The Day Japan Fears The Most: $1 Trillion Disaster

[@AbroadinJapan]

This project was a huge undertaking! Please show it some love 🙏 And a special thanks to the Abroad in Japan Patreon community for making this documentary possible. (www.patreon.com/c/abroadinjapan) Originally we planned for this video to focus on the threat of a megaquake in Tokyo. Then we arrived in Wajima. We expected the town to have recovered after the January 1st earthquake, but neither myself nor the team were prepared for what we found. A huge thank you to the amazing people of Wajima for taking part in this documentary.

[@diningwithderek]

Big thank you to you Chris for producing this!

[@adamfantasia1125]

Good job as always Chris

[@avfx]

Great job done by team and self again Chris.

[@Kristern99]

This looks great, you're the right guy to bring us non japanese viewers insight on this topic

[@v.3901]

I Always appreciate the heart you put into your videos. Thanks man

[@PiracyAgreement]

An underrated part of being on this channel is seeing a genuinely decent bloke grow and become better at his craft.

[@_SYDGAMING_]

He's an affable guy indeed

[@arrone7]

Think that David Attenborough made documentaries on location until his nineties. Chris will be picked up eventually, but I am sure he will remember where it started and his Patreon followers that made it happen. Not sure about the thumbnail though. Slightly detracts from the seriousness of the documentary.

[@Adi-mj3cb]

A broadly caring person at the end of the day

[@arrone7]

​@@Adi-mj3cb nice 😂👌

[@jaybee4288]

He’s super privileged, has nothing not to be happy about. These guys got given everything and don’t know hardship at all.

[@Dogen]

Finally had a chance to watch-masterclass in storytelling from start to finish! 脱帽

[@AbroadinJapan]

Thanks man! Have a very merry Christmas with the family 🙏🎄

[@martin-1965]

@@AbroadinJapan As a fellow Brit, I've had the pleasure to watch the highest quality documentary film making from the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and even Sky. This documentary from Chris and the team is simply outstanding and equal to some of the best film making and story telling I have seen. I have visited Tokyo only the one time and it was the most amazing city I have visited in my life. To imagine being in the city during an earthquake is utterly terrifying; to be in a small, more remote place like Wajima would be even worse. To see how huge the task is to restore Wajima is awe-inspiring for all the wrong reasons. I certainly hope it can return to it's former glory one day, but it seems like it will be years. Congratulations and thanks for, once again, offering something worth watching on KZbin.

[@matasa7463]

Your work on the Nankai megathrust was also amazing! I hope Japan is well prepared for the oncoming dangers...

[@TheB1M]

Absolutely fantastic video Chris! 👏

[@kaplanbahadir2301]

I thought I recognized the building animations.

[@Hhhh22222-w]

B1M's video on the topic was more industrial focus, while Abroad in Japan was more personal, both very important videos on the topic.

[@AbroadinJapan]

Cheers man! Enjoyed your documentary yesterday too haha. Next time you’re over drop me a line!

[@nalwin]

well that's a collab i never thought I'd need to see, but ngl that would be so hype

[@deantduk]

I just watched this and TheB1M's back to back.. awesome!

[@bh1125]

This felt like watching a highly produced BBC documentary, not a video on KZbin. Chris you have honed your craft to an amazing level. I know it's not much but here is my thanks.

[@shadowjewel]

He's mentioned before that the high quality BBC documentaries are his inspiration, his goal post. It makes me happy how well he's hit that mark.

[@AbroadinJapan]

Thank you so much for the kind words and support! Have a very Happy New Year 🙏

[@ThePandaKen]

I know you've mentioned over the years having the artistic desire to go more into "filmmaker" than "youtuber," and I have to say you definitely did that with this. The quality of audio and video are on par with anything you'd see on Netflix. The b-roll footage and on-site footage/narration are all done really well. The way you structured everything and told a story with the Wajima market now being a travelling market, persevering through it all, was really cool. I know the random opinion of a guy online doesn't mean much, but I think you should be very proud of this project and I'm really glad to see you're able to combine your love of filmmaking with your love of Japan & its people.

[@Dorgpoop]

I agree it was very impressive, much better than most of what's available on Netflix imo, they have a really bad habit of giving a voice to pseudoscientists and sensationalising everything.

[@killahp123]

Of course they do, pseudoscience and sensationalized dog droppings already worked on the history channel for over a decade at that point. And quite a few morons actually gobbled that up. Heck, my own father's one of those ancient alien nuts​ now...@@Dorgpoop

[@Philbert76]

I couldn't agree more! ❤

[@Lahlasa]

100%, this was better than many mainstream documentaries I've seen. Chris presented facts and emotions surrounding the Wajima earthquake and what might be to come for Japan, without sensationalizing or fear-mongering. As a long time viewer, I'm so proud of Chris and can't wait to see what else he does. I hope he is very happy with his work - he deserves it!

