MAJOR CULTURE SHOCKS IN JAPAN! We're Americans that Moved from Germany!

hey guys welcome to this video if you're  new here we're Americans in 2021 we moved   from the USA to Germany where we had three  beautiful years there and now we've recently   moved to Japan today's video is all about  the culture shocks that we're experiencing   here in this new country we're going to  be talking about driving traffic language   things being kid-friendly the people here  how things are oddly very quiet and also   how some places are super over stimulating  so we're going to be talking about it all   and we're excited for you to learn and be  with us on the journey what are you doing baby and will do you like looking back at Germany pictures  that was me yeah good morning from Japan you guys   right now will woke up Noah woke up and we're  just taking some time to look back at some   pictures her little German friend me and her mom  communicate and they send us updates once in a   while so it was that time again to show her some  new photos from Germany and today she said that   she really really misses her friends but she has  the biggest smile when she sees her pictures it's   these moments you guys it's these moments that  are really difficult um I'm not going to lie our   experience honestly you guys has went better  than I could have ever expected we're really   happy um yes of course they miss Germany like we  will never ever ever forget Germany our memories   there the people we're trying to maintain  the relationships with individuals there we   just have all but happy thoughts oh we just love  Germany and we'll be back sometime for now we're   trying to really embrace our new life and like I  was saying I've been just so happy with how the   transition's been especially for Willis she's  just a little happy girl here but like I said   these moments sometimes they do put a little doubt  on questioning into my mind because we're still   looking for school for Willa and there's a lot  to do to transition over here Noah anyways just   thought I'd give an update that that's the  reality of doing this xat thing that's the   reality of moving with Littles it's much harder  doing it with kids but it's also super fun to do   it with them so we're learning both we're going  to go now cuz she's trying to get the camera my how's Japan going thumbs up baby you like it   here bag Noah put her Noah says she does  huh you sunglasses she's like wet in the world well despite the train going that way I'm  determined we're going to see if we can   make it all the way up here it's a good workout  right here we've made it to cama flower Park and   we're going to be going to see the Godzilla  slide just kind of explore um another local   place to see here and the dinosaur the Godzilla  huh so we're on our way up just like the first   100 M up here there's a bunch of white felt  or fabric that's over the flower beds so I   imagine that's to try and keep like the bulbs  or any of the flowers that are sted to grow   from freezing there are a lot of places for the  flowers to be I'm feeling the burn right [Music] now fast [Music] come here baby [Music] girl whoa look at this [Music] one all right so we're going to be talking about  some of the culture shocks that we we've been   experiencing here in Japan and honestly the first  one is this this morning like why is someone going   to be fishing next to these giant power lines like  I have no idea why someone would be fishing or   casting up here like we're several hundred feet  above the sea far away from any water or Rivers   maybe it's just like a standard one that they put  out here but we saw walking up here and I had to   laugh and pointed out that it makes sense don't  fly a kite right next to them but like fishing   like casting maybe people practice on dry land I  don't know honestly it's really fun coming to just   like a very local park here of course the Godzilla  is like a fun slide like what a fun creative idea   to have this themed Park um after Godzilla um  but like just this morning it's all just other   Japanese families with their kids just enjoying  um a rather brisk morning here I think that's   one of the culture socks that we did experience  the first few weeks being here is just noticing   that the playgrounds were kind of like luster in  comparison to the ones in Europe especially in   Germany I remember so many playgrounds looking  at that and saying like wow like this city has   thrown in hundreds and thousands of dollars to  put together this really well thought out and   constructed playground and then you come here  and a lot of times it's just like that little   small rock that they have for like the surface  and then maybe maybe like a little um uh spring   horse or spring animal or something and just like  very small playsets which is fine especially for   like the younger kids and stuff but definitely  a big shock as far as coming to what we were   used to seeing this park up here honestly it's  fun on a slant lots of slides lots of like uh   challenging obstacles which is really good to  see Willa is loving it and uh Noah is not far   behind one of the culture shocks that took both  Rissa and I by surprise