The University Exchange In Japan
The Look Back to the Past
Thanks to my trusty new friend the “Synology Diskstation” I have gained the ability to easily look back at all of my past footage. This includes my abroad stay in Japan back in 2018 where I met Tatsui. Looking back now, I can clearly say that this was the most incredible time of my life and I want to show you exactly why that is!
The Pirate Barbarians
On a quest to regain his lost hair, Niko set out to Sardinia, together with Tatsui, to overthrow the pirates responsible for his hair loss. They also had a really great vacation together. So watch this video to see how Niko ended up dealing with those barbaric pirates.
The Fastest Video Editor Ever
The Boredom Prevention
The Alcohol for Breakfast
When traveling in Europe, the only thing that is in my opinion a good thing to do is to eat and drink. Tatsui however has a different point of view. In the end, I think we had a lot of fun checking out Linz.
The Best Food in Japan
So after our stay in the city of Toyama, we noticed it has a lot of incredible food. And as it turns out, there is a somewhat scientific explanation for that. In this video, you will learn about this so you too have the tools on hand to find the best food in Japan.
The Fourth Time In Japan
The Final Day in Japan
So in our final day in Japan, we decided to head on over to Yokohama. There was a place I wanted to visit for a while which is the renowned Ramen Museum of Yokohama. But there was so much more this day brought to us that ended up in an unforgettable experience.
The Level 2 Countryside
Tatsui and I made our way to Himi, a small fishing Town in Toyama Prefecture. A surprising amount of the Sushi consumed in Japan is fished here and we thought we should try it out right at the source!
The City of Gold
Kanazawa, the city of gold. We actually went to this place before on a cruise ship. But that also meant that we could not see everything as we had to be back on that ship by 2:00pm. As such, it is time for a re-run to make sure that we see the things we missed out on last time.
The Nature and the Buildings
After our roadtrip through Yamanashi prefecture, Tatsui and I decided to spend a night in the famous hot spring town of Hakone. To our surprise, the hotel we booked was actually visited by the emperor Akihito as well. Anyways, with many impromptu decisions being made by us, we saw an amazing number of things that we did not expect to see at all.
The Roadtrip of Surprises
When Tatsui said that her friends invited us to visit them in Yamanashi, I did not expect anything in particular. But as it turns out, this prefecture, void of functional public transport, is an incredible place with a lot of secrets and stunning sights if you visit by car.
The Countryside Survival Tips
Staying in the Japanese countryside can be a bit of an underwhelming task. It may be so underwhelming, that one may even perish from boredom. To give you a fighting chance, I have thus decided to make this video showcasing what our stay in the Japanese countryside is like. If you do indeed follow these tips, you may even thrive and have a really good time in laid-back places like Toyama.
Exploring Tokyo Together
Going to Japan the first time after 4 years, it was an incredible feeling being back. Just looking at concrete made me happy and excited. Traveling Tokyo together with Tatsui ended up being awesome, despite the difficulties that arose traveling there with our little daughter. Welcome to the start of Japan Odyssey 4!
The Month of Japanese Toilets
For the first time ever, Tatsui and I flew together on a plane! After nearly 4 years of not being in Japan for me, we summarize our trip to tell you the awesome experiences that we had. We also discuss what has changed in Japan during and after the pandemic as well as rant about the fact that we don’t use Japanese toilets in Europe.
Finally Together Again
The Italian Hot Spring Resort
Getting a baby and raising it in its first few weeks is really difficult. So why not take a vacation to just relax a bit. Get to know our daughter Hana as well as what an Italian Hot Spring Resort is really like. We obviously ate lots of delicious food too.
Living Together - What We Learned
It has been one whole year since Tatsui and I moved in together. An absolutely epic year that really taught us so much about each other! We wanted to share with you what we learned about being resolving any potential issues and concerns we had faced.
Exploring Vienna Together
So Tatsui and I needed to go to Vienna to get some documents from the Japanese embassy. Why? Well, because we wanted to get married! Yeah! As such, we had to obtain a marriage eligibility certificate. And once we had it, we decided to spend a few extra days in this city to explore everything that is great about it. And there were a ton of amazing places to visit. All of these, plus Tatsui’s incredible Japanese patriotism for some reason, can be seen in this awesome adventure.
