My 2020 2022 list is of some of the top English-speaking YouTube creators in Japan. They range from the ones that love to have you see their face to the POV porn-like videos, my preference.
Originally posted on February 27th, 2020, updated on November 25th, 2022
I do not know about you, but I like my video creators like I like my porn which is focused on the content rather than always on their faces – I don’t think I’m the only one that thinks that because the biggest creator listed has videos with upwards of 95 million views and 4.96M subscribers, and I have no clue who they are (they are completely anonymous, like a Craigslist casual encounter).
Post pandemic, a lot of these channels have blown da fock up, and many of them are doing a million views per video to a minimum of a quarter-million for the smaller channels, and they are all creators who do content about Japan, in Murican aka Eigo/English.
The largest YouTuber (111 million subscribers), PewDiePie moved to Japan with Marzia, his wife in May of 2022.
I mean, there are several creators that are great to look at, but the best ones know how to balance the focus of their content on their subject matter with voiceovers and just the right amount of attention on their face (it’s like a proper balance of missionary and doggy style).
The Criteria of Which YouTuber’s in Japan are Listed
- At least 60% of their content is focused on Japan: many of these individuals frequently travel to or live in Japan, so they have intimate knowledge of Japan.
- The type of content: culture, language, travel and living in Japan tips, to most importantly, the food.
- Eigo (English): do you speak it? Yea? because all of the videos are done in English although many of the creators are multilingual.
- My personal criteria/preference: these are actual channels I watch, so there might be a creator you may know of that is not listed, if so, feel free to reach out to me (I just might add them).
Who This List is For
- You plan on traveling to Japan.
- You want to learn more about the culture of Japan.
- You want to know what is it like to live and work in Japan.
So that you do not have to scroll, I will list everybody in one short and quick list, with the details listed below (a lot more scrolling involved).
For those with ADHD.
The TL;DR
Here are all 27 for all you with a short attention span.
- Abroad in Japan
- Allan Su
- Anime Man
- Black Experience Japan
- Chocolate Geisha
- Currently Hannah
- Eric Surf 6
- Internationally ME
- Kelly Morita
- LeSweet Pea
- Life Where I’m From
- Marianna Vlogs
- Mark Wiens
- Only in Japan
- Oriental Pearl
- NEW PewDiePie
- Paolo from Tokyo
- Rachel & Jun
- Ramen Adventures
- Reina Scully
- Sharla in Japan
Simon and Martina- Tokyo Creative
- Tokyo Lens
- TabiEats
- TokiDoki Traveller
- TravelThirsty
I always wanted a top Japanese YouTubers that speak English list because if you have an interest in Japan, you have to had come across these creators organically through search or suggested videos. Unfortunately, Google search had my content under “Japanese porn.”
EDIT: 11/25/22, if you are here for JAV, can you not read? What makes you think this is what this page is about, or does your home country not allow it and you are desperate? LMK
All 27 YouTube Channels That Are Subscription Worthy
Each of these channels content differs in some way, and I tried to differentiate them to some extent which will hopefully allow you to find the one that you will want to YouTube and chill with.
Abroad in Japan, 1.5M subscribers
- Based out of Northern Japan
- Chris Abroad is one sarcastic and amusing Brit often scrutinized for his weight (he is a somewhat fit dude by American Big Gulp standards tho).
- One of my top 3 favorite Japanese centric YouTubers (the one I watch the most out of them all).
Probably the channel I watch the most: so I will take what I posted about him prior which is “Chris is a Brit that lives and works in Sendai, Japan, and as one commenter of his video’s had said ‘he looks like the love child between Johnny Depp and Frankie Muniz (more of the latter).’
If looks is not going to sway you, just know that Chris’s personality and his stuffed animal cat and compadres will surely win you over.
Allan Su, 27.8K subscribers
- Based out of Denmark? (it’s not easy to confirm without having to watch a number of his videos)
- Maybe him and his brother?
