Abroad in Japan

Two videos in one week?
It must be an April fools prank!
ALAS, it's real - honestly, I knew the UFO topic might alienate (pun not intended) a fair few viewers. So I wanted something else to balance it out. Predictably, Youtube didn't push the UFO episode but if you missed it, go give it a watch! Have a great week folks.

3 days ago | [YT] | 7,634

Abroad in Japan

Matsumoto Castle. Built in 1594. Painted black for aesthetic purposes and to help weather proof the structure, they nicknamed it the “Crow Castle” because of its dark exterior.

With each passing year I have a growing appreciation for Japanese castles, as I’ve come to realise how few of them survived (Sendai castle for example, is now just a few bricks in the dirt after it got hit by lightning).

Unlike most castles, Matsumoto is not a modern reconstruction. It somehow dodged war, fire, earthquakes, and the Meiji government’s bright idea to demolish anything feudal.

Well worth a trip out to Matsumoto to see in person and take a look round inside. It’s the perfect contrast to Himeji.

(Snapped this last week).

1 week ago | [YT] | 12,011

Abroad in Japan

🌟 From Hokkaido to Nagasaki, hundreds of travellers are already using JourneyJapan eSIM to enjoy super-fast internet the moment they touch down in Japan.

To celebrate an amazing first month since launch, we’re kicking off our first promotion of 2025 in style!

Drop by LOST Bar in Shibuya and show your JourneyJapan eSIM—you’ll get ¥500 off your first cocktail (or mocktail). No strings attached.

Because after a 12-hour flight, we all deserve a proper drink.🍹🍸

Get connected from the moment you land with JJESIM, and we’ll see you at the bar.
- Safe travels, and kanpai! 🌟

1 week ago | [YT] | 6,831

Abroad in Japan

I try to revisit Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park once a year. Now more than ever before it feels like a more potent reminder of the troubling reality of nuclear weapons.

When I was student - around 18 years old - everyone in the class had to give a presentation about any topic that we found interesting (under the guise of public speaking practice).

While most other students chose football, food or TV, for some reason I felt compelled to give mine on nuclear weapons. I think initially the naive kid in me was in awe that mankind had created a weapon the size of a car that could destroy an entire city. But the more I researched the more I realised it was more horrifying than anything I could have imagined.

The turning point was learning that a single modern ICBM such as the Russian R36 can carry up to TEN independently targetable warheads. Each warhead carrying an astonishing payload of around 500 kilotons (33 times larger than the Hiroshima bomb which was just 15kt).

I remember giving the presentation on what a single missile would look like if it was deployed over London (50 miles from our school) and hearing gasps in the room. Nobody in the class really knew or appreciated what modern weapons could do.

Hiroshima is a city of hope.
But there’s no reason to feel particularly hopeful in a nuclear war.

Sometimes watching the news it feels like we’re living in a world before the inevitable, as countries rapidly grow their stockpiles, more nations acquire them and others recklessly threaten to use them. Honestly, I wish I could feel more optimistic about it all.

But with all things existential, it’s a constant reminder to enjoy each and everyday and to make every moment count. Ultimately, now is all we have.

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 17,299

Abroad in Japan

It's episodes like today's road trip adventure with Natsuki, that remind me how grateful I am to get to do this still after 12.5 long years. Especially with Natsuki himself!
One of my favourite shoots in recent years. Be sure to sit back and enjoy today's Abroad in Japan episode on a big screen - a glorious 4k adventure filled with fried chicken, dinosaurs and Ray Charles.
🍿OUT now on Youtube!

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 13,047

Abroad in Japan

Hiked into the snowy mountains of Nagano today to freeze to pieces, while a bunch of smug monkeys lounged around in a hot spring like Roman Emperors.

Legend has it back in the 1960s, one genius macaque dived into a hot spring to grab a fallen apple, then decided to stay in the water. The rest followed, and now their descendants continue to carry on this groundbreaking tradition.

Hard to deny Japan’s macaques have absolutely won the animal kingdom lottery! Absolute legends 🇯🇵

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 12,113

Abroad in Japan

HBO used to give us The Sopranos & The Wire.
Now they’re giving us a show about a guy who exploits the dead for views.

The last time one of the Paul brothers came to Japan it certainly was unhinged, unscripted and unfiltered. And it certainly wasn't anything to be proud of. Most people here haven't forgotten that.

When you think of all the incredible stories HBO could've told with the budget wasted on this series it's genuinely tragic. The fall of a once great platform.

Honestly, a decade ago, I naively thought Youtube & Twitch would birth a new generation of filmmakers & artists. But instead of creativity, we've just ended up living in an era where the loudest, most toxic influencers seem to reap the greatest rewards without consequences.

4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 27,495

Abroad in Japan

Tokyo’s first cherry blossom of 2025 has arrived! 🌸
(Rather early it seems😅)

Still the main event is currently forecast for around March 29th in Tokyo/Osaka and April 2nd in Kyoto. Looking forward to it!

1 month ago | [YT] | 14,560

Abroad in Japan

This is what the end of a friendship looks like.
For the first time in Wacky Weekend history we made Connor walk off the shoot.
It was awkward, it was cathartic, it was revenge at its finest.
🍿 Enjoy today's episode guys - out now on Abroad in Japan!

(P.S. We tried to take the cinematography up a level on this one. Hope we succeeded!)

1 month ago | [YT] | 20,535

Abroad in Japan

Thanks to everyone who endured Abroad in Japan in 2024!

I feel so absurdly grateful to still be able to do this after 12 long years, alongside such amazing friends and viewers around the world.

Have yourself a very Happy New Year!
See you in 2025 🥳🥂🎉

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 26,126