Jon and Vanessa Go to Japan

Even though Vanessa is in Brazil, The Tofu Trio still managed to get together to record a new episode. Vanessa brought along her niece Livia, but since she doesn't speak much English, Livia's contribution is pretty much limited to hello and goodbye. In fact, you actually hear more from Joey's dog Khaleesi than you do from Livia. Jon and Vanessa dive deep into their recent trip to Japan, where they were surprised to learn that the country isn't very vegan friendly. Jon also describes the high-tech toilets in Japan, which completely makes Joey’s day because he still possesses the sense of humor of a five year old. It's a wild international ride full of language barriers, dietary struggles, and way more bathroom talk than anyone could expect or want.

If you're interested in buying the fancy $400 bidet attachment that Jon bought on Amazon, visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCTR1Y75?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&th=1. No, Amazon isn't paying them for this plug. They probably wish that Amazon did pay them, though!

Buy some Vegans Talking Shit merchandise! Visit https://vegans-talking-shit.myshopify.com to buy Vegans Talking Shit t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, and more.

Vegans Talking Shit is hosted by Joey Di Girolamo, Jon Missirlian, and Vanessa Silva. Main podcast image artwork by Diego Orellana. Theme song "Flying" by TrackTribe. Visit @veganstalkingshit on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and @vegans.talking.sh on TikTok. Send questions, comments, and topic ideas to veganstalkingshit@gmail.com, and you may get your email read during the show.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:09

Hey everybody, welcome to Beegans Talking Shit. I'm Joey. I'm John.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

I'm Vanessa. I'm Livia. Hi.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

As you all can see, Vanessa is here with her adorable guest. Vanessa, why don't you tell us about your guest?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

So she's my niece. Uh, for who is watching us, not listen, you can see it could be even my daughter because she looked like me a little bit, but she's half Japanese.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

My dog's barking. You hear that? That's okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Yeah, we don't care.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Yeah, but I don't want to talk over you. Khisi, go to bed. This is funny. This is great for the podcast. He has a boo dog. Okay, I'm sorry. This is great. Okay, keep going. She she she's quiet.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

That's okay. So Livia is half Japanese. Her dad is Japanese with Italian. It's not half exactly, it's 25% around, okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

And uh yeah, well, that's actually uh manga eyes.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

You know, manga.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

No, what's that?

SPEAKER_00 1:12

It's like a Japanese, like a uh character that has like uh the eyes big here and a little bit oh okay, uh small on the sides a manga, we call them manga. Oh manga, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

That that's I that makes sense because manga, those are uh Japanese comic books, so it makes sense, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

So Livia doesn't speak English, so she knows a little bit some word here and there, but she has beautiful hair around here with me when she gets tired. She's just going to move on the side. She will be waiting for me for you. We have fun after the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 1:53

Well, it seems to be uh perfect as far as uh your guest there being partially Japanese, because this episode is all about your trip to Japan. Well, John and you, your trip to Japan. So why don't you tell us all about it? I'm gonna sit here and listen because you I actually haven't spoken to both of you since the trip. Uh, you know, a few text messages, but I have no idea how the trip went, other than what you posted on social media.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

We actually have something interesting from Japan for you, Joey. So you need to show up pretty soon.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Oh, that's awesome! Yes, yes, absolutely. Don't I owe you something? Oh, I I owe you Tupperware.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Oh, that's true.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

Yes, I owe you Tupperware.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

I'm translating a little bit for her. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:52

Okay, that's true, but in my defense, I've been seeing you since I took your tupperware the last time.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

I'm just joking, Joey. Don't worry about it. Yeah, but yeah, we have something that John actually that found that, and is it's very specific. I even don't know how he he he found that.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Well, I look forward to seeing it. I can't wait. I'm very excited.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

So, yeah, uh, we thought we were going to Japan and you'd find tofu everywhere, you know, that's what I had in mind, like tofu, tofu, tofu everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

So it wasn't very vegan friendly, or was it? It wasn't that's disappointing.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

John can tell more about that, but yeah, but you know what?

SPEAKER_01 3:40

It doesn't um there were 99 good things about Japan, and that was the one bad thing I would say. Is it wasn't as vegan, it wasn't as vegan friendly as as we thought, but most of the cities we were in were in large cities, so we're able to find vegan restaurants in almost all of them. Okay, and some of the restaurants had really good food, some not so much. Um I would say you know, Europe is a lot easier, and you know, you can find better restaurants than in Japan, but I don't, you know, Japan was a dream for me and Vanessa. I mean, it was just uh I didn't know what to expect, and it it it actually exceeded all of my expectations, like it was just it was unbelievable.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

It was a dream for me, Joey, because I grew up with friends like a Japanese uh community that all the time used to go to Japan. Uh Livia's uncle uh lived in Japan for many years, as I called him so too moron, but she has uh like a Japanese uh cousin, it's pretty cute, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

So here, or I'm sorry, in Brazil. Oh, did I did we mention that you're in Brazil right now? Like while we're recording, you're in Brazil. We I don't think we mentioned that.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Oh, yeah, I'm in Brazil, guys.

