Living in Japan - Ep.8: Shock and Awe

[Fr0Benjamin]

Hello , what job do you have there ? plz anwer :)

[JenTheGothKid]

I'm American, and I always feel that it's rude to keep your shoes on in another person's home. We're not all rude!! Haha.

[RubyModernWater]

Honestly I don't know why americans wear shoes inside....I've always been taught to not wear them inside o.e

[MrKoize]

Do all North Americans own a Superman T-shirt? lol

[imthefunnygirl]

@GUkraine not all Canadians do that I know a few who do :) even when they step I'n shit ^___^'

[GUkraine]

Seriously? Americans wear their dirty shoes inside? In Canada EVERYONE takes off their shoes....Fricking weird. What if you stepped in shit? lol

[FateUnderground]

@GUkraine Yeah in the Uk we take off our shoes generally as well

[theYguy300]

Well sir, in Idaho, that's custom, taking off your shoes that is at people's homes, but not in public places. When I moved to Idaho from California, it was a little weird to me at first but yeah, gotten used to it.

[Ziggyinvaderskunkman]

he looks like an elf XD

[jerymarika]

a lot of the things listed are normal here in sweden :D some other stuff were cool XD like the toilet!, thanks for the video :D

[ChrisOneill17]

why did you move to japan?

[KnightsofEmerald]

not quite shocking or awe inducing. Interesting though.....

[tofu64gamer]

cool



[grassulo]

that is insanely cheap for washing and drying clothes, around here (massachusetts) it costs $3 (245 yen) for washing and another $3 for drying! But then again our economy is shot thanks to bush and obama

[jameswray50]

Do u drank soy milk because ur a vegetarian

[mmiguy2306]

the handle on the sink faucet is on backwards!!!

[109mytiger]

When I lived in Japan 25 years ago, I had a cloth dryer that  didn't need ducting, vent or window . It worked by electricity , it is more energy efficient than gas .

[superellieboo]

Lucky when i am older i am soo moving in japan ^_^ thats my long life dream ^_^ 

[bubblysmiles95]

@superellieboo

Agreed! :D

[SunBreaker6]

nice video ^^

[MrDenedes]

- Taking shoes off inside: Same thing in Denmark, but only in homes; not public places.

- Light switches outside the bathroom/shower: Also the same in Denmark. I've always assumed it was for electrical safety, since water and electrics are a bad combination. And yes, people messing with you by turning the light off is a constant concern :P

[xinelado]

still in japan?

[torterra3121]

what i like about the houses is that since you you dont wear shoe the floor never gets dirty and you dont have to clean it

[TheNgocKnock]

Why did u move to japan?

[WithLove44]

CHEATER! you had a list in your hand.

[MattyMatt761]

uh, uhm

[gearschamp2]

a sink attached to a toilet....genuis

[Munmo]

lol what's up, Keanu Reeves

[TheTheesen]

you are sweet. :)

[JesusisLord7771]

Great video!

[spankymcflych]

haha, in Canada we take our shoes off when entering a home as well. It's funny because my brother went to visit friends in the states a while back and they all thought he was weird because he always took his shoes off when entering their houses, whereas he was struck by how weird it was to leave them on in a house. I mean Canadian culture and American culture are very similar with a lot of cross contamination and this just goes to show how very subtle and tiny differences can really stand out.

[sonikkuffffff]

Not sure if you were implying that cyclists in America don't have to obey traffic laws; that would be wrong. Cyclists need to stop at stop signs and signal turns appropriately just like any driver. Of course not everyone knows that so nobody obeys it.

I think learning what a stop sign is in Japan might be the first thing I'd teach myself before getting a license (I heard it's expensive as well.) Discerning it from a yield sign may not be very hard since it's reckless not to.

[kapilasudesh]

could i know how much you pay for your apartment?

[PaperCutChronicles]

i don't understand, westerners take off their shoes before entering a private residence aswell

[LolindirElros]

@PaperCutChronicles No, we dont... right? I mean, I've never had to take my shoes off to enter someones house.

