Hearted Youtube comments on TAKASHii (@takashiifromjapan) channel.

  1. She sounds like a great person especially coming from Switzerland. Shouldnt deserved to be treated that way, foreigners in another country are embracing the culture by visiting in the first place. Cant expect everything to go well. Thanks for the video
    645
  2. When my family went to Malaysia and Indonesia, where the majority of the people are Muslim, they were very warm and kind to us. I'm not Muslim, but I want to say Assalamualaikum to all Muslims out there. Fascinating video, Takashi-san! ✌️
    644
  3. As a teacher I'm so glad more and more people are starting to realize that learning from textbooks isn't the way to go. You simply need tons of input, repetition and opportunities to use the language and make as much mistakes as you can, that's the most fun part of it :D
    636
  4. Interesting to hear foreigners (specifically black and dark skinned people), I’m interested in going but I’m always nervous of blatant racism happening so I keep putting it off. But so far I’ve heard good things so that gives me hope! Thank you for interviewing people all the time in Japan its interesting!
    634
  5. I think Japan has one of the best fashion scenes in the world!
    634
  6. 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.
    631
  7. YOU HAVE THE BEST JAPANESE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE. I’M ALWAYS CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW MUSLIM CONVERTS LIVE IN JAPAN. THANKS FOR THIS COVERAGE 🔥🔥🔥
    629
  8. Whenever someone says AOT is their favourite animé it makes me happy..
    626
  9. Just noticed the camera quality improved dramatically. Really makes you appreciate the cleanliness of Japanese streets.
    624
  10. Very nice video. Thanks for uploading. My Dad was "Black in Japan", in the 70s. For around 4 years. He really had a great time. From his views "being Black in America is totally different than being Black in Japan". I'd expect the stares. It's curiosity. I think the same would happen if Takashii went to a small remote village, in a Country, in Africa.
    622
  11. it’s really cool to see the anime choice of Japanese vs foreigners. thanks for this video 😸
    621
  12. I just finished teaching in Japan for a year and a half. I used it as a way to come to Japan as many do, and I got lucky and have a new job outside of teaching English. Without substantial savings from home, I would not suggest it. My coming was a gamble. Come with goals and rules; mine was to teach for 2 years and if I couldn't find a "way out," I would go back home. If you come and treat it as a year-long holiday, enjoy it. If you want to come and try to build a different/better life, you really have to ask yourself lots of hard questions. The language barrier is so massive; for reference, I have 5 years of work experience in my field with management experience, and it still took me 11 months, 19 recruiter meetings, 437 applications, 36 first interviews, 22 second-stage, and 6 final stage interviews before an offer came in. You're competing with people who can speak Japanese better, or natively, and with a massive talent pool. Entry-level engineering is also really rough; you won't make much more than an ALT's salary while also having to work long hours. This is a breakdown of my old salary. Yearly: 2.2m JPY (most ALT jobs do not pay in August due to summer holidays, and again you don't get paid in March because the school year hasn't started yet.) Monthly: ~200,000 JPY After taxes, rent, phone, utilities, etc., assuming your tax situation is similar to mine, you'll have around 80,000 yen (about 800 USD, super rough) left over in your first year. However, your second year, due to resident taxes, it is lower and closer to 60,000 yen (600 USD). This is absolute poverty wages and not sustainable at all. You are on a timer the minute you take an English teaching job here. The longer you are one, the harder it is to crawl out. It's a race to the bottom of what company will pay you the absolute least. As a dispatch ALT, you are VERY unstable and cannot plan for the future. You get a year-long visa and a year-long contract. You won't know if you have a job renewal until 2 weeks before (sometimes less time) the new school year. I started learning Japanese on the plane here and after a year of constant study, every single hour I was free at work (which as an ALT you have a ton, it's very VERY easy, and anyone who has ever worked previously will have ZERO issues performing. First job, 21-year-old college kids might be overwhelmed at first) and managed to get JLPT N3 level, which is an absolutely abysmal level still. Most jobs require N2 or higher, and the gap between N3 and N2 is going from "I am going to the store tomorrow at 2:30" to "due to the downturn of the Japanese economy during the bubble era..." sort of reading and conversations. That said, I would do it again; it's the most fun job I've had, but the industry is terrible. I have met a wonderful girlfriend and made so many new friends I would never have without taking the leap. Build your career at home and try to get hired in Japan another way; not many people have the will power needed to succeed and transition out of English teaching work in Japan. Don't buy into the "I'll do it to get a visa and get something better," especially with hiring freezes and economic downturns. It's a massive personal risk. If you insist on coming as an English teacher: 1) Learn Japanese now, and actually learn. Don't language roleplay with pointless low-effort apps like Duolingo. Learn Hiragana and Katakana, then give the apps Umi and Bunpro a shot and run through the Genki textbooks. Anki flashcards for kanji. 