[@orngpeelr9017]

Totally agree. The cinematography and professional look of the video was great, but the thing that not many people tend to appreciate more/give credit to is the narrative planning/storyboarding process. I really liked how narratively he was following a thread of questions that ultimately culminated to the threat of a volcanic eruption, visiting that insane underground structure, and interviewing the Governor of Tokyo! Chris has truly come a long way from that Japanese apartment tour video lol.

[@user-kl4lk4hs5n]

As a Japanese, I feel ashamed of myself for not knowing much about the tragic situation in other parts of my country. I'm from a region where scholars have long anticipated a big earthquake to happen in the next few decades, so I've grown up being told how devastatingly it would change our lives. Now, living in Tokyo, I've forgotten the importance of preparations, but your amazing video reminded me of its significance again. Huge thanks for always making stunning videos, and I'm really looking forward to more of your upcoming work.

[@sn0r]

It's heartening to see a video like this educate us all. I'm going to the safety kit, even though i live half way around the world. Preparedness matters. 😅

[@Thentavius]

Speaking as someone living in another earthquake hazard for a country: If you can, learn your triage as well. Get involved with civil welfare or first aid even if it's just to learn the necessary skills. Learn what you need to so you can help on the day of. Pray you don't ever have to use them. Be happy you learned them before it happens.

[@ootts456]

Why Japanese English always sound like chatgpt or google translation

[@turinmormegil7715]

​@@ootts456sounds better than your discourtesy

[@turinmormegil7715]

Would you mind sharing with us which specific region you mentioned? Is it Hokkaido? Or maybe Kyushu? I've always dreaded at the thought of eruptions in those places, because of Mt. Sakurajima and Mt. Hakodate (I know the latter is inactive, but I always feel uneasy at the thought of "what if it actually isn't?")

[@BaverIy]

These scenes truly moved me to tears. I had no idea that so many people are still facing such immense struggles and have not yet recovered, even after almost a year. It’s heartbreaking to see the ongoing challenges they endure. Thank you for creating this powerful documentary and shedding light on their experiences. If it’s possible, I’d deeply appreciate an update on their situation and how they’re coping. ❤

[@apathyguy8338]

I would imagine it's almost impossible not to come through that without suffering at least some degree of PTSD. I can't speak for anybody else but I would have a hard time sleeping knowing this could happen again.

[@Ohara-the-Fox]

Fantastic film Chris! Great work

[@AbroadinJapan]

Cheers man! Have a very merry Christmas!

[@Ohara-the-Fox]

@@AbroadinJapan same to you bro! Keep doing what you're doing next year too!

[@emiogawa86]

Go find what happened to Rocks D Xebec, instead of here

[@Ryzawa]

@@emiogawa86 Go hate on him anywhere else, instead of underneath a Natural Disaster Documentary...

[@cocleum]

地震のあった現地の取材だけでなく 東京都知事にもインタビューをするなんてすごい この動画を作ってくれてありがとう

[@IdahoFatTireBikeFun]

Thanks!

[@Drevo-1219]

⁠@@チョコパックスタッフが後で美味しくいただいたんだろ。。

[@チョコパック]

@@Drevo-1219 ​@Drevo-1219 動画内でゴミ箱に行くみたいなこと言ってたし、スタッフが食べてなかったら（見たところほぼいない）、現場のゴミ箱は生ゴミだらけになってたはずだけど？他にも明らかに食いきれない量を注文して、その後どうなったか不明な動画ばかり。特に自動販売機の動画は酷かった。本人から釈明を聞きたいわ。まぁ、釈明出来ないからコメント直ぐに消すんだろうけど。

[@チョコパック]

​@@Drevo-1219　そうやってネタで済まして、外国人に甘い顔するから舐められて、マナーの悪い外国人が調子に乗るんだけど。お前日本人？

[@チョコパック]

@@Drevo-1219 そもそも日本人も含め他国の文化を理解するのは無理だから諦めた。理解する努力は出来てもちゃんと理解することは叶わないんだよね。日本人がイギリス料理の美味しさを理解できないように。と、イギリス人的な冗談を理解したつもりで、冗談には冗談で〆させて頂きます。

[@vijaymane814]

The cinematography, the narration, the topic....Chris you've done it, you've become the director you always wanted to be.

[@cajungoat]

*Filmmaker

[@arrone7]

*Producer (and cinematographer) This is not the definition of a film, technically speaking 😊 I still thoroughly enjoyed it! While cutting onions 😢

[@sirBrouwer]

@@cajungoat Film is what you use with analoge video photography. This has been captured by digital means.

