Hearted Youtube comments on The Japan Reporter (@TheJapanReporter) channel.

  1. Great Video, but I can say this is it's not just a Japanese thing. We are seeing the same thing here in the US, especially in older men. Men are walking away. They go to work and then go home and just shut themselves out. This is a bad situation for both countries, and it's going to be hard to break this cycle after the pandemic lockdowns we all went through for two years.
    355
  2. Well, discussion on the aging problem aside, this woman is a beast, she in incredible, the fact she wanna do all these things to help her country, the fact she is aware of many social problems. Her grandchildren gotta be really proud of her
    355
  3. Being a Japanese-American (nisei), I’ve experienced racism in both countries. Growing up in NJ in the 80’s, I faced racism on a daily basis. They made fun of my name, my face and overall being Asian, which was foreign to a lot of white folks in the town I lived in. During HS in Japan, once people found out I was born and raised in US, girls were calling me names and I did experience some bullying. Not out right racisms since I look and speak fluent Japanese. If I talk to strangers in English only, they’d label me as “Chinese” and I did feel like they treated me little differently, like I was a lower class citizen. It was interesting because I can understand everything they were saying behind my back in Japanese. So yes. As much as Japanese don’t want to admit, there are racisms in Japan. I never felt like I belonged in Japan, so even to this day, it’s somewhere I “visit” since my family lives there but never a place I would 帰国
    354
  4. Such a high quality content, this happens not only in Japan but Eastern cultures.
    353
  5. I think an angle that hasn’t been discussed in this video (maybe in part 2) is about community in Japan. The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” can be very true and valuable. They touched on it a bit with bullying and daycare/babysitter services, but I’m thinking more about support from family and friends. I live outside Japan and often I see couples with kids succeed more when they live close to their extended family, so they can get help with childcare from their parents, siblings, aunties/uncles and cousins. Single friends or family members can also help watch the kids for a few hours while the parents get time to eat, shower and take care of themselves. Especially in big cities like Tokyo I can imagine that couples with young kids can be isolated from their extended family and find it harder to get support for their childcare, which could be another factor on why they are intimidated by the thought of having kids. I hope it might get covered as a discussion topic in the next video.
    349
  6. Nobita's journalism professionality is to be commended!
    348
  7. The real question should be "How" you should date hikkikomori in Japan. With no external communication is impossible.
    339
  8. My son was born in Japan. His Mum is Japanese and I am English. We moved to New Zealand and after being there for 3 years I applied for citizenship. I thought that we may as well apply for my son as well. He was 6 at the time. Later, the Japanese consulate in Auckland refused to renew his Japanese passport as he had chosen to give up his Japanese citizenship by taking NZ citizenship. My wife explained that we didn't know the consequences of this and my son, now 16 would rather keep his Japanese citizenship as he always considered himself Japanese. The consulate refused our request because he had 'chosen' to give up his citizenship at age 6! We feel terribly guilty that our son now virtually considers himself stateless.
    337
  9. You need your doraemon
    336
  10. Powerful stuff. Most Japanese still think young people will be saved/supported by their parents whenever something comes up, and that's simply not the reality anymore. When I studied abroad at a Japanese university, I had no credit cards and lived on ¥45,000 a month. Finances were tight, and I obviously didn't starve or anything, but I did feel out of place at times, since Japanese students seemed to be doing so much better on the outside. As I talked to them though, I realized many of them would work part-time jobs every single day after class, and I figured that others ought to have taken out loans as well. Mind you, I was in the countryside - can't even start to imagine how difficult it must be for college students in Tokyo and other large cities around Japan.
    335
  11. While harsh I don't think the Japanese criticism is unfounded at all. They do bring up some fair points, even if I don't agree with all of it. Great job on this video, it was very interesting to see what the Japanese community thinks about them.
    333
  12. The only being in Japan for about 2 years part is quite interesting. I noticed there seems to be a number of phases foreigners in Japan go through. There's a honeymoon phase where everything is amazing, followed by a disenchantment phase where everything is horrible, and then finally a maturity phase where you can view things with various shades of nuance. The disenchantment phase usually starts after about a year or two and this is usually where people decide to leave the country or in some cases stick with it and grow to the maturity phase.
    333
  13. This is really interesting, this is different point f view we never saw.
    332
  14. I once dated a girl in my early 20s. She was in her 40s. She started talking about marriage on our second date. We dated for four months, and she dumped me once I made it clear that it was too early for marriage...