SPEAKER_03 5:07

Yeah, so if there's a delay, that might be why. I actually don't sense a delay. Do you see a delay, John? It seems like it's recording pretty well. No, I I think it's okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Yeah, so Vanessa's Vanessa might be very good, it's not very good actually, because I'm using the building internet, I don't have internet in our place yet.

SPEAKER_03 5:26

Well, we're not seeing any, we're not seeing any issues. I mean, it's it's pretty good from our end of it.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Yeah, so but yeah, I always dreamed about going to Japan. Also, I'm a Buddhist, so I always want to go there to see the temples, and a long time I was telling John, but I I think John had no idea about it, and he was never very excited to go, you know. And at this time, he said, No, I won't see the this the cherry blossoms, and this time I'm going to buy the tickets, and I was like basically disturbing him. Like, I'm going to buy, look at this, look at this. Look at this.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

I think I was, I think actually, it wasn't I was not interested, I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of. I mean, I always wanted to, I always wanted to go there, yeah. But um, and I always knew that like they were kind of an evolved society and things like that, but I I didn't know like specifically what that meant, um, but I think I was a little overwhelmed about how big it was, how far it was, how different the culture was. So that's why it wasn't that I wasn't excited, Vanessa. I was just like, I think I was like overwhelmed in my head a little bit about it, but I'm glad you insisted because it was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah, we are in love for Japan. We still want going back like uh next next week with Kim. If we can get an airplane again and go back there to spend, I don't know, I would live a while in Japan to be really honest. I think it's so amazing, it has so much things to explore and uh beauty, the nature. Uh, the food is the main little problem for me, honestly, because they use a lot of TvP, the soy meat, soy meat for everything. So the vegan restaurants you find there is all soy meat, and soy meat for me is not really good. I don't, it's not because I don't taste good, but they don't feel very well when I eat them. So I don't know. Uh that would be the main problem. I wish they had more tofu dishes, tempeh. You know, I didn't find one place with tempeh, one of the restaurants we went, I couldn't find one. It's kind of like weird.

SPEAKER_01 7:50

We didn't we didn't really see tofu either. No, almost almost no tofu. It was it was almost soy everywhere. I I do think the society though is really easy to live in. I mean, outside of the food part, like Vanessa's explaining. Uh, the other stuff is it is it seems like the easiest society. It's easier to live there for me, I think, than it is here. Yeah. Um, now that being said, I've been here my whole life, so you know, from day one in Japan, it wouldn't be as easy. But I think being there after a little while, it's an easier society to live than here. Um, one of the reasons, um, one of the big reasons is the efficiency, the public transportation. Um it is affordable, which is shocking how affordable it is compared to here.

SPEAKER_03 8:46

Um what I've seen in movies and documentaries and everything, uh, I can totally understand your uh you know worrying about being overwhelmed because my god, Tokyo, it looks bigger than New York City. Like it did. I I just think Blade Runner, you know, like it's worse.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

No, there is a lot of more people that live in there than New York City.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

But it's how many people it is is I think there's 33 to 35 million or something. Yeah, yeah, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 9:21

Is he saying I think that's the population of the state of Florida? I mean, the entire state of Florida, and Florida's a big state, and Florida's a popular populated state, and just one city in Japan has that many people. It's it's mind-blowing, but it it looks beautiful too.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

From what you posted in social media, my god, it it's clean, but when you're there, it's not overwhelming, it's actually blissful, peaceful, blissful, okay, calm. Everything is so calm, it's crazy, and there's so many and clean.

