February 11, 2025 • 31 mins
This year, we celebrated Christmas and New Year's in Japan, where the winter weather greeted us with surprisingly mild weather. Our whole family gathered at Sumie's house in Kanagawa prefecture for an unforgettable holiday weeks. In this episode, we share perspectives of our non-Japanese family members as they reflect on what captivated them the most about Japan and its custom and culture. From their admiration of the country’s highly efficient public transportation to their fascination with the ubiquitous vending machines, our family reunion turns into a fun exploration of the cultural contrasts between Japan, the U.S., and Germany. KO and Tomo also chime in on what surprised them on their return to Japan this time.
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Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2279605
Big shoutout to Allison Gray for generously granting us permission to feature her song, "Off My Mind" (from Ep 05).
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I gotta get you out of my system.
I gotta get you off of my mind.
But how do I move on when noone compares?
They only keep me occupied.
I gotta break these chains thatbind me.
I try to shake them off sodesperately, but you pull them
(00:24):
tighter, string me along.
It's sad, but I'm so gone.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hey guys.
So I don't know if we talkedabout this in our previous
podcast, but we actually had afamily get-together in December
and we all spent Christmas andNew Year's together in Japan at
my house, and I was kind ofinterested in hearing what
impressions your guys's husbandshad on Japan, since I believe
(00:56):
they've only been here a coupleof times.
Our foreign husbands, yourforeign husbands yes, their
perspectives.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I know mine said that he was impressed with the fact
that people work on ChristmasDay, that it's not really a
holiday, so it was duringChristmas time, slash New Year's
, right Around that time, and hesaid maybe it's where you are,
but he was surprised at howrelatively warm it was.
(01:24):
He said because his he wasmentally prepared for from
Florida to you know, regularwinter weather.
He was expecting it to be likereally, really cold, so he was
ready for that, but I guess itwas relatively warm for winter,
you know, like a normal winter.
That's what he said.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, I feel like it was warmer than the typical
winter we usually have.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, I remember you saying that actually, yeah, yeah
.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
When I was there with my husband was back in 2017.
And we visited in winter and itwas not that warm, so I
remember it being much, muchcolder and I think the average
temperature this past time waslike above 10 degrees.
I thought right.
I think the low was below 10.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yeah, and then during the day, I think it even went
up to 12 or something but it wasvery pleasant.
Yeah, I was also surprised.
And when was Matt there lasttime, do you?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
remember he was there in 2018 2018?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
I think yeah okay, so we were there 2017 slash 18 in
the winter, so that's like it'sbeen like what?
7-8 years, I guess, for both ofthem.
Wow, that seems like long agoif it's 2018.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, it's like six years ago.
Yeah, seven is that right, sixand a half, because he was there
in the summertime.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Right yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
It's been a while.
He also commented, you know,like, how he was impressed with
the amount of walkers andcyclists and people taking
public transportation in Japan.
The amount of people doing thatI guess.
I mean, if you lived in NewYork you would see that more.
But where we live we only seepeople in our gated community
(03:15):
walking and running.
But outside of our community wedon't see anybody walking to
places or riding their bikes togo places, maybe to exercise.
Sometimes we see people outside.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
But yeah, I feel like it's because of how everything
is laid out in the us.
It's so wide and big, you knowthe country itself so you almost
need a car well, yeah, but wealso have like um 10 car lane
road, like you know right rightoutside right outside of our
community and it's not reallythat walkable, walking friendly.
You could get hit by a car youcould, but I guess if you go
(03:52):
across the street past thatthere's a huge mall there you
can go to and trader joe's.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I used to take the kids on the bike, the trader
joe's, but it was scary kind ofeven to cross that.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
You know 10 lane yeah , yeah, and it's not so common
to just walk, yeah, no, yeahthat's interesting.
Anything else?
Did matt say anything else?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I mean he's commented in the past which I think I
mentioned on this on here beforewhere, you know, one of the
first times he went to japan, Iremember him commenting about
the vending machine, how there'slike hot and cold, and he was
so impressed with that but Ididn't even think anything of it
because I thought that was kindof normal, but at the same time
I was like, oh yeah, we don'tsee that in the us, right, you
(04:40):
know.
So I remember him commentingabout that and there were
several things that he commentedwhen we first went together,
before the kids were born, but Idon't remember what all he
commented.
Probably that we kind of alllook alike too.
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
He probably never said that, and we were about the
same height.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, no, he never said that, you know what.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Something that was interesting that Christophe said
, my husband said, was that hedidn't feel especially tall this
time and I don't know if what?
Did people grow?
I don't know.
I don't know if he felt thatway before, but then I feel like
, you know, this time we stayedwith Yusumi, which is, you know,
we have access or we've been toTokyo and such, and I feel like
(05:25):
there are a lot more youngerpeople, not in your neighborhood
particularly, but, you know, intokyo and such, and maybe I
think, I think it's her modernhome with the high ceiling.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
If he goes to our house like a normal, like our
parents house, you know,standard, yeah, parents have
everything is low.
I remember, like the sink.
You know how I have to kind of.
I mean this is exaggerated, butI felt like I was squatting to
wash my face.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah, yeah, I was getting a workout just washing
my face.
And even then, kristoff used tohit his forehead in a parent's
house.
Okay, see, yeah, that's why heprobably felt really tall,
because he said that there was ablind spot like going through
like for example upstairs in theJapanese style room.
I remember he just literallybanged his head.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Remember we took a picture of him standing with his
forehead touching in one ofthose rooms when we stayed at
the hotel.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Yeah, similar to that .
Along that line, he was verysurprised how dense everything
was in Sumi's neighborhood and Ithought well, but you've also
been to our parents' home andthat's pretty dense.
But he felt that there was nobackyard, there was no front
yard.
Yeah, like packed Everythingwas very packed and I guess I
kind of understand that.
(06:33):
I think, where our parents live, you know, there's, I guess,
roads on two sides.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
But he also has never been to like the rural side of
Japan either, where it's likenothing but rice fields, I'm
sure Right like the rural sideof japan either, where it's like
nothing but rice fields, I'msure right, you mean our parents
place, or you mean just likemore, more rural no no, maybe
like if you go to hokkaido yeah,he was just very surprised how
dense it was.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
And something my son said which was funny, which is
so true, was he said there wereso many bad English.
So we went kite flying on NewYear's Day like all of us, and
Sumi's husband bought kids kites.
On it was written in English Imean this is an example that he
told me, but I mean there are afew occasions and I'm sure Sumi
(07:23):
can also point that out.
But it said soar the skieshighly and hotly.
It is glared at you by theseeyes.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Oh, my God.
I don't know why they likeallow these things to be printed
without editing.
