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1:20

Hello, I'm liberal. Depend on your point of

1:22

us. were going out Life in Japan relatively

1:24

big in Japan and I'm here in the

1:26

Ceo with my good friend Mr. Ali Blow.

1:29

It's. Me I did on under a great before

1:31

we get into it alley. Is. The

1:33

Residents Bbc filled nerd/go you

1:35

my seen doing all the

1:37

interviews with every actor, director,

1:40

film person ever. Give.

1:42

It to you got everyone from

1:44

Tom Cruise and Matt Damon to.

1:46

Like. Directors I turn to you know, Scorsese.

1:49

Yeah. Sometimes even some women women.

1:51

Yet Janitor Lawrence is a good

1:53

one. If I could recommend people

1:55

disco skip away from this. The.

1:57

you don't wanna you don't want that you want

2:00

people to stick with that forecast that they're currently watching or

2:02

listening if they got it. A

2:06

few years ago Pete Dolls interviewed, I

2:08

don't know what he's been

2:10

talking about, but interviewed Jennifer Lawrence and he said,

2:12

oh she didn't want to shake my hand. And

2:15

she said, oh I don't shake hands. And

2:18

then I asked Natalie the other day, did

2:21

you shake Jennifer Lawrence's hand and she went, yeah, yeah

2:23

you should shake my hand. Yeah, why wouldn't you? I've

2:25

got great hands. So it's just, maybe

2:27

it was then, maybe it was coming, was

2:30

or maybe she just didn't like Pete Dolls. I

2:32

mean we're either of his hands covered in dog

2:34

food. I mean he does do

2:36

that doesn't he? Yeah. But anyway, Ali, we've

2:38

been talking about a year now, she's been

2:40

friends for about a year, internet friends, and

2:42

internet friends. And then back in, I think

2:45

March, we were talking about Gene on Twitter

2:47

and he was like, oh come to Japan.

2:49

And I said do it, you've got to do it. And he did.

2:51

And here he is now. And we spent the last so

2:54

we've traveled around Japan together. I'm actually recovering

2:56

from being quite sick. That's why I'm a

2:58

bit of a mess right now. The day

3:00

we pied ways. Nothing to do with me.

3:02

I didn't do with you, yeah. The

3:05

day we pied ways on a travel that we'll get into in a

3:07

little bit. I ate what I

3:09

believed to be too much blue cheese. I

3:12

think it was blue cheese, it was the culprit. Anyway, what

3:14

happened is I got food poisoning, the worst

3:16

I've ever had. And for like four days,

3:18

I was just on a floor

3:20

just lying there crying. I hate that

3:23

cheese betrayed you. I hate that.

3:25

I know right. Your birthday treats

3:27

with cheese. Yeah. And then cheese

3:29

beat you with a bum. That's right. Like Connor,

3:31

Ian, all my good friends bought me cheese my

3:34

birthday. And now I'm sort of staring it at

3:36

the cheese in the fridge like, no, I don't

3:38

want cheese ever again. Honestly, it's

3:40

really, I think it was blue cheese. I honestly

3:42

do. They gave me a really big wad of

3:44

it at this like French restaurant and I ate

3:46

it. A what? And then I Kept

3:49

forcing it down. I Like blue cheese in small amounts

3:51

and they, they supplied for a mid of all amount.

3:53

But You, I mean, you've had one hell of a

3:55

two week trip. This is your last night, Ashley in

3:58

Japan. That's correct. I've a. The

4:00

better favor of the time know

4:03

athletes more annoying. I've. Been

4:05

if about fifteen days, more or less.

4:07

Probably sort of. And it's been an

4:09

incredible on the coast to have done

4:11

so much with. You have to lose

4:13

here, Tokyo Ice Just come back from

4:15

that sort of. Triangle Old.

4:18

Second, And Kyoto and Nora

4:20

the golden rate. Yelled.

4:22

Or eight and I'd come siege

4:25

pen before. About. Tennis a

4:27

years ago and adjusted Tokyo. And. Like.

4:29

It's. that classic thing it he just cycle for

4:32

jet lag on day six. And. Then

4:34

you fly home the next day mean that

4:36

was amazing and I love to all the

4:38

said a vending machines in Edo the the

4:40

committee's towcester right but I only felt like

4:42

it's crush the surface and boy was that

4:44

tree in and you sort of refused to

4:46

let me post with this planning. you were

4:48

like a tv didn't do it. Here are

4:50

some suggestions. He got a pretty good itinerary

4:52

actually. kind of amazing so we'll go go

4:54

through your tuner in this up I want

4:56

to buy your trip and pat right in

4:59

the next when we're going to talk him

5:01

out, Japanese concede infill stuff including shagging much

5:03

as you finish. Last week. Sadly,

5:05

Was revised, enjoyed right. I loved it and I

5:07

hope that isn't a second series and will talk

5:09

about the second poked interested. I kind of feel

5:12

the same, but not because I did enjoy so

5:14

much on Com Like we want more of. This

5:16

was more of a rate than the second one

5:18

as you want to sell Japan two weeks we'll

5:20

go three. Why? Think is the perfect

5:23

itinerary. For. A sort of first time

5:25

travel at. In Japan because even they've

5:27

mentioned he been here before to take yeah

5:29

this was your success. sort of free roaming

5:31

trip like a free range chicken. You.

5:33

Could go everyone do every once and he did.

5:36

Your first night. He. Ticked off

5:38

in soil he went to Lucky Bastard

5:41

to the Park Hyatt Hotel lost in

5:43

translation Hotel which is actually shot. Like

5:45

a week. I'll see you there. Shut the T. It's. Easy.