[envyandgreed15]

@PaperCutChronicles a lot of people dont in america though in my home we do but we live on a farm and so theres tons of dirt. also not wareing shoes inside helps elimate dust.

[solidiquis1]

IKKAKU!

[LolindirElros]

@solidiquis1 Lol, indeed.... xP

[chibinisey]

lol, where i live we'd get yelled at for coming into the house with shoes XD

we leave them outside :3

[kasarrah1619]

My name is Larissa and I plan on taking the oxford seminar course in about 2 years and teaching English in Japn. I was wondering if you find teaching English rewarding. I had also heard that there are seperate trains for women and as wondering if it was true? Thanks for listaning. Larissa

[saigafin]

I dunno about many countries but in Finland you usually take your shoes off at your or anyones home, only exception is when you have some big event in your house like weddings or something. Also having the light switches outside the toilet or bathroom is rather common in older buildings. Dont know about toilet but in bathroom it's got to have to have something to do with electricity and water, maybe.

[lilrollz]

why is takeing your shoes off such a huge deal????

i always do that when ever i go to some ones house or my own house...and i dont live in japan and never have!!!

[SupraMan54321]

how much rent are u paying? if u dont mind me asking of course...

for something that big it must be quite hefty

[mrDarkmage459]

i think im reaDY TO LIVE IN JAPAN

[moeshie147]

LOL i always take my shoes off... but i live in Canada... our shoes are ALWAYS dirty X)

[mrslovvet]

@moeshie147 Lol hooray for Canadian stereotypes! XD

But seriously, maybe I'm just being an ignorant Canadian here, but I assumed that Americans took their shoes off as well...

[moeshie147]

@mrslovvet XD well I dont think so...0_o it could be but i've never seen americans doing it...

[mrslovvet]

@moeshie147 Now I'm really wondering... Hey, anyone here from the US?

[SHENAKU]

i take off my shoes where we live because we want our houses to be clean, it's normal here, but it isn't for restaurants and public places but i like that anyways i think it's smart.

[MegaSandman77]

It doesn't make sense if your shoes aren't dirty.

If my shoes are dirty, I'll take them off. If they're aren't because I've been walking around on concrete all day and wiped them off on the mat outside, then I won't take them off.

This makes more sense.

[LeadPwncil]

Because concrete doesn't have any dirt right? There are stuff you can't see on your shoes you know.

[MegaSandman77]

And having someones sweaty feet after walking around all day on your carpet is a great alternative too. Sorry, but "clean" shoes vs. bare feet is a judgment call.

Much easier, and less of an imposition on guests to just vacuum once in a while. Probably would be doing that anyway.

[LeadPwncil]

Hence slippers?

[MegaSandman77]

Obviously we're going to disagree on this one.

Where I'm from it's somewhat rare to take off your shoes unless they're dirty. It's seen as an unnecessary step and basically a request that only annoying neat freaks require. I realize people from different parts of the country/world look at it differently.

If you like taking your shoes off and then putting them on again repeatedly, then fine, go for it.

[LeadPwncil]

Oh and to be sure, I'm not being an asshole about anything, I'm just stating my opinion, some people on YouTube think I'm treating their opinion like I don't care when it's just my personality which makes it seem like I don't. When that's not the case. Actually, I'm a Korean and I've been living in Canada for 13 years now and I've yet seen anyone allow me to wear my shoes indoors, and I'm not talking asian families, I'm talking about full on american families. Maybe this is just in Canada.

[MegaSandman77]

I'm more than happy to end it as a disagreement on this topic.

Personally I feel it's an insult to require a guest to take off their shoes. It either implies they would track mud through the house otherwise or that they are incapable of caring about the cleanliness of your home. I trust my guests to police themselves. You probably look at it as an insult to the home-owner to not take off your shoes. We're both trying to be courteous, but the target is different.

[Raener]

Been making your soya milk yet? I know nothing about soya or how you'd go about making it, but I do know cow's milk suits my taste buds better! hehe ..you must have a video in the pipelines.. I need some more LifeInShiga! :)

[CookingEasyWithMera]

It's very polite & respectful to take your shoes off before entering ones home.

