14 Days in the Worlds WEIRDEST City (TOKYO)

14 Days in the Worlds WEIRDEST City (TOKYO)

Tokyo is well weird and I love it. You can get anything from a vending machine. Coffee? Sure. Served by a maid or with a pig. Feeling lonely? No worries. Rent a grandpa for $7 an hour and take him to a J-pop concert. Yeah, that actually happened. Tokyo is the chosen destination of almost every traveler. And for good reason. There’s only one Tokyo. It’s fun. It’s beautiful. It’s rich in history. And anywhere you go in Japan, you are surrounded by masters of their craft. It’s a real honor to witness this kind of excellence. But if I’m being honest, there’s there’s always been something unsettling about this place. A kind of hidden heartbreak beneath all the neon. And maybe in typical Lost Leblanc fashion, I’m about to bite off more than I can chew, but I just can’t help it. I didn’t come here to tell this side of the story, but in my quest to find the weird and the strange of Tokyo, I also found something much deeper that I thought deserve to be shared. So, strap in and let’s dive beneath the bright lights and into the dark truths of Tokyo. [Music] I’ve been to Tokyo about four times now and every time I come I am just as excited as the first time. And today I get to play tour guide showing around my girlfriend Ruby for the first time and professional third wheel Alex. You might remember him from Italy and our teammate Febbe. I’m in heaven. [Music] Tokyo is known for a lot of strangeness and their coffee shops are no exception. [Applause] What is it? Give this ticket to the bear and it will exchange it for a special. Tokyo is so weird. But a bear hand is just the start. Yep. Start them young. You can also have your morning coffee with a pig. Carl. He jumped in my lap within just a second of being here. I have to take him home now. Okay. Okay. I want to be alone now. No, you don’t get any. I want to be love now. They’ve chosen They’ve chosen me. Pikachu. Put it down. Put it down. I’m scared. This is Ruby, guys. Ruby, Carl, and Robin. They’re afraid of Ruby. [Music] But that one is nowhere near as weird as the famous maid cafes of Japan. These cafes sell food that look like they were thrown up by a unicorn. And you’re served by adults singing and dancing like cartoon characters. It’s colorful, wildly energetic, and honestly, super uncomfortable. Hi, my name is Ping. Yes, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Many travelers like myself will come here for the novelty. But the thing that will surprise you is that many people at the cafe are actually locals, and often they’re even regulars. Okay, I got to show you one more because just a few blocks away is a cafe where your servers aren’t even living. But we’re going to check on that one a little bit later. Tokyo is one of the largest cities on Earth with just under 15 million people. It can be super overwhelming even when you’re coming back for the fourth time. But it’s also why there’s something new to find every time. Weird cafes are just a warm-up because we’re about to tour the city to find the strangest vending machines. But first, we had to make a stop at the world’s busiest station. This is Shabuya Station where every single day 3 million commuters come through this station. If it wasn’t for the fact that today is a national holiday, there would be people hired to push people into the train. Otherwise, the trains don’t fill enough. It’s happening. It’s happening. We’re crossing. How does it feel, baby? Woohoo. That’s the face of someone experiencing Tokyo for the first time. Excited and a little overwhelming. This city is so [Music] If you’re still not convinced that Tokyo is strange, well then I think you should see what they’re putting inside of vending machines. For the next 7 days, we’re going to be living exclusively off of vending machine food. We’re going to Japan is known as a vending machine capital of the world. There’s actually 30 vending machines per person in Japan. Wait, what? Yes. It’s crazy. Are you sure? Yes. It’s 30 to 40 vending machines per person. Google that Ask Chachi. Okay. I’m going to get some nice orange juice. So, what’s this vending machine doing? This is a nice freshlysqueezed orange juice on a beautiful hot day. Wo. Get it before it cuts your hand off. There’s one vending machine for every 23 people. That’s what I said. No, you didn’t. You said there’s 30 vending machines for every person. No, I’m sorry. I meant the other way around. I’m dyslexic. That’s what I meant. Legit, that’s what I meant. Everybody has 20 vending machines in their home. Google that Yeah. Okay. She’s upset about that, too. Yeah, she is calling you out. Holy bananas. That’s amazing. Let’s speedrun these vending machines. The whipped