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

  1. パワハラ(power harassment) seems like a big issue. I have heard people mention it a lot.
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  2. This is the kind of jounralism I wish more people would aspire to. Thank You Nobita
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  3. I'm a woman turning 30 next year and been living in Japan for 6 years, I'm having so much fun here and love living here and would like to stay here longer while I'm at this age, but I'm so scared that if I continue to live here I will pretty much die alone. During my stay in Japan I've not experienced any romance at all. I'm currently faced to make a decision if I should give up my successful arts career (something I cannot pursue in my home country) and happiness to move back to my home country just so I can find a supportive life-partner
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  4. "the lower self-worth se has, the more likely she is to cheat" ... damn that resumes pretty well my first experience, constantly trying to help her see how pretty she was and got cheated on, great...
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  5. Japanese people hold back their feelings and try not to show them as much as possible..pretending they are doing fine. As the man 9:22 says, I think we should rely on someone when needed. Family, friends, anyone close to can talk even small chat makes difference. Thank you Nobita-san for making this video!
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  6. Nobita-san, you're courageous to share this to us, your audience. I appreciate your efforts.
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  7. Wow Nobita-san. I was reading a book on Christians in Japan this morning and boom you post a long video about it today! I really enjoy your channel and that you tackle difficult subjects in an unbiased and factual way. You do the world a service by doing that. Thank you.
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  8. Glad this is something you’re highlighting Nobita. That isn’t just happening in Japan but also in America as well. Students are expected to go to college in the hopes of getting into a well paying career yet the teachers and the college themselves fail to tell the students on paying back student loans and the cost of tuition payments. That’s why most ppl (mainly men) in the US are taking up trades which is a far better option in terms of money and long term practical application.
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  9. I'm Australian, and for most of my life so far, if a person with Australian citizenship later took up the citizenship of another country, then under our law they automatically forfeited their Australian citizenship. Meanwhile, because we're a high-immigration country, we could see millions of people come here, eventually take up Australian citizenship, and still get to retain their previous citizenship as well (if the laws of their country of previous citizenship allowed it). Such an arrangement obviously privileged immigrants over native-born Australians, and the law was eventually changed in 2002 to allow Australian citizens to similarly acquire a second citizenship without losing their first.
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  10. Aimie (the lady with blond hair) nails it for me. As we all know, Japanese people are very considerate and polite. However, I've always felt there's a coldness and uncaring behind this pleasant facade. It's like they take the "Don't bother anyone" creed far, far too much, too deep into too many areas of life that actually don't, shouldn't, or must not need it. I wonder how Japan would be as a society if the Japanese people were just a little bit empathetic, sympathetic, caring, and loving towards one another.
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  11. Why am I getting emotional watching this. 🤣 I just love seeing Chris be so appreciated. 🥲
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  12. This is probably one of the best episodes. And I'm so soooo glad you interviewed women!! As an autistic women I know hor hard it is to get diagnosed – women are being constantly underdiagnosed and most of them learn they're autistic in their 20s and later, while most of men in childhood. Which is why women also get depression and anxiety etc. because they go through life trying to fit in and be like others even though it's impossible and it's not who they are. So happy to see how it is in Japan, and sadly it's not better than other countries. America and western/north Europe might be best (still not good though), but here in ky country (Poland) it's terrible. Most psychiatrists don't believe in autism, we have almost no proffesionals that do diagnosis, and you will probably hear that you have social anxiety or something else, and it'll take years and years to finally get the right diagnosis.
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  13. I thought the Student Loan Crisis was bad in America, but it seems like its worse in Japan. As a person who has been paying back student loans since 2010, I feel their pain. At least the US has affordable repayment options for Federal Student loans, but not for Private Student loans I feel like the problem stems from the rising cost of tuition and most of these students are not getting a return on their investment when they graduate from college. The government needs to reinvest in education so that college can be more affordable to students and give the teachers a better salary. If that doesn't happen then people are going to stop going to college because its a waste of time and money.
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  14. You never imagine interviews with kind of people. Only Nobita does! This is really interesting.
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  15. Totally agree, western people are always so fast to scream "discrimination". These two have a very good world view, I like it.