[@Ch1pp007]

​@@sirBrouwer But filmmaker is a generic term for any kind of movie maker.

[@OllamhDrab]

Well, it's hardly his first effort like this, you may find similar quality in the backcatalogue. :)

[@connielasher3126]

As someone who loves Japan and works there regularly, I applaud your work on this documentary. Like you and many of your viewers, I walked the streets of places like Ishinomaki, saw firsthand the unimaginable power of these large earthquakes and the tsunami that follow. And firsthand the greater power of the citizens of Tohoku whose resilience is a bright light of what humanity can be at its best. I very much hope that you continue to use your considerable YT platform to showcase what Japan and the Japanese people can offer to the world by way of example in facing disasters and hardship with humanistic resoluteness and technological creativity. With increasing climate destabilization and ensuing disasters, the world will need to learn some lessons from Japan about communitarian values, love of place, and resilience over the long haul. This, in contrast to the obnoxious trend of high intensity exploitative tourism and the superficial "consumption" of Japan that has so increased in the aftermath of the COVID reopening. Thank you for bringing this documentary to YT. I look forward to more like it.

[@CyberChamp]

We getting another masterful documentary from Chris to end the year? Chris has been on a stride this year, and this documentary is the cherry on top.

[@destituteanddecadent9106]

Your comment was posted less than a minute after the video was posted. Was it released earlier on patreon or something?

[@CyberChamp]

@destituteanddecadent9106 nah, I just know for a fact that Chris is gonna drop something that slaps

[@Gnaderify]

A bit disingenuous just to farm meaningless likes on a youtube documentary about a tragedy

[@CyberChamp]

@Gnaderify I was just excited about the video. I do not give a crap about likes, I am just happy to get another documentary to watch and spend like a week rewatching to learn from it.

[@dariyanvalentine3564]

@@Gnaderify go look at the community at the community posts its full of ppl doing that, apparently loss of life and business are funny, compared to that this dude is doing nothing wrong.

[@kocronashi]

That shot at G-CANS was unreal. Chris walking through there looks like it's CGI 🤯

[@KyleBGanger]

Made me so upset that I didn't go there 😢

[@jonbaxter2254]

Mirrors Edge

[@benjaminpinsent1307]

Looks like the mines of moria

[@mandeadd]

They use G-CANS a lot in Kamen Rider and other tokusatsu

[@aroundtheflatearth2388]

@@mandeadd kamen rider faiz ending

[@leo22334455]

This is going to be long but thank you so much for making such a in depth and engaging documentary that addresses not only past earthquakes and also the future for an issue that on ongoing within Japan. I was also a resident in Sendai for a while and I experienced a 7.0 earthquake in 2021 and for people who have not experienced something on that scale its actually very difficult to imagine how it impacts you after, even if you didnt suffer any physical injuries (every time i hear the sirens my heart drops even if its in a movie or a video). Anyone who travels to Japan and down the Sanriku coast where the 2011 earthquake hit can still see the impact it has had even today. Whole sections of the coast are barren, areas of Fukushima are still gated off, communities are still in temporary housing and recovering even 13 years on from the quake. For anyone reading this, please support those communities by going there, buying their local produce, learning about the area because it helps them to recover and rebuild. And for those worried about earthquakes, all Japanese people, children and adults alike, are well trained for natural disasters and you can count on them to give you support when you need it. Again I am thankful for this video and keep doing what youre doing Abroad in Japan!

[@Crystalheartsnerds]

For years after the 22 February 2011 in New Zealand, any shakes would trigger a response. Even though thankfully nothing happened to me, it could have and thousands of aftershocks shook the city reminded us of that. To this day you can still see remnants of the earthquakes destruction. Thank you for this comment.

[@paulanthony312]

Beautifully said.

[@psivewri]

Excellent work Chris! It's fascinating to hear the stories from the residents that experienced the earthquake themselves.

[@AbroadinJapan]

Cheers man - the locals in Wajima were nothing short of an inspiration. I’m so glad we could share their stories perhaps more than anything else in this documentary.

[@axethepenguin]

Hey! Cool to see you’re interested in this stuff too

[@RenneVangr]

These documentaries always remind me that Chris is not just a belligerent Connor bully, who likes to drink a little too much from time to time. But that he is a genuinely caring person who feels obligated to show us not only the fun and wacky side of Japan, but also its hardships. In a beautiful way, night I add, as always. Amazing work!

[@Stat1onary]

Where did u get the idea that chris drinks too much?? Literally in the videos wiht him-and connor chris is usually the one abstaining from alcohol etc

[@adamscott7354]

He does do that rather well though doesn’t he?

[@wolfgangd3653]

​@@Stat1onarydoesn't he mean that Connor drinks too much?

[@-RoyBatty-89]

Stop acting like you know him, you parasocial weirdo.