5:48

As he did not much damage on a one

5:51

night he would have an apartment. yeah I I

5:53

basically painted the town literally rest I just went

5:55

wrong with the spray can and does have at

5:57

it. Now I just think it was because assign

5:59

so. that it

6:01

broke a few glass panes. It was

6:04

a really lovely experience and the views

6:06

are just absolutely staggering. I couldn't wrap

6:08

my head around how gorgeous it was

6:10

to just be there

6:12

because, and I say this in a nice way,

6:14

to be most sad that they're re-firbing because

6:17

it is the same hotel from 20 years

6:19

ago. It's the same hotel as Scarlett Johansson,

6:21

who was 17 at the time,

6:24

and Bill Murray, who was 800 years

6:27

old at the time. Not

6:29

fair, not true. It came out in

6:31

2003, right? Yeah, and it does look

6:33

like that literally last week. I

6:35

don't think. And then I loved you in and all

6:37

this. I stayed there once, when I was a teacher

6:39

actually, because I was, you know, I'm the

6:41

sort of person like you who watches a film and then

6:43

feels like, I want to go there, I have to go

6:45

there, until I transcend the barrier between

6:48

the real world and film. And I

6:50

knew I had to stay there one night. The problem

6:52

was one night in the park hire is

6:54

about a thousand dollars. And

6:57

I was getting paid I think

6:59

$2,000 a month at the time as a teacher. So

7:02

it was half my, I think I used my credit card,

7:04

I deployed my credit card, and I

7:06

stayed there. And it

7:09

was cool. I don't regret

7:11

it, because I remember just sitting in

7:13

the bath where Bill Murray sitting in the film, chilling

7:15

out. And I remember looking at reviews and yeah,

7:18

really cool hotel. And the jazz bar was nice

7:20

up there. It was all gone now. Don't know

7:22

why I even talked about it. It's gone. It's

7:24

all gone. Well, it'll be back. It'll be back

7:26

reimagined. Reimagined. And when I went back there a

7:28

few years ago, because I had a meeting with

7:30

the marketing team and they were like, we're looking

7:32

at ways to promote Park Hight. And this is

7:34

when I was not long ago,

7:36

they were a teacher, but a big,

7:38

bad, you cheaper person, influencer person. They

7:40

wanted me in, so I was kind of like, and

7:43

they were trying to find ways to promote it. And

7:46

I said, just get me in, get me into talk

7:48

about loss and translation. They're like, we don't

7:50

want to associate for that film anymore.

7:52

I'm like, that's the only stock every, anyone comes

7:54

to this hotel. And they, they refuse my idea.

7:56

And I'm like, damn it. It

7:59

was only the reason that. And I worry

8:01

that now they've renovated it, the reason they go back

8:03

is why they're like, nah. Because it is

8:05

quite far out and hard to get to. I don't

8:07

want to ramble about the park far out for fucking

8:09

two hours anyway. I liked it before being a little

8:11

bit out of the way. Personally, the

8:14

first day I arrived, I was

8:16

grateful to arrive in Shinjuku, right?

8:19

Which is, it's just west of the main

8:21

hub. And if you go

8:24

one way, it's relatively calm and then it

8:26

becomes government buildings and it becomes this gorgeous

8:28

tower block. And they've got the, it's literally

8:30

the skyscraper district. And then if

8:32

you go east, it's Golden Guy Chaos.

8:36

It's a Godzilla statue coming out of

8:38

another hotel. It's people asking in

8:40

the streets, massage mister. It's

8:43

skeezy. It's like, it's like Camden, full

8:45

throttle Camden. It's next door to the

8:47

House of the Parliament. Yeah, yeah, it

8:50

is a bit like that. It's Shinjuku's

8:52

my favourite place to film and take

8:54

photos just because of its contrast. And

8:56

at night, you know, incredible place. You

8:58

also had a helicopter ride. Again, not a normal

9:00

trip to Japan. It wasn't a normal trip. I'm

9:02

very glad I managed to do that. That was

9:04

amazing. It was Sunday morning

9:07

and it was 9am and I found myself in

9:09

a helicopter and my brain just sort of

9:11

leaked a bit because you

9:13

could, I do recommend it just as a general rule

9:15

because it costs less than I thought it would. How

9:18

much does it cost to get a helicopter ride overtaking? I

9:20

have to double check the amount. I think it's, I think

9:23

it's about like $150, $200. That

9:26

feels right. Pricey, but

9:28

actually quite reasonable for what you've got.

9:30

I've done it in New York and

9:32

I've done it. This is

9:34

Ali's one percent holiday. I

9:38

don't muck around the holidays. I don't fly over in New

9:40

York. When I'm coming to Japan, I am not here to

9:42

sit down and just like sit

9:44

this, although I am loving it. But yeah,

9:47

I really liked it because it was like

9:49

going to the three tallest buildings. That's kind

9:51

of cool, yeah. And because

9:53

it's such a small helicopter, it makes it more

9:55

frilly. But this little yellow sort

9:58

of budgie type thing. You have to just. switch

10:00

off that part of your brain that goes,

10:02

you're in a small bucket.

10:05

Yeah, I couldn't do

10:08

it. You did invite me and I said

10:10

no, but I'm actually working on

10:12

a video where I might have to do a

10:14

helicopter ride and I'm really... no, I

10:17

just don't like helicopters. We

10:19

had a conversation about this on the podcast two months

10:21

ago, both P and I

10:23

were like, no helicopters, they're scary dangerous.

10:26

And somebody emailed me one of these guys

10:28

and said like, oh, I'm

10:30

a helicopter pilot. If the blade stops spinning, it's

10:32

firing and you're blind to safety. Will

10:35

you? Will you really? I don't buy that

10:37

at all. No chance. No chance to

10:39

find out. No. But anyway, you had a great

10:41

flight. I had a really good flight and the

10:43

other thing I did that was pretty fancy was...

10:46

oh yeah, with Team Labs. Team

10:48

Labs. So Team Labs is a thing that can

10:50

come across a little bit of a helicopter ride

10:52

as being a tourist. Yeah, they're

10:54

trying to get the tourists. So, you know, everyone has

10:56

to do it. You've got to go to Team Labs.