SPEAKER_03 9:55

I'm with that many people from what you posted, it looked incredibly clean.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

It is, it is, it's unbelievable. It it is the opposite of New York, right? Like when we were in New York a few summers ago, we were like, This is not only is New York overwhelming, but it's dirty, yeah, it's crowded. It smells. I mean, in the summer, it smells. I enjoyed New York, but I also like this is like I could never live here.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

Um Joy, the first morning we left the hotel to go to um to a coffee that we find like a with a few options for us. We passed in front of like a construction, like a building construction. They were washing like uh washing the the tires of the truck that was inside of the construction to go out to the street, they were really cleaning like a very well, like uh the truck was moving, and they were like uh you know, cleaning and moving more cleaning before go to the street for do not dirt like live dirty on the street. Yeah, was shocked by that.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

They're they're constantly cleaning the streets with water, yeah. They're constantly cleaning the sidewalks. There's zero garbage, they fucking the sidewalks. The most shocking thing is there's zero garbage cans, too. I think I told you this, Joey. I think, but no, I don't think so. No, so there's no garbage can, there's almost no garbage cans in Japan. So they're not their theory, but they're uh what they did years ago is remove the garbage cans. So because they they they're like, well, the garbage cans are overflowing, and people will accumulate more garbage if there's garbage cans. So the only places there's actually garbage cans are public parks, and it's not that easy to find the public parks. So if you have like there was a few times I left coffee shops, restaurants, whatever, with like a Coke can or like a a you know, a paper cup. I had to carry this stuff for like two hours. I'm not kidding, until I found a garbage can. You can't put it to like another store. You can't, it sounds crazy.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

I can see the look on your face, but yeah, because I mean the logic would be that for me at least, uh not that I would ever litter, that's not something I do, but it would just to me, Americans would just throw that on the street.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

You would go to jail for a decent amount of time, I think, if you or get some tickets for now, happen, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:46

People are so respectful of each other, the society, the cleanliness, the efficiency. They're there, it's just amazing. So you don't see any garbage, even in like Shibuya, and uh what was the other big city, the big uh area in Tokyo you went to? Umjuku and shibuya are the two main, you know, they're like the Manhattan of New York, right? Or the Brickle of Miami, right? Um there are insane amounts of people there, and there's almost no garbage. Um, it's it's amazing. So, how was it outside of Tokyo?

SPEAKER_00 13:30

The the sorry guys, I don't know if I guess that's someone.

SPEAKER_03 13:34

Well, I was just asking, like, what is it like outside of Tokyo? I mean, is it the same thing as far as because I know you just mentioned Shibuya and all that, but I mean, as far as the food, as far as the people, the culture, is it does it all the same? Uh or is it just okay? I see you guys nodding your head.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

So well, I mean, I think the culture is a little different when you get outside of Tokyo, but uh Vanessa, take what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 13:56

I think it's pretty much the same, like the respect, the silence, uh, like the the public transportation is crazy. Everybody, everything is so silent, not only trains, but the people inside the train. You don't you don't see people making noises or talking loud and uh nothing. There are couches in the trains that is better than the couch of my house.

SPEAKER_03 14:21

In comfortable couches on the trains, yeah. They have couches.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

The cleanest cleanest is the right way to say it's so clean, it's so clean. The couches on the train is just surprising because it's so many people that use all that. The culture outside, I think, uh, is just more calm, it's not like a busy like some areas in Tokyo because depending on the days, we were like in a super busy area in Tokyo, and you turn right, and it's like a quiet, quiet, quiet neighborhood, insane quiet.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

And I I read about that before we went that you'd be in the um, you'd be in Shibuya, and there's be thousands and thousands of people, and then you turn a corner and there'd be a temple, and it'd be so quiet, and that's just or or just a residential street, and it'd be so quiet. It's just that's how it is in in Tokyo, and I mean Kyoto is another city that's really populated, not like Tokyo, um, but I think it's it's really compact where all the people are, but then there'd be a temple not that far away where it's just peaceful.

SPEAKER_03 15:35

So I have to ask this, uh, because I'm curious. If if you want a cup of coffee in the morning, what's that like? Like, is it is it the same here where the culture is, you know, you have Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, all these places packed with people in the morning to get their coffee. Is that the same culture over there?

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Um Dunkin' Donuts, I didn't see any. I saw a lot of Starbucks.

SPEAKER_03 16:02

I know you guys aren't into coffee the way I am. John, I think you are, but what Vanessa? I think you quit caffeine again. Am I wrong? I'm back on it too. Oh, you both are.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Everybody goes off and often go back to coffee like a pretty easy. Uh, I I don't know. I I think I don't know. In Taco, everything is basically pack.