[@arthuralford]

As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, I can empathize all too well with the residents of Wajima. The shock and loss, trying to rebuild and always having this feeling that things will never be right again. You lose your sense of safety, of normality. There is the way things were in the time before the disaster, and the time after. Living among the ruins is depressing and simply going to the next town over-where the world is still "normal"-is a shock to your sense of reality. It takes time to heal. But there are things you never truly heal from. Thanks Chris, for showing me Wajima, and reminding me of how fragile our existence really is. I hope they recover. Things will never be the same, but it will help heal the wounds. Physical and mental

[@prowlprime]

Thank you for this comment. It really reminds one that this type of devastation impacts lives for generations. I hope you are somewhere safe and happy now.

[@loisarends3968]

❤❤

[@cnolan4117]

I didn't plan on crying today....but here we are. This is beautiful and heart wrenching. Focusing on the people....amazing. Chris, this is an extremely well done documentary. Thank you.

[@drunkdrag0n]

I'm in the same boat. Not even 10 minutes in and my heart is hurting for the people there.

[@CaptainBuggyTheClown]

why are you crying? There's a lot of horrific shit going on in this world if this made you cry then you'd die from dehydration if you saw half of the terrible shit HUMANS do to each other, aside from natural disasters.

[@bitescratchkill6849]

@@CaptainBuggyTheClown okay edgelord

[@skalare4492]

@@CaptainBuggyTheClown One bad thing doesn't take away from another also being bad. Numbing yourself to empathy is fine if that's what you need to do to cope, but there's also absolutely nothing wrong with being affected by other peoples suffering. We're all different and experience different sets of emotions.

[@carlosc6983]

​"Why save these people if others are suffering too" is your mentality and it's gross as fuck.

[@ChadyotheWallnut]

Bloody good work on this Chris & Crew, this is what an 'influencer' is supposed to do.

[@varickb]

I feel and grieve with the people of Japan. Vanuatu, my home island nation in the South Pacific to the East Coast of Australia gets a lot of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones. They are truly devastating. Recently, December 17th 2024 we just had a a 7.3 earthquake that destroyed so much of the capital of Port-Vila, many homes and businesses lost, many injured and lives lost under the rubble, yet more to be found, landslides from mountains and more that made many lost most of their belongings. Yet like Japan we are a happy nation, one that loves its people, its community and the beauty of Vanuatu's untouched nature. I keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers that go through these events.

[@akin0hi24]

Wow. Just wow. These types of videos offered to us for free is just crazy. The amazing production. The first-hand accounts. You and your teams must've gone to greater lengths to put this video out to the world. Thank you for this, Chris!

[@orngpeelr9017]

Shoutout to all the Patreon folks!

[@SquAshe]

While Wacky Weekend is a blast, these videos will forever be my favorite. You handle these devastating situations so respectfully, and I can't help but tear up watching them. Not just at the destruction, but the hope you make known still exists beyond it all. Thank you. ❤

[@cianciftw]

Absolutely blown away by such an amazing deep dive into this topic. I have always loved this channel, but something about these mini documentaries hit different. Much love from Canada, please keep up the amazing work, Chris. Cheers.

[@ashu8112]

Your channel has grown so wonderfully over the years! Thank you for your excellent work, and for using your platform to highlight important issues.

[@CapsVODS]

thank you for supporting a youtube hero

[@CatmintJelly]

Chris, this is a wonderfully put together and edited documentary! I know you've very proud of it and I hope it gets the views and recognition it deserves. Thank you so much for humanizing the disaster and giving a voice to all those who were, unfortunately, touched in the wake of this earthquake.

[@CapsVODS]

i dont have much at aall, no job or anything atm, but i care so much, please accept this for being outstanding and caring about people.

[@baxlazz3928]

Your 'little' counts. And I hope 2025 will bring good fortunes to you in every aspect of your life.

[@glennburton9689]

This is the biggest donation today IMO. I wish you all the best in 2025. You deserve it.

[@fionnmaccumhail76]

This is a top-tier documentary. The ones you can see in a consolidated TV station like BBC, or any other from another country. But, it was produced by a KZbin channel. That shows how powerful this tool is, how amazing people are around here, that instead creating something that you would see once and never return, they created a masterpiece of documentary. Chris, my hat is off, you did a masterpiece here, one that nowadays, tons of TV stations would want to have in their schedules or produced by them, but was a "yutuber" who made it. Well done, sir.

[@lel1430]

I'm really not commenting at all in yt, but I somehow have to express how stunned I am by the way you've grown Chris. From your early videos of laughable English lines on Japanese fashion and brands to full-blown professional documentaries. From being an english teacher to pursuing something much more cinematographic. I am beyond impressed and happy for you at how far you've come and probably going to be one day. Sky is the limit for you Chris - you're doing what you love the most and it shows!