I mean, yeah, t-shirts too.
People wear like t-shirts thatmake no sense and it's like how
is that even allowed to beprinted?
So that was terrible.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
One example, and I guess there were two eyes on it,
I think.
And then it had some kind ofdesign.
Yeah, we were just cracking upbecause it wasn't even glared
with g-l-e-a-r-e-d, it was likeg-l-e-r-e-d, so it completely
misspelled.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
And then the whole sentence didn't even make sense
and there was a sweatshirt thatTakeshi brought home that said
lost boy.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Oh, I think Muto-san took that one, did he?
Yeah?
And I was like you want to weara sweater that says lost boy?
And he was like I just like thefit and I'm like Sumi's husband
works at retail.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
He brings home lots of clothing.
That's pretty comical.
I was actually surprised therewere like Korean and Chinese
writings, especially like comingoff at the airport, which I
guess I didn't notice last time.
I don't know if there are moreof these that you see these days
, even, I think, translations.
I was surprised, or maybe Ididn't notice last time, and the
last time I was therepersonally was 2022, so it
(08:47):
hasn't been that long.
Did you notice that at all thatthere were more korean and
chinese?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
readings no, okay, maybe that happened a while back
and I didn't really notice Ithink I mean I guess I wasn't
paying too much attention either, though I mean, I don't know, I
didn't particularly think so,but I think I remember tokyo
especially was trying toincorporate more translations in
languages before the tokyoolympic in 2020, although it was
(09:13):
actually held in 2021, right,yeah, I was there after that.
I didn't notice that before andI was kind of surprised so I
mean, did your japanese husbandsay anything about his
perspective on his foreign brosand hanging out with them like
out in public?
Just the three of them?
I think they went out a fewtimes, right, yeah?
Just by themselves, where theycan't communicate with each
(09:35):
other, so it's like japanese,german and american.
He doesn't speak english, so Iknow they were using google
translate for the most part, butwas there anything that he
mentioned?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know, he just said that he had a lot of fun
and I asked him how he was ableto communicate and he said he
couldn't, but he still had fun.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
And gestures and Google Translate, yeah, google.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Translation.
He was like, yeah, most of thetime I didn't understand what
they were saying, but I had somuch fun.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Oh, he's such a fun, easygoing guy.
Yeah, another thing that my sonwas surprised at which he was
also surprised last time wasthere are no trash cans in
public areas, so people areexpected to carry your own,
their own trash yeah, I think Imentioned this before, but yeah,
yeah, and it's surprising howclean everything is.
(10:23):
People are so responsible tojust carry their trash and I
think I've seen some places thatdo sell bags to carry your
trash.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Speaking of that, yes , one thing I always forget when
I go to Japan is that a lot ofpeople do carry their own
handkerchief to wipe their handsinstead of relying on paper
towels in the bathroom.
So we have to like shake ourhands most of the time because I
forget.
And another thing is alsocarrying our bags for grocery
(10:54):
whatnot, like folded ones, youknow, at all times, even going
to like we went to 7-Eleven alot, just because it was like
down the street, then I wouldforget to bring a bag.
So Matt and I were like walkingback with like all the street,
then I would forget to bring abag.
So matt and I were like walkingback with like all the items in
our arms.
You know, looking really stupid, but they do sell bags right
sami they do.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
You just have to pay for them oh yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
That's right, and I don't think matt wanted to pay
five yen yeah, I think when umour family moved to germany, it
was it took a minute, like ittook a while to get used to it,
because obviously we were livingin Ohio.
Now I mean, we carry it always,but I think it's just a habit.
If you're not used to it, youknow, you just forget.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, that's one thing I always think, is I
forgot again?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Another thing that Christophe said that surprised
him was the publictransportation.
He said it was a little bitcomplex to figure out.
He's like obviously I rely muchmore on you, as in me, to
figure it out, but our familiesTomo's family and my family went
out to Tokyo.
I think we saw that there wereinconsistencies between Google
(12:00):
Maps and Apple Maps and hethought that, you know, there
were instances too sometimeswhere he just could not piece
things together.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
And I also found it a little bit weird.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I just remembered.
Another thing he did mention tome was on the train.
You know how it's really packed.
That was like looking aroundand he's like, oh my gosh,
there's this many people on thetrain and it's so quiet.
I was like, oh my gosh, there'sthis many people on the train
and it's so quiet.
I was like, oh my gosh, you'reright, it is so quiet.
So everywhere we went it wasquiet.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
People are quiet yeah , I think people are just very
respectful and I saw that signthat I guess I never happened to
look at or whatever, on thetrain.
It said please do not talk.
On the train, on the cell phone.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Yeah, I saw that too, because it's distracting to
others.
Be mindful of others is what Isaid.
Yeah, right.
So yeah, it was so quiet.
That's why I always feel so outof place in Japan, you know,
because I'm so loud.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
I'm sure not all the kids are quiet, though I'm sure
if enough kids are gathered youknow yeah, oh, I'm sure he was
also surprised, how I think inSumi's neighborhood, but I think
this is also common in manyareas that some restaurants and
bars are really really small.
That could maybe take up tolike 10 people or so, like
(13:24):
really small.
I was actually surprised withthat too.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
It's just.
Yeah, it's around my area.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah, there's a lot of small restaurants but it's
kind of nice though, becausethen you get to know the owners
and owners maybe have anopportunity to just actually
mingle with them and get to knowthem and such.
Do you not?
Not see this a lot in Tokyo,where you were living?
Not?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
like that intimate.
Yeah, we noticed there are tonsof restaurants that we still
haven't gotten to around ourneighborhood and sometimes we
just miss it because they'rejust really small.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
And you've been living there for two, three
years now, Wait longer, almosttwo years.
Two years, actually, yeah, twoyears this month.
So our son loves to play thisDragon Ball game at the arcade
In Japan.
In Japan, yes, Every time wevisit, there are some game
addicts in Japan.
It looks like they've beenliving there because they're so
(14:22):
good at playing certain games,like dancing game.
Even this guy would just haveevery choreographed thing like
nailed, and it's actually fun towatch them because you're just
like how long have you beenstanding here and playing this?
Yeah, like.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Their noses are like flaring and sweat coming down
yeah it's like oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
They have special gloves on too.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Oh my gosh Kao, do you have to explain the Dragon
Ball game, why Lucas likes to doit in Japan, why it's different
?
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Well, there are arcades here, but obviously it's
not as big.
I don't think I've ever seenany places as big as ones in
Japan.
Well, first of all, he likesDragon Ball.
Which Dragon Ball is?
I think a lot of people know it, but we used to watch it when
we were kids, in our elementarydays.
It's a comic book and you canwatch an animated series on
(15:16):
Netflix.