2) Have lots of money saved up. Minimum 5k USD, ideally more, to give yourself more runway to get a better job. 3) Have a STRONG, well-researched plan. Do not wing it; you are paid less than a conbini employee with a college degree. Enjoy your time here, but also work your ass off for yourself. 4) Be prepared to be disappointed and told "No" lots. If you have any issues at home, you won't fix them by moving to a place where you have 0 support structure. 5) Do not get comfortable with the easiest job on the planet and let yourself just coast by. This isn't a terrible "keep grinding 😤" post; it's actually terrible to get out of. Best of luck. Job searching is hard even when you're a citizen and fluent in the local language; it was even more difficult as an immigrant with barely passable language skills. There's so much more to say, but please do not make the choice lightly to come to Japan as an English teacher because you like Japan, or rather the idea of Japan, without properly thinking it through. I want you to enjoy Japan just as much as I have. If you're serious, wait a few more years with your new degree, work in your field, and transfer over. Remember, even if you learn Japanese to a business level as an ALT but have no other skills, you are just someone who can speak Japanese in a country where everyone else also can.
    620
  13. The British female was acting like she only knew a little Japanese, then she killed it with fluent Japanese
    620
  14. I’m actually watching this and wondering how any decent person can dislike this guy, he seems like a really down to earth confident person who isn’t afraid to express what he truly likes, and there’s a massive shortage of people like that in the world.
    618
  15. Love your content as it gives a more true sight into the culture of Japan, instead of just what gets filtered down to other countries. Earns my like every time👍
    610
  16. This was a very cool interview! I love how respectful you kept the interviews while being honest about your questions and not holding anything back! Will definitely share your channel with my friends!
    608
  17. The last guy was awesome, very educated and respectful.
    591
  18. When I was stationed in Iwakuni, I was out in the smoke pit when a JMSDF sailor came up to me and asked to be my friend in English. He had been learning English using YouTube and it was impressive how good his English was just learning through YouTube. Needless to say I made a friend for life. Miss ya Hayato and I can’t wait to see ya again!
    590
  19. What the Swiss lady said at the beginning really resonates with me. I had a similar experience on a train in Tokyo. I was actually with a couple Japanese friends and we were speaking English. A younger Japanese guy angrily grabbed me by the wrist, got right in my face and screamed at me to quit speaking English. I got right back in face and yelled back to let me go before one of my friends intervened and calmed the situation down (with no punches thrown fortunately). Up to that point I had never experienced anything like that in Japan (and probably never would again). Just like the lady mentioned, what really struck me was how disengaged everyone else on the train was. They had their faces buried in their phones as if nothing was happening. It got me wondering the exact same thing as her. If it had escalated and I had been by myself, would anyone come to my aid or just assume I was causing the problem (or just not want to get involved)? To be honest, it was actually a bit disheartening. I feel situations like this are where the Japanese tendency for conformity and passivity is not a good thing. Here I was in need of aid and I feel everyone just kind of looked the other way. From that point on, I took personal safety much more seriously and made a concerted effort to be more aware of my surroundings and do a better job of trying to blend in. Honestly, looking back, it was mostly just completely bad luck. I just happened to get on a fairly crowded train with that one guy in a thousand who was looking for trouble. I was also extremely lucky to be with Japanese friends who were able to pour cool water on the situation. Still, even though Japan is probably the safest country you can visit, you are an outsider and will stand out. Situations like this can be much less predictable than in your home country.
    589
  20. What I envy about Japan, is how The Streets are so clean. You don't have to worry about PPL stealing from You. You don't have to worry about getting robbed,Shot,or assaulted too. Pro & Cons to all Countries,but a Place where murder,assaults etc.are so low is where I need to be😌
    587
  21. Beautifully said by the last interviewee. Reminded me of Indonesian proverb "Where the soil you stepped on, the sky above it you must upheld" which means wherever we go, we must respect, understand, and do not violate the culture and customary there.
