I got hooked on his content even though I had been dreaming of visiting Japan since I was like 10, it helped me along with my friend who studied abroad for a year to understand the pride that gets taken in keeping the country a clean safe place. I visited in late 2019 with no issues, just observe and be polite. Still hope for a 2nd trip and I hope all the terrible Kick/other streamers that have caused issue don't dampen the welcome I feel I was given in most of the interactions I had.
Respect. He's respectful. He's honest about his opinions and he's willing to say if something is bad but never in a disrespectful way. He does crazy things but always in a respectful way.
And yet he only pushes the mainstream narratives about Japan and doesnt tell you any of the truth. How about that hes probably now joined Souka Gakkai to keep his "career" alive?
Chris in a way is lucky to have stumbled upon Natsuki, who isn't quite your average Japanese guy to begin with, and Ryotaro, who has lived abroad in native English speaking countries for longer periods of time and has therefore learned to speak English well. Can imagine a lot of other westerners being more unfortunate in that sense.
100%. Chris has been incredibly lucky in that sense. He literally bumped into Natsuki as a stranger on his walk home one evening and started a friendship. Natsuki is his not-so-secret weapon n has been a wildly popular character on his channel. He even made a movie titled after him when Chris hit a Patreon milestone. At the end of the day, it's luck + hard work
Plus him starting his channel in the first place, documenting his life in Japan for friends and family, which then slowly over many years evolved into what it is now. To his credit he was not content with being an English teacher on the JET program, not learning the language and befriending just foreigners. He completely embraced his new home. His videos seem very off the cuff, but they are carefully planned out and edited, nothing is outsourced. It's a great deal of hard work.
@@themountainwanderer Agreed. Many other youtubers who were much more intentional about RUclips as a career at the start have not fared nearly as well as Chris. He does outsource his camera work and he has a producer though haha..
A loveletter that Chris absolutely NEEDS to hear and internalize. On behalf of Chris' viewers, thank you so much for making this. Especially at such a crucial time where expat streamers in Japan get such a bad rep. As an Abroad in Japan viewer for 8 years or so now, this makes me happy in a parasocial way :D
I mean, considering what some of the streamers who to to Japan get up to, a bad rep is kind of inevitable. Not that the expat/immigrant streamers are of the same ilk, but I can see how all foreigners would get painted with the same brush.
Chris is extremely loved both inside and outside Japan because he is incredibly awesome! He provides extremely accurate, and factual, information about living in the Japanese society (as a foreigner), and the lesser known parts of the country (to a foreigner). Chris is also absolutely hilarious to watch and listen to as well!
I guess it boils down to the simple fact that he treats Japan not like an attraction or theme park like Disney land, but like a country with people on it. He’s genuine, and people can feel that.
I like watching him. He does one thing right: he loves Japan. He really does. He educates foreigners about Japan, and you want to go see what he is showing. I watched another channel, Tokyo Llama. He is Australian, his wife is Japanese, and he bought a house in the countryside and rebuilt it with his Japanese inlaws, and it's amazing. All these shows are places and things most don't see, and when you see them, you want to go visit. And as an American who lived in Japan, I would always go out to the countryside to see things.
This video makes me so happy. The fact the place and people that Chris loves so much, understand that and love him back. As a British person I am looking forward to whenever I can travel to Japan, and take a look at some of the wonderful, hidden places Chris has shown us.
He got into RUclips at a key time when it was still early in the platform and not saturated with many others doing the name, he respects Japanese culture and rules unlike a lot of modern streamers that have made the news, he puts effort into his videos and productions, and he doesn't mind being silly or the butt of the joke in order to be entertaining. He hasn't had any major scandal or drama in his personal life either that has leaked out to make him appear anything dramatically different than the person he seems like in his videos. It's pretty easy to see why he's easily likeable with most people.
thing is, there were plenty of travel bloggers esp in Japan by his time. He stood the test of time because he kept improving his camera work and ideas, while staying grounded to his sense of comedy and sphere of influence. That drew people to him, including the weeb crowd despite him not being one himself.
His videos are high production quality, but the content can be improved on I feel. It's often very sensationalist, which... it's hard to blame him where ctr is everything in the RUclips algorithm and clickbait unfortunately is effective. Sometimes he twists the narrative in his favor. For example, when he wanted the narrative to be "Japan is neglecting its historical architecture for sleek, dull modernity," he showed how Harajuku Station, which featured Japanese architecture from the 19th century, was rebuilt into a boring glass building. The catch is, they actually built the glass structure to expand on the station, but the old station was replicated exactly how it was. In Chris's video, he only showed it from an angle where the replicated part was completely hidden. I could go into the specifics of why it had to be rebuilt, with earthquakes and wood and humidity, but I'll save you the snooze fest. In short - it's admirable how hard he works and the production value rivals that of TV, but I would keep a level head and not automatically believe everything he says.
I like how he doesn't take the content in the moment too seriously, but he takes the editing and presentation with great care. It makes it feel casual, while still clearly feeling like high effort content.
Mr Affable, as is his Trash Taste nickname, he really does love Japan, but he's also human. He's struggled with his weight, and has been really public about it. His friendship with Natsuki and Ryotaro is genuine, and they have a pretty good relationship. I really like the tourism he promotes. He is the reason that when I retire, I'll probably come to northern Japan, and look at Akiya there. The climate is quite similar to Michigan. I formerly worked for Fujitsu America, and like the culture. (with exception of the overworking )
What a coincidence; as someone who is also definitely wanting to visit and possibly even move to Japan permanently, Northern Japan is also the place where I would most likely go, because it's closer in climate to where I currently live in Michigan. Although I'm more of an urban person, so I'd most likely want to be in Sapporo in particular. It's almost exact too, some of the southern outskirts of Sapporo are right at the exact same latitude as Grand Rapids.
His British sarcasm is priceless. Also his love and care towards Tohoku is so genuine that it always brings tears to my eyes when I see his documentaries on the subject.
I think in addition to what you said, which I all agree with: - Chris doesn't take himself to seriously - he is just crazy enough to do things that nobody else would like cycling around Japan. this generates attention and sympathy - he learnt the language fluently and yes, he loves Japan. he really does
@@AC-LING666 in Japanese history Caucasian people did more damage than people of color, but sure, go off, involve race in everything that has NOTHING to do with it
@@AC-LING666Stop projecting though, I had relatives in Japan who gets along well with their neighbors and they aren't white, we're dark browns . Considering that colored guy that constantly makes a nuisance in Japan and gave streamers a bad rep had gone away scott free for a very long time until it was too much just tells you the patience of the people around him before it was too much and arrested him. And there's several black people who have , half black and jap kids still choosing Japan for their kids than America because of their experience in their own country in bullying , tells you something.
Bro, a Broad abroad is broadly speaking the best thing that has occurred to Japanophiles. He gives Foreigners a much better face in Japan, and he's genuinely one of the most open-minded and genuinely kindhearted people that I've seen walk this earth of ours. I hope he lives long and prospers because everyone's lives get a bit better with Chris Broad and his channel A Broad in Japan.
Innit, Maybe this is a bit weird but I started watching because he gave a much more realistic view of Japan that is both good and bad - I'm not so into people who kinda worship but also positively discriminate, and it gives an innnacurate view of things. His British cyniscm is refreshing for me and just feels more down to earth
I'm German and I'm old (60+) but I've always had a certain affinity for Asia. But I never had the opportunity to visit Asia. I also have some difficulty with languages, e.g. German. Chris not only introduced me to Japan and its culture but also to English as a language. Chris is one of the best ambassadors for Japan I have ever seen. All the points and some more you mentioned are reasons why I like him. Unfortunately I will never have the opportunity to travel Japan but Chris does it for me, especially the things that are off the beaten tourist track. He has met so many extraordinary Japanese personalities and given us such deep insights into them that it is nothing short of a miracle. Perhaps he will be given the opportunity to meet the emperor one day. If nothing else, you are allowed to dream. For me, it would be the culmination of my personal dreams. I hope he makes many more such wonderful videos about Japan for the world and for me. Nothing would please me more, for Japan, for Chris and for me.
In a comedic perspective, his humor is in forms of skits, visual humor and sarcastic remarks. The Japanese love visual humor and the west loves sarcasm, and everyone loves skits. His humorous personality definitely fits in perfectly as a content creator foreigner living in Japan
I had no idea he was so popular in Japan. Thanks for this perspective. I think there are a lot of us who are very grateful for Japan in some way and care about its problems. That's one of the reasons we watch your channel.
Kinda surreal to see how famous he is, I remember first finding his videos a decade ago when he was still doing basic low quality vlogs in his living room discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly while still teaching english.
Tohoku is such a great region! My wife is Japanese and her parents live in Yonezawa, which is in Yamagata prefecture. I love the area and is very rustic unlike the Tokyo metro plus it's not super hot and humid during the summer.