    331
  15. I'm a young man in my twenties with cerebral palsy who has given up on dating and I don't think I will have kids, but it was very nice to see the man with Cerebral Palsy and his family. I think that's the first time I've ever seen anyone from Japan with the condition.
    325
  16. Much respect to the cafe lady. It can't be easy running a business like that but it's exactly what her helpers need to make some progress in their lives.
    324
  17. I studied and worked in Japan and I now work in Korea. I love both countries. What I prefer in Japan: as the girl said, it's quieter and the streets are impeccably clean. People are conscious about not bothering others. As someone sensitive to noise, I appreciate that. Also, I love the style in Japan. I feel like they are more conscious in harmonising buildings and signs with each other. They make a lot of effort in choosing their typography. It's pleasing to the eyes. What I prefer in Korea: it's fast paced and Koreans adapt well to new technology. As a result, administrative work is fast and everything is made for the convenience of the customer. You can get a lot of documentation online. No need to make the commute to an official building with your stamp (with a few exceptions). Also, I love that it is easier for Koreans to comunicate their emotions clearly overall (of course, I'm generalising). You're not left to guess as much. Overall, my life in Korea is great and I can't wait to go back to Japan for a visit!
    322
  18. japanese culture isn't focused on showing love, passion, and affection as much. That's really what people need to pro create.
    322
  19. As a Korean born in America, its quite interesting to hear about my own culture in this perspective. I think I can agree about the facts about plastic surgery and height preferences seeing Korean people hanging around. I believe It's a lot more different than one would imagine it to be... Also about Korean women being straight forward, I think it goes both ways 😅. My mother would tell me about how she finds Japanese people hide their emotions too much and its just like a façade and they have two personalities or something, finding it difficult to be honest with them in a sense... But I guess there are pros and cons to both.
    321
  20. Goto san is clear and well spoken. She made me realize how much we don't really think about those that star in AV. We don't know anything about AV actresses just from watching content. Was it consensual or not? Are they fairly compensated? Have they agreed to have this material distributed...Etc... I'm glad an Ethics Organization was formed to review some of the AV industry practices, but indeed it's only a beginning. Good video as always Nobita. I'm now questionning my own country's laws and regulations...
    319
  21. I think the idea of two people teaching each other their respective languages is really sweet.
    315
  22. Personally, I am worried this will become a worldwide issue. In the past, hikikomori and low sex rate were considered Japanese problems, but are now happening in many other developed countries. There have always been people willing to manipulate others through affection and love. But now they have a platform to manipulate way more people than they previously could. It's a shame.
    314
  23. I'm Chinese-Canadian and my husband is German. When we first met, he didn't speak very much English and we would bring a German-English dictionary on our dates. We've been married 14 years now! 🥰
    314
  24. In my first trip to Japan I had a short homestay in Shizuoka. The homestay father was a kendoka/teacher. He mentioned a saying "A tomato is a tomato, an apple is an apple, a tomato cannot be an apple." The context at the time wasn't really about being Japanese, but it can be. I'll always be a gaijin, but I'm fine with that.
    313
  25. Nobita, you interviewed Japanese cheaters before. Could you also interview people who were cheated on? I'd like to hear their story and how they dealt with their partners when they found out. In my country there have been cases where people killed their partner because of cheating. Aren't crimes like these happening in Japan?
    311
  26. I'm not so happy about this trend. Japan's depression rate among the youth is already pretty high so adding this trend on top of it will just make things worse. However, I wouldn't shun those who have these "ideal traits" as I have seen some people in the US shame those who naturally have certain rare body features. But as you stated, it's up to you whether or not you want to get this surgery. I just don't like how some parents make their kids get double eyelid surgery or social media destroying someone's self-esteem.
    310
  27. I have traveled a lot all around the globe, and been a very small racial minority in the places I've been. Getting stares is a given if you don't like or act like the majority, that has nothing to do with racism. The current discourse around racism has been poisoned by the blurring of terms. Is it racist to acknowledge that different races look different? Is it racist to expect foreigners to speak the language of the country they are living in? Is it racist to dislike the culture commonly found in another race? Is it racist to not be attracted to specific races? People can rarely agree on these things, so its no wonder there are mixed opinions on whether or not racism is notably prevalent. Most of these testimonies seem more to speak on Japan's distaste for nonconformity than anything else
    309
  28. Not only Japan, but the rest of the world should give a bigger spotlight to Mental Health Issues, I feel like we don't talk enough about it.