    584
  22. Nick and Matt vs. Japan are like the archetypes for Japanese learning on the YouTube language scene. I can't help but respect and admire their grind, especially the insane amount of hours that both of them spent per day listening to Japanese (in different contexts, but still).
    580
  23. These people are so lucky and I adore their patience and persistence in learning the language. Aside from my home language (Filipino) and English, it would be nice if I'll get the chance to learn Japanese. Nice video as always. Keep it up.
    577
  24. in vietnam everyone would probably help you. I'm a vietnamese in canada and i was at a bar once. Everyone inside the bar around me saw this girl outside being assualted and pushed hard against a car. I was in a caste on one leg at the time and on crutches, so I was getting mad no one was going out to help her. Bar staff is like police will handle it....in my head im like are you fucking kidding me, she needs help now. Thankfully a man and my friend(who i had to convince) to go and help the girl. They managed to wrestle the guy to the ground and the girl just hurried out of the scene, looking distraught. After that experience I have very little faith in people. No one gives a shit about anyone else, and they all think someone else will do something. Fucking bystander effect....bunch of conformists everywhere.
    576
  25. I am Indian and I lived and worked as a scientist in Japan for 8 months and I never faced hostility even once, but my Chinese colleague did say that Japanese people, especially elders, would abruptly stop conversing with her and go away once they found she was Chinese.
    575
  26. My grandfather served just after WWII, he used to tell me stories about after the war when he was stationed in Okinawa. He would tell me how he would go around and reassure people shaking their hands and just being the friendly guy he was, even though there was still a lot of hostility in the minds of other sailors at the time. He said the people were always very friendly back. I like to think he changed other sailors by the way he treated the Japanese. He was truly a great man. I hope to one day go to Japan and meet the people and experience the culture he spoke so fondly of.
    575
  27. Didn't expect to see Jakenbake here lol
    569
  28. The anime that one girl was talking about is called "Cells at Work!" It really does a good job of explaining how the body works while also being a very enjoyable watch.
    569
  29. Thank you for talking with me and for choosing this topic, Takashii! I was really happy to share my thoughts in this video:)
    568
  30. Interesting interview that we don’t really find on tv shows nor other YouTube videos! I like how they not only cherish their origins but also Japanese culture😊✨Great work as always Takashi san!
    566
  31. "We can enjoy each other's differences." Absolutely amazing video, Takashi-san! 素晴らしい！
    565
  32. "I was treated like a germ." I can't imagine how hard and painful it was for her during her younger years, but at the same time, I am happy that she overcame those hardships and she seems happier now. We need more of these videos. Great job, Takashi san! 素晴らしい！
    560
  33. Bro, really happy for you that you managed to establish your youtube career, you make really good videos, you deserved it 100%
    560
  34. There is only one race : the human race. Within the human race is a diversity of culture, language, and appearance but we are all human
    560
  35. This is such a hot take!! I was expecting the responses to be so different. They had a lot of positivity toward us and that’s great. For me I personally think the Japanese are amazing, very reserved, laid back, yet fun. Full of dreams and ambitions, very artistic and full of respect. That’s what I would say as a whole.
    557
  36. hey takashi, being a muslim myself, this is a very interesting video... very engaging to the viewers... keep up the great work, man... Arigato gozaimasu...