10:58

You've got to go to do the helicopter,

11:01

blah, blah, blah. It really delivered and I was

11:03

in there for so much longer than I expected.

11:05

I thought, oh no, I'll get the idea and

11:07

move out. But then you had these different rooms

11:09

that had mirrors and different rooms that have sort

11:11

of like golden dangling... Projection mapping. Projection. Yeah, really

11:13

like... Look. Is it worth going? I'd

11:15

say so. I think a few people might say,

11:17

oh, I've seen this sort of stuff before, but

11:19

particularly jet lagged out of

11:21

my good. I just

11:24

had sort of transcendental moment going,

11:26

you see, where am I? But

11:28

yeah, it was chocka and the atmosphere

11:30

was great. It sounds very terrific. I've been to the

11:33

place at music and it's really good,

11:35

but it's one of those tourist trapeze of

11:37

peering things. Do you think it's worth what?

11:39

I haven't been in... I went to the original one. I was

11:41

pretty good, but I should try out the new one. Everyone I

11:43

know is gone, raised a banner. Yeah, it is. On

11:46

this trip, you went to the

11:48

big three, Takei, Aikito, Osaka, Bienvenara,

11:51

Swetteneyer. But one thing we did

11:53

that I really was passionate about doing, even though

11:55

I've just broken my leg cycling, Was

11:57

hiking the Nakasendo Trail again. You

12:00

can monopolize. I have no words. I

12:02

am so grateful t for buy me

12:04

a long. It was really really great.

12:06

Yes, it was raining. This. It

12:08

will also downer one day to take the that it

12:10

was an ideal. But. At the same time

12:12

I found a slew of will match cool

12:15

for it. But this you have these clowns

12:17

rolling over the mountains and it felt like

12:19

there were few people out there on the

12:21

beaten track because it is a beat and

12:23

that the of this I mean yes, less

12:25

than a drought for those either. knows the

12:27

the old read between Take Shape and Keto

12:30

right? In the day I'm available.

12:32

like giving you an crappy history lesson. Illness

12:34

Grateful for it. Were mad of the Galleria,

12:36

Yasir. Came. To power his to get

12:38

his role where all the lord said pad who

12:40

always you they fighting for hims of years he

12:43

want to try rob them of their power the

12:45

had to spend every other year in a day.

12:47

And. Athena families had to stay in a date so

12:49

as collateral when which would have a haircut which became

12:51

Take It. And. That to sort of

12:53

bankruptcy the laws of their money they to these

12:56

the coastal route the had to go when this

12:58

sort of. Epic. Journey through the

13:00

mountains between tighter and takes it. Costing.

13:02

Them. All. Their money basically bring

13:04

a you re a retinue at all

13:06

the fashionable rigoletto see every the whole

13:09

Carrillo and lobbies any by yeah robbed

13:11

or the power made them or poor

13:13

fred and in a weird way yet

13:15

stabilize Japan and amounts of rapes prosperous

13:17

and all the villages are still does

13:19

tell that lived and died by the

13:21

king of these people measured out where

13:24

and in we get to experience it

13:26

hundred years later. Yes, And

13:28

it felt as though really special because

13:30

after for five days it that you

13:32

know he tokyo in a full set

13:35

of male storm and neon lights and

13:37

screaming into whether it was really great

13:39

to honesty just be Big Rock Sacconi

13:42

back new hiking. Yeah. I mean

13:44

I, I've only done the lox indo. For. Video

13:46

what to his gate and we'd do

13:48

we drove it which is for you

13:50

Dainton eyes with real thrown Charlotte. And

13:52

we traveled to the same three says if we went

13:54

to on the strip not I do kidnap see my

13:57

goal. And. Magomed. okay

14:00

and we hiked it and it took about two or

14:02

three days and last time we drove it, it took

14:04

about 10 minutes. I found that. Yeah,

14:07

definitely hiked it, it was really nice. The rain was

14:10

not so fun. Again, yeah, the rolling

14:12

clouds was nice. The rolling hills and mountains and that

14:14

sort of misty, ethereal forest, three

14:17

moons rolling down. It was very

14:19

ghibli-esque. Yes. And I

14:21

would definitely recommend it. And I kind of came away going,

14:23

oh, I wish we could do more. This

14:25

would not. I

14:28

was sick at the end of it, but yeah,

14:30

really nice, really beautiful thing. And this is

14:32

one thing I learned doing, doing actually hiking

14:35

it. The giggle maps thing doesn't really work.

14:38

On the second day between the

14:40

iJuku and I think Magalet, where we were, the map

14:42

was like, it's a 60 meter incline. I was like,

14:44

ah, no problem. The Charlotte, God bless her, was a

14:46

bit sick at the time. I was like, ah, don't

14:48

worry. Hey, one giggle, we're at 60 meter hill. We

14:51

got under, we got into it. And

14:53

I think it turned into a thousand meter

14:56

incline. We climbed like a third of

14:58

Mount Fuji to get over this fucking

15:00

mountain that was not properly listed on

15:03

beautiful maps. So if you do it, be

15:05

careful. Cause I remember going, wait a minute, this

15:07

is pretty dangerous if we, you know,

15:10

if you imagine if you're like, oh, we can bash this out

15:12

in one hour. And you get a third the way up and

15:14

you're like, wait a minute, this is gonna take half a day

15:16

now. I was joking to you. You

15:19

take the arms off, take the legs, because

15:21

yeah. Poor Charlotte. Charlotte was not necessarily in

15:23

the best time. When you start walking backwards

15:25

up the hill just to keep your heels

15:28

and ankles a bit of variety, you go,

15:30

okay, we've been going upstairs

15:32

for a while. But no, I

15:34

still genuinely loved it. And it was a real, it

15:37

was like having that contrast. And you have to say

15:39

I'm a real carpenter. Oh my God. I'll be talking

15:41

about it forever because not only do we get to

15:43

stay in a sort of old school type hotel, but

15:47

then the final hotel, a shit

15:49

hotel was another level. I say the phrase

15:51

way too much, but it was one of

15:53

the best hotels I've ever stayed in. And I'm not just saying that.