Chris has one of my favorite youtube channels ever specifically because its clear how much he loves and respects both the culture and the people of Japan. I studied Japanese for 3 years but I've never had the money to be able to afford to travel, so Chris's videos have been a means for me to 'travel' from inside my home and I appreciate it so much.
@@hedgehogthesonic3181 not in the slightest lol I was at like maybe middle schooler level. Now I'm out of practice so much less than that; kanji and grammar are unfortunately the first things to go when you don't use them frequently.
@@sorah8850 Yeah i noticed that, once i slowed down studying Kanji, it seems like the brain forgets about these very fast. The fastest way to learn them is to use them everyday in daily life, and to do that i would have to move to Japan but that's something i can not do right now.
@@hedgehogthesonic3181 I tried to do the JET program and made it to the interview stage but honestly my anxiety was not under control that year so I didn't do as well with the interview as I should have & therefore did not continue with the process.
A lot of people view criticism as hate or an attack towards them when in reality it's the opposite. Those who criticize do it because they want to see improvement and not have mistakes be repeated. Those who cannot handle criticism are stubborn and too prideful in themselves. If someone tells you what you need to hear, they're trying to help you do better. When someone tells you what you want to hear, they're trying to make you do worse. Chris Broad is trying to make both foreigners and Japan do better.
He's a blue collared British. Bantering, Criticising and Sarcastically making fun of everything and everyone is their nation sport, second only to football hooliganism.😅
It's also about higher aspirations. In South Africa if you don't want people to get murdered and their lifestyles deteriorated, you're negative. So I left those "proudly murder capital of the world" people.
Yep! I had to reprogram myself not to ever offer suggestions because of how sensitive people are. I grew up in music and loved getting critiques. If someone didn’t care about you they wouldn’t bother listening to you, helping edit your papers, etc so I always saw it as a positive interaction… until everyone else didn’t 😂
@@ItsBAndBees It is peculiar how a lot of people these days can't take critique at all, although everyone is a pampered brat these days, especially in the west, not enough punches headed their direction and not enough beatings by their parents in their childhood to toughen them up in the first place. I mean when one has to go back to barbarism to get people to toughen up, coddling people has gone way too far. I've never taken anything in life for granted, and I might be a spiteful bigoted cunt, but at least I care a lot about those around me, physically, emotionally and monetarily. And I prefer when people give me critique, because how else am I supposed to grow, if I'm never to learn what I'm doing wrong, or methods to improve what I do. It's always better to heed the words of those who are more knowledgeable because having to find out stuff via trial and error makes it way harder a journey in life. Let insults be shed like water off a duck, and may critique turn the gears in your noggin.
I've been subscribed to chris since the beginning and the guy is really respectful with Japanese people and their culture. He literally was the first ever youtuber in japan starting in 2012 and Japanese people actually watches his content. The guy is just loved for sharing his love of the culture of japan. It's not that hard to understand once you hear his background of him threw out the decade of living in japan.
He actually moved to Sakata in August 2012 on the JET program, but I agree with everything else you said. Just wanted to make sure the facts are straight. 😊
He literally is not.. i love the guyy, don't get me wrong. He may be the first 'very succesful' - foreign and englisch speaking - RUclipsr in Japan but he is not the first making Videos like that about Japan - But of course , Chris has his own style and ideas for videos. You have to remember: This platform, RUclips, is almost 20 years old - there have been many more 'RUclipsrs' 'like Chris loooong before him. First that come to mind are people like 'TokyoCooney', 'Iwate Swam', Eleven Colors' and Danny Choo!! Many of them made 'Vlogs' and Blogs, talking about places they visited, food, culture and these guys have/had 'the same love and respect' for Japan. The videos back then were not as 'intense' and well produced like the Videos Chris is making but still the same 'content'. You have to remember - This was in the early to mid 00's. People didnt have phones with good cameras, there wasn't WLAN/Internet everywhere, videos on youtube only had a playtime of 10 minutes so you had to make part1, part 2 and so on for 'longer videos'. There was no 'algorithm' and how you search and find videos was a totaly different thing. There was also a German Documentary-TV Channel, with a small Studio in Japan and they made a RUclips Account very early because they saw the potential of the site and they made a lot of videos just like Chris, about Japan. But they only spoke german and had english subtitles. They made the exact same content as Chris and the series was called 'Es Muss Nicht Immer Sushi sein' `(translates to 'It doesn't always have to be sushi') and they had about 30 or 40 Videos with a decent playtime of 30 to 60 minutes. You could argue that these people had a 'Crew' and bigger budget because they got paid from a big german TV company/channel but they only made videos on/for RUclips. Later on they shortened the videos and released some of it for german TV.
@@carn1fex_yeah the content on Japan was always very popular but Chris blew up cause his early videos were so iconic. Like the dancing robot strip club and oddities of Japan. Most others didn't delve that deep into Japan and mostly focused on learning Japanese and anime
Chris' videos often feature things that even natives don't know about, such as creepy dolls in an abandoned village, some weird capsule hotel from Showa, etc. Those videos make even natives want to explore their own country. He has quite some talent for finding charm in things and articulating it. That might be somewhat similar to the spirit of Haiku, you know, wabi-sabi, paying attention to details, appreciating them, describing them concisely and all that.
I watch Chris Abroad in Japan his honest no bullshit approach is why I like watching him. One of his recent video's about Fukushima has made me put that area on my places to go to next time in Japan which all going well will be 2025. My last visit in October 2023 I went to Tokyo Hamamatsu Kobe Nagoya and Motegi. As a foreigner I know being polite and respectful are very important things to never forget.
I mean as a general content creator he is loved, his documentary style of videos are really good almost like on par, nay even better than what BBC or NHK could come up with and he should know since at some point he did work with them, he has mastered the documentary style video just in his stay in Japan and honestly that says a lot, he really managed to make a documentary entertaining and not just informative and his tip videos where he just talks to us mano e mano on the camera are very well done and well articulated.
I love Chris's videos. He's very respectful, no matter where he goes. He's very funny, and genuine. When he has negative things to say, he does try too be as polite as possible, or puts a little humor into the critique to soften it. He's done his best to learn the language. His pronunciation is understandable, and he makes an effort to use it wherever he can. He treats Japan like his home. He shows us parts of Japan we might not notice or know about. He loves the road less traveled. I want to go back to Japan and visit done if the places he's shown. Chris is truly...affable.
I'm originally from the same general area as Chris, I apologise for our accent and humour which can be an acquired taste 😅 These days I work in Hong Kong so me and my wife like to try and come to Japan at least once a year to visit, but we come for skiing and our favourite place is actually Niigata prefecture. It is still yet to be overrun by the hoards of foreign tourists that descend on the bigger Hokkaido resorts or even Hakuba, and the local people were so hospitable that it took my breath away. We can't wait to go back in January for our honeymoon
If you like skiing. I definitely recommend to try the ski resorts in Tohoku. APPI Kogen in Iwate Prefecture Or Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Yamagata prefecture. Both are amazing and they have less crowd even compared to Niigata.
A friend of mine just got back from taking a bike trip across the Japan's south eastern territories. He named Chris as one of his inspirations for going. I can't wait to take my own trip.
I'm English and I moved to Hong Kong the same year Chris Broad moved to Japan. Conquering the language barrier is absolutely key. It opens up so many opportunities. Mr. Broad achieved this and explored Japan with humility, curiosity and open-mindedness. Combine that with his skills for film making and you have his recipe for success. I've been to Japan many times and have a deep love for the country. Mr. Broad deserves all the very best of success. He has forged a great life and career out of it. I would love to meet him someday.
Maybe not as much for Japanese people, but I think what makes Chris so popular with other native English speakers around the globe is, in part, his British humour. He is very much your standard English bloke with the sarcasm that we Brits ate known for. And yes, he does lean into it a bit more when on camera, but it works well.
He is very relatable, and as Japanese audiences get more used to foreign content may understand the intricate humor. To smoothen the barrier he also picks on himself a lot. I bet everyone respect Chris for pushing himself outside his comfort zone. To me, he seems like an introverted person with a lot of "guts" (pun intended) but he still gets into social settings and he is very well-mannered and witty, so he get along with anyone. He's one of those people who you will be friends with for the rest of your life, and I think people from anywhere pick up on that :)
Not to mention that he did the crazy bike travel tour and did see it thhrough, he really is inspiring. Ok he is lovely and that , but that might be his most inspiring.
Chris is awesome. Not only is he entertaining and visits places that not everybody has been to or visited, but his chemistry with both Ryotaro and Natsuki is unmatched. They bring out the best in Chris and make his videos so much better.
Honestly i like this because it is a great quick montage of a lot of Chris's greatest videos and moments. But also truly boiled down who Chris is as a person under all the layers of sarcasm and showmanship.
