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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Well hey, that was a breeze of a book, really got invested in it for the last few days! It really does help that I've been watching the channel since 2018; my friend Sam showed me Chris' very first video from his tiny Sakata apartment. The dry, snarky British humor is what has always set him apart and that's why I've kept watching Abroad in Japan for the last five years because you could tell he wasn't putting on a false, cheerful persona for the camera.
The best part of the book is the first 60%, detailing his time teaching English in rural Japan and reaching the highs and lows of that experience. He had a ton of insightful societal revelations, talking about the various cultural pressures Japanese students face and how socializing in Japan is vastly different from the West.
My only critique is that the latter half of the book picks up speed and rushes through his move to Sendai and the rise of his YouTube channel. Which is all fine and good, but having watched all of his videos, mostly felt like rehashes of things I already had seen. I think summarizing a YouTube career in a book is tricky because you're lacking the visual element, whereas with his earlier stories of Japan, he was talking about people and adventures that hadn't been as touched upon on his channel, so it was more intimate in that way. Regardless, an excellent first book for Chris and I'd definitely be curious if he writes another book down the line!
The best part of the book is the first 60%, detailing his time teaching English in rural Japan and reaching the highs and lows of that experience. He had a ton of insightful societal revelations, talking about the various cultural pressures Japanese students face and how socializing in Japan is vastly different from the West.
My only critique is that the latter half of the book picks up speed and rushes through his move to Sendai and the rise of his YouTube channel. Which is all fine and good, but having watched all of his videos, mostly felt like rehashes of things I already had seen. I think summarizing a YouTube career in a book is tricky because you're lacking the visual element, whereas with his earlier stories of Japan, he was talking about people and adventures that hadn't been as touched upon on his channel, so it was more intimate in that way. Regardless, an excellent first book for Chris and I'd definitely be curious if he writes another book down the line!
As a long-time subscriber to Abroad in Japan and with a fascination for the country, I had to read this. From Chris's first arrival in Japan, confused and culture shocked to sharing needed to be heard stories with the world. I really enjoyed learning a lot about the culture and country as well as about Chris's journey. And all his thoughts along the way. All the highs and lows of getting to grips living in a brand new unlike home land. All the challenges that Chris pushed through even when he felt like it'd been a terrible mistake.
It was inspiring. It makes me want to get out there into a brand new country myself, try everything even if it scares me. I was intrigued by all the stories and his first years of living there. It felt special to be able to read about his friendships with his fellow teachers, to his mentor and friend Itou sensei to his great friend Natsuki. along the way. He was so authentic, like truly taking a journey into Chris's memories, looking back with fondness and nostalgia, and also a bit of embarrassment. Challenges faced, It showed that dreams don't just come true in a day. They can take years of uncertainty, risks, and pushing on. But you can get there. It's a great book. I enjoyed it a lot.
All I'd say is that the pacing was a little confusing. Most of the book was his experience in his first few years as an English teacher. Unsprisingly, a lot happened and was learnt in this time, but more recent years weren't nearly as detailed. Just a few memories, stories of becoming a content creator and filming. I would've liked to see more about recent years, too. Although I understand that it's a little tough to squeeze so many memories over 10 years into one 300-page book.
Also, I thought some minor details felt a little like a tangent and slightly unnecessary. But I did really enjoy learning about his journey so far in the Land of the Rising Sun.
It was inspiring. It makes me want to get out there into a brand new country myself, try everything even if it scares me. I was intrigued by all the stories and his first years of living there. It felt special to be able to read about his friendships with his fellow teachers, to his mentor and friend Itou sensei to his great friend Natsuki. along the way. He was so authentic, like truly taking a journey into Chris's memories, looking back with fondness and nostalgia, and also a bit of embarrassment. Challenges faced, It showed that dreams don't just come true in a day. They can take years of uncertainty, risks, and pushing on. But you can get there. It's a great book. I enjoyed it a lot.
All I'd say is that the pacing was a little confusing. Most of the book was his experience in his first few years as an English teacher. Unsprisingly, a lot happened and was learnt in this time, but more recent years weren't nearly as detailed. Just a few memories, stories of becoming a content creator and filming. I would've liked to see more about recent years, too. Although I understand that it's a little tough to squeeze so many memories over 10 years into one 300-page book.
Also, I thought some minor details felt a little like a tangent and slightly unnecessary. But I did really enjoy learning about his journey so far in the Land of the Rising Sun.
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Hilarious, inspiring, educational. I loved this book! I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Japan or planning a trip there.
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I bought this book in October with the intention of listening to it before our second trip to Japan, over the holidays in December/January. So, of course, we listened to it after we returned. We spent most of our time in Tokyo both trips so we didn’t miss much from events in the book. It was probably better this way because we could laugh about the ubiquitous love of “fami chicki”, eating KFC for Christmas Day, and the red light of Kabukicho— where we actually stayed for two weeks and had no idea was the most dangerous part of Tokyo. You’d never know that during the day!
The book was a bit imbalanced- lots of details about the first couple of years and glossing over many of the years in the middle. We’ve never watched the YouTube channel episodes so maybe we should check it out!
The book was a bit imbalanced- lots of details about the first couple of years and glossing over many of the years in the middle. We’ve never watched the YouTube channel episodes so maybe we should check it out!
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced