I have been searching for the right book about Japan even before I visited the country. I wanted to read something that would prepare me for my trip, and after my visit, I wanted a book that would understand my experiences there. However, such a book was hard to find. Here and there I read some interesting articles or found some valuable information in a book, but it was never really complete or just barely touching the surface. Until… One of my favourite YouTubers of all time wrote a book about his experiences of the ten years that he spent living in the Land of the Rising Sun. I am talking about Chris Broad from the channel Abroad in Japan.
Finally, a book about Japan that I was looking for the whole time!
Chris’s memoir of his life in Japan touches on various themes. Chapters may range from funny stories to very awkward moments or serious live questions. I enjoyed every page of this book and I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in living, working, or just travelling in Japan.
If you are familiar with the Abroad in Japan channel and you like that kind of content. Then you are in for a treat! The stories that you will find here are just as filled with humour and sarcasm as the videos that you are used to. This does not mean that Chris’s writing cannot go beyond humour. Multiple serious subjects are presented in this book; the Fukushima disaster, the problem with bullying in Japanese schools, the working culture and many more daily-life hardships.
In one of the chapters, Chris discusses the difficulties of learning the Japanese language. He decides to take part in a speech contest for foreigners living in Japan. This chapter was very inspiring to me. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to give a speech in Japanese just after one year of studying. The large audience didn’t make it any easier I think. After studying Japanese for three years on my own I am barely able to speak in full sentences for a couple of minutes. And my broken speech is filled with a lot of mistakes. It took me years of learning to be able to speak comfortably in English, but learning English is in no way comparable to learning Japanese.
In my opinion, this book is best read after visiting Japan. It is not a guide on how to plan your trip or how to not be disrespectful of the culture (which many other books/guides/YouTube videos already focus on). On the contrary, it is a perfect book for reflecting on your own experiences. To reminisce the memories that you have made and fall in love with Japan all over again.
Watch my review also on YouTube here.
Discover more from MariaTheMillennial
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
MariaTheMillennial 