[A year ago I made a point never to come back to the country I have already visited] [But each rule has its exception] My exception is called Japan Damn it! Glasses are misting up. It could be a good intro. JAPAN Konnichiwa, darlings! We are in a country you can always come back to, and always find something extremely new. It's just insane, awesome and unbelievable! In this episode, we are going to take a run around modern Tokyo, look at local hipsters, smell sakura in blossom and see everything strange and very Japanese. We're going to see Mount Fuji, and cloudless Mount Fuji, marvelous music roads and the creepy suicide forest. Of course, we’ll nip off to Kyoto to see local temples and traditional Japan. Generally, there gonna be a lot of things. As the phrase goes: Let’s get ready! Guys, now let’s be honest! The last time I exchanged money abroad was when I traveled with one very popular travel show, it was super long time ago. 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The first thing you have to see in Japan is the capital. It is my third time in Tokyo. But in this city, each time seems as if it’s the first one. Currently, Tokyo is the world’s largest urban agglomeration. Different sides of the streets separate one municipality from another. More than 35 million people form this huge “ant colony”. So, the number of people here is pretty big. But besides crowded streets, there is one more fact about Japan I should mention. Streets in Japan practically have no names. All the numbers are in a chaotic manner, usually according to the date of building. So, navigation here is possible, but only with an e-map. Traveling around the city by car in these conditions is pretty challenging. So, we are taking the most reliable and fastest way – public transport. To find out what Tokyo really is, first, you need to go down to the subway. This way is tough, but believe me, it is worth it. Beep a card, take a deep breath and here we go! The Tokyo metropolitan is one of the busiest in the world. It takes more than 3.5 billion passengers a year. And ranks No.2 on passenger traffic trailing only the Beijing subway. At first sight, it seems you are in hell. The-first-second shock is guaranteed, but it only takes off from here. But you take a closer look and understand, there is no chaos at all. The movement is well-ordered. Everybody lines up neatly, there is a special marking on the floor for this, and wait calmly for their train. It looks like a school celebratory assembly. Secondly, at every station there is a metropolitan worker wearing white gloves, called Hosea. He controls the train departure, and helps passengers get in a subway car – holding the doors and pushing people inside, if it is needed. Let’s get in a subway car. In here you have to set the silence mode on. It is not acceptable to talk here. [*original sound] Most people take advantage of the silence. In the Tokyo subway, somebody sleeps easily, because the metro runs like clockwork indeed. People here set an alarm, and they are absolutely sure that, let’s say, at 11:24 sharp the train is at the station they need. And a few more facts about the local subway. Besides regular vacuuming, practically every station has WC. Free of charge, of course! And for you to understand who’s riding the Tokyo subway, there is a guy standing next to me, and he is wearing Rolex, priced at about $5 000 bucks minimum, I guess. He’s standing next to me in a subway car, well, rather I am standing next to him. One episode is too short to cover all the specialties of the local transport. But believe me, public transport in Japan is the gold standard indeed, in every way. Now, I’ll try to brief you on emotions I felt being in Tokyo for the first few hours. It is a feeling as if you popped into a parallel reality, another world that lives under totally different rules. It seems there is another civilization in the world that’s been developing in parallel with yours. When you get here for the first time, lots of things appear weird to you. But for me personally, Tokyo is love at first sight. Whatever backstreet you pop in, it is almost perfectly clean everywhere, because streets here are washed and brushed literally. Even though there are very few rubbish bins in the city, and it is not acceptable here to throw away the trash, but take it away. Smoking is allowed only at designated points. And what's most interesting is all the people abide the rule. Tourists ride carts around the city dressing up as Pikachu and Super Mario. At the world’s busiest crossing, Shibuya crossing, the one that can be crossed by about thousands of people at the same time, You can run into Freddie Mercury’s fans taking a walk, and newly-weds – taking pictures. Everybody is reading Manga. It is Japanese comics. To produce them, they use more paper than to produce all the toilet paper in the country put together. And an operating