I do not understand the positive comments in this thread, this is so fucking cringe. I live in Japan and this type of idiot makes things worse for all of us foreigners. Yes, take study of the language seriously. Yes, talk to people and engage in genuine conversations with them. But this recording and publicizing it does NOTHING to further your language skills or understanding of the culture - it’s shameless self-aggrandizement at the cost of normal people trying to live their lives. Japan is not a people-zoo and Japanese people are not your personal PR platform, have some fucking respect.
I get you main point but not understanding why people think it’s nice it’s on you. I’m not a teen so I get the annoyance with filming everything, I don’t even have social media, but the young man was respectful and the old man seemed amused. At no point in this video I thought japan was a zoo. This happens all around the world in all cultures and countries it’s not specific to Japan. I hope you can understand the nice comments now.
Please see my comment to another poster below. There’s more specific context that makes this really not all right.
I don’t disagree with what you’re saying in principle, but this old man was under no obligation to humor this kid. He’s an adult who is fully capable of making his own decisions.
While yes, tourists going somewhere, filming aggressively, and treating foreign countries like a zoo is a problem, but there’s also something to be said for cultural exchange, and Just letting people be themselves.
I think showing these people eating dinner in their home is way more grounded and humanizing than the usual “I SHAT IN A JAPANESE FUTURE TOILET?!?! WOAH!!!” Kind of content that you see way more of.
this old man was under no obligation to humor this kid
Due to the concept of omotenasi, the Japanese do feel an obligation to humour guests. It’s best not confidently speak on behalf of someone you don’t know.
I might as well add that it’s frowned upon here to record people without their permission, even in public spaces, and even more so to upload said recording to the internet.
I can understand how certain contexts would create pressure to comply with social standards - like agreeing to the conversation, and to be filmed.
However, inviting the kid to his house for a meal was totally his idea - there was no pressure to even ask that.
Hell there’s a french dude that ran an entire TV program for more than a decade basically based on that premise. He goes to a country and tries to meet locals and spend the night in their home. It’s really interesting to see how random people from all over the world think about some things, how they actually live, etc
There’s an additional context going on in Japan right now that makes this about a lot more than just what YT content is out there.
Similar to other countries, there is an alarming rise in anti-foreigner sentiment lately, some of it caused by economic conditions (that frankly foreign residents are not responsible for) and a lot of it caused by extreme post-pandemic overtourism, stoking of nationalism with a dash of xenophobia from the Sanseito political party, as well as a rash of very badly behaving ‘influencers’ like Logan Paul, a bunch of people doing dumb disruptive shit on trains and one guy who was just hurling invective at people trying to pick a fight (not even going to mention his name b/c he doesn’t deserve a shred of attention. Still can’t believe that guy didn’t get shanked before he was deported).
The overall result being that, in general, people are sick to death of shit like this. And yeah, this kid seems to have good intentions, is being respectful in his speech (if not his conduct), I wouldn’t lump him in with the rest of the ‘troublemakers’ I mentioned, but the point is, as foreigners we don’t always get that chance. Just by coming up to someone at putting a camera in their face, you’re committing a significant social faux pas in Japan, and it’s exacerbated by an environment that is lately quite weary of foreigner shenanigans.
I overhear it in cafe conversations, I see it on people’s faces when they see my outwardly foreign appearance and I see it when I enter a restaurant and there’s a look of panic on the servers faces upon seeing me and then quickly looking to the manager until at last I speak some Japanese and they finally unclench. I’ve been here a while now, it hasn’t always been this bad.
Point is, this kid is being rather selfish and rocking the social boat in a way no one needs, and I hope that as he interacts with more people some of them will call him out on it and he’ll get wise.
As a small post-script to address your comment about how the old man was cool with it, that’s fine and dandy. Again, the issue is the kid using people as his personal study-aid without properly asking. Again, as an outwardly presenting foreigner I can’t count the number of times I’ve been approached in all kinds of situations by people I don’t know trying to get some free English practice (and yes, it’s VERY different than simply starting a conversation in English, it is blatantly exploitative). I’ll always be polite about it, but it’s incredibly rude to reduce someone to language practice in any context. And even then, if you want to interview people, ask 'em before turning the camera on.
That was refreshingly wholesome. 🥹
It’s so nice to see a kid being respectful and trying to understand a different culture. Makes me realize the whole world isn’t shit.
It’s kids like these that might actually save the species from the raggedy edge. Somehow. 🥹🥰
It’s hard for Americans to understand life outside of the big cities in Japan. There’s just no other races but Asian. Indian food, Korean/Chinese labor, and Malaysian tourism. Seeing a white person in some cities is like seeing Big Foot. The point being, if you try to speak the language, nothing else matters to the Japanese. Even if you’re shit at it (like me), the respect comes from the attempt to speak Japanese, not the fluency.
One trick. If you get REALLY lost and need to get somewhere, hold a train map upside down and hopelessly stare at the ceiling. A nice elderly person will usually stop to help you… again, because you’re trying to understand.
A Malaysian friend (interestingly in line with your stereotype there 🙃) said the Japanese were just the most helpful people.
He would politely ask someone a question in English when he’s lost. And they, in either broken or NO English at all, would nearly always try to help. Or at least go around helping him find someone else with functioning English.
A gentleman in business suit looked at his watch, thought for five seconds, then spent 15 minutes showing him he’s got the wrong ticket, helped him get the right ticket, and took him to the right platform. (This was a couple decades ago. I assume the tourist experience is more streamlined these days)
It’s hard for Americans to understand life outside of the big cities in Japan
I saw Non Non Biyori, it’s like that /s
Neat. And I could understand a lot of what was said, so yay for my really poor skills. It’s such a fun language.
If someone in the US asks you to come home and have dinner though, do not do so. Do not.
as an American, this is the correct answer.
if a stranger invites you to dinner at their home in America, you are the main course.
If they invite you to a nearby cafe , maybe.
Otherwise, hell no.
Need more stuff like this
that was lovely
That was really sweet
baka gaijin 🥹
He made that guy’s week. When was the last time either of them had company over?
Adorable. Anyone got the source? I’d follow this kid’s adventures.
A reverse image search took me to reddit where someone replied with:
https://www.instagram.com/im_kyle_metcalf
Imginn link:
This should be higher up!
(OP, edit this into the post for visibility?)
That was very sweet
Love to see people meeting people and seeing we’re all alike regardless of language or culture. Making friends, meeting the fam, enjoying a meal - what a great way to see the world.
This made my day. ☺️
Amazing!
