Foreigners do daring things and are so individualistic.
They were so cool!
I want to become a man like that!
That's what I thought then.
Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese it's Cathy Cat.
We went and hit the streets of Tokyo to ask Japanese people,
what scares, surprised and shocks them about foreigners and foreign cultures.
Let's go and Ask Japanese.
You were suddenly chatted up by a wildly dressed foreigner...
What surprises you about foreigners or foreign cultures?
Not knowing about social etiquette.
There are many rules here, that are common practice in Japan...
But foreigners do daring things and are so individualistic.
There are some very unique people abroad, yeah I see.
There are.
In America, people suddenly started dancing.
That's unthinkable for us shy Japanese.
We really can't do that!
No spontaneous dancing?
No dancing!
But seeing that everyone had a good time, was fun.
So you enjoyed watching other people have fun?
Yeah. - Did you try and dance a little too?
A tiny bit...
Nice one!
But once you start moving, doesn't it feel good?
I had fun yes.
Have you ever been abroad? - I have!
I'm sure something surprised you there.
I thought... people dare to wear the clothes they like...
Japanese people won't wear certain things, if they are not skinny...
MANY Girl's won't wear shorts, if they think their legs are fat.
Abroad, people all seemed to wear what they want, no matter of their body size.
Thinking of it, there are more body shapes abroad too... - True.
Different body types and yet we still wear what we like. - Yes that's it
Did it not inspire you to wear the things you want to wear?
I thought so at the time.
But when coming back to Japan...?
Well, I actually am trying to wear the things I like.
Is that the reason why you dared to dye your hair in Japan? - It is actually.
Because you got inspired to do it abroad? - Yes!
That's great girl! Where did you go?
I went to the USA and Canada.
And you went to the US and...? - I have only been to the USA.
When you went to the USA, did you see anything "stereotypical American"?
Everything is big. The food portions too.
They have the same restaurants that we have in Japan too. When I ordered I thought...
they would have the same size portions. But the order came in huge sizes
I couldn't finish it.
When you ordered by accident, could you finish the dish?
Nope I could not.
What did you order? - A burger at Mc Donald's.
A burger double the size of the Japanese ones came.
What the normal McDonald's that you get here? - Yeah.
It was a lot bigger than in Japan.
What???
I have to try that out some time and eat a burger when I go to the USA.
What was "typical American" to you?
People having a nap on the streets...
- Whaaaaaat? - I thought that was American.
There were people sleeping on the streets? - That or lying down reading books.
I thought they were so liberate to do that.
You don't mean homeless people?
No not like that. Common people, who were lying down or reading books.
I used to live in Italy for half a year.
- Wow. - I went there on a language course.
I visited a lot of different countries in Europe.
I also went to the USA and 3 times to Thailand.
I go abroad a lot.
We are asking things that shocked and surprised you abroad...
What shocked you the most?
When I was living in Italy, I went on the subway there.
But the normal old men, sitting on the train, were all looking so cool.
That really surprised me. They were wearing normal fitting shirts,
I could tell they were business men.
But they wore their clothes so elegantly.
You can't compare that to Japanese office workers.
I was so shocked.
Especially the older men in Milan. The suits were ironed crisp,
they looked beautiful and so cool.
I thought I want to become want to become a man like that.
So you are on the way there. - I am trying to be.
You are off to a nice start. You're looking crisp today too. - Thank you.
I have also been to the USA.
There are so many races in the USA.
And I thought it was wonderful if people see that as natural in the USA.
So many different skin tones, so many languages, but that's not special.
It's common there!
That expresses America to me.
Is Australia similar to that?
There are areas in Australia that are like that.
Many different races. - Yes it's different compared to Japan.
Especially compared to Japan.
What do you think of Australia?
My first impression would be...
what Japanese would say "Kangaroo and Koala"
When you say you are Australian, what do Japanese commonly say to you?
It's ALWAYS Koala or Kangaroo!
Always, always!
They say "oh Koala country" or "oh you have Kangaroos!"
And I say "yeah that's right." But we have more than just that.
Or Japanese people will ask me about the ocean. "Is your ocean pretty?" like that.
I can only reply "yeah it is" to that.
And then people commonly say "I would like to visit one day."
That happens a lot.
Those were all our questions. Thank you so much!
Random dancing in the street, that is NOT a go.
If you feel like getting your groove on, that is not appreciated.
I think generally certain things in public will surprise Japanese people
for example people sitting on the floor, in Tokyo...
on the ground. You don't really see that.
That might be...
If you think about it. Japan is a very cleansy culture. When you go into someone's house...
you take your shoes off. So why would you sit, on the floor, if that's considered as dirty...
Dirty to a degree that only shoes are allowed on it.
Why would you sit on the floor with what you would later sit on someone's couch with.
That makes sense as one of the points.
What Japanese people also said: There is such a variety of skin colors, body shapes...
abroad and that is true. I must say, for example the dress I am wearing right now...
that is a one size dress.
In Japan it seems to be that...
Not as many sizes as we have abroad are taken into consideration...
Because Japanese people tend to be a little bit more petit.
So guys what surprises you about Japan? Any culture shock? Surprises you have?
Or what surprises people when they come to your country?
That might be a juicy, interesting one.
I'd like to find out about that one.
Let us know in the comments down below. If you are new, don't forget to subscribe,
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And I catch you soon for more stuff on Ask Japanese. Bye.