The information on Japan has never been more available, interesting and comprehensive.
Foreigners (Gaijin) in Japan have been making video content on a far reaching range of issues concerning the Japanese and their culture, the country and its geography, the society and the future of Japn.
These are a few of my favorite vlogs.
Cathy Cat
on the Ask Japanese channel with 460K subscribers to date.
CathyCat's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/canudoitcospl...
CathyCat's Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cathycat_tv
CathyCat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathycat_tv
Ask Japanese interviews Japanese and foreigners in Japan about life in Japan, dating Japanese, travel tips, tasty foods, anime, manga and more. Through interviews, Catty and her "director" try to bring Japanese culture to the world!
They feature many topics about life in Japan and where to travel to. We ask Japanese girls, boys and elders to give you a glimpse at what Japan is really like. Cathy Cat interviews people in Japanese, English and sometimes German!
Catty dresses in "lolita" style which seems a little too "fluffy" but she has her masters in Literature and speaks English, Japanese and German like a native speaker. Highly intelligent, articulate, and insightful.
Matt Galat's Tricycle Trip around Japan with Jayoe Nation
120K subscribers and 1525 videos on his channel.
World Traveller, Matt takes his wanderlust and drones along for a ride visiting the whole of the country.
Chris Broad takes his buddies on a bicycle trip across the country. Natsuki, Rotsarro, Dr. Jelly (the Anime Guy), and a cast of thousands of fascinating Japanese.
Pandemic blues.As of 20210314 North Americans may not travel to Japan. All we can do is wait to get vaccinated and plan our trips. Here are the top ten as recommended by ABROAD in Japan. (Chris)
Top 10 Sites to visit in Japan
Sanriku coastline: Iwate
Takayama, Gifu
Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji, Kumamashi
Setouchi Inland Sea, Hiroshima
Noboribetsu Springs, Hokkaido
Gizan Hot Springs, Yamagata
Daikanbo, Kumamoto Prefecture
Mount Haguro,Tsuruoka (5 tiered pagoda) Yamagata
Orase Gorge and Lake Towada
Nanba, Osaka (Southern downtown of Osaka)
Journey Across Japan (A Broad on a Bike)
1. Sakata, Yamagata > Atsumi Springs (onsen) 50 km (Niigata)
dist. 18 km Yunohama Beach Resort
dist Haksan Jima (picturesque little island)
dist: Mount Chocki
2.There is no plan....Atsumi Springs to Niigata (murakami station)
3. Murakami station to Niigata Station (city) 50 km
Sake vending machines (remember to stretch)
interact with locals and get them to say something on camera
navigate with google maps (with some scepticism
drunk salarymen?
canned coffee (150 km in total so far)
4.Niigata Station to Kyoto (560 km) Niigata Prefecture
Random bouncy castle park with go karts
Old hwy tunnel.
5. Kashiwasaki (50 km) - OFF (second hand shops)
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear plant
6. Kashiwazaki to Joetsu (40 km) hilly
7. Joetsu (sea of japan)
Don Quijote (dept store in Japan)
ITOIGAWA Station Train Museum to Ichiburi Station (total distance 200 km)
8. Ichiburi to Toyama Station (time seems to slow down now)
9. Toyama city (just east of the noto pennisula) Japanese alps!
East black Ramen: lots of soya sauce - squid ink? black burger?
Canal Park > Kanazawa -
Kanazawa to
Takakoka Budda Statue
Crossland base
FOOD at the Oimucho market!
Akira Junmai Sake and ice cream , Grilled Eel
Noto Beef on sushi
Mochi Rice Cake, Grilled mackerel
14 Jurassic Park: Fukui Station to Lake Biwa (80 km)(Mabushi dazzled) (oichi delicious)
Mountains, good food Gyudon Beef bowl, Soba Noodles
Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe (Kansai region)
Along Lake Biwa for scenery to Kyoto
Yashsaka Shrine
Iwataya Monkey Park (on Mount Arashiyama)
Yokai Street (Sushuhara clutter)
Osaka - nightlife (the nation's kitchen)
Okonomiaki - noodle pancake
Nandeyanen - Why's that
AHO - idiot
karaoke 25 yen includes singing and alcohol
Kobe Port Town Port open to foreign trade in 1858
Wagyu (japanese beef) Kobe, A5 high rank
marbling, colour of fat and meat, shape of the muscle.
Himeji
Hyogo Prefecture
Okayama Station
Peaches and school uniforms
Kurashiki (venice of Japan (has a canal)) in Okayama Prefecture is a nice little town.
Kurishima Kaiko is the worlds longest suspension bridge 4050 m
(plenty of hills , 70 km, 6 bridges, but spectacularly beautifuly scenery)
Matsuyama (pine mountain) (castle)
(take ferry to Hiroshima
yakitori : grilled meat /chicken
Dogo Onsen 410 Yen Iyokan highball (tom colins)
Hiroshima - Miajima (45 min ferry ride > deer and shrine), Okonomiaki pancakes, Atomic Bomb "dome"
cable car to mount Misen
Yaki Gaki Grilled oysters
Ramune soda:
(formerly industrial promotion dome) seen as a symbol of hope, with a memorial park and flame
Okonomiyaki Mura (village) for the pancake (24 Okonomiyaki restaurants in one building)
Western tip of Honshu: Yamaguchi (Tenmangu Shrine - god of studies)
Vocabulary
Amazake: sweetened sake drink(non alcoholic) (no alcohol when cycling)
Shrine: Jinja
Bicycle: Jitensha
Ikimashou: Let's go
Dangerous: Abunai
Left: Hidari
Right: Migi
Beautiful: Kirei
Great: Subarashi
Very Beautiful area: Yamaguchi prefecture southern tip
Kintai bridge: archways (nichki river) in Iwakuni
rice ball: onagiri
water: mizu
iced coffee: coffee hohi
orange: orenji, dvd player dvd player
Potato chips poteto chipsu, 1500 words common words : communicate with memorization
Kanmon Strait 20 yen / pedestrian tunnel
Bridge: hashi
tunnel:long nagai or tonneru
Kitakyushu city
Fukuoka city 2.5 mm, trendy, ramen capital, tonkatsu broth, yatai mura -night market, Ninzoin budda reclining statue, Ichiran ramen factory and restaurant
chef's choice: osasume onagaishimasu
Fukuoka tower - observation deck 8/10 ocean, mountains, city views
Kumamoto
Kagoshima
Hokaido
Mid July to early August is optimal. June can be a little cold and wet, September can have Typhoons and get fairly hot and sticky. Yes, typhoons even that far North.
Hokkaido is an interesting place, anything up to 20m snow in winter and 30+C in summer. The vegetation is amazing, looks like jungle.
Fly in to Narita, send your bikes to Hokkaido by JALABC, while spending a couple of days in Tokyo.
Fly to Chitose. The ride up and back to Lake Shikotsu would be a nice day ride on a bike path the whole way.
There are a many train lines around the place too, that are easier to take bikes on than the Shinkansen. Stitch together an itinerary riding from Hotel to hotel, by sending your luggage on the Tar-Q-Bin or hands free travel system https://www.global-yamato.com/en/hands-free-travel/ Yamato in Japan.
Japan is very reliable generally, camp and tour with luggage.