panel of a flush toilet has way more buttons than your cellphone does. Electronics are everywhere. Even construction sites are equipped with decibel counter not to go beyond the acceptable level of noise. Traditionally in Japan, there is very little free space. And housing development is quite tight. That makes the Japanese save space, especially when it comes to parking lots. To begin with, here they can park, as the phrase goes, flush levelled. Secondly, these two-level parking lots are a common thing here. And here are the other ones – special rotating circle to turn a car around. And here’s a top-class – roller parking lots. The way the Japanese work out the lack of space sometimes leaves heads spinning. Here is a road laid through a skyscraper. Actually, it’s not in Tokyo, it’s in Osaka. By the way, they do have skyscrapers here, even though about 1500 earthquakes hit Japan every year. Another exceptionally popular thing in Japan is slot-machines. Here you can find more than 5 million of them. And they are just everywhere, literally. At every step of your way. Machines offer not only hot and cold beverages, toys, etc., but you also can exchange currency here, and even rent a power bank. As you can see, this option is on-demand. My most favorite finding in local slot machines is hot green tea. Not that hot, but just the temperature it should be. Perfect! What have I been doing all these years without it? Expensive manpower and price for land in Tokyo results in slot machines installing. For instance, 1 sq. m in prestigious district Ginza reached $400000. It means if you want to open, let’s say, a 2.5 sq. meter coffee shop, you’ve got to be a millionaire. That explains the number of slot machines the Japanese install. And in places with no machines, you can run into bizarre lines. And there you have it, a line to a restaurant, a line to a street-food spot, line to a modern café. And this line is worth a separate word. If you are a business owner, and it perplexed you, I understand you well. The Japanese adore something new and unusual indeed. And it’s not a big deal for them to stand in line for hours to get this multicolored sandwich. Needless to say, they are desperate for fashion. And expensive boutiques are a dime a thousand in Tokyo. Besides, the Japanese are fashionistas, the way they dress really matches them, they are just always on fleek. Period! To show you these show-offs, we are heading to one unique district. And now, my friends, watch this. These are security guards who keep the order in lines to a clothes store. The line to regular store Supreme with several-thousand-dollar price tags on regular ringer t-shirts. [*debilitated lowing] In the Harajuku district, everybody dresses in colors. One in three looks as if he or she has just visited the Yohji Yamamoto fashion show. Like this girl. She looks like a character from an anime cartoon. The style is called Kawai that means “cute”. Pink color is a must here. Pets are also often spotted in Tokyo streets. Japan is home to 22 million pets and only 17 million kids under 15. Here in Tokyo, you will rather see a dog than a baby. And to find a kindergarten for dogs in Tokyo is way easier than a babysitter for a baby. The pet care market in Japan comes out to $10 billion! Stores for cats and dogs are abundant here. And accessories for pets in Japan are made by Chanel, Dior, Gucci. And if you are out of the city, you can easily leave your pet at the special purpose hotel. Paying 100 bucks per 24 hours. For many Japanese people, pets are as beloved as their kids. They buy clothes for them, take them to dog cafes and even use such steps to make it comfortable for a doggy to get in a car. [Work!] [Faster!] Holy moly! Here phrase: “You treat me like a dog!” doesn’t mean the thing we usually put in it. Here to treat somebody like a dog stands for absolute care, kindness, and love. Actually, that is one of the reasons why dog cafes are that well-liked in Japan. And you won’t believe, but people really line up to these cafes. And you have to book a session in advance. Half an hour in the café will cost you about $10. Here all those who want can pat a doggy, take a pic with it, of course, and just have a real dog therapy session. For dogs, it is a pleasure, and so is for visitors. Double profit! As hardhearted as it might sound, a couple in Tokyo finds it easier to have a dog rather than a baby. The economy surely comes into this picture. To live in Tokyo is a pretty costly affair taxes and many other different spendings. And in the Japanese society, it is a challenge for a woman to have a baby, and stay in employment. But locals are so afraid to lose a job not only because of money but also for the reason they are out-and-out workaholics. In 2011 Japan economy, having been second in the world for 40 years was taken over by China. So now they are trying to catch up. People in Japan work like