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  16. I hope Japan will realize people with ASD are still people. Both of my kids have ASD. And where they have more needs and are different people stare at them alot makes me feel uncomfortable. I've even had people cuss me out. But I've met nice people to. I hope Japan will be more accepting.
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  17. I appreciate how Komuro honestly explains how severe the consequences are in your professional post-AV career. I’ve see a few interviews where former and current actors say they would be fine having their own children enter the industry. Before WILLINGLY agreeing to AV I hope more people realize that it’s difficult (but not necessarily impossible) to bounce back after AV retirement.
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  18. Having taught in Korea and experiencing the culture there, I definitely see similarities. It’s such a shame that bullying exists. However with education and sensitivity training, we can certainly help to reduce it. Keep up the great work here 🙌💯😎👍
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  19. This problem is not only in Japan. All developed countries have low birthrate. Because women with higher education and working make less babies. And some just don't want to be bothered with children. If you focus on native European population, european birthrate is also a disaster. The difference is that Japan has less immigration.
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  20. I think we can all agree that relationships in general can be pretty difficult, we all have our own goals and preferences so its hard to satisfy both people, cultural differences just adds to this
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  21. This is good journalism. You go directly to the source.
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  22. I was in a whisky bar in Kyoto wearing a shirt from a concert I went to the previous week. It's a Japanese band (Band-Maid) so there was Japanese writing on the shirt. A Japanese man at the bar was pretty nasty to me about it, gave me a dirty look and said "you don't even know what that word means." I did know, but when I explained it he looked even more disgusted and said that I look stupid wearing it (possibly true, but unnecessarily hostile... I had done NOTHING that could be construed as rude or offensive besides existing with that shirt.) I couldn't help but wonder how it would be received if I was nasty to every Japanese person wearing a Metallica shirt. I recognize that this one idiot doesn't represent all Japanese people, but it was a pretty unwelcoming feeling to be challenged like that for wearing the shirt of my favorite band. People are too quick to assume that if a Westerner likes anything Japanese, then they're fetishizing it (weaboo) and disrespecting the culture. I just happen to like a few Japanese bands and that shouldn't be looked down upon. I don't consider that isolated experience as "discrimination" or "racism", it was just some asshole who happens to be Japanese. Every country has them. On that same trip, I walked into an Izakaya in Narita and a worker walked up to me and made a big "X" with their arms and said "Japanese only. You leave." Again, this isn't representative of most of Japan, it's just some idiot who didn't want my business. The izakaya down the street was happy to serve me though, and all of my other business experiences that week were very pleasant. All that said, I've seen non-Japanese acting shitty in Japan far more than Japanese people, so I can understand why some of them just don't want to deal with foreigners.
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  23. I really love their way of thinking. ☺️ They take things positively. And LOVE what they do to help Japanese and non Japanese understand each other because the issue here is a big language and cultural barrier between us.
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  24. what a beautiful person, both inside and out!
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  25. Nobita, I used to dislike your videos because I had a bias against you. But now, I have to admit your videos are very watchable, informative and helpful lately. Your channel has clearly improved a lot compared to a few months ago. Keep providing like this video, I will definitely stick to your videos. Truly appreciate your effort for making these videos.
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  26. This is actually something I've noticed when taking Japanese classes with native speakers. Those who have experienced Western culture by living, studying and working there tended to be a much better match in terms of actual teaching and conversations. It seemed a lot easier to make connections on a friendship level as well, so I'd definitely agree there. Of course as always, there are exceptions but in general, this has been my observation. It also tends to go hand in hand with the drawbacks Nobita mentions and by nature removes most of them, given a level of independence is necessary to be able to provide for oneself in a foreign country.
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  27. thank you for this. i recently became a single father (not actually a father) when i took in my sisters kid and adopted him. it has been so difficult, i am 26 but i can barely keep up with him. even in america, i still face those weird looks when i go shopping or to the park. everyone assumes i cannot cook or clean, they assume his mother does all that.
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  28. It's the same problem as South Korea. Japan NEEDS to change social norms. They can't stubbornly cling to old mentalities and traditions. A total overhaul, such as more focus on mental health, better work culture, and overall better communication is needed. Takes two to raise a family.
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  29. Thanks for the video, it's scary seeing how the pattern is same in most countries. With young people my age being fudged while nothing is being done.
