Comments by "Azabujuban-Hito" (@azabujuban-hito8085) on "TAKASHii" channel.

  1. I came from Switzerland with a Dutch-German background. Appearance aside, many of my Japanese friends said to me that what they envy about westerners is the fact that we can say what we think or feel in a blunt, direct manner instead of taking the longer, indirect way of speaking.
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  2. I came to live in Tokyo with ZERO knowledge of the language! That being said, I was lucky that the company provided me with a language tutor. Also my roommates were all very supportive in teaching me the language too. I was also joining the local community activities to further my language ability and to make a network. Oh, daily reading of Japanese newspapers and magazines and watching local news also highly suggested !
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  3. When I first moved to Tokyo, my biggest cuture shock was the " Honne-Tatemae" concept that is so deeply ingrained in the Japanese people. I was born and grew up in Switzerland with the background of Dutch-German. And both Dutch & German people are known for their no-nonsense, straightforward blunt way of speaking. It's the total opposite of the Japanese in general.
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  4. I came from Switzerland and living in Tokyo. A few years ago my Japanese friend invited me to her parents house in a countryside..I ended up loving it so much that I decided to buy a house in countryside, up in a mountain area of Yamagata. Living there every summer ( and during pandemic ) is very meditative as the air is clean and crisp, the water is unbelievably pure, and the pace of living is slow and relaxing. It's a perfect antidote for a hectic life here in Tokyo ! Having said that, I still love living here in Tokyo due to its convenience and cosmopolitan vibe.
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  5. After living in Geneva, London and New York City I find Tokyo to be surprisingly ( very ) affordable. I ended up buying a house in Tokyo and Yamagata..for a small fraction of what I would've spent in those 3 cities !!
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  6. Been living here in Japan for almost a decade as a foreigner and I feel fine 🤷‍♀️
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  7. I'm from Zurich, Switzerland. Been living here in Tokyo for almost 8 years. Yeah living in Tokyo is very comfortable and convenient, but one thing that really stands out is the people. The Japanese are just incredible people !
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  8. When my company relocated me to Tokyo years ago (from Switzerland) I realized that I had to mastered the language if I wanted to live independently. So I hired a language tutor, and joined several community clubs. It really forced me to practiced. I also watched TV news and dramas, and read newspapers everyday even though at that time, I probably understood around 10% of it. It really paid off.
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  9. As a foreign woman living in Tokyo I've had experienced dating both Japanese and foreign guys. My current boyfriend is a Japanese, and personally one thing that Japanese guys do differently is that they really are caring about their partner's well being and VERY attentive too. Just a tiny sneeze, and he will fussing over you non stop lol.
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  10.  @irbvek  New York is slightly more expensive yet the quality of life is lower.
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  11. I came from Switzerland and currently living in Tokyo. Had dated several Japanese guys ( my current bf is also a Japanese ). Honestly I think Japanese guys are the sweetest. When they're in a relationship they're willing to go all out to make their partner happy. They're really invested in the relationship and I deeply appreciate that.
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  12.  @Stasis247  For the first two years I completely immersed myself in the local culture. I minimized the use of English, I only watch local channels on TV, I only watched movies that been dubbed in Japanese language, I only read local newspapers and magazines, I joined several local activities ( such as bar-hopping club, photography club, beer tasting club, volunteering etc ). Not only it tremendously improved my Japanese language ability, it also incredibly beneficial for me to gained larger network and to form friendship. I even found a new ( better pay ) job through it.
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  13. My company decided to moved me to Tokyo ( with less than a month notice!), and as soon as I arrived here in Tokyo, I knew right away that I absolutely MUST learned the language, otherwise I would not be able to survived !
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  14. I came from Switzerland and been living here in Tokyo for almost a decade. When I got my Permanent Resident in the fifth year the immigration officee asked me if I'm interested in becoming a Japanese citizen. I was tempted..however I'm already holding a Singapore PR and I would probably lose it if I'm taking up another citizenship. I'm not sure yet, but Im still thinking about it.
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  15. ​​ @michaels8878  Have you been to Zurich? It's one of the most BORING city in the world!😂
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  16. I know right !! Why bother to relocate if they're not willing to learn? It's such a missed opportunity.
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  17. I wish I had time to learn the language before I moved to Japan. However the company that I work for only gave me (less than) a month notice ! It took me 3 full years to be able to fluently conversing in Nihongo.
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  18. People..listen up. If you live here in Japan and intent to live here for more than a year, do learn how to SPEAK AND READ Japanese ! It will makes your life much easier and someday it could even save your life ! Trust me.
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  19. ​ @ZhannaZhumabayeva-jq8ot  They're incredibly helpful, kind and believe it or not..quite fun !😊
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  20. The beauty standard is really completely different from where I came from. I came from Zurich, a boring city in Switzerland. And the beauty standard there is a glowing golden tanned skin, as if you're just spend the whole day skiing. Unfortunately my very pale skin could never be. Plus, my pale eyes and hair further makes me feel washed-out. It doesnt help either that Im very thin. Most people just assumed that I'm anorexic. So imagine my surprise when I came to live here in Japan that the locals actually appreciate my pale skin AND lanky-ness !
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  21.  @HermanWillems  Personally? Never.