What Venice Was Like
Venice! What a wonderful place! Judging by the insane number of tourists, this city is probably the most famous one on the planet. And luckily for us, there is a direct train from Innsbruck bringing us there. European transport is a godsend! Tatsui of course was absolutely stunned by that place. But I’ll leave that for you to see in our video of that journey.
Long-Distance is Tough
Long-distance relationships are from easy. Some may even say that these are impossible. However, Tatsui and I are proof of the opposite. After 3 years apart, we finally reunited! As such, we decided it was a great idea to share the lessons we learnt doing so. In total, we figured out 7 key points that allowed us to make this work, which you are able to see in this video. Enjoy!
Reunited After 1.5 Years!
Oh my. The moment I spotted Tatsui’s face again I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was one and a half years since I was able to see her. It took me three minutes of hugging her before I could even say a word. It was an incredibly emotional experience reuniting. The first couple of days that we were back together, I still couldn’t fathom that she was real.
The Third Adventure
The Troubled Tokyo
The last day of our journey together has the two of us spend the day in Tokyo. Exploring Tokyo during the height of the lock-down was a bit fascinating, but also a bit unsettling. We see places like Shibuya, Harajuku & Akihabara, which are usually bustling and lively, be completely silent. Is this truly the end of all?
The Saviour of Earth
Ok no, despite what the thumbnail looks like right now, it is not I who is the world’s saviour. It is instead the concept of working from home. I’m not even kidding! The increased amount of home office forced upon us by the pandemic could in the long run help us to actually save our beloved planet. And a lot of the reasons for this can already be seen in our favourite country in the world: Japan. I’m not even kidding about that. So take a look at this video essay, where we analyze the effects working from home can bring to the design of our cities. Let’s go!
The Beauty of Nara
Our trip to Nara probably ended up as one of our most favorite trips in Japan overall. The reason for that? It’s actually quite hard to say. Was it the cherry blossoms? The vast amount of cultural sights, temples and shrines apart of this historic capital of Japan? Or was it maybe a detour to an amazing sight in the countryside of Nara prefecture? Or, maybe this is a stretch, the free-roaming deer which you are able to charmingly interact with? The decision will be yours. All I can say is, that you will enjoy this adventure.
The Cherry Blossoms
Since being a small kid, I always wanted to experience what the cherry blossoms are like in Japan. Together with Tatsui, we discover the various Cherry Blossom hotspots of Nagoya. But what one may chase one may not end up finding. However, something that I realized very quickly traveling Japan: You will always find something special if you just go out to seek adventure. It may not be the adventure you wanted, but it will be an adventure you can afterwards be proud of having have had it…
The High-Speed Sushi
Fast Food in Japan is by no means junk food. Yup, eating delicious sushi can be fast, delicious and healthy in Japan! After helping her film a vending machine video, Tomoko invites us to Sushiro, a place where you can eat delicious sushi…. fast!
The Monkeys and the Onsen
In Japan, there exist the most northern living species of monkeys of the planet: The Snow Monkey aka the Japanese macaques. I always wanted to see that famous place where the monkeys bathe in the Hot Spring. My girlfriend however wanted to visit the fascinating Onsen Ryokan Kanaguya in Yudanaka. Together, we make an epic journey to Nagano Prefecture.
The Viral Graduation
So Japan was definitely handling the Coronavirus situation much better than many other countries of the world. In this video I wanted to discuss what exactly they did to achieve just that. Also, my girlfriend happens to have her university graduation, which is pretty cool.
The Close Call Escape
I was planning to spend a few weeks together with Tatsui. Barely did I manage to enter Japan before the inevitable closure of the country to foreigners of all kinds….
The Christmas Eurotrip
This is a story of a long-distance relationship. Of two people getting together to explore the place of the other and spend wonderful time together. Tatsui and I did so many things, which became incredible memories. And this video is a testament to those memories.
The Christmas Reflection
The Good Video
I suddenly woke up in a hotel in Berlin, enjoying the dazzling morning sun, wondering if all the videos I made before were actually good. What is a good video even? Who decides what a good video is and why am I all of a sudden feeling so much doubt about my own work? These questions I tried to answer myself in this video.
