I Made Friends with a Stranger at Japan's Oldest Hot Spring

learn something interesting about the town you it in from a local my favorite thing in Japan ever grilled meat on a skewer [Music] [Music] good morning guys and welcome back to journey across Japan neverending cycle of despair look at this bridge oh my god this I cycled over this yesterday 4050 metres of Gouri yesterday was one hell of a day I cycled the ship Minami keidel straight across the Inland Sea of Japan it was probably my favorite day of the trip so far just because the scenic views along the way I highly recommend you go back and check it out if you want to see the most beautiful place in all Japan so today we're cycling to Matsuyama City a city famous for having the best known on scent in all of Japan as well as a castle majestically placed on a mountain in the center of the city and thus it must be very good ok today's daily challenge these are challenges sent in by you guys and stuffed into a man's head and today's challenge is frigid speices learn something interesting about the town you're in from a local cool that's an easy one I think just got to try and track down a local um get too messy Yemen oh god my legs are so stiff from yesterday's incredibly long cycle when I got out of bed this morning I sort of stood up and just fell over on my face I really don't want to go do you know when you have a view before you that looks well looks as good as this you just want to stand there all day I've already been here 30 40 minutes I just don't want to move but we've got a go says journey across Japan there's no time for such luxuries is standing around got a cycle to finish tomorrow [Music] having arrived in Shikoku Japan's fourth largest island my time here is somewhat short-lived I'm here for just one day to explore the islands largest city of Matt siamo before my journey by ferry this evening takes me back over the Inland Sea and into the city of Hiroshima the first things first I need to find a local willing to drag into Shewell British guy around Matsuyama for the rest of the day [Music] Wow but an entire Beach to myself it's not a single person on air except for two people and a dog over there it feels like I'm in aachen hour again I'm in ok now in 2 or 3 years but this is kind of what it looked like so guys I've got try and find someone to show me around Matsuyama City a local that's gonna be difficult in Japan things don't happen spontaneously they always require some kind of element of forward planning but what I do know is my good Japanese friend Bree Arturo he was recently in Miami and I know for a fact that he knows lots of people round it so I'm gonna give him a call and see if he knows a colleague or a friend or anybody around there who might be willing to show me around for the day ok here we go good morning realtor oh how are you yeah yeah I am still alive I'll cut to the chase I'm looking for somebody to show me around Matsuyama City today it came up as one of the daily challenges do you know anybody in Matsuyama who might be interested to show around a great and respected youtuber yeah I am the great and respect to do trivia when do I want them to show me around today no I'm not joking yeah all right ok [Music] Matsuyama meaning pine mountain is home to half a million people but compared to Japan's ridiculous never-ending mega cities it's got a far more laid-back atmosphere epitomized by the streetcars calmly snaking their way through the streets amidst the backdrop of the traditional architecture as I roll into town I not only find the city as a festival going on with the streets bustling with vendors selling regional dishes but also to my amazement yah taro gets back to me having arranged for someone to meet mere Matsuyama and show me around for the day it's an incredible and admittedly rare stroke of good luck and I arranged to meet my contacts at matsuyama castle on the summit of mount cuts yama in the heart of the city [Music] welcome back ladies gentlemen to abroad on a chairlift we're currently going up to matsuyama castle in the traditional way they would have done 500 to 600 years ago of course this was the only way to ascend mountains back in the Aero era so a meeting Reata Rose X school friend Kazu at the top of the mountain and she's going to give us a tour for the rest of the day around matsuyama castle Dogo onsen the famous onsen and somewhere for lunch so it's all very much in her hands there we have it Matsuyama castle 132 meters above the city feel like I'm in a spy film the only way we know how to meet is that she's eating oranges because it's the local dish of Matsuyama what's the code word she's a friend of real true they went to school together what do you think of real trade here's a nice simple pie when was the last time you saw us right maybe three years ago three years ago I saw him five days ago it was fun that was anyway thanks for being us today thanks for giving you see I must before we head to Hiroshima we don't have much time how often do them how often do you come up here yeah once in a week for exercise once a week yeah 132 meters of walk I had trouble getting up the chairlift I was tired sitting on the lift let alone walking up there 130 to make a mountain to a castle every weeks how is it it's really good and very juicy it's always been my dream to see out the front of matsuyama castle being an orange now that dream has come true [Music] now I'll be the first to admit I'm not really into castles or Japanese history in general and yet I always make an effort to visit them due to the fact that castles are often placed in stunning parks and natural environments 400 years matsuyama castle was stood on Mount Katsuyama although like albeit Japanese castles it got burnt down being the highest point the city may have kept the impregnable fortress safe from enemy troops but it also made it an easy target for lightning which struck on New Year's Day 1784 fortunately though they rebuilt it in 1800s and today commands one of the most breathtaking views of any castle in all of Japan bo is nice it is nice the ocean view yeah you got a 360 view to see the city and the mountains that side and the sea at the inland sea in that direction so it gives you a real sense of scale of the city entry is strictly prohibited yeah you know I'll have to go past that point if you did go past that point it wouldn't end well as for sure so comfortable so peaceful here relaxing in the castle walls yeah while the view from the top may be Zen falling down the vertical wooden ladders on your way down certainly isn't oh my god this is so scary I don't know what's more ridiculous these stairs or the fact I'm attempting to film it if you come to the castle guys bear in mind people have to go up and down basically a ladder how did Chris dine on the stairs of matsuyama castle while filming it idiot the region around Matsuyama is one of the largest exporters of oranges in the country with the fruit becoming something of a local obsession and the tap out the front of the castle would suggest that is not an exaggeration mandarin orange juice from a four-set orange juice tap in Matsuyama it's not water that comes out of taps it's orange juice soaked as though I've known you about 40 minutes I'll get