If there’s anybody out there who got conversationally fluent at Japanese using Duolingo, raise your hand.

I’ve always got the impression it’s a fun side quest as opposed to a practical language learning tool.

What are the key phrases every tourist should learn when they come to Japan?

SHOGUN.
One of the TV highlights of 2024 so far.

In celebration of the epic series finale, today I found myself on BBC Radio 1's Screen Time Podcast for a spoiler-filled chat about the show & frank thoughts on the ending with Ali Plumb!

🍿Tune in now: linktr.ee/ScreenTime

Going live with my fourth best American friend, the great Pete Premiertwo over on his Twitch.

Join us for an evening of drinks, gossip and a questionable dip Pete has made for our unhealthy snacks.

Twitch.tv/premiertwo

Come for the pasta.
Stay for the ethnic bolognese.

🤔

Whilst in Japan I appeared on Chris Broad’s Chris Broad podcast and it was a delight, talking as we did about hiking the Nakasendō trail, semi-terrible travel tips and the joys of, um, helicopters

Watch here 👉 youtu.be/MQGSrr-Icj0?si…

(Plus some silly photos to celebrate 😄)

It’s the groundbreaking Abroad in Japan diet plan!

✅Cycle for 14 days.
✅Hike for 3 days.
✅Get the worst food poisoning of your life for 2 days.

Great stuff.

Many thanks for all the birthday wishes last week guys. Your kind words were hugely appreciated 🙏

Thanks for all the birthday wishes.
I celebrated in a forest surrounded by bears.

(Also watched the Shogun finale!
Bloody great show, will be sorely missed).

Crikey! The Abroad in Japan Paperback is the No.1 bestselling book in the UK this week 🥳

A huge thanks to everyone who's grabbed a copy!
I would've returned to the UK to celebrate the paperback launch had I not been breaking my legs on a bike this week 😅

Special thanks to

Had a meeting in a random Tokyo bar tonight and to my surprise, my face awkwardly appeared on the TV screen for an hour much to my companion’s delight.
Turns out the bar was randomly playing Amazon Prime videos and bloody Cat Nation had started playing 😅
He thought I’d set it up

It’s finally over.

All great stories need a fitting ending and yesterday we got ours.

Half a month spent furiously peddling over 1,000km across Japan’s mountain ranges and megacities, with an astonishing $1 million raised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation, culminating with

We did it. 🫡

$1,061,100 raised. Goodnight 🫡