A Swede in Tokyo | Living in Sweden vs Living in Japan

Summary

In this engaging video, a Swedish expat in Tokyo humorously explores the cultural differences and similarities between life in Japan and Sweden. From blending into crowds with a distinct blonde hairdo to navigating the heat and humidity, the video delves into social norms, paperwork, and the importance of cash. It also highlights the shared values of personal space respect and cleanliness, while poking fun at the challenges of adapting to a new environment. The video offers a light-hearted yet insightful look at the expat experience, complete with the creator's attractive Swedish friends sharing their perspectives.

Takeaways

• 🇸🇪 The speaker is a Swedish YouTuber living in Tokyo, sharing his experiences as a foreigner in Japan.
• 👥 There are approximately 4,000 Swedes living in Japan, and the speaker highlights the differences and similarities between life in Sweden and Japan.
• 🙅‍♂️ Blending into Japanese society is challenging for the speaker, partly due to his distinct appearance and personality.
• 🤝 The social norms in Japan are quite different from Sweden, especially regarding physical contact. In Japan, bowing is common, while in Sweden, people often hug or shake hands.
• 🌡️ The climate in Tokyo is much hotter and more humid than in Sweden, which the speaker finds difficult to adjust to.
• 📄 Japanese bureaucracy is more complex than in Sweden, with many forms and paperwork required for everyday tasks like health insurance.
• 💳 Cash is still widely used in Japan, unlike Sweden, where most transactions are digital.
• 🍣 Dining culture in Japan involves sharing small dishes, and many restaurants are located on higher floors of buildings, which contrasts with Sweden's dining practices.
• 🌍 Despite surface-level differences, both Sweden and Japan value personal space and cleanliness, though Japan's recycling practices differ significantly.
• 🚇 The speaker feels welcomed in Japan and enjoys living there, but he and his friends miss certain aspects of Swedish life, such as all-night trains, less paperwork, and Swedish candy.

Q & A

What is the nationality of the video creator?

The video creator is from Sweden but currently lives in Tokyo, Japan.

What is the estimated number of Swedes living in Japan according to the video?

The video mentions that there are about 4,000 Swedes living in Japan.

What is the video creator's goal regarding the reputation of blond YouTubers in Japan?

The video creator aims to restore the reputation of blond YouTubers in Japan, which they describe as 'understandably dismal'.

What is the most common question the video creator gets from Japanese people?

The most common question is whether the video creator's hair is natural or if it's a wig.

How does the video creator describe the climate in Tokyo?

The video creator describes the climate in Tokyo as constantly above 30 degrees and incredibly humid.

What is the video creator's observation about touching others in Japanese culture?

The video creator observes that touching others is considered 'kind of weird' in Japanese culture, and physical contact is minimal.

What is the typical greeting in Japan according to the video?

The typical greeting in Japan is bowing, with the angle of the bow depending on the level of respect or formality.

What does the video creator find challenging about living in Japan?

The video creator finds the paperwork, heat and humidity, and the reliance on cash challenging when living in Japan.

How does the video creator describe the dining experience in Japan compared to Sweden?

In Japan, it's common to order several small dishes for sharing, and dining places are often located on higher floors of buildings. In contrast, in Sweden, one orders individually from a menu.

What similarities does the video creator find between Swedish and Japanese cultures?

The video creator finds similarities in the respect for personal space, the cleanliness of both countries, and the functionality of societal systems.

What does the video creator suggest as a perfect combination for a city?

The video creator suggests a city that combines the best of Tokyo with 24-hour train services, less paperwork, and Swedish candy as the most amazing place.

Outlines

00:00

🇸🇪 Swedish Life in Tokyo: Breaking Stereotypes

The speaker, who is a Swedish resident in Tokyo, introduces their YouTube channel, which focuses on life in Japan from a Swedish perspective. Despite not being Japanese, the speaker shares the challenges of blending into the diverse city of Tokyo, mentioning their distinct appearance, particularly their blonde hair, which often leads to questions about its authenticity. The video aims to dispel stereotypes about blonde YouTubers in Japan and highlight the speaker’s experiences as a foreigner.

