Hey guys! Today Rachel has joined me
We're gonna talk about: Japanese things that we still cannot do properly
So, things in Japan that are a little different than back home, that we're still not used to
The first one that comes to my mind is squat toilets
Not a fan
How about you?
Um, I actually love squat toilets
WHAT!?
What do you like about them!?
I'm like the weirdest person probably
I've never met another foreigner who likes them
I've never met anyone, no! WHY?
Because they're so convenient and quick
It's like a urinal for women
You don't have to touch anything
So it feels cleaner
I don't have to clean off the toilet, or put down toilet paper
That's true
it's quicker because you don't have to prepare everything
It just feels so awkward for me
It's better for you, because it's more natural
Yeah like the position of your body. I read that somewhere.
I just can't do it properly
I don't see how people use it without taking all their clothes off
Like how do you not pee all over yourself
I can not do it... It just doesn't work
I'm gonna make the worst video tutorial in the world
You're gonna make a tutorial!?
Like in a bathing suit, just pull down my shorts
This is how you position yourself
Ok, yeah so squat toilets are one of the things I cannot get used to
In most cases they will have... you can choose!
Lots of malls will have the Japanese style toilets
and the western style toilets
So you can just wait in line until one of the western ones is free if you prefer those
But sometimes when you get out into the middle of nowhere, in the countryside
they will only have the Japanese style toilets
So it's something I really wish I could get used to
But... I've lived in Japan how many years now? Like 8?
and I still despise them
and I get all nervous when there's only Japanese ones
I'm like "What am I going to do... maybe I can hold it for a couple more hours"
Well I think you should at least try them
because you might actually like them
I was terrified at first, and it took me 2-3 times to get used to it
TWO!?
I've used them like 15 at least
I choose the squat toilet every time now
That's crazy...
One day... you make that tutorial and I will follow it and maybe do it properly
The most embarrassing tutorial in the world
Ok so what's something Japanese that you're not used to yet?
One of them would be taking off my shoes quickly when I enter a house
Same for me
It's okay when I'm going in my own home
because no one is waiting on me
But if I'm with someone else, I have to go last
because I don't want to inconvenience them
Because it takes me so long to unlace my shoes, or unzip it
and like reach my hand down and pull it off
Yeah it's hard to do it on one leg, you have to like balance
Falling into stuff
Just not used to it
I can't just pull my foot outta my shoes, I have to use my hands
The worst is when you're at a restaurant
and you have people you don't know waiting for you to put your shoes on
and it's just so intimidating
I'm trying to be fast~
Restaurants, doctors offices, or dentists where you have to take off shoes
It's embarrassing
Slip on shoes, I have found the wonders of slip on shoes recently
So much easier
Second one is... I can't even say this in English
because we don't have this type of food
but in Japanese it's called "neba neba"
"neba neba shiteru tabemono"
So I'm gonna try my best to translate this into English
Really, it's not gooey, it's a certain texture...
If you know natto, and you know the texture of natto
It's that texture. Slimy, I guess?
Slimy and gooey. Slimy gooey and sticky, all of the above.
I can think of 3 foods off the top of my head, in Japan that are like that
Natto, Yamaimo (mountain potato), or okra
Which is a green vegetable
And it looks like a star when you cut it
Yeah it just looks like a regular star shaped cucumber
But when you cut it, it's got the gooey stuff on the inside
And I just cannot get used to eating that texture
Even if the flavours don't bother me that much
the texture is just not something that I'm used to
I've tried it several times, apparently it's really good for you
That stickiness
I think it's good for your body somehow, your skin or I dunno
But everyone says that those 3 things are really healthy
and you should always try to eat them
and they're included in lots of different Japanese meals
But I just can't get used to it...
And it's too bad because I love eating healthy foods
It would be great to enjoy them just like Japanese people do
But, can't
How about you? Are you the same?
No, no I absolutely cannot handle it
I'm very sensitive to texture in the first place
So even just looking at it now will make me gag
Oh no, that's bad
So if I get it into my mouth, I'm guaranteed to like... it's bad
I've tried so many times, I just can't do it
Another thing I can't do is pretty much anything related to riding bikes
Ohhh
Now I can manage to ride a bicycle normally
But Japanese people like grow up on bikes
They're like born on bikes
I feel like they ride bikes more often than they walk
It's so common here
Jun can ride a bike without using either handle bar
Whoa~
No touching, and he can turn the bike too!
How do you do that???
Japanese skills.... whaaat
I can barely ride a bike without falling over
Omg... I remember the first time that I tried to ride a bike
The first time I came to Japan
My homestay gave me a bicycle to ride to school every morning
I was like.. Oh okay.. I haven't ridden a bike in years
But I tried it, and I kind of like veered off of the little path
and into the rice paddy...
It was so embarrassing
They were probably like, what the hell, she's like 17 and she can't ride a bike?