Some good videography: “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Booking.com Partner Programme, which are both affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com, Booking.com and affiliated sites.”
The Anime Man, 2.1M subscribers
- Based out of Japan
- Joey is a Australian national (possibly dual citizenship?) and is of Japanese, German, and Hungarian ethnicity.
Yea, he’s all about anime and does voice acting (and is fluent in Japanese, even the formal one to make you feel important): but he is also part of “the network” (I think he’s part of the Tokyo Creative posse, and I could research, but I’m a lazy American).
He grew up in and went to school in Australia, but he currently lives in Japan where his family lives.
His girlfriend Aki (dearest) is from Vegas, and she just recently moved in with him in Japan (her channel “akidearest,” is a pinay American, and she also has a great channel herself, she’s hilarious).
Black Experience Japan, N/A subscribers
- Based in Japan
- The long form interviews are the best of individuals and their experience living in Japan, especially Americans who moved to Japan, citing the differences.
In their own words: “At the Black Experience Japan (BEJ) our mission is to repair the image of black people across the globe. We seek to lambaste the negative stereotypes of our people and share the black experience in Asia and beyond. Join us as we journey across the globe to accomplish this mission.
Chocolate Geisha, 53.5K subscribers
- Lived in Gunma, Japan for a year.
- A 24 y/o African American: Cameroonian from Los Angeles.
The black experience in Japan: she’s had some very popular videos such as “things I hear in Japan as a black woman” (1.2 million views) to “Japanese beauty standards.” Although most of her recent content has been on race and culture, and I don’t know what sort of content she will be creating since she has moved back to Los Angeles.
I’m hoping since she is an up and coming actress fluent in Japanese (nihongo) that I get to see her work with all the creators in LA from Timothy DeLaGhetto, Nigahiga, to Cilvanis.
Currently Hannah, 213K subscribers
- Based out of Japan (she has/had a cool day job)
- Originally from Australia
- One of my top 3 favorite Japanese centric YouTubers
She loves mochi: that sums it up, but I have to say her videography/editing is probably at the top of my list, and I would definitely put her in as one of the top channels in that regards. Although that would be me selling her short, and she is also extremely informative like “Life Where I’m From” to “Internationally Me.” Lastly, she will be one of the few Japanese YouTubers doing bungee jumping, paragliding, ziplining, biking, to ATV’s (oh, and social awareness of her impact as a YouTuber when commenting and promoting places).
EricSurf6, 774k subscribers
- Based out of Japan (20 year resident of Japan)
- Muuuurica, eff yeah.
Surfer looking dude all about food: I don’t want to frame this dude as “older white dude,” but that does sum it up although he’s a cool dude that kind of reminds me of somebody I would come across in HB (Huntington Beach) on an old school longboard.
I don’t know where he’s from exactly, but he is from the U.S., and he’s lived in Japan for 20+ years. It’s that 20 years that makes him a natural for eating anything and everything from McDonalds to MOS Burger, live shrimp at Tsukiji, and eating sandwiches out of a Japanese vending machine (videos are uploaded 3x per week).
Internationally ME, 258K subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan
- Angela was raised in New Zealand
Off the beaten path in Japan (and you can learn a thing or two): I think I only came across her videos when I was researching where my ex is from which is Tottori, a prefecture Angela says is now one of her top three favorites.
In her Tottori video she visits Mitaki-en which serves organic Japanese cuisine, visits the sand dunes (paragliding), eats shabu shabu (where it was invented), along with eating pears and raw squid (not together, damn my poor writing), to making a lampshade (because lamp), and staying in a hot spring town (great way to unwind after that kind of day). Yea, her videos are packed with content.
