Abroad in Japan summary

The first time Chris stood in front of his Japanese classroom, things didn’t go as planned. He tried to break the ice with jokes, but the students either stared blankly or burst out laughing at the wrong times, making it hard to keep control. At one point, the whiteboard nearly fell off the wall mid-lesson, forcing Chris into an impromptu save that somehow didn’t derail the class. The language barrier was a constant challenge. Although Chris was supposed to use only English in class, students occasionally switched to Japanese, complicating communication and classroom management.

Chris’s biggest challenge came with kanji, the complex Japanese characters that don’t follow a phonetic system and can have multiple meanings depending on context. The sheer number of characters – in the thousands – was daunting, and with language proficiency tests focused on kanji and grammar, he failed his first attempt. Even when he knew what to say, the fear of making mistakes in front of students sometimes caused him to hesitate. 

Chris’s experiences reveal a fascinating side of Japanese social life, especially through his encounters with izakayas – casual Japanese pubs – and hostess clubs.

When entering an izakaya, there’s an enthusiastic greeting of Irasshaimase! – which means “Welcome!” This phrase is shouted by staff to signal the start of the lively atmosphere, not just as a formality but as a way to pull customers into the convivial space. People come to izakayas to unwind over drinks and share food. The clinking of glasses is accompanied by a hearty Kanpai! or “Cheers!”

Chris decided to climb Mount Fuji to experience the sunrise from its summit, encouraged by a saying he’d often heard: A wise man climbs Fuji once; only a fool climbs it twice. Under-prepared and sleep-deprived after a poor night in a noisy capsule hotel, he arrived at the start of the trail in the late afternoon. The black volcanic peak loomed above as he and his friend George set out, dressed lightly in shorts and jackets despite falling temperatures.

Early on, they encountered a group of veteran Japanese hikers bundled in proper gear. Noticing Chris and George’s minimal clothing, one elderly climber said, “Eeh! You must be so very cold!” After they reassured him, he cheerfully offered encouragement and wished them well.

When Chris returned to school for his second year of teaching in rural Japan, he wasn’t expecting disaster on day one. But that morning, a student jumped from a fourth-floor window. Though the boy survived with broken bones, the staff were shaken. The event exposed the harsh pressure Japanese students face. Bullying, or ijime, often leaves victims isolated and desperate. Chris had seen students hesitate to answer questions, afraid to stand out. Conformity runs deep in Japanese culture, where even being a top student can attract ridicule instead of praise.

Before his move, Chris had started a YouTube channel called Abroad in Japan, aiming to capture life in rural areas few foreigners had explored. As his channel steadily grew alongside his teaching job, one early viral hit featured coworkers practicing English swear words from an absurd book called How to Use Fuck. Naturally, some foreign viewers criticized Chris, acting like self-appointed guardians of Japanese culture – even though they hadn’t lived in Japan themselves. But plenty of others around the world found the innocent, eager delivery of harsh language genuinely entertaining.

After facing the challenge of finding a stable living situation in Sendai, Chris finally secured his own apartment in October 2016. No longer living out of hotels or temporary accommodations, he felt a sense of relief and a fresh start. 

Despite the struggles, his YouTube channel, Abroad in Japan, was still growing. Then, in a lucky twist, an Australian filmmaker asked Chris to host a documentary about Japan’s quirky cat culture. Chris wasn’t exactly a cat person and had no professional experience – but that had never stopped him before. Though he wasn’t sure how he’d come across on camera, the finished documentary, Cat Nation, turned out to be full of funny and strange moments centered around cats.