Now we got him these comic booksfor him to get started on, and
he's so into it now that hediscovered that there is a game
in Japan in one of the arcades,and one time when we went back
home to our parents house, Ithink, we discovered it and he
wanted to play it.
Our dad was with us, hisgrandpa.
(15:36):
We tried to figure out how toplay it because everything was
in Japanese.
So Dragon Ball is all aboutmartial arts.
I guess it's like all aboutfighting.
Every time he plays a game,there's a card that spits out
with a character in the DragonBall world and you can lay out
up to seven cards, which meansseven characters to play against
the machine or whoever Whoever,meaning you can also compete
(16:01):
with other people who are online.
For some reason, everything isin Japanese, but he figured out
how to play it, and so he lovesit.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
But not at the arcade .
You can't play with otherpeople, right I?
Speaker 4 (16:12):
think, if people are online at the same time, you can
play together, and if themachine, like we, realized that
if there's somebody next to you,you can like play together oh,
okay, that I can understand, Iguess, but so that particular
arc, the game is online based itcan be online.
Yeah, so you can play againstthe machine, or I think you can
(16:33):
also play against other peoplewho are playing in japan yeah,
it's like basically interactivebecause you, once you lay the
cards down, these characterscome to life on the screen.
Yeah, and then at that time wefound out that there was this
guy who was at another dragonball game with.
There were a few usually a fewstations, and he looked like a
(16:55):
little bit older than us, tomomiand me like he's probably close
to 50.
You could tell that he wasprobably there every single day
because a couple times we wentback after that he was there.
It's just basically you collectall these cards and over time
obviously you're going to have abunch of cards.
He had this little box with akey that contained I swear it
(17:19):
was like hundreds and hundredsof cards.
These are serious gamers, it'sa key locks them.
Yeah, yes, I wonder if you cansell them and make a lot of
money yeah, I think probably wow, that's crazy yeah first of all
, you just start to wonder likewhat is he doing all day?
Lucas also noticed that that'scrazy, that these people are
adults and seriously playing,and I don't know why some people
(17:43):
wear gloves to me.
What's the gloves for?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I know, I just noticed that some people you
know who are on those dancingmachine games, uh-huh they
usually have these gloves on.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Is it to be like michael jackson kind of?
They think they're michaeljackson?
Speaker 2 (17:58):
I think it has something to do with like maybe
friction?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
like oh, they grip to turn, so they need a good grip.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
I think, or maybe you press the button also at the
same time.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Oh my, gosh, stop it, those are so no, they take
those things very seriously.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Oh geez there was one .
I think he was probably incollege because we were in Tokyo
.
This was a much bigger one thatwe went to and he was playing
drums, but he was so good I mean, he wasn't even looking, it
almost looked like and you justwonder, like how long do you
have to play in order to be thisgood?
Like they have to visit everyday, right, don't you think,
(18:36):
sumi?
Do you think that people visitevery day?
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, I mean, mean, this guy was people.
I believe, yeah, they do well,maybe this is their way of
working out, you think or no,stress relief right from working
or going to school well, Inoticed that those types of
people who, kind of like youknow, take these kind of games
seriously, they go by themselvesright so they can like just be
focused they don't want to bedistracted right.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So I feel like yeah, because I like to do zumba for
workout, but then I like to doit with other people in a class.
But maybe they consider this asa workout like fitness, because
they are really sweaty.
I've seen some people.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
yeah, but gaming is such a big part of Japanese
culture that I think if you grewup there, it's like such a
normal thing, but you justforget, like how there are some
people that are so into it thatyou can tell like they've been
there every single day.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
If you go to Akihabara in.
Japan the city is filled withpeople like that, like people
who take yeah, gamers and animelovers, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Okay, it's like an anime town almost yeah.
Gamers and anime lovers, ohyeah.
Okay, it's like an anime townalmost yeah Like the otaku
culture.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Otaku culture yeah, it's actually where it
originated Akihabara and this isin Tokyo, somewhere, yeah, in
Tokyo.
So if you're one of thosepeople, you'll probably have fun
in Akihabara, yeah that's goodto know.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
You're one of those people.
You'll probably have fun inAkihabara.
Yeah, that's good to know.
We were also surprised Well, Ithink Tomomi's family also came
across this too, probably butthey did not take credit card
everywhere, or MasterCard, and Ithink you always need to carry
cash, because even at the trainstations, when we were trying to
buy tickets and it said theywould accept credit card, it did
not.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yeah, it said it would take Amex and it didn't
take our Amex.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, so I think for those of you who are traveling,
always carry cash.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
That's strange, though I've never actually had
that.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
It was strange because it said that it will
accept it, but I guess it wasnot accepting foreign credit
cards.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I'm not sure.
Even though I was able to usemy credit card everywhere else,
I will say I noticed that evenin our smaller hometown more
people are using credit cardsthan in the past, like before
our kids were born, when Mattand I went, I really felt like I
needed cash all the time.
But since then it's like, oh,they take credit card everywhere
(20:58):
now.
But I will say, store workersare not used to accepting credit
cards so they a lot of timesthey had to ask not this trip
when I would go back home theywould say, like, ask a manager
like how to run the credit card.
I thought that was interestinglike multiple places do that and
this was when like recently, umlast time I went to japan,
(21:19):
which was summer of 23 summer 23but it's my, our hometown, like
the smaller, so some stores,yeah, they were like um, let me,
let me see yeah, this time atthe train station it just didn't
.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
I think that was the only instance actually that we
had troubles.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
But and sumi's hometown.
Was there anywhere thataccepted apple pay?
Speaker 4 (21:40):
yeah, yeah, um, we paid a couple times on okay, I
didn't pay attention um, also,they were surprised that these
high-tech toilets wereeverywhere in public high-tech,
high-tech as in like pushingbuttons, like you know, see it
warmer and bidet sprays, musicplaying and all this stuff I
forgot, forgot Emiko, my youngerone, 10 year old.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
She said she really loved the public bathrooms in
Japan because she feltcomfortable doing.
Number two because there was somuch noise that it would play
for you so you could becomfortable doing your business.
She said she wished she hadthat in the US.
I personally love that inpublic bathrooms in Japan have
(22:21):
sanitizing spray to wipe yourseats.
I think that's so smart.
They should have thateverywhere you know, because,
especially if you have littlekids.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I feel like in Munich like 50% of the places have
that.
Oh really.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Not all the places 0% have it here in the US.
I've never seen it.
Maybe in other states orsomething, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, I do like that music thing because it's
personal.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
It's not like there's one giant speaker that plays
the music the whole time, but Ifeel like the volume is not loud
enough.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Loud enough.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
It's not going to do your business.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
It depends on what you're feeling, I guess, like
what you're about to do in thebathroom, or maybe it's just
comforting for you.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
you know sitting there.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
It is for Emiko.