cream vending machine. Technical difficulties. E, it’s actually so good. This is good. I know. This one sells over 30 different soy milks. This one takes your passport photo. You got curry. I don’t know why, but Japanese love the claw machines. The crane hand thing. This is the most delightful vending machines in Japan. It smells like the most incredible blossom. Now, I don’t know if this is considered a vending machine, but these strange slot-like machines are everywhere. And they’re known as pleachinko. And from the looks of it, they don’t just take away your money, they take away something much deeper. Because everywhere you look inside the pleenko parlors, you’ll find Japanese men and women coming here to burn their time, their money, and falling deep into a trance. Despite the deafening sounds across this casino, it’s definitely strange. From being surrounded by crowds in the world’s busiest intersection, then thrown into a crowded train that sits in complete silence. Quiet. Cuz one of the unusual things about Tokyo, Japan, is that it’s very impolite to speak on the train. Everybody is quiet for such a massive city. I’ve never felt so invisible in my life. I am building a product from scratch in just 90 days. And today is hoping you don’t get hit by a blue shell. Well, Japan is full of extremes and most of them are extremely awesome. And one of those extremes that I finally get to see for myself is none other than the sumo wrestling. When you think of Japan, this is easily one of the first things I think about. And I’ve tried to get into this room many times before, but it’s always either booked or the training season is closed. But this time, we got lucky and we also paid. It cost about 200 bucks each, which took me by surprise, but I wasn’t going to miss this again. Inside this dojo, we got to watch this group of authentic sumo wrestlers training for an upcoming tournament. Some of these men were among the highest ranking in all sumo wrestlers, and it was a real honor to get to watch them train. Professional sumos will weigh anywhere from 250 to over 400 lb. Two wrestlers will step into the ring and the goal is simple. Push your opponent out of that ring or get any part of their body except for the bottom of their feet to touch the ground. One wrong move, one imbalance, and it’s over. This is one of the most unusual forms of peak athleticism, and I’m so grateful that I got to witness these mountains colliding. Now, most travelers will manage to see Tokyo, but few will truly understand it, and that’s because it’s complex, but one of the best ways to become a local is undoubtedly visiting with a local. So, I went online and I found a company called Wabona. And what they do is they give you exclusive access to hidden and authentic parts of the Japanese experience. And that is how we got here. Now, inside of here is a different kind of strange. This is the world’s largest fish market, and no tourists are allowed in, but I got us exclusive access. Come check it out. I don’t know if this is exactly what I’d call strange, maybe more fascinating. Basically, an entire village town inside a massive set of buildings. So, be careful not to get hit by one of these little vehicles. Things move very fast in here. This is Mishi. Hi. Hello. Hi. And she is our guide. Oh my god. I don’t know if the camera picks up just how big that is. That is Do they get bigger than that? Of course. Of course they do. Oh my god. That tuna. Yeah. What’s up? Just a weight to 140 kilo. Oh my god. The biggest one is 288 kilo. This right here is the world’s largest tuna ever caught. And the highest price ever sold in an auction for a blue fin tuna was $3.1 million US. But tragically, this was 30 years ago and nothing has even come close in terms of size due to over fishing. I don’t know if this is strange Tokyo or strange what is in our oceans. This right here, what kind of uh what is this? King crab. This is a king crab, huh? These guys fetch a pretty price in the market. I regret saying it while I hold them, but they’re very delicious. Are you open these? Yeah, I think so. Oh my god, that’s so good. Thank you. The local shopkeeper insisted I try a fresh shrimp. How fresh? It was alive 3 seconds ago. Doesn’t get any fresher than that. So, get this. There are about 160 tuna specialty shops inside of this fish market, but only four of them meet the top of the top grade. And right here, this guy is running one of them. And look at that cut of tuna. [Music] Uh, do you eat raw fish? Oh, yeah. Thank you. Just grab it. Yes. Okay. The best of the best. Yes. All right. He wants to know the difference. Wow. It’s Ruby’s first time ever having raw fish. So, he kind of looked shocked. [Laughter] He’s like, “What have you been