The Party’s Over: Japan’s Crackdown on Fun | @AbroadinJapan #121
Please don’t feed the cats coins.
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00:00 “Proper” Jobs
09:26 Johnny Somali’s World Tour Rages On
15:15 Cats in Nightclubs
27:20 Halloween in Shibuya
33:49 Kyushu or Hokkaido for One Week?
37:27 Travelling Japan with Mobility Issues
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43 Comments
Great video as alays. Why not do a challenge and visit every DISK UNION store in Tokyo?
Heading to Japan late March to mid April 2025. Going to propose to my partner.. Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fuji, Nara are so far on the list. I have a JR pass and time so happy to travel wherever. Does anyone have any suggestions, hoping somewhere nature inspired. Cheers guys, love ya work. Can’t wait to checkout Lost bar.
Joshy T from Australia.
When it comes to tattoos and visiting temples/shrines I plan to bring a blouse (or something else that's thin and has long sleeves) to wear while there. I mean, if it's generally seen as respectful to cover your shoulders and/or tattoos to visit a church, then a shrine or temple deserves that same respect from me. And as I'm never wearing shorts or skirts on a holiday anyway, so just covering up my arms during the visit seems not that big of a deal.
To be fair with Japan in regards to shibuya Halloween parties. They're harsh on it for a reason
Because Halloween is this foreign holiday. People found it an excuse to make complete nuisances of themselves like the gaijins do and party like it's an American spring break.
It wasn't just Japan that took up this new tradition though. Korea and Hong Kong did it as well. And famously Japan got harsh on these events because of backlash of the massive crowd crushing in Korea that caused several deaths.
Japan was already pissed at all the littering and property damage and assaults. But now that the events have caused deaths. Now the government is fully justified in banning these street parties.
And frankly? It should have never been that wild in the first place. Acting like a bunch of spring breakers is never good. They're a public nuisance. Don't let that be a cultural exploit for other nations to emulate.
Hey Chris, I've been interested in the Shimane prefecture and was wondering if you could do a video about some cool things there. Thank you!
This seems like as good an opportunity as any to get Pete to attempt the Wanko Soba Noodle Challenge!
Recommendation for things for Chris and Pete to do: GaijinTuned in Tokyo, a Tokyo Drift-esque night.
Make for good JDM car content on the main channel too.
Sailing La vagabond you tube sailing is in Japan you should reach out. Could be a good interview
I hope Pete does Trash Taste when in Tokyo!
naiCE
I went to Japan with a semi-large tattoo prominent on my forearm. No shrine/temple attendant batted an eye as I walked by. I did/do pack an arm sleeve just in case, but the most negative reaction I got was some old man growling at me at 6am on my morning stroll – which I found more comical then anything else.
Speaking of the Abroad in Japan book, where do I purchase a copy in the States to make sure that Chris gets the most compensation?
A trip out to Mitsumine Shrine a little ways outside of Tokyo would be interesting. It looks beautiful and seems to be less of a tourist trap.
Literally waiting 3 more weeks for your book to arrive 😅 there isn't much stock here in NZ so patient I must be.
Hope the S. Korean Man who punched J. Somali at the Convini didn't get into trouble with the Law ?!
Term "Clubbing" always makes me imagine Trendy Dressed People running around with "Viking Clubs" VIOLENTLY CLUBBING EACH OTHER on the Dance Floor. How'd you like to be the Bouncer & Doorman There ?
Hello Chris and Pete! Not sure if either of you are interested in maritime stuff, but you could check out Yokosuka if that’s the case. Haven’t been there in a while, but I’m sure seeing the social effects of the mixing of American sailors and Japanese locals would be interesting.
Or you could visit Etajima City in Hiroshima, if you want to see the beautiful countryside and eat some famous Etajima Kaiji Curry. 🙂
Go to a scrap yard
Hi Chris and Pete can you do an episode where Pete meets Natsuki like you said or Pete and American Pete do a Pete off/Battle of the Pete’s thank you 🙏
For the disability question, Mudan spent a day in a wheelchair for one of his daily vlogs that was quite interesting. Seems you’d have minimal issues as everything and everyone tends to be quite accommodating
My suggestion for when Pete comes over is to do a bar crawl live stream. Maybe with Conner and/or American Pete. Could be Tokyo or Sendai.
