Comments by "vangrails" (@vangrails) on "Life Where I'm From" channel.

  1. I like that because that makes Japan so safe, terrorists can't hide bombs in trash cans.
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  2. My reaction is also a joke.
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  3. AFAIK: That toilet at 4:59 has a sink + faucet on top that you an use for washing your hands. After you used the water for washing your hands, this water is collected for flushing the toilet. That saves water.
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  4. Triple pane...do you live in Hokkaido?
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  5. I don't because I have been in Japan.
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  6. It is not that bad. Focus first on the Yamanote line, most sights that tourists want to see are near a Yamanote line train station.
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  7. I hope that Jakarta will get a lot of metro lines.
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  8. You can very well go to a country without knowing the native language basics. It is of course very nice the know the language basics but it is not necessary. There are so many British and American expats who live in The Netherlands for years but can't speak a single word of Dutch. Whatever you think or don't think of these people....they show that it is possible.
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  9. Your carrier will of course not have towers in that foreign country. However carriers have cooperation agreements but still using your phone will still probably be extremely expensive, therefore only for emergencies or really important stuff. I sent my brother one sms text per day when I am on holiday if I can't use wifi.
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  10. 'Life where I am from' has made a video about Japanese shopping malls.
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  11. See 1:23 .
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  12. Indeed, and the water that you use for washing your hands is later used for flushing the toilet. That saves water.
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  13. How expensive would a house of that size be in NYC? Tokyo is bigger than NYC and land is really scarce in Japan because Japan is densely populated and very mountainous and a Japanese house has to be earthquake resistent.
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  14. How do you know? I am not saying that you are wrong. I just want to know how you know.
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  15. Japan is not that expensive anymore. Cities like NYC and London or countries like Switzerland and Norway are more expensive.
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  16. Some Lawson stores do have international ATMs but other Lawson stores don't, it is a bit a hit or miss. 711 has always worked for me.
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  17. Really? I find that hard to believe. It is normally the voucher that is sent directly to you, you have to exchange that into the JR Railpass at the JR office at the airport.
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  18. But what do you want to know about checking into hotels? Most hotel employees usually speak passable English and it is a very self explaining process imho.
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  19. MaaikeInJapan is a nice YouTube channel, Maaike shows Japan, she doesn't analyze Japan, she shows it.
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  20. The Japanese are very helpful and there is plenty of English signage. It is not that hard.
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  21. They haven't become one but you can pay them all with pasmo and suica cards which makes the system indeed much easier to use. The lines are however still operated by different companies.
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  22. They are all good.
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  23. Yes, the JR pass is for JR lines. JR lines can be long distance or local (for example the Yamanote line in Tokyo). You can't use the JR pass for metro (subway) lines and most local train lines in Tokyo but the Yamanote line in Tokyo is a JR line. The IC card is just a way to make travelling more convenient, it doesn't make travelling cheaper, it saves you from the hassle of having to buy tickets for every ride that you want to make.
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  24. My advice is not to worry too much. Just smile from time to time and you will be fine.
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  25. I don't think this house is made out of wood, it is made out of concrete.
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  26. Yes, there is a hotel room shortage and that is why they have legalized Airbnb. Tourism to Japan is booming.
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  27. There are often bike lanes along the rivers in the country sides and also in Kyoto. Cycling is fun and very possible in Japan (I really like it) but it is not as well developed as in the Netherlands. When the area is mountainous I usually rent an electric bicycle.
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  28. But how expensive would such a house be in NYC or London? Tokyo ia a very big city and very densely populated.
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  29. I hope you are making a joke!!
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  30. Do all rooms have floor heating? I wouldn't mind a bit more explanation about the heating of the house.
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  31. I didn't know that modern Japanese houses still have wooden frames, I always assumed that they use only steel and concrete. I am glad that modern Japanese houses have double panes.
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  32. And this house has floor warming if I understand correctly.
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  33. But this house has hot water (of course it has hot water), it doesn't have a warm water tank but is that needed if you have a powerful heater? I have however no experience with a hot water storage tank. In many Japanese homes you can set a timer on the bath tube, so the bath tube will be completely filled when you wake up. I wish I had that system. Maybe that is an alternative to the warm water tank? What does such a tank exactly add? And it also has central heating as far as I understand. The video sadly doesn't really explain how the heating system works but as far as I understand this house has central heating. I wish however that this video did explain that more clearly.
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  34. Okay, I am sorry, I didn't understand that you don't consider floor heating as central heating, you want both. Is that needed if a house isn't too big and well insulated? I thought that floor heating alone would be enough? I don't have a warm water tank but I don't have to wait before the water heats up. I never have to wash my face with cold water. I don't have to turn a heater on, I guess I don't understand what you mean with that? The Japanese have very sophisticated water kettles/boilers with lots and lots of buttons to keep the water warmed up for a cup of tea 24/7. Very annoying when just want to have a cup of tea on your hotel room and you don't know which buttons to push because but can't read Japanese but I assume that these machines do their job for the Japanese.
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  35. The garbage processing plant. No, I am not kidding you.
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  36. Taiwan is clean but Japan is much cleaner.
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  37. They have them for you.
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  38. That blue car on the right is a Rolls Royce?
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  39. Me neither but I really enjoy going on holiday to Japan.
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  40. This is Tokyo. A house this size would be much more expensive in NYC or San Francisco even when Tokyo is much bigger than NYC. You can buy houses in Japan for next to nothing in small remote villages. Location does matter in the US and Japan. However Japan is more densely populated so land is scarce and all houses have to be earth quake resistent. Japanese houses used to be badly insulated against the cold but that is finally changing.
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  41. It is Tokyo. A house of that size would be more expensive in London. NYC and San Francisco.
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  42. Japan is certainly not a paradise but there are plenty of good and cheap restaurants in Japan. Life expectancy is long in Japan so I think that Japanese food is healthy in general.
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  43. Japan (and Tokyo) have very low crime statistics. There is plenty of English signage at train/metro stations. Some restaurants have plastic models of the food and some have an English menu but not all. In Tokyo there is usually someone around who speaks English, in smaller places it can be a bit more difficult. The Japanese however are always willing to help. Taxi is expensive but train and metro are excellent. Buying a pasmo/suica card makes using public transport much easier. You can buy a Lonely Planet/Rough Guide book and these books explains almost everything that you need to know and also tell about Japanese culture and history.
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  44. There is McDonald's, Burger King, Mos Burger, Lotteria, Freshness Burger, Shake Shack...all burger places, plenty of choice in Japan.
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  45. That is their culture.
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  46. Do you really need all that space?
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  47. Why? Anyway, plenty of Burger King and McDonalds restaurants in Japan.
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  48. Shoes are dirty and shoes can damage the wooden or tatami (rice straw mats) floors.
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  49. April is a great time for visiting Japan.
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  50. The most important etiquette is the 'what are you walking on' etiquette. Study the floor you are walking on. Is it wood then you have to walk on slippers or socks. Is it tatami then you have to walk on your socks. But Japanese people know that you don't know, they are very tolerant towards our mistakes. Oh and don't talk loudly when sitting in the train.
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