Japanese Conversation 旅行 Travel with Miku Real Japanese English Japanese Sub

Ready hello This is Ninjapanese Mikuru Japanese here Thank you Today we have a special guest Teacher Miku Please take care of her I'm happy Happy so happy Thank you for doing this together with me I watched Ninja's video today and thought "hello" was really cute so I'm glad I could do it I'm happy too Thank you Today I'd like to talk with Teacher Miku about traveling in Japanese Yes Yes please I'd like to proceed as if I'm interviewing Teacher Miku OK Yes Well I assume everyone here knows about Teacher Miku so could you please give us a brief self-introduction Hello everyone nice to meet you I'm Miku I run a YouTube channel called Mikuru Japanese I also host a podcast titled The Mikuru Japanese Podcast Not only do we share the Japanese language but also Japanese culture We look forward to your support We kindly ask for your support So I'll paste the links to Miku-sensei's YouTube and podcast in the description so please make sure to follow and check them out Thank you Yes Let's get started Yes Hello I'd like to ask a question right away My goal this year is to travel a lot but I'm not really fond of traveling alone Wait what Yeah So do you like traveling alone Miku-sensei You're right When I was around 19 I studied abroad in Spain and back then I thought traveling alone was cool so I ended up doing quite a bit of solo travel At the age of 19 But lately I end up traveling more often with friends or family rather than going solo But I like it It's just right Today I chose this travel topic because I want to learn to enjoy traveling alone I want to hear about all the wonderful appealing aspects of traveling alone—things that make me feel lonely sometimes or wish I could go with friends—so that I can realize just how much I actually enjoy solo travel That way if I say I've never been someone who liked traveling alone from the start it'd be really funny It'd probably get really lively like "You're right "—so it worked out perfectly Thank you very much Isn't traveling alone lonely filled with simple heartfelt questions I actually kind of enjoy being alone I see Even though I sometimes feel lonely being alone especially in my twenties or when I was 19 I’ve always been quite independent Because they're free-spirited they just want to go wherever and whenever they feel like it—whenever and wherever they please That's why when traveling alone you can go wherever you want without bothering anyone right That's true That seems like a great advantage—definitely the biggest benefit I'm the kind of person whose interests and travel dreams keep changing all the time That's so enviable Really That’s why even though they said they’d go there until yesterday quite often when the day actually arrives they suddenly feel like coming here instead Isn't going somewhere with someone else just selfish really I suppose I can't really say that can I I think that might be the best option though I’ll admit there are times when it does feel lonely I actually tried going on a solo trip decided to give it a shot Even though it's domestic when I went on a solo trip to Kyoto and Osaka there were moments—like when I was eating dinner alone or visiting beautiful places—when no one was there to say "This is beautiful " or "This is so fun " I felt lonely Someone—hey Is your meal going okay Anything with the bathroom or anything like that Yes that's right Probably when I was 19 I went to Spain and didn't know anyone there I imagine Ninja Sensei was surrounded by strangers when they first came to Cebu Island alone but diving into that unfamiliar environment actually ended up giving them a lot of time alone Of course since I was studying Spanish I had quite a few friends among my university classmates Going to school alone or eating dinner by myself—those things happen fairly often now so I guess I’ve gotten used to it I see I think it’s just habit I’ve been alone since my teens and honestly I don’t mind it at all I’ve never really minded being by myself so I guess I’ll be fine Food should be okay too That's true When I was in Japan I actually moved around quite a bit Even when I was a university student I used to go work alone in Hokkaido during summer break or work in Nikko or in Hakone you know Amazing I must've counted how many times I've moved in my life when I recently relocated to Kyoto and it turned out I'd moved more than twenty times This is bad There are a lot aren't there I've never heard of it Twenty times Amazing When you add everything up that's why I think they probably spent quite a bit of time alone back in their 20s I see Do you spend more time with your family or friends than you do alone That's true Since there were three siblings in the family I've always had someone around since childhood I shared a room with my older sister so were always together Since my club activity was basketball meaning I was always in a group of dozens even when studying abroad in the Philippines I lived with three others in a shared room When I studied in Australia I lived in a shared house with