What I Learned From Living in Japan (part 2)

[WolframvonBielefeld9]

I love the culture of Japan and the manga/anime and have done since Cardcaptor Sakura showed on CBBC as a kid:D:D

[MissJaedeykins]

I'm learning Japanese and I'm saving up to go to Japan when I graduate High School. I am ENTIRELY in love with the Japanese culture, however, what sparked my interest for Japan when I was a wee seven year old, was in fact their beloved anime! Can't I be both an anime geek and a person that sincerely loves Japanese culture? Fantastic videos, they've really helped me a lot, but I don't really think that last part was necessary. You're assuming we're all freaky, hentai watching weirdos.

[1LittleMermaidFan]

I read like hard cover Superman/Batman book on the bus and rarely I see people read books on the bus because they are either texting, talking to their friend or on their I phone which I don't want to by or bring to the bus because I'm afraid of people snatching it from my hand. I hope one of these days I would go to Japan because it looks really neat to visit and pretty too

[nextworld5]

hey so i live in Texas as well and i was wondering what school did u go to in order to do this

i would LOVE to take a trip to Japan for 6 months.

[rumbler227]

lol "tentacle sex" Awwwwwww yeeeaaaaahhhhh! :)

[animegirl97kak]

My friend and i live in Texas and we want to go to japan so i want to say thank you for your vids they helped me get a lot of info.

[animegirl97kak]

shame on all you people being mean to her. Shes giving a lot of good pointers.

[WinterPegWalker]

Wow...this really changed my view of you. *shakes head*

[lostsarph]

Saying "nerd" is a really ignorant, derogatory way of saying it, dislike.

[brotherannie]

@lostsarph "Nerd" is never derogatory or bad in my book.

[ShepherdFTW]

@lostsarph Dont bitch.

[hastalavista567]

otaku means "you". not geek. if you really have begun to love japan then insulting people who enjoy one of their major businesses would be insulting japan itself. be more open mided because anime isnt tentacle sex. you of all people should know that

[brotherannie]

@hastalavista567 お宅 might mean 'you' (your family/house), but オタク is definitely geek.

[kanadajin3]

otaku is a insult, those who think otaku means fan, it doesnt.noone should call themselves it westerners misuse this world. as for anime and manga, it certianly is more normal to read and watch it, you wont be classified as a nerd. people who are very obsessed with it, and it consumes their life, they have no friends and dont come outta their house (otaku) are geeks though.

[burnstagger]

Not pretentious - just more aware of how much the US really sucks.

[marioman756]

I understand both sides of the "learning Japanese solely for understanding anime/mange". I personally am a hybrid of both of them, meaning anime was my introduction and window to a culture very different from mine, and I do still love it, but I then developed actual interest in the people, culture, and language. To me, just listening to the language is an exciting experience since it sounds cool and flows in a very unique way compared to English, and has very different mannerisms and nuances

[pakak8rain]

You filmed this video before you were going to somewhere, didn't you? Somewhere with a dress code? >:3

[AleKaiLin]

i´m really intrested in manga and anime, but I also liked the japanese culture, even before i knew about manga and anime. I want to go to japan and any country really :3 other cultures are really intresting :D 

[bybykitty14]

When first started to learn japanise it wasent because i liked anime actually, it was because i had a friend from japan and i wanted to talk to her in her own language, but as i learned more japanise i really began to just love japan,i still kind of like anime but i feel like im growing out of it,now I just want to know about japan,

[kageyami11]

I'm not rich... I just work hard. :3

[Angel4534]

It's not either or. You can still like anime and be interested in Japanese culture.

[madiboyd95]

that doesnt mean im not a slight nerd myself. XD

[madiboyd95]

I would love to go to japan. Its funny because anime/ manga is what started my intrest in going. XD Now alot of anime fans annoy me because they take manga seriously. :P it seems like the majority of anime fans think japan is a place full of otaku's, maid caffee's, wierd fassion, hot guys and a high level of highschool romance. Thank you so much for making these videos. Its making me want to go to japan 10x more~! I love the culture so much and would love to be part of the comunity. :D

[ZetaAdele]

@madiboyd95 OMG I know what you mean! In general, I love Anime/Manga and I'd say I'm a pretty big Otaku, but overall I respect Japan for its culture and history.I only started reading Anime/Manga after we studied Japan in school for around 6 months and I got so interested in their unique culture. I know lots of people who think Japan is crazy and what not and it really bugs me! I tend to take Anime/Manga as fun entertainment but not a reflection of any sort of actual Japanese culture :3