doing with your life?” just said I ruined my life forever because if I’m not going to be eating tuna from here as fresh and as beautifully delicious as it is, they said don’t ever eat another piece of sushi ever again. That’s true. Of course, after seeing all the fresh ingredients, you got to do something about that. So, we’ve come here to Kenny Chiro’s restaurant going to show us how to make some of the best sushi we’ve ever had. Hello. Hello. [Music] To be highend, you have to be at the hidden location. Yeah. And either in the basement or somewhere that’s people it very hard to find out. Yeah. And this is this feels like a little hidden nook. It’s like a hideway. Yes. Kinichiro has been training for 17 years, guys. 17 years working under some of the best chefs, the best restaurants, and now two years ago, he finally opened up his own place. Eight incredibly intimate seats where you get to see your food made right in front of you. And this is Japanese fine dining right here. [Music] [Applause] You’ve been eating fake wasabi your entire life. It’s been horseradish mixed with a couple other things. This might be my first time having the real deal. And get this, the wasabi was just grinded using shark skin. So, it’s shark skin on a board that creates a really gritty texture. Voila. Let’s try it. So beautiful. It’s beautiful. How do you like it? Wow. Ruby asked a very good question. She asked Kenichiro how long it took him to become a sushi master. And his answer was shocking. He says he’s still learning as he goes. But he thinks it took him about 15 years to become truly confident. And the learning continues. Beautifully put. In today’s day and age, I think we forget that with time comes wisdom and experience and expertise. We tend to want to hurry things up. And what I’ve really taken away from Japanese culture is time is beauty. People take so much pride in what they do. They master things. It’s one of the unique qualities we don’t see too much of in other parts of the world. But this experience wasn’t just about eating. It was also about defeating my girlfriend in a sushi off. He doesn’t want to tell me. He will say it very strictly. Okay. Okay. 35 out of 100. I’m happy. I’m happy with that. What do you score it chef? 25 out of 100. And with Kenny as the judge, honestly, I never stood a chance. She wins this round. Wow, wasabi is so good. This was the best sushi I’ve ever had. [Music] Cheers. There’s a lot of things that make Tokyo strange. Some of them are beautiful, fun, and animated. But if I’m being honest, there’s a side of Tokyo that most people don’t talk about. A side that feels almost unsettling if you’re here long enough. Let me show you. This place is easily the most in-your-face new age futuristic part of Tokyo. With a bit of rain, it feels like Bladeunner here. It is literally like dystopian. When the sun has set, it doesn’t even matter cuz all of this light, this artificial harsh light, brings you back to life and it overwhelms your senses. Anime characters lining the billboards and tiny little bars are filled to the brim with locals singing karaoke on the famous bar street known as Golden Guy. In life, it’s not about how skilled or talented you are. It’s about giving your all. And that man left nothing. Absolutely nothing in that little hole in the wall karaoke bar. I learned something tonight. And I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. Thank you, Shinjuku. Thank you. But as your senses calm, you realize something feels off. Many of the businesses are hypersexualized with signs for maid cafes, sketchy looking massages, but nothing is more in your face than the main boardwalk just next to Godzilla. Oh why Godzilla? As you pass by the arcade and the karaoke bars, you see a massive line of women and men dressed as characters. So this is Shinjuku. Right here in front of me is actually a long prominad, a long street of about 30 to 50 different women all just standing outside with signs. Some of them representing maid cafes, bars, clubs, and others are selling their own companionship. And it’s not just women either. I don’t know what to make of it. It’s a lot. One of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. I think that the sad part isn’t necessarily just for the women and men that decide to choose this as their living. Who I feel bad for is the people that feel this is where they come to find companionship, to be seen, to be heard. It’s a human need we all have. And when the best place you can find it is here on the street corner, you know there’s a deeper problem. Now, seeing this, it’s like nothing else I’ve ever seen before. But I think the best way to understand it is to actually look at Japan as a whole. To really understand what makes this