    552
  37. As an American I can say with confidence that most everyone Does care what people think about them, and how they look I think most people around the world are very similar
    550
  38. Thank you, Takashi. :) In my view, every profession comes with its advantages and disadvantages, but being a teacher holds a special place in my heart, outweighing any drawbacks. As an educator myself, I've discovered that children often have a lot to teach us and offer valuable experiences. If you enjoy working with kids, I wholeheartedly suggest considering teaching English to children in Japan rather than adults. The connections you form with them can be truly heartwarming. Once again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences. I wish everyone a blessed day. Sending love! -Leina
    545
  39. Although our situations are different I can relate a lot to the first guy. I was born in Scotland but have lived in New Zealand since I was seven. Like him, I grew up seeing the UK as my home, seeing myself as British. In my friend group, in my school, I was always the Scottish one, that was my label. But then as I got older I came to realise that I wasn’t very British. I watched YouTube videos and stuff about the UK and I saw the people in the videos and I realised I was very different to them. I can relate more to a kiwi than a British person. But for me this has left me feeling lost. I based a big part of my identity around being British, I became more patriotic to Scotland than the average Scottish person but it turns out I don’t really know anything about the country. I only know few things that I had learnt as a young child, I know barely anything about the country and the culture. But at the same time, I am not a kiwi. I grew up eating Haggis and Jaffa Cakes, surrounded by British traditions. I know nothing about New Zealand family life because I have only experienced British family life because I have British parents. In New Zealand people see me as British, in Britain people see me as kiwi. My friends think I have a strong Scottish accent but another Scottish person would probably not call my accent Scottish. Wherever I go, I am seen as an outsider. There is nowhere That I just fit in. I feel like I am left unable to identify with either country and am left without a home. When people ask me where I am from I no longer know how to answer.
    544
  40. First of all, I loved the answer of that last guy who was interviewed. (He wouldn’t ‘take the bait’. 😆) But as far as things that my Japanese friends often complain about regarding foreign visitors here, I’d say the volume level of conversations in public ranks first. Especially on the train (as was mentioned by one of interviewees). Also, I wanted to mention… although consumption of alcohol in public places is acceptable in Japan, public drunken behavior is not. Of course, Japanese locals are guilty of this on occasion as well, but we foreigners stand out more. Just something to keep in mind. 🍻
    541
  41. It's important to remember that beauty is subjective and it's crucial to embrace and love ourselves as we are!
    541
  42. As a longtime viewer of your channel, it was really fun getting to talk with you. Really interesting to hear other perspectives as well 😊Thanks for the interview!
    526
  43. Hide's accent is so unique, good English, minimal japanese accent, using slang, and that chicano inflection and speech pattern.
    524
  44. It’s so interesting to see all the people with all the different spendings on living in Japan and also helped me because I want to go to university in Japan someday too and maybe even live in Japan.Nice Video Takashii!👍
    521
  45. Makes me happy to see Japan’s younger generation open up to the rest of the world. All these kiddos that wanna travel and experience new places really made my day. I wish them all the best, and lots of success in their studies. 🤙🏽😁
    521
  46. Great video! I'm latino and here are some questions: - Do you miss "latino" physical contact? (the way we greet each other, how we treat friends) - Was it hard to get used to the food in Japan? - What's the main difference between Japan and your home country?
    519
  47. Fact: Despite Japan's legal ban on prostitution, its industry surprisingly generates about 5.5 trillion yen annually. This is more than twice the revenue of the anime industry, which stands at 2.4 trillion yen.
    519
  48. So true. I love Japan and proud to be half Japanese, but sometimes I get tired of feeling 'different' or 'non Japanese' and sometimes being treated different than my Japanese friends when in Japan lol.  In the states, people are just more cool with it and I can just be myself. Either way, I'm still going to stay in Japan since my close family is here :D. I shall strive and become stronger so I can fit into Japanese society! Yeah! :D
    519
  49. I have been impatient with my slow progress learning Japanese but hearing experiences from other non native Japanese speakers is always very encouraging. ありがとうございます! Also, your English is very impressive. Congratulations!
    516
  50. My honest and frank opinion: A friend of mine(who is an Black-American male) was in Japan a few years ago and the police were about to arrest him at an onsen. Someone who wasn't even in the onsen called the police claiming a foreigner was robbing the onsen. The police just assumed it was him because he was the only black person there. But what's worst is the manager of the place didn't do much to help him and he had to prove to the police that he was a paying customer. Fortunately, his Japanese partner was there with him to vouch for his credibility. As interesting as Japan is, it does have a racial problem against people who are not Japanese-particularly Black and Brown people. This seems to be a common problem among a number of far-east countries. When I was trying to apply for English language teaching jobs; they seem to prefer blond females over everyone else. I myself have been passed over for less experienced teachers because I'm a Black male. Japan-much like China-is very homogeneous and many people do not have much interaction with people of other races, unlike the United States and Europe. Part of that problem is that Japan's immigration laws are very strict and practically does not allow anyone to immigrate there. In general, Japan is okay to visit, but you have to be careful if you're a Black or Brown person there.
    516