crazy doing overtime for 80 and sometimes even for 100 hours a month. For you to understand how serious the problem is, I have to tell you about the word that appeared in the Japanese language. [Karōshi (death from overwork)] In 2016 Karōshi caused about 200 people deaths and this is only official statistics. The Japanese usually use up only 50% of their annual leave, it's only 9-10 days a year. Companies switch off the light compulsorily at 10 pm to make workers go home and sleep. And the government implemented a so-called premium Friday. It means that every last Friday of the month an employee can leave the work earlier at 3 pm. And now, how many employees, you think, did take this option? In percent? Four, guys! only 4%. All the other people continued working as they did before. Well, work is not correct here. grub away as they used to. That’s why in the Tokyo subway there are so many sleeping people. They just got awfully exhausted. But it is fair to say that during my visit lots of Japanese people let themselves to get relaxed. Hey, buddies, believe me or not, but just right when I came here, sakura turned in blossom. Well, fine! I'm kidding. Of course, I laid out my trip the way to get to Japan approximately at the period of the flowering trees. And, voila! The buds unfurled! So guys, let me show you one of the most iconic, non-calendar celebrations in Japan. And the name of this heavy event is Hanami. Hanami is quite a short-term feast, it lasts about 7-10 days, and you’ve got to be lucky to catch and witness it. So every year for each separate region of Japan they make forecast maps indicating the place and the dates for each region individually when sakura is blooming. The flowering trees do not stop the every-day life of the Japanese. Not at all. But it is like a short pit-stop to recharge batteries after a crazy race called work, to meditate upon the eternal, to admire promenade, parks, gardens. Some of them are just drowning in flowering sakura branches. And when the sun comes up, and the sky becomes uniformly blue, this is surely a thrill! Feel like writing a Hokku! Too bad, I can’t. But you, make up something in comments. Oh gosh! What a cheap trick! Never mind! Another special thing about hanami is a tradition of the Japanese to get together under the trees: eat, drink and have fun. And taking away the pathetic element from this, the Japanese treat the sakura blooming period as we treat the My Day celebrations. But without shashlyk, and with way less amount of alcohol. I understand, that now looking at these pictures, you can hardly believe in it. But I shot all this on a weekday. And now let me show what's going on under the sakura at weekends. Pretty good crowd! It is buzzing here! Everybody is talking. They are cheering, drinking and just having fun. Simply, wow! Celebration indeed! That is so nice! Traditions are traditions! The Japanese always take off shoes when they come inside. And even though It is just a tarpaulin, blue tarpaulin, quite uncostly, but still, they take off their shoes. So cute! They even arrange them. Such a home atmosphere here! And that’s so cool! The atmosphere: “Fill it up, I’ll drink it down”. Back then, I kept my romantic balance, but a few days later, it was jam-packed literally. And that looked like the May Day celebrations indeed! And now, my friends, I am going to show you the line to, probably, the main park of the flowering trees. Cause the number of sakura trees here is more than 1500. And the park is called Shinjuku Gyo-en. [Line to the sakura park] As you understand, it is only a part of the line. And the other part of it... just out of sight. And this is one of four lines leading only to the park entrance. I am telling you this to make it clear if you are going to see sakura in Tokyo, get ready for long lines and enormous number of people with cellphones. Darlings, I took this break on purpose for you to check today's date. The May Day celebrations are coming! And if you want to fly somewhere, feel free to use cheap tickets search service Aviasales. And tap the low price map! Emm... It is a bit pricey to fly to the Maldives, that was actually obvious. New York is even cheaper. But there are some good options for flights to Italy and Spain. Aviasales low price map is a very convenient thing. It allows you to compare prices for different destinations, and pick out the best vacation spot. So, go for it! Check out the link in a description section! A new place I managed to visit this time in Tokyo was project Borderless by teamLab. To get there and see it I had to stand in line for about 40 minutes. But, it was worth it! The project is made as huge halls in area size with professionally made light installation. I’ve seen some in other countries, but this one surely hits the top! This show can take you, I guess, the whole day. There are plenty of different rooms, but I picked out two to show