[@kuriseon]

Holy hell Chris... This was a phenomenal documentary... It's astounding how little we learn from 'regular' news outlets about tragedies like this. I hope the people of Wajima find their way once again ❤ Disasters like these are a genuine reminder to not just the Japanese but all people that we're definitely NOT above nature, despite what some may think. I'm genuinely gobsmacked by the quality of your work. Yes, your cinematography in this is amazing. But what touched me even more is the amount of respect with which you approached these people and their stories. I can't believe this is on KZbin. I'm shocked, I'm in tears, and I'm inspired. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. ありがとうございます🙏🏼

[@JackKing-u5h]

This is the reason why KZbinr such as Logan Paul and Mr beast cannot ever come close to you , they lack your clear compassion. Thanks for being a better side of KZbin 👌

[@hundvd_7]

There are about a million other reasons

[@johnmack680]

Well said

[@CapsVODS]

yes

[@krozareq]

Truth

[@garryferrington811]

"A better side of KZbin," yes, that's so right!

[@BrianPeiris]

Single-handedly elevating KZbin. More of this please!

[@yep-sure]

Possibly the best video on this channel. Honestly, the shots, interviews, commentary on Wajima in the first third were incredibly powerful, moving and very respectfully presented. The whole thing was quite confronting (in an important way) and very informative. And my god those G-CANS shots looked almost like CGI, crazy. As a long time subscriber this is the content I love, and it's been impressive to see the skillset and production values evolve over time to what I think is now the peak. One Chris and the whole Abroad in Japan team should be proud of.

[@billmiller4972]

Wish I could have expressed my feelings that clearly.

[@Daruma_Studio]

I am an Emergency Manager from the USA with 6 years experience in Japan after the Tohoku / Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. This video is fantastic documentation of the importance of prep and mitigation. I will be coming back to Japan soon, and I want to do work to protect people from the next one.

[@christianknight9669]

I give you my salute 🫡 Much respect to you and to everyone that are always ready to help people who are in danger.

[@cocleum]

日本に来てくれてありがとう あなたの仕事がたくさんの人々を喜ばせられますように

[@dvp39]

This talk about preparation and mitigation then I'm just thinking.. Wajima? Isn't that talk kind of moot at the moment? But yes, they need to redesign the housing to withstand earthquakes and reevaluate sea walls and barriers from the landslides, maybe build on more stable ground higher up? The country really needs forward thinking civil engineers for more than the big metropolitan areas.

[@zam023]

o7 salute!

[@shawnkennedy8835]

This is the kind of content that I love to see from this channel. As much as the light hearted content is entertaining, these deep dives into a serious topic are by far the most memorable and impactful content. Congratulations on great work on this project and hope we can see more like this in the future.

[@lindatannock]

Couldn't agree more! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@writeordie5452]

Thank you for not dubbing any of the interviews. Subtitles is plenty for us who don't know the language, and it feels far more honest and real without the dubbed voices.

[@Blex_040]

While I do agree that it was the right choice here because the emotions are more important than the information with the Wajima interviews, I disagree with the "Subtitles is plenty for us" part because not dubbing always means to exclude people with dyslexia, visual impairments and other disabilities that make it hard for people to read small text fast. Accessibility is important.

[@JapaneseHeavymetal]

@@Blex_040 Are you a person with any of these disabilities? Because at this point we have software to work around most of these disabilities. One actually good use of AI is using it to auto-translate and narrate videos.

[@writeordie5452]

@@Blex_040 That is fair. I don't disagree at all with your argument. Worth adding though is that I have actually come across one Swedish channel (not any other though, so far) which has experimented with additional audio tracks - for example it could be used for giving extra information in otherwise voiceless parts (for those with seeing disabilities), or for straight-up dubbing. It is something that KZbin is allowing (look up "multi-language audio"), but something basically no one is using. I guess because most creators don't know about it - and among those who do, it's quite a large time investment which might not be worth it. But perhaps it's something that Chris and others could look in to, and at least experiment with.

[@sophie____]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@Blex_040👀 as someone with serious dyslexia, I just want to state that I'm not illiterate? I can read fine (albeit perhaps slowly compared to normies), at worst, I just need to pause the video and re-read. The whole video has english subtitles, which is awesome. I can't speak for the other examples you've stated for inaccessability, and it's nice you're trying to be mindful of other's needs (thank you), but it doesn't feel great being used as a tool/victim for a critisism which is not really reflective of our experience.