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  22. When I moved to Tokyo the only Japanese words that I know were Arigatou & Sayonara😁. The company that I worked for provided Japanese lesson once a week but for me that was not enough. I decided to took a private Japanese language lesson 3X a week, joined the local community activities ( hiking, photography & kintsugi ) and begged my roommates to speak to me inly in Japanese. That really sped up my Nihongo proficiency.
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  23. If he does have a lot of american friends his English would be butchered, and he def would talk with lots of swear words.
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  24.  @shanto1710  My company relocated me to Tokyo almost a decade ago for work. After I bought a house here a few years ago I decided to buy a second one to escape summer's heat & humidity of Tokyo.
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  25.  @kirojiro23  I live in Tokyo, and for me learning Japanese is essential eventhough Im working in a multi-national company ( that use English all the time ). It is not only for my personal interest, but also for my daily living and for my survival because I dont want to keep on depending on others esp. during emergencies. But y'know..different stroke for different folk, I guess. Maybe they're lucky enough to have friends that willing to help them out 24/7. For me, I found out early on that mastering the language really makes my life so much easier and smoother 😄
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  26.  @_thisistheater_6126  I actually did. Not really easy but not super difficult either. The first year of living here in Tokyo was challenging ( language wise ) but after that it's a smooth sailing.
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  27. This topic is very relatable to me on a very personal level. My dad is half Singaporean Chinese-half French while my mom is full Austrian white. A lot of people mistaken me for being 100% white, especially here in Japan ( I live in Tokyo ). And growing up in Switzerland I sometimes feel I belong to no race in particular, although I always feel that I am more Asian. After living in Singapore and now living in Tokyo I finally feel Im totally an Asian person, although physically I may not look typically Asian with my natural light colored eyes and hair. So thank you for bringing up this topic !
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  28. Gosh that guy was saying that he would live here in Japan permanently...yet he can't even speak the language ! Sigh
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  29. ​ @Drilonski  The company that I work for relocated me to Tokyo. I'm in Finance & IT.
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  30. I wholeheartedly agree with the Swedish guy. If you live here in Japan, do learn the language ! Not being able to talk and to read & write will render you helpless. And God forbid if you are in any emergency situation and not able to speak Japanese !! I just dont understand people that have been living here for over a year and not able to string a sentence.
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  31.  @Luv-dq5th  im still living here in Tokyo, so Im still immersing myself. I've been living here for 10 years and almost everyday Im finding words that Im not familiar yet...so it's still pretty much a work in progress 😄
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  32.  @agamersinsanity  Back in the day, one of my housemates who really helped me a lot with the Japanese language learning is a Swedish.
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  33.  @Luv-dq5th  I was able to have a decent conversation enough for daily living at around a year. But it took me almost two years to really be fluent ( and confident enough to give presentation at work, make a speech etc ).
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  34. It happened to me too several times. Unfortunately I have to go there once a year for a business trip 😒😒
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  35.  @shanto1710  i only stay in Nagano during summer tho. The rest of the year I live in Tokyo.
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  36.  @veroniquendambo3242  Fun fact : Japan is not very expensive. At all. It's even cheaper than my own country !
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  37. As a foreign woman in Japan I was surprise that I never have any actual difficulties when it comes to dating. Of course there were some cultural differences but they were pretty minor stuff.
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  38. Im also a mix. My dad is half chinese -half white and my mom is fully white. Although I look completely white ( pale skin, light color eyes and hair ) , I identify myself as an Asian. Here in Japan ( and China as well ) it always creates a confusion when I tell them I'm an Asian, they often dont believe me even when I tell that Im part Chinese.
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  39.  @earlysda  I dont owe you ( or anyone ) any explanation. All I can say that with the amount of money that I spent on those two houses, I still won't be able to buy a house in my hometown Geneva let alone two.
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  40.  @naneninonuism6189  Take your negativity somewhere else pls.
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  41.  @asdfghjjhgf  Most likely they would say " this doesn't taste good" or " I don't like this" or " it is not for me".
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  42.  @geddon436  Extremely affordable by using the national health insurance.
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  43.  @localmilfchaser6938  Oh how I wish I was rich..but unfortunately Im just average ! I work in IT & Finance. I could afford to buy two houses because the house market in here is very affordable compared to Switzerland, where I came from.
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  44.  @SwissTanuki  I have 2 houses here in Japan and I bought one of them with a loan from the bank.
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  45.  @ghhhggrtes-rx1gx  a mix of Chinese and white
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  46.  @danielantony1882  Thank you. Now I've been living here in Tokyo for almost a decade. Time flies !😊
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  47.  @trapsenpai  Im not exactly an introvert but I dont mind the quietness, and I dont mind doing solo activities including eating out by myself.
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  48.  @earlysda  Stop being bitter. Try to be happy. Trust me, it will do you good.
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  49. It's true. That's part of the reason why I love living here in Japan because it's much cheaper than living in my own country. I live in Tokyo and it's certainly so MUCH more affordable than in my hometown Zurich . I can afford to buy two houses here...I probably couldn't even afford to buy one in my country!
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  50. Speaking from my personal experience, they dont hesitate at all ! They maybe a little bit shy..but definitely NOT hesitate !😄
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