SPEAKER_03 16:28

Yeah, there's so many people about tea over there than than coffee.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Yes, there's there's a lot of places with tea, but a lot of the American companies are there. Like there is like Vanessa was saying, there's Starbucks, a good amount of Starbucks there. Uh I don't it's more of a core, I think it's more of a coffee culture here though than Japan, because Japan, like I'm saying again, is it's a big tea culture. Um what's interesting is I don't know so much Starbucks, but most of the restaurants, the shops, they open later. They open uh maybe maybe not so much in busy parts of Tokyo, but like when we're in Ki Kyoto, we couldn't find anything that was open until 11 o'clock, and then they closed till six. And we're talking retail stores, it's very interesting. They work so hard, and but they're not open for that long. I think because they have a very you know, big sense of family and their community, and so uh, but maybe this is just retail-the industry, you know, right. This might just be retail and restaurants, but there were many times we go to restaurants and it'd be closed, we'd we'd really have to pay attention to the hours because they open late, um, and then they close early. Um, but I I think the business is is different, you know, the industry and and the business, the business people in Japan. I think they're working, you know, 50-60 hours a week, more than off, even. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

Well, okay. I I have to ask this because Vanessa, I know you probably did a lot of it there. What was the shopping like there?

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Oh my god, Joey. I'm not a shopper, you know. I I'm kind I'm trying to be more minimalist because we already have so much and we don't live in a big place, you know, we don't want more junk in your house. But when you get there, everything is so different, it's so different than everything we have ever seen, and even things like a kitchen stuff that you never knew that you need that, but yes, you need that because it's so different, and it has a uh different function that you never thought about it. Oh my god, they have this little thing that holds this that I never thought about. You know, I'm just like trying to give examples. They create, they they are so creative, uh, and they come up with so much different things, and even like the clothing is different, their style and uh is amazing, you know. I I got a purse there that every single day I'm going out with that purse, everybody's like compliment, no job, even in the iMacs.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Oh, that's a that's a cool purse, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Yeah, it's like uh look like an origami purse. Uh is the brand was Issi Miyaki.

SPEAKER_03 19:43

Do you have it? Do you have it there in Brazil?

SPEAKER_00 19:45

No, I didn't brought it.

SPEAKER_03 19:47

I can get it from a closet right here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to see it, and then maybe our listeners can see it.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Watch out, Jonathan. Watch out to get my purse put back like an app.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

Yeah, be careful with it.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

So, and not only this, Joy, is it's cheaper, things are cheaper there than US, and also they have this kind of system that you get your tax-free right in the store. You don't have to get all the receipts and take to airport to get your tax free. So make people shop even more because you already pay less than you pay in US, and you are getting like seven percent less taxes right away, you get super excited. John got a watch that he likes there. I got uh actually a watch too, but like a simple brand that is very Japanese.

SPEAKER_03 20:43

John likes watches. I've noticed. I've I've since I've known him, he's bought like three watches. He does he have a lot of watches.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Well, he changed one. No, I hope he doesn't have a lot of them because he likes the expensive ones, so yeah, it's better he has just a few of them.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

Then that's why I cannot find your uh purse. Serious, is it right in the closet?

SPEAKER_00 21:07

Is this it's inside uh a little bag?

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Where on the bottom, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Yeah, on top of everything is a white uh dust bag, is laying, is laying on the top of the closet.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

Were you able to see? Uh this is a very dorky question. Were you able to see if they have like anime or manga stores? Like, were there a lot of that?

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Like, what is they have a bunch of this stuff, these kind of stores and um store with uh video games, a bunch of then it's like a huge stores with that little machines that you get little toys, you know. Is is you still not find it?

SPEAKER_01 21:52

No, I have no idea. I mean, I could like pull a lot of stuff down.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Is it in like the plastic?

SPEAKER_01 21:59

It might be.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

All right, so uh you show it another time.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

Okay, this is my watch, though.

SPEAKER_03 22:04

I bought oh, let me put it put it close to the camera. I love this watch. Yeah, that's really that's a pretty shade of blue.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

I know, yeah, super blue.

SPEAKER_03 22:16

So you guys who aren't watching this on uh on YouTube, actually, you know what? I just said YouTube, but now Apple Podcasts allows for video. So I have to look into that, see if it's just as simple as carrying the video file over as opposed to the audio. But now Apple Podcasts allows for video. So I'm gonna try to. So this episode might be our first video episode that'll be posted on Apple Podcasts. And I I want to see if I can go back and post the videos into Apple Podcasts, like the old videos, if it will go retro, if it'll go retroactive. If so, we can have a whole bunch of video podcasts available to Apple Podcasts uh in our whole library, so that could be interesting. Um so yeah, I just have to figure it out. Uh hopefully it's easy. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

Oh, keep it talking about the I was forgetting this, the shop. They have a bunch of uh brands that they have lines only for Japan. So Converse, you know, the All-Star Converse, Converse, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:19

It's owned by Nike.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Oh my god, they have a like a whole line for Japan that you only can find there. It's like a writing they like Converse All-Star, all in Japanese, oh that's very blossomer. Um they have like a bunch of store stores from Japan. Levi's too. Levi's had uh store with specific uh things you could choose from Japan and they uh put in your jeans, any part of your jeans from Japan. Uh Seiko, for example, they watch one, Seiko Citizen. They have select uh like some watch, they only sell their casuals. Um I was I was like that's really cool.