She told me she's like.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
I wish we had that in the US oh.
I'm glad she liked it then.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Lucas was surprised that you can order many
different kinds of food atconveyor belt sushi places.
Why would you go there andorder fries?
And I'm like I don't know, butyou know, maybe some people want
to order fries.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Well, your grandma loves fries at Pai Tenchi.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
That's true.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
So it's for Baba.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Yeah, you can order desserts.
You can order soups, noodlesoups, ramen, udon.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
This time we didn't particularly go to a place like
the restaurant, like this, butMatt I remember again one of the
first times he went to Japancommented that you know it was
interesting that the EnoshimaIsland restaurant, where you had
to take your shoes off becausewe sat on the tatami mat.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
He was very uncomfortable.
Yeah, yeah, that's not forAmericans.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
That's true.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
To sit on the floor.
Yeah, that's one thing he does.
Comment is how uncomfortable heis when it's not, like you know
, american style dining, becausehe just can't sit and be
comfortable on the floor and eat, which I can understand if
you're not used to that.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
Yeah, but there are places where, like, there's a
dip in the ground, so there's atable above it and you can.
Oh yeah you can put your feetthere, yeah, yeah, like a hollow
, but yeah, I guess it's notvery comfortable if you're
literally sitting on the ground.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I think originally the extra place that you guys
went to.
In your neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Yeah, in my neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
The manager originally said that you guys go
on the second floor becauseit's more spacious.
But Takeshi was like but thereare foreigners and they might
not be used to sitting on theground.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's so smart.
That's right, matt was the onlyone that was uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
So that's why you guys ended up eating on the
first floor.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
That would have been nice to be upstairs where it's
more spacious.
But I mean, that was fine, itwas totally fine.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, it's fun for the kids the second second floor
because the kids can draw onthe tables oh, that's fun yeah,
I guess I haven't been back fornew year's.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
I've been twice since we've moved like abroad, which
was over 30 years.
Was that there are marathonevents that happen?
Speaker 3 (25:21):
during New.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Year's, which I didn't know.
That happened I guess back then, but it's been going on for
quite some time, I believedecades.
Right, I think so.
Yeah, so I was surprised howthere are marathons that happen
on New Year's Day and 2nd and3rd.
It's like a three-day event.
I think on New Year's Day wascorporate relay marathon and
(25:47):
then on 2nd and 3rd areuniversity relay marathon.
The distances are probablyabout similar.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
It's a huge event that everybody tunes in and
watches.
Well, I was surprised that Iwas so amazing at flying a kite
on New Year's Day.
Yeah, I was so impressed.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Yeah, so I guess it is sort of a tradition that
people do on New Year's, asidefrom going to shrines, that
people will fly kite.
I think a lot of kids do thatand it was nice that Sumi's
husband went and bought them.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Yeah, and it was so worth it that he bought, like
the longer one longer strapbecause it looked really cool
above everyone else's and therewere many people who were there.
We got tangled at times, yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
And somehow yours was so high, it went super high and
we were all jealous.
So then we tried to make itsuper high also.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Yep, and you joined me eventually.
Yeah yeah, I was prettyimpressed with my skills.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
We talked about, instead of going to Shrine,
because, according to Sumi, theplaces would be so crowded on
the 1st and our families left onthe second and third of January
.
So we decided, okay, well,maybe some of us let's go watch
the sunrise and maybe that'ssomething that we can do walk to
the beach, because from Sumi'splace if you walk there it's
(27:10):
like 30 minutes or less, it'snot very far.
And so it was four of us myhusband, me, tomo and then our
dad who went and honestly, Ithought it was such a brilliant
idea.
And guess what?
Everybody was there.
There were like thousands ofpeople which I was so shocked
and surprised.
(27:31):
I was like dang it.
I thought this idea was unique.
Well, apparently everybody hadthis unique idea.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
I mean we noticed when we saw the crowd going
towards there, the beach youknow, yeah, like wait a minute.
What are these people doing,too, at this time from?
Speaker 4 (27:46):
her place.
There's a major road wherethere's 7-eleven and then you
turn on 7-eleven and it's prettymuch straight to the beach.
Right before we turned, thereweren't that many people walking
.
What time was that like?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
still.
Obviously we went for sunrise,so it was still dark I don't
know it was.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
It was like six something, it was early enough,
because we stayed up quite latethe night before I think it was
six, six o'clock, yeah and uh,as we turned and we were walking
for a while I mean thereweren't that many people, it was
just us and then I saw a couplekind of join and I thought,
okay, maybe they're also goingto the beach.
And at some point in themidpoint there were so many
people we started to notice onthe left side, on the right side
(28:24):
on bikes, walking, and we'relike wait, are they all going to
the beach?
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I was bypassing people like I was just like.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
I'm gonna beat these people remember, I left you guys
, yeah there were so many people, I was so shocked, and it was
also nice that we could seeMount Fuji from there too, from
the bridge where we were.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Good thing it was not raining or cloudy, that's right
yeah it was a really coolexperience.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I mean, it was cool to see it and also cool that
there were so many people andthey were also at some parts
like it wasn't where we werestanding at, but we realized as
we were walking along the beachthere were people providing food
and stuff, which I thought wasnice what do you mean?
Speaker 3 (29:03):
providing like selling?
Speaker 4 (29:06):
free?
I think it was free.
It must been done by volunteers, but I'm assuming it's by the
city.
Where was this like right?
This was when we were walkingtowards the bridge to see Mount
Fuji oh Bridge that crosses.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
I was focused on this lady that was in front of me,
that was on a walking stick, andI thought what if she falls on
me?
Because it's what I keptthinking.
So I didn't see anything.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Yeah, it was like right before we turned to get on
the bridge or something likethat, on the beach side there
were like long tables with tonsof volunteers.
I think they were providingfood.
I think it was free, but Ithought, simi, you should
definitely go there one yearbecause it was nice.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Oh, my goodness, maybe.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
I was pretty impressed that we stayed up
until midnight and went beforesunrise.
Yeah, and our brother was so hewas going to make it.
He was confident and he wasgonna make it.
He was confident I'm.
And I was like, no, you're not,you're not gonna make it.
He's like, yes, I am watch.
Yeah, he didn't make it.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Yeah, and he said just come and knock on the door
because I will be there.
And then, no, he didn't show upor he didn't make it I have
never seen sunrise on new year'swell you can probably see it
from the top of your house.
maybe, yeah, probably, but still, but it was cool though,
because where we were standingyou could probably see it from
the top of your house.