I liked this video because it talks about the language barrier. I was in Japan and I felt everyone was very polite and they tried to communicate with me however they could. When I had just moved to the US and I was still learning English a lot of people would just give me the "what!? I don't understand what you are saying" without making an effort, I clearly look like a foreigner, why do you expect me to speak like a native? A lot of people don't wanna face the fact that there is still a lot of racism specially against asian countries in the US. My experience in Japan was 100% positive.
Chris, Paolo, John, Sharla, Anming, the whole Trash Taste gang and ofcourse, You: all have made my trip to Japan way easier en convenient. Throughout the years, they prepared me when it comes what to arrange up front, public transport, food, basic Japanese speaking, etiquette and so on. I can’t thank you all enough for that. As a kid I always wanted to go to Japan but it just seemed so far away because of all the differences. Years later and a lot of time spending on RUclips it felt like second home when I eventually got to visit. Applying the knowledge I gathered through them all I had a great time and I don’t have to think twice about visiting again!
What a great video. Chris Broad is great and I love his videos. I'm very glad the Japanese people love him, too. ちばけんにすんでいました. I discovered his videos after I left Japan during the Covid Pandemic. I'm currently learning Japanese so I can return to Japan. がんばっれます!! 😁
I love the brevity of reason Number 1. Doesn't need any further explanation. His promotion of Tohoku has been hugely influential on me. I've wanted to visit Japan for a long time but I've always been put off by all the material out there for tourists because it's all pretty much the same, it's just Tokyo and Kyoto which are too built up and too bright and loud for me. Chris has shown his viewers a lot of things and places that don't get much attention even within Japan. I remember he and Sharla visited Takko in one video and as an avid garlic lover I was really intrigued, if I ever do get around to visiting Japan that will most likely be one of my destinations.
I've followed Chris for years and what kept me tuned into his content is his respect, understanding, and consistency and continual improvement in his videos. He is well spoken and also has many interesting video topics which makes you curious to click his videos despite it being something that initially may seem uninteresting.
I have been following him for years. He’s funny and it’s obvious that he genuinely loves Japan, along with all the idiosyncrasies of Japanese culture. It’s such a beautiful country, but it can be totally beyond comprehension for a foreigner. Chris is rather like our tour guide.
Abroad in Japan is one of my most favorite youtubers. I watch all his videos and his podcasts as well. He is also the reason why I want to visit Tohoku region because of his vlogs in the area. Chris and his team are really fun to watch.
I've followed Chris for years now and at this point I can relate with your comments since I'm Mexican and there's a similar situation going on here. A native Korean recently moved to Mexico and has been sharing Mexico's culture around the world and learning traditions, explaining how the common person lives and acts is very kind, unlike so many negative criticisms through media (which is sadly true). Anyways, the respect Soo-Jin Kim shows to Mexico is amazing and loveable. Hope many people visit here and get to share the love. EDIT: Spelling
He is very respectful, loves Japan, and treats it like his home country. He knows its culture and the pros and cons of living there. I met him once on the streets of Tokyo, had coffee, and talked for about an hour about his experiences in the country, both good and bad.
Japan is one of my favorite countries as an American. The people are so beautiful and respectful and polite. I love learning about the culture there so that I can respect it more. It’s such an amazing and unique culture.
I really appreciate this video in two big ways. First, Chris really does deserve the recognition. Second, I feel sort of appreciated by the video too. I never made videos but I was this person in the middle east. I never met up with the westerners there. I befriended the people there, I learned about them, their culture, I did my best to respect it, even when the people around me weren't. I've done a lot to educate people back home, and I feel compelled to respond to ignorance related to Arabs, Islam, and the Gulf countries.
I don't know if I will ever have the option to go to Japan for a longer time but I think channels like Chris' definitely helped me feel like it might be possible. I stumbled across his content because I started learning Japanese for fun (I learned a few western languages, although I only speak 2) since it is very different from western languages. Diving deeper I got really fascinated with the country and hope to visit and maybe be able to speak to some Japanese people as well!
Love this video. I'm currently visiting Japan for my 4th time, and I love this place. There's something about this place that feels like a core part of my soul. Japan isn't free of problems, but it is a beautiful country, with amazing people, and places.
I have always been a huge fan of Chris Broad, from a young age - Japan and it’s culture fascinated me and I discovered Chris early on and I have learned so much about Japan through his videos and his podcast. He is a big role model for me being British myself ahaha and inspired me to start making content myself. Going to buy his book soon 😁 Your a star Chris! ❤🙏🏻💪🏻🥳
I love Chris and his content. I’ve never visited Japan but I want to. It’s obvious to me through his work that he does truly love the country. It is lovely that you recognized that ❤
Truthfully, I discovered Abroad in Japan around 2015, and it did make me want to go there for a holiday. So I started saving up and by 2019/20 I had saved enough for a month holiday. Howerver right then covid struck, so I had to delay until earlier this year, when I finally got the chance, from march to april I spent a month in Japan and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, I visited Tokyo, Aomori, Osaka, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. I went to as many places as I could, largely due to his videos. I truly loved my time in Japan and hope to go back one day. Love from Australia.
Chris broad gave me great advice before I traveled to Japan! His RUclips videos gave me insight into how a foreigner will be seen and how to act myself, he is great at what he does and hope more people visit Japan because of him. My advice is don’t be afraid of language barriers if you know English a lot of Japanese people speak it very well they are just shy or not confident with their abilities, or even better learn some Japanese to help ease the barriers. I found everyone who I spoke to was friendly,polite and very helpful!
I give respect to him. If this continues maybe hopefully in future make me more close to foreign like me to be friends in Japan. Plus it shows positive 😆. Hopefully no other RUclipsrs who don't respect the culture or law in Japan don't damage the relationship in future more as right now 😫 That my opinion
As a big fan of Chris Broad, I truely appreciate your video on him! I understand that Chris and other creators might not be for you, but it’s great to see his passion for his content and his love for Japan and to also see Japanese people understand his love and passion as well ❤ Chris is a phenominal creator that everyone should look up to when it comes to creating things because you love it ❤️
Chris is one of the reasons i visited Sendai. i wanted to see the recovery and restoration of the town after the damage. it was an interesting trip. the view from Yamadera was also quite nice. His takes on Japan and japanese culture are always informative and very interesting.
I can see how much respect you have for Chris. This is an amazing video you have produced. I think Chris will love it when he watches. My wife and I want to visit Japan and visit many of the places Chris has shown. He truly is an ambassador to Japan for the rest of us that need someone to identify with and learn from. Chris is a 10/10
I love the number one reason. I am disenchanted with anime myself, but there is so much more to Japan than anime, and Chris really helps showing us that
His videos have made me want to visit and even maybe live there if it’s as amazing when I visit as I think it is. I worry when I hear about Japan not being happy with number of tourists but your on my bucket list and I promise to do my best to respect the ways and culture when I do visit it’s part of what I love about the country
I enjoy his videos, get to see so much of your beautiful country through eyes and lens of someone who genuinely loves Japan is fantastic, he shows so much of your rich culture and places to see and people who are pleasant, fun, kind, Japan has always been a dream destination of mine hence why i watch so much of his videos. this video warms my heart to know that he is still loved and not shadowed by the disrespectful clowns who have been causing disruption and chaos recently.
As an American, I learned a lot about Japan from Chris Broad. He loves Japan and treats it with such respect and I'm so glad to hear that even Japanese people love him for the same reasons.
Chris was absolutely a role model for me in terms of how to approach moving to Japan. Working hard in language school (difficult, as I'm old and older brains struggle with language learning), making it a point to understand the culture as best I can and at least not make the same stupid mistakes twice, and so forth. Making friends goes slowly, but as the language skills improve that will get easier (and being too pushy too quickly would be a big fail in cultural understanding anyway). Fortunately, as a musician, music acts as a sort of side language that other musicians comprehend, regardless of nationality. Couldn't be happier up here in Sapporo...
This video was sponsored by Abroad in Japan. 😂 No seriously, you make all good points. I can see why Chris gets approval by the locals even though his channel is geared mainly towards non-Japanese. He isn't a jerk and shows respect and appreciation even through his jokes and jabs. His best work are actually the documentaries, even though as be bemoans they are not getting as many views as his other videos.
Been watching Chris Broad's channel for years now. What makes him so likable? There is a list of things I could mention, and some I may have forgotten. When he first arrived in Japan, he studied Japanese for two hours every single day. As far as I understand, he is fluent and has even won an award in some very publicized venue that respected his many efforts in that regard. He received an award of some kind for being the first to notify when a Tsunami was about to hit - the alarm function when he was still living in Sendai. On a personal note, this guy is very humble and self-deprecating and that may be his strongest and most likable characteristic. This post is getting too long, so I will end here.
i feel so emotional watching this; his content has NEVER gone down in quality, only up! he’s come so so far from just a humble english teacher to an amazing content creator and director with production quality of cinema level that really captures an audience.. he has extensive knowledge and connections and when he films he’s able to go to areas or experiences with his good reputation that many can’t, it makes such interesting content seeing places i’ve never heard of or had access to as they’re not the popular areas so thank you chris for all you do!!