SPEAKER_03 24:07

So they have these these these uh exclusive to Japan things. I mean, you didn't stock up on that? That that could be pretty cool. Well, she didn't bother a few stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

I didn't buy much because we were going so many so many places. I didn't want to keep carrying stuff everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

I don't but I don't know what you're talking about. We bought a whole suitcase to bring home the stuff that we bought. We bought a lot. I definitely would have bought some tailored. The the uh the shopping is it way better, it's not even close. I'm not a huge shopper, right? Enjoy your you are on certain things, but but DVDs, and there's comics everywhere, there's animation everywhere. It's insane, it is completely insane the amount of cool. Even I mean, there's whole stores like four levels of just animated stuff.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

Four my thing is like they um there are there are Batman Ninja comics. I would like that would be my thing. I mean, even if I mean it would have to be, I would want it to be the Batman Ninja comic book, but with the Japanese characters, oh, they were there, amazing.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Yeah, but so we went to a couple bookstores, they're really cool. So the bookstores, the I remember two of them in particular, they had an entire level dedicated to like comics, but also they're like animated books. Have you seen these animated books? What do you mean by animated books? I don't even know what they're called. It's a whole genre in Japan of think about how you know these animated movies are so big. In Japan, they have these animated books, so the stories are they're not they're not necessarily comics, they're like uh you've you've used the words before. Um what do you call them where they're not the comics, but they're like the graphic novel? Yeah, they're like graphic novels. In the entire there are so many of them in Japan. That literally, like the entire are you talking about manga?

SPEAKER_03 26:22

Manga?

SPEAKER_01 26:23

No, they were graphic novels, I think. More than manga. An entire floor was dedicated to these graphic novels. I would be in different in different like age groups, like young kids, you know, kids, young kids, adults.

SPEAKER_03 26:36

It was crazy. Yeah, a lot of the Japanese, uh the Japanese uh anime and anime and manga is a lot of it's for kids, but then you get into the really not for kids stuff, which which is called hentai.

SPEAKER_01 26:49

Uh oh, that was worth a lot of that too. And let me tell you, another reason why you want to spend a lot of money because these people that work in the store, they take so much pride in what they're doing. It doesn't matter if you're buying a coffee, if you're buying a watch, if you're buying a pillow. Me and Vanessa bought pillows. Uh Japanese pillows like unbelievable. So they they literally we have a video uh they they actually videoed us and put us on Instagram on their on their um like the store's Instagram, but they they measure your neck. I don't know. Vanessa looked this up before, and then we went to the store. They you know we laid down and they like measured your neck, and like it's they made a custom pillow for us, and my neck problems have gone away. It's it's amazing. Oh, okay. Like they a lot of stores when you walk in, they bow to you. When you walk out, they bow to you. And it's I remember when we when we first came home from um Japan, we went to Chicago, and I my my best friends, uh, his son had a bar mitzvah. So we we went to the bar mitzvah, but uh oh yeah, so at the bar mitzvah, um, I'm driving there and we asked someone where I could park. And the security guard or the security, the attendant, parking attendant, whatever he was, like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, over there, over there. And like he was like running away. I'm like, where? He's like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And he's I'm like, geez, this guy is not very helpful. It is so opposite from Japan. In Japan, they would literally walk you all the way to the entrance, even if the entrance was a mile away, they would probably walk you there as your car is going seven miles an hour. The level of service in everything they do is insanely just amazing. When we checked into our hotel, I tried to get the hotel room keys and go up. He's like, no, no, no, wait. And he he he brings us bolt over to and sat down with us and explained to us like one by one, like every single thing in the hotel that they have. Then he walked us to the elevator and then he did this. We get in the elevator, and he goes out of the elevator and he just goes and he bows.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

For those of you watching or who aren't watching this on video, John is bowing in front of me. He stayed like that, like this until the elevator like at a 90-degree angle bowing.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

It was a until the door closed, and me and Vanessa like looked at each other. We're like, This is unbelievable. It's so amazing.

SPEAKER_02 29:49

Would you say that there was an issue with like a language barrier?

SPEAKER_03 29:53

What's that? Would you say there was an issue as far as the language barrier? A little.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

I mean, more than Europe, obviously, but they try really hard. Um there are there, you know, there's a lot of tourists too. There's a lot of American tourists, European tourists. Um everything's in English, all the train stations. Uh, they you know, it's in Japanese and English. So because the society is so well put together, it really wasn't too big of an issue. Vanessa, I want you to tell the story about the train when we sat in the wrong seat.

