Hey guys!
So I’ve been in the UK for about 4 weeks now with about another week left to go and it’s honestly been an incredible month.
It’s always weird sensation to actively be excited to visit the UK, but it’s done me a world of good seeing friends and family, shutting off from Youtube (and social media in general) for a while and having a chance to reflect about who exactly I am, and what in the world of fuck I’m doing!
<...
2022-06-15 10:51:56 +0000 UTC
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A few weeks ago while in the UK, the Japanese Prime Minister hinted that Japan was about to resume tourism in line with the other G7 nations.
Everybody was initially very excited, until the plans were released describing what this actually meant.
"Tourists who've been triple-vaccinated & come from the US, Australia, Thailand & Singapore will be allowed to join the tours, which will be strictly planned & accompanied at all times by to...
2022-05-26 12:10:07 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys,
I hope you're having a great weekend so far!
As always I'm looking forward to hanging out with you all on our monthly private Patreon live show, which I'm pleased to announce will be held tomorrow on Sunday 15th May 23:00 Japan time.
Abroad in Japan Live Show
Join: https://youtu.be/3wOlG9vlEsk
Lots to chat about from Japan opening up in June (allegedly), to heading back t...
2022-05-14 16:06:11 +0000 UTC
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There's no better word to describe what Abroad in Japan is about better than "escapism".
(Er, and maybe "chicken").
Growing up I used to loved immersing myself in travel documentaries or films set in exotic locations, and feeling like I was escaping somewhere, even though in reality I was sitting on my sofa stuffing myself with Kit Kats.
But that spirit of exploration, discovery and adventure is something I've always tried to capture on Abroad in ...
2022-05-05 03:14:40 +0000 UTC
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HERE IT IS guys.
A Patreon exclusive look at the Official Trailer for Journey Across Japan: Escape to Paradise!
The excitement, the glamour, the pain, it’s all there.
When this trailer is released publicly in two weeks, it’ll likely be a bit more refined, but I’m delighted with how it’s turned out. AND YES. I did buy the rights to Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood especially for the trailer. No regrets.
As for the...
2022-05-01 08:50:13 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys,
I hope you've all had a pleasant April without bursting your right eardrum.
As always I'm looking forward to hanging out with you all on our monthly private Patreon live show, which I'm pleased to announce will be held later today for most of you on Saturday 30th at 20:00 New York time.
Technically for me this'll be at 09:00am in the morning in Japan on May 1st! But for 95% of you tuning in it's still April. Apologies for t...
2022-04-30 15:58:03 +0000 UTC
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Before I get into today’s diary entry guys, I mentioned last week that as a brand new perk on Patreon, we’d be launching slick itineraries showing where we stayed on our trips.
I’m pleased to announce the first one today, showing where Connor and I stayed on our recent road trip through central Japan to see the Snow Monkeys. You can find it attached at the bottom of this post in PDF!
ALSO tomorrow, I’ll be releasing a Patreon Exclusive ...
2022-04-30 15:47:09 +0000 UTC
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Before I jump into the next day of our Journey Across Japan diary guys, yesterday I released a follow-up to last year’s documentary on the Nakagin Capsule Tower, one of Tokyo’s most iconic buildings.
When we last visited this unique building and went inside the capsules, the future was not looking bright for the building on the eve of its 50 year anniversary. Sadly, this week after many years of discussion, the building is being demolished, meaning people ...
2022-04-24 14:28:30 +0000 UTC
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So FIRST off guys, a big thank you for all the birthday wishes.
As off yesterday I’m 32 years old…and bloody hell just typing that out for the first time has let it sink in that I’m now one year older.
ALAS! It’s the 10 year anniversary of Abroad in Japan this year and we still have everything to play for. I’m utterly hell bent on making this the best year yet and to that effect, I’m delighted to announce shooting Journey Across...
2022-04-22 15:41:32 +0000 UTC
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My god what a week!
Sorry for the extra few days it's taken to release this Patreon Exclusive episode guys, as well as the second part of our Wacky Weekend Winter Special, which actually just released moments ago on the Chris Abroad channel!
A couple of reasons; the first being you might have seen our Wacky Weekend Winter Special that went up a few days ago featuring snow monkeys, sake and a creepy tunnel actually got demonetised by Yout...
2022-04-15 14:10:56 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys!