The Best of 2019
The Second Odyssey
The Volcanic Finale
All good things must come to an end, including our cruise around the whole of Japan. Our final stop brings us to Kagoshima, the place with the most active volcano of the whole of Japan. On top of that, it was clear to us that our viewers needed to learn some real pro-tips about sightseeing. So we do just that! Also an ice-cream festival which was dope. Enjoy the cruise ship finale!
The Korean Detour
What would a cruise adventure be if it only stayed in one country? Boring! That’s why our fourth stop brings us a detour to Busan in Korea. We use this as an opportunity to discover all the subtle as well as the not so subtle differences to Japan. Let’s go!
The Sushi of Kanazawa
Kanazawa, a place not so well-known by foreigners, who only ever typically travel to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Well, as it turns out that this place actually has some of the best Sushi of the entire country! Our third cruise stop: Sushi Paradise.
The Fate of Sakata
The Japanese countryside is dying. There is no denying… Our second stop of our cruise around Japan brings us to Sakata, a place deep in the countryside of Yamagata Prefecture. What was once a bustling and lively town, clearly shows the signs of struggling economic prospects. However, with the incredibly warm welcome of the people of Sakata, it was clear to us that they love their home town. Join us on our somewhat melancholic journey throughout this beautiful place in the Japanese Inaka.
The Cruise Around Japan
Japan is a magical place. So what better way to tour it than on a cruise ship? This is the start of a 5-part video series, with the first video being our visit to Yokohama, the place where we embark the MSC Splendida. Hm, why does that ship name sound so familiar?
The Perhaps Boring City
So maybe you have seen a ton of people going to Tokyo as their prime tourist destination in Japan. However, no one ever seems to question, if Tokyo is actually worth going to. So that is what I wanted to figure out today and maybe also try to gaslight Tatsui into believing that Tokyo is indeed a very boring city. But was I successful? You’ll see!
The City We Love
So Osaka is an absolutely amazing city. There is a reason for that and this reason you will discover when watching this video. But quite honestly, Tatsui and I always have such an amazing time going to Osaka and I think you will too.
The Stranger We Followed
If you ever wanted to prove your mother wrong, here is what you can do. Step 1: Go to Japan. Step 2: Follow Strangers around that promise you candy. Step 3: Have an absolutely epic experience because that is what happens when you talk to the locals in Japan.
The Disaster Trip to Bunny Island
I have no idea how we went to an island full of bunnies and have the trip still end up in disaster. Well, sometimes things don’t end up the way you have planned them, especially when traveling in Japan! And in these times, it is important to keep your head cool and appreciate the positives.
The Okonomiyaki Round Trip
So as broke college students, it is of utmost importance to make your travels as efficient as possible. Since I am German, my efficiency is on point and Tatsui and I have created a round trip to Hiroshima and Osaka to see various things. In this episode, the various things include mostly the famous Okonomiyaki pancakes native to the aforementioned cities. Of course we also made various detours, because traveling Japan is best when it is full of surprises. It’s a great video to watch so go ahead and check it out!
The Ice That Never Melts
Tatsui and I took a trip to what I thought was one of the most beautiful places of Japan: The Kurobe Gorge. Seriously, the lake, the mountains, the river and the train were all so stunning! This place also had a few secrets within it. Such as the never-melting ice as well as the Kurobe dam and its insane energy generation.
The Countryside Adventure
I was really looking forward to seeing Toyama, the place my girlfriend grew up in. So what is there to do in the countryside of Japan? Well, for starters, eat lots of food. Anything else? Let’s find out!
The Underestimated Climb
Mt Fuji, a sacred symbol of Japan. Tatsui and I wanted to climb it after a recommendation of one of my former university colleagues. However, we soon discover that this mountain should definitely not be taking lightly….
The Green Passport of Shame
At place number one of things not to do in Japan immediately after you land: Lose your passport! This is exactly what I did, woopsie… Anyways, I use this video as an opportunity to show you what I did afterwards and how I then managed to receive, in less than 48 hours, the Green Passport of Shame.
The Reason I Went Back
Just half a year after I returned from my exchange in Japan, I went back to Japan for a few reasons. But there was one reason in particular that I went back and that was Family Mart Fried Chicken? Hold on a second, wasn’t it vending machines? Or was it something else entirely? You’ll find out for sure watching this one!
