A Swede in Tokyo | Living in Sweden vs Living in Japan
Summary
TLDRIn 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
🇸🇪 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.
👐 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.
🌡️ 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Tokyo
💡Swedish
💡Cultural Differences
💡Personal Space
💡Blond Hair
💡Multicultural
💡Social Interactions
💡Climate
💡Paperwork
💡Cash-Based Society
💡Food Culture
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
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