That was probably really weird for them to see
It's really embarrassing
I'm totally used to it now and I bike all the time
But that first time was like... yeah, I totally get where e you're coming from
Okay, another big one for me
Another thing I wish I could get used to
because everyone seems to really enjoy and love it here
Onsen.
I don't like being naked in front of people I don't know
and would probably feel the same in front of people that I do know
Like I don't think I would want to go to an onsen with Rachel and be naked with each other
That would probably be really awkward
It's really too bad, because Japanese people love onsens!
They always talk about how amazing it is
They're like "Oh you should go to this onsen! It's really beautiful!"
And the first thing that comes to my mind is, I don't care how beautiful the place is
I just keep thinking about how I have to be naked in front of everyone
and I don't like that
I've actually gotten used to the idea of being naked in front of other people
I've been to hotels here where they have communal baths
So when you want to take a shower, it's in a room with lots of other showers
So everyone is naked in the same room
And I was like, What the heck!? the first time
But then I was like, well ok, it's normal here
All right, whatever I'll just do it
As I've gotten older, I care a little bit less about those kinds of things
But, I still can't handle onsen because I'm too sensitive to temperature
Ohhh they're so hot!
Really hot
Even hot tubs in America, I can't sit in hot tubs for more than 5 minutes
Well I don't think you're supposed to anyways
I don't think its good for your body to be in them too long
Maybe that's a natural response
But I'm the same
People will just be like, sitting there enjoying it
And I'm like jesus christ I gotta get out of here!
Dying, like a lobster, and sweating...
I really really wish I could enjoy onsen
Because they seem magical, everyone else seems to absolutely adore them
Ok, here's something that I bet you feel the same way
Keigo in Japanese. It's not that I'm not used to it because it's difficult...
It is super difficult, so that's one thing to get over
But I'm kinda used to how keigo works
Like when to use it, I know the main phrases
But I'm not used to the feeling
Because in Canada when you get close to someone
you start to speak more casually with them
But in Japan, if they're like a higher rank than you
If they're older than you, or they're your boss
it's really inappropriate to speak casually with them
even if you feel like you have a close relationship
So I always feel so conflicted
I know that in Japanese I should keigo
But I feel like, we're close now! So I feel rude using this super polite language with them
Because in Canada, if I use really polite language with someone
it would be like, we don't have a close relationship
It's like putting distance in between you it feels like
Yeah, so I can't get used to that
It feels more friendly to us to speak casually
That means that we like you, that we wanna be friends
We wanna get to know you
In some cases, it's hard to not take it personally
If someone won't use informal
I know! I hate that!
Because with Jun's family, I'm not allowed to use informal
To like his parents, or his grandparents, or his aunt and uncle EVER.
No matter what, even though I'm married into his family
I'm never going to be allowed to speak informal
I hate that, you feel distant from them
It's hard not to feel like they're saying "You're not really a part of our family"
Because with my family, my family is like "Aw Jun, call me Mom!"
When Jun comes over everyone is like giving him hugs
and being like "Make yourself at home!"
It's really casual, and that's how we greet people
That how you show that you're part of the family
So that can be kind of difficult
But Jun uses keigo with his parents too right?
So you're not the only one, like he will also use it
I always thought that was really weird!
Seeing Japanese people using really polite language with their parents
That's just so strange
No, he does that too
It goes beyond that too actually
And I'm still not used to this either
Even people who are married sometimes can use keigo with each other
Jun said that this is completely normal
Because I saw that happening and I was like "Jun! Jun! Isn't this weird?"
And he was like "No, actually it's completely normal if people wanna use keigo"
Sometime you see older couples, an obaachan, and they use formal with each other
That makes it seem that they love each other so much that they're still trying to win each other over
Ohhh I see. So they're still in that awkward stage where they still have to be super formal with each other
So he says that when he sees older people using keigo with each other
He feels like they're being really cute
Whoaaaa
That's such a culture shock
That's like opposite for us
It's hard for me to process
I feel like thats one thing that I'm never gonna really get over
because it's just so different than Canada
Just completely backwards to Canada
I hope so... because it's really frustrating sometimes
You wanna be really close with your coworkers and feel like you're friends
but you have to use keigo with them because they have a higher position than you
and it's rude not to
and I don't like that ><
I would like to know how Japanese people feel about that
Any Japanese people that have been over to Canada or America
How did you feel about people using really casual English and being super friendly?
Did that feel awkward for you?
I wonder how it works the other way around
That would be really interesting to hear about
So I guess those are the big things that we are not used to and suck at in Japan
Any of you guys that have lived overseas, let us know in the comments
what things were really difficult for you to get used to
and that would be really interesting to read
Make sure to subscribe to Rachel, if you haven't already
I will link her down below, and right here!
She makes amazing videos about Japan with her husband Jun
Lots of educational stuff, so you guys can learn a lot over on their channel
So definitely check it out if you haven't already!
And I'll see you guys soon! Bye!