you. They're the coolest ones. The first one is the room with spotlights. To get into the second one, it took me another half an hour to stand in a line. The Japanese really rock in technologies. Traditionally! Listen, guys! This time I picked out a fantastic thing to stay in, called a capsule hotel. I’ve lived in four different ones, so I’ve got something to share. But I’ll make a separate episode about this. And now, I’d like to show you what apartments not tourists, but the Japanese themselves live in. And Masha will help me with this. She’s a girl I accidentally met in Tokyo, Of course, I couldn’t help but wangling an invitation! [Masha] Check out the space. [Anton] Wow, it is just an entrance hall? In all honesty, I thought the apartment would be a little smaller. The price for such a place in a decent district is $1800 per month. There is no central heating in Japanese apartments. But they’re equipped with an aircon, and under-floor heating. In Masha’s apartment, I saw Japanese bathtubs for the first time in my life. You’ve already seen Japanese hi-tech toilets, but bathtubs that can speak happened to me for the first time. [Anton] You're setting the temperature of the water, right? [Masha] Yes. You can set the water temperature. And here are 7 minutes. It takes 7 minutes to get filled. And in 7 minutes, it will tell me: It's done! ! Take a bath! And again, you fill a bathtub, then leave it, for, let’s say, 1 hour to do something. and it itself automatically maintains the temperature. How do you like this Elon Musk? As usual, we talked about every-day life and Masha showed me a Japanese book. [Masha] A book about cat's balls. I brought it from Cat island. One photographer there likes taking such pics. Didn't I tell you, the Japanese adore their pets? In every possible way. By the way, I presented a copy of the book. So, now I keep this weird stuff in my studio. Masha is a photographer, and as compared to me, she crisscrossed Japan literally. She’s just showed me pics, and I’ve got blown away a little. No more words! Just check this! Looking at this genuine, non-urban Japan, I felt like leaving Tokyo as soon as possible. And actually, I'm going to do this soon. And if you want more photos of beautiful Japan, check Masha’s Instagram account. Look! I am not a food blogger, and I rarely picture food. Firstly, I don’t have time for this. Secondly, I don’t care much about food stuff. But, here in Tokyo, it’s a sin not to show some food. Today I’m going to show you one of the best Ramen spots in Tokyo… and the line to it. [15 minutes in line] I thought: Finally! I can go and eat. But nope, here is the second line. [30 minutes in line] I’ve been waiting for half an hour already. This damn ramen has to be straight fire! Here we’ve got a machine. You pick out the option and insert money. It’s just hilarious! Another line even after I got a ticket. Here is a special panel showing available seats and occupied ones. There are a lot of available seats, but I can’t understand why I am not having a seat. I’m still not eating. [55 minutes in line] All in all, it looks like a computer club, for real. The only difference they do not hit the Counter-Strike here, but gobbling, I mean, eat ramen. [Ramen] I asked to bring ramen without pork, but it turned out, ramen can’t go without pork. So I’ve got meatless ramen. So what do we face? I've been waiting for more than an hour just to slurp noodles. By the way, it’s been the most delicious noodles ever! Meanwhile, I headed to the district of flashy signs and electronic stuff It's called Akihabara. It is a lair of gamers. And here you can literally immerse into the 90th. Yo-yo is still alive here. And what is more, they throw yo-yo championships. Judging this guy's skill, he practices it every day. The Japanese, in general, adore playing. You run into a video games commercial at every corner. No wonder, it is Tokyo that has a retro games store. This store brings old school to life. Here you can buy whichever game of the 90th you want. And here, just imagine! They sell cartridges! New and unsealed! In 2019! 20 bucks for one! And somebody surely buys them. But the main thing I found in this store check this! Look familiar? My heart is broken, I thought it was we who made up The Wolf Catches Eggs, but it turned out, it was stolen from the Japanese! Akihabara also hosts Owl Café. Here you can see different funny owls, and even pat them. Most of the time, owls are staring at something. But if you call them: Boris! Alesha, look at me! They react. [Bro, are you ok?] [Wink if yes] To cut it short, Owls are real cuties. It's 5.30 am, I am leaving Tokyo in 1,5 hours. And, as bad luck would have it, the sun came up, the weather is wonderful and I thought I thought I just couldn’t help but treat you with the view of stunning morning Tokyo. respect each other”. And it’s absolutely true! Amazing city! Wish you at least once