So Christmas is fast approaching guys and we're now THREE episodes into the 12 days of Chrismas, with the next episode out later today.
In case you missed it, every other day in the run up to Christmas I'm releasing a video on Abroad in Japan or the Chris Abroad channel and so far it's been going pretty well.
I've relished the creative challenge of trying to think up a video everyday, then quickly filming it and editing it before the day is out. It's...
2021-12-09 03:51:42 +0000 UTC
View Post
So there's been one thing keeping me going these last few months, fired up and motivated every day. And that's been the prospect of returning the UK for the first time to see friends and family for the first time in two years.
Beyond that, Christmas is my favourite time of year, and I love being home in the UK during the festive season.
But of course, COVID has one more cruel trick up its sleeve to screw us all over and with the arrival of the new and ...
2021-11-30 11:47:14 +0000 UTC
View Post
THIS IS IT GUYS.
The FIRST EVER Patreon live show INSIDE the Abroad in Japan 80's ramen shop!
- And Sharla's cheekily snuck her way in for a look around.
We'll be going live at 23:00 Japan time on Saturday 27th and as well as diving behind the counter of the ramen shop and answering your questions, I'll reveal what I got up to with Natsuki & Joey in Hokkaido and what lies ahead in the run up to Christmas!
Abroad in Japan Patreo...
2021-11-26 15:15:38 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys, I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!
So following on from last week's big reveal of the Abroad in Japan studio and the shocked expressions and reactions of Natsuki, Pete and Connor, THIS week I wanted to do a more in-depth deep dive into the 1980's studio and show all the hidden details we'd missed in the first video.
There's so much going on down these 1980's alleyways, that'd it'd be a crime not...
2021-11-21 01:31:25 +0000 UTC
View Post
Here it is guys!
The Patreon exclusive behind the scenes, outtakes & deleted scenes from this week's Abroad in Japan STUDIO reveal video, as well as an in-depth rundown of my personal favourite spots within the set!
There's an astonishing amount of detail to cover and I'm going to make a dedicated video for the Chris Abroad channel this week, showing all the pars of the set we weren't able to reveal in the main video, but in the me...
2021-11-17 03:38:43 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
A very merry start to the week to you all!
WE'RE FINALLY OPEN! The Abroad in Japan studio tour featuring Natsuki, Connor, Pete & myself is now up and the response has been nothing short of incredible and I'm very excited to get stuck into the set and start making videos.
A HUGE thank you to you all for making this possible guys. This set was a hefty investment in the future of the Abroad in Japan channel, but hopefully one you'll agree that was w...
2021-11-15 14:02:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
For the last two years, Japan has practiced the most stringent closed-door policy of any G7 nation. In many ways, it’s done a great deal of damage to the country’s foreign population, where getting in and out has been impossible at times, and where thousands of aspiring students, or people coming to Japan to work had their lives ripped apart.
Politics has been one overarching factor, but with the elections at an end, over 70% of Japan’s population now ...
2021-11-06 01:47:58 +0000 UTC
View Post
A brand new Wacky Weekend, three muppets and two terrifying locations.
- And it almost went completely wrong.
So on this week's Wacky Weekend (OR as I like to call it "Very Dickman's Bad Weekend"), we almost faced complete disaster when one of our key locations (the abandoned hotel), turned out to be inaccessible and we were forced to find somewhere else.
Fortunately we found an entirely different location and in fact, the ab...
2021-11-02 04:44:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
Hope you're having a fine weekend so far!
I'm pleased to announce this month's Patreon Exclusive Live Show will be on Sunday 31st October at 23:00 Japan time!
🍿Live Show: https://youtu.be/rwhN_A04tnA
It's been a wild month, from meeting Ken Watanabe to shooting Wacky Weekend with Natsuki & CDawgVA. And at least, this weekend the new ...
2021-10-30 04:33:47 +0000 UTC
View Post
There's been a recurring joke on Abroad in Japan for the last 9 years.
That I would leave Japan the day I got to have coffee with Ken Watanabe.
- So this is fairly awkward.
Yes, it seems dreams can actually come true!
Because not only did I get to spend a few days with Ken Watanabe - regarded by many as Japan's greatest living actor - but the man himself is featuring on Abroad in Japan in an upcoming documentary about his life here in Tohoku (...