Maybe, yeah, probably, butstill, but it was cool though,
because where we were standingyou could see the Enoshima, and
(30:23):
then it was coming out of thatisland.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, I saw the pictures.
It was pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Thanks for joining us today.
Don't forget to review SisterVibes and make sure to subscribe
on the app of your choice soyou don't miss our upcoming
episodes.
Until next time, ja-neh.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Ja-neh Bye.
I gotta get you out of my system.
I gotta get you off of my mind.
But how do I move on when noone compares?
They only keep me occupied.
I gotta break these chains thatbind me.
I try to shake them off sodesperately, but you pull them
(00:24):
tighter, string me along.
It's sad, but I'm so gone.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hey guys.
So I don't know if we talkedabout this in our previous
podcast, but we actually had afamily get-together in December
and we all spent Christmas andNew Year's together in Japan at
my house, and I was kind ofinterested in hearing what
impressions your guys's husbandshad on Japan, since I believe
(00:56):
they've only been here a coupleof times.
Our foreign husbands, yourforeign husbands yes, their
perspectives.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I know mine said that he was impressed with the fact
that people work on ChristmasDay, that it's not really a
holiday, so it was duringChristmas time, slash New Year's
, right Around that time, and hesaid maybe it's where you are,
but he was surprised at howrelatively warm it was.
(01:24):
He said because his he wasmentally prepared for from
Florida to you know, regularwinter weather.
He was expecting it to be likereally, really cold, so he was
ready for that, but I guess itwas relatively warm for winter,
you know, like a normal winter.
That's what he said.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, I feel like it was warmer than the typical
winter we usually have.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, I remember you saying that actually, yeah, yeah
.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
When I was there with my husband was back in 2017.
And we visited in winter and itwas not that warm, so I
remember it being much, muchcolder and I think the average
temperature this past time waslike above 10 degrees.
I thought right.
I think the low was below 10.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yeah, and then during the day, I think it even went
up to 12 or something but it wasvery pleasant.
Yeah, I was also surprised.
And when was Matt there lasttime, do you?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
remember he was there in 2018 2018?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
I think yeah okay, so we were there 2017 slash 18 in
the winter, so that's like it'sbeen like what?
7-8 years, I guess, for both ofthem.
Wow, that seems like long agoif it's 2018.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, it's like six years ago.
Yeah, seven is that right, sixand a half, because he was there
in the summertime.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Right yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
It's been a while.
He also commented, you know,like, how he was impressed with
the amount of walkers andcyclists and people taking
public transportation in Japan.
The amount of people doing thatI guess.
I mean, if you lived in NewYork you would see that more.
But where we live we only seepeople in our gated community
(03:15):
walking and running.
But outside of our community wedon't see anybody walking to
places or riding their bikes togo places, maybe to exercise.
Sometimes we see people outside.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
But yeah, I feel like it's because of how everything
is laid out in the us.
It's so wide and big, you knowthe country itself so you almost
need a car well, yeah, but wealso have like um 10 car lane
road, like you know right rightoutside right outside of our
community and it's not reallythat walkable, walking friendly.
You could get hit by a car youcould, but I guess if you go
(03:52):
across the street past thatthere's a huge mall there you
can go to and trader joe's.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I used to take the kids on the bike, the trader
joe's, but it was scary kind ofeven to cross that.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
You know 10 lane yeah , yeah, and it's not so common
to just walk, yeah, no, yeahthat's interesting.
Anything else?
Did matt say anything else?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I mean he's commented in the past which I think I
mentioned on this on here beforewhere, you know, one of the
first times he went to japan, Iremember him commenting about
the vending machine, how there'slike hot and cold, and he was
so impressed with that but Ididn't even think anything of it
because I thought that was kindof normal, but at the same time
I was like, oh yeah, we don'tsee that in the us, right, you
(04:40):
know.
So I remember him commentingabout that and there were
several things that he commentedwhen we first went together,
before the kids were born, but Idon't remember what all he
commented.
Probably that we kind of alllook alike too.
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
He probably never said that, and we were about the
same height.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, no, he never said that, you know what.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Something that was interesting that Christophe said
, my husband said, was that hedidn't feel especially tall this
time and I don't know if what?
Did people grow?
I don't know.
I don't know if he felt thatway before, but then I feel like
, you know, this time we stayedwith Yusumi, which is, you know,
we have access or we've been toTokyo and such, and I feel like
(05:25):
there are a lot more youngerpeople, not in your neighborhood
particularly, but, you know, intokyo and such, and maybe I
think, I think it's her modernhome with the high ceiling.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
If he goes to our house like a normal, like our
parents house, you know,standard, yeah, parents have
everything is low.
I remember, like the sink.
You know how I have to kind of.
I mean this is exaggerated, butI felt like I was squatting to
wash my face.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah, yeah, I was getting a workout just washing
my face.
And even then, kristoff used tohit his forehead in a parent's
house.
Okay, see, yeah, that's why heprobably felt really tall,
because he said that there was ablind spot like going through
like for example upstairs in theJapanese style room.
I remember he just literallybanged his head.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Remember we took a picture of him standing with his
forehead touching in one ofthose rooms when we stayed at
the hotel.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Yeah, similar to that .
Along that line, he was verysurprised how dense everything
was in Sumi's neighborhood and Ithought well, but you've also
been to our parents' home andthat's pretty dense.
But he felt that there was nobackyard, there was no front
yard.
Yeah, like packed Everythingwas very packed and I guess I
kind of understand that.
(06:33):
I think, where our parents live, you know, there's, I guess,
roads on two sides.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
But he also has never been to like the rural side of
Japan either, where it's likenothing but rice fields, I'm
sure Right like the rural sideof japan either, where it's like
nothing but rice fields, I'msure right, you mean our parents
place, or you mean just likemore, more rural no no, maybe
like if you go to hokkaido yeah,he was just very surprised how
dense it was.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
And something my son said which was funny, which is
so true, was he said there wereso many bad English.
So we went kite flying on NewYear's Day like all of us, and
Sumi's husband bought kids kites.
On it was written in English Imean this is an example that he
told me, but I mean there are afew occasions and I'm sure Sumi
(07:23):
can also point that out.
But it said soar the skieshighly and hotly.
It is glared at you by theseeyes.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Oh, my God.
I don't know why they likeallow these things to be printed
without editing.
I mean, yeah, t-shirts too.
People wear like t-shirts thatmake no sense and it's like how
is that even allowed to beprinted?
So that was terrible.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
One example, and I guess there were two eyes on it,
I think.
And then it had some kind ofdesign.