was something we probably   never would have even thought of although it's  not really that like foreign of an idea and it   makes a lot of sense is having people who their  full-time job is to wave a little light stick or   baton and direct traffic from going in or out of  parking lots onto busy roads this is something   that we've seen quite a bit at any store that's  on like a busier Road especially around like   yosa and then like we've seen it at Ikea we've  seen it at several other stores there are people   who are dressed up in like rang gear reflective  vests and they have like the little light sticks   and they are like telling people when they can  exit out onto the main road and it makes sense   it really does especially where it's not like at  a stoplight and there's a lot of traffic but it   definitely shows the thought process and the extra  precaution that goes into Transportation here in   Japan we know that Transportation safety here in  Japan is extremely extremely high and is regarded   as one of the best in the world if not the best  best as far as Transportation safety so even   though the roads people are only going 40 to 50 km  an hour passing that they would still have someone   there to make sure that they can get onto the road  safely and avoid a collision another unexpected   culture shock is that I'm actually not sitting on  a bench that's meant to be just like a bench it   is doubles as a like a back stretcher and stuff  and then there's a bench over here and a bench   over there one for sit-ups and one for Lake dips  anyway beside that point the next one we wanted   to talk about is is just how quiet everything  is okay now many of you guys know Japanese are   very respectful and very polite when it comes to  others like space and their experiences and this   was very apparent the first time we were on public  transportation like you get on the train and it   was just so quiet like unbelievably quiet people  are on the phone they're not blaring music when   they do have their conversations they just keep  them quietly and close with each other uh which   makes honestly for a really good experience but  that also goes for like neighborhood several of   the houses that we were touring and even our own  neighborhood there's not like a lot of loud stuff   going on of course there's like cars passing  if you are on a busy road but even then it's   still really quiet I'm pretty sure that like  the sirens on fire trucks and ambulances are   like nowhere to the same level at least it seems  like it's not I would have to research that one   but it seems quite quiet the next culture shock  that shouldn't surprise anybody who has visited   Japan or even thinks about going to Japan would be  the language so this is something that we totally   expected to have here we'd heard from many people  and I think it's just becoming more apparent as   we're exploring we're going to restaurants we're  going to hotels and we're starting to see more of   the common habits when we ask if someone speaks  English um or we try to speak with them and a   lot of it has to do with how comfortable they are  I think with speaking the language I don't blame   them it was the same with German for me although  I tried as much as I could and even right now with   Japanese I'm still trying to use what words and  phrases I know but it can be a little intimidating   and maybe even a little embarrassing to not be  fluent or even to fully understand understand   or fully say something right so I'm gathering  that more people do know how to speak English   or at least they know a little bit from schooling  but they're just more intimidated or embarrassed   to try and speak so they will say no we just went  to a bike store yesterday to look at getting one   of those mamachari uh the bikes that have the kids  in the back and the basket in the front and it was   kind of difficult because we had to use Google  Translate the whole time language definitely   has been more difficult here than it was in  Germany and with that characters seeing the   Japanese characters Katakana hiragana and kanji  has been really difficult I've learned some but   like you still have to learn the characters and  then you have to know like the sounds and then   put them all together and that means a word it's  not that they have a certain meaning each of the   characters and the sounds and that even especially  goes for kanji or the Chinese characters so it can   get really confusing even when we're just trying  to look at something it's harder than ever to try   and piece together what it says that being said  there's a lot of the Roman alphabet that's posted   on like road signs street signs restaurant signs  Etc that does make it quite easy and convenient   to recognize where things are so it's not like  we're going out completely blind aimless have   nowhere to go have to translate everything  but it definitely is more difficult my brain   is still trying to learn and put together all of  the characters and then try to make sense of them   I'm still definitely trying to learn Japanese  a little bit every day and will is definitely   showing an interest it's really fun for her to  try and practice