three people in one room or maybe I just chose that option There might have been single rooms available during my study period too But since they deliberately chose the side with people I think they want to stay there forever So Ninja Sensei seems to be the type who gets energy from other people You know there's this thing about being introverted or extroverted—probably "introvert" or "extrovert" in English—though I'd say more on the extroverted side I'd say I'm outgoing but I'm also incredibly shy around new people While I wouldn't have the courage to strike up a conversation with strangers on a solo trip I definitely prefer being around others I see You have a complex personality Yes I suppose I'm introverted—someone who recharges their energy when alone I enjoy being with people but I also deeply value my time by myself People who prefer to be alone when tired are likely introverted those who want to go out and sing karaoke with friends when exhausted are probably extroverted That’s probably it Since I’ve spent a lot of time alone making friends became a survival strategy for me Gathering information and being taken along on outings that sort of thing Yes so although shy I'm the type who boldly approaches people That's interesting It's kind of the opposite isn't it So Ninja Sensei when you go somewhere next time give this a try— this is my challenge to you Homework That's a challenge Understood Even now I challenge myself to strike up a conversation with at least one stranger whenever I visit a new country Yes I received it They recklessly assigned a challenge But I can manage Since I was challenged by Teacher Miku I feel I have to give it a try But honestly it's quite enjoyable When traveling alone you often find that the one person you meet—since you're alone too—is probably looking for a friend as well That's true That’s why I’ve made friends with people like that gone out to eat together and ended up having incredibly deep conversations—definitely worth trying Got it A new encounter A new meeting in a new place It just happened I sometimes end up doing this even in lessons Accelerator it responds to all sorts of gestures Can't seem to get it to work Maybe it's the computer—something's been off ever since I bought the new one I use it all the time—call it NINJA POWER I really wish it would show up So I figured there must be some setting somewhere maybe a configuration but I couldn't figure out how to remove it so I just kept using it as is Return it First of all the greatest charm of birdwatching trips is meeting new people And it's great being able to go wherever you want Yes that's probably the best part You know when you go with friends you don't really feel like approaching new people do you I don't feel that way either I don't know There's a chance But that's fine too sometimes it's good to think about traveling alone as a way to meet people You get to meet all sorts of people That's true Just one more Please go ahead Sometimes when you're alone you realize what you truly want and what you genuinely feel like doing It's fun to talk with friends but being alone also means you're truly with yourself Talk to yourself It can be a good way to reflect and spark thoughts about who you are Indeed it can become a journey of self-discovery You can meet new people and learn more about yourself—truly full of good things Full of good things When you feel lonely strike up a conversation with a stranger That way you can distract them Have you ever met someone on a solo trip who was fun to be around or someone you still keep in touch with Yes definitely Around 2017 maybe seven or eight years ago I think it was seven years ago Time sure flies I was traveling solo through Europe and went to Portugal where I met a woman around my age volunteering as a tour guide As were walking together I noticed the person holding a sign like a tour guide's so I struck up a conversation and suggested joining them I would've just felt like I should do something so I asked if I could be a tour guide and we became friends He took me to all sorts of places and afterward went to a café and had a deep conversation about life We've become really close now I'm glad it worked out After that I stayed at a hostel and guess what—this person there was Chilean The last one was Portuguese and now it's a Chilean I heard someone speaking Spanish and since I've been studying the language I felt like I wanted to chat When I asked "Where are you from " in Spanish the person got really surprised I think I was surprised because I don’t often get the chance to hear Spanish from Asian speakers but they actually ended up talking quite a bit I was just thinking about going to dinner alone but you asked me to go with you so of course I said yes I had quite a profound conversation with that person and the trip to Portugal turned out to be quite valuable to me We occasionally chat via Instagram messages or make phone calls to each other I wonder if it's still going on Wow it's impressive how many things you're genuinely saying Probably it's because I've been going to all sorts of