so dark, you have to better understand what is being referred to in Japan as the loneliness epidemic. In 2021, Japan quite literally at the government level appointed a minister of loneliness. Why? This stat blew my mind. In Japan, one in four men over 50 years old have never married. Plain and simply, there are a lot of men that have not managed to find love. Not true love at least. And so, where do they turn to? Well, they turn to these neon lit LED streets where they can find transactional partners. And I’m not just talking about sex. A lot of the people that come to these places, they’re not looking for physical touch. They’re looking for emotional connection. In Tokyo, about 50% of residents live alone, and many of them don’t even want to change that. I think the question is, why is Japan like this today? It is a hyperindividualistic society, a place where societal pressures are among the highest of anywhere in the world. Ask the working generation and they will tell you the pressure to succeed. And the sad truth is there’s an entire generation of people, roughly estimated to be around 2 million of these people that have completely given up. They barely leave their homes. They hide in silence. In fact, the Japanese even have a name for it. It’s the hikimorei. And the hikimorei are those that have not died. They’ve just disappeared. And they have completely disconnected from the human experience. Tokyo has a real loneliness problem. And it shows up in many ways, shapes, and forms. From declining birth rates to the worldleading rates of prematurely ending life. On this very beautiful rainy night in Shinjuku, we’ve come here to a shrine that is said to be a source of true incredible good fortune and luck. And apparently many celebrities in Japan from musicians, J-pop to maybe athletes, they come here to get their good fortune. [Music] Look at that. That’s crazy, right? There’s a wanted poster for someone taking a pylon. In America, you have to basically rob a bank twice to get in trouble. Anyways, keep an eye out for uh Japan’s Most Wanted. Later that night, Ruby and I walked the weird and wacky streets of Harajuku. Harajuku, if you’ve never heard of it, well, it’s basically the capital of Strange Town. Yeah, that was incredible. And as we wandered in wonder and confusion, we met a J-pop band. J-pop group. J-pop group. Wow. Moore. Moa. Oh, what are your names? I moa. Your name is Mo? Moa. Oh, all of you are more. Wow. What’s your name? Kishimoto. Kishimoto. Lina Kirani Kirani Kirani Kiromo. Oh, how do I find your music? Spotify. Spotify. Spotify. Spotify. Yeah. Apple Music. Can you show me? That’s the squad. That’s you. Yeah, you. Me? Me? Me? Me? Very nice. Maybe. So I can see you in Shibuya. In you play in Shibuya. [Laughter] Yes. A, that would be so fun. [Music] Hello. All right, kids. Gather around. I got a story for you, and it’s a sad one. We’ve lost one of the great establishments of Tokyo. Right there used to be Hotel Sweets Chocolate, and it is a love hotel. So big. And in front of it was Hotel Sweets Ruby, which is another love hotel. If you’re not familiar with the term love hotel, there are dozens across the city of Tokyo. And basically, they’re hotel rooms that you might just book not for a night, but 2 hours, 3 hours, because you know, you’re not there for sleeping. You’re using the bed, though, or you might not. I don’t know. But either way, these are not your typical hotels. And these are places where people come to get away, to have intimacy. And the reason this happens is because in Tokyo, well, they used to be a very family oriented society. You would live at the same home as your mom, your grandpa, your grandma. This was a place to get away, have privacy. In Tokyo, there are themed love hotels all over it. But unfortunately, we lost the candy cane one. I’m not used to making such sad videos. This used to be paradise for some people. Skyrockets in flight, an afternoon’s delight. There’s more to be said and more to be explored here, but I want to show you one of the more fun ways the Japanese people are finding friendship in this individualistic world. And we’re meeting him tomorrow morning. Later that night, we went from walking the neon streets to living in a real life anime. At this point, you kind of get it. Tokyo is pretty strange, but if there’s one place in Tokyo that is the strangest, you got to give it to the world famous Harajuku Street. And this morning, we’re being joined by a friend that we’ve hired. That’s a first. Mr. Yosh. Yoshi. Yoshi. Yes. You’ve been to Harajuka before? Before about five times. Harajuki is for uh young young generation. So I think you and I we’re not exactly young generation anymore, but we can definitely give our two cents on