abroadinjapan

The Day That Felt Like the End of the World

I'm Done: 96,000 Reasons to Be Happy 🍿 Patreon Exclusive Q&A Video

I Tried Japan's Rarest Beef (Olive Wagyu) | Feat. Cdawgva 🍿 WACKY WEEKEND RETURNS: Out Now!

What Really Happened Tasting Japan's Most Expensive Fruit 🍿 Patreon Exclusive Video

I Tried Japan's Insanely Expensive Fruit (Feat. Cdawgva) | WATCH NOW!

Abroad in Japan 2026: The Grand Plan Revealed (🍿PLUS: Wacky Weekend Sneak Peek)

A Very Happy New Year! Goodbye 2025!

MARRIED AT LAST! 🌟 (Photos!)

What REALLY happened in Shikoku with Ryotaro 🍿 Patreon Exclusive Video

What REALLY Happened Hiking 72 Hours on the Nakasendo 🍿 Patreon Exclusive Video

Abroad in Japan Patreon LIVE Hangout ⛩️ Sunday 30th Nov | Join me for a drink!

Hiking Japan's Hidden Mountain Villages for 72 Hours 🍿 Feat. Natsuki (OUT NOW)

Changes to Abroad in Japan 🍿 PLUS: Walking Japan's Mountain Villages for 96 Hours | Patreon Sneak Peak

Hey guys,
Hope you're having a fine weekend so far!

Today I wanted to share a sneak peek of the upcoming Nakasendo episode with you all, without giving too much away, as well as a few changes.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Natsuki and I recently embarked on an epic four day adventure into the mountains of central Japan, traversing the historic Nakasendo route between Tokyo and Kyoto. I've visited sections of it over the years but never properly hiked it and it was rather thrilling loading everything into a backpack and hitting the trail with only Natsuki for company. Admittedly wondering the whole time, if we would end up as a bear's three course meal.

You can check out the sneak peak of the episode above or here:
🍿 WATCH: https://youtu.be/oSN3bkX6RzY

So in recent years, I feel Abroad in Japan has been missing something at times. Namely, a sense of personality. And thankfully, I think I've worked out why this might be.

Production quality has always been of paramount importance to the videos we make. I've always felt that when someone clicks on an Abroad in Japan video, they know what they're getting: namely a video where a lot of time, thought and effort has gone into every moment (along with three dozen references to Family Mart Chicken).

Whether it's scripting, filming or editing, I've always wanted to the channel to stand out.
However, I do think there is such a thing as taking production quality too far.

We all know, the essence of good Youtube videos aren't slick camera movements and top of the range wireless microphones. It's that sense of connection with the creator themselves and the personality behind it. Though we may be separated by a physical screen, you feel like you're there in the room or coming along for the journey.

My best videos are usually me whining in my apartment or studio, or the visceral experience of clutching a camera in first person while Ryotaro forces me up a cliff edge or Connor stumbles over a dodgy rope bridge on Wacky Weekend.

As time has worn out though, I've definitely gotten a bit lazy and complacent at times. So good are the camera team we work with (such as Cameraman Paul or Marcus), that in recent years I'd even go so far to say I've become a bit disconnected from the filming side of things.

I turn up, sit or stand in front of a camera, say some sentences and then move on to the next scene.

But I've noticed this means a lot of the spontaneous fun moments are subsequently missing. Or there's less visceral moments as we're not in first person, chaotically thrusting a camera into a companions face, to capture their expressions or curse words as they battle their way through the episode.

Not only that but there's a weird psychological effect in play.

I think the more production team you have along for the journey, the more things feel scripted (usually when they're not!).

Whereas when it's just the cast holding the camera (ie. myself or Connor on a wacky weekend), as a viewer you feel like the third person on the trip. It helps break down that barrier - which again is kinda cool, as you feel like you're there with us.

So in the last 3-4 videos I've shot this year, I've done my best to go back to the old ways. Clutching the camera myself. Filming the moments in between. And it's been incredibly fun.

It's seriously bloody hard work! Way more stressful to be sure. From physically carrying equipment around to backing it all up at the end of the day for hours on end.

But I think this Nakasendo episode and the upcoming Wacky Weekend have been somewhat refreshing as a result. The trips feel more personal. As do the moments in between. Best of all, as you watch it, I hope you'll feel like you're there with us, every (painful) step of the way.

And so going forward I want to really return to that style. As a creator it helps me feel a closer bond with the audience and reminds me why I fell in love with the creative process in the first place.

It's of the utmost importance to note of course, that I'm not abandoning our epic camera team.

In fact, Paul helped us shoot in Shikoku and last week in Osaka and Marcus (our editor), helped us recently film on the Okinawan island. And there are some stories that'll always benefit from having an awesome camera crew, particularly documentary form content which I'm keen to do more of next year.

Heck the last Journey Across Japan (Non-Stop North) with Paul, was nothing short of a creative partnership. Together we filmed everywhere from the Fukushima exclusion zone and offshore islands, to quaint ramen shops and snowy plains in the space of 2-3 extremely intensive weeks. A project of that obscene scale would have probably finished me off entirely without his support filming.

But there's no doubt, that the more disconnected a creator becomes from their contents production process, the more it feels impersonal and often less impactful.

And so going forward, I think we'll see more vloggy style content return to Abroad in Japan. In fact, this Nakasendo episode might just be my favourite video of 2025.

In between editing that episode, I've just got back from Yamagata where I spent a few days in my beloved hometown of Sakata, filming a special episode. I did film it by myself, though our editor Dave joined me and snapped a few behind the scenes episodes, which I've shared on this post! (And dare I say, he may have helped carry some of the equipment around, hehe).

