Shinjuku South Exit Adventure w Jennifer
Shinjuku South Exit Adventure w Jennifer
Overview
In this lively Only in Japan Go live stream, John Daub meets his longtime French friend Jennifer at the Shinjuku Station South Exit for an unplanned adventure around the recently renovated southern side of Tokyo's busiest station. The duo wanders through Southern Terrace — a sleek pedestrian walkway built by surrounding office buildings — discovering new cafes, bakeries, and the impressive transformation of the station area over recent years. They eventually settle at Gontran Cherrier, a French bakery celebrated as Tokyo's top breakfast spot on TripAdvisor, for a croissant taste test. The conversation wanders freely between Japanese food culture and seasonal cuisine, French vs. Japanese butter, tatami rooms, Japan's four seasons, the pace of change in Tokyo, and Jennifer's life as a Bordeaux wine professional living in Japan for two decades. It's a warm, candid, food-obsessed walk through one of Tokyo's most dynamic neighborhoods.
Highlights
- 00:06 Jennifer arrives — a joyful reunion with "Bonjour!" and playful banter about John's lack of planning.
- 01:02 John explains Shinjuku Station handles ~3 million passengers daily and the south side has been completely rebuilt.
- 02:34 The "New Woman" / Nuoman naming debate — John misreads it as "New-o-man," Jennifer corrects him.
- 03:21 John recalls a disturbing self-immolation incident that happened at this exact spot years earlier.
- 08:37 The historic second Starbucks in Japan (opened ~1997–1999) is now under renovation.
- 12:21 John is shocked to discover Krispy Kreme — Japan's first — has closed, replaced by Ice Monsters and Max Brenner.
- 12:53 The "three-year life expectancy" theory for Shinjuku food court restaurants — hype cycle, expensive rent, constant turnover.
- 33:32 John and Jennifer taste the famous Gontran Cherrier croissant — crispy, golden, buttery layers.
- 39:08 John delivers a passionate rant against expensive omakase sushi — "Sushi is supposed to be cheap street food."
- 50:11 Nostalgic discussion of tatami room smells — John's pride in having one in his Tokyo apartment.
- 59:46 John teases an upcoming Only in Japan Go episode: unprecedented behind-the-scenes access at Shueisha for the Shonen Jump 50th anniversary.
Timeline / Chapters
00:00–05:00 — Meeting at Shinjuku South Exit John waits live at the south exit for Jennifer, who arrives with a warm "Bonjour!" They reminisce about the ramen cake video and have no plan for where to eat. John introduces the area and explains Shinjuku Station's scale.
05:00–10:00 — Southern Terrace Introduction They walk through the newly renovated Southern Terrace, discussing the New Woman building (Lumine EST), its name, and the station's transformation. John spots the Dokotera building resembling the Empire State Building.
10:00–15:00 — Shake Shack, Krispy Kreme History, Train Lines They discover Shake Shack (new at the time), John is shocked by the closed Krispy Kreme site, and they watch the Chuo and Sobu Lines pass by with the "Kanto flicker" phenomenon.
15:00–22:00 — New Woman Interior / Sawamura Bakery Jennifer leads John through the New Woman building to the Sawamura bakery complex — multiple counters for meat, seafood, and beer. They admire the high-quality bread and French-Japanese baking culture.
22:00–27:00 — Heading to the Croissant Cafe They navigate back toward the bakery, discuss Shinjuku's crowdedness vs. the openness of the new areas, encounter the Miyazaki chicken store, and share the "kawaii" culture tip.
27:00–34:00 — Entering Gontran Cherrier They enter the famous bakery. Jennifer has a new summer haircut. John savors the buttery, chocolate-filled interior and orders a maple latte and shibori (freshly squeezed orange juice).
34:00–45:00 — Croissant Taste Test John sets up on the second floor and reads Super Chats while waiting. Jennifer arrives with food. They taste the croissants — crispy, golden, rich butter layers. Discussion of French vs. Japanese butter quality and terroir.
45:00–55:00 — Food Culture, Four Seasons, Sushi Rant Deep conversation about Japanese seasonal food culture, John's passionate anti-omakase sushi stance, Jennifer's wine business background, and her role connecting France and Japan. The humidity of Japanese summers is compared to France and America.
55:00–60:52 — Farewell and Shonen Jump Teaser Jennifer leaves for a meeting. John thanks Super Chatters, teases the Shonen Jump behind-the-scenes episode (unprecedented access at Shueisha), and ends with a final look at Shinjuku Station.
Japan Travel Tips
- How to get there: Shinjuku Station is Japan's busiest terminal — accessible via JR, Keio, Odakyu, Marunouchi, Fukutoshin, Shinjuku, and Oedo subway lines. The South Exit leads directly to Southern Terrace and the Lumine EST / New Woman complex.
- Best time to visit: Any season — John argues there's no bad time to visit Japan for food, as seasonal ingredients change every month. Summer (August) is hot and humid; bring light clothing.
- What to eat/order: The Gontran Cherrier croissants live up to the hype — crispy, buttery, and golden. Try French-style pastries made with French flour. Sawamura's bakery and food court offer counter dining for quick, quality meals.
- What to look for: The new Southern Terrace is a breath of fresh air compared to the crowded station corridors. The Dokotera building is a useful landmark with a clock for telling time.
- Costs: Coffee and croissants at Gontran Cherrier run around ¥1,400 for a set. High-end bakery items (cinnamon roll ¥320) are cheaper than France, according to Jennifer.
- Tips for foreigners: Saying kawaii (cute) to Japanese staff and shop owners immediately warms the interaction. Be aware that many restaurants and shops in Shinjuku have a 3-year life cycle — if you see a hype line, go quickly before it changes.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Kawaii (かわいい): The universal "cute" compliment. John demonstrates that using it freely with Japanese people instantly creates goodwill.
- Shibori (搾り): Freshly squeezed — used here for fresh orange juice. A common word seen at juice stands and cafes.
- Nabe (鍋) / Sukiyaki / Shabu-shabu: Japanese hot pot dishes — quintessential winter comfort foods that John and Jennifer discuss in the seasonal food segment.
- Tatami (畳): Woven straw flooring. Traditional Japanese rooms feature tatami, which has a distinctive grassy, herbal smell, especially when warmed by summer sun. John considers a tatami room essential to living in Japan.
- Meishi kippai (名刺忌避): Jennifer alludes to business card etiquette — the ritual exchange of meishi (business cards) in Japan. Part of the slow relationship-building culture that requires years of investment.
- Four Seasons (四季): Japan has distinctly different seasons, each producing unique ingredients and dishes. Higher-end kaiseki (multi-course) cuisine is entirely season-driven. John argues this is the best reason to visit Japan multiple times a year.
- Kanto Flicker: The flickering of artificial lights visible at train stations and on building facades, caused by the interplay of Tokyo's electrical frequency (50/60 Hz) and camera shutter speeds. Filmmakers working in Japan must account for this.
- Japanese Summer Humidity: John and Jennifer discuss how Japan's summer humidity (very different from France or most of America) affects daily life — from food storage to personal comfort. Humidity makes bakery items go soft quickly, requiring reheating.