[madiboyd95]

@ZetaAdele Yayz! someone understands me! I know what you mean. It hurts me a little inside every time someone says japan is wierd or inslults it as a whole..... But then i think "Yea, i guess the culture is strange.... just as america may be strange to people in japan." so i have to bite my toung. They just arent exposed to the culture. XD

[takoyakiworld100000]

日本語訳：日本はいい国です。　おそらく・・・。

[filipamd]

I know exaclty what you mean about people whining when they travel to a foreign country. When I went to london (I'm from portugal) with some other people from my school one of the girls was constantly bitching about the food at meal time. 'Oh blah my mother never makes me this, oh this is so gross, oh my gosh I don't like this.' I actually flipped out and yelled 'shut up and eat!'...

seriously, why go to a foreign country if you can't handle trying different things? it irritates me

[jack21510001]

I want to visit australia, new zealand, germany, and russia

[volleyball994pimp]

I love how you keep calling people who like aime those people like they have a sickess or something.

[brotherannie]

@volleyball994pimp I know right? They are so gross, omg LOL.

[brotherannie]

@brotherannie PS - that is sarcasm. I love me some nerds.

[volleyball994pimp]

@brotherannie i also love some nerds, seeing as i'm a nerd. and a member of japanese culture club at my school.lol

[XGosaiTankuX]

Annie, the purpose of the clip at the end?? You got a date!? Wearing a dress and keeping track of time. XD

[ujan0zbas]

You really do make sense :) Preach sister lolz <3

[MrMedic26]

Of course traveling does not make you a better person, but it may change who you are and how you view things so in some ways it does change your personality. Specially if when you visit a different country you immerse yourself in their culture and see things the way they do.

[tubaplayer67]

im from texas- SAN ANTONIO!!! XD

[LizzyLuvs111]

On topic number 4 I started out as an anime NERD!!! I would watch it when I got home from school unto the point I left from school. And even to this day You can explain an episode to me and I'll tell you the name and the episode number. But on with the point I started really getting into the culture and this nerdy stuff was at least 4-6 years ago so now that I'm older I'm planning to move to Japan and I'm really excited... :)

[jakahler]

I must disagree with your manga and anime statement... i mean sure people might not read it on the train and what not..... i mean we Otaku don't believe that..... but there is manga in a lot of stores......

[EmeraldHayez]

On learning the culture through a language, that is so true! There are so many words in Japanese that have concepts that we don't have in America. They are exciting to learn, but difficult because my teacher is American!

[theworldGodonlyknows]

We can do it! lol

[RainbowZebra99]

I agree. You can learn about culture just through the language. For example, they are formal and informal ways to say lots of Japanese phrases, like Good Morning and Are You Well? Just from this you learn that the Japanese are polite people. But we all knew that anyways xD

And my town in England, everybody takes their shoes off. But I don't know anybody else who sits on the floor. Maybe I'm too obsessed with Japan :D

[ame6603]

There is a big difference in someone who wants to see another country, and someone who wants to learn about and experience other cultures.

[poli21]

just because people travel doesnt mean that they have money, it means that they got balls to leave their homes, they got ambitions

[Destruction3402]

@poli21 Ambitions... ...and money.

Some people can't even pay for their food, I don't think those people would prioritize travels over their own survival.

[poli21]

@Destruction3402 well then nice to meet you, im one of those people that would

[shwaki1102]

I really agree what you said, not to judge another culture basaed on our own standpoint.

Thank you for your good video:)youre very nice

sorry for my immature English!!

[shwaki1102]

hi I'm Japanese, but currently live in the US, SC.

I'm very glad you know about Japan.

I wish all American are like you.

A lot of people in my host town think Japan is not modernized and sometimes they ask me such a stupid question like Do you have a TV in Japan?

Can you kill people in Japan? Do you eat raw dogs?

hey Spanish Hasta la vista speak spanish..

I think it's because this place is too country.I think this is one of interest things I can learn here tho.

[GKrome]

Where did you go to College in the States? Everyone who took Japanese classes with me didn't care about Anime or Manga. I wrote a paper on Ghost in the Shell (because it rocks) but it has a lot of themes on buddhist philosophy and shinto religious tenets.

also... LANGUAGE IS CULTURE!!!

[CatAnneHarris]

Was your program in school through a college or high school?