15:55

It was stunning. And it was

15:57

the hotel we featured in the next Sunday Goodyear. before

16:00

I checked that out. One way a realtor

16:02

sleeps in like a, you didn't

16:04

have that room, it was like a safe house. It's

16:06

almost a, I could have a store house that you've

16:08

gone converted, and get a little

16:10

bath in your room, and that Ali was

16:12

taking photos of himself in the bath. How did

16:14

you find the sort of bathing

16:16

culture, the public bath culture of Japan? Because that was

16:19

your first time as well, right? I'm glad you brought

16:21

that up, because when I was here in Tokyo the

16:23

first time, it was a press trip back when I

16:25

worked for Empire Magazine. And as such,

16:27

it was on rails in Tokyo. We're

16:30

doing this, we're doing that, we're doing this, we're doing that. And

16:32

there was a little bit of genuine Japanese culture, but reality there,

16:34

we're just evening all the time. No

16:36

mention of all this stuff at all. I

16:40

will say as a very

16:43

English person, very British

16:45

person, it doesn't naturally lend itself to, what shall

16:47

I do today? I'm gonna get my tackle out

16:50

and walk around a room with about 12 other

16:52

strangers. And yes,

16:55

by my fourth time, I was like,

16:57

this is one of my favorite things. I

17:00

find it takes like one or two times

17:02

to get over the weirdness of being naked

17:04

around others. You just start not caring. And

17:07

I particularly love the ceremony of

17:09

it. I love sitting down on the upside down

17:11

bucket, and I love doing the proper

17:13

scrubbing of your body. And I was saying sort of weird

17:15

shit to you going, I'm more

17:17

aware of my body. I feel

17:20

better in my body just going, I don't

17:23

know. Because you're showering sitting down. I

17:26

don't know why. You felt like a better shower than I

17:28

normally have. And then you ampere soap.

17:30

I think it's because you sit down on the

17:33

bucket and you start washing yourself. You've got a

17:35

mirror in front of you. Is he all sort

17:37

of aware of your body and you're washing? But

17:39

yeah, that's kind of really my favorite part of

17:41

going in the bath. Almost, almost, the bath is

17:43

still the best bit. Yeah, and after like a

17:46

long day of climbing or exercise, and certainly when

17:48

we were cycling the week before, that is the

17:50

best part in your sweaty and dirty horrible, covered

17:52

in petrol in my case, cycling, spray from lorids

17:55

to then just sort of house yourself in soap, wash

17:57

it off, plonk yourself in it. You get to sleep

17:59

all in it. 40 degree hot tub

18:01

so nicely the only comparison I've got is when I

18:03

went to Finland and then it was

18:05

like a restaurant Right you mad to one side

18:07

and it was on the edge of the Baltic

18:09

in Helsinki Restaurant and also

18:12

a sauna and then a

18:14

plunge pool into the sea I thought it's

18:17

that feeling of I've heard this I've deserved

18:19

this and then you have a meal afterwards

18:21

Oh my god amazing so good It was

18:23

a well-earned well-earned trip and then we part

18:25

ways in Matamote which has a killer castle

18:28

has a lovely castle. I'm seeing that castle

18:30

many years What do you think it was

18:32

a black the black castle matzma and

18:34

annoyingly when we're learning the history about it We

18:37

were like oh the castle it's like one the

18:39

feed castle in Japan. It's been untouched yani on

18:41

it It was there in 15 the 16th century

18:43

was built uh-huh

18:45

and then it was all going well and

18:48

that didn't get burned down like every other

18:50

castle including Sendai and then it got to

18:52

18 the 1800s and They

18:56

wanted to demolish it the people went

18:58

no You're not touching our castle

19:00

and there's somebody buried down anyway, but now they're

19:02

meant to rebuild it But it's still

19:04

over a hundred years old. Oh, it's such a show and

19:07

it's kept in such good nick I

19:09

I love going up that and the pictures were amazing

19:12

It's a really nice town actually just generally yes, mate I had

19:14

a really nice vibe, but it wouldn't have been somewhere. I would

19:16

have gone to as a general rule You

19:19

just went oh, okay. We'll end up here, and there's

19:21

a killer castle So I was like yeah fine great

19:23

love climbing up it and really

19:26

good photographs They're quite willing

19:28

to do a bit of a dress up to the tourists.

