Sierra's Column: Jvloggers! Three Awesome YouTube Channels About Japan

#Japan #Jvlog #Jvlogger #YouTube #Rachel&Jun #MexicanSamurai100 #Unrested #Culture

Let's learn a new word. Well, okay, maybe you already knew this one... but humor me.

Jvlogger: (Jay-vlog-er) n. One who has a video-blog (or "vlog") about Japan.

YouTube is awesome. It just is. You can learn, be entertained, and hear from people all around the world; and all you have to do is click and watch. One great example of this is the J-vlogger community. Through fun, informative videos from the point of view of gaijin (foreign persons) in Japan, they're helping to bridge the cultural gap between the once-secluded, conservative island country and the western world. Whether you're planning to visit Japan, or are just interested in what it's like over there, any of these videos a good way to spend a few minutes of your day.

Here I'll share a few of my favorite channels; along with videos, why they sparked my interest in the first place, and how they kept my attention.

Unrested
I found this channel because I was looking for pure facts about Japan without a ton of fluff, and this guy delivered. What I like about his channel is that he gets right to the point, and covers a wide range of topics. In this video he talks about some of the stuff that nobody ever told him about living in the city in Japan.

MexicanSamurai100
I was first introduced to his videos while watching a piece he did with Unrested about gaijin dads. MexicanSamurai100(A.K.A. Tino)'s videos are a bit on the long side for youtube; usually running about fifteen to twenty minutes. However, they're worth taking the time to watch, because he tells some pretty interesting stories. There are also several videos of his young students showing off the English he taught them that will kind of overdose you on cute. You've been warned. Below is a story about a "beggar" in Japan, and the Gaijin Dads video. Though the latter is actually on Unrested's channel, I tossed it here because it's what pulled me to this channel in the first place.

Rachel & Jun
I actually stumbled upon this channel because of gossip-fueled curiosity. Rachel and her husband Jun were apparently the targets of some drama in the Jvlogger community. I never found out exactly what that was about, but I did find a bunch of cool videos about unique, everyday life stuff in Japan. This channel is mostly just a whole lot of fun, but that doesn't stop them from tackling serious topics once in a while.