in your life to visit it! So, now it is time to see what Japan is like beyond Tokyo. You see, local taxicabs are just a perfect example of home comfort. Look at this! Beautiful embroidered covers. Hand made! Just check this! It lacks only a vase and Alexander Rosenbaum’s vinyls. And here it is! Pagoda! It is, perhaps, the best known Japanese pagoda. And, probably, the most famous view of Japan. And the main iconic symbol of the country is somewhere here, hiding behind the clouds. This is how Mount Fuji looks 260 days a year. To witness it cloudless, it’s like to hit the lottery. And today is not my day. Another mishappening, trees you see in the foreground are sakura. That's a pity! We are about 150 km or even closer from Tokyo, but it’s way colder here! That’s why sakura buds (all around here) haven’t unfurled yet here. And now the most interesting thing! Mount Fuji, also known as Fujiyama, is the most sacred peak in Japan. Because it is the highest one, about 3700 meters or something. It is a volcano. It is subactive now, but the last time it erupted was in 1700, and that caused big-bada-boom. And this big-bada-boom is privately owned. The peak belongs to a Shinto shrine. Not much of an asset, in all honesty. Having experienced riding our taxicabs with your-jeans-proof covers not to wear out and make dirty back seats to take one with white snow seats, it is really... something unbelievable. While we’re on our way to a hotel, I decided to pop into one more place. This thing that was made up by the Japanese. I heard, some other countries also have it, but best of all, it is carried out exactly here. First time when I saw the thing I am going to show you, I just called it genius. No more spoilers! Just check it out! It's absolutely amazing! Listen! [The car’s tires emit the sound] [Now you’ll hear a little better] Give a hand! Now we’ll make a U-turn, and give it a listen one more time. The key point here is, it is not just an attraction, but a speed-limit device! Because you can catch the sound only if you move at 40-45 km per hour. The faster you drive, the worse you hear the sound. This absolutely genius thing was the brainchild of a Japanese guy. When he... He was an excavator driver, and he accidentally scraped some markings into a road with a scoop. And he heard that as he drove along the road, it produces sound. This Melody road is pure and simple notches in the road surface cut at very specific intervals. And that’s it! Absolutely simple, but genius idea. Japan, that's a good point! [Taxi – $45] If you hear a voice, far in the air. In Japan, in small towns, in those, I’ve been to, and I heard this in Fukushima, there are quite a number of loudspeakers. As far as I understand, it is earthquake safety alert system. And earthquakes strike Japan [*and tsunami] up to 1500. And here it is! It's droning on for the entire town to hear. I've got a quick check-in in a local hotel where I was going to stay overnight with the window looking out on this view. Taking a taxi in Japan is awfully pricey. So I had to take less comfortable means of transport the hotel offered me totally free of charge. It started snowing. Now way for sakura to bloom! Since all these bikes are designed for the Japanese. They are all awfully law. And it's impossible to pull up the seat. Looking like a weirdo’s riding a bike. My knees are just touching my ears. It’s as if Heads and Tails goes south. I'm serious! To get to the location by bike I haven’t experienced this before! [It started snowing again] [And it's 17 km away] All in all 2 hours. It took me almost 2 hours to get to this forest, and as you probably understand, it is not a usual forest. In Japanese it is called Aokigahara, but, perhaps, you know the other name. [Aokigahara is the most common place to commit suicide]. [Every year about 100 people die by their own hand here]. And this place is the second most likely site in the world to commit suicide, after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. [The forest is also called JUKAI - "the sea of trees"]. [The forest lies at the base of Mount Fuji]. [There is a specific sign at the entrance to the forest]. [Your life is an inestimable blessing from your parents. Think about them and your family. You do not have to suffer alone. Call us]. There are special services here workers of which walk around the forest searching for bodies remains. And they regularly find them. Fortunately, a lot of people come here they live here in tents for a few days thinking over life and death, and then leave. And of course, it's very good. They leave here their tents and some personal stuff. All of this stuff is abundant in this forest. [It seemed to me I saw a tent]. It seemed as if I saw a tent. I want to make sure whether it is a tent, or what I saw wasn't there. [No sensation. It was an umbrella)]. The place is really gloomy. But, perhaps, it’s all the fault of the