19:31

I wasn't expecting that I'm actually got

19:33

a list of things that I wanted to Prepare

19:35

myself for if I were to go

19:37

back in time things that about Japan

19:39

about Japan Slightly in addition to

19:41

your tips because a lot your tips have

19:44

been really so helpful genuinely like Don't

19:47

muck about when it comes to jaywalking Got

19:49

in stuff like that slippers as

19:51

you if there's a step slippers off And

19:53

I kept making that mistake, but you just

19:55

it happened just really drilling the one thing

19:57

I always say I always remember to say

20:00

off your shoes unless yeah you read them as

20:02

convene and like there's loads of things we got

20:04

okay yeah yeah I remember I remember I remember

20:07

get ready to say some ima saying more than

20:09

you could possibly imagine also I got

20:11

to get some of this he's going to be on

20:14

the tip of your tongue do you remember what you

20:16

say when you leave the restaurant it's mass

20:18

there's something else at the end

20:20

mass su mass mass

20:22

shot torture my torches all summer this

20:25

step no wasn't the same no no totally go that

20:27

entire role entirely wrong this front and I've got a

20:29

little list and I might go with

20:31

it now come on ready let's hear this list

20:33

of tips and this is on the back of

20:35

a ticket for the Hido no sato open air

20:37

museum in Takayama oh right it's like

20:39

a fake village in takan what is super good really

20:41

like that highly recommended okay don't be

20:44

afraid of using a Japanese accent if you

20:46

need to explain an English concept ah

20:48

okay which is tricky because if you

20:50

get iced coffee they'll be like oh

20:53

what kind of massive or

20:55

if someone is confidently speaking Japanese at you

20:57

and you are flummox because you don't have

20:59

your set phrases to respond to it they

21:02

might be saying something and you're half getting it you

21:04

want to point and then say nah you might just

21:06

want to use the English word in a Japanese accent

21:08

so I I I mean that's literally

21:12

is ice cozie they

21:15

don't yeah that took a little bit

21:17

of getting kind of words they all kind of had

21:19

to be talking it will be something like food it

21:21

would often sound like coffee would

21:23

be good I don't know if

21:25

I agree with this because my friend Ellen yeah

21:27

who you traveled with she didn't

21:30

know the word for bicycle and she

21:32

just said and rather than saying or

21:34

biker or you know she went bicycle

21:36

and that does not sound like bicycle

21:39

in Japanese so it kind of

21:41

didn't work it's worth a pun though or

21:43

google translate saved me all words yeah do do

21:45

google translate that's what I'm going to pass

21:47

from there that was ultimately but I heard quite

21:49

a few people talking in Japanese and then

21:51

they use an English word in a Japanese accent

21:54

or I try to explain something in English to

21:56

somebody who's talking English to me and they'd

21:58

go it out and sound that word What do you

22:00

write and then I would just say in the effort? Hot

22:04

hand towels all the time. I

22:06

was not I don't know why this that's not into

22:08

it That's just who know these these are things I

22:10

wish I knew you should sort

22:12

of expect that and that will be there

22:14

for sure But yes, they go. That's so

22:16

good. Um, not all Japanese toilets are the

22:18

same No,

22:21

so you might want to learn what the flushes mean Just

22:24

as the symbols. Okay, because

22:26

some of the older ones don't say Flush

22:29

it'll just be a button and you'll need to work

22:31

it out And this is when you're sort of get

22:33

a towel don't like either. They don't have to flush

22:35

I know it's still working out some habit on the

22:37

side of the system Our early video

22:39

of yours was you showing us how you wash

22:41

your hands in the tap that goes out of

22:43

the system the greatest To mention I love it.

22:46

I absolutely love that A corn

22:48

wallet is well worth getting almost immediately going

22:50

what? Yeah, or the clip things

22:52

we put the actual humans in Because

22:55

there's so much change right still so

22:57

much more change It can't be society

22:59

so much and he seems an absolute

23:01

lifesaver Mmm, the idea of having a

23:03

sort of Wi-Fi block or brick. Oh,

23:05

yeah, the Wi-Fi What do you

23:08

call it like a Wi-Fi dongle thing? Shit, then

23:10

don't ever do it. He seems the way forward

23:13

Curtains in hotels won't really

23:15

do the job and in fact in

23:17

a lot of traditional Japanese It's there are

23:19

no concerns They'd like it that you wake

23:21

up naturally at five o'clock in the fucking

23:23

morning because that's when they wake up in

23:26

Farming land in Japan and they'd have like yeah

23:28

because the clock way they have it in Japan

23:31

so that it's even in summer

23:33

Right, you know the UK was sort of bright

23:35

till 9 10 p.m. Yeah,

23:37

yeah in Japan It doesn't get

23:39

like past seven because they've

23:41

just shift the clock so that he

23:44

gets brighter really early like four three

23:47

The farmers here say that's how it gets

23:49

annoying when there's no curbs Yeah,

23:51

I will say the more traditional old-school hotels.

23:53

You're up when you're up Times

23:55

out by jet lag you're up when you're up when you're up the

23:59

money tray Really matters didn't you take

24:01

the money tray one time I stole all of my own

24:03

money I said I'll say this thanks for the meal that

24:05

was great. I'll say that with me No, it was already

24:07

you or our friends Dave. We went

24:09

to a Starbucks. I do you put the money the

24:11

money true Oh, no, that was me. Yeah, it was

24:13

me the the money tray you put the money

24:16

in to pay Ali took the whole

24:18

money I put the coffees on it and

24:20

then I was I brought them yes and

24:22

the woman ten minutes later the woman So

24:24

from a when the cash register came over

24:26

and was like see mustin. I need

24:28

our money tray back Can I forget what

24:31

the fuck is the money trade to a

24:33

guard table? But you understand what I'm saying

24:35

generally shady British tourists stealing everything mostly I

24:37

wanted a memento But you know what I mean like if

24:39

when you're paying and you know what you guys thought

24:42

we're saying it's a sort of rectangular

24:45

Place where you put your cash you put your note to put

24:47

your coins. I had this just yesterday

24:50

I had my money ready But I wanted to count

24:52

out the coins trouble check them before I put them

24:54

in the tray I used an area to the side

24:57

of the tray to count up these coins double check

24:59

not allowed It has to go

25:01

in the tray. Yes, that was something nice to use

25:03

the tray But it was a new way of going

25:05

over fended so we don't have trays and he kid

25:08

holy nonsense will speak few see vegetables

25:10

eat the vegetables But

25:13

there will be there were there was a

25:15

whole the fuck there was a whole day

25:17

where I didn't see I was eating Well,

25:19

I feel great, but there wasn't that much

25:21

actual veg again the shells right theft. You're

25:23

walking through it in country Sorry, some poor

25:25

Japanese woman's left out. I turn it I

25:29

need it if there

25:31

any sight-teller to beat the sight sellers. Yes.

25:33

I talk a little kid. What is the

25:35

food gone? There's just Ali going rawr through

25:37

the threshold. Yeah, and the music for work

25:39

at five o'clock Yes at 5

25:41

p.m. They hit the the music like

25:43

just starts playing my older enzyme or something

25:46

will play in a field And

25:48

it's kind of like time to fuck off home your

25:51

workday is done and I learned absolutely love

25:53

that that really What be your go home

25:55

song? Getting jiggy with it by

25:57

Will Smith. Oh my god, Miami by Will Smith I

26:00

want just a fitting of Miami whenever

26:02

I want. Oh by the

26:04

way one yen coins. I hate them. I hate them.

