Abroad in Japan: The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller

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Anderson, Shizuka (30 March 2018). "Get To Know Chris Broad from Abroad in Japan". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019 . Retrieved 17 December 2018. Another person I find interesting to hear about was Chris' friend Ryotaro. Never heard how Chris med him aswell. What interesting way to meet a friend as well. But I couldn't anything else but laugh because how they almost has been acted like brothers. Kind of wholesome if you ask me. Broad's interest in filmmaking began at the age of eight when his grandfather had him record his aunt's wedding in Vancouver since his grandfather could not travel from England to attend the wedding. [4] Broad briefly appeared on the TV series Robot Wars in the UK, where his father and team were regular contestants, with their robot Killertron. [5] Atsuko Matsumoto (13 July 2019). "Videos 'like a party' look for the real Japan". The Japan News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019 . Retrieved 13 September 2019. Tessa Randello (9 June 2018). "Japan's YouTubers go long with crowdfunded content". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020 . Retrieved 22 February 2020.

On 29 August 2017, Broad was visiting a town in Aomori Prefecture near the Shirakami-Sanchi wilderness area when he was woken up by the J-Alert being triggered by the North Korean August 2017 missile launch over Japan. He posted a video about how rude it was that they would carry out their test so early in the morning and proceeded to criticize the regime of Kim Jong-un, as well as foreigners who visit North Korea. The video was featured as "Trending" the day it was posted. [14] It then went on to attract national attention in Japan, with Broad being selected to represent the word "J-Alert" in Japan's annual Words of the Year event. [15] As he says, he's been criticised on social media for presenting a 'warts and all' account ... but this comes from experience and actual immersion. At least he's lived there for more than a holiday, and seen more than a movie while sitting in the West! Cat Nation: A Film About Japan's Crazy Cat Culture.". Archived from the original on 19 December 2018 . Retrieved 18 December 2018. The last third of the book takes place after he leaves his teaching role and briefly chronicles the rise of his YouTube channel. For me this was the weakest part of the book. It reads like a series of unconnected anecdotes. While it's not bad, I feel like it's a drop in quality from the excellent first 2/3rds of the book.From wide-eyed exchange teacher to seasoned youtuber, Chris Broad explores Japan in all its quirky glory, surviving earthquakes, North Korean missile alerts, cat cafe allergies and Love Hotel evictions. Endlessly fascinating! Will Ferguson, author of Hokkaido Highway Blues Most of all, the book is inspiring. To just get up and go to begin a new life in a foreign land is a brave thing to do. And then to build up a comfortable life there and then leave that behind to follow your dream of making videos could almost be called madness, but he did it, coming out clean on the other end. Follow your dreams! He also writes about Japanese culture, different places, people, natural disasters, and it wouldn't be Chris Broad if he didn't bring up food. He could easily start a side career as a food critic.

In writing style, he's passionate yet not overconfident. He 'speaks' well because he's more considerate of his role - a narrator and witness. While he's no expert, he downplays what becomes apparent - his willingness to learn and embrace his new setting. My husband introduced me to the Abroad in Japan YouTube channel a few years ago and we've enjoyed watching all the videos together ever since. When I saw the announcement for this book I was excited to get my hands on it and hear more about Chris' journey from being an English teacher to a highly successful creator. The first half, heavily filled with british sarcasm, wild anecdotes, and a lot of cultural differences to learn about, very much shares a tone with Lawrence Durrel's Esprit De Corps. Stares were suffered as I laughed my way through it on a plane ride. I also translated the chapter on the doctor's appointment to my mum and she just about lost it. The book cover Chris's stay in Japan from arriving as a rookie English Teacher in a rural part of Japan to accidentally becoming viral and eventually becoming a famous Youtuber. Along the journey he meets some good friends (Natsuki) and has some sorry heartbreaks (like the Love hotel chapter which is tragically comic and a standout). He doesn't shy away from his struggles assimilating into the famously insular Japanese culture as a Gaijin (foreigner). He portrays and confronts his vulnerabilities, his fear and his anxieties very well with his typically sarcastic, punny and witty British humour that had me laughing out loud in several places. This rarely happens (unless it is Michael Palin and his adventures - this book compares favorably to him). Also because it is a memoir and a slice of life in Japan, I also could see that it can be a good contemporary companion book to Pico Iyers The lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto, which I absolutely loved. In a way, Abroad in Japan (both the book and Youtube channel) has been one large documentary about Japan, giving an honest (both good and bad) non-native view of the country. I have not had the opportunity to visit Japan yet but thanks to Chris's work, I almost feel like I have experienced it first hand. Having said that, I have a growing wish to go and experience a lot of it for myself. From the onsens to a perilous climb up Mount Fuji, I hope to one day have the chance to go through a fraction of what you have had the chance to experience in Japan. Your journey throughout Japan over the past decade was certainly inspiring and humbling.Broad studied English and business at the University of Kent from 2009 to 2012. While attending the university, he developed interests in film making and Japanese culture. After graduating, Broad worked a number of jobs, including a porter role at Leeds Castle and an office job at an energy company. [6] After learning of and applying to the JET Programme, Broad moved to the city of Sakata in Yamagata Prefecture in 2012 while creating videos about his life and experiences in Japan. [7] He left the programme after three years and moved to Sendai [8] to advance his career as a full time YouTuber. Pizza vending machine attracts crowds in Hiroshima". The Japan Times. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019 . Retrieved 13 September 2019.