But I think one thing about this year is I've been a bit all over the place between writing the new book, spending time at LOST Bar and launching JourneyJapan eSim. And while I don't regret doing all these things, there's no doubt I've felt like I've been getting further away from the thing I enjoy the most - namely, producing videos! It's by far, the thing that brings me the most joy in this world and I'm bloody lucky I get to do it still after all this time.

Getting out and filming things like the Nakasendo walk with Natsuki certainly reminded me of that. And with all of the hard work officially out of the way on the second book, producing Youtube videos is very much the number one priority for the months ahead and 2026 as a whole.

And before the year is out, we've got a ton of amazing videos on the road ahead.
- As well as one big, very awesome thing that I'll be able to share with you soon!

Nakasendo drops later next week - as always with a Patreon exclusive episode of bloopers, outtakes and behind the scenes to follow!

For now guys, enjoy the sneak peak and have yourself a great weekend.

And if you have any questions about the Abroad in Japan production process, please do fire away in the comments below and I'll do my best to reply!🍿

Chris

A Rough Week in an Otherwise Incredible Month.

Hey guys,

I hope you’ve had a great week!

First off, I’d like to say a big thank you for all the kind words, comments, and messages I’ve received this week from the Abroad in Japan Patreon community.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, highs and lows, over the past week. I was immensely lucky that, against the backdrop of events, I was cycling in my favourite spot in Japan to take my mind off things while the video exploded. Soon after, I also found myself back in my old hometown of Sakata in Yamagata, alongside Sharla and Natsuki, which did me a world of good.

I’ve felt strange. You’d think the success of the most recent video and the tidal wave of support would be cause for celebration. But truthfully, the whole ordeal left me feeling unsettled and confused. I’m still trying to understand why.

I sometimes think it's because I like to be the unserious, goofy, sarcastic guy who just makes folks laugh and have fun. Abroad in Japan has always been about escapism after all. And to suddenly be thrust into the spotlight on a serious issue, I've felt a lot more eyes on me than usual. It may sound weird, but I don't particularly like being famous or standing out and speaking out about this matter drew a lot of attention and reactions along the way.

Overall though, it was an unfortunate distraction given we’ve just spent the entirety of October filming three amazing episodes for Abroad in Japan. I’d hoped to release an epic Nakasendo hike with Natsuki this week, but sadly, I had to postpone it to rush the most recent video out.

October kicked off with Natsuki and me undertaking a rather epic journey together, without our usual team or cameraman.

For three to four days, we hiked through forests and villages of Nagano in Japan’s mountainous interior, wondering if a bear would jump out at any moment and cut our adventure short.

We stayed in a tent, splashed around in a stream, and nearly died climbing three different mountains. It’s honestly one of the hardest but most rewarding videos I’ve ever shot. Having undertaken one of the biggest physical challenges of his life, Natsuki wasn’t thrilled to learn where I was off to next 😅

Days later, I joined Ryotaro on one of Japan’s most remote islands in southern Okinawa to spend a few days with the island’s population.

Against impeccable seas (and admittedly absurd humidity) we spent three days with the locals and heard their stories on an island that was home to more goats than people, where the night sky was nothing short of spectacular.

I then returned to the mainland, where Connor and I immediately embarked on a two-day cycle across the Shimanami Kaido island chain in the Inland Sea.

It had been almost exactly seven years since my last attempt (on the original Journey Across Japan with Sharla), and I was reminded why Japan’s Setouchi Sea is my favourite place in the country.

Straight after the cycle was complete, we dived headfirst into a Wacky Weekend shoot on the island of Shodoshima, the second largest in the Inland Sea, where Connor and I were honestly shocked at how incredible the island was.

We’d expected no convenience stores and a few disappearing fishing towns, like our previous trip to Oshima Island near Tokyo. Yet, we found a bustling island rich with its own distinct culture, from yokai creatures and sweeping vistas to olive groves and Japan’s rarest wagyu. It’s going to be a good one.

It's been obscenely intense this month. October and November are always my favourite months of the year to film in, after the long, unbearable summer months. Hence the ludicrous schedule!

But I can’t wait to share these adventures with you guys in the weeks ahead and get back to our regular programming.

Abroad in Japan Patreon Catalogue 🍿 50+ Bonus Episodes

On a important note, please don’t forget that here on Patreon we have a formidable catalogue of 50+ exclusive behind-the-scenes episodes!

These episodes are packed with outtakes, bloopers, and behind-the-scenes secrets. It can be a bit cumbersome navigating through all the old Patreon posts, so we’ve created a page listing every exclusive video we’ve ever released, neatly organised into sections.

You can access everything below - just insert the code below to watch the vides!

The most recent Patreon Exclusive episode was the making of the car racing video with Connor and Natsuki and the outtakes are genuinely hilarious.

🍿 https://www.abroadinjapan.com/bonus.php
Access Code: A6oDHKLN

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much again everyone.
I'm truly lucky to have you guys and this community.

Without it, I wouldn't be still here producing videos after a decade. I really do owe it all to you.

And now, as always, it's time to get back to editing!

Chris

What is Happening to Japan?

Hey guys,

I hope you've had a pleasant week.

As you may have seen in recent days, I've been caught up in some things online.
People have joked about, trivialised it, but it's a serious matter.

I've barely slept, and been unable to eat. I needed to discuss this publicly.

I apologise for the tone in this video, but I'm sick and tired of the internet.

With the video out now (and having essentially doxxed myself to prove a point), I intend to sleep well tonight before getting up and cycling with Connor on stream tomorrow.

Tomorrow's a new days and I intend to draw a line and put this behind me.

BE sure to tune in tomororw and join us as we stream the cycle across the Shimanami Kaido!

And above all, a huge thank you guys for your support. It means the world.