05:00

👐 Cultural Contrasts: Personal Space and Touching

The speaker explores the cultural differences between Sweden and Japan, particularly in terms of physical contact and personal space. In Sweden, physical contact, like hugging and handshaking, is common, even in casual settings. In contrast, Japan is much more reserved, with bowing replacing handshakes and hugging being seen as inappropriate. The speaker humorously notes how the lack of physical contact in Japan has made them almost awkward about touching themselves.

10:00

🌡️ Coping with Tokyo's Climate and Bureaucracy

The speaker discusses the challenges of adapting to Tokyo’s hot and humid climate, which is particularly difficult for someone from Sweden. Additionally, they highlight the complexities of Japanese bureaucracy, especially when dealing with paperwork like health insurance registration. The speaker shares their frustrations with the excessive paperwork and the challenges of using foreign bank cards, emphasizing the importance of carrying cash in Japan, which is a stark contrast to Sweden's cashless society.

🍣 Dining Differences: Food Culture in Japan

The speaker delves into the differences in dining experiences between Sweden and Japan. In Japan, it's common to order multiple small dishes to share among a group, rather than individual meals as is typical in Sweden. The speaker also notes the unique aspect of Tokyo’s dining scene, where many restaurants are located on upper floors of buildings, offering scenic views. They acknowledge that while these differences might be intimidating for Swedes considering a move to Japan, there are also similarities between the two cultures.

🤝 Shared Values: Respect for Personal Space

The speaker draws parallels between Swedish and Japanese cultures, particularly in their mutual respect for personal space and cleanliness. Both societies value not disturbing others, whether in public spaces or during interactions. The speaker contrasts this with their experiences in London, describing Japan and Sweden as very clean countries. They humorously criticize Japan's excessive use of plastic packaging, which would shock environmentally conscious Swedes.

🚉 Efficiency and Adaptation: Life in Tokyo vs. London

The speaker contrasts the efficiency and cleanliness of life in Tokyo and Sweden with their past experiences in London, which they describe as less sanitary and well-organized. They appreciate how well things work in Japan, from public transport to everyday infrastructure, and how this contributes to a smoother daily life. Despite the differences, the speaker feels welcomed in Japan and notes that the cultural adjustments have been mostly positive.

🍭 Final Thoughts: Adapting to Life in Tokyo

In the concluding part of the video, the speaker reflects on their positive experience living in Tokyo as a Swedish person, highlighting that the cultural shock has been minimal. They share feedback from friends on what they miss about Sweden and what changes they would like to see in Japan, such as extended train services and easier access to Swedish candy. The video ends on a light-hearted note, encouraging viewers to visit IKEA in Tokyo for a taste of Sweden.

👋 Farewell: Until Next Time!

The speaker wraps up the video by thanking their Swedish friends who appeared in the video and humorously noting that they feel like the least attractive Swede in Tokyo. They bid farewell to viewers, promising to return with more content in the future.

Keywords

💡Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and serves as the main setting of the video. It is described as the biggest city in the world and a multicultural place. The video discusses the experience of living in Tokyo as a Swedish person, highlighting the cultural differences and similarities between Swedish and Japanese lifestyles.

💡Swedish

Swedish refers to the nationality of the video creator and the perspective from which the video is made. The video explores the cultural identity of being Swedish in Japan, including the challenges and observations of daily life in Tokyo from a Swedish viewpoint.

💡Cultural Differences

Cultural differences are the distinctions in social norms, behaviors, and practices between different societies. The video discusses several cultural differences between Sweden and Japan, such as personal space, social interactions, and food habits.

💡Personal Space

Personal space is the physical and psychological distance individuals prefer to maintain between themselves and others. The video mentions that both Swedish and Japanese cultures highly respect personal space, which is evident in their social behaviors, such as not hugging or engaging in excessive physical contact.