The Intermission - Overview
The Summer in the Mountains
Summer tourism is booming in Austria! Well, as long as there is no Corona virus going around making everyone’s life miserable. Indeed, Austria is investing quite a lot in making summer tourism much more popular in the mountains. This includes building up things such as lakes to swim in, trails to hike and climbing gardens to well climb in. Then there is also Mountain Karts, which are hella dope! My childhood friend Thomas and I experience summer tourism in Austria the best way possible in this trip.
The Snow-Melting Activity
So what do you do when you want to ski, but the snow is already melting and sticking to your long skis causing insane amount of friction? Easy! You put on tiny skies, aka Figls, and go down the mountain in an even more ridiculous fashion! This type of skiing adventure is only possible on a few places in the world, as they require some unique geographical properties to function. So join us on our trip to the Nordkette!
The Winter Activity
Returning from the Middle-East back to the cold Yeti-infested Austrian Alps, we wanted to make use of that unique weather. Going sledding is a pretty dope experience, especially because it is also combined with eating delicious food! Check out this aspect of Austrian culture now!
The Place Like Norway - But Hotter
The finale of the Cruise Around the Middle-East Video Series. My mum ended up making friends on the ship and together, we embarked on an advebture to hunt for dolphins on Dhow Boats! Yay! The place is called Khasab and tectonic activities in the region created massive Fjörd-like mountain ranges. Enjoy!
The Heart of The Middle-East
Muscat is the capital of Oman, as well as the fourth destination of our epic cruise. My parents and I decide to collaborate and explore this traditional city together. We ended up learning a ton about this place, including its rich history and politics.
The Cruise Ship Mukbang
Cruise ships store enough food in them to last 4000 passengers for weeks. They did not think it could be eaten all. What they did not know: I was on board.
The Beach
Cruise ship companies sell cruises on the promise of adventure! Yeah! And what can be more adventurous than spending a day at a 100% artificial nature preserve, where every single tree is watered manually through water piped through from the mainland? The answer: nothing.
The Slightly Hungry Dubai Vacation
My parents and I needed a vacation. But where to go to vacation if it’s just March? Easy answer: Dubai! We embark on a cruise ship, the MSC Splendida. Somehow, I managed to get so hungry in this video I decided to take a bite out of the thumbnail! Oh god! Anyways, we also happen to travel to Abu Dhabi to learn more about the history of the United Arabian Emirates.
The Family Get-Together
My family is actually spread across 3 countries in Europe: Germany, Austria & Switzerland. I take this video as an opportunity to introduce my family to the channel.
The Intermission
The Best Time of My Life
The Reasons for Departure
Truth be told, I could have probably stayed in Japan if I wanted to. I was very close to graduating and I probably could’ve just found a job to stay in Japan, particularly due to my strong IT background. However, there were reasons to leave. Strong reasons even…. Here I explain those…
The 12 Minute Summary
Well… All journeys must come to an end. This includes my awesome exchange stay in Japan, which I can confidently say filled with pure adventure. I learned so much and worked so hard to get where I am and here is to celebrating that in the span of 12 minutes!
The Short-Distance Relationship
Meeting Tatsui was easily the best thing that happened to me during this exchange in Japan. This video serves as a reminder of the beautiful things we did together.
The 1 Minute Fast-Forward
Ever wanted to know 100 things to do in Japan but not wanting to spend 30 minutes learning about them because maybe your phone is about to die in 1 minute? Well, for this specific reason, and this specific reason only probably, I got you covered! 100 things you can do in Japan, and only in Japan, for you to play at double speed if you got blood sugar level for it.
The City of Dreams
The Quality of Life is superb in Japan. Quite frankly, it is not higher anywhere in the world, which can be attributed to the way in which Japanese cities are constructed. You see, building and traffic laws have insane effects on the livability of cities. In this video essay, I uncover all the reasons that make Japanese cities a dream to live in.
The Cola of Peaches
Nearing the end of my exchange studies in Japan, I reflect on what I have accomplished and the fun I had. Or maybe it was Coca Cola Peach that made my life so great in Japan? Who knows?
The Capsule Hotel Deathmatch
Everybody knows Capsule Hotels and how amazing they are! Well, they are not the only amazing budgetary hotel option in Japan. In comes the Cabin Hotel, which is tired of the Capsule Hotel hogging all of the attention. Which type of Hotel is truly the superior choice for budget travelers around Japan? Who will come out victorious? There is only one thing that we can be sure of: This battle will be legendary!