Best,

Chris

Inside the Chaotic Filming at Japan's MOST LUXURIOUS Racetrack | 🍿 Patreon Exclusive BTS Video

Hey guys,

Hope you're all have a great week so far!

This weekend we released what must be the fastest video in the history of the Abroad in Japan channel. Today, we've got the Patreon exclusive behind the scenes featuring hilarious bloopers and outtakes, as well as insights in to the chaotic filming process.

We had upwards of 8 cameras rolling at a time to catch all different angles we needed. Poor Marcus (the editor), had one hell of a timeline to contend with and he did an incredible job!

Inside the Chaotic Filming at Japan's MOST LUXURIOUS Racetrack | 🍿 Patreon Exclusive BTS Video
🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/aYmczAfbd1c

Enjoy the Patreon Behind the Scenes guys and I'll catch up with you in the days ahead.

Just getting off a remote Okinawan island with Ryotaro and heading back to civilisation as we speak!

Cheers,

Chris

Japan's Tiniest Car Vs. Tokyo's $200 Million Race Track 🍿 WACKY WEEKEND OUT NOW!

Hey guys,

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend so far.
- Now it's time to make that weekend a heck of a lot more Wacky.

At long last, our epic driving video is out, shot on location at what might be one of the most jaw dropping locations I have ever set foot on.

Even if you don't care about cars - and honestly, I'm not much of a car person myself - Natsuki and Connor were at the top of their game for this one, and it's bloody hilarious from start to finish.

We've got an amazing video of outtakes and bloopers in the next couple of days, but for now, be sure to enjoy the main event over on Abroad in Japan!

🍿WATCH: https://youtu.be/5PeqR18RJaQ?si=nqbDBy_iVfMLFgOa

Chris

Abroad in Japan PATREON Live Hangout 🍿 Sunday 12th October

Hey guys and WELCOME to the weekend!

I've just got back from a brutal three day mountain hike with Natsuki of all people.
Feeling rather sore and obliterated, but my god was it an epic journey.

Can't wait to share behind the scene details/photos in a separate post later here on Patreon.

But for now, delighted to say we've got a Patreon hangout tomorrow morning!
(Technically this is the September hangout that got postponed last week, so there'll be another on the tail end of the month).

JOIN LIVESHOW: https://www.youtube.com/live/TfsCQVh1QJI?si=Pkb94lyrDaocUXqK

We'll also be dropping the racing car Wacky Weekend at long last this weekend, so it's an exciting few days ahead!

In the meantime, looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow for an epic catch up.
Have yourself a bloody lovely Saturday.

Chris

Japan: Dark Times Ahead? (13 Years in, Things Are Changing)

It wouldn’t be an understatement to say my thirteen years in Japan couldn’t really have gone much better.

If somebody had told me in my tiny apartment in the early days that I'd end up visiting all 47 prefectures, cycling across the country, opening a bar in Shibuya and meeting Ken Watanabe and the Emperor, I'd genuinely be quite scared.

The thought of it all would've been a bloody anxiety inducing nightmare at the time.

From the get-go, I’ve always tried my best to fit in, study the language and the Japanese way of thinking, contribute to the local areas I’ve lived in, and shine a light on the best parts of the country. Beyond all that, I’ve been lucky to befriend so many amazing people, many of whom you know thanks to Abroad in Japan.

At times, it felt like living in a bubble. A peaceful one, mercifully detached from the political circus back home in the West.

But this year has felt a tad different.

Right now, there are two frontrunners to become Japan’s next Prime Minister. One is Koizumi, a young guy who once tried to frame climate change activism as “sexy.” Bizarre, perhaps, but arguably a noble attempt to make global catastrophe sound appealing to the TikTok crowd.

The other likely candidate is Takaichi-san, who last week gave a campaign speech that skipped policy entirely and instead focused on blaming foreigners for kicking deer in Nara. This came as news to the staff at Nara Park, who confirmed they hadn’t had any serious reports. In fact, the only real story out of Nara recently is that the deer have started attacking tourists to get those tasty crackers.

Of course, we’ve all seen clips online of tourists doing idiotic things, and I’ve covered them over the years. Whether it’s someone drinking shrine offerings and turning a grave into a nomihoudai drink bar, or a couple of morons treating torii gates like gym pull-up bars. More recently, a streamer broke into a house in the Fukushima exclusion zone. On stream.
Insanity.

It’s uncomfortable. It deserves criticism. And dare I say, arrests.
But building an election campaign on it seems bloody cynical.
Japan’s tourism boom has been a real success story for the most part, and it would be foolish to ignore the 35 million overseas tourists who’ve been well-behaved, despite a handful of highly publicised idiots.

British tourists, in particular, apparently spend more per head than anyone else. Which makes sense, given the flights cost the same as a kidney and the whole trip is framed as a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage. You’re going to splash out on that 5,000-yen melon whether it tastes good or not.

Japan’s population is falling by nearly a million people a year. One million. That’s not just decline, so much as someone pulling the plug out.

So the tourism money desperately matters. It’s helping patch the holes. And for all the noise about foreigners being a nuisance, the truth is they’re also keeping many businesses alive.

It’s a classic populist tactic: Japan’s economy continues to flatline. The birth rate is plummeting. Public debt is now measured in units of Mount Fuji. The weak yen makes life harder for Japanese people wanting to travel by themselves. Rather than address these problems, it’s certainly easier to say, “Look at them over there. It’s their fault.”

Poor behaviour from a dozen tourists might rile people up, but it has nothing to do with the long-term structural issues facing the country.

