Best J-Vlogger who passed away in Japan: the story of Rodger Swan (Dec 19th, 1986-Jan 26th 2010)

If you also want to help the Rodger Swan memorial fund for Japanese studies please click here
Http://wmich.edu/languages/rodgerswan

[@unrested]

I wanna make a couple notes: 1. I was wrong on the timeline. Victor gimmeabreakman and a few others were slightly before Rodger. Nonetheless my intent was not to take that away from them I merely wanted to honor Rodger as an OG. 2.My membership money will be donated to Rodger’s fund (link in the notes) but also any money made by this vid. I frogot to mention that mostly because my videos make almost no money, but even the small cash this vid makes will be added to the members funds. 3.when I said antithesis I should have said paragon. My point was that Rodger was a great example of how one should approach filming in Japan. He is the opposite of some of these hooligans who come here and harass the Japanese during livestreams. Thanks for understand you are all wonderful and so are your comments about Rodger!❤

[@thebookhito5004]

I found Rodger's videos shortly after he had passed away, particularly his visit to Yukio Mishima and Edogawa Rampo's graves. I was one of those people you talked about who he inspired to come to Japan. I lived in Japan for four years, and a lot of it was because I had watched his videos and decided to see if I could do something similar. Thank you for making this video.

[@unrested]

Happy to see his spirit still inspiring

[@SkeIetor]

Roger Swan is how I initially found out about and you so many others in the jvlogging community when I was a young teen. I can't remember exactly who but someone made an RIP vlog about Roger and I went through his channel and watched practically all of Roger's content. I was a young kid who didn't know much about Japanese culture, the concept of foreign language teaching, or even what being an "expat" was. Here I am today living in Poland teaching English. We never know the impact we have on people, especially when we're just a name on a screen, but Roger Swan's content as well as the jvlogging community as a whole truly inspired me to be on the career path I am today.

[@unrested]

Awesome to hear your journey. Also you maybe speaking about tkyosam who was the only one brave enough to express his raw emotion over losing Rodger so suddenly. I personally didn’t even know how to cover it. I was too immature and inexperienced with KZbin and had never covered anything serious at that point. Nonetheless I am happy to see people make tributes, comments, and even continue to make vids now so that Rodger lives on in his passion for Japan

[@Frehley4000]

I have been watching you for about 15 years (I guess). Never had any interaction but it’s nice to see you are still making videos.

[@unrested]

Thanks for sticking with me❤

[@Gimmeabreakman]

Here to help algorithm. We were around at the same time and even attended one of the first KZbin Hanami's together, but I can't for the life of me remember ever meeting him. I went back through some videos I shot and saw him him in the background though. Still, it was a damn shame to lose him so young.

[@KibaJovanni]

2024 Rodger swan ❤

[@dongdongvu1]

excellent video. we need to keep Rodger's memory and work alive forever

[@unrested]

Agree completely

[@dubndrapwilwork]

i could tell you really care in this video. thanks

[@DrazCreates]

Rodger was the only non-Slavic native speaker who took the trouble of learning the correct pronunciation of my name. Such kindness to everyone around him, even if it was only for one single meetup

[@unrested]

He definitely went out of his way to make everyone feel welcome

[@Naturenerd1000]

Only 23 years old. Sad. Rodger Swan; What a legond.

[@unrested]

Yeah it’s a rough story.

[@aiden9586]

Beautiful and respectful video Scott

[@unrested]

Thank you

[@HajimeNoJMo]

Rodger and I bonded over our love of the Dreamcast cult hit, Shenmue. Our interactions were brief, but fun and memorable. His sudden and unexpected passing really took me by storm. For as little he spent here, he made a tremendous impact.

[@unrested]

That’s right! I shoulda mentioned that! That was another connection I had to his vids when he’d be walking down the street saying “this is real small town Shenmue Japan!” I remember scanning the screen for a forklift! Hahaha good memory

[@Lunaeincola]

I was aware of him back in a day, did not watch every vid tho, but I remember clearly when it became known that he died... It did not hit me at the time, cos I did not follow his content closely, but still was a surreal moment, he was so young, always smiling, all seemed going well in his life, and he died out of nowhere...I remember just trying to process how easily life can end just like that....