    304
  29. Ironically the thing I hate about living in Japan is the dating scene. It’s getting more and and more degenerate and untrustworthy
    302
  30. This is happening all over the world. Many people in the US are starting to realize that it's the lifestyle in the big cities that is as much to blame as anything. They are choosing to move out of cities and into more rural areas that actually want and need new residents and where homes are much less expensive. The old models don't work anymore, so it's foolish to try to keep using them. Thank you Nobita-san.
    300
  31. Nobita san, thank you very much for letting us part of your great video!! We had lots of fun celebrating Christmas together! 🎄 Happy Valentaine's Day to all☺️✨💝🎁
    299
  32. Very interesting documentary and topic. I'm currently living in Japan and i can feel that everything is based around appearances and shame. So many hidden things to show a beautiful and peaceful image. Not every country is perfect and i love Japan. But these things are important and should not be ignored to improve Japan as a society. Thank you for the video 🇯🇵👍
    298
  33. It is an OBLIGATION in Korea for a man to pay for everything (or almost everything) on a date. It has become the normal practice to a point that a man will pay for the date whether they liked the woman or not. Suggesting to pay separately would require the man to accept a heavy dose of shame as the woman will assume that the man is broke. I think the dating culture and customs have been shaped by its portrayal in Korean drama shows because they always portray men as having no problem spending money or sacrificing whatever to go to after the women. This means buying gifts for arbitrary reasons ('100th day', '200th day', 'x year anniversary', birthday etc). You have to BUY gifts; creating something to gift - drawing a painting, for instance, is not considered a gift. In Korean dating culture men spending money has become a normal thing to do that it has lost any meaning; in other words, it is nothing to do with showing appreciation, but rather an obligation. It is a sad reality that Koreans find themselves in such a vicious cycle, and it certainly will NOT help at all for outsiders to mistakenly believe that Korean dating culture is something to be admired or even be acceptable. Transactional relationships are just what it is - transactional, and when problems start to develop in the transactions between the two partners, the relationship starts to break. You want to know why Korea has one of the lowest birthrates? Not only it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a living in the country, but most significantly - no one wants to have families with transactional partners...
    298
  34. The government wants them to get back to work but Japan's work environment is too harsh for people who are healthy and social let alone Hikikomori. Plus having to state mental illness or personal struggles in interviews is more than a little uncomfortable. On top of that Japan is not the most sensitive though it is trying. There is the saying like the same pressure that turns someone into a diamond can turn another into dust, most Hikikomori will turn dust with very little pressure. A Hikikomori doesn't often go outside, doesn't ride the subway or a bike or car, they don't friends, they don't talk much, they don't eat at restaurants, they don't party or dance, they don't garden, they don't go shopping for fun, they usually don't have a lot of money, they don't usually get haircuts, some have poor hygiene, no intimate relationships, etc. Now think of all of those things and how they pertain to getting and keeping work, that's not one step it's a thousand. They could be 40 and not know how to schedule an appointment or work out a conflict, they need to be raised essentially because that was so neglected. I saw Japan had a few groups/social appointments with some voluntary work/learning with transportation, honestly the best thing I've seen so far. I truly believe that if you can catch up a Hikikomori no matter the age they will naturally tend towards leading productive lives in most cases. They basically need surrogate parents.
    294
  35. The tatemae and holding back really is a relationship killer, having good communication is key. It's not just that, here in the West, not telling the truth can often be seen as deceptive or rude some times. I do think there's extra sociatal obstacles in Japan, but woman are still woman and there's some things that are the same no matter where you are. You shouldn't fight against your own feeling, holidng back is never good. In the West women ask men way faster, maybe even too fast at times.
    294
  36. Well, the daughter is indeed in a very unfortunate situation. People in the comments have already noted how this can negatively influence her, so yeah, imagine her growing up and asking herself what is the point of marriage if it brings misery, what is the point of having a child if he or she will be miserable and unhappy? Also, I think among the reasons why Japanese do not divorce using a child as a justification is the stigmatization. If divorce is frowned upon then a little child of a divorcee might become a target of bullying by other children. And bullying is very harmful for the psyche. As for love, some one wise once said that attraction of minds forms respect, attraction of souls forms friendship and attraction of bodies forms sexual desire. It is only when three of these atractions are blended together the love is born. So, and probably being captain obvious here, spouses need to respect one another, be like friends and have a mutually agreed regular sex life for their relationship to be stable and fruitful. Finally, thank heavens there are many happily married couples in the world and god forbid a couple like my parents, who have been happily married for more than 40 years, becoming something special and rare.