drawing the characters saying   the syllables and uh learning little phrases here  and there time will tell but I already know that   it's not going to be the same where I felt quite  comfortable speaking to people asking questions   in Germany it's taking a lot longer here um  as was expected next talking about driving   now before we came to Japan we were thinking that  everybody was going to be traveling on trains and   public transportation of course we know that there  was cars right we had a Subaru before I've had a   Toyota before I knew that there are a lot of great  Japanese vehicles that are made here so of course   there are going to be lots of great Japanese  vehicles here but I don't think I realized   how many there would be compared to the public  transportation system that is like world renowned   right I guess I was expecting it to be a lot more  of that public transportation but even like in New   York and cities where there are a lot of people  who don't have vehicles there's still a lot of   cars right I guess it's just that first impression  that you have and then you get here and you see   how many people drive but we were quite surprised  when we got here we were looking for vehicles   and just how many vehicles are available and how  many vehicles go to like these car auctions every   week tens and hundreds of thousands that come in  every week and month to get auctioned off and as   they're getting like new vehicles um it's quite  surprising honestly and with that being said we   have been really surprised to hear how many people  like fellow Americans and then even hearing about   other Japanese who they will drive into like  Yokohama and Tokyo with their cars rather than   taking public transportation for us that was a bit  of a culture shock because we just assumed we are   never going to be driving into Tokyo we'll just  hop on the train and go because because I don't   want to drive into Tokyo but we had someone tell  us that they had bought a certain vehicle because   they wanted it to be small enough so they could  drive into Tokyo and they said that they love   driving into Tokyo and that it was really nice  to find parking spots with a small vehicle and   that was just really hard for me to like I guess  understand maybe comprehend I just assumed that   parking was extremely difficult to find and that  driving would just be like I wouldn't want to do   it and I mean I've driven in some bigger cities  around Europe and in the States but like nothing   compared to like what Tokyo is so I guess I just  never had imagine doing that but apparently that's   a thing which we haven't experienced that quite  yet um so to be determined and how we like feel   about that and if we do end up driving in there  but really kind of surprising that people were   driving into the huge Tokyo Metropolis rather  than just taking public transportation here she   goes that tick that tickle my tummy does that  tickle your tummy so I'm walking down to find   a place to sit and chat with you guys I'm still  in shock that we live so close to the coast so   wild to me I'm not used to that this is the  first time we've really ever lived close to   the ocean except for one short summer for just a  couple months in California which we loved so fun   to like have this experience and maybe we will  become Coastal people okay funny of course after   walking to try and find a spot the best place was  where Tanner was we have to be honest you guys we   are really loving Japan and that's a good thing  that's what we hoped for we wanted we wouldn't   say it has come necessarily easy as you guys have  seen some of it and you will see soon this house   hunting Journey has been quite the process and not  only that but choosing a school for Willa has also   come with its challenges we literally have toured  every International School in the area we've also   went to multiple different Japanese schools I'm  not exactly sure how much we will share of that   experience are you guys interested let us know  in the comments if you are but we've now finally   found one and that feels really good and soon we  think we're going to make a decision about the   house so progress is being made we can now just  start to enjoy this is like a fun day for us to be   able to be out here enjoy just some of our local  area be out more in nature and just have fun with   our girls like will is absolutely having a blast  and it's fun for us to see that was actually one   of our concerns with moving here was not having  adequate playgrounds in Green Space and although   I have to be honest and say it's not you know up  to German standards I mean this park itself is   awesome speaking of playgrounds and kids I want to  say that I feel like a lot of Japanese people in   general just have a concern for children here like  I knew before coming that Japanese children at a   young age are riding on the trains by themselves  they're walking in the streets by themselves   they're very independent very you know smart  capable children they are everywhere but I feel   like here the parents are just allowing them to  do that and it's more of like the community that's   keeping their watch on these