As a foreigner who’s been here over a decade, I try to see both sides. The foreign population is still small, about 2 to 3 percent, but it’s growing. And you can feel the shift. Walk into a konbini, and the staff are more likely to be from Vietnam or Nepal. Not because of some liberal utopia experiment, but because there simply aren’t enough young Japanese people left to do the jobs.

Naturally, having a huge surge in immigration from people who don’t yet understand the intricacies of the culture, who stand out, and who can’t communicate in the language, isn’t going to go smoothly. It'll create a bit of tension, and there's a careful balancing act to be had.

But I’ve felt the temperature change online this year.

Earlier this year I put out a light-hearted video with Connor, joking about some of Japan’s more frustrating quirks. Paperwork. Bureaucracy. Questionable english teaching practices. Nothing particularly provocative (or original).

And yet, I received over 200 comments telling me to go home. The old classic.
Comments like I just “didn’t understand Japan because I’m not Japanese.” 

It felt like a real shift, from “Interesting, but I disagree, I think you’re wrong” to “How dare you question the fax machine. Get out now.”

It sets a worrying precedent if this sort of online anger becomes normal.
Am I personally worried? Well it’s certainly made me rethink certain types of content. For now.

I see the parallels between Japan and the UK more clearly now than ever. Two countries that gave the world jet engines, penicillin, bullet trains and PlayStations, that are now both struggling and looking for someone to blame.

At times, I’ve considered making a video about all this. I’ve stopped myself so far. Maybe because it’s hard to strike the right tone. Maybe because the world feels a bit more combustible than it used to.

Ultimately, Abroad in Japan is about escapism, humour and travel. Not politics.
And we do, indeed, have enough of that online already.

My time is best spent producing documentaries and meeting real people. Not battling the angry and the disillusioned online.

So instead of making a video on it, I’m walking through Sendai on a crisp autumn afternoon, transcribing thoughts into my phone. The leaves are turning. People are queuing for a gyutan restaurant. Autumn is almost here.

And I remain hopeful, because I sort of have to be. I’ve just spent 6 months writing a book about Japan! And it’s reminded me of all the amazing people, places and things I’ve met, seen or done. It’s an extraordinary country that I love dearly.

Thankfully, at least for now, Koizumi is the frontrunner. Which means we might just get a Prime Minister who isn’t 200 years old for the first time in half a decade. That alone feels like progress. A Prime Minister who would regularly describe things as sexy. What more could you want?

It turns out Ryotaro knows him as well! Incredibly, we may see him on Ryotaro’s Japan someday god forbid.

Ryotaro and I discuss about this in an upcoming podcast, which we’ve released early here on Patreon for you guys to watch. It's one of the best discussions we've ever had quite honeslty.

The Future of Japan: Featuring Ryotaro
🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/bt3Y8JhLbtg

As for me, well I’ve spent the last ten days locked in a hotel room in Sendai, desperately trying to finish the book once and for all.

We’ve got a huge eight weeks of content ahead that I’m extremely fired up for. Two big shoots with Natsuki, one with Ryotaro, a road trip with Sharla and a Wacky Weekend with Connor Dawg voice actor. Filmed across no less than four regions of Japan. It’s going to be epic.

There's so much to look forward to in October and November (as well as the upcoming racing video).

Now wish me luck with these closing pages of the book.

Chris

How FAST Can Japan's Tiniest Car Go? 🍿 Feat. Connor & Natsuki | Patreon Sneak Peek

Hey guys, hope you’ve had a great week so far!

I’m officially back in Japan and gearing up for an action-packed autumn (my favourite time of year, and always when the best projects seem to come together).

To kick things off, we’ve got a brand new Wacky Weekend! And this time we took the beloved Kei car to the world’s most exclusive racetrack. After pushing it to its limits in the past, it only felt right to see what it could really do when the gloves came off.

Before we could race, each of us had the chance to familiarise ourselves with the circuit by being taken around at terrifying speed in the car of our choice: Connor in a Ferrari, me in a Lamborghini, and Natsuki in a Porsche. At the wheel was none other than one of Japan’s top racing drivers, Hideto-san.

Hurtling around corners at 200mph, our brains nearly liquefied. I was so overwhelmed I basically sat there like a stunned rabbit, completely incapable of processing what was happening. It’s one of the funniest sequences we’ve filmed this year and while this is still a rough cut, the final version will be even more polished.

How FAST Can Japan's Tiniest Car Go? 🍿 Feat. Connor & Natsuki | Patreon Sneak Peek
🍿 WATCH: https://youtu.be/RGnj95fVvxI?si=UxSMx7emtrJ1XPGH

For now enjoy the sneak peek, more updates to follow in the days ahead!
Chris

What REALLY Happened Filming 101 Things to Do in Tokyo 🍿 Patreon Exclusive BTS Video

Hey guys,
Hope you're all having a pleasant weekend.

Delighted to say the Patreon exclusive episode for the 101 Things to do in Tokyo video is now up!

With 18 minutes of bloopers and outtakes, to deleted scenes and commentary, we take you behind the scenes and give you the chaotic, absurd inside track on the shooting of one of our biggest Abroad in Japan episodes ever made.

What REALLY Happened Filming 101 Things to Do in Tokyo | Patreon Exclusive Video
🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/DVCEwukYuS0

It took 8 weeks of production nightmares to make it from start to finish and, as a Patreon funded episode, something of this scale simply wouldn't have been possible without your support. So a huge thank you guys for making it possible!

Take genuine pride in knowing you made this epic episode happen.

And of course if you've missed it - as you may well have done, given Youtube's been doing something very odd this last week for many creators - you can watch the episode over on Abroad in Japan here: https://youtu.be/ZjQj5GRwLSY?si=ZawElUcwgG4eQESM

My time in the UK is at an end and I'm looking forward to getting back to Japan this week and hitting the ground running.