[@Blex_040]

@@JapaneseHeavymetal No, but I privately know and have professionally worked with people that have these (and other) disabilities. There are tools and solutions, but we still have a long long way to go until these work reliably in everyday situation. For example, I know a tool that reads KZbin subtitles out loud for people who can't. But it only works with KZbin subtitles and not subtitles embedded in the video itself like in this one (for example at 6:07)... And the KZbin auto-translated subtitles that would work with that tool don't produce anything besides "[Music]" at 6:07, maybe because they assume the whole video is English...

[@TheCorgiLoaf]

Seeing people so distressed and sad makes me tear up. I can't imagine having your hometown destroyed like this. I genuinely wish for the safety of the people. Thank you for doing this, Chris.

[@nomiguda]

Beautiful documentary, Chris. It's a privilege afforded to us by the Abroad in Japan Patreon community that this amazing documentary is available free for all on KZbin, instead of behind some paywall. I think you should be really proud of this, it was incredibly well produced and insightful.

[@Emily369]

I'm a silent viewer but I wanted to say that your videos are always so entertaining and informing Chris, but I especially appreciate longer videos and topics like this. Your enthusiasm and interest always show and they are so incredibly well done. 👏😁

[@Arevya]

Five minutes in and I'm already crying. Seeing the houses go down with the person on the ground. Thank you for bringing all these stories to us. It's hard to see, but it is also life and the lived experience of so many thousands.

[@emma_nutella58]

I really love Chris for bringing attention to these issue, and giving these people a voice in what they experienced, maybe one day we will get that documentary series with Chris

[@natalt]

Absolutely outstanding work Chris, thank you.

[@house.of.tremere]

Jesus Chris.. watching your first video and then comparing it to this.. you’ve come a long way. Absolutely brilliant. More than mildly horrifying and soul crushing content, but masterfully curated and executed. So impressed with Chris and the rest of the Abroad In Japan crew.

[@dowrgi]

A documentary to rival panorama! I appreciate how you bookended the people of Wajima rather than just using it as a stepping stone to talk about Tokyo. It showed humanity rather than just focusing on the possible

[@diningwithderek]

After watching every single Abroad in Japan video, I can confidently say that these documentaries are the best videos on the channel. They are the most meaningful and well produced, so I appreciate all of the time and research you put into making this Chris!!!

[@strider2175]

I'd go a step further, and say they're some of the best on KZbin.

[@Blex_040]

Every single one? All 308 videos? Even the 10 and 11 years old videos? 😄

[@recepticle8197]

@@Blex_040 It is possible. I can say with confidence that I have watched all of Chris' videos at least twice (even the patreon exclusive ones).

[@marinah5805]

As a survivor of Hurricane Helene that hit the Appalachians in the US, I empathize so much for the people of Wajima and others who have suffered natural disasters on this scale. No electricity for a week, no cell signal for two weeks, and businesses are STILL relying on clean water being brought in to drink and cook with 3 months after. I got out after 4 days, and have been going back up regularly, but the damage was really intense and I cannot stress enough to those that haven't experienced something like this: the hardest part is afterwards, seeing the effects on your home and seeing how HARD it is to get it back to what it was. Thank you so much for the documentary- I mean YT video, truly an art what you've done with it.

[@jstris]

really excited for more documentaries please keep them coming feels a lot like a hidden gem what you’d find in a streaming service

[@Kriss_941]

To anyone planning to visit Japan I highly recommend visiting Ishikawa. Not only to help their economy and rebuilding efforts, but because it's simply a beautiful prefecture with amazing people and such a nice atmosphere. I went to Kanazawa during the Hyakumangoku Festival this year and it was amazing seeing the people of Ishikawa come together in the wake of such a disaster. It's hard to really put into words but Kanazawa had such a nice atmosphere and I think I kind of fell in love with the place. It was by far the favorite place I visited on my trip and for next time I want to try and rent a car so I can go more outside the city and explore around the Noto peninsula as well.

[@uliseki8137]

I agree, the nature and people are stunning. I live on the Noto peninsula ( Anamizu). It’s sad to see the damage, however I help out at the Wajima Volunteer base camp and it’s heartwarming how many volunteers are coming from all over Japan ( on their own expenses)to help out ( mostly in Wajima and Suzu). It will take years 😢

[@InYoPie]

The clock at @4:57 in the rubble showing the time the earthquake hit (roughly 4pm) was chilling to see.

[@mfaizsyahmi]

It's always fascinating how clocks become an accidental "exact time of disaster" recording device, working purely from the very simple mechanism of their batteries falling off (or power shorting out).

[@Flutterbutt225]

every bit as chilling as going to a Titanic museum where they'd found a stopped pocket watch that was stuck on the time of the sinking. really really sobering stuff.