children and we came  from a small town in Germany so maybe that's why   it's so much of a shock I'm always surprised when  and I see it and I have to ask myself like will I   allow Willet to do that soon she's going to be  going to school she's going to be riding a bus   like obviously there's just that part of like me  as a mother like reminding myself will is growing   up she's not a baby she's capable give her the  responsibility and trust that you know but also   like I want her to be safe and come home in like  one piece but again there's such like a community   focus on the kids here and I noticed that the  moment I came off from the plane people with kids   tend to be like just well taken care of I guess  my expectations have been surpassed anyways I   want to talk about some other culture shocks so  Tanner told me he mentioned how quiet it's been   and that's been really nice and pleasant but I do  have to say there are some stores that we've went   into that are like sensory overload if you guys  watched our second video ever here in Japan we   went into a store that was just like wow it was  a lot to be honest there was music playing there   was strong scents like perfume scents there was  like lights kind of going off like blinking noises   flashing lights stuff from like head to toe it was  a lot to take in we've also noticed that there's a   similar experience not quite as intense but a lot  going on in the electronic stores so I think it's   a lot to do with like the marketing and the signs  and you can kind of tell like that's like more of   their normal and maybe it's more catchy for them  and it's like better marketing and they get more   sales when it's kind of busy like that but for  me it's like a little overstimulating and like   wow like there's so many signs also when it  comes to food which we have also absolutely   loved here in Japan it's been so fun to explore  and if you havn't seen our Japanese food video be   sure to watch that one this was our first like  experience taste testing a few different types   of foods here in Japan and since then we've just  been like devouring so much and we'll be sharing   more of our experiences with you talking about  Japanese food I've been very surprised at how   much meat Japanese people have been consuming  and when I mean meat I mean more like beef and   pork we knew Seafood was huge and very popular  here but I guess I didn't really understand how   much beef and pork and even chicken was consumed  here um that's probably just because of like the   barbecue the Japanese barbecue here that we have  I'm not going to lie it is super delicious and the   wagu beef here is like amazing quality it's like  thin strips so it's not like a huge thick you know   slice and thick piece you pay extra at most places  to get the high quality beef and it's good but   again I was just surprised even in the stores  like there's quite a large selection of beef available [Music] Wooh so this is Willis's timer 5 minutes for 300 Yen oh oh baby what is  this this is lavender vanilla mix I only got the   lavender for you R I hope you know that because I  don't like lavender that much but it was mixed so   I get to have the vanilla side okay and you know  Willow will love the purple huh you want to try it I feel so bad because my child my little  no is in the background just wanting it she's   too little this is good unique I'm surprised  that there's lavender here I guess it makes   sense with the flowers that will be in bloom  soon man having two kids you get something   and then you hardly have it so Tanner was  put in charge of lunch today and this is   where We've Ended up sitting basically on  a corner in a restaurant where you order a   a like vending machine and we got ourselves  some Ramen it looks like Tanner has the egg   flavored Ramen I think is how Google translated  it and then pioa which is becoming a favorite of ours so cute then watch watch my went from seeing the view of it from the  Godzilla Park to now standing right here   by the ocean still a shock that we  live so close but it's relaxing and calming well there you go that's it for this video  you guys appreciate the support and all the new   faces it's fun to see people from different  backgrounds especially those who have lived   in Japan which were coming to find out is a lot  of people so thanks for joining us we hope that   you continue subscribing and following our Channel  also don't forget to check out our patreon page we   love the support and it does help us create these  videos and content because it does take a lot of   time so if you want to support us you can go ahead  and join there for just a little bit every month   plus you're going to get some special content  that we don't post here on the YouTube channel   thanks again for watching be sure to continue  following along our adventures here in [Music] Japan called [Music] fishing

Channel: Our Story to Tell

Views: 14,224

Keywords: movingtojapan, japantravel, familytravelvlog, tokyojapan, familyinjapan, japanvlog, traveljapan, americansinjapan, wemovedtojapan, wemovedtotokyo

Id: QLsJ9hirPhY

Length: 20min 44sec (1244 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 03 2024