One of the best things about traveling is the fun you have while preparing your trip by reading and watching media about your destination. YouTube has a wealth of channels with amazing travel content, and videos that show you more about daily life in all kinds of places in the world. We compiled a list of Youtube channels that all do a great job in introducing Japanese life, its culture, and its attractions to viewers all over the world. Check out these 20 YouTube channels about Japan!
- 1. Abroad in Japan
- 2. Sharla in Japan
- 3. Ryotaro’s Japan
- 4. Rachel and Jun
- 5. Micaela
- 6. Tokyo Lens
- 7. Ramen Adventures
- 8. Tokidoki Traveller
- 9. Paolo from Tokyo
- 10. Only in Japan
- 11. Tokyo Diaries
- 12. Bontenmaru
- 13. Life Where I’m From
- 14. Currently Hannah
- 15. Yuki JapanFries
- 16. Texan in Tokyo
- 17. Eatyourkimchi Studio
- 18. Tokyo Creative Travel
- 19. TabiEats
- 20. Japan Wonder Travel
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1. Abroad in Japan
This is one of YouTube’s most popular Japan-related channels with over 2 million subscribers. Abroad in Japan is made by a frank and funny British man who lives in Japan, and (almost) nothing is taboo. He goes over all kinds of Japanese quirks, visits places where regular people don’t come, and talks about things you have always wondered about but never dared to ask. You will have a great time watching this treasure trove of Japan-related videos!
2. Sharla in Japan
Sharla has lived in Japan for many years starting out as a university exchange student, and she loves to wander the streets of Japan. She lets her viewers join in on her walks and experiences through live streams that you can watch as videos at a later moment. As she has been streaming videos for many years, there is a great video library that shows many parts of Japan and all kinds of experiences.
3. Ryotaro’s Japan
Unlike the 2 channels mentioned above, Ryotaro’s channel is relatively new as he only started his channel in 2020. In the space of one year, however, he managed to create a host of videos that are entertaining to watch while showing some quintessentially Japanese places and experiences.
4. Rachel and Jun
This Japanese/American couple likes to show you their daily life as an intercultural couple in Japan. They have been around for a while, and have an impressive video catalogue of daily life in Japan, typical Japanese culture, social issues, interesting intercultural things, and their cats. They also have videos about the trips they take to famous and lesser-known Japanese cities.
5. Micaela
Micaela is a young Canadian woman who has lived on Japan’s southern Kyushu island for more than 15 years. With her experience in the media and entertainment industry she makes fun videos about her various experiences with daily life in Japan, the entertainment industry in Japan, and the trips she takes around the country. Cultural differences between western countries and Japan are also a favorite subject, which she brings up in a funny and frank way.
6. Tokyo Lens
Norm of Tokyo Lens is a creative guy who is also a photographer and shamisen player (traditional Japanese string instrument) besides being a productive YouTuber with more than 20 million views on his channel. Join him on his walks in and around Tokyo and listen to his often humorous commentary on all kinds of Japan-related subjects. He’s also been on some cool outdoor adventures in the last few months so if you’d be interested in doing the same, it is worth checking out Norm’s channel!
7. Ramen Adventures
As this channel’s name suggests, Brian from Ramen Adventures travels all over Japan to find the very best ramen wherever he goes. You will be surprised by the many varieties of ramen that exist, and any foodie will enjoy seeing all the delectable goodness that you’ll see in Brian’s captivating videos. You will also get to see a bit of the environment where the restaurants are located, that usually have a very local vibe.
8. Tokidoki Traveller
Young Australian Emma moved to Japan in 2016 and started documenting her daily life including many ups and downs in her new home country. It is fun to follow her as she learns about life in Japan, as you really get to see the journey as it is experienced by a newcomer. She’s just as curious about quintessential Japanese things like karaoke for 1, animal cafes, and tiny Japanese apartments as you are.
9. Paolo from Tokyo
Filipino Paolo has lived in Tokyo for a long time and knows the city like the back of his hand. He enjoys sharing his experiences in Tokyo as well as his day trips with his viewers. Paolo’s channel is incredibly varied with subjects ranging from 200USD/month apartments to street food and a day in the life of an average university student. He also doesn’t shy away from slightly more difficult topics like discrimination. But some of his best videos are the ones about hidden spots in the city, which are especially interesting for those traveling to Japan.