I think it is rude and disrespectful to walk in a home with your dirty shoes on.

This is one thing I have never understood why so many people think nothing of it here in the U.S to walk with dirty shoes into a home! Maybe so many people here need to learn more respect instead of only thinking of themselves?

[presencegirl]

Do your socks get all dark and stuff?

[LifeInShiga]

You mean from wearing them inside? The beauty of taking your shoes off at the door is to prevent dirt and grime from being spread throughout your home. My floors are clean enough to eat off of!! I sometimes wear white socks and they never get dirty. :)

[renlove09]

@LifeInShiga this is weird question but how much was your apt.?

[RisuMiso]

Your tap story reminded me of something. Electrical Breakers world wide always close by pushing up.  This is to prohibit a connection from being accidentally closed due to gravity or something falling on it.

[LifeInShiga]

You sir, as usual, are full of useful information!

[RisuMiso]

Do Americans wear their shoes indoors? I don't find it any different in the home here. Restaurants were a different story though.

[LifeInShiga]

I think most Americans wear their shoes indoors. I have found out that many countries prefer to take off their shoes at the door. It makes more sense to do it that way. One day, America will catch on! ;)

[RisuMiso]

Really? That would make your floor dirty all the time. I would never have thought that.

[LifeInShiga]

Yeah, for sure. We are always vacuuming. Also, there are so many carpet cleaning companies and even rental units so you can steam clean your carpet by yourself. It is ridiculous!

[X1Photon]

Yup, even here in Kuwait, we take our shoes off. :) oh and the light switch, is outside the bathroom/toilet. lol . The big brother thing, does happen :P sometimes.

[iFukuyama]

i thought light-switches where outside the bathroom everywhere^o) oh, and what does yield mean btw=P?

[LifeInShiga]

yield means you should slow down and look both ways before driving onto the street. it is used where there isn't much traffic, just to get people to watch out for other cars.

[iFukuyama]

oh, thanks

[shumporange]

Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one confused with cultural differences. I just moved to Kyoto and am going through the adjustment phase

[LifeInShiga]

The good thing is, you will adjust quickly. :)

[shinmei2006]

Hey Dusty, im gonna be coming back to Japan in december, perhaps we can hang out for a day?

[LifeInShiga]

Let me know when you will be coming out. I will be in Thailand from Dec 19th through Jan 1st. I'll do my best to set aside some time to hang out!

[shinmei2006]

i will be in kyoto area for 4 days or so dec. 15-18th maybe! So we could come to Shiga to visit! i will message you, thanks

[ChemistInJapan]

I was hoping to see your underwear.

[LifeInShiga]

Perve! ;)

[yozka]

glad to see a new vid up, i hear in japan the driving a kind of reckless is that true? your home is coming along nicely did the couches come with the place? great vid

[LifeInShiga]

haha... yeah, the driving here is crazy, especially in the kansai area. i'm amazed there aren't more accidents. i pretty much risk my life every time i get on my bike!

i bought the couch from the person who was here before me. everything else i bought since i have been here.

thanks for watching!

[shaolintiger1]

awesome place!

[LifeInShiga]

thank you!

[MicknFumi]

The apartments looking good mate...the idea of having the sink above the toilet is a good one, I'm surprised its not used everywhere. I made a vid like this where I spoke about the toilet & bathroom for about 5 mins lol

[LifeInShiga]

Yeah, I watched that vid. You should post it as a video response to mine. :)

[MicknFumi]

I took it down coz unfortunately my sis in law didn't want you to be on YT. But I might go back & edit those vids & repost them. I have a lot of J vids I deleted before I had more than a few subs, they only had like 15-20 views.

[JapanielGuerrera]

Good to see you back.

The shoe deal is a normal routine for me here in the states, otherwise everything else is like you said.....pretty out there for me heh.

[LifeInShiga]

Thank you! Glad to finally have some time. I missed you guys! :)

[iamtakingover]

omoshiroi!

as always thanks for the little insights they're awesome...about the shoe thing...i don't know why it's so weird to everyone, i live in america and my family takes off their shoes when we come in...hmm...i dunno anyways....yeah what's up with the lights outside the door!