💡Blond Hair

Blond hair is a physical characteristic that the video creator uses to humorously discuss the stereotypes and perceptions of foreigners in Japan. It is mentioned as a distinguishing feature that makes the creator stand out in Tokyo and is tied to the goal of improving the reputation of blond YouTubers in Japan.

💡Multicultural

Multicultural refers to the existence of multiple cultures within a society. Tokyo is described as a multicultural city, which is significant because it sets the expectation of blending in with various cultural backgrounds, yet the video creator still finds it challenging to do so.

💡Social Interactions

Social interactions are the ways in which people communicate and behave with each other in social settings. The video contrasts the social norms of touching and greeting in Sweden with those in Japan, where bowing replaces handshakes and hugging is less common.

💡Climate

The climate in Tokyo is described as hot and humid, which affects the lifestyle and daily experiences of the video creator. The climate is a factor that influences the preference for indoor activities and the need for air conditioning, contributing to the challenges of living in a large city.

💡Paperwork

Paperwork refers to the official documents and forms required for various administrative tasks. The video mentions the extensive paperwork involved in registering for health insurance and other bureaucratic processes in Japan, which is perceived as more cumbersome compared to Sweden.

💡Cash-Based Society

A cash-based society is one where transactions are predominantly conducted using physical currency. The video contrasts the reliance on cash in Japan with the less cash-dependent society of Sweden, where bank transfers and digital payments are more common.

💡Food Culture

Food culture encompasses the practices, attitudes, and behaviors related to food and eating. The video discusses the differences in how food is ordered and shared in Japan compared to Sweden, as well as the common practice of dining establishments being located on higher floors of buildings due to limited street space.

Highlights

Introduction of the Swedish YouTuber living in Tokyo, emphasizing the cultural differences and similarities between Japan and Sweden.

Misunderstanding about the YouTuber's nationality due to living in Tokyo, highlighting the multicultural nature of the city.

The YouTuber's struggle to blend into Japanese crowds, possibly due to physical appearance and behavior.

Humor about the YouTuber's blonde hair and its reception in Japan, comparing it to Logan Paul's visit.

The goal of improving the reputation of blonde YouTubers in Japan, a recurring theme in the channel.

Common questions from Japanese people about the YouTuber's hair, indicating curiosity about foreign features.

Cultural differences in physical contact, contrasting the liberal Swedish habits with Japanese customs.

The YouTuber's experience of not touching anyone in Japan, a stark contrast to Swedish norms.

Discussion on the Japanese practice of bowing instead of handshakes and the cultural significance of the gesture.

The impact of climate on social behaviors, such as the rarity of hugs due to the heat and humidity in Tokyo.

Comparison of administrative processes between Japan and Sweden, with a focus on the complexity in Japan.

The importance of cash in Japan contrasted with Sweden's cashless society, highlighting the need for adaptation.

Cultural insights into Japanese dining habits, such as shared dishes and the location of restaurants.

The YouTuber's reflections on similarities between Swedish and Japanese cultures, particularly regarding personal space.

Discussion on the shyness of Japanese and Swedish people and the social rules that govern interactions.

Comparison of cleanliness between Japan and Sweden, with a humorous critique of Japan's waste habits.

The YouTuber's positive experience as a Swede in Japan and the minimal culture shock experienced.

Swedish friends' perspectives on living in Japan, including what they miss about Sweden and suggestions for improvement.

Humor about the availability of Swedish items in Tokyo, such as at IKEA, for homesick Swedes.

Conclusion and thanks to the Swedish friends for participating in the video, with a light-hearted self-deprecating comment.

