save money for the establishments.
4)New Japanese smoking law is fine of 2000 yen….it says, thats 21 dollars or so…….not 200 Dollars LOL.
JT( Japan Tobacco ) who still makes tons of money came up with this idea of having areas for people to smoke because office workers actually have to goto designated smoking areas during their break and some of these workers actually walk down to the 1st floor smoking sections designated by their companies or even to the roof to avoid the stinking odors. This on a long run has actually created more smokers as they feel more social smoking together LOL " oh, hi, do you smoke? " yes, I do, which pack ?………aa mild seven…….blah blah blah
5)UNICLO is nothing Japanese, they are all CHINESE ……..I wouldn`t recommend them and so are MUJI. Im not against These foreign business but I`ve warned many YOUTUBERS that have nothing to do with Japan and you see so many Chinese working there LOL. The materials are all synthetic and extremely toxic to not just the skin but other organs of yours……….I dont buy it LMAOF !
I love Japan!
Tokyo is the largest city in the world…
Not at lot of Homeless people in Tokyo Either compared to Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco.
What about them world famous Strip Clubs Jaypan is famous for?
I left my heart in Japan.
Tip: Don’t lick your fingers after using the toilet buttons.
What's weird is saying Tokyo is very crowded. Yes at peak hours. Same as everywhere. The rest of the time it's not unless you go to that stupid intersection that all tourists visit, or parts of Shijuku with all the lights at night (like all tourists). I have been there four times and off-peak it's a delight with little foot and vehicle traffic.
TOKYOって書いてあったから来たけど、(英語で何言ってるかわから)ないです。
Haha. Glad to see you in my home! Tokyo is definitely supercharged fun TBH it’s got its quirks – both good and bad. But no city is an angel and I’m looking forward to seeing what you uncovered.
Haha. Yeah, the crowds in Tokyo surprised me too. During rush hour its especially crowded – like cray cray- and Shinjuku Station is like an epicenter of traffic. It's so gigantic- I always get lost there and there's so many people at all times of the day.
It looks like all the other busy cities to me.
it reminded me so much of how New York City was when I first went & how the trains overwhelmed me esp. with the crowds of people … great video
Isn't 2.000 yen like 20, and not 200 dollars?
Great vid! This took me back about 3 years. I ❤️ Tokyo and want to go back and see more someday when I can afford to go. It was nice to see you encounter similar things I did re pedestrian flow, cleanliness, friendliness, vending machines, feeling lost sometimes, etc. Great tips and practical strategies — thanks for posting this.
Our family went to Japan last Spring 2018. We loved it so much and felt so comfortable, that's we have decided to go again this coming spring 2019
I know you said you were half-Japanese but you really look Okinawan to me. Do you know what part of Japan your Japanese side of the family is from?
It was good that you could have enjoyed the time in Japan.Come again!!
I am not a girl, so describe to a girl chanel would be a bit weird. This is my first video of you i see and i like it.
Edo
I love the metro traffic and how orderly it is. In Montreal people just practically fling themselves and cut you off. A giant obstacle course of a city
Great video. I've lived in Japan for the past 7 yrs. I was going to correct you on the conversion however someone beat me to it, lol. You should come to Hiroshima. I could be your tour guide.
No need for sitting areas. Asian squat gurl, asian squat! Lol
Very useful, thank you !
ユニクロのサイズはもっと色んなサイズがあればいいのに
So interesting , public restrooms have bidets! Good to know where to go when you need a break, and a place to sit!
Such a super good observation video.
Japan. If you survived in less than a month, went back home, and suddenly you craved to go back there.
4:29 FYI that's how it works for northern japan (about Nagoya upwards). Southern japan (Osaka down) stands on right and walks on left.
Just a tip, while there's no public resting areas or seating, you can always go to any of the coffee shops, order a coffee, use their free WIFI, and charge up your electronic devices, that's what I always do when I visit Japan.
This video got me excited about my trip to tokyo!!! Great tokyo travel tips Christine. Cant see why you thumbs down on this. Must be your troll army who wish they were you. This was ver informative tips. I shared this video with my friends 😗😗😗
#HYPE
Absolutely enjoyed this video!!! I can get Japanese culture shock. It's a culture unlike any other.
I'm really enjoying your videos. Thanks for doing them.
2000 yen = 200? lol
Shinjuku has 200 exits….good luck tourists lol
Love your videos!
Shinjuku station is the worst. I got lost there twice -.-
I was in Tokyo last November. I'm going to Kansai region this November!
we had to watch your video in my japanese class!
Awesome video
I lived in Tokyo for 4 years, and I loved it there. It was easy getting around because of its clean and efficient transportation system. Then I returned to NYC and its inefficient and poorly run system. What a letdown. Anyway, your Japan and Taiwan videos always bring back memories since I lived in both places.
Nice!
I found a similar thing with men's clothing sizes – I think in North America, our "M" spans the highest end of Small to the low end of Large but in Japan their "L" starts well into the upper end of our "M". I've told friends going there to try on the next size up. I got used to the crowds in a day or so – what I found is people are really aware of those around them so if you walk purposefully and don't hesitate in the direction you need to go, people will notice and adjust speed to account for you. We stayed near Shinjuku station and after a few mornings of walking to the crowd of salary men and women, it became second nature.
Do Americans not have the escalator rule??
I live in Japan and YES it is an art to crossing a flow of pedestrians. I can do it without thinking. People flow around you. Just jump in and GO! There are lots of escalators and elevators at big stations but you have to walk to find them.
Looks a lot cleaner than large US cities!
I just got back from my first trip to Japan on Monday… wish I found your videos before I went. Enjoying watching and seeing some things I didn't notice and missed.
Headed to Japan myself this Summer. Thank you for one of the most informative, useful videos I've seen! I will definitely remember your tips.
I'd definitely get lost especially in the metro stations but it's got to be somewhere you have experience atleast once in your life time
Thank you for a great video about Japanese transport infrastructure! You Big in Japan 😸
"There is no place to rest on the street" literally filming in front of a bench on the sidewalk.
i just want to say that i think you're awesome! also super inspirational as a female solo traveler