Food & Drink Guide
| Item | Japanese | Description | Location | Price | John's / Jennifer's Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croissant | クロワッサン | Classic French croissant, made with French flour and butter | Gontran Cherrier | ~¥400–600 | "It's like taking a bite of a stick of butter" — crispy, golden, rich buttery layers |
| Chocolate Croissant | チョコレートクロワッサン | Croissant filled with chocolate | Gontran Cherrier | ~¥400–600 | Golden color signals quality butter; excellent |
| Maple Latte | メープルラテ | Latte with maple syrup | Gontran Cherrier | ~¥1,400 (set with croissant) | Ordered by Jennifer |
| Shibori (Orange Juice) | 搾り | Freshly squeezed orange juice | Gontran Cherrier | — | Fresh, natural |
| Brioche | ブリオッシュ | French-style sweet bread | Gontran Cherrier / Sawamura | — | Jennifer recommends it; quality French baking |
| Cinnamon Roll | シナモンロール | Cinnamon swirl pastry | Sawamura | ¥320 | John is impressed by the price |
| Bread | — | Various French-style loaves | Sawamura | — | "Not the normal cheap bread you get in Japan" — high quality |
| Butcher & Beer counter meal | — | Counter dining at meat shop | Sawamura | ~¥12 USD | "Butcher and Beer — two things I love" |
People
John Daub — Host and longtime Tokyo resident (arrived 2004). Warm, curious, unpretentious. He navigates with personal memory and genuine love of everyday Tokyo. He openly admits to zero planning, bad sushi opinions, and sweating easily in summer. He's deeply connected to his audience through live streaming and Kickstarter supporters.
Jennifer — John's French friend who has lived in Japan since July 1997 (20 years). Originally worked at a prefectural government, then Mitsubishi, before joining the wine business 15 years ago. She is essentially a cultural ambassador between France and Japan, with wine industry campaigns visible in convenience stores and supermarkets across Tokyo. She speaks French, English, and Japanese, has deep knowledge of Japanese food culture, and knows Tokyo's best hidden food spots. She jokes that John "never wants to date her" and that "when he calls, he must feed her."
Key Takeaways
- Shinjuku Station's south side is newly transformed. The renovated Southern Terrace and New Woman building offer a more open, breathable experience compared to the notoriously crowded station corridors.
- The hype cycle in Shinjuku is real. Restaurants in prime locations have roughly a 3-year lifespan — hype draws crowds, then they move on. Krispy Kreme, which once had 3-hour lines, is now gone entirely.
- French-Japanese bakery culture is thriving. Gontran Cherrier and Sawamura represent a new tier of baking in Tokyo — using French flour, French butter, and French techniques at reasonable prices.
- No bad season exists for eating in Japan. John's strongest argument: Japan's four distinct seasons create an ever-changing menu. Every month offers something original.
- Expensive omakase sushi is overrated. John's contrarian take: Sushi-zanmai shops at Tsukiji for 1% of the cost of Jiro's, using the same fish from the same suppliers.
- Deep cultural integration takes decades. Both John and Jennifer have spent ~20 years in Japan. True connections, business relationships, and cultural understanding cannot be rushed.
- New is always good in Japan. Fresh openings, renovation, and constant change define Tokyo's appeal — visitors should embrace the impermanence.
Notable Quotes
00:06 John Daub: "And there she is! Bonjour! … Do we do the French thing? Bonjour!"
01:43 John Daub: "Shinjuku Station is one of the busiest stations in the world. There are, I don't know how many, like 3 million people who go through this station every day."
08:46 John Daub: "I remember sitting here in 1998 going wow, there's a Starbucks in Japan. This was one of the first ones — the first one is in Ginza, the second one is right here."
12:34 John Daub: "There used to be a line three hours waiting for Krispy Kreme. They all just waiting for an overpriced donut, and now it's Ice Monsters."
33:42 John Daub: "Trip Advisor says that this is the number one breakfast spot in Tokyo. Which means probably all of Japan."
39:08 John Daub: "I'm not a fan of high-end sushi. I think it's the biggest rip off, and you're an idiot if you buy super expensive sushi. Sushi is supposed to be a cheap street stand finger food."
40:14 John Daub: "Sushi-zanmai — they shop at the same place that Jiro does, and their sushi is 1% of the cost. So why would you eat Jiro?"
45:45 John Daub: "Look at the layers of this. It's like taking a bite of a stick of butter."
50:53 Jennifer: "Every country has its own smell. And when I go back to France, I'm like, oh my god, oh, I'm home. But when I come back to Japan, I also feel like home here."
56:24 John Daub: "You can't be a success overnight in Japan. It takes like decades."
Related Topics
- Only in Japan Go: French Food in Tokyo
- Only in Japan Go: Shinjuku Station Area
- Only in Japan Go: Japanese Food Culture
- Only in Japan Go: Tatami and Traditional Japanese Homes
- Only in Japan Go: Seasonal Japan
- Only in Japan Go: Japanese Convenience Store Culture
- Only in Japan Go: Street Food & Cheap Eats
- Shonen Jump (upcoming episode referenced in this stream)
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #shinjuku #tokyo #shinjuku-station #south-exit #southern-terrace #lumine #new-woman #gontran-cherrier #croissant #french-bakery #tokyo-food #sawamura #takashimaya #shake-shack #krispy-kreme #japan-food-culture #seasonal-japanese-food #sushi-zanmai #omakase #wine-in-japan #expat-life #france-japan #tatami #kawaii #izakaya #four-seasons-japan #shonen-jump #live-stream #tokyo-travel #shinjuku-walk
Full Transcript
00:00 John Daub: Hello everybody, we're live here in Shinjuku's south exit and I'm waiting for Jennifer. And there she is!
00:06 John Daub: Bonjour!
00:11 Jennifer: You probably, everybody has forgotten about me I'm pretty sure.
00:16 John Daub: No, no one's forgotten.
00:17 Jennifer: It's been too long!
00:17 John Daub: I remember you, that's enough. Do we do the French thing?
00:23 John Daub: Bonjour!
00:24 Jennifer: Okay, yeah. This is Jennifer. Bonjour! Last time we met we ate the ramen cake, right?
00:33 John Daub: Yeah. Today we're in Shinjuku.
00:35 Jennifer: And what are you going to feed me? You know that my expectations are high.
00:43 John Daub: You know what? I actually didn't even think about it.
00:48 Jennifer: What?
00:48 John Daub: I knew that I was going to be here to meet you at the south exit of Shinjuku. This is Shinjuku Station. This is the south exit. This is a place where a lot of people come to meet, right?
01:00 Jennifer: Uh huh, exactly.
01:01 John Daub: Well, this is Shinjuku. So I figured there's going to be tons of places to go and eat, maybe eat something.
01:10 Jennifer: So you're telling me you have nothing in mind.
01:13 John Daub: No, nothing at all.
01:15 Jennifer: For food today.
01:17 John Daub: I actually didn't plan anything. Let's take the stairs up this way.
01:22 Jennifer: You can go down the side. You know there is this new place? They have lots of bakeries and cafes too.
01:33 John Daub: Oh, so this one is a brand new. Actually, Shinjuku Station has been completely redone. Shinjuku Station is one of the busiest stations in the world. There are, I don't know how many, like 3 million people who go through this station every day. And today, even though it's still part of the holiday here in Japan, there's still a lot of people out.
01:57 John Daub: This is the old south side of Shinjuku Station and over on this side is all brand new, redone. I get a lot of memories here.
02:06 Jennifer: So, yeah, I think this is a new place. It opened like six months ago.
02:12 John Daub: Yeah, about six months ago. It's been under construction for years.
02:15 Jennifer: And from here, what we could always see was the department store, but now it's this new building that stands out.
02:29 Jennifer: New man.
02:29 John Daub: Right. Why do they call it New Man? New-o-man. That's sort of a creepy name. I don't know.
02:37 Jennifer: I think maybe it's because, you know, women... They have the power to buy, the buying power in Japan. We have it. This is why it's called probably New Woman.
02:47 John Daub: You just made that up, didn't you?
02:49 Jennifer: No! This is marketing telling you. That's my... I suppose this is why they call it New Woman, to appeal to us. Women.
03:00 John Daub: I see. Not new-o-man. New Woman.
03:06 Jennifer: Interesting to see how you...
03:08 John Daub: I see New Woman.
03:10 Jennifer: Ah, no, no, no. I see New Woman.