the impression you really like oranges because I met you eating oranges orange juice Kampai what's the story of why why orange juice for people believe you me people drink orange juice more than water do you drink more orange juice than water I I actually stopped drinking orange juice a long time ago because I was worried about its light teeth being destroyed [Music] I'll make it I'll make an exception today so we going to finish this delicious orange juice then we're to get some lunch what do you recommend going on so we can have some Street food and get oranges again I'm not hammered get aureus again [Music] having passed through the festival earlier and seen what was on offer there's only one ditch I've had on my mind or border it's so busy isn't it yes I often eat yakitori not as much as I go to my castle and not as much as I do which is every week at least the kiti a kotori's brilliance is the simplicity of the dish cuts of juicy chicken grilled slowly and elegantly over a charcoal grill with the scent of the sizzling meat drifting across the street to entice you over there's only one decision you need to make if you want it seasoned with salt or marinated in sweet terror source my own preference being salt as I'm ready sweet enough copy that alright sorry indigo my favorite thing in Japan ever it's basically the simplest of things grilled me on a skewer flavored with salt so juicy we only got six I fear it's not enough you may be I believe much today it's been a long morning cycling grind up a car so I need my chicken good my only advice when he India to Tori is to get the hell away from the stand once you've eaten your skewers otherwise won't be long before you're back for more throwing your precious diet out of the window [Music] spirited away the dog on sale actually when the oldest hot springs in all Japan it's three thousand years old although the building itself was built in 1893 infamously immortalized in the film spirited away by Hayao Miyazaki there's a scene with the girls soaking in a hot spring it's this place it's aspired by here and that's kind of why it's so popular that and the incredible architecture I mean look at it it's not hard to see why do go on sinners inspired artists such as Hayao Miyazaki and you step inside and get lost in the labyrinth of corridors alongside fellow bathers for just four hundred and ten yen visitors can soak for up to an hour and the famous kami no you bathhouse the tranquil sound the continuously flowing alkaline spring against the backdrop of the stylish traditional stone work afterwards bathers can slip into one of the sparse many rooms to relax for a cup of matcha green tea the Qasr and I find ourselves at one such room where one of Japan's most famous twentieth century authors used to regularly visit in search of inspiration so this room we're now famous for Japanese right used to come in and write a book you could Beauchamp which all Japanese people know his name is Nathan nice all sake that's a mess all sake of a tongue twister that name isn't it can you say that to me saw safety three times quickly Mizuki subarashii when you come to this room that's what you've got to do when you stand upon this point guys you come here dalgo onsen do the tongue twister and then go and get a drink should have known before the day was over we'd have one more orange based drink what's this your car - it's orange flavored whiskey that's a cat slowly walking towards us and here he comes it's got no tail it's not tail anyway yeah maybe you smell this jackal kudzu imagine a crab stick that's been deep-fried and that's essentially what this is but better quality than crab stick you because when you think crab sticks you think crap quality fish I must have now I've never been a fan of fish cake fish sticks but deep fried it works it's the miracle of fish deep fry anything that tastes 20% better how's it felt being on a youtube video today at the same time what which bit was tough but you have to they kind of think about what you talk about and stuff that's what this channels good because I think about why I'm gonna say boys sad that's why you should definitely subscribe if you haven't already have you subscribe to my channel yeah what's your favorite video on my channel hmm yeah definitely ever watched any videos you haven't watched a video I watched it I'll tell you later thanks for showing us around today though yeah it's been really good I wish we had more time cuz that she lived in the UK C cos just about here her British accent where have you lived America I lived in London London Switzerland glabrous which was better London or Switzerland normally when I say goodbye to someone on these videos I shout out their social media their Instagram or YouTube but you're a real person a social media real boy real girl oh yeah Cheers I'm gonna finish this up and then and then we've got a ferry to catch well guys we are heading across the Inland Sea of Japan to Hiroshima it takes about three or four hours on the ferry I feel like this is a really good place to end the day the sunset is absolutely stunning unfortunately there was no other way back to haunt you over the ferry or bicycling all the way back over the ship Adobe Idol but I've already done that so didn t wanna do it again and it was really awesome just having Kazu show us around to give us every orange based product that is known to burn tomorrow we are able Hiroshima city so lots of cool things to do there but for now guys thanks for joining us and our trip around that sea ever and Shikoku today and we'll see you right back here tomorrow to do it all over again have a good one to come to your Harrah's no miss this place out would be a crime six years I've traveled Japan far and wide it's all been building up to this moment piece of vending machines always wanted to do this you know where it's going this is hard to work in the bloody cycle it better be worth it when it's done I did it apparently most of my viewers aren't actually subscribers they're people who come and just look for my videos every single time they just sort of look for it on YouTube in the search box over on Japan and the sort of person who doesn't push viewers to like or subscribe or share the videos because I just find it quite annoying as I'm sure you do when youtubers always do that but today I've made an effort I've made an exception if this doesn't get you to subscribe to the channel nothing it's pretty clear see massive I don't know why I've spent so much time on this [Music] still outside your 10 kilometers [Music]

Channel: Abroad in Japan

Views: 1,204,937

Rating: 4.9799962 out of 5

Keywords: japan, japanese, japanese onsen, matsuyama, yakitori, dogo onsen, spirited away, spirited away onsen, shikoku, japan travel

Id: AJKw61jn69Q

Length: 16min 18sec (978 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 07 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/Yondaimesheir]

true love is when you watch this on 144p on a shitty hotel wifi just because you are adicted to his channel

[u/sapphylala]

This was a fun episode. I loved Kazu’s energy!!

[u/deadlyrasberry]

Kazu > Risottoro

[u/Kriem]

And just like that, we have a new character. Kazu san has arrived.

[u/MrSwedsson]

Loved the video as always : D