My kids find it odd that I subscribe too, and happily watch, nearly all videos by some (presumably) Japanese guy who has a not very old Youtube channel called "Solo Travel Japan". His speciality has been catching overnight passenger ferries in Japan, but he also does capsule hotel and other experiences. Each video is usually about 20 minutes long, often less, so it's not a huge time commitment.
I had no idea that you could do so much travel in that country by some pretty fancy and big ferries - usually they're overnight trips, and the accommodation ranges from some pretty nice private cabins with views, to dormitory style accommodation where the sound of snoring on a crowded trip must be a problem. They all seem to just have cafeteria style food, and he show his meals on each trip too, despite the food being pretty standard Japanese fare.
He does not appear in his videos, apart from his hand or sometimes legs, and he doesn't talk; nor does he show other people up close. (Given the pandemic, so many of his overnight ferry trips look like he is virtually the only person on board!). It's just a Point of View videos of a silent person making a solo short trip in Japan. (Maybe I like it because I travelled solo, often being silent for quite a long time too, when I was in my 20's?)
I find there is an almost meditative peacefulness and comfort in watching him following the same routine - here he is catching the bus to the port; now boarding and going to his cabin, checking out the amenities; let's see what he is having on his cafeteria meal tonight. (He sometimes seems to eat huge amounts, too.) And there is the matter of his relentlessly cheery commentary in English subtitles, the latest example of which is the reason I decided to write this post.
This last trip was on an actually quite old passenger/vehicular ferry; it had some clear rust on decks and was way below the quality of the usual inter-island ferries he has been on. He stayed this time in a very cheap dormitory style room:
His bunk featured a blanket that was clearly old and daggy. Yet this was his commentary, which I found such an extreme case of "looking on the bright side" that it made me laugh out loud:
OK, maybe it wasn't worth a whole post, but that commentary is funny, and a bit delightful too.
I don't know, but it's also kind of delightful that a person can make money for a time out of really simple, but cheerful and positive, content on Youtube. I get bored with Youtubers who are too serious and introspective (or who do podcasts that ramble on for hours) - but people who are cheerful in whatever they do, it's pleasing they can make money from being nice.
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