I Love Chris, and he has taught me a lot about Japan. He has an excellent sense of humour and he seems down to earth and very genuine. I have a .question You mentioned weaboo . I studied Japanese all through high school and studied Japanese at university too. I am an anime fan, but my love of Japan stems from my love of Japanese metal and visual kei music. A lot of my favourite musicians are Japanese. Why does it matter if I'm an anime fan? I've made friends with lots of Japanese people and they were not bothered that I liked anime. In my experience I've always had great interactions with Japanese people and the fact that I used to be fluent in Japanese seemed to help too :) . Because I could communicate better than people who only speak English
The weeb thing gets blown out of proportion honestly, every native Japanese person I’ve met had no issue with anime fans or “weebs”, in fact many of them even get confused with why people on the internet would hate them, the worst weebs could actually do to offend them is complain about Japan not being like anime and claim to know more about the culture than Japanese themselves, or if you talk about a topic too much (notjust anime) it does annoy Japanese people, other than those they don’t have issues with weebs, even if you cosplayed in a non- convention public, they may look at you weird but not hate you for it…. It really all depends how you behave and what person.
@Shadow11614 Thank you for the well thought out reply! I consider myself to be easy to talk to . I usually get along better with fellow creative people because I'm a musician. Regardless, I think i'm very easy to get along with . Ah yes, the world could never be like an anime episode ! Haha, it would be wild to expect that! 🤣 . If I could visit an anime world , I would pick the universe of the Studio Ghibli film The Cat returns because I love cats ! 🐈 I certainly don't see the need for any hatred for anime fans or weebs. I don't really like the usage of the word weaboo , it just seems discriminatory to me That certainly makes sense. 👌 I have met a lot of lovely people from Japan :) . I find that most of the time, they are fascinated to learn about other cultures . When I studied the Japanese language at university, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of exchange students, and I have wonderful memories from those experiences 😊
The difference is that this guy knows and shows respect, and also knew how to adapt while other CC just wants clout and views. His looks and sense of humor are just a bonus.
Honestly the Tohoku area is my favorite part of Japan I have been to. Sendai seems to offer all the stuff you would expect from a big city but without the over population of Tokyo, the haste and trash of Osaka, or the pomp of Kyoto. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time in those cities, a little less in Osaka but maybe it was just the area I was in, but Sendai felt like home. Great people, great food, and the local Tohoku Daigaku is a great university. I would strongly recommend trying to apply if your school has a study abroad program with them.
@@AvioftheSand Yes and no. Compared to the other cities in the US I have been to it wasn't that bad. Compared to the other cities in Japan it was a lot worse. Litter on the ground, a bunch of street tag graffiti, and level of city grime that you see on the sidewalk and buildings. That and the area I was in was a shopping arcade, lots of little shops not the video game place, but the shops were almost always closed while I was there. Just felt bad. The people there also seemed to be in more of rush than other cities.
@@Xhalo1183I have to say I had opposing feelings. Osaka was one of my favourite places I went to in Japan (went to around 20 towns/cities) and Sendai was one of my least favourite. Osaka provided me with lots of unique experiences which I enjoyed, like spa world and 2 music festivals in went to, whereas Sendai was a bit too quiet at times I went to the giant Buddha statue and it was dead quiet and the site of the old castle on the hill was a bit unimpressive. I do understand the comment of everyone being in a rush and I believe where you stay makes a difference, I was in a nice calm residential area in Osaka and it was clean and relaxed.
@@mikeybraps2705 I'm glad to hear that you had a good time in Osaka. To be fair I spent the least time there and I didn't really get to see much of Osaka proper. Just the areas I did see were not great. I would be willing to go back and try again but I would need an actual plan. As for Sendai being quiet, I actually like that. I'm not big on the over crowded city so it was nice to have space in the city. I will say that those two spots are not very good. The locals don't really like the giant Buddha thing, at least from my conversations with them, and the castle grounds are pretty much just a look out spot. Great view but not much else. Still of all the places I went it had the best versions except pudding. The pudding winner was in Tokyo with a close second being in Atami. For me Osaka was a place to visit while Sendai felt more like home. Some place I would want to live.
Respected? Yes. Preserved? Not if they become a mental baggage that prevents people from enjoying life. There is a lot of things that many ancestral cultures (mine included) carry with them that but have become obsolete or, even, dangerous for the new generations. It is the responsibility of those living in a country to respect that culture but also to try to make it better (and criticizing it is part of that process). In the case of Japan, for example... are fax machines still necessary? Does overworking people have something to do with low birthrates? And does forcing them to go drinking with their bosses actually help to build team spirit? Those kind of things.
@@SystemBD I agree with you, and I think we may be coming from different angles. I'm more of the archeologist point where as it is important not to lose what happenend in history. 5,000 years from now they would probably go nuts if they dug up a fax machine. 😅
Well said! Especially the "I f**kin' love this guy" 😆 Abroad in Japan was/is one of my preferred ways of learning Japan for my March 2024 visit that was supposed to happen in 2020, but...yeah Covid sucks. I do hope to get at least a quick meet & greet with him when there.
I'm a long time subscriber since his teaching days. His content has always been good, even the stuff he just made in his room back then, but I'm really amazed at how far he's come.
When I was 19 internship at Japan Travel Bureau, I manage to learn more about tourism in Japan by watching his video. His video are not just entertaining but also well presented in every detail on each topic he make.
He treats everyplace that he's at like home... He is ultimately disgusted at people that don't treat it like it's their home - that's why we love him
well you know the saying: when in rome do as the romans do.
@@Floridamangaming729Agreed. But tell that to OTHER people who don’t respect that rule at all. 😑
That's an excellent observation 👍
I got hooked on his content even though I had been dreaming of visiting Japan since I was like 10, it helped me along with my friend who studied abroad for a year to understand the pride that gets taken in keeping the country a clean safe place. I visited in late 2019 with no issues, just observe and be polite. Still hope for a 2nd trip and I hope all the terrible Kick/other streamers that have caused issue don't dampen the welcome I feel I was given in most of the interactions I had.
@@RobertDniroLHC wtf are you saying? what has his skin color to do with anything? and even if so, is it wrong to love white people?
Respect. He's respectful.
He's honest about his opinions and he's willing to say if something is bad but never in a disrespectful way. He does crazy things but always in a respectful way.
And yet he only pushes the mainstream narratives about Japan and doesnt tell you any of the truth. How about that hes probably now joined Souka Gakkai to keep his "career" alive?
@@pilotamuroreiprobably.... got evidence?
@@pilotamurorei what a reach. You have proof of that, buddy?
Actually; he is a very rude white guy!!!
This is the main reason. He is always respectful. Where he agrees or not with something he is respectful.
Chris in a way is lucky to have stumbled upon Natsuki, who isn't quite your average Japanese guy to begin with, and Ryotaro, who has lived abroad in native English speaking countries for longer periods of time and has therefore learned to speak English well.
Can imagine a lot of other westerners being more unfortunate in that sense.
100%. Chris has been incredibly lucky in that sense. He literally bumped into Natsuki as a stranger on his walk home one evening and started a friendship. Natsuki is his not-so-secret weapon n has been a wildly popular character on his channel. He even made a movie titled after him when Chris hit a Patreon milestone. At the end of the day, it's luck + hard work
Plus him starting his channel in the first place, documenting his life in Japan for friends and family, which then slowly over many years evolved into what it is now.
To his credit he was not content with being an English teacher on the JET program, not learning the language and befriending just foreigners. He completely embraced his new home.
His videos seem very off the cuff, but they are carefully planned out and edited, nothing is outsourced. It's a great deal of hard work.
@@themountainwanderer Agreed. Many other youtubers who were much more intentional about RUclips as a career at the start have not fared nearly as well as Chris. He does outsource his camera work and he has a producer though haha..
@@thequaintguardian Ok, the outsourcing must be recent. He's gotten big enough I guess.
A😊
A loveletter that Chris absolutely NEEDS to hear and internalize. On behalf of Chris' viewers, thank you so much for making this. Especially at such a crucial time where expat streamers in Japan get such a bad rep. As an Abroad in Japan viewer for 8 years or so now, this makes me happy in a parasocial way :D
I mean, considering what some of the streamers who to to Japan get up to, a bad rep is kind of inevitable. Not that the expat/immigrant streamers are of the same ilk, but I can see how all foreigners would get painted with the same brush.