2021-10-25 14:49:38 +0000 UTC
View Post
Not long after our Cessna flight over Sakurajima volcano in April for Journey Across Japan, Kagoshima's explosive centrepiece violently erupted and surprised the local meteorological agencies. It was terrifying to think what might have happened had we flown over it that day and been swatted from the sky.
This week in similar fashion, for the second time this decade Mount Aso erupted causing a gigantic mushroom cloud of ash that rained down on the locals of Kumamo...
2021-10-23 14:49:44 +0000 UTC
View Post
It’s been one of those frustrating months on Abroad in Japan where on the surface it looks like not much is happening, when in fact EVERYTHING has been happening.
So today, I just want to share with you guys the videos you can look forward to in the second half of October!
(ALSO Abroad in Japan is finally Twitter Verified. It’s a bloody miracle and much welcomed given the relentless bullying from Joey, Connor and Pete ...
2021-10-14 05:24:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
I'll keep it short and sweet! Tonight I'm testing out the Youtube Live setup in the brand new Abroad in Japan studio in an hour long live show.
Should be a lot of fun and for those of you who haven't since the previous Patreon exclusive video last month revealing the inside of the studio, it's another chance to take a look!
Hopefully it all goes smoothly (live shows terrify me), but I hope to see you there when it kicks off in 3 hours.<...
2021-10-06 10:12:37 +0000 UTC
View Post
Another Wacky Weekend, another room filled with terror and termites.
While there's no Abroad in Japan video this week due to the ongoing efforts to finish the new studio (see last post!), instead we've got another Wacky Weekend with Connor on his channel in Osaka, and a hilarious podcast on teaching English in Japan with my so called "best American friend" Pete.
Before I share those with you, I just wanted to say up...
2021-10-01 00:53:28 +0000 UTC
View Post
Before I get into it, I just want to say hello and welcome to everyone who’s recently joined the Abroad in Patreon!
The first part of today's post on City Pop music is a topic I actually discussed on Patreon earlier this year, but having recently updated the music playlists and with so many new faces, I thought it'd be great to re-share my thoughts on why City Pop music is so damn good.
- And how it's kept me sane over the last half decade.
2021-09-26 07:14:56 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
Hope you're having a good end to the week.
I'm pleased to announce this month's Abroad in Japan Patreon hangout will be taking place this weekend on Saturday 25th (times above).
I'll be catching up with you all, taking a look back at the wacky weekend with Connor and the Asakusa trip with Ryotaro and also revealing a bold project that lies in store for October.
As for this sneaky project, I'll be revealing th...
2021-09-24 08:56:18 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys - hope you're all having a fantastic weekend so far!
So in this week's Abroad in Japan episode, Ryotaro and I hit up Asakusa in Tokyo to explore some of the more hidden, retro style places in town.
The trip actually rekindled my love for the district, which I've long written off as a "tourist trap".
Make no mistake, there's a lot of touristy shops and restaurants around, but if you know where to look and where to get lost, it's still an incredi...
2021-09-18 13:31:52 +0000 UTC
View Post
One of the hardest parts of editing a video is deciding what to take out and what to leave in.
The recent Wacky Weekend with Connor was a tough one, because even though the episode clocked in at 29 minutes of terror, there was still so much that I ended up taking out to refine it down.
Fortunately though, we have these Patreon exclusive episodes, where these deleted scenes can see the light of day, mixed in with embarrassing out...
2021-09-12 04:51:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
I hope you're all having a splendid weekend!
A few weekends ago, I didn't have a particularly splendid weekend.
I got in a car with Connor and drove to Shikoku, to visit the final two prefectures in Japan I've yet to visit (Kochi & Tokushima).
What I envisioned as a laid back, fun trip of discovery and wonder, turned into the most traumatising few days of this year so far, as we crossed a treacherous rope bridge over a ferocious river in a tr...
2021-09-05 19:04:16 +0000 UTC
View Post
Well guys it took us 9 years to get here, but at long last we finally have a dedicated studio space!
It's absurdly exciting and honestly I can't believe, even though I've spent the last week setting it up and sticking furniture and cheese in it.
It's early days though and I'd say it's only 50% complete. It's still missing its soul!
Later this week we're having an entrance room built and walls put in.
Then next month an entire set i...
2021-08-31 16:07:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
What a live show! Thanks to everyone for stopping by and witnessing the chaos with Natsuki.