Yeah, we were just cracking upbecause it wasn't even glared
with g-l-e-a-r-e-d, it was likeg-l-e-r-e-d, so it completely
misspelled.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
And then the whole sentence didn't even make sense
and there was a sweatshirt thatTakeshi brought home that said
lost boy.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Oh, I think Muto-san took that one, did he?
Yeah?
And I was like you want to weara sweater that says lost boy?
And he was like I just like thefit and I'm like Sumi's husband
works at retail.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
He brings home lots of clothing.
That's pretty comical.
I was actually surprised therewere like Korean and Chinese
writings, especially like comingoff at the airport, which I
guess I didn't notice last time.
I don't know if there are moreof these that you see these days
, even, I think, translations.
I was surprised, or maybe Ididn't notice last time, and the
last time I was therepersonally was 2022, so it
(08:47):
hasn't been that long.
Did you notice that at all thatthere were more korean and
chinese?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
readings no, okay, maybe that happened a while back
and I didn't really notice Ithink I mean I guess I wasn't
paying too much attention either, though I mean, I don't know, I
didn't particularly think so,but I think I remember tokyo
especially was trying toincorporate more translations in
languages before the tokyoolympic in 2020, although it was
(09:13):
actually held in 2021, right,yeah, I was there after that.
I didn't notice that before andI was kind of surprised so I
mean, did your japanese husbandsay anything about his
perspective on his foreign brosand hanging out with them like
out in public?
Just the three of them?
I think they went out a fewtimes, right, yeah?
Just by themselves, where theycan't communicate with each
(09:35):
other, so it's like japanese,german and american.
He doesn't speak english, so Iknow they were using google
translate for the most part, butwas there anything that he
mentioned?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know, he just said that he had a lot of fun
and I asked him how he was ableto communicate and he said he
couldn't, but he still had fun.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
And gestures and Google Translate, yeah, google.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Translation.
He was like, yeah, most of thetime I didn't understand what
they were saying, but I had somuch fun.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Oh, he's such a fun, easygoing guy.
Yeah, another thing that my sonwas surprised at which he was
also surprised last time wasthere are no trash cans in
public areas, so people areexpected to carry your own,
their own trash yeah, I think Imentioned this before, but yeah,
yeah, and it's surprising howclean everything is.
(10:23):
People are so responsible tojust carry their trash and I
think I've seen some places thatdo sell bags to carry your
trash.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Speaking of that, yes , one thing I always forget when
I go to Japan is that a lot ofpeople do carry their own
handkerchief to wipe their handsinstead of relying on paper
towels in the bathroom.
So we have to like shake ourhands most of the time because I
forget.
And another thing is alsocarrying our bags for grocery
(10:54):
whatnot, like folded ones, youknow, at all times, even going
to like we went to 7-Eleven alot, just because it was like
down the street, then I wouldforget to bring a bag.
So Matt and I were like walkingback with like all the street,
then I would forget to bring abag.
So matt and I were like walkingback with like all the items in
our arms.
You know, looking really stupid, but they do sell bags right
sami they do.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
You just have to pay for them oh yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
That's right, and I don't think matt wanted to pay
five yen yeah, I think when umour family moved to germany, it
was it took a minute, like ittook a while to get used to it,
because obviously we were livingin Ohio.
Now I mean, we carry it always,but I think it's just a habit.
If you're not used to it, youknow, you just forget.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, that's one thing I always think, is I
forgot again?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Another thing that Christophe said that surprised
him was the publictransportation.
He said it was a little bitcomplex to figure out.
He's like obviously I rely muchmore on you, as in me, to
figure it out, but our familiesTomo's family and my family went
out to Tokyo.
I think we saw that there wereinconsistencies between Google
(12:00):
Maps and Apple Maps and hethought that, you know, there
were instances too sometimeswhere he just could not piece
things together.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
And I also found it a little bit weird.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I just remembered.
Another thing he did mention tome was on the train.
You know how it's really packed.
That was like looking aroundand he's like, oh my gosh,
there's this many people on thetrain and it's so quiet.
I was like, oh my gosh, there'sthis many people on the train
and it's so quiet.
I was like, oh my gosh, you'reright, it is so quiet.
So everywhere we went it wasquiet.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
People are quiet yeah , I think people are just very
respectful and I saw that signthat I guess I never happened to
look at or whatever, on thetrain.
It said please do not talk.
On the train, on the cell phone.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Yeah, I saw that too, because it's distracting to
others.
Be mindful of others is what Isaid.
Yeah, right.
So yeah, it was so quiet.
That's why I always feel so outof place in Japan, you know,
because I'm so loud.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
I'm sure not all the kids are quiet, though I'm sure
if enough kids are gathered youknow yeah, oh, I'm sure he was
also surprised, how I think inSumi's neighborhood, but I think
this is also common in manyareas that some restaurants and
bars are really really small.
That could maybe take up tolike 10 people or so, like
(13:24):
really small.
I was actually surprised withthat too.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
It's just.
Yeah, it's around my area.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah, there's a lot of small restaurants but it's
kind of nice though, becausethen you get to know the owners
and owners maybe have anopportunity to just actually
mingle with them and get to knowthem and such.
Do you not?
Not see this a lot in Tokyo,where you were living?
Not?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
like that intimate.
Yeah, we noticed there are tonsof restaurants that we still
haven't gotten to around ourneighborhood and sometimes we
just miss it because they'rejust really small.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
And you've been living there for two, three
years now, Wait longer, almosttwo years.
Two years, actually, yeah, twoyears this month.
So our son loves to play thisDragon Ball game at the arcade
In Japan.
In Japan, yes, Every time wevisit, there are some game
addicts in Japan.
It looks like they've beenliving there because they're so
(14:22):
good at playing certain games,like dancing game.
Even this guy would just haveevery choreographed thing like
nailed, and it's actually fun towatch them because you're just
like how long have you beenstanding here and playing this?
Yeah, like.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Their noses are like flaring and sweat coming down
yeah it's like oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
They have special gloves on too.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Oh my gosh Kao, do you have to explain the Dragon
Ball game, why Lucas likes to doit in Japan, why it's different
?
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Well, there are arcades here, but obviously it's
not as big.
I don't think I've ever seenany places as big as ones in
Japan.
Well, first of all, he likesDragon Ball.
Which Dragon Ball is?
I think a lot of people know it, but we used to watch it when
we were kids, in our elementarydays.
It's a comic book and you canwatch an animated series on
(15:16):
Netflix.
Now we got him these comic booksfor him to get started on, and
he's so into it now that hediscovered that there is a game
in Japan in one of the arcades,and one time when we went back
home to our parents house, Ithink, we discovered it and he
wanted to play it.
Our dad was with us, hisgrandpa.
(15:36):
We tried to figure out how toplay it because everything was
in Japanese.
So Dragon Ball is all aboutmartial arts.