Also, people that dumb really do see themselves as the victim if you point out their bad behaviors. You can't reason with them cause they don't understand. They think they did nothing wrong and you're attacking them.
Go see Natsuki. I miss his energy and disruptive nature foiling your (somewhat) deterministic plans 🙂 UFOs and Natsuki at a club.
Pete please take Chris to see a DDT match
Going to have to disagree with your last part. I am 67 year old Japanese man and tattoos should still be outlawed.
Clearly Chris needs a new channel titled A Geisha Abroad in which he vlogs in geisha drag – direct from historic Kyoto.
This is what the world needs.
Huh, Chris. I don't think you've been paying attention.
While I agree that it's boring, the LDP LOST their majority seat for the first time in over a decade, that's why there's an upheaval in Japanese politics and election right now. The minority parties are grabbing seats and power, as there is no majority party right now. LDP is just "the biggest minority party" now.
I think on the Main Islands but you guys should go to the Southern point Hateruma, Japan's Southernmost Point Monument.
日本最南端の碑・日本最南端平和の碑・波照間之碑 and Western most point Yonaguni, Monument of the Westernmost Point in Japan
西崎(日本最西端の碑)
Probably not Pete's thing, but, I recommend Mt Mitake. Still technically Tokyo and it is mountains, waterfalls, a beautiful valley walk crossing streams and watching out for bears.
I watched Osaka Gamba when I went there, was fun. Good crowd, lots of chants.
Video title for when Pete goes to Japan. "We visit a junkyard in every prefecture in 72 hours"
King Kogi has more info on physical and dietary disability in Japan.
Hmm. Take Pete to a prefecture that you don't go to very often! Or, maybe instead rent a Kei-camper van for a quick cheeky glamping night or something. No tents, that is what the tiny Kei camper is for.
As someone who grew up in West London near to the BBC, I shudder the moment anyone mentions they worked at the BBC. Basically, everyone I met who worked there was an absolute wanker, except for a tiny minority who stumbled into it by mistake.
I feel like that Somali pirate is like a darker version of Andy Kaufman, he thrives on getting a rise out of people, and he doesn't care how he does it, how it makes him look or what effect it has on them.
trip suggestion. Fukui Statin & Dino Museum. Looks like there is a few things in that area, but rarely covered
I think you guys should check out Tsushima. It’d be neat to see since I heard Chris enjoyed the game, but also it’s less straightforward to get to. Viewers might enjoy seeing what’s over there, how to get there, and some of the real history on the island. For a short few day trip going North to South or vice versa might be neat. Also there’s a ferry that goes to South Korea from Tsushima, probably out of scope for a short trip but might be cool for a different video.
Typical white colonialist mindset shitting on Gaddafi. Same old british superiority complex.
Did Pete ever work with Karl Pilkington. I know he worked on XFM and wondered if he had any stories or experiences with him.
Pete chose Daikoku P A in Yokohama, Kanagawa..
Osaka Sewerage Science Museum
Pete could go to the Toyota factory tour if you're going to Nagoya. There is also a Toyota museum, but its more like a collection of all historically significant cars – Packards, Peugeots etc – while the factory tour shows how they build Toyotas (with a JZX100 partway through production). The Century was supposed to be a special hand-built coach-buildy thing special ordered for high ranking businessmen, so it would be interesting to find the story of how they're made (I've seen an old VHS video about exactly that) – this also makes them difficult for the yakuza to obtain.
I went to Isuzu Plaza in Tokyo a few weeks ago and it really surprised me – it was all fun and interactive, and the history of the company with their British connections was interesting so I highly recommend it. It was also very popular with young families – I guess since kids like trucks.
Chris needs to learn the following response to the question of "What do you do?" The response: "I am a filmmaker and an author." But I know, he's too lazy with words. And he calls himself an English 🤣