Chris is extremely loved both inside and outside Japan because he is incredibly awesome! He provides extremely accurate, and factual, information about living in the Japanese society (as a foreigner), and the lesser known parts of the country (to a foreigner). Chris is also absolutely hilarious to watch and listen to as well!
And he truly loves Japanese people... That is a big difference compared to some other foreign RUclipsrs that just travel for the culture.
Affable if you will! =P
@@RocKM001 I'd say he's Effable as well as Affable.
too bad he already have boyfriend😔
speak for yourself, I personally can't stand him
I guess it boils down to the simple fact that he treats Japan not like an attraction or theme park like Disney land, but like a country with people on it.
He’s genuine, and people can feel that.
素晴らしい要約👍
I like watching him. He does one thing right: he loves Japan. He really does. He educates foreigners about Japan, and you want to go see what he is showing. I watched another channel, Tokyo Llama. He is Australian, his wife is Japanese, and he bought a house in the countryside and rebuilt it with his Japanese inlaws, and it's amazing. All these shows are places and things most don't see, and when you see them, you want to go visit. And as an American who lived in Japan, I would always go out to the countryside to see things.
i am also subscribed to him
Dude, yeah! Tokyo Llama rocks! The whole journey renovating their house is so cool!
Yeah! Watch both as well! They are both entertaining and interesting
@@Lalaithlenhe's too affable
He's British.
This video makes me so happy. The fact the place and people that Chris loves so much, understand that and love him back. As a British person I am looking forward to whenever I can travel to Japan, and take a look at some of the wonderful, hidden places Chris has shown us.
As a British colonist I agree, it’s the British blood that makes us what we are. We are lucky like that.
He got into RUclips at a key time when it was still early in the platform and not saturated with many others doing the name, he respects Japanese culture and rules unlike a lot of modern streamers that have made the news, he puts effort into his videos and productions, and he doesn't mind being silly or the butt of the joke in order to be entertaining. He hasn't had any major scandal or drama in his personal life either that has leaked out to make him appear anything dramatically different than the person he seems like in his videos. It's pretty easy to see why he's easily likeable with most people.
this one, golden age youtube
thing is, there were plenty of travel bloggers esp in Japan by his time.
He stood the test of time because he kept improving his camera work and ideas, while staying grounded to his sense of comedy and sphere of influence.
That drew people to him, including the weeb crowd despite him not being one himself.
His videos are high production quality, but the content can be improved on I feel. It's often very sensationalist, which... it's hard to blame him where ctr is everything in the RUclips algorithm and clickbait unfortunately is effective.
Sometimes he twists the narrative in his favor. For example, when he wanted the narrative to be "Japan is neglecting its historical architecture for sleek, dull modernity," he showed how Harajuku Station, which featured Japanese architecture from the 19th century, was rebuilt into a boring glass building. The catch is, they actually built the glass structure to expand on the station, but the old station was replicated exactly how it was. In Chris's video, he only showed it from an angle where the replicated part was completely hidden. I could go into the specifics of why it had to be rebuilt, with earthquakes and wood and humidity, but I'll save you the snooze fest.
In short - it's admirable how hard he works and the production value rivals that of TV, but I would keep a level head and not automatically believe everything he says.
Nah J-vlogging was huge at the time
He is real. He is the same guy in person with no cameras on as you see in his videos.
I like how he doesn't take the content in the moment too seriously, but he takes the editing and presentation with great care. It makes it feel casual, while still clearly feeling like high effort content.
Mr Affable, as is his Trash Taste nickname, he really does love Japan, but he's also human. He's struggled with his weight, and has been really public about it. His friendship with Natsuki and Ryotaro is genuine, and they have a pretty good relationship.
I really like the tourism he promotes. He is the reason that when I retire, I'll probably come to northern Japan, and look at Akiya there. The climate is quite similar to Michigan.
I formerly worked for Fujitsu America, and like the culture. (with exception of the overworking )
What a coincidence; as someone who is also definitely wanting to visit and possibly even move to Japan permanently, Northern Japan is also the place where I would most likely go, because it's closer in climate to where I currently live in Michigan. Although I'm more of an urban person, so I'd most likely want to be in Sapporo in particular. It's almost exact too, some of the southern outskirts of Sapporo are right at the exact same latitude as Grand Rapids.
Under what visa exactly have you planned to retire in Japan?
I thought the Mr Affable nickname was from one of his 'negative comments' videos.
I think the same climate is the last thing I'd look for when leaving Michigan.
@@dandarr5035 You can guys can be friends.
His British sarcasm is priceless. Also his love and care towards Tohoku is so genuine that it always brings tears to my eyes when I see his documentaries on the subject.
I think in addition to what you said, which I all agree with:
- Chris doesn't take himself to seriously
- he is just crazy enough to do things that nobody else would like cycling around Japan. this generates attention and sympathy
- he learnt the language fluently
and yes, he loves Japan. he really does
Because he's white thats the number 1 reason, had it been a person of colour it wouldnt have been the same
@@AC-LING666 in Japanese history Caucasian people did more damage than people of color, but sure, go off, involve race in everything that has NOTHING to do with it
@@AC-LING666Stop projecting though, I had relatives in Japan who gets along well with their neighbors and they aren't white, we're dark browns . Considering that colored guy that constantly makes a nuisance in Japan and gave streamers a bad rep had gone away scott free for a very long time until it was too much just tells you the patience of the people around him before it was too much and arrested him. And there's several black people who have , half black and jap kids still choosing Japan for their kids than America because of their experience in their own country in bullying , tells you something.
@@AC-LING666How can you know that?
@@AC-LING666 when in doubt pull the race card
You say you are a bit insecure about your english but outside of a bit of a accent I've had no trouble understanding you!
Great video keep it up!
Bro, a Broad abroad is broadly speaking the best thing that has occurred to Japanophiles. He gives Foreigners a much better face in Japan, and he's genuinely one of the most open-minded and genuinely kindhearted people that I've seen walk this earth of ours. I hope he lives long and prospers because everyone's lives get a bit better with Chris Broad and his channel A Broad in Japan.
Good Pun !
Innit, Maybe this is a bit weird but I started watching because he gave a much more realistic view of Japan that is both good and bad - I'm not so into people who kinda worship but also positively discriminate, and it gives an innnacurate view of things. His British cyniscm is refreshing for me and just feels more down to earth
He has a Broad Body :)
I'm German and I'm old (60+) but I've always had a certain affinity for Asia. But I never had the opportunity to visit Asia. I also have some difficulty with languages, e.g. German.
Chris not only introduced me to Japan and its culture but also to English as a language.
Chris is one of the best ambassadors for Japan I have ever seen. All the points and some more you mentioned are reasons why I like him.
Unfortunately I will never have the opportunity to travel Japan but Chris does it for me, especially the things that are off the beaten tourist track.
He has met so many extraordinary Japanese personalities and given us such deep insights into them that it is nothing short of a miracle. Perhaps he will be given the opportunity to meet the emperor one day. If nothing else, you are allowed to dream. For me, it would be the culmination of my personal dreams.
I hope he makes many more such wonderful videos about Japan for the world and for me.
Nothing would please me more, for Japan, for Chris and for me.
In a comedic perspective, his humor is in forms of skits, visual humor and sarcastic remarks. The Japanese love visual humor and the west loves sarcasm, and everyone loves skits. His humorous personality definitely fits in perfectly as a content creator foreigner living in Japan
I was also thinking about how his humor hits all the notes.
He's opened my eyes to Japan and the Japanese people. I'm American, not British, by the way. Sometimes we have trouble with his accent, too! 😁
I had no idea he was so popular in Japan. Thanks for this perspective. I think there are a lot of us who are very grateful for Japan in some way and care about its problems. That's one of the reasons we watch your channel.
Kinda surreal to see how famous he is, I remember first finding his videos a decade ago when he was still doing basic low quality vlogs in his living room discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly while still teaching english.
Tohoku is such a great region! My wife is Japanese and her parents live in Yonezawa, which is in Yamagata prefecture. I love the area and is very rustic unlike the Tokyo metro plus it's not super hot and humid during the summer.
Why am I getting emotional watching this. 🤣 I just love seeing Chris be so appreciated. 🥲
I do hope he see this video. 😄
After 0:44 I'm confident he wrote the script for this video
@@Paul-hq7gf 😆😆
@@Paul-hq7gf LMAO agreed!
@@Paul-hq7gf dude set up the jokes for chris.
Chris has one of my favorite youtube channels ever specifically because its clear how much he loves and respects both the culture and the people of Japan. I studied Japanese for 3 years but I've never had the money to be able to afford to travel, so Chris's videos have been a means for me to 'travel' from inside my home and I appreciate it so much.
Can you speak Japanese fully after studying for 3 years?
@@hedgehogthesonic3181 not in the slightest lol I was at like maybe middle schooler level. Now I'm out of practice so much less than that; kanji and grammar are unfortunately the first things to go when you don't use them frequently.
