10 Ways JAPAN is 10 Years Ahead of the World

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Japan is the future. It’s the ultimate place of convenience. Their society strives for efficiency. Each floor of this building lights up and tells you what’s on that floor. Even after six visits here, I’m still stunned by the ever-evolving culture that opens my eyes in more ways than you can imagine. Just walking down the street, any street, and every one of my senses is overwhelmed.

If you’ve ever seen “Lost In Translation”, that movie perfectly depicts the feeling of Tokyo. Much like Bill Murray, I am lost in translation here. But I absolutely love it.

Japan is different.

 [Machine] Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla.

It’s electric, it’s sexy, it’s tasty, it’s confusing, but above all, it’s futuristic. The Japanese are innovators. They somehow figure things out decades before the rest of the world, either because they are geniuses or the fact that they’ve lived their entire existence in isolation, or both.

Here are 10 ways Japan is 10 years ahead of the world.

One, bullet trains.

So this is the bullet train to Osaka, we’re gonna go check it out. Let’s see what we can find. In Japan, there are over 2,300 kilometers of track with trains going 320 kilometers per hour. They carry more than 360 million passengers per year, more than the entire population of the USA. The 500 kilometer journey from Tokyo to Kyoto takes seven hours by car, but you can zip by in two hours on the bullet train.

Two, robots.

Call me crazy, but I think robots will be driving cars within 10 years in Japan. 600 bucks for this guy. They’re already serving you lunch, helping you in stores and staring at you in windows. Like this guy named Pepper, who’s found in SoftBank. He can analyze your facial expressions, follow you around, guess your current mood or just be a cool friend to hang out with.

Three, arcade gaming.

That arcade is like 10 stories tall. A large amount of Japanese men are obsessed with arcades, and they are really skilled, especially at the reaction games. These games make me feel like I’m in the 23rd century. Almost every video game you played as a kid was invented in Japan, so it’s kind of in their blood to be gamers.

Four, super toilets.

There’s no place more enjoyable to go to the bathroom than Japan. I actually look forward to it. The toilets are so advanced. Heating up your butt, cleaning it spotless. It just squirted me. And some high tech toilets can even check your blood pressure, urine, protein, weight and body fat.

Five, vending machines.

While vending machines aren’t uniquely Japanese, Japan’s vending machines are unique and innovative. The country has 5.5 million vending machines. That took about one second. And not only for cold drinks, but for piping hot cappuccinos, strange toys and a bunch of other wacky items. Spaghetti bolognese sauce. Just in case you wanted any carrots. Ice cream vending machine. And this one here sells popcorn. No joke, it’s actually really good. It’s common to order meals at restaurants from a vending machine, which just makes life easier. It’s like an alley, a really creepy alley. It goes in even more. This is weird man. Like who buys this stuff?

Six, public transportation.

For a city with 38 million people, it boggles my mind how immaculate their metro systems are. I say systems because you have multiple rail networks in one city. There are 882 interconnected rail stations in the Tokyo metropolis. Shinjuku Station is the busiest train station in the world, with 3.64 million passengers daily. This place is a madhouse. There’s just a whole new world happening underground in Tokyo.

Seven, automated car parking.

To save space, the Japanese invented parking lots where they stack cars on top of each other. Many apartment complexes, hotels and restaurants have them. Think of it like a vending machine for cars.

Eight, future fashion.

Just walk down the street in Tokyo’s Akihabara district and you’ll spot many people dressed like it’s the 22nd century, decked out in retro sci-fi gear and styles that you’ve never even thought of. And also, maids.

Nine, touchscreen menus.

At many upscale restaurants, there’s no need for hostesses and waiters when you can have an iPad or a cutting-edge screen like this one to order your food. Order. Mm.

Ten, the little things.

To touch on a bunch of other random things. Guys I’m staying in a budget hotel, I just got out of the shower, and it automatically cleans the window. In the middle of the street they have these touch screen things to get information. The heaters have fans waving over it to evenly spread the warmth. The taxis will automatically open the door for you, and these vending machines are on a whole new level. Oh is that a vending machine?

– Yeah, it is a vending machine.

– Oh so you pay with your Metro card? While these things may exist in other countries, Japan takes them to a new level. These 10 reasons, among many others, are why I think Japan is the most futuristic country on earth. You gotta come here and see it to believe it.

I’m Drew Binsky, and if you like my videos, please click subscribe and join me as I plan to visit every country in the world.

896 Words

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Useful Expressions

ultimate: 究極の
convenience: 利便性
It’s the ultimate place of convenience.

overwhelm: 圧倒する
every one of my senses is overwhelmed.

depict: 描写する
that movie perfectly depicts the feeling of Tokyo.

absolutely: 無条件に
I absolutely love it.

futuristic: 未来を先取りした/超現実的な
above all, it’s futuristic.

zip by: 高速移動する
you can zip by in two hours on the bullet train.

serve someone …..: ～に….を提供する
They’re already serving you lunch

 a large amount of～: 沢山の～/多くの～
A large amount of Japanese men are obsessed with arcades

make someone ……:～を…..（の状態）にする
These games make me feel like I’m in the 23rd century.

in one’s blood: 血を引いている
it’s kind of in their blood to be gamers .

not only A but (also) B: AだけではなくBも
And not only for cold drinks, but for piping hot cappuccinos

wacky: 変わった/風変わりな
a bunch of other wacky items.

just in case: 念の為/万が一の為
Just in case you wanted any carrots.

boggle (one’s) mind: ～の度肝を抜かせる  
immaculate: 欠点のない/完全な
it boggles my mind how immaculate their metro systems are.

deck out: 美しく着飾る
you’ll spot many people dressed like it’s the 22nd century, decked out in retro sci-fi gear

there’s no need for ～: ～の必要がない
there’s no need for hostesses and waiters

a bunch of: 沢山の
a bunch of other random things.

a budget hotel:
格安ホテル I’m staying in a budget hotel

in the middle of: ～の真ん中に/～の中央に
In the middle of the street they have these touch screen things

You gotta (You’ve got to～): あなたは～しないといけない
You gotta come here and see it