[@unrested]

Surreal was exactly what I was thinking. I honestly didn’t believe it. Early 20s passing away in Japan. Like I said I thought it was a sick joke. When it happened I was so new and shocked by something like that happening with our small group of j vloggers I didn’t cover it cause I thought I was too immature, too inexperienced, and had never covered anything heavy on my channel. I gotta hand it to tkyosam he was really brave. He covered it when no one else did while literally breaking down on camera. Rough times. I still have problems wrapping my head around someone younger than me going first and in such a peaceful place. At least he was in a place he loved when he passed

[@leneyboo]

Oh my god!! I remember his movie critiques back in the day on movies I’d watch from Sundance’s Asia Extreme time slot. So sad we lost a kind soul and young as well.

[@DeatHMeisteR92]

A great video man! It was so long ago so I can’t remember clearly who I watched first, but one of you lead me to the other. Roger emitted a pure goodness and honesty about him that I’ll never forget. Thanks for the blast from the past!

[@unrested]

Yeah the dude was as genuine as it got.

[@notspiritualenough3813]

I didn't come across his content until I heard about his death, but I'm happy you made this video, there is a lot I didn't know. RIP to him, he seemed like a wonderful man. I remember the impact his death made on the community, but I didn't know him well enough at the time.

[@unrested]

Yeah at the time it happened I couldn’t make a vid on it cause my video skills and talking on camera skills were still too immature. I remember thinking I’d do him a disservice or that I had never covered something so shocking on my channel so what was I to do. Nonetheless I hope I’ve helped his legacy live on with this video along with the many others out there

[@elliefors6006]

I’ve sadly never heard of Rodger’s videos before, but you sent me down a rabbit hole of watching them. He seemed like such a kind and personal guy and it’s so sad to hear he passed away. You really never know what day could be your last. Also it would be nice if you linked his channel in the description for people to watch his videos too! I’m sure other people would enjoy watching them 🙏🏻

[@unrested]

Ahh! Good point I linked the fundraiser while completely forgetting the channel!

[@fdre3wsd]

wow I never knew of him, your videos had me reminiscing and was tried to see how many classic era jvloggers i can remember Unrested (ofc haha), tkyosam, HannahMinx, GimmeABreakman, 日本語の森, Kanadajin, Deep in japan, Tokyozeplin forgetting so many

[@unrested]

Hey keep them coming if you remember more please list them or send me a personal email with every one you can remember. I can think of radery, claytonian, betamaxDC, that Japanese girl…and…ugh it’s so hard to remember it all. Oh the email is scottmackerman at gmail. Any help remembering is super appreciated

[@rain1676]

Many hugs and blessings to you brother

[@unfinishedsentenc5308]

Always look forward to your vids

[@unrested]

Thanks for keeping up with me

[@syrus3657]

Love these videos. Was before my time I think. Gona check him out. Give us more nostalgia! At the end when you were reading the names out, a part of me wanted to hear you say Johnny Somali.

[@unrested]

lol Johnny Somali yikes. Much more nostalgia coming I don’t want to publish the list just yet but I have been researching and finding out where a lot of the past jvloggers are now and really enjoying the trip down memory lane so I’ll be doing it a lot more as these vids continue

[@syrus3657]

@@unrested Same same, memory lane, I am loving it. You also maybe could redo some old vlogs? showing places that was once popular/no one visits or just memorable places. I hope you get the chance to interview some old jvloggers. Don't be put off by all the high budget japan videos, trust me I've binged on them and they are now finished.

[@ratzo77]

Roger was the first J-Vlogger I found, through him I found Tokyocooney, then you

[@unrested]

Amazing!