Transcripts

hello everyone hi i live in tokyo and i

make videos about my life here but

despite what many of you might think i'm

actually not japanese i am from an

insignificant little country called

sweden

i think there are about 4 000 swedes

living in japan at the moment it's not

too many i guess but the the interest

for japan in sweden is obviously huge so

this video is also

huge and about what it's like living in

japan

as a swedish person yay what are the

differences what is similar

and where in tokyo can go to get some

connectivity i actually don't

know that one

um

now tokyo is obviously the biggest city

in the world terribly

multicultural place despite this though

i have a terribly hard time blending

into any random crowd

here as you might imagine it might be

because of my distinct odor i don't know

or my obnoxiously loud speaking voice

but i think mainly it's because of

the blonde puff the only other youtuber

i can really think of who's visited

japan with a similar hairdo is

logan paul i've mentioned this

before but one of the goals of this

channel has always been to sort of

restore the understandably dismal

reputation that blond youtubers have

in this country i really don't know how

that is going anyway um the most common

question i get from japanese people when

they first meet me

is you know if this the hair of mine is

like this naturally or not

the wig is very convincing huh okay so

if we can sort of tear our minds from my

simply gorgeous exterior for one second

what else is different here living as

a swedish person

now perhaps the biggest difference the

keen observer will first notice when

they move here is the swede is what my

dear friend emilia

pointed out

that

[Laughter]

okay so asian people and just lots of

them

this is the cutting edge analysis you

came to this video for yes people here

are very different not just

in appearance but in behavior as well

wow touching

others for instance kind of weird as i

mentioned in my swedish dating video

swedes do tend to be fairly liberal when

it comes to touching

others everyone just hugs everyone all

the time maybe not so much now during

these times perhaps but

generally even as a you know thank you

for a receipt you know

the cashier you know it's kind of true

though we shake hands and

you know french kiss our way through

meetings in sweden here in japan things

are very different during my entire year

here

so far i haven't touched one single

person i'm almost

awkward about touching myself at this

point you know you don't shake hands

when you meet people here you bow the

angle of which depends on how

constipated you are i think and you for

goodness sake do not hug

such pornographic filth is to be carried

out at home under the kitchen fan

if necessary and only as a very last

resort when the sexual tension builds up

to

an unbearable degree only then is it

okay to perhaps

you know one reason why people don't hug

each other a lot might have something to

do with the climate because

good lord since my last video about four

and a half years ago it has been

constantly

above 30 degrees here in tokyo and

incredibly humid which to me as

a fragile little swedish person with

terribly sensitive skin

honestly it's been pretty tough andrea

my third ridiculously attractive swedish

friend

agrees with me on this okay andrea hello

hi we're walking backwards

it's very hot very humid because it's a

big city the air doesn't really come

in so you die it's like you're

suffocating slowly she also had another

pet peeve with japan

i would say probably all the paperwork

here

is much more easy in sweden yeah and

me is she right about this the

number of papers and forms and hoops you

have to overcome in order to sign up for

the correct health insurance here for

instance was ridiculous my name in

katakana is

terribly long because of my silly middle

names when you first come here you have

to register your address at the ward

office where you live writing my long

ass name over and over again with a

slightly stressed out japanese official

breathing down your neck was a good way

to learn katakana very quickly this kind

of goes hand in hand with the cash thing

in this country as well since it seems

to be about a 50 50 whether or not your

swedish card will work in any restaurant

or shop here cash is very important to

always carry around with you in this

respect sweden is like the opposite

because in the world i think sweden is

the least cash-based society or

something

cash is honestly very rare to see in

sweden everything is done by

bank transfers or sexual favors you know

obviously also very different is the

food yay

not just the you shove in your face

but the way you eat it and where so in

sweden you go to a restaurant and you

order from the menu what you like and

then you eat that

well in japan you order what you don't

like now

no that is not true this video is filled

with lies but it's common to order stuff

for everyone here

so you order lots of small dishes and

everyone sort of shares also at least

here in tokyo it's common for food

places to not just be on the first floor

but maybe you know on the ninth floor in

a skyscraper

or something so you have to take an

elevator up if you're lucky you can get

a like a table by the windows and you

have an amazing view

food places up in high buildings are

very common and street

space is very limited everything is sort

of crammed together so

outdoor seating is very rare so all that

might

sound slightly discouraging perhaps or

like scary for those swedes of you who

want to move here sometime

someday yes so what are the similarities

between living in sweden and japan

[Music]