This month's live stream is set across two videos, due to a technical issue in the first half!
As we shot in the new studio, which currently has no internet, we tethered it to my phone which wasn't as stable as I'd have liked! (Fortunately by next month we'll have internet in here!)
Here's PART 1
🍻 Watch:
2021-08-29 14:30:12 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey guys,
So we've got a very special Patreon live show this month.
NOT ONLY are we being joined by Natsuki but we're hosting it in the BRAND NEW STUDIO!
Something of a party to kick off the next chapter of Abroad in Japan.
Along the way we'll be catching up, answering your questions and I imagine Natsuki will be doing some singing as usual, haha.
The show starts 11pm Japan time on Sunday 29th:
🍻 Join:
2021-08-28 04:05:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
9 years ago this week, the first ever Abroad in Japan video was released 🥳
To my amazement, almost 100 people watched it and my world was changed forever.
Today all these years later, I'm delighted to celebrate this anniversary by announcing that I've just received the keys to what will become a dedicated studio space for shooting future videos!
A HUGE thank you guys for being a part of this absurd journey.
And ...
2021-08-21 16:52:30 +0000 UTC
View Post
So I've got a sneaky hit list of videos I've been wanting to make in Japan for years now. And this week it felt pretty damn good to finally tick the Nakagin capsule tower off that list.
I remember the first time I laid eyes upon it in 2014 on a weekend trip to Tokyo, in a quiet, forgotten corner of Toyko's affluent Ginza district. Ever since then, whenever I'm passing nearby I've aways gone out of my way to take a peek and grab a photo.
As I discuss in t...
2021-08-13 14:56:37 +0000 UTC
View Post
Here it is folks, this week's Patreon exclusive behind the scenes episode for the Sleeper train episode.
Featuring bloopers and outtakes, as well as commentary on why the video was actually hell to shoot behind the scenes due to some bizarre restrictions.
Overall, I'm really happy with how this Abroad in Japan video turned out and it was a lot of fun to travel with Natsuki to the Great Japan Desert and back!
How We Ma...
2021-07-31 16:15:38 +0000 UTC
View Post
Well guys, it's that time of the month where we catch up face to face, from a dimly lit apartment in north Japan.
That's right! It's the Patreon live show.
Saturday 31st July, at 23:00 (Japan time).
This month saw the finale of Journey Across Japan: The Lost Islands, a train ride to a desert and with a new studio finally inbound, there's no shortage of things for us to chat about.
...
2021-07-30 13:14:17 +0000 UTC
View Post
It's time we caught up face to face.
BECAUSE amazing news.
From the new Abroad in Japan studio and a crazy idea for a Journey Across Japan video game, to a look at the upcoming videos and an angry rant about some fan artwork that allegedly looks like me, all this and more in today's Patreon episode!
🎉 Watch: https://youtu.be/6bdGlCPSjXs
2021-07-25 14:40:41 +0000 UTC
View Post
So guys after 1,000km and five of the most intense videos we’ve ever seen on Abroad in Japan, Journey Across Japan: The Lost Islands is finally over.
A HUGE thank you to all of you for supporting this crazy series. We’re so damn lucky that we didn’t need to shove tons of sponsors in the series, or sacrifice creative integrity along the way as a 100% Patreon backed series backed by the very viewers who enjoy what we do.
This was 100% raw Abroad ...
2021-07-22 15:45:25 +0000 UTC
View Post
One week, four videos.
- Kill me.
Once in a while the stars align and instead of shooting one video, or even two, I end up filming a whole month’s worth of content and nearly breaking myself along the way.
But amidst the sea of upcoming videos, I’ve also got some exciting news (good news!). Here’s what I’ve been up to.
The Shooting Schedule from Hell
So this week I’ve been everywhere from ...
2021-07-12 14:09:49 +0000 UTC
View Post
Of the many MANY locations we've visited on this season of Journey Across Japan, this was the one I would go back to the most.
IN this week's Patreon behind the scenes episodes I explain why. ALSO plenty of outtakes and a ton of commentary revealing the real reason our plans for staying overnight on the island fell through.
JAJ: Lost Islands | Episode 4: The Last of Us (Patreon Exclusive)
🌋Watch:
2021-07-04 13:55:41 +0000 UTC
View Post