[@jakefromsf7580]

I graduated hs in 2009 and the summer between graduating and my freshman year of college i got into learning about Japanese culture and he was the first japanese vlogger i ever subscribed too on my old youtube channel. I had just caught up with all of his videos about a week before his passing. Never met the man or talked via online but would've definitely had loved to have the chance. Any time someone i know in real life ask about the japanese culture i always send them to his channel. I couldnt tell them how accurate he was because I've never lived in Japan but just the way his persona was on camera made him easy to watch and enjoy. I'm 33 now and knowing he passed at 23... just way too young.

[@unrested]

Yeah Rodger pretty much carried the torch for all of us jvloggers. Honestly if he was still around today I think a lot more of the community would be closer knit and a lot more kindness would exist in the jvlogging world

[@Frehley4000]

I didn’t know him but I remember TkyoSam’s video when that happend which was heart breaking (that’s how I new about Roger). He definitely was a good guy, many people felt his death. That was so long ago and people still remember him. That’s important.

[@PrimeInChina]

I remember finding Cooney when he was very very small. I also seen Swan as Iwate swan. Then I later found Tkyosam/Gimebreakman. I also remember Ericsurf6 did some Conveyor belt sushi video like 15+ years ago. I remember back when just showing Japan on video was amazing. The old vending machine videos and that stuff. Now its just really over saturated with people that travel japan and make videos but don't really speak the language or even live there.

[@unrested]

Yeah I don’t really keep up with the newer vids out about Japan. But those were all classics for sure.

[@estellekostanza7874]

I remember him, he was my intro. And his channel is still up aaw

[@unrested]

Yeah he was a great dude

[@LadySilence]

Ahhh yea. Thanks for keeping his legacy alive he really was the o.g. and loved his cozy Japanese horror movie reviews

[@unrested]

Yeah that’s a good description. Like fireside chat about horror type of cozy

[@UnitedStatesNavy1775]

I MISS YOU MR ACKERMAN -peyton 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯

[@unrested]

Good luck in all you do Peyton!

[@marbellaotaiza801]

This was such a nice, heartfelt homage Scott. I probably started watching you guys after his death, so KZbin never recommended his channel to me. If Gimme was the godfather of the j-vlogging community, Rodger was the King. Long live the King.

[@unrested]

Very true

[@wicreed]

I found about Roger after the fact he passed away from Jason's channel. Then went through all of his videos. The world is a little darker with his passing.

[@unrested]

Jason myargonauts? I gotta check in on that guy sometime I haven’t seen him online in ages

[@wicreed]

@@unrested Yes sir been following the both of you since well sort of. After a while of watching Jvloggers I went over to following Sargon of Akad and others like him. But I am happy to see you posting content again.

[@ImpressiveTony]

I remember following him and the j-vlogger community around that time. It was a horrible shock to hear about his passing.

[@unrested]

Yeah it seemed surreal to me. I honestly though it was some sick joke

[@PepGuard-tp4ny]

In one of Rodger's videos you can see a skinny Tkyo Sam.

[@unrested]

Sam has always been skinny. Only his personality is big.

[@CarolynnMarkey]

I have never even heard of this guy..... and I thought I knew all the J-vloggers. I thought give me a break man was the first j vlogger. also I was born in 1987, so this guy would have been 39 if he was still alive. he was young!

[@danh9922]

He was quite good friends with Dogen by the way

[@unrested]

Yeah he was pretty much the first guy to edit together video scraps to make coherent talks about what he loved about Japan and j-horror. We pretty much all started to follow his lead in many different ways and just as our community and he was taking off he was gone. It was such a shock. I remember I went back to check over and over again to make sure it was real

[@73elephants]

"Antithesis"??? Don't you mean something like "paragon"?

[@unrested]

Paragon would have been a better word I think after talking about the bad streamers I got caught up trying to use antithesis to say he is the model of what is opposite to them but got caught up in my own mind.

[@verycherryberry3752]

algorithm comment

[@marbellaotaiza801]

First!