    294
  37. Quite an interesting take from those who mentioned an increase in covid cases upon allowing tourists into the nation, especially when Japanese citizens are freely allowed to visit the world practically visa free and incoming tourists not only need a visa to visit but also cannot move freely about the country without being part of a scheduled tour. I'm becoming increasingly worried about any foreigner regardless of vaccination status being viewed as a possible carrier for covid, especially when most nations practically mandate vaccinations before travel nowadays.
    292
  38. I'll be honest, I'm french, I love Japanese culture, I visited Tokyo once. I was ashamed of other french people I crossed path there so much, I acted as if I did not understand them. In Paris, the past years, it became a nightmare too, tourists themselves give a bad reputation to the city, they say the city is dirty and smell, people are not welcoming... yeah.... mostly in the touristic areas. Tourists are the ones not respecting the environment. The truth is, tourism is much more affordable than 40years ago, especially plane tickets, low educated people travel easily, they don't understand the differences of culture, they don't even understand the respect of their own environment. Worst, stupid tourist attract scammers and thieves that target them, aggraving the situation. Personally I think Japan, and countries like mine should request some kind of training or test about local custom and respect before you can get a visa or even as mandatory information campaign. A lot of neighbourhood in big international cities became generic commercial center, they lost their identities too.
    291
  39. The things loneliness can do to the soul
    286
  40. I've been subscribed to chris since the beginning and the guy is really respectful with Japanese people and their culture. He literally was the first ever youtuber in japan starting in 2012 and Japanese people actually watches his content. The guy is just loved for sharing his love of the culture of japan. It's not that hard to understand once you hear his background of him threw out the decade of living in japan.
    284
  41. I like how he doesn't take the content in the moment too seriously, but he takes the editing and presentation with great care. It makes it feel casual, while still clearly feeling like high effort content.
    283
  42. I got married to a Japanese woman in 1997….25 years on, and we are still together. When we met, neither one of us could speak the other ones language, so we communicated with a dictionary, and body language. I must admit it was hard at the start, as I was not aware of how things worked in normal ( Japanese ) households when it came to salaries. She wanted to be in control of it, to pay for the usual monthly household bills. I did that for a few years. Then I decided to change that system. I give her ( ¥200,000 and I keep the other ¥300,000 )She was obviously not happy, but we made it work. I suppose for the first few years I went along with the program, as I heavily depended on her for everything I did or needed. I didn’t know the language, which heavily impacted my day to day life.
    280
  43. Nobita san, as an Orthodox Christian I sincerely thank you for this video . Greetings from Greece
    277
  44. I'm Japanese American. Whenever I go to Japan and try to speak Japanese, I always get the weirdest looks.
    277
  45. (8:17) It disturbs me that they automatically assume the husband is an abuser. This could lead to situations where the mother abuses the child and pins all the blame on the father.
    270
  46. I know you covered this a while back but I’m glad you’re speaking on it again in 2022. So many folks worldwide feel so detached and outcasted from society that they isolate themselves from others. Now there’s various reasons for this and there is no one set cause of it but overall folks are unplugging from interacting with others. Keep up the great work Nobita.
    268
  47. I have followed your channel for a very long time and I want to say I enjoy how you have grown. Your content has changed a lot over the years and I especially love what you have been doing in more recent years. You have handled such difficult topics with dignity and care. You have shown Japan a level of depth and realism that many other Japan content creators shy away from. There is a lot more to Japan than surface level fluff and I like how you have given many other Japanese (and foreign) people a voice to share their experiences and opinions, even if they differ from the norm.
    267
  48. I am Japanese Brazilian and we call ourselves Nikkei. When I was living in Japan, Japanese people easily understood when I said, my parents immigrated to Brazil.
    266
  49. I definitely want to hear the negatives because I'm afraid that I am going to arrive in Tokyo and never want to leave, so thank you so much for these videos. They really are very helpful.
    264
  50. War crimes are hard to forget. My Korean mother still hates Japan with a passion. Funny thing is that my mother was born in 1950 but some of her relatives probably experienced it.
    264