SPEAKER_00 30:32

Oh, yeah. So we we were getting some of when you get like the Shinkansen, that is the bullet train. So wait a minute.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Explain about the bullet train too.

SPEAKER_00 30:47

Okay, now it's fine, guys. Um I was like uh the bullet train, like this, the whole system is perfect, but when you get the bullet train, you have to reserve seats, even though you are in the same station. Sometimes you have to buy and reserve the seats. And John and I sometimes were like uh we didn't got lost, but sometimes we were like a running away or running you know late in the places as usual. So you used to get in inside the chinkans without a seat, but they always came charge us the extra because it's a train that goes 330 kilometers per hour, I don't know, in miles. And it's super silent and super fast. This is unbelievable, it's amazing. So we sit, we we sit in uh like uh some seats that the guy came to us and said, Oh uh, you guys need to move this one because this one's already reserved. Uh you have to move. I will be back here to charge you. Okay, he moved with us. I'm a lady came and tried to talk with us. She couldn't speak English. Both actually didn't really spoke English, so and to move us back to the old seat. And the guy came and said, Why you guys like stay here?

SPEAKER_01 32:07

I say, like very polite, you know, but very polite, but a little, but a little bit like, what are you guys doing? I already told you guys, and we and we were like, Well, the woman moved us, and at that point we were a little annoyed, but whatever it was language barrier. We dealt with it.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

So, like, I don't know, a few minutes later, I don't know, 20 minutes later, 10 minutes later, she came with a card apologizing in English that for her mistake.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

She was like, No English, and she wrote out in like perfect perfect cursive, yeah, a paragraph apologizing for her mistake. That would never happen here. It wasn't even that big a mistake, it wasn't, it was just like it was unbelievable. There, there's so many examples of that. There was one time in the train station where we when you do a transfer in the train station, um, or when you're buying the Shinkansane tickets, those are the bullet trains. Basically, the bullet train is like uh like for us to take a bright line train, which is our nice train in Florida from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, I think it's like four hours, right? About four hours, let's say three hours.

SPEAKER_03 33:27

I'm actually gonna be taking it next weekend. Uh convention. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

It's only it's only three hours. It's three hours, yeah. Okay, so in Japan, it would probably be only for the these for the distance, is a lot, it's not a fast train. Okay, so so in Japan, hold on, hold on. Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, it's three hours, right? On the Shinkansane, which is their bullet train, it'd probably be an hour and a half, uh, maybe even less because it's so fast, it's 180 miles an hour. But when you buy the Shinkansen tickets, you usually have to buy like two tickets, and the way their system works is you put both tickets in, and then you only take one ticket out. It's because it's like whatever. So Vanessa or me, I can't remember who it was, forgot the other ticket, and we had we walked probably 30-40 feet, and actually, we weren't walking, we're running to catch the next train. The con the the ticket guy ran after us. He's like, yo, yo, yo, yo, and he and he gave us our ticket. We thought actually that we did something wrong, and he was like uh telling us something that we did wrong, and it was he was just coming to help us.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

We we would not be able to leave the station easy, you know, because we left the because the two tickets is one for you get in and the other one for you get out, because they basically charge you for stations, so you don't pay a full price for any ticket, you pay for the distance you you use the subway or this the shinkan thing. Uh you pay only for the the amount to use, so that's why you didn't want to get in and want to get out, but the regular ones they have like amazing app called Suika that you just put yourself on, and even if it's your cell phone, is we felt battery, it makes no sense, but it worked, I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

I couldn't believe it. So, so the Suika, it's like it goes on your Apple wallet, and uh, you know, we just literally would touch it every time on the on the thing, and it would be it, it would get us through. And our phones were dead. I think it was my phone, it was dead, and I'm like, I wonder if it's gonna work, and it worked.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

Was my dead, my phone was dead. I and I use it anyways.

SPEAKER_03 36:01

I you know, I I've never obviously I've never been to Japan, and I've always wanted to go Tokyo, especially. And uh, you mentioned the Bullet Train. That's one of the big uh things I want to check out there. Uh, I don't know if you saw the movie Bullet Train. Um, it's with uh Brad Pitt, I believe it's directed by David Leach, one of the directors of the the first John Wick movie. And American Citizen Bad Bunny is in that movie. Um, I I really like the movie. Uh, but yeah, I I I would love to get on a bullet train and and see what that's like, and of course, go to the uh the bookstores in Japan and try the food, even if it isn't as vegan friendly as I would like. Uh, but yeah, I mean you you guys did a good job of selling me on it. I definitely want to go check it out.