03:12 John Daub: Yeah, I see New Woman. I saw New-o-man. I don't... Like, what the heck is a New-o-man? It's a new woman. I got it. I got it now, Jennifer.
03:21 John Daub: Ah, wait. You know what? This is where the guy set himself on fire two years ago. There was a guy who self-immolated... What do you call it?
03:30 Jennifer: Yeah.
03:30 John Daub: Here. So that was... It was in the news two, three years ago. Kind of a creepy side note. Sorry. How are you?
03:40 Jennifer: I'm good. I'm good. It's been like a month.
03:44 John Daub: More than a month.
03:45 Jennifer: More than a month. And then we've been talking about this, doing this again forever, but like every time you were out of town or I was busy, so...
03:54 John Daub: I'm guilty. Yeah. I've been out of town. I was on Aogashima. I was in Aomori. I was all over the place. And now I'm here at Shinjuku.
04:07 John Daub: So I just take a look here. This is Shinjuku. This is a pretty impressive site. Shinjuku's got lots of office buildings, lots of salarymen, lots of traffic.
04:18 Jennifer: Yes, we are dating.
04:24 Jennifer: It's a date in Shinjuku.
04:29 John Daub: Yeah, yes. Yes, it's a Shinjuku date.
04:34 Jennifer: So you know there is a really delicious bakery right down those escalators? Yeah.
04:41 John Daub: TripAdvisor says this is the number one breakfast spot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a bakery.
04:56 John Daub: What's this place called?
04:57 Jennifer: I think it's a Gontran something. We have to go downstairs.
05:02 John Daub: We can go down the escalator now.
05:05 Jennifer: Oh yeah, right.
05:07 John Daub: Why take the stairs when you can, you know, cruise on an escalator?
05:12 Jennifer: It's good it's not raining today. It's not that hot, but it's humid though.
05:15 John Daub: It's a little bit humid. Oh, you can see above us now, when you leave the south exit of Shinjuku Station, you can see the Dokotera building. The Dokotera building is this, I don't know, it looks like the Empire State Building in New York a little bit. Sort of looks like the Empire State Building and it's got a clock on it, so whenever I need the time, I look up. So it's 12:40 in Tokyo right now.
05:47 Jennifer: Okay, let's go and see the bakery. Now I'm feeling like eating quiche.
05:49 John Daub: No, no, we won't, but there are many other places to see, but.
05:56 John Daub: Well, no, this is the, actually, TripAdvisor does list this as the top breakfast spot in Tokyo.
06:04 John Daub: Oh gosh, oh my gosh.
06:07 Jennifer: That looks so good.
06:09 John Daub: Oh, they've re-reopened? Is this a new place? Wow, look at those melon ponds. No way. Look at the sugar. It's so good. That's sugar, right? Not salt. I hope it's not salt.
06:30 Jennifer: Yeah, you know, I'm not sure this is, oh, maybe this is the Japanese version of some thing, stuff we have in France.
06:34 John Daub: Look at these tarts. Is that a French tart?
06:38 Jennifer: It's like a quiche. A quiche. Don't you think? Yeah, so everything is just, you know, it looks different from other places.
06:48 John Daub: It does look different. The quality looks a lot better. Yeah. I think in Japanese bakeries, the bread is really like cheap quality, I think. They just kind of air bake it or something.
07:01 Jennifer: But also, you know, it's because the weather is different. And also, you know, when they use French flour, it's completely different.
07:08 John Daub: What's so great about French flour?
07:09 Jennifer: I don't know. It's just maybe. It's flour. Because, no, but the quality is different, obviously.
07:14 John Daub: Obviously?
07:14 Jennifer: I don't know. Oh, I like her. It's like rice. When you have, you go to a Japanese restaurant. It's like rice. But it's different than in France or in the States or wherever. Yeah. If they use the Japanese rice or another rice, it's always different.
07:32 John Daub: I guess so.
07:33 Jennifer: Because obviously it matches the food, the ingredients, right? This is why we created those yummy things.
07:38 John Daub: So bakeries are French?
07:39 Jennifer: Yes, I believe they are.
07:41 John Daub: What about a German bakery? Is that French?
07:43 Jennifer: Well, they do different. Oh, that looks so good. Different stuff there.
07:48 John Daub: What's different between these croissants?
07:55 Jennifer: Since you're French these are — it's like chocolate, you know, chocolate in but say it's the almond version I think. All right, should we come back or we get one?
08:00 John Daub: Yeah, no let's come back, let's come back. What do you say? No, because I mean I don't know, you like teasing me, she's teasing me with croissants and stuff but I haven't eaten anything all day.
08:17 Jennifer: But we'll be like half an hour here and then everybody wants to go back home probably. Yeah, so maybe we can have a look around and then come back to have the coffee and the croissant. All right, let's see if we can find something better. Do you think we're gonna be able to top our coffee there?
08:37 John Daub: Ah, this Starbucks coffee has some history behind it. This is the second Starbucks coffee in Japan opened in 1999 or 1997 I think. I remember that's when they came to Japan, right? It's me, I came just a little bit after that and I remember sitting here in 1998 going wow, there's a Starbucks in Japan and this was one of the first ones — the first one is in Ginza, the second one is right here and it's now going under renovations as well. Used to be able to sit in the back of the cafe and look at there, now it's just a bunch of English teachers teaching students in the window.
09:23 Jennifer: You know no seriously, they always put all those Illumination at Christmas time, all right Christmas time they always put that a lot.
09:33 John Daub: All those trees make the illumination here and it's really pretty. Yeah, let's switch sides over here. Boom! So this is called Southern Terrace, this area of Shinjuku Station. Southern Terrace is like one minute from the Shinjuku South exit. I guess a lot of the office buildings just created this walkway. Because it's in the South, it's called Southern Terrace. I'm trying to be a tour guide.
09:54 Jennifer: You know what I always like here is that you know how Shinjuku is always so packed and crowded when you go on the other side. But when you come here, you have this sense of, you know, not diversity, but you know, it's just... There are absolutely no big buildings in the middle.
10:13 John Daub: Yeah, it's a lot freer here.
10:14 Jennifer: Yeah, so you can actually breathe, right?
10:17 John Daub: I like the... they do have a lot of green areas in Tokyo. This one here, again in the winter, it's all filled with Christmas lights, but I do like the little patches of green and the little parks all around the city.
10:32 John Daub: It's really famous. What? Shake Shack!
10:37 Jennifer: There is a Shake Shack there! What? Shake Shack! How did that happen? Burgers!
10:39 John Daub: Hamburgers! I did not plan to take you to a burger place.
10:43 Jennifer: Me neither. But...
10:45 John Daub: There's a Shake Shack here now.
10:50 John Daub: Hey, wait a minute. Oh my gosh, this place has changed a lot! Yeah. Hold on a second. I apologize for the bad connection. There is... The signal was pretty bad going past the cafes. This is a Shake Shack, which is a New York hamburger chain, which has just opened up a new location here in Shinjuku. I did not plan to, you know, because I'm American, to show you this, but it just sort of happened.
11:18 John Daub: Jennifer is... She wants a hamburger.
11:23 Jennifer: I can get the burger.
11:24 John Daub: You want a burger?
11:25 Jennifer: No, I want a croissant.
11:27 John Daub: You want a quarter pounder? With cheese?
11:30 Jennifer: I'm going to Shake Shack tonight, actually.
11:31 John Daub: Oh, oh, oh. Why?
11:35 Jennifer: Because I have a friend who plays tennis there. There is, you know, in Jingu... You play tennis at Shake...
11:38 John Daub: Oh, the ping pong table!
11:39 Jennifer: No, no, no, no. There is a tennis club in Jingu, and right beside Shake Shack.
11:45 John Daub: Ah, okay, okay, okay, okay. I know what you're talking about. Yeah.