weather. Surprisingly, well short here I saw a car, it was a car accident, or somebody just left it. It’s a common practice to leave cars here. People who come here, and they're not going to come back They came, and leave wheels just right here. Don’t know, maybe, that is one of the cars. I would go farther in the forest, but it is snowing heavier, it got much colder, and it gets dark in an hour. So... Let’s get out of here! Jesus Christ! How should I get back? [Locals are celebrating snow]. After you see people celebrating snow, you realize something is probably wrong with your country. Well, guys, it really sucks! I’ve just tried to unlock my smartphone with face id and in 30 sec I realized it was a bad idea. Even I wouldn’t recognize myself. It was snowing all night long, and in the morning the sky was absolutely clear. It means I was damn lucky to find Mount Fuji in one of 70 days in a year not obscured by clouds. And of course, I took advantage of this. I’ve got my hands frost-bitten. The temperature is 2 degrees below zero. Everything got swamped with snow overnight. But it is really worth it. This peaceful mount with the blue sky in the background, you’ve seen thousands of times in pictures charms and astonishes you. I was looking at it while I was waiting for a car, then while going to the station and even while I was waiting for a bus. Fuji held me too tightly. But I had to go further. to show you another Japan. It’s time to see the second capital of Japan, I mean former capital called Kyoto. Kyoto is the exact opposite to Tokyo. Here you won't find skyscrapers, crazy rush you run into in the capital. It is the traditional Japan many of us known by books and Akira Kurosawa's movies. In Kyoto, as the eye can see, there is a temple The city hosts more than 2000 temples. It will take not one week to visit them. There are also lots of classic Japanese buildings that go back centuries. And they’re all in their pristine condition. The fact all these architectural masterpieces survived to nowadays, it is a real miracle, because Kyoto was among the first cities in the list of atomic bombing from the direction of America. But the counselor of the American commission responsible for making up the list of the cities. He and his wife spent their honeymoon in Kyoto and after that he crossed Kyoto out of the bombing list. And added Nagasaki instead. This is how Kyoto avoided that sorrowful destiny. Thank God, this story went that way. And everyone who wants can experience a piece of genuine Japan called Kyoto. Girls wearing kimonos are out in the streets here. By the way, here about 300 geishas still pursue their profession. The city hosts old districts, and the local sakura's blossom is even more spectacular than in Tokyo. So, if you feel like experiencing the vibes of old Japan, hit the road for Kyoto. In Kyoto I’d like to show you two stunning place. We are heading for one of them with these shy Japanese girls in kimonos. Bamboo can grow up by a few centimeters in one hour. Even though this grove is not that old, but still you are always going with your head up, What's more, bamboo makes specific noise and gets swung by the wind. Just listen! To show you the other place, I had to get up very early in the morning. This is one of the best-known temples in Kyoto. I wished all of us happiness and wealth, but my handwriting sucks, so I beg your pardon in advance. I decided to close the chapter on Kyoto on tatami and in traditional interiors. Ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese house. I mean, adjusted to a hotel. And today I’m going to stay here. The Japanese, they are so cute! So, let's take a look at what we have here! [*house] In traditional Japanese hotels, it is unlikely to see a shopping mall out of the window, but... it as a modern Japanese hotel! so things happen. Darlings! I am ready to share my impressions about this amazing country. The last sentence wasn’t correct, but in general, something along those lines. I guess it's going to be the shortest feedback of all I’ve ever given on a country. The first time in Japan sticks in memory forever! All my friends who I talked to and who've visited Japan, each of them told that first time you feel like you're in the mirror-world. These are emotions of a lifetime! And it would be super great if you add Japan to your traveling bucket list. This is a beautiful and absolutely wonderful country. In every way a country can be wonderful. It calls to you loudly at every corner. I hope I could catch at least something interesting for your in this episode. Something you didn’t know about Japan. So, being in Japan for the third time, I realize that even the third time is not the last. This country definitely has something more to show and as usual, this something is beyond the borders of cities. Kampai. Go traveling! It is worth it! And drink green tea! in Japan it is super delicious.
