i returned home to japan for the FIRST TIME in 20 years

I listened to this while doing the dishes and thought it had millions of views, that says something about the quality, good job :)

あなたがこの動画の中でおっしゃっている事全てに、共感を覚えます。 私は45年前アメリカに嫁いできました。その間にただ一度だけ里帰り( 25年前)をしました。 1ヵ月の滞在を終えての帰途中、飛行機の中からアメリカの土地が見えてきた時、思わず独り言が口から出てきました。「Oh, I’m home…」 日本は私にとって、「懐かしい外国」となりました。

Loved your video! I am a second generation (nissei) Japanese born and raised in Southern California. I am American, but also Japanese. I would visit Japan as a child during the summer and see my ancestral home and visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then I grew up and joined the U.S. Navy and was fortunate enough to visit Japan and see my favorite uncle before he passed away. I totally identify with you about the hidden bento box and Japanese food and growing up like I didn’t belong. Now that my brother and I are in our late 50s and 60s he’s been back 4 times. He wants me to go back with him in the Fall, but Japan sees us as foreigners; rightly so. We are Americans.

I definitely felt this when you talked about your mom's cooking. I'm Japanese/HK Chinese living in Canada so I can really empathize with what you went through. My family and I did a bunch of trips together when we were kids and teenagers, the last time being in 2009, and it wasn't until 2017 that I was able to see my grandparents again. From not knowing how to speak a lick of Japanese to being very conversational was probably one of the most rewarding things I experienced. Being able to speak to my grandparents in their native tongue was one of the biggest reasons why I studied Japanese in the first place. Great content and I hope you post more!

Great video!!!! Your cinematography skills are mad. It was great to hear this story. Just know that you are a child of the earth, and you belong anywhere and everywhere.

Mad respect for not letting anyone define who you are bro! Its your journey and you get to decide what it means to you🚀

What a great video!!!! The same could be said of American kids coming back from a foreign country. I was an Air Force “brat” and lived in Taiwan for 4 years. When we had to come back to the states, I was quite upset. To this day I don’t feel like I belong here even though it’s been many,many years. But my living overseas (we lived in Turkey for 4 years) has given me a better understanding and appreciation for different cultures so I wouldn’t trade that for anything! Hope you can continue to return to Japan from time to time for new adventures! Thanks for sharing your journey!🙂❤️🇺🇸

I am Mexican married to a Japanese woman from Tokyo. We have been in Los Angeles together for over twenty years. Every time we visit Japan, she feels more like a foreigner. She now lost track of the train system, she easily gets lost because how much Japan has changed since she left. I even took it as a task to learn the train system myself so that I can help her. It really is a struggle for her. Right now that the number of foreigners in Japan has been a its highest, she also feels like Japanese people look at her as if she is American rather. I feel you brother. Just keep it up.

I also went back to my home country for the first time in 20 years. It's weird how I felt so relieved and relaxed as soon as I landed at the country. I wouldn't say I "grew up" there, but I felt like I was home.

I loved your video! Your filming and editing style is creative and interesting! You are honest about feelings while honoring your homeland. I luckily got to teach in Japan for 32 years. I fell in love with the culture and miss it so much since I returned to the USA. I will always be treated as a gaijin, but deep down I have a real kinship with Japanese. I look forward to seeing more of your work. 🙂🇺🇸❤️🇯🇵

You’re a captivating story teller! Great cinematography and editing too :)

Home is where you make it. As I grow older, I realize more and more that the physical manifestations of memories are less important than the memories themselves or the people I made those memories with. If you feel that Japan is home, then it's your home. If you feel the US is your home, then it's your home. Feelings of being unwelcome in your own home might be discouraging, but keep in mind that (at least in Japan) they are just trying to be helpful and nice. In the end, their opinions don't matter. Friends and family matter. You matter. Great video, and I'm super happy that you were able to take this trip that had so much sentimental value to you, your family, and your memories.

Growing up as a Hispanic American, I never connected with the traditional Mexican culture, which often meant loud music, beer, and a certain lifestyle. From ages 5 to 15, I felt incredibly isolated, even coining a term for myself: Ostrogoth, meaning "loner for a decade." At 16, I still had no friends and had never experienced love, as I wasn't into the MTV culture. In the fall of 2011, everything changed when I discovered Hatsune Miku and AKB48. This was a revelation for me—music that I actually enjoyed! I found myself drawn to Mayu Watanabe. In 2014, I traveled to Japan for the first time and felt an immediate sense of belonging. Unlike in America, where I often felt disregarded, in Japan, I was treated with respect. I loved the food, admired the beauty of the women, and found the trains refreshing. I was so taken with Japan that I returned in 2018, then again in 2023, and I plan to go back in 2025. Despite my Mexican appearance, I don't follow or act according to the typical culture. Instead, I'm a proud enthusiast of AKB48, idol culture, animation, and excellent transportation.

Ashamed I didn’t find you sooner, glad I found you now. The editing is impeccable. I feel like I’m watching a documentary. ❤

God this editing is fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥 and the story telling? Bruh its super awesome!!! Love to see your videos looking forward to you in the future!

I am a Japanese American that was born in Hawaii. Hawaii and Japan share a lot of cultural similarities but also so distinctively different. People from Hawaii are different from other Americans where they share take pride in their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Now I live here in Japan, been here for 4 years. I feel the same as you, I feel like I am Japanese, but culturally I am not. I take pride in my differences and yes, the social stigma here is suffocating. I used to hide my phone on the train or in the waiting room to try to assimilate. Now, I don't care. If someone sees me reading in English, then oh well. I have also learned that a lot of Japanese, privately, they don't like the idea of "Read the room" they want to know what is going on or if they did something wrong. They feel the guessing game is a bit too much lol. Anyways, this was an amazing video. You earned a subscriber.

I'm 3rd gen. Japanese-American raised with little knowledge of Japanese culture or my own family history. That always bothered me. Finally went to Japan several years ago. Just before I went I found out where my ancestors came from by finding a ship register on an ancestry website that listed my grandparents. It was weird to visit their hometown. It's totally different from when they knew it (one of those places that was heavily bombed in the war) and I had no contacts with any relatives who might still be there. But visiting Japan helped me feel a little more like a "whole" person. Like you, I don't feel like I totally fit in in either country. It's complicated. Wonderful video, btw!

Oh wow - thank your for this. I was born in Japan, my mom being Japanese. My dad American. We left "permanently" when I was 5 y.o. I went back in 1993 with my Mom and felt totally at home, yet I had forgotten almost all of my 5 year old memory of Japanese. I am going back in November this year, taking Japanese, and am looking forward to it. I identified with what you said about feeling Japanese and yet not. I will continue to watch your journey as I travel my own. Arigato. ☺

Thank you ! Enjoyed watching this moving video with such a positive and life affirming vibe ! Look forward to catching more of your uploads.

Even for japanese to visit japan as tourist is the best. Wish you and your family luck and prosperity. Thank you for video.