11:47 Jennifer: And if you're a member of the tennis club, these are some secret information I'm giving you. If you're a member, you don't have to make the key. You don't have to skew at Shake Shack. You go to the tennis club resting area, and you can get the burger right away. You can order it, and you don't skew.
12:09 John Daub: Oh, right, because it's right next to the Shake Shack.
12:10 Jennifer: Yes.
12:13 John Daub: That's a little inside information. Yeah. Now, this shop right here, this is really interesting. This is... This used to be Krispy Kreme, and when it opened... Krispy Kreme is now no longer here, but when Krispy Kreme opened seven years ago, eight years ago... That's crazy. This is the first Krispy Kreme in Japan, and now it's out of business. There used to be a line three hours waiting for Krispy Kreme. They all just waiting for an overpriced donut, and now it's Ice Monsters and Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. This location's in... I'm shocked by this, because I really thought this was still Krispy Kreme.
12:53 John Daub: Shops in this area, the rent is very expensive, and they continuously are changing, because new shops will get this, the new boom, you know? Where people want to travel. They try it, and then the lines are big, and then it dies. The shop owners close up, they leave, and then a new shop will come in and continuously recycle this location.
13:11 Jennifer: I think that the life expectancy of the restaurants here is about three years.
13:12 John Daub: About three years, yeah. Every three years, the location will shut down. They'll open up in a new location, and this adds a little bit of excitement, because it's something new. And in Japan, new is good. Right. It's a trend. Especially if you have a brand, right?
13:31 Jennifer: That's the Takashimaya.
13:34 John Daub: This is Takashimaya. Times Square. Although it's not like the Times Square in New York, there's no relationship. Just the name of the company, the name of the building, right?
13:48 Jennifer: Yeah, but see here, all this space without nothing? Well, because there are the lines, the railway.
13:55 John Daub: Oh yeah, you can see the train lines. Now, a lot of the lights here are flashing. Everybody sees that, right? They're flashing because of the frequency in Tokyo. There's no trains coming by.
14:09 Jennifer: There's so many lines, no trains.
14:11 John Daub: When I film the show, there's something called the Kanto flicker. I call it the Kanto flicker. I think some of the TV directors I work with call that too. The frequency of the light here is so perfect. No, no, no. It's so perfect that it lines up with the way that the cameras work. And it creates the flicker. You don't get the flicker in the United States or in other places because I think the voltage is 60 watts or something. 60 volts per... I'm not sure what the science around it, but maybe, I think Tokyo is either 100 or 50. So when I film, I have to be at shutter speed 100 or shooting in PAL.
14:51 Jennifer: That's technology, no? That's techniques you're talking about, right?
14:53 John Daub: But you can't control anything on the iPhone, so it just flickers. Wow. It's just because of the Tokyo or Kanto flicker problem, the way that the voltage in Tokyo is.
15:07 Jennifer: I have a question. Where are we heading?
15:09 John Daub: That's a good question.
15:11 Jennifer: Are we going inside the... Maybe. I'm not sure.
15:17 John Daub: There's a train coming. That's the Chuo Line.
15:24 Jennifer: Did you show the funny design building there?
15:26 John Daub: Oh yeah, right. Do you know what that is?
15:29 Jennifer: Yeah, it's a design school. Designers school.
15:33 John Daub: So this is a designers school. That's what Jennifer said. That's what she said.
15:40 John Daub: Ah! There's another train coming. That's the Sobu Line. It's going towards Mitaka, which is the Ghibli Museum, by the way. That's the station for the Ghibli Museum.
15:52 John Daub: I'm not really sure where I'm taking you. I'm thinking croissant restaurant.
15:55 Jennifer: Yeah, me too. I'm actually hungry, but I'm always hungry. That's why I thought you called me. I thought she probably had some funny stuff to give me.
16:17 John Daub: Oh look, they're taking a selfie. Wait, that's what we're doing.
16:26 Jennifer: Yeah, but everybody does that, you know, the... That does with those cameras and all that stuff.
16:30 John Daub: Yeah, everyone is there. So basically, we're just walking around Shinjuku Station. I haven't been to this side of it. This is all pretty much new.
16:39 Jennifer: Maybe, you know, we can... I haven't been here either, so maybe we can go to New Woman.
16:45 John Daub: New Woman.
16:48 Jennifer: From that side. Really?
16:48 John Daub: You really want to go to New Woman?
16:50 Jennifer: No, but I mean, on this side, as a new place, this is the only option, I think. I mean, it would be interesting to go to Takashimaya, and I think, yeah, they would stop us from shooting, I think.
17:12 John Daub: Probably. Let me answer some of the Super Chats really quickly. We have here, Meir Arsh. Best video about Japan all over the YouTube. Keep it up. Thank you very much for the Super Chat. I appreciate it. There's Jim again from Tacoma, Washington. Great. Get something good with this. Thank you, Jim. I'm looking at... I'm thinking croissant right now.
17:53 John Daub: Yeah, but contributing to the 4G, I appreciate it. Also, thank you very much for the Super Chats. They really do help. Ask questions, ask away. I'm going to take her to get a croissant.
18:05 Jennifer: Voila.
18:06 John Daub: Well, you want to see New Woman?
18:08 Jennifer: If... Yeah, we can go through there, and I can show another nice bakery there. Oh, is there...
18:18 John Daub: There's a lot... You know, a lot of foreign chains are now coming to Tokyo, and they're... Whoa! That's a Sapporo little... Little Sapporo beer.
18:33 Jennifer: You haven't put your feet into New Woman yet?
18:37 John Daub: I haven't been in this area. Oh, that's too bad. I try to avoid it because it's usually so crowded.
18:47 Jennifer: Yeah, but now it's not anymore because it's been open for a few months, so we can go this way and back to the bakery, and you will see all those places that I was telling you about, like the coffee brewer and the other bakery.
19:00 John Daub: So, Shinjuku Station, I think after the construction, after all of the renovations, it's become a lot more convenient because it's more open. When the construction was going on about two years ago, it was really limited to where you could walk, and now it's very open.
19:22 Jennifer: And you have all... It's really, you know, it's beautiful the way they made it. Yeah. Anywhere you go, you can see it, and you know, even if you don't want to have your coffee or whatever inside the shop... You can enjoy it.
19:35 John Daub: It looks good. Look at the big window. Nitro Brew. It sounds like it'll explode.
19:48 John Daub: Why is it in a beer glass?
19:53 Jennifer: That's something we have to try someday.
19:56 John Daub: Are you taking a picture of the Nitro?
19:58 Jennifer: Yeah, just to remember what I want to try because there are so many things I want to try. Yeah. If I don't take a picture, then I forget what I wanted to try.
20:13 John Daub: So do you want Nitro Brew or you want croissants?
20:16 John Daub: This is the Nuoman. Nuoman. You see? Look, it says Nu-o-man. Nuoman. But you can also see Nu-woman. Nu-woman. See, I like Nuoman. I don't know. I see it differently.
20:37 John Daub: Oh, Din and De Luca. This is a New York coffee shop. New York.
20:51 Jennifer: Overpriced New York. Yeah, but you know you'll get some quality if you go to Din and De Luca.
21:05 John Daub: It's good coffee. Do you think, which is a good debate, what is the best coffee in Tokyo?
21:08 Jennifer: I've been going recently. I like, I discovered Streamer.
21:12 John Daub: Streamer.
21:14 Jennifer: Do you know Streamer? No. It's coffee roasters and it's really good. And like the donuts. Oh my God.
21:32 Jennifer: Where is it? There are a few. There is one in Roppongi. It must be American I think but it's really good. And the donuts.
21:45 John Daub: Look at this place. What is this? This is Sawamura.