26:09

Many public loo's won't have hand

26:11

drying facilities. That's true. All sleep.

26:13

Yeah. All soap. Yeah. So you'll

26:15

wash your hands and go right well I've washed my

26:17

hands and um just what to use your hair for.

26:20

That's it. That's it. That's how you

26:22

always look so good Chris. But that was

26:24

something I found myself having to remind myself

26:26

of like ah they won't necessarily be any

26:28

this may be a covid thing or

26:31

maybe. It's

26:35

that time of the year. Your

26:37

vacation is coming up. You

26:39

can already hear the beach waves. Feel

26:42

the warm breeze. Relax

26:45

and think about work.

26:47

You really really want it all to work

26:50

out while you're away. monday.com gives you

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and the team that piece of mind. When

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everyone's in sync things just flow wherever

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you are. Tap the banner to go to

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Monday dot com. Ryan

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Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. With the price

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moonpig.com. Moon pig

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dot com. Oh,

28:38

you have to use a Japanese style toilet.

28:40

Nation. Yes, I did. I wouldn't make a

28:42

habit of it, but it was all right.

28:46

Oh, know your numbers, one, two, three.

28:48

No, don't, the word no isn't used.

28:50

Yeah. So you mainly use, yeah,

28:52

mainly if you're sort of declining a

28:54

compliment. For I rally all the best, you'd be like,

28:56

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, no. That's

28:58

the only time they really use yeah. Or

29:01

it was daijobudesu. Daijobudesu.

29:04

That's what you need to know, because I

29:07

knew that no was wrong. He

29:09

knew that no was wrong. No

29:12

one cut that out. I know that no is

29:14

wrong. But no, I think that's

29:16

enough of my random no's. Some killer tips there. It was

29:19

just stuff that sort of occurs to me, because otherwise you

29:21

have everything covered. Indeed. And your videos

29:23

have so much, like. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, it's still bad

29:25

for you. Still fits you. But

29:27

no, I just found myself going, there were

29:29

a couple other bits. So let's finish off

29:31

this itinerary, because it's a pretty, I think

29:34

the route you did is actually the ultimate

29:36

first time itinerary almost. It's a subtle difference

29:38

from my, subtle difference to

29:40

my 14 days in Japan one that

29:42

I did. In that one, you go

29:44

Tokyo, Yokohama, then on to Kanazawa, and

29:47

then on to Takayama. Instead, you went

29:49

Tokyo, Nakasendo Trail, Matsumoto,

29:52

Takayama. And then I took a train, which

29:54

was part of the fun, actually, from Takayama

29:56

that took me all the way to Kyoto.

29:59

About three and a half hours. and the views were

30:01

stunning. So many of these trains are right

30:03

by rhythm and going through the mountains, through

30:05

valleys. And it was just a

30:07

joy to see these gorgeous villages and

30:10

just the countryside. That was like whipping

30:12

your camera out, taking photos all the time because it

30:15

was so beautiful. Coming into Kyoto, I would

30:17

have liked to have stayed another night in

30:20

Kyoto. It impressed me and

30:22

surprised me. Yeah, I mean, let's hear your thoughts on

30:24

Kyoto because it's a very busy time at the moment.

30:26

It's Golden Week as we speak. This is the time

30:28

when you don't come to Japan unless

30:30

you're early. The war was over. Well,

30:33

it didn't get in the way of having fun.

30:35

That's good. No, it's amazing. Kyoto is rammed to

30:37

Dickens to put a polite label right now. Why?

30:40

How was it when you were there? It was

30:42

a weird shock actually, because Takayama had plenty of

30:44

tourists in it, but it still felt like there

30:46

were quite a few Japanese tourists. On top of

30:48

the mountain town, one of my favorite places, was

30:51

it one of the best recommendations you

30:53

gave me? The 16 museum was great.

30:55

The Hido village I really liked. It's

30:57

walkable. I love

31:00

the meat skewers, the waijii-vi.

31:02

Yeah, so good with the salt, crystals.

31:05

I found some really good shops around there. It was a really good

31:07

town. And Kyoto though, because it was

31:09

Golden Week, I had the shock of tourism. And

31:11

obviously, I'm part of that problem. I am that

31:14

problem. I am the problem.

31:16

And I just found myself walking around going,

31:18

I'm one of an infinite number of tourists

31:20

who are trading into people's back gardens by

31:22

accident and saying the wrong thing. But I've

31:24

got to tell you the shrines, the Golden

31:26

Pavilion I loved going to, I found all

31:28

the Torii gates, I went to the monkey

31:30

park, I did so much.

31:32

The Golden Pavilion. I think hundreds

31:35

of years. And then a monkey.