[bloodtearalchemist]

Still, if it were between being a geek here and being a geek in Japan, I'd choose to be a geek in Japan any day~

[colombiak]

All she said was right, she is really matured, very smart, and she sure knows how to express.

[avnair]

when its comes to respect some person in position they will not incase they are paying for it, they will check which country you from and what color you look. It has been horrible and many more that i just wish never to return to that country. although everyone would have had different opinion.

[avnair]

I've lived for 5 years in Japan. although i would say i like the country as a students point of view to interact and view more interesting things which might not be there in your country. To cut deep into the japanese culture ive taken up work and teaching. I had been interested how people behave with foreigner when the work or pay them or have to respect them. They actually change degrees and are really pathetic people ive come across.

[TreesAreYourFriend]

LMAO Tentacle sex 

[drewnetwork]

As a hypothetical person who has stood on every continent, except Antarctica -- yes, I'm "cultured," and yes that makes me a "good person," a "better person," and a "smarter person." Also, Texas is more exotic than France or Japan.

And, although I never thought about it before watching this video -- you've inspired me to "flaunt it like the Messiah."

[PumpkinTale]

I love what you said about otakus. I'm not one myself even though I love manga but I hate when people bash them and what you said is so right. =)

[eternalcolours]

I might go to Japan as a foriegn student. >.< I'm from Texas and I am currently learning my Japanese and Kanji. My friend is saving up her money to go there when she turns 18 (she been saving since she was 7 or 10). Anways, I just hope I will be able to go when I turn 15 or 16. I mainly want to go to expierience the culture and prove to my family that Japan is a wonderful place and not some horrible, violet country. So, hopefully, JAPAN HERE I COME! :D

[celestexxwolf]

I like anime and manga/comics. But I wanted to learn japanese because of the music. :)

[shabutie1337]

are you from the dallas area?

[carlking11]

Dude.. i nsweden we take off our shoes always.. expt school haha

[AyuLIN]

You're so right! My sister has been working at a travel agency for several years now... and she had a lot of customers who actually complained about the food in the countries they were traveling to, because they had no German food there (I'm from Germany)... I mean... hello? Why do you visit another country if you expect it to be exactly like at home? I really don't get this...

By the way. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences in Japan with us on this channel. Thank you!!!

[Iyoulikeyoutoo]

It's all about money indeed when it comes to traveling. I could have gone to the USA for a very reasonable price. But I couldn't even afford this bargain, because I needed every dime I have to pay my University fee.

[theophilis]

yeah, straight up, i got so sick of hearing people be like "omg, where is the fork" when I was in Korea. Ugh..... why do people travel, what to just be able to say that t hey have traveled?! i travel because I wanna be immersed in a foreign often alien world, and I thought other people did also. :(

[jukio02]

@theophilis exactly

[coocooclam]

Okay, An Otaku does not define a regular everyday 'nerd'. An Otaku is something like a complete freak. 'Otaku' is used to describe an abnormally obbsesive person, usuallly with anime and manga. Someone who locks themselves away and watches hentai. If you start saying that you are an otaku, NOBODY is going to want to say anything to you, and you will be majorly looked down upon. So before you start calling yourself an Otaku, do make sure to know what you are saying. Thats what i learned.

[freakfreak1818]

first of all clean ur room

[ToshiroMifuneSan]

Anime nerds get a lot of insults because tech-geeks, gamer dorks, and whatever other sub-genre of the "nerd" population want to be "cooler" than someone.

I am 32 years old, 5% body fat, model, with a degree in computer animation and the God of anime nerds and I have come to defend them all....I have more to say but my mom is yelling and wants me to come upstairs and do the laundry.

[theophilis]

@ToshiroMifuneSan our heavenly saviour has returned all hail the mighty anime nerd God, for he will rise up to protect his children and smite all who mock them! my liege.

[1Grape4U]

Lol. Pretty shure that is earing cleaner stuff form claires in the background.. :D

[lydiaayame]

@1Grape4U Im glad im not the only one that noticed. Im like hey... i recognize that bottle..

[SpyMisa]

I like anime but I wouldnt say that I'm an anime nerd. I'm learning Japanese because the language itself interests me. I grew up speaking different languages and Japanese is very different to them and anime is what helped me find it I guess.. but anime die hard or not.. I think people should do whatever they want.. who cares about what people think!

[LinkShouldBeAGirl]

It's not common to read manga? Hmmmm... Not that I thought Japan was manga obsessed but i thought everyone read it. I was an otaku before but now its more of an interest. Like i'll look at the manga section at the bookstore and if i see one i think is interesting i'll get it.