21:54 Jennifer: You have a bakery here and then when you go inside there are lots of restaurants. Yeah. Oh, so there's lots of restaurants inside? And there is, in the middle there is a counter. Yeah. And there is also a meat place.
22:06 John Daub: Oh, meat.
22:08 Jennifer: You can eat at the counter.
22:09 John Daub: Oh wow. So even if you're on your own. Should we take a look?
22:11 Jennifer: Yeah.
22:12 John Daub: Go ahead. Jennifer is going to lead us.
22:20 Jennifer: I actually had lunch here last week.
22:22 John Daub: Follow the French girl. Check out the bread.
22:25 Jennifer: That's good stuff.
22:26 John Daub: Oh my gosh.
22:29 Jennifer: That looks so good.
22:33 John Daub: That's not the normal bread that we get in Japan normally. This is French stuff.
22:35 Jennifer: You want some more? I want to cut it for you.
22:39 John Daub: Yeah, please.
22:41 Jennifer: So sometimes I buy bread here. Everything is just so good. I like the brioche too.
22:46 John Daub: 320. The prices are reasonable. It's cheaper than France, right?
22:52 Jennifer: That's actually, no, I don't think so. I think that's a bakery from Karuizawa.
22:58 John Daub: Oh, Karuizawa. Yeah. Whoa. Cinnamon roll. All right. Lead on. Follow her.
23:07 Jennifer: I'm surprised there are not so many people at this hour of the day.
23:08 John Daub: I'm not sure.
23:11 Jennifer: But maybe it's because the holidays are over. Yeah. So here you have seafood, butcher, and beer. Salon.
23:20 John Daub: Whoa. Butcher and beer. That sounds really good. Okay. Follow her.
23:28 Jennifer: I think this is the, yeah, there is a sushi restaurant too, but I haven't tried it. Oh, they look really serious.
23:40 Jennifer: But the place I'd like to try one day is this one. Oh, you can sit at the counter. Yeah, the butcher place. Oh, okay. Because there is, you know, you can come anywhere. There's two seats right there.
23:55 John Daub: That's French.
24:00 John Daub: That's pretty reasonable, like $12. Yeah.
24:09 John Daub: Do you want that for lunch? Meat? Do you have time?
24:11 John Daub: We don't have the time. Oh, yes. Jennifer's got to go. I have to go. I know. It's my fault, actually. I was 40 minutes late because I had another job. It's my fault. I'll have to take you.
24:24 John Daub: Let's go to the croissant place.
24:25 Jennifer: Okay. Let's go to the croissant place. Do you have time? Look, yeah, I always have time for the croissant.
24:36 John Daub: It's pretty nice area, I think.
24:37 Jennifer: It is. The concept is good. You know, it's all open, so.
24:40 John Daub: I like it. I like this butchering beer. Those are two things that I love.
24:44 Jennifer: Next time, we can come here.
24:52 Jennifer: You know, yesterday on TV, they were talking about those food courts. And apparently, they are getting really popular and they are making deluxe, like, luxurious food courts.
25:13 John Daub: Oh, yeah. It's getting very trendy. I see a lot of windows, a lot of darker colors. Excuse me. A lot of windows, a lot of darker colors. It smells great. You can't smell it. It smells really good.
25:33 John Daub: Thanks for showing us Sawamura.
25:42 Jennifer: So, yeah, New Woman is, you know, I'm often on my own because John never wants to date me. Why? Just kidding. But, you know, I like to joke a lot, so. But let's go to the cafe. We only have 20 minutes.
26:00 Jennifer: You know, in between two meetings, on your own, you can have lunch quickly here and it's good. Yeah. With a glass of wine or beer or some sake.
26:12 Jennifer: Because in Shinjuku, I never know where I can eat, you know, because it's so packed and so crazy. That's the problem.
26:20 John Daub: My biggest problem is... So, so, so... If I go to meet a friend and it's my job to find a restaurant, I don't know what to recommend because there's so many places to go to in Shinjuku. What's good?
26:31 Jennifer: And sometimes you have to walk a lot from the station, you know, to get to the nice place.
26:35 John Daub: She's dressed up in a lemon here. That's cute.
26:45 John Daub: Kawaii. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's the Miyazaki store. Did you hear that?
26:56 Jennifer: Kawaii.
26:56 John Daub: Kawaii.
27:01 Jennifer: If you come to Japan, tell anyone Kawaii or whatever, Kawaii, everybody will be so happy.
27:11 John Daub: Ah, you call someone Kawaii and make them smile. Cute.
27:17 Jennifer: I think that's nice to use this word, they like it. It's cute.
27:20 John Daub: So, there, once again is the south exit of Shinjuku. Very busy, one of the busiest stations in the world. The south exit, there are lots of exits to Shinjuku station. But this one is one of the most popular.
27:34 John Daub: Okay, let's get your croissant and coffee. We know what she wants.
27:42 John Daub: We gotta make it quick because you got — Look at that big door! You mean that's an auto door? It's cool, it's cool.
27:55 John Daub: Here is the entrance. Alright.
27:59 John Daub: Wow, it feels like another country in here. Jennifer cut her hair. So, what's — Wait, I got a comment here. Jennifer cut your, did you cut your hair?
28:07 Jennifer: Yes I did, this is my super summer cut.
28:13 John Daub: Wait. Hold on a second. Very nice, very nice.
28:15 John Daub: What, would you have a croissant? Yeah. Okay. It smells so good in here, you have no idea. Smells like butter and stuff baking and chocolate.
28:31 John Daub: It's really, really — I mean I'm really, really.
28:34 Jennifer: You want chocolate bread soup?
28:38 John Daub: Ah, okay. Your recommendations please.
28:42 Jennifer: Yeah, they are good too. I mean you didn't have breakfast, did you?
28:48 John Daub: No, I don't.
28:51 Jennifer: Everything is good.
28:52 John Daub: Feed me.
28:54 Jennifer: Please, please. Oh, what is this? Let's go and get the coffee. How dare you not bring these?
29:04 John Daub: Look at the bacon. It's so colorful.
29:27 John Daub: I've got some cash. You don't get them with the powder and the chocolate all over it?
29:32 Jennifer: There is the... what? No, no, no.
29:34 John Daub: I dropped something.
29:36 Jennifer: Can you see it? No. Excuse me, what would you have?
29:43 John Daub: Coffee or... Maple latte.
29:47 Jennifer: Would you have that? Okay, I'll take that one. I'll take the medium one.
29:52 John Daub: Oh, I'll take the coffee, the M size. M size. It's pretty reasonable. It's 1,400 yen.
30:04 Jennifer: Okay. I'll take this one. I'll take the mini Coke.
30:09 John Daub: So I'm gonna go to the second floor and save a spot. Yeah.
30:17 John Daub: So how you doing? I left her behind in the first place, so... I'm gonna go to the second floor to get the stuff. So on the second floor there's some seating. Very, very nice. Okay.
30:42 John Daub: So we're gonna sit here in the corner. What a day. I've been so busy over the last couple of weeks.
30:55 John Daub: So as we wait for Jennifer, I get a chance to talk to you. So this is Shinjuku.
31:01 John Daub: Oh, Burnerman54, thank you very much for the super chat. I demand a croissant taste test. You're gonna get it, my friend. Because that's exactly what we're doing. Let's see if they're really that good. I'm definitely curious about this. Love the raw views from Japan. Thank you very much, Burnerman54. BrendanPW says because your streams always make my day even better. Appreciate your hard work, buddy. Thank you, I appreciate it too, buddy. So that's from BrendanPW. Thank you very much. Sharon Jev says enjoy. I am. I'm so starving. Haha.