SPEAKER_01 36:45

What's really interesting to me is uh how big uh you know the car industry is in Japan. You know, you got Nissan, Toyota, uh what's the other big one? Honda. Honda, right? They're insanely big around the world. You do not need a car in Japan, almost nowhere. Because they're so how they're public transportation, it's all one system, you know. Like here, Miami is a different system than even Fort Lauderdale, and it's especially a different system than Boston and New York. In Japan, it's almost all one system, at least that we saw, right? Or if it's not like they're kind of like sister, they're like they're all like together. And how it wouldn't so Joey, you're in the suburbs, right? So it doesn't matter. This is how it would work if you wanted to go to let's say Miami in the Japan system, and I was telling my parents this too, they just looked at me like weird, but uh, you would walk out of your house, and at the max, maybe you'd walk maximum 10 minutes. There'd be a train station that would be 10 minutes, and then it would either go straight to Miami, or maybe you would take one uh transfer and then go to Miami. So no matter where you are, you can get a train, and uh it's just I mean, it's just so efficient, and it's just everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

And for the entire country, I'm telling you, it's not for only you know, from suburb to Tokyo, it's like the entire country is very connected. And if there is a a place that's not like showing as a subway, the bus uh the the Google maps already show to you. You leave here, you get this this bus right there, and you stop in the next station. You know, it's all connected, and you use the Suica for the same thing, all the cell phones touching to make everything easier. So it is it's it's very impressive. I have used fast trains before in from London to Scotland, from Germany to to Paris, no, from um Netherlands to Paris, and it's not comparable at all. It's good, but it's not comparable.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Japan is like uh a high level, and they run every five minutes in some cases. Some, I mean, at the worst, it's 10 minutes. We never waited more than 10 minutes, usually we're waiting like three minutes, four minutes, five minutes. So it doesn't matter if you missed a train or a bus because the next one will be right there, it's all the time, and they're never late. And I didn't see this, but I heard that if they are more than what is it, three minutes late, Vanessa, or five minutes?

SPEAKER_00 39:43

They I don't remember a few minutes late.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

If they're more than like two minutes late, they come out and they bow. Wow, of course.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

All right, I mean, do you I I I am yeah, I don't know if I can do it anytime soon, but I definitely have one thing to have one thing to finish.

SPEAKER_03 40:04

Okay, uh oh, Vanessa's frozen.

SPEAKER_00 40:08

Oh, there wait, you have to tell the biggest.

SPEAKER_03 40:11

Oh, yeah, Vanessa's freezing.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Oh no, she's good now. Okay, sorry guys. Well, so Joey, you'll love this because it's uh has it has to do with bodily functions, okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Since you love bodily functions so much, I really recommend this. Okay, should I even show? Can I should I even show it, Vanessa?

SPEAKER_00 40:35

No, we don't need to show. No, what don't I don't think it's necessary. Show no, it's enough. Just explain, and that's good.

SPEAKER_01 40:44

I think we're gonna have to show. I'm on the edge of my seat actually.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

We actually have a lot of more people listening to us than seeing us.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

So every every uh toilet in Japan, you probably maybe you've seen this on Reels, Joey, or Instagram or whatever. Every toilet in Japan has a bidet. Okay, even even if you're in the public toilet in the train station, they have a bidet. Um, some of them are amazing, like the ones in the hotels and things like that. Have you ever used a bidet, Joey? I have. Do you like it? I love it.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

But it's a different bidet, it's not the kind of old bidet that you have like a chew thing, you know. You use the bathroom and move to another one and turn the water. It's not this one, you know, the ones like European ones, right? Um not this kind, it's like all electronic, so it's warm, the seats warm, the water is warm, has many different directions, so that's move front or here or the back, you know. There's a dryer, you know, after you just press dryer, dryer, yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

Good.

SPEAKER_00 42:15

Sorry, in Japan, there is some that sing like a kind of like a music of water. As soon as walking in in the back room, open the the the top, and start the music of a sh like a water, you know, that's in a public restroom. Yes, there isn't public restrooms, there are different levels, you know, the fancy ones and the simple ones, but even the train stations is all over the place.

SPEAKER_03 42:42

I mean, that's amazing. I mean, you go to a public restroom in the in the United States. I mean, go to a Win Dixie public restroom, you know, you go in, someone's already taken a huge splatter shit, there are brown browns all over the place, it smells like shit. Like, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

No, that is all clean.

SPEAKER_01 43:01

So we bought bidets after Japan. Are you serious?