Kelly Morita, 160K subscribers
- Based out of Japan
- An American female from Michigan who was recently married (Japanese husband)
Kelly just recently got married, so her entire page has been rebranded to “Kelly Morita,” but I will let her say it in her own words “My name is Lyz and I`m a mentor for others who have dreams to travel, live abroad, and maintain a better lifestyle whilst living abroad. I have lived in Japan for a total of five years and learned quite a lot -not just about the country but myself as well. Not only do I want to inform others about life abroad but my main goal is to get you organized, stay mindful, and maintain a healthy and exciting lifestyle whether you plan on living in another country or not. This site is not only for adventure lovers but for inspiration seekers. All of what I have gained and endured will allow me to mold you into an adventurer yourself! – Lyz Kelly”
LeSweetpea, 102K subscribers
- Based out of Japan/Los Angeles, CA
- Paris majored in Japanese language and culture at UCLA
Lifestyle and beauty guide in Japan: you can’t tell from the name of her channel, but Paris is African American/black which is nice because you can get another perspective from her experiences as a foreigner in Japan (not just as a white ‘Murican YouTuber like so many of the other channels). Plus, she also has the best soundtrack with her vids, kind of why I love Casey Neistat videos (well, one aspect).
Life Where I’m From, 1.22M subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan.
- Greg Lam is a Canadian with a wife who is a Japanese national, and I think two younger kids (maybe 3?).
Life in Japan: Another good channel because a lot of times he does voice overs, and his type of content is probably one of the best of the YouTube channels for learning from “being Muslim in Japan,” “Japanese school lunch” to “owning a ramen restaurant.”
The funniest/lamest part about his channel is that he sounds even nerdier than Rick Steves, but his content quality more than makes up for it, by far.
Marianna Vlogs, 10.8K subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan
- Marianna is Russian/Uzbek from Samarkan, Uzbekistan
Marianna can speak English, Russian, Ukrainian fluently and French at a conversational level, but she is not a language teacher, she is a model/actress.
Other reasons to follow her is if you are vegan (Sharla is too), her vids will often show her navigating around Japan with her dietary requirements. While the range of her videos are visits to onsens, capsule hotels, to her travels throughout Japan (note: if you wanted to know, she’s 5’9-1/2″, you’re welcome).
Mark Wiens, 5.59M subscribers
- Based out of Bangkok, Thailand.
- Mark Wiens (half Chinese and ?) is a married dude with I think a kid? (I don’t follow him).
All about food from all over the world: I have never promoted or wanted to watch this guys videos because he is the YouTuber that is all about look at me, look at my face, look at me eat. The worst of it all is the footage of him eating with his Gollum looking self because it’s all about his face reacting to everything he eats although again, forget what I think because he has a huge following (maybe Lord of the Rings fans who have an affinity for dude).
Only in Japan, 180K subscribers
- Based out of Japan
- Married couple (John Daub/dude and Kanae/wifey) although most of his content is of him.
It’s like Mr Rogers in Japan: this guy has a lot of content focused on his face (along with some fantastic voiceovers because he’s a pro at it), but he’s a very easy and pleasant guy to watch which is why I also enjoyed watching him on a number of episodes on NHK’s Tokyo Eye.
I think that demeanor is what got him on the show because he’s a very neutral and family friendly dude due to him also being a non-drinker, and not a foul mouthed pirate (a good line from him “first of all, you don’t eat a baby” when referring to a gyoza challenge commenter).
Oriental Pearl, 6K subscribers
- An American, yea, that’s all I know so far.
- A resident of 7 years in China, so she is multi-lingual although she’s most fluent in Chinese.
- This is now one my favorite channels.
How many languages can you speak? because she can speak more than one.
Oriental Pearl is a very new account, established April 25th, 2019 and where she will go with the account/the focus of her content will be TBD (To Be Determined) although I like the videos she has so far which involve her speaking to people who would not expect her to be fluent in their language. This channel will blow up.
The other reason why I like them is because she loves to engage people, especially Japanese speaking, and she has actual conversations with them that comes off very genuine (she’s not dismissive).