31:54 John Daub: Hi, this is JL. Hi, John, this is my second super chat. I know this is not related to the video. But what are you doing for 2020 Olympic Channel? The 2020 Olympic. I'm not really sure yet. So I started it. I've started a few other channels on YouTube. But I haven't made any content for it. Because I'm anticipating new ways to show you Tokyo. And my stream, my stream only in Japan, is basically it's the whole country. And I live in Tokyo. So I wondered if I should make something that's just Tokyo centered. Because a lot of focus is being put on this city in particular. And it's changing so fast. I've been living in Tokyo since 2004. That's when I moved here. I used to live out in different cities around Japan. And between the time that I came and now, it's changed so much. And I want to really highlight those changes. So I created another channel on YouTube. But there's no videos on it yet. So some people are finding it. I appreciate that. I'll have more news on that. After I finish with the DVD, which is a project that's been ongoing forever. And I have news for people who support the Kickstarter. And after I finish a couple other projects, I'll have more time to focus just on YouTube. Which is an amazing thing. And that's because of the Super Chats. And it's because of Patreon. And it's because of so many people who are supporting what I'm doing. And I appreciate it so much.
33:08 John Daub: So this is from Fallen Angel. Could you show me from the window please? Okay, here you are. The Shinjuku station right there. All the traffic.
34:01 John Daub: And I'm going to, when Jennifer comes, I'm going to go outside and then show a view of what it looks like to eat inside this cafe. This is a really famous bakery. And they claim to make the best croissants. In Japan. And Trip Advisor says that this is the number one breakfast spot. In Tokyo. Which means probably all of Japan. Oh wow, I didn't even know.
34:51 John Daub: Across is a Starbucks. They're everywhere, it's hidden. It's hidden in the window there. There she is.
35:04 Jennifer: Perfect. What up? Here.
35:08 John Daub: So we gotta do a croissant taste test really fast.
35:12 John Daub: Okay. I gotta go outside and just I have to film you from the window. Hold on a second. Oh I can't go outside. It's closed. Ah. Alright we gotta skip that.
35:36 John Daub: Because Jennifer doesn't have a lot of time. So we have to do a croissant taste test. This is a...
36:29 Jennifer: This is a shibori right?
36:33 John Daub: Yes.
36:36 Jennifer: Hi customer.
36:38 John Daub: So the shibori. You always get a shibori when you go to a restaurant. Can you hold this? I'm gonna put it on a stand.
36:50 Jennifer: Wait, hold on a second.
36:55 John Daub: Show the croissants. Nice.
37:02 Jennifer: Nice.
37:03 John Daub: Do you think this is gonna live up to the hype?
37:06 Jennifer: Crispy, golden crispy.
37:08 John Daub: Do you think it's gonna live up to it?
37:10 Jennifer: Yes, I had croissant from here. Not too long.
37:15 John Daub: Oh really?
37:16 Jennifer: Yeah, because you know I heard it was so good. And it was good. They reheated for you here.
37:26 John Daub: Oh so good. So it's not fresh out of the oven.
37:30 Jennifer: She asked me to reheat it and I said well, yeah of course.
37:36 John Daub: I assume you know. Boom! There you go. So this is what I use. This is the Osmo. I have an extension stick that it goes up pretty far. But it's hard to control.
38:00 John Daub: So yeah, this is gonna get a little rough. And really annoying.
38:37 Jennifer: That's why the cosplay... than when we had the round cake.
38:40 John Daub: Just what makes a good croissant? I mean it's really crispy, it's falling apart.
38:51 Jennifer: The butter I think, because they put... What are you doing?
38:54 John Daub: I like to rip it apart, put jam inside.
39:01 Jennifer: You can see from the color, even before baking the croissant, you can see it has a lot of butter, I think from the color too. And it's important that it has butter, right?
39:14 John Daub: Is there a difference between Japanese butter and French butter?
39:20 Jennifer: Yes. I don't know.
39:31 Jennifer: French butter, French dairy is tastier than Japanese butter, right?
39:33 John Daub: Why would you say that?
39:35 Jennifer: I guess because it's fat. If you taste it, every bread has butter. Why do you think that people would pay 20 bucks for a pack of butter that in our countries we would pay for 2 or 3 bucks?
39:44 John Daub: The cows are happier in France?
39:47 Jennifer: Because it's tastier and it's just... In wine we could talk about the terroir, and it's the grass, it's the soil, it's the weather that makes the difference, I think. And maybe also what they feed the animals. I'm not sure, but it affects that dairy's taste here in France.
40:14 John Daub: So Japanese food in France is pretty good, because the ingredients are better?
40:18 Jennifer: Ah, no. Japanese food...
40:19 John Daub: I'm trying to get her in trouble.
40:20 Jennifer: No, no, no, no, no. No, but I mean this would be so wrong. I mean we could debate on this for hours, but it's not even a debate. It's that, you know, Japanese food, of course Japanese ingredients are better. Like even the fish you catch around here, because it's just... It suits the food here, and the food has been created, and Japanese food is what it is now because of the environment, as French food is what it is because of its environment.
40:54 John Daub: Japan has four distinctive seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. The seasons create different foods, a wide variety of foods. Each season has its own cuisine. In Japan, especially the higher end food, I'm not a fan of high end sushi, by the way. I hate high end sushi. I think it's the biggest rip off, and you're an idiot if you buy super expensive sushi. Sushi is supposed to be a cheap street stand finger food. I'm serious. If you're coming or eating at Jiro's, you're an idiot. In the nicest possible way. It's overpriced. You're paying for something that's from the sea, that's no better than the other fish, I think.
41:31 Jennifer: And you'll be out of the restaurant in 20 to 22 minutes. Seriously. I heard so many people going there, they were out in 20 minutes, you know?
41:42 John Daub: It's exclusive because so many people want to eat there, but they want to eat there because they saw the movie. It's good, but it's not any better than some of the chains, actually. What's the one chain that the president who buys the most expensive maguro every year? Sushi-ro?
42:02 John Daub: Sushi-zanmai. Zanmai, right? Sushi-zanmai. That sushi is really good. Their head office is right at Tsukiji, which means that they get the same fish that Jiro goes. They shop at the same place that Jiro does, and their sushi is 1% of the cost. So why would you eat Jiro? I never understood it. You get maybe 1% better taste for 1000% of the price. I'm serious.
43:34 Jennifer: This is the first time I'm eating for so long in front of the camera, especially a croissant. Is that okay to see us eating like this?
43:45 John Daub: I'll edit this later.
43:52 John Daub: But my point is, Japan has four distinctive seasons, so when people say, when is the best time to come and visit Japan? One of the best reasons to come to Japan is to eat. And no matter what season or what month you come to Japan, you're going to get something that's original and only made almost in that month. And that's really special. I think that's one of the reasons to visit Japan every month if you can. Definitely all four seasons.
44:29 Jennifer: That's an idea for live streaming. Yeah. Like, you know, every month, okay, what are we going to eat this month?
44:38 John Daub: I know this because I've been living here for a long time. A lot of the people who are YouTubers, they've been living in Japan for a couple of years, and they don't really know how those seasons work here in Japan. Everything is by seasons. Everything is controlled by, that's the food, right? The food supply is always fresh, and you have to go by the seasons. So it's not what is the best time to visit Japan. It's if you're coming here to eat, and I think a lot of you are because those are the most popular YouTube videos, the ones with food. There's no bad time to come to Japan to eat. There's just different ingredients and different foods. Winter is a wonderful time. You get lots of delicious foods in the winter.
45:11 Jennifer: What? No. Nabe.
45:15 John Daub: What? Nabe, right? Sukiyaki.
45:18 Jennifer: Sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, all this. Oh my god, this is so good.
45:25 John Daub: Winter foods. I love winter, yeah.
45:32 Jennifer: Now, I'm just thinking that, you know, when it comes to eating, every season is good. Still, coming to Japan, you know, it's a lot of fun. During the summer, I mean, it's just so hot.