SPEAKER_03 43:06

I'm serious. So it's a wonderful cleaning. I mean, I'm Jesus, a wonderful feeling because you feel so clean.

SPEAKER_01 43:13

I actually think I'm healthier because of it. I really so uh it's and at the end of the day, it's a I'm gonna save money because you don't use toilet paper, or if you do, it's very, very little. Well, if it comes with a dryer, the you can get a bidet, then you dry it, it's beautiful, and they're not as expensive as you think because it's not the whole you can buy the whole thing like it's the whole toilet, is a bidet, but on Amazon we found they call they're called uh bidet washlets, and you literally just you take off your toilet seat that you have now and you put it on top of what would be your toilet seat, and you you change the connections in the back, and you have a bidet. And it is fucking amazing. It is the greatest thing I've ever bought on Amazon. Vanessa, you're uh you're muted. I can't hear you. I know.

SPEAKER_00 44:14

I stopped with Olivia. I was talking with Olivia.

SPEAKER_03 44:16

Oh, wait, how much is this incredible device?

SPEAKER_01 44:19

So we bought we so we wanted to see if we'd like it first. I mean, we knew we would because we had we used them in Japan, but we bought one on Amazon for $250, and that was the basic one. And we liked it. And I'm like, you know what? We're and we put it on Vanessa's actually put it on mine first, but then we put it on Vanessa's bathroom. And then I got I got the Vanessa did because she's the engineer. So you know, Joey, if you do buy one, she can come to your house and hook it up.

SPEAKER_03 44:47

Yeah, I'm gonna have to hire Vanessa probably. I'm not I'm not a fixer-upper type of guy, I'm not a DIY.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

I don't think. Well, we did have our plumbing people help us with something, but uh then I bought the second uh level one, which was 400 and I think it was like 402 or something. But at the end of the day, you don't use much, if any, toilet paper.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

Let me just tell you something about because it's on the outlet all day long at night because it's warm, you know, warm and all that stuff. So I don't think you save you any money in the end of the day, but it's just like a it's like a comfortable is clean feeling.

SPEAKER_03 45:28

You pay to for that clean feeling, I think it's totally worth it. It's healthier, yeah, it's definitely healthier.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

It is amazing. So, Joey, if you want uh next year, we want to go again, so we can plan a big trip together with everybody. Brands definitely go. Like, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 45:46

I'm I'm absolutely interested for sure, and I want to try a bidet, but John, if you don't mind, uh yeah, send me a link to that $400 one. I'm I'm I'm definitely gonna give that a shot. And hey, for all of you listeners, I'll put the link to it on the chat, not the chat, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

The description is amazing, and it's easy to to put together, it's not hard.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

All right. Uh do you guys have anything anything else to say about the the trip to Japan?

SPEAKER_01 46:13

I have so much to say, but I don't know how much how much time do you have left in us?

SPEAKER_00 46:17

No, then we I have to go, guys.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Oh, yeah, that's what I figured.

SPEAKER_00 46:21

My my my little lovely niece is just here waiting for me.

SPEAKER_01 46:25

So let's why don't we want to continue this episode, Joey? And we can guys can.

SPEAKER_00 46:30

I can just leave.

SPEAKER_03 46:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that works. That's fine. And then uh, I mean, I don't want to record too many episodes without Vanessa, but yeah, we can record, we can continue this and maybe one more. Maybe we can do a diversion episode. I mean, we'll we can discuss it later.

SPEAKER_00 46:44

You guys want later, you know, like a real later, I don't know, 8 p.m. I can come back, but okay. Bye guys, it's a pleasure to see you guys and peace and recording.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

Wait, wait, wait, let's let's do the goodbye, and then John can throw in his uh his plugs. Uh so John, you take it away, you know. Social media.

SPEAKER_01 47:06

Well, I didn't think we were gonna end it. I thought we were just gonna go on without Vanessa.

SPEAKER_03 47:09

Oh yeah, Japan. We're gonna we're gonna have to split it in half anyway. So let's just do it like two separate things. Okay, so for vegans talking shit, I'm Joey, I'm John, I'm Vanessa, I'm Livia. Hey Livia, and that was Livia that you could barely hear.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

And we're gonna put the links to the bidets that we bought, yes, the watch that I bought, Vanessa's watches, everything we bought in Japan, and you know, please like us and subscribe.

SPEAKER_00 47:41

You cannot buy online, you have to go to Japan to get my cherry blossom Seiko watch. So only Japan. And I got the last unit, so next year. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 47:56

All right, and we are out of here. Bye everyone.

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Bye bye now.