[@maxthegamer]

Nice spot

[@anne-lauremadiba7702]

Wow, I didn't know you were doing this kind of video! AMAZING! Really, wow! The sounds effects, visuals, different viewshots, quality of testimonies, it's seriously good! I was able to feel their pain through your lenses, so you did an amazing job reflecting their reality and emotions.Thank you for that and please continue your good work!

[@MountainsandWaves]

I really appreciate that you keep making videos like this, even though it can be frustrating when high-quality documentaries get fewer views than the usual content.

[@pat_c]

I've only gotten past the opening sequence and I can honestly say that THIS is what makes your channel so amazing Chris. The amount of time and effort and most importantly CARE that went into this video must have been immense, and yet the care to do it justice. I am on edge because of how powerful the video is. The story telling, editing and sound. Truly a masterclass. Ok, back to the video.

[@wookiee2188]

The quality of this video is incredible, I'm using it in school as an A-level case study for the Wajima Earthquake. Thanks Chris (and all of your Patreons for funding this!)

[@piglus1578]

Absolutely fantastic work Chris

[@Anou-b8t]

Everytime I watch Chris making a video like this I get reminded what this platform was truly made for. Beautiful video

[@jamesschultz5651]

Content like this is why this is easily one of the best channels on the entire platform, well done.

[@frankthetank6339]

❤ the best “KZbinr” on the planet. Your work just gets better and better, what an important and well thought out documentary, done respectfully with the voices that matter. Well done Chris and team.

[@the_one_gio]

As someone who does documentaries for a living, I find this is an incredible documentary. Great music choices, fantastic cinematography and a really important topic. Kudos sir, very well done.

[@nexustom5823]

Thanks patreons🙏

[@lucas839]

Agree such a good quality in this days of pure shorts brainrot

[@skydivenext]

Thanks

[@snarfi17]

You’re welcome, seriously tho Chris’ Patreon is worth it. Try it out, even if its just to laugh at the blooper reels

[@metalfang]

Beautifully done video. Thank you for bringing attention to the people affected, so their struggle is not forgotten!

[@ScooterDugnutt]

This was truly inspiring. As someone living in Tokyo, things like this cross my mind more often than not. I want to thank you for making more serious documentaries like this. They help many people who may not have the best Japanese access the stories of all these people. Also, very impressive that you got to interview Koike! You're really moving up in the world! 🎉

[@R500evoL]

it really can't be stated enough: this was beautiful. You truly do care about the country you have lived in for over a decade, and all of those who call it home. Bless you Chris Idea: all of the artisans that you featured should autograph some of the products that they create and then you and Connor can auction them off and then the proceeds gathered from the sales be given back to them. This way, their craftsmanship can be put on display, raise awareness for the town and its people, and provide extra compensation to help get them back to where they were before the earthquake.

[@astrum9885]

Thank you for releasing this for free, the quality is insane!

[@にゃんちゅう82]

この場所に2度ボランティアへ行きました。 道路は液状化し、まるで波のようでした。 海に近いエリアの道は地下に多くの水分を含んでしまい、直してもすぐに亀裂が入る為コンクリートで補正できません。場所によってはこの先も土の道路です。 また、家のほとんどは瓦の屋根です。過疎化と高齢化が進んでいる為、昔の家ばかりです。ボランティアでは地面に落ちた重い瓦屋根を片付ける作業もありました。 日本は今、そのような場所に多額の国家予算を使って本気で再生すべきか迷っています。

[@8bithavok]

What is your opinion? Do you find that government support is seriously lacking in rural communities? Wajima seems very tragic because the government assistance seems like it doesn't exist for them.

[@carolehirsch7315]

Thank you for volunteering your time. Workers like you are critical in disasters and your human nature speaks well of the Japanese people as a whole.

[@pantitapalittapongarnpim1581]

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Having a first-hand account is very valuable.

[@にゃんちゅう82]

@@carolehirsch7315 若い頃はたくさん人に迷惑をかけました。 人生の後半は人の役に立ちたい。

[@モグ太郎-m7m]

自公の政策。自己主張強め（笑）

[@mooping7049]

Danke!

[@ScarTheQueen]

I see how you have improved over the years this video made me cry. This is the best video you have ever made thank you for always doing your best.

[@yanacchi]

it’s absolutely crazy that you got Koike san on your channel

[@LordJupiter1]

It is so nice to see a documentary of this quality on KZbin. I do like all your other content from the silly wacky weekends to the Journey across Japan series as well as your great podcast series. It is nice to see someone who has a variety of great content like you have.

[@DavidSmith-nt2wr]

This was really great work. Thanks so much!

[@Bobtb]

Thanks! Keep making quality content!

[@Fuzzy_Barbarian]

Great video, Chris. I really respect you for approaching such a tragic topic with respect and humility, and allowing the victims to get their stories out. You genuinely care about this, and it shows in your work.

