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Abroad in Japan

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Abroad in Japan

By: Chris Broad
Narrated by: Chris Broad
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he was about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history?

Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that comes with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most mysterious and impenetrable cultures.

Spanning 10 years and 47 prefectures, Chris takes us from the chilling summit of Mount Fuji to the chaotic neon-lit streets of Tokyo. With blockbuster moments such as a terrifying North Korean missile incident, a Japanese national TV experience gone horribly wrong and a week spent with Japan's biggest movie star, Ken Watanabe, Abroad in Japan is an extraordinary and informative journey through the Land of the Rising Sun.

©2023 Chris Broad (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Asia Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary Funny Witty Feel-Good Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Village Imperial Japan China

Critic Reviews

A chortleworthy look at the land of karaoke, cat fanatics and chocolate-coated fries.
From wide-eyed exchange teacher to seasoned youtuber, Chris Broad explores Japan in all its quirky glory, surviving earthquakes, North Korean missile alerts, cat cafe allergies and Love Hotel evictions. Endlessly fascinating! (Will Ferguson, author of Hokkaido Highway Blues)
Fascinating, fact-packed and very funny. Broad's wry humour, in-depth knowledge and adept storytelling make him an engaging guide to the bewildering Japanese experience. Accurately captures the excitement and dream-like disorientation of a foreigner discovering Japan. An excellent and enjoyable read for the Japan-curious. I loved it and learned a lot. (Sam Baldwin, author of For Fukui's Sake: Two years in rural Japan)
Chris Broad's wry, self-deprecating memoir carves a unique path across Japan bringing him into contact with far too many cats, heartening renewal in Tohoku, and even pizza with Ken Watanabe. This is a thoroughly contemporary book, a memoir of life in Japan that couldn't have been written at any other point in history. (Iain Maloney, author of The Only Gaijin in the Village)
This book seeks to unravel a culture that can often seem distant to visitors, charting his life over ten years and countless quirky anecdotes.
All stars
Most relevant
Amazing book Chris! I listened to it all the way home from. Japan yesterday. You have certainly found your calling. Your storytelling and the way you see things is so relateable. I'm planning a permanent move from Australia to Japan for 2025 and your book couldn't have been more timely!

A gifted storyteller.

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The personal experience of a man fumbling through his living in Japan as a foreigner and loving (most of) it.
it's highly entertaining and I would wholeheartedly recommended it. His YouTube channel is pretty great too.

Interesting and Entertaining

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I have followed Chris on his journey and thoroughly enjoyed his videos in Abroad in Japan.
When I learned of this audiobook I quickly downloaded it and got straight to listening.
Chris' journey in this audiobook was very insightful and I couldn't get enough.
I loved how he told stories of his life in Japan, from the beginning to his highs and lows, it really was fascinating.

If you are interested in learning about life in Japan as a foreigner then please give this audiobook a go.

Thanks Chris!

Loved it!

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Chris Broad's tale of moving to Japan is a great listen. He recounts the process of becoming acculturated, and experiencing triumphs and putting his foot in it along the way. He writes with humour and emotion, and I learned a lot about Japan and its customs, weather, education, food, traditions, and a lot more. Chris narrates brilliantly - a thoroughly enjoyable book.

A light-hearted and informative look at Japan

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Liked Chris and his best friend relationship develops, and the respect he gets from the Japanese people.

The passion showed for a great country which I have visited many times.

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