on the surface sweden and japan are

obviously terribly different but on some

very fundamental levels i feel that

there are some cultural things that they

have in common for example respecting

other people's personal space

is very big in both countries you're not

supposed to bother strangers in sweden

or in japan so the typical example is

on the tube in sweden talking loudly on

the phone for instance is

seen as quite rude and annoying by

others and in

japan that can lead to about 50 years of

hard labor i think

in japan as soon as you walk out the

door you should be mindful that you're

part of a big group of people and

think in that sort of collective way

therefore you should be nice to others

whereas in sweden the thinking behind it

is very different but i think the

outcome is very similar because the

respect for the individual is strong

enough in sweden for you to

constantly think of others as you know

their personal space is

sacred kind of so you don't with it

and in japan like the public space

is very important so you don't with

that you know probably a terrible

analogy and sociologists will go in the

comments and all over me but that's

okay also another reason i think is that

in sweden people just suck at casual

conversation

and relaxed interactions we all have a

sort of my songs

shaped stick up our ass and i think

japanese people usually come across as

pretty shy

as well when you first talk to them but

since there are such clear rules

socially in japan on how to sort of

interact with others it's very rarely

awkward it's just

as long as you follow the rules you can

sort of get by whereas in sweden there

are no rules

so like the number of awkward

interactions in sweden is way higher

than in japan

at least that's my experience and that's

even me like with my terribly broken

japanese

connected to this respect for others

thing is that both sweden and japan are

very clean countries you could probably

like lick the

sidewalk in either country without any

concerns or given you know a

dissimilarity to this is that sweden is

very conscious about

recycling and sustainability whereas

japan wraps

already plastically wrapped wrappings in

three more layers of plastic wrapping

you know it's staggering

my recycled nuts of a father would

his swedish pants if he knew just how

much waste i have produced during my

year here

so far maybe the reason why i think both

sweden and japan are terribly

clean countries is accentuated by the

fact that i used to live in london

the perhaps most fun but least sanitary

city in europe

living here in tokyo i realized that not

all huge cities are as disgusting as

london is okay finally everything just

works

both here in japan and in sweden like

machinery works trains are usually on

time everything is kind of

you know taken care of again compared to

london

where they build waste and water pipes

outside of buildings instead of inside

them the reason being that when they

eventually break

it's easier to repair them also in japan

there is one

tap for both hot and cold water rather

than two okay enough about london i

promise

sorry um all in all during my time here

so far i've always felt

terribly welcomed in this country as a

swedish person the sort of culture shock

i've experienced has been fairly minimal

and the little there has been

has been like amusing or just positive

so

don't worry about that and uh again my

friends agree with me i asked them what

they miss

most from sweden and if they could

change anything you know about japan

what would they do

keep up pizza school nice

night

[Laughter]

so if there would be a city that's

exactly like tokyo like all the

restaurants all the boots all things to

do

but with trains going all night yes no

paperwork

and swedish candy that would be the most

amazing place on earth

in heaven yeah so to my swedish viewers

compete

and if you are still homesick or just in

desperate need of a cannibal bullet you

can still go to ikea as emilia mentioned

there's a recently opened store in

harajuku they have shatpolar

ikea bags but also the only collection

in the world of ikea clothing

so if you want to go to a halloween

party dressed up as an ikea item

cosplay and yeah with a huge barcode on

your chest

you can so that's it thank you very much

for watching i hope you enjoyed the

video and thank you very much to my

ridiculously attractive swedish friends

who agreed to be

in this video with me it appears that

i'm clearly the least attractive swede

in tokyo at the moment so until the next

one toodle everyone i'll see you in

about two months