@@sorah8850 Yeah i noticed that, once i slowed down studying Kanji, it seems like the brain forgets about these very fast. The fastest way to learn them is to use them everyday in daily life, and to do that i would have to move to Japan but that's something i can not do right now.
@@hedgehogthesonic3181 I tried to do the JET program and made it to the interview stage but honestly my anxiety was not under control that year so I didn't do as well with the interview as I should have & therefore did not continue with the process.
The interview was in Japanese? @@sorah8850
A lot of people view criticism as hate or an attack towards them when in reality it's the opposite. Those who criticize do it because they want to see improvement and not have mistakes be repeated. Those who cannot handle criticism are stubborn and too prideful in themselves. If someone tells you what you need to hear, they're trying to help you do better. When someone tells you what you want to hear, they're trying to make you do worse. Chris Broad is trying to make both foreigners and Japan do better.
He's a blue collared British. Bantering, Criticising and Sarcastically making fun of everything and everyone is their nation sport, second only to football hooliganism.😅
It's also about higher aspirations. In South Africa if you don't want people to get murdered and their lifestyles deteriorated, you're negative. So I left those "proudly murder capital of the world" people.
You have no idea how much I keep bottled up, because most people around me in real life see all negative comments as nothing more then an attack.
Yep! I had to reprogram myself not to ever offer suggestions because of how sensitive people are. I grew up in music and loved getting critiques. If someone didn’t care about you they wouldn’t bother listening to you, helping edit your papers, etc so I always saw it as a positive interaction… until everyone else didn’t 😂
@@ItsBAndBees It is peculiar how a lot of people these days can't take critique at all, although everyone is a pampered brat these days, especially in the west, not enough punches headed their direction and not enough beatings by their parents in their childhood to toughen them up in the first place. I mean when one has to go back to barbarism to get people to toughen up, coddling people has gone way too far.
I've never taken anything in life for granted, and I might be a spiteful bigoted cunt, but at least I care a lot about those around me, physically, emotionally and monetarily.
And I prefer when people give me critique, because how else am I supposed to grow, if I'm never to learn what I'm doing wrong, or methods to improve what I do.
It's always better to heed the words of those who are more knowledgeable because having to find out stuff via trial and error makes it way harder a journey in life.
Let insults be shed like water off a duck, and may critique turn the gears in your noggin.
I've been subscribed to chris since the beginning and the guy is really respectful with Japanese people and their culture. He literally was the first ever youtuber in japan starting in 2012 and Japanese people actually watches his content. The guy is just loved for sharing his love of the culture of japan. It's not that hard to understand once you hear his background of him threw out the decade of living in japan.
He actually moved to Sakata in August 2012 on the JET program, but I agree with everything else you said. Just wanted to make sure the facts are straight. 😊
@@vspence2 oh yeah my mistake. 😅
_"He literally was the first ever youtuber in japan starting in 2012"_
There were people regularly making Japan videos before that.
He literally is not.. i love the guyy, don't get me wrong.
He may be the first 'very succesful' - foreign and englisch speaking - RUclipsr in Japan but he is not the first making Videos like that about Japan - But of course , Chris has his own style and ideas for videos.
You have to remember: This platform, RUclips, is almost 20 years old - there have been many more 'RUclipsrs' 'like Chris loooong before him.
First that come to mind are people like 'TokyoCooney', 'Iwate Swam', Eleven Colors' and Danny Choo!!
Many of them made 'Vlogs' and Blogs, talking about places they visited, food, culture and these guys have/had 'the same love and respect' for Japan.
The videos back then were not as 'intense' and well produced like the Videos Chris is making but still the same 'content'.
You have to remember - This was in the early to mid 00's.
People didnt have phones with good cameras, there wasn't WLAN/Internet everywhere, videos on youtube only had a playtime of 10 minutes so you had to make part1, part 2 and so on for 'longer videos'.
There was no 'algorithm' and how you search and find videos was a totaly different thing.
There was also a German Documentary-TV Channel, with a small Studio in Japan and they made a RUclips Account very early because they saw the potential of the site and they made a lot of videos just like Chris, about Japan.
But they only spoke german and had english subtitles.
They made the exact same content as Chris and the series was called 'Es Muss Nicht Immer Sushi sein' `(translates to 'It doesn't always have to be sushi') and they had about 30 or 40 Videos with a decent playtime of 30 to 60 minutes.
You could argue that these people had a 'Crew' and bigger budget because they got paid from a big german TV company/channel but they only made videos on/for RUclips.
Later on they shortened the videos and released some of it for german TV.
@@carn1fex_yeah the content on Japan was always very popular but Chris blew up cause his early videos were so iconic. Like the dancing robot strip club and oddities of Japan. Most others didn't delve that deep into Japan and mostly focused on learning Japanese and anime
Chris' videos often feature things that even natives don't know about, such as creepy dolls in an abandoned village, some weird capsule hotel from Showa, etc. Those videos make even natives want to explore their own country. He has quite some talent for finding charm in things and articulating it. That might be somewhat similar to the spirit of Haiku, you know, wabi-sabi, paying attention to details, appreciating them, describing them concisely and all that.
I watch Chris Abroad in Japan his honest no bullshit approach is why I like watching him. One of his recent video's about Fukushima has made me put that area on my places to go to next time in Japan which all going well will be 2025. My last visit in October 2023 I went to Tokyo Hamamatsu Kobe Nagoya and Motegi. As a foreigner I know being polite and respectful are very important things to never forget.
I mean as a general content creator he is loved, his documentary style of videos are really good almost like on par, nay even better than what BBC or NHK could come up with and he should know since at some point he did work with them, he has mastered the documentary style video just in his stay in Japan and honestly that says a lot, he really managed to make a documentary entertaining and not just informative and his tip videos where he just talks to us mano e mano on the camera are very well done and well articulated.
I love Chris's videos. He's very respectful, no matter where he goes. He's very funny, and genuine. When he has negative things to say, he does try too be as polite as possible, or puts a little humor into the critique to soften it.
He's done his best to learn the language. His pronunciation is understandable, and he makes an effort to use it wherever he can.
He treats Japan like his home. He shows us parts of Japan we might not notice or know about. He loves the road less traveled.
I want to go back to Japan and visit done if the places he's shown.
Chris is truly...affable.
I'm originally from the same general area as Chris, I apologise for our accent and humour which can be an acquired taste 😅
These days I work in Hong Kong so me and my wife like to try and come to Japan at least once a year to visit, but we come for skiing and our favourite place is actually Niigata prefecture. It is still yet to be overrun by the hoards of foreign tourists that descend on the bigger Hokkaido resorts or even Hakuba, and the local people were so hospitable that it took my breath away. We can't wait to go back in January for our honeymoon
If you like skiing. I definitely recommend to try the ski resorts in Tohoku.
APPI Kogen in Iwate Prefecture
Or
Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Yamagata prefecture.
Both are amazing and they have less crowd even compared to Niigata.
But dry british humour is the best!
I'm English and moved to Hong Kong ten years ago. I recently left and repatriated. Ten years working in local schools in Kowloon and I'd had enough 🤣
"just like Steven Spielberg" LOL I can just imagine Chris' reaction to reading that.
I get a sense possibly the English style of sarcasm has been deployed (also with James bond reference). Sorry chris, just a theory..
A friend of mine just got back from taking a bike trip across the Japan's south eastern territories. He named Chris as one of his inspirations for going. I can't wait to take my own trip.
I'm English and I moved to Hong Kong the same year Chris Broad moved to Japan. Conquering the language barrier is absolutely key. It opens up so many opportunities. Mr. Broad achieved this and explored Japan with humility, curiosity and open-mindedness. Combine that with his skills for film making and you have his recipe for success. I've been to Japan many times and have a deep love for the country. Mr. Broad deserves all the very best of success. He has forged a great life and career out of it. I would love to meet him someday.
"number 1: he's not a weaboo". and immediately goes on to the second reason 💀💀💀
Maybe not as much for Japanese people, but I think what makes Chris so popular with other native English speakers around the globe is, in part, his British humour. He is very much your standard English bloke with the sarcasm that we Brits ate known for. And yes, he does lean into it a bit more when on camera, but it works well.
He is very relatable, and as Japanese audiences get more used to foreign content may understand the intricate humor. To smoothen the barrier he also picks on himself a lot.
I bet everyone respect Chris for pushing himself outside his comfort zone. To me, he seems like an introverted person with a lot of "guts" (pun intended) but he still gets into social settings and he is very well-mannered and witty, so he get along with anyone. He's one of those people who you will be friends with for the rest of your life, and I think people from anywhere pick up on that :)
Not to mention that he did the crazy bike travel tour and did see it thhrough, he really is inspiring. Ok he is lovely and that , but that might be his most inspiring.
