I’m once again crawling out of my hiatus for this quick post about two small yet amazing YouTube channels that you really need to check out.

As Japan once again welcomes international travelers for tourism, there are so many “YouTubers” that are out there to express their love for the country, and their interest in helping others have a safe and pleasant trip. While a number of them are so popular that the creators have made a business out of it (making me feel that there are more sponsored plugs than there is content), today I would like to offer my recommendations for two budding YouTube channels who genuinely want to help you travel around Tokyo and offer their travel recommendations in general: Harblife and Tokyo Kenchan.

Harblife

Created at the end of May 2022 and with over 5,000 subscribers, this YouTuber posts frequent videos about hidden gems in Tokyo and, most importantly, the latest travel procedures when entering Japan. One of my favorite videos is this one, where he and his partner explain the importance of using the Japanese government’s digital apps to smooth your entry process into Japan following the lifting of the COVID entry ban. On a recent return to Japan, where he is a permanent resident, Harblife decided to see what would happen if he did not use the government app (Currently, this is Visit Japan Web) AND if he did not declare that he had three COVID-19 vaccinations – which meant that he would need to get a negative PCR test within 72 hours of flight departure. His partner, on the other hand, registered her vaccine and quarantine details ahead of time. Needless to say, the difference between the two is night and day.

Harblife’s videos are straight-shooting, and with open captions that make it easy to understand what he is talking about. I am hoping to take some of his suggestions that he offered for side trips in this video, for example, if I decide to go back to Japan for a fifth time.

Tokyo Kenchan

This YouTube channel with nearly 1,800 subscribers is run by Japanese native Kengo. It was created in April 2021, but most of his content has come out only within the last few months. In a very simple and conversational style, Kenchan covers various topics such as how to get around Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as a number of ideas for day trips. One of my favorite videos explains where you can get amazing Tokyo views for free. In one of his most recent videos, he also suggests ten day trips you could take out of Tokyo.

Click on the links in the headers to visit each of these channels. I hope you’ll look at these two channels, give them a like and subscribe, and consider their advice as you prepare for your next trip to Japan.

As a footnote, I was not directly asked to promote these sites. These recommendations are my own.