45:58 John Daub: Yeah. I mean, how is it, it's much different than France, right? Totally different than America. I've never had this kind of humidity in America. It's bad. Maybe Texas or something is treacherous.
46:13 Jennifer: Thanks for making this stream go in another direction, treacherous.
46:31 Jennifer: Mm. It's French, so you know, these kind of comments are kind of funny for me.
46:36 John Daub: Isn't lingerie a French word?
46:40 Jennifer: Yes, it is.
46:42 John Daub: I guess people just wear lingerie.
46:47 Jennifer: It comes from linge, which is clothes. But anyways, you know, all this funny, I think there must be some area with funny lingerie. Like, Japanese, they have some really, really funny designs, so that might be actually a good idea.
47:14 Jennifer: I'm sure, I will not buy it, but we could go and check it out for you. Or John should go on his own with some male friend.
47:22 John Daub: Like, stand outside the dressing rooms and start interviewing people. How did that fit, Miss? I don't know.
47:31 John Daub: I don't think that's a good idea. But, you know, if Treacherous is going to support the show with underwear ideas, I'm counting on you, my friend.
47:43 John Daub: You know, speaking of, you know, like, risque topics. Love Hotels is something that I'm going to be covering in the next, yeah, in the next six months, I think. I'll do an episode on Love Hotels.
47:53 Jennifer: Oh, yeah, but you can take the hotel just for an hour, time to shoot, and then...
47:57 John Daub: Well, you don't have enough time to make the film happen.
48:00 Jennifer: It depends... She has another meeting in Kanda.
48:06 John Daub: It depends on what you want to shoot.
48:09 Jennifer: You have to try the pao shu pao.
48:12 John Daub: Okay, let's do it, because you have to... How do you even eat this?
48:20 Jennifer: You... Well, you do it first, then.
48:23 John Daub: I don't want to make a big mess. Look, this is all me here.
48:29 Jennifer: Mais si. Just, you just eat it like this? Stick your face in it like a pig?
48:33 John Daub: Like a sandwich? Like a sandwich?
48:35 Jennifer: Don't be shy.
48:37 John Daub: No one's watching this anyway. It's just 500 very hungry people.
48:42 John Daub: So, Jennifer said that this chocolate croissant is going to be a little bit more expensive. You just eat it like a sandwich.
48:50 Jennifer: Mais oui. Don't be prissy.
49:00 John Daub: Oh, my God. Alors?
49:06 Jennifer: It's all me. You can't... Okay, you have to show the layers inside.
49:15 John Daub: See? Look at the layers of this. It's like taking a bite of a stick of butter.
49:28 Jennifer: Honestly, it's really... You know the golden color. You can see from the start that this is going to be good.
49:35 John Daub: Now, you know, I'm going to try it. I know how to buy good croissants and good chocolate. I know.
49:43 John Daub: Go here. You don't heat this up though.
49:52 Jennifer: I think... Yeah, but they did it lightly, I think.
49:56 Jennifer: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't want to overheat it either. Right?
50:03 Jennifer: You know, when I buy croissant and anything here, the problem is that with the humidity, it gets all, you know, the crunchy side, just the... The following day, it's just not, you know, frangif... Yeah, it gets soft. And this is bad, right? So this, I always put it in the oven for 2-3 minutes. And with the heat, it gets crunchy again.
50:30 John Daub: I live by myself and I'm not a married man who cooks as well. I do not think about, oh boy, the humidity is very high today. This might affect my cooking. This is another level of...
50:39 Jennifer: You actually think about this when you cook? This is not cooking.
50:43 John Daub: No, no, no. I just reheat the bread because it gets soft.
50:49 Jennifer: Yeah, okay.
51:03 John Daub: So Jennifer, tell us, you've been living here the same amount of time as me, about 20 years, right?
51:10 Jennifer: Over 20 years now. I celebrated my 20 years of Japan.
51:17 John Daub: 20 years? I'm celebrating 20 years next year.
51:20 Jennifer: Yeah, I came here at the end of July in 1997. So last month was my big... Oh my god. I was so drunk. It was horrible. I don't even remember how I came back home.
51:43 John Daub: Really?
51:44 Jennifer: Like 6 people, 9 bottles of wine and really good stuff. So we drank it all.
51:52 John Daub: So 1.3 bottles of wine for everybody.
51:57 Jennifer: But the thing is, yeah, but you know, some people like me, maybe they drink a little bit more. They are faster than others, so...
52:02 John Daub: You drink pretty fast.
52:05 Jennifer: But yeah, 20 years or so. But you know, I have the feeling that we never stop discovering stuff here because Japan is changing so quickly and all the time.
52:29 Jennifer: That's right. It's not only, you know, you were saying, oh, this building, this restaurant, this shop. It's not only that, it's also, I think, the mentality. Like, that goes so fast here. It's hard to follow them. It's very hard.
52:42 John Daub: Yeah. Especially in the downtown, the central Tokyo area where we are. Right now, businesses are changing so quickly. Even the station that I showed you before. This is Shinjuku Station, right? Right. Turn it around a little bit really quickly. Boom. Shinjuku Station. That is all been redone. If you left Japan 3 years ago and you came back now, you probably wouldn't recognize the area. Right. The Krispy Kreme shop that I used to go to all the time is gone. I was shocked about that. A lot of the businesses have changed. It's become more stylish in the area. It's become more popular around this area. It's hard to keep up with the trends and the speed of Tokyo.
54:13 Jennifer: You know that I've been looking at... I slightly changed the subject, but I've been looking at... Like now, you really have to go to the countryside to find those old, real Japanese houses.
54:37 Jennifer: This summer, I really like the Japanese style. Do you know the tatami smell? And I don't have any tatami in my house.
54:49 John Daub: Well you don't. They don't know. I have a tatami room. I made sure I had a tatami room.
54:59 Jennifer: Do you know that it's rare now?
55:00 John Daub: Oh yeah. It was hard for me to find my apartment.
55:03 Jennifer: You have to ask for it.
55:04 John Daub: I literally looked for apartments with tatami rooms because how could you live in Japan and not have a tatami room? And in Tokyo it's very hard to get tatami rooms because they require extra care. You have to wash them and clean them. But how could you live in Japan without a tatami room? I remember watching The Matrix.
55:33 Jennifer: Oh yeah, the smell.
55:36 John Daub: The smell of tatami.
55:38 Jennifer: It's so nice. When it's summer, I'm like, oh my god, I miss tatami smells so much.
55:46 John Daub: So I bought you this kind of... You can buy a spray or something as well.
56:02 Jennifer: You know that it is in the room.
56:07 John Daub: The tatami does lose its smell after a couple of years. But in the summer, when the sun beats down on it and you close the doors, you open the doors, just wow, the smell of tatami. This is Japan, I think. The first room that I stayed in in Japan in 1998, it was in the summer, was in a tatami room. And it was just such a big... That's how I knew I was in Japan, because of the smell of tatami.
56:56 Jennifer: Every country has its own smell. And when I go back to France, I'm like, oh my god, oh, I'm home. But when I come back to Japan, I also feel like home here because obviously I've been living here for a long time. But like, you come out from the airport and you're like, ah, I'm back, you know? And the food, the smell of the food is different too, so, you know. And the air is just different, so...
57:24 John Daub: What kind of smell is it? This is Lou Noiser.
57:33 Jennifer: It's a little bit like herbacist, you know, like herb, I think.
57:40 John Daub: Japan, it has a distinctive smell. Same with the United States, I think. You know, just the other day I went to Costco. And when I go to Costco, it smells like America. I don't know if it's the boxes, I don't know if it's just the food products that's been imported, but Costco has a very American smell. When I get to the airport and I arrive at the airport, Japan. Maybe it's the cleaners that they use or the construction or what, but...
58:09 Jennifer: It's the muffins. The muffins.
