12 Things You Should Know Before Coming to Japan

word) Don't go to Japan expecting to have Uber. Go to Japan expecting to spend a lot of money on taxis. Taxis with great service and they use gloves. Pete: They wear gloves, you have mats, the doors open by themselves. Chris: Make sure you remember that because it can cause all kinds of problems. I don't

know

why, I think it's because there's no need to knock on the taxi door, which is inherently dirty. You're driving around town all day. Pete: Yeah, I mean we talked about Uber not existing; In fact, finding a way to access the Uber app is sometimes quite difficult.

Public Wi-Fi simply doesn't exist. Chris: And here's point number 10: public Wi-Fi is rare. Japan has very good high-speed Internet. But as you drive around the city, it's just not there. It's really quite annoying if you need Wi-Fi quickly. Yeah, just go to Starbucks. Pete: Stay outside. And release it. Chris: Steal public Wi-Fi. Don't do that ladies and gentlemen. Pete: These big corporations don't pay any taxes, so frankly, I'm going to steal their Wi-Fi. Chris: Fair point. Many people like Pete grab a Wi-Fi dongle. Pete: Getting a dongle will increase your power. I just make sure I have an unlocked phone.

Because it's easier. Chris: Or maybe a Starbucks map? Ways to highlight and steal public Wi-Fi. Smoking indoors. If you don't like smoking, you'll be in for a nasty surprise because most places still allow smoking inside. I mean bars and restaurants. Yes, they are trying to phase it out, especially before the Olympics. Most places have segregation (smoking, no smoking). Actually, the first thing they will ask you when you walk in is: "Do you want to smoke or not smoke?" "Kinen." It's quite difficult to say. (spells it) "Refrain from smoking." No Smoking. "Kitsuen." He is smoking. Kinen: no smoking.

How are you going to remember that? What (something), what meme are you going to use? Both: Kenan and Kel. Chris: Kenan and Kel. Kenan doesn't like smoking. And they will tell you "kinen or kitsuen" when you enter. You just have to say "Oh, kinen." (Pete: Ahh) Unless you like smoking. Kitsuen is. Pete: Get involved! Chris: And last point, this is completely random. You can buy almost anything at a ¥100 store. Pete: Find a ¥100 store! Chris: You could buy almost everything we've mentioned on this list in this video. Pete: Oh, so much! Chris: Yes, ¥100 stores (which is about a dollar I think) the best one is Daiso.

He is the best

know

n. Lawson's 100 is another. Pete: Oh, they have their own (mumbled) Chris: But literally anything you want: ¥100 store. It could be a notebook, it could be a sense of self-esteem... You could buy it there at a reasonable price, one hundred yen. Amazing. I used to go to Daiso, the 100 yen store, just to find some weird English. Because they have notebooks covered in weird English-Japanese Pete: And they don't necessarily need to worry about marketing... Chris: No, they don't bother getting it reviewed. That costs money. Why bother? It gives your brand a sense of esteem by putting English into it.

And then people like me show up and exploit it for videos and laughs. Pete: Yes. "It's the circle of life," as the Lion King once said. Circle of life. (laughing) Chris: But yeah, come in. And those are our

things

, those are our 12

things

we wish we had known before

coming

to Japan. Hopefully, at least one of them will save you an awkward situation or create some fun and excitement. Especially the ¥100 store. Pete: Can I get more money? Chris: Yeah, there you go. Here we go. (lmao) Well, technically they would be coins because we don't have hundred yen (bills).

Pete: Help! (screams in pain) Chris: There you have it, guys. I hope you find this video useful. Pete and I do this every week on the Foreign in Japan podcast, a weekly show with a hundred thousand listeners. The biggest podcast about Japan, available on: Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, literally everything else. We are here to help you make the most of your trip. We cover everything from travel tips, tips on living and working in Japan, to contemporary news topics like bears and Kim Kardashian. Unfortunately, not together. (Still). You can find the links below or simply search abroad in Japan on your favorite podcast app.

No matter where you are in the big world, thanks for watching. See you next time. I'm going to Daiso to buy things in funny English that I don't really need. That's what Daiso is for, right?