fashion. So, I would love for us to do a little review of some of our favorite fits. Yeah. Favorite cheeks. Cool. Mr. Yoshi. What do you think? You like it? I like it. All right, Mr. Yoshi. So, we’re going to rate some outfits between 1 to 10. Okay. 1 to 10. Yeah. So, let’s start with her. How would you rate her outfit today? From 1 to 10, about seven or six. How do we rate her? Yes. How’s the fit? Nine or eight. Tell us a bit about your fit. Who dresses you? Jesus. Jesus. Beautiful. God bless Japan. God bless Japan, my friend. That guy passed the vibe check and the fit check. Excuse me. Hello. Konichiwa. Konichiwa. Uh Konichiwa. I tell you, when they look that cool, there’s no way they’re making time for you. She got a 10 out of 10. You were telling me you actually were a sports journalist. Yes. Yes. Sports journalist. Yeah. Yeah. Sports journalist. You’re right at home doing journalism and and reviews. Two out of 10. Comment. Okay. Thank you very much. Yeah. I think that he is very cool. But he was very cool. Yeah, he he’s very cool. Yes. Yes. Japanese. Yes. Almost Japanese. He’s very shy. Very shy. I do have to ask you. Um and you have to be honest with me. How’s my fit today? He was not good. eight or seven general video fashion. Thank you. [Music] I’m telling you, Harajuku is not big enough for the four of us. We’re going to have to do something about this. They come on our block. I’m just saying I’m not I’m not going to say it here, but we got to do something about this. Okay. You got to try my best matcha spot. This right here is the best matcha. I promise you. Cheers. Cheers. Have you had it before? Do you like it? Some sometimes major. Yeah, sometimes. But um this is not special for me. No. What? When people book you to have you hang out, is it is it like for social reasons? They just they need somebody to be with and feel seen and heard. Yes. They asking me uh advice. Yeah. Yes. Uh in something like that decision. Make a decision. Making a decision. So you’re like a a like a father figure for some people. Yes. And what about like um do you ever find that some of your customers are just lonely and they’re looking for someone to spend time with? Yes, of course. I cannot be denied. But get this. Not only can you book a grandpa, you can also book grandmas, moms, cool uncles, and even dogs. Loneliness is far from only a Japan problem, but I’ve never seen this solution to it anywhere else in the world. I have a question for you, Mr. Yoshi. What do you think about J-pop? J-pop? Yes, I like J-pop. Perfect. If you like J-pop, then we better get going. We got somewhere to go. Let’s go. Let’s go. This is one of Japan’s biggest upcoming J-pop bands. Maybe most famous. Yes, it’s going to be soon. Not today, but maybe tomorrow. I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe you and me and more. Let’s do it. Mhm. Big fan of the outfit, guys. I’m a fashion critic. I just hope someday someone will return the compliment. Oh, it’s the meet up. Mr. Yoshi, it’s time. It’s time. From meeting this J-pop band on the street, renting a grandpa, and walking right into the event as more came on, my life was feeling like a movie. Pretty weird movie. [Music] Mr. Yoshi started as an acquaintance, but today I can say I have a Japanese grandfather. What a legend. What’ you think, guys? That was the craziest thing I’ve ever to me. The most interesting and strangest part about this experience was that I went to a girl band and like I was the only girl there in the crowd in the crowd. There were no girls. It was only men. Like men of all ages. Japan’s food scene is just about one of the best on planet Earth. And yes, they also know how to keep it weird. [Music] It doesn’t both. It’s a rainbow hot dog. I have no words. Good for you. I have no words. You get all your colors. That means you get all your nutrients. Yeah. Oh, that was a good one. The most successful restaurants don’t always open new locations and they don’t normally expand. So, get used to waiting in line for the good stuff. 1 hour of waiting. I mean, it is Oh, so sorry. So sorry. Little leaf just bumped her in the head. Think I’ve ever waited that long for food in my life? We waited about an hour and a half to get the seat cuz we heard this is one of the best chicken ramens you could ever have. It better be good. Wow. Oh my gosh. Creamy and rich and wow. Richy creamyness. They they don’t play around with the serving sizes here. Next up on the food tour, dessert. So, I got introduced to khaki gori seven years ago, and I blame I eat 2,000 of them per year. It’s one of the best desserts known to man, and I swear I haven’t had it since being with you. No, I think this is peach. Oh, it’s a little spicy. Peach. It’s so good, though. This is insane. It’s