Great news - we're now accepting submissions for challenges on the upcoming series of Journey Across Japan! Send us your crazy ideas: https://www.abroadinjapan.com/jaj4
My advice is to try and think of something specific to Okinawa and the setting and Ian (our Producer) is more likely to pick it out and place it into Anpanman on the day.
With final preparatio...
2022-04-05 05:22:58 +0000 UTC
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Here it is guys, the big reveal.
One last epic Journey Across Japan series!
Journey Across Japan: Paradise Islands
By massive popular demand, we're finally off to Okinawa!
Shooting kicks off next week and I'm delighted to announce we've got something of an all-star cast for to end the series on a high note, with myself, Joey and Natsuki returning for the entire journey.
We're also excited to be joined by Okinaw...
2022-03-31 07:27:38 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys,
I hope you've all had a great earthquake-free month since we last caught up!
As always I'm looking forward to hanging out with you all on our monthly private Patreon live show, which I'm pleased to announce will be held tomorrow on Sunday 27th 23:00 Japan time.
Abroad in Japan Live Show
Join: https://youtu.be/DjbnLNcP44I
Plenty to discuss this month, from the...
2022-03-26 16:47:43 +0000 UTC
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Let's not sugar coat it. It's been a crap week.
But after Japan's worst earthquake in 10 years, the Abroad in Japan studio is finally back and stronger than ever.
Here's a rundown on some of the things I've been up to this week to earthquake proof the studio, and also a sneak peek into the three awesome videos we've got coming out in the next two weeks.
How is the Abroad in Japan Studio 7 Days After the Earthquake ⛩️ &nbs...
2022-03-26 16:29:28 +0000 UTC
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What a cruel twist of fate, that mere days after posting a video here on Patreon sharing with you guys how the studio was built by the production team, we now get to witness the studio being smashed to pieces by a massive magnitude 7.4 earthquake.
It's been almost 24 hours since the earthquake now and I still feel quite shaken by it all.
Most earthquakes start as a faint rumble and then get worse and worse. This one felt like a bomb had gone off a fe...
2022-03-17 14:14:08 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys, hope you're all having a great week so far!
So, back when we had the big reveal of the Abroad in Japan studio a few months back, I'd planned to dedicate a section of the video to the amazing set design team that built and painstakingly fitted the studio over an absurdly intense three days of hell.
I had a good friend film the whole thing on my behalf, as I was away filming at the time.
AND THEN, I did something I've surprisingly nev...
2022-03-15 16:18:04 +0000 UTC
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Here we are guys!
An in-depth Patreon exclusive feature on how the Ken Watanabe documentary was made.
From how we bribed him to come on Abroad in Japan, to why my initial meeting with Ken was fairly awkward and didn't go according to plan.
From the highs and lows of making the documentary, to the regrets I had along the way.
All in all, I'm incredibly happy (and mostly relieved) that the documentary is up and proved a huge hit on Abroad in Jap...
2022-03-12 15:03:17 +0000 UTC
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What started as an off the cuff remark in a video years ago (about meeting Ken Watanabe), that blossomed into a recurring joke over the years, has finally and inconceivably become reality.
Honestly, I’d have been happy just to take a photo with Ken, let alone spent a day or even A WEEK together. I realise we left a lot of questions unanswered and there’s a chance this won’t be the last time we see Ken on Abroad in Japan.
But it’s been a privilege to shar...
2022-03-05 14:48:22 +0000 UTC
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Well guys, February hasn't been an overly great month.
I have to apologise for the lack of videos; firstly, because of COVID restrictions around Japan, we had to cancel quite a few episodes we had planned (there was an entire 5-part travel series that had to be postponed).
And then due to the nightmarish copyright issues we faced on the Ken Watanabe documentary, that got delayed a few weeks.
Amidst it all, it felt like every time I stood up I was get...
2022-03-01 04:44:35 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys,
So I won't beat around the bush, it's been a bit of a frustrating month.
With Japan locked down once again, videos we had planned evaporated, and the Ken Watanabe documentary got pushed back a few weeks due to Japanese copyright issues.
But things are starting to turn around (Ken is currently reviewing the documentary as we speak) and there's a lot to look forward to in March.
So join me once more for our...
2022-02-26 17:43:33 +0000 UTC
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This week has been a challenge.
A frustrating, stressful, wall-banging challenge.