The edit for the upcoming racing car episode with Connor and Natsuki has been going great!
Looking forward to sharing some clips with you in the week ahead.

Best,

Chris

101 Things to do in Tokyo 🍿 Mega-Guide OUT Now!

Hey guys,

At last our ridiculous 101 Things to do in Tokyo episode is finally out on Abroad in Japan, after a rather tough summer-long production process of filming and editing!

While we've got a Patreon exclusive episode dropping in the days ahead, in the meantime there's a handy checklist (attached to this post) listing every single one of the 101 Things to do in Tokyo from the video.

Hopefully it may be useful to those of you travelling to Tokyo / Japan in the near future!

Print it off and tick it along as you go!

101 Things to do in Tokyo | Hidden Spots Revealed
🍿 WATCH: https://youtu.be/ZjQj5GRwLSY?si=ODXXmT0uz9HOY4ar

BUT I'm curious: What did we miss?
AND which one do you want to do the most?

Let me know in the comments below!
For now guys, enjoy the episode!

Chris

The Biggest Abroad in Japan Video of All Time is Just Days Away 🍿 Patreon Sneak Peek

It’s big.
It’s ridiculous.
It’s finally here.

One of the great things about being human is we can set ourselves arbitrary goals and then slowly ruin our mental health trying to achieve them.

(A bit like the time I bet on Trash Taste I’d get a six-pack in three months. Spoiler: I didn’t. Unless you count the beer tucked in the fridge.)

A few months back I had the frankly stupid idea of making 101 Things To Do in Tokyo. Not the easy way, sitting in a chair, rattling off a list while zooming in on stolen Google Images like a college PowerPoint.

No, we actually went out and did them. All of them. On camera. In glorious 4K.

For two months Natsuki and I stomped across the metropolis, from offshore islands with robot toilets to actual caves on Tokyo Bay. We collected so much footage, I think my hard drive now weighs more than a family car. 

I still don’t know the final runtime, but it’s hovering around 1 hour 30 making it the longest Abroad in Japan episode ever. It’s essentially like 5 videos in 1, with entire self contained chapters.

There’ll be an epic behind-the-scenes episode just for Patreon after it drops, but in the meantime, here’s an early sneak peek of one of those chapters: Shimokitazawa - Tokyo’s hipster labyrinth of thrift shops.

101 Things to do in Tokyo | Patreon Sneak Peek
🍿 Watch the: https://youtu.be/qS53_pYfTe8

I can’t wait for this beast to go live in the next couple of days. Above all, hopefully it’ll help a lot of you who are planning trips to Japan this Autumn.

That said, I’ll admit I’m looking forward to escaping Tokyo in the fall. My heart belongs to the countryside and the far flung corners of the country. It’s time we got back to filming them.

For now guys enjoy a preview of one of my favourite sections of the video, where we explore the often-overlooked, trendy area of Shimokitazawa.

As always, many thanks for making this all possible.

Chris

Abroad in Japan PATREON LIVE 🍿 August Edition | Sunday 31st

It's a Christmas miracle!
For the first time this year, I'm in a half decent timezone!

That's right guys, I'm currently in the UK and so for this month's Patreon live catch up, it'll be held at a reasonable hour (albeit apologies to the handful of viewers in Japan).

We're officially just a couple of days away from dropping the second biggest video ever released on Abroad in Japan - LITERALLY the biggest at almost 90 minutes run.

I'll be sharing details in a separate post tomorrow. But the 101 Things to do in Tokyo is at long last complete (and undergoing some last minute checks).

But for now guys, looking forward to catching up on stream tomorrow and filling you in on what's been going on behind the scenes!

LIVESHOW: https://youtube.com/live/trgSBKRdD0E?feature=share

Hope to see you there tomorrow!
Chris

Japan’s Most Overlooked Island & Why You Should Go 🇯🇵 72 Hours in Shikoku

I won’t lie.
Spending almost the entire summer in Tokyo writing a book left me burned out in every possible way. Physically, because it was the hottest summer in Japanese history and mentally, because writing a book mostly involves staring at a screen until you begin questioning whether words even exist.

Writing a book isn’t quite as glamorous as movies would portray it, whisky-soaked epiphanies and inspirational montages. Just sweat, caffeine, and mountains of junk food.

So when the Shikoku road trip with Ryotaro finally rolled around, I was disturbingly enthusiastic to see real actual mountains, travelling alongside Japan’s most cockshaw individual and eating my way across the nation’s most overlooked island.

And while the epic episode itself will drop this Autumn, I thought I’d share some highlights with you guys, as I know many of you are planning your trips to Japan before 2025 is over! So let’s go through all four prefectures and what we got up to! 🍻

Tokushima

Tokushima was one of the few major Japanese cities neither Ryotaro nor I had ever stepped foot in. We kicked things off with Tokushima ramen, a bowl that feels like the chef got halfway through making a pork rice bowl and thought, “Sod it, let’s add noodles.”

It starts with the usual tonkotsu broth, pork bones boiled for days on end, then walloped with a hefty splash of soy sauce for a salty punch. Instead of neat slices of chashu braised pork, you get strips of pork belly that look like they’ve staged a breakout from a gyūdon. The pièce de résistance is a raw egg cracked straight over the top, yolk melting into the broth like a cheat code that makes everything silky, messy, and tantalisingly addictive. It was indulgence in liquid form, with absolutely no sense of restraint and it set the tone for the entire trip.

For years, folks have asked me to try the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage, as if it were a casual Sunday stroll. In reality, it’s a month-long epic through mountains, forests, and 88 temples scattered across the island. Someday I’ll do it properly (preferably when I’ve got both a month and the mental fortitude of a monk). For now, Ryotaro and I settled for Temple No.1, Ryozenji. A beautiful, peaceful spot, and importantly, it didn’t require me to walk 1,200 kilometres.