And I love what you say about if you want to learn Japanese just to translate manga then do it. That's right. It's your life do what you want. I tried learning Korean because I love korean music. That failed. It's hard

[nauka5]

... like you're the Messiah cuz you went to China ... ??!

[Paulissunshine]

I just got like a huge sense of respect for you. About the anime nerds and whatnot. I agree... when I was in japanese class my teacher would get all annoyed with the anime nerds. it drove me nuts.... it's a legitimate passion. And they're putting in the work, right? More power to them.

[1sunflo]

i studies abroad in japan and got laid constantly. that is all.

[Lets6sneak6out]

I've been an International Student from birth in several countries, and I have NEVER heard a single fellow I-student ever claim to be better than others just because they've lived abroad. You would have to be really close-minded to do that, and when you've experienced what you and I have experienced, it really widens your perspective rather than "closes it". Money doesn't really play a part in it if you've simply lived there, as opposed to visiting. I'm really jealous! I want to go to Japan xD

[Lets6sneak6out]

@Lets6sneak6out LOL I realised my comment was a little harsh....Umm anyway, I'm planning on going to Japan next year for around 6 months? How does this whole host-family thing work? Did you yourself get ahold of a family? and how did this whole thing work?

[Shainingusutaru]

Didn't you judge the people and called them strange in your second video about Japanese cell phones? It's strange for you compared to the culture you are used to.

So didn't you do exactly what you said people shouldn't do?

[Romavenn]

Of course you take off your shoes its clean.. like i saw in an anime once what if you stepped in dog shit and you did not know and you waked in your house with your shoes on its just nasty

[stalker7d7]

I watched this for the tentacle sex.

[sisubilly]

traveling absolutely does make you smarter. What's your definition of knowledge?

[Cinlouxx]

Yeah but you have too keep in mind that Japan isn't all about "anime" so anyone who has that impression of Japan is dumb. I haven't been there but reading from peoples experiences study abroad (ex: @eppiquicoki, I think you know him) or a foreigner that lives there knows that it's not all about anime. I actually admire those who go to a foreign country with an open mind & try to learn the culture instead of going there for one thing that doesn't really define the whole country.

[Heroez93]

nice vid

[JeniLovesTangerines]

Thank you for the videos! I truly love them(: Your vids inspired me to keep pursuing my dream of being an exchange student [: I had doubts about if I should go or not but I know for sure that i want to go now. THANK YOU! Please more videos! Their really great & helpful

[Wollakazoo]

bwuaahahahaha.. she said tentacle sex.. 5:41 nice eyes hahaha WE CAN DO IT!!

btw nice dress

[jacobharriot]

ざんえんでしたねえ。I think u shuld keep this account so u can keep connecting 2 ur inner japanese and help others do the same, even if ur not there anymore (u took more vids, rite?).

[duquebubble]

日本語字幕を作って下さい、お願いします！！！



[solidiquis1]

lol, you make all Otakus sound like no lives. Not True! I enjoyed the video though. And Curry is not just rice and meat -,..,-

[lateblossom]

Oh my God I laughed so hard. "They just want to know how to say tentacle s**". This was one of the funniest vids ever and it was actually unique as a J-vlogger vid.

[Ozzi4Japan]

Interesting video good to hear your thoughts on the subject.

[twilightkinko]

I sense a little anime nerd in you. Pretty defense bout dem nerds, eh!? :D

[zengenxers]

Cool! You are the second fellow Texan that I've watched experience Japan through YouTube! Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts about the country, I can't wait to go and experience Japan for myself! Did you find any traditional TexMex food there?

Go Tejas!

[pokemontrainernaku]

dude i agree with you on the last part (thats the only thing i can relate to cuz ive never been to japan) i mean admitidly (sry cant spell xD) at first anime inspired to learn japanese but after a while of learning japanese i was like "screw learning it just for anime i love japanese now :D" although im still a MAJOR otaku ... minus liking hentai... i hate hentai O.e

[thefleee09]

I think if the person goes as far as learning the language of the country it shows some dedication :P

[Revansmask17]

@thefleee09

I learned some Japanese language enough to speak in Japanese sentences. So that’s dedication for me.

[TheBlack1234765]

I just enjoyed that.

[Vonwert35]

Another good video! It is sad that not enough people who really want to learn the culture can afford to go and truly experience it.