31:37

Again, that's on my artillery list. But I'd only

31:39

done, if you would, I did it. I wasn't

31:42

totally burned away by the bamboo forest. No, I

31:44

mean, the bamboo forest is not

31:46

that big. And I think people think it's

31:48

sort of a naturally occurring forest where it's

31:51

more like a curated little path for like

31:54

five meters in the forest. And it's because it's

31:56

so busy, you don't get to enjoy the sort

31:58

of the narrative relative about it. before which

32:00

is a shame would I recommend going there still

32:02

probably because it is in the area where there's

32:05

also other things like the monkey file complete

32:07

and King Gakugi the bridge the

32:10

bridge is very nice as well yeah so

32:12

it's still worth seeing at least once but

32:14

Kyujo felt like it was stuffed with things

32:16

to do and it is it and the

32:18

restaurants I kept being have one more day

32:20

I'd like to go try that anyways the

32:22

tempura restaurant that Natsuki and I went to

32:25

in our 14 days in Japan endo tempura

32:27

tempura endo they looked after me so well

32:29

they were really kind I ended up sitting

32:31

next to these five Chinese ladies

32:33

who one of them spoke perfect English

32:35

and so we just nattering away hmm

32:38

and the food was sensational

32:40

they had tempura but also with some

32:44

sashimi as well was like I just had

32:46

a tempura the food was outstanding

32:49

I've got a question for you though the

32:51

guy who was actually cooking the tempura said

32:53

where you from I said I'm from from London and

32:56

he said ah yes the UK and then he started

32:59

listing things that Japanese people knew the

33:02

UK for can you guess what he

33:04

said the Beatles fish and chips fish

33:06

and chips came up straight away Harry

33:08

Potter number two yep and then two

33:10

footballers Rooney

33:13

Beckham better I and I

33:17

think because a thing that exists yeah there

33:19

is a thing I don't think

33:21

I would do that if I met a

33:23

Japanese person in the UK that would

33:26

you my sushi

33:28

from tempera your co-owner it's

33:32

kind of like why would you do that wait

33:34

this this stop

33:36

anyway dog pavilion and monkey park it's

33:40

just a quick it's wrong zero oh that's

33:43

the other thing I learned Japan pause a

33:45

heavy point it has a really big head

33:48

or never even and again jet lag I

33:50

just made my mister should have known it's

33:52

entirely foam a minor point

33:55

Kyoto I Loved I Honestly could say therefore a

33:57

couple more days you went to the Shimi and

33:59

I. Very yesterday it's gonna bury Brian

34:01

very early. small amount which work out

34:03

for me into ways one of us

34:05

and really great photographs and it felt

34:07

more spiritual and it felt more so

34:09

special to go up Moon Men. Then

34:11

on the way down I managed to

34:13

go past to your Gb shop which

34:15

is relatively nearby. And. At

34:18

a time in there it was just a really

34:20

good morning. I will say don Valley sort of

34:22

the latter half the trip because the so much

34:24

to do that the jet like would have really

34:26

disappointed me if that coming straight to Kyoto right

34:29

I would have wanted to do everything all italy

34:31

yet yen and other as is a good luck

34:33

attic most people don't pick ha thirst I think

34:35

Take there is a good place to. Get.

34:37

Over that jet before you dive in the

34:39

deep heads into the to that he wanted

34:42

but have left yet so and then now

34:44

Repugs great love bowing before the dia. And.

34:46

The giant but it was quite the cuba way

34:48

to go through the pillar. with the whole it.

34:51

In. The. Ah said today's the Temple

34:53

equity the join but it. Does. A

34:55

pillar. At the back with a hole in

34:57

it. And it said it's good

34:59

luck to pass through the Harlem would ask He tried to

35:01

get through it in ah videos, fourteen days you pan. Alley

35:04

Sailed he had right as the you three

35:06

attempts on he said well. I

35:08

didn't know. Guess where he started screaming at one

35:10

point? He. Sits you like and

35:13

like yeah was it was bad.

35:16

I'd be got Olive inflict even lot

35:18

only because it was like a twenty

35:20

thirty million safe. Another

35:22

when I had special access or something but

35:24

there was nowhere cookie of that the as

35:26

so bad about the same thing. if I

35:28

can sound like a horrible i have this

35:30

isn't come across the runway. But. The

35:32

willingly status gorgeous temple and then

35:34

this so it's tourists stung mean

35:36

that salt right? You. Combine drinks

35:39

he couldn't a moonless know, even making

35:41

a comedy. it was just sort of

35:43

a surprise me. I'm trying to

35:45

think of a comparison if I went to Westminster

35:47

Cathedral. westminster abbey rather and

35:49

then in silly the abbey somebody was

35:52

saying see was there was there with

35:54

selsky was in the temples all over

35:56

there was shops and point you could

35:58

buy drinks and by lotus Mmm,

36:00

it was interesting. I don't know if

36:02

one of the final stages was also Yes,

36:04

which was intense in the best possible way.

36:06

Do you like Osaka? I did I think

36:09

I needed to be because by this point I was alone

36:12

and I think I was making friends

36:14

as I went Mmm, I think you want

36:16

to go to Osaka with him Yeah,

36:18

Osaka because he's like an party

36:20

night life II fun place I

36:23

find it's never that fun to get to

36:25

Osaka alone You didn't eat at

36:27

least one other person but the food was

36:30

good and I'm street food was fantastic the

36:32

shopping We're actually obviously great. Did you burn

36:34

your mouth on the obstacles? No, cuz I'd

36:36

learned from you and some seeing Natsuki fries

36:39

roof of his mouth Maybe you'd actually

36:41

maybe it wasn't but I certainly bought it that

36:44

was that that area was Maybe

36:47

the most human bodies I've ever experienced outside

36:49

of a music festival all in one go

36:51

Yeah, that bridge. I mean Dora San

36:53

Buoyo bridge is just humans

36:56

just Mushing gets each other. I mean

36:58

you were there again the busiest time when I was

37:00

there in November. It wasn't too bad Sorry,

37:02

I really liked it But I think I could have

37:04

I would have sought one day out and then it's

37:06

saying Otherwise no, it's

37:09

mmm. Well, so what's the highlight the trip made

37:11

me 15 days Japan I'd

37:13

say nakatendo trail is gonna take some beating that

37:15

bath Outside staring at the clouds

37:17

rolling over the man's was pretty special moves a

37:19

sort of you know, you can feel your brain

37:22

Recording the memory in perpetuity. It just

37:24

goes. Yeah. Yeah, I'm remembering this Yeah,

37:27

I know that feeling well that was pretty

37:29

special and I'd also argue the helicopter was

37:31

pretty great and Nor

37:33

just saying this hang out with you guys made

37:35

this trip sensational And I

37:38

this man recommend our job come

37:41

to Japan because traveling so though is

37:43

I found he's possible in Japan And it and

37:45

it won't yeah, I mean I think well

37:47

I remember when we talked about your trip to Japan

37:49

you were a bit reluctant and Coming

37:52

here solo and as I said to anyone

37:55

like you guys often ask about traveling Japan

37:57

So I think so they travel in Japan

37:59

is one of the nicest ways

38:01

to experience the country. The restaurants are really

38:03

welcoming when you want to have food by

38:05

yourself. It is entirely a no shame situation.