I should also point out, I came across this account because I’ve been amused by all the polyglots (knowing or using several languages) on YouTube lately.
PewDiePie, 111 MILLION subscribers (28.5 billion views)
- Based out of Japan
- Married couple, Swedish dude, Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg and his Italian wife Marzia Kjellberg.
- From Joe Rogan to PewDiePie, they all have had controversy, but it’s usually the media and their love for clickbait.
Felix and his chick do some of the most wholesome content on Japan with the largest audience in the world on YouTube: I never watched PDP much (I did watch his BLAME review since dude loves anime), and I was a subscriber of Marzia’s channel (which no longer has her videos posted, sadness. It was a channel with a lot content about Japan), but if you like a person, you typically tend to like their entourage. With the Pewds, that is Marzia, and the Anime man and his girlfriend AkiDearest, who has the most hilarious, channel out of everybody listed here. Except, now that PDP has moved from England to Japan (semi-retired from what everybody expects from him), I have been watching his vlogs of his daily life in Japan, which recently consists of big spiders, working out, and going out with Marzia on dates and their two pugs (Maya and Edgar). Plus, dude bought an old school Toyota Land Cruiser (a 100 series with a 60 series front-end). FYI: I also geek out at Jack Carr (aka the Terminal on Amazon) and his 60 series Toyota Landcruiser with an LS3.
Paolo from TOKYO, 999k(1M) subscribers
- Based out of Japan.
- A married couple (Filipino American dude/Paolo and Japanese wife/Maiko) and soon to be parents.
- From Seattle and a computer science major from Pepperdine University in LA.
A hustler coming up QUICK (he just recently focused all his efforts into his channel): this dude is gangsta AF with his content because he’s good at putting out content (it must be that past work ethic as a project manager) although he is also the king of “look at me” which is unfortunately the one reason why I avoid watching his videos. Not to say you won’t enjoy his content because I will say he is one of the leading content creators in my book, but to me his face reminds me of a goats vagina if I could imagine what one looks like – I think it’s that “Apolo Ohno” soul patch.
Rachel & Jun, 2.62M subscribers
- Based out of Japan
- A married couple (American female/Rachel and a Japanese guy/Jun)
This love story involves the U.S. Air Force and a Japanese dude: Rachel is an American who was with the U.S. Air Force when she met Jun (a Japanese teacher) who was also her R.A. (Resident Assistant). Now, they are a married couple living in Japan “traveling places, bothering their cats, and doing dumb for your enjoyment!” their words.
Ramen Adventures, 54.5K subscribers
- Based out of Japan? I haven’t kept track.
- The ramen dude Brian
Crush this, crush that bowl, and crush this can for recycling: I think this is the type of dude that most Japanese think of when it comes to foreigners that come to Japan, the nerdy dorky otaku type of dude who loves ramen (like me, haha). I do like his coverage and content, but if I have to hear “crushed it” when referring to finishing a bowl of ramen, I am going to m*****f’n crush up a bag of chips so nobody gets to eat a crispy chip (whose chips? and why? I don’t know, I haven’t thought that far ahead).
Reina Scully, 399k subscribers
- Based out of Japan
- She’s married and part of the Tokyo Creative posse.
A blonde Nihonjin: She has almost 400k subscribers, but her engagement is on the low side, which is maybe one reason I forgot to add her to this list. Although I like her personality, yet she has such low engagement (25-35k)? Hmmm, no clue why, but she is great at speaking, and she comes off like a pro in front of the camera (not that kind of pro you pervert). So what is it? Well she’s a 30 something who just moved to Japan, speaks fluent Nihongo, likes anime, gaming, and the X-files (Scully), a cat parent, had worked at Curry House in Little Tokyo (it’s now closed), and she’s allergic to beer, Nuff said (oh, and I like her voice).