58:14 John Daub: Yeah, probably.
58:16 Jennifer: Hey, you know, nice thing. This time, have you ever done izakaya?
58:21 John Daub: I haven't done an izakaya.
58:23 Jennifer: We should go to izakaya and order like funny stuff and, I mean...
58:27 John Daub: Do you know anyone who owns an izakaya? Like, izakaya owners?
58:31 Jennifer: No, but I know izakaya with private rooms.
58:34 John Daub: I want to get to, I want more people though.
58:38 Jennifer: I want something fun. Yes, actually I know, yeah, maybe I know someone. Okay, that's something we have to think about.
58:49 Jennifer: Because, yeah, this is more like, this doesn't smell like Japan, I think.
58:53 John Daub: You want any of this?
58:55 John Daub: I kind of demolished it.
59:01 Jennifer: So maybe next, someday. Because last time was the ramen cake, which is kind of a Western curiosity, like, thing.
59:16 John Daub: Have you done anything with NHK recently?
59:21 Jennifer: No.
59:22 John Daub: No, I haven't done any NHK in the last two months. I did the journeys in Japan, which is online now, but I haven't done anything with Tokyo Line.
59:34 Jennifer: Um, no, yeah, let's do something like real Japanese. Food, of course, because, you know, that's, I don't go out from home if there is no appeal of the food, you know.
59:48 John Daub: Wait, so I didn't plan anything, so why did you come? Why would you even come today?
59:53 Jennifer: Because I thought you would feed me. Me? That's why.
60:02 John Daub: What have you been doing in Japan for 20 years?
60:07 Jennifer: Apart from eating, uh, you know that at the beginning I was working for Mitsubishi, actually. I did a jet program that some of you probably know, so I was working... Mitsubishi? Yeah, the first three years I was working at the prefectural government, and then I worked for Mitsubishi for two years. And 15 years ago I joined the wine business. Because, you know, I'm from Bordeaux, and I love to drink. And it was kind of a dream, and I made this dream become a reality.
60:46 John Daub: You did make it a reality. I've seen you at convenience stores. Her picture is all over Tokyo sometimes when she has campaigns. I remember you in Lawson's, right?
61:03 Jennifer: I was in the convenience store. I walked past the wine, and I'm like...
61:08 John Daub: I look like, as if I don't eat at all.
61:12 Jennifer: Was that Photoshop?
61:15 John Daub: Was that Photoshop? If you walk into Caldy, which is the chain that you're working with, right?
61:20 Jennifer: Right. I said, like, oh, I could bring some of my products and show you that, but it's just French stuff. So next time we really should do some, you know, stuff that people might think are curious and weird and like, oh my god, how can you eat this? But stuff that is really, really good. And that if you don't know a little bit of Japan, you would come here, see it on the street. And maybe not order it. Yeah. So we can show you how to order it.
61:47 John Daub: That's a great idea. We know a lot of the foods that I think you need to be here for years before you eat it. But one of the things I think is really interesting is that she is like sort of an ambassador between France and Japan, I think. Because you've been... One of the things with Japan is you have to be here for a long time before you start making really strong connections with people. You can't just come here after five years or even ten years and have such strong connections like she has.
62:29 Jennifer: That is awful. You know, speaking Japanese is very important, right? But I like that comment, that's always awful. It's pretty good in an omelette actually, but that's another story.
62:44 John Daub: It takes time. I started my company in 2005 and it didn't start to achieve any success until about three years. So it took a long time to build my company's brand. And not only in Japan, the company that I started for video production. And now I'm getting a lot more clients and work. That's one of the reasons that I do.
63:16 Jennifer: It's always hard at the beginning. I mean, I remember the first year when I started working on my own. Oh my God.
63:27 John Daub: It's hard.
63:28 Jennifer: Yeah, yeah.
63:28 John Daub: It takes a long time. You can't be a success overnight in Japan. It takes like decades. I guess I could say decades.
63:40 Jennifer: Decades. I think all the connections and friends we have too. Indeed, even friends. It takes a long time to build trust. Business cards, Mexico Con. Real relationships with people.
64:01 John Daub: Build relationships, build trust, and that takes a lot of time. So she's sort of like a diplomat or an ambassador connecting Japan with France. And you see that with like wine and foods now. And you've done that all yourself. Build that brand, which is really cool. So you got to see her Instagram. Instagram. Go to her Instagram for sure.
64:28 Jennifer: Food, food, food. Drink, drink, drink.
64:30 John Daub: I'll put a link to her food Instagram. And dogs, dogs, dogs. She has a lot of dogs. Right, right. Cats and animals and stuff.
64:43 John Daub: So you got to take off.
64:45 Jennifer: Yeah, I have to go.
64:46 John Daub: Yeah, and I'm going to—
64:48 Jennifer: That was nice doing it again and seeing you because we haven't met since last time. Let me tell you this. And let's talk about this. I'm going to do this again soon.
65:10 John Daub: Cool. More food. Of course.
65:16 Jennifer: So now we have many people who are watching this. You know that when you call me, you have to feed me.
65:23 John Daub: Okay?
65:24 Jennifer: Yeah. That's the deal?
65:24 John Daub: Yeah. Okay. Thank you. All right. I got to do a better job planning this. Maybe do a themed restaurant as well. Somebody made a comment, do a themed restaurant.
65:44 Jennifer: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
65:45 John Daub: There's a lot of those.
65:46 Jennifer: Actually, I'm interested because I never go to those places. I've been feeling like a tourist recently.
66:05 Jennifer: That's the thing. The themed restaurants are kind of touristy. So I've been living here for a long time. I don't go to the themed restaurants like the Ninja Cafe. I'm more into everyday life of Japan and that's sort of what I want to show you.
66:20 Jennifer: You know what? I realize that even Japanese people, they go to those restaurants.
66:25 John Daub: They do. So we should... Sometimes it's fun to be a tourist, to go under cover. Under cover as a tourist. That's what I should do.
66:33 Jennifer: Let's do that.
66:33 John Daub: All right. Okay. Merci beaucoup.
66:44 John Daub: Merci beaucoup. You can take off. I'll stay here.
66:48 Jennifer: Yeah. And I'll see you soon.
66:51 John Daub: All right. How do you do this?
66:58 Jennifer: Merci beaucoup, guys. I hope to see you soon. And many comments, don't forget to feed Jennifer when you call her. Please.
67:00 John Daub: Feed this girl. What you say, somebody's sad. Thank you. Thank you for the feast.
67:09 John Daub: You're very welcome and thank you for joining the show. See you next time. Merci. Au revoir.
67:26 John Daub: So yeah, always have plans and when you meet Jennifer, make sure you have planned the meals better. I didn't do a very good job planning this. It's my fault. I take full credit for it. I want to thank everybody for supporting and leaving comments behind in the super chats. I'm going to be doing more live streaming. As soon as I finish the next Only in Japan episode, which is Shonen Jump. Shonen Jump is a manga. It's a series that's been going on for 50 years. They're celebrating their 50th anniversary and Shueisha has given me, they've given me a behind the scenes look at how they make Shonen Jump. No foreign journalist. I'm talking like New York Times, New York Post, Sydney Morning whatever. None of them have been inside where I've gone. And this is a YouTube show and this is really cool. And I'm working on it right now and I'm going to be finishing it today and hopefully it's going to be online this weekend. This is a behind the look at manga in Japan that you've never seen before. And if you're into that, you're going to love it. If you're not, you're going to get a really close look at what Japan is all about because to understand manga is one important part of understanding Japanese culture because people are so influenced by it, especially guys. So thank you everybody for watching. Thank you for joining me on this live stream. See you next time. I'm going to turn the camera around so you can get a look at Shinjuku Station one last time. Look for Jennifer. Is that her down there? See you.