the best. Melissa says, Melissa claims the water from this came from Mount Fuji. It tastes just like that. Google that Ask Chachi. One of the weird things that’s honestly awesome that Japan does is they love to make plastic recreations of each of their dishes. So, when you’re walking around, you can actually see what’s being served inside. The moment I saw that one right there, I knew Tang. Ramen time. Ramen time. Ramen. She’s camera shy again. Thank you. A lot of the best restaurants only seat a tiny little group of 10 to 20 people. So, everyone’s just huddled around the bar area here waiting for the ramen. [Music] You’re going to be a vlogger someday. She photobombs too. Time to get her her first VPN brand deal. In 2018, I experienced the famous robot restaurant. It’s a wild spectacle, but it’s also very expensive. But this time around, I tried something a bit more casual called Dawn. So good to see you. Yes. Thank you. See you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, let’s just say you don’t want to talk to me till I’ve had my coffee. Now, hear this. This restaurant is actually employing real people who control these robots and they’re actually disabled. How is it working with uh with the robot cafe? I love this job because I’m happy to meet and uh talk to a lot of customer. Please give me more. Come on. I do have one question for you. Yes. Okay. What is the meaning of life? Okay. Oh. Uh, every day. Every day. Yeah. Very happy. Every day. Very happy. Oh, that’s why every day is so much fun. Yeah. I love you. Bye. Thank you. Me, too. Bye. Hey, if this place’s mission is to reduce loneliness, then this next restaurant fully embraces it. This is the final boss of vending machines. It is a loner’s dream meal. Now, that looks like a circuit breaker, but it’s actually a seat map, so you can see what seats are occupied. It’s really strange. Concept is simple. I want to eat alone. I don’t want to be bothered. You’ve got a little cubicle wall here, a cubicle wall here, and a mysterious hand will take your order. Oh, yes. Thank you very much. If you’re sick and tired of the world, you come here, enjoy some good ramen without anyone looking over your shoulders, and you literally don’t need to say a word to any of the waiters. All you do fill out a form. If you want to complain, they have all the complaint cards here on the wall. It’s too noisy. I want a kids bowl. You never have to say a word. You could just say, “That’s novel. That’s fun. But this is one of the most popular restaurants in all of Japan. I believe it’s not coincidental. It’s cultural. This is something that many Japanese people feel. They want to enjoy good food and they don’t want to be bothered. Ichiran is an introvert’s dream. So, the next strangest thing that you’ll see in Japan is something you’ll find in pretty much every home. This is where we’re staying, but the magic happens in here. Come see this. The royal throne. In Japan, they take toilets to a new level. America may have been the first ones to land on the moon, but Japan was the first one to spray your butt. First things first, put your hand to his seat. Nice and warm. And I’m not talking about the worm. When you go to a gas station and go in after someone else, see, if you press this button right here, a little gun comes out. And oh god, oh god. Oh god. And can I just say this is one of the finest luxuries in life. These toilets will spray you. They’ll warm your seat. Some of them auto open and others even sink to you. They even have like a full UV cleaning ritual. So, toilets in Japan are on a different level. And if you’re wondering where we’re staying, this place here is called the Halle collection, and it was our absolute savior because this is what we checked into when we first got to Tokyo. It was literally Tetris with our suitcases. Huge recommendation if you’re needing a lot of extra space. And Akasaka is one of the best areas to stay in on your Tokyo trip. Now, if you thought Japan’s toilets were strange, you got to see this. Wa! That’s actually insane. Let me be washing my hands now. My greatest travels are the ones that break routine. And Tokyo breaks every routine I have. It forces me to step into the unusual and to try something strange. Tokyo is weird. It’s wonderful. And even though there’s an unusual silence among the crowded streets, there’s something deeply human underneath it all. This imperfect place shows just how far society can evolve and how far we can drift apart in the process. And yet somehow the chaos and the calm, the beauty and the loneliness, they all belong here and they make Tokyo the fascinating place that it is. Let’s get lost again in the next one. [Music]

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