I guess it's like all aboutfighting.
Every time he plays a game,there's a card that spits out
with a character in the DragonBall world and you can lay out
up to seven cards, which meansseven characters to play against
the machine or whoever Whoever,meaning you can also compete
(16:01):
with other people who are online.
For some reason, everything isin Japanese, but he figured out
how to play it, and so he lovesit.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
But not at the arcade .
You can't play with otherpeople, right I?
Speaker 4 (16:12):
think, if people are online at the same time, you can
play together, and if themachine, like we, realized that
if there's somebody next to you,you can like play together oh,
okay, that I can understand, Iguess, but so that particular
arc, the game is online based itcan be online.
Yeah, so you can play againstthe machine, or I think you can
(16:33):
also play against other peoplewho are playing in japan yeah,
it's like basically interactivebecause you, once you lay the
cards down, these characterscome to life on the screen.
Yeah, and then at that time wefound out that there was this
guy who was at another dragonball game with.
There were a few usually a fewstations, and he looked like a
(16:55):
little bit older than us, tomomiand me like he's probably close
to 50.
You could tell that he wasprobably there every single day
because a couple times we wentback after that he was there.
It's just basically you collectall these cards and over time
obviously you're going to have abunch of cards.
He had this little box with akey that contained I swear it
(17:19):
was like hundreds and hundredsof cards.
These are serious gamers, it'sa key locks them.
Yeah, yes, I wonder if you cansell them and make a lot of
money yeah, I think probably wow, that's crazy yeah first of all
, you just start to wonder likewhat is he doing all day?
Lucas also noticed that that'scrazy, that these people are
adults and seriously playing,and I don't know why some people
(17:43):
wear gloves to me.
What's the gloves for?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I know, I just noticed that some people you
know who are on those dancingmachine games, uh-huh they
usually have these gloves on.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Is it to be like michael jackson kind of?
They think they're michaeljackson?
Speaker 2 (17:58):
I think it has something to do with like maybe
friction?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
like oh, they grip to turn, so they need a good grip.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
I think, or maybe you press the button also at the
same time.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Oh my, gosh, stop it, those are so no, they take
those things very seriously.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Oh geez there was one .
I think he was probably incollege because we were in Tokyo
.
This was a much bigger one thatwe went to and he was playing
drums, but he was so good I mean, he wasn't even looking, it
almost looked like and you justwonder, like how long do you
have to play in order to be thisgood?
Like they have to visit everyday, right, don't you think,
(18:36):
sumi?
Do you think that people visitevery day?
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Well, I mean, mean, this guy was people.
I believe, yeah, they do well,maybe this is their way of
working out, you think or no,stress relief right from working
or going to school well, Inoticed that those types of
people who, kind of like youknow, take these kind of games
seriously, they go by themselvesright so they can like just be
focused they don't want to bedistracted right.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So I feel like yeah, because I like to do zumba for
workout, but then I like to doit with other people in a class.
But maybe they consider this asa workout like fitness, because
they are really sweaty.
I've seen some people.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
yeah, but gaming is such a big part of Japanese
culture that I think if you grewup there, it's like such a
normal thing, but you justforget, like how there are some
people that are so into it thatyou can tell like they've been
there every single day.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
If you go to Akihabara in.
Japan the city is filled withpeople like that, like people
who take yeah, gamers and animelovers, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Okay, it's like an anime town almost yeah.
Gamers and anime lovers, ohyeah.
Okay, it's like an anime townalmost yeah Like the otaku
culture.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Otaku culture yeah, it's actually where it
originated Akihabara and this isin Tokyo, somewhere, yeah, in
Tokyo.
So if you're one of thosepeople, you'll probably have fun
in Akihabara, yeah that's goodto know.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
You're one of those people.
You'll probably have fun inAkihabara.
Yeah, that's good to know.
We were also surprised Well, Ithink Tomomi's family also came
across this too, probably butthey did not take credit card
everywhere, or MasterCard, and Ithink you always need to carry
cash, because even at the trainstations, when we were trying to
buy tickets and it said theywould accept credit card, it did
not.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Yeah, it said it would take Amex and it didn't
take our Amex.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Yeah, so I think for those of you who are traveling,
always carry cash.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
That's strange, though I've never actually had
that.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
It was strange because it said that it will
accept it, but I guess it wasnot accepting foreign credit
cards.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I'm not sure.
Even though I was able to usemy credit card everywhere else,
I will say I noticed that evenin our smaller hometown more
people are using credit cardsthan in the past, like before
our kids were born, when Mattand I went, I really felt like I
needed cash all the time.
But since then it's like, oh,they take credit card everywhere
(20:58):
now.
But I will say, store workersare not used to accepting credit
cards so they a lot of timesthey had to ask not this trip
when I would go back home theywould say, like, ask a manager
like how to run the credit card.
I thought that was interestinglike multiple places do that and
this was when like recently, umlast time I went to japan,
(21:19):
which was summer of 23 summer 23but it's my, our hometown, like
the smaller, so some stores,yeah, they were like um, let me,
let me see yeah, this time atthe train station it just didn't
.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
I think that was the only instance actually that we
had troubles.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
But and sumi's hometown.
Was there anywhere thataccepted apple pay?
Speaker 4 (21:40):
yeah, yeah, um, we paid a couple times on okay, I
didn't pay attention um, also,they were surprised that these
high-tech toilets wereeverywhere in public high-tech,
high-tech as in like pushingbuttons, like you know, see it
warmer and bidet sprays, musicplaying and all this stuff I
forgot, forgot Emiko, my youngerone, 10 year old.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
She said she really loved the public bathrooms in
Japan because she feltcomfortable doing.
Number two because there was somuch noise that it would play
for you so you could becomfortable doing your business.
She said she wished she hadthat in the US.
I personally love that inpublic bathrooms in Japan have
(22:21):
sanitizing spray to wipe yourseats.
I think that's so smart.
They should have thateverywhere you know, because,
especially if you have littlekids.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I feel like in Munich like 50% of the places have
that.
Oh really.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Not all the places 0% have it here in the US.
I've never seen it.
Maybe in other states orsomething, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, I do like that music thing because it's
personal.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
It's not like there's one giant speaker that plays
the music the whole time, but Ifeel like the volume is not loud
enough.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Loud enough.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
It's not going to do your business.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
It depends on what you're feeling, I guess, like
what you're about to do in thebathroom, or maybe it's just
comforting for you.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
you know sitting there.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
It is for Emiko.
She told me she's like.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
I wish we had that in the US oh.
I'm glad she liked it then.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Lucas was surprised that you can order many
different kinds of food atconveyor belt sushi places.
Why would you go there andorder fries?