Kagawa

Next up was Kagawa, where I discovered Mount Iino, affectionately nicknamed Sanuki Fuji. Imagine Mount Fuji, but shorter, stubbier, and with none of the prestige. Essentially the Fiat 500 version of Japan’s most famous mountain.

Sanuki udon is Kagawa’s crowning glory: a dish of such local pride and prestige that it borders on the spiritual, with over 600 udon shops in the prefecture alone. The noodles are firm, chewy, and famously addictive, made with a trinity of high-gluten wheat, Seto Inland Sea salt, and spring water drawn fresh from the mountains. The broth, meanwhile, often carries the briny punch of iriko, dried baby sardines caught locally that add depth to the flavour.

Born from poor rice-growing conditions, Kagawa pivoted to wheat centuries ago, and the result is a noodle so iconic it’s believed 90 percent of Kagawa’s residents eat Sanuki udon at least once a week. Ryotaro and I went straight to source: Yamagoe Udon. A restaurant that helped popularise a variant of the cuisine involving a raw egg. We then followed it up with honetsuki-dori (bone-in chicken), grilled to juicy perfection and so flavour-packed it made KFC look amateur.

The highlight though was Takaya Shrine, perched on a mountaintop like a gateway to heaven. Standing there, looking out over Shikoku, it felt like I’d accidentally walked into Ghost of Tsushima. Only with Ryotaro beside waving around his phone taking selfies.

Kōchi
Then it was off to Kōchi, home of katsuo tataki: bonito fish seared over roaring straw fires until the entire street smells like Poseidon’s barbecue. The fish was smoky, oily, and scandalously good. Ryotaro, who speaks about Kōchi with the emotional intensity of a man recalling his first love, insisted it’s the only place in Japan worth eating it. Given the way he inhaled his portion, I’m inclined to believe him.

Matsuyama – Castles and Spirited Away

Finally, we rolled into Matsuyama, one of my all-time favourite cities. Home of Dogo Onsen (which inspired Spirited Away), a castle on a mountain that looks like it belongs in a Kurosawa epic, and a sushi restaurant so fresh it made me wonder why I’d ever eaten raw fish anywhere else. Most of it came straight from the Inland Sea or Pacific, and it put to shame anything you’ll find back home.

We ended our road trip atop Matsuyama castle a few kilograms heavier and overlooking one hell of a view, completing our whirlwind Shikoku road trip.

In just three days, we crammed in temples, shrines, mountains, castles, udon, chicken, ramen, fish, and a frankly dangerous amount of Ryotaro’s banter. It felt like a proper Abroad in Japan adventure again, with all the chaos and food comas that entails. And all jokes aside, it was a solid reminder why I enjoy travelling with the man himself: his cultural insights are genuinely second to none.

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, we’re finishing up the monster that is 101 Things to Do in Tokyo. The video is ridiculous. It’s over an hour long, features heaps of footage shot with Natsuki over the summer, and is probably the most ambitious single episode we’ve ever made. We wanted to get it right, once and for all, and create the gold-standard Tokyo travel guide. It’s daft, it’s ambitious, and frankly, I’ll be glad when the editing is over!

The book, by the way, is now in its final stages and due to be finished in September. Once it’s done, the gloves are off, and I plan to make the last stretch of 2025 properly special. I’ll be diving back into the countryside. Because as much as Tokyo is fun, I’m far happier in the wild corners of Japan, hunting down temples, volcanoes, and chatting with locals.

More on that soon. For now, have a great weekend guys!
And of course, if you have any questions on the Shikoku trip/itinerary, fire away in the comments below!

- Chris

Happy Birthday Natsuki! 🥳 My 6 Favourite Abroad in Japan Episodes Feat. Natsuki

Happy Birthday to the legend himself - Natsuki!
Twelve years of chaos, laughter and moments that probably belong in a court transcript. We have travelled from the snowy streets of Hokkaido to the beaches of Okinawa, explored abandoned love hotels and even somehow hauled ourselves up Mount Fuji.

But what people see on screen is only half the story. Off camera, Natsuki has been the friend who shows up when life is at its messiest. He knows when to pour the sake, when to make a joke and when to just sit and listen. He’s the real deal. I’m beyond lucky to have him as a friend.

I made the journey to Yamagata today to see him, even if it was just for a short while. And it got me thinking back to my favourite memories we've shared together on screen.

So, allow me to share my six all-time favourite episodes together - and if you have a personal Natsuki highlight, share away in the comments below!

Here's to Japan’s greatest rebel, the soul of Abroad in Japan, and a man I am proud to call my friend. Long may the legend grow 🍻

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6) Driving Japan's Tiniest Car (2025)
There's not that many people on this Earth I'd want to spend two days trapped in Japan's tiniest car with. Thankfully every minute of the journey was eventful, from Natsuki's impromptu taxi drive role play, to battling a real life dinosaur in Fukui.

And while shooting the video was a ton of fun, it was actually the long drive back to Yamagata off camera, where we just listened to music and chatted that I'll look back fondly on. One of my favourite memories of 2025 so far.

🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/JaONguGKK2M?si=8C-gCgeUE9j0_Bzr

5) Abandoned Love Hotel
"Is your head screwed on? What on earth are we doing?!"
And with that, Natsuki led us into the depths of a terrifying abandoned love hotel only to flee moments later from what he suspected was a bat.

His genuine sense of panic and witty remarks throughout the ordeal within, make me revisit this episode more often than I'd care to admit.

🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/0pTBsnGsQ-Y?si=P7EGaxMQjXhS5ilC

4) 48 Hours in Sapporo (2017)
It's crazy to think there was once a time when Natsuki and I had never been to Sapporo or Hokkaido and in the summer of 2017, we took our inaugural trip over a three day weekend.

From cookie factories and lamb mutton bbq, to miso butter ramen and neon lit night time scenes, we had an absolute blast discovering the city together. It was one of our first trips in Japan and set the tone for the many travels ahead. I think we did Sapporo justice and had a bloody good laugh along the way.

🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/2guZrrVMGfI?si=_zWngYK2FUG3-jTk

3) Journey Across Japan: Lost Islands | Too Much Volcano
Who'd have thought a throw away challenge could go on to become an iTune chart topping hit. Natsuki achieved the rare and incredible feat of turning his family name into a song, while throwing in a charismatic vocal performance on the summit of Japan's biggest volcano.

It was an utterly surreal career highlight and the stand out moments of Journey Across Japan: Lost Islands - or as it's often known, Journey Across Japan: Natsuki's holiday.

It was Natsuki's first time ever to join an entire series of JAJ and he made us all wonder how there'd ever been a series without him in every episode. As always, he stole the show from start to finish.

🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/cqX_2Wmj7xE?si=FNh81aY6QcAu9Bu1


2) Climbing Mount Fuji (2023)
They said it couldn't be done. That a man who's lungs were shot to pieces due to a 30 year smoking habit, should in no way be able to operate at 3,776m.

But he proved us all wrong, powering up to the top of Japan's tallest mountain just in time for sunrise. There were moments of anger, furstration and despair. He even took a nasty tumble half way back down.

But throughout the enduring struggle, Natsuki kept his composure and pushed himself like never before. For a man turning 50, it was one hell of an achievement, and I'll never forget standing proudly on the summit together gazing down at the world below.

🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/6DQYFfO7BQk

1) Natsuki: The Movie (2018)
I mean there was no way an hour long documentary dedicated to the man himself wasn't going to feature here. An episode in which he almost broke his neck in a wind tunnel, spontaneously and randomly left flowers at the Tomb of Karl Marx and even wrote and performed his own song.

A story of regret, self discovery and adventure to the far side of the world, it was a fun outing packed full of memorable moments. But above all, the chance to share Natsuki's story like never before.

🍿 Watch: https://youtu.be/WLWZBeX-isM
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But what did I miss guys? Share your favourite Natsuki moment of all-time below!
Chris

Abroad in Japan Patreon Live | Kick Off in 5!

Hope to see you there!

https://youtube.com/live/ItmxM-fotCM?feature=share

Abroad in Japan Patreon Live: Featuring Sharla | (Moved to Tuesday 5th August)

Hey guys,

Good news (x2) and bad news unfortunately.

The bad news is I'm having to postpone tonight's live show a couple of days.

I've not been feeling overly well this weekend - it's most likely heatstroke from filming in the mega-heat/sun yesterday or something else more sinister, but no matter how much Tully's Coffee I've consumed today, it's not been able to move me out of bed.

I'm really sorry to let you guys down like this, it's never fun.

The good news is the show will instead be on Tuesday and Sharla will be joining us!

I always find these hangouts a lot more fun when we've got an extra guest to chat with/interrogate and Sharla's been up to a ton of interesting things, including renovating a ragged abandoned house into something glorious. It's a fascinating story that I hope she'll share with us.

Together we look forward to hanging out with you guys and chatting over a drink!

I'll send out another reminder before the show:
🍿JOIN: https://youtube.com/live/ItmxM-fotCM?feature=share

The even more good news is we've also got a new video dropping on Abroad in Japan later today. It was because of this damn video that I probably got the aforementioned heatstroke yesterday as well. So keep an eye out later tonight!

If you're in Japan this summer, please stay hydrated and maybe take an umbrella outside to shield yourself from the UV rays. Don't be an idiot like me!

Hope to see you on Tuesday and enjoy what's left of the weekend!
See you shortly and apologies again guys!

Best,

Chris

Abroad in Japan PATREON Live | Sunday 3rd August

Hey guys,
Hope you've had a great week :)

Just to announce this month's live show (July Edition) will be held this Sunday 3rd August!

(We typically hold the livestream in the final days of each month, but I moved it to the weekend, as I tend to find that's when most folks can join).

We've got tons of epic videos coming up, including a Day in the Life episode this weekend. I'll also be sharing behind the scenes photos of the recent Shikoku trip with Ryotaro in a separate post here on Patreon.

For now though, looking forward to catching up - bring your questions and I'll see you there!

WATCH LIVE: https://youtube.com/live/ItmxM-fotCM?feature=share

Chris

Why I Really Quit My Teaching Job in Japan 10 Years Ago Today

This morning, the above photo randomly popped up on my laptop. One of those unsolicited "memory" photos designed to briefly jolt you into nostalgia before you go back to eating cheese over the sink.

But this one was worth pausing for. It was from July 2015, the day I finished my job as an English teacher in rural Japan, after three surreal, sometimes sublime, often confusing years. It also happened to involve one of the most absurd moments of my entire life.

I’d been teaching at the biggest senior high school in northern Japan. I look back on that chapter of my life with real fondness, even if the idea of returning to a classroom now fills me with a vague sense of dread.

The students were brilliant. Polite, funny, curious. Many would light up when I walked into the classroom, mostly because it meant a break from the daily drudgery of actual English lessons. I was the walking, talking human equivalent of a snow day. If students started to look bored, I’d joke about and spontaneously start beatboxing, which certainly changed the mood rather dramatically.

To my relief, I also managed to avoid any outright hostility from the Japanese teachers, which isn’t something every JET participant can say. A few friends had horror stories of colleagues who treated them with the same warmth you’d show a wasp at a picnic.