Chris is awesome. Not only is he entertaining and visits places that not everybody has been to or visited, but his chemistry with both Ryotaro and Natsuki is unmatched. They bring out the best in Chris and make his videos so much better.
Honestly i like this because it is a great quick montage of a lot of Chris's greatest videos and moments. But also truly boiled down who Chris is as a person under all the layers of sarcasm and showmanship.
I liked this video because it talks about the language barrier. I was in Japan and I felt everyone was very polite and they tried to communicate with me however they could. When I had just moved to the US and I was still learning English a lot of people would just give me the "what!? I don't understand what you are saying" without making an effort, I clearly look like a foreigner, why do you expect me to speak like a native? A lot of people don't wanna face the fact that there is still a lot of racism specially against asian countries in the US. My experience in Japan was 100% positive.
Chris, Paolo, John, Sharla, Anming, the whole Trash Taste gang and ofcourse, You: all have made my trip to Japan way easier en convenient. Throughout the years, they prepared me when it comes what to arrange up front, public transport, food, basic Japanese speaking, etiquette and so on. I can’t thank you all enough for that. As a kid I always wanted to go to Japan but it just seemed so far away because of all the differences. Years later and a lot of time spending on RUclips it felt like second home when I eventually got to visit. Applying the knowledge I gathered through them all I had a great time and I don’t have to think twice about visiting again!
Yes! Nice!! If you love them so much, go and eat them!!!!
@@Myriel67Not into that my guy! 😂
YES! This exactly
What a great video. Chris Broad is great and I love his videos. I'm very glad the Japanese people love him, too. ちばけんにすんでいました. I discovered his videos after I left Japan during the Covid Pandemic. I'm currently learning Japanese so I can return to Japan. がんばっれます!! 😁
I love the brevity of reason Number 1. Doesn't need any further explanation.
His promotion of Tohoku has been hugely influential on me. I've wanted to visit Japan for a long time but I've always been put off by all the material out there for tourists because it's all pretty much the same, it's just Tokyo and Kyoto which are too built up and too bright and loud for me. Chris has shown his viewers a lot of things and places that don't get much attention even within Japan. I remember he and Sharla visited Takko in one video and as an avid garlic lover I was really intrigued, if I ever do get around to visiting Japan that will most likely be one of my destinations.
it's amazing how just searching for japanese retro video games years ago yt recommended chris's channel
been a fan ever since
It's been very cool seeing him grow as a content creator from early youtube to what he is now.
I love watching Abroad in japan and tokyo lens, becuz they show u. How they love japan genuinely
I've followed Chris for years and what kept me tuned into his content is his respect, understanding, and consistency and continual improvement in his videos. He is well spoken and also has many interesting video topics which makes you curious to click his videos despite it being something that initially may seem uninteresting.
I Love his content, makes me love to go back to japan everytime i watch his channel. Im from the Philippines but I consider Japan as my 2nd home :)
I have been following him for years. He’s funny and it’s obvious that he genuinely loves Japan, along with all the idiosyncrasies of Japanese culture.
It’s such a beautiful country, but it can be totally beyond comprehension for a foreigner. Chris is rather like our tour guide.
Abroad in Japan is one of my most favorite youtubers. I watch all his videos and his podcasts as well. He is also the reason why I want to visit Tohoku region because of his vlogs in the area. Chris and his team are really fun to watch.
I've followed Chris for years now and at this point I can relate with your comments since I'm Mexican and there's a similar situation going on here.
A native Korean recently moved to Mexico and has been sharing Mexico's culture around the world and learning traditions, explaining how the common person lives and acts is very kind, unlike so many negative criticisms through media (which is sadly true). Anyways, the respect Soo-Jin Kim shows to Mexico is amazing and loveable. Hope many people visit here and get to share the love.
EDIT: Spelling
He is very respectful, loves Japan, and treats it like his home country. He knows its culture and the pros and cons of living there. I met him once on the streets of Tokyo, had coffee, and talked for about an hour about his experiences in the country, both good and bad.
Japan is one of my favorite countries as an American. The people are so beautiful and respectful and polite. I love learning about the culture there so that I can respect it more. It’s such an amazing and unique culture.
I really appreciate this video in two big ways. First, Chris really does deserve the recognition. Second, I feel sort of appreciated by the video too. I never made videos but I was this person in the middle east. I never met up with the westerners there. I befriended the people there, I learned about them, their culture, I did my best to respect it, even when the people around me weren't. I've done a lot to educate people back home, and I feel compelled to respond to ignorance related to Arabs, Islam, and the Gulf countries.
Nice
So cool to hear one of my very favorite RUclipsrs praising another of my very favorite RUclipsrs.
I don't know if I will ever have the option to go to Japan for a longer time but I think channels like Chris' definitely helped me feel like it might be possible. I stumbled across his content because I started learning Japanese for fun (I learned a few western languages, although I only speak 2) since it is very different from western languages. Diving deeper I got really fascinated with the country and hope to visit and maybe be able to speak to some Japanese people as well!
Love this video. I'm currently visiting Japan for my 4th time, and I love this place. There's something about this place that feels like a core part of my soul. Japan isn't free of problems, but it is a beautiful country, with amazing people, and places.
This is why chris is the most affable man alive. His passion, dedication and excellent cinematography to promoting japan is like no other.
This is honestly one of my favourite videos on youtube ever. Like it is such a beautiful respect paid to Chris in this video. Great work Nobita
I have always been a huge fan of Chris Broad, from a young age - Japan and it’s culture fascinated me and I discovered Chris early on and I have learned so much about Japan through his videos and his podcast. He is a big role model for me being British myself ahaha and inspired me to start making content myself. Going to buy his book soon 😁 Your a star Chris! ❤🙏🏻💪🏻🥳
True friends tell the truth and not only the positive. Especially when they really care.
Who is this guy? He looks so affable.
I love Chris and his content. I’ve never visited Japan but I want to. It’s obvious to me through his work that he does truly love the country. It is lovely that you recognized that ❤
MR AFFABLE!!!!
I found Chris during Covid and he made me want to visit Japan. Abroadinjapan is still my comfort channel
Truthfully, I discovered Abroad in Japan around 2015, and it did make me want to go there for a holiday. So I started saving up and by 2019/20 I had saved enough for a month holiday. Howerver right then covid struck, so I had to delay until earlier this year, when I finally got the chance, from march to april I spent a month in Japan and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, I visited Tokyo, Aomori, Osaka, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. I went to as many places as I could, largely due to his videos.
I truly loved my time in Japan and hope to go back one day. Love from Australia.
Chris broad gave me great advice before I traveled to Japan! His RUclips videos gave me insight into how a foreigner will be seen and how to act myself, he is great at what he does and hope more people visit Japan because of him. My advice is don’t be afraid of language barriers if you know English a lot of Japanese people speak it very well they are just shy or not confident with their abilities, or even better learn some Japanese to help ease the barriers. I found everyone who I spoke to was friendly,polite and very helpful!
I give respect to him. If this continues maybe hopefully in future make me more close to foreign like me to be friends in Japan. Plus it shows positive 😆.
Hopefully no other RUclipsrs who don't respect the culture or law in Japan don't damage the relationship in future more as right now 😫
That my opinion
As a big fan of Chris Broad, I truely appreciate your video on him! I understand that Chris and other creators might not be for you, but it’s great to see his passion for his content and his love for Japan and to also see Japanese people understand his love and passion as well ❤
Chris is a phenominal creator that everyone should look up to when it comes to creating things because you love it ❤️
Chris is one of the reasons i visited Sendai. i wanted to see the recovery and restoration of the town after the damage. it was an interesting trip. the view from Yamadera was also quite nice. His takes on Japan and japanese culture are always informative and very interesting.
Nice Review, I love Chris's work, he has compelled me to study the language and the culture :)
I can see how much respect you have for Chris. This is an amazing video you have produced. I think Chris will love it when he watches. My wife and I want to visit Japan and visit many of the places Chris has shown. He truly is an ambassador to Japan for the rest of us that need someone to identify with and learn from. Chris is a 10/10
I love the number one reason. I am disenchanted with anime myself, but there is so much more to Japan than anime, and Chris really helps showing us that
He is very respectfull of Japanese people and their culture. He even learned japanese very well.
His videos have made me want to visit and even maybe live there if it’s as amazing when I visit as I think it is. I worry when I hear about Japan not being happy with number of tourists but your on my bucket list and I promise to do my best to respect the ways and culture when I do visit it’s part of what I love about the country
He's handsome and got a broad audience.
I see what you did there.
Nice 😂
Yeah he is kinda cute though. And I am like damn, he is such a adorable goofball, AND I LIKE COMEDIC MEN AND MEN WITH HUMOR ARE MY WEAKNESS 😭😭😩😩
this comment
I enjoy his videos, get to see so much of your beautiful country through eyes and lens of someone who genuinely loves Japan is fantastic, he shows so much of your rich culture and places to see and people who are pleasant, fun, kind, Japan has always been a dream destination of mine hence why i watch so much of his videos. this video warms my heart to know that he is still loved and not shadowed by the disrespectful clowns who have been causing disruption and chaos recently.