38:07

Yeah, because I think that's something I've said

38:09

in the past that to go to a

38:11

restaurant alone, certainly in the UK,

38:13

probably in the West in general, it looks a

38:15

bit weird if you go to an actual restaurant

38:17

restaurant, more like a pub or a bar or

38:20

a little fast food place, but an actual restaurant

38:22

to sit alone, it's a bit like, oh, poor

38:24

him, poor her. It's not vacation Japan, man. I

38:26

don't see it like that. And the service is

38:29

the best I've ever experienced, better than America at

38:31

its finest hour. No tick culture is the icing

38:33

on top. The actual

38:35

service has been sensational. People have been so

38:37

patient with me doing Google translate, my terrible

38:40

attempts at trying like, like learn a phrase

38:42

I wanted to say before I walked into

38:44

a restaurant and have a good old bash

38:46

at it. And they'd go, okay, let me

38:48

help you. Whatever. Everyone was so truly

38:51

very, very kind. And I never felt

38:53

like I was properly scholarly handsome headphones

38:55

on. I only lost it

38:57

alone. Japan is a genuinely magic

38:59

place and I really am so glad I

39:01

took the pun. And the thing is, it

39:03

gets better when you come back for a

39:05

second trip. I've got so many things on

39:08

my own. You can't do a third trip, but like

39:10

your second proper holiday trip. I need to do Hiroshima.

39:12

Hiroshima's good. I want a bit of

39:15

driving actually. Driving's very easy. They're from the same way.

39:17

Same side of the road. The correct side of the

39:19

road is I like to call it, there it is,

39:21

more hiking I'd love to do. Maybe

39:23

some of the islands I want to visit, my friends

39:25

have gone up to Kaido, I want to find out

39:27

now. Yeah, I can't wait to come back, truly. There

39:29

is a country that you think he's going back to,

39:31

I think. A lot of my friends do

39:34

keep coming back, like Pete Olsen. He's been

39:36

here more times than I think, Harold. I mean, I've

39:38

been here 12 years and I still don't get bored

39:40

travelling around Japan. So that's a pretty good

39:42

sign. I just can't wait to be that boring

39:44

person that as soon as I get home,

39:46

I was like, oh well, actually, in Japan,

39:49

what I do is I helicopter over Tokyo

39:51

or... They look like ants,

39:53

I tell you. In a hot tub in the

39:55

mountains, your holiday's the south, so... Cheerus

39:57

and decadent. Could you have... I

40:00

get like you know if we can we Japan's the of

40:02

once a lifetime shit. Two hundred quid on a.

40:05

On. A Helicopter ride. This. That. He supplied

40:07

out a good meal anyway. that is simply the how

40:09

of eat it. I just went also of the yet

40:11

is. Submitted: Li. Under

40:13

like valley did might have one dollar is

40:15

still seven hundred sixty and of the maybe

40:17

which is the cheapest has been of thirty

40:19

over certain at his diary. Say.

40:22

Your money's going. ready for the main?

40:24

Yes. and if you love history of

40:26

councils like I do even if they

40:28

rebuilt them yeah I Salinas Valley to

40:30

a soccer costs gray and we were

40:32

single into that. We going to all

40:34

day but I'm in short on take

40:36

off. An amazing time. think it's pants

40:38

and I will that scene. maybe next

40:40

year in April. Maybe news the something

40:42

called stole a celebration that may be

40:44

happening? Maybe it's definitely going to hosted

40:46

a helicopter idol associate focused on the

40:48

I'd love to host and helicopter is

40:50

that's available. I'll do. It. and basically

40:52

if anybody else has the anything that involves

40:55

a helicopter. Was. Hauling saying yes

40:57

and you're saying a straight bus

40:59

the way to. But. That

41:01

alley and I'll be talking the next

41:03

podcast about soon. Tv stuff that's always

41:05

a the film guy. He's the most

41:07

film buff expert in the world ever.

41:09

on the move. Ridiculous. And

41:11

he didn't. You win like cares them to mastermind.

41:14

Very big. British. Tv show last year

41:16

I most the your subject funny thing about

41:18

that and things bringing up. Bugs. With

41:20

the funny thing about that as they

41:22

wouldn't let me to on Silty Day

41:24

because it was married for two reasons

41:26

is about I did one difficult question

41:28

wrong Alcatel Muppet and you the Bbc

41:30

film Guys Riot to It would be

41:32

unfair to anybody else. So. I

41:35

picked the Hitchhikers Got Galaxy

41:37

Radio Series. And I was

41:39

like suspect this will be fine no problems her

41:41

the news of can the audiobook as us to

41:44

assemble the radio shows all of fits the first

41:46

the fist what a fool of them. after

41:48

douglas past all of them that's about

41:50

thirty now with she says yeah you're

41:52

mad men but it was worth it

41:54

so when sliver see stars which allow

41:56

people listings last watching right there what

41:59

a pity thousand Well done to you.

42:01

But Ali and I'll be back to

42:03

talk about films including TV

42:05

show Shogun in the next episode. Probably

42:08

a spoiler free one. Yeah.

42:10

We're in the beginning to think, sucks. I want spoiler

42:12

but I know too many people haven't watched it. But

42:15

until then guys, thanks for tuning in and we'll see

42:17

you in the next edition. The Broad Japan podcast. Bye

42:19

for now. Cheers. Bye for

42:21

having me. The

42:48

Broad in Japan is a stack

42:50

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42:52

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