[@CHEFPKR]

My god man, you have outdone yourself. Not even 2 minutes in and I have goosebumps. Need to strap in for this.

[@astrodan9205]

Chris, please keep making these documentaries and capturing these stories. I know you have said that views and metrics have discouraged from creating documentaries in the past, but these videos, and your work, are needed!

[@m.varacruz1423]

Been watching you since 2017, and it's been impressive to see your production quality go up. I hope the residences of Wajima can recover.

[@ALC_1]

Great documentary, Chris. Congratulations on your achievement. It would be great to see more videos like this one in the upcoming year.

[@Kahito_Rin]

Oh my gosh. This is insanely well done. Humongous congratulations on this project!

[@benjamindadam6268]

Hey i live around here! So great to see you here and talking about Wajima. Suzu was also hit really bad, I work taking down wrecked houses in Suzu, looks like its going to be a 10 year job.

[@sanderdevisscher1834]

Good luck and best wishes for you and your community Greetings from Belgium

[@FroggeeSB]

Please pass on our best wishes to the local people. So sad that they still have such a long wait for the help they need to get on with their lives.

[@chrisw3904]

As a long-time subscriber to your channel and a Canadian of Japanese descent, I wanted to say that I love when you create content like this; this and your charitable work with CDawgVA makes you one of the more special Japan KZbinrs imo. :) Keep it up!

[@Save.the.legends]

Just a matter of time until Abroad in Japan documentaries make it onto Netflix

[@yourdissapointeddaddy2057]

I’m surprised they haven’t

[@matt-uz7ql]

That’s not saying much

[@ThePandaKen]

His infamous cat one already did I thought lol

[@user-ev8vh3hp6n]

FFS, enough about this Netflix bs

[@bevy9598]

Id argue this is better quality than a Netflix documentary

[@Tackforkaffet83]

Fantastic documentary. Thank you

[@DrewEverlong]

What an amazingly emotional video, I truly feel for the people in Japan much more now.

[@pinkybrain2627]

Thanks!

[@Flowreach]

You've outdone yourself with this Chris. Extremely touching. I felt a lot of emotion watching this.

[@sunnyskies4628]

I know it’s not in your nature to make these documentaries often. But when you do you knock them out of the park!! Heartfelt, informative, inspiring and accurate. Thanks ( My favorite kind you produce.)

[@spiderspyy]

Well done Chris!

[@tedweird]

I struggle to verbalize how much I appreciate the documentaries you put out

[@corikra1392]

Thanks for this great video/documentary. I love the other content as well, but these kinds of documentaries are your best work 👍. Keep them coming 🙂

[@fixedly]

Unbelievable documentary. Solid work everyone involved in the project. So sad for Wajima.

[@aspherr_]

An absolute cinematic masterpiece of a documentary that sheds light on the individuals suffering in silence after these disasters as well as whats to come in the future. Every video you make, always ramps up in production and quality, as a long time viewer, I cant be any prouder Chris! 😊

[@YumuraKirika]

any video created and uploaded on Abroad in Japan is always amazing for me, I love that you tackle also these hard question and that you did show Wajima the love that it needs, it is an honor to be able to watch you and learn all the amazing things you present to us, thank you for another masterpiece

[@LazyBazooka]

Production value on this is next level

[@Rillien]

Amazing video! So well-made and so moving❤

[@holyxroller]

I just wrote a paper on this earthquake. I struggled to find information and the current status of their recovery. I had no clue there was so little help and a lack of urgency to return these citizens to somewhat normalcy. Thank you so much for producing this

[@falsefingolfin]

this is honestly on-par quality-wise with many documentaries coming out on tv/streaming, amazing work chris and team

[@Yeepzor]

Those tunnels looked almost CG with how large the scale was! Great work as always Chris, looking forward to your next documentary.

[@midsue]

Interesting topic

[@siraspark]

Chris, I truly appreciate you and the team not only making fun and lighthearted videos that always have a culturally educational twist, but also these documentaries. It truly shows how disasters affect the people and gives them a chance to tell their stories first hand. Thank you for not only showing the bright shiny tourist videos but the truth of the Japanese people and ways for us to help.

[@MG-nf8vu]

Thank you for bringing forward the human impact of these disasters in places like Wajima. The infrastructure damage and loss of life are the obvious tragedies, but losing community, culture, and then trying to resurrect what's been lost is what *really* shows the deep strength of the human spirit and connects all of us to it. Proud to have been a patreon for many years and more to come. Congratulations on this wonderfully authentic work.

[@posban]

This Documentary was so moving. Well done handling something so emotive with such dignity and respect for these wonderful people. Amazing. Thank You for sharing.

[@tactical-crash]

This kind of format with the quality reminded me of documentaries I watched as a child on TV. Well done.