places on my own since I was 19 Originally well you know Wait what When I was a child my mother told me that back then I used to approach all sorts of people and start talking to them That’s talent I wonder if it was always like that Now that I think about it It could be Mom seemed a bit worried because I tend to talk to all sorts of people I suppose that's true—there are dangerous people out there especially when you're little You're right Even in Japan there are occasionally strange people Apparently they even casually struck up conversations with older men I didn’t follow along even though I was told not to but I suppose I might have been the type to initiate a conversation in the first place But you know in my teens during high school and all I was actually quite shy—I was pretty much the type to be reserved around people so it really hit me then So going to Spain alone at the age of 19 was quite a big challenge wasn't it Are there any other reasons why it might be easier to approach people overseas That's certainly true I've never been on a solo trip abroad but the Philippines was fun even when I was there Living in the Philippines was possible but I'd never actually traveled around the country on my own at all I ended up going to that island and doing activities just like a friend from the Philippines had invited me to do I couldn't have managed it alone I see Maybe taking a solo trip abroad would feel a bit different from doing something similar in Japan Definitely Completely different When traveling alone in Japan if you strike up a conversation with a stranger next to you wouldn't they just think "Huh Who is this person " I’d think "They seem approachable " and go ahead and start a conversation asking things like "Where are you from " But still it's definitely the polite nature of Japanese people— you can't just dive into deep topics right away But foreigners tend to be quite open-minded so it's fun when people share stories about their families or their dreams after just ten minutes of talking So much fun There's definitely an atmosphere in Japan that makes it hard to strike up a conversation isn't there It was impossible Absolutely absolutely Then I'll assign as homework talking to a stranger during a solo trip abroad It's homework Yes but somehow that feels a bit I keep wondering how odd it is that I'm already talking about homework after just meeting Sensei for the first time today Thank you so much Having homework gives me motivation to work hard Serious-minded But I just realized—though I felt lonely trying to do it in Japan it’s okay to do it abroad Out there I might actually be able to open up a little You're right but it might better to choose your location carefully While men can generally survive almost anywhere and aren't usually in as much danger that's not always the case Sometimes people might assume that because we're women and Asian we're not quite used to this kind of thing It's usually better to choose a place you're familiar with—like traveling solo in Cebu or staying with friends in Korea and taking a solo walk around the city for a day Just a small step You're worrying about me You know I might go all out suddenly You'really going to suddenly become a ninja teacher and jet off alone to Europe all of a sudden I'm a bit worried you'll get overwhelmed trying to make so many friends right away Start by doing something small today like saying hello to someone or giving a little smile or trying a friendly greeting with a smile Hello While it might seem odd in Japan abroad people often greet strangers with a cheerful "Hi " — no problem at all even if you don't know them More people tend to greet me with a big smile saying "Hi " That's actually a pretty big step—saying hello to a stranger It's challenging but perfect as that first step Since I'm planning to go to South Korea soon I'll try it out there I wonder what Korea's really like Do people there strike up conversations with strangers Maybe that's a bit off Honestly my impression is that Koreans come across as more open than Japanese people An open-minded image—more so than the typical Japanese perception I'm not sure if saying "hi" on the street is something done in Korea but if you see someone walking alone you might try asking them "Hey where are you from " Got it I'll use that sentence again Let me start by asking "Where did you come from " and see how the conversation goes Thank you I suddenly feel like I might actually be able to do this I now have a clear goal So on the way back will you buy souvenirs Souvenirs Yes I'll buy some For yourself I'll buy plenty for myself Food Stuff Food or stuff Either I tend to buy a lot of items and accessories Whenever I go to Australia I end up buying heaps of jewelry at the markets There are so many cute ones I see So instead of traditional Australian items shall we just get something cute and practical You're right Maybe picking up some snacks to bring back for friends and family I'll buy something for myself—haven't gotten any souvenirs at all Oh really I buy snacks as souvenirs for my family but I never buy