And I'm like I don't know, butyou know, maybe some people want
to order fries.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Well, your grandma loves fries at Pai Tenchi.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
That's true.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
So it's for Baba.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Yeah, you can order desserts.
You can order soups, noodlesoups, ramen, udon.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
This time we didn't particularly go to a place like
the restaurant, like this, butMatt I remember again one of the
first times he went to Japancommented that you know it was
interesting that the EnoshimaIsland restaurant, where you had
to take your shoes off becausewe sat on the tatami mat.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
He was very uncomfortable.
Yeah, yeah, that's not forAmericans.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
That's true.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
To sit on the floor.
Yeah, that's one thing he does.
Comment is how uncomfortable heis when it's not, like you know
, american style dining, becausehe just can't sit and be
comfortable on the floor and eat, which I can understand if
you're not used to that.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
Yeah, but there are places where, like, there's a
dip in the ground, so there's atable above it and you can.
Oh yeah you can put your feetthere, yeah, yeah, like a hollow
, but yeah, I guess it's notvery comfortable if you're
literally sitting on the ground.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I think originally the extra place that you guys
went to.
In your neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Yeah, in my neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
The manager originally said that you guys go
on the second floor becauseit's more spacious.
But Takeshi was like but thereare foreigners and they might
not be used to sitting on theground.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
That's so smart.
That's right, matt was the onlyone that was uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
So that's why you guys ended up eating on the
first floor.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
That would have been nice to be upstairs where it's
more spacious.
But I mean, that was fine, itwas totally fine.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, it's fun for the kids the second second floor
because the kids can draw onthe tables oh, that's fun yeah,
I guess I haven't been back fornew year's.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
I've been twice since we've moved like abroad, which
was over 30 years.
Was that there are marathonevents that happen?
Speaker 3 (25:21):
during New.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Year's, which I didn't know.
That happened I guess back then, but it's been going on for
quite some time, I believedecades.
Right, I think so.
Yeah, so I was surprised howthere are marathons that happen
on New Year's Day and 2nd and3rd.
It's like a three-day event.
I think on New Year's Day wascorporate relay marathon and
(25:47):
then on 2nd and 3rd areuniversity relay marathon.
The distances are probablyabout similar.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
It's a huge event that everybody tunes in and
watches.
Well, I was surprised that Iwas so amazing at flying a kite
on New Year's Day.
Yeah, I was so impressed.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Yeah, so I guess it is sort of a tradition that
people do on New Year's, asidefrom going to shrines, that
people will fly kite.
I think a lot of kids do thatand it was nice that Sumi's
husband went and bought them.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Yeah, and it was so worth it that he bought, like
the longer one longer strapbecause it looked really cool
above everyone else's and therewere many people who were there.
We got tangled at times, yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
And somehow yours was so high, it went super high and
we were all jealous.
So then we tried to make itsuper high also.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Yep, and you joined me eventually.
Yeah yeah, I was prettyimpressed with my skills.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
We talked about, instead of going to Shrine,
because, according to Sumi, theplaces would be so crowded on
the 1st and our families left onthe second and third of January
.
So we decided, okay, well,maybe some of us let's go watch
the sunrise and maybe that'ssomething that we can do walk to
the beach, because from Sumi'splace if you walk there it's
(27:10):
like 30 minutes or less, it'snot very far.
And so it was four of us myhusband, me, tomo and then our
dad who went and honestly, Ithought it was such a brilliant
idea.
And guess what?
Everybody was there.
There were like thousands ofpeople which I was so shocked
and surprised.
(27:31):
I was like dang it.
I thought this idea was unique.
Well, apparently everybody hadthis unique idea.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
I mean we noticed when we saw the crowd going
towards there, the beach youknow, yeah, like wait a minute.
What are these people doing,too, at this time from?
Speaker 4 (27:46):
her place.
There's a major road wherethere's 7-eleven and then you
turn on 7-eleven and it's prettymuch straight to the beach.
Right before we turned, thereweren't that many people walking
.
What time was that like?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
still.
Obviously we went for sunrise,so it was still dark I don't
know it was.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
It was like six something, it was early enough,
because we stayed up quite latethe night before I think it was
six, six o'clock, yeah and uh,as we turned and we were walking
for a while I mean thereweren't that many people, it was
just us and then I saw a couplekind of join and I thought,
okay, maybe they're also goingto the beach.
And at some point in themidpoint there were so many
people we started to notice onthe left side, on the right side
(28:24):
on bikes, walking, and we'relike wait, are they all going to
the beach?
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I was bypassing people like I was just like.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
I'm gonna beat these people remember, I left you guys
, yeah there were so many people, I was so shocked, and it was
also nice that we could seeMount Fuji from there too, from
the bridge where we were.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Good thing it was not raining or cloudy, that's right
yeah it was a really coolexperience.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I mean, it was cool to see it and also cool that
there were so many people andthey were also at some parts
like it wasn't where we werestanding at, but we realized as
we were walking along the beachthere were people providing food
and stuff, which I thought wasnice what do you mean?
Speaker 3 (29:03):
providing like selling?
Speaker 4 (29:06):
free?
I think it was free.
It must been done by volunteers, but I'm assuming it's by the
city.
Where was this like right?
This was when we were walkingtowards the bridge to see Mount
Fuji oh Bridge that crosses.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
I was focused on this lady that was in front of me,
that was on a walking stick, andI thought what if she falls on
me?
Because it's what I keptthinking.
So I didn't see anything.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Yeah, it was like right before we turned to get on
the bridge or something likethat, on the beach side there
were like long tables with tonsof volunteers.
I think they were providingfood.
I think it was free, but Ithought, simi, you should
definitely go there one yearbecause it was nice.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Oh, my goodness, maybe.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
I was pretty impressed that we stayed up
until midnight and went beforesunrise.
Yeah, and our brother was so hewas going to make it.
He was confident and he wasgonna make it.
He was confident I'm.
And I was like, no, you're not,you're not gonna make it.
He's like, yes, I am watch.
Yeah, he didn't make it.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Yeah, and he said just come and knock on the door
because I will be there.
And then, no, he didn't show upor he didn't make it I have
never seen sunrise on new year'swell you can probably see it
from the top of your house.
maybe, yeah, probably, but still, but it was cool though,
because where we were standingyou could probably see it from
the top of your house.
Maybe, yeah, probably, butstill, but it was cool though,
because where we were standingyou could see the Enoshima, and
(30:23):
then it was coming out of thatisland.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, I saw the pictures.
It was pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Thanks for joining us today.
Don't forget to review SisterVibes and make sure to subscribe
on the app of your choice soyou don't miss our upcoming
episodes.
Until next time, ja-neh.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Ja-neh Bye.
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