I wish I could tell you that the best things require little effort. But the truth is every major project we’ve done on Abroad in Japan has come with its fair share of frustration.
You just have to hope that it’s all worth it.
“Sure…but what the hell are you talking about?” You might be wondering. Especially if you've seen me cryptically rant...
2022-02-16 02:46:29 +0000 UTC
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After a billion years, a desk drenched in breadcrumbs and coffee, and a wrist numb from dragging clips around a screen, at last it's DONE.
And I don't think I ever want to edit a video ever again after today.
(FYI: We're lucky to have a great editor on Abroad in Japan these days, but as editing this documentary required Japanese knowledge I ended up doing it myself).
But it's done and been sent off to Ken and his team, who'll be watching ...
2022-02-01 08:59:36 +0000 UTC
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And like that, January is already over.
1/12 of the year gone.
But 2022 is just beginning - and we've got plenty to look forward to.
Meet me this weekend in the ramen shop for the first Abroad in Japan Patreon Live Show of the year, and we'll chat about what lies ahead.
For one hour I'm all yours to interrogate, question and bully. (Preferably not the third one)
Patreon LIVE Show | Sun 30th Jan at 23:00 Japan Ti...
2022-01-29 15:29:58 +0000 UTC
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It's that time of year where I open your awesome packages sent in over Christmas!
Typically I'd have done this sooner (ie. actually over Christmas), but due to shipping delays issues relating to COVID, I only received some these packages in the last week, so apologies for the lateness! 🙏
Join me in the ramen shop to crack open the packages and witness me show off a new piece of equipment I bought myself for Christmas. (That's right, I absolutely exploit Christmas...
2022-01-29 03:27:34 +0000 UTC
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They said it couldn't be done.
A genuinely nice experience for Connor in a Wacky Weekend episode.
But this week I delivered on my promise to Connor, by giving him the 5 star luxury reward he deserved for eating 100+ bowls of Wankosoba noodles.
In this Patreon exclusive behind the scenes video, amidst the ridiculous outtakes and bloopers, I reveal why I'm pretty reluctant to film luxury videos and why they're also not as f...
2022-01-22 05:50:03 +0000 UTC
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What an utterly humiliating start to 2022.
Three times I've attempted to beat my rivals at the Wankosoba noodle challenge.
Three times I've inflicted misery upon myself.
Welcome to 2022 everyone, I hope your year has gotten off to a great start so far!
And we kick off what promises to be another fantastic year, with a two-part Wacky Weekend Special with Connor.
In today's episode, we go head to head to see...
2022-01-13 14:19:38 +0000 UTC
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Well here were are.
About to plummet over the edge into 2022.
And before we do, I want to share one last video with you all! The Patreon exclusive behind the scenes episode of today's Journey Across Japan Winter Special, with a record amount of bloopers & outtakes from one video!
Why I Wanted to End 2021 in Hokkaido
🇯🇵 Watch: https://youtu.be/LnUT6AhCGIc
<...
2021-12-31 12:16:14 +0000 UTC
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Well here we are guys, the final Abroad in Japan Live Show of 2021!
Wednesday 29th at 23:00 Japan Time
It's been quite the rollercoaster of a year - and quite a December for that matter - so grab a drink and join me one in the ramen shop one last time before we dive into 2022.
We'll gossip about the year's events, talk about what lies ahead and I'll brag about all the food I ate this week. (And presents I got!)
Abroad in Japan Live:
2021-12-28 15:21:47 +0000 UTC
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I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas for 2021, no matter where you might be in the world today.
Fate smiled upon me yesterday as I was able to find some delicious imported British cheddar, which I’ve devoured throughout today along with some mulled wine! I also sat down to watch the Muppets Christmas Carol (1992) and In Bruges (2008). I highly recommend both! I was tempted to watch Scrooged and Die Hard but thought I’d mix it up a bit this year.
<...
2021-12-25 13:23:28 +0000 UTC
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I'm immensely proud of the Abroad in Japan Patreon, from the community of incredible people around the world we have here, to the awesome Patreon dedicated videos that we release here every single month.
And so TO CELEBRATE the Christmas season I’ve curated over 35+ of the best, exclusive videos, tutorials, and behind the scenes episodes from the Abroad in Japan Patreon, into an easy to navigate guide below.
Whether you’re looking for sel...
2021-12-15 04:57:01 +0000 UTC
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