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  30. I have a cousin in this situation. I am french, and my uncle was married to a Japanese woman. When they divorced, my uncle didn't see my cousin for years. Nowadays, he is only allowed to speak to him in monthly video calls of 2 hours. During one of the calls, it became apparent that his mother was prompting him what to say during the calls, by sitting off camera and showing him notes. She tried to make him say he didn't love his father and didn't want to see him anymore, but he broke down in tears.
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  31. Is it strange? Yes. Will it become a booming business? Definitely.
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  32. Funny story, in a Japanese yakiniku restaurant my family and I wanted hot tea and the workers were so worried till the point that they gave a plate of ice, they were like “euuh? hotto?” Very nice people, I miss Japan.
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  33. Wow, this is definitely the best video you've made, Nobita. Probably I'm minority, but I much prefer Nobita's interviews rather than Yuta's ones. Thank you for the great interview!
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  34. Adding on, I don't date because it's not about you anymore. It's you and this person you are dating. You have to think about their state of mind as well as your state of mind. Sex, food, money, shelter, communication, etc. all come into play. People don't think about this, they think about "Oh yeah I'm not lonely anymore!" No. Image dating someone who is two-faced or a cheater and wasting years of your life with this type of person. It's pretty scary. You can't get that time back, money, effort, etc.
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  35. Thank you for interviewing me Nobita san, and bringing up this topic.😊 All I wish is to keep our culture, tradition and harmony in this changing society😊✨🙏
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  36. She is a beautiful woman with a wonderful attitude. I wish her all the best!
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  37. Don't feel embarrassed over your English, I love your accent a lot. :) It brings so much charm to your content. :)
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  38. My husband has single eyelids and he told me that he got bullied a lot for it. It's so bizarre to me because I find his eyes so beautiful. He doesn't have "small eyes", but their shape is like an almond. His under eyelid is quite plump as well, which accentuates it. When he smiles or laughs, his eyes do disappear a bit in a quarter moon shape like those small BN biscuits for any French speakers out there. I find it so cute and endearing. He told me that his classmates and even his professors would make fun of him for it, asking him: "Are your eyes open? Can you even see? Yah, open your eyes!". It is messed up that even adults enforce that idea on kids. He also told me that in Korea, people with round eyes are said to come from the south, while people with the "small" elongated eyes are said to have northern blood. His face is very northern and he looks like a Mongol. It's great for me as I find their features to be more masculine, in my opinion.
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  39. It’s a sad thing to be cheated on. In America, it’s a very big problem when it comes to relationships and marriage as I’m sure it’s a problem worldwide as well. It’s one of several reasons why so many in America do the hookup culture which is so ubiquitous. Marriages are decreasing and some folks are just living together only instead of being married. Glad this is being covered by you Nobita.
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  40. I've lived here in Japan since 1975, first in Tokyo, then Yokohama and now in the Kobe area. I grew up here as a child and now I continue to live here. I am female with pale skin that burns easily, green eyes, and reddish blonde hair. From childhood in Tokyo in the 70s, children would point and yell "gaijin da" (there's an outsider/foreigner), even from across the street, along with laughing out loud as they looked at me. I had people "pet" my hair, comment on its color and texture, pull it to see what I would do. Often, older high school girls would command me "Oi soko no kinpatsu gaijin koi" (Hey, you golden haired foreigner, come here!) I commuted to school by train, towards Tokyo so it was packed. From when I was about 13, chikan (perverts) on the train would touch me all over, my younger brother would try to protect me, it really sucked. The great friends I had were in our neighborhood, all Japanese kids who would stand up for me against the bullies. So, once I became friends with people, they were awesome. However when I went out of my "zone" where people knew me or my family, then there were tons of "gaijin da" (there's an outsider) with pointing and laughing. I learned to be the best as I could at speaking Japanese. So, when words came out of my mouth, people were often shocked. At first they would say 'we don't speak English', I would quickly tell them in Japanese that I was speaking Japanese! LOL yes, that happened all the time! So judgement happens from looking at the outward appearance. It would get tiring answering multiple questions like "can you use chopsticks", the way I look at it now is people are searching for something you might have in common, as well as being interested in how unique you are. It is not always comfortable. People were not threatened by me because I am not tall, and am female. I have not had my "gaikokujintorokusho" or "zairyukaado" (foreigner's id card back in the day, or visa/living/staying id card now), checked at all on the street. However, the rorikon (pedophiles) men are disgusting, touching young girls all over in the trains-sometimes even working in pairs to pin young girls. That was in the 70s and 80s, I think things are better now. As for my husband (who has pale skin, dark brown hair and blue eyes and is tall and big) and my son who is tall, they have a different, worse story to tell. Both of them have been stopped multiple times by police, asking to show their 'zairyukaado'. My husband has been stopped four times in our neighborhood alone! Our son has been pushed out of the train three times by three different men, all were in a rage and said "gaikokujin kaere" (foreigner, go home) on each time-those happened during the Covid-19 three years, when there were not many foreigners here, only people with working visas or permanent residency and their dependents. I would say Covid was hard, lots of stares, lots of nasty looks. Having kind, Japanese friends makes a difference. At work there is lots of racism-you would need a much longer essay to cover that. I do think, trying to live like those around us, dressing similarly, following the road rules, walking rules and general cultural norms is important. I would like Japanese to look inward and try to understand more how others who look differently might think or feel before saying things like 'there is no racism in Japan'. After living here most of my life I think there is racism in Japan, and have experienced it first hand, however it is more underground now (in the last 20 or so years) it is not as full on towards me, but for my husband and son it is very in your face at times. The first question my husband always gets is; "is your wife Japanese?" When he tells them, no, the men especially are often relieved! I am thankful there are good people too, for kindness that some show in the society all around us. Please though, do not deny that there is any racism. Some people are just ignorant and rude. We need to change that by being honest and by talking with our neighbors, also by breaking down barriers to communication.
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  41. So she's going to wait 12 years to divorce her husband and be miserable in the mean time? That's so sad. Her daughter is worse off seeing a loveless marriage. Both parents are unhappy and don't have a chance to move on with a new partner that suits them better. Communication really is so important.
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  42. it's not really the insecurity, people are also forgetting the pretty privilege that comes along with putting your best possible face forward to society. I get treated better when I'm looking my best. But yes it does become a problem if you can't even show your bare face to your partner
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  43. Why is dating so hard in Japan? The answer is that the Japanese don’t even know what they want or living for in life. 😩
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  44. Yes I can totally understand. My daughter's Japanese Grandmother abducted my daughter right after she was born. I was fortunate that my family has connections in the Canadian government. The fact that my former mother in law held my daughter for Ransom it was considered kidnapping in Canada so the consulate was involved and then we went out with the Canadian government to Seize my daughter back. The Japanese federal police were there to assist and many of the police officers were very helpful and smiling when my ex wife and daughter came out to join us. Sad story and affected my daughter to this day. Now we will return to Japan since she is legal age now. Japan should know better they are acting like NORTH KOREA.
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  45. When he asked why the women won't ask men out "Well, if it goes poorly, it'll feel like I screwed up too much" Ya honey, that's what it feels like for the men all the time.
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  46. The work culture has to change
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  47. The lesson is : Young women, just don't be agreed with perfect unknown persons that bring to you miracle jobs like this. The concept of saying "no" : this MUST change , humans are so tied to culture and things like this that they can't even change it by changing themselves ? It' s just what it is all about , changing yourself to change the world around you. I don't think humans are so limited in their consciouness.
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  48. As an autistic person, I really appreciate this video ❤️✨️
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  49. She is extremely beautiful. Btw I've noticed that people with ASD tend to be overrepresented at anime conventions and other Japanese-related events. My theory is that people with ASD tend to prefer the visual aesthetics of Japan.
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  50. As a Filipina, I have never experienced discrimination in Japan most of the time and I attribute it with my face that blends with the Japanese crowd. However, a lot of Japanese would only notice that I'm a foreigner once I open my mouth as I don't speak Japanese very well. Maybe the Japanese feel mendoukusai in dealing with me with my not so fluent Japanese but I'd say they are still polite or very good at tatemae. I think the "racism" in Japan mainly stems from ignorance. It only hits differently when I deal with my in-laws as there's a gap with their English and my Japanese but I never felt excluded even in my husband's family. They even express interest about Philippine culture and enjoy Filipino food. Language barrier can be patched up for sure (me making my Japanese better). Well, I guess I'm just lucky.
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