The Colors of Kyoto
The Fun That is Respectful (Maybe)
Ok, everyone and their mothers already know of all of the amazing culture you can find in Kyoto. To that I say: Booooooooring. I want to have some fun. So how do you have fun when everybody else is all about the respect? Uhm, well, you have to find out by watching the video! Yay!
The Romantic Getaway
While Tatsui was already with me in the obligatory Ramen video, I personally consider this her official debut video. Traveling together to the southern-most point of the Aichi Prefecture, we ended up discovering a truly different side of Japan…
The Candyfloss Quest
So, uhm, my friend Morc told me that the City of Osaka is amazing. When I asked why, he just told me it is. Well, always trusting my friend’s opinions (except for you Mathias), I decided it was time for me to find out what is really all that special about Osaka. And for some reason I really wanted to eat Candyfloss.
The Osakan Doom
The Obligatory Ramen Video
Already four months in Japan and not a single Ramen video to show for it? Blasphemy! Time to change this heresy and finally make that obligatory Ramen video.
The Superior New Year
To the people of Japan, the New Year’s celebrations are very important. I decide to embark an adventure to discover everything the Japanese do to ensure the smoothest transition into the New Year.
The Rich, The Poor and The Proteins
How do you survive Japan on a budget? Particularly with variety of dietary restrictions (aka Proteins), you might need a little bit of a heads-up. In comes this video to your rescue. For the purpose of a control group, we also include a very rich person in this scientific study.
The Autumn Leaves
This video in particular is special to me, as it taught me something incredible: Every single trip you take in Japan, even if it seems insignificant, can end up absolutely incredible.
The Big Camera
After canonically saving the world through a Karaoke Sing-off, I decided it was time for some fun episodes. Kicking it off strongly by buying Pokemon Let’s Go. It was after all a lifelong dream of mine to buy a Pokemon game in Japan. So let’s go!
Choose My Day - Dusk
Choose My Day - Afternoon Action
Choose My Day - Lunchtime Setup
Choose My Day - Instructions
The way to play the Choose My Own Adventure is really easy! By utilizing YouTube’s end screen feature, you are able to choose how the story continues. Over the course of 4 videos, each choice you make removes one of the possible endings. So make it count, the fate of the universe rests on your shoulders…. (It doesn’t, but it sounds cool saying so)
Choose My Day In Japan
Yes! You are absolutely and indeed seeing right! This is the epic Choose Your Own Adventure of what a day is like in Japan for an exchange student. Spanning 10 videos in total, you get to choose how the day progresses. Simply select one of the end screens at the end of the video to progress further. This one of a kind video series is my Magnum Opus to date and was a hell of a challenge to make. You will enjoy this.
The 1200kg Shrine
As a foreigner in Japan, you are oftentimes given great honors. One of these was being asked to carry a massive portable shrine that needed to be carried. They assured me that it was indeed a great honor to carry it, which had absolutely nothing to do with the Shrine being heavy.
The Field Trip
The Ups And Only the Ups of Japan
Continuing my eternal quest to become famous, I was thinking of ways on how I could get famous fast. The idea: People love learning about what other people think for some reason. In comes my guinea pigs, I mean exchange students, who we willing to give their opinions of their perceived ups and downs of Japan. Spoilers: Anyone saying any downs of Japan is lying because Japan is factually perfect.
The Tour of The Dorm
Commencing my eternal quest to become famous, I was thinking of ways on how I could get famous fast. The idea: People love room tours for whatever reason. Like, I don’t get it, why are apartment/room/personal toilet tours so bloody popular? Anyways, hilarity ensues as my “friend” Mathias doesn’t show up and I instead ask a Mexican camera guy I met on Reddit to help me make this incredible audiovisual experience.
Nagoya - Show Me What You Got
As I arrived in Nagoya, I knew it was time to start exploring my new home for the time of my exchange studies. I quickly made friends with a few other exchange students as well as attaining “friendship” with my “favourite” Danish person Mathias. We embarked on an epic adventure filled with food. Maybe some other things too but I really mostly cared about the food.
The Angriest Arrival
When arriving in Akihabara, I became angry. Kinda like the Hulk, but not quite as cool. By that I mean it wasn’t cool at all. Ok then. Go watch. Wrawr.