What a beautiful age, with a bit of love and care, enduring bridges can be built that will create harmony and peace
I like how the first reason is because he's not a weeb 😂😂😂
As an American, I learned a lot about Japan from Chris Broad. He loves Japan and treats it with such respect and I'm so glad to hear that even Japanese people love him for the same reasons.
Chris was absolutely a role model for me in terms of how to approach moving to Japan. Working hard in language school (difficult, as I'm old and older brains struggle with language learning), making it a point to understand the culture as best I can and at least not make the same stupid mistakes twice, and so forth. Making friends goes slowly, but as the language skills improve that will get easier (and being too pushy too quickly would be a big fail in cultural understanding anyway). Fortunately, as a musician, music acts as a sort of side language that other musicians comprehend, regardless of nationality.
Couldn't be happier up here in Sapporo...
I love Japan and can't wait to come back again. Chris is an inspiration. 😀
This video was sponsored by Abroad in Japan. 😂 No seriously, you make all good points. I can see why Chris gets approval by the locals even though his channel is geared mainly towards non-Japanese. He isn't a jerk and shows respect and appreciation even through his jokes and jabs. His best work are actually the documentaries, even though as be bemoans they are not getting as many views as his other videos.
Been watching Chris Broad's channel for years now. What makes him so likable? There is a list of things I could mention, and some I may have forgotten.
When he first arrived in Japan, he studied Japanese for two hours every single day. As far as I understand, he is fluent and has even won an award in some very publicized venue that respected his many efforts in that regard.
He received an award of some kind for being the first to notify when a Tsunami was about to hit - the alarm function when he was still living in Sendai.
On a personal note, this guy is very humble and self-deprecating and that may be his strongest and most likable characteristic.
This post is getting too long, so I will end here.
wow! it's awesome hearing from a Japanese perspective. Thank you for creating this video!
Oh wow, been following him for years and had no Idea he had this much effect on the Japanese.
British and Japanese have closer cultures compared with American and Japanese.
really enjoyed your video! Also wanted to compliment your english, very well spoken and good vocabulary.
i feel so emotional watching this; his content has NEVER gone down in quality, only up! he’s come so so far from just a humble english teacher to an amazing content creator and director with production quality of cinema level that really captures an audience.. he has extensive knowledge and connections and when he films he’s able to go to areas or experiences with his good reputation that many can’t, it makes such interesting content seeing places i’ve never heard of or had access to as they’re not the popular areas so thank you chris for all you do!!
After years of being subscribed to Abroad in Japan, this is the first time I see/hear someone calling it "Christopher", his actual name.
I Love Chris, and he has taught me a lot about Japan. He has an excellent sense of humour and he seems down to earth and very genuine.
I have a .question
You mentioned weaboo .
I studied Japanese all through high school and studied Japanese at university too.
I am an anime fan, but my love of Japan stems from my love of Japanese metal and visual kei music. A lot of my favourite musicians are Japanese.
Why does it matter if I'm an anime fan? I've made friends with lots of Japanese people and they were not bothered that I liked anime. In my experience I've always had great interactions with Japanese people and the fact that I used to be fluent in Japanese seemed to help too :) . Because I could communicate better than people who only speak English
The weeb thing gets blown out of proportion honestly, every native Japanese person I’ve met had no issue with anime fans or “weebs”, in fact many of them even get confused with why people on the internet would hate them, the worst weebs could actually do to offend them is complain about Japan not being like anime and claim to know more about the culture than Japanese themselves, or if you talk about a topic too much (notjust anime) it does annoy Japanese people, other than those they don’t have issues with weebs, even if you cosplayed in a non- convention public, they may look at you weird but not hate you for it…. It really all depends how you behave and what person.
There is a difference between someone who is fan of anime, and a weeaboo
@Shadow11614
Thank you for the well thought out reply!
I consider myself to be easy to talk to . I usually get along better with fellow creative people because I'm a musician. Regardless, I think i'm very easy to get along with .
Ah yes, the world could never be like an anime episode ! Haha, it would be wild to expect that! 🤣 . If I could visit an anime world , I would pick the universe of the Studio Ghibli film The Cat returns because I love cats ! 🐈
I certainly don't see the need for any hatred for anime fans or weebs. I don't really like the usage of the word weaboo , it just seems discriminatory to me
That certainly makes sense. 👌 I have met a lot of lovely people from Japan :) . I find that most of the time, they are fascinated to learn about other cultures . When I studied the Japanese language at university, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of exchange students, and I have wonderful memories from those experiences 😊
Just commenting to say id listen to an audio book with your voice its very calming
He's very afable and people recognise him on the street, he's always approached by fans who ask "are you youtuber!?"
The difference is that this guy knows and shows respect, and also knew how to adapt while other CC just wants clout and views. His looks and sense of humor are just a bonus.
Honestly the Tohoku area is my favorite part of Japan I have been to. Sendai seems to offer all the stuff you would expect from a big city but without the over population of Tokyo, the haste and trash of Osaka, or the pomp of Kyoto. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time in those cities, a little less in Osaka but maybe it was just the area I was in, but Sendai felt like home. Great people, great food, and the local Tohoku Daigaku is a great university. I would strongly recommend trying to apply if your school has a study abroad program with them.
"Trash of Osaka"? Is Osaka dirty like Western cities? Just genuinely curious because I've never been to Japan.
@@AvioftheSand Yes and no. Compared to the other cities in the US I have been to it wasn't that bad. Compared to the other cities in Japan it was a lot worse. Litter on the ground, a bunch of street tag graffiti, and level of city grime that you see on the sidewalk and buildings. That and the area I was in was a shopping arcade, lots of little shops not the video game place, but the shops were almost always closed while I was there. Just felt bad. The people there also seemed to be in more of rush than other cities.
@@Xhalo1183I have to say I had opposing feelings. Osaka was one of my favourite places I went to in Japan (went to around 20 towns/cities) and Sendai was one of my least favourite. Osaka provided me with lots of unique experiences which I enjoyed, like spa world and 2 music festivals in went to, whereas Sendai was a bit too quiet at times I went to the giant Buddha statue and it was dead quiet and the site of the old castle on the hill was a bit unimpressive. I do understand the comment of everyone being in a rush and I believe where you stay makes a difference, I was in a nice calm residential area in Osaka and it was clean and relaxed.
@@mikeybraps2705 I'm glad to hear that you had a good time in Osaka. To be fair I spent the least time there and I didn't really get to see much of Osaka proper. Just the areas I did see were not great. I would be willing to go back and try again but I would need an actual plan. As for Sendai being quiet, I actually like that. I'm not big on the over crowded city so it was nice to have space in the city. I will say that those two spots are not very good. The locals don't really like the giant Buddha thing, at least from my conversations with them, and the castle grounds are pretty much just a look out spot. Great view but not much else. Still of all the places I went it had the best versions except pudding. The pudding winner was in Tokyo with a close second being in Atami. For me Osaka was a place to visit while Sendai felt more like home. Some place I would want to live.
We love him cause he's a nice guy!!!!
Europeans don't think of him as handsome.
All ancient cultures need to be RESPECTED and PRESERVED. Love ya buddy. 😂
Respected? Yes. Preserved? Not if they become a mental baggage that prevents people from enjoying life. There is a lot of things that many ancestral cultures (mine included) carry with them that but have become obsolete or, even, dangerous for the new generations. It is the responsibility of those living in a country to respect that culture but also to try to make it better (and criticizing it is part of that process).
In the case of Japan, for example... are fax machines still necessary? Does overworking people have something to do with low birthrates? And does forcing them to go drinking with their bosses actually help to build team spirit? Those kind of things.
@@SystemBD I agree with you, and I think we may be coming from different angles. I'm more of the archeologist point where as it is important not to lose what happenend in history. 5,000 years from now they would probably go nuts if they dug up a fax machine. 😅
Well said! Especially the "I f**kin' love this guy" 😆 Abroad in Japan was/is one of my preferred ways of learning Japan for my March 2024 visit that was supposed to happen in 2020, but...yeah Covid sucks. I do hope to get at least a quick meet & greet with him when there.
I'm a long time subscriber since his teaching days. His content has always been good, even the stuff he just made in his room back then, but I'm really amazed at how far he's come.
When I was 19 internship at Japan Travel Bureau, I manage to learn more about tourism in Japan by watching his video. His video are not just entertaining but also well presented in every detail on each topic he make.
He should actually run for Japanese parliament. He will win
Watching his videos. Japan is and was one of the places I wanted to visit but after watching a lot of his videos. I want to go even more and visit.