Abroad in Japan

By: Chris Broad

Narrated by: Chris Broad

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

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)

Was really sad when it ended

Great book. Chris Broad is very personable and relatable, and the book was also cohesive and well put together. It was an enjoyable listen all the way through, and I really wanted more. I don't know if he'll write a sequel but I'll be first in line to pre-order if he does.

Really enjoyed this audiobook

I like the series but usually can't watch it because I have children and there is a lot of swearing. However this book was not like that and I found it really enjoyable. I am from the UK too so I appreciated the sense of humor. it was also really informative and I'm really impressed by a lot of things he has done. I was surprised when it finished and could have listened to more on my daily commutes. I would recommend it. We have also visited places after seeing his videos and may do so after listening to the book.

Loved it!

I've been a subscriber for a long time. So when he announced the book I had to get it. I chose this audio version so I can listen while I am at work and when I am in my car.

Chris is even better in book form than on camera

Chris is even better in book form than on camera. He is great with words and make you the listener really embark on his experience. I especially loved that he shared more personal things around dating and other problems he experienced as he became a grown man (from 20-30 years old) in Japan

Just as expected from Mr. Affable!

I was so excited for the audio book, I purchased this a couple of months in advance and it certainly did not disappoint. Even though we have learned snippets, in some cases, even the full tale of some of these experiences, it was wonderful to be invited again. I think like so many other folks, you’ve inspired me to make the journey to Japan. I can’t NOT hear the theme song when those two words are in close proximity. I am waiting for the print version as well. I wanted to hear your tone first before reading it myself. Thank you Mr. Broad!

Great story and even better narration

I finished the audio book in 2 days. It was a great read/ listen. I really enjoyed the witty humor as portrayed in Chris's YouTube videos. Multiple parts had me laughing to myself while i was at work listening to it. It was a fun book of Chris's life starting from the beginning of his time in Japan. I highly recommend this book and also highly recommend checking out Chris's YouTube channel (Abroad in Japan) for some intertaining videos with great cinematography.

A great, intimate series of stories

This is a book that can be enjoyed, truly, by anyone. I loved every single minute. It showed a side of Chris that you can't really see anywhere else.

Fantastic

Chris’s book read by him is like a friend telling you about how he succeeded

The Greatest Hits

Most of the book is a rehash of his video content, but all the same was glad to buy the book and support Chris for providing hundreds of hours of infotainment for free over the years.

Coffee with a Friend

Pour yourself a drink, sit back, close your eyes and you will feel like you’re sat listening to a friend tell you about their recent vacation - wonderful. Chris does a wonderful job of making you forget about the world around you as you follow along with the highs and lows of his time in Japan.