10. Only in Japan
If you’re looking for a wealth of recent videos of what Tokyo has recently been like, YouTube channel Only in Japan is the place to look. John is on the road around Tokyo all the time, and he likes to share his trips with you. Videos often revolve around popular and lesser known locations in Tokyo and newly opened events or shops. He uploads new videos frequently, so if you want to know about the current situation in Japan, Only in Japan is a great channel to follow.
11. Tokyo Diaries
Tina grew up in Germany and started living her dream in Tokyo a few years ago after devouring Japanese manga as a child. She does fun stuff around Tokyo that many (young) travelers would also enjoy and she sometimes travels outside of the capital as well to show you other famous and lesser-known attractions in Japan. Because Tina likes fashion, Tokyo Diaries also gives you a look at what is currently fashionable in Tokyo.
12. Bontenmaru
Sanna is a young German woman who moved to Japan in 2016 and started sharing her adventures on her bilingual German/English YouTube channel. Her travels in Tokyo and vicinity are fun to watch for future tourists, and as a bonus you will also get a look at the life of a pregnant woman and young mom in her later videos.
13. Life Where I’m From
Canadian Greg gives a peek into his life with his Japanese wife and bi-national kids. You will see special events but also ordinary life, all presented in an entertaining and enlightening way. Subjects are incredibly varied and there are videos about housing in Japan, cultural quirks, school life in Japan, and much more. Of course, trips are also documented extensively and interesting to watch for those who are going to be traveling in Japan.
14. Currently Hannah
Hannah now lives in Osaka, and she loves to travel. Currently Hannah boasts well-paced videos on many destinations within Japan. The best part is that she is not afraid to show when things don’t go as planned, so you get an honest view on how things really are. There are also videos about daily life in Japan and interesting things you run into while living here. Besides content from Japan, you can also see videos about Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and other countries.
15. Yuki JapanFries
This is a more rare kind of Japan-related YouTube channel, as Yuki JapanFries is an English-language channel by a Japanese guy instead of a foreigner who moved to Japan at a later age. That fact makes this a very interesting channel to follow as you will get a slightly different perspective on Japan compared to the other channels that are mentioned in this article. Yuki likes to have fun and isn’t always too serious, but he speaks frankly about many fascinating subjects as well, some of them relating to foreigners (in Japan).
16. Texan in Tokyo
While Grace and Ryosuke stopped making videos for YouTube in 2016 to concentrate on starting a family, their channel Texan in Tokyo is still worth watching for the superb content they created for 2 years. This lovable couple shares their views on intercultural relationships, goes about their daily life on video, talks about learning Japanese, and takes fun, active trips around the country. Once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop!
17. Eatyourkimchi Studio
Extremely productive YouTubing expats Martina and Simon from Canada first started making videos for YouTube when they lived in South Korea. When they moved to Japan in 2016, being the foodies they continued creating content that is often about the delicious food that can be enjoyed in Tokyo. But the videos also cover cultural differences and cool places to visit in and outside of Tokyo.
18. Tokyo Creative Travel
Tokyo Creative is a bit different from most other YouTubers as they work closely with local governments in Japan who are looking to promote their municipality to foreign tourists. This means that their content is always high-quality and that you get to see the spots in larger and smaller cities and villages in Japan that are interesting for travelers, and that you may not have thought of yourself. Also if you’re looking for some quick Japanese language lessons, this channel is a great one to check out.
19. TabiEats
Go to TabiEats for everything related to (mainly) Japanese food. You get to see food reviews for dishes ranging from high end beef to noodles and cheap but delicious fast food and Japanese food recipes. You will also find videos related to the regions they travel to, so TabiEats is also a good channel for some good travel inspiration.
20. Japan Wonder Travel
And finally, we also have our own channel! We introduce some of our tours we can offer you if you travel to Japan, and you can also get a quick sneak peek of some of Japan’s most famous and impressive destinations.
We hope you will have fun watching the YouTube videos created and uploaded by the channels we introduced above. Watching a (short) movie about the place you want to visit is always a great way to familiarize yourself with the spot and get some sneak previews.
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Happy travelling!
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Stefanie Akkerman moved from the Netherlands to Japan in 2013 with her Japanese husband and son. She jumped into the niche of Dutch tour guiding in Tokyo and Kamakura in 2015 and occasionally writes articles about all the great sights and activities Japan has to offer. She loves (Japanese) food, and to work that all off she goes diving, snorkeling, cycling, or hiking.
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