anything for myself But that feels wasteful too Even that’s a waste It’d better to buy something for myself—it’d become a memory I don't really have places I long to visit things I crave to eat or anything I desperately want I'm just not a very strong person That's why even something as simple as having dinner or traveling alone like when I went to Kyoto feels Spending forever wondering where to eat today staring intently at Google Maps It's like 4.2 here 4.5 there—sort of thing in the reviews Look after checking the reviews and stuff I'm thinking I should go there I'm finally getting around to it I really want to go but I'm not actually going It's like starting with "What should I do " and then gradually investigating from there So I'll just buy something that boosts my own mood as a souvenir How about this—what if you tried talking to someone you don't know Why not just buy what you want True It's a reward A reward a reward—life just can't go on without one You're right I can push myself harder now Thank you it's going really well I think I can actually do it truly It's coming into view It's becoming clear isn't it You're right I'll decide on the reward Thank you So does Mikku-sensei have anywhere specific you'd like to go next Plenty I'm jealous There are so many and I'm envious right away First Europe—last time I went was in 2017 to Portugal so it's been seven years since I've been there I haven't been anywhere in seven years so I really want to visit a country I've never been to —like Germany which I've never been to or Iceland which I keep hearing is incredibly beautiful Croatia I'd love to travel around Europe for up to three months on a tourist visa myself That sounds great But if you're going you'd probably want to visit as many places as possible right Traveling from Japan to Europe once is already incredibly far and flights are expensive so if we do go I'd love to spend three months there Me too Do you have somewhere specific you'd like to go Mr Ninja Somewhere you'd like to go is America There are many students living there so America I live in various places—San Francisco New York somewhere in the middle of Missouri—and I'd love to travel to America just to meet my students That's great It really is so much more joyful to meet in person isn't it It's truly delightful In the Philippines I actually met three students— one lives there two came to visit and two more in Tokyo Six people are coming to Tokyo in May I'm really looking forward to it—I'm almost torn about where to take you instead I'd love to go to a izakaya or even meet you in person Want to go see you in America Or visit your students I really want to go see you Is he somewhere He's already decided on South Korea Canada and Indonesia Those are places I'd like to visit this year I've never been to Canada myself but I'd love to go I heard Canada's tourist visa lasts up to six months I think I checked so even without Wordly we could probably fit in six months It's amazing isn't it That's exactly right I really want to go to Canada Maybe I should just go ahead and do it—I'm thinking of staying for a while By the way where exactly are you planning to go In Vancouver there are two students from Toronto and although I have friends who live in Vancouver I'd love to stay in Vancouver a bit longer and maybe take a short trip to Toronto That sounds great I've heard Vancouver's really amazing too Apparently the balance between nature and the city is outstanding I'd love to see it for myself I see I'd like to go there too Canada is also one of the countries I'd like to visit You're right I'd also like to visit New Zealand again There are quite a few countries I'd love to revisit like Portugal That's amazing I sometimes look into visas for places I'd like to live in occasionally—like nomad visas or whether digital nomad visas exist Don't overthink it—suddenly you just feel like taking off Talking with Sensei Ninja made me want to go on a little trip What should I do This is serious It's just starting to settle in Japan but it might move again soon I'm thinking of using Japan as a base to explore various places Let me know when you decide to go somewhere else Yes Ninja-sensei too Yes I'll report it I'll submit the homework Make sure to do the homework properly Please submit it We'll check it Yes please Thank you so much—I'm actually starting to feel like I can go on a trip now and I'm excited about it Thank you so much really I'm glad I'll do my best Well then I think I'll wrap it up here for today Thank you so much for taking the time despite your busy schedule It was truly enjoyable for us as well I'd love to talk again soon We'll talk again soon Yes thank you Alright ready set nin see you later Nin nin I' m off Ready nin See you later Thank you very much OK Alright Then I'll get started First let me say the usual greeting Hello That's right Just to make editing easier I wish I could say it too Absolutely So what should we do Let 's go with "Ready set "—suddenly Hello This is Ninja Japanese Mr Nick Ninja Japanese Nick Real Japanese Hello I'll go Ready Hello Jet lag Once more