[LifeInShiga]

thanks!

they light switches are strange, i will try to find out why they are always on the outside.

[Limastudent]

I kept walking on the right side of the sidewalk and nearly getting hit by bikes.

I kept smiling at everyone. No one smiled back. Am I ugly, I wondered.

My washer was outside filled with a garden hose and only held 2 shirts. You visit Japanese households and laundry is hung every where inside when raining. Can be embarrassing with the undies.

[LifeInShiga]

Sidewalks, yeah, those are dangerous, more than the streets I think!

That is one small washer, only two shirts??

[McNeatoSan]

Hmm, I'm wondering if hanging up the clothes indoors will give problems with mold :p

On a less gross note:

Awesome video. I just can't get enough of your videos :p

[LifeInShiga]

Thanks a lot for the kind words! Glad you enjoy them!! :)

You bring up a very good point. Clothes can get moldy if they don't dry out in a couple days. If that happens, you have to re-wash them and start over.

[MrRobotyu]

Do you shave your head?

[LifeInShiga]

Yes I do! :)

[Pilipinoguy2k]

Welcome back! I don't know why, but I totally forgot about street signs in Japan. I think I just assumed they all looked the same as U.S. ones...

[LifeInShiga]

Thanks!

Actually, I haven't seen any signs that resemble the ones back home. Most all of them look slightly different for the same meaning.

[MrSeriyokuzenyo]

What is the water quality like in Japan? Do the have quality checks? Do the chlorinate and fluoridate the wat like in USA and Canada?

[LifeInShiga]

Thankfully, water is one natural resource Japan has plenty of. Tap water is safe to drink and, at least in the cities, it is chlorinated. As far as I know, fluorine is not added to the water. You must make sure to use toothpaste that has fluoride in it.

[SvartaClothsLover]

im used to taking my shoes off inside ppls homes... cuz im a swede, its cool. cuz we have bad weather here. lol. but not in resturants. n we just keep our socks on XD

[Quintaxos]

Yeah I here ya. I'm also from Sweden and I can't understand why you wouldn't take off your shoes when you go inside someones home.

[LifeInShiga]

I agree! I think everyone should.

[LifeInShiga]

interesting, i wish it was more common in the states. it's so hard to keep the floors clean with everyone wearing shoes inside.

[NikkeinJapan]

I still can't get used to those squat toilets. If I wanted to squat to take a crap, I might as well hike out to the woods. LOL

[LifeInShiga]

Haha! I agree. Although, they say it is a more natural way to do your business, better for the bowels or something like that.

[JeremyScottThompson]

i think most america's struggle more to adapt then the brits cos of how different it is...at home we are always made to take shoes off when entering the house, we've always pegged washing up and never used a dryer (use radiators in winter)...with recyling we have 2 bins, 3 boxes and 2 bags... very interesting to hear about the tap...your flat looks very nice, better then others ive seen

[LifeInShiga]

i agree with you. we americans are used to more wasteful habits (that's for another video though) than most other countries. it is a great experience to live in a way that i am not used to. it keeps me from becoming complacent! i am very lucky to have such a nice apartment. i have seen others too and i'm glad i have mine. i pay a lot more, but it's worth it!

[talktal]

awesome, how long have you lived in japan?

[JapanielGuerrera]

He just arrived in August but has great videos even before then. Check em out!

[LifeInShiga]

Thanks a lot for the kind words! :)

[LifeInShiga]

Yes, as JapanielGuerrera said, I moved here at the end of July, so basically August.

[TeachinginJapanGuide]

Still not used to the dam sink and I have been in Japan 10 years!!

[LifeInShiga]

Every once and a while it will catch me off guard. It sure was a pain when I first got here!

[BusanKevin]

Informative video!

Hey....when you think you can make it to Kobe? I'll give you a tour!

[LifeInShiga]

Thanks!

I need to see Kobe! Perhaps next weekend. I need to check, but I think I have a 3 day weekend coming up soon.