Sharla in Japan, 613K subscribers
- Based out of Morioka, Japan/Northern, Japan (she moved back from Korea in Spring ’19)
- Sharla aka Sharmander
Sharla’s videos are great if you plan to visit, live, or want to learn more about Japan although like the other channels I follow, she doesn’t drink (well she drinks water/tea, but she does not drink that other vital liquid of life that I love so much). To top that it all off, she’s vegan, loves big dogs, and is multilingual. She is who I would think of when I think how the other half live as opposed to me.
Simon and Martina, 1.41M subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan
Married Couple(yea, not anymore) from Canada who had lived in Korea for over 7 years which is why they are also fluent in Korean.- One of my top 3 favorite Japanese centric YouTubers
These two were cool before it was cool to be cool: one of the channels I have been following for a while, so if you are not into PDA/talk/language like calling your S.O. (significant other) “Ducky,” than this channel is not for you (a very small percentage of snowflakes fall into this category). If it doesn’t phase you because you have been possibly known to do the same, you’ll enjoy this once self-described loner nerd (Simon) with no friends, and his hot tatted wife (Martina) who have both lived in Korea. Now the two both reside permanently in Japan.
Also, a highlight, I especially love the story of Martina and how she had to crap really bad when she had too much ramen/tonkotsu (it has that effect on her). Her sphincter control is commendable.
Tokyo Creative, 110K subscribers
- Based out of Japan
- A media outlet consisting of a number of the creators listed on this page (TokiDoki, Chris Abroad, Anime Man, and more).
In their own words “All of your favorite Japan based vloggers all on one channel. We aim to create unique and innovative videos showcasing Japan to the world in both an informative yet entertaining format. We hope you enjoy!
As a company, Tokyo Creative is a marketing, entertainment and lifestyle brand, managing some of the most influential talent in Asia. With our unique services, we aim to connect Asia to the world.”
Tokyo Lens, 72.5K subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan
- Norrrrrrrm! I doubt Norm is from Boston, but his full name is Norm Nakamura.
All about photography to music culture (and more), and he is also a tsugaru shamisen player (with a dedicated page called Shamisen in Tokyo.. Ki & Ki rock out with their kimono out).
This is another page I recently came across, but it has not been around too long either.
I first came across “are translator devices worth it in 2020? Testing it in Japan.” After that video, I watched the 667k viewed video “I spent 3 months with a Japanese master craftsman.” That was the video that got me hooked on his channel and I subscribed right after watching it.
TabiEats, 424K subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan
- Shinichi is from Hawaii, and Satoshi (wears glasses) is Nihonjin? (I just assume that because he has an accent).
One of the most unique channels because it’s two English speaking Japanese dudes who have been together for about 19 years. The focus is primarily on Japanese food, but it’s not a typical travel and explore Japan type of content.
Where it differs, is that the content is from a Japanese/Nihonjin perspective such as “Japanese try American instant ramen noodles” to of course your typical stuff like eating food from all over Japan and outside of Japan. Beyond that, they don’t really talk much about themselves, and I only found out more about the two via AsianBoss.
TokiDoki Traveller, 235K subscribers
- Based out of Tokyo, Japan
- Emma is an Aussie
Emma is part of the Tokyo Creative posse, so if you don’t see her on that channel, you will find her on her channel which consists of “a day in my life,” “travel outside Tokyo,” to “apartment related videos (apartment tour, what an $800 is like, to living in a compact apartment).”
TravelThirsty, 4.96M subscribers
- Based out of ?
- No clue, but they’re killing it.
- One of my top 3, ok 4 favorite Japanese centric YouTubers
Total anonymity of the people producing this AMAZINGLY SHOT CONTENT (the videography has a lot of close up shots that look fantastic, along with no narration, or motion graphics, yet each video gets several million views each).
The only other information provided by the channel is “follow us as we explore our way through the world, feasting on interesting sights and amazing food! New videos every week. Don’t forget to subscribe!”
Aside from the very little information they provide about themselves, they cover a lot of Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai, to Japanese food/ingredients.