I was objectively rubbish in year one. I had no idea what I was doing, and I tried to win favour with students by showering them with sweets I’d bought at Seven Eleven. I felt sheepish walking down the corridor, more akin to a shadow than a person. But by the second year I’d hit my stride. I’d learned the ropes, ran classes on my own and gave a confident nod to students and teachers alike while strolling between classrooms.

By the third year, I’d hit a wall. I’d stood in front of a blackboard for over 2,000 classroom hours and started to resemble a man slowly fossilising into chalk dust.

And so, I decided not to renew my contract for a fourth, when my supervisor approached me at my desk one weekday afternoon. We had a fantastic relationship and he was disappointed and saddened to hear I’d be leaving.

The Abroad in Japan YouTube channel was starting to gain momentum and it was essentially my dream career. Leaving became a lot easier knowing I had something creative waiting in the wings. Honestly, if YouTube hadn’t been on the table, I might have stayed. I loved Sakata, even though in the last year of my job I’d started to feel like a bird in a cage most days. I remember in the closing months, increasingly spending more of my time staring out the classroom window, daydreaming of being anywhere else.

Being an English teacher in Japan rarely allowed space for initiative or creativity. I’d got students doing fun things like making their own magazines and scripting / shooting a video, but it often felt like I was having little tangible impact. Especially when online, the Youtube videos were engaging thousands of people at a time.

Natsuki, bless him, did his best to help me stay. He even half-joked about me joining his hair salon’s staff, though I suspect the clients might have had concerns about a random British man with questionable Japanese coming at them with scissors.

One of the bittersweet truths about the JET Programme is how it drops people from all over the world into the deepest corners of Japan. Mountaintops in Hokkaido, obscure islands off Okinawa, entire towns you couldn’t find on a map with a microscope. Then, just as they begin to build real connections, they’re shipped out again like diplomats at the end of a tour. Unless you marry a local or find an elusive job, your time is up. No safety net. No "next step." Just a gentle nudge out the door.

Still, when it’s time to move on in your life and career, you feel it in your bones. I felt it then, just as I’ve felt it more recently, as I’ve sought to shift to larger scale video projects.

And so, on a sweltering day in July, when Japan felt about two inches from the sun, I was asked to give my final farewell speech. In Japanese. In front of 1,200 students and 120 staff. In a gymnasium that sat at the literal gates of hell. It was 38 degrees outside, 45 inside. There were two electric fans, neither of which seemed to have a discernible effect.

As I began to speak, students started fainting. Literally fainting. Not because of my mumbling, shite Japanese, but because of the sheer heat. Carried out on stretchers like casualties from a heatstroke battlefield.

I’ve never delivered a speech where the audience collapsed one by one like dominoes. I got to do a TED talk two years later, and it wasn’t anywhere near as theatrical.

Every time a student was carried out on a stretch - and to be clear there were at least half a dozen - a few folks looked up for a passing moment and watched the spectacle before returning to their drooped down positions.

At first, when my speech kicked off, the students were curious. “Ooh, he’s speaking Japanese!” By minute five, curiosity had turned to glazed stares. By minute ten, full-blown sleep. A few teachers gave polite smiles. One openly laughed at a joke. Another kept checking his watch, probably timing his escape to the smoking area behind the gym.

My supervisor fired off a photo (as seen above) in the latter minutes of the speech. I look like some totalitarian dictator droning on about how our great leap forward will reduce wheat prices.

Somewhere in that sweaty chaos, I caught sight of a student I’d been tutoring for a speech contest. Her expression got me. The kind of look that said, “Please don’t go.” It hit me in the gut. I wouldn't be there to see her speech that we’d prepped for all month. I’d be long gone.

After fifteen minutes, and a new personal record for dehydration, I wrapped it up, said my thank yous, gave a deep bow and was rewarded with applause and a sense of overwhelming relief.

At 3:30pm, I was called into the principal’s office. The same room where I’d first sat, jet-lagged and overwhelmed, three years earlier. We talked briefly. I told him I’d head home to England, then hopefully move to Sendai. He nodded, with a confused expression when I mentioned “Youtube”, then we shook hands, and that was that.

At the entrance, the staff gathered to see me off. My favourite colleague, Chounan-sensei, the hilarious chap from the swearing video and the Marmite video, helped carry my things to the car. He gave me a proper hug. It was hard not to burst into tears.

And then I was off, rumbling out of the car park in my rickety Toyota Starlet, waving out the window, wondering if I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life.

I still visit Sakata a few times a year. But I’ve never gone back to my old school. Maybe one day I will. I’ve bumped into a few of the teachers at events over the years, and it’s always a joy to see them again. But stepping through those school gates would probably hit a bit too hard. Not only that, but the students I knew will have dispersed across the country. Teachers I worked with will have retired or been reallocated.

The older you get, the more you start to realise that time is its own kind of place. You can go back to the same building or street, but if the people you shared it with aren’t there, it just feels... off. Like returning to a party long after everyone’s gone home.

I wonder what became of the students I taught. Their ages will range from 28 to 31 years old. It’s a crazy thought to think many are older than Connor. My god.

It’s strange, really. I spent my whole childhood dreaming of escaping the classroom, of seeing the world and chasing adventure. And when I finally got there, it led me straight back to a classroom, just on the other side of the planet.

Still, I wouldn’t change that decision for anything. Those three years, locked away in the snow-covered corner of Yamagata, surrounded by students and Sea of Japan sunsets and far too many school lunches, were some of the best of my life. The memories live on in old Facebook albums, early Abroad in Japan videos, and more recently, the book. But the best parts are locked away in my head. And I revisit them far more often than I’d care to admit.